No Longer Alone

Chapter Seventeen

*Alex's POV*

    To say I was shocked would be an understatement, I really was simply trying to find out what was going on with her.  Nicole from school was nothing really like the woman I had been interacting with recently, they were almost polar opposites.  In school, she had been quiet during classes, but she in the group she hung out with there, she had been an outgoing flirt that could even put me to shame.   Always smiling and laughing, she had a reputation for being hard to catch, but she always had guys swarming her.  One of the rejects that had followed her around for a while had started a rumor that she was a witch and that if the wrong guy ticked her off, she had a curse that would make his equipment shrivel up and die.  No one had believed it, it was absolutely crazy, but high school was full of idiots like that.  

    I did remember clearly one day, I didn't know the details of what happened, but rumors had it that after school she was going to be getting into a fight with another girl, seems that the girl had done something that had set her off and she was out for blood.   At the end of the school day I had looked over, just curious to see what would happen, as Nicole had this tiny build and didn't look like she could weigh more than ninety pounds soaking wet, and the girl that ticked her off could easily make three of her.  Across the street from the school, Nicole was surrounded by three guys that were all struggling to hold her back even though they were considerably larger than her.  Directly across the street, on school grounds, the girl was shaking and hiding behind other people.  Seemed the little chick was a spitfire.

    The woman that had kicked me in the shin was still a bit of spitfire in that moment, but most of the joy in life and fearlessness that had been with her in her youth seemed to be gone.  I spotted the kid's seat in the back of her car, and that added to the puzzle that she was forming, but made me wonder about a man in her life, if that's why she brushed us off, but then why would Jen have done what she did.  Walking back into the store, the chipmunk seemed pale while Jen seemed a little shocked and was finishing bagging up Damian's purchases, with the exception of one box.

    "Done already?"  I looked at Damian's rather irritated look and he nodded towards the box that was left out, grinning a bit.

    "Well it was taking you long enough I figured I would take care of your purchase as well.  I'll take it out of your bonus."  As I picked up the box and took the ring out, placing it on my hand, and smirking a little at my friend's reactions, and noticing the ring he now wore on his right hand.

    "Now, now, I wasn't gone that long and I seem to recall that you were the one who wanted a new piece, I just happened to have found a way to help you find it."   Damian lifted one eyebrow at me, still disgruntled looking, but settling a little.  "I'll fill you in a little later, I believe though that you may want to spend some time reviewing the plans for the week."

    With that we left a slightly confused Jen and highly annoyed chipmunk at the store, and headed back to the hotel, so I could get Damian going on something while I worked on figuring out the next part of this puzzle.

*******

    A few hours later I had texted Nicole and was heading her direction, it was out of town, and on a narrow two lane road.  Most of the houses and properties seemed to be large, but when I approached the address I was given and saw the beat up buick in the driveway, I was a little surprised to see how beat up the house looked.  It wasn't a dump, but it was easy to see it had seen better days.  

I shot the message to the number, and shortly after I saw Nicole come out of the house and walk towards the driveway.  Two girls poked their head around the corner behind her as she walked out, one almost identical to how she looked when she was younger, the second, much shorter, had some similarities but seemed to be almost vibrating near the door and was looking up at the first kid with her mouth moving like crazy, seems I caused a bit of a commotion.  I got out of the car after parking behind her's and met her halfway across the yard. 

    "As you can see, you did find it.  Come on in before the barbarians decide how to attack."  She waved me towards the house, and I could see her mock scowl at the girls who were watching.  The older of the two had her hands on the younger one's shoulders trying to contain the bouncing, and was watching me with a very serious look.  She might be able to give Damian a run for his money in a few years with that kind serious look.

    "Hannah, Marie, this is Alex, someone I knew back in high school that I met up with again recently.  He wanted to catch up some so I invited him over.  No attacking him."  Nicole watched the kids with a glint of humor and warmth to her that she hadn't shown as much otherwise, it was closer to how she had been in high school.

    "Greetings and hallucinations fellow earth dweller."  Hannah, the taller and more serious one stated this with a straight face, and I wasn't sure at that moment if that was normal or if this kid was messing with me.  Marie started vibrating even faster if that was possible, struggling in her sister's grasp.

    "You knew our mom in high school?  What was she like?  Was she popular?  Do you have a*********s about her?  Did you think she was pretty?"  Marie's questions were shot off rapid fire without me having a chance to respond to anything before she continued to ask questions.

    Nicole raised a hand and the two went silent and looked at her.  "Don't you both have some chores to finish?   Let me have a few minutes to talk to Alex alone before you bombard him with questions."  The girls nodded and went back into the house, and I followed her in.

    Sniffing I smelled something that set my stomach growling from how delicious it smelled.  Nicole paused, looked at my stomach then looked at me. 

    "I suppose I'll have to feed you so I don't have to struggle to be heard over your stomach."  I simply grinned and hoped that if the food tasted half as good as it smelled, I could eat some and die a happy man.