Center Stage

Chapter 10

Niko POV:

Silent treatment, glares, and getting knocked in the shoulder. These are the things I have been getting from both the theatre weirdos and people on my team. Why am I getting this type of treatment? My thoughts are interrupted by me being tripped on my way into the locker room.

"Sorry," Trenton spits sarcastically with a shrug. Him too?

"What is everyone's deal?" I mumble irritation laced through every word. Trenton looks at me for a long while, "What?"

"Oh nothing, I'm just surprised people can tolerate my behavior," he says airily walking to his locker. So everyone has been angry at me because of what I said to Lee? Is that why she has been ignoring me?

"Do you even know her?" I ask.

"Yeah, last year she told me I looked nice when I was nervous for a date. It boosted my confidence," Trenton tells me as he continues to go through his locker. It was a shitty week. Silas was forgiving after he found out why I was so mad.

My brother was released from prison and all the pent up anger from the last 6 years boiled over and ended up burning an annoyingly nice and well liked person. A person who I feel kind of bad for hurting. She left like her ass was on fire Thursday and all she did was offer me a Razzle.

I'm starting to realize I am bit of an ass, well I knew that but it's becoming more and more obvious. Tomorrow I'll try to talk to her and apologize. Emphasis on try, it's not one of my strong suits as I have demonstrated in the past.

"You ready to go dickwad?" Silas asks me. Just because he understands why I was angry doesn't mean Silas still isn't angry with me.

"What happened to the pet names?" I ask. I hated them, but I am just curious.

"They are on suspension. Once Lee isn't upset at what you said I will resume the honey-bunches but for now you get what you get," He tells me grabbing his bag and walking out of the locker room. He is so weird, but I follow after him anyways.

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I am quickly rubbing a towel over my hair when my phone starts to ring. Momma is displayed across the top of my phone. Kill me now.

"Well hello Nikolai," I hear my mother from the other line. She only calls me my full name serious situations. She may be a Co-Owner of a huge recycling facility but she is rarely a serious person.

"Mom," I greet cautiously. If this is about a certain person who was released from prison I am less than excited.

"You know why I am calling," she tells me. I grunt in response and I can hear her eye roll, "Your father is wanting Brett to stay up at the estate with us but I cannot let that happen."

"He's not staying here with me," I reply gruffly. I don't want anything to do with that horrific excuse of a person.

"Lord I would not put that on you. I just need you to subtly suggest getting your brother an apartment in a city far from me or you," my mother almost begs through the phone.

"Why can't you?"

"Because he doesn't listen to me. His misogynistic pea brain can't compute my words," she says plainly. The amount of times I have pleaded with her to get a divorce is insane. Why she stays with him is the eighth wonder of the world. "Please Niko?"

"Fine. Love you," I say and hang up. My brother is released and I have to talk with my father. I clench my hands into fist to try and maintain my composure. Sure I might be an asshole but I have promised myself to never end up like him. I won't have anyone's blood on my hands.