BEYOND The SUMMIT

Chapter 7 - Heart to Heart

Cody

I light up my smoke and lean against the wall. I dig in my pocket and reach for my pills. I hadn't taken one all day. It's going to be hard to take them without the others finding out. I quickly take a pill out and put it in my mouth. I swallow fast, as I close the container and put it back in my packet.

I close my eyes and find myself in my reality. Frustrated at myself that I couldn't undo the bolts on the tire. A year ago that would've been no problem. I take a drag from my smoke and lean my head back on the wall taking a moment to reassure myself that everything will go as I planned.

"Hey, do you want some company?" I hear a sweet voice say.

Nicole.

I need to apologize to her.

"Yeah, of course my love." I say moving down the wall and extinguishing my smoke.

"You know you can finish smoking with me here." Nicole tells me.

"Yeah well, I know you girls don't like me smoking so I just don't do it in front of you." I say looking down at the ground.

" That's very gentlemen of you Cody." I hear Nicole say. Now I feel like a jerk.

"Speaking of gentlemen, I owe you an apology, Nikkers." I say as I look at her, " I'm sorry for being a jerk to you in the car."

Nicole looks down, seeming uncomfortable, " Don't worry about it Cody. It was..."

" It was me overstepping my boundaries and I feel like shit for it."

Nicole smiles at me, " you're not totally wrong."

I look at Nicole with interest, " I'm not wrong for being a jerk or for telling the truth about Dick?"

Nicole looks at me in disapproval, "Gavin and I had a fight the other day, before his trip."

I couldn't resist adding a sarcastic tone, "Really?"

She rolls her eyes, " Never mind."

Shit.

"I'm sorry. Please forgive me Nicole, but when someone makes a comment about divorce families being a sign of society's breakdown in the 21st century, yes, I'm going to treat the fucken asshole like shit." I bluntly tell Nicole, "Why Nicole? Why him?"

Nicole looks away. She squeezes her mouth together as I see a little sprinkle of light falling down her cheeks, " Oh God Nicole, you're crying, " I grab her and squeeze her in my arms, "Chris is going to kill me if he sees you crying."

I hear Nicole chuckle, " You talk about Chris like he's my knight in shining armor." Nicole says, wiping her eyes.

I look at her, " He is Nicole. More than I think you want to admit."

Nicole looks at me, " Gavin is mad at me for not wanting to go to a university across the country with him."

I look at Nicole. I have no pity for this jerk, " Who cares Nicole, let him go." She looks away from me. I gently place my finger on her chin and turn her face to me, " You should be telling me that you broke up with him. You deserve sooooo much more than this fuck head."

" I can't Cody. My parents..."

" Parents only tell us what to do up to a certain age, Nikkers. Thereafter it's our lives." I told her hoping she gets the clue that soon she'll be able to make her own decisions, "They'll have to live with the fact that you're a smart, beautiful, intelligent young lady who has a say in her own life, and in a few years they can't stop you."