Nick & Bailey

14. Bailey

My mom's two sisters always come to stay with us for a few days after Christmas, and this year is no exception. For the two days they are here, it's like our house is being taken over. They both have husbands and a few kids each, and suddenly our decent sized house becomes very small.

The day after Christmas is always spent the same way in the Rogers house—cleaning.

I'm in my room straightening up and clearing the floor since Nick and Ian will be sleeping on it tonight while our guests are here. I grab a pile of dirty clothes that I've gathered from the bottom of my closet and under my bed. There are clothes here that I'd completely forgotten about. Wow, I should really clean more often.

I hear Nick and Ian in Ian's room cleaning as I return from starting my laundry, and Ian's voice captures my attention. "It's just fucking bullshit."

I stand outside the open doorway to listen. I'm not hiding, but they don't notice me either.

"Who gives a shit?" Nick asks him.

"I do," Ian replies. "Why does Bailey have to fucking date all my friends? I'm not going to have any friends by the time she's done. Now Justin's throwing this huge party tonight, and I can't go."

Justin, my douchebag ex. I knew he was a having a party tonight because a couple of my friends texted me about it, asking if I would be mad if they went—female solidarity and all. I told them all that I didn't care, and I really don't. I don't expect them to miss a good time, they weren't dumb enough to date him. And despite all his faults, Justin really does throw an excellent party.

Nick doesn't say anything so Ian continues his rant. "I mean, he cheated on my sister. I can't exactly be friends with the guy anymore. But if she would have just stayed away from him, it never would have happened."

"It's not Bailey's fault that he cheated on her. And the guy's a dick anyway."

I get a warm feeling in my chest listening to Nick defending me.

"I know he's a dick, but I've been friends with him since first grade. And now that's just done. It's fucking bullshit," Ian says again.

I walk back to my room with a heavy heart. I don't give a shit about Ian's opinion. He's said all of it to me before, but he's being a hypocrite. He dates my friends too. We go to a small school, and we are both pretty social. It's bound to happen.

But I worry about what Nick must be thinking now. Not that I want to date Nick...or do I? I have no fucking clue. But thanks to Ian, I doubt I'll get the chance to find out.

By the time my aunts get to our house, it's past lunch. Ian and Nick had left an hour ago—not explaining where they were going—and Ian returned shortly after, sans Nick.

Everyone is sitting in the living room now. My mom and her sisters are talking loudly—and getting louder with each glass of wine, as I'm being sandwiched between my five younger cousins on the couch.

After the initial, "Hi, how are you?"s, the preteens all zeroed their eyes on the new iPads they received for Christmas. I've never been particularly close with this side of the family. They live hours away, so I only see them a couple of times a year. And with the crowded room, and even more crowded coach, I'm beginning to feel claustrophobic.

I hear Ian, my dad and uncles on the other side of the room discussing the Bears, Bulls and Cubs before Ian says, "I gotta go pick up Nick. I'll be back, and I can finish teaching you all why trading him is going to be the biggest fuck-up of this season."

"Language!" My mom says automatically. Even tipsy, she will never stop metaphorically cleaning our mouths with soap.

"I'll go with you!" I say quickly. "Just let me grab my shoes."

"But I'm just going—" Ian starts.

"That's okay! Be back in a minute!"

I run upstairs and back before Ian can sneak out without me.

In the car, Ian says, "I'm just going to the park. It's like a three minute drive."

"I had to get out of there. Too many people in my personal space."

He nods in understanding and turns the radio volume up. After flipping through a few channels, he lands on "I've Got You Babe" by Sonny and Cher.

"Holy shit! I haven't heard this in forever," I say, nodding my head to the beat and increasing the volume even more.

Ian laughs. "Oh my God. Do you remember when we performed this for Mom and Dad?"

When we were eight, Ian and I memorized the song and sang it to my parents for their anniversary, using hairbrushes as microphones. We always used to put together little sketches or dances when we were bored, sometimes we even convinced Mandy to join in. I wonder when that stopped.

I start laughing too. "How could I forget? I think there's a video of it somewhere."

Ian and I start singing along, him covering the Sonny verses, while I have Cher's down pat. By the time we get to the park, we're both crying from laughing so hard.

Ian parks the car, and I look for Nick. It hadn't occurred to me until now that I have no idea what he's doing at the park in the first place. It's kind of odd place to hang out for a seventeen year old in the middle of winter, even if the temperature is mild today.

I spot him by the monkey bars, holding a younger version of himself around the waist so he won't fall.

"Is that..."

Ian reads my mind. "His brothers? Yeah."

Suddenly I see another little boy come running from behind Nick's back, laughing. Nick helps the first boy reach the ladder and then grabs Boy #2, lifting him up effortlessly to cross the bars as well.

"It's Simon and Olly. Simon is the taller one," he says, pointing. "Nick really didn't want to leave them. I think they are the reason that he stayed in that house as long as he did."

I look out the windshield, staring at the interaction. Nick is laughing at something Olly said when Simon trips and falls down the ladder. Nick rushes over to him before kissing the knee that the boy is pointing to and giving him a hug.

It's a surprisingly sweet gesture and very un-Nick like. If I wasn't seeing it with my own eyes, I would not have believed it. "He's very good with them."

Ian gives me a quizzical look. "Yeah. Well, he practically helped raise them. Their dad certainly wasn't going to step up."

A car parks a few spaces away from us, and as the driver steps out, I recognize her as Nick's mom. Nick sees her and gives an acknowledging wave. Then he bends down to the level of the boys. I don't know what he's saying, but they both nod and wrap their little arms around his neck and shoulders.

As he stands back up, they run to their mom and quickly jump into the backseat. Nick gives a sad smile before waving at his mom again. She waves back before getting in her car and driving off.

"She didn't even speak to him?" I ask Ian.

He shakes his head, "Bailey, you have no idea how fucked up this whole situation is."