Attention.
It was an incredible thing and the most important thing to Natasha.
As the only girl, with nothing but brothers, she valued being the princess of the family. Getting the prettiest gifts, the time spent shopping with Vivian and compliments on her appearance. From an early age she had drowned in the attention and it made her so happy. But, she was one of five kids, and so she had to share Vivian's attention.
Share her shopping time, share her birthday and listen to Vivian compliment all of them at once.
It was annoying, frustrating, and to her, was unfair.
So, she started looking for attention elsewhere. Admittedly, she wasn't as smart as Nicholas, as strong as her twin, as energetic as Nikki or, to her secret shame, as cute as Nicole. That made her wonder, what was her special trait? Besides being a girl, what was special about her?
Then finally, she found it; People liked her.
Boys wanted to be near her, girls wanted to be her...she was popular. That was what made her special, and like a wolf that had found a field of limping rabbits, she began her hunt. Day by day, making friends, getting gifts and compliments. Making herself the desired treasure of her peers.
It was ecstacy!
Then one boy had given her a kiss, and being kind she'd allowed it. From then on, she wanted to know what each boy felt as they kissed her, an obsession with knowing how getting a taste of her, the one they desired, made them feel. So, she'd hop from boy to boy, making out in secret places, just to know if she was what they truly wanted.
And she was!
The boys blushed, confessed and so on, making her feel a rush like never before. Never had she felt like that, no compliment had ever given her the satisfaction of knowing that she was their desire.
Wanting more of that feeling, she started hooking up with boys two grades above her and even girls who were curious. Simple moments of innocent kisses, gazing into the eyes of love struck students, made her feel powerful and wanted. She had their attention, all of it was hers , because she was what they wanted.
That was what made her special.; Being wanted.
No one could resist her.
Or so she thought.
Natasha sighed as she walked with Nicole, looking left and right for her brother.
Her frustration had dropped considerably, since she had taken several 'breaks' to check out some lovely dresses, suits, blazers, scarves, caps, hats and ... she had barely been looking for Nikki.
Honestly, the boy was a walking natural calamity, and she was sure he would cause some pandemonium, like he always did, and she'd find him. Heaven willing, she would find him before Vivian, and remove him from the situation so her mother wasn't in too much trouble.
"Nicole look at that outfit, wouldn't you look adorable in it?" Natasha pointed to a low cut brown jacket, white shirt and trousers," Oh, we have got to get you it. And me too, I'd look fabulous."
"When are we going to find Nikki?" Nicole asked his sister for the fifth time and Natasha rolled her eyes.
"We'll find him when we find him, don't worry. He is somewhere around here." She replied and Nicole pouted with a cute frown.
"You said that before and we still no find him." Nicole sniffled and Natasha panicked.
A crying Nicole is an angry Vivian or worse... an angry Nicholas!
"There, there, alright, I'll stop looking around and focus on finding Nikki. I promise." Natasha said softly and Nicole nodded his head with a happy smile.
Damn this little adorable demon! Natasha thought as she looked around and saw a pair of eyes looking at them.
A young man, wearing a cream Polo shirt and grey trousers, was looking at them , more specifically her. He had dark brown hair, with faded green eyes like dry moss and freckles. And he was handsome, Natasha thought, freaking handsome like a delicious luncheon.
"Nicole, let's go ask him if he's seen Nikki." Natasha suggested and Nicole nodded his head slowly, trusting Natasha's judgment.
...
"Hey." Nikolai grabbed the attention of a young woman holding a dress," Have you seen a boy with blue eyes? This tall."
"No, but are you lost? Do you need me to-"
"No. I don't need anything from you lady." Nikolai clicked his tongue and walked away with a frown of annoyance.
He'd been walking around and asking people if they saw Nikki but the little brat had just disappeared. Nikki always did this, having a knack for disappearing only to be found causing trouble. Nikolai still remembered when he was in second grade and Nikki had somehow made a fire using crayons and colouring pages.
Nicholas had luckily poured orange juice over it, and even more luckily Nikki had made the fire in a frying pan. So no permanent damage except to the pan, and no one was hurt.
Nikolai really hoped that Nikki was not doing something too extreme. Obviously in his mind, Nikki was causing trouble, but he hoped it would not affect Vivian. He knew that Vivian valued her job and Nicholas would not be happy if something happened on their watch.
Although he would never admit it, Nikolai was scared of his elder brother.
Sure, to his classmates he was the rough bully, the mean kid who beat other kids to get what he wanted. But they didn't know the full truth, that no matter how tough or rough he was, he always reigned himself in. He could not go overboard or do 'too much harassment ' as Nicholas had told him.
What was frightening wasn't that his brother was stronger or a better fighter, which to Nikolai's resentment, he was. No, what really made Nikolai scared of his brother was the look in his brother's eyes. No one else seems to fiully get it, but he does, and it's a bad look.
Its not always there, but only shows when Nicholas gets angry. Only Nicole was exempted from seeing it, but the rest knew it. Even Nikki did his crazy things, with a fear of the consequences.
Why can't I be better? Nikolai but his lip drawing blood, I'm such a loser.
"Well, well, well, what have we here?"
Nikolai looked up and saw the woman from earlier, Miss Suzanne Emerald stood infront of him holding a black purse and looking at him with narrowed eyes. Behind her were two assistants, a young man and woman, both looking down at their clipboards.
"You're one of Vivian's little...kids," Suzanne said with a condescending tone," I thought I told her not to let me see you little things. William, remove him, now."
The young male assistant moved forward as if to grab Nikolai and take him away.
Big mistake.
CHOMP!
"Ahhhhhhhhhh!" The assistant screamed as Nikolai bit his hand viciously, teeth drawing blood," Get him off me!"
Nikolai let go and ran away, leaving behind a shocked Suzanne and whimpering assistant. The second assistant looked at Nikolai's retreating back and at her injured colleague and gave a soft chuckle.
"You... see this as funny?" Suzanne turned her eyes to girl," You thought that was funny? Did you fucking think it was funny!?"
"No ma'am." She quickly replied but Suzanne wasn't having it. She grabbed the girls ear and gave her a livid look.
"Listen here you pathetic girl," Suzanne said softly," If I don't see Vivian and her troop of rats in my office, in five minutes, you will never work for anyone in this city again. Am I clear?"
"Yes... ma'am," The girl whimpered," Please you're hurting me."
Suzanne twisted her fingers and made the girl cry out in pain, but one look made her clamp her mouth.
"Go now." Suzanne let her go and the girl quickly left, her heart hammering with fear and ear throbbing with pain.
"You," Suzanne looked at the assistant who go bitten," You're fired. Can't even handle a child, and call yourself a man? Pathetic. Get out of my boutique, or I'll throw you out."
"Ye-Yes ma'am." The assistant quickly left and Suzanne sighed softly.
"I am surrounded by idiots." She said and left, her heels clicking the floor.
...
Nikki sat drawing on the paper, doodling nonsensical images that would have made Leonardo da Vinci take a second glance. They were scribbles of birds, trees and shadows, a chaotic yet compelling mess.
He'd been doing this a while now and he still wore a loose smile, dreamily shoving his internal madness to paper. After separating from his siblings, he met this nice lady and she wanted to send him back to sitting.
To doing nothing.
He was going to run away, when she surprisingly decided he could stay and draw, while she worked. Accepting happily, his bum landed on the floor as he eagerly took the blank paper sheets and pencils she gave him.
'ting! ting!'
Nikki looked at his watch and stopped his drawing, his smile freezing and wilting.
Time to go, he thought, big brother was specific, I can't delay. Nope, no stopping. Get up. Do it now.
He quivered slightly as he looked up at the nice lady and then at the pencil in his hand.
Oh well, he though smiling excitedly, at least she will no longer be bored.
He slowly moved closer to her leg, his hands sharpening the pencil she gave him. His eyes didn't stray away from her, as he moved closer and, testing the pencil tip, he shoved it into her leg without mercy.
"A-hhhhhhhh!"