If and When We Don't Take Medication

Patrick's POV

I curl up with my back to Nicole around two in the morning. Pete just went to bed as well. I can hear Nicole’s music blasting through the earbuds—something symphonic. I chuckle and try to sleep, but I am just so uncomfortable. I roll around trying to find the most comfortable spot when I hear Nicole sigh. She takes out her earbuds and shuts off her iPod. She doesn’t look at me.

“Sorry,” I mutter, embarrassed.

“Its fine, I’m uncomfortable too,” she sighs again.

“Can I…try something?” I ask.

“Whatever,” she chuckles. I wrap my arms around her, curling close to her and breathing on her
neck lightly.

“That’s better. I’m used to sleeping with someone…sorry,” I mumble.

“Whore,” she laughs, her breath hot on my hand. We are in an awkward silence afterwards. “Okay, sorry, I can’t do this,” she says, pulling my arms away from her. She grabs the pillow and positions the cushions on the ground to sleep on. She curls into a small ball and has her back to me.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, pushing my limits, probably.

“Nothing,” she mutters and turns to face me. I give her a look that says ‘Seriously?’ “Really, it’s nothing, I swear. I just feel a little awkward sleeping with a guy I’ve had a crush on since 2005,” she says quickly. Thank God it’s dark, because Nicole would see my cheeks turn crimson.

“Oh…well, I can’t sleep with a girl who can sing better than me,” I laugh, trying to make the conversation not so awkward.

“Oh, really? You think I sing better than you?”

“You’re a good singer,” I say, complimenting her.

“Thanks,” she sighs and yawns. I shut up after that.
I hear her roll around on the small cushions and then I hear a thump. I suppress a chuckle and ask,

“You alright?” there’s no answer for a moment.

“I’m fine. This is more comfortable than the bed and the cushions combined,” she laughs and can’t stop laughing. She gets me to laugh and we can’t stop laughing until we hear a thud on the door to Pete’s room. We are silent.

We hear a muffled voice, “Shut up, I’m trying to get to sleep!” And we burst out laughing again, harder this time. After a few minutes, we finally die down, but I hear Nicole laugh a little more, and I start to chuckle, and then we start laughing uncontrollably until the Pete opens the door and throws something at me.

“Ow,” I exclaim, laughing out. Nicole laughs harder at my pain. “You think pain is funny?” I ask, standing up and grabbing her book. I throw it at her and hear the thud of the book against her body.

“Oh, thanks, I wanted to read more but I didn’t want to disturb your stupid T.V show,” she says, throwing her flip-flop at me and hitting me in the shoulder.

“You think Family Guy is stupid?!” I gasp.

“It’s dumber than a box of bricks!” she laughs.

“I bet if someone throws a box of bricks at you, you wouldn’t think they were stupid!” is what I could come up with in a short amount of time. I hear her chuckle and take a breath in to speak.

“No, I’d think the person was stupid, and throw each individual brick at them,” Nicole says seriously, then laughs. All is quiet and then I hear her move and rest her head on the soft pillow. She sighs once more. I turn onto my back and close my eyes. I open them again and stand up, walking unannounced into Pete’s room and stealing a pillow right out from under him. I walk out with the pillow in hand and shut the door. I walk back to my bed and hold the pillow like I would Elisa.

I wake up to blurry vision. I’m still holding the stupid pillow.

“Morning, sleepy head,” someone says to me. I flip out and sit up straight, turning to look at the woman who said ‘morning’.

“Oh, hi, Nicole,” I sighed, thankful. I thought it was another nightmare—Elisa. “Wait, what the fuck?” I muttered, standing up and looking around the hotel room. I then realize that Pete is in the other room and Nicole and I didn’t sleep together.

“Ya’ll good now?” she asks me, smiling.

“Yeah, I think so,” I chuckle, brushing my fingers through my sandy hair. I finally look at Nicole and see she is already dressed and has wet hair. She is making a coffee for herself. Or so I thought.

“Here you go,” she says, thrusting the coffee in my direction. I take it willingly and drink. I think I finished half the cup in one gulp. “I’ll make another pot,” she laughs, seeing that I downed the first cup pretty good. I smile gratefully and go to the bathroom. I come out and see Pete is walking out of his room and he notices Nicole making a pot of coffee.

“You didn’t think to wake me when you wanted to shower?” he asks, smirking.

“Never even crossed my mind,” she said, shoving a cup of coffee in his hands as well. I finish my cup and throw it out and am handed another one. “I have to leave,” she says. I finally glance at her packed bag.

“Okay, well, we’ll see you tomorrow, then,” I smile shyly, waving slightly.

“Bye, babe,” Pete says, going in for a hug. Nicole takes it and walks over to her bag; she bends down with ease, picking it up. I notice Pete looking at her ass.

“Don’t just look at her ass, eat it,” I whisper in Pete’s ear and he chuckles.

“I heard that,” Nicole says, standing up. I turn ruby red with embarrassment. “Bye, Patrick,” she smiles and gives me a quick hug. She walks out the door and walks down to Andy and Joe’s room. She knocks on the door and I see Joe open it, inviting her inside.

3rd person

Nicole enters Joe and Andy’s room and sets her bag down by the door.

“Hey, I’m heading out,” she tells the two.

“Yep,” they smile, each giving her a hug. She talks for a minute or two and walks out with her bag.

She walks out to her car and gets in.

Nicole gets to her house at one. She walks up the steps, carrying her bag. She goes down into the basement and throws her clothes in the washer. She walks back up and goes into the dining room to be greeted by glaring parents.

“I’m going,” she says immediately.

“Who says? What about college?”

“Like I said, it’s already paid for, except for 5,000. And guess what? If and when I do go, they will give you the money. All of it.”

“You’re young still; you will go to college and get a job.”

“Like what? As a band teacher? As a vet? I don’t want to do those things!”

“It doesn’t matter what you want!” her mother screeches.

“Really? Because you messed up your own life and you want me to fix it? It’s not my fault you didn’t go to college! I deserve to choose what I want! This is my life, and I’ll do what I please,” Nicole says.

“Nick, you can do better. You’re not even that good,” her dad says, trying to demean her spirits.

“Oh really?” she asks and starts singing.

If home is where the heart is
Then we’re all just fucked
I can’t remember, I can’t remember
And I want it so bad I’d shoot the sunshine into my veins
I can’t remember the good old days
And it’s kinda funny
The way we’re wearing anchors on our shirts
When being anchored or bored
Just feels like a curse

“Am I really that bad? I even used your favorite word!” Nicole growls and walks to her room. She pulls her clothes out and shoves them into a duffwl bag and back-pack. She grabs her tablet, computer, chargers, 3DS, enough books, a pillow, and her favorite blanket. She fits all the electronics in the computer bag, bed objects and clothes in the duffel bag, and more clothes in the back-pack. It took her about thirty minutes and she had already fought with her parents for ten. She went downstairs and saw the washing machine was done. She took out her clothes and threw them in the dryer. She walked upstairs and set her stuff by the door. She does nothing for another hour until her clothes are dry. She brings them up as well as her guitars and shoves the last of her clothes into the bags. “I’m gonna go! He’ll send you the check soon!” she says as she walks out the door in one trip. Nicole has both guitars on each of her shoulders in separate cases, her back-pack in between them, her computer case in her right hand and the duffel bag in her left. She has 2500 dollars with her.

She walks to the nearest bus stop—about two miles—and waits. Nicole sits there for a half an hour until it comes up. She pays and it drives her to Lansing. Nicole gets on a train with a recently bought train ticket and it goes to Chicago, taking her with it.