A Rocket to My Heart

I stepped inside my house, expecting the worst. But, to my surprise, no one was home. Nick was out, I was guessing. I could usually hear Halo booming from upstairs. He wasn't at band practice, he'd canceled it for this week, but somewhere else. My parents were both off at work, which I was expecting. I felt sort of happy no one was home, asking me questions, lecturing me for not calling. But I wanted someone to acknowledge and notice I was home.

My stomach was doing flips, thinking about what Eric and I had talked about. Tears were trying to escape my eyes, as I looked down at the baby bump. My mind was racing, I didn't know what to say to Nick when he got home. I didn't know what to say to anyone. I didn't know how to explain myself, because I didn't know what was going on anymore.

Nick probably told my parents what had happened, so I'd be grounded the second they got home, not being able to see Eric for at least a week or too. Which would not help whatsoever.

I sat down at the bottom step, and looked up to the kitchen. Nick was sitting at the bar. Staring at me.

"Andy... Where've you been?"

My breath caught in my throat. I coughed. "E-Eric's,"

He stared at me, and nodded. "Did he fuck you again? Wants your life to be twice as bad?"

I shook my head. He wasn't over it yet. "Nick, what happened to you yesterday?" I asked, walking towards him. "You were trying so hard to get me to forgive you. What happened to that Nick? Did he just give up?"

He glared at me. "Andy. Don't ever see Eric again. Promise me that."

My eyes got wide. "I can't promise you that!" I screamed. "I can't even do that!"

"Why not?" He yelled back. "Why the fuck not? You need to stay away from that little fuck, Andy, he's no good for you!"

Nick and I had never gotten in a fight before, this was so unreal. I wanted to walk over and hug him, but what he was saying was so far from the truth.

"No, you know what, Nick? You're the little fuck." I stared at him, turned around on my heel, and walked away.

I didn't want to do that to him, I wanted to make up. Nick and I had been joined at the hip since we were little. The only fights we'd ever gotten into were over toys or TV shows, what's for dinner and who got to eat the cookie dough from the bowl. This was the first fight we'd ever gotten into that actually mattered, and I knew we both regretted it. I knew we both wished it hadn't happened.