Chapter 4-Surprise!
Mercer House-
"Jacky!" Bobby shouted.
"I'm in the shower," Jack replied.
"Oh," he said as he opened the bathroom door. "Jacky guess what?"
"What, I'm not in the mood right now to hear any bullshit," Jack said.
Jack was still unnerved about is conversation with Nikki. He wanted to share his story with her. He wanted to tell her not for sympathy but so they could connect on a deeper level. It sounded corny to him after he repeated it in his mind but he knew her parents and grandmother died and that's why she was staying with Jerry and Camille. They shared a common background.
"Fine," he said turning towards the door, "Then I won't tell you that it's Nikki's birthday today, her seventeenth birthday, and that we're invited," Bobby said closing the bathroom door.
Jack rushed through the rest of his shower. He wanted to get Nikki a present to make up for not getting her a Christmas present, plus it was her birthday. After his shower, Jack ran downstairs to ask Bobby if he could borrow his car.
"You're not borrowing my fucking car," Bobby told Jack who was sitting down on the couch watching TV.
"Oh come on it's a piece of shit anyway, it's not like I can wreck it," Jack pleaded.
"You're not taking my car anywhere. Don't you have money? All those rock concerts and sucking a little dick left and right didn't get you anything?" Bobby said as he threw the TV remote at Jack.
"Come on man," Jack wined.
"No wonder you didn't make any money sucking dick, you're to needed Jacky-poo," Bobby said while Angel laughed with him.
"Never mind," Jack yelled as he ran up to his room.
'What can I get her?'
He found a new pack of cigarette's lying on the floor.
'Perfect.'
An hour later Bobby and Angel called Jack to get in the car. Jerry and Camille were throwing Nikki a surprise party. Nikki hadn't had a really birthday party ever and since she helped around the house and watched the kids, Camille made sure she'd have a special 17th birthday.
Jerry's House-
"Hey guys come in she's almost here," Jerry said to his brothers.
Five minutes later, when Nikki got off work, she opened the door.
"Surprise!" everyone in the room yelled out.
Jack stared at her as she walked into the room. She worked as a hospital volunteer on the weekends. Even in a hospital uniform she glowed. He never saw anything so beautiful. She was nothing like any of the girls he had dated. Most of them were groupies that only liked him for being a lead singer in a band.
"Oh!" Nikki said.
She flashed a million dollar smile as she made here way deeper into the living room
Everyone hugged her as she passed them. Jack watched her hug Angel and Bobby then it was his turn.
"Hey, happy birthday," he said shyly.
"Thanks,' she said blushing.
She leaned into hug him. He felt the room light up and it felt like time grew still. When they were done hugging she looked into his eyes but he looked away.
'God why did I do that?'
"Thanks for coming," Nikki said to Jack as she went over to Camille to thank her for the party.
"What was that all about?" Bobby asked Jack as he made his way over to the fireplace where Jack was playing around with a little box in his pocket.
"What was what about?" Jack asked not caring what he had to say.
"Nothing little brother, nothing," Bobby said walking back over to Angel.
They cut the cake and everyone celebrated and partied. After about two hours, people started to leave. When most of the guest left for the day Angel, and Bobby offered to stay and help clean up.
Jack didn't speak to Nikki since he wished her a happy birthday. He needed a cigarette, and bad. He went into the back yard instead of the front. He heard two people talking and didn't want to disturb them.
"Oh, so how come you didn't invite me?" a man's voice said.
"It was a surprise party as in it was a surprise. I didn't know who was coming," a woman's voice said.
"What did you just say?" yelled the man.
"Ouch, stop it," the woman said.
"Yeah, whatever, look how come you weren't at the club last night?" the man's voiced asked angrily.
"I couldn't get outta the house," the girl answered sounded afraid.
"Well if you miss the next one…"
"Nicole!" Camille called from the back door, "Hey Jack, have you seen Nicole?"
"No," Jack replied.
The conversation on the side of the house continued.
"You better find a way to the next one," the man said.
"I will I promise," the girl said.
Then silence. Nikki walked from the side of the house to the back door.
"Nikki," Jack called.
She didn't turn around.
"Yeah, Aunt Camille called me I need to get inside," she said then she slammed the door closed.
Jack walked to the front yard to see if he could get a look at the guy Nikki was talking to. Only cars were on the street so he went back in the house through the front door.
"Nikki, how did you get that?" Jerry asked her in the kitchen.
Jack walked over to see what was going on.
"I was outside and I slammed my wrist in the fence," she said as she saw Jack walk into the kitchen.
She looked away from him.
Another hour passed by and everyone was in the living room chatting, except for Nikki.
"She's been up thee a while," Camille said, "Maybe I should go up there and help her with that wrist of hers."
"I'll go," Jack said.
"Ok," Camille said watching him walk up the stairs.
Jack walked up to the bathroom door and knocked, "Hey, are you ok Nikki?"
She didn't answer at first but after hearing the sink turn off and after she pulled a towel from the door rack she answered.
"Yeah I'm fine," Nikki called.
"I have something for you," Jack said pressing his ear to the door.
Silence again and then she opened the door.
"Hey," she said letting him into the bathroom.
"Here," he said handing her the small box from his pocket.
She opened it and laughed, "Thanks, but I was thinking of quitting."
"Well that's good news," he said looking down at her because she was looking down.
She looked up and said, "You should quit with me, it's easier to have someone go through something like this with someone else. You know?" she said grabbing one of his hands.
He was definitely in shock.
"Yeah, sure, I can do that," Jack said looking at their intertwined hands.
"Jack, can I tell you something?" Nikki asked him looking deep into his eyes.
"Sure anything," he said a little bit nervously.
"Promise you won't tell anybody?" she asked him squeezing his hand.
"I promise," Jack told her.
"I know I can trust you, Jack," she said taking his other hand in hers.
"Yeah," he said.
"I think I'm pregnant," she whispered.