Give Them Hell

Eight Years Later

April 1984

Nikki

"Tommy shut up!" Dakota yells from the bar. "My cousin is on tv!"

We just got back from being on tour with Shout At The Devil and the band is starting to get international attention, our manager is talking about sending us on an international tour this fall. I mean this is huge and I thought opening for Ozzy Osbourne in front of twenty thousand people was big.

Vince, Tommy, Mick, and I all sit in this bar, Rebel Heart, that our friend Dakota owns.

Dakota is the same age as Tommy so she just turned twenty two and she's from Raleigh, North Carolina but grew up on a farm in this smaller town, Clayton, with her grandparents. Her dad was in World War Two, Korea, and Vietnam but died in 1969, she has nothing nice to say about that man. Her mom died shortly after that in a car crash. Dakota has this boyfriend that's in this up and coming band, his name is CC Deville. CC and Dakota have this cute little three year old named June.

The only reason we're friends with her is because Vince tried to pick her up one night and her little blond Barbie doll of a boyfriend wanted to kick his ass. To be completely honest I'm not sure why she's still friends with us, we're all assholes to her and her baby daddy's band. Dakota for some reason puts up with all of us though.

CC's band consists of a blond singer, Bret, a blond drummer, Rikki, and a brunette bassist. They're almost the exact opposite of Vince, Mick, Tommy, and I. They're band is called Poison and they play the bar almost every night, I think that's the only reason Dakota bought the bar in the first place. They all live together with June in a house and I can only imagine how hectic it is there.

Tommy and Vince are playing with June and being extremely loud, Mick and I are sitting at the bar with Rikki, Bret, and Bobby, Dakota is behind the bar with CC watching the tv.

The tv is starting to show an interview between an interviewer in a suit and tall ginger guy wearing a Seahawks Football t shirt that is all sweaty, a pair of black shorts, and a pair of running shoes. The back drop is a gym. This sweater ginger football player looks familiar to me but I can't place him. He's talking about playing the Los Angeles Raiders in the AFC Wild Card Playoff. Then his name comes across the bottom of the screen.

Mackenzie Andrews, from Raleigh, North Carolina, linebacker, number forty two, born February 18th, 1958.

All at once this sweaty ginger football player looks a whole hell of a lot familiar and he hated me with an absolute passion. I mean I did call him princess and I dated his younger sister Dallas my senior year of high school.

Dallas and Mackenzie never looked related not even a little bit. Dallas was completely beautiful with brown hair and these big grey storm clouds for eyes. She was a bit of a criminal but held straight As. Dallas loved rugby and was heartbroken when she found our the high school in Seattle didn't have a girls team, I mean she talked to the coach about playing on the boys team. When I met her she had a deathly fear of heights but I helped cure that one day I took her to the Space Needle. She's the first and only girl that I told that I love and was completely honest about it. Dallas' dad was a real dick, he hit her and he hit Mackenzie. I saw the bruises on Dallas but I never figured out how to bring them up. Her dad got transferred before I figured it out. It's been almost eight years since I last saw her.

It's been eight years but I still have feeling for her deep down inside of me. There was always just something about her that I've yet to find with another girl. Something that I can't explain but it one hundred percent present with Dallas.

I wonder what happened to her...I hope she got to play rugby, I hope she's happy. I hope she didn't let her dad get to her. I hope where ever she is that she kept her word about giving everyone hell for me because I kept my word to her.

"Hey Sixx!" Vince yells in my ear and I jump. "Jesus Christ, it took you long enough."

"What were you thinking about?" Tommy wonders as he bounces June.

"I was just in my own little world." I say and Tommy gives me a look. "Don't worry." I promise him.

"Mama." June calls and reaches for Dakota. "When's Auntie Dolly comin'?"

"This weekend." Dakota tells her daughter.

"I thought you were an only child." CC comments.

"I am, Dolly is my cousin." She tells her boyfriend.

"Are you sure? You have two cousins and I've met them." He states and she rolls her eyes.

"My Papa always used to call Dallas 'Dolly' and Junie picked it up the last time we were in North Carolina." Dakota explains. "Our moms were sisters."

Dallas is coming here?

"Is she hot?" Bret wonders.

"Yes." CC states and Dakota smacks him.

"CC that is my cousin!" She states.

"I'm telling the truth!" CC states and she rolls her eyes.

"Bret can't date her." Dakota states and Rikki and Bobby perk up. "Neither can either of you."

"Isn't she staying with us?" Bobby wonders.

"Until she finds her own place, yeah." Dakota says.

"She can stay in my room!" Bret and Rikki say at the same time.

"Can't Auntie Dolly share a room with me?" June asks. "We can have sleep overs."

"That's the best idea I've heard all day." Dakota tells her daughter.

"So why is your cousin moving to LA?" Mick wonders.

"She's been living in Raleigh going to North Carolina State but she graduated last week and wants to live somewhere different. She's a military brat so she's used to moving around. She was talking about moving to Seattle but I talked her into to moving here." Dakota explains. "She's going to help me run the bar until something else comes up for her."

"Is she hot though?" Vince wonders making Dakota sigh and walk away.

Dallas is moving back here and going to be working here. I'm going to get to see her after eight years. Will she recognize me? Will I recognize her? I think I need a drink.