After a quick shower, Casey went into her room, put on her Limp Bizkit cd, turned it up loud and browsed through her closet.

"Shit, I must have been really fucking stoned when I bought these clothes. I'll have to get some new clothes soon. She threw on her baggy jeans, a light green wife beater and a pair of shoes. She tied her hair loosely at the nape of her neck, then went back into the bathroom to put on makeup. As she applied her green eye shadow she saw Nick appear at the door of the bathroom.

"Could you possibly turn that down? I have a really bad headache and you're not helping it any."

Casey extended her leg and slammed the door shut, pushing it with her foot. She smiled to herself. A few seconds later the loud music was turned off. The door flew open and Nick stormed in. He shut the door behind him and stared at her, furious.

"Something I can help you with? Did you lose your bottle of peroxide?"

"Cut the shit Casey."

"Ooh, touchy. Is it that time of the month Nicky?"

"Why do you hate me so much?" he asked her. Casey turned around and looked at him as if she didn't care.

"Why should I give you the time of day? You never did for me," she retorted.

"That is not true!" he defended.

"Really? Not one letter. Not one phone call. Not one fucking visit to me. Did you really expect us to be best friends after all these years? You're stupid if you did." Casey watched as Nick sat down on the edge of the bathtub. She hopped up on the bathroom sink and put her feet up against the door. She pulled out a cigarette and lit it.

"Can't you do that outside?" he asked.

"Open a window if you're concerned. You started this conversation, therefore, you're going to suffer through it."

"When did you become so bitchy?"

"Hmm, that's a tough one. Let's see, it could have started when I first got my period. It could have started when I began rebelling against my mom. Or, it could have started when my best friend in the whole world left me behind so he could go be a singer, of all things, then I got shipped out to California and suffered through six years all by myself with no best friend, no hope for the future. Jesus, what do you think Nick? Oh, stupid question Case. Nick doesn't think about anyone but himself. I hope your little venture out into the singing world was worthwhile. Then again, you didn't have a problem with leaving me behind, did you?"

"You think you know it all, don't you?"

"I know enough."

"Don't you even want to hear my side of the story?"

"Not really." Casey suddenly hopped up off of the sink and looked at her reflection in the mirror. "Shit, this thing hurts like a bitch." She took one last puff of her cigarette, put it out, then pulled down the top of her wife beater to look at the halo tattoo on her breast. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Nick watching her.

"You didn't really sleep with AJ, did you?" he asked quietly.

"What do you care? I bet if you wanted to you could go out and find thirty girls in twenty minutes that would be more than happy to fuck you. What do you care about my sex life?"

"I don't, I'm just curious."

"Well some things are private Carter."

"You used to tell me everything."

Casey looked at her reflection in the mirror and adjusted her pants. She pulled them down so her stomach showed a little. Then she slightly pulled up the wife beater so her belly ring was showing. "Yeah, well that was a long time ago. If you're so concerned about sex then why don't you go out and get yourself a good helping of some? Stop pestering me about my sex life."

Nick got up and stood next to her. "So you did fuck him? How womanly of you." Casey turned around and slapped him.

"For your god damn information I didn't sleep with him! He didn't even suggest it. All we did was dance and party, that's all. Now go fuck yourself ass hole." Casey pushed her way past him and left.

"Are you heading off to work now Casey?" he heard Jane ask.

"Yeah. Oh, I don't think I'm going to be home in time tonight for dinner. I'm working until eight and then I was going to get some new clothes since my closet is not up to full capacity. Then again, I didn't have much time to pack."

"Do you need some money?" asked Jane. Nick walked out of the bathroom and watched his mom and Casey converse.

"That's really nice of you Jane but you don't have to."

"But I want to. Only on one condition though. Well, two."

"Uh oh, I hate conditions," she laughed.

"It's not too hard. First of all you can't get anything inappropriate. I know you have your own style and everything, but nothing that you know would make me frown."

"Okay, I'll try."

"Second, no more coming in at four in the morning."

"How did you?"

"Come on Casey, I'm a mom. I know these things. I will let it go just this once, but for the future, please be home by curfew."

"Okay. Thanks Jane."

"You're welcome Sweetie. Oh, and by the way, it's nice to see you smiling again. I know that somewhere inside of you is the old Casey."

"Mrs. Carter…"

"Okay, okay. I'll be quiet now. You don't want to be late for work. Just remember that Bob and I do consider you to be like a daughter to us. We love you." Jane turned around and walked back downstairs. Casey leaned against a wall and exhaled. "Some things don't stay the same," she mumbled. She then turned and saw Nick. After a moment of just staring at each other, both turned and went separate ways.