VALERIE

Forty Four

"So what are your plans after high school Nick?" Johnny's father Leon asked before he stuffed his mouth with a helping of casserole.

Nick thought to himself and stayed quiet, he didn't even know what he wanted to do. But he did want to change that's for sure, he just didn't know where to start.

Then again he just committed arson a few hours ago.

"I um, I'm not sure, I just want to make money." He decided nonchalantly,

Mia snorted, placing a hand onto Johnny's back she rubbed it, "You know Nick, if you really want to be someone in life you need a plan, Johnny has a plan, isn't that right babe?" She turned to look at Johnny in admiration.

Nick threw his head back and let out a chuckle, "Your hilarious Mia."

"Hilarious?" She batted her eyelashes in confusion, her ocean blue eyes examining his some what animated movements.

"Just mind your own business doll." Nick suggested with a wink,

Johnny dropped his silverware onto his plate and it made a clanging noise along with Mia's elongated gasp, she looked down so no one would see her flushed cheeks.

"Don't fucking talk to her like that." Johnny barked at him, the veins in his neck popping out.

"Hey that's enough, all three of you." Leon interjected as he glared at the three teenagers who all fell into an awkward throat cutting silence.

Irene cleared her throat, "So Nick, when we were cooking you mentioned you went to Florida?"

Nick huffed then nodded, "Yeah."

"And how was it?"

Nick shrugged one shoulder, "It was interesting."

"Did you travel alone?"

"No I had some company." Nick replied casually,

"I bet." Mia muttered under her breath, Nick glared at her with obvious irritation before turning his attention back to Irene.

"With who?" Irene kept badgering, but Nick didn't mind he liked Irene so the questions were a small price to pay.

"My girlfriend."

Mia looked away and mumbled something under her breath when he said that, yet Irene's face lit up.

"Oh how adorable, what's she like?"

Nick couldn't contain his smile as he thought of Valerie, "She's great, you'd like her."

Suddenly Mia stood up and disappeared from the dining room completely, Johnny didn't think much of it and continued eating.

"That a boy Nick." Leon chuckled, "What'd you two do over there eh?" Leon winked.

"Leon!" Irene scolded her husband who lifted his hands up in front of him in surrender.

Nick let out a small dark laugh, "We just went to visit my mother."

Everyone at the table grew silent, they all stopped what they were doing to stare at Nick.

Johnny's entire family knew about his mother and how she abandoned him, it was one of the reasons why Nick had always stayed over at their house when he was younger. Nick would sleepover for weeks sometimes because after Petunia had left them Al became abusive towards a younger Nick, Johnny's parents didn't mind though, they loved Nick like a son and Johnny loved Nick like a brother, even if Nick did screw him over a lot.

"Petunia? Oh wow hun, how is she?"

"Dead." Nick replied casually and monotonously as if it was nothing to him.