Hey Niki

The rest of the week went by quickly. On the Thursday both Alexandria and I got questioned by the other members of the Chess Club as to why we didn't show on the Tuesday. Honestly, I had forgotten about it that week and I didn't quite know why. I don't normally forget something like that because it's in my routine and happens twice weekly. Alexandria simply said we forgot and that was that. I don't know why they questioned us in the first place, they're all students and the club isn't run by a teacher.

On Friday Tomos had a detention so I walked back alone. I didn't mind waiting around for him so we could walk back together, but he told me that he was fine and that I didn't have to wait for him. I listened and didn't wait. Neither my uncle nor aunt were at the house when I got back. I didn't know where my aunt could be, she's mostly always here, but I figured that maybe Tomos knew and that he would tell me when he gets back. I already knew that my uncle was going to be out; it was why we had to walk back today. Recently we had been walking back more often because my uncle kept having to go places and wouldn't make it in time for us. I was curious but I wasn't nosy so I wouldn't ask.

I finished all my homework and the book I was reading before Tomos came back. When I heard him come through the front door, I left my room and went downstairs. He wasn't alone but that didn't bother me.

"Hey, Niki," he greeted.

"Hey, Tom. Where's your parents?" I asked.

"I don't know. They told me that they were going somewhere but didn't really specify. They should be back soon so there's no need for you to worry, Niki."

"I wasn't worried. Just curious."

He laughed and shook his head. I went into the sitting room and took another book to read. By the time I had picked a book Tomos had already gone upstairs with his friends. Mikey wasn't with them which was pretty surprising seeing as he almost always came over with him, but I didn't dwell on it because it's not my place to question. Just as I was about to go back upstairs the door opened and my aunt came in. She had bags in her arms so I decided to put my book down and help her. "Do you want me to take that bag?" I asked and pointed to the one in her left hand.

"If you want, Niki. You don't have to," she said. I nodded and took it out of her hand. She went into the kitchen and I followed after her, placing the bag on the side. "Thank you. I'd never get Tom helping like this."

I smiled. "Well you welcomed me into your home, the least I can do is help you with your bag."

"You're a good girl, Niki. Your mother must be so proud of you."

"She is," I said before leaving the kitchen and picking the book up on my way upstairs. I was confident that my mother is proud of me. I do well in school and I don't get into any trouble. I don't know why people would want to get into trouble, but some do and that's down to them. I don't judge people wholly, but I'm not perfect. My mother knows that which is why she doesn't expect me to be top in everything I do. Some things that I do become top in makes her really happy, but she's happy if I get good marks but not get top. In all, I'm lucky to have a mother like her. I would never ask for anyone else.

I got through half the book before my aunt called us down for dinner. She allowed us to take them up to our rooms and I didn't go down until the next morning. I don't normally sleep with a dirty plate in my room, but it was on my desk and I didn't want to disturb my aunt. She looked busy when we came down for dinner which was why she allowed us to eat in our rooms. Tomos probably always leaves his plates in his room overnight. It makes sense to leave them overnight because then you can take them down when you go down for breakfast, but I had never eaten in my room until I came here.

Because I had finished all my homework on the Friday, I didn't set my alarm for the Saturday which meant that I just let myself sleep in. I don't often do that because I always seem to have something to do, but I managed to do it and I was happy about it. My sleep was cut short, though. Tomos came in and decided to wake me up at eleven am. "Niki, come on get up," he said as he shook me awake. To say I wasn't happy was an understatement.

"You're waking me up. How is that right, Tom?" I asked. He just laughed. "I'm serious."

"Mikey's coming at twelve, remember?" I sat up and ran my hand through my hair. "And it's nice to see you without a plait. You should wear your hair down today," he commented.

I hadn't forgotten about hanging out with Mikey, just the two of us, but I wasn't quite aware of when it was happening so finding out that it's happening in less than an hour wasn't that appealing. I didn't mind it, though. Tomos left the room. It wasn't long after that I left the room, fully dressed and hair brushed. He was downstairs in the sitting room, and when I entered the room he looked at me and smiled. I just rolled my eyes at him. I knew what he was going to say.

"You listened to me," he said. I nodded and he laughed.

"When's he coming?"

He looked at his watch. "In about ten minutes," he told me. I nodded. "You do know that I set the date up, right?"

I groaned. "You didn't."

"I did. You're going roller-skating." I punched him. "I'm guessing you can't skate?"

"Clever, Tom, clever."

"Neither can he so I guess you can learn together, huh?" He grinned and laughed before getting off the sofa, narrowly missing another punch I had aimed at him. Why Tomos was enthusiastic about Mikey and I going out, I really do not know. It doesn't make a lot of sense, but then he is my cousin so I guess he doesn't have to make sense. Though normally people warn their friends away from their family so that's one bit I'm a bit confused over.

It didn't take long for Mikey to arrive, and when he did he commented on my hair being down and how it looked different but nice. Tomos was standing close by so I managed to punch him when Mikey said that. It confused him a bit but I told him not to worry about it. Tomos explained where we were going before sending us off together. I was not looking forward to what we were doing, but I figured it'd be fun being that I was doing it with someone else who didn't know how to roller-skate. Mikey agreed with that when I voiced what I thought to him.

We spoke about a variety of things while we were roller-skating, but mostly it was just encouraging each other to not give up. All in all it was a fun time because I wasn't stable, he wasn't stable either, so we clung to each other for support. It also meant that whenever we started to fall, the other would catch us easily –or fall with us. I fell ungracefully a few times, as did Mikey, but we just brushed them off with laughter. It honestly made me feel like he was someone who was a joy to be round.

After we had had our fair share of falling downs, we stopped and left. We passed a bakery and decided to buy a drink each, though when we got in there it was decided that we would get an iced bun, too, because they looked too tempting in the glass containers for us to leave without having one. It was a great day and I honestly felt actually happy. It wasn't that I wasn't happy any other time, it was more the fact that it's still been hard for me to live with my uncle while my mother's alone. I wasn't happy about that, and with not being happy about that it made my days tolerable instead of happy. In the mornings I got up because I didn't want to disappoint my mother and fail with school. Sure, Alexandria was someone that I felt close to, but she was a small bit of happiness that I felt during the day. It wasn't like I was with her all the time.

It's four pm when we finally headed back to my uncle's house. We talked on the way, questioning one another on certain things that the other said. I learnt quite a bit about him during that conversation and he learnt a bit about me, too. When we reached the house it became clear that he only walked me back and wouldn't be coming in the house, not even to hang round with Tomos like I assumed he might do. "My parents want me home," he said and I understood.

"I had a great time, Mikey," I told him.

He smiled. "Me too. And you look really pretty with your hair down, Niki."

I laughed lightly, but smile nonetheless. We were stood outside the front door, facing one another. I leaned forward and gently pressed my lips on his, something that he wasn't expecting but didn't reject. I pulled away after a few seconds and smiled at him. "Thanks for a nice time. It wouldn't have been the same without you," I told him before waving to him and going into the house. That was the first time a first date didn't involve going all the way, and I had to admit that it felt nice.