SWNOVELS Chapter 23 — Back Off Mate
-Nickolas' POV-
I walked into school and for the first time, I did it with excitement.
After Dominic and I realized that we could be siblings and were told to go home by Xavier, Dominic suggested we get it checked to make sure we were right and without a doubt, it was a 100% match. We were officially siblings. It seemed that during our parents' car accident, Dominic was announced dead along with my parents. I was taken away to an adoption centre and was soon adopted. Dominic, on the other hand, was taken to the hospital where they were able to save her before she was taken away and adopted somewhere else.
It was a miracle that we were able to find each other. It still leaves me amazed but all the more thankful. The people who adopted me weren't like family to me. They were abusive, alcoholics, and... they made me become who I am. Until now I hadn't realized it, but I ended up becoming almost exactly like them and treated people how they treated me. Even as I built my gang and called them my family, I hadn't treated them all like one. I had to change that. I had to change because now I did have someone I could call my real family and so I had to learn to love.
It was funny coming out of the house today. I had a lopsided grin stuck on my face that the guys definitely took notice of because they all looked at me as if they had never seen me smile. I hadn't told them about the whole situation yet, I wanted to do it with her so when I got in my car I called her and asked if she was going to come to school today-which she was and if I should pick her up, but she declined. I frowned a little but shrugged it off and drove to school. I sat through three lessons, two of which Dominic was in but I didn't approach her, and she didn't approach me. We acted like it was any other day. She seemed as if she wasn't thinking about our situation at all while I sat here overthinking it. Maybe she was going about it the right way though, overthinking just made it so I wasn't paying attention to any of the content, but I couldn't help it.
I was also worried about her legs now. She limped slightly when walking around but didn't make it visible that there was something wrong with them despite being in a lot of pain.
At the lunch break, I headed towards Dominic's locker with three of the guys beside me. The only one missing was Jake but once we were by her locker, I see he's already there, slightly teasing her which ticked me off. I knew it was my fault they got into the habit of it, but I was going to change that now.
"Back off mate," I order with a stern voice, towering behind Jake. He turned back to face me with a grin but once he saw my unhappy expression, his grin faltered.
"What's wrong?" he asked, and I didn't blame him for being confused but I couldn't help it. I glanced towards Dominic who gave me a look, telling me it was okay and to calm down.
Zack then held my shoulder which snapped my eyes off of Dominic and onto him. "What's going on Nick?" He asked, and this time I decided to answer them.
"I don't want any of you to tease, insult or hurt Dominic ever again, alright?" I say out loud, catching the attention of a few people walking by who stop to listen. The bully, calling off the bullying certainly wasn't something they would be expecting to see. My gang included.
I walked around Jake and next to Dominic. "You guys aren't dating, are you?" Blake suddenly asked in a sort of worried tone.
"Yeah, that would be way too cliché" Jake continued but I shook my head even though I mentally cringed at the thought. Dominic herself coughed up at the question which made me chuckle.
"Yeah, fuck no is the answer to that," she says, and a breath of relief goes through the guys.
"No," I start and put an arm around Dominic's shoulders, "we're not dating but she is stuck with me whether she likes it or not because," I look around at their waiting faces and smirk. "She's my sister."
"WHAT?!" I grinned at their reaction and was going to continue when Dominic started shaking from under my arm which concerned me.
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"What's wrong?" I asked, and she snapped her head my way before angrily demanding,
"Stop leaning on me, you cunt! My legs are barely strong enough to hold me, let alone your heavy ass, now get off!" I instantly pulled away and put my arms up in surrender which bought laughs from around me. She probably didn't do it on purpose but the tense atmosphere I had created had disappeared now and for the first time, I felt complete around these people thanks to her.
A little while after, we went towards the canteen, sitting around a table and eating our lunch as if we had been friends for ages. My grin wouldn't falter watching the group around me. Blake and Dominic were comfortably making conversation, the rest laughing along with them. Maybe this was what having a family felt like and from here on I swear to protect it.
Suddenly I felt someone come from behind me and quickly swing herself to sit on my lap. This wasn't the first time something like this has happened, but it still caught me somewhat off guard. It was from Jessica. Jessica was a girl from a popular group of people in this school. We use each other for sex all the time before, no feelings between us at all and it didn't bother anyone of us either. She usually used me to get over her exes anyway.
"Niiicckk," she whined right into my ear, which made me wince at how loud she was.
"You don't have to be so loud, I can hear you," I mumble, which makes Jason chuckle next to me. Jessica rolls her eyes at me before taking her head off of my shoulder and looks me in the eye. "Nick, he's cheating on me again," she exclaimed, "help me, Nick," she said and moved her hand onto my chest.
Before everything that had happened to Dominic, I would have just gone with whatever Jessica wanted. I wouldn't care what anyone would think about what I did but now, I didn't want my sister thinking I was irresponsible and unfeeling like I used to be. I'm better than that. I'll become better. A better brother. So, I was going to say something in protest to Jessica but before I could, someone else spoke for me.
"Fucking weak ass bitch." My eyes, along with everyone else's, widened and our heads turned to the monotone one who was staring at Jessica with a gleam of hate burning in her. Jessica's head turned towards Dominic so fast I was surprised she didn't get whiplash.
"What did you say, demonic?" she asked threateningly to which Dominic stood up and put her hands on the table, leaning into Jessica who had also stood up as if a fight was going to take place which made me look worriedly between them. "Jessica, you're being a weak ass bitch is what I said. You get cheated on every fucking week, so what? It's not like I've ever seen you take yourself seriously, let alone a relationship. You keep making yourself look weak, look able to be used so people use you. Why not grow stronger? Make them weak? Make them regret leaving you?" Dominic lectured which made me smile. I turned to Jessica to see her face frozen. Dominic then leaned into Jessica's ear and whispered something I couldn't hear except for the words, "make him pay," which was enough for me to know something bad was going to go on.
After that, they both leaned back with smiles on both of their faces. "See me after school and I'll help you out," Dominic said and Jessica nodded, genuinely thanking her before leaving with a wave.
Dominic sat down letting us stare at her questionably. "What?" she asked, going to put her hood up when Zack, who was next to her, pulled it back down again. This action caused her reflexes to come in, allowing her to grab his arm in defence but they ended up falling out of lack of balance, crashing onto the floor with Zack on top of her. "What the hell man?" Dominic in her normal tone whilst Zack seemed in shock and looked down at her stammering,
"I-I'm so sorry!" but then he relaxed and looked her over before smirking which made me roll my eyes knowing what he was going to say. "Though, I kinda like this position."
"Get him off of her," I order, and Blake and Jake stand to help the two up.
"In all seriousness though, why were you so triggered at Jessica? She's not the only girl who does that sort of thing y' know?" Zack carried on which makes Dominic sigh.
"It's because of girls like that that make girls seem weak. It makes other girls copy, making more girls weak. It's a whole cycle of weakness. Because of that, it took me months to be accepted into that bar. Because of that, I fight for girls to get stronger."