Nicki&MorePips

Chapter 22

Jade was trying not to have a panic attack later that day as she tried to complete her Quantum Physics homework.  For some reason her half asleep brain refused to comprehend and work out the problems.  She hadn't slept at all.  Even though she'd crawled into Perrie's bed around three a.m she'd been woken up by Perrie crying, coughing or screaming several times during the three hours and a half of sleep she was supposed to get.

Right now she literally had double the work from yesterday.  The other students in her classes insisted on demanding extra credit homework from the teachers.  She was tired and swamped.  Her schedule for the next two weeks was over crowded even when she eliminated time for breaks, sleep and recreational activities.

Keeping up a calm façade for her family was going to be hard with her panicky tendencies. Even now as she tried to work out some problems her hands shook causing her neat handwriting to come out slightly warped.

Her vision was becoming doubled so she hopped to her feet to take a two minute break -her last for the next two weeks that did not include eating.  She turned to check on Perrie who was sleeping fitfully only to find the blonde up and getting dressed.

"Perrie what are you doing?" She asked yawning.

"I'm going to save Luke." Perrie answered as she pulled on a jacket at snails pace.

"Save Luke?" Jade asked shaking her head. "You can't go anywhere like this.  You stayed home from school for a reason.  What's wrong with Luke anyway?"

"I have to save him before it's too late." Perrie said before coughing.

"Perrie!" Prodigy and Roc Royal yelled, barging into the bedroom.

"We have to go save Calum and the others!" Roc yelled coming right up to Perrie and actually helping her to finish getting her jacket on.

"Yeah Calum texted us in the middle of the night last night . . ." Prodigy started explaining.

"But we was asleep then we had school so we only been seen it now . . ." Roc added.

"Yeah so he said that they all in trouble and especially Luke . . ." Prod continued.

"Yeah especially Luke and they all scared and afraid." Roc ended.

"We need to go save em . . . or at least see what's been going on . . ." Prod said frantically.

Jade was confused. "What the hell are you two imbeciles talking about?"  The pounding in her head had reached a crescendo. "Perrie can't leave the house . . . she's sick . . . now what's this about Calum and Luke?"

"Jade. They're adopted brothers and their daddy is a beautiful meanie. And he's going to kill Luke." Perrie said in a hoarse whisper. "We need to save him and the others . . ."

Jade's head was swimming.  She really needed to get back to all that homework. "What others?  Kill Luke?  He can't do that."

"Mikey and Ash.  And he is . . . not on purpose but he is!  I can feel it Jeed." Perrie said urgently. "I have to go save him."

"Ashton?" Jade asked as the pieces suddenly fell into place in her mind.  Ashton, Luke, Calum and that boy who fancied Jesy were all brothers from the same abusive home.  This was what Ashton was hiding.  Why that Michael kid was angry all the time . . . Why Luke was so strange . . . the fact that they all had the same accent.  Ray Ray was actually right.  Well somewhat.

"No no Jade it's just Ash." Roc Royal corrected her.

"Yep. Ash. Just Ash . . . no ton . . . just Ash." Prod said.