Chapter 6

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Author's note:

This is it. The curtain is coming up! Enjoy it.

-

Keep the balance, keep the balance!" Daniel yelled, holding the tail of a surfboard, where Nikki was standing, barely holding the balance. She spread her arms, unnecessarily waving with them to keep her posture, but the waves didn't let her so she found herself under the water again.

Daniel sighed, leaving the board to float freely on the surface. Nikki emerged soon, trying to clean her eyes from salt.

„You okay?" he asked.

She just nodded.

„Sixth day of learning and yet, I didn't move from the first point. Keeping the balance," she said, frustrated, not looking at her instructor.

He scoffed.

„Maintaining balance is the hardest part. And usually takes to most time. Although I must admit that you're a really difficult student."

Nikki looked at him angrily.

„I pay you to teach me, no matter how much time we'll need," she replied, somewhat offended by his last remark. Daniel just raised both of this arms in defense.

„Hey, I'm just doing my job. We have an agreement and I'll stick to it," he said calmly.

„Excellent. I need a break."

Nikki stubbornly turned toward the shore, leaving the board to Daniel. Once again, he sighed and picked up the surfboard, starting to walk toward the shore and her. Nikki was already lying on the lounger, next to her things.

„I'll go get something to drink," Daniel said monotonously. „Do you want something?"

„No, thanks!"

He started to move away, toward the interior of the beach. There was a small store. During this time, Nikki pulled her cell phone out of the bag. For the past few days, she had been thinking more and more about finally calling her mother, knowing that Susan was probably still dying of worry. She turned the device on and went under the contacts, finding the one belonging to her mother. After some time, Susan finally replied.

Susan: „I'm going to kill you, Nikki Hamilton, do you hear me?!"

Nikki removed the cell phone from her ear, protecting it from her mother's yelling.

Nikki: „Hey, mom. I'm sorry I didn't call you before."

Susan: (upset) „Sorry? You're sorry? You're at Florida, right? Where? Tell me so I can come and visit."

Nikki: „I don't need a nanny. I'm all right, okay? This should be enough for you to calm down."

Susan: „NO! That idiot cheated on you and you seem to have disappeared from the face of the earth. Don't you dare to try to convince me you're okay. I know it's not true. Nikki, please, tell me where are you?"

The woman was silent for a few minutes, pondering whether to admit that she was in Naples.

Nikki: „You had to mention Darnell. You acting like this was the reason why I left in the first place. You and everyone else have to realize that I'm not some fragile girl who can't cope with problems. I called just to tell you that I'm fine, on a vacation away from Seattle and all the people in my life. I need rest. Now you know, so I'll go back to whatever I was doing before. Talk to you later, mom."

Nikki ended the call, not waiting for her mother's angry response. She usually hated when Susan was upset with her, but right now she just couldn't help herself. She knew the older woman would make an even bigger drama out of her break-up with Darnell. Sometimes, Susan thought Nikki was still a little girl. But it was time to learn who was who in this ever-present game.

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