david, nic's dad, had signed nic up for rehab therapy a few months ago. it was going surprisingly well, nic was comfortable there. though he didn't necessarily look forward to sitting in a hot, stuffy room in a circle of chairs and discussing why he had started doing heroin, he didn't dread it, either

results were showing, he hadn't used in over three months, and he felt good about it. he was fine without the constant access to drugs, even though it did get hard sometimes. but nic stayed resilient, for himself but also because he wanted his dad to be proud of him again

thus his excitement was rather justified as david declared that nic could pick up his little siblings from school; he got to borrow his father's car and drive to the school to play chauffeur for daisy and jasper. a task that meant quite a lot, his father would not trust nic with the watch over his kids if he didn't think he was ready for it

at 1:38 in the afternoon nic put away the cigarette - the only drug he was still using; the counselor had said he shouldn't just cut off everything familiar and gradually decrease, so the boy allowed himself a small cig here and there

the elementary school was loud with children's laughter and yelling, something that irked nic a little but the pride of getting to do this overweighed. bright colors covered the walls, many drawings and cut outs and pictures of the kids. 117C was the room he'd have to be at for jasper and daisy. this school was unfamiliar, he had missed his siblings' enrollment due to drug use, but apparently the school only hired drop-dead gorgeous people

you were the kid's teacher, stunningly pretty, it should be forbidden. nic tore his eyes away from you and let his gaze roam over the room, trying to focus on finding his siblings amongst the hoard of children. his hands nervously fidgeted with the hem of his shirt before taking the pick-up from you had handed him

"I'm daisy's and jasper's brother," he declared, metting your gaze with a faint smile, "here to pick 'em up"