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I sat with legs crossed Indian style on the bed, playing my gameboy and listening to the guys argue about who was going to be unlucky enough to room with me for the next three days. That was how it pretty much went all the time. Three guys sharing one room and me and whoever lost the argument sharing the other room. Lou had wanted us all to share one room at first but by some miracle, Kevin was able to plead our case. He agreed on two rooms at a time, except when we happened to be booked at really good places. Then one giant room would have to do.

Truthfully, I would have preferred to have us all in one room. Five people are safer than two anyway. Just my opinion though. And apparently, when you are thirteen, your opinion doesn't count. So I kept my mouth shut, played my game and listened.

"Come on...I roomed with him the last time"

"I know, but it seems fair. You are closest in age to him, it should be you" Kevin argued with AJ.

"But he keeps me up all night playing that stupid ass game. It beeps and he grunts. It is so annoying"

"He won't do that" Then looking at me, Kevin continued, "Right Nick?"

"Yeah I will" I said not even bothering to look up from my game. If they thought I was going to make their lives easier while they made me feel like crap they were totally wrong.

"See Kev? What more proof do you need?"

"I want a night to just chill out and drink a beer with the boys"

"Please Kev, give us a break. Right now you are the only boy who can drink anyway"

"So" He leaned in I guess so as to avoid hurting my feelings, "I don't feel like baby-sitting. Not tonight"

"I don't need a baby-sitter" I said matter of factly. They ignored me.

"Kevin, I think since you were technically left in charge of him, it should be you that has to stay with him" Brian said, almost authoritatively enough to have the subject dropped completely"

Almost.

"Why don't you stay in there with him? You guys both love playing video games" My ears perked up at that. I liked the guys. I didn't seem to have as much of a problem with them as they did with me, but I really liked Brian's company best. When he would talk about home and school, his friends, his social life, he made it sound like he was the most popular guy in school. To hang out with him made me feel like maybe I would have been one of the cool kids.

"I kind of just wanted to hang out tonight" My heart sunk.

"Why can't we all just hang out together and then we can just go back to the room to sleep?" I offered. God was I the only one that had any common sense around here?

Howie came over and sat down next to me, "It's not that we don't want to hang out with you Nicky.." Yeah it is but keep the bologna coming "But we want to do some things a thirteen year old shouldn't be doing"

"Like?"

"I don't know, like just hanging out, watching a scary movie and yap like older guys"

"But AJ.."

"I know twerp, but that's different. I am fifteen. I get what they are talking about. I don't wuss out when watching rated R movies"

"Okay AJ... enough" Kevin said sternly.

"Maybe we can all just hang out tonight. Then I will room with Nick" He said as if he was making the biggest sacrifice in the universe. Please Kevin don't do me any favors.

"You know, why don't you guys go ahead and do whatever it is you want to do. I don't mind being by myself. I just kind of want to play some video games anyway" I wasn't going to let Kevin come off as some hero for putting up with me. No, if anyone was going to come off noble it was going to be me.

"But, I know you don't like being by yourself" He said.

"Yeah, but I also don't like feeling like no one wants to be in the same room with me either. I would rather this trust me"

"It's not that Nick. See, I knew you wouldn't understand"

I really didn't want to say that but I had to. Hold your tongue when things bother you. That's the last thing my Mom told me before leaving to go back home to HER normal life. "We have a good thing here Nick. Don't let your temper blow it"

Well, I wanted to take her advice but I needed to show these guys that I would be just fine without them.

"I understand Kevin. I get it okay? I'm not like five or anything. I know you don't want to be around me and feelings mutual, so go do your gay thing or whatever and I'll see you when you come to bed" Ha! Take that.

"You don't need to be saying things like that" He said. I rolled my eyes at him and continued to play my video game. I think I might have made them feel bad but if I did, they didn't show it. I probably just further proved to them that I was some young little brat. Not worthy of their time and attention.

"If you need anything we will be right next door" I nodded and ignored them as they walked out the door.

"Assholes!" I said when the coast was clear and I was finally by myself.

I put my video game down and went to look out the window. I missed playing outside above everything else. Dad and I would have the best time playing touch football in our back yard. I was doing this for them. I had to constantly remind myself. Now that Dad was out of a job, they were really relying on my income to make ends meet. Whatever the hell that meant.

I decided to try and call home, maybe I would be lucky and catch one of them at home. This way AJ or any of the others wouldn't be able to make fun of me for crying when I hung up the phone. Not that any of them had done that yet, but I'm sure it would only be a matter of time. I was just about to dial when there was a knock on the door. I walked over and jumped to try to see the peep hole. Having no luck I just simply asked.

"Who is it?"

"It's Jim" Great Lou's creepy business partner. I opened the door and there he was, decked out in his best Armani suit, sun glasses, even though it was night out and rainy to boot. He thought he was the coolest guy in the universe. I thought he was a dweeb. The man was big. He made Lou look small the only difference between the two being Jim was all muscle.

"Hi..um..the rest of the guys are next door" I said. He pushed past me and sat down on my bed.

"I am aware of that. Thanks"

"Nick, I am going to get straight to the point. Lou thinks you guys are not living up to your true potential"

"Really?"

"Yes, he feels like you are not contributing 100 percent. That all you do is play video games, eat and play. This isn't a game son"

"I know that"

"You sure have a funny way of showing it then" He went over to my Nintendo 64 unplugged it, then grabbed my gameboy from my bed.

"What are you doing?"

"Lou said I should take these from you so you concentrate more on song lyrics and your dance moves. You'll get them back in a week or so"

"You can't do that, that's MINE" I walked over and tried to grab the games away from him. He pushed me with such force I went sailing across the room.

"I can do anything I like kiddo. Make no mistake about that. Lou put me in charge of you. Deal with it!"

"Jerk!" He turned around and like a wuss that AJ said I was, I fled away from him to the corner of the room. Crouching down in a ball on the floor.

"What did you just call me?"

"Nothing" I whispered.

"That's what I thought" He grinned as walked out.

I just stayed on the floor.

I hated that man. From the first minute I met him, he was nothing but trouble. Lou's business partner Jim. I think they were distant relatives of some kind, but when we were first introduced to him, he made sure to let us know he was in charge. He wasn't quite as horrible to the other guys, but to me, he was brutal. He would slap me, push me and most of all look me up and down in a sleazy way. I hated it and him.

The first time I complained about him it was to my Mom. She told me that it was probably just an act. Stop exaggerating. Kevin kind of said the same thing.

"I know he's a hard ass but please...spare me" He had said. So I pretty much just stopped telling people about him and just minded my own business.

Now he comes in here and steals my video games? What the hell is this. OOh I was mad. Very mad. The next thing I knew I punched the wall. Making my fist bleed.

"Fuck a duck!" I screamed, stopping myself and waiting for my Mom to come out of nowhere and beat my ass for saying it. But that's right, I'm alone now. Only one to answer to is myself.

I went into the bathroom and washed my bloody knuckles. I hated being here suddenly. I hated being in this group. I just wanted to go home. I threw all my stuff off of the dresser and screamed, before falling on the floor and pounding my fists on the carpet while crying...