Double Life: Midnight Surprise

Nichole tied her braid and looked for her hat in her drawer. She sat on her bed to tie her boots and tucked in her knife inside one of her boots. The sounds of the night were barely audible, everything was so peaceful. Suddenly, Nichole sat up and listened to an odd sound for the place and time; she quickly walked to her door and swung it open just as it was going to be nocked. She yanked the person inside by his sweater and quickly closed the door and locked it.

“What are you doing here, Joshua?” she asked and quickly walked back to her bed

“I… it´s almost December 12^th” he said as she bandaged her hands and put on a black pair of gloves, she stopped and looked up to him with a smile tugging at her lips, he smiled back

“How did you get out of your dorm?”

“It was pretty easy” he let go of the straps of his backpack and put it down on the floor. She smirked

“You seem too pleased that it was easy” she put on a black jacket over her black fitted shirt

“Are you going somewhere?” he glanced over his watch “It´s an hour to midnight” he furrowed his eyebrows and his green eyes seemed confused

“Yeah… I have to go –she seemed troubled- you…eh…you can stay here though”

“Where are you going?”  

“Monsters need to be fed” she said with a raised eyebrow

“What? Are you going out?” he asked again, she nodded “But it´s almost midnight”

“An hour to midnight –she looked at her watch- fifty to midnight. I have to go”

“Nic…”

“Please don´t ask” she interrupted him talking above a whisper

“…Just be safe”

“I´ll do my best” she opened her window

“I should…” the boy hesitated; she was with one leg out already

“I´ll be back before five” she gave him somewhat a shy smile. He grinned.

“Are you leaving me alone in your room?” he had a playful disposition that made him resemble Aaron more if that was possible

“Sure, my undergarments are on the second drawer, money on the top drawer and my diary on the bedside table” she winked to a wide-eyed Josh “Close the window for me” she said and stepped into the emptiness. She fell on her feet and looked up to him; Josh was still on the window watching her. She started to swiftly walk towards the orchard and once she was under the shadows of the trees, she started to run to make up for the spent time with Josh.

She got in the black car and she started to feel the eyes of the driver on her, since the time in which she´s put her knife on his neck he had only stole glances but now he was staring only stopping when he got caught by her as she observed him. She watched her reflection on the rear mirror. Her eyes were not reflecting the cold gaze that Tilly had engraved in them, her breath was caught and some old memory of panic rose in her chest but there was the monster with her showing her who she was and the ice wrapped her eyes and heart again.

The travel was long; Philip had driven her to a heliport where Natasha was waiting for her already in the helicopter. She got in.

“What are you doing here?” Nic asked Nat

“You´re going to a party and you´re going to look for this girl –the woman showed her a picture of a young woman- but I need you to look different than your usual self because there will be someone there that might recognize you”

“Who?”

“The girl´s boyfriend is the man who´ll be singing there”

“Why this girl?”

“It´s better if you don´t ask”

“Tell me!” the girl commanded and the woman sighed as she was pulling wigs out of a bag

“She is the only daughter of one of your father´s ex-associates”

“Ex?”

“They had a disagreement”

“What kind of disagreement”

“I don´t know all the details but I know that he´d threaten your father´s family, your little sister´s life”

“Is Camille alright?” Nichole´s heart was beating faster

“She is, she´s been sent out of the city, they´re all in Crystal´s house”

“I see… what good it´ll do to take away this woman´s life?”

“She´s the heiress of the man´s business and she´s pretty good at it…”

“Still…”

“She was who spoke the threat”

Surprise filled Nichole´s eyes “Why?”

“She knows Camille and she knows how important she´s for Karl”

“Why did she do it?”

“They were pressuring your father”

“To?”

“I don´t know the details”

“Tell me what you know”

“I know she´s a strong woman and also a jealous one”

“Are you going to tell me what I asked you last time I saw you? About where I was made?” Nichole broke the silence that had fell between them

“I haven´t been able to find out… but –the older woman quickly interrupted the girl before she could speak- I found out that the boy you´ve gotten close to is the son of your dad´s latest new business partner”

“I knew that”

“You did? How?” Nat was surprised

“What business Mr. Arlington and Karl have?”

“Your dad is investing in Mr. Arlington’s hospitals and pharmaceutical companies”

“What do you know of that family?”

“Wanna get to be a part of them?” Nat had a wicked grin

“Right. As if I needed any approval”

“Defensive much?” Nat grinned as Nichole glared “you know you look good being a red-head” the woman said putting a mirror in front of the girl. Nat had put on her a long haired wig with styled curls that bounced as she moved. She´d also put on make-up on her eyes and face, she looked a bit older.

“You better answer me what I asked you next time” the girl said as she jumped off the helicopter and went in to another car with another driver she´d seen only a couple of times.

The music was loud but the man singing was good. Nichole pushed through people until she got closer to the stage. She started to dance and cheer until she got the attention of the singer who extended his hand to her and she climbed on stage and the man sang to her as she danced and gave him smiles, her rehearsed smiles. After the song ended she leaned in closer to the singer and then went down back on the floor and as expected she was pulled to a side by the image of the woman on the picture that Natasha had shown her.

“He´s with me” the woman said

“He´s over there alone” Nichole said and the woman laughed. It made Nichole surprised.

“You´re cute, we want to try new things” the woman smirked

“Is that so?” the monster took over

“Up for the challenge?” the woman smiled placing her hands on Nic´s waist

“I need to know who you are first”

“I´m Mia and I like red-heads with brown eyes” she took a step closer. The red-head smiled

“It´s my policy to know lasts names first…”

“I´m Mia Fratti”

“Italian?” the fake red-head asked tilting her head, this was not the woman Natasha had said she was

“My mother is” the woman said, her hands sliding down Nic´s waist

“So… you´re not really Fratti”

“I am… I never met the father but that´s no topic of conversation” the woman tried to close the distance between them

“Wait” Nichole said

“You´ll like it” the woman tried again to close the distance

“Wait!” the girl commanded taking her phone out

“You lied” Nic said

“What?!” Natasha said on the other side

“You lied”

“She´s who your father wants”

“Why?”

“You´re sent to do your job!”

“I´m not doing it!”

“Yes, you will!”

“No” Mia made the girl hung up

“Leah” Nichole called her, the color of the woman´s face was drained

“How do you know my name?” the woman pushed the girl against the wall “Who are you?”

“Karl Duchenne´s daughter” the monster answered

“Bad choice…-the woman smirked- I want to erase that name…bad choice kid”

“Why do you want that?” the monster made pretenses of being submissive and scared

“You´re dying so you I´ll answer that. Your daddy won´t fund our new business anymore out of nowhere, he´s giving the money to hospitals… I yet have to find to whom he´s giving it… when I do –she grinned wickedly- it won´t be good to be them”

“Is your offer down?” Nichole asked, the monster still making pretenses

“I just told you you´re dying, don’t think your pretty face will save you” the woman pinched the girl´s cheek

“I might be able to help you… just so you know…-she said faking shyness- I am interested in your offer”

“Why would I believe you?”

“I´m sent away to a border school just for him to be happy with his new wifey”

“Uh… you seem likeable…” the woman grabbed the girl´s wrists and started to take her away and then she stopped and turned “What´s your name again?”

“Danielle” Nichole lied giving the woman her other hand, her nude hand

“You´ve got pretty hands” the woman said, evil in her eyes. She didn´t believe Nichole as Nic didn´t believe her yet, Nichole gave her one of her rehearsed smiles and as the woman took her hand the girl felt the familiar pain in her chest, the old panic was just a memory for her but it was evident in the woman´s eyes, she knew what was happening, she tried to steady herself holding onto the girl

“You´re not going to hurt my sister or my friend” Nichole whispered as the woman faltered and fell on the floor with a lost stare. She was gone.

Nichole picked up the vibrating phone that she´d been ignoring.

“Did you leave?” Natasha´s voice came out of the phone

“I did” the monster lied

“Why? Nichole, your father´s going to kill me!” fear was evident in Nat´s voice

“You lied to me”

“No, I didn´t! Nichole, please go back there, please”

“No, I won´t do it” the girl´s voice was quiet

“Nichole, please –the woman pleaded- I´ll do anything!”

“Where did you work, what´s the name of that place where I was made, answers that´s what I want” the monster said in a calm voice contrasting with the distressed one on the other side of the line. No remorse in her. the woman took a sharp inhale as if her breath was caught in her throat. There was silence. Nichole reached the black car and got in

“I don´t know” the woman finally said

“Then, I´m going” the girl closed the car´s door

“NO, please, stop, I´ll do anything!”

“No questions asked?” the girl bargained

“Yes, anything”

“Alright, be aware that I´ll collect” she made the driver a sign to stop, he did, she opened the door as she hung up, the monster smiled satisfied. “She´s closer at giving in” she thought as she closed the door and went out for a quick round around the place, she couldn´t let the driver know she hadn´t gone back. No one could know of her doings.

 “Did you…?” Natasha was waiting for her on the heliport. The girl nodded.

“Thank you” relieve noticeable in her face

“ Are you happy about the murder of a woman?”

“I´m glad I won´t be that woman”

“You´re a psycho… we all are” the girl mumbled throwing the wig to the older woman. As they were closer to the place where Philip was waiting the woman spoke

“I have a present for you”

“I need no presents from you”

“Nic, please, I want to show my appreciation for you”

“Just leave me alone then, or better, give me answers” the girl´s eyes bored into the woman´s until she looked away

A/N: I hope there are not that many mistakes but... it´s me so... ok, anyway, here´s the start of this. I´ve been wanting to write/post this for a while.

Happy Birthday Saku!

******

“Here!” Natasha said giving Nic a gift bag “It´s a coat” she said with a smile when the girl didn´t take it “the real gift is in the inside pocket” she grinned. Nichole took it and took out an expensive-looking brown coat and checked the inside pockets, on one the one of the right side there was an envelope.

“Happy birthday!” said Natasha in a cheerful voice, Nichole eyed her finding amazing her ability to go from one mood to the other and then she figured she was probably the same.

On the envelope there was a birthday card, some money and a piece of paper with a date and time

“What´s this?” Nic asked Natasha

“The real gift”

“Ok”

“I´ll pick you up that day and you´ll be spending a day with your little sister” the woman grinned

“Is that for real?” the girl said above a whisper

“It is. I promise” Nat said and she thought she saw a gleam of hope in the girl´s eyes but it was gone too soon to tell

“Ok, we´ll see” the girl put the envelope back on the inside pocket of the coat and then she put it back in the gift bag. Once they arrived she jumped off of the helicopter and ran to get into the car with Philip. She glanced at her watch; it was an hour to five.