Categories > Celebrities > Motley Crue
It wasn’t the fact that I hadn’t seen Nikki in three days that alarmed me. Yes, he was my best friend and yes, we lived right near each other. But by now I knew better than to expect frequent phone calls or visits from someone who spends half his time locked in a closet, trying to chase away the demons swimming through his head. It was only after I ran into his dealer, who said that he hadn’t seen Nikki for three days, that I knew there was a problem. I was doing my best to walk casually up Nikki’s driveway, while my insides were twisting with nervousness, terrified of what I was about to find. I concentrated on breathing and not making any noises before I got to the door. I wanted my knocking to be the first thing he heard. If he heard anything else and didn’t realize it was me, well, it’s never a good idea to startle the kind of person who keeps a loaded gun on him at all times. Just as I’d suspected (and feared) he didn’t answer after I’d been knocking for over a full two minutes. I carefully let my hand slide over the doorknob. It turned easily and opened into darkness. Though the sun was nearly setting I had a feeling any kind of light being let into the mansion in Van Nuys was a shock. I quickly slipped through and shut the door behind me.
“Nikki?” I called out softly.
I made my way through the living room over to the stairs, running my hands over everything so as not to stumble. The slight creaking of the stairs under my feet was deafening next to the silence of the old house. As I approached Nikki’s bedroom I saw light flickering through the slightly open door. I carefully cracked the door open a little more and from the candles burning I was able to make out a shape in his bed.
“Nikki?” I asked almost in a whisper.
I crept slowly around the left side of the bed where all I could see was thick black spikes sticking out from under the comforter. The sheets shifted a bit and I heard him make a small rumbling noise. My heart caught in my throat and I breathed a sigh of relief.
“Tommy?” A small voice squeaked, muffled by the comforter.
“Yeah, I’m here Nikki.” I said, reaching down and lightly petting the black hair sprawled across the pillow.
I wanted to ask him what was wrong and what I could do to help him, but instead I stood there stroking the locks of hair, just trying to comfort him. Finally he spoke.
“Tommy…I haven’t had anything for three days now.”
This shouldn’t have shocked me as much as it did. I felt almost guilty, being more worried about him off drugs than on them.
“How do you feel?” Stupid question.
“Like shit.” I made out.
He took a deep breath and slowly shoved the blankets away from his face. I almost took a step back but instead I reached out and grabbed his hand. He was pale as a ghost. A ghost might have looked healthier. His eyes were bloodshot and I knew he’d been crying. He weakly wrapped his fingers around mine, intertwining them.
“Tommy…” He whispered desperately, his eyes slipping shut.
I was suddenly overwhelmingly proud of him for trying to get clean.
“Anything Nikki, I’ll do anything to help you through this.” I said clutching his hand tighter.
“Please Tommy,” He said making a face like it was hard to get out, hard to ask for help. “Will you stay with me tonight?”
I didn’t hesitate.
“Of course. Of course I’ll stay with you.”
A slow smile spread across his lips and his eyes opened again. He sat up slightly, moving over on the bed. I caught him wince in pain and I had to choke down the lump in my throat as I sat down next to him. He held the covers up for me as I wriggled to lie beside him. I pulled them back over both of us and Nikki rolled to lie on his side facing me. I felt a warm hand find my stomach and move up to drape over my side. Suddenly both of my arms were wrapped tightly around him. One arm around his waist and the other cradling his head to my chest. I heard him sigh.
“Shh.” I’d whisper if I heard his breathing become too labored.
A little while later I heard his unsteady voice.
“Thank you Tommy, I don’t deserve you.”
“I can’t let you fall apart.” I said blinking back tears.
“I am gonna fall apart Tommy. I’m fucked up. I might even die.”
“But not tonight.” I told him, holding him tighter against my body.
He settled his face against my chest and I began running my fingers softly through his hair again. It wasn’t too long before I heard his breathing become shallower and I knew he was asleep. I rested my chin on the top of his head, breathing in the scent of his hair. I closed my eyes and yawned, but I managed to stay awake for an hour or two longer, trying my best to hold him together.
“Nikki?” I called out softly.
I made my way through the living room over to the stairs, running my hands over everything so as not to stumble. The slight creaking of the stairs under my feet was deafening next to the silence of the old house. As I approached Nikki’s bedroom I saw light flickering through the slightly open door. I carefully cracked the door open a little more and from the candles burning I was able to make out a shape in his bed.
“Nikki?” I asked almost in a whisper.
I crept slowly around the left side of the bed where all I could see was thick black spikes sticking out from under the comforter. The sheets shifted a bit and I heard him make a small rumbling noise. My heart caught in my throat and I breathed a sigh of relief.
“Tommy?” A small voice squeaked, muffled by the comforter.
“Yeah, I’m here Nikki.” I said, reaching down and lightly petting the black hair sprawled across the pillow.
I wanted to ask him what was wrong and what I could do to help him, but instead I stood there stroking the locks of hair, just trying to comfort him. Finally he spoke.
“Tommy…I haven’t had anything for three days now.”
This shouldn’t have shocked me as much as it did. I felt almost guilty, being more worried about him off drugs than on them.
“How do you feel?” Stupid question.
“Like shit.” I made out.
He took a deep breath and slowly shoved the blankets away from his face. I almost took a step back but instead I reached out and grabbed his hand. He was pale as a ghost. A ghost might have looked healthier. His eyes were bloodshot and I knew he’d been crying. He weakly wrapped his fingers around mine, intertwining them.
“Tommy…” He whispered desperately, his eyes slipping shut.
I was suddenly overwhelmingly proud of him for trying to get clean.
“Anything Nikki, I’ll do anything to help you through this.” I said clutching his hand tighter.
“Please Tommy,” He said making a face like it was hard to get out, hard to ask for help. “Will you stay with me tonight?”
I didn’t hesitate.
“Of course. Of course I’ll stay with you.”
A slow smile spread across his lips and his eyes opened again. He sat up slightly, moving over on the bed. I caught him wince in pain and I had to choke down the lump in my throat as I sat down next to him. He held the covers up for me as I wriggled to lie beside him. I pulled them back over both of us and Nikki rolled to lie on his side facing me. I felt a warm hand find my stomach and move up to drape over my side. Suddenly both of my arms were wrapped tightly around him. One arm around his waist and the other cradling his head to my chest. I heard him sigh.
“Shh.” I’d whisper if I heard his breathing become too labored.
A little while later I heard his unsteady voice.
“Thank you Tommy, I don’t deserve you.”
“I can’t let you fall apart.” I said blinking back tears.
“I am gonna fall apart Tommy. I’m fucked up. I might even die.”
“But not tonight.” I told him, holding him tighter against my body.
He settled his face against my chest and I began running my fingers softly through his hair again. It wasn’t too long before I heard his breathing become shallower and I knew he was asleep. I rested my chin on the top of his head, breathing in the scent of his hair. I closed my eyes and yawned, but I managed to stay awake for an hour or two longer, trying my best to hold him together.
Sign up to rate and review this story