Chapter 5

 

Chapter 5

 

Around noon, the morning after getting our results, I was sitting in the living room when Nikki entered. She was all dressed up again.

“Hi.” She said.

“Hi, why are you all dressed up again?” I asked her.

“I’m going out again with Jack.” She replied.

“You’re going out with him again?” I asked. I knew I had said that in the wrong way because she stared at me, her eyes narrowing.

“What do you mean! Again?” She snapped. I was taken aback. Now I felt quite small, humiliated even. I did not even mean it like that.

“Whoa! What ever your taking, cut the dosage!” I responded feeling a bit angry.

“Are you calling me a druggy now?” Nikki asked fury filling her tone. I decided that it was not the best time to aggravate her even more. So I left the room. I walked towards the stairs.

“You’ve got to calm down. You know, you can have as many boyfriends as you want, but at the end of the day, your friends will always be there. Unless you treat them like crap.” I called back to her, as I began climbing the stairs. I had a feeling that this had upset her but had made her feel a bit guilty as well.

     I was sitting at my desk that was stationed in the corner of my bedroom when I heard the front door bang shut. I got up went to the window. I pushed back the curtains and saw Nikki kissing Jack full on the mouth and then they walked off together down the street, their hands glued together. I shut the curtains again and returned to my desk. I began sifting through college information packs that I had collected over the last few days, so that I could decide which degree I would want to take.

     Nikki had been gone for four hours and I was still pouring over colleges and degree’s. I looked at my clock, it was nearly 1am. My eyes were heavy and my legs ached with tiredness. My head hurt from all the things that were running through my head. I had been thinking hard for the last four hours, what do I want to do with my life? I had never really had any good ideas. My eyes began to close and I fell asleep on my desk.

     I was sharply awoken by a series of raised voices outside. I got up to investigate. I moved over to the window and pulled back the curtains. I saw Nikki and Jack standing a few meters away from my front door. Nikki looked infuriated. I stood and watched as Nikki began a episode of shouting.

“You’re such a prick! Now you’ve shown your true colours!”

Jack had a hurt look on his face this passed and now he was so angry at her.

“Yeah, well at least I am not a s**t! Living with your BOYFRIEND!” Jack bellowed. Now I noticed that several lights from neighbouring houses had appeared and curtains began to move.

“He is NOT my boyfriend! He has been my closest friend for a very, very long time!” Nikki responded, still raging. I felt a little touched that she had defended my like that, even though she and I were not talking at the moment. Now Jack was very angry.

“Yeah, right! Like I’m going to believe that crap! You w***e!” Jack shouted back at her. He had crossed the line now. Nikki slapped him hard across the face. I was shocked about what happened next. Jack responded, he punched Nikki on the jaw, she fell to the floor. Now I was infuriated, I flew into action, a surge of adrenaline ran through my body. I ran out of my room and down the stairs. I reached the front door and pulled it open sharply. I saw Nikki still on the floor and Jack standing over her. Both of their heads turned to me. I flew at Jack, he tried to step back to avoid me, but he was unsuccessful. I landed my fist on his right eye. He was pushed back by the force slightly, then he tried to swing at me but I ducked, then I punched him in the stomach, followed by a punch to the jaw. He fell backwards and landed in a bush, unconscious. Nikki was still on the floor. I walked past her not looking at her.

“Just because were not talking does not mean I don’t care about you.” I said to her, not looking at her. I went back upstairs, not knowing whether Nikki had come back inside or not. I got into my pyjamas and got into bed, falling asleep in a few minutes.

     The next morning I opened my eyes and saw Nikki sleeping next to me. I let slip a small sound of momentary fright, she stirred slightly but slipped back into her dreams. I thought it was best not to wake her, so I got up as quietly as possible, the springs in the bed moaned slightly. I put on my black dressing gown, which hung on the back of my bedroom door. Then I gently pulled open the door, the hinges squeaking slightly. I stepped out onto the landing where I saw my Mother who was just coming out of the bathroom, she also wearing a dressing gown that was pink and made of velvet.

“Did you hear shouting last night?” She asked me.

“Yeah, it was Nikki and Jack.” I informed her. She looked at me, puzzled.

“Who’s Jack?”

“Her boyfriend, I think, but after last night I don’t know whether you would exactly call him that.” I told her.

“Well, where is she now?”

“In there.” I said, pointing to my bedroom.

“Oh, well what happened?”

“Look, shall we go downstairs and talk about it?” I suggested.

“Why?”

“Because, I don’t want Nikki to hear.” I whispered.

“Oh. Ok.” My Mother mouthed.

We went downstairs to talk about the events of last night. I went to sit in the dining room, my Mother went into the kitchen and made some coffee for us both. A few minutes later, she returned with two mugs filled with the hot liquid. She placed one on the table and slid it towards me, then took a seat next to me. Then I talked her through what had happened between Nikki and Jack.

     Thirty minutes later. I had re-enacted the trouble between Nikki and Jack. The cold, drained mugs still sitting on the table. My Mother sat there, eyes ablaze. My Mother had been eager for the information that I had just given her, but at the same time, she was sad. Sad for Nikki.

“That girl does not deserve that at all.” My Mother said sincerely. Then suddenly we were disturbed by footsteps from above, those footsteps belonged to Nikki. Then I heard her coming down the staircase. My Mother and I exchanged looks. Then I knew that now the subject of Nikki and Jack was now closed. For now anyway. So my Mother moved on to a new subject. My next move in life.

     Once Nikki had came into the room and sat down, she gave me a small smile, I did not return it. Then Nikki joined in the conversation and it progressed, my Mother wanted to know what we both wanted to do with our lives. I just sat there, staring into space. I still had no idea on what I wanted to do with the future that I held in my hands, my future to be correct.