It was first thing in the morning and for whatever reason my internal clock goes off early no matter what time I fall asleep. I grab the remote off the night stand and turn to CNN. There was a knock on the door and I roll over to see Nick dead to the world. I look at myself quickly in the mirror and smooth down my clothes as I make my way to the door. I open it and I'm face to face with Kevin,
"Uh Quinn? What are you doing here?" He shakes his head as if there is only one reason I would be in Nick's room and he was stupid for asking. Although I wouldn't mind if what he was thinking actually happened I'm a little embarrassed that he thinks it,
"We were all hanging out last night and I fell asleep during the movie." He nods but it was more like a yeah right nod,
"Nothing happened." He nods again, not attempting to relieve me of my unnecessary shame,
"Nick isn't up huh?" I shake my head and step aside just in time as he breezes past me and starts looking around the room,
"He has one of my CDs. If I don't get it now it'll be added to his collection, Nick and AJ don't borrow they take." Nick borrowed one of Kevin's CDs? Maybe it was one of those nature CDs, the sound of the ocean, so he could fall asleep. I smile,
"This is so ridiculous. This country is going to hell." Over a CD? I look over to see him sitting on the couch shaking his head at the TV,
"What?" I stand beside the couch,
"The Supreme Court ruled that pornographic computer generated images of kids isn't child pornography. That's sick, why would anyone want to see sexual images of children?" I heard about that ruling and I totally agreed with the Supreme Court,
"Can you believe that? Doesn't that piss you off?" I could have waited to see if it was rhetorical but I spoke before my mind truly gave it thought,
"Ok, I don't know how to say it so I'll just come out and say it, I agree with the decision." He turned and looked at me,
"What? Are you serious?" I was about to sit down, but I argue better standing up and I have a feeling this wasn't going to be a chat over tea and cookies,
"It's sick doing that to kids." I shake my head,
"They aren't doing anything to kids. It's not real kids." He looks pissed and I hold up my hands,
"Ok, look the government says we're doing this for the kids and people are ready to give up all their rights, and they stop thinking things through. Like, hey if it's for the kids ok, anything to protect the kids. I'm for protecting kids too but banning the computer generated images isn't going to do it. Some people are sick and it's sad that something like that turns them on but you can't regulate people's thoughts and sicknesses if they aren't harming someone." He continues to look at me like I have a second head,
"Things like that lead to child porn and molesting kids." I shake my head,
"One man's art is another man's porn." He seems to get angrier and angrier with every word I speak,
"How can you say that is art?" I shrug,
"I'm not saying it's art, personally I think it's sick. I'm just saying people have different opinions on what is art and what is porn. Look, you can take this same decision if the Supreme Court ruled that it was illegal and pornographic and ban Lolita and American Beauty and a whole lot of other things." He snorted,
"American Beauty? With Kevin Spacey and Annette Benning? Won numerous Oscars?" I smile, "Yes, the teenager who was naked except for strategically placed rose petals, that could be considered porn. The father saw the girl in a sexual manner and even kissed her...and for the record, I don't see what the hype was over that movie." He shook his head,
"But, the actress was an adult she wasn't really a teenager." I nod and smile as I raise my eyebrows, he did exactly what I wanted him to do, made my point for me,
"Kind of like how computer generated images aren't really kids huh?" I smile as the realization washes over his face,
"It's a slippery slope you can't stop once it starts." He shook his head,
"That was a good point, I still don't agree with the decision and I still think
it's wrong." We hear someone clearing their throat and look over to see Nick propped up on one arm,
"Good fight, never seen Kevin get shut down. You should come on the road with us, he loves to debate stuff like that." I smile,
"Good morning." He smiles and stretches his arms over his head,
"Morning...what are you doing here?" Kevin stood up,
"Looking for my CD....where is it?" Nick yawns and frowns,
"I dunno, on the bus I don't think I brought it in here. I'll go down and get it later." Kevin rolls his eyes and sighs,
"You better." he turns his attention to me,
"We'll continue this later." I smile and nod,
"Ok." He walks out the door and I turn to see Nick walking towards the bathroom,
"You're really smart." I smile and watch him disappear into the bathroom.
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Mixed Feelings
Chapter 32