Chapter two" Derrick and Nicole's Past

Derrick and Nicole's Past

      The Tribe was sitting in the Old school's cafeteria sharing a meal together and celebrating the fact that they were all together again. Derrick, Adam, and Nicole sat at one of the front tables enjoying each others company while they ate the goods the men had found. Apples, Oranges, Flour that the cooks had made fresh bread with, and many many cans of chicken noodle soup. There were more canned goods that they had found but those were to be used for the weeks to come.

 

      Nicole Said something making Derrick Burst out laughing and put his arm around his sister. Suddenly someone plopped down next to her, a sneer stretched across his lips.

 

      "Still Clinging to Derrick I see." Jeff slurs. Nicole stiffens at his word, the smell of alcohol clear on his breath. How he managed to get it she didn't know, they kept all the alcohol they found locked up in the nurses office. Derrick puts down his plastic cup of apple juice and turns to Jeff.

 

      "Stealing from the medical supplies again are we Jeff?" He says, disgust tingeing his words. Jeff just looks him over, a tst noise escaping him. Adam just watches the three his eyes flickering between them.

 

      "Would someone please tell me what is going on?" He says edging closer to Nicole in case Jeff started a fight. Jeff and Derrick stare each other down for a few more moments before Jeff looks at Adam, the sneer never leaving.

 

      "You're girlfriend here is a cheating W***e, that's what's going on." Jeff said moving his chin in her direction. Nicole clenches her fists at the accusation. "She's been seen leaving Derricks room in the morning and she's constantly clinging to him." Jeff continues, oblivious to Nicole's rigid posture and Derricks deadly glare. Adam Just looks at Jeff and Bursts out into laughter so hard his sides start to hurt.

 

      "Jeff you're drunk, Derrick and Nicole are practically siblings! If she's been sleeping in his room its because she doesn't like sleeping alone without me in our room you idiot, Why dint you just go on to your own room and sleep this off eh?" He says managing to stop his laughter. Jeff narrows his eyes and suddenly stands up, before anyone could react he reached down and threw Nicole's lunch tray across the room. At the sound of the metal tray ringing off the walls the entire room falls into a stunned silence turning to the four with wide eyes. Derrick Stands up and puts himself between Jeff and the others. Jeff gets up in his face, his own face red with anger.

 

      "You think you're tough s**t cuz your mother is our leader? You think you can have any women, Your a f*****g PIG!" He spits.

 

     "Enough" Nicole says in a deadly calm voice. Jeff looks over Derricks shoulder as Derrick turns to look at her. She was standing up, her fists clenched in anger, unable to stand the accusations any longer. "I will not sit here and listen to this Filth that is spewing from your mouth any longer. You don't know ANYTHING about me or Derrick! You know NOTHING about our past you pathetic drunk," She says, still in that calm voice, creating goose bumps to appear on Derrick's arm. He had only heard her talk like this once before, right before she had socket him in the eye leaving it black and blue for a week. That had been when she was only 10, him 15. He backed away from Jeff letting Nicole stride right up to him, until they were only a few inches away. Anger glinting in her eyes. "If you want to start accusing people of something you better get your facts straight so you don't end up looking like a fool." She finishes. Jeff's eyes look like they are about to pop out of his sockets.

 

      "Oh Yeah and what is this so called "past" you are referring too? That you two have been f*****g for years?" He sneers trying to recover from his surprise. Nicole raises her fist But Derrick grabs it before she can punch. She struggles against his hand and hisses. Adam slips around Derrick and stands next to his girl.

 

      "Sis, just...," Derrick sighs and closes his eyes, the next words slipping from his lips so low that only He, Nicole, and Adam, can hear, "just tell him our past. He wont stop until he finds out." He opens his eyes and looks at Nicole, his voice strained his eyes seeming pained. She looks at him a little longer making sure its what he wanted. At his slight nod she sighs and turns back to Jeff, his sneer still on his face, looking like he had already Won. She would have given anything to wipe it off his face.

 

      "I guess its your lucky day Jeff, you get to be in on a pas that No one but us three and his mother know, Please sit down." She says pointing to the table again. He eagerly drops down on the bench the others following much slower. Nicole looks around and sees that everyone had gone back to what they had been doing before. She closes her eyes and sighs, seeing no other choice but to tell her past.

 

       "Before the infection my parents were Drug addicts and my father was an abusive son of a b***h, he use to beat me up until I was black and blue all over, he didn't care if people saw,' She starts, her voice taking on an edge of steel as she remembers, her boyfriend holding her hand and squeezing. " One day when I was ten my father was particularly brutal and broke my arm, and then picked me up and threw me out of the house saying he didn't need a disgraceful daughter like me, all because I had gotten a c on a spelling test in school. So I ran away to the park up my street. I stayed there all night crying and my arm was really hurting but I didn't know what to do," She stops her story as tears pool down her face. Jeff's sneer starts to slip as her words start to sink in. " I must have fallen asleep curled up at the bottom of the slide because the next thing I know someone was shaking me and I screamed in pain because it hurt my arm. When I looked up there was this boy, he had to be like 5 years older then me. He saw my arm and the marks on my legs and other arm and he just picked me up. I started to cry harder and told him to put me down. he told me he was taking me to his mother and she would keep me safe." She looks up at Derrick and smiles through her tears and continues her story. " Turns out the kid was Derrick. When he brought me to his house his mother took one look at me and ordered us into her car where she drove straight to the hospital. She told them that I was her niece and that she was taking care of me for a few weeks, and that I had come home from the park with my arm broken. They questioned me constantly but I was so afraid to tell them the truth that I just went along with her story. they accepted it, put me in a cast and sent me home. I stayed at their house for the night. In the morning I finally broke down and told them the truth. I've never seen Derrick so mad, he looked like he was going to kill someone. He told me to show him where I lived and I was so scared that I told him. we walked over and he just Banged on that door until my father came busting out cussing and drunk, It was only 9 in the morning. He took one look at me and tried to drag me back into the house. that didn't go over so well with Derrick. Here was this 15 year old kid and he PUNCHES my father square in the jaw. He pushes his way into my house where my mother starts yelling and with just one look she stopped and ran into her room. Derrick had me show him my room and where we kept out suitcases or other traveling bags and started packing up my clothes and asked me what else I wanted to keep. My father barged into my room yelling and telling him that He was just a pathetic kid and that he had no right to keep his daughter away from him. Derrick spun around and strode up to my father and looked at him dead in the eye and with a calm voice told him that if my father EVER so much as looked at me again that he would beat the s**t out of him. I smiled. Derrick saved me from that place. he was my angel my hero coming to take me away. We got back to his house and from that day forth he's been my big brother, I never say my parents again." She sobs as she finishes her story. The four were silent for awhile as her words circled around them. Finally after composing herself she looks at Jeff and gives him a leveled look. "So Now you know." She says with no emotion. Jeff just looks at her, his watery brown eyes huge as her words finally hit him. Letting out a low whistle he closes his eyes. When he opens them again the smirk was back.

 

      "So you're telling me that you are nothing but a broken little doll that gives this tribe NOTHING?" He sneers too drunk for his own good. Nicole shoot up, Jeff following her actions. She gets  up in his face again, hatred written all over her face. "You shouldn't even be in this tribe!" he Spits raising his voice to the once again silenced room "WE should just Throw you out of here and let you defend yourself, you cant defend any of us! Everyone here knows how to fight and protect themselves! You? You let your so called big brother and your boyfriend here protect you! Your Worthless!" He shouts, gasps coming from around the room. Nicole Looks at Derrick and then with no warning Swings her arm and Punches Jeff, making him stagger back, his hand on his chin. "YOU LITTEL B***H!" He yells and lunges after her.

      She quickly and easily side steps him and kicks out her leg hitting him in the back of the knee, making him fall to the ground. Before he fell she swiftly swipes the pocket knife that he carried on his belt loop.  Jumping onto his chest before he could get up she brings the knife to his throat, stopping him from making any attempts to throw her off.

 

      "I don't know how to fight?" She hisses, anger burning through her. "I know how to fight you moron, Derrick is the best fighter we have, Adam the next, Who do you think taught me you a*****e? I'm quicker with a knife then you are with your fists or a gun combined. I just don't see the point of senselessly beating the s**t out of everyone one like you do? Knowing how to fight and kill isn't something to be proud of. Showing off and bragging isn't smart. I use my small stature and my Weakness to my advantage in case someone goes after me. They wont see me coming." She whispers to him. He putts his hands  up in a surrendering motion, knowing she had beat him. She takes the knife from his throat and gets off of him, turning her back for a moment to give the knife to Adam. She doesn't see Jeff raise to his feet and swing his fist back to hit her.

 

      Suddenly a pale hand wraps around his fist and twists his arm around his back making him cry out in pain and shock. Nicole spins around and gasps. Derricks mother Veronica held Jeff in a death grip that was surprising given her old age.

 

      "Enough the four of you! We do NOT fight amongst ourselves like this!" She yells holding back on her anger. She looks around the room at all the stunned tribe members. "I apologize folks please continue with your celebration." She says smiling at her people. " follow me," she says from the corner of her mouth, and still holding onto Jeff she heads toward the old Principals office which was converted into Her office and meeting room for the oldest members of the tribe to discuss plans. Once the main door was shut she let go of Jeff who immediately stepped away, moving his shoulder to get the kinks out of it. Veronica stands at the head of the conference table, one of the old science tables from the science labs. She places her hands on the table and sighs. "What the Hell happened out there?" She asks looking at Nicole. Nicole flinches at the older women's look and finds herself spilling the whole story. Once she was done she sagged into one of the chairs suddenly unbelievable tired. Adam goes behind her and squeezes her shoulders. Veronica just stands there processing the story before sitting down herself. "Well I think you settled the matter perfectly yourself. Jeff why don't you go to Doc and get your injuries check out hmm? and next time be a gentlemen and don't rile her up. I wont stop the fight next time." She says dismissively. Jeff glares at her but says nothing. He knew better then to argue with the leader, even in his drunken state. Giving Nicole one last glare he slinks out of the room in defeat, heading to the next room over to the nurse.

 

      "Mom I-" Derrick says but stops when Veronica gives him a deadly look.

 

      "I don't want to hear it Derrick, it doesn't matter anymore. I'm glad the three of you are here. I need to discuss something with you, Please sit down." she says waving her hand at the remaining empty seats. When they were all sitting she launches into a discussion. "The elders and I have been talking, We need to make another raid, Word has gotten out that we have a functioning stable tribe here and it seems there is a smaller tribe in what was once Fall river," She says looking at each of them, " We decided that this raid should take place in two days to bring these people in and take care of them, we cant just let them fend for themselves any longer, Derrick you are to lead this raid." She says looking at her Son. The three just stare at her in shock. This never happened. there was never two raids in the same month let alone back to back. " I know what you are thinking. this is unusual for us, but we have word that the other tribe is falling apart and they wont survive the rest of the month. We need to get to them sooner rather then later. Are you up for it Derrick?" She asks. Derrick looks at his mother and without hesitation nods his head.

 

      "We cant let them suffer, I'll gather up the men." He says and stands up. Veronica sags with relief and standing up goes around the table to gather her son up in a hug.

 

      "Thank you son." She says. She hugs the others before they all leave the room. Derrick heading toward Fergs and his other friends to round them and explain to them what was happening, knowing full well they would agree without hesitation.

 

      Nicole watches her brother with fear in her eyes. For some reason She thought this raid was a bad idea, a very bad Idea. She didn't know why But she had the feeling something bad was going to happen.

Author's Note

Soooo sorry for this being as long as it is. I just had alot to get into it. What do you guys think?