AN: Hello everyone! Seeing as how I hit a horrible dead end in my other stories I figure starting a new one in a different category might spark some type creative mojo needed to end my dry spell. This is my fist Night at the Museum story since I haven't seen the second one it will stick to the first with some alterations in the main story line and time frame. Read on and I hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: Big one for the story because I'll probably forget later on to do one. I OWN NOTHING! I just borrow and use artistic license. . . Yay artistic license!
There are men who were born great, while others have greatness thrust upon them. Theodore Roosevelt said that once, if I'm not mistaken. My father is one of those men in the later group, always believing that his moment would come. My father, Larry Daley is a lot of things; but above all he is a great man and a great father who would do anything for his children, including taking on the graveyard shift at a museum just so he can provide stability for the kids he barely gets to see. Perhaps I should explain who I am first, Nicolette Daley at your service; Nicole for short.
My parents, Larry and Erika, got married at a young age. They were barely eighteen and had me early on, and my brother Nicky six years later. They were married twelve years before their divorce, apparently the spark had been extinguished long ago, and so our little family spilt. Nicky stayed with mom and came out to see dad Wednesdays and every other weekend, considering he was only seven when they first split and let's face it, dad has a tendency to uproot himself way to often for a seven-year-old to manage. I however was a different story.
By that time I had already turned twelve and while I loved my mom, it broke my heart that dad would have had to end up alone. So in the midst of the custody dealings, I asked if I could stay with dad. I was old enough to be by myself and take care of myself for the most part and his habit for moving wouldn't have bothered me, so with much pleading and reasoning they agreed. Turns out it didn't really matter as much as I thought though, because a year after I had moved in with dad I was offered a scholarship to attend St. Mary's private boarding school for girls in Manhattan, the same school I had been working night and day to get the opportunity to attend since I first heard of it when I was nine. Dad was of course thrilled, and sent me off with promises that he would be fine and that I would be ridiculous to turn down such an opportunity, so off I went; sent into the world for the first time.
Two years later and here I stand still attending the same school, in the same room with the same roommate; both packing for our three week winter break. I truly love my school, but with every institution all students will have their problems, year round schooling was mine. I understand that it was like this in most boarding schools, but the twelve week lull with a three week break was really starting to bother me. Granted we got longer breaks then public school kids, but ours were always so spread out with no days off in between. It was the lack of the three month summer break that I really missed the most, that and the fact that I really did miss my family for the three straight months of schooling.
"So you almost packed?" asked Layla, my roommate and best friend for the past two years. I looked over at her side of our room as she was sitting calmly on the bed with an amused grin with all her luggage lined up by the door.
"No! I can't find my scarf or my jacket or my shoes!" I exclaimed, rushing around my side of the room trying to find my missing clothes. She was always the more organized of the two of us, and in being so had packed and found everything of hers the night before, while I have been running around for the past two hours like a chicken with its head cut off. I had successfully accomplished getting almost all of my stuff packed and what remained was strewn over my bed waiting to be crammed into what limited space was left in my suitcases and duffle.
"Do you need some help?" she asked with a laugh as she looked at my overflowing suitcase filled with discarded clothes and bed loaded with wrinkled unfolded laundry that has yet to be packed. I shot a look that I hoped relayed something along the lines of 'quiet or I'll hurt you' but failed miserably as I tripped over my lost shoe landing hard on the floor. I could hear laughing above me and was about to throw my hairbrush I retrieved from the bathroom at her until I noticed both my scarf and jacket hiding under my bed. Ha! See everything always turns up eventually.
After another hour, all of my stuff was finally packed, although I had to finally relent and accept Layla's help after I found out that my grab and shove method in fact did not work when trying to fit everything in relatively small bags. Finally being able to relax for the last hour before the bus took us to the train or airport depending on where you live, I fell back on my now clear bed thinking about the next three weeks. Nicky had been writing me pretty often with letters from mom and dad thrown in every two weeks or so. Apparently dad got a steady job as the night watchmen at the Museum of Natural History. I guess dad finally gave up on his inventors' streak, or lack thereof. Even more surprising was that apparently Nicky loved staying overnight there with dad, Nicky didn't exactly have the biggest interest in history, that was my field. Besides, as much as I love museums I fail to see how interesting they could be when your there at night, surrounded by all the creepy wax figures. . . In the dark. . . Alone. That seemed to be a bit too much for even me.
The time came and Layla and I hauled all our bags down the stairs and to the buses where we had our goodbye. She was flying out to Chicago to see her family while I was taking the train into Brooklyn. I was really going to miss her, she was the first friend I made here and after a while we sort of just stuck by each other. I still remember when she 'accidentally' poured her drink down this prissy chicks shirt my first month here after she tripped me in the halls. The teachers didn't end up believing her, but the fact that she stood up for me like that was awesome.
"Alright well I gotta go, be good and don't cause too much trouble while I'm gone" She said while giving me a hug.
"No promises, but I'll do my best" I said while shouldering my duffle and grabbing my suitcases. With another quick hug we went our separate ways and after I fought a losing battle with my bags until the porter took pity on me and helped get my stuff on, I finally boarded the bus and was on my way home.
Sooner than I hoped, I had someone shoving me awake, looking up to see a girl who was taking the same train, informing me that we had arrived at the station. I grabbed my bag and followed her out, I think her name is Samantha, I'll find out eventually. After grabbing my massive bags and finding the best way to situate them so I don't look like an idiot falling over my own stuff, I took off towards central station; god I hate maneuvering around train stations, it's so freaking complicated to find the right track.
I eventually found my way to the ticket booth and after staring at the map for ten minutes, found my track, got there and loaded all my stuff with the help of a very nice man with a total of five minutes to spare; a new record for me. I sat back and pulled out a book about ancient civilizations and attempted to ignore the jolting of the train for the next hour. That's another thing I hate; trains. The way they jolt and rumble makes it seem like they're constantly in danger of careening off track ending up in a not so pretty pile of wreckage, but they're the easiest way to travel from school to dad's so I suck it up like a big girl and try to ignore my anxiety for the next hour.
Before long we pull into the Brooklyn station and I'm already up with all my baggage ready to get off this death trap on tracks. I push my way through the crowds and search the platform for any sign of my dad. Putting my bags down, I stand by the benches to wait for the crowds to clear off and nearly topple over when someone runs and slams into me, wrapping arms around my midsection. Looking down, a head of curly brown hair meets me before looking up and smiling.
"Whoa Nicky! You're gonna make me fall!" I laugh as I finally manage to grab a pole and regain some of my balance. After righting myself, I open my arms for another hug that won't knock me over. "Dude, when did you get so big?" I ask holding him at arm's length to look him over. It looks like he may have grown at least another head since the last time I saw him.
"Are you sure you're not just shrinking Nicole?" he asks with a laugh as I narrow my eyes and ruffle his hair. Soon after I was bombarded by Nick, dad is parting through the crowds, giving me a much gentler hug than my hyper little brother.
"It's good to have you back sweetheart." I really have missed my dad; I've always been a bit closer to him than mom. As he grabbed my bags for me he herded me and my brother to the car and barely ten minutes later we pulled up to his apartment building and I was in a serious need for a nap. After unloading and watching my extremely uncoordinated father try to stumble up the stairs to his apartment we finally made it to the right floor. Dropping my bags in the doorway Nicky claimed the couch while I lugged my stuff the room Nick and I shared. We really didn't share it as much as took turns in it. It was primarily my room considering it was decorated to my liking when we first moved in here and when I'm away at school it turns into Nick's. When where both hear than Nicky moves to my dad's room while he gets the couch, overall it's not to bad of a system.
After dumping my bags on my bed I look around to see the changes made to it, which honestly aren't that many. I had my room painted blue so it worked for both of us and to be honest, Nicky kept the room cleaner than I usually did. Random posters now covered my wall here and there and a few touches added to make Nick feel more at home, but otherwise it's not that bad. A few picture frames here and after I wrestle my bedspread from the back of the closet out it will easily be turned back into a girls room, but that's too much effort for right now. Dumping the contents of my bags in draws with a promise to fix it all later, I took my duffle to the laundry room to finish washing all my clothes that I was too lazy to do before I left before taking my nap. Crashing on the couch besides Nick who had already fallen asleep, I was half way out before my dad came back from the kitchen; vaguely aware of the blanket that was now covering both me and nick before drifting completely into sleep, happy to finally be home.
AN: So here's my first installment, yes it's a little dry but it's going to pick up drastically the next chapter. I just needed to get the foundation laid out. Join our characters next time with Nicolette's first visit to the museum and musing over some very interesting exhibits before a very eventful night begins.