Chapter 17
Ciara stepped onto the boat with a heavy,
tired sigh. “Thanks. I’m feeling like an old woman today.”
“Well
you look like one too.” Ciara stuck her tongue out at
her young friend as Nick took his hand from hers and turned back to his work on
the boat for their day out. This was one of his favorite things to do with
her…with anyone really, but he and Ciara had been
fishing partners for years. They could be quiet together. They could joke
together. And his dad didn’t torment him when he was with her like he did with
girls he was meeting in his travels with the group. She was Cici…just
Cici.
“Hey!
Ciara! You made it!” Brian ran up from the lower
level of the boat smile plastered all over his face, as usual. Only change this
time was a 7 yr. old blonde boy squirming under his arm. He set Aaron down on
the deck and popped him in the behind as the boy scampered into Ciara’s arms.
“Yep.
You just don’t turn down fishing trips with these guys. Too much fun.” She gave
Aaron a welcoming squeeze. “And where have YOU been hiding?”
“Below
deck. You gonna catch a shark today, Cici?”
“I
don’t know, buddy. I’m gonna see if I can catch something though.”
Looking back up to Brian, she stood and offered her arms for a hug. “I didn’t
know you’d be here today. What’s the pleasure?”
He
casually hugged her, pulling back to look in her eyes. “Too short of a break.
It’s a pain in the butt to head home every time, so Nick invited me over. It’s
okay I break into the party isn’t it?”
“Of
course. You can help me throw Nick overboard if he gets out of line.”
“No
problem. I’m gonna go help Nick here. We’ll talk more later.”
She
loved this. This family was more of a family than her own sometimes. They only
talked to her about her health on her own terms, in her own time...it wasn’t
the prime subject of conversation. They asked nothing of her and accepted
everything. Her family on the other hand walked on egg shells every time she
walked in a room, every time her name came up in conversation, she was sure.
Here she was, almost 20 years old, getting virtually straight A’s in college,
fully financially independent, and they couldn’t get beyond the fact that she
was less than perfect in body. Nice. Made her sick. She’d offer to watch her
nephews and would get turned down. “What if you get sick while they’re there? I
can’t risk it.” She’d tell them of travels she was taking and listen to an hour
of ridicule for not sitting home in front of the TV submitting to the trials
her body put her through. Talk of successes at the hospital and it’d only be
about her. “At least you’re getting experiences so you’ll understand what’s
happening to you.” They didn’t get that she was going to graduate and be the
best nurse
“Alright,
Ci…you drive today. We’re all geared up.”
“OH!
Okay, thanks, Bob…might need some direction here.” She made her way to the
front of the boat, tickling Aaron on her way.
Mr.
Carter showed her the few extra things she needed to know and they were off.
Everyone on board joined her on the bridge and they watched the colors of the
horizon change from sky blue and murky green to deeper blue and deeper blue,
almost becoming one color.
As
they approached their spot of choice, she slowed the motor and dropped anchor.
The activity picked back up as everyone grabbed fishing gear and just as
suddenly stopped as lines dipped in the water and they sat back to enjoy the
day. No problems were allowed on the Carter boat. No worries. No baggage. You
went fishing to forget about it all and Ciara had
plenty to leave on shore…as did the boys.
Worries
mounted as they worked to honor the contract in which they were signed.
Personalities had begun to clash now and again and the outside activities of
some were upsetting to others. Namely Kevin. Seemed Lindsey wasn’t the only
woman he fancied and spent time with. It was truly none of their business, but
his late hours and exhausted behavior the morning after his partying were
getting old and burdensome. Seems as though everyone on the boat had something
to escape.
“Finally,
we can sit! How’s stuff goin’ guys?”
Nick
tossed Ciara a can of pop and sat down across from
her and Brian. They sure made a cute couple. Too bad she was attached to that
dorky nurse dude. “Stuff’s goin’ pretty good. I’m just wanting to get to the
studio. Gettin’ anxious.”
“Yeah,
I can imagine. When do you think that’ll happen?” She tried to pop the top of
her can and finally looked helplessly at Brian. “Dammit…do
you mind?”
He
looked at her quizzically. It was a pop top. What was so hard? “Yeah, sure…you
okay, Ci?”
“No.
But, no worries, remember? Nick’s mom made me promise before I got on the boat
this morning.”
He
opened the can for her and stole a sip before giving it back. “Eeww! Ppthpthpthpphtpt! Diet!
Gads! How do you drink that swill?”
Nick
and Ciara cackled at the looks crossing Brian’s face.
You’d have thought it was motor oil. She wrapped her arm around his back,
thumping as though he was choking on a piece of meat. “Have no choice, dork.
And I kinda like it, thank you very much.” She grabbed the can from the
drama queen and took a huge swig, winking at Nick across the boat. “Now, as I
said before…when do you think you’ll make it to the studio?”
“Lou
now says late spring, early summer. We’ve got a few songs we’re working on, but
I don’t know what we’re waiting on.”
Brian
got up to get his own can of pop, sugar-filled, thank you and plopped back down
next to Ciara. “We’ll get there soon enough, Nicky.
You’re too impatient.”
“I
know…just seems like we do the same junk every stinkin’
day. I’m bored.”
“You
were born bored, Nick. It’s a miracle you can sit out here and fish all day.”
Nick
nodded in agreement and he threw back his own can of pop, letting off a huge
belch of appreciation at the person who created such refreshment. Ciara echoed the sentiment with a belch of her own and
Brian jumped back. “Woah! Jeez woman! Didn’t yo’
mamma teach you any manners?”
“Yep,
and in
The
three friends cackled at their noise and were abruptly interrupted by a yelp
from the front. “You guys are gonna scare away the fish. That’s just gross.”
“Oh,
like you screamin’ at us is helping, Dad…I learn from
the best!” Nick offered a cheesy grin and turned back to check his line. They
were really here for fishing, right? Brian and Ciara
followed suit and Ciara jumped as she saw her line
being pulled toward the water.
“Aw,
jeez…I’ve got something. I need to wake up.” She picked her pole up from its
resting place and tugged to judge the size of her catch. It was a fighter, that
was for sure.
“Dad!
Dad! Ci’s got one!” Aaron was jumping up and down as
though he’d never seen anyone catch a fish before.
She
continued to work on bringing in the line but was having difficulty. With the
way this critter was fighting and her continued weakness in her hands and arms,
she wasn’t getting anywhere. Brian saw her troubles and came to her aid,
standing behind her and adding his strength to the fight.
“Man,
Ci…you got somethin’ here!” They worked for a few
moments, with Nick and Aaron standing by, giving directions on how to best haul
it in. Finally the fish’s identity was shown. A swordfish. Okay, so it was a
baby swordfish. But he was pissed and strong and making the reeling of it in a
two man job.
After
a few more moments of sweaty work, they finally hauled the fish in, and Nick
took her pole to remove it from the line. “My God, Ci…what’d
you bait that thing with? Ten pound of caffeine??”
“Hell,
I don’t know…whatever your dad gave me. My God. And after all that, we’ve gotta
throw him back, don’t we?”
“Yep.
Let’s get a picture first. Mom likes to see what we’ve come up with.”
Nick
disappeared below deck as Brian and Ci sat on the
floor exhausted at the energy they’d just exerted getting the fish out of the
water. That and the energy they exerted at ignoring how much they had enjoyed
the physical contact it all had required. Without a word, Brian leaned in and
softly brushed her lips with his.
For
but a moment, she gave in. He was such a nice young man, great looking and…NO!
She pulled back quickly and shook her head. “Brian, no…we can’t do this.”
“Why
not?” She got up and moved away from him lest she cave in. Those damned blue
eyes of his…blue eyes were deadly, she was convinced. “Ciara?”
“Brian.
No. Look at Linds and Kevin. I HAVE a boyfriend. No. I can’t do this to Nick
either.”
“What
the hell does Nick have to do with this and do NOT put me in the same box as
Kevin. He may be my cousin, but believe me…the similarity ends there. As for
Dwayne, well…” He lowered his head. “I have nothing to say. You’ve got me
there.”
“I
know you’re not Kevin and it has nothing to do with Nick and Dwayne’s an ass.
But he’s MY ass and…and…” She sighed looking down. “I just can’t do this Brian.
Believe me, I’d like to…but I can’t. Please, let’s not ruin a great friendship
over a kiss.”
He
looked in her green eyes, pleading for understanding. “Okay. I’ll respect it.
But, Ci?”
“Yeah,
Bri?”
“I’m
here…whenever, okay?”
She
had to smile. What a damned dollbaby. Idiot. Why did
he have to be so nice? “Yeah, I’ll, uh…thanks, Bri.”
“Okay,
guys. Get off your butts and pick up that fish. Time for a picture!”
******~~~~~~******~~~~~~
“I’ll
get him, Nick. You get those wet clothes in the laundry for your mom.” Ciara carefully lifted a sleeping Aaron off the couch and
carried him upstairs to the deck of the boat.
“You
caught a big fish, Ci.” The young boy’s blonde hair
tickled her neck as he turned his head to get more comfortable.
“Yeah,
buddy. I did. Go back to sleep.” She smiled up at Brian as he held onto her arm
helping her off the boat onto the small pier bordering their slip. “The kid’s
beat.”
“Yep,
so am I…and we’ve gotta meet up back in
“You
sleep good away from home?”
“I
do okay. My problem here is Nick never seems to get tired. Keeps me up late
playing video games and stuff.”
“Well,
look at him…” They both turned back to the lanky teen, trudging up the hill to
the house with a load of wet clothes in his arms. “I think you might get
yourself a break tonight.”
“Here’s
hoping. You got him okay? I can take him in.”
“No…Cici’s got me.” Aaron squeezed his arms around her neck and
snuggled in closer.
“I
think we’re okay, thanks. I’ll just tuck him in bed and be on my way.”
They
finally reached the house and Ciara took the sleeping
lump to his room, tossing his sand covered sandals on the floor. “I gotta brush
my teeth. I got chips stuck in ‘em.”
“Aaron…I
think it’ll be okay for one night. You’re too tired to mess with it now.” She
pulled back the comforter and laid him in bed, kissing his forehead and
brushing his long hair from his face. “You sleep now, big guy. I’ll come see
you in a few days.”
He
was gone. He snuggled into his pillows, into dreams of his own swordfish catch.
As
Ciara left the boys’ room, she was startled to see
two other “boys” watching her. “Active little guys crash big, don’t they?”
“Yeah,
when he goes, he goes. Brian says you’re takin’ off?”
“Yeah,
Nick. I’m beat too. I’ve got class tomorrow and work tomorrow night. I’d better
head out.”
Brian
said his goodbye’s in the hall, wanting to let Nick and Ciara
have a few moments alone today. Besides, he was still a little stung at her
rejection, though not to the degree that it would be a permanent mark on their
friendship. She was right. One misguided kiss should not ruin something like
that.
“Thanks
for coming today. I like being normal when I come home.”
“Well,
I’m glad to be part of your ‘normal.’ I hope I always am.”
He
was getting still taller, looking more mature each time she saw him. They’d
known each other for 4 years now and normal definitely defined the roles they
played in each other’s lives. She wasn’t sick when Nick was around. Or if she
was, she didn’t feel it, didn’t care. And Nick? Well, life would only continue
to change for him, but hopefully, Ciara would always
be the person he could come home to in one fashion or other and remember who he
is. Who he wanted to be. Who he could be.
“I’m
plannin’ on it…” He pulled her in for a hug,
something they did less and less often now that he was getting too old for that
stuff. But for now, the moment seemed right.
As
she pulled back, she couldn’t help but reach up and touch his face, looking in
his eyes. Damn. They were blue too. Yep, definitely deadly. “Alrighty, Nick.
Time for me to go and for you to go be a Backstreet Boy.”
***