Kid brother

Kip isn't sure what to do at this point. He wanted to stay. He wanted to go. He'd messed things up again, but how badly? He knew he should probably go out and assist Axel - not that he needed the help, but Kyle was giving him a chance to stay and make himself useful. At the same time though, Kip wasn't so sure he wanted to stick around anyway. 

Finally shrugging, he gets to his feet. "Yeah, okay. I'm not much in a mood for ice cream, but maybe it would be better if I just stayed out of everybody's way tonight and pick up the pieces tomorrow." 

It wasn't too long before he and Karla were sitting in a little ice cream shop. He'd decided to at least get something to drink, but his mood was still quite low as he studied the rising bubbles in his soda pop...

"What do you want me to do?" Kyle wraps up an extension cord while he tries to refrain from raising his voice. "It's not like I told him to get lost." 

"No, but you could have been a little nicer. He wasn't late on purpose." Twila helps Theo pack up the drums as the band prepares to leave. 

"Nicer?" Kyle straightens and throws up his hands. "Being nice hasn't taught him to take responsibility and get his butt in gear!" He sighs and runs a hand over his face, calming himself down. "I'm sorry... Kip's like a brother to me... to all of us... but we can't keep doing this." 

Erik comes to help him get all the cords together. "He's doing so much better though." 

"Dealing with his personal life, yes. And I'm glad. That's great. But this here... all this... it's our livelihood. And when he can't take the band seriously, it affects all of us."

Russ snaps shut the case on his guitar. "So what are you saying, Kyle?" 

Kyle pushes a crate across the floor to where the equipment was being piled. "I'm saying that in two weeks, I'm getting married. And a week after that, we're scheduled on our first tour. It's not big and it's only in a couple states, but this is where the real work starts. I can't slow down - this is my life now. I'm going to have a wife to support and I can't put on the brakes because one band member isn't grown up enough to get himself out of bed on time." 

Leaning on the crate, he takes a deep breath, met with only silence. Finally looking around, he finds the other band members all staring everywhere but him. "We keep each other on track," he resumes. "So if I'm wrong, someone please tell me." 

"You're not wrong." Erik shrugs lamely. "I just wish there was a way we could stay on top of things and help Kip too. But I understand. I just... I don't know what to say to him." 

"We all deserve extra chances." Theo fiddles with a drumstick. "I mean, we've all screwed up at one time or another. I know it seems like the band isn't a priority to Kip right now, but I say have a talk with him... let him know how disappointed we were tonight - though I think he figured that one out - and tell him we're giving him a chance to get his act together." 

Kyle thinks ahead to next weekend with two more concerts before their short break around his and Alice's wedding. "And if he doesn't?" 

"Then... we give him a job that doesn't require him being onstage on time." 

"You mean like helping run sound or something?" 

"Yeah." 

Kyle looks at all the others for their input receiving several reluctant nods. "Okay. I'll talk to him." His eyes shift to Erik. "Unless you want to." 

Erik shakes his head. "I want to 'cause he's been like my kid brother for years and I always end up protecting him, but... I think it should be you this time." 

Listening to Chad talk, Rosalyn tries to forget about all the bad for now. It wasn't easy, but a few times, she was able to slip into blissful forgetfulness. 

Back on one of the main streets, Rosalyn knows they better head back to the hotel soon. She didn't want to though. She'd prefer to spend the whole day with Chad. But maybe her dad really would cool down after seeing Wes. Maybe he really would rethink things and not give her such a hard time... maybe? 

"Odd." Rosalyn stops on the sidewalk and looks across the street to the pawnshop, just in time to see Clint leave and mount up on his bike. "I wonder what he was doing there..." Watching him drive the opposite way down the street though, she sighs. "I guess we better head back to the hotel. He'll probably let me stay in town as long as I want, but I don't want to keep him all day."