Topic: A Dime A Dozen

Nikole Alvarez

Date: 2016-12-14 02:20 EST
Two Weeks Before Her 18th Birthday

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(Photo reference for Jess, image credit goes to Jordan Todosey.)

It was movie night at the home, a mass of about fifteen children ranging from toddlers to teenagers. Nikki was the oldest, no more than a couple weeks away from her 18th birthday. Jess, a brunette with short pixie hair that was even scrawnier than she but a few inches taller, was squished into a lounge chair with her. She was a year younger than Nikki, but they'd known each other for four years.

In a knitted sweater that fell past the hem of her pajama shorts, she was curled up against Jess, her legs bent and pulled up, her arms crossed over her chest as she leaned her head on her friend's shoulder. She couldn't remember what they were watching, it was some lame kids movie that had come out recently that the home had provided for them. Still, it was something to watch.

Jess' mouth turned closer to her head, enough so that she could feel the heat of her breath and the brush of her lips on her forehead with each whispered word. "They're going to kick you out, you know.."

Blinking rapidly from where she'd almost dozed off, she slowly lifted her head from Jess' shoulder and gave her a dumbfounded look. "What the hell are you talking about?" Her own hiss of a whisper was directed at the girl's ear, her brows furrowed.

The brunette lowered her head, looking apologetic for having said something but she couldn't hold it in. "The others were whispering about it earlier. They said that when a kid hits 18, they get kicked out." Her voice was no more than a hushed murmur, her green eyes unable to look Nikki in the face.

Shaking her head, she almost snorted at the idea. "They can't just do that, Jess. Just.. kick someone out on the streets like that." The home wasn't great, funds were low and frankly the lady running it was a hag but she still didn't think the woman was cold enough to do that.

"They can.." she persisted, her eyes seeming glued to the television screen as she tried to keep her tone low. "Once you're eighteen, they don't have to take care of you anymore. You're an adult. No one's going to adopt an adult." Her head lowered the more she spoke, looking ashamed at the words coming out of her mouth.

"No shit, I already gave up on the idea of being adopted years ago," even to her, she sounded defensive, a wince soon following. "Seriously, though. If they're going to kick me out, you'd think they'd at least give me some notice. What are they gonna do? Kick me out then and there? Oh, happy birthday, get the fuck out!" Her hand clamped over her mouth before she whispered a sorry to someone who hissed at the two to shut up.

Quiet for a moment until attention was turned away from them, Jess continued. "I don't know, Nik. Just.. watch out. Maybe you should figure something out just in case..." Her eyes were still focused forward, heavy on the t.v. screen as she seemed to hug her arms tighter around herself.

She snickered under her breath, shaking her head before letting out a sigh. Her head soon found refuge on Jess' shoulder once more. "Yeah. Right." Her tone was soft, but dead. Figure what out? I don't have anywhere to go, numbskull!

Nikole Alvarez

Date: 2016-12-16 02:41 EST
The Morning of Her Birthday

Those two weeks flew by faster than she'd hoped. While most deemed that moment legally being an adult as an exciting time, to fall out of that 'kid status' as a dream. Nikki had dreaded her upcoming birthday. Jess' words had swarmed through her head through the days, had invaded her dreams and had her waking at ungodly hours with her heart thumping with fear to the point that the blood rushing in her ears drowned up some of the other kids' snoring. What am I going to do? Can they do this? Scared witless at being tossed out like last night's trash had her often crawling into her best friends bed, shivering and letting the warmth of Jess' back pressed against her own soothe her and lull her back to sleep.

By the time of the big day, she'd already packed her bags. The fear had passed into blank expectation, silent acceptance as she waited for the hag of the orphanage to tell her that her time at the home was up. She'd even considered just walking out that morning, telling her best friend goodbye and avoiding the sting of being told that she didn't belong among those that didn't have a home themselves. But every time those thoughts rose, Jess was there to hold onto her and whisper that she hoped that it was just a stupid rumor, that maybe the other kids were just being cruel and making them paranoid. But the sinking in Nikki's chest had her avoiding that hope like Tuesday's meatloaf.

That morning of August 5th, she woke to the smell of bacon and eggs instead of the hag ringing the bell to tell them it was time to get up. Her eyes fluttered open, blinking through the sleepy haze that wanted to pull her under again. When she managed to open her eyes, she thought she was the only one in the room. Confusion swept over and had her sitting up quickly, that mane of chestnut hair wild as it framed a sleep ridden face as she swiveled her head.

"Morning," Jess' voice rang out from the bunk beside her, had her cognac eyes locking onto the pixie haired teen. In a thrift shop sundress, her legs coiled into the lotus position over a neatly made bed, she was hunched over her drawing pad while her hand scribbled something across the crisp paper with colored pencil.

Nikki's hands balled and crammed against her sockets to rub the rest of sleep away from her eyes, grumbling softly. "What time is it?.." Her hands fell into her blanket covered lap with a soft thud, heavily lidded eyes drifting over the otherwise empty bunk room. "Where is everyone?"

The sound of pencil scraping against paper hit her ears, as well as Jess' voice. "I think it's like... 10 or something. Mona let you sleep in, got all the kids up herself and everything," there was a touch of hope in her voice, the scribbling on the paper pausing as she looked to her friend. There was that silent hope of maybe it's not going to be today after all. But Nik only felt like it was that final meal before the executioner's block.

"That's nice of her," her tone was bland, even to her. But she couldn't help it, nor did she take it back. Her fingers raked through the sleep mussed mane of hair, smoothing it away from her face as she looked over to what was in Jess' lap. "What you workin' on?"

The girl perked, eyes widening suddenly as she brought the drawing pad to her chest. "Nothing!" She chirped, as transparent as she'd always been. "Uh huh," Nik didn't sound convinced as she snickered, shaking her head. "Sure." Sighing, she pushed the blankets from her bare legs and pulled herself out of her bunk. The hag's rules were strict on bed-making, it was almost a robotic routine at this point as her hands quickly fixed and straightened the bedding. Her nose lifted to smell the air again, crinkling. "Powdered eggs and artificial bacon again?"

"No, I think Mona actually got the real stuff this time," there was a little excited smirk on her face then, a little shifting squeak as she bounced a bit. "Real bacon. Real eggs. We'll be living like kings this morning," she joked, chin lifting as she shook out hair that wasn't there. The attempt made Nikki sputter a laugh, as she bowed at the waist and dramatically extended her hand. "Shall I escort you to the dining hall, m'lady?"

Jess made a show of fanning her face and batting those long lashes, a smile on her face as she lifted herself from her bunk. She made a point of setting the drawing pad face down to hide it from view from her friend before she straightened her posture and elegantly strode over to Nikki, slipping her hand in her best friend's own. "Oh, I daresay I would be tremendously honored." Her tone was high, girlish and theatrical before they both broke out into a fit of laughter at the display. For a moment, everything seemed normal.

Snickering, she looped her arm through the taller girl's own, hugging it to her side before she started toward the door. "You're not going to get dressed first?" Jess raised a brow, taking note of the over-sized t-shirt and shorts the shorter girl was sporting. Scoffing, "pfft. It's my birthday." Though there was a smirk on her face, it was quick to disappear the closer they made it to the dining room.

Nikole Alvarez

Date: 2016-12-16 03:04 EST
The Evening Of

Everybody seemed so excited to celebrate Nikki's birthday. Mona had even been less haggish than she usually was, only giving the girl a crinkle of nose seeing her coming to the table in her pajamas but didn't ream her out for it. The look was gone by the time she'd heaped the real bacon and the real eggs onto her plate, a smile on her face as she told the girl to eat her fill. A few of the kids mentioned that they wished it could be someone's birthday every day.

Instead of everyone having chores to do, Mona had given them the day to do whatever they wished. Play games, go outside, they'd even taken a short trip into town and the woman had bought them all an ice cream. When they got back home, she'd made Nikki's favorite meal for dinner, lasagna. And not the kind bought in the freezer section, she took the time to make it from scratch. After dinner, they watched a movie of the birthday girl's choosing (so long as it was appropriate for the young'ns to watch, too).

That day was possibly the best the girl had ever had, even birthdays before had often gone neglected or it was acknowledged with a breathed Happy Birthday from those that knew about it. Jess always made or did something for Nikki to make it special, and vice versa. Since they'd known each other, no birthday or holiday had gone ignored between the two.

Even as the day had seemed as perfect as it was going to get, it only rose more suspicion and paranoia from both of the friends. They'd whispered about it beneath their favorite tree outside, asking each other why Mona was making such a big deal out of this birthday. They tried to ignore it and pass it off as... Well, it was an eighteenth birthday. The day you become an adult. It was a special birthday that almost everyone looked forward to. But Nikki couldn't stop her hands from shaking, crippling paranoia that Mona was just trying to give her the best day she could before she broke the bad news.

As the dusk turned into night, and soon after it was bedtime. Though they still had a bedtime, she was more lenient for the older girls there, letting Nikki, Jess and a couple others stay up an extra hour later which they spent talking and some of them tried to get her to tell them what it felt like to be an adult. She'd only responded with I don't feel any different, to be honest. They'd almost seemed disappointed with that, Jess and her only faintly rolling their eyes as if the other girls expected Nikki to turn into an Adult Pumpkin the moment it struck midnight.

It had seemed it was all paranoia and superstition by the time the girls carried themselves off to bed. Jess and Nikki's arms were looped as they giggled about something under their breaths. They were the last to make it to the doorway, but they paused when they heard Mona's voice calling. "Nikole, can I have a word?"

That fear spiked, making the bile in her stomach churn and that painful lump to rise in her throat. The girl's eyes dragged slowly to one another, Jess' own filled with fearful tears as she clamped on to Nikki's arm in a protective way, almost needy. She tried to force a smile, tried to be reassuring. "Maybe she just wants to talk to you.. like, woman to woman?" she whispered, trying to make it sound like a joke but her voice squeaked at the last word.

"Nikole?.." Mona's tone was growing a little impatient, something they were all accustomed to.

"Yeah.. Maybe.." her own defeated whisper came out as she pried Jess' fingers from her arm, giving them a squeeze as her eyes lowered to the floor and she turned away. Her friend seemed reluctant to let go, watching Nik walk off. "Yeah, Mona, I'm coming," she tried to get something to come into her voice, but it was just hopeless, helpless and dead.