Saving Nicole

Chapter 2: Mint

Nicole's POV
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The next day, school is worse than it has ever been.

As I walk into the large glass doors of the front entrance, kids milling about, a hand grabs my arm and yanks me backward. Chloe, with her ugly red hair, stands next to me sneering. Her hands are on her hips, her shirt lifting up slightly to reveal her unattractive midriff. Next to her stands my second least favorite person; Ruby.

Ruby does everything Chloe says. Like if Chloe says to punch me? Consider it done in a matter of ten seconds. Ruby does Chloe's dirty work. She has short brown hair down to her shoulders and like Chloe, dull brown eyes.

With a grunt from a punch to my gut, I keel over right there in the large hallway. Kids ignore me and walk by, completely ignorant to what is going on.

"You stay away from him, Blonde. Got that?" Ruby grabs me and holds me close to her in a head-lock; her stinky breath smells of fish and garlic. I don't even know who she's talking about to be honest. Chloe sneers again.

"Watch where you go and next time? Learn how to stay out of our way." Before the words can even leave her mouth all the way, the scent of Mint fills my nose, making me inhale deeply. Where is that coming from?

When I turn back around, Chloe and Ruby are gone.

--

Soon, the bell rings for Break, which is quite fine with me. Break is my favorite; I always go to the library. Call me nerdy.

My birthday is coming up soon, April 4th, and I always get a free book. The librarian is one of the only people who like me.

After walking in, I run a hand on the dusty bookshelf of my favorite books.

"Hello, Nicole."

"Hello, Mrs. Desiree." I reply, sending a small smile at the old woman by the computer. "How are you today?"

"Very good, thank you, Nicole. What did I say about calling me that? Just Desiree is fine, dear." She says, her soft voice coming out brittle and sounding like it could crack any time. Her white hair is tucked up in a meticulous bun, no hairs astray. Her wrinkled face has wrinkles in the best places; wrinkles that one can only get from smiling too much. "Are those girls still bothering you?" She asks suddenly, the mood shifting.

"Yeah." I respond nonchalantly. She has witnessed one of their "attacks."

I know what you're thinking. She's a teacher! She can get them to stop. Let's just say, she's tried and the school and the two girls didn't listen.

"It'll get better. I promise. What goes around comes around." She tells me, standing up and stiffly walking over to me to pat my shoulder.

"I sure hope so. "

That's when the scent hits me again. I have no idea where it's coming from, but I can't help but find myself yearning for it. I NEED to know where it comes from. And NOW. Or else, I might just be driven insane. But of course, that's when the bell ending Break sounds.

I shake the scent from my mind, heading off to my next class. But the thing is, I can't get that intoxicating scent out of my thoughts. It's drawing me towards it like a fish on a hook. What does it belong to?

When I reach my class, I sit down in a seat in the back. I'm actually on time for once. My pencil fidgets between my fingers and I quickly pull out a blank piece of binder paper. The pencil dances as articulate lines form, creating- well. I don't really know. A design of some-sort. The loud ding of the bell sounds from the intercom and I roughly shove the paper in my jacket pocket.

The teacher starts talking about the lesson plan when the mint scent overwhelms my nose to the max. I take deep breaths, trying to keep the scent locked in my memory. That's when the door opens. Everyone's eyes glance at the wood door, where a tall boy stands. His hair is dirty blond, his eyes a beautiful emerald green. I inhale the scent again and I notice his eyes glance in my direction before looking at the teacher. He smiles, showing the perfect dimples in his cheeks. That's when I notice the scent is coming from him. My eyes widen and I quickly look to the front of the room, tapping my pencil.

"Hello. And who are you?" The teacher asks.

"G'day. I'm Dallas. I'm a new student here." He has an accent. An Australian accent.