Thanks for my reviews you wonderful people! More, more, more, please! Just to let you know, I am still taking suggestions on pairings – AussieTaylor, I love your idea about that, I think I know what I with that, thanks! Im sorry, but there will be NO SLASH in this story whatsoever.
Plus, can someone please pretty please answer pretty much my main question that I have asked every chapter CAN YOU/WHEN DO YOU PICK YOUR SUBJECTS IN HIGH SCHOOL AND HOW DOES THAT WORK? Please?
The end of this chapter is getting into the drama a bit - promise there is angst to come, a little even in here. WARNING: this chapter has (and story will have) child abuse within it.
Anyway, Read. Enjoy. Review. Please?
Chapter Four #Home Sweet Home#
Ryan watched the table of girls that Catherine had joined warily. They all were becoming more confident, and he knew it was just a matter of time before they began putting people down. Bullying. It happened in every school.
"Hey, Nick..." Eric Delko walked up to their table. "I heard you didn't wanna sit with Jesse at recess. What was that about?"
Nick shrugged. "I was fine with my friends."
"Okay." Delko grinned as if he was humouring Nick. "Any time you wanna hang out..." He strode of, casting an almost disgusted look at Ryan as he went.
"Urgh!" Nick groaned. "I wish people would just leave me alone!"
"You have any idea how lucky you are that those guys haven't already picked you as a target?" Ryan countered.
"Because of my brother. I hate being judged because of my family. That's half the reason I was so happy to leave Texas."
After that, the conversation took a lighter turn, with even Sara taking an interest and being happy to exchange information. A few minutes before one, Grissom told each year group where to go after lunch. When the bell eventually did ring for lunch, none of them moved.
"Hey, should we just stay here again through lunch?" Morgan asked.
"Well, I have to go get food...anyone wanna join me?" Nick asked. Sara and Greg nodded and stood up, but the others had all brought stuff from home to eat, so they stayed.
Lindsay and Archie arrived at the door, with two more freshmen -a cute, happy-looking goth girl with pig tails called Abby, and a slightly plump kid called Tim, who claimed that everyone just called him McGee.
"Where's Greg?" Archie said cautiously.
"Cafeteria." Warrick replied. "He'll be back soon. How was it with McKeen?"
Archie groaned. "I'm gonna commit suicide by the end of the year just to get away from him!"
"I like our teacher." Lindsay said to Abby and McGee, who nodded, Abby a little more enthusiastically.
"Mr. Gibbs. He teaches general studies." She explained
"He's a bit scary though." McGee admitted.
"Intimidating." Abby corrected, frowning. "But not scary. Not like McKeen. He freaks me out."
"So we're you all from?" Morgan asked the four newcomers, and Warrick and Ryan leaned in with interest.
"I'm from Montana." Lindsay announced. "But I've been here for a month already. I live next door to Morgan."
"I'm from Maryland. My dad's in the army." McGee said.
Everyone looked at Abby. "New Orleans." She smiled a sunny smile that contrasted with the platform boots on her feet and the skulls on the bag slung over her left shoulder.
"Nice shoes." Greg grinned at her as he, Nick and Sara returned with trays of food.
"Thanks. You must be Greg."
"How do you...Archie. Figures."
"We were wondering if we could come sit with you." McGee said slightly nervously, eyeing Nick and, to Nick's great amusement, Warrick warily.
"Sure." Nick grinned. "Fine by me."
After introductions were made, the teens began chatting aimlessly.
"So, who's read Twilight?" Lindsay asked.
Abby was first to reply. "Uh! I have read so many better vampire romances than that. It's okay, but it's not amazing."
"I dunno, I like it." Morgan replied, picking at a Satsuma. "I think it's quite good."
Lindsay grinned sheepishly. "I hate it. I just finished Breaking Dawn – I hated every minute!"
"Then why did you read it?" Nick asked, confused.
"To get twenty dollars off Jamie, my brother. I'm the youngest and only girl out of six children." She explained.
"Youngest of seven. Not the only boy." Nick grinned. "I can kinda relate."
"I didn't really like Twilight either." Sara frowned. "Everyone seemed too perfect."
"Well I liked it." Greg shrugged. Everyone stared at him. "What? Girls read Harry Potter!"
"Now, those are good books." Morgan said appreciatively.
"I have to agree with you there." Sara nodded.
"Me too." Lindsay grinned.
"Okay, I do quite like it too." Nick grinned, looking at Warrick, you shrugged and nodded.
"S'okay."
"It's only like, only of the best series of books ever!" Abby protested.
"Okay, but Lord of the Rings has to be the best." Sara argued, and McGee nodded.
"Lord of the Rings is boring." Greg moaned. "OW!" he stared at the ball of paper bouncing of his chest. "Oh, you wanna play this game?"
Greg flung his empty water bottle at Sara, who ducked, and like any corny movie, it hit Warrick right in the face, knocking his glasses to the floor. Greg froze.
"Okay." Warrick bent down and picked up the bottle and his glasses. He glared at Greg, who bit his lip nervously. Suddenly a huge smile cracked out on Warrick's face. "This means war!"
Within seconds, balls of paper, empty water bottles and shoes were flying all over the room amidst a flurry of laughter and squeals. A couple of seniors passed the window and looked in with disgust etched in their pretty faces, but no one cared.
When the bell rang, they flopped back, exhausted from a full half hour of war.
"Oh, damn!" Sara cried as she spotted her shoe, perching on top of the whiteboard.
Warrick laughed as he pulled a ball of paper out of his hair. As people got themselves sorted, Sara tried to get her shoe down.
"Lemme give you a hand." Nick grinned, finding the whole situation rather hilarious.
"I can do it!" Sara insisted, standing on Grissom's wheelie chair. It promptly spun across and banged into the desk. As Sara toppled over the desk, Nick reached up and took the shoe. He passed it to the disgruntled girl. "To the gym?"
"To the gym."
As it turned out, the final period of the day was spent in with an assembly for each year group outlining the normal school day: home room, two lessons, recess, two lessons, lunch, homeroom again, then a final lesson, followed by something that was described to the students as 'mentoring' - a ten minute conversation that each student would attend roughly once a term in their homeroom. They were told that a schedule for that would be given at a later date. Then finally, the final bell rang and they began to tumble out of the gate.
The group who had spent lunch together lingered by the gate. Lindsay's brother Reuben was impatient to pick her up, so she waved and left. McGee had to go pick up his sister from a nearby middle school, which left Sara, Nick, Warrick, Morgan, Ryan, Greg and Abby.
"Hey, who wants to grab somethin' to eat?" Nick asked.
"I know a great smoothie place a couple of blocks away..." Warrick offered.
"Sounds good." Ryan reasoned, and the others nodded, with the exception of Sara, who was staring at her phone.
You have 1 new message
From: Mom.
Sara, ur dad lost his job 2day. He's not happy. Heads up, I'm sorry, baby.
She quickly texted back, and was dismayed at her mother's quick reply.
You'll be fine. Just be careful not to make him angrier. Love u.
Sara angrily ended the conversation. She was 15, and surely her dad wasn't drunk yet. She wouldn't be long...
"Sure. Why not?"
They spent a blissful hour in the smoothie parlour, but finally, everyone was leaving, and with a heavy heart, Sara began to walk home. It didn't take her long, but as she crept into the house, she was confronted with her obviously drunk father.
"Where the hell have you been?"
"Uh...school Daddy." She murmured.
"Don't you 'daddy' me! School ended over an hour ago!" James growled, and grabbed Sara's arm, wrenching off her school bag and throwing it down the hall. Sara whimpered as her dad threw her after it, shoving her on the floor in the kitchen, and reaching for a rolling pin.
"Daddy, no!" She cried, hoping that he would stop if she used the childish term. Not that it ever helped.
"I'm sorry you were born you little bitch!" He cried, striking her over and over. When he was finally done, he dragged the shaking teenager into her bedroom and locked the door from the outside after throwing her bag in with her. She curled up into a ball under the covers, cradling her aching arm, and sat in terrified silence until her brother came home at ten pm and opened the door.
"Sar." He sighed, plopping down on her bed.
"I...I wanted..."
Tyler stroked his sister's hair. "I'll grab you something to eat."
"Can't we tell someone?" She pleaded.
Her father loomed at the door. "Don't tell anyone. I love you, and I hit you because I love you. But if you tell anyone, I'll kill you. Understand?"
"Yes." Sara whispered, defeated.
"Good girl. Are you going to behave? You won't tell anyone, won't you?"
"No."
"No what?"
Feeling defeated, Sara whispered. "No, I won't tell anyone Daddy."
"Do you promise?"
"Yes Daddy. I promise."
"Good girl. Because, if you break your promise, I will have to kill you. Okay?"
"Okay." Sara curled herself up into a small ball as her father came and sat on her bed.
"Tyler, go get your sister some dinner."
The older teen obediently left the room. "So, honey. How was your first day?"
"Fine." she whispered.
"You make any friends? And speak a little louder, baby girl."
"Yes, I did."
"What are their names?" James sighed when his daughter hesitated. "Sara, I'm sorry. I know I'm not a great dad. I know. But, I'm really sorry. I'm sick, Sara. I can't help it. I'm sick. Please tell me about your friends."
Sara sniffled. As per usual, the anger at her dad was fading with the pain. Alcoholism was a sickness, she supposed. "Um. There's a...a few girls called Morgan, Lindsay and Abby. Some boys...Nick, Warrick, Greg, Ryan, Archie and McGee."
"That's a lot of boys." James' tone was almost threatening.
"Just friends, daddy. They're just friends. Just friends."
"Okay, honey. I'm sorry. Long sleeves, tomorrow, hey?"
She nodded sadly. "Okay."
Tyler came back in with a plate of ready made sausage and mash. "Here you go, kid."
"Thanks, Tyler." Her dad smiled. Tyler had always got on better with her father than she had. He often thought that she deserved it. But not all the time.
"Dad, they're employing security guards at the Tangiers. I'm sure you could get a job there." Had Sara mentioned that, she would have been beaten again. But her father just grinned gratefully.
"Thank you son."
"I'm off clubbing. See you later." Tyler called, already half way out the door. James planted a quick kiss on his daughter's forehead and left her alone in the room. "Goodnight, Sara. Have a nice sleep."
As he left the room, Sara took a small bite of one of her sausages. They tasted like dirt. She forced her dinner down her throat before crawling back into bed, and rocking herself to sleep.
CSIVCSIVCSIV
Greg, Ryan and Archie all left for Greg's house straight after the smoothie parlour to play on his new x-box, and Morgan called her mom for a lift, which left, Nick and Warrick walking home.
After five minutes of Nick looking confused, Warrick finally just asked.
"Hey, man. What's your address?"
Nick told him sheepishly, and Warrick grinned. "Then we've been going the wrong way. C'mon."
Warrick led an embarrassed Nick back through the complicated streets to a bus stop.
"Does one of your siblings drive? Spring Valley is quite a while away."
Nick nodded. "Cis- Dad said it would take about two hours to walk home. Mom didn't want to live in the middle of a big city, so we had to live in the outskirts."
"Ouch. This bus stop should cut over an hour off of your walk."
Nick sighed. "Thanks man, thanks."
Warrick paused."Okay, you wanna get off at the fourteenth stop, that should be the last stop on the route, but you should count anyway. Then, walk three blocks north, two blocks west, turn right..." he trailed off at the baffled look on the boy's face. "Hey, how bout I just show you? I gotta couple of hours spare, nothing better to do."
"Aw, you don't have to man, I guess I'll find it. I don't wanna be a problem." Nick sighed slightly hopefully.
Warrick half chuckled as the bus appeared. "It's no problem, man."
"You sure? Thanks man." Nick grinned in relief.
A bus came round the corner and Warrick frowned as he read the bus number. "Ah, man. This bus takes a longer route. We can take this one or wait another ten minutes for a shorter route. Your choice."
"Ah, that bus looks real full. I can wait."
The two boys sat down at the bus stop, and the bus drew up, opening it's doors. The bus driver leaned back and took a swig of a coffee mug as a couple of people left the bus.
When the bus driver began to put the coffee down, Warrick stood up.
"Get on the bus." he said lowly, eyeing a group of young African-American boys sauntering down the street.
"What? Why?" Nick stood up, confused.
"Just get on the bus." Warrick pushed Nick towards the doors, but they closed and the driver pulled away. "Crap! Asshole!"
"Warrick, what are you doing?" Nick frowned as the other boy pulled him back down onto the bus stop seat.
"Just, whatever happens, don't say anything, okay?" Warrick insisted, his eyes tense.
"I don't..."
"Just, sit down and shut up." Warrick said seriously.
Seriously confused, Nick obeyed Warrick. The boys sauntered up.
"Brown. What's up?" the boy at the front called, a slight grin on his face.
"Not much."
"Aw, nothin more to say to say? We missed you at school today. You musta been up to somethin over the summer vacation?"
"Not really." Warrick replied stiffly.
"Hey, what is your problem, dude? You're real touchy." When Warrick didn't respond, the other kid began to get irriatated. "You know how this works, Brown. We own this part of town."
"You mean your brothers do." Warrick couldn't help but add.
"Be smart, Brown. You don't wanna piss us off, man."
"I didn't mean any disrespect." Warrick said, but his tone was hard. Nick was surprised. There was a calm, strong edge to Warrick out in the rough part of Vegas, but he couldn't find it in high school?
"Sure you didn't. Who's the pretty white guy?" the teen pointed to Nick who opened his mouth, then glanced at Warrick, who tensed.
"Just a kid from school."
"He got a name?"
"None that you need to know."
"Oh, really? C'mon, pretty boy? What's your name?"
Nick glanced back to Warrick. "His name is Nick. Okay? Just leave us alone."
"You got a last name?" When Nick didn't respond, the boy laughed coldly. "Ah, I get it. You can't talk. That's why you'd hang around with this wanker."
"That's not-" Nick took a deep breath and then closed his mouth. To be honest, he was terrified of the situation. He was treading in unfamiliar waters and wondering if he was going to drown. They were severely outnumbered, and the other teens were huge, and from the looks of it, very experienced fighters.
"Just go away, Gene." Warrick said quietly.
"Why do you think you can tell me what to do?" Gene brushed up to Warrick, towering over him.
Nick slowly stood up, his heart beating fast, adrenalin flooding his veins. The other boys behind Gene began squaring up to the pair of them. Warrick looked at Nick and sighed.
"I don't want any trouble. I just wanna be left alone." Warrick said softly.
"Well maybe I don't wanna leave you alone. Your little white friend don't seem to have much knowledge of what goes on in this town. He has an accent. He's a newbie. And he ain't takin when I tell him to, which means he don't know much about how things work here. So how about me and the boys teach him a little lesson?"
"No." Warrick growled as Nick's heart beat faster.
"Aw, c'mon. You learnt the same one just a little while ago. How long did that arm take to heal?"
Warrick took a deep breath, beginning to get worried. His arm had been a broken in three places. This was very. very bad. Talking tough only held of Gene Jaycobs and his gang for so long.
"We don't want any problems." Nick said quietly. "Please just leave us alone."
"I'm getting sick of this crap, pretty boy! Don't. Tell. Me. What. To. DO!"
Gene swung his fist at Nick, who instinctivly ducked. A long honking noise startled him as a different fist connected with his nose. Blood spurt all over his white school shirt as something yanked him backwards onto his ass on a cold floor.
"Honestly, Warrick. You keep getting in trouble with those kids, one day I won't be there to scrape your ass off the pavement." the bus driver said. Nick blinked and scrambled to his feet. Warrick had dragged him onto the bus.
"Sorry." Warrick smiled sheepishly.
The bus driver looked at Nick. "Old Kev took a good swing at you there, son. You okay?"
Nick nodded, embarrassed. "Yep. Thanks."
"No problem, kid. Where you headed?"
"Spring Valley." Warrick replied.
"Oh, that's a long way. Get to the back, will ya?" Jay the bus driver grinned.
"You sure?"
"Anyone asks, you're my kid." the driver laughed, and Warrick led Nick to the back of the bus.
"Jay is my grandma's friend. Been looking out for me since I was a kid. That was lucky." Warrick explained.
"Jesus! Who the hell was that?" Nick asked, holding his painful nose to try and stop the bleeding.
"Gene Jaycobs." Warrick replied. "Used to go to school with him. Here." He passed Nick a tissue from an unopened packet. "My grandma likes me to be prepared."
"Thanks." Nick chuckled. "Man, my mama is gonna freak! Not only did I get hurt, but I got my clothes dirty. Jesus."
Warrick laughed. "I'm sorry 'bout that."
"'bout what? They were self righteous assholes. You just told me not to cross them, I didn't listen and got my butt kicked. Well, my nose. But between you and me, we could have had their asses."
Warrick snorted at the large grin still on Nick's face. "Hell yeah. When we got our superpowers, right?"
"Sure. I dibs flying, what d'you want?"
"Laser vision."
The two teens laughed as they came up with more and more different ways to humiliate Gene Jaycobs and his gang.
Finally, Jay called out the final stop and Warrick led Nick off the bus.
"Wow, not even six o'clock. Feels like this day has gone on forever." Nick sighed as Warrick showed him the way home. "How'd you know your way around Spring Valley and Vegas, man, that's a little...weird."
"An old family friend lives two blocks away." Warrick smiled. "I do know Vegas, but not that well."
They reached Nick's house at six o'clock sharp.
"You wanna come in for a bit?"
"Sure, if that's okay with you and your parents. My grandma's at a friends, she won't be home til seven. I'm good for another couple of hours if you're sure it's okay."
Nick grinned the ever present grin as he led Warrick into his large house.
"Mama! I'm home! I brought a friend!" he shouted loudly.
His mother walked around the door and put her hands on her hips. "Nicky! What the hell happened to you?"
"I...urgh..." Nick sighed. "Well, I went to the smoothie parlour with some friends, and then I was getting lost on the way home because Ethan is at tryouts and MJ is at Calleigh's. So Warrick - this is Warrick Brown by the way - was helping me get home. Then we were at the bus stop and these tough guys came up and started getting in Warrick's face."
When Nick's mother looked at him in confusion, Warrick elaborated. "Some gangsters little brothers."
"So they started making threats and stuff. An' then the guy punched me and the bus rolled up and Warrick pulled me onto the bus and he knew the driver who let us ride free."
"What? Oh, Nicky." she sighed and shook her head. "Go get changed. Warrick, is it? You wanna come get a drink?"
"I'll be two seconds," Nick promised, and bounded up to his room.
Amazed at the friend who seemed there to stay, Warrick followed Jillian Stokes into her kitchen.
Nick came back down as his mother poured Warrick a glass of lemonade.
"Can I have one, mom?" Nick asked. She raised her eyebrows and he rolled his eyes. "Please?"
She shook her head, smiling. "Maybe later. If I know you, you're still pumped up on adrenalin, and you don't need any sugar."
"Mama," Nick whined, but she held up a hand. Nick rolled his eyes at Warrick.
"You wanna lemonade, Nick? Go pick your bag off up from the middle of the floor, put your shoes on the shelf, not next to it, hang up your jacket, and for the love of god, make your bed."
"What?" Nick complained. "Can't I do that when Warrick goes home?"
"Fine, fine..." Jillian laughed.
"Is Cisco home yet?" Nick asked, snatching up an apple, and holding it up to Warrick, who shook his head.
"He should be about five minutes."
"Okay. Thanks mom. Wanna go outside, Warrick?"
"Sure." Warrick agreed as they went out the back door. "Is Cisco your dad?"
Nick reddened. "Uh...Yeah. I've called him that for as long as I can remember. He calls me Pancho."
Warrick nodded. "Cool."
"Not really. You know, I never tell people that. I guess it's a little embarrassing..."
"I think it's cool." Warrick defended.
"I can't believe we only met this morning. Feels like ages ago. How long are the days here, man? I mean, it's like we still have ages until the day's done."
Warrick laughed. "Welcome to Vegas."