Ch. 13

I took each step slowly as I entered the hallway. Why couldn't I put Aaron to bed? That's easier than dealing with teenagers-even with the Barney song. I knocked softly on the door. "BJ?"

No answer.

"BJ? Are you awake?"

I heard a muffled cry.

What was I suppose to do? I couldn't open the door. She couldn't be changing. Kristin was with the demon child and Nick was asleep. Why me?! I opened the door a crack. "BJ?"

"What?" she moaned.

"What's wrong?"

She whimpered. "Nothing."

"Then, why are you crying?"

"I'm fourteen! I cry all the time!"

"Um...okay, do you want to talk about it?"

"No!"

"If you keep on crying you'll wake up your sister."

"Then, I'll stop!" she hissed.

I sighed leaning my head against the door frame. "Please come out. We can talk about it."

"I already said 'no'! Weren't you listening?"

"Now, relax there's no reason for acting like that."

"You sound like my father!"

"Come on, BJ, just come on out."

She opened the door in pink flannel pajamas, her face smeared with black mascara from her tears. "Fine."

"We can go talk in the kitchen. I'll get you a bowl of ice cream."

She nodded. "Okay."

I walked down-the-stairs behind her. I kept on staring at Aaron's room hoping to see Kristin appear. It still wasn't too late for her take over the situation. No appearance. With my luck Aaron was telling her about every Barney episode known to man. BJ dragged herself into the kitchen slumping into an open chair.

"Chocolate or vanilla?"

"Vanilla."

I grabbed a two bowls from the cupboard. "What happened, Beege?"

She sniffled. "AJ, danced with me."

"I thought you liked AJ?"

"I do! So, why did he dance with me?"

Why did she have to ask me? I don't know what goes on in that freak's mind! "Umm....you're a pretty young lady and a swell dancer."

Okay, apparently I was living in the year 1940 with that last comment.

She looked at me with her red eyes and smeared face. "Pretty? I look like a drag queen."

I set a bowl of ice cream infront of her. "So, tell me more about the party."

"I got there AJ just stared at me like I was a beauty queen!"

Any living female with a chest is a beauty queen in AJ's view. "Go on."

"So, he asked me to dance! And we danced a lot!"

I lifted the ice cream into my spoon. "What was your brother doing?"

"Some whore in a bathing suit kept on flirting with him, so, I tried my best to ignore him."

"I see."

"So, after we danced awhile AJ got me some punch and walked me around introducing me to everyone, well except Howie and Brian-they already knew who I was."

While I was walking around allowing the Carter children to get candy to rot their teeth my four band mates were living it up at a costume party. I repeat: life is not fair.

She beamed. "And AJ introduced me as 'Nick's breathtaking sister Miss Bobbie Jean Carter! Isn't that beautiful?"

Did I have the heart to tell her that's how AJ introduced every girl-I don't think so. "Yeah, that's nice BJ."

She nibbled at her ice cream. "So, when we finished our punch we danced some more. And he took me for a tour of his home. It's really nice, isn't it?"

"Sure." Would she finish this story before I was thirty?

"As we were standing by his room he kissed me!"

I felt my nostrils flaring. "HE WHAT?"

The blonde rested her palm against her cheek. "He kissed my cheek!"

"Oh," I breathed, "that was sweet."

She frowned. "But then Marisa came in."

She must have been refering to Marisa-AJ's girlfriend of three years. "Okay, did she say something to hurt you?"

Tears rimmed her eyes. "No, but AJ just patted my head and said it was nice hanging out with me and walked off!" Tears now cascaded down her blackened cheeks. "Why was I good enough when Marisa wasn't there? But then I was nothing."

"I....I don't know, sweetie."

That wasn't an honest answer. AJ had seen how pretty Nick's sister had looked and wanted a girl on his arm through the entire party. However, I don't think he meant to hurt her.

She ran a hand over her watery eyes. "What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing."

"Then, why did he ditch me? He could have at least introduced me to her as his friend or Nick's sister! He didn't have to ditch me!"

"No, he didn't. But AJ is a dork-he doesn't think."

"No boy does!"

I chuckled. "I'm sure Kristin would agree."

BJ cried. "Am I fat? Am I ugly? Is that why the boys at school don't like me?"

I shook my head. "You're not fat and you're not ugly. As for the boys at your school-they're retards. They only want to date girls that are as dumb as them. You're too smart and high class for them!"

She attempted to smile. "You think so?"

"I know so. Yeah, when I was your age I couldn't a girlfriend because they thought I was a hick."

"But you were all Kentuckians."

"Yeah, but I lived in a log cabin....It's a long story."

BJ stood wrapping her arms around me laying her head against my shoulder. "I don't think you're a hick. I think you were misunderstood."

Misunderstood? What was she a therapist in training? "Um.....thank you, honey, I guess."

Kristin peaked in. "Hey, you two doing all right?"

BJ nodded. "Yeah, Kevin explained everything to me."

She smiled. "Oh, he did, did he?"

"Yeah, he told me the problem is boys are stupid and girls like you and me are just too good for them!"

"Well, then I'd say he got it just about right. Why don't you go upstairs and wash your face and get some sleep?"

"Okay." She kissed my cheek. "Goodnight, Kevin." She wrapped Kristin in a huge hug. "Night, Kristin." BJ paused at the door facing my girlfriend. "Oh, and Kristin?"

"Yeah, Beege?"

"Don't let people call Kevin a hick, he's a little sensitive about it."

I could see Kristin fighting not to laugh. "Oh, I'll try to remember that."

I had a feeling I would be explaining that long story....Against my will.

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