[ - ]
Table of Contents [Report This]
Printer Chapter or Story Microsoft Word Chapter or Story
- Text Size +
The four of us were at the mall bright and early the next morning. To start off, AJ and Howie paired up leaving me with Nick for the first half of the day. After lunch we would trade off and finish shopping. Each pairing went in a different direction. For the first hour, Nick and I didn’t talk much. The silence was driving me crazy.

“So…” I tried to spark some kind of conversation.

“What?” he looked up from the rack of gothic looking clothes. In case it isn’t obvious, we were working on AJ first.

“Are you going to give me the silent treatment all day?”

“Aw, BayBay, I’m sorry,” he walked over to me and slung his left arm across my shoulders. “I’m not trying to ignore you. It’s just that…well…I have a lot on my mind.”

“I’m willing to bet there isn’t a lot on your mind, just one thing…Kevin.”

“Yeah well, he WOULD be the stem of everything on my mind.” Nick sighed as he picked up a pair of jeans, examining them. He was obviously bothered by Kevin’s threat.

“Do you think he will do it, Nick?”

“Naw, I don’t think he will…I know for a FACT he will.”

“You don’t think he was just upset?”

“If that’s the case, he has been upset ever since you came home with me. This isn’t a new issue, Baylee. But, I really don’t think that it needs to be discussed with you. I am going to figure something out, okay. Let me worry about this.”

“Well, it’s 2 days before Christmas and, just like every year, we are scrambling around tying to buy our gifts at the last minute. Can we just forget about him right now and try to enjoy this?” I looked over at him with high hopes that he could set it to the side of his mind until after Christmas.

“You’re right, Baylee. You and I need to strengthen our relationship, more than ever, so we can fight our way through this.”

“YAY! Male bonding,” I smiled before forcing out a, rather loud, burp.

“Baylee! That’s not how you do it. Let the professional show you how it’s done,” he snickered as we walked out of the store. Just as he let a huge burp escape his lips, we walked up behind Howie and AJ.

“Sick, dude. I think you got chunks in my hair!” Howie scrunched his nose.

“Besides, that was weak. I think you are loosing your skill, Carter,” AJ slapped him in the ribs. No one had made any purchases yet, so it was not surprising that AJ and Nick started to horse around right there. Howie smiled as he took a seat on the bench. I shrugged and hopped onto Nick’s back.

“AAAH! There’s a monkey on my back! Eeew, I hope it doesn’t have rabies or something,” Nick acted petrified. He was throwing his arms in the air as AJ attacked his legs. I gave Nick a wet willy, which made him squeal louder.

“Stop, Carter! AGH!” AJ grunted as Nick lost his balance and toppled over, crashing AJ into the ground. Camera flashes began to go off all around us as our play fight progressed into a full out battle. We were all smiling, laughing, and jumping on each other.

“Oh hell, let me in there,” Howie laughed, tearing me off of Nick. Ten minutes later, all four of us were sprawled out in the middle of the floor, trying to catch our breath. AJ slapped Nick in the stomach, Nick slapped me, I slapped Howie and we all burst into another fit of laughter. The camera flashed had died down some but there were still a few spaced out here and there.

“We’re acting like the moms that were in all those ‘Tickle Me Elmo’ brawls. Remember those?” AJ laughed at the thought.

“I nearly got killed in one!” Nick exclaimed with a shudder of his shoulders.

“That was before my time,” I rolled my eyes and sat up. Slowly we all got our butts off the floor. We ignored the cameras and continued goofing off as we walked toward the food court. “Nick?”

“Yeah?”

“You up for a challenge? A dare of sorts?” I asked with a cocky grin.

“Uhoh, you know Nick can’t turn away from a challenge.” Howie groaned as we stopped in the middle of the food court.

“That’s the point.”

“Alright, you’re on, Bay. Whatchya got for me?” Nick shoved his hands in his pockets and tilted his head in my direction.

“Well, I dare you to go on the Marry-Go-Round with me AND act like a moron with me like we used to do. Howie and AJ are welcome to participate, too.”

“First of all, you were like…three. I was the only one acting like an idiot, it was cute for you to do it. Second of all…last one there is the rotten egg!” he yelled the last phrase over his shoulder as he took off toward the ride.

“CHEATER!” I screamed, racing after him. Next thing I knew, we were climbing up onto the horses. I was a bit shocked to see both AJ and Howie joining us. This was great! Three middle aged men and a teenager on the ride with a bunch of little kids, people were already staring.

“Okay, since you guys are riding with us, you have to do the motions, too.” Nick looked over his shoulder as the two oldest of our group.

“You got it!” AJ wiggled his eyebrows a little too excitedly.

“Aaaah, who knew I would be sitting on a kiddy ride, at 40, getting ready to act like a two year old. I’m a sad excuse for a man,” Howie snickered, shaking his head.

“We aren’t much better at 34 and 36,” Nick smiled, referring to himself and AJ.

“He’s right. It’s even sad for Baylee at 15. Alright Howie, you and Leigh better get to popping out a kid, that way we have an excuse for doing this kind of ridiculous shit. ” AJ rolled his eyes with a chuckle, as the ride started to move. All four of us put one hand in the air, holding onto the pole with the other, and started over acting the movements of the ride.

“Weeeeeeeeeeeeeee!” Howie squealed in a high pitched voice.

“Woohoooo…oooooo!” AJ’s eyes were wide with mock excitement. I was doubled over, laughing, this was too much!

“Giddy-up,” Nick ordered as he smacked the horse’s hind leg. The whole ride went on like this, the four of us carrying on like it was our first time on the ride. When we finally walked off the ride, we received A LOT of stares and stray snickers from the people around the food court. We had provided some good entertainment! AJ grinned widely at each person that stared at us.

“Why do we even do that kind of crazy stuff?” Howie asked as we stood in the line at Taco Bell.

“It keeps us young,” AJ patted Howie’s shoulder. “Helps reduce stress, AND, I do believe, it reduces the signs of wrinkles.”

“I doesn’t do much for a receding hairline, though,” I whispered under my breath.

“I heard that,” AJ cocked an eyebrow at me. He looked away from me and crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m not talking to you.”

“Oh, stop it you two,” Nick shook his head as we all stepped up to order. After receiving our food, we found a large table and sat down to eat. The rest of the day flew by and we didn’t even get any shopping done! Needless to say, this was beyond typical for us and completely par for the course. But I had to admit that the day was a blast.

“Good night, guys. I love you knuckleheads,” I grinned as I hugged each of them.

“Night,” they all chimed. I walked up the stairs and threw myself on the bed, once I reached my room.

“Okay, dad, let’s see what you have to say tonight. By the way, Kevin is repeating history,” I looked up at my ceiling, “he wants to take me from Nick. Since I know you are up there, maybe you could talk to God and pull some strings because I really want to stay with Nick.”

June 12, 2005

Journal –

Leighanne isn’t offering much assistance in appointing a new person to take Baylee. She figures that nothing would ever happen to us and that we shouldn’t even need to bother. I know God’s plans don’t usually match ours, so I figure it is best to be prepared, just in case. So anyways, that leaves me coming to you, a little half written journal, for guidance. I guess I’ll just write it out and I’ll come to a conclusion one way or another.

Kevin is already ruled out. SO are the grandparents and my brother. No one in Leighanne’s family wants to assume the responsibility. Now, do you have any idea who that leaves me with? I bet you have a guess, don’t you, journal? That’s right.

I have Howie, AJ, and Nick to choose from. Slim pickins! Haha, just kidding. They are all great people and I love them each dearly. Howie is kind of the obvious answer, but look where my last obvious answer got me. AJ is...eh…I’m not sure if I even want to consider THAT idea! As much as I love the man, I don’t want Baylee to end up a mini tattooed version of him. Then there’s Nick, he doesn’t even want kids of his own.

This is going to get more complicated before it gets any easier. I will just have to break it down, one at a time…step by step. But, not tonight, it’s well past 1 am and I have to meet the guys at a radio station in 6 hours. You and me, tomorrow night, we’ll start with Howie…it’s a date, journal. Goodnight.

- Brian Thomas Littrell