The Rockstar and The Graduate//L.A. Guns •Kelly Nickels•

So Far, My Parents Think You're a Church Boy

It was really dark out so Kelly and I stopped by a street light. I noticed a watch on his wrist so I grabbed his hand and looked at the time. Shit. "What are you doing?" He asked as I dropped his hand. "I was checking the time. It's 6:30." I told him.

"And why is that a problem?" He asked. "I have strict parents." I said starting to walk back to the record store for my car. "I forgot about that, I'm sorry Laurie." Kelly said. I sighed. "It's fine. Listen, if I have time we can hang out on Saturday or something." I said. He nodded.

When we reached my car, I looked at Kelly. "Did you walk here?" I asked him. He nodded again. "My bike's in the shop." He said. "So what your telling me is that you need a ride home." I concluded. "Yeah, same place as this morning.

"Let me think." I said. I had to figure out how to explain this to my parents without having to explain this to my parents.

"We have to go to my house first. "I have to check in with my parents and then everything will be fine after that. "Are you afraid of them?" Kelly teased. I rolled my eyes. "Yes..no, they can be real hard asses sometimes. You'd think two people who were major hippies way back when would be fine with their kid doing whatever it is teenagers do." I said.

Kelly laughed. "Sounds like you have a tough life." He said as we got into my car. I put on my seat belt and started down the road. "It could be worse." I said. When we got to my house, I left the car on. "Stay here, I promise I won't take long, please don't steal my car, Killy." I said.

He furrowed his eyebrows. "Killy?" He questioned. "For all I know you could be a serial killer, so that's what I'm rolling with." He laughed and I ran to the front door.

"Oh look whose finally decided to join us Russell." My mom said disappointed. I nearly missed dinner. "Where have you been young lady?" My dad asked from his seat at the dinner table. "I was at the record store, I left a note on the fridge." I said.

"Laurie, I called Bob, he said you left and went on a walk with a friend." She said. "Well I didn't know I was going to go on the walk, he came out of no where and wanted to hang out!" I said.

My dad looked at my mom, my mom looked at my dad then they both looked at me. "He?" They both questioned in unison. I nodded. "He's a friend. And he's also in the car right now because he walked from his house to the record store." I said. I should stop fucking talking. I should of said she, I should of said she.

"Well, I want to meet him. I do not want my little girl hanging out with a drug addicted burnout." He said. I rolled my eyes. "He's late for dinner." I lied. If I told them the truth of Kelly being a bassist in a band and that he was 21 I'd be grounded until I'm 30.

I found it fucking weird. How my parents were hippies and got baked in their friend's basements when they were teenagers. I thought they'd be the same as adults.

But instead they are strict, they go to church, and they don't let me do anything remotely fun, unless I lie or bend the truth a little which is literally all the fucking time. It seems like my parents pulled a complete 180.

"Dad, Mom, we're wasting time, I don't want him to get in trouble. They have church tomorrow." I lied. My parents looked at me. "He goes to Church?" My mom smiled. I nodded. "Alright, but if your not back by 10, your grounded." My dad told me. I nodded.

"Yeah, of course." I said walking out the door. "That was close, like really fucking close." I said as I got in. "How so?" Kelly asked me. "Well, I told them you were late for dinner and your mom would be mad...so basically my parents think your a church boy." I told him as I started the car.

"You lied." He smiled. I nodded. "I always do, they're unbearable." I shrugged. "So what are we gunna do?" He asked. "Take you home? I have to be back by ten or my ass is grounded." I said.

"Alright, fine, take me home." He smirked. I smacked his arm. "Gross man." I said as I backed out of the driveway. "I am not gross, if anything, I'm confident." He said.

"Yeah, confidently an ass." I joked. He laughed at that. We were in the road now. I looked over and watched as Kelly took off his hat. "What are you doing?" I asked him. "Sometimes, your head gets hot and you get headaches from wearing hats all the time." He told me. I nodded.

"So you go to church?" He asked me. "Yeah, against my will. It's all my parents." I told him. "Then I guess they don't know I exist?" He asked. I shook my head. "They know you exist, they just don't know your name, your age, or that your in a band. They think you're also a church goer." I said.

"You always lie to them?" He asked. "Yes, in-fact I told a white lie to them just the other day so Janey and I could see your band." I said. He smiled. "So, when's your graduation?" He asked. "May 18th." I said.

"That's a few weeks." He added. "Yes it is. Then Janey and I are finally free." I told him. He laughed. We were almost to his house. We continued to make small talk until I pulled up to the apartment complex.

I told Kelly I'd see him later and he gave me his phone number. He wrote on a napkin. When I got home I noticed his hat in my backseat. He must of forgotten it.