Chapter 1

                                      Part one

                     Dedicated to my late mother,

                     Rachael Alfa.

                                      ~~**~~

                 Listen to life for rent by Dido.

Hi there! My name is Nicole Adams. I'm nineteen years of age. Weirdly, I don't have a boyfriend, I don't smoke, I don't drink and I don't go to parties like other teenagers and new adults do. Sadly, I don't get the idea behind parties. How can people enjoy going to a place filled with strangers to get wasted with drinks and hormonal teenagers? Beats me.

Sorry in advance because I might be cocky, meaning I use cuss words sometimes and can't explain why I'm the way I am. 

We, which is my mother and I just moved here. Mother and I are not so alike; we fight a lot about little things, but can't bite our heads off because we're all we have. Well, we were living in Canada before we moved to the big Apple because of those jerks that wouldn't mind their business. 

I'm not the chatty and fun type, but I try to be sometimes so that people wouldn't tag me as a sadist or feel pity for me.

About my dad, he left when I was just fourteen and by left I meant he died. I loved him so much, he meant everything to me. He was the nicest man in the universe. He was always there to pick me up whenever I was down. He was my guide in this world that I know nothing about. He taught me so many things like how to ride a bike, how to skip and how to make his favorite, pancakes. I always saw my dad in my reflection. 

If I could turn back the hands of time, I'd make it so he doesn't walk to his death. He had a heart attack and died. It wasn't just a heart attack, there was more to it. 

Now let's take the time machine to four years ago. No, let's take it to five years ago when he first had it, I mean the heart attack.

Four-oh, five years ago.

Chewing the insides of my mouth, I jumped down from the school bus and made my way to the building that we called home. I stretched my hands to rub the habiscus flowers at the entrance of our home door. As I walked through mother's room door, I gaped at the eyesore in front of me.

"What is going on here?" I asked in incredulity, while my brows bumped together in a scowl. 

"Out!" Mother yelled.

After shutting the door, I pivoted out of the house on my heels and took off. I bent and rested my hands on my knees to catch my breath when I realized I was far from home, away from mother. Standing upright, I shoved my hands into my pocket and plodded down the streets of Canada. 

People were everywhere, making my skin to creep. I disliked being seen by people, but I just needed to clear my head. I heard nature helps to clear the mind so here I am nature, help me! 

I boarded a bus and decided to stop at my favorite ice cream shop named desert blast. 

"What can I get you?" A lady in a black, short, waitress gown asked after I settled on a wooden chair. The waitress smiled, her plump lips showing off her teeth and red stain I assumed was gotten from her red lipstick. The sight irritated me.

"Gross." I mumbled.

"What?"

"I said the usual." A fake smile crawled up my face. She spun and went to get my order. 

I plugged in my earphones and wore them. A soft music by Kaleo titled backbone tickled my eardrums. Bending my head, I opened my candy crush app.

"The hell!" I yelled when a mini goddess yanked my phone out of my hand. "Oh, it's you. What did you do that for?"

"I've been standing and yelling Nicky, but you couldn't hear me. Do you want to damage your ear drums?" 

"Melanie, go pick boletus." I scoffed and snatched my phone.

Melanie White was my best friend and the sister I never had. She alone understood my silence and knew me like the back of her palm. Sadly, I was the quiet and antisocial one, while she was the extrovert whose life was filled with cherries.

"Wouldn't you give me a warm welcome?" She sang asked with her crooked voice. Okay, her voice was nothing like that. She was a great vocalist and I wish I could sing like her, but my voice was no match to hers. 

"Okay. Hi, best friend. Welcome, take a sit with the rest of the bitches waiting for me to be nice." I grinned and gestured for her to sit opposite me. 

"Meanie." She rolled her eyes. "I wonder who did this to you."

My mother! She did this to me. Thank goodness I don't drink and smoke like her. 

"What happened?" She studied me. 

"She said you ran out of the house."

What? I scrunched up my face. "She who?"

"Your mom." She rested her elbow on the table. "She called to ask if you were with me."

"And?"

"I told her I knew where to get you." She rested her jaw on her palms and a lock of brown hair dangled on her face. "Why did you leave?"

"Nothing." I lowered my gaze to my phone that was plainly on my laps. 

"Come on, talk to me girl." 

I gagged at the memory of what I saw. The fact that it wasn't the first time I saw something that infra dig made me disappointed.

"Just a little argument." I said and the waitress brought my order. 

"How's your maths homework going?"

"Don't change the topic." She face palmed with her manicured nails and placed her order. 

I couldn't bring myself to tell her because it wasn't something I was  proud of saying out loud.

"Melanie." I groaned, knowing she wouldn't drop it and I actually needed to get it off my chest. "Promise me you'll keep it a secret."

She promised and I told her. If humans could taste words, I'd say these words tasted bitter. 

"It's okay," she said and placed her hands on mine. "You'll be fine." 

My phone vibrated on my laps and I glanced at it. My mother was the one calling and speaking to her was the last thing that I wanted to do. 

"Take it."

"No, I don't think I want to even go back home."

"So you want to-" 

"Run away." I completed her sentence.

She threw her head back and laughed. "Sorry, but it's funny." 

Her ice cream came and she dug into it, earning a satisfying sound from her. "You just have to go home." 

I shook my head in disagreement, but she managed to convince me. I hated it when she made me do good things, but I was glad she was good influence to me. 

"Too bad Damon isn't around to make you blush." She teased, earning a laugh from me. 

She just knew the right words to make me happy. People disliked me because I was too quiet and too shy. Melanie saw the good in people and that was something I admired so much in her. 

The bell to the shop rang and worse person in the world went out through it. I wondered how I didn't see her come in. 

The doorbell rang again. She walked back into the shop and locked gazes with me. A sly smile formed on her lips, hinting at wickedness.

Quickly, I broke the eye contact and searched my pocket for cash.

"Let's leave." I whispered to Melanie, trying not to draw the she devil's attention to me.

"What's wrong?" 

"Behind you." I said without moving my lips. Just as she was about to turn, I stopped her by placing a hand on her shoulder. "Wait, do not make it obvious." 

"Okay." Melanie's forehead puckered. She stylishly looked at them and back to me. "Oh, Sophia and her minions?" She asked and I nodded yes. "Do not let her intimidate you."

I shrugged and paid for my ice cream. Melanie and I walked out of the ice cream shop. The eyes I felt on the back of my neck made me walk oddly. It was funny how a fellow human made me feel so uncomfortable.

"Yeah, thanks." I said to my best friend who was preaching about being happy as we sat on a bench few metres away from the shop. 

"Where's that smile?" She tickled me and I pushed her hands away from my ribs. "C'mon, you can't be mad at your mom forever."

She smiled at me, making her cute dimples visible. She looked perfect even with her teeth that weren't pearly whites. I almost destroyed mine with chocolates when I was growing up.

I took in her features and wondered how she managed to always look good. I'd like to look- Nah, I don't care about my looks. 

I faked a smile and earned a nudge enough to break my ribs because my smile wasn't a hearty one according to Melanie.

"Choke on your tongue b." I flipped my black hair. Melanie smacked me with her purse, earning few laughs from me. 

My laughing seized when the person I've been trying to avoid approached us.