The Wolf

Ch. 28: Nico?

~Alex~

What Nico said was uncalled for. All I did was show concern for him, but as always, he can't accept it. It makes my blood boil just thinking of the way he dissed Kayla. There was no reason for saying those things. I can't stand the way he pushes people away. It annoys me to no end. Who knows, maybe he's right: maybe we shouldn't be friends anymore. Because it seems that all we ever do anymore is fight with each other over every little thing.

It's been about two hours since that argument, but it's still fresh in my mind. I groan, I can't focus on my assignments at all. If I'm going to be avoiding Nico from now on, then I need to stop constantly thinking about him. Just the thought of him makes me angry. Heaving a sigh, I slam my textbook shut. It's useless.

Outside, a blizzard is raging. White snowflakes whip around in a frenzy. It seems like we're going to gain a couple inches of snow tonight. I push my chair back and stand up, stretching my limbs. Maybe I'll make myself a snack.

The house is warm and toasty. Even a bit too warm. Mom and dad are cooped up in their respective offices, working, so the house is quiet except the howling winds outside. Halfway down the stairs, I stop, I could've sworn I heard a thump. Shaking my head, I continue down the steps-- it's just the wind.

In the kitchen, I stand, looking inside the fridge for anything worth eating, but see nothing. My ears perk at the sounds of a couple of dull thuds. Worry creases my brow. What is that sound? It seems to be coming from the back door. Quietly, I close the fridge, trying to hear any signs of the sounds again, but there's nothing. Maybe I should go check it out just in case.

I leave the kitchen and head toward the back of the house. A loud slam makes me jump. Did someone just come in? My muscles tense and my senses are on high alert as I stalk toward the hall. I turn the corner and I can see a figure hunched over in the dark, I get ready to pounce.

"Who are you?" I call out. Is it a rogue?

"Alex?" A soft voice calls out wearily.

"Nico?" I ask, incredulous. Why in the world is he here? Didn't he just get finished with pushing me away? Maybe he's here to apologize. I quickly turn on the hallway lights. "What are you doing here?" I inquire.

Nico is leaning heavily against the wall. His hair is limp and wet against his forehead. His clothes drip water onto the hardwood floors. His lips seem to be tinted blue and he's deathly pale. He stutters out a few words that I can't hear, so I take a step forward. What's wrong with him? What happened this time? And of all the places, why did he come to me?

"Nico? What the heck happened to you?" I inquire aloud. My brow is scrunched with worry. His current state seems questionable, but I also don't want to make him mad by being concerned. Why does he have to be so complicated? I can't seem to figure him out.

I can barely make out the word he whispers. "Cold..."

He falls to the ground with a dull thud. My eyes widen in fear. "Nico?" I ask, feeling panic rise up in my throat. He's curled up, shaking like a leaf. Ignoring what he said before, I run to him. I rest a hand on his cheek and feel that he's deathly cold. His pulse is weak, almost gone. What happened?

With shaking hands, I pull off his coat, then shirt, and proceed until he's naked. I leave the clothes in a damp pile while I scoop Nico up into my arms, holding his freezing body close to my chest. I run through the house, my feet flying up the stairs as I bring him into my room.

Frantically, I search through my closet and pull out a pair of sweatpants, a sweatshirt, somes socks, a pair gloves, and a hat. I pull all the clothes onto Nico's unconscious body except the beanie. I'll need to blow dry his hair before I do that-- his wet hair will only hinder him if left unchecked. I run to my mom's bathroom and steal the hairdryer from there, plugging it in where my phone would usually go. My fingers run through Nico's feathery soft hair, drying every inch until I'm satisfied.