Copyright 2000.
By: Dannielle Yeager
"She's just like Johnny Suede." Howie laughed.
"But she's a girl. So she's Jamie Suede." Bri said.
"Shut up! Quit talking about me like I'm not here I can't stand dat. Y'all are wiggers. Every last one of y'all."
*****************
Nikki Mclean walked down a street in Philly. She looked in the record store. 'Unrestricted' was set out on display. She walked into the store. Glancing over her shoulder, her compliance nodded. She walked up to the man at the counter. He was in his mid-teens white boy. 'Easy as shit.' Nikki thought. Nikki stuffed a copy of Da Brat's new album in her jacket. She also grabbed DMX's new album. Then walked up to the counter where Alana, her compliance, stood.
"Alana!" Nikki said. "Mom's waiting!! She doesn't want to get stuck in traffic on our way back to New York City." Nikki said, taking on the role of younger sister like she did in so many of her robberies. She used her 5'3'' advantage.
"Yeah. Coming, little sis." Alana gazed at the white boy as if he meant something. Nikki laughed knowing that to sleep with a white boy was like writing your own death wish. Finally breaking her own gaze, Alana followed Nikki out the door.
About a block down the street, they repeated the sence. Changing roles often to confuse the cops, when & if they were notified. By dinner they had both stole copies of Da Brat, DMX, Eve, Biggie, & Lil' Kim's albums.
Alana and Nikki went home serperte ways. Nikki was Alana's only kin, she was her older sister. Nikki got home before Alana. She thought nothing of it, and went to bed. About 4 in the morning, there was a terrible loud knocking at the door. Nikki ran to the door, opening it, she saw Alana holding her chest. Her hand was covered in blood. "ALANA!" She screamed, running to hug her. About 20 minutes later, Alana had died.
Soon, Nikki was shoved into a foster home. There she was treated like trash, and hated the people. One day, a woman from the state came to interview her.
"Nikki, how are things here?" She asked, sipping her coffee.
"Sucks dick!"
"How are the people?"
"Assholes."
"The treatment?"
"Can't you see?? I'm not covered by black n blue marks, am I?"
"Well, Mr. & Mrs. Flower you seem to be having trouble with Nik here. I have some exciting news for her." She smiled at Nikki. "I found out you have family. A cousin. She lives in Orlando, Florida. She's willing to take you in if you want. She has a son, just as bad as you. You guys would be great together."
"What is my other opinion?" Nikki asked.
"Back to J.V." She said without blinking.
"Where does she live again?"
"In Orlando. But right now, she's in Milan with her son, AJ Mclean. She tours with them sometimes."
"Who the hell is AJ Mclean?"
"He's a performer."
Nikki walked off the plane, shaking. She didn't want to meet this cousin of hers. She was probably a 70-year bitch with a 50-year-old moocher for a son. 'I bet he makes Don King look like a kiddy.' She laughed at herself. She looked around, but for what, she didn't know. A woman in her mid-40's walked up to Nikki. "Are you Nicole Mclean?"
"Maybe. Who da hell are you?"
"Denise Mclean!" She smiled, friendly. "And my son, AJ, is here somewhere. Probably trying to get a girlfriend!"
"Look, ho. My name is Nikki and I don't answer to nuffin else, k, bitch?" Nik said.
AJ came up behind Denise. "First of all, bitch. Don't you EVER talk about my mother like that. Second, why do you even think you can talk to her? She has enough of my shit, she don't need yours."
"Alexander," Denise said. "This is Nikki, your cousin."
"No way is this piece of ho related to me! Never in a million years!! She acts worse then me, like that is possible." AJ shouted.
"Well, I am! Deal wit it, you ass! I'm better then you, & you just can't take it!"
"ALEXANDER! NICOLE!"
"What?" AJ said, knowing he was in trouble.
"WUT?!?!" Nikki screamed back at her. AJ stared at her as if she just committed one of the 7 deadly sins.
"Let's go." She said, softly.
AJ fell in line behind Denise. Nikki walked beside him. "Nikki, you don't yell back at mom. She's deadly!"
"I can do whatever I want, bitch."
"Not to my mommy you can't!"
"Alexander James, Nicole Mackenzie! Stop it, right now! I'm sick of both of you. Both you are just going to have to learn to live with each other. No matter what!"
"No I am NOT living with her."
"Never!"
ParT 2
Denise woke a little earlier on Friday. She woke Nikki up. Today she would officially meet the boys. She hoped Nik would be nice to them. It had been almost a week but finally Nikki was warming up to AJ. Nikki dressed carefully. She put on a cute little skirt with a nice tank top with only a string holding it together in the back. She slipped her black shoes on, carefully. Standing up, she grabbed her aunt's shoulder. "Remember honey, sit with your legs shut. Cause Nick's a horn dog, he'll look straight up your skirt." Nikki nodded.
AJ knocked on his cousin's and mom's room. "Come in, AJ, honey."
"Ready Ma? Ready Kit?" "Don't call me Kit, JJ. I feel like I'm a kitten then." Nik said.
"Don't call me JJ."
"Yes, we're ready to go AJ. Is everybody else down there?"
"Uh huh." He said, taking both of their arms.
"How does Nikki look?"
"Beautiful. Nick will mack all over her!"
"I heard." Nikki said. They rode in the elevator silently. Once they got to the bottom, AJ led his cousin out of the elevator. As soon as they got to the table, AJ got everyone's attention.
"Excuse me." AJ said. Everybody turned to face him. "I'd like you to meet my cousin, Nikki. Nikki, this is everybody. Bri. LeighAnn. Fatima. Kev. Kristin. Howie D. Nick. And of course you know your aunt, Denise. We can sit here." Nikki sat down to the chair AJ pointed to. She shook hands with D & hugged Bri.
"Tell us about yourself!" D said.
"Well, I'm 21-" She started to say.
"You're 21??" Nick asked.
"Yeah!" She said defensively. "But I can kick your ass, giant!"
"Nicole!" Denise said, softly.
"Sorry." She sat back in her chair. Meanwhile, Bri lectured Nick with his eyes. Nick stared back at Bri, trying to make him laugh. Instead, his look grew sterner. Nick hung his head. "Sowwie." Nick mouthed.
"Continue." Kev said.
"I lived in Philly all my life until last year when I was thrown into the system, and forced to move down to a shitty little hell hole called 'Tower City'"
"Excuse me a minute here." LeighAnn said. "When you turn 18, aren't you suppose to get out of the state's hands?" Nikki nodded. "Well, then why are you still in their hands?"
"Well, Alana told me dat if she ever died, to tell the state I was 16. So I did and here I am!!" She said forcing the end to sound cheery. "Alana told me I was born on June 23rd, 1979. So I assume I'm 21."
D glanced at AJ. 'What's special about June 23rd?' he mouthed.
AJ thought. ''New Love' comes out.' D nodded as AJ realized that their new album was coming out on his new cousin's birthday. This little realization left AJ wondering if this was why Denise had pushed for the album to come out on June 23rd.
"I'm short but I am know how to kick ass, if I have to. I'm only afraid of 2 things in life. One, a mad man with a loaded gun. Two, would be getting to close to people."
"Nikki, Hun, don't you think we've talked about you enough??"
"Yes. Sorry, Denise.." Denise nodded. "Tall blonde guy??"
"What ho?"
"Nicholas!" Kevin hissed in his ear. "Watch yourself."
"How old are you? 60??" She jeered.
"Nicole." AJ yelled in her ear.
"Oh hell no. I'm 20!"
"Nikki, are you sure you're gonna be alright?" Denise asked worriedly.
"Yes!!! A thousand times, yes! Now leave." Nikki pushed her out the door. Once she heard the elevator doors slam shut, she ran to the window. Denise walked out the building, looking up at her smiling niece, she climbed in the car. "Mom, stop worrying. Kit will be fine. Nick's there."
"Maybe that's why I worry!"
Nikki hung the phone up. "The South Street Corner at 3." She said. "I wonder if Nick knows where that is... I mean he's always bragging how he knows this city better then anyone in the world. Well, I'd brag about Philly the same way" She said as she walked down the hall.
At 3 she couldn't believe she was standing on the South Street Corner with Nick Carter about to buy some acid. Soon, the black man whom she had been talking to on the phone. He handed her a paper bag with some acid, cards, & a bottle of liquor.
"Thank you for your business ma'am." He walked off. Nikki nodded, hailing a taxi.
"What did you buy?"
"Something I've been missing since I left Philly." She wouldn't comment on the subject any longer.
Once she was at the hotel, she busted the acid & cards out. Nick stared at her. 'Drugs?? Her?? No.. It can't be real. No one in AJ's family take drugs. No one!!!' Nick thought snobbishly.
"What??" Nikki asked, under Nick's prying eyes.
"Drugs?"
"Nope... Acid. And it has to last me until we get back to Philly."
"Nikki, you don't know what they can do to you." He trailed off as she snorted it off the table. He stared at like she was diseased rat. She glanced up through her long bang and caught his look. He soon dropped it. "Want some?" She asked.
"Ummm.." Nick thought about it. 'Nick, do something unsafe for once in your life! Do it!' he thought. "Sure!" He watched as Nikki chopped the acid up. 'NICK!!!' He yelled at himself silently. 'What are you doing? Acid? What if your mom finds out? She'll kill ya!' He thought before he leaned over the table to snort acid.
"Are you a virgin?" Nikki asked as he stood up.
"Oh, crap! My nose burns." Nick said rubbing his nose. "Uh. Yeah I am."
"Oh, well I'm not!"
"Who was your first?"
"A niggar I can't think of his name!"
"How old were you?"
"13"
"Woah..." Nick said not sure if it was the trip he was taking or the loose morals AJ's cousin had.
"Great trip, eh?"
"Yeah" Nick looked over to where Nikki had moved to. She laid curled into a C shape. Her red hair was over her shoulders, in such a way that made Nick want her. He walked over to the bed. He started playing with her hair. "Don't" she pushed his hand away. She settled into a deep sleep. Nick looked at her.
"You're so pretty Nikki." He admitted aloud about one of his best friend's cousins. "You remind me of a rebel without a cause. However, you can't be a rebel because I never meet a renegade Angel before. As Frack says, 'there's a first time for everything.' I wonder how true this statement is." He said aloud to Nikki before he kissed her fore head. "Sleep well and sweet dreams."
