The Lovely Death of Nicole V.

SHE LIKES IT

"Come on, guys!", William V. said loud and clear through the house corridor, "We got one hour! Wake up already!"

Nicole had been awake for the past four hours, starring at the clouds on her window. They had been moving up and down, side to side, and changing shapes like a ballet among friends. They had been pitch black at some point without moon or stars, then grew gray as the sky's blue got darker, and as the morning began to rise, each cloud had it's own moment of glowing white glory. 

Now the sky was a golden bright sight and each of the clouds was pink and puffy. That was a rare and lovely sight. Staying there felt so easy, so sweet and so natural. Nicole got herself up, picked up the camera at the corner of her room, turned it to the window and hit the record button.

"Do you see that?", she asked to the camera while starring at the gorgeous sky. "Do you see how beautiful that is? Wow! You don't see that everyday."

Nicole jumped in front of the camera and recorded some images of her with that view. Then she held the camera up to catch her face with the sunlight. Then a close shot of her hair. Then a blurry image of the room. Then her things by the desk. Then the clouds going through. 

She took a quick look at the imagens on the camera display. They were exactly what she wanted them to be. She could already see them being arranged on the editing. She needed a sweet song on the background, maybe with a whistle or a sound of claps. Nicole starred at the clouds again, and with another breath, she told herself. "This is a good morning. Let's go Nicole".

She showered and changed into her uniform. It seemed to her like a fancy fantasy for a party that never started. By school rules, she had to wear a perfectly white long sleeved blouse made of cotton or chiffon (which was specified in the school regiment), under a high waisted black skirt jumpsuit. Most of this was sold at a particular store across from the school, just like the only type of socks and shoes the students were allowed to wear.

Exclusives and specifics, the very prerrogative of a private school. Nicole hated it all. Everytime she buttoned up the straps on her skirt, she felt like a lunatic being willingly submitted to an asylum. If there was a difference between that and a straight-jacket, she failed to see it. 

But then again, she failed at so many things, it wouldn't be anything new.

"Half-hour, Nicole!" Dex said, knocking at her door. "You are not gonna have breakfast"

"I'm not hungry, Dex" she yelled tying her hair up in a bun, having her hair tied always made her feel a little safer, this was something she could control. Then, she ran to open the door "But I'm ready, little wizard."

Dex was in his own school suit. A black cotton shirt under a white wool jacket and white tailored pants. But unlike her, he wore this with a bright smile and an unstoppable fire within. He was a full sun to her night.

"I'm not a wizard anymore", he said with a frustrated little frown. 

"Oh, not? I thought you loved casting spells.", she said hugging him as tightly as she could. He smelled of maple syrup and mint.

"Spells are low-game. I don't wanna play like that."

"And what are you now, then?", she fixed the hair on his forehead, and he scruffed it againg.

"I'm just a common warrior. We are everywhere, fighting to keep everybody safe."

Nicole smiled and felt really happy about it. She didn't know when it would happen again.

"Are you gonna keep me safe too?"

"I thought you were a warrior too. Dad always says you survived the some of worst battles ever."