Title: Things Change 3/?
Author: Phoebe
Rating: PG-13 (Possible, {but I don't think so} 'R')
Date Sent Out: March 24, 2002
Summary: More of the party, then the hangovers, and we find out more 'bout Nick and about Cara's family
Disclaimer: No recognizable characters, names, places, objects, plots, or themes belong to me.
This Fic is dedicated to Lorelai Anastasia, because I probably would have given up on this story a long time ago without her encouragement. And, thanks to her, I have so much support for my other fic ideas! Thanks so much, Lorelai!
*
I was really starting to like Nick. It wasn't one of those things that always happen in moves where the two people loved each other instantly; but it was good. Even though Nick is one of those kick-ass gang leader types, he really is sweet. For most guys, if they were hanging out with a girl that was a friend of Gwen's, with the ever-so-classy reputation, they would have tried something already.
We were talking for a pretty long time, at least three hours, and it was like an exchange of life stories. He has two sisters; one older, Angelica, and one younger, Lily. His father, Pat O'Connor, worked as a manager at an auto shop along with Gwen's father, Tim Shepard. Angelica is twenty with a four year old son, James, and James' father has been in prison for the past three years. I could tell from the way that Nick was talking about James that he was more of a father figure to James than an uncle. He said how he never really took to James' father, Kenneth, and was secretly happy when he was locked up.
Nick and Angelica were apparently very close, and still are. When Angelica told their parents that she was sixteen and pregnant, their father kicked her out of the house. That was when Nick started shoplifting; to support his sister. Shoplifting eventually led to break-ins, which eventually led to hold ups and jail. I could also tell from the way that Nick talked that he held a grudge against his father.
When he asked me about my family, I felt guilty telling him of my completely functional family. I also wanted a interesting story to tell, so my mind wandered from my mother's pregnancy scare when she was sixteen or when a couple of my father's friends died or the story my brother told me of the only time that Eric's sister, Jen, tried acid and had a pretty bad trip. I decided to save my parent's story for another time, so I began to tell him of Jen's worst memory.
"My family basically pretty normal, I mean, as normal as families can get. My family's all really close, like the majority of my family isn't really my biologically family. They were just really good friends of my dad that he grew up with, and now they're like uncles and aunts to me. Although, some I am really related to, like Jesse and Joey (he'll be a freshman next year.). We all get along real well, but some of us are just more, I don't know, I want to say rebellious, but they're not really rebelling against anything. Maybe they're simply more outgoing. Like Eric's sister, Jen, went through a really punky, bad-ass period when she was fifteen. I don't really remember that because I was only twelve and still in junior high, but my brother, Soda, told me a lot about that time.
"Like one time, Jen was at a party with Soda, Jesse's sister, Katrina, my other brother, Tommy, and my sister Nicole. Tommy and Nicole were home from college, Soda was never exactly good enough to get into college, and Katrina was a high school senior. Maybe Jen was a little tipsy already, or maybe she just wanted to do something that no one else she was with had ever done. Someone offered her the acid, and, for whatever reason, she took it. She must have gotten an overdose, or, more likely, whoever made the acid was probably stoned themselves when they were making it.
"Anyway, when it took affect, she started freaking out. She kept saying that she thought she was going die and that she was too scared to die. Soda was definitely not within view of her, because if he was he would never have let her take it." I paused here because I suddenly had this flashback of when I was eight and Soda was sixteen. I had some nightmare that I don't remember now, but I was scared for some reason and knew that if I woke up Nicole, who I shared a room with, she would just tell say 'shut up and let me sleep'. Tommy would probably just tell me that a nightmare was no big deal and to just go back to bed. I knew this already, so I automatically went to Sodapop.
*
"Soda?" I whispered. "Soda?" I asked louder this time. He grunted briefly in his response, slowly lifting one eyelid, showing the coffee brown eyes that were identical to mine.
"What's wrong?"
"I had a bad dream."
"Come on." He said, throwing back the covers off him and letting me climb in. I did so, snuggling closer to him. "You want to talk about it?" I shook my head 'no', so he just threw one arm over me, telling me that he wouldn't fall asleep until he was sure that I was.
Soda's always been like that. A knight in shining armor. The rescuer. The hero. He's not the smartest person around, but he has this trait that makes you want him to be around you all the time. You just feel so safe when you're around him, because he won't let anything bad happen to you. He'll do whatever he can to protect you. I knew Soda had always had a soft spot for me; the first picture that was ever taken of me was of an eight-year- old Sodapop cradling a small newborn in his arms.
That's Soda, the ever-loving big brother. *
*
I realized that Nick was still paying attention to what I was about to say, so I began talking again. "Well, Soda was never into drugs, and he was never very smart, but he knew what to do. He always does. He would never take her to the hospital unless it was life or death, because that could just get her into a lot of trouble. Soda almost had to, though, because she was shaking a lot and he was real worried. I guess he knew that Jen just had to wait it out. .
"Jen's told me this story also and she remembers that it was the scariest thing she's ever done in her life, that she kept thinking she was gonna die. I think that ever since then Soda and Jen have been closer, maybe it's just that Jen is thankful to Soda and Soda's just happy she's alive."
I finished my story and looked at my watch at the same time. I realized that I was already fifteen minutes past curfew at quarter past midnight. I told Nick that I had to go but I'd see him at school Monday morning.
Then he did something really sweet; he offered to walk me home.
It was an easy fifteen minute walk which would make me ever later for my curfew, but I accepted anyway.
*
It was chilly for early October but I wasn't very cold. We didn't talk much on the way home, just small comments about the school or kids around town. When we did get to my house he walked me across the lawn and to my doorstep. I was trying to be quiet on the odd chance that my parents had fallen asleep and maybe they wouldn't realize I was late.
"I really had a great time tonight." He said, in a slightly shy way.
"Yeah, so did I." I responded, hoping that what I thought might happen would actually happen, and it did.
He gently leaned and kissed me, a light, sweet kiss. I didn't object, and was about to push it further when he softly pulled away, smiled, and I broke into a smile myself. He said 'good night' and quietly walked off to the sidewalk and a down the street. I must have looked like an idiot just standing there watching him walk away. I quickly came to my senses and took my house key from my pocket and attempted as quietly as I could to open the door, still smiling. I gently pushed the door open, hoping beyond hope that my parents were asleep. I crept up the stairs, practically tip-toed past my parents room and into mine. Closing the door behind my and flipping the light switch, I let myself fall back onto my bed, reflecting over the nights events.
I realized after a few seconds that I was *still* smiling and had to push myself to get ready for bed and actually go to sleep. I lay in the bed that night, attempting to fall asleep, but all I could think about was Nick.
I was still smiling.
*
A/N: My full apologies for taking three months to get this chapter up, but school has been crazy. Hopefully the next chapter will be up before the next three months are out ;) As always, please review, it makes me happy
Author: Phoebe
Rating: PG-13 (Possible, {but I don't think so} 'R')
Date Sent Out: March 24, 2002
Summary: More of the party, then the hangovers, and we find out more 'bout Nick and about Cara's family
Disclaimer: No recognizable characters, names, places, objects, plots, or themes belong to me.
This Fic is dedicated to Lorelai Anastasia, because I probably would have given up on this story a long time ago without her encouragement. And, thanks to her, I have so much support for my other fic ideas! Thanks so much, Lorelai!
*
I was really starting to like Nick. It wasn't one of those things that always happen in moves where the two people loved each other instantly; but it was good. Even though Nick is one of those kick-ass gang leader types, he really is sweet. For most guys, if they were hanging out with a girl that was a friend of Gwen's, with the ever-so-classy reputation, they would have tried something already.
We were talking for a pretty long time, at least three hours, and it was like an exchange of life stories. He has two sisters; one older, Angelica, and one younger, Lily. His father, Pat O'Connor, worked as a manager at an auto shop along with Gwen's father, Tim Shepard. Angelica is twenty with a four year old son, James, and James' father has been in prison for the past three years. I could tell from the way that Nick was talking about James that he was more of a father figure to James than an uncle. He said how he never really took to James' father, Kenneth, and was secretly happy when he was locked up.
Nick and Angelica were apparently very close, and still are. When Angelica told their parents that she was sixteen and pregnant, their father kicked her out of the house. That was when Nick started shoplifting; to support his sister. Shoplifting eventually led to break-ins, which eventually led to hold ups and jail. I could also tell from the way that Nick talked that he held a grudge against his father.
When he asked me about my family, I felt guilty telling him of my completely functional family. I also wanted a interesting story to tell, so my mind wandered from my mother's pregnancy scare when she was sixteen or when a couple of my father's friends died or the story my brother told me of the only time that Eric's sister, Jen, tried acid and had a pretty bad trip. I decided to save my parent's story for another time, so I began to tell him of Jen's worst memory.
"My family basically pretty normal, I mean, as normal as families can get. My family's all really close, like the majority of my family isn't really my biologically family. They were just really good friends of my dad that he grew up with, and now they're like uncles and aunts to me. Although, some I am really related to, like Jesse and Joey (he'll be a freshman next year.). We all get along real well, but some of us are just more, I don't know, I want to say rebellious, but they're not really rebelling against anything. Maybe they're simply more outgoing. Like Eric's sister, Jen, went through a really punky, bad-ass period when she was fifteen. I don't really remember that because I was only twelve and still in junior high, but my brother, Soda, told me a lot about that time.
"Like one time, Jen was at a party with Soda, Jesse's sister, Katrina, my other brother, Tommy, and my sister Nicole. Tommy and Nicole were home from college, Soda was never exactly good enough to get into college, and Katrina was a high school senior. Maybe Jen was a little tipsy already, or maybe she just wanted to do something that no one else she was with had ever done. Someone offered her the acid, and, for whatever reason, she took it. She must have gotten an overdose, or, more likely, whoever made the acid was probably stoned themselves when they were making it.
"Anyway, when it took affect, she started freaking out. She kept saying that she thought she was going die and that she was too scared to die. Soda was definitely not within view of her, because if he was he would never have let her take it." I paused here because I suddenly had this flashback of when I was eight and Soda was sixteen. I had some nightmare that I don't remember now, but I was scared for some reason and knew that if I woke up Nicole, who I shared a room with, she would just tell say 'shut up and let me sleep'. Tommy would probably just tell me that a nightmare was no big deal and to just go back to bed. I knew this already, so I automatically went to Sodapop.
*
"Soda?" I whispered. "Soda?" I asked louder this time. He grunted briefly in his response, slowly lifting one eyelid, showing the coffee brown eyes that were identical to mine.
"What's wrong?"
"I had a bad dream."
"Come on." He said, throwing back the covers off him and letting me climb in. I did so, snuggling closer to him. "You want to talk about it?" I shook my head 'no', so he just threw one arm over me, telling me that he wouldn't fall asleep until he was sure that I was.
Soda's always been like that. A knight in shining armor. The rescuer. The hero. He's not the smartest person around, but he has this trait that makes you want him to be around you all the time. You just feel so safe when you're around him, because he won't let anything bad happen to you. He'll do whatever he can to protect you. I knew Soda had always had a soft spot for me; the first picture that was ever taken of me was of an eight-year- old Sodapop cradling a small newborn in his arms.
That's Soda, the ever-loving big brother. *
*
I realized that Nick was still paying attention to what I was about to say, so I began talking again. "Well, Soda was never into drugs, and he was never very smart, but he knew what to do. He always does. He would never take her to the hospital unless it was life or death, because that could just get her into a lot of trouble. Soda almost had to, though, because she was shaking a lot and he was real worried. I guess he knew that Jen just had to wait it out. .
"Jen's told me this story also and she remembers that it was the scariest thing she's ever done in her life, that she kept thinking she was gonna die. I think that ever since then Soda and Jen have been closer, maybe it's just that Jen is thankful to Soda and Soda's just happy she's alive."
I finished my story and looked at my watch at the same time. I realized that I was already fifteen minutes past curfew at quarter past midnight. I told Nick that I had to go but I'd see him at school Monday morning.
Then he did something really sweet; he offered to walk me home.
It was an easy fifteen minute walk which would make me ever later for my curfew, but I accepted anyway.
*
It was chilly for early October but I wasn't very cold. We didn't talk much on the way home, just small comments about the school or kids around town. When we did get to my house he walked me across the lawn and to my doorstep. I was trying to be quiet on the odd chance that my parents had fallen asleep and maybe they wouldn't realize I was late.
"I really had a great time tonight." He said, in a slightly shy way.
"Yeah, so did I." I responded, hoping that what I thought might happen would actually happen, and it did.
He gently leaned and kissed me, a light, sweet kiss. I didn't object, and was about to push it further when he softly pulled away, smiled, and I broke into a smile myself. He said 'good night' and quietly walked off to the sidewalk and a down the street. I must have looked like an idiot just standing there watching him walk away. I quickly came to my senses and took my house key from my pocket and attempted as quietly as I could to open the door, still smiling. I gently pushed the door open, hoping beyond hope that my parents were asleep. I crept up the stairs, practically tip-toed past my parents room and into mine. Closing the door behind my and flipping the light switch, I let myself fall back onto my bed, reflecting over the nights events.
I realized after a few seconds that I was *still* smiling and had to push myself to get ready for bed and actually go to sleep. I lay in the bed that night, attempting to fall asleep, but all I could think about was Nick.
I was still smiling.
*
A/N: My full apologies for taking three months to get this chapter up, but school has been crazy. Hopefully the next chapter will be up before the next three months are out ;) As always, please review, it makes me happy