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chapter song lana del rey: video games "they say that the world was built for two / only worth living if somebody is loving you / and baby, now you do"
1981
El awoke to the sun shining brightly through the small guest room in Nona and Tom's house with Nikki's face buried in her hair and his arms wound tightly around her waist. She smiled to herself, but felt the overwhelming and quite uncomfortable need to pee which meant she was going to have to pop Nikki's little bubble of peace.
"Babe," she shook his arm gently, "Nik, c'mon. I have to pee."
Nikki groaned in response. "Mm-mm, I'm too comfy. You're gonna have to wait."
"Okay, I'm gonna pretend you didn't just say comfy and I'm gonna go pee." El snickered as she went to unwrap his arms from her waist, but Nikki wasn't budging. In fact, he was squeezing her tighter. Almost tight enough to make her piss her pants. "Nikki, quit!" She laughed at his childish behavior. "I promise I'll come straight back, but if you don't let me go then I'm gonna piss the bed and that won't be pleasant for either of us, so please," she begged, "let me go piss."
Nikki finally loosened his grip. "Ugh, fine." She finally rolled out of bed and grabbed her travel bag so she could brush her teeth and wash her face as well.
El had never felt such sweet relief in her life, but we'll not get into that. Upon exiting the bathroom, she was summoned to the kitchen by Nona who also graced her with a cup of coffee and a cigarette. Thank fuck, El thought. "Y'know, I really appreciate you bringing my boy out here. It makes me feel much better knowing he's got someone looking after him and making sure he doesn't get in too much trouble," Nona spoke gently as she sipped her coffee.
El shrugged as she took a drag of her cigarette. "Trust me, there's nothing I can do to keep him out of trouble. I just offer him open arms and a hot meal when he needs it," she chuckled.
"Regardless, I feel like he's got more of a reason to keep his head on straight if he's got you in the picture." This made El feel all soft and fuzzy. "His mom was only his mom when it was convenient for her, which wasn't often. I tried my hardest to mother him and show him love, but I'm not sure I did my job right. She did a number on him," she paused, "but with you, he just seems lighter. He seems to have taken some of the weight off his shoulders and that's all I could ask for honestly. So really, thank you for being that person for him, and know you're welcome here anytime you feel this old shithole callin' your name!"
El didn't know what to say. She was at a loss for words. She leaned over to squeeze Nona's hand and tried her best to formulate a coherent sentence. "You did a great job with him. He's determined, he's ambitious, and he's been nothing but kind to me since we met each other. I'm sure he is still scarred from what his mother put him through, but he's also got your voice in the back of his head to guide him in the right direction. Now, whether or not he follows is still to be determined," El finished as her and Nona shared a laugh over this notion.
