Nicole breathes out slowly, her eyes fluttering open. Her bedroom slowly comes into view and then she feels it, a dead weight, resting on her leg. Sitting up quickly, she realizes that it's Neo which is somewhat surprising and he's resting ontop of the quilt. Neo fast asleep, she slips her hand into his hair, messing it up slightly. "Neo?" She calls and his stiffens. Slowly, he wakes up, rubbing his groggy eyes. "Neo." She calls again. "Yeah, I'm awake. Are you okay? What time is it?" He questions, checking her beside table's alarm clock.
7:00 a.m.
"We're going to need to hurry a little to get ready this morning for school, sorry." He apologizes, standing up. Nicole notices he's in his uniform that's crumpled and so is she. "What happened?" She wonders. Neo wipes a hand across his mouth, removing any trace of doggy drool. "I don't know. You had a panic attack, I think. It was your first day, it's fine. Truth be told, I was feeling a little anxious inside too yesterday. Anyway, come on, up. We need to shower and put fresh uniforms on." He tells her, leaving her room.
---
She breathes a slow sigh of relief as her and Neo slowly pedal their push bikes down the main road past cars, others on their way to school or work and many stores till a 24/7 convenience store catches her attention. "Neo!" She points, halting her bike. "What?" He grumbles looking up.
"A convenience store?"
"Let's go in! Please, please, please!" She begs. "Oh, alright. Fine, let's go." He responds and they both lock up their bikes, going in.
"Here." He says, handing her a $20 note. "Don't spend it all and be quick. Us being late yesterday is going to be a one time thing and I intend to keep it that way, being punctual is important."
"I won't!" She grins, swiping the money out of his hand. I'm so totally spending it all! Nicole thinks to herself, internally laughing. She explores all the shelves while Neo stands near the cash register, browsing a small shelf of comics, bored. Nicole glances at a bag of chips and gives the bag a stupid poke for no reason at all, causing it to slide off the shelf and tumble to the floor on the other side. The store owner glares at her slightly from the checkout desk and Neo whispers an annoyed 'Nic...' Under his breath and she quickly heaves it up, off the floor from the other side, the bag rustling and shoves it back onto the shelf, moving on.
A young man her age clutches the bag up a second later behind her and hurries away out of the store unseen and without paying, followed by another young man, likely a friend who yoinks some drink containing caffeine in their way out, unknown to the store-clerk. Nicole makes her way over to another shelf and feels a pair of arms wrap around her chest, squeezing something of hers that's personal slightly.
"Eh!" She screams and grabs the arms, tossing whoever it was over her head and into the floor. "Nic!" Screams Neo who comes running. "Ow." Winces the person from the floor and Neo presses his foot in, midway between the person's chest and stomach.
"What are you doing to my, Sister? Cause I sware if it's what I saw then I will call the Police!" He growls.
"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to do that, it was an accident! I was trying to hug your Sister!" Pleads the person. "Not any less creepy, dude." Neo responds, glaring daggers at the guy his age before him who's his younger Sister's accidental attacker.
"Neo, get off him!" Nicole whimpers like a pup, tears starting to pool in her eyes. "Alright, alright, fine." He growls, removing his foot, stepping away somewhat, but doesn't leave Nicole alone with the guy.
"Here, let me help you up!" Nicole smiles, holding out a hand for the guy to take which he does, excitedly and politely.
"Thanks!" He responds. "I'm Weston, but you can call me, Wes. Sorry about what just happened... It was an accident, I sware! I tend to be socially awkward a-and-"
"Got it, I understand!" She smiles. "Awesome!" He smiles. "I'm so happy to meet someone who knows how it feels."
Nicole nods and smiles more. "Say, how about you me give being friend a shot, huh, buddy? We can support eachother and hang out together! Us and your Brother if he wants." Weston squeals. Neo rolls his eyes and walks away back to the comic shelf in a huff and picks up Book 1 of an Anime about a sibling with the ability to control and prevent death. "If only I fucking could..." He says under his breath, glaring daggers at Weston. Nicole turns to Weston, still smiling.
"So, what's your verdict?" He asks excitedly. "You're new and all and so am I. I saw what happened yesterday... I don't mean to embarass you, but I and my friends saw you flee your classroom and all and I know you're a Wolf, but there's no reason that a Human and a Wolf can't be friends, yeah? Society is about integration these days"
"I'd love too!" She smiles, shaking his hand. "Awesome sauce!" He yells, going to throw his arms around Nicole, but she backs away, holding her arms up, waving them.
"Please don't, my... Brother will punch you. Maybe save your way of saying 'hello' for when we get to know eachother more..." She trails off, shy.
"Sure, come!" Weston says, taking her hand and dragging her down the aisle. "So, what are you thinking of getting? I only have about $6.25 on me, but it's something."
"Uh, I'm not sure. Neo gave me 20. Do you want anything considering were 'buddies' now? Think of it as us like making this official, I don't know." Nicole shrugs. "Are you sure?" Weston responds. "Yes, I am." Nicole answers.
"Aw, thanks! That's so kind of you, but I'd feel better if you asked your Brother first."
"Oh, uh... Sure." She whispers, touching her neck. "Neo?" She calls out.
"Yeah?" He responds, leaning in the corner of the shop against a wall, flicking through the Comic in his hands still.
"Can I shout Wes some candy or something? To celebrate our friendship?"
"We're going to share it!" He calls out, afterwards. "Sure, yeah. Okay, whatever. It's your money." Neo responds casually, disinterested and not really listening.
"Wonderful!" Nicole cheers. "So, Wes, what would you like?"
"U-uh!" He stammers, looking around. "Green tea pocky!"
"Okay!" She squeals, heading to the candy and chocolate section while Weston detours slightly, grabbing himself a bottle of infused water and an apple with they little money he has as that's all he can afford. Nicole reaches for some Green Tea Pocky and when she locates it, it's the last box on the shelf when a hand, bigger than her own grasps the same box she's holding onto as well and she slowly turns her face to see who's wanting the same box as her. It's a middle aged woman, but she's still young and has brown long hair and caramel eyes.
They both lock eyes with eachother and neither one say's anything before the woman closes her gaping mouth and let's out a shaky breath. Nicole let's go off the box, Neo having taught her to respect her elders for the most part unless one is really in the wrong.
"S-sorry! Y-you can have it, I'm sure I can find something else that my friend would like." Nicole stammers, turning away when she feels the woman's other hand, grasp onto her arm, pulling her back. She turns around and looks at her. The lady is just staring at her and still breathing shakily. "Is something wrong?" Nicole works up the courage to ask, although she's sounding albeit nervous. The lady snaps out of it and regains her composure. "N-no! Here, it's okay. You and your friend can both have it, enjoy!" The lady smiles, handing the box to Nicole.
"T-thank you..." She stammers, clutching the box close to her chest and look around, nervously.
"Well, I should be going back to my friend. Thank you, Ma'am." Nicole adds on. "Wait!" The lady cries out, gripping Nicole by her shoulders that she can't escape now. "D-did I do something, wrong?" She chokes out.
"Not at all! You've done nothing wrong, you hear me, sweetie?" The lady responds.
"T-then what is it? Wes is going to come looking for me soon."
"Nic! Do you think you could grab me a box of Strawberry Pocky while you're browsing the shelves?" Neo calls out, over the top of the Aisle.
"Uh, sure, yeah!" She responds. "Sweet, thanks." Neo responds. Nicole turns her head back to look at the lady who is now all of a sudden, looking very pale. All colour having drained from her and she shifts slightly.
"Ma'am?" Nicole whispers and the lady seems to snap out of it again and let's go of Nicole's shoulders, but reaches out a hand to hold a strand of her dyed, electric blue fringe, but Nicole moves away slightly, the lady in her personal bubble,
"Sorry." The lady apologizes, looking hurt before looking up again. "I just..."
"Just what?"
"If you were *my child*, I'd never have let you dye your hair. You literally need to strip the hair first. It's awful and if things go wrong or the fact over time is that one's hair can become ruined from all the chemicals." The lady says harshly.
"I appreciate your concern, Ma'am, but my hair is mine and I can do what I want with it."
"Your Guardian is irresponsible for approving of your choices, young lady!"
"Neo? No, he approved of this. His hair is the same colour. He helped me to do it."
The lady scoffs and just shakes her head, walking away into another aisle quickly "That was weird." Nicole whispers, grabbing some strawberry pocky for Neo and some Blueberry pocky for herself even though she doesn't like it without thinking and hurries to the checkout with it, including the Green Tea pocky. Weston is there with Neo, trying to strike up a conversation with him, but Neo isn't responding at all and still has his face, buried into his comic that he has now brought.
"Got it!" Nicole says, checking out her stuff and receiving the change. "Neo."
She's holding out a few coins that's left over after buying pocky. Neo raises an eyebrow and snatches the coins out of her hand harshly to Weston's confusion.
"What the hell, Nicole! I gave you $20 and there is only $6 left?"
"This store isn't cheap, Neo..."
"And you should think about how you spend money, wisely!" He scolds her. "You buying your 'friend' a box is actually wasteful you know? But whatever, I guess this is a lesson you will have to learn, but allow me to remind you that money doesn't grow on trees!
What money we have to spend has to last us, you know?!"
"I-I know! I'm sorry, Neo." She whispers, starting to cry when Weston opens his mouth to say something, but Neo tells him to say nothing and he quickly closes his mouth again and looks to his feet. "Irresponsible!" Neo yells, throwing the coins at Nicole, them rolling across the floor.
Weston is shocked by this, but is too shocked to protest out of fear of what Neo will do to him as well. "HEY!" A mature, female voice calls out and Nicol's eyes widen, seeing the same lady from before head towards them.
"I don't know what your problem is, but how dare you treat a young lady in such a way! Furthermore in front of her friend when she's just trying to do something nice for him and you asked her to get a box for you as well. I get it, money isn't free, but there's no reason that YOU can't sit down and teach her how to budget or shop and cook on the cheap if money is an issue as you're claiming, but you will NEVER EVER again, treat someone so horribly!
I don't know who you're supposed to be, but it's not okay regardless of who you are!" The lady scolds Neo who's eyes go wide. He's at a loss for words. "Neo?" Nicole stammers, gently shaking him with her hand. He snaps out of it and pulls Nicole close to him, wrapping his arms around her while Weston bends down, picking up the coins.
"I'm her older brother. Stay out of my life, thank you very much."
"Neo, she's an adult and you said-" Nicole protests.
"I know what I said, but this lady here is sticking her nose into affairs that are not her own." Neo responds. "Ma'am, if you're not going to buy anything and harass other patrons, I'm going to have to ask you to leave." The shop-keeper calls out.
"Fine, I'll mind my own business. I need to buy something for lunch anyway." The lady says, walking away and picking up a pre-made, packaged sandwich.
"Come on, let's just go." Neo says, leaving the store with Nicole and Weston. Nicole places her small grocery bag into the basket on the front of her bike while Weston stands beside her silent as Neo slips his comic into his own bag and hops on his bike. As Nicole clips on her helmet, Neo does the same and Nicole promises to ride slowly so Weston can walk beside her and they can talk on the way to school which makes him smile and they all leave together.126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLVCiKJNBSv
Neo looks back one final time and smirks, narrowing his eyes at the lady who is standing outside the store with her arms crossed and gives her a quick wave before taking off. Once he's a short distance away, the lady slides to the pavement, fighting back tears and shakily pulls out her phone from her coat pocket, struggling to press it's buttons, but finally manages too and she chokes back a sob, clutching her phone tightly to her ear.
Whoever is on the end, picks up almost instantly. "Crystal..." The lady chokes out, upset, hurt and pained inside.
126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdLcYEn8MfM
