Rocketship

Chapter Seven: kickstart my car

The many overlapping voices filling the food court forced me to partially rely on my ability to read lips.

"So how's babysitting?!" Carrie half shouted.

"I too, would like to know." Gwen piggybacked.

Good question. A week had passed since my awkward sleepover at the Sixx house, and fortunately, Nikki and I were both able to move past the awkwardness I had caused. It seemed like, from the outside looking in at least, we had fallen back into our normal dynamic, despite my ever deepening crush.

"Well," I started, then cleared my throat. "It's been going really well; the kids are adorable, and uh... Nikki's really nice too, so yeah — it's been cool." I took a sip of my Pepsi, and hoped that satisfied their intrigue.

"God, I can't believe you babysit Nikki Sixx's kids." Gwen said.

You and me both, sister.

Carrie nudged Gwen. "You know who Nikki Sixx is?"

"Yes, sweets. Not everyone was raised under a rock like you." Gwen kissed Carrie on her nose.

"Haha." Carrie deadpanned.

God, they were adorable. Carrie and Gwen were the only couple I didn't mind third wheeling, so when they invited me to come to the mall with them, I of course tagged along.

"So what's he like?" Gwen pressed.

I gulped hard, and the fizz from the soda burned my nose. "He's nice... uh, yeah, really nice, I guess." I felt my cheeks growing red.

Carrie quirked an eyebrow. "You already said he was nice."

"Well, I just think he's a nice guy, okay? He's a cool boss, I guess." Jeez, did it just get hot in here? I hadn't told anyone about my crush out of pure embarrassment; I had no idea how my friends would react (well, I knew drew would 100% make fun of me) — Nikki was 15 years older than me for starters, and he was my boss, and on top of that I had a boyfriend — it was a secret that I just wasn't quite ready to divulge.

"Is he hot? Ya know like in person?" Gwen asked raising her eyebrows up and down and biting her tongue like she were in some silly cartoon.

Carrie rolled her eyes at that question.

"What? I'm curious."

I took in a deep breath — I breathed in, and in and in, like I forgot how to exhale.

The mental image of Nikki without his shirt on flashed in my brain.

You know, actually, he's the hottest man I've ever seen.

"Objectively speaking, yeah I guess so. You know if tattoos and dark messy hair is your type." I said with a shrug. Apparently, that was exactly my type.

"I'd go Bi for that man."

Carrie snorted and collapsed her head into Gwen's shoulder.

"What? I would," Gwen said through a laugh. I couldn't help but laugh too.

On our way out of the mall, I walked passed a magazine kiosk. Displayed on the front cover of one of the issues was Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee with their new baby. Oh, that makes sense. Tommy was the "friend" Nikki was meeting at the hospital last week.

♡︎♡︎♡︎

The next morning...

I grabbed my tote bag off my vanity and a book. It was 6:00 am, and I was about to head over to Nikki's.

Before I left my room, I caught a glance of myself in the mirror and was horrified to realize that I had almost forgotten to put in my contacts. I was still wearing my glasses — I couldn't wear my glasses to Nikki's! — I quickly took off my glasses, and I carefully removed the little life savers from their saline filled case. I popped one in successfully, then attempted to do the same with its twin. I leaned as close as I could to the mirror, and just as I was about to pop in the other one, the stool I was sitting on tipped forward, and I fell onto my vanity table, losing my contact in the process.