The next morning, Nick woke up with new resolve. It was the first of February, the beginning
of a new month, and there were just over two weeks left before his tour. He had rehearsals scheduled the following
week, and he was determined to spend this week getting himself into better
shape, exercising and trying to drop a few pounds before the tour.
He climbed out of bed and pulled on a pair of Adidas wind pants
and a sweatshirt. He crammed his feet
into his tennis shoes and laced them up tightly, then descended downstairs and
went outside. He did a few stretches in
his driveway to get warmed up and then set out jogging up the rest of the long
driveway and out onto the street. It was
early morning, just after seven, and he hoped most of the younger girls were
sleeping in; he didn’t want to be interrupted.
It usually wasn’t too bad because his neighbors were used to him living
there, and he wasn’t often pestered.
Fifteen minutes later, a winded Nick returned. Having jogged over a mile, he was completely
out of breath and exhausted. He trudged
up his driveway and went into the comfort of his home. Tugging off his shoes, he left them in front
of the door, staggered into the living room, and collapsed on the carpet. He lay there for awhile, until his breathing
slowed, and then forced himself to get up and go upstairs. Hot and sweaty, he craved a nice long shower.
When he stepped out of the shower half an hour later, he could
feel his muscles beginning to stiffen up.
He cursed himself for not stretching them out after his run. Now he would be stiff the rest of the day and
tomorrow. He remembered how he had been
able to run forever as a child and never feel it. But he was not a child anymore; he was
twenty-three, and his body was beginning to protest heavy activity more and
more.
“I’m getting old,” Nick wheezed in an elderly man’s voice,
chuckling at his reflection in the mirror over the sink. He got dressed slowly, his legs protesting
each step he took. His shin ached, and
he groaned. He was probably getting shin
splints again. He really would have to
do better at working out and keeping himself fit.
That would do for now though.
Now that he was clean and cooled down again, he was starving, his
appetite awakened by the exercise. He
went downstairs into the kitchen in search of food. He would have loved to sit down to a few Eggo
waffles smeared in butter and powdered sugar, but since he was on a mission to
lose weight, he opted for a Carnation Instant Breakfast nutrition shake and a
couple pieces of dry toast instead. Some
breakfast, he thought, as he downed the powdered chocolate drink.
Still, he had to admit that he felt much better once breakfast was
over. He had definitely gotten the day
off to the right start, and he was determined to stay on track. And hopefully not just until after the tour
was over either. That was when he needed
willpower the most, for when he was not working, it was easy to sit on his ass
all day, playing video games and eating, and go out drinking with his buddies
at night. None of these habits were
good, and that was why his weight fluctuated so much between tours and off
time.
He was not going to let that happen this time though. He was going to lose weight for the tour… and
this time, he was going to keep it off when the tour was over. With an air of confidence, Nick strode out of
the kitchen, ready to face the rest of his day.
***
That afternoon, the phone rang.
Picking it up in his living room, Nick answered with a cheery, “Hello?”
This was returned with a familiar-yet-miserable-sounding, “Nick?” He recognized the voice as that of his
younger brother, Aaron.
“Hey, AC, what’s wrong?” he asked, automatically able to tell by
his brother’s tone that something was up.
“It’s Mom,” replied Aaron, and a block of ice fell into Nick’s
stomach. Had something happened to their
mother? Before he could find his voice
and ask, Aaron rushed ahead, “She’s such a bitch!”
With relief, Nick sighed.
“What did she do this time?” he asked, smiling in exasperation despite
himself.
Aaron and his mother were always conflicting these days. Nick didn’t blame Aaron; he knew he and Jane
would be having the same problems if he still lived with her. It was nearly impossible not to once you got
to a certain age. Jane loved her
children, but she also loved money and fame.
A little too much. Maybe more
than the kids. At least that’s how it
seemed. The Carter kids, especially the
boys, had been raised for show business, trained and coached and sculpted into
the stars they were today.
It wasn’t like they didn’t love their work. They did.
It was just that the business seemed to be all Jane cared about. Nick knew what a hard time she had been
giving Aaron lately. Everything he did
revolved around his career. While normal
teenage boys went to school and hung out with their friends on weekends, Aaron
was tutored and spent his spare time taking voice and dance lessons, working
out, and writing or recording for his next album. That is when he wasn’t touring or doing photo
shoots or promotional work. The kid had
it harder than Nick did these days, and Nick didn’t envy him in the slightest.
“She won’t let me come on tour with you!” cried Aaron, and Nick
sensed he was near tears. He had invited
his younger brother to tour with him ages ago, since the two rarely got any
time to spend together anymore. Aaron
had been excited about it, and Nick had to admit, so had he.
“Aww, no, what happened?” he asked sympathetically.
“You know my stupid tutor?
Miss Daly?”
Nick hadn’t actually met the woman, but he responded with an,
“Uh-huh.”
“God, I hate her! She told
Mom that I ‘wasn’t applying myself’ and all this crap, and Mom said I have to
stay home and ‘concentrate on my studies.’
No tour! Can you believe that?!”
Aaron raged.
“God, that sucks. What a
bitch,” Nick agreed, immediately siding with Aaron. “What if you work harder before the
tour? I mean, you still have like two
weeks. Then would Mom let you come?”
“No,” pouted Aaron. “I
already asked, and she said it’s too late, I blew it. God, I hate her sometimes.”
“So do I,” empathized Nick.
“I’m sorry, kid. But it’s not the
end of the world. There’ll be other
tours and plenty of time to spend together.
Maybe you can come visit after the tour, how does that sound?”
“Yeah, maybe.” Aaron’s
voice was glum, and he sounded as if he didn’t quite believe this. Nick didn’t blame him; he knew he had broken
a lot of promises to his brother in the past; it was just a part of the job –
his schedule was always full, and his plans were always changing. It was hard to find time to get together with
Aaron, who was usually out in LA with the rest of the family, while Nick was in
Florida.
“I gotta go, Nick, Mom’s coming to yell at me some more. Catch you later.”
“All right, later, bro,” Nick replied. “Bye.”
The click on the other end of the line signaled Aaron hanging up. Nick hung up on his end as well and sighed,
his good mood temporarily spoiled. Why
did Jane have to give Aaron such a hard time?
Sure, maybe the fifteen-year-old wasn’t trying his best with his
schoolwork, but big deal. Nick had never
been a scholar himself, and he had turned out okay.
Determined not to get himself in a fit over his controlling
mother, Nick picked up the phone again and dialed Leah’s number, looking for
something for lift his spirits.
***