Chapter 12

After a stop at her empty dorm to gather some books, Nicolette spent the rest of the day in the library studying. She didn't go down for lunch, though she never felt hungry. She tried to bury herself in school work but ended up spending most of her time staring at the book and thinking about her conversation with Oliver.

"Nicolette."

Nicolette looked up to find that Brandon was standing next to her.

"Hey," she said.

"Can I sit with you?"

"Yeah," she sat back in her chair to look at him.

"Okay, so Oliver won't tell me what's going on, will you?"

Nicolette looked down at her hands before responding quietly.

"I…" she started before looking up with tears in her eyes. "I'm… I'm pregnant."

"Oh Merlin," Brandon said as he pulled her into a hug. Nicolette let the tears fall as Brandon held her close. "It's going to be okay, love."

"No it won't."

"Yeah it will. Babe," he said. "I know this is over whelming right now, but you and Oliver will get through this."

"There's not a me and Oliver."

"Not yet," he said rubbing her back. "But there will be."

"Brandon," she said as she pulled away from him so she could see his face. "What am I going to do? I don't want to be a single mother, I'm not even sure I can be."

Brandon looked around to make sure that they were alone.

"You won't be alone," he told her taking her hands in his. "Anne, Becca, and I will be there for you to help you. And I know that once your parents get over being upset with you, they will help you."

"Thanks," she said.

"Where is Anne?"

"I don't know and I'm not sure that I really want to see her right now."

"Why?"

"She told Oliver something I didn't want him to know about."

"Oh," he said. "You mean she told him that you love him."

"BRANDON," she said. "I don't love… okay I love him, but no. She told him about the meeting I'm supposed to be at with Dumbledore on Monday."

"Why didn't you want him to know?"

"Because he said some things that were really insulting to me and I…," she trailed off trying to decide what she felt.

"You what?"

She thought a moment before replying.

"I didn't want my child to know that its father thinks I'm a slut."

"WHAT?"

"It doesn't matter anymore. He apologized, said that he was in shock and didn't mean it."

"Doesn't matter," Brandon said. "I'll kill him anyway."

"Don't Brandon. He's said he was sorry and I can understand the shock."

"Okay," he said. "I won't kill him, but only because if I do then your child will only have one parent."

"Thanks," she said with a smile. "Brandon?"

He looked up at her.

"I love you, you know that right? I always wanted a brother and I'm so glad I found you."

"I love you too," he said. "Nic, why didn't you eat lunch?"

"I forgot."

"You can't do that anymore," he said standing up pulling her with him. "You have someone else to think about. Dinner starts soon, let's put your books away and go eat."

"Okay," they gathered her things and left the library. Brandon put his arm around Nicolette as they walked down the hall together.

When they went through the portrait hole they found the common room crowded with people.

"What's going on," Nicolette asked.

"They have posted the date of the first Hogsmead weekend," Harry Potter told her. "It's on Halloween."

"Oh," she said before turning back to Brandon. "I'm going to run up to my dorm, I'll be right back."

"Okay," he said. "I'll be right here."

Nicolette went up the stairs to the girl's dorm and opened the door to her room. Anne and Rebecca were sitting on Anne's bed talking. Nicolette looked up at Anne before walking to her bed and dropping her bag on the bed and turning to leave.

"Nic," Anne said. "Where have you been?"

Nicolette turned back around to look at Anne.

"I was trying to decide who my real friends were," she said. "See I told a friend of mine something in confidence and well she told the ONE person I didn't want to know. Not so sure that makes her a friend."

"Nic," Anne said. "He had a right to know."

"Yes," Nicolette said. "But it was my decision whether or not to tell him, NOT YOURS."

"Fine," Anne said.

"Fine," Nicolette turned on her heels and went out the door and down to the common room to find Brandon.

"WELLS," she yelled. "Let's go."

Brandon stood from where he was sitting talking to the Weasley twins and hurried over to her.

"What happened?"

"Anne," she said as she led them out of the common room. "I wish she would mind her own business."

"Nic," Brandon said putting his arm around her. "She just cares about you."

"No," she said. "Anne doesn't care about me. I'm not sure who she cares about, but you don't go telling the secrets of the people you care about."

"Nicolette," he said trying to get her to slow down. "You can't stay mad at her, she only did what she thought was right."

Nicolette stopped in her tracks.

"How do you know what she did?"

"Well," he said. "She told me."

"She told you what exactly?"

Brandon was quiet while he thought about his answer.

"Brandon!"

"She told me everything."

"OH MY GOD!" Nicolette was having a hard time believing what she was hearing. "The whole damn school knows don't they, she told everyone. What happened to my best friend, who I could tell my secrets too? And you, you let me tell you everything and you acted like you didn't know."

"I'm sorry," he said. "I thought that maybe you could use the talking, and she only told me everything because she was worried about you."

"He's right."

Nicolette turned and found Anne and Rebecca walking up to where she was standing with Brandon.

"Look Nic," Anne started. "I know that I shouldn't have told Oliver what I did, and I know that I shouldn't have told Brandon what I did. But I was scared for you, and I know that Oliver is the only one of us who understands exactly what you are going through and whether you like it or not, he is the only one who can help you. We can be here for you and support you, but ultimately, it's you and Oliver who are doing this. And I was running out of ideas on how to handle everything, so I went to Brandon."

"Hey."

All four in the hall turned and found Oliver standing just down the hall from them.

Nicolette closed her eyes and dropped her head to her chest.

"Sorry Nicolette," Oliver said. "I thought that you would be in the great hall already."

"Let's pretend I am," she said as she opened her eyes and left the other four standing there looking at each other.

Nicolette went down to the great hall and sat down at the end of the table, far from the door to the hall. There were very few people there so she was sitting by herself. As she began to fill her plate someone sat down at the table in front of her. Looking up she found Rebecca's face. Rebecca looked ready to cry.

"I'm sorry," Rebecca told her. "I didn't know that she told Brandon, when she told me she needed to talk to him I never thought that she would tell him. I should have stopped her."

"No," Nicolette said. "It's not your fault she can't keep a secret. But I really don't want to talk about this. I just want to sit here and eat."

"Oh," Rebecca said dejectedly. "I'll go then," she stood up and went to where James was sitting with Sean and Suzanne.

Nicolette turned back to her food. She didn't understand. Anne promised not to tell anyone, and then Brandon let her believe that he didn't know. She wasn't sure she would trust either of them again.

Nicolette left the great hall after she finished her meal and went up to her dorm. As she walked through the common room she felt Oliver's eyes on her. Nicolette sat alone in her dorm for an hour before anyone else came in.

When Suzanne walked into the room and saw Nicolette sitting there she turned to her bed with her back to Nicolette. Suzanne didn't know about anything that was going on, those who knew were keeping tight lipped.

"Well," Suzanne said. "You stayed up here all night last night; do you plan to do the same tonight?"

"Not that it is any of your business, but yes."

"Too bad, Oliver and I are going for a ride," she said sweetly. "On his broom, if you know what I mean."

Nicolette could not believe this, she didn't know if Suzanne was being honest but either way she didn't want to hear about it.

"That's great Suzanne, maybe your ride will be better than mine," she said before closing her curtains and lying down on her bed.

She knew that she should not have made that comment but Suzanne was a bitch. She tried to go to sleep so her mind didn't dwell on her problems.

Suddenly the door to her dorm was thrown open.

"NICOLETTE DANIELLE DELONCRE!"

Nicolette sat up wondering why Anne was yelling at her. Her curtains were forcefully pulled open.

"What the HELL is your problem?"

"I thought you understood," Nicolette said with confusion. "You aren't a very good friend."

"Not with me," Anne said seething with anger at her. "You told Suzanne that 'your ride' wasn't very good? Why would you even say anything like that?"

"Because the bitch was bragging about going to ride Oliver's 'broom' and I didn't want to hear about it."

"She was baiting you, and now the whole house knows that you and Oliver had sex, and she told everyone that you said he was less than adequate. How could you do that to him? I thought-"

"STOP," Rebecca said from the door. "Anne, no one believes anything that comes out of Suzanne's mouth and you know that. Nic, the comment was out of line. You two need to stop. Nicolette and Oliver need to deal with this Anne, you don't need to make decisions for either of them. You two are supposed to be my best friends but right now, Suzanne is being a better friend." Rebecca came and stood next to Anne by Nicolette's bed. "Anne, Nic is going to need us and you can't keep going behind her back and making decisions for her."

Anne looked at Rebecca not sure if she was ashamed of herself or upset with Rebecca's reprimand.

"I love you Anne," Rebecca whispered. "I'm not trying to hurt you but, you can't keep hurting Nic either."

Anne knew Rebecca was right.

"Nic," she said turning to her friend. "I'm sorry. I know I didn't have the right, but I'm scared and I know that there's not a whole lot I can do. I wanted to find someone who could help."

Nicolette tried to think how she would feel if the positions were reversed.

"I think I understand why, you told Oliver and Brandon. But I don't know if I can…accept it. You are supposed to be my best friend, I told you when I was scared and I guess I think you should have come to me, not them."

Anne knew that she had pushed the boundaries of their friendship. She couldn't help but let a tear slide down her cheek.

"I'm sorry."

"Right now Anne," Nicolette said. "That's not enough. I need to be by myself. Rebecca, are you going back downstairs?"

Rebecca nodded.

"Will you tell Oliver I'm sorry about my comment," Nicolette told her. "I was angry with Suzanne not him."

"Yeah."

"Thanks," Nicolette said before reaching and closing her curtains again.

"Come on Anne," she heard Rebecca say. "Just give her sometime. She's got a lot going on right now."

Nicolette listened as her two friends left her alone in the dorm. She lay back down and closed her eyes tried of all the stress that had come about in her life.

I had a break through last night and thought I would give you guys an extra chapter in celebration.

Make me smile and review!