*Nikki Night

"Why do you care?" I repeat.

He stares at me, unknowingly. "I just do."

"That's not good enough for me." I start turning away.

"Wait, please. Look, if the reason is because you don't want to be alone with me then it's fine since we won't be alone. My friend is in the car, too. Just please let me give you a ride home. It's too long of a walk."

I take in his words. I could get him to drop me off a block away from my house.

I sigh, "Okay."

A wide smile spreads on his face. "Good. Come on."

I glance around before getting in his car. In the back seat there is a blond haired, green eyed guy.

"Yo." Blonde guy greets.

I just nod in acknowledgement.

"Nikki, that's Rudy. Rudy, this is Nikki." Riley introduces.

"Nikki, on our way to your house I have to pick up my brothers from their school. I hope that's okay."

I groan, internally. "Yeah, it's fine."

I check my fine to see that is 4:33 p.m. I need to be at work by 6 p.m. so I have time.

I work at the local mechanic shop. I fix motorcycles, but know one knows because since I'm a girl they'll probably complain that girls can't fix motorcycles. Only my boss knows. It pays good and I need the money since father doesn't give me money for groceries but he still expects food on the table for lunch and dinner.

We drive for about ten minutes in silence until we pull up to an elementary school. Lots of kids running around the front of the school.

"You guys can wait here. I'll be back quickly." Riley says.

He rushes out, leaving the car on. Good because it's freaking hot.

As soon as the door closes behind Riley, Rudy coughs.

I turn in my seat to look at him.

"Okay, I'm going to be straight forward here. I'm gay so I want to know if you homophobic." Rudy explains with a serious face probably because he's waiting for my reaction.

My eyes grow wide at his bluntness. "No, I'm not. I have nothing against gay people."

Hmm, maybe Rudy is Riley's boyfriend, but then why won't Riley leave me alone.

"Um, I'm sorry if it looks like I'm trying to steal your boyfriend. He's the one that won't leave me alone." I say, nervously.

As soon as my eyes meet Rudy's, he bursts out laughing. "OMG, you're serious?"

I stare confuse. I open my mouth to talk again but I notice Riley running towards the car with three boys chasing him. They must be his brothers.

"Sweetie, I think you're confused. We'll talk later." Rudy winks.

The back door opens and the same three boys pile in. They look exactly the same except their hair are different shades of brown. Other than that they have the same face, including their hazel eyes.

Rudy buckles them in, securely.

"Riley, who's that?" The middle one asks, pointing at me.

Riley is barely closing his door, "Guys, this is Nikki. She's my friend, hopefully." he whispers the last part. "Nikki, this is Ronnie, Raine, and Rufus, the triplets." Riley points to each one and they raise their hand when they hear their name.

They are adorable. Truthfully, I'm a softy towards kids. I always play with my boss's little boy during my breaks.

"Nikki, you're pretty." The triplets say together. That's neat.

I smile, a smile only Red has seen. "Thank you. You guys are cute."

"Don't let their looks fool you. Ronnie is the funny one and the middle one, Raine is the sensitive one and the youngest, but Rufus is the troublemaker and the oldest. All together, they are worst." Riley chuckles.

"Riley, tell her about the time I almost flew." Rufus cheers, bouncing in his seat.

"That's the reason why you don't sit by the windows anymore." Rudy chuckles.

"One time Rufus thought it would be cool to throw himself out the window." Riley informs.

I gasp, "What happened?"

"Ronnie and I caught his hand before he flew away. Then Daddy stopped the car." Raine comments.

"I was put in time out for two days but I didn't care because I almost flew. I have always wanted to be an eagle not a were-"

Rudy quickly covers his mouth, stopping his sentence. "Wild imagination, this kid has."

I shrug it off. I look forward to see we're almost to my house. We are at the corner. "You can drop me off here."

"But, we're not at your house yet." Riley protests.

"I know, but I have to stop at the corner store before going home." I lie, pointing at a mini market.

"I can wait for you, to help you with your things." Riley insists.

I shake my head, "Riley, it's okay. I'll see you tomorrow." At this point all say anything to get him to leave.

Riley looks like he's arguing with himself, "Okay."

"Nikki, will we see you again?" the triplets ask.

I'm about to say 'I don't know' but then I turn to see their puppy faces. "Yeah, we'll see each other again. You guys are too cute to stay away from."

I open my door and step out, closing the door.

The windows slide down as I start to walk away. "Bye, Nikki." I hear Riley, Rudy, and the triplets yell.

I wave bye and rush into the store. Once inside I decide to buy the groceries now instead of after work. Once I paid everything, I made sure I couldn't see Riley's car and then dashed home.

I open the front door and head to the kitchen to put away the groceries. I don't even make it ten steps in the house before I hear his voice.

"Why are you here early, Bitch? Did you come on the bus? You know you're not suppose to." My father, Erick Night, slurs. His brown hair is a mess and his green eyes are surrounded by red. Dad is fifty-two, but surprisingly he doesn't have any white hair yet.

He's drunk. Shït.

"No, I didn't come on the bus. I ran today so I could get here early to make you lunch." I lie.

"Don't lie to me, Bitch!" He hollers, throwing the beer bottle in his hand at me.

I cover my face but it hits my chest, breaking. I wince knowing that it'll leave a bruise, small amount of blood stain through my shirt.

"I'm telling you the truth." I plead.

"Come here." he beckons.

"I have to start your food."

Wrong answer. His eyes narrow. He walks towards me, grabs me by my hair and pushes me to the floor. He kicks me four times. Once in the face and three times in my stomach. He tries not to hit my face too often because then people will question it.

"Bitch, you do as I say when I say it. Now leave my sight. I don't want to see you. Finish my food and leave it on the table; I want it in twenty minutes." He sneers.

I get to my feet, biting my lip to keep in the screams that want to come out.

I quickly take the shards of glass that pierced my chest and wipe the blood away. I put three groceries away. I wash my hands and start to make lunch.

I make spaghetti for Dad, Kenny, and P.J. I usually eat at work. It took me time but I don't think Dad noticed since he passed out.

I walk up to my room, not making a noise as I walk by a passed out father in the living room.

I enter my navy blue painted room. My queen size bed pushed against the side wall next to the window.

I have a great view of the woods. I sometimes see Red watching me from the woods. We also like to meet at a small lake with a waterfall in the woods.

I carefully rush to the connected restroom. I pull up my shirt to see old and new bruises. I wince as I apply medicine on the new bruises. My cheek is already turning purple, from the kick, I'll have to cover it with make up for work and wear a holding to school.

It's 5:25 p.m. I change into my work cloths which is just a black overall. On the back is the name of the mechanic's, 'Fix 'em Here'.

It's only a fifteen minutes walk from here, but I should start walking now since I have to be careful with my bruises.

I walk down to the living room to find it empty. I peek in the kitchen to see Kenny and Dad eating at the table. Kenny is telling Dad about his frist day of high school. Dad listens while he eats. Dad isn't mean to Kenny or P.J, only mean to me because of the incident twelve years ago. I don't hate my father; I hate what he became after Ruby's death.

P.J is barely walking in the front door.

P.J looks at me sadly, "Going to work?"

I nod.

"Have you eaten?"

I shake my head.

"You'll eat at work?"

I nod.

"Be home at 10 p.m.?" P.J reminds.

I nod.

"Okay, be safe."

I nod, heading to the front door as he walks into the kitchen.

"Is the Bitch leaving?" Dad grunts.

"Yeah, she's going to the library to study." P.J covers for me.

If Dad knew that I was working, he'd probably take my money to buy more beer.

I walk, slowly on the side walk.

I see a pair of gray eyes staring at me from the woods that are across the street.

That's weird, Red's eyes are blue. Maybe he has a family. Until I know for sure I won't approach another wolf besides Red. I mean, what if attacks me.

I may have a sucky life and horrible father but that doesn't mean I want to die. I promised myself that no one or nothing would get me to end my life because in the future, I plan to change my life.

I see the lights to the mechanic shop in front of me. I turn back to the woods to see that the gray eyes we're gone.

I greet my boss and his son; the boss's son stays here at the stop after school.

During my thirty minutes break, the boss's son, Kevin, likes playing tag. Sometimes, I help him with his homework since he's an only child and his parents don't have time. Kevin is in sixth grade; he's eleven years old.

I put on my gloves and mask, walking over to my section. A black Honda motorcycle already there. James, the boss, said that it needed an oil and tire change and to check it's engine.

I tried not to wince or groan every time I accidentally hit one of my bruises or when I moved at a wrong angle.

I sigh, hoping to be finished quickly even though I'm not looking forward to tomorrow.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Anallely ♧