Saving Nicole

Chapter 1: Normal

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Nicole's POV
My eyes dart around the hallway as kids walk past me in their cliques of friends. I have always wondered what that feels like, to be surrounded by people who enjoy your company. Usually, people just eye me like I'm the smallest bone in the pile; untouched and unwanted. But I guess I'm used to it. Everyone is the same in this small town known as Nox County.
With one final glance, I dart through halls, brushing past people here and there. My sneakers slap against the tile relentlessly as I search for the exit out of this dreaded place known as school. Soon, it would be over. Thank goodness. Only about a week or so left.
The large front doors come into view as my hands fumble with pushing them open. They click in protest as I squeeze through and dash along the sidewalk full of people. My gray hoodie flies back off the top of my head, allowing my blond curls to fly out behind me. Once again, the sound of my slapping sneakers fills the cold silence as houses upon houses rush past me. My house was on the fourth street. That means two more streets left to cross. One more street..... Ah here's my street!
The birch trees rustle comfortingly as the wind rakes it's icy fingers through the branches. Green shrubs and red roses line the sidewalks of stone houses. My house, the fourth house, comes into view, it's stony walls looming over me as my hand reaches for under the mat. I grip the silver key in my hand and unlock the door with a satisfying click. I peek over my shoulder to see more kids walk by me, glancing at me with disapproving looks. Fine by me, they can't judge me.
Once the front door is closed and locked, a flurry of paws and fluffy silver fur barrels into me, almost knocking me down.
With a laugh, I call out,"Shock! Stop it! Stop you crazy overgrown lump of fur!" His wet tongue licks all over my face and I grimace. "Ewwww. You're getting slobber all over me." I walk down the hallway that leads to the joint kitchen/ living room. After turning on the lights, I pull out a barstool with a loud screech and shove my backpack onto it before pulling out another and plopping into it. "Have you been a good boy today?" I ask him while pulling out my binder and setting it onto the counter with a loud plop. He barks at me in response making me giggle and stand up. "You know a good boy deserves a good treat...." I fumble through the treat box and pull out his favorite one. "Sit." I command as he obliges. "Good boy." I smile warmly at him and drop the treat into his mouth before walking over to my barstool. "Today wasn't too bad Shock. I hardly got picked on and I got called on in class." A sigh escapes my lips. "Oh who am I kidding...?" I ask and walk over to the living room to sit on the comfy couch. A cold nose presses against my hand I smile weakly at the dog with the dual colored eyes. One eye was a see-through blue while the other was a milky brown.
My vision starts to blur as tears come to my eyes and I try to blink them away. Of course it doesn't work, it never does. So I just let them flow down my face.
The dip in the couch assures me that Shock is sitting in my lap. I bury my face in his fur and lace my fingers through it.
"What do I do, Shock? No one likes me. No one talks to me. No one pays attention to me," I sob. He just whimpers.
Even loners need someone I guess.
--
The loud school bell rings to signal the start of classes. Of course I'm late, like usual.
As I'm running, I come across a split in the hallways and quickly turn left. I hate being late, but it's not my fault that I don't have an alarm.
I shove the door to my history class open and walk in to see that Mrs. Anderson is already starting on our daily notes. Her dark brown hair was neatly tucked into a bun as a black dress adorned her body. Her shoes had black high heels on and her hazel eyes scan calculatingly over everyone's faces.
"Nice of you to join us, Nicole." She smiles a tight smile at me while clasping her fingers together. She wasn't a mean teacher; she was actually quite nice. She tried to be fair and patient with all of her students. But with my luck, I was her least favorite student of all.
I don't understand why, really. I turn my work in on time, I get good grades, I am good in class. The only thing I don't do is show up on time. Maybe that's the reason. But that is three to one and you'd think the higher number would win. Not in my case.
I mutter a quick apology as some of the students smirk at me.
"Okay, make sure you write down the notes for today. You have... 15 minutes." Mrs. Anderson states after glancing at the large clock on the wall. I glance up at the whiteboard and immediately sink into my seat when I see that there are more than a handful of notes. Sure, that's not a lot, but when one bullet point is 4 paragraphs long, you get a run for your money.
--
A sigh escapes my lips as I let my hand drop the pencil onto my desk, not caring how loud it is. My gold curls fall forward as I stare at my notes. When my eyes lift up, I notice that most everyone is done. That's when the whispers reach my ear.
Now, usually the whispers are rumors about me. Today, they weren't which is probably why they intrigued me so much.
They were about a new kid from Australia. A guy next to me, Garrod, was telling his friend, and I quote, "Heard he has a wicked cool accent!"
I heard the girl on my other side, Carly, tell one of her friends that "He is the cutest thing since sliced bread." Whatever that's supposed to mean.
Now, I know I'm 14, but I'm not into boys. You'd think that I would be the teensiest bit into them, but no. Not me.
"Is everyone done?" Mrs. Anderson's voice calls out. The whispers immediately stop before I can hear anything else. Thanks a lot Mrs. Anderson. "Would anyone like to read their notes out loud?" Would anyone like to stumble through the new vocabulary words? I mimic to myself.
As if she can read my thoughts, her hazel gaze snaps to me.
"Nicole? Why don't you read for everyone?"
--
The textbooks slap closed all around me as the bell rings and the room fills with shuffling. I stride out of the room as fast as I can, hoping not to bump into anything.
Or anyone.
A yelp escapes my mouth as my body collides with someone else's. My hoodie flies forward over my head as I fall onto the cold, hard ground. Looking up, I see it's one of my tormentors, Chloe. Her fake red hair frames her narrow face and the dull brown eyes I've come to hate. I know hate is a strong word, but I have strong feelings for this girl. And not the good kind.
An ugly smile plasters onto her face as she looks down at me.
"Oops. Let me help you up." Without another word or before I can even react, her clammy hands latch onto my wrist and yank me upwards. I hold out my arms for balance before a stinging pain fills my cheek. Her hand stays inches from my face. "Watch where you're going, lunatic." She rolls her eyes and shoves her shoulder into my upper arm hard before walking away with a bounce in her step. I have no idea what I've done to her, but obviously I caused her a lot of pain in order for her to do this to me.
And the sad thing is that there is no point in fighting back. It just fuels her. Luckily I didn't have to deal with her sidekick, Ruby.
I glance at my arm to see the familiar black and blue color filling the spot where she shoved me. Of course a bruise is going to form there. *Mental sigh.*
--
The front door clicks shut behind me as I enter my house. Once again, a flurry of paws greet my entrance as Shock barrels into me. A giggle escapes my cracked lips. As his wet nose presses against my neck, I shove him off me and scratch him on the soft fur behind his ears. He loves that.
After setting my backpack down on a barstool, I fall onto the comforting couch as the silver wolf/dog/husky/ whatever he is jumps up next to me. His soft head lays down on my lap causing me to sigh as I stroke him. He buried his nose in the pillow next to me, making me laugh at our position. He was basically living on top of me, with his face buried in the pillow on one side of me and his tail making loud thumps as it wagged back and forth against the pillow on the other side of me.
This was the only time I laughed; when I was with the safety and comfort of my dog.
When his gorgeous dual-colored eyes turn to me, there seems to be something different caught in them, something I missed before. They seem to hypnotize me as I catch myself staring. His long pink tongue lolls out of his mouth lazily as he stares at me.