Chapter 38 || No Peeking
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* * Nicole's POV * *

"I did all the laundry can I go play now?" I ask with an ear to ear smile hoping for a yes.

My mom turned to face me with a straight face, "You didn't finish your chores."

"Yes, I did. I did the laundry, cleaned my room and my bathroom, I also tidied up the living room," I nod my head my smile still plastered to my face - for sure she will say yes.

She pursed her lips and eyed me, "You didn't do the dishes," she says sternly as she points over her shoulder to the dishwasher full of dishes.

I quickly run over to the dishes and put each dish in their place in the cabinet, my two pigtails hit my face each time I turn around back to the dishwasher for more dishes.

The second I grab the very last cup and I shut the dishwasher and turn to my mom, "Done. May I go play now? Maybe Bridget can come over? I-"

She huffs, "Why don't you just go play in your room with your little teddy bear and other dolls, and I'm sure she is too busy to play with you today. You two got a lot of homework to do and if you want to make it into the sixth grade you might as well do it."

I look at the ground with a frown, I was sure she would let her come over this time - I guess I'll just do more homework.

I sluggishly trug over to stairs leading upstairs to my room but before I can reach the first step my mom adds, "And besides who would want to play with you."

My eyes jerk open, my heart was racing and my body was sweating.

"Thank god. it was just a dream," I say softly.

But it felt so real.

I notice I had been clinging to Jake's shirt so hard that my knuckles were starting to turn white.

How he was sleeping through it? I have no idea?

I let go of his shirt, nuzzle back into his arm and rest my head on his shirt.

"Mmmhhh" Jake moans as he shifts to face me.

I smile as he wakes up from our little nap.

He smiles down at me, wraps his arms around and pulls me closer to him. His warm minty breath fans my forehead as he sleepily says, "How'd ya sleep?"

"Okay," I reply just as sleepily.

"Feel any better?" He asks with a smile.

I smile back, shut my eyes and rest my arm across his chest, "Much better."

We lie there silently, I could feel Jake's heart beating as his chest moved up and down with each breath.

"Nicole I-" Jake starts to say but is cut off by Jill voice shouting through the hallway.

"Time to get up or you won't sleep tonight!"

Jake rubs his hand over his face, "Five more minutes. I don't want to get up!"

"No! Foods ready!" She shouts.

Jake groans as he puts his arm on me again, "I don't want to move."

I smile at him.

"It's gonna get cold and I'm not heating anything up!"

"We should probably get up," I say as I motion to get up but Jake wraps his hands around my waist and pulls back down.

"No, stay!" Jake says softly wrapping his arms around me entirely making it impossible for me to get up.

"Jake we need to get up your mom said," I say softly into his shirt.

"Just enjoy the moment," He says back just as softly.

"And I'd rather not feel the wrath of your mom," I say but it's muffled by Jake's shirt.

He stays silent not moving a muscle.

"Jake..." I say antagonizing him to get up.

Nothing.

"Jake..."

He groans, "SHHHHHH"

I roll my eyes and catch a glimpse of a grin as he pretends to sleep, soon enough his arms relax and I take the opportunity to roll off the bed which ends in a loud thud. I hear Jake let out a barely audible laugh.

While his eyes are still shut I run to the end of the bed, grab his foot and begin to pull.

"Get up lazy bones!" I shout.

He groans, "NOO"

As I hopelessly tug and get absolutely nowhere I decide to drop his foot and leap onto the bed.

"Time to get up!" I shout as I jump up and down.

Jake puts his hands over his face and rubs his eyes.

I continue to jump and shout, "Time to get up!"

He shakes his head at me, "You really shouldn't be doing that."

"Why not? You need to get up."

"Cause the school nurse and Doctor Jake says so," He raises an eyebrow at me with a smirk.

He sits up and I do one last jump before sitting down next to him.

"You up?" I ask ignoring him.

"Oh my god YES I'M UP" He shouts as he throws a pillow at me and gets off the bed.

I clap with content as I follow him out the door and into the kitchen.

"Finally the food was getting cold," She eyes Jake then with warm eyes looks at me, "How do you feel? You look better?"

"I feel much better. That sleep was much needed," I say as she feels my forehead to make sure I don't have a fever.

She guides me to the table, "A nice warm bowl of my famous homemade chicken soup will make you feel even better!"

I smile as I sit and look at the delicious bowl of soup in front of me, "It smells delicious," I take a spoonful, "It takes even better!"

I sit in silence as I gracefully devour the bowl of soup, getting a second and third bowl.

Jake just sits and laughs - I probably looked like a mix of Belle and the Beast when they were eating soup.

I almost laugh nearly spitting the soup out of my mouth.

"Easy! I would prefer to stay dry thank you," Jake shouts with a laugh.

"Whoops, sorry."

"You done?" He asks.

I take my last spoonful of soup and say, "Yup."

"Good," He gets up, takes my head and, leads me to the couches.

"Hey! I meant with this bowl. I was gonna grab another!" I say freeing my hand and going back to the table.

"Oh. Well, come back when here when you're ready, but don't peak until you're done."

I nod my head and grab another bowl of soup and sit down, "Thank you for the soup, Jill."

She rests her hand on my shoulder, "Of course. I hope it helps."

I nod my head, "Definitely"

As I eat my soup I hear Jake grunt and fall.

"Jake what are you doing?" Jill asks.

"Nothing," He says guiltily and I start to turn my head to look at him, "No peaking Nicole."

Jill laughs and shakes her head, "Boys."

I laugh with her and finish my soup.

"Here let me take that for you," Jill smiles as she takes my bowl and puts it in the dishwasher.

"Thank you."

"Anytime."

I walk backwards towards where Jake is in the living room, "Jake I'm done can I look?"

"Three seconds!" He shouts and I hear his feet frantically running around.

"One... Two... Three... Ready or not I'm turning around," I laugh and hear Jake laugh too.

I turn around to see Jake with a sheepish smile, I look past him and all the couches were rearranged and covered in blankets and pillows.

"Jake did you..."

"...Make a fort? Yes." He interrupts, "And what better way to help you feel better than watching a mindless and happy movie."

"What movie?"

He pulls the CD out from behind his back and says, "Forrest Gump."

We burst out into laughter and crawl into the fort. The inside had pillows everywhere and a very large bowl of popcorn.

I sit down, let my back rest against the couch, and stare at the TV.

I nod my head as I take in my surroundings, "Not bad."

Jake crawls in and sits next to me, "Not bad? This is top quality work!"

I shrug, "Debatable."

"Why you..." Jake grabs a pillow and throws it my way.

"Hey! Sick human being over here!" I grin at my great excuse and throw the pillow back at him.

Jack mocks me as catches the pillow and puts it behind his back in one smooth motion.

I shake my head and laugh.

Jake furrows his eyebrows and looks at me, "What?"

I look around at this fort, "My mom would have killed me if I did this."

Jake shakes his head in disbelief, "What?!"

"Yeah. I forgot I always wanted to make a pillow fort. My mom never allowed me and Bridget always thought it was stupid."

I notice Jake's hands were clutches into fists.

I rest my hand on his shoulder to relax him, "Hey but I'm finally doing it now and what better person to do this with than you?"

"Yeah I know I'm pretty great."

I took my eyes and sit back to watch the movie.

"You know I do a pretty great Forrest Gump impression. Not to pat myself on the back." I add out of the blue.

Jake turns to me, "Alright go ahead."

I clear my throat and in one great great my voice seems to magically turn into Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump, "My Mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get!"

"Okay stop right there!"

I laugh my head off at Jake's dump founded expression.

"How?"

I shrug, "Watched a lot of movies and picked up how to do their voices."

"So wait you can do more?"

"That's for another time."

He grinned, "Can you do me?"

I roll my eyes and throw my pillow at his face which he of course catches.

"Can you for once let it hit you?" I groan.

He shrugs, "Then it wouldn't be real, ya gotta earn it. I'm not gonna hand it to ya Princess."

I roll my eyes, "You're giving me a headache."

He laughs, "Good."

"Can I have my pillow back?"

"You should have thought about that before you threw it at me," He says as he places it behind his head.

I glare at him, "Jake. Give."

"Nicole. No." Jake glares back.

And let the staring contest begin.

Jake stares into my eyes and I stare into his eyes, both with a serious looks plastered on our faces.

In one swift second a puff of air blew right into my eyes causing me to blink.

"Winner!" Jake cheers.

I put my hands on my hips, "That's called cheating."

"We didn't establish any rules. All was fair play."

I groan, "Can I just have my pillow?"

He shrugs with a grin, "I guess you'll have to just use me as you're pillow."

And then an idea piped into my head like a price of toast coming out of a toaster.

I internally laughed at the thought of toast realizing I'm still hungry.

"Fine you win," I say softly in defeat.

Jake grins as he rests his head back on my pillow.

"I guess I'll have to use you as my pillow," I continue as I gently crawl closer to him.

Jake watches me closely with a blank face not quite sure what to do.

I gently place my hand on his thigh and shift myself so that I'm sitting in between his legs.

I grab Jake's arms and make them wrap around my stomach to hold me in place and then rest my back against his abdomen.

I stay still for a moment as his chest lifts me up and down before I gently rest my hands above my head and onto his neck. I let out a little sigh as Jake begins to shut his eyes.

The second they are shut I grab my pillow from behind his head and do a Ninja roll off of him back into my spot.

"Ha!" I laugh as Jake just stares with a glare.

I place the pillow behind my head with a smug look on my face.

"Oh I don't think so sweetheart," Jake says sternly as he leans over, scoops me up and places me back in his lap and wraps his arms around me so I really can't leave.

"Remember who your playing with," He says with a smug little grin as he boops my nose.

I roll my eyes, "Yeah I just got reminded of it."

He shakes his head, "Ah but you started it."

I huff, "Did not! You stole my pillow!"

"Then you shouldn't have thrown it at me."

"But you threw yours at me first!"

He rests his head on the top of my head, "If you wanted it that badly you would have kept it. And hey think of it this way, you're even luckier cause you get me as a pillow now."

I roll my eyes, "Yeah right. You're lucky to have me for a blanket."

He nods his head, "Correct."

"And besides you're not much of a pillow. You're hard as a rock."

He laughs, "Why thank you."

I rest my head against his chest and start watching the movie.

As time passed I began to notice that Jake was rubbing my fingers in circles on my stomach. My eyes began to close and I found myself drifting to sleep.

I don't know how long I was asleep but a very familiar voice was talking to me in my dream.

"Look at yourself... You're utterly hopeless... Who would want you? You're just a mistake to this world."

My body touches as my eyes jerk open.

"Woah you okay Nicole?" Jake asks with concern.

I rub my eyes, "Yeah, just a nightmare."

Jake wraps his arms around me and gives me a warm hug, "As long as I'm around nothing is gonna to hurt you."

I smile reassuring and give him a kiss.

When I go back to watching the movie, one part of the dream kept replaying in my mind - I don't know who was speaking but the last thing they said wouldn't leave my mind.

"We're better off without you."

• • •

Who was speaking in her dream?

What happened in Nicole's childhood?

Will Nicole become broken again? Or will she be able to fight through it?

Next chapter coming soon.

Shoutouts too @limelightbeanzz @sistersquads3 @fifthmarauder06
and @sparkedfirecracker

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Alyssa Rose