Hi! It's the one, the only, the fabulous, NICKOLE LAUREN GREENE! That's right. BOW at my feet! Okay, you don't have to...oh, and if you haven't yet, pretty pretty please read my fic Horrible Craziness? It's pretty funny, if I do say do myself, and I'm gonna update it when I get home from the Laundromat I'm going to later.
QOTD: "On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness."-Book title
Enjoy!
Nikki stumbled sleepily out into the bright sunshine of a Metro City morning. The sun beat down on her curly blond hair and she squinted her blue eyes so she could see. She had come outside at about eight in the morning to get a newspaper from the man that sold them just beside the apartment building she and her sisters lived in. She handed the man fifty cents and grabbed Metro City Morning News and she heard someone from behind her say, "Nikki?"
Nikki sighed as she recognized the voice and slowly turned, saying, "Hey, Billy." She was happy to see him, of course, but she would have preferred he hadn't caught her while in a pair of baggy gray sweatpants that were covered in beige paint splatters and a too-large gray shirt. He smiled slightly and raised his eyebrows at her outfit.
"Well, don't we look comfy?" Nikki blushed against her will and shuffled her fuzzy pink slipper-clad feet.
"I just woke up and didn't feel like getting dressed..." Billy laughed and gently tucked a stray curl off her face and behind her ear.
"To be fully honest, I think you look adorable." She blushed again and he leaned down to kiss her. The newspaper fell from Nikki's hand and hit the ground as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She felt his arms slide around her waist and pull her closer as the kiss deepened.
Nikki pulled back and said, "Would you like to come inside?" He nodded, so she grabbed the newspaper from the ground, took his hand, and they walked into the building, talking about anything that popped into their minds. They were both so happy that neither one noticed the blue alien standing about twenty feet away, his bright green eyes narrowed angrily and his arms crossed, the blue lips on his face pulled down into a frown.
"Shh," Nikki whispered as they walked into her apartment. "I don't think my sisters are awake yet..." He nodded and they walked inside quietly. Once inside with the door shut, he wrapped his arms back around Nikki's waist. She smiled up at him and he returned the smile before resuming kissing her. She responded instantly by wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him closer. The kiss deepened, but Nikki's eyes flew open when the door to the living room opened.
"Nikki?" The voice belonged to her twin sister, Emma. She quickly pushed away from Billy and said, "Hey, Em..." Nikki tossed the newspaper at her twin. "Got the paper..." Emma opened the paper, assuming the man Nikki had been making out with was Billy. "Sorry," Nikki mumbled to Billy. "That's my twin, Emma."
Billy looked to Emma, who was reading the paper, and then back to Nikki. "You think she's the pretty twin?" Nikki blushed and gave him a mumbled 'thanks' as Emma said, "Oh, God, Nik...you gotta read this..."
Nikki took the paper from Emma and read the headline she was indicating. "'Megamind Gives Pubic Announcement.'" Nikki's eyes widened. "Pubic?"
"What? No! It says 'public' and...wait...would that means he gives the announcement from his..."
Nikki snorted. "Nah, he doesn't have one."
"And how would you know?" Billy asked jokingly. Nikki's eyes widened once more.
"N-no! I-I didn't mean it that way! N-no, I've never done...no..." Billy laughed at her stuttering. Nikki blushed once more and began to read the newspaper article out loud.
"Megamind, the town's hero, has made an announcement that he has sworn to kill Dr. Horrible, Metro City's new threat. Our hero says, 'If it puts my town in jep-ar-dee, I will do whatever I can to stop it. Nothing will hurt Metrocity while I'm here.' We once again remind you to be wary of Dr. Horrible. He is dangerous and will surely kill you if given the chance. City officials say he was seen harassing Megamind's girlfriend, Nicole-" Nikki paused. "They misspelled my name...they always misspell my name..." She shook her head and continued. "...Nicole Greene. 'I'm just happy Nikki's okay,' says Megamind. 'But even though he didn't hurt her, I will still stop at nothing until this villain is put to rest.' Some people are reporting..."
Nikki's voice trailed off and came to a stop. She looked at Billy, her eyes wide with fear. "Y-you've got to leave town..."
Billy blinked. "Why would I have to leave?"
"Because he'll hurt you!" Nikki declared, feeling scared again. What is with me? I'm never scared!
"I'm not going anywhere you're not," Billy said, making Nikki blush.
"Well," Emma said, not seeming to notice Nikki's blush. "Our rent is due today, so why not just pay it and leave?"
"Well, where would we go?" Nikki asked, looking down to hide her blush.
"We could go to LA where I used to live," Billy suggested, surprising Nikki. He saw her expression and quickly said, "I-I don't mean, like,live with me or anything. I just mean, like, ya know, live there."
Nikki smiled at his fumbling. "I think that's a brilliant idea."
"You okay, Nik?" Billy asked Nikki a few days later. Nikki nodded shakily.
"Y-yeah, yeah I'm okay..." Truth is, she was nervous. Moving had always gotten to her, so she was a little jumpy. With difficulty, she slammed the trunk of the car she, Emma, Amethyst, and Genesis had gotten about a month ago. That was everything. She looked back up at the apartment building with a feeling of nostalgia.
"Sight-seeing, Nikki?" Genesis asked sarcastically. Nikki elbowed her and turned to where Emma was putting things into the passenger's seat.
"Hey, Em?" Emma looked up. "I'm gonna go look around one last time..." Emma smiled sympathetically and nodded. Nikki smiled weakly back and walked into the building. The elevator ride to the sixth floor was slow, but it gave her time to think.
The elevator dinged and Nikki stepped out onto the familiar floor. Then she walked to the door to room six-hundred and four, which the door was open to, for some reason. She walked in and was shocked to see Megamind standing inside, looking around at the empty apartment.
"Megs?" He turned.
"Nikki! Hey, I didn't see you." He took another glance around the room. "Y-you moving?" Nikki nodded, still a bit surprised.
"Yeah, yeah, we are."
"Oh...w-where to?"
"Los Angeles," Nikki replied, her heart breaking a bit at the sad expression on his face.
"Oh..." He sighed. "New boyfriend?" Nikki looked up, shocked at him knowing that.
"Uh...y-yeah..." How does he know that? she thought. Is he stalking me now! She cleared her throat. "H-how did you...?"
"I saw you guys, uh...enjoying each other's company the other day." Nikki blushed deeply as she realized he meant he had seen Billy and her kissing.
"Well...I-I guess I'd better go..." She crossed the room swiftly to where he was standing and softly placed a kiss on his cheek. With tears stinging her eyes, she walked from the room, leaving Megamind there alone.
"Okay, what's wrong?" Billy asked Nikki after about twenty minutes of driving in silence. Nikki had gone with Billy in his car while Emma, Genesis, and Amethyst had gone in the other.
"N-nothing..." Nikki sniffled. She had been sniffling ever since they got into the car.
"Nikki, even though I've only known you for a few days, I still know when you're upset. So what's wrong?" Nikki sighed.
"Well...even though I-I know I d-don't love Megamind anymore...I-I'm still gonna m-miss him..." Nikki felt hot tears rolling down her face.
"Oh, Nikki," Billy softly said. Nikki leaned her head on his shoulder and released a shuddering sigh. Since he was driving, Billy couldn't comfort her as much as he wished he could, so he just removed one hand from the steering wheel and put his arm around her shoulders.
About an hour later, the country station Nikki had turned on was playing a love song by Rascal Flatts. "Oh, I love this song," she said softly. She had been humming along with the song for a few seconds before she realized there was another voice singing with the trio coming through the speakers. She looked at Billy and smiled slightly when she saw it was him quietly singing.
"That every long lost dream, led me to where you are. Others who broke my heart, they were like northern stars. Pointing me on my way, into your loving arms. This much I know is true...that God bless the broken road, that led me straight to you."
Nikki leaned back on his shoulder and listened to him sing. Bless the Broken Road was her favorite song, and she fell asleep, imagining he was directing the sweet poetic words to her.
Nikki woke up about two hours later to the sound of her phone ringing from her pocket. "H-hello?" she asked sleepily.
"Hey, Nik," Emma's voice said. "Tell Billy to stop at the Shell gas station just up the road, okay?"
"Mmkay," Nikki replied sleepily. She shut her phone and gave the instructions to Billy, who nodded and did as was told. Emma's car was already there. Billy started getting gas as Nikki went inside. She saw Emma at the checkout counter and waved happily. Then she went to the drink fridge and got the Dr. Pepper Billy had asked her to get him. She was trying to decide what drink to get for herself when she noticed a ragged looking man staring at her. She glanced at him once before selecting a cream soda. She walked to the chip isle and the man, who she assumed was a hobo, followed her. Nikki walked. The hobo walked. Nikki sped up. The hobo sped up. Nikki stopped. The hobo stopped.
After she had payed for her things, she speed walked outside, the hobo going the same pace. She jumped into Billy's car and said, "Drive! A hobo is stalking me!" Billy looked at her like she was crazy for a minute and she defensively mumbled, "Look..." She weakly pointed out the window, where the hobo was standing about twenty feet away. Billy looked from the man and back to Nikki one time before laughing. "Oh, shut up..." Nikki mumbled, going red and sinking down in her seat.
"I say we stop for the night," Nikki yawned. It was about eight-thirty pm, and since they had to wake up early, they were all purely exhausted.
"I second that," Billy said, repressing a yawn. Nikki called Emma and told her to stop at the hotel that was just about a mile away. Emma agreed.
Once they got to the hotel, Nikki grabbed a bag with her pajamas, a change of clothes, and her toiletries. Billy did the same and they waited until Emma, Genesis, and Amethyst got there. Once they had, they all went inside and checked in.
Up on the seventh floor, they got into the two rooms that were conjoined by a door. There were two beds in one of the rooms and one in the other. Emma and Nikki were going to share one bed, Genesis and Amethyst were going to share the other, and Billy got the other room to himself. They all changed, brushed their teeth, and went to bed.
Nikki was woken up suddenly at around two am by being shoved off the bed, landing on the floor. She looked up onto the bed at her twin's still sleeping form. Emma was sprawled across the bed, obviously quite content. Well, thanks, Nikki thought sarcastically. There was no more room in Genesis and Amethyst's bed, and she certainly wasn't going to get back into the bed with Emma. So, greatly embarrassed, Nikki got up, went to the other room, and cautiously laid down beside Billy.
Billy woke up and looked down at Nikki. "Nikki?" he asked drowsily. "What are you doing here?"
"Emma shoved me off the bed," Nikki replied in a small voice. Billy looked down at her for a moment before sighing and wrapping his arms around her. Nikki scooted back so she was cuddled up against his warm chest. After a few moments of lying there in silence, Nikki fell asleep, still wrapped in Billy's arms.
Emma woke up the next morning and her first thought was wondering where Nikki was. She looked over to Genesis and Amethyst's bed, but she wasn't there. She checked the bathroom, but she wasn't there either. Maybe Billy knows where she is, she thought. She walked into Billy's room and her jaw at the sight that greeted her.
Nikki was fast asleep, snuggled up against Billy with his arms holding her close. Did they...? No, no they couldn't have...Nikki doesn't believe in doing that before marriage...does she? Nikki suddenly sat up in bed and yelled, "MEGAN'S A DUMBASS!" Emma quickly hurried from the room and Billy woke up too, surprised by Nikki's yell.
"Who's Megan?" he asked sleepily. Nikki looked up for a second, trying to think if she knew a Megan.
"I dunno," she eventually said. Billy laughed. Nikki suddenly blushed and said, "And, uh...sorry for coming in here..."
Billy shrugged. "I didn't mind...actually, it was kind of nice...except for the fact that you snore like a pig." Nikki blushed again.
"I know I do...sorry..." Billy laughed again and Nikki crawled over him to get to the other side of the bed, where she got off the bed and ran to the window. "Do we have to drive all day today?" she whined. Billy blinked.
"What else would we do?" Nikki ran to the window, were the curtains were drawn.
"Sight-see! We're in Missouri! Missouri is beautiful during the fall! And there's so much to see!" She threw open the curtains dramatically. What was out the window caused Billy to howl with laughter.
Just outside the window was a brick wall, obviously a wall of a building. Nikki looked out the window, she got a funny expression on her face and she slowly looked back at Billy, who was still laughing. "Uh...uh..." Nikki quickly shut the curtains. "Or we could just drive all day..." Billy laughed harder and Nikki went red.
"Th...that was..." He laughed some more. When he had finally calmed down enough to speak, he looked up and said, "That was the funniest thing ever." Nikki sat down next to him, the funny expression still on her blushing face. Billy hugged her and said, "That was amazing, Nik."
Nikki shrugged in false modesty. "Yeah, I'm talented..." He laughed again and lightly kissed her cheek.
Nikki pulled a green shirt over her head and examined the effect it had on her slim body. When she had finally decided she liked it, she pulled on a pair of dark jeans to go with it. Now my hair... She grabbed a hairbrush and ran it through her curly hair. When done, she considered attempting to straighten it, but left it down in the end.
Well, Nikki, you've managed to make yourself look decent, she thought with a smile. Then she walked from the bathroom to be immediately yanked to the left by Emma, who said in a taunting voice, "What did you two do last night?" She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.
Nikki smacked Emma's arm. "Emma-Lee Greene! Are you implying that you think I slept with him?" Emma raised her eyebrows, indicating Nikki was right. "No! Em, I wouldn't do that! I went to his room because someone kicked me off the bed at two in the morning!" She glared at Emma.
"So...you guys didn't do anything?"
"No!" Nikki said, stressing the word to it's best extent.
"Oh...I thought you guys would have been-"
"NOT LISTENING!" Nikki yelled, covering up her ears with her hands. "I can't heeeeeeear you!" Then she started singing the first song that came to her head. "What kind of word tells about a verb? Adverbs! Adverbs! When, where, how! What kind of word tells about a verb now? Adverbs! Adverbs! When, where how!"
Emma looked at her with an amused expression on her face , but she walked away anyways. Nikki took her hands from her ears and rolled her eyes.
"Why were you singing a song about adverbs?" Billy asked Nikki as he walked into the girls' room. Nikki shrugged.
"I didn't wanna listen to Emma..." Billy looked at her funnily for a second before shaking his head and wrapping his arms around her waist and pressing his lips to hers in a sweet kiss. At that exact moment, Genesis woke up, saw them, and yelled, "Nasty!"
"LA city limits!" Nikki said happily to her cell phone. She was recording on it, and she turned the small phone to the LA sign.
"Enjoying yourself, Nikki?" Billy asked her, shooting her an amused look. Nikki quickly directed the phone to him.
"Say it to the camera!" Billy rolled his eyes briefly at the phone before turning his attention back onto the road.
"Now, Billy," Nikki said in a disapproving voice. "What if someone finds these videos and we get famous for then and you're just being a total jackwagon the whole time!"
"I can live with that," he replied. Nikki rolled her eyes and turned the camera back to herself.
"Don't mind him. He's just a meanie-butt." She turned the camera back to him. "A big, fat, meanie-butt!"
"That really hurt my feelings, Nik," Billy said sarcastically. "I don't know if I'll ever get over that." Nikki laughed, leaned over, and kissed his cheek once.
"Better?" she asked, smiling.
"Maybe," he replied, returning her smile. Nikki quickly turned the camera to him and said, "That's the smile I wanted out of you!" Billy laughed.
"Turn your camera off, Nik," he advised her. Nikki stuck her tongue out at him and shut the phone.
"Happy, Mr. Grumpy-Face?"
"How did you know that was my last name?" Nikki started laughing.
"Nikki!" Billy said suddenly. She looked at him, startled. "Look!" Nikki looked out the window, but just saw normal things.
"What?"
"It's the first McDonald's we've passed while in LA. Don't you wanna get it on camera?" Nikki thwacked his arm.
"Hardee-har-har," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Real funny." Billy shrugged.
"I try."
"I guess we'll stay here until we find a place to live," Nikki said, walking into a the hotel room. It had two beds. Of course, she thought. I gotta share a bed with Emma once again!
"Okay," Emma yawned. She stumbled sleepily to the bed and collapsed onto it, fast asleep and sprawled across the covers. Nikki blinked once as Genesis, Amethyst, and Billy came into the room as well. Genesis and Amethyst copied Emma's motions on the other bed, but they didn't flop across the blankets.
"No, no," Nikki yawned. "Don't bother yourselves with my sleeping issues. Oh, no, I'm just f-f-f-fine." She yawned again on the last word. "I'll sleep on the floor. No, no! Don't worry yourselves. I'll be fine with the dust-bunnies and cockroaches."
"Mmkay," Amethyst mumbled sleepily. She fell back into a slumber and Nikki rolled her eyes.
"Thanks for your care, Amethyst." Billy wanted very badly to take Nikki back home so she'd have a bed to sleep in, but he knew that it would be a bad way to kick off living in a new town. Going home at night with a villain would surely make people talk. So, he leaned down and kissed her, promising to see her first thing in the morning.
Nikki smiled tiredly at Billy before standing on her tiptoes to kiss him once more before he left. The kiss left her slightly dazed, as kissing Billy always did. Smiling stupidly, she curled up as small as she could on the bed Emma was passed out on and fell asleep.