A couple weeks past since Jade, Tom hasn't stopped calling her. Nick knows at some point she will need face up to the music and talk to him but not yet. She was doing what she should of done before getting with Tom, she is sleeping with inappropriate men. Her phone starts vibrating on the bedside table, lifting the screen up to see who it is. She sighs and puts it a back down.
Willows daddy🐶 is calling
Accept| Decline
"Is that your boyfriend calling?" Peep asks her as he lights up a joint.
"No" Nick starts dressing herself "it's urm. It's no one. You wanna get sushi? Dying for some sushi" she asks slipping into a pair of highwaisted shorts.
Peep offers her a toke on the joint, happily accepting gently kissing him first. Every touch of his lips she sees Tom.
"Urm yeah sure? I've have like two bucks though" Peep laughs as he gets dressed.
"It sound don't worry about that" Nick grabs her bag waiting for him to finish dressing.
They grab their boards heading off toward this great little sushi place just down from her place in the fashion district. Skating boarding was like surfing to Nick, it was her happy place outside of the water. She doesn't have to think about the outside world, just her and the thoughts of not crashing into moving cars. Her dad taught her to skateboard when he would come over to the states snd when she would go over to Australia he would teach her surf. It was their time together, time that was taken too soon in her opinion. Carol had calmed down, obviously found some cash to pay her debts and has left Nick alone for now.
"What's going on in that pretty head of yours?" Peep asks her as he puts a roll in his mouth. But as he spoke she didn't hear Peep she hears Tom's perfect british voice.
"Thinking of my dad" she smiles at him.
He is like her, a little lost soul trying to find their place in the big bad world that is LA.
Carol Benson is calling
Accept | Decline
Zella looks at her phone sighing. Putting it back in her bag and getting back to her food. Peep looks at her concerned.
"Is that him?" He asks. She shakes his head.
"Nope" she takes a swig out of her beer "it's my mum. My dad died 2 years ago" she looks at him before taking another roll.
"Oh god. I'm so sorry" Peep thinks he's offended her.
"Don't worry hun. Only the family know" she takes another bite "he Urm killed himself. Wasn't pretty. But life moves on"
The eat in silence for the rest of the meal. But a comfortable silence, like they are just two friends eating no pressures. They decide to go drinking in a couple bars, take her mind off things. Peep didn't know what was bothering Nick but something was and she didn't want to talk about it.
"Hey did you call Lay?" Nick whispers in Peeps ear as they dance together. Nick high as a kit and drunk as a skunk.
"Yeah she said 20 minutes" he kisses her neck.
From the outside they seem to be two normal young people enjoying each other's company. But as Layla and the rest of the boys enter the bar she can see something deeper in Nick. Something troubling her. Layla and Ned who know her the best can see the pain behind her smile and the drugs running through her system to mask it all.
Nick was a troubled young lady, her father had died by his own hand only 2 years prior and her mother? Well Carol was hardly a woman that wanted children. For her whole life she blamed Nick for the fact her father left. She always told her that if Nick hadn't of been born, then her father would still be here and they would be happy. But in reality, Carol was a one night stand that wouldn't go away. She was obsessed with the idea they would be together forever. So much so that when he died, Nick was convinced Carol would go with him but she didn't. Instead she ramped up the drinking and the drug habits.
For a while, back in England, Nick would clean up the messes with the money left by her father. But she so came to realise that Carol would never change, no matter how many rehab programs Nick paid for, nothing was going to work. So they parted ways, Carol moved back to the states when Nick was only 17 and Nick moved in with some friends. Her demons constantly look over her, she thought Rayn would fix them, he understood the difficulties of having a fucked up family. He didn't. He just aggravated the situation, he introduced to drugs and alcohol. She willingly took them not knowing how strong then addictive gene was in her family.
Wasn't just drugs and alcohol Nick is addicted to, no. She has an addictive personality, she becomes addicted to people, to her work, to her passions but mostly to the feeling of being numb. With Tom it was like her nerves were dialled up to 100. She feels everything so strongly, unable to numb any feelings. Maybe it was for the good if she let out her past, her problems then he would of just ran for the hills anyway.
"What did you say?" Nick shouts another woman outside the bar. She had overheard them talking shit about her friends.
"I asked who invited the biker whores" the stranger pushes Nick.
"Maybe the same people who invited the slappers" Nick retorts back "so maybe you and your cum dumpster friends need to back the fuck off" Nick has a vicious tongue on her.
"What did you just fucking call us?" The stranger continues to poke the bear.
"I said. You're a cum dumpster" Nick smirks.
The stranger throws a punch, cutting her lip. Nick staggers back, regaining her balance she goes charging at the stranger in the street. Throwing one punch which Knocks her clean to the ground. Nick pulls her up by the collar on her coat, kneeing her in vagina before throwing another punch. The woman throws another punch bag, this time getting her in the eye. Before she is able throw another punch at the woman who is already bleeding the police pull her back.
"You are under arrest for assault" the officer says handcuffing her "you have the right to remain silent" the office continues to talk as Nick laughs to herself as blood pours from the cut on her lip. She spits in the woman's direction.
Another office stands in front of her.
"Nicoletta what have you done" he speaks. She laughs to her self again. The office behind her pulls her back by her hair.
"Careful sunshine. You might just turn me on doing that" she laughs. The officer in front of her smirks "Hey Jordan. Alright?" He shakes his head.
"I've got it from here" Jordan takes her by the cuffs guiding her to his car. "Nicki. Thought we talked about this" he looks back at her through the centre mirror "I thought you were sober. You had 6 months" she scoffs "I saw your mom today" that gets her attention, she scowls at him. That ends the conversation.
They drive back to the station in silence. Nick continues to stare out the window thinking where did it all go wrong? When Nick first moved out to LA she was happy the addictions were managed, when Carol started making contact her drinking got out of control. Jordan arrested her just before her 20th birthday, for the same thing. The stranger was just as liable as she was and didn't press charge. Jordan, he promised her no jail time if she promised to come to meetings with him. He became her sponsor and Nick became 6 months sober.
She never told anyone that she was sober with the fear that her friends would all ditch her. They wouldn't but Nick doesn't see her as a value. Carol popped her ugly head up about 9 months ago and that's when the drinking started again. She cut contact with Jordan, avoided his calls, to his props he does call he every day. Leaves the same voicemail to meet her at a meeting but she never goes, just deletes the voicemail. Her way in life, pretend it's not there and it'll go away.
"You know the drill. One phone call go" Jordan leads up to a pay phone, entering a quarter. She dials Layla's number.
"Hey Lay" she pretends like all is ok "please can you come bail me out? The one near Venice. You know the one" she looks up at the big black man looking over her, she smiles.
"Fuck sake. Yeah ok. I'll like 30 minutes love you" Layla agrees.
"I love you too boo" she hangs the phone up.
Jordan guides her to a waiting cell, looking the door Nick sticks her hands through the door so he can unlock the cuffs. He shakes his head at her, looking at Jordan, he looks so disappointed in her. That was the worst thing seeing that disappointment in his eyes, it was like her father being disappointed she couldn't take it.
Avoiding a conversation with him, Nick heads to one of the benches to sober up and wait for Layla.
"Hey. Nico" there's only one person who calls her that. Looking up her heart sinks. Carol.
"Oh what the fuck do you want?" Nick says.
"That's no way to greet your mother" this is crackhead Carol. She could barely open her eyes she was so high.
"Oh is that what you are? I'd forgotten" Nick rests her head against the cold brick all of the cell before getting up and going over it he bars. "Jordan. Please move me. I beg you"
"Mother daughter bonding" he simply says before getting back to the paperwork.
"Motherfucker" she hits the bars.
"You got like a hundred I could borrow until next week?" Her mother comes up behind. She can smell the crack. Nearly vomiting in her place.
"Should I add that to the $50,000?" Nick glares over her shoulder. Carol smacks her round the back of the head, Nicks head goes flying into the metal bars at some speed.
"No one way to speak to your mother. I brought you into this world" she says.
Nick moves to the other side of the jail cell.
"And what? You'll take me out of it?" She smirks "try me"
Carol goes charging at her, Nick simply Takes one step to the right and Carol hits the wall. Staggering back holding her head laughing to herself.
"Bail posted" Jordan yells as he opens the cell door. "Come on Nicki"
Nick exits the cell expecting to see maybe Ned or even Peep but no Layla stands there with Tom, looking extremely concerned for her in the state she is in. Nick glares at Layla as she moves over to grab her stuff.
"What? I don't have a fucking car and everyone else was pissed" Layla crosses her arms looking up at Tom "I stand by that decision. Anyway why are you getting into bar fights again?"
Nick avoids the question as she collects her things. Walking straight past the pair to the outside, by the time she let out of jail the sun has risen and there is heat in the air. Nick lights up a smoke as she watches Tom and Layla get into his car.
"Nicki" a voice calls out from behind her. She turns to see George "Nicki what happened? You were doing great"
"She happened. I was doing fine because we had no contact. Then she walked back in. It's in my bloody. Her junkie blood runs through my veins"
"Don't say that. Come to a meeting with me. We will start again" Jordan begs her.
"It's not for me. Thank you Jordan"
"You've got my number. If you change your mind Nicki" he calls after her as she climbs into the car.
"Nick" she goes to call her Nicki, smirking.
"Don't. Only Jordan gets to call me Nicki"
"Why did Jordan bring you to Venice? Do you know him from when you lived here?" She asks as the exits Venice life.
"Yeah something like that. Past life I guess" Nick replys vaguely.
The rest of journey is done in silence, Tom drops Layla off first. He offers to let Nick sit up front, but she declines.
Two Poor Bitches🙋🏻♀️
I'm sorry man. The only one with a car.
Love you boo.
Is everything ok? With you I mean.
"Thanks for the lift and bailing me" Nick gets out of the car before Tom can say anything but he runs after her. "Urm let me know how much bail was and I'll send it over" she smiles at him getting her keys out.
"Can we talk?" He asks
"Don't really think this is wise. I mean I'm on a serious coke down and in a bit of pain. Plus. I don't want to" she sarcastically smiles at him before entering the code into the gate.
"Look I know you didn't want to see me but I'm here. So please" he begs her.
"Fuck off" she closes the gate behind her just in time for the tears to roll down her face.