Because Of The Journey.

31.

Nicole's POV.

The past few weeks have been the worst weeks of my life. I've been getting beaten up and cursed at for no reason. I was used to all of this. Jeanette used to beat me up and starve me for days every time I was at my father's house to visit him.

She treated me like their servant and Christina was enjoying that. She used to lie and make up stories that I was threatening her. My father didn't believe those but he was forced to agree with everything Jeanette had to say.

I would always wake up early before my father went to work just to have that little time with him. He always told me that he loved me and that was enough. It was better that not being told at all and at least he didn't go ghost on me and my mom.

"I see you're awake", I heard Christina say entering the room she was keeping me in. I just raised my head and looked at her then said nothing. "Nicole, Nicole. How sad of you to not get what you want huh? Doesn't this remind you of the old days when me and my dearest mother would pour cold water on you and watch you act like you was drowning. Maybe you was drowning but it was funny to watch", she laughed.

"You crazy. Like your dearest mother" I said knowing exactly that was going to make her mad. Christina is autistic but she was misdiagnosed with ADHD in the 5th grade. The misdiagnose led to her depression and anxiety. Doctors discovered she was autistic early when she started high school. She was good at masking things.

She knew how to imitate everything she saw a person doing because she maybe just didn't know what to do. She would always look at me like she was studying me and do as I do. At first it was creepy because I also didn't know anything about autism.

Jeanette didn't really get why Chris had to be diagnosed because she believed she was a normal kid hence she started teaching her out of character things. Teaching her how to behave not in a good way though, but a good way to actually traumatize a kid. That's how Chris grasped all her mother's evil doings and imitates just as Jeanette would do.

"I'm not crazy" she said pacing back and forth. I knew she wasn't but this was the only way to get her calm. The weeks I always spent visiting my dad made me teach myself how to make Chris understand a person better without having to shout like her mom used to.

"You are Christina", I said. "I'm not", she said standing still. "Calm down and take a seat", she did as I told her. I looked at the bottle of water she had in her hand, "drink" I said to her. "But I bought it for you", "I'm Okay, take your pills and drink." She took out a bottle of pills out her pocket and popped in two before drinking water.

"Why are you keeping me here?" I asked as calm as possible. She looked at me and shrugged. "Because I wanted to get back at Shane" she said looking down at her shoes. "But she did nothing to hurt you", "She replaced me and my own friends turn their backs on me" she said low.

Me and her both knew that was a lie. I mean the friends she claims turned their backs on her were forced to do that because she was treating her own girlfriend like trash. The poor girl always came to the house looking like a zombie on coke. That was when I was starting to learn some business tips from my dad before I actually decided to put them to action after his death.

"I just don't like her as much as I don't like you. I don't like you two both combined. I knew taking you away from her will hurt her and taking her away from you will mess you up. I know that worked. Look at you."

"You get people to beat me up Chris so how am I supposed to look like? I'm a mess because of you" I said honestly. "And because you can't see Shanice" she added.

"I was thinking of taking Mikayla but later saw that you don't really love her like you love Shanice. So she was the better option", she said smiling.

Ever since I got here I've been planning on the first thing to do the moment I get out of here. I was going to make Shanice my girlfriend. This made me realize how much I really wanted to be with her and made me see that this little lust I thought was in me was actually love. I love her, I really do.

No I'm not mad that no one has come looking for me YET. It's still early and I know Blacky got my back.

"How is your mother doing?" I heard her ask.

Dear Lord please don't tell me she found where I'm keeping my mother because I swear to you, I will kill her. Amen.

"She's Okay" I said looking at her. "I haven't seen her in years", "I know. Why are you asking?" I asked trying to get information on how much she knew about my mother's whereabouts. "I thought you'll say she's dead. At least she's still alive" she smirked. "I miss her cooking, she was a great cook no lie", "She still is" I said.

"Will you invite me for dinner one day?" she asked. "Yes Chris I will but at least you know it's not anytime soon since you have me tied up in a chair, living in a mystery room" I said. "Yeah maybe if you make it out alive then" she said playing with her scar. "Yeah and maybe if you'll still be alive by then too" I said smiling.

"I weally donn want to kill you Nicole" she said in a baby's voice. "I also don't want to die but I guess you have to get rid of me yeah?", "Not weally, me and my girlfriend got back together but still didn't get back with my fwends" she said sounding sad. "I hate that I have to be so mean to them everytime we see each other. I'm just trying to make them think I donn care just like you seemed when my mother used to beat you. You were unbothered. Maybe I seem unbothered to them."

"Yeah maybe you do seem unbothered, maybe you really do" I said.

- 18❤.