Might As Well Be On Mars // Motley Crue

Home Sweet Home

After two nights of contemplation, it was decided Nikki would move in on May 30, two days after Evie got out of school.

When Mick first brought the idea up to Nikki, Nikki felt embarrassed and almost insulted. He was a grown ass man trying to be a rockstar, and that meant living the rockstar life. Why did this old man think he could come in and tell him he was living like a vagrant and think he needed his handouts? He didn't want to create tensions in the band, though, so Nikki just told Mick he wanted to think it over, just like Evie had said the day before.

And he was glad he did. The moment of realization had come to him the next morning, right after he had opened his eyes, before the regular anxiety and cravings set in. Mick wasn't trying to insult Nikki or act like a savior; he was genuinely trying to help his friend out.

Nikki climbed out of bed and reached for the phone, and the two men made plans to meet after practice that day to discuss the living situation.

The rules Mick set out were clear enough. He even wrote them on a piece of paper so that Nikki couldn't claim he forgot:

No drugs

No hard liquor upstairs (expect if drinking with Mick)

No men over without permission (that includes Tommy)

No women over without permission (that includes Vince)

Additionally, Nikki was to clean the basement at least once every other week, and he was to never, under any circumstances, go into Evie's room. In exchange for not having to pay rent, Nikki was to help out with tasks Mick couldn't or simply didn't want to do, namely the yard work (though there wasn't much of a yard to work on), and taking Evie places when Mick had the car. Finally, Mick and Evie both reserved the right to change any of the rules at any time.

It seemed like a fine deal to Nikki. He was a little upset about the no drugs and no women clause of the agreement, but it wasn't like that was cut off to him; all four guys in the band had agreed to split the rent on the apartment. It would be the guys' party and practice space, as well as a place for the younger guys to do the things that would get them kicked out of their parents' (and guitarist's) places.

Although Evie was originally scared of the idea of Nikki living in their house, she was now a bit excited. She spent most of the day after it was confirmed pacing around her room and daydreaming about all the possibilities. But she forced herself to stop. It wasn't right, fantasizing about her father's bandmate, and it sure as hell wasn't smart. She eventually told herself that if something happened, it happened, but she shouldn't stress about it or try to force it.

She decided to focus on being welcoming, not attractive or mysterious. The first step was to clean the basement. It wasn't too much of a mess, but it needed some sweeping, dusting, disinfecting, and decluttering. Once the place looked more like a hotel room than a family's basement, it was time to stock it like a hotel room. Evie washed and folded some blankets, found a hardly used pillow Nikki could use, replaced the burnt out light bulb in the floor lamp, stocked the closet with some hangers, and put a towel in the bathroom. She caught herself smiling in the mirror when she imagined the bassist showering. She told herself to stop it, but the smile didn't stay gone for long.

The last step was her favorite: going shopping. The first stop was the bathroom section of Walmart. She got some shampoo, conditioner, and body wash, then a toothbrush and toothpaste. What else did men need, she thought to herself. Maybe a razor? After putting a razor, shaving cream, and a hairbrush in her cart, she moved onto the food section.

She figured she shouldn't make too many assumptions about what he would like, so she just picked up some oreos and pringles, because who didn't like oreos and pringles? Finally, she found a small, cheap bedside table, an alarm clock, a throw pillow, and a bin to hold all the items she bought.

Back home, she did a shopping hall for Mick. He was pleased and a little surprised by how much care Evie was taking to make their new guest comfortable. He focused less on the things she had gotten for him, and more on the way she delighted in showing it all to Mick, the way she talked fast and gasped when she pulled out items she had forgotten about. He could tell she was proud of herself.

After showing everything to her father, Evie took it all downstairs and started organizing. She put all of the toiletries under the sink in the bathroom, the alarm clock on the new bedstand, and the pillows and the blankets on one side of the couch. Finally, she put the snacks and some pencils, pens, and a candle in the bin she had gotten.

After showing Mick the result of her hard work, she went back up to her room to enjoy her first day of summer break.

The first day Nikki lived at the house went well, considering how weird the circumstances were. Evie was at work when he arrived at the house, but he appreciated the decorating she had done. When Nikki first walked into the basement, he was certain the things down there weren't for him. It was only when he asked Mick if the basement was Mick's room that he was informed that the items were, in fact, for him.

"You really didn't need to do all this," Nikki said. "I've got all I need: a blanket, shampoo, toothbrush, you can keep this stuff."

"Don't be stupid," Mick told him. "We weren't using this shit, anyway, and Evie had a lot of fun going shopping and picking stuff out for you."

Mick didn't let Nikki say anything else. Instead, he took him on a tour of the house, showing him first around the basement, then the main floor, where the living room, kitchen, and bathroom were, then the upstairs floor, where Mick and Evie's closed bedroom doors and a third bathroom were. Finally, Mick left Nikki alone to get comfortable in his new place.

The basement was mostly unfinished. It had no carpet, no painted walls, and there were free pipes and wooden beams going along the ceiling and walls. But it felt cozy with its dim yellow lights, faux fur rug placed seemingly randomly on its floor, stack of puzzles, board games, and books in the corner, and bright blue futon placed in the middle of the room. The bathroom was similarly homey; it was small, with only a small sink, a toilet, and a narrow shower with a glass door. The cement walls made the room look dark, but Nikki was alright with that.

The only thing Nikki needed to do was unpack his few belongings. He hung his clothes in the closet, put all of his stage accessories on the floor, and kept his thin rag of a blanket in his suitcase. Finally, he went up to his car to retrieve his stereo and bass.

Sitting down on the futon for the first time, he decided he was probably going to like it here.