Nikki stopped and looked over at him. “Oh, hi. You’re wondering why I’m out here.”

David looked up at the night sky. “No; I just thought I’d come outside for some fresh air.” Then he sat down on the grass. “I hope I’m not interrupting you, though.”

She came over and sat down next to him. “You’re not.” Then she paused.

“Sorry,” she said.
“Why?”
“Someone must have woke you up.”
“Well, yes. But I think that someone was just worried.”
David pointed to the house across the street.
“My parents used to live there.”
Nikki looked over across the street. “Where are they now?”
“They moved to Florida.”
“So it’s just you and the others?”
“And Sarah.”
Nikki laughed. “And Sarah.”
David smiled at her. “And you.”
Nikki lit a cigarette. “I have secrets.”
“Me too.”
“Not like mine.”
“Well, yours are not like mine,” David said, lying back in the grass.
“I can’t talk about it.”
“If you did, they wouldn’t be secrets.”
“But secrets don’t have to be secrets forever, right?” Nikki asked.
“Very true. But I think you’ll know when.”
“How?”
“Well, just listen and wait.”
Nikki looked at David. “How ’bout think and wait?”
David smiled at her. “Thinking’s good too.”
******************************************
“Well I have something to tell you now. Death is nothing more than a moment in time. You’ll just move on and begin a new stage of your life; a better one. And one day I’ll see you again.”

Nikki paused, and looking at David, spoke. “When it’s time to move on, I think I’ll wait.”
“For what?”
“For you.”
“You don’t have to wait for me, I’ll catch up.” 
David noticed that she had become very drowsy. She was fighting it, but he could tell she needed to rest.
“You should rest now.”
She shook her head and squeezed his hand.
“I’ll be here when you wake up.” Then she nodded off just in time for the doctor to walk in, carrying a chart.
“Mr. Marlowe?” he asked.
“No, I’m David.”
The doctor paused. “Well, the nurse asked me to stop in and see you. Any time now.”
“I have to stay.”
“Well, it’s late but, ok.” And the doctor left.
Nikki woke up and looked around the room, her eyes finally resting on David.
“Tell them...they were my friends.”
David nodded. “I will.”
“And Kerry, tell Kerry.”
David nodded again.
She looked intently at him. “I think I have to go now.”
David gave her hand one last squeeze. She reached out her other hand and touched him on the chest over the heart. “In here,” she whispered.
******************************************

It was February, and it had been unusually cold. February was typically rather nice. But this year it was different. Nikki stood next to her mother wearing a black dress. Jean was sobbing uncontrollably. Nikki’s father Thomas walked over and put his arm around Jean. The priest finished and the coffin was lowered into the grave. Several friends turned to leave. Jean flinched as she heard the dirt hit the coffin. Nikki stood frozen, trying to understand what was happening. She reached for her mother’s hand. Jean jerked away from her. Then she pointed at Nikki.

“Karen was perfect! Now look what I’m left with!”

Jean and Thomas turned around and walked toward the cemetery gate. Only the three of them were left. Jean turned around.

“Nikki! Get over here!” she screamed.

Nikki didn’t move. Her parents reached the car and got in. Suddenly Jean opened the door.

“Get over here dammit!” she yelled.

Nikki took one last look at the headstone. “I’m sorry Karen. I think I have to go now.”

Nikki Marlowe: Drums and Percussion

Oldest daughter of Jean and Thomas Marlowe, and sister of Karen Marlowe. Nikki grows up with the ever-increasing, mentally disturbed anger of her mother. Nikki is given a drum set by her father and quickly finds that she has a natural ability on the drums. She becomes completely devoted to protecting her sister, who suffers from a number of physical ailments. This causes Nikki to continually fight with kids at school, earning her the reputation of being a "tough chick." Other kids eventually decide that violent confrontations with her are best avoided. She finds herself locked in a violent feud with Kerry Cooper, another "tough chick" who attempts to teach Karen Marlowe a lesson for talking "shit" about her at school. During another fight with Kerry, Nikki learns that Kerry plays guitar and is in a band that lacks a drummer. Kerry offers her the opportunity to join the band. Nikki's relationship with Kerry is one of the keys to the book. They are close at times, but their old feud continues to flare up under the right conditions. During a traumatic event, Kerry makes Nikki swear to never reveal something that happens between them. When the band breaks up, Kerry and Nikki are both haunted by the way they separated. Nikki has a special connection to David since they both are seeking the same thing, although in different ways, and both find that they found it in each other. David and Nikki's final moments together also lead to Kerry getting what she needs most.

But there were no teachers there today, and this fight was different. As they were getting back to their feet, Nikki threw a punch that landed right on Kerry’s eye. This would turn into a pretty good shiner. This was followed by a direct hit on Nikki’s forehead. She would walk around with a large bump for a couple of days. Kerry stepped back and shook her hand in the air. Apparently Nikki had a hard head, and Kerry’s hand soon began to swell up.

“Ow! You hurt my guitar hand!” she yelled at Nikki.

Nikki finished rubbing her forehead and, with fists raised, was stepping toward Kerry for round two. But then she stopped.

“What do you mean your guitar hand? You play guitar?”
“Of course,” Kerry said, rubbing her hand. “I better still be able to play with the band!”
Nikki’s interest was growing. “You have a band?”
“Of course.”
“Who’s in it?”
 
Kerry turned around and sat down on the step. She reached into her backpack, pulled out a pack of cigarettes and offered one to Nikki. Nikki took it and sat down next to her. The two sat for a moment, smoking their cigarettes.

“Do you know Lindsey?” Kerry asked.
“Lindsey Walters?”
“No, Lindsey Larson.”
“Yeah, I’ve seen her around,” Nikki said.
“She plays bass. Oh, and Courtney sings.”

At that moment, Courtney appeared from around the corner, Kerry having told her about the fight after school. Donna was behind her, and stopping, asked, “Are they fighting yet?” Courtney was shocked to see the two of them sitting, smoking and talking. Courtney walked over to them.

“Hi Kerry, hi Nikki.” Courtney said. Kerry handed her a cigarette, and Nikki tossed her a lighter.
“Why are you guys talking instead of fighting?”
Nikki looked at Courtney and then turned to Kerry. “I play drums.”
 “You have drums?”
“Yes, a few. But I’ll get more. Where do you jam?”
“Tammy’s aunt’s basement.”
Before Nikki could ask who Tammy was, Courtney jumped in.
 “I sing!” Courtney declared proudly.
“Sing something!” Nikki yelled at her.
“What?”
“Anything.”
Courtney began singing No Time by the Guess Who. She heard David playing it the day before.
“That’s pretty good,” Nikki said. “Maybe I can jam with you some time.”
“That’s cool,” Kerry said smiling.
“Mr. Phillips is coming!” Donna yelled.
All four began walking toward the science building. Nikki split off and headed home. 
******************************************
“Just to think,” Nikki whispered.
“That’s what you always say. But I don’t get it.”
“Like I said, to think; and to wait.”
“To wait for what?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Then how will you know?”
“I’m not sure about that either.” Then she smiled as she gazed into the mirror. “Maybe I should start listening instead.”
Kerry sat down on the stool next to her.

“There’s something I want to say, and I’ve never said it before. Don’t know why it comes to mind now, but…I’m sorry about Karen.”

Nikki noticed that very small cracks ran from the edges of the mirror right into the middle of it.

“They’re not easy to see,” she whispered.
“What?” Kerry asked.

Nikki paused for a moment before she spoke. “It’s not your fault.”

Kerry put her hand on Nikki’s shoulder and shook her. “What isn’t?”

Nikki gazed into the mirror one more time. “And it doesn’t matter. There’s only one thing to do.”
******************************************
Nikki was a troubled soul. But so was he, and she had been the only one who could give him peace. She had been very generous, he thought, when he went to see her at the hospital. She too had given him a reason to stay, but she also gave him something to look forward to. She touched his heart and put herself there, and now when he heard the whispering voice, he heard her too.