Chapter 1; Nick's POV

I sat on my couch in my living room watching TV. It seems like that's all I ever do these days. Sit around. I'm not so busy now since me and my brothers dropped the music for a little. I still write every now and then though. It keeps my thoughts out of my head.

The phone rings and I get up to answer it.

"Hello?" I answer listening to a child crying in the background. It's probably Kevin.

"Hey Nick. It's Kevin." I know his kids cry from mile away. It cries so often…

"I know. I can hear your kid. What's up?"

"Well Danielle and I were in the neighborhood and we wanted to stop by with Christopher."

"Okay. Are you really in the neighborhood, or do you just need an excuse to get C out of the house?"

"Um, the second one. Is it alright if we come over in 10?"

"Yeah, see you then." I hang up the phone and start straightening up my apartment. It was such a mess.

Sooner than I thought, the doorbell rings. I guess C really needed to get out.

"Thank goodness! Here!" Kevin shoves Christopher at me as soon as I open the door.

"Hey little C!" The 1 year old, who I call C, gives me a toothy smile and I give him a squeeze. "Here come on in."

"Nick, Christopher just loves you! I try so hard to get him to laugh and smile like he does with you, but it's just not the same." Danielle says. It was their first baby and she always had stories about how hard it really was.

"What can I say? The kid loves me!" I joke around and lead them to the couch, where we sit down, C on my lap.

"So have you heard from Joe lately?" I ask Kevin. Joe was the one that moved away and was a little more secluded. We continually had to check up on him, just to make sure he's not into trouble.

"I guess he's going to propose to Rachel next week. That's the last I heard." Kevin said.

"Oh really? Is this the girl he's been dating for awhile now?" I get up and put Christopher on the floor with a toy they brought. "Let me get you some drinks."

"Yeah, he thinks she's the one." Kevin tells me as I walk into the kitchen. "I just hope he's not being careless. He's broken too many girls hearts…" Then Kevin launches into a story about the last girl Joe dated.

When his story is over, it goes quiet in the living room. I know that means they are talking. Kevin is never quiet and Danielle really never is either. Then I hear Christopher start crying again and I figure it's okay to join them again.

"Here you go." I set the drinks down on the table. "Come here C." I pick him up. "What were you guys talking about?" I look down at Christopher.

It gets quiet again and I look over at Kevin and Danielle. She is giving him a stern look.

"Just tell me. Is it about me?"

"Well…We just think you should go somewhere. Do something."

"I get out! I go places!"
"Where? C'mon Nick. We mean you should go somewhere. Like out of state. You sit around here all day. You need to."

Kevin and Danielle didn't stay long after that. I think they could tell I was a little frustrated with them. As soon as I shut the door though I could her Christopher crying again.

All night I thought about what they said. I couldn't sleep that night and figured I do need to go somewhere, do something.

The next morning I booked a flight, packed my bags, and that afternoon, left for somewhere I thought I'd never go again.