A house makes no home.

Someone was taking things out of the fridge, a girl in a white fitted dress, he was about to leave when she turned.

“What are you doing here?” he said wide eyed and surprised.
“Eating” the girl showed him a plate.
“I can see that, Nichole, but what are you doing here at the party?”
“Didn’t know I owe you any explanations” she opened a drawer and took a fork. She handed the pie to Josh
“I...no, you don’t, I’m just surprised. I didn’t know you were coming” her back to him, again taking food out of the fridge “Is it ok for us to take food out other people´s fridge like this?”
“I’m the one taking it out”
“Still”
“This is a party, they will give the food away anyways, right?”
“yeah but other guests aren’t opening the fridge and getting in the kitchen”
“Such a good boy” she teased “yet you were planning to do what you are already doing, I just happened to make it easier for you. I did it first” a malicious grin on her face.
“Shut-up” he said when he couldn’t find a better retort, she grinned amused. They ate in silence for a while.

“You look nice in that dress” he complimented blushing a little.
“You shouldn’t be checking me out, Michelle´s gonna get mad” she teased him fighting a laugh.
“It´s obvious you look good, I don´t need to check you up to know that”
“I know... and that´s why I have to deal with you staring at me, right?” she lifted one eyebrow
“I haven’t been doing so!”
“Drinks?” she asked and took out some juice. More silence.
“I’ve been trying to apologize the whole afternoon. I’m sorry for what my brother said. I went to your room to tell you that but you weren’t there, I guess now I know why you weren’t”
“You didn’t say a bad thing why are you apologizing? -he didn’t say a thing and she continued- I was there. How did you get in?”
“Why didn’t you answer me then? you were mad, didn’t you?”
“I was going to be late plus I didn’t want to reject you” she too, knew that he wanted to invite her. He was about to protest “How did you get in, you didn’t say that”
“I just got in...mmm but somehow now the lady there thinks that you father approves of me -he made a quotation mark with his fingers- I’m sorry if that gets you into trouble”
“It´s fine, he doesn’t care what I do mmmm related to that”
“Oh... what ab...”

 “Niiiiiic” a child voice said excited interrupting them. Nic turned. Her eyes widened.
“Miii, gorgeous, what are you doing up so late?” she embraced the little girl.
“Why haven’t you gone to see me? Were you going to leave without seeing me?” the child pouted.
“well, Mii, I didn’t want to wake you up. How did you know I was coming?”
“I overheard dad” the child was beaming.
“Did you? what else did you hear?” Nichole´s eyes were concerned yet she was smiling to the child.
“I don’t know, I didn’t care I just heard you were coming, dad said ´the girl´s comming´  and that´s what he says when he talks of you” 
“Mii, bad child! do not eavesdrop on adults conversations ok? I will get mad if you do that again”. The kid lowered her little head. She looked like a baby Nichole. The older girl lifted the little girl chin “Now, tell me, how did you escape from Celia?” the child laughed 
“I faked that I was asleep and now Celia is the one asleep” The little girl grinned and so did Nichole. She was beaming too. The child seemed to make her so happy. Suddenly the child saw Josh and stared at him. Nic smiled. 
“Mii, this is Josh, Josh, this is my little sister, Camille” Josh had been wondering who had invited Nichole to the party now it seemed plausible that she was one of the hosts but she hadn´t been presented to the people like the other sisters, maybe she had come late. 


“Hello, Camille, you have such a beautiful name” he smiled to her. 
“I know -she´s just like her older sister, he thought- my sister gave it to me” she said proudly. 
“She did?” he asked curious, looking at Nic who smiled. 
“But I call her Mii as you heard...” 
“I couldn’t properly say my name when I was a baby” the child explained, she certainly was like her sister except that all of her exuded happiness, maybe Nic had been that way at some point, Josh thougt. 
“I see” he smiled at the sisters, who smiled back. 


“Now, Mii, please go to bed, father will get mad at me and Celia if he finds out you are not in bed” 
“But I want to be with you!” the child was about to cry now 
“Do not cry Mii, I promise I will go up and see you when I leave” 
“But I will be asleep” 
“But you will know I’m there, you will hear me in your dreams” she smiled again 
“You promise?” the little girl said 
“I promise” 
“What if dad makes you go, like the other day?” the girl was about to cry again. A flicker of pain passed through Nic´s eyes. 
“I promise to go and hug you before I leave even if you are asleep even if dad makes me go... leave your window open ok I´ll become a butterfly and fly to you through the window” Nicholed winked at the child who grinned in response 
“ok” the child smiled and Nichole hugged her. 
“Now go, baby. I love you always, Mii” 
“I love you always, Nic” the child went away but left Nichole with a smile. 


 “Why didn’t you tell me this was your home?” 
“It´s not, it´s my father´s house” 
“Same thing, Nichole” 
“Not at all, Joshua, you see, a house makes no home” she said and drank from her glass. She seemed upset, so Josh let it go. 
“She looks a lot like you!” 
 “I know, and it´s weird since we have different moms and I resemble more my mother than my father” she pointed at a picture of her mother that was hanging on one of the walls. 
“That´s you mom? wow! you are just like her!” 


clack-clack-clack women in heels were approaching the kitchen, Nichole knew the sound of those footsteps. “Hide” she said to Josh who stared at her “Quickly” she opened the door under the table they had been eating, it was a cabinet, he curled himself in to fit. She put his plate away. 


“Ugh, what are you doing here, monkey?” a girl said. Nich scoffed 
“That´s what you have, Ash, monkey? such a funny girl” 
 “What the heck are you doing here?” Jess echoed her sister 
“What the heck are you doing here?” Nic repeated “I’m doing the same as you, this is my house. I’m here. Deal with it” 
“I can’t believe father brought you here tonight, agh, what a pain” 
“That´s something in which we agree, what a pain to be here, seeing you” Nichole said to them both. 
“Shut up or I´ll make father kick you out” Ash said 
“Right, as if you could” 
“Don’t you remember last time? would you like that to happen again? only this time in public! awesome, let´s do it Ash” Jess said and Nic didn’t respond 
 “We own this place, bitch, your father loves us more than he loves you and he loves our mother more than he loved yours too” Ash was the one talking this time. Nic didn’t respond either, Josh could hear the sound of a fork against a plate, she was still eating, he coould imagine her face, distracted, ignoring them on purpose. “I just don’t know why we have to see the Monkey´s mother face everywhere we turn, agh!” Jess said. Ash took the picture of Nic´s mom. They wanted to make her mad. 
“Put that where it was” she said serious 
“Or what, bitch?” 
“Just put it back” 
“We should get rid of this ugly picture, Jess, it´s so creepy, this woman makes our kitchen look so ugly, I think I´ll brake it” 
“Let´s” Jess said. The girl lifted her hand as if to throw the picture´s frame with more force to the ground but a strong hand stopped her. 


 “Never in you life touch the pictures of my wife again, do you understand?” the voice of the man was harsh. “Father, I’m sorry, I.. I didn’t mean to...” 
“Shut up and go” He took the picture and put it back, the girls shot death glares to Nic who answered with a malicious grin. They left quickly. 
 “You should´ve snatched the picture away from them!” the man yelled to Nichole, his voice sounded familiar, it was the owner of the house. 
 “And you should teach them not to touch them” Nichole answered angry 
“There will be consequences, of course. As for you, you should have gone by now” 
“This is my house too, I have the right to stay” 
“What are you saying? I’m the master of this house and I say when you leave!” he yelled again 
“My mother´s pictures are here, I want to see her, you can’t deny that to me. She is my mother” 
“Shut up! If you weren’t the spitting image of her I would´ve slapped you already” neither of them said a thing after that. However they both stared intently at each other. 


 “Sir?” a woman said “What?” “Camille´s been crying, she wants to see Nicky” 
“How in the world she knows the girl´s here?” 
“She heard Ashley and Jessica... and now he´s heard you” 
“Fuck those girls” he said under his breath. “You better leave or there will be consequences, I won’t forget you talked back to me tonight. Go say goodbye to Mii before you go. Be careful to...” 
“I know” Nic cut him off. He left.


“Nicky, dear” Josh heard she was sobbing. A woman was conforting her. 
“Is Mii ok?” “Yes, she is, she´s fasten asleep” 
“But...” 
“That little devil, I found her trying to sneak in so she had to tell me her beloved Nic had come... she did cry a little and... well, I’m just making sure you keep your promise” 
“Celia... you are awesome” Nichole hugged the older woman 
“No, you are, honey, your mother would be so proud of you” 
“Celia, please, don’t...” 
“All right, but know that she loves you always, no guilts, ok? she wouldn’t want that” Nic was silent. 
“No, look at me, I love you always, she told me to tell you that everyday” 
“Love you, Celia” 
“Same here, Nicky, now hurry, don’t stay here those trolls might come back for revenge” 
“I´ll go in a minute” Josh heard footsteps again, this time farther and farther before Nic opened the doors of the cabinet. She helped him get out. 


“I’m sorry Josh” 
“Are you ok?” he was concerned, he in a way knew what was like to be rejected by a parent. 
“All fine in here” she said 
“but you better go back to the party, your twin must be looking for you, or Michelle or my evil step-sisters” “What about you?” “Do not worry, I´ll be happily hugging Mii before leaving” 
“Won’t you stay to the party? don’t you dance?” am I asking her to dance? he immediately thought. she half-smiled 
“We´ll dance some other time-she winked-, I don’t like these things” 
“ok” he blushed a little “Later, Josh” he saw her leave “stop staring at me, boy!” he quickly looked away but smiled.