Chapter
16
“BJ, it’s Mandy, call me back immediately.
It’s Nick.” BJ Carter felt her blood freeze in her veins as she
played back her voice mail. It’s Nick.
Oh God. Her stomach hurt. What if he’d overdosed again?
BJ had barely helped him the first time. She packed a small
backpack and grabbed her purse. She had already called the airline and
ordered herself a ticket to Orlando. She quietly opened her bedroom door
and made her way down the hall. The house was asleep, and BJ was not
about to be the reason they woke up. “Where ya going Beej?” Leslie Carter
appeared in front of her sister.
BJ almost screamed, “Damn it, Leslie,
trying to give me a heart attack?” BJ breathed.
“Where are you going BJ?” Leslie
repeated her question, staring at her sister intently, “I’ll wake up Mom,
if you don’t tell me.”
BJ groaned and stomped her foot,
“Leslie this is important, I don’t have time for this game!”
“You’re not going out to…”
“No, I don’t drink anymore if that’s
what you are hinting around too!” BJ fumed, “Now out of my way!”
“I’m gonna get Mom.”
“Leslie it’s about Nick, not me.
He needs my help, and I have to be in Orlando,” BJ found herself actually
pleading with her younger sister.
“Nick? What about Nick? What’s wrong
with him?” Leslie immediately looked frightened.
Nick was unstable and everyone in the
family knew it. “I don’t know Leslie, I just have to go…”
“Take me with you,” Leslie threw
herself in BJ’s path once again , “He’s my brother too BJ! Just because
he likes you better…”
BJ grabbed her sister roughly by the
arms, “What did you just say?”
“Oh come BJ, you know it’s true.”
“Leslie he loves all of us the same.
He just, he feels he can confide in me more. Leslie, this
is not for your eyes to see, ok? Trust me. Don’t tell Mom
where I am,” BJ started down the stairs again but Leslie grabbed her, “Either I
go, or neither one of us go at all.”
BJ almost screamed at her, but knew it
would do nothing but get her caught and Nick needed her, “Fine, fine, but you
have no time to pack… And you need a plane ticket…. God.”
“I can buy one at the desk. How
many people want 2:15 in the morning flights to Orlando?” Leslie said taking
her sister’s arm, “Lets go.”
“Who did you call back at the
airport?” Leslie questioned her sister as soon as they were on the plane and
high above the clouds. BJ had settled back into her seat listening to her
portable CD player, “I called the hotel where Nick was supposed to be.”
“Why?”
“Well I figured the guys might be
worried in the morning if they woke up and Nick is gone. I let them know
he’s gone back home,” BJ said closing her eyes.
“What’d they say?” Leslie was curious.
Just how much did they know about Nick?
BJ shook her head, “They were so
shocked to hear from me…. They asked if I had heard from Nick. I told
them he’d gone home. They said they were on their way…” BJ bit her lip as
she wondered how much they knew about the situation. Leslie knew nothing
of her brother’s darker tendencies to experiment with drugs, but she did know
about his eating habits…
Leslie nodded, “They’re good friends.”
BJ shot her a look, but kept quiet
with the nasty comment she was going to make. She turned up her
music and relaxed. Don’t be stupid Nick, I’m on my way. The plane
just couldn’t go fast enough for BJ Carter.
***
