Picture Perfect
Chapter 21
By Crystal

Casey spent the rest of the day sleeping off the pain. Around six in the evening she woke up and groggily got up out of bed. Her head and shoulders felt like they were weighed down by a ton of bricks. Her ankle, the one Nick twisted earlier that morning was swollen and hurt. She took a quick shower, twisted her hair into a messy bun on the top of her head and changed into an oversized pair of sweats and an oversized tee shirt. She wobbled downstairs and found that no one was around. She stepped into the kitchen and saw a note taped up on the fridge.

'Casey and Nick,

We have taken the kids into Orlando for a few nights. We'll be back the day after tomorrow in time for dinner. We hope that you will have resolved your problems by then.

And please, don't kill each other. Blood does not come out of carpets. And if anything is broken you can expect to be billed for it. That goes for the both of you.

Take care,

Bob and Jane'

Casey read the letter over once more then threw it down on the kitchen counter. She reached for the phone, plopped down on a couch in the living room and dialed her friend and co-worker, Vanessa.

"Hey is Vanessa in? Thanks." The front door opened and Nick walked in.

"Hey V, it's Case. Yeah I'm fine. Slept all day. Got in a fight with that prick…"

"Fuck off Casey," muttered Nick as he picked up the note from the counter. He read it, crinkled his nose and took it into the living room where Casey was, sat down on a couch and watched her talk on the phone.

"Yeah, so head on over anytime, okay? Yeah, wait, hold on a sec, someone is on the other line…. Hello? Hey there, to what do I owe this pleasure AJ?"

"What happened last night?" he asked.

"Nothing happened."

"Nothing? You mean you snuck back into the house quietly and safely without getting caught?"

"No, I got caught all right. I got a nice bruise and a sprained ankle from your half witted band mate."

"Shit girl. Look, I have to get going. I'll call you later, okay?"

"Yeah, and I'll be waiting by the phone," she laughed. "Bye…. Vanessa? Yeah, so just come by… Unfortunately yes, he's here…. Eww, girl you need help. Okay, okay, yeah, gotcha…. Bye." Casey hung up the phone, threw it next to her and sank in to the couch. She finally noticed Nick, who was looking at her.

"If you're planning on pouncing me, think again. I may have been a little out of it last time but this time I promise to kick you harder."

"Whatever. High or not you couldn't touch me if you wanted to."

"And I don't want to, at least not willingly."

He held up the note. "Did you read this?"

"Yeah, reading is one thing I managed to learn in school."

He rolled his eyes at her. "Well maybe it's not such a bad idea."

"It is a bad idea. Like I told you before I'm not giving you any more friendship. I don't want to go through that again."

"You are so damned biased! All you know is what you think you know."

"It's enough. And what I do know is that I have an overwhelming desire to make you pay for what you did. But I'm not one for revenge." She got up, walked up to Nick and straddled him. He drew in a sharp breath and leaned back slowly against the couch. Casey arched her back and leaned per pelvis down towards his lap. She then folded her arms and balanced them on Nick's shoulders.

"In fact, I wish I could make you hate me even more. If you hate me then you won't bother me, right?" She looked into Nick's eyes, completely in control of the situation.

"So I find that I ask myself," she continued. "What can I do to Nick that will aggravate him the most?" She moved her hands slowly down his chest and into his lap. His eyebrows furrowed down and he looked at her in contempt. She leaned in, putting more weight on her hands and his lap and put her lips against his lips.

"Because there is nothing I love more than causing trouble," she whispered. With one final glance in his eyes, she parted her lips and softly kissed him. She then turned her head and stared him deep in the eyes. She slowly brushed her tongue along his lips. Then she moved so her lips were by his ear. "One thing I'll give you credit for… You're a lot bigger than I gave you credit for."

In one quick motion Nick got up off of the couch and pushed her back and onto her feet.

"You are a fucking tease."

"No I'm not. And besides, AJ wasn't complaining." Nick pushed her hard against a wall and pinned her back by her shoulders. She shut her eyes closed.

"You are nothing but a fucked up little girl!"

Casey opened her eyes and looked at him, upset. Her back was screaming out in pain. With another pushing motion he pushed her back into the wall and let go of her, which caused her to slump to the floor. She landed on her knees and doubled over. Nick looked down at her, not completely realizing what he had just done to her. With an overwhelming feeling of guilt pouring over him, Nick slouched down to the ground next to her crumpled body.

"Casey? Fuck! God, I'm so sorry!" he exclaimed. Casey somehow managed to scoot back towards the wall and lean back against it. She pulled her legs into her chest and looked at him, her eyes brimming with tears, and red with a mix of pain and anger. Her jaw trembled.

"Casey… Come here…" He pulled her into him and tightly embraced her. "Why are we doing this to each other? This is not how friends act." Casey pushed him away from her, much to his own shock.

"You are not my friend!" she screamed at him. She leaned back against the wall and sobbed. "You don't get it do you Nick? I hate you! Do you hear me? I hate you!"

"You can't hate me!" he screamed at her.

"And why not?" she screamed back even louder.

"Because of what you told me that night before I left!"

Casey shut her mouth.

**Flashback**

"I'm going to miss you Nick," Casey sobbed as she and Nick hugged each other. It was the night before he was leaving. They were at his house, on his bed, watching reruns of old TV shows. Nick had fallen asleep and it was time for Casey to go back to her own house. Knowing that it would be a long time before she ever saw him again, Casey leaned in and kissed Nick's cheek.

"I love you," she whispered. "Not mom and dad love, but love. I'm not even sure I know what it means, but I know I do." Then she quietly sneaked out of Nick's room and never saw him again.

**

"You heard that?" she whispered hoarsely.

"Yeah, I did Case."

"I was eleven years old for crying out loud! No eleven-year-old in the world knows what love is."

"We both knew what it was."

"I was a naïve little girl back then. That's not who I am anymore."

"Why not? Why did you change Casey? You were so perfect the way you were!"

"Because you obviously didn't love me back!" she screamed through her tears. Nick became quiet. Casey looked down and wiped away her tears with the collar of her shirt. "I was stupid back then. I knew you didn't love me and so I changed. I started rebelling against my mom, dressing differently, ditching school, drinking, doing drugs and being a class act pain in the fucking ass! I did it all because you couldn't love me back!"

"How do you know I didn't love you back."

"Because you never bothered to keep in touch with me. Why love a fucked up wannabe that can't appreciate the true value of love?"

"That's why you changed?" he asked sorrowfully.

"That's why I am who I am today. I don't need you in my life Nick Carter! Just stay the fuck away from me!" She got up and ran out of the room.