Chapter 5
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.
***