[ - ]
Table of Contents [Report This]
Printer Chapter or Story Microsoft Word Chapter or Story
- Text Size +
Chapter Sixteen
Point of View: Narrator


"Do you know what a fucking humiliation you are to this family?" Peggy Armaletto had Krystal by the wrist. She'd just bailed her daughter out and was now leading her to the car roughly. She pushed Krystal into the passenger seat and slammed the door before rounding the vehicle and getting in on her own side. "You've made us the laughing stock of the city. Do you know how many papers are going to cover this? How many of my friends and our family are going to see what a failure as a mother I am? Do you think I want that? Do you think I'm proud of you for this somehow? Because I'm not..."

Krystal felt numb. Every pore in her body felt as though it were filled with liquid pain. She closed her eyes. "It's not that big of a deal, Mom," she answered aggravated.

"Not that big of a deal?" Peggy repeated, aghast, "Krystal, do you have no idea how hard I've worked to dig us out of this sort of image? And you blow it in one night."

"I don't want you hanging around with that boy," Peggy snapped.

"What?" Krystal turned to look at her mother. "Nick?" Krystal laughed, "What?"

"You never did shit like this before you met him," Peggy said, "You'll never convince me that you, of all people, would purposely try to steal a boat. You don't even like the water."

Krystal shook her head, "Ma what do you think? That I lied just to protect him?"

"I don't know what you did, but I know that boy is a bad influence in your life." Peggy's eyes were determined.

"You don't know shit about it," Krystal snapped back. "Nick is the only good influence in my life." She glared at her mother, "You are a worse influence than he is," she added.

Peggy's hand was fast and sharp across Krystal's face. The crack of her palm against her daughter's cheek rang in the air and Krystal's eyes filled with tears. Peggy's posture became almost regal in spirit, and she glared at Krystal condescendingly for a long moment before turned forward and starting the car.



"Do you know what a humiliation you've become to his band?" Kevin was yelling at Nick, who was sitting miserably in the passenger's seat of the Porsche, staring out the window, watching trees and homes and mailboxes buzz by. "You've made us the laughing stock of the industry," he snarled.

"It was an accident," Nick whined.

"Accident my ass," Kevin snapped, "You reek of JD," he added, glaring at Nick. "You were drunk, and you stole a boat and then you let the girl take the rep."
Nick looked at his feet, "She wanted to," he said.

"I don't care what she thinks she wants. She now has a criminal record for something you did."

"I didn't think this would happen, okay?"

Kevin rolled his eyes, "That's just it, Nick, you don't think. You never think. If you invested some time to think you wouldn't be so fucking stupid all the time."

"I'm not stupid..."

Kevin sighed as he pulled into Nick’s driveway and cut the engine. They both remained in the car. "You act it," Kevin responded. "Nick its time for you to grow up. Look, I don't know how long you’ve been hanging out with this Kasey –“

“Krystal,” Nick corrected him.

“Whatever,” Kevin growled. “I don’t know how long you’ve been hanging out with her, but I don’t like what I’m seeing.”

“You don’t like what you’re seeing?” he repeated, dumbfounded, “Kev, what the hell business of yours is it?” Nick was aghast, “I’m sorry, was Krystal seeing you or me? And how much of it have you seen anyways? It’s not like you’re a constant presence around me, you barely even know me anymore!”

Kevin looked at Nick, his heart slamming in his chest. Nick’s mouth was running again and there was a rebellious, spiteful air to it that Kevin hadn’t heard since Nick was thirteen and Kevin had asked him to stop running around through the hallways in the hotels in Europe… or when, on tour, Kevin told him that was enough practical jokes – it was the type of voice that was followed up by Nick doing the exact opposite of anything Kevin had asked him to do.

They locked eyes.

“I’m gonna see her if I wanna see her,” Nick said, his voice level, “And furthermore, I’m gonna get drunk if I wanna get drunk.”

“AJ’s not even out of fucking rehab yet, Nick, and you’re already blowing away the one good thing that he could’ve taught you in all this?” Kevin hissed.

“I’m not AJ,” Nick snapped, “Just because it happened to AJ doesn’t mean it’s gonna happen to me. That’s your problem, you know, you treat me and AJ like we’re your twin three year old boys. But we’re not yours, Kevin, and you can’t tell us what to do.”

Kevin gripped the steering wheel so hard his knuckles turned white.

“This is my life Kevin, and there’s nothing you’re going to do to stop me from living it my way.” Nick slammed Kevin’s car door opened and got out, roughly pushing it shut behind him. Inwardly, he hoped Kevin’s fucking beautiful car had a big ugly dent in its sleek side.

Kevin watched from the car as Nick stormed into his house and blasted the door shut behind him. Kevin rested his forehead against the steering wheel of the car and groaned. “Why the fuck can’t he just listen to me, God?” he prayed, closing his eyes and taking deep, shaky breaths. “If he’d just fucking listen I could save him a lot of pain…”

But Nick had never been good at listening to him.