“I’m here!” exclaimed Erin hopping onto the boat.
“Took ya long enough. Where were you anyway?” asked AJ not looking up from the papers he was looking at. He had his feet propped up on the side of the boat, then put them down as Erin came to sit beside him. Nick was sitting behind the wheel of the boat, and looked impatient.
“Can we go now?” he asked.
“Sure Nick, and for your information AJ, I was with Jake,” she said knowingly.
AJ, still looking down at the papers, shook his head and mumbled “Figures.”
“And just what is that exactly supposed to mean?” she said although she already knew the answer.
AJ looked up at her over his sunglasses, and Nick gave her a quick worried look before turning back around. It was always the same worried glance that made AJ, or Erin, regret what they had just said. This time it was to Erin. Now all she had to do was wait for AJ to start his lecture.
“I believe you already know what the problem with him is, Erin. He’s cheating on you, and he beats up Nick, and isn’t the nicest to me either. Nick has enough problems, he doesn’t need anymore. I really wished you would break up with him,” said AJ finishing his “speech”.
‘If only he knew why I couldn’t break up with him’ Erin said silently. She would tell them later, not now. Instead she rolled her eyes at AJ and said “Yes Daddy”.
Nick started to laugh, turning around, and stopping the engine. Then AJ smiled, and started to laugh also.
“Oh yeah,” Nick said. “I can stay out late tonight, my parents are going to a party...”
“Which means Nick will get beaten up again, which means that he won’t tell anyone about it,” said AJ. Erin was grateful that the conversation was going away from her, but felt sorry for Nick, as she watched him lower his head and examine his feet, as if trying to block out AJ.
Erin really wished that Nick would tell someone about the abuse he was getting from home, but all he would tell people was, “Oh, um that’s from school,” or “Oops, I guessed I accidentally bumped into something at home”.
“Nick, sorry to say this, but AJ is right. You really need to tell someone about this. It can’t go on forever,” said Erin moving closer to Nick, and putting an arm around his shoulders.
“Yeah I know, but I’m afraid of what will happen if I do tell someone. I mean they have threatened to kill me, literally. If that wasn’t the case, I would tell someone,” said Nick looking at Erin.
“Then promise us this Nick, if something happens, more than the scratches and bruises, promise you will tell someone, or at least let us tell someone. OK?” said Erin.
Nick thought for a second, “Yeah, OK.” Erin smiled at AJ, then looked at Nick and patted his back. “Thanks Nick.”
“Your welcome.”
“So Erin, I noticed we went away from the subject of Jake?” said AJ looking at Erin.
Erin looked at AJ, shocked that he had remembered, then looked at the water as if hoping to find a better answer. “I know,” she said. She did know, and didn’t want to go back to that subject.
“So why don’t you break up with him Erin?” AJ asked curiously.
It was Nick’s turn to look at Erin. Something was wrong, he knew that look for that was how he looked when something was wrong.
“Something is wrong, isn’t it Erin?” Nick asked concerned. Tears were starting to form as she shook her head yes. She wouldn’t look at any of them in the face, and her hands were messing with the necklace that AJ and Nick had given her for her birthday.
“Erin, what’s wrong?” asked AJ sitting upright from his laying down position on the boat.
Erin didn’t answer for a while, but when she did, it was just above a whisper. “He won’t let me break up with him,” she said looking down at her lap.
“Why not Erin?” Nick asked softly. Erin didn’t answer.
“Erin? Why won’t he let you break up with him? Please answer our question Erin,” said AJ. Again she didn’t answer, she wouldn’t answer the question if she could help it. A single tear was starting to slowly creep down the side of her face.
Nick put an arm around her shoulder, holding her closely, just like Erin had done to him previously. “Erin, what’s wrong?”
Erin looked up at Nick before looking back down at her hands. More tears were silently starting to fall. This time when she spoke, her voice was a whisper. “He says that, that he’ll hurt me if, if I break up with him,” she paused to wipe a tear away with the back of her hand. “Either that or, or he’ll do something that will make me regret saying that. I don’t want to get hurt,” she finished as her tears were starting to fall more and she didn’t bother to wipe them away.
Nick pulled her next to him and held onto her, letting her cry in his shirt. He rocked her and kissed the top of her head. Then, putting his chin onto the top of her head, he looked at AJ.
AJ, whom was usually calm, looked worried was also very confused. Here he was, he thought to himself, sitting here with a perfect life while his two best friends were getting abused, and treated wrongly. “I need to do something about this,” he mumbled.
AJ looked up at Nick and Erin and smiled. His two best friends in the whole world. I’m so lucky to have these guys, he thought.
AJ walked over to them and knelt in front of them. By now Erin had stopped crying and was holding onto Nick.
“Erin, it’ll be OK. Nick and I are here for you. You shouldn’t be getting hurt like that, either one of you,” said AJ as Nick and Erin looked up at him and smiled at him gratefully. “What do you say that we get off this boat, and go home? I need to talk to you, Erin about the next acting stage, and Nick, I’ve got good news for you too.”
“OK, fine by me. Erin?” said Nick looking down at Erin still in his arms.
“Sure, I want to get out of here before Jake shows up,” said Erin sitting up and leaning on the side of the boat.
“Yeah, plus it looks like it’s about to rain,” said Nick starting the boat.
“Wait a second there! Hold on,” cried a voice about five feet away. Erin, Nick and AJ knew who it was before he even pulled up to the boat.
