He did it for her. She knew it. There wasn�t a doubt he made that girl put out her cigarette because he knew she didn�t like the smell of cigarettes. He smoked occasionally and he and Josh were used to Mike�s obvious addiction to nicotine. Mike screamed out obnoxiously,
�Yeah, that�s right motherfucker. I told you. I told you.� His little friend felt the need to congratulate him like he had actually accomplished something instead of simply winning some stupid video game. Josh conceded defeat and tossed the controller on the floor. He smiled at her and patted on her the shoulder,
�I need some fresh air. How about you?� She nodded and followed him out to the balcony. There were two chairs positioned out towards the city. She took his cue and sat down not knowing what to say.
�I know I said this already bit I�m so happy Mac�s surgery went well. Nick loves her so much. The way he talks about her. When you guys took those pictures he scanned them and put them up on his website.� His website. Not the group�s website. Can�t be. She wracked her brain for a few minutes before giving up and asking,
�What website?� His eyes widened just enough for her to know that he figure she should know about this website.
�Nick has his own website. It�s not something he broadcasts. Its mostly just a bunch of us talking to each other. It�s actually a message board. You have to have a username and password to get in. You see it�s better than chatting because you don�t have to be on at the same time to communicate. You can say whatever and it stays there and everyone can see it and all the replies.� She wanted to laugh but she decided against bursting his bubble. Why not let him think he was teaching her something.
�So anyway, he posted them for us to see.� She laughed lightly out of shock and because she didn�t know what else to do.
�I didn�t even know he had a site.� He nodded,
�Yeah, it�s completely secret. He�s the only one that controls it. He lets people in and can delete anyone he wants.� So Nick had his own little corner in cyberspace. Who would have thought that. Certainly not her.
�He never ceases to amaze me.� She hadn�t realized she had said that aloud until Josh said responded by saying Nick was a great guy who never received enough credit for the good he did.
�He only gets acknowledged for coming up short on that being a perfect person pop star idol shit.� She had to admit she had jumped on that bandwagon. For all of his shortcomings Nick was still a good person, a funny person, an overall good guy and she let that slip her mind.
She was being stared at by Josh and it made her a little uncomfortable,
�What?� He smiled at her. That smile that was all knowing. That smile that made him seem smarter than her.
She and Josh walked back into the hotel room; she sat on the couch and he went off into one of the bedrooms. Mike and his friend were watching television and she wanted so desperately to disappear. She hoped they wouldn�t say anything to her and she prayed Larry would come back soon and take her home. She sat with her arms crossed looking off in the distance when suddenly she heard loud music. Mike�s friend was putting on a little dance for him and Quinn wanted to puke. She looked like trash. She wasn�t just sleazy she looked nasty, she looked like she spent a lot of time on her knees.
Larry walked out and looked around just as Mike and his friend entered into the other bedroom. Soon Nick and Josh came out and Nick flopped down beside her. She wanted to take that as a sign; that he was willing to sit so close to her. Maybe he wasn�t so mad at her anymore. Maybe he would forgive her for the way she acted the day before. He sighed and closed his eyes,
�I can not stay here.�
�Stay in your own room.� He shook his head,
�Josh my mom turned our room into her office. Phones ringing, her assistant is even there. Forget the noise, if I stay there she�s going to book me to do something.� She wanted to make a comment but dissing Nick�s mom was not the way to get back on his good side. As her father reminded her it wasn�t about her or Nick it was about Mac. She looked at him sympathetically. For the first time she noticed how tired he looked. The dark circles under his eyes, the wild hair; he needed a break. The last thing he needed was to be around tramps and workaholic mothers.
�You can stay at my place.� Before she knew it she caused the room to go silent. She looked up and make eye contact with Larry who was quite surprised she would offer Nick a word let alone a place to sleep. Josh�s smile, that ever knowing one, was once again on his face; if it ever left in the first place.
�Are you sure?� She turned to him,
�I mean, if you�re not�but I really want to relax and I can�t do that here.� This was her chance. The fact that he accepted her offer had to mean he was willing to get over his anger from their fight.
�It�s fine. It will definitely be quiet. I think we both want the same thing�sleep.� Sleep. She couldn�t wait to slip into that bed and sleep for hours.
As she walked back to the truck with Larry, Nick and Josh lagged behind whispering to each other. She liked Josh. Nick could certainly do worse in the friend category. Case in point, Mike. She just didn�t like him. It was a feeling she had. Thinking of Mike instantly made her think of the night she spent in Marathon when she tried Ecstasy for the first (and only) time. The way he let her know she had been the topic of Nick�s conversation made her skin crawl. She knew, without having to be told, Nick spoke of her sexually to Mike.
Nick�s group of friends was a contrasting bunch of characters. At least from the couple she had met (Josh and Mike) and the ones she heard and read about through the grapevine. His squad had every character known. The good guys, the bad guys, the ones without their own lives, the users, the abusers, and the plain assholes who thought Nick�s success were their own. He needed a class on how to pick the right friends.
Of course she was questioning whether her skills in that area were first-rate. Christina left and she hadn�t heard from her since. She was hurt that Chris hadn�t called her but Quinn felt totally justified in not calling her. She didn�t do anything to Chris. She simply acknowledged Kristin had a point and Christina was too sensitive. She wasn�t going to apologize for that. She didn�t do anything wrong. She missed Chris but she was tired of walking on eggshells trying to make sure she said everything right and nothing that might set her off. Chris was a good person but she was difficult when people didn�t see things her way.
They arrived at the truck and she instantly stood by the back door on the passenger�s side. Josh and Nick stopped just short of the truck and seemed to be caught up in their conversation. More than likely they were talking about Mike. At least she would be complaining if it were her. She slid inside after Larry held the door open for her,
�Thanks.� He nodded and tilted his head towards Nick and Josh,
�Thank you for letting Nick go home with you. He really needs to get some rest and that�s not going to happen around here.� She shrugged,
�It�s no big deal. I�m too tired to keep being angry with Nick. I�ve let it all go.� He seemed to be surprised by her admission,
�Really. I mean, in my heart I know that Nick loves our daughter. If he really didn�t want to be here he wouldn�t. I guess I just blame him for us not having that perfect family situation that I had. But it�s not all his fault. He didn�t sleep with me against my will. I knew what I was doing.�
Chapter 82 contd