Dead Girl Walking ― Aaron Minyard

33. be nice to me

but you're a killer
and i'm your best friend
think it's unfair, your situation
― the front bottoms

[trigger warnings: homophobia, religious trauma, drake, off-page sexual assault, off-page murder; description of a dead body; references to past childhood sexual abuse & assault]

♦

EVEN WITH A PITSTOP TO EXITES to get Neil a new racquet, they reached Nicky's parents house with time to spare. 

The Hemmicks lived in a two-story home in the suburbs of southern Columbia. Mara looked out of the window, watching the image of the family home still as Nicky parked at the curb. From the outside, it was a perfect house. The lawn was a vibrant green and neatly trimmed, the cars in the driveway new and clean, the house a pale blue with dark shutters. It looked like an ordinary middle-class home, which made the cousins' reactions all the more surreal. Next to Mara, Aaron was neither tense nor relaxed. Not even Andrew had anything to say when Nicky killed the engine. 

Nicky drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. "Maybe this was a mistake."

"Oh, now he says it," Andrew said, and got out of the car. "Too late."

Neil put his racquet aside and got out, but Andrew snagged it as soon as Neil was out of the way. Andrew gave it an experimental twirl, judging the weight of it, then propped it against his shoulder and started for the other cars.

Nicky got out of the car like it was on fire. "Andrew, what are you doing?"

"He's got a really shiny car for a minister," Andrew said. "I'm going to humble it."

Nicky ran after him and pulled the racquet from his hands. Andrew could have held onto it, but he was seemingly more amused by the terrified look on Nicky's face. He laughed at Nicky's obvious distress and made an exaggerated gesture for Nicky to lead the way. Nicky handed the racquet to Neil.

Mara, Kevin, and Neil hung back as they crossed the yard. Aaron and Andrew waited on the walkway, standing side-by-side for the first time Mara could remember. She wondered if it was solidarity, but wasn't too optimistic about the answer. 

Nicky stood silent and still on the porch for almost a full minute before ringing the doorbell. As soon as he did he retreated to the edge of the porch to wait.

Maria Hemmick answered the door. She was taller than Mara expected her to be, but she could see the resemblance between her and Nicky in an instant. Andrew and Aaron were pale and light-haired, whereas Nicky inherited his Mexican mother's darker complexion. He had his mother's eyes and the same curve to his mouth. 

Nicky had never smiled like this, though, so polite and small it was barely welcoming.

"Why did you ring the doorbell?" she asked in lieu of hello.

"This isn't my house anymore," Nicky reminded her, his voice bordering on brittle.

She pursed her lips but didn't argue. She stepped aside, so they moved out of the cold into the much warmer front hall. Maria closed the door behind them and turned to face her guests. Mara, Kevin, and Neil were now the closest ones to her. There was no recognition in her stare when she considered them, but she nodded a greeting at them.

"You must be Kevin, Neil, and Mara," she said. "I'm Maria."

Kevin put on one of his public-friendly smiles and said, "It's nice to meet you."