Chapter Two:You come to me with scars on your wrist. You tell me this will be the last night feeling like this.~The Last Night by Skillet
Joe's eyes widened when he saw Nick's wrist. He raised his dark brown eyes to meet Nick's and promptly stepped back and slammed the door and quickly hurried into the living room. Panting he cried, "Nick's bleeding. Where do we keep the first aid stuff?" Meredith raised an eyebrow, she covered the mouthpiece of the phone and replied, "Antisetic is upstairs in the bottom of the bathroom cabinet, band-aids are above it in the drawer." Joe nodded, "Bathroom. Right." He dashed back up the stairs. Meredith rolled her eyes and returned her attention to the phone.
"Sorry, what were you saying before my brother so rudely interrupted?"
"I said, Hot Topic's having a huge ass sale tomorrow and I want your opinionated help on the piercing I want to get." Meredith chuckled and said,"I thought Garbo forbid you from piercing anything else?" Meredith could almost see her friend's devious grin as she responded. "What Greg doesn't know won't hurt him."
Meredith chewed on her bottom lip, contemplating the question. "Please?" Haley begged. "It wont be any fun without you." At this point Meredith caved and pulled out a pen and paper. "At what time will you pick me up?"
Nick was currently sitting on the closed toilet seat with his hurt wrist extended out as Joe rummaged through the bathroom drawers. Nick sighed, "Joe, I'm fine." Joe set the box of band-aids he found on the counter and continued to look for Neosporin. The older brother shook his head. "No you're not. Your wrist is cut open and bleeding." Nick rolled his eyes. "You're making it sound worse than it really is. I get pricks and bleed all the time. I am diabetic in case you forgot." Joe pulled out the medicated ointment and twisted off the cap. "And when," he asked. "Was the last time you sliced open your wrists to check your blood sugar?" Nick didn't respond and Joe nodded,"That's what I thought."
Nick's cell phone rang and he dug it out of his jean's pocket then handed it to Joe. Joe flipped it open and said, "Nick can't come to the phone right now. He's bleeding." Nick's jaw dropped as his brother closed the phone and set it on the counter
"You douche! What if that was Mom?" Joe grinned, "Then she'd have to deal with your emotive-self." Nick's heart thudded in his ears. Joe was picking up the box of band-aids when Nick said, "She already is." Joe turned and frowned. "What?" Nick sighed but said louder, "She's already dealing with my emotive-self." Joe dropped the box and ignored its contents that had scattered on the floor.
"What are you trying to tell me Nick?" Joe asked, his voice full of confused fear. Nick shrugged. "What do you think I'm trying to tell you?" he asked quietly. Joe gripped the counter top, processing this information. Meredith opened the door. "Hey Joe some chick wants to-Oh my god Nick you really are bleeding." Joe took the phone from his younger sister and went out to the hallway to talk. Meredith quickly picked up a forgotten band-aid off the floor. She held it between her teeth as she dabbed the Neosporin on Nick. Ripping off the wrapper she mumbled something Nick couldn't quite hear. "What was that?" he asked as she finished the first-aid. She looked up, "I said I didn't peg you as the emo type." Nick's eyebrows knit together. "What exactly is emo anyway?"
Meredith rolled her eyes. "Emotional Rock," she explained. "You know; crying over your guitar, I hate life, Why me, Why?" There was a pause and she thought to herself. "Actually now that I really think about it, dude you're totally emo." She grinned. "Want to go somewhere with me and Haley tomorrow? It'll be fun."
Joe rapped on the door with his knuckles and leaned on the door frame. "So that was Mom on the phone just now. Nick, you better have a good excuse for that cut 'cause she's coming home, like now." Nick quickly jumped up and shoved his way out of the bathroom. Meredith quickly began scrambling, trying to clean up the mess. Joe helped her for a few minutes, then left to put the phone back in its holder in the living room.
On his way to the living room he passed Nick's room and peeked through the open door. He could see Nick pacing and mumbling to himself, trying to come up with a reason the cut was there. Joe couldn't tell his mother what he suspected. He didn't want to be wrong. But if he was right, Nick was reaching out asking for help.
Just as Joe was setting the phone in its cradle the front door flew open. Denise was standing in the doorway, her purse swinging from her shoulder and an anxious expression on her face. "Where's Nick?" she asked at the same time as her youngest son came bounding into the room. He smiled, "Hey Mom, have a nice lunch?" he asked before his arm was nearly yanked out of it socket as Denise pulled him into the kitchen for better lighting. She began inspecting him and poked at the band-aid when she found it.
Turning to Joe she asked, "You put Neosporin on it?" Joe chewed on his lip trying to remember. "Meredith!" he yelled. "Hold on!" his sister hollered back from upstairs. Paul walked in with his hands over his ears, closely followed by Kevin who shut the door behind them. Cautiously Paul lifted his hands away, "What's with all the shouting?" he asked good naturedly. Joe shrugged in response. Meredith thumped loudly down the stairs, muttering half sentences and curse words as she went. She stopped short in the kitchen. "Yes?" she asked, with a slight attitude. Denise sighed at her daughter's black, chained jeans and long sleeved obscene shirt. She shook her head disapprovingly but said,"Mer honey, did you put Neosporin on Nick's cut?"
She nodded,"God, yes Mom. You think I would let him get infected? I'm not that cruel." Kevin coughed and Meredith stuck her tongue out at him. He smiled back."Alright sorry. I'm just making sure." Turning her attention back to Nick Denise asked, "You checked your levels recently?" Nick nodded. "Good. How did you do this anyway Nick?" Nick shrugged, "I was strumming on the guitar and one of the strings snapped my wrist." Denise winced,"Ouch. That must've smarted hey? Well I figure I'll start making dinner in about two hours. Sound good everybody?" Paul nodded. "I'm gonna go see if I can catch the rest of the game on TV. Anyone care to join me?" The siblings exchanged looks and simultaneously shrugged. The boys all claimed spots in front of the TV and Meredith snuck off to the recording studio.
After dinner the family settled into their usual routine, barely bothering each other. If you didn't know any better, you might think they were normal.
Author Note: Suckish ending I know but next chap is better I swear. In fact if I'm right next chap is longer.