CHAPTER ONE: SHMOW POW
The desert was a vacant wasteland of black sand dunes and never-ending miles of suffocating shadows. Not a star was in the sky and an unseen moon outlined everything in a faint, starry silver. It was dead silent.
Not a breath stirred the sand, no wind blew, yet it was cold as ice. Nothing was there, save for a vast desert of black sand and a boy running for his life.
There was a scream somewhere in the distance of the black sand dunes and the dead silence of the wasteland shattered like broken glass. It was the scream of an animal being torn apart and the sounds of tearing flesh that followed. The running boy, Nick, heard a grunt and a howl and he knew the monster had found him. It was unavoidable. He'd be the next to die, stuck in this shrouded wasteland of vacant darkness. It was close.
It could smell his fear.
His heart was thudding in his chest like a war drum and the air surrounding him was thick and almost unbreathable. Shadows wrapped around his body and his neck, cutting off the air he needed and suffocating him. He grabbed around, flailing wildly, but there was nothing in the dark abyss save for the creature's howls and his own panicked breathing. Footsteps loud as thunder followed him and he could almost feel the creature's hot, steaming breath on his back. He stumbled and fell to the ground, the icy black sand eating away at his bare feet.
Nick's eyes searched desperately for anything else in the dark, and he slowly gave up hope as he dragged himself through the thick sand on the ground. He was stuck, waiting to be torn apart, piece by bloody piece…
There!
A light flickered in the distance and Nick scrambled to his feet, slipping on cold sand, a desperate fire burning inside him and setting him forward, and he stumbled his way through the darkness and closer to the dim light. It looked like a glowing doorway ,like an escape, if only he-
As Nick sprinted closer he realized it was just a lone street light illuminating his bleak surroundings. Nick slowed and leaned against the post, his legs shaking from exhaustion, and he gazed around wildly, looking for the creature stalking him relentlessly from the shadows.
Nick felt safer in the light even though he knew it wouldn't protect him. But maybe the creature wouldn't attack him if he stayed away from the darkness surrounding him. He stood, shaking, thoughts racing in his head. The cold shadows were freezing his bare feet till they were numb. His breath clouded in his face as he waited in the sickly yellow light and then the light went out.
Nick's breath caught in his throat as the darkness pitched in, swallowing him whole once more. He desperately slapped the pole, shaking it, and the light slowly flickered back to life. It buzzed, struggling, and Nick's circle of light was fading as the darkness ate away at the edge, waiting to consume him.
As Nick stood there in the dying light he heard its footsteps, the ground shaking under the massive weight of the demon. Nick stood, waiting in fear, as it dragged itself closer with a hiss, slithering through the cold black sand. It was a sound that sent a shudder down his spine and he felt his heart stop and the air refused to flow into his lungs. A thin, black arm ending in massive talons was illuminated by the light and Nick could do nothing but wait for his death. The large creature inched closer and its wormish body was fully on display for Nick to see. He was horrified as it gaped at him, mouth open and milky white eyes rolling around in its sockets. Nick took a step back but it did nothing. The creature came ever closer and Nick tripped, falling backwards and landing hard. He scrambled away, but he wasn't quick enough, and in seconds the creature was on him. Its large mouth filled with rows of human teeth stuck in bleeding and blackened gums. It loomed closer and Nick and the monster were face to face. There was barely an inch separating them and Nick knew it was over.
He was screwed
Its jaw popped with a sound like branches snapping as it unhinged its mouth. It took a big breath as if preparing to roar but instead it screamed "Damnit!" in a voice that sounded awfully familiar.
Nick stopped as the creature paused, poised in front of him with its maw open, and felt confused more than threatened. The creature gaped, its mouth positioned right over Nick's face, warm saliva dripping from its bloody teeth. The creature was breathing raggedly, as if it, too, couldn't breathe through the freezing, thick shadows. Its steamy breath coated Nick's face like a hot, sticky summer wind, and Nick was hit by the strange smell of burnt toast.
This left Nick even more confused, but he didn't have time to dwell on the strangeness before the creature grabbed him by the shoulder and threw him across the ground. The wind was knocked from his lungs and he could hear a soft plink as the lightbulb shattered. Nick was plunged back into darkness and he could feel the tremors of the creature pounding through the sand towards him. He could see, mapped out in vivid detail, every sharp tooth in the creature's mouth as it lunged-
Nick jolted awake, crying out, the covers and dirty clothes on his bed scattered to the ground with a thump. A cat shot out from underneath his bed in a gray blur and Nick sat there, trying to catch his breath.
He looked around, bewildered. That whole thing had been a dream. He rubbed his eyes and ran his fingers through his strawberry red hair, making it stick up in every which way. A ray of buttery sunlight filtered through the open curtains and the city below was a sparkling mass of rainbow glass and honking cars. A catbird screeched from atop a utility pole, fluffing itself out, and Nick blinked against the sun, wondering what time it was.
All he could smell was burnt toast, and he wrinkled his nose as he threw off the sheets tangled around his body and grabbed his alarm clock.
"Shit!" He shouted. It was 8:30. He was an hour late for school. AGAIN. He blanched, throwing the clock down and racing about his room and grabbing dirty laundry off the floor. He was going to fucking die.
He slipped into a black pair of sweatpants and a big hoodie, smoothing his ruffled hair, and snatching his bag from the floor.
"Chris, how did you manage to burn toast of all things? You don't even have to touch it, the toaster does it for you!" Nick's little sister, Chloe, shouted from the kitchen downstairs.
Nick practically flew down the steps, skipping them two at a time, and ran through the kitchen. His siblings, who happened to be twins, were bickering over the toaster which had a black plume of smoke billowing from the top of it.
"You have the attitude of burnt toast!" Christopher stuck out his tongue, pushed up his glasses, and tried to unplug the toaster before Sajin, Nick's father, raced in with a mug in hand and a furious look on his face.
"For the love of-Stop touching it! Go upstairs and get dressed!" Sajin just then noticed Nick and his fury turned on him. "Really, Nick?" Sajin ran a hand through his dark maroon hair. "I can't give you a ride, you're gonna have to walk or take the public bus."
Nick was too busy racing around to pay much attention to what his father was saying. He yanked his red converse up from the dirty kitchen floor and tugged them on. Over his siblings bickering and his father muttering obscenities under his breath Nick could hear the TV blaring out the day's casualties.
"I gotta say, Derek, it is so upsetting to hear of another murder." Said a lady with cherry red lips and golden blonde locks of hair. The camera switched to the man she was talking to. He solemnly nodded, his raven black hair mussed in the cold wind.
"It really is a shame, Barbara."
"Anyway." They quickly seemed to move on. "On today's forecast…"
Nick assumed, by the way the news anchors had dismissed the death so quickly, it was another Dead Weight who'd been killed.
Which was a normality since they were killed over stupid shit all the time.
That was just the 7th world, though. Violent and petty.
The 7th world, Hiko, was just one out of the 6 other magical worlds that also happened to be dealing with the same BS. One could only assume, though, since communication was banned between the 7 worlds and interworld travel was as well, leaving a whole sad sack of people who were stuck with no way of going back home. Those were the Dead Weights, thousands of people who contributed nothing to society except for becoming the next tragedy. Stuck in a world that didn't want them and with people who killed and tortured them mercilessly for something as stupid as a rainy day.
Nick threw his bag over his shoulder and sprinted out the door, shouting an unheard goodbye and nearly tripping over his own long legs as he sprinted to the bus stop down the steep, hilly road and at the end of the street.
No one really knew what was happening in the streets lately. Instead of the usual violence and casualties of Dead Weights, as the news anchors had briefly gone over before, it was the whole damn world falling under a pandemic of random killings. Every day at least 3 people were found dead and weeks later their bodies would disappear without a trace. It was odd more than anything.
And it just led to more death.
The Dead Weights, whose bodies were found alongside normal 7th world residents, were blamed for the deaths. More of them ended up dying, because many people thought Dead Weights were to blame. Nick had been up late last night listening to the screams of a young boy being tortured a few blocks away. He'd been pleading for his life, begging them to stop, but the screaming didn't cease until the early hours of the morning.
There wasn't a siren, no one called the police, no one did anything because no one cared. And that was just the way Hiko worked. If the people inside didn't have something to blame for their troubles they would all fall apart.
Nick ran past the gleaming downtown shops, the glass reflecting the sunlight into a million little rainbows, and he tried his best to duck and swerve past the crowded streets and avoid running into anyone. Picking up speed as he sprinted down the hill he splashed through a puddle, swearing violently as the muddy water soaked through his shoes.
He panted, slowing down to catch his breath, and continued to the end of the hill to spot a crowd of people blocking traffic. Curious, he drew closer, squinting his eyes to try and see what the fuss was about.
As he walked past, he caught a glint of red and heard several whispers from the hundred or so people surrounding the alleyway. Nick's curiosity got the best of him and the rush from this morning was forgotten as he plunged into the crowd, rudely pushing his way to the front to see what all the people were whispering about with such morbid faces.
Nick could smell the body before he saw it, that horrible reek of carnage and rot. Crouching low, he leaned in and took in the horrendous scene before him.
The alleyway was drenched in blood, a vending machine tipped over on its side and leaking oil. Sparks danced around the outlet and cans littered the ground, meddling with the blood staining the concrete black.
Nick's eyes wandered further and he spotted the body. It was desecrated and what was left of the poor soul could hardly be classified as a person. Flesh was ripped off in strands leaving much of the exposed skin raw and red. The face was unrecognizable and the skull had been smashed in by some other force, the jaw completely ripped out. Bloody teeth were scattered about on the ground, the sun glinting off of them like they were little pieces of gold. Teeth marks peppered the body and the carnage decorating the alleyway was like nothing Nick had ever seen in his life. No human could do this, that was certain. This person had to have been attacked by an animal of some sort. The body was covered in raw slashing lines, cutting through the cloth of the blackened t-shirt. Nick shuffled back slightly as he sighted a discarded molar close to his soaking wet shoes. Grimacing, he pushed his way past the crowd and into the streets again. Somewhere a siren screamed like a wailing child and a dog howled in response.
Nick took a deep breath, trying to dispel the image of the body. The air was damp, tainted with the coolness of an oncoming storm, and the usual morning scent of baking goods was replaced with the smell of old blood. It was making him slightly nauseous and Nick resumed his way to the bus stop. He didn't run, only walked, pushing past the mass of people adding to the crowd around the alleyway. People shouted indignantly as he pushed past. There was a line of backed up cars honking and shouting at the crowd acting as roadblock and Nick took his chance to cross the road. It was by then people began to disperse, no longer interested in the desecrated corpse.
He rounded a corner and made it to the stop just in time as the big yellow bus halted, tires screeching as the brakes were hit. Nick stumbled up the short steps and nodded to the driver before proceeding to shove his way violently past all the people.
He went to find a spot in the back where Indigo and him would usually sit. Nick scanned the crowd, knowing she wouldn't be that hard to find. She had bright indigo hair, hence her nickname. Nick couldn't ever remember her real name and he doubted half the people in school remembered either.
Nick didn't see her, though, and sighed, settling on searching for an empty seat instead. He hated sitting besides random people he didn't know, it felt awkward, but it looked like he'd have to if his lazy ass didn't want to stand.
He was about to sit down, after a miraculously empty seat caught his eye, but he felt a strange prickling at the back of his neck and a shiver ran up and down his spine. He suddenly felt cold as ice.
Someone was staring at him.
Turning around he caught the ice blue eyes of the young man on the front side of the bus staring daggers into him. Nick blanched. That wasn't the empty eyed stare of a daydreamer, it was an intentional and creepy, perverted look of a psycho. Maybe this was the man responsible for the body just outside the bus stop.
The man looked like a murderer no doubt. He was wearing a black hospital mask that covered most of his face, feigning sickness, and a black hood pulled over the striking yellow hair that fell over his icey eyes.
Those eyes had a haunted look to them, as if the man they belonged to had seen more than anyone ever should.
Nick stared for a moment longer, before breaking eye contact and turning away, acting as if the man didn't exist. He sat down, pulling his hood over his head and looking down at the ground, his arms crossed tightly across his chest. He had a horrible feeling that that look would be his death, if being late to school again wasn't already.
After fighting with the nurse in the office, getting a tardy slip, getting chewed out by his teacher and threatened with detention, nothing interesting happened. Nick was bored as he stared at the clock above the droning teachers desk, waiting for lunch break to start. He had almost completely forgotten the crime scene, and had forcefully pushed the weird staring contest he had had with the man on the bus from before out of his head. But that piercing gaze just wouldn't leave his mind. Nick could forget anything from important due dates to final exam answers to even people's names because he had the attention span of a butterfly, but this? It just wouldn't leave him alone.
"Allright, everybody!" The teacher, Mr. Brine, loudly clapped his hands. All the chatter and bickering in the room stopped immediately and all the attention snapped to him. He pushed his glasses up on his face before scooping a stack of papers in his arms. "I finally graded your tests from yesterday. I'll be passing them out. Just know that retakes are next week on Tuesday!" He added as the chorus of voices began once again.
Nick jumped as the teacher slapped the paper face down on the desk and gave Nick a pointed look over his horn rimmed glasses. That wasn't good. He was almost scared to flip it over. Nick knew himself too well, and if the paper being face down meant anything it meant he'd flunked.
He flipped the paper over and it took a minute for him to register the score written in bright, red ink that stood out like blood on snow.
He'd barely gotten above 30%. This was the worst he'd ever done and he quickly shoved the paper in his folder, never to be seen again. He'd make up something when he got home. After he got over the fact that he had failed a test on a subject he'd been taught since PRESCHOOL.
"How'd you do?" Someone said. Nick whipped around to see one of his best friends, Sam, hovering over his shoulder with a sly grin.
"I got an F." Nick grumbled. Sam smiled, mockingly almost, and he swiped his floppy blond hair out of his face so Nick could see his baby blue eyes shining with amusement.
"There's no way," He made a move to grab Nick's folder, "That you are that stupid."
"Hey!" Nick said, indignant but unable to fend him off. Sam yanked the folder away, standing above Nick who didn't bother getting up from his seat, and his eyes skimmed over the page. His crystal eyes widened in what seemed to be amazement.
"Holy shit." Sam shoved the paper back in and Nick gingerly took it back. "You need help."
"Thanks." Nick said bitterly. Sam clapped him over the shoulder, grinning. The smile made Nick feel a bit better, he didn't know why. Sam's goofy smile just made everything a few shades lighter.
"I was gonna study with Simon after school with Indigo. You're coming with us." Sam didn't give Nick any time to argue, he just gave him a pointed stare and then walked back to his seat. Nick's attention was dragged back to the front of the room, watching as the teacher tried desperately to get everyone else's attention.
"Today…yes…and also…" The teacher's voice was fading in and out as Nick slowly zoned out.
He was still in awe of how absolutely stupid he was.
All the test had been was simple history. Simple, simple history that was permanently engraved in Nick's mind. The creation of the worlds. The prophecy that spoke of the end of said worlds. It was all a long, boring story that Nick could only remember snippets of.
First, there were 7 worlds.
Then, around 16 years ago, the 2nd world, Astron, nearly collapsed in on itself after some crazy bitch tore it in half with magic.
Magic was obviously banned, as well as interworld traveling, resulting in the Dead Weights and everyone's burning hatred for them. The gates closed, the people were scared, and then word of a prophecy spread like wildfire. Something about two toddlers with knives who were said to destroy everything, but when nothing happened because of the borders of the worlds on lockdown, no one really cared. No one was scared anymore.
Because all of that was 16 years ago. A lot of people were over it.
But the people left over, trapped in worlds they didn't belong to, were not over it. They were stuck in worlds that did not want them and blamed them for things that weren't their fault.
And it was a constant rumor that Nick was one of those people. A Dead Weight.
Which he wasn't. And it never failed to set him off whenever he heard someone say that.
"Bet his mother was a Dead Weight."
"Bet his mother was a whore."
She wasn't, she was dead. Had been for 16 years now.
"Bet his father is ashamed of him."
"I bet he was adopted."
"I heard his dad killed his mom."
All those stupid whispers.
"Half-blood."
"Dead Weight."
"Worthless."
Man, it just pissed him off.
"Nick!" Sam said, jumping Nick out of his thoughts. "The wall is not that interesting, I promise." He smiled. "And I don't think you want to be here longer than you have to."
Nick got up from his chair and rubbed his eyes. He had completely missed the whole hour, he'd been too busy staring off into space, and had even missed the bell. Sam started walking and Nick had to quicken his pace to catch up.
"What's up with you?" Sam said, picking at the bandage covering his knuckle.
"I could ask the same of you." Nick said, shoving Sam's hand aside so he stopped picking. Nick had just noticed the bandages covering Sam's knuckles and the cuts that grazed his cheekbones. Nick felt a sick twist in his stomach. He never knew where Sam acquired the cuts or the bruises and it drove him crazy. Anytime Nick asked, though, Sam would change the subject and Nick would be forced to play along lest he make things too awkward between them. Sam was a professional at changing topics and an amazing liar.
"I-" Sam started but as they walked out the classroom they were met with a barrage of thousands of other students making it hard to hear anything louder than a nuclear explosion.
Sam said something else and Nick looked at him, confused.
"What?" He said, leaning closer.
"I SAID I'LL SEE YOU AT LUNCH!" he screamed in Nick's ears.
"Ah, okay." He said, rubbing his ear. The crowd tore them apart and they went down opposite sides of the hall, fighting their way to their lockers.
Nick found #345, almost on the other side of the school and completely opposite of where he needed to be; cafeteria. He would get there in the next thousand years, he was sure.
He struggled to open his locker and it took him 3 tries. By the third try he had kicked his locker and muttered obscenities under his breath, hoping that would help. He finally yanked it open and shoved his papers inside, his failed test crumpled at the bottom. By the time he slammed his locker shut and turned around in the direction of the cafeteria only a small trickle of students remained in the hallway, snickering in small groups or staring off into space with dead, emotionless eyes.
"Look who decided to show up!" Simon shouted, waving Nick over, Indigo and Sam leaning on a wall alongside him. They had been outside for a while, waiting until Nick walked out with his food in hand. They all had more or less the same thing as him, a sandwich on a paper plate so thin it was drooping beneath the frail weight of bread.
"You can wait five minutes." Nick said, smiling. They made their way to the table outside next to the water stained brick walls of the school where they usually sat. It was cold out but they were savoring the few more weeks they'd get outside until the snow fell around the winter solstice, one of the most celebrated holidays in Hiko.
Nick sat down next to Sam. Simon and Indigo sat on the other side. Indigo wore a large black sweatshirt and ripped jeans despite the cold weather and was picking at her food as she talked to Simon and Sam. The three people Nick was around were his only friends, and it'd been that way for years.
Simon had taken off his thick, black framed glasses to clean them on his shirt, laughing at something stupid Sam had just said. He had dark, chocolate brown eyes and wavy black hair that needed to be cut badly. It was growing over his eyes and starting to climb down the back of his neck.
Sam was laughing so hard he couldn't even finish the story he was telling and Simon was wheezing. "He was a fucking penguin." Sam laughed, gaining control of himself. Indigo snorted, almost choking on her food. "Right, Nick?" Sam said, turning to Nick. Nick just turned to stare at him, confused.
"I-What?" He asked.
"You weren't even listening." He said, waving Nick off. "You've been like this all morning, you sure you're alright?"
"Didn't sleep very well." Nick said, the eyes of the man peering at him from behind the mask and the body from this morning popping into his head full force. He scratched his head, taking a bite of his sandwich. He barely even tasted it.
"You guys heard about the murders around Blite Av, right?" Simon said, his eyes alight with intensity. Nick almost choked on his sandwich and Sam gave him a strange look before humoring Simon and asking him about it.
"Really? That close?"
"There was one downtown." Nick said, recovering from the bread lodged in his throat.
"No way." Simon said. "That's scary. It makes no sense, honestly, I've been thinking about it and-"
"We know, Simon." Indigo smiled. They all knew Simon obsessed over the randomness of the murders. It intrigued all of them, honestly, because the whole world was confused about why. Why were people being killed and why were their bodies disapearing just days later?
"Just listen to me, though." He threw a napkin at her and she made a sound of protest but they all shut up and listened. "What if it's not human. Whatever is killing all of those people, it just doesn't make sense that they could be."
"It's not." Nick said softly. "Whatever is killing those people is most definetly not human."
Indigo looked at him, intrigued, and the look she gave him set off the butterflies in his stomach. He coughed and looked away, running his hand through his hair.
"What do you mean, Nick?" Sam asked.
"I was on my way to the bus stop and…everyone was crowded around something. There was…I mean there was blood everywhere. Teeth. That person was ripped apart to little pieces. Teeth marks all over, claw marks. As far as I know, that's not very human-like."
"You saw that?" Simon looked conflicted between disbelief and amazement.
Nick nodded and turned back to his food. They quickly dropped the morbid subject, it was honestly disturbing to know that the murders were getting closer. And from what Nick saw, whatever was out there wasn't human. Maybe a rabid animal.
"Anyway." Indigo said, the attention turning to her. "Did you guys hear about-"
Just then, someone cut her off. A deep male voice that made Nick turn around with a glare.
"About Sam's little kink." The boy grinned savagely, clapping Sam over the shoulder with a solid thwack. "I heard all about it." He laughed.
Nick grit his teeth and clenched his fist. Everyone else at the table tensed up. Gabe, the ugly boy with his hand on Sam's shoulder, was a well known jackass that everyone avoided if possible. Right now it seemed impossible to ignore him and Nick was having a difficult time keeping still. Nick had wanted to punch Gabe's smug face since the beginning of time. "By the way, ugly, I need that money." He crooned. "Less your little condition get's out to the public."
Condition? What the hell was Gabe talking about?
"What are you talking about?" Sam choked out. His voice broke and he had to clear his throat.
"I could ask the same thing." Nick said. "Why are you here, Gabe? No one wants to see your ugly ass."
Instead of rising to the bait, Gabe looked absolutely ecstatic and it made Nick feel slightly uneasy.
"Oh. You meant to say they don't know?" An unhinged smile crept onto Gabe's face and Sam seemed to sink further into his seat.
"Oh. Oh Sam." He tsked. "Well, let me tell you."
"Wait! Don't you dare, you swore!" Sam whipped around, standing up to face Gabe. Gabe's face twisted into an ugly frown and he shoved Sam into the wall. A few people at the other tables were beginning to stare and whisper. It took everything in Nick to keep himself from getting up and kicking Gabe's teeth in.
Gabe took a big breath, shooting Sam a wide grin. "Hey everyone!" Every face in the courtyard turned to look in Gabe's direction and Sam looked absolutely horrified but didn't get up from the ground.
"Gabe, stop!" He shouted.
"DID YOU KNOW THAT SAM IS A GAY FAG-" Gabe shouted from the top of his lungs but was cut off as Nick's self control vanished and his fist crashed into his face.
Gabe swore, reeling from the blow, and his hand leapt to his face as the blood began to flow from his nose. He looked up, catching the murderous look in Nick's luminescent green eyes, and ran. Nick chased him and people all around whooped and hollered.
Nick sprinted after Gabe and they weaved through tables of people who shouted out in surprise. Shouts of "Fight! Fight! Fight!" were beginning just when Nick grabbed the hood of Gabe's sweatshirt. He hauled him backwards, choking him, and Gabe whipped around and shoved Nick into a wall. People cried out in shock as Gabe kicked Nick to the ground and they went wild when Nick shoved Gabe into a table.
Food spilled on the ground and people scrambled out of the way and began to form a circle around the boys as they tousled on the ground. Nick got on top and was about to land another blow when a voice screamed out "STOP!"
Nick paused, his fist poised above Gabe's bloody face, and he was pushed off by the other boy as they both scrambled to their feet.
"Nick Jackal! Gabriel Black! Inside! NOW!" An elderly teacher screamed. She was a withered old thing with pruny skin and wrinkled hands but her voice was loud like a whistle and her shrewd eyes made Nick feel like he was being picked apart bit by bit. She crossed the courtyard in quick succession and grabbed both of their arms, dragging them back inside. Nick didn't get a chance to protest or look back with an apologetic glance before the doors shut with a slam.
Nick was sent to the office immediately after being handed a rag for his bleeding nose and a packet of ice that was beginning to melt in his hand. The adrenaline from the fight was over and he felt slightly guilty.
Nick wasn't being noble for punching Gabe. He wasn't fighting because he was defending Sam, that was only half the reason. Nick had hated Gabe for years, the prick had been a constant thorn in Nick's side, and Nick had been waiting for even the smallest justification for hurting Gabe. Today was the day.
It didn't feel as good as Nick thought it would. All he'd got out of it was a bleeding nose, a throbbing fist, and a detention slip. The school was lenient on punishment for something as frequent as fighting. It'd be like punishing a dog for being hungry; there wasn't a point. The higher ups had complete control of a square filled with bloodthirsty hoodlums. When they decided to rip each other apart the school practically looked the other way. Why pretend to care about something that happened so often?
"Get back to class." The lady at the desk told him in the most monotone voice Nick had ever heard in his life. He grimaced and walked away, the pink sheet crumpled up in his pocket soon to be forgotten by both him and the school.
As he started to make it down the halls, his footsteps echoing, the bells above rang and Nick inwardly groaned as the halls filled up with other students.
Someone elbowed him into the wall in their haste to make it to their classes on time and Nick swore as he nearly tripped over a pencil someone had dropped on the ground. The chaos only died down by the time he made it to his locker. The hinges creaked and the lock was stuck. He shook it, kicked it, and swore violently as he tried to pry the door open.
"Right, left, right, Nick." Someone said behind him. Nick turned around with a glare, not wanting to deal with Simon's sarcasm at the moment.
"Thanks." He hissed. As much as he loved Simon, Nick still wanted to punch him at least 50% of the time. He turned his attention back to the lock until he finally managed to unlock it.
"Good job." Simon clapped, flashing Nick a cocky grin. "You did it."
"Why are you here?" Nick groaned.
"Just wanted to stop by and tell you that you fucked up and I am so unbelievably angry at you." Simon glared, the smile gone. "Sam doesn't have the heart to tell you that what you did was shitty, and he says he doesn't mind as long as you're okay, but let me translate: You are a dick. Don't do that. Ever again." Simon poked Nick in the chest, a murderous gleam in his eyes, and Nick just stared at him before beginning to laugh.
"This is not funny!" Simon said, exasperated, shaking Nick's shoulders violently.
"I know it's not, that's why I'm laughing." Nick grinned, his short burst of laughter dying.
"How bad did you get it?" Simon said, his angry expression softening. He pushed his hair out the way of his face, shifting from foot to foot, and fidgeted with his glasses. Simon was a machine running off of anxiety, Nick had come to realize, and if he wasn't fidgeting that meant he was dead. Simon constantly had to be moving to expel the nervous energy, and even then it didn't help dumb down how bad it sometimes got.
"Well, I didn't kill Gabe so they gave me a gold star and sent me on my merry way." Nick said, gathering a large english textbook in his hands.
Simon snorted and leaned against the locker to wait for Nick to get his belongings in order. "Did you get kicked out?"
"Nope, just detention." Nick slammed his locker shut and walked with Simon down the hall. They shared their 5th hour and Simon made it a tradition to wait by Nick's locker and annoy the shit out of him until they made it to class.
"So proud of you." Simon said. "By the way, do you want to hang out after school with Sam and Indigo? For studying reasons, obviously."
"I-" Nick started, about to protest, but Simon cut him off.
"Great! I'll see you after school." Simon said as they made it to their class and took their seats on the opposite sides of the room. Nick threw an eraser at him and Simon just grinned, throwing it right back.
"I'll see you after school." Nick mocked under his breath, waiting under the shade of an oak tree and watching the doors for his friends.
After some time had passed, people began pouring out the front entrance, fighting to get through the double glass doors. The sun was shining, thank the gods, and the rain from the morning was just a distant memory, although the damp smell still clung to the air, lingering with the scent of fallen leaves and smoke. Nick quickly found Sam's bright blond head in the crowd and saw Simon and Indigo shortly after. Simon waved Nick over, and he jogged to catch up with them, giving them a dopey grin, as they began walking down the street.
"Look who it is." Indigo said, shoving Nick in the chest. "Mr. Hero. How's your nose?" She asked, voice dripping with sarcasm. "I hope it's broken"
"It is." Nick grinned. He turned to Sam, his smile dropping to a guilty look. "I'm not gonna ask about what that was about at lunch but I'm sorry."
Sam was looking at the ground but his head came up at the sound of Nick's soft voice laced with guilt.
Sam heaved a great sigh, but then broke out in a wide grin. "I forgive you, I guess." But his smile dropped just as quickly and he grabbed Nick by the shoulder. "But if you ever do that again, I swear your nose won't be the only thing broken." His voice was low and quiet. Then he let go and playfully pushed at Nick, smiling once more. Nick just swallowed painfully and offered a shaky smile.
"We know my house is a shitshow." Simon butted in, steering everyone's attention back to what the intention of their gathering was.
"So's mine." Sam nodded along.
"Nope." Nick said as they turned to look at him.
"I guess we're headed to my place?" Indigo sighed. "Again." She added pointedly.
"Can we stay for dinner again?" Simon asked, his interest suddenly peaking. Sam and Nick perked up as well.
"Probably." Indigo shrugged. "But only if you help me with trigonometry." She looked to Simon, the only smart person any of them knew. It didn't save him from falling prey to bad decisions but it did help the rest of them when homework backed them into a corner.
Simon was silent, pretending to think, and Sam heaved a pathetic sigh while Indigo pretended to faint on his shoulder, and Nick stumbled dramatically, leaning against Simon for balance.
"Allright, I'll help!" He shouted, laughing, and pushing them all off. "All of you are helpless." He shook his head in amusement at their dramatic antics.
The smell of spaghetti filled Indigo's home, masking over the scent of jasmine and rose, and the sound of bubbling water filled the kitchen as time passed and Indigo's mother, Shayane, began cooking dinner.
The four had quickly given up on homework after being too distracted by Nick and Indigo's stupid antics as they pranced around the room throwing paper at each other. Sam was smoothing out the paper balls that landed next to him and Simon as they sat on the couch overlooking the disgusting fractions filling the pages on the table. He began to fold it into something that slightly resembled a paper airplane and threw it. It fluttered to the floor and Sam frowned. Simon gave an audible sigh. He was hungry.
And no one was listening to him.
Indigo threw herself down on the plump chair across from Simon's seat, giggling, and Nick sat on the floor despite there being the whole rest of the couch open. He leaned over, looking at Simon and Sam's pages of math and made a face, his prominent chin turning into three.
"The hell is that?" He asked.
"Fractions, Nick. You wouldn't know because you're stuck in preschool level shit." Simon said, propping his chin up on his fist.
"At least I don't have to do this." He said, shaking his head. "I may be stupid but I'd rather be that than knee deep in whatever the hell this is. It's disgusting." He then picked up Sam's pencil and began doodling crude images on Simon's work.
"Hey!" Simon yelled, snatching the pencil out of Nick's hand. Nick laughed as Simon fruitlessly tried to erase the pictures but instead ended up scribbling them out. Simon was trying not to smile at the stupid things Nick had drawn, but it was hard not to.
"Damnit, Nick." He said, giving him a dirty look. "I have to turn this in. What even is that?" He snorted.
"Your-" Indigo started, but was cut off by her mother yelling from the kitchen.
"Dinner!"
Immediately Sam, Simon, and Nick shot up from their seats and practically ran over each other, shoving each other out of the way to get in the kitchen. Indigo smiled, following not far behind. They acted like they were starving but not even half an hour before they had raided the pantry for all it was worth.
She hopped up on one of the black stools lining the island as her mother put the last steaming bowl down. A chorus of "thanks" followed her mother as she left and the sound of silverware clinking filled the kitchen.
Indigo lifted her cup of water to her mouth and took a sip. She set the glass down on the island counter and picked up her fork, suddenly hit with the memory of her old friends.
It had been a couple years ago when her, Isla, and Rachel had all been friends. They were the only girls she had been close with and the only other friends she had had besides Nick, Simon, and Sam. She had always wondered what having girl friends would be like, and her wish was granted. Just not as she had hoped.
For her 14th birthday she invited the girls over for dinner instead of the trio of idiots. She'd been excited, she was extremely fond of the two girls and couldn't wait for them to come over, and then they did. And it went downhill real quick.
They'd been so nice before and then they came over. Indigo had loved her room before but and when Rachel and Isla walked in they ruined it. Made fun of every poster, commented on how "childish" everything was. Indigo played it off as a joke but it only got worse during the following days.
Rachel and Isla had constantly made fun of her body and the way she looked. Before, Indigo had seen nothing wrong with herself but after that she saw every flaw, every divet, every imperfection. It made her want to tear her skin off and scream.
She stopped talking to Rachel and Isla shortly after they relentlessly tore apart her self esteem and stopped ever wanting anything to do with any other girls ever again. It was stupid, she knew. Stupid and petty. But it had hurt.
She had never been happier to have the three boys around her as much as she was now. They may have been slobbering idiots, but they were her best friends. They never made her feel stupid, or sad, or guilty. They made her laugh. Even listening to Nick tell a stupid joke that wasn't even that funny made her laugh. She wasn't sure why.
Maybe because she was just happy to be around people that didn't make her feel like shit.
Nick set down his bowl in the sink, shaking out his hands as they grazed the wet bottom of the sink. Just then his phone rang and he nearly elbowed Sam in the face because of how violently he jumped at the sound.
He fumbled with his pockets, ignoring the curious looks he was getting from Simon and Indigo. He looked at the caller info and he could feel his heart practically stop.
His dad was calling. With how busy he'd been with his friends he'd completely forgotten to tell his dad he'd gone to Indigo's and just now it hit him with how mad his dad would be. His heart was speeding up as he quickly clicked the red decline icon and pocketed his phone once more. The ringing instantly stopped and Nick turned to face his friends.
"Thanks for letting me come over but I think it's time to meet my maker." He laughed shakily. "I've gotta help Chloe with homework, too. I promised her."
Simon frowned, pushing past him to set his dishes in the sink next to Nick's. Indigo and Sam looked at him gravely.
"She's gonna sit by the door with a baseball bat." Indigo said. "At least if you don't make it home you can depend on her to find you." She laughed. It was a running joke that Nick's little sister, Chloe, was a little gremlin. It was only half true.
Nick stuck out his tongue. "If I don't see you tomorrow-" He started, sighing dramatically and walking to the livingroom to gather his things.
"We'll stop by and thank Chloe, don't worry." Simon grinned.
Nick smiled back and threw on his backpack, one strap over his shoulder, the other dangling precariously in the air, and opened the door. "Goodbye forever." He dramatically bowed, his hood falling over his head, and shut the door.
Simon dragged Sam and Indigo back to the coffee table and forced them to actually do the work they'd been putting off until now.
"Simon, did you see that?" Sam asked. Nick had left not only fifteen minutes ago and a faraway look was written all over Sam's face.
"Huh?" Simon looked up from the problem he and Indigo were bent over.
"It just…I thought I saw something."
Simon felt a jolt and a wave of ice down his back, almost like being watched. "Saw what?" He meant to say it as a joke but his voice came out small and shaky.
Sam got up and made his way to the window overlooking the street outside. He peered out, his breath fogging up the glass, and was silent for a moment.
"Just a stray dog." Sam shook his head. "Thought it was something else."
Simon joined him by the window, curious. Indigo just rolled her eyes and turned back to the papers in front of her. She thought they were joking around. Just as Sam turned away, Simon hesitated. Outside the lanky form of some animal was limping down the street. It was hard to tell exactly what it was in the darkness but it seemed a bit too big to be a dog. There was something off about it, something off that Simon could feel through the glass of the window and the few feet of dark, empty street between him and the animal. It stopped, as if sensing Simon's gaze, and slowly turned to look at him. Simon shuddered as the moon lit up the creature's face. A glint of bone and blood.
He quickly turned away, violently whipping the curtains closed, and shakily sat down next to Indigo. He picked up his pencil and rapidly tapped it against the glass of the coffee table, swallowing the words at the tip of his tongue.
Sam, that's not a dog.