Since You Came

Chapter 5

A/N

Okay. I apologize in advance for a lot of things. Let's make a list:

1. My dislike for Trump will show pretty strongly in this. Just a warning.

2. Something in the plot is about to drastically change (I know, I actually have a proper idea planned out for once), so I may lose some readers, but...I dunno. Try stick with me, okay? It won't be that obvious in this chapter, so you're still safe for now.

3. That's pretty much it. I don't even live in America, but my country's economy heavily relies on Hillary winning. Which doesn't look so hot right now. This is basically a filler, and isn't that great, but hopefully you'll like it.

Enjoy! (Still haven't thought of a witty new phrase...sigh)

"Fang. You might wanna wake up," Nudge said cautiously. I lifted my head off the pillow. "Why?"

She hesitated. "Um, I'd advise just coming. You'll see." With that, she hopped out of my room like a bunny on steroids. I groaned, and my head dropped.

"Why me?"

Five minutes later, I was dressed and walking down the stairs. For some reason, it felt like I was walking to my imminent doom. But maybe that was just because it was only seven. On a weekend. That's how they should torture people, I tell you. A week of having to wake up early, they'll crack. Dang, I could be some kind of good Hitler...

Anyway.

"Yo, what's the big fuss? 'Cause if you don't mind, I'd really like to go back to sleep-" I froze mid-sentence, and stared at the woman in the kitchen, sipping a mug of coffee. Well, I presumed it was coffee, because what else do you drink at early hours of the morning?

"Nick," she said, setting down her mug, seemingly awestruck.

"Katie," I said, equally stunned.

She waved one hand, and scolded, "Oh, don't call me that. It's Mom to you, young man." I had mixed feelings about this, because even though she was now thirty two, and had a proper, good paying job, she still hadn't bothered to try and get me to come live with her. Plus, I was a mistake, messed up her life as a drug-taking hooker and who knows what else. So, not exactly the dream mom.

"You're...here," I noted. Wow, Fang, smart move! But really, she always visited Christmas Eve. It was only early August.

"I am," she replied, smiling.

"So," I began. "What's the big occasion?"

She looked taken aback. "I don't need an excuse to see my son, do I?"

I gave a nonchalant shrug. "Well, if you've only seen said son seventeen times when he's seventeen years old, I figure it must be a pretty special time."

"Well, okay. I won't mess around, so I'll just tell you. Nick...I'd like you to come live with me." I was speechless. This woman barely knew me, and even if she was nice enough, she was practically a stranger. And I'd got plenty of 'stranger danger' warnings when I was little.

"I'm not meaning to be rude here, but...I barely know you," I told her. Okay, maybe not the best way to talk to your mom, but, hey, as far as I could see, she was just an egg donar. She didn't raise me, that was all Uncle Steven. Well, for the most part.

She didn't look too offended, which I took as a good sign. "I know, Nick, and I'm sorry. But I'd like to change that." Decent excuse. But I didn't really want to be uprooted from all I knew. I sighed, and looked her in the eyes.

"I can't just...move," I said smartly. Note the sarcasm.

"I know I can't make you, well, technically I can with custody laws or crap. But...I'd really like to give it a shot." Okay, so that sounded pretty promising. So why was I hesitating?

"I mean, you could only stay maybe half a week," she hurried on. "Or just the weekend. Whatever you want."

I considered this, and thought to hell with it. "I can choose how often I stay with you?" I saw the relief flash in her eyes.

"Of course you can! I'm buying a house soon only a few blocks away from your school, and I've looked at bus routes and there's one that comes by, or you could borrow my car, or-" She seemed to realize she was rambling, and coughed quietly. "Um, yes, I mean." I grinned. Maybe my mom wasn't the smoothest person in the world. Maybe she'd made mistakes. But mistakes could be fixed, right?

"Alright," I said. I don't think she registered my words.

"What?" I tried to hide my smirk.

"Three days a week," I elaborated. I watched her eyes go wide and her hands flew up to her mouth.

"I swear I won't let you down, Nick! I promise," she told me enthusiastically.

"Yeah." I still wasn't one hundred percent sure, but why not try it? Yes, most people would be pissed for being abandoned, but at least she was making an effort now, right?

I hoped I was.

"So...you're moving in with your mom?" Iggy asked. I nodded.

"Yep. Apparently she wants to repent; she's staying with us for now, then buying a house near school," I replied. He made a hissing noise.

"Near school? You unlucky child."

"Whatever. You guys hungry?" I asked everyone. The band was all there for another practice. We had a big gig coming up later on in the month we had to practice for. I was meeting up with Lissa after. Said she wanted to talk. I could guess what about.

"I could use something," Gazzy piped up. Angel hadn't come.

"Of course you could," Nudge muttered. Gazzy's head whipped to her.

"What are you trying to imply there, Nudge?"

She grinned. "Oh, nothing." I decided to get snacks before anything broke out. But just as I was about to stand up, Katie-no, Mom, stuck her head in the door. "You guys want snacks?"

Maybe I didn't trust her.

But I had to hand it to her; she had good timing.

"Well, since you're offering..." Gazzy trailed off. Nudge's eyes rolled. Max stood up suddenly. "I'll help."

"I can-" She cut me off.

"Chill. You entertain your guests like a good host." With that she walked out with my mom.

I looked at Iggy. "Why can't you ever offer to get food?"

"Hey, it was your choice to be my friend. If you don't like my ways-"

"I remember you coming up to me in fourth grade and asking if I could share my lunch with you because the 'old mean kids' stole yours," I pondered.

"How do you even remember that?" He asked in awe. I shrugged in response. Max came back in a minute later, holding a tray filled with chips and cookies. Well, that wasn't really accurate. Let me try that again.

Max came back in a minute later, holding a tray filled with chips and a couple of cookies, with the other ones jammed into her mouth and other hand.

"So, you like cookies?" I asked mockingly. She stuck her tongue out at me, forgetting it still had the crumbs on it. I made an 'ew' face.

"Um, sorry. Enjoy!" She put the plate on the table, and we all swarmed it.

"I should come to your house more often," Iggy commented through a mouthful of cookie. "These cookies are the best." Max looked like she wanted to argue, but decided against it.

"If your mom made these, she's amazing," Gazzy agreed.

"Yeah," I said uncertainly. "She's not all that bad."

I'd brought a bag full of the cookies to my date with Lissa, so she could try the amazingness. They were seriously good cookies, okay?

A bell above the door rang overhead as I walked in, and Lissa's head spun to me straight away.

"Hey, Nick," she waved, motioning me over to her table. I headed over, and placed the cookies in front of her. "Cookies...?" She asked, peering inside the bag.

"Yep," I replied.

"The main reason we came to a café was so we could get food. Not just pig out on cookies."

I raised a single eyebrow (it took me heaps of practice, believe me). "What, are you complaining about cookies? You've finally lost your mind."

"I'm still getting my chive scone. Those things are good." And we spent the next ten minutes chatting, and Lissa ate her scone. Me being the gentleman that I am waited for her to finish before starting on the cookies. Hey, who said I wasn't a nice guy? Suddenly, though, she put down her fork and looked me in the eyes.

"Nick, do you know what you're going to do in life?" The question took me by surprise.

"Well, I dunno. I'd like to keep going with the music thing, maybe major in it at college-"

She interrupted me before I could finish. "Not what you want to do, but...what you think you'll probably end up doing. I mean, how many musicians really end up making it big time?" I processed her words.

"I'll be a doctor. Get a good degree, good job. I guess. I mean, that's assuming Trump doesn't win and I don't move to Russia," I joked. Her eyebrows arched.

"I forgot they were announcing that tonight. Do you think he might win?"

"s**t, Lissa. Polls have been wrong before. I really hope he doesn't. I really hope."

She was quiet for a minute, before speaking up again. "It's okay for you, you're good at heaps of stuff. Me, I've got the third lowest grades in our class."

"I'm sure that's not true-"

She cut me off. "It is. I heard Mr Cornet talking the other day. I'm just...scared." I didn't know what to tell her. I'm not a person who's very...in touch with their emotions.

"Hey, you'll be fine. If someone like Trump managed to get nominated for president, you can do anything you wanna do," I said encouragingly, then realized how stupid that sounded.

"Wow, Nick," she said dryly. "Comparing me to Trump. That's just the reassurance I was after."

"Um, sorry," I said. "My point was, if he can become president, you can...I dunno, rule the entire world."

"Uh huh," she replied sceptically.

"Really, you'll be fine. Besides, you have me," I grinned cheesily and reached across the table to take her hand. She kept her blank expression for a few seconds before it crumbled and a slow smile spread across her face.

"Well, there goes my future," she drawled.

"Hey!" I protested, trying to scowl.

"Well, it's true," she shrugged nonchalantly. Then, "hey, we still going to Iggy's to watch the election results tonight?"

"Oh, yeah," I said, rubbing my hands together. "Everything's gonna finally hit the fan. Big time. I just hope I have enough in my bank account to get that one way ticket outta here."

There were about ten of us at Iggy's place that evening. When Lissa and I showed up, American i***t was blaring through the speakers, except someone was yelling a slightly different version.

"Don't wanna be an American i***t,

Don't wanna nation under Donald's mania,

And can you hear the sound of hysteria?

The psychotic mind votes pro Republican."

As you can tell, we're all very anti-Trump.

It hadn't really sunk in before now, and all the hate was just coming out. Nudge was the most terrified out of all of us, because of all his racist comments. She was scared she'd be kicked out of the country. Plus, she was a girl, and we'd all heard his opinion on women. Suddenly, though, the singing eased.

"What the hell? No!" Gazzy cried, and ran up to the TV, pressing his face against it.

"What?" I asked, waving to everyone else as I walked in.

"Trump's just won Florida!"

"What?" I repeated dumbly.

"You can't be serious!" Angel exclaimed from her corner.

"No way," Max breathed.

"You sure you haven't gone momentarily blind? Deaf? Had a rain paralysis?" Iggy checked. Gazzy rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Yes way. It's...crap. Two fifteen to two forty four."

And you can imagine how well that went over with everyone. Nudge had actually started to hyperventilate, and I rushed over to try calm her down. Which may have failed with Lissa earlier, but you learn from your mistakes, right? Max had suddenly gone quiet, and she casually glanced at her watch. I watched as she mouthed something, but didn't catch it. Shrugging it off as nothing, I returned to rubbing Nudge's back comfortingly. But then she started coughing. And I'm not talking the occasional one into your elbow. I'm talking full-out hacking-into-your-fist, wanting-to-cough-your-lungs-out style.

"Woah, Nudge, you okay?" I asked frantically. She gestured helplessly with her other hand. "What's that?"

Then she bent over and puked all over me. Trying not to recoil, I motioned for someone to get a bowl.

"Hey, hey, it's okay. Let it all out," I said quietly, silently praying she'd wait til the reinforcements got here before releasing her next volley of vomit. My throat was starting to feel a bit scratchy, too. I heard the news reporter speaking in monotone in the background.

"Trump has just won Pennsylvania, and has gained twenty electoral votes. Now on two sixty-four, he only needs six more votes to win."

Well, crap.

Lastly, how mad would everyone be if this didn't turn out to be a purely high school fic?

HV