Chapter Three - Almost Fuckable

“Okay, you guys can take a break.” Mark said a few hours later, “We’re going to go over this a few more times.”

“Sweet.” Nick said as he took his headphones off and walked out of the sound booth. Melinda took hers off and walked out of the sound booth, picking up her purse and followed him out and they both walked into the snack room where the refridgerator and snacks were. Melinda reached over to grab some cookies out of a little container and Nick reached over, grabbing one out as she had it open.

“Stop.”

“It’s not yours.”

“Well I was getting one.” Melinda said as she looked at him, “You never change.”

“Neither do you.” Nick said as he reached in the refridgerator, grabbing a can Mountain Dew and closed the door, “So,” he said as he leaned against the counter, opening the can, “I heard your album.”

“Yeah Jane said you liked it.” Melinda said as she took a bite of her cookie, “Of course I didn’t get any calls of congratulations.”

“Neither did I.” Nick said as he cleared his throat and was about to say something else when the phone rung, “Oh get that. It might be your side kick.”

“Shut up, you’re just jealous because you don’t have any friends.” Melinda said as Nick rolled his eyes at her. She reached over, taking her cell phone out of her out of her purse, answering it, “Hello? Oh hey Dad.”

“Great.” Nick muttered as he turned around, looking through the cabinets, trying to find something else to eat.”

“Taking a break from recording. Yeah, that movie song I told you about last night. No… I never told you who it was with. Nick. Yeah that Nick.” Melinda said as Nick started laughing and she gave him a dirty look, “Yes, no, no I’m serious. Yeah he’s right here. Yes I’m being nice -”

“Yeah right.”

“He said yes I am.” Melinda said as she gave Nick another evil look, “Umm, okay. Okay bye.”

“How is Ed?” Nick asked, talking about Melinda’s father.

“Fine. He wants you to come over for dinner.” Melinda said as she rolled her eyes, turning around to put her cell phone back in her purse.

“Eeeeh, Maria still cooks?”

“Yep.”

“Damn she was a good cook. I miss picking at her.” Nick said as he put a handful of Doritos’s in his mouth, “Okay sweet. I’ll come.”, he said mumbling with his mouth full.

“You are disgusting.” Melinda said, taking another bite of her cookie as she walked out of the snack room and Nick started laughing.

“About time we got out of there.” Melinda said as she looked behind her to see Nick walking along, slowly, “Are you going to ride with me?”

“I’m not sure. I might walk.” Nick said as he paused and rubbed his chin, “I remember what a shitty driver you are.”

“I’m not a shitty driver.”

“When did you finally get your license?”

“Last year.” Melinda said as she walked over to her silver 2003 SL55 AMGMercedes Benz and opened the door up, “You gonna get in?”

“And who bought this?”

“Who do you think?”

“I know you haven’t made that much money yet.” Nick said sarcastically as he opened the car door and sat down, slamming it back as Melinda looked over at him, giving him a dirty look, “What?”

“Don’t slam the door.” Melinda said as she cranked her car up and B2K came over the speakers and Nick looked over at her, “What?”

“B2K? Please.” Nick said as he reached over, fastening his seatbelt, “I might need this.”

“Oh would you shut up.” Melinda said as she started to pull out of the parking lot, “So where is your tag along girlfriend?”

“If you would have even spoken to me during Christmas you would have known that I haven’t had a girlfriend since like June of 2001.” Nick said as he looked over at Melinda, “You were too busy flirting with Aaron.”

“Okay -” Melinda said as she looked away from the road and rolled her eyes, “Aaron is like fifteen years old, and I did not flirt with him. He’s like a little brother okay?”

“He’s not your little brother.”

“Yes, but he’s like that. Jane is the only mother I’ve ever known so I think of her as my mother.”

“I’m definitely not your brother.”

“If so, I definitely got the looks in the family.” Melinda said as Nick snorted and looked over on his side of the road.

“So Miss ‘My album did better than yours’, where’s your boyfriend?” Nick asked as he looked over at her, “I’m sure you’ve got like this big, muscular hunk to carry you on his arm.

“Ewww I don’t like muscles.” Melinda said, “And besides, I don’t have a boyfriend because I really don’t have time for one.”

“Sure.”

“I don’t.”

“Sure.”

“Why don’t you have a girlfriend.”

“Don’t need one.”

“Afraid of commitment?”

“Oh fuck you.” Nick said as he looked back to his right, “I don’t need some girl following me around all the time alright? If I want a girl, I know where to get one.”

“1-800-FUCK-ME?”

“Fuck you.”

“Exactly.” Melinda said with a smirk on her face as she turned onto the freeway. Nick rolled his eyes, making a disgusting face, wishing to god he had never gotten in the car with her.

“The house never changes.” Nick said as him and Melinda walked into her father’s huge mansion in Beverly Hills. Melinda walked over, looking at the message tack board in the kitchen to check her messages and Nick put his hands on his hips looking at her, “I guess nothing ever changes.”

“What?” Melinda asked as she walked back into the foyer, looking at her messages.

“Still the Queen of Social Life for all teenagers in Beverly Hills?”

“Like duh, I’ve graduated.” Melinda said as a short little Latino woman walked into the foyer with her arms wide open.

“Mr. Nickolas!” Maria said as she walked up to him, wrapping her arms his waist and hugging him, “What a nice surprise!”

“Oh Maria, I missed you the most.” Nick said as he hugged her back and Melinda rolled her eyes at them before opening her cell phone to call someone, “Can you make those little meatball things with the sauce and -”

“Mr. Edward already called and said you would be coming and I’m starting to make them!” Maria said as she clapped her hands and Nick clapped his, acting all excited, “Miss Melinda, your father said to be on your best behavior.”

“For who?” Melinda asked, holding her cell phone up to her ear, waiting for someone on the other line.

“Because Mr. Nickolas is here for the night.” Maria said as she wrapped her arm around Nick’s waist and Nick looked down at her.

“The night?” Nick asked, looking at her.

“Why yes Mr. Nickolas, Mr. Edward said that you must stay the night and not stay in some lonely hotel. That’s an order.” Maria said as she clapped her hands and ran back into the kitchen to begin dinner.

“Well damn.” Nick said as he shook his head, “Guess I had better go back to the hotel and get my things.”

“Can stay there for all I care.” Melinda muttered as Nick cut his eyes over at her.

“Oh Maria!” Nick called out as Maria ran her short, stubby self back into the foyer.

“Yes Mr. Nickolas?”

“Can I take one of the cars to go to the hotel and get my things? I would love to stay here tonight!” Nick said with a big cheesy grin as Maria clapped her hands and ran out of the foyer to get a set of keys. Nick cut his eyes over at Melinda who rolled hers and began to walk upstairs, bitching to herself.

See, that’s why I hate him. He’s such a freaking smartass to me. I hate it. I hate him.

Bianca says it’s because he’s the only person that I know that challenges my opinion. I don’t think that is so. The people at the label and my producers challenge my opinion all of the time. Daddy even does it once in a while. I don’t think that’s the reason why I hate him so much. He’s just a punk. He’s always says and does things to piss me off and dammit, why does my father want him to stay here tonight?

Maybe it’s because he still regrets that he never had his own son, and Nick was the closest thing he ever had to that. Damn, can’t he go and like getting a foster kid and pretend that it’s his son? Why Nick?

“I’m telling you Bianca, I’ll commit murder here tonight.” Melinda said, talking to her best friend as she looked through her closet to see what to wear to dinner, “And besides, it was bad enough having to be in the same room with him all day long.”

“Just eat, then come back to your room.” Bianca said, “It’s that simple. Just ignore him.”

“I’m gonna stab him with my fork at dinner.” Melinda said as she looked down at what she was wearing, “The hell with it, I’ll wear this.”

“Why are you dressing up? It’s your father and Nick of all people. It’s not like Ben Affleck is coming to dinner.”

“Of course not.” Melinda said as she threw a clothes hanger across the room, “I hate Jennifer Lopez.”

“We all do sweetie. Now, go act all sisterly with your brother.” Bianca said as she hung up the phone and Melinda looked at it.

“That bitch.” Melinda said as she reached over for a scrunchy and pulled her hair on top of her head, “Fine.”, she said as she walked over to her bedroom door and marched down the hall. She marched down the stairs, stomping her feet as she walked through the foyer and into the dining room to see Nick and her father, Ed, sitting there talking.

“Well it’s nice that you decided to join us.” Ed said as Melinda put her hands on her hips, looking at the back of Nick’s head.

“Nick, you’re in my chair.” Melinda said, tapping her fingertips on her hips.

“Melinda, sit somewhere else.” Ed said as Nick snorted lightly and Melinda walked around the table, sitting across from Nick, “Nice that you dressed up.”

“Yeah well.” Melinda said as she looked down at her work out clothes, “I was working out.”

“Cell phones are so heavy to lift.” Nick said sarcastically as Melinda gave him a dirty look.

“So what kind of song is that you two recorded together and who paid you?” Ed said as he took a sip of his water and both Melinda and Nick looked over at him.

“It was my mother’s idea.” Nick said, “The labels wanted us to do it.”

“Some steamy sex song for Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez’s new movie.” Melinda said as she started to gag herself.

“You two performing a love song? This will be a sight for sore eyes.” Ed said as he started to laugh, “How did that go over?”

“Horribly.” Melinda said, as she sat back in her chair and crossed her arms.

“Well -” Nick started to say when Maria walked into the dining room, clapping her arms together.

“Dinner is ready!” Maria yelled with such excitement as she gave Nick a big kiss on the cheek and ran back to the kitchen.

“Yeah Rok, alright. Bye.” Nick said as he closed his cell phone and looked back at the TV, flipping channels. He leaned back on the couch, making himself comfortable, and looked at the latest Britney Spears video of her dancing on a stripper’s pole.

“Damn.” Nick muttered to himself as Melinda walked into the room in a little pink t-shirt and white drawstring pajama pants, clearing her throat. Nick looked back at her and rolled his eyes, turning the TV, “What?”

“Rumors true huh?” Melinda asked as she sat down on the other end of the couch, and started pulling her hair up in pigtails, “She’s a slut.”

“I know that.” Nick said as he turned the TV back to Britney’s video and pointed at the TV, “But doing that, she looks almost fuckable.”

“Fuckable?” Melinda asked as she cut her eyes over at Nick, “Who else is almost fuckable?”

“Hmm -” Nick started to say as he rubbed his chin, thinking, “Not many people.”

“Britney?”

“Sometimes.”

“Christina?”

“Nah, I’m afraid she’d break.”

“Sure.” Melinda said as she rolled her eyes, “Obviously someone is fuckable. How about Beyoncè?”

“How about you?” Nick asked, as he looked over at Melinda.