A Wild West Night at the Smithsonian - outlaw - young gun - Billy the Kid

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"They were your special affects!" McPhee shouted into the phone as Larry headed up to his apartment, "More like special. . . defects!"

"Look, I promise you, I'm gonna find out what happened." Larry replied hearing dull music blasting through his door.

"Or they were special rejects!"

"I'm sorry Dr. McPhee I gotta go." Larry hung up as he walked into a raging party in his home. Teenagers were jumping to blasting music laughing and whooping while Nicky stood behind a DJ booth creating the music.

"Nicky! Nicky!" Larry shouted through the crowd. When his son saw him his eyes went wide but he kept bouncing to the beat.

"Nicky!" Larry shouted again as he reached him, "Stop hopping!"

Looking around he found the plug for the speakers and pulled it, cutting the music.

"Dad." Nicky whined, "Dad, what are you doing?"

"What are you doing? It's three am." He turned to the bummed teens, "Alright party's over."

The kids started to file out of the room while a girl wrote her number on Nicky's arm.

"See you tomorrow night?" she asked.

"Probably not." Larry deadpanned.

But Nicky smiled at her oblivious to his dad. "Probably."

"Definitely not." Larry shook his head.

She gave Nicky a small smile and waved goodbye.

"You are in so much trouble."

"I know." Nicky sighed accepting defeat.

Larry turned and headed to the kitchen, retrieving a box of trash bags from the cabinet under the sink. While he did so, he texted Anna.

'Hey, have you left yet?'

...

...

'Heading out now. What's up?'

'Nicky. Can you stop by here before heading home?'

...

'Be there in ten.'

.

.

"What, in the. . . " she trailed off when she stepped inside and saw the mess that was Larry's apartment. Streamers and plastic cups were everywhere. Paper plates with food were still left where people had been snacking. Open bags of food and pizza boxes were covering the kitchen countertops. Immediately her eyes landed on her step brother. Nicky looked down at his shoes with guilt on his face. He kept his gaze off her as she walked across the room to where he was picking up cups and tossing them into a trash bag in his free hand.

"Here." She said when she reached him, "Let me help."

"Thanks." He muttered softly glancing up with a tiny smile. She grinned back to reassure him she wasn't upset or disappointed in him. He'd be getting enough of that from his father.

Larry was in the kitchen stuffing the bags of chips and soda bottle that were only partially used into the fridge and cabinets. The rest he'd started to stuff into an already overflowing garbage bag at his feet. He'd taken off his dress jacket and rolled up the white sleeves of his shirt. Anna tapped Nicky on the shoulder and nodded to Larry. Her brother shook his head.

"Better to get it over with now." She advised, "It's coming anyway."

He sighed and headed to the kitchen.