Nicole POV:

I arrived to the house about two hours later, regardless of running the whole time.
I sighed and walked into the house.
I ripped off all of my clothes and walked around in my tanktop and shorts.
I was sweaty and ill.
I walked past the room that had been sealed off - Mom and Dad's room. The New storage room.
Since the day mom and dad died, Evan's job was to take care of me. I love him so much. He's my big brother.
I opened the door slowly.
Mom's mirror was still broken from the time Evan and I had decided to play baseball in the house.
The TV was still cracked where I had ran into the room and punched the TV, finding out about their deaths.
I remember staying in that room all day, being twelve years old, and Evan, his twenty year old self coming in to let me cry on his shoulder and rock me to sleep and let me spend the night in his room beside him.
I smiled.
I miss the old Evan.
I miss living here...
I miss my old life.
I walked over to the white, lacy bedspread that still had a wine spill on it (our father had spilt a glass once), and ran my hands over it.
I then bend down and pulled the bedspread up over the bed and pulled out the shoebox that mom had hidden and only I knew about.
I never showed Evan.
I remember mom rubbing her fingers on the encrypted cover, Ne jamais oublier.
Never to be forgotten. In French.
I opened the lid and took out the pictures. I had never looked at them.
I laughed when I saw the picture of Evan eating birthday cake and smiled at the picture of Evan holding me as a baby.
Then one picture caught my eye.
Tyler and I, nearly ten years old.
I stopped smiling.
It was from Christmas - He had brought me a Gameboy.
I had gotten him Spyro.
We were smiling and hugging.
I ran my fingers on the picture and smiled.
Tears ran down my cheeks.
I put the picture in my pocket.
There were lots of pictures of Tyler and I together.
In the park, the sandbox, playing video games, eating, swimming...
Evan never knew Tyler even existed back then, we didn't bond as well as we do now.
He didn't fit in with us as well.
But now they're best friends.
And I'm the one that doesn't fit in.
I walked to Evan's room.
Delirious took a shower this morning.
But, my brothers clothes were in there as well.
Ew, Evan.
I walked to Lonnah's bathroom downstairs.
I turned on my phone.
I stripped off my clothes and ran the water in the tub.
I needed it extremely hot to soothe my stress.
I listened to music streamed from my phone into my earbuds and soaked and became very tired.

Delirious POV:

We had reached an old restaurant and we started drinking.
Evan, Cartoonz, and I didn't drink anything.
Cartoonz finally stood up.
"I can't do this." he said.
"What? " Evan asked.
"I'm heading back to the house." he said.
He started walking away.
"Hey! Luke! " Vanoss yelled.
Cartoonz turned.
"Be careful with Nicole." he said.
Cartoonz left and Evan and I turned to a drunk WILDCAT and Mini.

Cartoonz POV:

I raced home as fast as I could.
I was at the house in 15 minutes.
"Nicole? " I banged on the door.
Nothing.
I ran around to the windows.
I looked in one of the bathrooms.

Nicole POV:
**************
I couldn't feel anything.
It was peaceful.
I was sleeping.
But my lungs started to burn.
I shouted internally.
I suddenly started to dream.
"Hey, you."
I was walking down an hallway.
"There's my little girl!" My father shouted and I ran into his arms.
He threw me up and caught me.
"Ready? One, two, three... " he said in his deep, soothing voice.
"Go! " I said in my four year old voice.
"Go!! " he laughed and threw me up.
This time, he wasn't there to catch me.
"Daddy!" I shouted.
I fell.
It didn't hurt.
I turned around.
I walked over to my father in my 12 year old body.
Evan was crying.
The machine beeped and it rung my ears.
"No! " I screamed, but I didn't make any noise.
I ran, but I didn't clear any distance.
"Nicole... Nicole.. " a weak woman said.
I looked behind me, again.
"Nicole! Hear me!! Stay with me." The old woman pulled on me, clawing me, hurting me.
"Ah! " I screamed.
"Nicole. Nicole. Stay with me. Stayyyyyyyyyyy...... "

*********************
Delirious POV:

Evan's phone rang.
"Hello?" he asked, smiling.
His face instantly dropped.
"Oh my god. Oh my god. I'm on my way."
He ran out of the restaurant.
I was right behind him.

**************************
Nicole POV:

My eyes opened. I was naked, on the bathroom floor, covered up with a blanket.
I was still soaked.
My lungs scorched inside of me.
Cartoonz was bent over me, giving me CPR.
"Nicole, Nicole, Nikki, sweetie, answer me. Stay with me."
I couldn't move my lips.
I couldn't talk.
The only thing I could do was open my eyes.
My vision was extremely blurry.
"Nicole. No. Don't close your eyes. No! Stay with me!!!" Luke screamed.
I was so tired.
He pumped my chest for me.
Suddenly, a waterfall of water came out of my mouth and I rolled over.
"Nicole."
I gasped for air.
"Nikki, are you okay?" Luke asked me.
I looked at him and started tearing up.
I grabbed him in my arms.
"Nicole... Nicole." he tried to push me away.
"Why? " I rasped.
"Listen, I'd love to sit here and hug you and make out with you, but I can't for a majority of reasons. First, you're wet and unstable. Secondly, you're naked. Thirdly, all of those things will not matter when your brother comes here to see you in the middle of the floor, naked, holding me. Because then he'll whoop my ass." he said.
"I'm so sorry." I said, not letting go.
"Why in the hell would you drown yourself? " he asked.
I looked at him.
"I didn't want to. I was just really tired. All this was completely accidental."
He sighed. "Okay. Let's get you in some clothes." he pulled me to his room.
"Oh, I don't have an extra pair... They're at storage... " I began.
"Wear my clothes." he shrugged.
He handed me a shirt and some cargos.
"Sorry, it may be too big. But they'll keep you warm." he said.
"Thank you." I said.
I headed to the bathroom.
I put on Luke's clothes and sat down on the couch beside him with a blanket.
"Luke." I said.
He looked at me.
"Yes?" he asked.
"Thank you." I grabbed his hand.
He smiled. "No problem."
We were quiet for a moment.
He kissed me.
"Nicole? " he asked.
"Yes? "
"Would you give me the honor of being your boyfriend?" he asked.
I smiled. "Of course."
The door swung open.
"WHERE IS SHE???? " Evan and Jonathan stepped in, panicked.
I looked at them.
Evan dropped his hands to his sides.
"Oh my god. Thank the Lord, you're okay." he walked over and hugged me.
Jonathan sighed in relief.
"I'm more than okay." I smiled and squeezed Luke's hand.