Chapter Four
(Jon's POV)
I couldn't get over the fact that I found my sister. I didn't even recognize her when I saw her. The Nikki I used to know, and the Nikki I see now were two different people in my book. Maybe that was just wishful thinking on my part, that maybe one day I would stumble upon the little girl I once knew as my baby sister. I knew what the streets did to me, it fucks with your head, and changes you. You become a different person, animal like almost, that wasn't something I wanted for Nikki. I couldn't take her with me when I was eighteen. I was too young, and naïve about the world. I didn't have a job, just a dream, and I had no idea how I would get there. I didn't have a place to stay, I had no money. Despite everything that wasn't going my way back then, I promised myself I would have my life together enough to get my little sister out of that hell hole of a house. True to my word, I had a job working wrestling gigs, and I had an apartment, sure the apartment wasn't exactly in a good part of town, but it was the cheapest at the time, and all I could really afford, two bedrooms, and two bathrooms, it was enough room for Nikki and I to live comfortably for now.
I will never forget going back to that house. It was Nikki's eighteenth birthday, and just as I promised, I went back for my sister. It took me a week of being nervousness, and sleepless nights to put a plan together.
(Jon's POV Rewind to Nikki's 18th Birthday)
It was April 29, and I couldn't be more nervous, or excited. I was going to bring my sister home today, I was going to get her out of the hell she had been living in since I left. I had everything ready for her. I knew that if I just walked up to the front door I would either earn myself a beating, or get the door slammed in my face. It was a good thing they lived in a trailer, I was able to see perfectly into the dirty old windows. Hoping that Nikki was still in her room, I tapped on her window, waiting for an answer. I tapped again, nothing, "Nikki…"I called to her softly, I didn't want to cause attention to myself. Suddenly I heard the trailer door open, "Who the fuck is pounding out there?" Came a familiar voice. My mothers drunk ass stumbled out of the trailer, it wasn't even nine in the morning, and she was drunk, somethings never change I guess. "Jon… Is that you? What are you doing here?" She asked, leaning against the dirty old, beat up trailer. "Where is Nikki?" I asked. "Now why would I knew where she is?" She spat, lighting up a cigarette. "What?" I asked. "That dumb ass sister of yours left a few years ago, and I haven't seen, or heard from her since." She said, as she breathed in her cigarette, the smoke also filling Jon's lungs. "You better get out of here before Harper wakes up." Mother warned. Jon couldn't do anything except swallow the lump in his throat, and walk away from the home he once called his.
Not a day had passed by since then I didn't think about Nikki, and how she was doing. Where my sister was, if she was safe, was eating and drinking, or even the worst of all, was she doing drugs? So many thoughts filled my mind, knowing the former road I turned down, and what I had to go through to turn my life around, and that wasn't something I wanted for my sister. I couldn't help but wonder how she was doing in that moment, so I picked up the phone, and called the hotel I left her in, hoping she would still be there. The phone rang, and rang. With each ring my stomach dropped, and I couldn't help but feel that she left me again. There wasn't much I could do right now, I was sitting in a hotel room myself, thousands of miles away. I just had to make it through the next couple of days, before I would go back home.
(Nikki's POV)
I decided that this was it. I was going to turn my life around from this point on. Jon left me enough money to where I could change, first thing was first, I needed a new wardrobe. "Ladies…" I said, "Let's go shopping!" We all screamed, and walked out of the hotel arm in arm.
It was a new experience for all of the girls. For a moment they could finally forget about their problems, and live a little. The girls went into several low cost shops, wanting to save their money, but buy new things without having to worry about the price. Nikki was the first one to fill her arms with jeans, skirts, tops, and dresses, before trying them on in the dressing room. It was also easy for Sam to follow suit, picking up several dresses, and skirts and tops before trying them on. Alyssa on the other hand refused to try anything on, "You think its all fun and games. You think just because your brother came back into your life that everything is perfect for you, well news flash, its not. Regardless of your bother giving you money, your still living on the streets. He's not here for you right now, but that's fine I guess. You can be happy in this moment, and pretend life is peachy, well I'm still living in reality. I refuse to put myself in a delusional world, I don't belong in." Alyssa yelled at her friends, before leaving the store, and her two best friends dumbfounded.
"Let's just go back to the hotel." Nikki said, pulling on Sam's arm. Nikki, and Sam both had purchased a little over two hundred dollars worth of new clothes, and shoes. Nikki had even gone as far as pleading with Alyssa to get something. Maybe somewhere deep down Nikki new Aly's words were true, but she was too focused on her new life with her brother, and what her future would be like to let the reality of her real life affect her in this moment.
Nikki dumped her many bags of new clothes, and shoes on the bed she had slept in since her brother left. Her mind raced in thought. She couldn't help but wonder what she had done to Alyssa to set her off like that. Life was changing for her, and she wanted to include her best friends in that change. Did Alyssa really feel like she didn't belong in her new found world? The thought sent a pain straight through her heart. The three of them had gone through so much together, and this was no different, if life was going to change for the better for either one of them, Nikki knew the other would have done exactly the same for her.
Nikki collapsed on the bed, face down with a groan of frustration. Sam laid next to her rubbing her back, "Hey now, you know how Alyssa is. She doesn't like to take hand outs from anyone, what makes you think that offering her some money for new clothes and shoes would change that in her?" Sam questioned.
"Because I know that if she was the one in my shoes, she would do the exact same for us. I just wish for once she wasn't so stubborn." Nikki explained, feeling tears rush to her eyes.
"Don't let her get to you." Sam started, wiping her tears away, before pulling her into a hug.
"Thank you for being here for me." Nikki whispered.
"Of course." Sam said in her happy tone, flashing Nikki a smile. Nikki pulled Sam in, cupping Sam's face, and leaning in kissing her. Their lips clasped together, as Sam found her hands resting on Nikki's hips. It was nights like these that the girls needed release from the world. Sam had come to Nikki on several occasions needing an outlet, at the end of the day, both girls new they could count on each other for that release.
Nikki kissed down Sam's jaw, and neck, slowly moving her hands to the hem of her shirt, and pulled it over her head. The girls teased each other with playful kisses, and flirtatious touches for several minutes before they laid down in each others arms. "Do you think our lives will ever be normal?" Sam asked.
"How do you mean? I've never known what normal is, I don't even know how to answer that question." Nikki answered truthfully.
"Like… getting married, and living in a house, having kids. Not having to worry about when or what your next meal will be. Like that?" Sam asked.
Nikki looked Sam in the eyes as if she was trying to find something. She wasn't sure what Sam was getting at, or even how to answer her question. "Isn't that what everyone wants in life?" Nikki questioned, "A happy care free life. Marrying your knight in shining armor? Living in a fairytale…. Maybe that happens for some people, but that isn't my story, I doubt mine will ever get that far. Let's not think about that, Ok?" Nikki said.
Sam nodded her head, and bit her lip staring at her best friend. "Listen Sammy, lets promise each other something, because I think in life you have to have something to hold on to, something worth living for, ok?" Nikki started, sitting up in bed, and pulling Sam with her. Sam nodded in response, listening to Nikki's every word, needing to hear something from the other, needing to know that she still had hope for herself, that maybe one day she could be her definition of normal, and live happily ever after.
"We may never know what normal is, because we aren't normal people. We can't count on something that may never happen, but we can promise each other something that we both, as well as everyone else in this world needs, and that's love, and acceptance." Nikki spoke, holding on to Sam's hands, knowing exactly what she needed to hear, just like Sam knew exactly what Nikki needed to release her frustration. "I love you, and I can give you my word that no matter what happens, as long as we stick together, we will be ok in the end. I have your back, and you have mine, partners in crime… remember?" Nikki asked with a smile on her face. Sam giggled, wiping away a few tears, "I remember." Sam said.
It had been about two weeks after Nikki and I met. It was mid August, and the weather was miserably hot, all we wanted was some cold water to drink, and a cool shady place to rest. Nikki knew of a convenience store with an ice chest in the front. It would be easy to run up there and take some ice without getting caught, since everyone was focused on getting gas, and minding their own business, or just simply trying to avoid the heat altogether. Like most homeless people, we had a reused soft drink cup, most likely from the same convenience store. I got up, and rinsed the cup out at the park's drinking fountain, before putting out plan into action. However, it wasn't as easy as we thought it would be. The manager was sitting outside smoking a cigarette when we walked up. "What are we going to do now, just wait here? They are going to know something is up." I told Nikki. "No, we came here for ice, and I'm going to get it, I'm thirsty as fuck, and I need to cool down." Nikki said, grapping the cup from my hands. I couldn't believe it, she had no fear, or at least showed none. Nikki went up, and opened the ice chest, instead of loose ice there were several bags of ice. "Fresh delivery today." The woman wearing the manager's uniform said. "I'll ring you up inside." She said, putting out her cigarette, and holding the door open for Nikki. Nikki picked up two bags of ice, and took off running. I don't know if it was pure adrenaline, or something else that made my ears ring. No sound was processing through my brain. Once we reached the park, drenched in sweat, both of us collapsed in the grass. A bag of ice sitting on our stomach's, and we couldn't help but laugh at what we just did. "That was insane." I told Nikki. "Yeah it was, did you hear the way she was yelling at us after? Crazy bitch!" Nikki said. "Hey, its ok now. At least you got what you went for without being caught, right?" Sam stated, both girls looked at the melting bag of ice resting on their stomachs before laughing, "No matter what, as long as we are together, we can do anything. As long as we have each others backs, we're partners in crime." Nikki said, her last phrase said in a fake southern accent.
I know there was a lot going on in this chapter. I didn't want to confuse anyone with the flashbacks, and the different points of view. Hope it wasn't too confusing. The next chapter will have Dean Ambrose, and the rest of The Shield in the story, and it will pick up more. Thank you to all the followers who are... well... following this story hahaha. More Reviews from everyone who is reading it, and I will update faster :)