Nicole

Chapter: 15

The instant Nicole opened the front door, she knew who was home and who wasn't. Axel was supposed to go to a girl's house to tutor her, Isabelle was out although Nicole didn't know where she went and their father was supposed to come home late that day. Which meant the only people home were Nathan and Derek.

Nicole sighed and went upstairs to Nathan's room. She saw Derek in the kitchen as she passed it but she didn't dare let him notice. Nicole knocked at Nathan's door and walked in after hearing a faint 'come in'.

In his room, Nicole saw Nathan lying on his back with his head hanging from the foot of the bed. He didn't move when she saw him and she suspected it was because he was comfortable enough with her now to act like that. The thought made her feel welcome.

She walked forward and kneeled to come in level with his face. She tilted her head, "You like looking at the world upside down?"

"I read books. My whole world is upside down." Nicole chuckled and crossed her legs on the floor.

"What's up?" she asked. Nathan turned over, now lying on his stomach, and sighed.

"I saw Claire today," he said and Nicole furrowed her eyebrows.

"Who?"

"The girl I was telling you about. My best friend?" he asked as if checking to see if it rang a bell. It did.

"Oh," Nicole said in realization. "But you said she moved."

"She did but she came back," he said and then thought about what he just said. "I don't know why but she did."

"So, what did you say to her?" Nicole asked.

"Nothing." She raised an eyebrow at him. "I said I saw her, I didn't say I talked to her."

"Why didn't you talk to her?" Nicole asked. Nathan shrugged. She gave him a deadpanned look and flicked his forehead. He scowled at her, rubbing the spot.

"She was already talking to someone," he reasoned and Nicole rolled her eyes. Nathan was too nice sometimes. It made him a little open to damage. "Besides, I didn't know how to do it. It's been a while since we talked."

"You'll think of something. Just... the next time you see her, talk to her," Nicole told him and he nodded obediently. Nicole grinned and ruffled his hair.

"By the way..." Nathan started. "You didn't see Derek around, did you?"

"He was in the kitchen," she replied and Nathan sighed, exhausted. "Why?"

"He's not getting off my back. It's annoying," he answered. Nicole chuckled. As if on cue, the door opened Derek stepped in with his usual bright smile. Nathan quickly scrambled up and sat properly, with his leg hanging from the foot of the bed although Nicole stayed where she was, pondering over the fact that Derek came from the kitchen and there was nothing in his hands.

"Ah, my two favorite people," he said and Nicole rolled her eyes. "Nathan buddy, weren't you tellin' me about that book? What's it called? Ah, Lady Fortnight."

"Lady Midnight!" Nathan said, horrified how someone could say that name wrong. Nicole placed a hand on Nathan's knee in consolation.

"Right, that," Derek said as if it were no big deal but Nicole knew it was a big deal to Nathan. "So, what happens after Jonathan and Emily go to that ball?"

"Julian and Emma!" Nathan corrected, clearly being ignited.

"But Mark and Cristina are with them, aren't they?" Nicole asked and Nathan seemed to relax at the correct information although he looked startled.

"They are," he said, letting out a breath. "How did you know?"

Nicole grinned, "You were humming when you read that part. I made out a few words." Something sparkled behind Nathan's eyes, making the green in them brighter.

"No one can make out words from my humming." Something in his voice told Nicole that Claire was an exception although he didn't want to mention her in front of Derek.

"I bet I could," Derek said, sitting down on the bed next to Nathan who visibly tried to squeeze from him. Nicole slowly pulled him back an inch, careful so Derek wouldn't notice. "I'm pretty good with it. Wanna try now?"

"No," Nathan said immediately and then tried to cover up his sudden response. "I mean, I've got work to do. Schoolwork."

Derek knitted his eyebrows, "It's Saturday tomorrow." Nicole blinked when she realized he was right. He had been here two days but time flew by too quick for her to notice. She had suspected before that because of him, maybe, time would be slowed. She was wrong though because Derek hadn't talked to anyone but Nathan in the past two days.

That, she realized, was also odd. But Nathan's next words drowned out her thoughts before they could hit her, "Yes, but I have a test. A very hard one." Nicole rolled her eyes when she saw how bad of a liar Nathan was.

"He's got a physics test and he failed the last time even though he studied a lot so this time, he wants to study all weekend," she said fluently. Nathan looked at her in gratitude. Derek was disappointed although he didn't show it.

"Okay, then..." he stood up but then his face suddenly lit up. "I'll help you study!"

Nathan's grin was wiped off, replaced by a horrified expression. Nicole looked up at him, biting her lip.

"I could help him study. I mean, I'm a straight-A student so..." Nicole trailed off. Derek smiled at her but it wasn't his usual jolly smile. It was a cold one.

"I think you should work on those panic attacks you've had," he said in a low voice, speaking in perfect American English. Nicole paled and he walked out of the room.

The moment the door closed behind him, Nicole's head whipped to Nathan and she looked at him incredulously.

"I didn't tell him," he said immediately. "I swear I didn't do it. I kept my word, I—"

"Nathan," she cut him off slowly. Her voice was soft but cold and that seemed to have an effect on him. "Was there any other way for him to know?"

He stared at her, his lips parted slightly, looking at her with a hopeless expression. "But I didn't—" His voice cracked. "I didn't do it, I didn't tell him. I don't know how he found out."

"I don't like being lied to," Nicole told him firmly but her voice was still cold and low.

"I'm not lying!" he was in tears now. His expression made her heart ache harder than ever and she didn't know whether to listen to her heart or her mind, Nathan or Derek. "I'm not lying, trust me!"

"How else could he have found out?!" this time, her voice raised, scaring Nathan. Her heart pounded against her chest, telling her to stop yelling at the poor boy, to listen to him, that he was her brother. "You're the only one who knew!"

"I don't know!" he yelled, sobbing. She didn't know she could break him so easily. "But I didn't—" his voice broke again.

Nicole was about to say something else too but it was like her mind and heart concealed her lips and her mind pushed forth what Derek said.

I think you should work on those panic attacks you've had.

Attacks.

Plural.

She stood up from the floor, wide-eyed. No. No, no, no. She felt hatred toward Derek now and herself. She yelled at her brother for no reason. She yelled at Nathan. She sat on the bed beside him, looking at him as he sobbed.

"Oh, no, you didn't tell him, baby." Her voice came out softer than it had ever come out. It was like the words formed on her tongue on their own like her heart had spoken. Nathan's sobs subsided and he looked at her. She wrapped her arm around his shoulder and side-hugged him tightly, kissing his head. "No, you weren't the one who told him." She held him tightly, letting him bury his face in her shoulder.