Double Life: Goodbye

A/N: another part that wasn´t supposed to be included but I sort of need it for the rest of the story, so idk here it is ...the funny part is that it´s longer than the rest of the posts in DL -It was supposed to be finished before 8:00 to give me time to read it over. I´m so slow and so lazy to actually read it over. I´m such a bad writer haha 

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“I didn´t think she´d stay” Jonah commented absentmindedly

“Who?” Josh asked. They were both backstage, taking a peek at the audience”

“Nichole… she never stays to watch this show… she usually leaves the night before”

“You sure know her habits, huh?” Joshua smirked

“No!” Jonah was too quick to answer. Joshua laughed quietly.

The girl in question was on the side of the crowded auditorium. Josh´s parents and brother were in the center of the place. The students had been presenting plays, poetry and other of their talents. Up next there was the music club presentation and Jonah´s solo. Nichole was among the people that stood up and clapped for him, she had a pleasant smile and her clapping hands were wrapped on the midnight blue he´d gotten for her. He smiled as he bowed to the crowd.

After the Music Club there was a play presented by the small children followed by the Art Club presentation where there was singing along with the music. The last performance of the evening was the seniors’ farewell performance.

“You were great!” Maggie hugged her son

“Thanks” Josh smiled as his dad patted his back

“Where’s your friend, Josh?” Maggie asked looking around and so did Josh. He spotted her walking gracefully out of the auditorium. He went after her, his family behind him.

“Good evening Mr. and Mrs. Arlington” Nichole smiled pleasantly

“Good evening” Josh´s dad greeted back

“Hello, Nichole. How are you?” Maggie smiled

“I’m good, thank you. How are you?” the girl was polite

“Well… actually –the woman smiled, she had the same smile as her sons- I was wondering if I could talk to your parents” the woman had a melodic voice. Nichole furrowed her eyebrows and looked towards Josh and back to Maggie. The boy´s eyes were the same, he wasn´t surprised about this and his twin wasn´t either, she found that more than a little irritating but she kept her composure, allowing her training to take over her.

“I´m afraid I’m not going to be able to help you on that. I´m here by myself today”

“Oh… Well, you see, I don´t know if Josh has mentioned this but my sister has this art gallery –the girl nodded- and I want to invite you to stay a few days with us. My sister would love to meet you and I´d love if you´d agree to it –she smiled, her grey eyes smiled too- and if your parents could let you”

“You are very kind. I´ll tell my family about your invitation” she smiled and felt the twin´s eyes on her. She was sure Josh knew her smile wasn´t genuine, she felt glad that after only one day of meeting Maggie she´d seem to like her but there was no way she could tell Karl about this. She was supposed to keep a low profile not to catch the attention of Karl´s newest business partner’s family. She was not like the rest and situations like this made it more evident.

“Can I at least have your mother´s number?” Maggie pleaded. For some reason Nichole didn´t find it annoying as she had expected.

“Mom!” both twins said in a hushed tone at once

“I´m sorry Nichole, but I´d like to invite you to dinner and I don´t want to get you into trouble”

“Oh” Nichole half smiled. She´d realized from whom Josh had inherited his stubbornness

“Mom, you don´t know if Nichole had other plans” Aaron said in the most respectful and loving tone Nichole had ever heard him use

“Of course –she smiled to her son- I´m sorry” her apology sound sincere

“It´s ok… I don´t have other plans” Nichole felt drawn to this woman. She wondered if it had to do with being Josh´s friend or if it was because they had the same expression or maybe it was just her kindness.

“Would you like to join us?”

“Maggie, I´m sure you´ve overwhelmed our son´s friend by now” her husband rested his arm over his wife´s shoulders

“You´re right, you´re right –Maggie shook her head- I apologize again…”

“I will go –Nichole smiled- so you won´t have to keep apologizing” the girl half-smiled and the Arlington family chuckled

“Thank you! –Maggie said as if the girl was doing her a favor- I´d like to let your family know, so that they could give a call to the school to let you out”

“I have my ID. I´ll let them know”

“You already turn eighteen?” she seemed surprised

“Got an ID to prove it” the corner of the girl´s mouth went upward

“Alright, let´s go” Mr. Arlington said motioning for the young ones to walk ahead.

They went to the Italian restaurant on the town closes to Burgeoys. Mrs. Arlington with her melodic voice led the conversation, her sons seemed happy to answer to her questions and to add comments of their own.  She praised her sons again, Josh for his performance in the show and Aaron for winning the karate competition. Both of them seemed to value her opinion a lot, their father hardly spoke, he was quiet but as his wife praised their sons his green eyes lit up as if he too was proud. He also seem to give his whole attention to the boys when they narrated in detail their adventures in school, they often interrupted the other adding their perspective of the happening. Nichole found it interesting to see how close they seemed. They included her in their conversations, but she founded more comfortable to listen to them. Maggie inquired about her latest paintings.

“Well… I´m often doing sketches but they don´t always make it to the canvas…” she smiled a little

“The ones who do, I´m sure, are beautiful” Maggie said

“Thank you”

“She was my art project partner” Josh added. Maggie´s eyes filled with realization

“I feel like I know you a little bit more. I want to listen to them live though” she said to her son who grinned as he nodded

“What did you do?” Maggie asked Nichole

“A few sketches and paintings, green was my main focus”

“It´s a beautiful green, isn´t it?” she looked at her husband with those smiley eyes as she put her hand over his husband’s hand who lifted them and placed a small kiss on her hand.

They left a little after nine, the way back was mostly silent except by Maggie asking her sons if they had everything packed. They were leaving for home that night.

Josh was ready but Aaron said he needed more time “I told you to be ready, Aaron” said his mom in a scolding tone

“I´m sorry, I´ll hurry” he ran towards his room as they arrived in Burgeoys

“I´ll walk Nichole to her dorm” Josh said and Nichole bit her tongue

“Good bye, Maggie, good bye Mr. Arlington. Thank you very much for the meal” Nichole said with a small smile

“Good bye” Mr. Arlington said

“Good bye, Nichole. I hope you can meet my sister, give the boys a call if you accept my invitation and if your parents agree to it. Also, if you do agree and need to be picked up, just let us know, ok?”

“Ok, bye” she started to walk away

“I´ll be back soon” Josh said and jogged to catch up to her

“Thank you for joining us tonight” Josh said after a while of silent walk

“It´s ok… Now I see where you got that bluntness and stubbornness from… -she smirked- I had fun”

“We did too”

“When are you leaving for home?” he asked

“Never” she took a while in answering. He thought she was not going to

“You’re staying in school?”

“No”

“What… You… aren’t leaving for good, right?”

“I don´t know –she answered and he frowned- but I´m leaning towards staying… there´s something I want to do”

“What is that?”

“I want to know about your memory –she answered, he gasped- I need time to do that and of course, I also need whatever you could tell me or remember”

“Wow. Thank you” he really appreciated that, not even his parents had taken that particular memory as something important or worth knowing

“Mmh” they had reached her dorm

“Good bye, Josh” she half-smiled and turned to leave, he caught her hand, she turned back with raised eyebrows

“Where will you be going if you’re not going home?”

“…”

“Don´t tell me I ask too many questions” there was a hint of worry in his voice that made her half-smile

“I´ve got training to do”

“Ok” he said after staring at her for a moment “see you later” he said with open arms. She smiled a somewhat sad smile and shook her head slowly. He furrowed his eyebrows and his eyes seemed to grow pale.

“Told you I hurt people sometimes…” she said with a small voice. He took both her gloved hands and lightly squeezed them

“Take care and come back. I´ll call you” he smiled

“Good bye” her voice was barely above a whisper. His phone started to ring, he saw it and quickly waved, and then he started to run back. She saw him go.