Favorite Roommate || Nikki Sixx

Chapter 53

     The name hits me like a freight train, and I freeze in disbelief. Those words echo in my mind, trying to connect with something buried deep within my memory. As Nikki continues to drown his thoughts in alcohol, I feel confused and overwhelmed. "Feranna?"
     He takes another swig from the bottle before meeting my gaze with bloodshot eyes. "Yep... that's me, Isabelle."
     "Why... Why didn't you just tell me?" I manage to stammer out, struggling to comprehend what he's just revealed.
     Nikki looks at me with a mixture of remorse and pain. "We never really talked about what my life was like before I moved to LA, and there's a reason for that. I'll tell you one day, I promise, but that name.. THAT FUCKING NAME- has haunted me for over twenty years of my goddamn miserable life."
     My mind races, trying to piece everything together. Frank Feranna... the name seems familiar, but I can't place it. "What happened to you.." I say getting up to rest my hand on his.
     He takes a deep breath "It's a lot okay? But you figured out I changed my name so I might as well have just told you anyway. Plus when we go see my grandparents, they were probably going to let it slip so I'd rather tell you now than find out from them."
     "I get it. Not the same way you do, but I get it. Sometimes I think about running away, changing my name, and starting a whole new life just to get away from the people that made it miserable." I wince, hugging his side.
     "Let's get you in bed." he says guiding me to the bedroom.
     "Can you pick up my prescription?"
     "Sure.. but if you want something stronger, I know a guy." We laugh and I begin to drift off to sleep.
    
     The next week of recovery was brutal, but the financing was even worse. Luckily, my boss John was in a good mood and decided not to fire me even though I didn't show up for a week. Nikki and I sat at our kitchen table which was covered in envelopes and bills. "American Express, State of California, State of California, Secretary of State, Rent, Public Works, State of California, State of California, State of Cal- Fuck this!" Nikki sat focused with letters in one hand, a pen in his other, and a calculator and notepad at his side. "You look like a grandpa with those glasses.." I remark.
     "Huh? Sorry I was reading this."
     I sigh "Nothing Nik.." I dig through our pile of misfortune and find a letter from the bank. "Nikki read this one."
     He opens the envelope and begins to read through it. His eyes went wide, worrying me but luckily my credit was good and we were approved for a loan. We sigh in relief feeling grateful for some weight being lifted off our shoulders. "I didn't want to worry you Iz, but I had no idea what the fuck we were going to do if this didn't go through."
     "I honestly wasn't expecting it so thank god" I responded.
     "You're lucky you didn't get sued either" he knocks on the table.
     "Yeah... that would have sucked real bad" I scratch my head. "So now that we don't have a car, how are we going to get to your grandparents? Because we have no money to spare on plane tickets.."
     Nikki sets down his glasses and drink "Well.. we can turn back to my roots."
     "Huh?"
     "We can do what I used to when my mother sent me away. Take the Greyhound Bus to Idaho!"
     "You're kidding, right?"
     "You have any other suggestions?"
     I sit and think for a moment "We can steal Tommy's van?"
     Nikki laughs and says "We already took the toaster, now you want the car too?"
     "For the record, that toaster is now missing so I say we take the van as payback."
     He smiles again "Seriously though. I'll call Tom and tell him to pick us up, but we only have that one option."
     I sigh "Fine. Just tell your grandma that we need to do laundry at their place since.. we'll we can't afford that either."
     "Oh-kay" he chuckles.

     We packed our bags and put our troubles aside for the holidays. I reluctantly get on this bus for the next 15 hours and settle into my seat. "Nikki.."
     "Yes darling?"
     "This already sucks."
     "I know baby.. I know" he sighs. "Here, take this."
     "What is it?" I cringe.
     "Magic beans" he smiles.
     "Seriously Nikki..."
     "Calm down, it's Benadryl. I know it knocks you out."
     "Fine." I take the pill and rest my head on his shoulder. As I drift off to sleep, the bus rumbles along the highway, the dull sound of the engine blending with the chatter of fellow passengers. The road stretches ahead, seemingly endless, as the world outside the window blurs into streaks of passing lights.
     After what feels like an eternity, I wake up my head still resting on Nikki's shoulder. The bus has stopped at a small roadside station, and passengers start to get, stretching their legs and shuffling towards the exit. Nikki gently nudges me awake. "Hey, sleepyhead. We've made a pit stop," he whispers.
     I yawn and rub my eyes, trying to shake off the remnants of sleep. "Where are we?"
     Nikki glances out the window before answering. "Looks like a little town called Winston. I think we're about halfway there." We gather our belongings and step off the bus, the cool air hitting my face as I take in the surroundings. The station is a bit out-of-date, with a small convenience store and a café nearby. Passengers stroll about, stretching their legs and grabbing snacks or coffee. "I could use a cup of joe," Nikki says, stifling a yawn. "Want anything?"
     "When have you ever said that?" I laugh through my words.
     Nikki blushes "I don't know" he said embarrassed.
     "Yeah, I'll take one too," I reply with a smile. Nikki returns with two steaming cups in hand, the rich aroma of coffee enveloping us. We find a vacant bench and settle down, sipping our beverages as we watch the valleys of nothingness.
     "This reminds me of back in the day" Nikki says, a hint of sadness in his voice. "Back when I was still chasing my dreams and escaping the past."
     I lean my head against his shoulder "Do you miss it at all?"
     He pauses, contemplating the question. "In some ways, yeah. There was a certain freedom in not being tied down, always on the move. But there was much more bad than good and I wouldn't trade what we have now for anything."
     "Even though we're about to be in debt?"
     "We're not going to be in debt" he pauses "We're going to be in crippling debt." he smiles.
     I nod and laugh in agreement, feeling a sense of gratitude for the experiences we've had together, despite the fact that it's about to crash and burn. As the bus engine roars back to life, signaling the continuance of our trip, we board the bus once again, finding our seats and buckling up for the second half of the journey.
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