Chapter 31
(Nick's point-of-view)
"It's okay, baby," my mother whispered as she continued to hold Leslie's gagging form over for the toilet.
"It hurts," she cried clutching her stomach.
"I know, baby. Just calm down." She turned to me. I had tried to make myself invisible in the bathroom corner. "It's okay, Nick, you can look now," she informed me flushing the toilet.
Leslie lay on the cold tile floor leaning against my mother. "Do you think you're going to be sick, again?"
"No," she moaned.
"Do you want to try to get back to your bedroom and lay down?"
She nodded.
My mother stroked her cheek. "Okay, baby." She motioned me over. "Can you just help me get her to bed?"
"Sure."
I knelt down lifting up from underneath Leslie's arms. My mom stood. "Just don't move to fast. Leslie, baby, you just lean against Nick."
She clung to me lowering her head. "I don't feel good."
"Mom, do you just want me to carry her?"
"Can you?"
"Yeah."
"Be careful not to drop her."
"I won't." I wrapped Leslie's arms around my neck. "Hold on, Les." I braced my hands under her rear barely lifting her from the ground.
My mom opened the door. "You need some help?"
"No, I got her."
I entered her room with my mom close behind. She adjusted the sheets as I laid her against the mattress. "Do you want a cold cloth for your head?"
"Please."
"Okay." She brushed her brown strands away from her sweating brow. "You just rest and I'll be back in a minute. Do you want your teddy bear, Mr.Truffles?"
She sighed. "Mom, I'm twelve!"
I shrugged. "So? I'm eighteen and sometimes I still need a stuffed animal," I said remembering how she had always adored that bear since she was a little girl.
Mom gave a lop-sided grin. "Would you like your bear?"
"Yeah," she replied in a raspy voice.
"Nick, could you hand me that green bear behind you?"
I glanced behind her desk grabbing the furry creature. "Here 'ya go."
She placed the toy in my sister's arms. "Try to get some sleep."
"Feel better," I whispered as I exited behind my mother.
"Thank you for helping me," she told me as we walked down the narrow hallway.
"For what?"
"Helping me with Leslie. I'm sorry to have asked you, but Bob's with Aaron at a rehearsal and Angel and BJ couldn't handle it." "It's okay, I'm more than happy to help. I just wish she wasn't sick."
She nodded entering the restroom placing a wash cloth under the faucet. "Me too. Poor kid. Two days of this flu and still not over it. At least, her fever isn't quite as high."
I supported myself against the door frame. "Mom?"
"Yeah?"
"I saw Mandy last night."
She opened the mecidine cabinet. "That's good, honey."
"Yeah, we talked about you."
"Ha! Why on earth would you two talk about an old bag like me?"
"You're not an old bag! We were just talking about the tension."
"I see."
"She feels bad. She didn't mean to upset you."
"Honey, she didn't upset me. I just have odd feelings about this relationship, all right? But I don't dislike her and I would never want anything bad to happen to her or you."
"That's it?"
"Yes. What did you expect me to say? That I hated her?"
"Well.....kinda'."
"Oh, honey, we had this discussion earlier. Do we really need to have it again?"
"No."
"Look, I don't think she's a bad girl or anything else. In fact, I think the 'get well' gift she got Leslie was very sweet."
"You do?"
"Of course I do." She chuckled. "Nick, I'm beginning to think you're as sick as Leslie because you are making no sense at all!"
I massaged my forehead. "Oh, I'm sorry. I just had a lot on my mind."
She nodded. "I can imagine." She squeezed the cloth tightly releasing the extra water. "Just relax, besides, you have recording tomorrow and I don't want you distracted because of this."
I frowned. "Do you always have to think about business?"
"Business?" she repeated.
"Yeah! You're always thinking about my career! You're starting a book about me! You have Aaron in this business and now Leslie!" I shouted exploding.
She stared at me coldly. "Nick, if I only thought about your career I wouldn't have fought with directors and producers that treated you badly! And I would've yelled at you for every mistake you made! As for the book, I wrote it because I wanted your fans and critics to know the truth. Which is you were no different than other middle-class child in America! And that you worked hard for you got! It wasn't handed to you on a silver platter!" Tears rimmed her eyes. "As for Aaron and Leslie. Aaron does this because he loves singing and he wanted to be closer to you. Leslie has loved singing since she was a little girl and she has a beautiful voice. Recently, she decided to sing in public, so, your father and I are letting her do that!"
I gulped. "I'm-I'm sorry, Mama."
She took a deep breath. "That's all right." She handed me the cloth and medicine. "Could you please take that to your sister?"
"Yes, Ma'am."
I walked back to my sister's room fighting tears. How could I have said that? I knew it wasn't true. My mother did love me unconditionally. She loved all of us that way....If not she wouldn't have helped me reach my dreams or allow Aaron to follow in my footsteps. Or held a sick child her arms assuring them it woud be all right. Why had I ever doubted her?
I paused infront of Leslie's door attempting to compose myself. I had just made things better with my mother. Why did I have to go and ruin them? Suddenly, singing 'The Perfect Fan' became more important than ever.
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