Dark Art

I´ve been thinking of this post since yesterday! >_<

But this is useless babbling, I strongly advice you to skip it until you see the tittle of this post again

Rainy

Light is raining

Standing still

Dead

It bathes every surface

It hides so much

Pretty and unmoved

Words that will never get to you

Sunlight makes me invisible

Pierced words of affection

Delusion of a mirrors house

Light keeps raining

Damping my days

Washing you away

Hanging you like a corpse on display

It´s your shape but it´s all me

Spiders knit memories for me

A fake smile under the light rain

Never true, never real

As tangible as my heart

The mirage my mind decided to show me

Light is raining...

Melody (DL FF)

A/N: Maybe I went a little overboard with the sweetness in thisone but w/e hahaha Once again more than a FF this is like some kind of side-story. Two things inspired me for this one: The post "Moon Light" and the picture I´ll be using for this post. The pix set that initial spark but that post that I had done gave a lot to this story. If this had a time it´d be happening shortly after the last side story. 

***

Josh entered the bedroom of his girlfriend´s apartment early in the morning. The sun wasn´t even visible, only its light gave prove that a new day was starting. The bedroom was barely lit, the thick curtains stopping the light from disturbing the young woman peacefully sleeping in the middle of her bed.

He leaned in to kiss her temple, and then kissed her cheek. “Wake up, little monster” he gently whispered, she tightly squeezed her eyes “There´s somewhere we need to go” he continued

“You either come and be my pillow and blanket or go away and come back when the sun´s high in the sky” she covered herself complete with her white comforter. He chuckled.

“Did I wake you up?” he asked innocently

“Shut up, I heard you, you know it”

“So loving, my angel” he teased

“You´re standing there bugging me when I blatantly offered you a stay in my bed” she grumbled. He pulled the comforter off her head, her eyes were closed but the shadow of a smirk was pulling at her lips.

He got rid of his jacket and shoes and got under the covers. She immediately nuzzled herself against him, tangling her legs with his. She got particularly annoyed when he woke her up early in the morning but she was also particularly open for contact, she seemed to like to cuddle, she took the initiative unlike when she was completely awake, that and the lack of gloves made Josh like to come early to wake her up. He fell asleep with her scent filling his lungs and her warmth wrapping his body.

~~

Warm and soft lips woke Josh up, once, twice and three times he felt the ghost of kisses, he smiled going for a fourth one but a hand on his chest stopped him.

“I´m hot” she said when he opened his eyes and looked at her

“I know” his green eyes seemed to shine. She laughed

“Ok, not as much as you” she poked her tongue out and disentangled herself of him. He tried to pull her back again but she was as fast as she´d always been.

“No, no, no boy. I remember my love said we had somewhere to be” she said already on her feet, he opened his eyes wide

“Say that again” he breathed getting up, moving to the edge of the bed, closer to her

“No, no, you said…” she furrowed her eyebrows

“No, that´s not what you said” he held her by her arms, they locked gazes “ah” she said, the side of her mouth tugging up “my love said…”

“Again” he breathed closer to her, his melted emeralds made butterflies hatch in her chest. She watched his lips and inched closer then kissed his cheek and moved her mouth over his ear

“Love” she whispered softly. He embraced her tightly by her waist, she hugged him too.

“Happy one year anniversary!” he smiled brightly when they parted

“Oh, is it? Really? Are we keeping count?” she teased

“We are my lovely monster” he knew now how her teasing worked. She smiled

“Does that mean I´ll get breakfast in bed?” she said, he raised both eyebrows

“If you want” he sounded unsure

“Got a pretty kitchen that can´t be dirty –she poked her tongue –I really can´t have you there” she pursed her lips

“I´m an ok cook” he narrowed his eyes

“Then off to cook you go while I take a shower”

~~

“Where are we going?” she asked from her bedroom

“That´s a surprise!” he replied from the kitchen

“What do I wear?” she came to the kitchen with her damped hair and a towel wrapping her body

“I like that one” he grinned, she rolled her eyes

“Well, ok, let´s go then” she started to walk towards the door, when she was opening it he caught up to her, grabbed her by her waist and spun her around closing the door with his foot

“Where are you going?” he kissed her neck, she laughed

“You said you liked this”

“I won´t like it if you wear it outside”

“I can always take it off” she said in a sing song voice

“Little monster –he sighed- just go wear something you´d wear any other day and take some extra clothes” he let go, she walked away with a satisfied little grin

“Stop staring at me” she half-turned her face towards him, she heard him laugh, he had been caught

“Ready?” he asked once they finished eating breakfast.

“Yeah, oh, wait, one more thing that I forget” she marched towards her room.

“Josh” she called him. When he entered her room he didn´t see her

“Nic?” when he called her name the curtains were opened, the morning light bathed Nichole, he furrowed her eyebrows and started to walk to her but was stopped by her finger pointing something; he followed the direction.

On her bed there was a dark brown leather guitar case, he went to it and opened it, inside there was a black acoustic guitar, on top of it there was a silver guitar pick; he took it to read the words engraved in it.

The music of my days,

The melody for my steps,

The moon light in my woods.

“Nichole” he turned to see her, she was right behind him; he turned to facer her. “Thank you, angel” he kissed her

“I never gave back this one” she pulled the one she was wearing, the one he´d given her for her 17^th birthday

“I wanna make it like yours” she took it from his hand and put it on a string. She gave it back, he noticed on the other side there was the design of their initials joined together. He smiled up to her.

“Wanna see my surprise” she dragged him out her room

~~~

“This place looks familiar” Nichole commented looking out the window of Josh´s SUV

“You came here for the first time in that New Year…”

“…When we were seventeen” she finished his sentence. She smiled “You´re taking me to camp in your huge country house?”

“We can sleep on the floor all you want” he glanced her way, she was smiling.

The drive had been long, they hadn´t talked much in the car but they had sung along with the music, their hands clasped together. Joshua let her to the familiar wooden house carrying her bags as he´d done the first time she´d come.

“Hungry?” he asked once she came down, she´d changed her jeans to shorts and her boots to sneakers.

“It feels that all I do with you is eating” she shook her head and took his hand. They had stopped to buy lunch on their way. They went out the house. From the car he took his new guitar and his old one, along with their lunch.

Hand in hand they walked in the woods, the same path they had taken the first time she had come. At some point he walked to a side of that path, she followed. She heard the stream in the distance; they were slowly walking in parallel to it. They stopped after a while; she sat with her back to a tree. He sat in front of her.

“What do you think of here?”

“It is as beautiful as I remember” she said, he smiled and handed her sandwich and cold tea. They ate in silence, sharing glances and smiles. After lunch Josh started to tune his new guitar for a while.

“I know this is boring…” he said when he noticed she was watching him

“It is not” she found it interesting to see him so focused, his fingers touching the strings and his expert ear approving or not to the sound it produced. After a while, once he was satisfied with the sound he moved back a couple of feet

“Where are you going?” the girl asked, he was glad she wanted to have him close

“Need to focus on the chords… I finished writing this one last night” he grinned, she smiled her half smile.

His notes and lyrics were so familiar, his sounds particular, one of a kind, like him, calmed and balanced, honest lyrics that boiled with the intensity of his feelings turned into songs. In the pace of it she recognized herself.

She adored being his muse, this gift, a song, was not new, he´d made other songs, either with lyrics or without them, with one instrument or another, it was always new for her, new words put together, the same strings being played just for her in the solitude of the woods with the birds as chorus. There was nothing more special, that´s what he made her feel and not unique like an outcast, no, he sung of her being unique like a precious stone or a favorite place, a song, a song for her only. She felt herself grinning. She knew she was happy, the happiest she´d been in her life.

“That was beautiful” her voice filled with emotion, his green eyes gentle, he gave her a little bow

“I´m glad you think so and that I didn´t screw it” he said making her chuckle

“Play some more” she requested

“As you wish, my little monster”

He sang a couple more of his songs for her. She had closed her eyes drowning in happiness. She had never thought she could live it. He sang other song, of his favorite ones; she sang along, he smiled up to her.

“Play with me” he said not stopping the music

“Josh…”

“Please” he asked. She sighed and took out the other guitar, his old one. He´d taught her how to play it but she hardly ever play it, she loved listening to him, she loved seeing his expert fingers and focused eyes that once in a while glanced up to her with a smile but he liked her playing with him and only that had persuaded her to learn and in rare occasions like this one, she complied to his request.

He smiled a bright smile when she started to play. They went from a song to the other until slowly the songs stopped. The girl extended her hand to him and he came closer taking her hand. He sat against the tree and made her sit between his legs, her back leaning on his chest, his arms hugging her waist.

“You make me very happy” she mumbled against his cheek

“I am the happiest with you” he kissed her lips. They stayed quiet, hugged for a long while.

“We could go to the river, you know” he said after a while

“I am still not doing skinny dipping” she pursed her lips suppressing a laugh, he laughed

“A guy´s gotta try” he kissed her neck

“Not happening, jerk”

“My little monster loves me so much” he nuzzled his nose in her neck. They stayed hugged, her signature half-smile gone, this was a full grin.

“More than what I could say” she thought.

Double Life: Moon Light II

A/N: This one has a lot of dialog which is why it took a few pages in Word but I think it´s kinda short but it feels like a lot´s going on in a way. I didn´t read it again, let´s hope for the best in terms of me making mistakes and all that good stuff I do ha -oh, yeah, I included the last few lines of the prior post,  a letter didn´t appear in the other post... 

***

“One that has saved my life more than once and doesn´t even let me fall… very scary, indeed” he chuckled and it made her grin. Maybe I´m just trying to make amends she thought. After a while of walking they were getting closer to the stream Nichole had heard.

|||

“This was kind of far” Josh commented finally listening to the sound of water and some frogs

“Are you tired? Let´s sit down” she sat down with her back against a tree; they were close enough for her to see the water but not enough for her to touch it or for him to fall in it. He sat next to her. They sat in silence only listening to the water going down and the loud silence surrounding them. Another moment went by and suddenly Josh felt her stiff next to him and then he saw the light of her phone that disappeared when she put it on her ear. She didn´t say a thing.

“Oh, Rox” she said later with surprise in her tone

“No, no, don´t worry I was up. What´s wrong, Rox? Is Vincent giving you a hard time?” there was silence while the other person talked, it was so silent that Josh could hear the girl’s voice but it was so soft that he couldn´t make up what she was saying

“Rox, I´m sorry… I… I´ll go back the day after tomorrow if not tomorrow” her voice had remorse mixed with disappointment

“Don´t worry. I´m fine –no, they all healed well –yeah, actually, I´ve been having a lot of fun” there was a tinge of excitement in her voice

“Yeah, good night, Rox” the girl sighed and put her phone back in her pocket. Silence fell over Josh and Nichole, only the water sounds interrupting it.

“We could go back if you want” Nichole broke the silence between them

“Do you want to go back?”

“Not really but …I don´t know…it´s ok if you´re sleepy…” she sighed almost inaudibly

“I´m pondering if it´d be ok to ask you about …?”

“Rox?” she offered

“Yeah”

“She´s the girl I met where I was”

“The one with the inhaler and the guy who hit you?”

“Yeah”

“So Vincent is the jerk who hit you?” he said with clipped words, she chuckled

“That´s him, yeah”

“Are you going back there? Why?”

“mmmm… I´ve pretty much escaped from there…”

“To come here? Will you get in trouble?” he sounded worried

“No, I think I won´t get in trouble… Someone owed me a favor and this is what I asked for”

“You should´ve told me”

“Why? It´d made no difference”

“I would´ve tried to make your vacation better”

“I am already having a great vacation” she said with humor as she took his hand in both of hers

“Don´t go back there…”

“I have to, that favor only last a couple of days… Rox´s having a bad time with the other kids there because now Vincent will go easy on her and I still have a few things to learn”

“What things?”

“To shoot” she said bluntly

“To shoot?”

“Yeah”

“Why do you need that?”

“Why not to learn it? I could hunt many ducks if I knew how to” she joked, she saw him narrow his eyes to her

“It didn´t sound like a nice place…”

“It wasn´t”

“You don´t have to go”

“I do”

“Why?”

“Let´s just say that my father requires it”

“Why would a father let his daughter get hit by some jerk?” he sounded mad

“Hey, hey, it´s ok –she squeezed his hand- I´m used to it”

“To get hit?”

“No. To training… it´s been a long, long while since anybody hit me like that but as you heard it healed nicely”

“Did… did your father hit you?” he sounded worried

“No –she sighed- it´s like you and karate, during training you get hit, don´t you?”

“Yeah, but the instructor doesn´t aim to hurt me”

“But you still sometimes get hurt”

“You were not going to have a vacation at all… you weren´t going home at all… that´s not fair, that has to change”

“Thank you”

“Why, Nichole, last time I saw your step-sisters they didn´t seem to be put through the things you´re put through, why you?” he said with an annoyed tone, she didn´t answer

“I could ask dad to talk to your father…” his tone was back to his usual kind voice

“No! no, no, please don´t do that. I have told you, you shouldn´t even know who my father is…”

“But Nichole…”

“No, Joshua, listen to me, that´d make things worse, please listen to me…” she sounded pleading, he didn´t say a thing for a while

“That’s why you wanted to leave from school, right? You were going to run away” he stated. She sighed

“Nichole” Josh whispered with compassion as he pulled her against his chest, she stiffed and then relaxed a little. “Please, let me help you”

“Josh… if you knew…” she started and he was about to ask but he felt his shirt damped. She was shedding tears. He held her close, feeling useless and with many more questions. They stayed that way for a long time, she didn´t move and they didn´t talk more. He wondered what she meant by all those times she´d made remarks of something she was that´d apparently made him feel different about her. He wondered if she knew how she had those things that were unbelievable and above all he wondered how a father could do what her father did to her…

“I will be going tomorrow in the afternoon” she pulled away from him, he said nothing but his eyes were gentle. “I´ve had a great time with you and your family” she smiled her half-smile but he didn´t see it.

“I´ve had a great time too” he grinned and squeezed her hand in his. She leaned her head on his shoulder and he rested his head over hers too. They stayed like that for a long while.

“I thought you wanted to get closer to the river” he said once they stood up to leave

“It´s ok”

“Why did you want to see it? Were you going to swim in it?” he raised his eyebrow

“Perhaps”

“Really? It must be cold!”

“Cold water´s good for the skin care” she snickered

“oh… You could get in …now…” he stopped, she laughed

“I´m not doing skinny dipping with you here” she elbowed him

“What?”

“Do you see me with extra clothing here?”

“Oh…I…”

“Are you imagining it?” she teased

“No!” he said and she laughed

“Let´s go –she pulled him by his hand- I don´t need to get in this water, the sun will be out when we get back in our tents as it is, no need to make your family worry about our little adventure” they started to walk back home as the birds started to sing their morning songs.  

Double Life: Moon Light I

A/N: This is special -and maybe the rain we had last night helped lol- because I actually read it over twice and even add a whole conversation part that wasn´t there yesterday 

I hope there are not many mistakes since I read it over and if there are... I´ll have to shoot myself lol

The tittle.. I know it´s an over-used tittle but I kinda like it for this one, so whatever haha 

***

 “Why you always wake up when I am about to leave?” Nichole asked barely above a whisper to the boy coming her way, if it hadn´t been completely silent he wouldn´t have listened as she hadn´t turned to see him

“Where are you going?” she heard his voice was weaved with amusement

“Out to walk”

“We´re already outside” he caught up to her. As she had said, she and the twins had made a camp out on the back yard of the house. They made a campfire, roasted marshmallows and told horror stories and then went to their tents a little over midnight. It had been almost three hours after that.

“I feel like exploring the woods… I hear water so I´m looking for a stream” she turned to look at him

“You want to explore the woods in this darkness?” he furrowed his eyebrows

“There is moon light”

“But the woods get thicker”

“I can see that”

“I get it that you know the woods in Burgeoys like the back of your hand but you´ve never been in these one”

“That is why I am exploring it”

“Can´t it be done by day?”

“Doing it at night is much more interesting” she grinned, she looked like a child with a new toy

“Let me go get a lantern”

“I don´t need one”

“You have one?”

“A flashlight, yeah”

“But I don´t”

“Are you coming?”

“I am… Don´t you want me to?” he asked unsure. Nichole shrugged

“I don´t mind… though… I am walking towards the river I hear…”

“I´ve gone to rivers with you before” he winked, she chuckled shaking her head, she knew she was not going to get as close as she wanted with him there, not because he wouldn´t want to, she knew he´d do it for her like he´d done before but she didn´t know the river like she knew the one in Burgeoys woods and it could be dangerous to have him close to this river with his phobia.

“Ok” she handed him the flashlight that she had in her jacket´s pocket and slowed down her pace

“What about you?” he asked, she sighed

“How many times do I have to tell you that I don´t need that to see?”

“You can see in the darkness?” he eyed her curiously and felt her tug him to a side, he was about to step on a root, he would´ve had tripped

“Better than you with a flashlight” she raised an eyebrow. He narrowed his eyes and she sighed “It´s something that came along with what my skin can do” she mumbled

“Really?”

“Yeah” she said in a defeated tone

“So, if I turn off the flashlight…”

“I´d still see, yeah”

“Even if it´s pitch black?” he sounded fascinated and that caused her to chuckle

“That your eyes are not able to see doesn´t mean there´s no light”

“Do your eyes change? You know like the cat´s ones?” he said wondering and that made her laugh quietly

“It seems like I am more like a cat than what I thought –she said- though, it´s not as visible as that… it´s like when your eyes adjust to a room with poor light, like now, the green in your eyes is almost gone, it´s subtle like that”

“That is amazing” he said quietly

“I guess…”

“No, really, it´s amazing”

“Be careful, there are a lot of roots here”

They walked slowly, their hands clasped, she was leading the way. At times she stopped and stood still as if she was listening to a quiet voice and then they´d adjust their way a little. As he had said, the more they walked the more trees there were and the moonlight barely made it through the trees.

“Why do you like walking like this?” Josh asked quietly

“It’s very peaceful. I like how it smells at night, you can feel how the woods hug you with the sounds that welcome you” her voice was calm, quiet, as if she was speaking of a secret

“Most people would feel scared of that”

“I´m not most people. Are you like most people?”

“I wouldn´t be here if I were… though I do worry about wild animals that hunt at night”

“They´re not out to get us. Don´t worry, as long as we don´t disturb them we´ll be fine” she squeezed his hand. He laughed a little

“Every time I am with you like this is as if I was a coward” she saw him made a face

“You have sense of self-preservation, that´s smart… I´m just reckless”

“A prettier way to say I´m coward”

“I think –she said the words slowly- that you are brave, you´re brave to be around me”

“You´re not scary at all” he quietly laughed

“Doesn´t mean I´m not a threat… in fact, that just makes me more of a danger”

“You keep saying that…”

“And you don´t seem to get it… monster inhabit darkness and you are walking in darkness hand by hand with one”

“One that has saved my life more than once and doesn´t even let me fall… very scary, indeed” he chuckled and it made her grin. Maybe I´m just trying to make amends she thought. After a while of walking they were getting closer to the stream Nichole had hear

Winter Muse

My winter muse

You are not one to take a no for an answer

It´s on your time

And on your terms

Not any other way

My capricious bitter sweet love

You´d think my breathing´s about you

You make it so

You make me share you

You´re my only one 

I am just a flavor in your desserts parade

You play me in your hands

I am the ocean, you are the shore

I kiss your feet

As you make me crash against hard stone

Taste my salt, my sky-colored friend

Because you´re not getting rid of me

And you know it, don´t you?

I am safe and I am there

That´s why you come and go at your will

Drop by drop

Sing me a song

Paint me a memory in the puddles you left behind

Embrace me with your cold arms like fire

I´ll follow you to the north

And let you go south 

My winter muse, don´t let the fall get to me

Double Life: Breakfast Talk

A/N: This is just kind of a transition scene, not much happening but ...it has a part that made me laugh and also a sad part. It´s probably filled with many mistakes, more so than often, I just did a quick spellcheck with Word but you´re used to my incoherent words lol -such a good excuse I have haha
****

I really like how this looks!

The first day of the year started late for the Arlingtons and their guest. Nichole was the first wake up and wandered towards the kitchen. She was greeted by some middle-aged woman who she recognized as the family´s cool. She greeted the woman who offered her some food that the girl gladly took. As she was finishing her late breakfast Maggie came in the kitchen

“Nichole, good morning! Happy new year!” the woman had a bright, beautiful smile on her face

“Good morning, Maggie” the girl smiled in return

“Did you sleep?” the woman started to eat her breakfast

“Yes, thank you” the girl said. Maggie narrowed her eyes a small fraction

“You couldn´t sleep… Do you miss your home much?” Maggie´s voice was so motherly. All that Nichole wanted was to sigh and shed a few tears, unlike the twins she had no home and here she was watching their family life, everything that she never had but she couldn´t let that slip so with a smile she borrowed the monster´s ability to stay calm despite the situations and the consuming feelings

“A little but I´m also having fun with your family” Maggie was instantly convinced

“I am glad! I am really grateful that you and my boys got to become friends especially with Joshua, he was so upset when he first left”

“That is very hard to believe, he never seemed upset to me”

“Really? I think that´s because you didn´t meet him before… He´s always been more like Erick, his dad and him are so much alike, quiet and insightful but he always had so many friends –Maggie smiled- during holidays our home was always filled with chattering and laughter that they boy´s friends and girlfriends made but then this year he seemed so… withdrawn…” Josh´s mom sounded sad and worried

“The twins are very friendly –Nichole assured her- and Josh is very kind and caring” Nichole smiled her small smile. Maggie smiled warmly

“He speaks very well of you too”

“That´s nice –Nichole chuckled a little- he´s a good friend”

“I know you´re there baby bear, come on out” Maggie chuckled and so did Nichole. She´s heard Aaron´s footsteps a few minutes before but it seemed his mom had sensed him too

“Ah, mom, wouldn´t you let me stay there enough for Nichole to spill the beans?!” he grumbled like a spoiled child and with slightly tinted cheeks.

“What beans, honey?” Maggie smiled mischievously, that smile was like one of Aaron´s

“Come on, ma! Don’t tell me you are not curious if Nic is your new daughter in law, even more after Josh´s ex came” he sat next to his mom and kissed her cheek. Maggie laughed

“I already know” she said matter of fact

“You do?” Aaron´s eyes were wide when he did he looked exactly like his twin with that expression. Maggie nodded “and…?” the boy prompted

“Aren't you nosy, my boy? You should go ask your brother”

“He says no”

“Then there´s your answer”

“Sure, but, ma, he…” the boy suddenly stopped and Nichole was sure of what he was going to say but he stopped himself

“He..?” Maggie locked gazes with her younger son

“...He´s too protective of Nic” he ended up saying

“Does that bother you?” she asked and the boy looked up to meet Nichole´s eyes with slightly tinted cheeks, she had a smirk

“Only when that interrupts our going outs”

“I didn´t know I had ever interrupted” Nichole spoke in a teasing tone but with real curiosity. Maggie had a stern stance now

“No, I mean, not big things –he said to his mom as if defending himself- but grandpa –he said to the girl- has this set amount of times in which we can use the car a month, half for each when we went together it was doubled but later Josh started to hang out more with you and didn´t ever used his”

“You could ask him to use his” Nichole suggested

“Grandpa wouldn’t let that happen”

“Don´t listen to my boy, Nichole, he should be grateful Erick and I even allow those outings” she narrowed her eyes at Aaron who glanced away.

****

“Is this camping?” Nichole asked Josh in the second floor of the wooden house “This house is bigger than an average family house”

“Well… we won´t be sleeping on the ground but we kind of do everything else” the boy touched his neck

“Which is?” she raised an eyebrow

“Campfire, marshmallows, barbecue, hiking… my dad and Aaron go fishing in the lake a couple of miles away from here” he explained, she was smiling, her eyes were warm chocolate that went well with the chill evening

“Do you have sleeping bags?” Nichole asked looking around her bedroom

“Err… yeah, I think there are still the ones Aaron and I used to use…”

“Good, we´re having a real camp out time. Do you think your parents will mind that?”

“No, I don´t think so”

Key (Double Life)

A/N: This is a very short DL ff -well, more than a fanfiction I think what I´m doing with these things is  making side-stories that are only losely related to the real story and that only because there are the same characters- again, this is very short and if it had to be put on a time-line, this is prior to the other ff with Josh and Nic together. I mention a dress here and since I´m not good at describing clothes I will show a pix of how I imagined the dress I think it´s a very cute dress.

****

The young woman in front of the canvas slightly tilted her head to a side and immediately wrinkled her nose. A few minutes later a knock on her door was heard and then again and a third time. She didn´t get up to get the door, she kept painting with a small frown.

“Nichole, open up. I know you are inside!” a female voice said from the other side of the door. The black cat that was Nichole´s pet came strolling and meowed near the door.

“Nichole, listen to Mitch and open!” the voice outside the door pleaded

“Were you really going to let me hang in there?” the young woman at the door asked Nichole

“Yeah but you´d probably wait for me to go out to attack me” Nichole let the woman in

“Ah, so you know me already”

“Knowing your cousin is a good reference, Helen”

“…And you know Josh real well, don´t you?” Helen had a smile that was more of a smirk

“I hope” Nic replied

“Aren´t you going to ask me what brought me here?” Helen stopped in the middle of the living room

“No” Nichole walked in the kitchen followed by Josh´s cousin, Helen

“How can my cousin handle you, really?” she put one of her hands on her hip

“Maybe I´m not the one being handled” Nichole said with a straight face. Helen gasped

“I never thought my cousin would be that way!” she had that expression with big surprised eyes, her eyes were gray like her mother´s, that expression was from their mom, Maggie´s twin, that´s where the Arlington twins had gotten it. Nichole chuckled. Helen cleared her throat

“Anyway… since you´re not asking I´m telling you –she paused- I came here to dress you”

“I’m a grown up. I can dress myself”

“Right. Tell me what you´ll be wearing tonight?”

“This”

“Jeans and a sweater?? I´m glad I came!”

“Does Josh know you´re here?” a smirk was on Nichole´s face

“No. Is he coming?”

“Maybe”

“Are you calling him?” Helen sounded a little worried

“Perhaps”

“Don´t –a light blush colored Helen´s cheeks- He´ll get mad”

“It´s not that bad”

“To you it´s not bad, to me it´ll be hell, but hey, I´m sure he´ll like this” Helen lifted a gray garment bag

“He won´t mind this” she motioned to herself. She did look good with her fitted jeans and a sweater that clung to her upper body but that covered her complete with a turtle neck.

“Think of this as a birthday gift to him” Helen winked

“You´re crazy, Helen” Nichole rolled her eyes

“You´ll thank me”

“No, I won´t”

**

As the two women were on their way in the restaurant Joshua was on his way out.

“Nichole…?” he smiled confused. They´d agreed he´d pick her up in another hour

“Your cousin –she looked pointedly at Helen- came to my apartment and attacked me with a dress and make up and then dragged me out” the girl said with a slight irritated tone. Helen´s eyes grew as she gasped

“You were not supposed to say that!” Helen pouted as Josh narrowed his gaze pinning her in place

“Helen, I told you to leave Nichole alone” Josh´s tone was serious but it brought a smile to his girlfriend´s lips

“Come on, Josh! Look at her. You should be thanking me that I didn´t let her come in ripped jeans and a t-shirt” Helen wrinkled her nose

“Helen, it´s not up to you what she decides to do or not. I don´t want you coaxing Nichole ever again, in any way” his tone was stern

“Aagh –Helen sighed with frustration- you very well know she can´t be coaxed to do something unless she wants to do it!” Josh´s cousin said but he knew, as well as Helen, that the girl could be coaxed when he was thrown in it and he knew his cousin well enough to know  that she´d made Nichole believe that doing what she said would please him

“Helen, this is the last time I´m telling you this –his voice still stern- leave Nichole alone, she´s not your doll and I won´t let this…” he was interrupted when the girl he was holding at his side placed a kiss on his cheek. His whole attention was then directed to her. Helen took advantage of this and hurried inside.

“Look at you, defending me” Nichole nuzzled her nose against his cheek

“I don´t want you to feel you have to do anything for me” he turned to face her. She smiled

“In that case I need a change of clothes” she pursed her lips in a pensive manner as he took her looks. She looked stunning in the white fitted dress that ended right above her knee and hugged her body as the black gloves on her hands

“You already took the trouble to wear this, let´s not waste that” he smiled placing his forehead on hers, she chuckled

“You´re crazy” she mouthed

“For you” he pulled her closer

“So sap” she kissed his cheek and embraced him with her arms around his waist. When she let go his keys made a jingling sound as she pulled them out of his jacket pocket. He looked at her curiously.

“Happy birthday, Josh!” she kissed his lips and he gladly returned it

“Thank you” he smiled when they parted, she shook his keys in front of his eyes. He noticed a new addition. It had a little chiming bell; there was also a new key that he recognized as the one of her apartment. He smiled at her and pulled her for another kiss that she returned as she threw her arms around his neck.

She was giving him access to her life; more so than what he already had and as if she knew what he was thinking he felt her smile against him.

“Use it wisely” she murmured against his lips

“I will” he kissed her cheek “thank you so much for this” he looked at his gift

“It’s just a key” she winked. He chuckled recognizing it was as big of a deal for her as it was for him, maybe more.

“Is it ok for me to use it now?” he asked mostly wondering to himself

“It´s yours, whenever you want to is ok” she had her trademark half-smile with a tiny speck of nervousness in her eyes. He hugged her tightly, the way she seemed to lower her walls when he was there had become one of the things he´d had come to love, he knew most of the times it was unconsciously and this felt like completion to him. 

Double Life: Fall Asleep

A/N: I can´t think of a tittle for this one ¬¬ I feel like a lot happened in this one and I hope it makes sense well, except for Josh´s part in his room, he´s sleepy hahaha my sweet Josh lol Ok, I can´t think of a name for this one agggggggggghhh >_<

*** 

The first day of the New Year had arrived with rain. It had been an hour since the Arlingtons and their guest, Nichole, had arrived home. They had all spent the New Year´s eve at the twin´s grandpa´s house, along with their aunt and uncle and cousins.

The Arlington’s house was completely dark and quiet except for the drops that hit the roof and windows and the distant thunders and the blue light that they produced.

“Are you leaving us?” Nichole heard a voice ask. Joshua was coming out of his bedroom, his hair disheveled and a worried stare. The sound of the thunder hadn´t let Nichole listen to him coming out of his room

“No” she wore a soft smile “I´m just going for a walk” she spoke softly

“Under the rain?” he took a step forward, he was barefoot.

“I saw a couple of umbrellas downstairs in the closet in the foyer, I thought that your mom wouldn´t mind me taking one”

“Are you leaving?” the boy asked again. The girl was fully clothed

“I already told you I´m just taking a walk” she walked closer to him “why are you awake?”

“I… got thirsty” a thunder was heard, his eyes drifted to the window at the end of the hall and then his eyes closed very slowly and quickly opened

“Is it the rain that woke you up?”

He laughed without humor “I´m not a that coward”

“Never said you were… but everybody is scared of something and that is ok”

“What are you scared of?”  his tone was harsh and Nichole didn´t like it, she wanted to return it or maybe just turn around and leave, most likely the latter. She took a deep breath

“…To fall asleep, to faint and to giant clowns with green hair” she joked at the end making him chuckle a little as she shook his head

“I´ll go get your water” she started to walk towards the stairs

“Are you still going for your walk?” he asked as she was about to put her feet on the second step, she turned her face his way

“Yeah” she mouthed and nodded

When she came back Josh was still on the same spot with anxious eyes that he tried to conceal. She gave him the glass and he drank a big gulp.

“I´ll go with you”

“You don´t have to go” she touched his shoulder

“Aren´t you afraid of going under the rain a place you don´t know at three in the morning?”

“This is a nice neighborhood, no thugs or bad people that hurt a girls just because they can’t afford living here and the ones that can, they won´t do that in their back yards… plus I can defend myself and I enjoy the cold drops”

“Do you really just want to walk under the rain?”

“Do you really just want to walk under the rain? I can drive you wherever…” they stood in silence for a moment

“You won´t let me go, will you?” she breathed out though her mouth when he said nothing “Ok,… what if you think that you never saw me here?”

“I am looking at you”

“Ok, what if instead of me going out we keep company to the other?”

“Will you be waiting for me to fall asleep and then leave?” He motioned towards his bedroom

“As much as you will be waiting for me to fall asleep first” she smirked and followed him

“You have a comfy bed” Nichole plopped on the bed and adjusted a pillow behind her back. Josh smiled and gave her a blanket. They stayed in silence for a long while

“If… if by any chance your mom or dad found me here…” Nichole raised an eyebrow

“Mom would kill me in questions and we´d probably have the talk”

“I guess your mother would ask to speak to my family as well…”

“It is likely but that ID of yours might stop her”

“I see…”

“But I doubt any of them will wake up and come to my room…”

“I don’t want to leave it to chances”

“Oh –he finally understood what she was saying- the lock, ok” he went to the door

“You’ve never brought anybody in here?” she asked, he blinked and then laughed

“Not to spend the night in my room, when my parents are home, no” he shook his head and she laughed

“And here I thought you were a guy who played by the rules” she poked him “you´re a weasel” she poked him again making him poke her back trying to tickle her

“I am not ticklish”

“Don´t believe you” he tried again

“Not touching, boy” she locked her gaze with his and he stopped and flopped back on the bed looking at the ceiling.

“Ok” he said barely a whisper. She slid on the bed. Silence fell over them.

“Are you asleep?” the boy asked

“Are you?” Was the reply he got.

“Don´t you feel tired?”

“Yeah”

“Then…”

“What about you?”

“I am tired but my mind won’t let me fall asleep”

“What’s on your mind?” Nichole turned to her side and looked at the boy who glanced her way

“Mostly a nightmare, I guess”

Nichole saw a crease between his eyebrows she reached and poked it making it go, the boy turned and faced her, she smiled.

“I woke up because I saw and felt myself falling in the pool, fighting and drowning”

“Are you always having that nightmare when it rains?”

“Sometimes but this time it quickly changed… I saw the little girl on the other side of the glass, her eyes all red and puffy like she´d been crying…”

“It was her or you inside?” Nichole asked and he seemed to ponder about it

“I don´t know… I guess we were both in somehow… yeah, it´s like we were both patients there…”

“Can you tell me more about your time there?” she asked just barely above a whisper, her hand caressed Josh´s hair, ear and jaw once and then fell back on the bed

“I don´t remember anything of the first few weeks –he sighed- then the first person I remember seeing was this little girl about my age, in the bed next to mine… we were both attached to some machine by these needles coming out of our arms and hands, she was looking at me with her warm big brown eyes when I tried to talk to her, my voice wouldn´t come out but something like coughing happened instead…my throat hurt a lot, I remember my grandpa hovering over me and telling me to breathe from a mask and I fell asleep…” the crease on his forehead had  formed again. Nichole smoothed it with two soft fingers and smiled with the side of her mouth then moved her hand to his head and stroked his hair, he blinked once very slowly, she kept her hand on the base of his head, running her fingers in his hair.

“The next time I woke my parents were there, I remembered my mom’s smile and the relieve that washed over my dad´s face. I looked to a side and saw a glass window, the curtain was closed…My throat still hurt; it even hurt when I breathed… That day my mom read for me but then they had to leave. I didn´t want them to leave –he laughed humorlessly, Nichole gave him her half smile- I pushed the curtains that were close to my bed and found the little girl sitting on her bed, only the wall and the glass separated our beds she was watching the tubes and needles coming out of her arms and hands, she looked at me for a long while until some nurse that came to my room shut the curtain and made me breath through the mask again.

 I don´t know how many more days this happened. After a while I got better but the little girl kept getting paler and paler, her arms were bruised and her eyes were glassy, she looked sick. When I asked grandpa who the girl was he asked which girl?  When I moved the curtain to look for her, she wasn´t there it was as if I had imagined her and after a while it was as if only I saw her when we were alone, well, when I was alone, nurses and doctors came in her room to check on her all the time…”

“Had you imagined her?” Nichole´s voice was soft

“That´s what everybody told me but I know it was real” he shut his eyes close

“It´s ok, Josh… maybe they didn´t want you to worry about her”

“...One time she was sitting on her bed, her eyes puffy and by that time I could sit and my throat felt better, she pressed her palm against the glass as if trying to reach me and I did the same and the tiniest smile appeared in her mouth...

...Having drowned made me have to learn many things over again, like walking. I remember  this one time being with a physical therapist that was teaching me how to walk with the help of these two rails, I don´t know why but the lights in my room failed and I saw through the glass, there was the little girl with a hat similar to mine, you know the type with a lot of wires coming out like to measure your brain activity, I had stickers on my back and joints with wires too, she had the same thing, we were doing the same thing, maybe she had drowned too, she seemed to sense me looking at her  because she stopped and looked at me with a tiny smile. I tried to wave but when I let go of the metallic bars the lights returned and I fell down –he chuckled- the nurses rushed to pick me up and the glass was dark again, I couldn´t see anything but my reflection…”

“Who left first…?” Nichole inquired; the boy seemed to get sleepy, his eyes were half lidded, her touching his hair had seemed to relax him enough to fall into sleep

“I am not sure… when I got better I was moved, we were on the bottom floor under the ground level, it was always  cold there, the nurses and my grandpa took me out of my room in what looked like a labyrinth of rooms and glass doors and metal detectors and then through  a stain steel elevator up a couple of floors and to what looked like a hotel room where my parents and Aaron were –the boy had closed his eyes and had smiled at the memory –the last time I saw the girl she was crying and a nurse was patting her back. When the nurse left she looked my way I put my hand on the glass that separated us and with a sad smile she did too. I never saw her again and when I asked about her no one had seen her. Aaron used to tease me and said she was a ghost and mom said she was an angel that kept me company” the boy smiled with his eyes closed his breathing was already even and after a moment his lips parted a tiny fraction. Nichole let her hand fall on the bed

“Sweet dreams, Josh” Nichole whispered watching the lights outside changing from night to day.