Teen Idols And Happy Meals

Ice and Fate

 Nikki's POV

I always thought I would know if something bad happened to Jacen. I was sure I’d feel it, inside. Like in the movies. Surely a love like ours, one that transcended all else, would entail some sort of spiritual connection. But fate kept me in the dark, for it was crueler to us than most.

The day started out as mundane as any. It was a Saturday; laundry day in the Davenport house. I’d spent most of the morning ironing and folding without a care. I checked my phone at regular intervals, waiting for Jacen to text me about our plans for the day. The text never came, and I never suspected.

“Are you doing homework?” I asked of my younger brother as I arrived at the foot of the steps, in the midst of my third load of laundry. Basket propped against my hip I had entered the kitchen to find Joey at the rickety table, having carved himself a little pocket in the clutter. He’d shoved aside old magazines and dirty dishes to make way for a notebook that he was scribbling in diligently.

“Of course not,” he replied, rolling his dark eyes. “I’m not you.”

I snorted in response, like I was the only person who did homework, as I placed the basket down atop the washer in our closet of a laundry room. I turned around, crossing my arms over my chest to regard the sophomore boy in spongebob pajama pants. “Then what are you doing?”

“Practicing my autograph,” he said airily, gesturing grandly with his ballpoint pen.

“You’re kidding right?” I asked the obvious question as I crouched down and began loading up the washer.

“Not even a little bit,” he said, unabashed, “I’m the sibling of a celebrity. I have connections now. I’m like that girl whose sister married the prince.”

“Pieper Middleton?” I asked. I’d never been that into pop culture, even now that I was a part of it, and as such was only aware of those people who were insanely famous. Sylvia had always been obsessed with the royal family though, and had religiously followed the details of the Prince’s wedding.

“No, no, not a Disney character – I’m talking about a real person,” he said dismissively, tossing a crumpled ball of paper my way.

“She is a real person, dumbass,” I informed him as I rose to my feet, laughing. Shaking my head at the dusty linoleum floor, I made my way into the kitchen and began inspecting the cabinets. “What do you and Alex want for lunch? Mac and cheese?”

“Nah, we had that Thursday,” Joey said. I knew Alex would have a different opinion, but he was too busy playing with his dinosaurs in the living room. Colorful cartons danced on the TV in front of him but he paid them no mind.

“Well I don’t know what to tell you,” I replied to the eldest of my brothers, “I have to go food shopping later cause all we have is-,” I cut off as my phone blared in the pouch of the thin, salmon colored hoodie I wore in lieu of a pajama shirt.

Assuming it to be Jacen on the other end, I immediately pulled it out and pressed it to my ear, a smile plastered all over my face.

“Nikki?” Odette’s crisp voice cracked through the phone instead.

“Oh, hey Odette,” I replied easily, tilting my head to support my cell against my shoulder while I rummaged through my cabinets. “I was just about to call. Jacen still sleeping?”

“Nikki,” she said again, her voice hollow, like wind blowing through an empty tunnel. I felt my stomach drop through the floor. “Something’s happened.”

“What?” I asked, freezing with my hands on the handle of the drawer before me. I couldn’t have moved them if I wanted to. “What happened? Is it Jacen?”