Chapter Text
It was the beginning of her senior year when she was transferred to Purgatory High, Nicole was sent to live with her Uncle Nedley. It was too many instances of her parents being neglectful, caught in the ‘spirit’ of the world. In fact, it was to an extent that they didn’t care if she went to school. For her first couple years of that attitude Nicole didn’t go most days, and didn’t care too. Until one day, she was caught behind a church smoking stolen cigarettes with no future, no plans, and no background, that she revolutionized. It wasn’t the cigarettes that did her in though, it was the acid she stole from her parents. She was sick for days, from her body not handling it well. Of course, her parents would call it a revelation.
Nicole didn’t care much for it at all. In fact, once the world stopped spinning from the acid, and her stomach stopped churning- she picked herself up from the ground and stomped back home and packed her bag. It wasn’t much of a conversation for her to move in with her Uncle who lived a few hours away from the city in the small town of Purgatory. Nedley didn’t mind, fortunately, she thinks he is lonely. He probably is.
Anyways, that’s how she found herself settled in front of Purgatory High, backpack loosely strung across her chest. Truly the biggest difference, is the size- and the worn down buildings. When she was registered, the receptionists cheerily let her know that the graduating senior class was the highest it had ever been at 56. 56.
It didn’t take much to find her first period, being that it was one large building, and the halls mostly separated by grade. Nicole’s first period was advanced chemistry, and was seated by a boy clearly uninterested in knowing her. He already had his book flipped open, with his headphones in muttering as he scanned the pages. The boy was scrawny, honestly. Even with the heavy coat he wore, his stature was small. His hair wildly unkempt, and overall kinda nerdy.
Nicole flopped her back pack on the desk as she sat down next to him at their shared table, at this he peered up. He quickly pulled out his headphones with a big grin, and stuck out his hand. “Hi! You must be knew, I’m Jeremy!”
She merely raised an eyebrow at his offered hand, “Nicole.”
Jeremy pulled his hand back, embarrassed. “Right, handshakes are weird.”
Nicole laughed, “are they?”
His anxiety seemed to melt at that, “I have no idea.”
“Okay class, this is advanced chemistry, no this isn’t Hogwarts, and no I don’t know how to make a bomb…”
If Nicole thought that would be the weirdest class, she was severely underestimated Purgatory High. By far the weirdest class she had was her 3rd period before lunch, with Ms.Earp, the health teacher. The woman was late to class, first of all, they were all seated in their desks, thoroughly confused when the bell rang for class to start and the instructor was nowhere to be found. After about 10 minutes, a bottle clanked behind a desk with a muffled groan.
“Ugh, fuck.” A woman’s voice mumbled behind the desk.
The class stilled at that, and Nicole peered at the desk, leaning over to the side and caught a glimpse of a boot. What the fuck? The boot shifted over unsteadily, scuffing against the ground as the owner of it tried to get footing to stand up. Hands grasped at the desk, as the woman pulled up. She was a young woman, in a leather jacket, and jeans. Once up she leaned against the desk, and looked up. “Uhh, I meant frick?”
A laugh burst from Nicole, and the woman merely peered over with a grin, before bringing her hands out in a bowing motion. “I’m Wynonna, and I will be your health teacher for this semester.”
The class whooped at that. After Wynonna’s scene, to Nicole’s relief the class went rather normally with a syllabus being passed out, and after that she merely slumped behind the desk and encouraged everyone to get to know each other until the bell rang.
Behind her a group of jocks fussed behind her, scooting there desks around and laughing viciously, in the midst of the blocks of testosterone filled boys, a guy sat in the middle. He had some tattoos spanning his forearms, and had gelled back hair, and most disgustingly was meeting her gaze with a salacious smirk. Nicole felt the edges of her lips grimace at that, as she caught her eyes and gave her a slow once over. Her stomach turned, and looked away. If only he knew pal, she would rather kiss a rake than touch a gelled strand of his clearly unwashed hair. She could literally smell the axebody-spray from her desk a couple feet away.
“Hey are you going to try out for a male cheerleader, they have a sign up sheet, so they can try to make it to nationals this year.” A boy beside him asked, leaning forward in his desk.
“No, that shit is for fags.” Axe body-spray spat, crossing his arms.
Nicole crunched the syllabus in her hand at the term, as she eavesdropped. If only his axe body spray could cover his bigotry.
“I'm just saying, bro. Lifting all those girls, get some mid air action, with those skirts.”
Axe body-spray smirked at that, “I don’t need to be a fag-leader to get some action, besides sometimes Waverly wears the skirt during.”
The minute that came out his mouth, there was a shuffle at the front desk as Wynonna leaned forward. Wynonna’s mouth quirked down, clearly mad and disgusted. She opened her mouth for a moment, after a second, she closed it again before shaking her head.
Nicole’s brow furrowed as she watched the change in Wynonna as she leaned back down into her desk.
The boys laughed behind her again, all nudging the boy. “Champ, bro. I can’t get Chrissy to even do it with the lights on.”
Ah, Champ. Fitting for a boy who coats himself in body spray, and shitty flash tattoos. Nicole’s mind couldn’t help but wonder and poke viciously at the boy group behind her. In nature Nicole really doesn’t try to be vindictive, she wants to like people and be nice. In all honesty, she really just blames it on the teen hormones. Or maybe it’s just on the fact that, the guys behind her are just assholes.
“Nah, man. Waverly is a freak.” Champ boasted, puffing his chest out.
At that, the boys cracked up again. Nicole wanted nothing more put her head through the desk of maybe even test out how much pressure it would take to put a pencil through her hand. Honestly, Wynonna would probably let her.
At the reminder of the teacher, Nicole looked up again and it seems like she wasn’t the only one eavesdropping. Wynonna’s face seemed to only get a deeper grimace as time went on, her own hand on the desk was curled. The ongoing war on her face looks to be lost, as she opened her to address the boys in the back of the room.
The bell rang.
As the class shuffled out, Wynonna stood up. “Don’t forget there is a sign up sheet for cheerleading, boys and girls this year. Don’t be a chicken shi- shirt. Don’t be a chicken shirt.” She called out, stumbling over the last sentence and picking up the sign up sheet from her desk and waving it at everyone leaving. She caught Nicole’s eye as she was walking by her desk, Wynonna inclined her head, raising her eyebrows at Nicole as she inched the paper toward her.
Nicole do cheerleading? Yeah right. Not only was she almost 6 foot, but she had the body of a teenage boy, and not to mention she enjoyed watching the cheerleaders, more than actually doing it. And that’s totally in a gay way, not just enjoying the art thing. As Nicole walked by she merely shook her head, and walked out.
The lunchroom wasn’t far off, merely down the stairs. If the school was small, the cafeteria itself was more like the gym, that was multi-purposed into the cafeteria. A couple different sets of tables, and 2 vending machines, truly the shining beacon for Purgatory High. Nicole ended up sending on the edge of the cafeteria with her brown bag in hand. Nedley in preparation for school had gotten a plethora of ‘lunch’ items. Nicole’s heart couldn’t help but warm up in appreciation at the sentiment, even though he got the most randomized lunch items she had ever seen. He got baloney, and cheese, and jam, with no bread. Nicole managed to make a rolled up cheese and baloney thing, with a little bag of pretzels, and a V8..?
Nicole only got a part way through her baloney and cheese roll, before a pair sat down at her table. Immediately she recognized the familiar face or Jeremy, and a random boy beside him. “Hey Nicole!” He greeted cheerily, putting his tray down, and discarding his backpack.
The boy beside him sat down with his own lunch bag and smiled at her. Jeremy was already picking at his plate and shoving fries into his mouth, before he realized the lack of introductions.
“This is Robin.” He said through a mouth full of french fries.
Robin had the decency to look embarrassed for him, and nodded at her. “So you are new, here?”
“Yup.”
Robin took the silence after that to berate Jeremy as he coughed heavily as he choked on a french fry. “Babe can you please be more careful, and eat like a normal person?” Robin sighed, silently handing over his water bottle for Jeremy to drink.
Nicole’s eyebrows rose at this. Babe? Her mind ran at that, for such a small town she hadn’t anticipated to fellow gays here.
Despite Jeremy choking he seemed to catch on to this. “I was assuming you were okay with that considering..” He began unsurely, looking over at Robin to who looked away, “because you’re a lesbian?” Jeremy coughed out, shoving more french fries in his mouth.
The pretzel in Nicole’s hand snapped, she didn’t anticipate to be called out so fast. To be fair, she supposed, she couldn’t even attempt to act offended by the way she dressed and acted. The mountain hiking boots with jeans and a sweatshirt didn’t help her case. She let the pretzel fall from her hand, before clearing her throat. “Uh, yeah.”
The tension around the table dissipated immediately, like poking a hole in a balloon.
“Phew.” Jeremy breathed, “could you imagine if we got that wrong?”
Robin laughed at that, and set his hand over Jeremy’s on the table. “Honey, how could we be wrong with those boots she’s wearing?”
“Hey!” Indignation rose in Nicole, she loved her boots. They were good boots!
Her rage was cut short, at the static of a microphone cutting through the cafeteria. Nicole turned around at the noise, and was met with a full group of cheerleaders standing on the stage, and a smaller girl holding the microphone. The woman tapped it again, before bringing it to her lips.
“Hi, everyone! I hope everyone is having a good first day, and to make sure it stays this way. We have set up a demonstration by the cheerleading squad.If any of you didn’t know, this year we are welcoming male-cheerleaders, or really anyone who wants to join in on the fun!” The woman giggled, smiling prettily at the crowd. She twirled her hair nervously as she held the microphone before continuing. Wow, she was beautiful.
“Anyways, we hope you enjoy and go Revenants!”
The woman handed the microphone off to an attendee off to the side, before the cheerleaders started to get into formation. They all closed off into one single file line before the music started. As soon as the pop rang through the speakers, they began to bump their hips and and step forward. They picked up the pom-poms, before snapping their arms in one direction and then the other, before making a full turn around. Most importantly the girl at the front, who was speaking in the microphone, once turned around caught Nicole’s eye. The minute the girl smiled at her as popped her hip to one side as she danced to the music, Nicole’s gay heart couldn’t help but swoon.
It seemed like every time Nicole thought she could look away, or the woman turned around, she managed to make eye contact again in smile. All Nicole could do in response is dig her nails into her jeans, and wonder if she is having a heart attack. Between such a beautiful girl dancing in such a short skirt, and looking at her at the same time, Nicole was a goner. It didn’t help that between her overwhelming smile, and mischievous eyes, but her long brown hair that was as much as part of the dance as her body.
God, Nicole was so gay.
And her gay heart was broken with the song ended with a fancy flourish of pom-poms. As everyone clapped around her, Nicole could only open her mouth and close it. The woman was smiling so shyly at the applause, looking around the crowd and catching Nicole’s eye for a moment more.
If Nicole thought that would break her gay heart, then surely it was ran over when Nicole smiled back at the woman when there gazes caught again- and was ultimately broken by a man grabbing her by the waist and kissing her firmly on the lips. Vroom. A truck right over her pathetic heart. God, Nicole she smiled at you during a dance, stop being a U-haul lesbian.
She couldn’t help berate herself as she looked away for a moment, and looked back again and recognized the man.
Champ.
Nicole’s mouth curled in disgust. It’s not only the fact that such a pretty girl like her was taken, but was taken by such a douche bag. That must be Waverly, her mind remembers from class early. In the same instance her mind sighs longingly. Waverly.
Beside her Jeremy was still clapping lightly. Robin could only sigh, and Nicole? Well she could only agree.
The mentality stuck until she got home. In an ironic tell of fate as she was met with Nedley’s cat, Calamity-Jane. Her hand run absentmindedly through her fur, as she went to her room. It was mostly empty, but ultimately it was hers. She had a room with her parents, but it never really felt like a room, because her parents were never home, and even when they were, they never really paid attention to her. At that rate her bedroom felt like a prison, and she herself held her own key. Ultimately Nicole knew at some point she outgrew that when she began sneaking out, which wasn’t even really sneaking out, because her parents didn’t care. At that rate she could walk out the door, at midnight and there wouldn’t be any fuss.
Nicole sighed as she laid down, Calamity-Jane beside her. Her mind ran through the days events, a win she supposes at making 2 friends. Her classes were fine, she really wasn’t that behind. Although, Nicole isn’t sure how she should feel about Ms.Earp’s class, especially about the troubling feeling that the teacher probably passed out drunk behind the desk. And the fact that everyone casually seemed to know that, but no one cared. Then there was Champ.
Fuck Champ, her mind decides.
Fuck Waverly, her mind hopes.
No, you useless lesbian.
God, Nicole. All she did was smile at you while she was performing. She wiped her hand frustratedly over her face as she thought about Waverly. She was so beautiful, and the way she smiled so happily, and genuinely. She was like her own walking sunshine, and Nicole couldn’t help but be pulled in. I mean, who could blame her for wanting to be around something that radiated so brightly.. And for that to be near such a shit bag.
Nicole groaned again.
She was going to get through this year without embarrassing herself, and then she was going to get the hell out of this town and do something with her life. Nicole couldn’t help but berate herself and her heart. You just saw her. You haven’t even met her, you creep. You are going to ignore Waverly, and the body axe aisle.
Nicole groaned again before sitting up, she peered over at the Stetson hat on her dresser with a thoughtful glance. What if she did talk to Waverly? Just so she can meet her and prove to her useless gay heart that it isn’t something to pursue, and she couldn’t be all that special.
“A gay plan.” She agrees, mindlessly.
Silence.
“A great plan, I meant damnit!” Nicole berates herself, running her hand through her hair. As she looks over again, her eyes catch over the stack of cards lying on the desk. She is up and over to the desk in an instant, flipping one over in her hand.
It was from a graphic design project she did a couple months ago, and she was so proud that she kept them. They were business cards of a profession of her choice, and she thought if she kept them, that she felt closer to getting there. The cards themselves weren’t anything distinct by any means, just her name, and other information. Nicole’s mind was made up. She would give one to Waverly and walk away, she would say hi and give her one, and it would be a joke. They would laugh, Waverly would say something to reveal her true nature, and then Nicole could get on with her gay life.
Nicole’s thumb traced over the card.
Nicole Rayleigh Haught
Deputy Sheriff