archetype | kth.

four.

That next morning wasn't too good for any of them. Nichole woke up with a cramp on her neck and Taehyung with a shitty attitude. Either way, they both had to split ways before anyone came. It was five twenty in the morning when they woke up.

"Remind me not to listen to you again," Nichole joked as she craned her neck to the side to stretch, "how did you sleep anyways?"

Taehyung just groaned a response, "I'm going to get home and get ready. I advise you to do the same." Taehyung left first then Nichole left after. Nichole personally wanted to stay at home, but she took her shower anyways. She took her shower, brushed her teeth, and ate a granola bar cause why not?

As usual, Nichole was with Mina half of the day until Mina had to leave. The day was filled with Nichole helping a new model get adjusted and she was a bit annoyed. Nichole was a "bad actor" according to Taehyung once it was break time and they were in the kitchen.

"What do you mean I'm a bad actor?" Nichole questioned as she was fixing her and Mina a tuna sandwich.

"It's obvious you're not a fan of assisting," Taehyung stated with a goofy smirk on his face, "don't worry though, you'll have more than enough fun photographing me."

"You're so sure of yourself."

"If I'm not then nobody will be sure of me," Taehyung commented with a shrug as Nichole just stayed quiet and sealed the sandwiches in a container. "Can we shoot tomorrow, preferably during break time?" Taehyung asked with his eyes still on her.

"We only have thirty minutes break and—"

"— just talk to Mina about it, she's nice."

Nichole picked up the two containers with sandwiches in it before sighing, "Okay, I'll see, I need your number."

"Well, look what we have here." Taehyung cockily laughs. "Miss Nichole is asking for my number!"

Nichole glared at him before rolling her eyes, "Are you going to give me your number or what, Taehyung?"

"Eager, are we?"

Right when Nichole was going to open her mouth, Mina called her name loudly. "See when you play too much." Nichole finally said with a frown on her face.

"I'll give it to you before I go home," Taehyung nonchalantly said, "go before they start bothering you even more." They both shared a little laugh before Nichole was back with Mina.

Per usual, Nichole was locking up and once she was locking up she noticed a bright yellow sticky note hanging at the back of Mina's office door.

Here's my number, Nichole.

At the bottom was his number written smaller than the sentence above. Nichole saved his number in her phone before she continued locking up and was back at home.

Nichole arrived at home at eleven thirty at night, probably the earliest in a while. At her doorstep, she was surprised to see a letter and a little jewelry box by it. Nichole must've stared at it for a while because it was now eleven fifty and she still wasn't in the house. When she finally retrieved it, Nichole was surprised to see it was from her aunt.

"Gina told me you went to visit her, I'm glad you're keeping in contact with at least one relative. Call us sometime, we don't bite. I got you something in that box."

Nichole unconsciously smiled at the letter before sealing it back in the envelope. This was something that she was keeping then she opened the box quickly. It was a gold ring and Nichole looked around before her eyes went back to the ring, it was beautiful.

Nichole told herself she wasn't going to cry anymore but that promise quickly went away. When she noticed it was her mom's last heartbeat engraved on the ring. Nichole quickly went inside of her house and locked the door after she had shut if. Now her back was against the door and she was sobbing like a baby. Nichole couldn't believe that her aunt would purchase her a pretty ring after everything Nichole had put her through. Nichole stared at the ring in the palm of her hand before lifting it up and placing it on her finger, the way it had fit made her grin widely.

It took Nichole a lot to walk over to her laptop but when she did, she decided to send an email to her aunt.

To my aunt,

They say God gives his toughest battles to his strongest soldiers and what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. And as much as anyone can say how invincible I seem or how fearless I am or how brave I must be, I'm still human. And I've seen things and I've felt more pain than some will in their entire lives, all before the age of even being able to buy a fucking drink at a bar. But I have to be strong, not for myself but for a greater purpose, because I feel like my duty is far beyond me, you know? I'm kinda sorry for snapping on you about moms death, it wasn't your fault, it wasn't anyone's fault I believe.

Am I really willing to let go though? I don't think so and I love you so much even though I haven't seen your face since last Christmas and now it's August, wow. I know your address you don't know mine so maybe when I'm ready I will see you. These words never leave my mouth but I love you and I love grandma and grandpops, I love Gina. I love everyone but my father— but I won't get that deep or dark— thank you for the ring. Maybe that can be a step for me to heal. I haven't picked up a bottle since two months and I'm fucking proud. I remember it like yesterday I was throwing a Pink Moscato bottle towards your head. I'm still craving to drown myself in alcohol but I know that won't help anyone but my awaiting downfall.

It's hard carrying on because I'm convinced there's something wrong with me, it was hard going back and forth to mental institutions, just to find out I'm "normal," fuck normal. I am not normal because normal people still wouldn't feel all this pain and normal people wouldn't be scared to get close to people. I don't know how to grieve and I don't know what to do and I'm only holding on for the family. Beyond the family, maybe I'm doing this purely for mom. Mom wouldn't want me to give up but I don't know how to grieve or mourn or to get rid of these negative thoughts.

Anyways I still work at that damn establishment and I cannot wait until I'm strong enough to say fuck being someone's servant and becoming a boss on my own. Thank you for everything aunt, I love you.

Sincerely or maybe not (just playing I didn't type that many characters to be anything but sincere), Nichole Belle.