Fallout (Crank 3)

to go to Vegas, spur of the moment.”

Segue to … “So, you wanna go with me?”

To Vegas or David Cook? Okay, bad

segue. Either way, I can’t. I have to

work. Nevada Day weekend is Big Tip

Weekend at Bully’s, you know?

Especially for a cocktail waitress

with Nikki’s attributes. “Gotcha.”

She’s not done with me yet, though.

Why did your mom have to go to Vegas?

I could lie. Omit. Make a joke. Too

much work. “Why else? Kristina.”

She knows enough to know that’s not

good. Your mother’s in trouble again.

“Previous mother,” I correct. “Or

the uterus I once spent nine months in.”

Nikki smiles, but asks with concern,

Is your previous mother okay?

I shake my head, echo Dad’s earlier

words. “Kristina will never be okay.”

I’M SORT OF AMBIVALENT

About that. I should feel

bad, right? I mean, some

jerk beat her bloody. No

one deserves that, right?

So why, when Nikki asks,

What happened to her?

do I shrug and say, “Guess

she walked into her ex’s

fist,” with pretty much