Chapter Five: Nike

♧

***The morning sun filtered in through purple blinds as song birds announced the dawn of day.

Admidst bedsheets, a blanket, pillows and intoxication, Nike laid on her bed as she slowly forced herself awake.

The sun rays washed over her brown skin, causing it to glint.

Her heavy lidded eyes struggled to focus in the sunlight for a while but she did at last and plucked herself out of bed.

She stretched her numb joints and let out a lazy yawn.

Suddenly, there was a loud bang on her bedroom door.

She jerked in shock and slowly advanced towards the door to see who it was.

The girl held the knob and turned it and to her surprise, her mother laid on the carpeted floor right at the foot of the door.

She froze in shock as her eyes darted around the hallway but it stood empty and quiet.

Goosebumps ran up her skin as a pang of dread shot through her body-blood.

And it was everywhere, even in dots across the hallway.

Nike went closer to see if the woman was alright.

She touched her; her body was cold.. In terror, the young teen withdrew into her room and slammed the door shut.

She couldn't believe her eyes ... but it could definitely have been that it was what she feared.

She locked her door, then she unlocked it.

"Hospital," the girl muttered under her breath and swung the door open.

"Hello?!" She called for help. "Is anyone there?!"

She struggled but succeeded in lifting her mother off the ground. Nike pulled her across the hall way and down the stairs.

"Hello?!" She continued calling out nervously.

"Nike?" Nanny spotted her and grew alarmed.

"I don't know what happened to her. She was on the floor," the young girl shed tears as she explained.

"It's fine. Go fetch Audu, let's take her to the hospital," Nanny tried to compose herself but her voice evidently shook with fear.

Audu was the driver.

Nike soon returned with Audu and they rushed the woman to the nearest hospital.

Nanny and Audu stood as Nike's guardians since as usual, Mr Martins wasn't around.

♧♧

It was dusk by the time Nanny, Audu and Nike returned from the hospital with Mrs Martins.

When they walked in, Mr Martins was back home already. He sat at the wine bar, sipping liquor.

"Good evening, sir." Nanny and Audu simultaneously greeted.

Nike's eyes studied her dad- the man didn't move a muscle even when he saw the state her mother was in.

She wondered in her little mind if it could have been the alcohol.

Unfortunately, she was wrong and she knew it when he got up from where he sat and walked towards them without staggering.

Nanny helped Mrs Martins sit on one of the chairs in the living room.

"Good evening, dad." Nike greeted.

The man didn't bat an eyelid.

"Go to your room," he sternly instructed in a cold voice.

The girl hesitated a bit, especially when she realised that he'd dismissed Audu and Nanny as well.

She didn't have a good feeling about it at all- her parents alone in the living room, especially in her mother's condition.

Nike rubbed her elbows as though frost bitten but she was snugly clad in a large cotton sweater.

"I said go to your room!" The man barked on noticing her unwanted presence.

She scurried off but hid at the staircase in order to monitor her father's actions.

Mr Martins menacingly circled his wife on the sofa where she helplessly sat. Nike watched keenly, her heart thumping aggressively inside of her chest.

Momentarily, her father lit a cigarette and drew from it.

In the blink of an eye, a loud smacking sound resonated in the air- he had slapped her mother.

Nike felt wheezy. She covered her mouth with the palm of her hand as tears cascaded down her eyes.

"So you tried to abort my heir!" Her father thundered at the woman.

Even with the effect of the slap, she sat there immobilised; she was far too weak to do anything.

"She was pregnant?" Nike thought to herself.

She couldn't imagine another child born into such condition.

As thoughts raced through her mind, Mr Martins lifted his hand and struck his wife again.

This time, it left her sprawled on the floor.

Nike's skin crawled with rage and fear. She wished she could help her mother- she was her mother anyway.

But a part of her felt the woman deserved it for the way she'd treated her as well.

Her father didn't end there. He crouched on the ground and took the woman's neck in his palm and wrung it.

Mrs Martins' body vibrated as she struggled the best she could, all to no avail.

Nike ran from her hiding place and dashed into her bedroom.

She didn't want to be there.

She wanted to be somewhere else ... somewhere far,

Somewhere safe, and Rena's house was too far for her to reach at the moment.

But she had an alternative.

The girl slammed her bedroom door shut and retreated into her safe space. She desperately searched the drawer beneath her dresser and retrieved a syringe and a small glass bottle from it.

Her small hands shook as she handled it.

Nike extracted a dosage of the fluid with the syringe and pierced her tensed wrist with the needle.

Her shoulders slouched- she relaxed in the chair.

From the same drawer, she took out sheets of paper, pens and markers and began designing.

A subtle smile spread across her face and soon, sleep took her.

♧♧♧

It was morning again and nanny knocked on Nike's door very early in the morning to help her prep for school.

Nike being about sixteen years of age was in her first year in Senior Secondary School.

She was quite a bright student, a live wire and surprisingly,very social.

It was a mystery how she had become bosom friends with Rena Dawson, one of the most reserved students of their set.

"Nikeee," Rena's soft voice called out from the crowd of students in the school yard once she arrived school that morning.

"In the flesh!" Nike exclaimed and twirled around in her usual vibrant countenance.

The peach-coloured, flayed uniform skirt danced around her hips as she spun.

Little did everyone know that the girl's seemingly natural cheerfulness was a mere effect of the substance she took.

"I was looking for you all over!" She watched her friend's eyes light up with joy.

Rena on the other hand was a year younger and it was simply perfect since Nike took her as her younger sister anyways.

"I've been standing on this spot since, watching you roam like a lost sheep..." her voice quaked with laughter as she held Rena's shoulder fondly.

The latter rolled her eyes.

"Let's get to class. I need you to help me with the maths homework." Rena explained.

The girls marched across the grassy yard and into their classroom- the first door on the right of the second block.

"Let me see the homework," Nike retrieved a pen from her pocket as she spoke.

They sat at Nike's desk with an extra chair.

Rena opened her bag and before she could shut it, Nike took a peek as her lips curved into a mischievous smile.

"What?" Rena asked with a look of slight annoyance.

Nike pointed into her bag.

"What?" She asked again.

Nike repeated her actions.

The third time, she couldn't hold herself any longer and burst into loud, mocking laughter.

"Rena, slice your bread in your house, ni. Why will you be bringing bread knife to school?..."

She roared with laughter.

"Because ... when I slice the bread, the heat will escape and you know that Mandy's loafs taste better when they are hot." Rena explained with scrunched brows.

"Then you had to bring a knife?" Nike teased further.

"But you'll still beg me for some, right?"

"Ehe na!"

"Come and beg, let me see." Rena nursed a frown.

"Shift joor." Nike nudged her playfully. "Do you want to pass your maths homework or not?"

"If you're helping me, help me." Rena responded in a murmur.

"Bring the book," Nike tugged at her bag.

"Leave my bread alone."

"I said book, see this one. You think I want your sacrificial lamb? ... you know that story of this guy- Abraham. This is how he prepared to slaughter his son..." She teased.

Rena hissed in dissatisfaction and rested her jaw in her palm.

"Oya sorry, now... bring the bread- sorry I meant book."

"Leave it, don't help me."

"Rena."

"Hmm? Leave it."

"Are you sure?" Nike pinched her cheek fondly, forcing a smile out of her.

"Okay," Rena finally agreed.

Nike reached into her friend's bag and brought out the loaf of bread and knife. There was even a small cutting board in there as well.

"I thought it was maths we're supposed to be doing." Rena's brows etched up in surprise.

"Brain food," Nike whispered with a charming smile and began to slice through the loaf.

"One inch each," Rena instructed.

"Haba!" Nike protested. "You've come oh."

"Okay, just do it however you like."

As Nike worked with the knife, Paige Nwaokafor, the school's local idol walked in on them, flashing her eerie smile.

The girl was around their age or a few months older. She had beautiful ebony skin and very dark hair.

She was quite tall and possessed an appealing slender physique almost like Rena's and her pearly eyes always glistened with mischief.

Her voice was deep but feminine and she moved quite gracefully with pride in her steps.

The fact that she was the great grand child of the elite school's founder fueled her cocky attitude even more.

"Didn't you guys have breakfast at home?" Her voice echoed, with the famous foreign accent she possessed- she had spent most of her basic and few of her junior secondary school years overseas.

Nike ignored her.

"We did," Rena innocently responded, earning herself a short-lived glare from her friend.

"It doesn't seem so to me. Nike, the bread is not running, oh."

A few heads had begun to turn and the attentive ones contributed laughter to Paige's statement.

She smiled in satisfaction.

Nike endured.

"I'm talking to you." Paige snapped her slender fingers before Nike's face.

"Nike, she's talking to you." Rena nudged her.

Nike's jaw tightened though she endured.

While she still busied herself, making neat slices of the loaf, Paige dug her fingers into the bread and squashed it in her palm.

She didn't end there.

The girl went on to force the bits and pieces she held into Nike's mouth.

"When I speak to you, you answer me. I know you cannot assimilate at this point because you're hungry so here you go- eat!"

At that point, the classroom roared with laughter.

Rena stared up at the girl as her jaws dropped in shock.

"You want some as well?- here!" Paige fed Rena the pathetic pieces of bread as well.

There was an uproar.

Nike boiled over. "Are you mad?!" She snapped.

Paige on the other hand was rather amused than offended.

She still wore her mischievous smile but there was a deeper glint in her eyes like she had orchestrated a show and was enjoying the outcome of it- the girl was quite strange.

"Darling, you're the one shouting and you're asking if I ... am mad."

"You are mad infact! You are very mad!" Rena nudged Nike in the midst of her outburst.

"Oh, please." Paige seemed unnaturally calm; it was probably because she knew it was going to end with her organising a group of boys to beat Nike up after school, as she did with others.

"You're always looking for attention for your sorry self; moving about with pride but you don't even have self respect!!" Nike barked.

Paige grew infuriated by her words.

"How dare you?!"

"Ogbéni shut up!"

"Do you know who I am? You have no- infact," the girl slapped Nike.

The class stood silent after unanimous gasps.

Nike stood still for a while- boiling over. With one swift decisive motion, she pounced on Paige and pushed her to the ground.

Not one of the classmates made efforts to stop her.

She pinned the girl down to the ground and returned the slap and gave another, and another ... and another.

"Nike!" Rena tried to intervene at that point but was aggressively shoved off.

Soon, Nike hit the girl's head hard across the floor.

Other students intervened but got their dose of her outburst either in slaps or punches.

There was a raw, wild look of fury in her eyes; Nike didn't see Paige anymore. Instead, she saw her mother... she saw her mother hitting her...

She saw the woman confessing how she regretted birthing Nike...

She saw her mother locking her up in the bedroom for days...

She saw her telling her to do colouring whilst she was a secondary school student...

She saw her father too- she saw him hitting her mother...

She saw him drinking...

She saw him smoking...

She saw him forgetting her name and substituting it with something else in front of his guests...

She saw them neglecting her- putting their social status and public opinion over her needs...

She saw them overpowering her; lording over her and suppressing her... she saw...

By the time Nike had snapped back to consciousness, Paige wasn't moving.

Her heart sank.

Everyone saw it too.

A sour lump formed in her throat as her stomach tied itself in a knot.

"Jesus!" Nike jumped off Paige as her entire body shook with terror. "She's not moving."

There were shouts of "hei!" here and there.

Rena was just as traumatised as her friend was.

"You've killed Paige!' ... Call the teacher!' ... Call the ambulance!' ... Call the police!" Students yelled in fright and confusion.***

The steam kettle whistled away as Nike snapped back to reality.

She turned the hot liquid into a blue Stanley cup and picked up her brown, leather tote bag.

One glance in her full-length mirror and she was on her way out.

She was headed for the hospital to see Rena because she had to try at least. She was her friend and the only sane person she'd encountered in the entire world.

As she paced along the roadside of the mini estate she lived, her consciousness drifted again.

***It was early September then. It was also a new academic year and the semester was just beginning.

After the incident with Paige, Nike had been duly suspended the previous academic year, to resume on the third week of the new semester.

When she walked into their Form 2 classroom that fair morning, she was more than happy to see her friend, Rena.

As she strode into the room in her oversized sweater and leather tote, she scanned the environment and found her friend sitting awkwardly at her obscure corner of the large classroom.

"Rena!" She called and walked towards her. The latter excitedly jumped off her seat and embraced Nike.

"I didn't know you were resuming today. You came to my house yesterday- you did not tell me!" There was a glint in her eyes as she spoke.

"Surprise!!" Nike exclaimed, flashing a genuine smile.

Her friend chuckled.

They settled into Rena's desk but with an extra chair since it was a single-seater chair.

Rena retrieved a medium-sized tub of yoghurt from her desk-locker with the inscription, S'n'C on the front of it.

"For you!" She presented it to Nike. The latter gushed with gluttonous excitement.

She also dipped her hand into her tote and presented a family-sized loaf of Mandy's to Rena.

"Bread girl, oya take." She teased.

Rena burst into laughter, amused by the size of the loaf.

"Nike ... Am I feeding my entire class with this?!" She kidded admist giggles.

Nike playfully rolled her eyes.

"Shebi you like bread? You'll eat that bread today, ohh." Nike began unwrapping the loaf from its packaging.

She watched as Rena's face lit up with amusement.

Then she realised she had forgotten to bring something from her tote- the bread knife.

Nike even took the liberty of bringing some spread for the bread and even a cutting board.

Rena laughed as she watched Nike transform her desk into a kitchen table.

It was a whooping fifteen minutes until the morning assembly so the girls had the luxury of time.

"You can turn the yoghurt into these cups," she instructed.

Rena complied.

When Nike had judiciously cut the bread into neat one-inch slices, they dug in but not after Rena took a picture with her laptop.

Nike was a glutton, Rena was a food enthusiast so most of their meetings were like this;

And they loved it!

As they ate, the girls joked, laughed and scrambled over remaining pieces of some of the food.

Nike made one joke and as she burst into laughter, Rena followed.

The latter violently quaked with laughter ... and there was food in her mouth.

She laughed until suddenly, she gagged.

Nike grew alarmed.

"Rena!" She exclaimed in fear.

She raised alarm and soon, the teachers rushed in.

The Biology teacher, Sir Hugh managed to push the piece of food out of her air tract- it came out with blood.

The students watched in terror.

Unfortunately it was a bit too late and her asthma was triggered.

Nike watched them take Rena away from the classroom to the nurse's office.

It happened so fast.

The school authorities rushed her to the hospital from the nurse's office and contacted her parents.

Mr and Mrs Dawson arrived in a flash and refused to take Nike with them even after persistent pleading by the girl.

When they left, Nike was punished on behalf of both girls for eating before lunchtime and when her parents were summoned, Nanny showed up as her guardian.

For once, she was glad her parents didn't show up for her because she could only imagine what they especially her mother would have done to her if they'd found out.

♧♧♧

Later in the day, Nike arrived at the teaching hospital where her friend was admitted.

She had come directly from school by begging Audu, the driver to take her there when he came to pick her up. She was literally still in her uniform when she walked into Rena's room.

When she entered, her poor friend was hooked up to an oxygen tank and there were several pipes attached to her body.

She looked quite frail.

Nevertheless, Nike didn't mistake the glint in her eyes when she walked into the room.

Rena tool off the oxygen mask and smiled at her friend.

"Nikeee," she called in a hoarse tone.

Nike smiled in return, using the sleeve of her oversized sweater to wipe her eyes that had begun to water.

She advanced towards Rena and sat at her bedside.

"How are you?" She asked with worry evident in her tone.

Rena nodded and put on the oxygen mask back on.

Nike sat down for a while, taking in the surroundings of the room.

She thought of a way to lighten the mood and make Rena feel happier. Knowing her friend, she reached for her leather tote and retrieved a maxi sized loaf of Mandy's.

As she had predicted, the girl burst into soft giggles.***

Nike's mind had finally completed its journey back through time.

She alighted the vehicle she'd boarded and paid the driver.

Crawford Medical Institute, her eyes read through the signboard at the top of the storey. Her heart pounded inside of her chest as she calculated her next move.

She never calculated anything when it came to Rena- not until now.

Nike strode into the Institute building, filled in all the necessary documentation and proceeded to go into Rena's room.

As she held the door knob, attempting to push it open, she concluded that it was the longest ten seconds of her life.

But she did it!-

She threw the door open.

When she entered, Rena wasn't in. She moved around the room, running her hand through every object in the room- from the bed, to the window, even the little cabinet, as if expecting her friend to suddenly pop out of one of the objects.

Nike gave up sooner and sat on the bed, carrying her brown leather tote bag on her lap.

Soon, the door swung open and Rena entered, in the usual aquamarine dress patients wore.

Her eyes lit up- this time, not with excitement but with annoyance.

"What are you doing here?!" She snapped.

Behind her, a petite nurse followed; it was nurse Kivu.

"Rena, I.."

"You what?"

"Calm down," Nike gestured with her hands as she spoke.

"No! Get out!"

Nike pleadingly signalled for Nurse Kivu to excuse them and she did because she understood the delicate nature of the situation.

Then it was only the two girls in the room.

"Rena please sit at least," she pleaded coyly.

"I won't seat. Nike leave."

"Renaaaa..."

"Nikeee..."

"Rena look, it was a mistake."

"I didn't ask and I don't care." Rena began to move about the room, fidgeting with random objects as if to distract herself from her friend.

"I'm not pointing fingers but it was your mother that brought up the idea and me too- I was scared.

You weren't taking any medications, each time you went for checkups you were only getting worse-"

"According to the doctor's reports!" Rena snapped.

"But-"

"But nothing. Nike I thought you trusted me that I knew what I was doing? ... I understand my parents if they lose hope in me, but you..."

"Rena don't even go there! You're dying for goodness sake and I've buried this reality. Don't tell me that shit!" Nike barked in anger.

Crystalline balls of tears clouded the corners of her eyes.

Rena froze.

She was sober for a while as she processed what had just been said to her.

"Do you think it's easy knowing that your best friend can just drop dead at any point in time?!" Nike continued.

She remembered how scared she was eight years ago during the choking incident.

Tears now flowed freely.

Rena caught the sad flu too and soon, tears cascaded down her face.

She understood- it was as hard for Nike as it was for her.

"I'm sorry," Rena muttered under her breath.

Nike hissed sternly and sat on the bed. Then she retrieved a tub of S'n'C yoghurt from her tote bag and began eating angrily.

Rena soon burst into laughter.

"What?!" Nike retorted.

"I'm sorry," Rena tried to be serious but couldn't help the laughter. "But, you don't know how funny you look when you're eating with anger ... Look at your nose..." her voice drifted off as she burst into laughter once more.

Nike glanced at Rena and met her imitation of her.

Suddenly, she too burst into laughter.

Considering the lighter note, Rena strode over to where Nike sat and stole the tub of yoghurt from her.

At the next minute, nurse Kivu returned and was stunned to find the two girls chasing each other about the room for a tub of yoghurt.

They had trashed the place- made a mess out of the bed, the curtains and even the wall because all these were smeared with dollops of yoghurt.

"Hmm.." Nurse Kivu murmured in utter confusion.

The girls froze in motion on realising her presence.

"We'll clean it up," they echoed in unison.

Short of words, the confused nurse mustered a faint smile and excused herself from the room.

Rena and Nike stared at each other in embarrassment and surprise. Then they burst into laughter.

At the last minute, Nike snatched the tub of yoghurt out of her friend's hands and gulped down the remainders.

"Nike!!" Rena exclaimed in annoyance and amusement.

♧♧♧

It was about 5pm later in the day. Nike sat on the chair by Rena's bed and watched her sleep.

Twilight was fast approaching and the natural light show from the orange and pink sky bathed her warm skin.

On the hospital bed right next to her, Rena laid fast asleep; she'd fallen asleep a few hours earlier and it was quite normal for a patient like herself since she did need her rest to fully recover from whatever was wrong with her.

Speaking of which, Nike did wonder what exactly was wrong with her friend. She was sick!- yea, but only in the doctor's reports because from what she could physically see, Rena was quite fine except for the dysfunctionality in behaviour that she occasionally exhibited.

It was quite eerie to Nike and she didn't want to think the worst but she did have a hypothesis about the entire situation;

It could have been that Rena was well but was simply scared of dying so ended up being affected in her health afterall.

In the back of her mind, she also really didn't want to believe that her best friend was going mad.

"Mad?" She muttered under her breath with her eyebrows etched up and then shook her head in disbelief.

As thoughts raced through Nike's nervous mind, the door slowly swung open and someone entered.

Though she couldn't tell who it was since dark was fast approaching and the room as usual was dimly lit so as to help the patient rest deeply, as prescribed.

Her eyes studied the figure for a while before the silhouette appeared more familiar to her- it was Doctor Maxwell.

"Hi," he greeted in his sonorous tone with a little flaw in the usual warm smile.

"Hello," Nike waved in turn as her palm slightly struggled to surface through her oversized clothing.

"You must be her friend. I'm Doctor Maxwell." He stretched forth his hand and introduced.

"Nike ... Martins; no relation to Honourable Martins," she shook him and explained.

The man nodded.

"Oh, ok. Hmm, is it okay if we talk for a little while? I'll need you to answer some questions about your friend ... that's if you're okay with that."

"Why not? Anything for her health ... but ... no bad news ... right?" Her voice grew sober.

"Let's just leave it at a diagnosis. It's not entirely bad news if there's a solution, right?" He forced enthusiasm.

Nike shrugged.

"I just hope my friend is alright," she commented and strode out of the room as he followed behind.

He could feel the air of intimidation the girl unconsciously carried with her.

He thought she was nothing like Rena except for the trait of strength the girls carried in their hearts.

Rena was quite a strong girl, he thought.

He also felt she was carrying way more than she could accommodate and it was killing her slowly.

Then Nike?- she was too much for him to process at the moment. The wellness of his patient was more important to him.

"What's the news?"

She asked once they stood in the hallway.

"Okay," he slid his hands into his pockets and heaved a burdened sigh. "Can I ask you a question, ... Nikki?" He tried to recall her name.

"Nike," she corrected sternly.

"Sorry, Nike."

"Yea."

"So ... Nike. I need you to be brutally honest with me right now. I mean very transparent."

"Okay?... it depends. Ask away." She leaned across the brick wall of the corridor and crossed her arms.

"Does Rena have any history of maybe uhm ... trauma?"

"Trauma?"

"Yes, trauma. Does she?"

Nike furrowed her brows in deep thought.

"Not that I know of. Well, apart from the part about her being a sickler as a child..." Nike muttered. "Rena had a wonderful childhood."

It made Nike recall hers.

"Are you sure? Think further." Doctor Maxwell pressed on.

Nike shook her head in honest obliviousness.

"Okay." The young doctor looked like he couldn't breathe or would pass out at any moment.

"Well, there's something I feel you should know, considering the fact that you're bosom friends.

But before I proceed, I'd like to know if she ever lost any close relative or family member probably?"

Nike shook her head once more. She felt the questions were odd and didn't make any sense.

Either way, they both sat at his office to chat over coffee, but Nike felt far too anxious to ingest anything.

"Good coffee, huh?" He asked light heartedly.

In turn, Nike picked offence.

"Look, Mr Doctor! If you have something to say, say it and stop practicing your field on me. I'm not a lab rat!!"

She had caught on to the fact that he was professionally trying to make small talk to lighten the mood.

Maxwell on the other hand was stunned.

"It's fine," he squinted his eyes in slight annoyance and surprise and cleared his throat to speak.

"Would you like me to go straight to the point, then?"

"Precisely."

"Okay .. Well, your friend. Like, well I-" he paused for a few seconds and bowed his head.

"You don't need to be so dramatic about it. I already know she's dying. What could be worse than that?!"

Nike was a bold girl but not always so rude- her emotions were simply taking control of her at the moment so she struggled to keep her temper in check.

"Can you calm down and stop yelling at me?- I'm the doctor here!"

"I'm sorry," she raised her hands in surrender, wearing a sober expression.

Maxwell exhaled.

"I don't know if you know about this ... but I've just found out from Mr Dawson that Rena was a twin."

The man managed to voice out the words. His clasped hands quaked in front of him.

"Was? Of course I know she's a twin. Her sister lives and schools outside of town but what do you mean was?"

"How sure are you that ... what I mean to say is, when last did you see her?"

"Doctor, she's out of town!"

"No. She died eight years ago."

"Hmm?"

"Yes!"

"Wait, sorry. What?"

"Yes!" He repeated and reached for his coffee, gulping it down nervously.

"What do you mean? I thought you called me here to talk about Rena."

"We are talking about her."

"Hmm, not quite."

"Just reason. I spoke to my psychiatrist friend and he said-"

"Wait. I thought it was cancer. So, Rena is mad now?!"

"No- not if you put it like that."

"What way should I put it?!"

"Nikki, calm down. I know it's a-"

"Nike! Not Nikki," she corrected, feeling distress.

"Sorry, Nike. I know it's a lot to process right now but I need you to stay with me while I explain this to you."

"Explain what?!"

"Nike!"

"I'm sorry. I'm calm."

"That's better. Now look, Rena's twin had died years ago but she still exists in her mind for some reason and we need to find out what because that's exactly what's been eating her up.

I mean, to Rena, she never died. She's still her sister schooling in another town." Doctor Maxwell explained.

Nike remembered inside her mind that Rena and Jenna used to go to different schools.

Was that the cover and had the girl really died?

Why didn't Rena tell her?

Why did the Dawsons hide it from everyone?- Okay, maybe they had the right to hide it from her since they didn't really like her but, Rena.

Why didn't Rena tell her?!

Could it perhaps have been the trauma?

...

Nike's mind was clouded and tears of sadness and disbelief lingered at the edges of her eyes.

She wondered how many dead siblings her own parents could be hiding from her...

And once again why Rena didn't tell her...

"Now, listen." The man spoke softly despite his panicking state. "I'm really sorry that you had to find out about it this way, but this isn't the time to be upset.

Your friend really needs you." His words seemed to come in ample time.

Nike took a deep breath, nodded sternly and rubbed her sweaty palms on her jeans.

She composed herself.

"You're right." She agreed. "So, what's the way forward?"

"Someone close will have to find a way to make her come out with it."

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