He climbed out of bed and pulled on a pair of Adidas wind pants and a sweatshirt. He crammed his feet into his tennis shoes and laced them up tightly, then descended downstairs and went outside. He did a few stretches in his driveway to get warmed up and then set out jogging up the rest of the long driveway and out onto the street. It was early morning, just after seven, and he hoped most of the younger girls were sleeping in; he didn’t want to be interrupted. It usually wasn’t too bad because his neighbors were used to him living there, and he wasn’t often pestered.
Fifteen minutes later, a winded Nick returned. Having jogged over a mile, he was completely out of breath and exhausted. He trudged up his driveway and went into the comfort of his home. Tugging off his shoes, he left them in front of the door, staggered into the living room, and collapsed on the carpet. He lay there for awhile, until his breathing slowed, and then forced himself to get up and go upstairs. Hot and sweaty, he craved a nice long shower.
When he stepped out of the shower half an hour later, he could feel his muscles beginning to stiffen up. He cursed himself for not stretching them out after his run. Now he would be stiff the rest of the day and tomorrow. He remembered how he had been able to run forever as a child and never feel it. But he was not a child anymore; he was twenty-three, and his body was beginning to protest heavy activity more and more.
“I’m getting old,” Nick wheezed in an elderly man’s voice, chuckling at his reflection in the mirror over the sink. He got dressed slowly, his legs protesting each step he took. His shin ached, and he groaned. He was probably getting shin splints again. He really would have to do better at working out and keeping himself fit.
That would do for now though. Now that he was clean and cooled down again, he was starving, his appetite awakened by the exercise. He went downstairs into the kitchen in search of food. He would have loved to sit down to a few Eggo waffles smeared in butter and powdered sugar, but since he was on a mission to lose weight, he opted for a Carnation Instant Breakfast nutrition shake and a couple pieces of dry toast instead. Some breakfast, he thought, as he downed the powdered chocolate drink.
Still, he had to admit that he felt much better once breakfast was over. He had definitely gotten the day off to the right start, and he was determined to stay on track. And hopefully not just until after the tour was over either. That was when he needed willpower the most, for when he was not working, it was easy to sit on his ass all day, playing video games and eating, and go out drinking with his buddies at night. None of these habits were good, and that was why his weight fluctuated so much between tours and off time.
He was not going to let that happen this time though. He was going to lose weight for the tour... and this time, he was going to keep it off when the tour was over. With an air of confidence, Nick strode out of the kitchen, ready to face the rest of his day.
***
That afternoon, the phone rang. Picking it up in his living room, Nick answered with a cheery, “Hello?”
This was returned with a familiar-yet-miserable-sounding, “Nick?” He recognized the voice as that of his younger brother, Aaron.
“Hey, AC, what’s wrong?” he asked, automatically able to tell by his brother’s tone that something was up.
“It’s Mom,” replied Aaron, and a block of ice fell into Nick’s stomach. Had something happened to their mother? Before he could find his voice and ask, Aaron rushed ahead, “She’s such a bitch!”
With relief, Nick sighed. “What did she do this time?” he asked, smiling in exasperation despite himself.
Aaron and his mother were always conflicting these days. Nick didn’t blame Aaron; he knew he and Jane would be having the same problems if he still lived with her. It was nearly impossible not to once you got to a certain age. Jane loved her children, but she also loved money and fame. A little too much. Maybe more than the kids. At least that’s how it seemed. The Carter kids, especially the boys, had been raised for show business, trained and coached and sculpted into the stars they were today.
It wasn’t like they didn’t love their work. They did. It was just that the business seemed to be all Jane cared about. Nick knew what a hard time she had been giving Aaron lately. Everything he did revolved around his career. While normal teenage boys went to school and hung out with their friends on weekends, Aaron was tutored and spent his spare time taking voice and dance lessons, working out, and writing or recording for his next album. That is when he wasn’t touring or doing photo shoots or promotional work. The kid had it harder than Nick did these days, and Nick didn’t envy him in the slightest.
“She won’t let me come on tour with you!” cried Aaron, and Nick sensed he was near tears. He had invited his younger brother to tour with him ages ago, since the two rarely got any time to spend together anymore. Aaron had been excited about it, and Nick had to admit, so had he.
“Aww, no, what happened?” he asked sympathetically.
“You know my stupid tutor? Miss Daly?”
Nick hadn’t actually met the woman, but he responded with an, “Uh-huh.”
“God, I hate her! She told Mom that I ‘wasn’t applying myself’ and all this crap, and Mom said I have to stay home and ‘concentrate on my studies.’ No tour! Can you believe that?!” Aaron raged.
“God, that sucks. What a bitch,” Nick agreed, immediately siding with Aaron. “What if you work harder before the tour? I mean, you still have like two weeks. Then would Mom let you come?”
“No,” pouted Aaron. “I already asked, and she said it’s too late, I blew it. God, I hate her sometimes.”
“So do I,” empathized Nick. “I’m sorry, kid. But it’s not the end of the world. There’ll be other tours and plenty of time to spend together. Maybe you can come visit after the tour, how does that sound?”
“Yeah, maybe.” Aaron’s voice was glum, and he sounded as if he didn’t quite believe this. Nick didn’t blame him; he knew he had broken a lot of promises to his brother in the past; it was just a part of the job – his schedule was always full, and his plans were always changing. It was hard to find time to get together with Aaron, who was usually out in LA with the rest of the family, while Nick was in Florida.
“I gotta go, Nick, Mom’s coming to yell at me some more. Catch you later.”
“All right, later, bro,” Nick replied. “Bye.” The click on the other end of the line signaled Aaron hanging up. Nick hung up on his end as well and sighed, his good mood temporarily spoiled. Why did Jane have to give Aaron such a hard time? Sure, maybe the fifteen-year-old wasn’t trying his best with his schoolwork, but big deal. Nick had never been a scholar himself, and he had turned out okay.
Determined not to get himself in a fit over his controlling mother, Nick picked up the phone again and dialed Leah’s number, looking for something for lift his spirits.
***
