Page 77 of Vespertine

Jasper leaned back in his desk, smiling and shaking hishead. “This is bringing back awful memories for me.”

“What? Of me getting you in trouble?”

“That. And all the rambling conversations with you that wentto all kinds of strange places but never came back to the cupcake.”

“Oh, yeah. The cupcake.” Nicky grinned, remembering amarijuana-tinged conversation that had started out with him declaring he’deaten a cupcake at Irena’s and ended with him babbling about triathletes andthe Olympics. “Years later I still have no idea what I was going to say aboutthat damn cupcake.”

Jasper’s computer binged, announcing a new message. Hepaused, tapped on his keyboard again and then pushed it away, focusing entirelyon Nicky. “Well, today the cupcake is a punching bag. Something about violenceand sex just waiting to break out amongst the children.”

“Oh, yes, thechildren.” Nickylaughed and leaned forward, putting his elbows on Jasper’s desk. “They’reteenagers, and any second now they’ll be punching each other in the caféteriaor screwing on Mrs. Wells’s desk. I’m telling you. You can’t contain it, so youshould provide for it. Like with the sex kits. You need a violence kit.”

Jasper sighed and templed his hands on his desk. “I’ve beenrunning this place for years, Nicky, and we’ve never had a fight break out.”

Nicky narrowed his eyes.

Jasper smiled and ducked his head, conceding, “Well, lately.”

“You lie very often, for a priest.”

“I never did until you came around.” Jasper cleared histhroat, eyes darting down and back up again. “Well, I never did very much.”

Nicky grinned. “I’m such a good influence, as always.”

“You never lie.”

“True.” He shrugged and dropped back into his seat. “But don’tfeel ashamed, Jasper. I have a lot worse sins to my name. You’re still pure asthe driven snow in comparison. Don’t despair.”

“You’re ridiculous.” Jasper laughed and leaned back in hischair too. “I’m almost done here. I still need to work on my sermon, but Icould do that later at home. What are your plans for today?”

Nicky shifted in the seat and scratched his eyebrow with histhumb. “Well, that’s why I’m here, actually.”

“Oh? I thought you were here for the kids’ music lessons.”Jasper smiled.

“Yeah. Well, I’m going to throw this out there, and you don’thave to say yes.” He cleared his throat and his cheeks heated. He clenched thearms of the chair. “I need a babysitter.”

“For?”

“For me. My parents have had their Fourth of July trip to ChebeagueIsland planned forever. Mom mentioned yesterday that they were going to cancelit now that I’m home, but I told them not to be ridiculous. I could handlemyself.”

“But they don’t trust you?”

“They don’t, no, but they pretend like they do. They leftthis morning.” Nicky smiled despite his tight throat. “Mom looked like she wantedto claw her way through the car door to get to me, and Dad looked like someonehad a gun to his head as he drove away.”

“I see.” Jasper stood and walked around his desk, leaningagainst it in front of Nicky. His brow creased. “But do you think they’d haveleft if you were really still in such a place of temptation?”

Nicky looked down at his fingers, twisting them in a knot inhis hand. He wished he had a guitar to fiddle with, a way to not look at Jasperduring this next part. “I told them I wasn’t tempted at all. And I wasn’t.” Helooked up at Jasper, a trickle of shame sliding down his back. “Jasper, youhave to believe me. I didn’t go looking for Jimmy, I swear, but I saw himyesterday morning at the coffee shop.”

Jazz worried his lip. “And?”

Nicky looked down at the floor, his fingers shaking when hebrushed them into his hair. “He’s aged terribly. I’ve put my body through helland I somehow look better than him.”

“Because he…” Jasper trailed off.

Nicky met Jasper’s gaze. “Because he does meth. I know.”

“Did you—”

“No.” Nicky cleared his throat and then let out a longbreath. “But ever since Mom and Dad hit the end of the driveway I keep thinkingabout googling how meth and my maintenance medication mix and, well, I don’tthink I should do that.”