Changed into semi-nice clothes - check.
Made sure at least the bottom floor of my house was decent incase people come in - check.
Put all the animals outside - check.
Yea for mental check lists.
Figuring I�d done everything I needed to do, I slumped down into the couch and held my face in my hands.
Downed half a bottle of aspirin in hopes of appeasing my headache - no check.
When I heard Mike clamber down the stairs, I took a deep breath and willed myself off the couch in search of medicine.
�Do you mind if I get completely plastered tonight?�
Because alcohol makes everything okay. And that will really impress Kara.
�I�d rather you not.�
He watched me swallow five Tylenol dry.
�You know you�re only supposed to take two of those at a time.�
Yep, trying to overdose.
On five pills. Over the counter painkillers at that.
�Two doesn�t work on me anymore� if it ever did.�
I tried to remember if I�d ever taken just two before in my life as he stared at me as if I were crazy.
He rolled his eyes.
�If you don�t feel well, you don�t have to go tonight. I won�t mind taking six ladies to dinner tonight. Well, five ladies and demon spawn Kara.�
I glared at him, too emotionally tired to attack him.
�No, I�m going. I don�t trust you with Kara. I won�t leave her with you.�
�Jeez Nick. It�s not like you have much say when it comes to her. It�s obvious she doesn�t want you around.�
I dropped the bottle of pills into the kitchen floor, barely taking into account that the lid kept the pills from shooting across the tile floor.
�You don�t even fucking know her Michael!�
He laughed at me.
�You do? You met her twice and she left you in the dust both times! And today she�s pretending she�s never even met you? Come on man! Get over yourself and face the truth��
�Get out of my goddamn house!�
Mike stopped speaking and stared at me, blinking in confusion.
�What?�
I glared at him, trying to swallow my sudden anger.
It didn�t work.
�Get out of my house.�
Don�t even test me Michael. Right now I could probably win a staring contest with a rock wall.
�Jesus Nick� the girls will be here any minute. Just forget I said anything and just chill.�
The doorbell rang while I stared him down. Sheepishly he backed out of the room and headed towards the front door. Replacing the bottle of pills in the cabinet, I took a deep breath and sluggishly walked towards the two people on my porch. Grabbing my keys, I pushed Mike out the door and locked it behind me.
�I�m taking my own car.�
Mike tried to say something to me, but got not response except for my retreating back.
*
Where is he going?
He�s angry. At Mike it looks like.
Getting into his Escalade, I watched as he leaned his forehead on the steering wheel while Angie and Mike stood on his porch talking as they looked after him.
I guess they came to a conclusion because Angie came back and Mike headed to the other car with her friends inside, taking the place of the driver.
This was going to be a long night.
*
I waited until the other two cars disappeared before I even bothered starting mine.
She likes me. or at least she did at one time. She wanted to be with me, but something held her back. Something wouldn�t let her. Maybe it was the entire Backstreet thing at first and then maybe the age thing, but I know all that stuff now. That�s all out in the open. She can be with me now; no more secrets keeping us apart. Now I just need to convince her that I wasn�t trying to kill her this afternoon and everything will fall into place.
Stop lying to yourself Carter. It�s going to take a lot more than just that.
All I know is that Mike was wrong. She did want me there and I do know her better than he does.
And I love her.
Pulling away from the house, I headed towards the restaurant where I would get the privilege of meeting too many girls.
Fun.
Groan.
*
I surveyed the parking lot while everyone else talked on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant. Well, will everyone else talked and Mike hit on all the other girls.
Where is he?
An elbow poked into my still-sore-from-earlier ribcage.
�Cheer up Kar.�
I turned to Angie and gave her a helplessly defeated look.
�I know these aren�t your type of people. The guys will be here Wednesday night. You can survive until then right? Plus, you and Nick can hang out together when it becomes too much. If he ever shows back up.�
If he�ll even ever talk to me again.
�So Kara, where�s your man?�
Brittney. The blonde bubbly evil one. Greeeeaaat�
�A few of my friends are coming up on Wednesday.�
Leave me alone.
She studied me snootily.
She didn�t like me before. Now she despises me because I �took her spot� as maid of honor.
�What? No boyfriend? Have you ever had a boyfriend? Or are you more into the feminine aspects of dating?�
Don�t hit her.
Mike leaned over and whispered something into Brittney�s ear, which made them both laugh as they glanced at me.
I don�t know whether to scream or cry.
�Oh! There�s Nick!�
The attention left me and became connected to something over my head. When I glanced behind me, I saw Nick shuffling over to us as he glared at the asphalt.
�Oh my god! That�s Nick Carter!�
�Angie!! That�s Nick Carter. You didn�t tell us that a Backstreet Boy was going to be in the wedding!�
Rolling my eyes, I turned away from the squealing and screams that were about to surround helpless Nick.
Worry didn�t overtake me until I saw Brittney surveying him like a piece of meat.
Damn it.