Keep Quiet // Josh Dun (completed)

chapter twenty øne (piløts) :: bløødy knuckles and fatherly fights

SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP ME WITH LITTLE FILLER IDEAS FOR THIS BECAUSE IM RUNNING S O LOW ON INSPIRATION FOR THIS BOOK BUT HERES A CHAPTER.

this book is going to be ending (in like 10-15 chapters) and I already have the ending but I just need little fillers until I can get to all the conflict and aNGST

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At school the next week, Josh never showed. When Nicole found Tyler and Jenna, who she usually stood with until the first bell rings with Josh, it was almost as if she was shunned. Tyler gave her a dirty look and then continued his conversation with Jenna.

The second semester was just starting so Nicole's schedule was changed. She had a hard time finding her class without Josh there to guide her like he did on her very first day there, but she eventually found her way to her second math class of the year.

The class dragged on without Josh by her side to make remarks about the work. In fact, the two classes following it did as well.

Then came lunch time.

She did her usual thing, waiting in line and then finding her spot. However, when she was on her way to the table, she heard Ashley say something.

"Him and his little girlfriend got into a fight. He probably hurt himself for something," she said to her group of friends as if it was a casual conversation.

Normally, Nicole would ignore anything that Ashley said. This particular remark got to her though. She slammed her plate down on the table, right in front of Ashley. "Stop talking about stuff that you know nothing about."

"Speak of the devil," Ashley told her friends as she stood up and faced Nicole. "We've got to stop meeting like this."

"Like what? You not being able to mind your own goddamn business?"

"Oh please," Ashley scoffed. "Josh is my business. I know all about him and his little issues. Must I remind you that I've known him longer?"

"But you're not his girlfriend, are you?" Nicole argued, knowing it would've gotten to Ashley.

Ashley put on a mock incredulous look on her face. "I mean, does anybody really have that title now? Because as far as I know, Josh broke up with you."

Nicole shook her head at her remark, biting her lip. Ashley definitely knew all the right things to say to tick her off the most. "I think your ass belongs in your pants, not your personality."

Ashley let a mischievous smirk on her face. "Boo hoo," she made a mock pout on her lips. "And what the hell is little miss mute gonna do about it?"

Nicole wasn't even thinking when she did it. Ashley had just been so rude and said all the right things to make we mad. She egged on what was bound to happen sooner or later.

"Little miss mute is gonna fuck you up." Nicole balled her hand into a fist and swung her arm, punching Ashley in the jaw. She then pushed her to the ground and got on top of her, getting motivation from the crowd that was forming around them. She punched her face repeatedly, spitting words out as she did so. "Stop talking about Josh like that!" She heard Ashely's repeated cries for help and pleas for her to stop but for some reason, she couldn't.

Before Nicole was able to protest, she felt her arms being tugged at. Jenna pulled her off of Ashley as another teacher started pulling her away. She got a glimpse of the damage she had caused before other students started crowding around Ashley.

Her left eye was already starting to swell. Her nose was bleeding and blood covered her cheeks from Nicole's repeated punches. There was some of the red fluid around Ashely. Nicole had blood covering her knuckles. She wasn't sure whether it was hers or Ashley's.

Nicole was taken to the main office, then to the principal's office. The teacher that escorted her there told the principal what happened and Nicole's part in it. Her thought consumed her as her father was called.

She almost couldn't control what happened. It was as if she was a puppet, but what controlled her was her anger. In fact, she wasn't even sure if she was all that mad at Ashley. She felt as if she was taking her anger out from what happened between her and Josh. All of her pent up rage came undone as she beat Ashley.

|-/

"Do you even know what you did?! That poor girl is hurt! And it's serious!" Nicole's father yelled at her from the other side of the dinner table.

"I know Dad-" Nicole tried to say something, but was cut off by her father.

"Do you? Do you know? Her parents wanna press charges for assault and battery!"

"That's not even the worst they could do, Dad! You know that!"

"Yeah I do! They could even charge you for child endangerment because you're eighteen. She's not!"

"She had it coming anyway," Nicole sat back in her chair. "I don't regret it at all."

"Mhm, you're saying that now but you're gonna feel like shit when she shows up at school with a swollen shut black eye and bruises on her cheeks."

"She deserved it, Dad!" She sat up and tapped on the table as she said her words. "You didn't hear what she said about Josh."

"So you beat her up because she said something about your precious little boyfriend?"

She rolled her eyes at how her dad was mocking her relationship. "Josh is sick and she was treating it like it was nothing! I think that's a good enough excuse to get into a fight."

"But violence isn't the answer! You could've talked it out!"

"Oh talking? To Ashley? You say that like she is easy to compromise with. She's a-"

"Don't even say it," her father put his finger up, ordering her to atop speaking. "Don't say anything. No more arguing. Most parents would beat their kids for saying what you've said in the last five minutes but not me."

Nicole gave him a look, asking him to explain.

"Since you can't seem to keep your hands to yourself or your mouth shut," he smiled innocently. "You're gonna go back to anger management."

She shook her head and stood up from her chair. "Dad! No! That's so unfair! Ashley started it, not me!"

"You know what's unfair? The only reason the school isn't expelling you for almost putting the girl in the hospital is because I work in a government building."

"But you know how much I hate them! Do anything else," she started begging. "Ground me for as long as you want. Watch over me like a hawk. Just don't put me back in there, Dad. Please. Think about it."

Her dad, being the smart ass he was, made a face as if he was thinking hard. "Okay," he then smiled and said, "Thought about it. You're doing it."

"You obviously don't know what's best for your daughter!" Nicole yelled as she stomped out of the kitchen and up the steps, to her bedroom. "Mom would've handled this way better!" She yelled before she slammed her door shut.

Nicole said on the edge of her bed and laid her head in her hands. Her whole world was falling apart. Josh wasn't talking to her and she had no idea if he was even okay. Her dad was pissed at her and was sending her back to the agonizing anger management classes.

All she wanted to do was cuddle with Josh, but apparently, they were broken up.