Finally finished this took me longer than usual, hope you enjoy
Chapter Two
Once we had gotten a good mile and a half away Trinity booked us tickets to Manhattan. During the whole bus ride, Trinity kept glancing nervously down the aisle, watching the other passengers. My eye was beginning to twitch again, that's not a good sign on his part. Just as he was about to turn his head again I said," Do it again and I'll kick your ass". He blushed in embarrassment at being caught in the act.
"So mind telling me what the Hell's going on"? I asked eyebrow raised at his look. Before he could say anything there was a huge grinding noise under our feet. Black nasty smoke poured from the dashboard and the whole bus filled with a smell like rotten eggs and garbage. Plugging my noise I glanced over at Trinity who had scrunched his own.
"Aw Trin did you really have to crap your pants again, I thought we went over this save it for the bathroom not the public"! I asked in faked a surprised scolded movement of my index finger, earning giggles from a few girls in front of us. Trinity glared, giving me an evil look in return. After a few minutes clanking around in the engine compartment, the driver announced that we'd all have to get off. Trinity and I filed outside with everybody else grumbling along with the others.
We were on a stretch of country road—no place you'd notice if you didn't break down there. On our side of the highway was nothing but maple trees and litter from passing cars idiots. On the other side, across four lanes of asphalt shimmering with afternoon heat, was an old-fashioned fruit stand. The stuff on sale looked really good: heaping boxes of blood red cherries and apples, walnuts and apricots, jugs of cider in a claw-foot tub full of ice. Surprisingly there were no customers present, just three old ladies sitting in old south rocking chairs in the shade of a maple tree, knitting a huge pair of socks.
Ignoring Trinity's wide scared knowing eyes, I yanked my arm from his hold and walked over. I felt bad for the elder Ladies. They looked so lonely (Who wants to be), it looked as if they had never had a customer. Giving them a soft sweet smile I said, "Good evening Madame's, why are you out on such a hot day"? Even through his fear, Trinity almost laughed at the uncharacteristic behavior I displayed.
The middle one looked up from her knitting, her greyish white eyes seemed to be millions of years old. She took out a pair of odd looking scissors. Gold and silver, long-bladed, like shears. Trinity gasped and tried to make his way over to me, but the cars passing stopped him. For a second I thought she was going to cut the beautiful golden thread the other on her right was holding.
Instead she surprised me by offering them to me. Not wanting to upset her, I gently took them from her grasp. A smile spread across a wrinkled pale face. "Nikita Clotho Jackson you hold the key to your fate from now on, what you do will be what determines your own path". The old lady finally spoke to me.
Confusion twirled threw me, this was the second time today someone called me by my full name. Were these old ladies monsters alike Dodd's? "Not to be rude but who are you guy's"? I asked my voice had a small sliver of fear. All three smiled at my question.
"I am Clotho", "I be Lachesis", and "I my dear child am Athropos". One by one they announced with knowing looks, a gasp escaped my lips at their proclamations. Closing my eyes for a second and reopening them to see if I was in a dream seemed like a good idea at the time. But the moment I reopened my eyes they, were gone along with the fruit stand.
A hand grabbing my arm, pulled me out of my momentary shock. "Nikita what the Tartarus did you do"? Trinity gasped looking at the pair of shears still grasped in my hands. "What did you just say"? Looking at him crazily for the slip of words. A groan escaped his lips as he ran his hand through hair similar to my own.
"When we get to your mom's Nike I will explain everything". Trinity promised me taking the shears from my shaking hands. My unbelief went higher when they shrunk to a charm size in his hands. He handed them back to me. "Put it on the necklace I gave you". He instructed. Shaking my head I muttered, "Damn someone had to have slipped me some of those happy mushrooms today". Hearing my words Trinity gave a small laugh. Choosing not to argue I did as he said, and placed the necklace around my neck.
At the rear of the bus, the driver wrenched a big chunk of smoking hot metal out of the engine compartment. The bus shuddered, and the engine roared back to life. The passengers cheered. "Darn right!" yelled the driver. He slapped the bus with his hat. "Everybody back on board"! That was defiantly not a coincidence, no way in Hell.
Surprisingly the whole bus ride Trinity and I were silent. Usually we went back and forth at one another, but this time was different no jibs or pokes. As soon as we got off the bus I flagged a cab uptown for us. "East One-hundred-and-fourth and First," I told the driver. A word about my awesome mother, before you meet her. Sally Jackson is her name and she's the nicest, most awesome person in the whole world, which just proves my not so cool theory that the most awesomest people have horrible luck.
Sadly her own parents (My grandparents) died in a plane crash compliments of a storm when she was only five, and she was raised by an uncle who didn't care much about her still doesn't. She wanted to be a novelist, so she spent high school working to save enough money for a college with a good creative-writing program, being an author was her goal. Then sadly her uncle got cancer, and she had to quit school her senior year to take care of him. After he died, she was left with no money, no family, and no diploma. Leaving her to fend for herself.
The only lucky moment for her I can think of is meeting my dad. Unfortunately for me I don't have any memories at all of him zip. Just this warm glow, maybe the barest trace of his smile, and of another's but it hurts to remember. My mom doesn't like to talk about him because it makes her sad. I hate seeing her cry, or be sad. She has no pictures.
See, they weren't married, which is kind of weird. My mom is like the best person in the world who wouldn't want to be with her? She told me he was rich and important (Nice catch mom ), and their relationship was their own little secret. Then one day, he set sail across the Atlantic on some important business like journey, and he never came back. Never called, or sent a message ether.
Lost at sea, my mom told me. Not dead. Lost at sea. She was very specific on that one, seemed like she didn't want to let go feel bad for her. She worked odd jobs some that were pretty unsavory. Took bunches of night classes at the local college to get her high school diploma, and raised me on her lonesome. She never complained or got mad. Not even once that's a big feet I could never achieve. But I knew I wasn't an easy kid, Hell that was a funny thought.
Finally, she married Gabe Ugliano, who was nice the first thirty seconds we knew him ha not even that maybe 5 and that's being nice. Then showed his true colors as a world-class jack ass. When I was young and innocent (Hilarious right), I nick named him dýsosma skoupídia that's when I was first learning Greek. I'm sorry, but it's the truth. The guy reeked like moldy puked on garlic pizza found in a dumpster wrapped in Davy Jones gym shorts (Pirates of the awesome Caribbean). The name meant smelly garbage.
Between the two of us me being the better one oh course, we made my mom's life pretty hard . The way her dýsosma skoupídia treated her, the way he and I got along not very pretty ... well, when Trinity and I came home is a good example.
I walked into my little apartment Trinity following, hoping my mom would be home from work and the beep passed out. Instead dýsosma skoupídia, was in the living room, playing poker with his ugly dumpster buddies. The television blared ESPN God awful show that is. Chips and beer cans were strewn all over the carpet. Trying to keep my eye from twitching once again I took a deep calming breath.
Trinity had a protective look on his face once he saw Gabe and his friends. He did not look happy at all. Gabe hardly looking up, he said around his cigar, "So, you're home ain't it a bit early, shouldn't it have been a couple more hours"? "Where's my mom?" I asked trying to keep my anger down. "Working," he said. "You got any cash?"
That was it. No Welcome back Nikita. Good to see you, though it's not good to see him. How has your life been the last six months? Gabe had put on weight probably a couple hundred pounds. He looked like a tusk less walrus in thrift-store clothes. He had about three hairs on his head, all combed over his bald scalp, as if that made him handsome or something, NOT! He looked like a dead weight hobo.
Trinity had a dangerous look on his face once he said that to me. "I don't have any cash," I told him grabbing Trinity's to stop him from saying anything. He raised a greasy busy eyebrow, also glancing at my buddy behind me.
Gabe could sniff out money like a bloodhound the bastard he was, which was surprising, since his own stanking smell should've covered up everything else. "You took a taxi from the bus station," he said. "Probably paid with a twenty, and for the little friend behind you", he sneered at Trinity, "Got six, seven bucks in change. Somebody expects to live under this roof, she ought to carry her own weight. Am I right, Eddie"? He looked over at his friend.
Eddie, the super of the apartment building, looked at me with a twinge of sympathy. "Come on, Gabe," he said. "The kid just got here." That's when Trinity snapped. "Shut the fuck up you bástardos, and don't care who you are I outta….." I winced putting my hand over his mouth earning a look of disproval from him.
Fine," I said. I dug a wad of dollars out of my pocket and threw the money on the table, before dragging Trinity to my room to keep his big mouth shut. "Your report card came, brain girl!" he shouted after me. "I wouldn't act so snooty, or your little friend!"
I gently shut the door to my room behind, which really wasn't my room anymore. During school months, it was Gabe's "study." He didn't study anything (he's stupid) in there except old car magazines, but he loved messing with my stuff and shoving it to the side, leaving his muddy God awful boots on my windowsill, and doing his best to make the place smell like his nasty cologne and cigars and stale beer. His stench was a horrible welcoming home.
Turning to Trinity who had his arms crossed with an expression that said an explanation was needed. "Oh you don't give me that look, you need to give me one to". I snapped at him. "Uh no you need to, Nike you should have told me he was treating you this way". At first he seemed mad but his tone turned soft. Sighing heavily I plopped down beside him, and put my head on his shoulder.
He cracked a smile and put his arms around me in a brotherly comforting way. A few tears escaped without my consent. "Nike it's going to be ok I promise you that". Trinity murmured softly. Then I heard my mom's voice. "Nikita"? She opened the bedroom door, and my fears melted, as they did when Trinity spoke.
Her eyes sparkle and change color in the light. Her smile is as warm and comforting in its own way. She's got a few grey streaks mixed in with her long brown wavy hair, but I never think of her as old she's no were near in my definition. When she looks at me, it's like she's seeing all the good things about me, none of the bad which makes me feel good. I've never heard her raise her voice or say an unkind word to anyone, not even me or Gabe and we all know he's really asking for that.
"Nikita who's your friend"? She asked looking over at Trinity who I was still leaning against. Thankfully the tears were already gone. "Oh I'm sorry for not introducing myself Mrs. Jackson I'm Trinity Anderson Nikita's friend from school". Trinity stood up and held out his hand to mom with a sweet smile.
She smiled in return and shook it. "Nikita why didn't you tell me you had such a nice friend"? Mom asked me in a slightly scolding warm tone. "Sorry guess it slipped my mind mom". I mumbled blushing slightly. "Ah never mind it's good to see you after all this time". She pulled me into a hug making me blush more, Trinity was smirking at me from behind her that idiot.
From the other room, Gabe yelled, "Hey, Sally—how about some bean dip, huh?" I gritted my teeth. Trinity got that mean look once again in the direction were Gabe was yelling from. Why did my mom put up with dýsosma skoupídia? If I were her I would have already kicked him to the curve with a foot in the face.
Mom deserved a billionaire, who was a sweetheart too. Gabe was far from that, not even a long shot. "I got a surprise for you, and your friend if he wants to go". My mom told me. This got me perked up. "We're going to the beach". My eyes widened in excitement. ""Montauk"? She nodded her head. "Three nights same cabin right after I get changed". Her answer almost had me bouncing in excitement.
I gave Trinity my feared puppy dog eyes. "Pwease pwease you have to go Trin". I begged. He sighed giving me a smile of defeat and nodded his. Squealing in excitement I got loose of mom's grasp pouncing on him in a hug. Rolling her eyes at my antics she left to get changed.
"What are we going to tell my mom"? I asked Trinity once he had me calmed down. He had a forlorn look at my eyes. "Were going to wait till after the trip, you and she deserve a vacation". He told me with a soft look. "But what if something happens while were there"? Worry laced my tone. "Nike as I said before don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you". Trinity scolded me.
Minutes later mom walked in looking refreshed in a sweat suit (Long drive) ready to go. Gabe appeared in the doorway and growled, "Bean dip, Sally? Didn't you hear me"? I wanted to punch him, but I met my mom's eyes and I understood she was offering me a deal: be nice to Gabe for a little while. Trinity to thankfully caught the message to, because he looked ready to pop a gasket.
"I was on my way, honey," she told Gabe. "We were just talking about the trip". Gabe's eyes got small and dingier than they usually were. "The trip? You mean you were serious about that"? "I knew it," I muttered. "He won't let us go". Glancing over I saw Trinity about to say something, but thankfully I caught him in time, elbowing him to shut it. "Of course he will," my mom said evenly with a look towards the tyrant meanie. "Your step father is just worried about money. That's all. Besides," she added, "Gabriel won't have to settle for bean dip. I'll make him enough seven-layer dip for the whole weekend. Guacamole. Sour cream. The works".
Grumbling he agreed to if the money came out of her clothes budget. By the time we were ready to go, the eye was twitching, and Trinity was ready to make him sing soprano. Gabe took a break from his poker game long enough to watch me with Trinity's help lug my mom's bags to the car. He kept griping and groaning about losing her cooking—and more important, his '78 Camaro—for the whole weekend. I could see Trinity's fist turning white as he tried to keep his temper down, as did I.
"Not a scratch on this car, brain girl," he warned me as I loaded the last bag. "Not one little scratch." Like I'd be the one driving retard I thought with a mental eye roll. I was twelve. But that didn't matter to Gabe. If a seagull so much as pooped on his paint job, he'd find a way to blame me. Maybe I should key her on purpose, see how he'd like it then.
Glancing him swaddle penguin style back toward the apartment building, Trinity got so mad he did something I couldn't explain. As Gabe reached the doorway, he made a hand gesture, a sort of warding-off-evil gesture, a clawed hand over his heart, then a shoving movement toward Gabe. The screen door slammed shut so hard it whacked him in the butt and sent him flying up the stair case as if he'd been shot from a cannon. A giggle escaped my lips, mom wasn't looking.
Trinity had a satisfied look at his accomplishment. Finally we got in the car and I told mom to step on it put on that lead foot. Looking out the back window I leaned against Trinity and let sleep take toll we still had a few hours till we would be there.
Done Please vote who should be with Nikita, and who should be taken from the past
-Ace of SpadesXD
