coffee & cigarettes [j.v]

.010

Feeling Jerome's kiss finally ignited my bones, I felt truly alive and strangely more like myself. All of my emotions I had bottled up for so long were coming out, but not in a bad way. They were simply fuel to my fire. 

After we kissed, we remained on the roof for a while just drinking and chatting about my extravagant new strength. Jerome decided it was best for him to leave around nine, telling me to get some sleep.  I walked him through the house and to the front door. 

"I'm proud of you doll, you're shaping up nicely." He smiled down at me, a warm, happy smile. He was stood in the doorway as I leaned against the open door, smiling like an idiot at the pet name. 

"Thanks, J. All thanks to you." I smiled gently, truly thankful that he had come into my life. He laughed lightly and brushed some of my hair from my face. He gently leaned in and kissed my lips gently, which I happily accepted, my insides feeling warm at the interaction. He smiled down at me as he pulled away, before turning on his heel and beginning his walk home. 

I smiled to myself and watched him as he walked away, happy with how this whole day turned out. I sighed as I watched him turn the corner, and finally closed the door. I decided to have a shower and wind down for the night. I treaded upstairs and turned on the shower, stripping down and stepping in.  I allowed the hot water to hit my body as I began to pamper myself - feeling that I deserved it after the day I've had. 

I shaved and exfoliated, giving myself a nice face mask and a deep condition, feeling more than content. All I could think about was Jerome's lips on mine, and I couldn't stop smiling. After so long of dreaming of him and honestly creeping on him, my high school dream was coming true. I smiled to myself and turned off the water, stepping out and drying off before wrapping the towel around my body and my hair. I heard the front door open and rolled my eyes. Jerome just left what could he possibly want? 

I padded down the stairs, still wrapped in my towel. 

"What could you possibly want, you just left?!" I laughed playfully. When I reached the bottom of the steps I stopped dead in my tracks, almost falling over. 

"We actually left three weeks ago dear, not just." She spoke first, a near grimace on her face. 

"Oh, hi Mom, hi Dad." I said sheepishly, not expecting their return for another week. "I thought you guys were supposed to come home next week?" I asked, still confused. 

My mother let out a short laugh, in an annoyed way, making my father roll his eyes. 

"Your mother couldn't stand to be there for another second apparently, although Gotham is so widely popular." My father spoke the way he always has, short and with venom. Even in moments of love, his words seemed harsh. "More importantly, who did you have here that you thought had come back?" He asked sharply. Every time they left they told me I could not have anyone over, to which I usually didn't, because I really didn't have any real friends before Jerome. 

"A friend, Dad." I stated simply, feeling my ego take over. Today had changed me, and I had more strength now, I had to remember that. He raised his eyebrows at me as my mother did at the same time. 

"We have told you Nicole. NO ONE is allowed in this house! My god how stupid can you be to not get that through your thick skull!" My mother shrilled in her obnoxiously loud voice. I groaned loudly and let my true self take over. 

"Oh fuck right off with that." I spat, earning confused and shocked looks from my regularly absent parents. I didn't let it deter me as I continued. 

"Since I was twelve fucking years old, you have left me home alone for WEEKS at a time. Which means since TWELVE, I have been making my own food, cleaning this HUGE fucking house on my own, doing laundry, groceries, while you two have been god knows where!" I shouted, allowing all of my anger to boil over. I was done, it was the same way every time when they came home, I had always done something wrong. 

"SO instead of sitting here wallowing in pity and sadness, I decided to have a FRIEND OVER. Something to fill up this EMPTY FUCKING SPACE!" I breathed heavily as I tried to calm down, both of the people who had created me still staring at me stunned. 

Before I could even react, my father had taken two strides towards me and promptly slapped me across the face. I stepped back at the force and stared at him dumbfounded, my mother behind him staring coldly at me. I let out a short laugh, cracking my jaw slightly, making sure it was alright. 

I swung. 

With all the force I could muster, I swung my fist and it connected with my fathers jaw. I could hear a crack and he crumpled to the floor. My mother screamed out in agony. Funny how the person she detests is more important than her own daughter. She started to charge towards me before I stopped her and threw her back against the wall. She cried loudly, to which I felt nothing but annoyance. My father was grunting in pain beneath me, causing me to roll my eyes. I padded upstairs once again and threw as much as I could into a duffel bag. 

I could feel somewhere in me the guilt. I didn't want to hit him, I didn't want to shove her, but something took over me. While I was happy to see my parents - they are my parents after all, all of my built up anger exploded. I couldn't feel bad, not for the way they've practically abandoned me.  I need to be strong. 

I continued to pack my things. Clothes, shoes, charger, wallet - everything I could think of. I still had their credit card, whatever else I needed I could get as I needed. I zipped the bag shut and zoomed down the stairs. They were both screaming at me, but neither forcing me to stop my reign of terror. Once again, the surge of power over others came over me. I simply laughed manically as I continued to the door. I swung the door open and turned to my now sobbing parents. 

Pathetic. 

"Don't look for me, you're both pathetic."