Life's Better When You Gotta Bassist In It // L.A. Guns •Kelly Nickels•

You Look Like You Could of Used One of Those

As my mom was beating me the shit out of me over a small ass tattoo, I was thinking about how I debated coming here in the first place. I should have just stayed home. I was now in the floor, crumpled in a ball, as my mom kicked, punched and slapped me.

Eventually she had stopped, walking back into the living room and going back to drinking her whiskey. I laid on the kitchen floor for awhile until I finally had enough strength to get up. I slowly got up and walked out of the kitchen and past my mom and out the door without saying anything.

When I got into my car, I looked in the mirror and I looked like shit. My nose was bleeding, my mouth was bleeding, and my face was bruising. It was so bad you could see a hand print shaped bruise on my face along with a bunch of others.

My ribs, stomach and back hurt. Everything hurt. I didn't cry. This had happened many times before but for other stupid reasons. Not bothering to clean myself up, I started my car and went back to the apartment, disappointed.

When I reached the apartment, the door was unlocked. Kelly must be home. I opened the door and didn't see him. "Hey Erin." Kelly said coming out of his room. He looked at me and his eyes went wide. "Holy shit, what the fuck happened to you?" He asked walking over to me.

I sighed. "It's a long story, and it wore me out." I said walking to to the bathroom, Kelly following after me. "Just let me help you." He said, I sighed in defeat. Getting the shit beat out of you by your own mom can really wear a person out, there was no way I'd have the energy to do this anyway.

"Fine." I said, sitting on the sink counter in the bathroom as Kelly grabbed stuff. He took a wet wash rag and started wiping off my face. "So who did this shit to you?" He asked. "How do you know a person did this?" I questioned.

"Erin, there's literally a fucking handprint bruised on your face." He said, looking at me worried. I had forgotten about that. He was helping me and there was no point in keeping this from him. I'd tell him very little.

"My mom." I said. He paused in the middle of what he was doing and stared at me, he looked hurt. I shrugged. "She can't do anything to me anymore, I hope I never see her again in my life." I said breaking the silence. Kelly finished dressing my wounds and helped me off the sink.

"Thanks Kelly." I said. He smiled a small smile and then kissed the top of my head. I looked at him confused. "You looked like you could of used one of those." He said. Before I could say anything he went back to his room.

I tiredly walked into my room and shut the door, taking my clothes off and walking to my laundry basket. I grabbed a t-shirt that was too big for me. Kelly's Laundry must have gotten mixed with mine. I shrugged, put it on and lazily put on a pair of sleep shorts. Flopping onto my bed.

I looked at my watch and it was 12:45. Where had the day gone? Before I knew it I was sleeping peacefully even though I'd wake up every once in awhile with some part of my body hurting.

(Kelly's POV)
Seeing Erin hurt like that hurt me, hell, it pissed me off. I know she's not with Phil anymore but I can't tell her how I'm feeling because in reality, I'll fuck it up.

I couldn't believe that her mom did that to her, it's fucked. She was sleeping and I had just woken up, it now being the next day. First thing I did when I woke up was check on Erin. I slowly opened her bedroom door and poked my head in.

She was still asleep. Jesus fuck she was killing me. I closed the door and heard a knock on the apartment door. I got up and answered it. It was the guys.

"Hey guys." I said as I let them in. "Where's our gal pal Erin?" Tracii asked. "She's still sleeping." I said. Shortly after I said, Erin's bedroom door opened and out walked Erin. Her face looked worse than it did last night.

I glanced at the shirt she was wearing and it was mine. I wonder how she got a hold of it. I mentally smiled to myself. I forgot the guys were there.

"Good morning, how are you feeling?" I asked as I walked into the kitchen to get her some food or something. "My body hurts." She said with a frown. I walked over to her and gently put my hands on either side of her head and slowly moved it to make sure things were okay.

Here face was still badly bruised. "Here." I said grabbing some aspirin and a glass of water. Turning my attention back to the guys. Phil was looking between Erin and I weirdly.

"What the fuck happened between the two of you?" Steve asked her. She shrugged, "Long story, but I gotta get to work." She said, walking to her room.

"What's going on here?" Tracii asked me with a smirk. I laughed. "Nothing, I just helped her. She got hurt, so I helped her, not a fucking psycho who doesn't help someone when they're hurt." He left it at that and we then left for band practice.

(End of Kelly's POV)

I woke up and walked out of my room. They guys were there including Phil. I ignored Phil, pretended he wasn't there. Kelly was really nice to me this morning, and I thanked him for that.

I left and went to work after I got dressed. Today is an unbelievably slow day. Literally no one was here, except Shift. I was refilling his drink when the bell on the door jingled.

"What can I get you?" I asked the person in front of me. I'm not going to lie, he looked really good, and I guess I should try and get back out there after the whole Phil thing happened, cause it wasn't going to happen again.

"What happened to your face?" He asked. I looked at him and rolled my eyes. "I really wish people would stop fucking asking me that."
I said. "Alright sorry, I just don't know who would do that to a beautiful face like yours." He said with a teethless smile.

I love his smile. I smiled too. "What drink do you want?" I asked him. He told me and I started making the jack and coke he asked for. "So do you gotta name?" I asked him. He swirled the ice in his glass with the stir stick I gave him.

"A pretty girl asking for my name, does this mean I'll get her number?" He asked with a smirk. I smiled at him and took my pen and his napkin, and wrote my number on it. He glanced at the number and and then he stared at me. "I'm Erin, Erin Scott." I smiled.

He smirked at me. "Well, Erin, I'm Brent, Brent Muscat. "It's nice to meet you." I said, giving him my pen. He reached over the bar and gently grabbed my arm. He then placed it on the bar and wrote his number on my hand.

"I'll see you again Erin." He said with a smirk as he got up and left.

I'm glad I met him.