Picture Perfect
Chapter 5
By Crystal

Casey purposely waited until she was the last person to get off the plane. She was in no hurry whatsoever. She grabbed her backpack, shoved on her headphones and walked to the beat of Limp Bizkit as she walked through the long tunnel and out into the vast airport. All around her she saw couples embracing, families reuniting and a few dorks with coffee cups and laptops rushing around. She put her baseball hat on and looked around for Jane Carter. But she was nowhere to be found.

"Wow. Some lady. Can't even remember to pick me up from the damn airport. If she's not here in five I'm splitting to find a real place to stay in."

"Sorry to disappoint you Casey," came a voice from behind her. Casey turned sharply around and was eye level with the now grown-up Nick Carter.

She eyed him evilly, something she got good at over the years. "Excuse me? Are you talking to me? Because I know damn well that I wasn't talking to you." She turned back around and crossed her hands over her chest. Nick walked around her slowly, observing her choice ensemble. Casey was wearing her favorite outfit, a pair of heavy, baggy skater pants and a blue tee that had the word "orgy" printed on it. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail and looped through the back of the orange hat she wore.

"Well I'm talking to you so don't even start with an attitude. Your lucky I even saw you. For a minute there I thought you were just another guy too stoned to know what time of day it is."

"Close ass hole, but obviously I'm a girl. But then again, I could see how you would get your gender radar confused, especially considering you probably don't even know what your own chromosomes read."

"Wow. Your quick for a little girl that used to wear her hair in pig tails and get dresses dirty from playing in the mud."

"And you're pretty slow for a boy band member."

Nick clamped his mouth shut and shot her a look of contempt. "Let's just get your luggage and get out of here before I get recognized."

"Right, just my luck. I'm stuck with a Backside Boy. Fine, lead the way pansy ass. You know your way around her better than I do."

"It doesn't take a genius to figure out where to go. There are signs pointing you in every direction, that is, if you even know how to read."

"As a matter of fact I do know how to read and the fact that there are signs comforts me to no end. Of course you need directions for every small deed you do. Probably couldn't figure the way to your own ass hole without some girl pointing out the way."

Casey grabbed her suitcase and guitar case from the luggage carousel and looked at Nick expectantly.

"You are two words close to walking home," he threatened.

"Home? No, I believe I now have no home, thanks to your mom, that is. Now just show me the way to the fucking car so I can get out of this zoo."

Nick walked briskly to his Durango, got in and unlocked the door for Casey. She threw her stuff in the back and climbed up into the front seat. Within five minutes they were on the highway, headed for her new home.

"Hope you don't mind if I smoke," she said sarcastically as she lit up a cigarette.

"As a matter of fact I do. I don't want your shit in my car. And while we're on the subject, that stuff kills."

"Yeah, but lucky for you, second hand smoke is more dangerous. So inhale deeply Blondie."

Nick reached over, pulled the cigarette out of her mouth and threw it out his window. She looked at him, full of rage.

"What the fuck is your problem ass hole?" she screamed.

Nick pulled the car over to the side of the road. He turned and looked at her. "If you're going to disrespect me then get the hell out of my car. NOW!" he demanded.

"Fine! Fuck you too." Casey grabbed her stuff from the back, slammed the door shut and walked off. Nick watched as she walked off down the highway. Suddenly irritated, he rolled his eyes, yanked the keys from the ignition and got out of the car.

"Casey, come back here!" he yelled out to her.

Casey turned around, flipped him off and kept on walking. Getting angry, Nick ran after her, grabbed her by her shoulders and briskly turned her around. "I want to you to walk back to the car now and get in. Understood?"

Casey just stood there, her green eyes piercing his blue eyes.

"Get in the car Case!" he yelled. Casey walked past him, hit his shoulder with his own and headed back to the car. They both got in and neither one of them said a word until they arrived home.

As Nick parked in the driveway Jane came running out of the front door. "Casey, sweetie!"

"Fuck me," she muttered under her breath. After flashing Nick a hateful look she grabbed her belongings and got out of the car.