Chapter Five: I'll keep on rolling down this road. But I've got a bad, bad feeling.~Long Way To Happy by P!nk

Garbo ran a hand threw his hair and shook his head. "What am I going to do with you? I asked you not to pierce any other part of your gorgeous body and what do you do?" His girlfriend smiled up at him. "Get another piercing which will look fucking awesome in swimsuit season." Garbo rolled his eyes. "And as for the 'what your going to do with me part, bondage works great."
Garbo smiled,"Would you prefer belts or ties my dear?"

Meredith felt awful. She couldn't put her feeling into words and she didn't have the energy to fetch her cutting razor from her sock drawer. She opened her phone and dialed Haley's number. She only got voice mail and chucked the phone at the door just as Kevin was opening it. He quickly ducked. "Hey," he chuckled. "Just because you were yelled at doesn't mean you can take it out on the innocent phone." Mer smiled. "Sorry," she said.
Kevin picked up the phone and gave it back to her. "That's alright, just aim a little higher? I'd like my head to stay on my shoulders for a few more years." They were quiet for a few minutes. "Hey, Mer?" Kevin said.
"Huh?"
"I'm sorry you have to ask if you want to hang out with us. Remember when I was 12?"
Mer started laughing,"Oh my god. You're bringing up the time when you had to ask to hang out with me and Joe?"
Kevin smiled,"And even when I asked you two still said no. And I told Mom and Dad."
"Good times, good times."
"That's kind of reversed now. Instead you're doing the asking to the producers." Meredith didn't laugh at this comment. Instead she slunk back into her mood she was in before Kevin came in. Kevin continued,"If it were up to me I'd let you in the band." She nodded. "I know you would Kev."

Nick had his arms crossed over his chest, his foot tapped wildly as he watched Joe intently. He had let his brother back in with the promise that he had to watch and make sure Joe didn't go overboard like the first time. Joe held the scissors with a shaking hand. He gasped at the first sight of blood but sighed into the cut when he felt his natural pain killers kick in. Nick waited for just two minutes before taking the instrument from Joe's hand and cleaning his wound. Joe hissed a little when he felt the antiseptic but he didn't complain.
Nick had a bad feeling about guiding Joe through this process, but he had felt so much better after each and every time. Why deny his brother that feeling?

After Joe left his room again Nick's phone rang. He looked at the caller ID and smiled when he saw it was Casey.
"Hey hon." he answered as cheerfully as he could.
"Hi Nicky. Listen, I met up with Hollywood Records."
"And?" he asked.
"They said they like me, but their gonna shelf me right now. Apparently I'll have more potential in a few months or something."
"Aw, I'm sorry babe."
"It's alright. Oh crap, Nicky I kind of have to go, sorry. I'll call later though."
"Alright bye babe."
"Bye!"

After talking with Kevin for what felt like two years Mer finally managed to get him out of her room. She pulled out her red guitar and strummed a chord. She hummed out a tune.

Don't try and fix me. I know that I'm not broken
Only a few scars mark my skin
Just don't ask how they happened to get there
Because in the end no one cares

Joe opened the door. She looked up from her guitar. "What?" she snapped. Joe just shrugged. "You singing about Nick?" Joe asked. Mer shook her head. "No jerk, I'm singing about me." She said without realizing or caring at the moment that she told one of her deepest secrets to yet another brother. Joe's jaw dropped.

Author Note: Another short chap, I know. The song Mer sings is something I wote so no you can't steal it. Not much else to say.