Mind Games ♟

Chapter 28: Hello There

Sauntering towards my new locker I turn to hear some of the outrageous lies anyone could come up with. "Look at her over there being so calm."

"She won't bother us I made sure of that," Stefan says.

 "Look at Stefan always hanging out with the ladies, I'm surprised he hasn't come out yet." Lance jokes which make Ava laugh. 

"Hey! Well at least I got one...a girlfriend I mean." 

Ava sighs, "sorry but that was actually funny." 

Chanel looks over at her. "I wouldn't get close if I were you, did kill his sister." Chanel mumbles. "I've changed." Ava walks off.

As I walked to class I was stalled by this tall figure who smile at me smugly. "Lance." I smile, "little Nikki." He hugs me.

 "I'm surprised you're talking to me, haven't you heard?" I asked.

 "Yeah that you finally came to your senses." I look away. "By the way who fakes their own death? It's like he was intentionally seeking for attention."

 He smirks, "hey, don't be sad we all make mistakes, and as your best friend's twin I will fulfill her duties but not the girly things okay."

 I laugh, "you always knew how to cheer me up." He reaches out his arm and I lock mine with his and we walk off.

"You always knew how to cheer me up." Stefan mocks from afar.

 "You sound jealous," Chanel calls him out. "I'm not I just hate how he...nothing." Stefan walks off. "He is so jealous." She mumbles.

At lunch, I walk around the halls eating a nature's valley bar, bored out of my mind and eager to go home. I stop as I look at Ava and Stefan who playfully gawk at each other before making out. It's like a reflecting image of what I could've had. I literally hate it makes me sick to think he'd chose over me. But I guess it is my fault I did try to kill him. For a reason, I still don't know why. Oh, wait I do know because I hate him. I wipe my face and walk into the bathroom. 

"Awe poor Nikki. Are you alright?"

Chanel asks mockingly, "no I."-

"Sorry I don't care and just a little bit of advice. Don't sit and wonder or cry, get rebounds...I mean revenge trust me it works." She pats my shoulder. 

"I'm not being nice...I'm just saying." Yeah, sure you're not. While walking towards the bus a car pulled up to me. 

"So we're doing this again?" I asked.

"You had me worried," Ashton said.

I sigh, "I'm fine I don't need your help anymore."-

"Hey, Nikki this guy giving you trouble?"

 I shake my head. 

"Oh hey Cage, thanks for taking my sister's case."

 Ashton nods, "no problem, anyways Nicole if you have any further questions or evidence call m...the station." He pulls off.

 Lance gasps, "oh my god you were fucking him."

 I roll my eyes, "I was not, and if I did he'd probably mistake me as my sister and fuck her."

Wide-eyed he nods, "wow your sister is evil but I see me moving away made you beautifully scandalous."

 I turn to him. "You think I'm beautiful?"

 He blushes, "I mean...the scandal is beautiful... You want a ride home?"

 I chuckle, "long story short I don't have a home."

 He nods, "oh well, where can I drop you off?"

He drops me off at Ashton's place. 

"See you tomorrow." He nods, "bye,
bye...Nikki." I wave and walk away.

As I knock on the door the Adrenaline level in my body speeds. He opens the door. "So you do need my help?" Rolling my eyes I step in. 

"Only temporary. You won't have to put up with me much longer until I can find my parents...My real ones." 

He nods, "okay."-

"And I want to help you solve this case...even though we both know who did it." He scoffs silently looking at his mess of papers.

 "Yea, well we gotta cover it up."

 I nod, "just like you and Stefan always covering up for her! She deserves to."-

"She did community service for what you did to my brother Nicole she made a mistake."

 I begin to laugh. I knew it wasn't the right moment but I had to in order to keep myself from breaking. 

"What's funny?" He demands me to answer.

 "Your bs! If she does something wrong or makes a mistake she's protected and rewarded and loved and when I do it it's bad!" I yell. 

"It's expected from her not you!" He yells back at me.

"I feel guilty every day Ashton, I went through hell in that place! He haunted me and I was hurting Ashton and you were too busy stabbing me in the back by falling in love with my sister! You left me! You gave up on me you know what? It made me realize I didn't need the Cage brothers to save me at all because I saved myself! I don't even know why I'm here." As I move towards the door Ashton grabs me pulls me towards him and kisses me. 

"I'm sorry," he breathes. 

"I can't be here," I said before walking away from him.

Meanwhile, as Lance and Chanel had coffee, "thanks for telling me."

 Chanel laughs, "no thank you. I'm trying to rid of the two. Ava mostly."

 Lance smirks, "why?"
"She... Tried to kill me. And thanks for being nice to my cousin. Your family had a long line of getting paid for my family's deeds." 

He laughs, "why can't you just be nice to her?"

"I don't know, we never really got along, I pretend to hate her because I think she secretly hates me. Which is no excuse but it's easier to be that way...to protect myself."

 He nods, "well thanks for the tip and the many memories of us." He gathers his things and leaves.

Derek enters holds out his keys while he's on the phone. "Yes, mom I did. Mom, I'm fine." He says. "Hey, when I do come back over can you bake me those."-

"Derek." I cried out.

 "Mom I'll call you back." He said dropping his phone. "Nicole." With open arms, I run into his arms wrapping my legs around him bear hug style.

 "You're okay." He breathes before putting me down. "Wait, what happened to you?" He asked. "Long story."