Running Wild in the Night

Still Brian's POV

Nikki looked at us for a moment then returned to staring at the floor. "Okay, guys, this is my cousin, Nicole, but just call her 'Nikki',” Jimmy said, breaking the ice and doing the introductions, “Nikki, these are the guys: Brian, Matt, Johnny, Zacky, and Matt's girlfriend, Val," Jimmy said as he made her sit down next to him.

She just nodded and looked at the painting.

"I did that painting," she said quietly.

I got a good look at her face. She had her nose pierced on the left side but that didn't take any attention from how beautiful she is. Her dark green eyes were focused on the painting that she had done long ago. My eyes glanced at her arms and saw the track marks. She had so many that it freaked me out a bit. Nikki had a figure girls would die to have yet she tried to basically ruin all that. I don't know how anyone could do what she did to themselves. "Yeah, Nikki, we kept that painting," Jimmy replied.

"Why? I painted that when I was drunk and chasing the dragon," she replied.

We all looked at Jimmy in confusement when she said that. He whispered back, "Code for shooting up."

I nodded and simply said, "Its a nice painting...."

"Its the last one I did. I haven't painted a single thing in two years," she said bluntly.

I just looked at her then at Jimmy who was reaching for something behind the couch. "I got you this anyway," he said, placing a present on her lap.

Nikki looked at it and ripped the wrapping paper off. It was a case of art supplies: paints, brushes, pencils, pens, paper, canvas, and the whole nine yards. She just stared at it, not really sure of what to do, and simply said, "Thanks, I guess."

"Maybe you'll see something that will inspire you to paint, Nikki," he said warmly.

She got up, taking the case with her, and started walking up the stairs. "I lost that ability when I started chasing dragons."

"I'm sorry she's like that," Jimmy said as soon as she disappeared into her room.

Val just said, "It's okay, Jimmy. She's been through so much and probably is just angry with everything. I'd be angry if I went through half the things she went through."

"But she is hot," Johnny added while messing around with a Rubik's cube.

Zacky reached over and whacked him upside the head while I threw a pillow at him; the cube fell. "Johnny, you retard," Matt yelled.

"Is she going to school with us," I asked now trying to get the topic off of Johnny's comment.

Jimmy smiled and shook his head. "Nope, she graduated two years ago because she was moved up two years. Nikki's supposed to be in college now."

"But she started 'chasing dragons,' as she likes to call it," Zacky said sadly.

He nodded and just replied, "Hey, she gets to just stay here all day with my parents."

"Jimmy, can you go get Nikki and tell her its dinner?"

We all turned to see Mrs. Sullivan standing there with an apron on. Jimmy nodded and replied, "Sure, I'll get Coley."

With that, he got up and headed up the stairs. The rest of us followed Mrs. Sullivan to the dinning room where Mr. Sullivan sat, reading the paper. "You all know," he asked as he folded it up.

"Yeah, we do," answered Johnny who was back at it with the stupid Rubik's cube.

"Ok, just don't mention anything to Nikki. I don't think she's ready to open up about that," he said as Mrs. Sullivan came in with food.

"Can I see that?"

Nikki was looking straight at Johnny; actually she was looking straight at the Rubik's cube. "Uh, sure," Johnny said as he tossed it to her.

Nikki caught it and sat down between me and Jimmy. "You know how to work those," I asked as I watched her.

She just glanced at me then focused on the cube. "Nikki's concentrating, Brian," Jimmy said, jokingly.

I just shrugged and passed the plate of steak to Val.

"Done," came Nikki's voice.

We all stared at the completed cube on the table in front of Nikki. "That was like a minute," Matt said in shock.

Nikki just shrugged and took a bite of her bread.

I noticed how small a bite she took. It was more like she nibbled on the bread. I also wasn't the only one who noticed it. Jimmy and his parents both saw it. His mom looked sad while his dad just looked upset. Jimmy simply asked, "Coley bear, did you take your medication before you got on the plane?"

"No, was I supposed to," she asked.

"Yes, but you can take it tonight, alright dear," Mrs. Sullivan asked.

Nikki nodded.

After dinner, one of us, not sure who, came up with the idea to do our homework together and that's what we did. Nikki just sat in a chair, reading George Orwell's Animal Farm.

"Does anyone know how to read a stupid H-R diagram," I asked staring at the diagram totally confused.

Zacky looked at it and asked, "Why the fuck did you take Astronomy then?"

"Parents," I snorted.

"Vertical lines are the luminosity and absolute magnitude. The horizontal line is the temperature. It's backwards meaning the greatest temp would be on the left corner decreasing as it goes right. O is hottest, M is not that hot."

We all looked at Nikki who just turned the page of her book and continued reading. "How'd you know that," Matt asked.

"I graduated two years ago and astronomy has always been a top subject of mine."

Jimmy was right. She is a genius.