Chapter Text
Driving back from Waverly's I couldn't help but feel ashamed. I was so awkward this morning around her. Plus I should have never said those things about my parents. Pulling into my driveway and walking in the house, my eyes falling on my parents sitting next to each other on the couch watching the t.v. Before slipping upstairs I was stopped by my father.
"Did you get Waverly home safely turtle?"
"Yup."
Without giving him a chance to say anything else I throw myself upstairs into my room. I spend a majority of the day playing Call of Duty Black Ops on the PlayStation. In the middle of one of my matches, my dad walks into the room.
"Hey, turtle. Mind if I join."
"Yea you can. Let me finish this round and I'll get you all set."
He tosses himself next to me on the bed watching me play. One after the other he watches me stake out my enemies terminating each one.
"Damn Turtle, you're on a roll."
I smirk, "thanks, dad."
The round ends with me at the top of the list of the players. I exit out and give my dad a remote helping him set up and get situated.
"Alright dad, do you want to fight against bots or real people."
"Bots?"
"Yea, like computers?"
"Are you implying that I'm not good enough to face real people?"
Before I have the chance to respond my dad starts tickling me cutting me off. After many agonizing minutes of laughter from both of us, we call a truce and agree to start playing. Match after match my father and I played on teams working like a well-oiled team killing everyone on the opposite team easily. To say that we pulled our team along is an understatement. If it weren't for us, the red team would've lost. Finishing up the game my dad asks if we could talk. Weird. He's never serious about this type of thing. He's usually chill about it. I look at my dad who shuts the door and sits down on my bed next to me.
"Turtle, you know you can tell me anything right? I'll always love you no matter what."
"Dad, what are you talking about? You're freaking me out."
"Look, I see the way you look at Waverly. And I just want to say that it's okay. Although, I wouldn't go telling your mother. You know how she feels about that type of stuff."
I couldn't speak. This was the last thing I expected to hear from my dad. Tears welled up and they began to fall, one right after the other. I threw myself into his arms hugging him tightly. His hand fell on my back running in circles hoping to calm me down. Pulling out of the hug, my father pulled over a chair from my computer desk and sat down across from me.
"So, if you don't mind me asking, is there a specific gender you like? or...."
I laugh and respond, "yea, I um, I like girls."
He smiled brightly asking yet another question, "so, you and Waverly huh?"
My eyes fall to the ground sadly, "no, she doesn't like me like that."
"Turtle, you have to be blind. She looks at you the way you look at her."
I look at him skeptically, "and what exactly is that look exactly?"
"Like she's your sun. I haven't seen you truly happy in a while until Ms. Waverly came into your world."
He pats me on the back before standing up reaching for the door. "I'll always love you turtle. G'night."
Just like that, he exits the room leaving me to my thoughts. The smile that spread across my face was involuntary. I walk over to the window opening it and walking out on the patch of the roof that extended to the top of the house. Walking up to the top I sit down and look at the sky. I couldn't wait for Monday.
Monday......
Walking through the hallways is definitely easier than it was years prior to now. Arriving at my locker, I grab the items needed for my first hour and head to the commons to sit down and read. As always a familiar body sits next to mine. I look up and smile.
"Hey, Waverly!"
"Hi, Nicole..."
I look at her face and notice that she is avoiding looking at me.
"Waverly, what's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"Then can you look at me?"
She turns her face and there is a bruise on the side of her face. Without thinking I grab my stuff along with her hand and bring her to the back of the library. I pull her into my arms and the flood gates open. She latches onto me wrapping her arms around my waist pushing her face into my neck. I can feel the tears against my skin and I begin rubbing light circles on her back.
"Hey, it's gonna be okay. Do you want to talk about it?"
"Not now. I just want you to hug me."
The familiar sound of the bell ringing, noticed by both of us, made us pull out of our embrace. I hook my finger under her chin pulling her face up to look into mine.
"Hey, meet me here at the beginning of lunch. Make sure to bring your lunch."
Period after period goes by. Only the thought of Waverly stayed in my mind. I kept thinking of all the possibilities that could've made such a kind and caring person fall to pieces and who or what could've given her the bruise on her face. The moment the bell for lunch signaled I bolted to my locker, grabbing my lunch, and heading straight to the library. Upon approaching the library I saw Waverly standing in the doorway with a packed lunch as well. Walking up to her I grab her hand.
"Nicole, where are we going?"
"It's a secret. You'll see in a moment."
Approaching a door I dropped Waverly's hand to open it.
"Ladies first."
It was the first time that day that I saw her break into a smile and laugh. We both headed up the stairs and to a door that led to the roof.
"Why are we going to the roof?"
"Because it's more private up here and there are no cameras. So, do you want to talk about it?"
Waverly sits for a moment pondering what to say or even if she wants to tell me. Just as I was thinking she wasn't she started talking.
"It happened after you dropped me off. My dad asked where I was yesterday and I said that I was at a friends house and he didn't believe me. I couldn't move, he forced me back against the wall and before I knew what was happening he hit me."
A tear escaped her eyes and fell down her face. I softly brushed my thumb against her cheek catching the tear and wiped away the streak it left down her face.
"I didn't know what to do. Wynonna pushed herself between my dad and I preventing him from hitting me again. I was so scared. He's never been that violent before."
"If you need somewhere to stay we have an extra room in my house that you can stay in."
"No. No, it'll be fine. I can talk to my aunt and uncle and see if I can stay with them."
"Okay."
We spent the rest of lunch in a comfortable silence eating our food. I looked at the time on my phone noting that the bell was about to ring.
"Hey, I heard that there's going to be a firework show happening at a fair near here on Saturday. Would you wanna go with me?"
I made the first move to stand up heading towards the door leading us downstairs back into the school. Stopping at my locker Waverly brushed her lips against my cheek pecking it replying, "it's a date."
I can't wait for Saturday.