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Nic is Born
Nic Sheff, first child of Nic and Vicki Sheff, is born. This is a significant time period because it's the start of a rough life or the beautiful boy. In B.B., David says "We are enraptured by our child. We willingly forsake sleep. We soothe his crying" (Sheff 19). This is ironic because even when he's just born, David and Karen are making Nic their world. It foreshadows the amount of care and love Nic will receive in his future. -
David and Vicki Divorce
David and Vicki Sheff divorce. Divorce at this time is not a common thing in families. Nic is faced with the question that a child shouldn't have to go through at his age; which parent would you rather live with. Nic doesn't like the fact that he has to travel, and he especially doesn't like plane rides. Nic says to David before one of the flights to his mom in Los Angeles that his stomach hurts (Sheff 23). He says this not because he doesnt want to see Vicki but he doesnt want to leave David. -
Nic Welcomes a Step Mom
David Meets Karen Barbour at a friend's dinner party. After going on dates and talking for six months, Karen is introduced to Nic. David knows Nic will be hurt if women keep coming in and out of his life. This is a good time for Nic in his life because now he has a motherly figure when he's around his dad. Karen treats Nic as her own; she teaches him French, plays video games with him, and paints with him. David marries her in May. -
Nic Moves to Inverness, CA
David and Karen build a house and painting studio in the Inverness hillside garden. By them moving here, Nic is able to meet new kids. He is now in sixth grade and is growing up. Nic is able to start the hobbies that he will begin to love; surfing and skim-boarding. -
Kurt Cobain Dies
Kurt Cobain, the main musician in the band Nirvana, kills himself due to depression. Kurt Cobain is Nic's favorite artist. Nic comes home and tells David about the news, and David seems notices that Nic is distressed by it (Sheff 46). This even right here shows that Nic can get depressed easily; being Nic didn't know Kurt Cobain. -
Nic Drinks for the FIrst Time
Nic gets drunk with his friend Philip while they are on a Ski Trip in Lake Tahoe. This is Nic's first time ever really going against his parents; especially by doing something illegal. Nic is starting to go against the law at a young age, which doesn't look so well from someone else's perspective. -
Nic Smokes Cigarettes
Nic smokes cigarettes with his friends for the first time. This event shows that Nic is growing up and that he is starting to hang with the wrong crowds. When asked, Nic lies and says that he wasn't smoking cigarettes; he was just with people who were smoking them. By him lying, it marks the beginning of a life full of lies. He then lies again by promising to never do it again. -
Nic Is Caught With Marijuana
As David is packing an overnight bag for Nic because he is sleeping at his friends house, David discovers marijuana in Nic's backpack. Nic is confronted about the situation, and tells David and Karen that him and his friend just wanted to try it. Nic is punished for two weeks. This marks the beginning of a drug filled life; the life that at this one incident could have maybe been prevented if presented with a harsher punishment. -
Nic Is Caught Buying Marijuana
Nic, a freshman at his private school, is caught buying marijuana from a student. This reveals to his dad that his run in with marijuana a few years back was not a one time thing. He brings fear to his family; them knowing that around this age is the time when kids experiment. -
Nic Is Arrested
Nic is again caught lying to his parents by keeping from them that he skipped court after being cited for marijuana possession. Nic is arrested right in front of his family, which causes Jasper to cry for hours. He displays the life of a druggy, the druggy that hasn't been fully let out yet. -
Nic Does Crystal Meth for the First Time
Nic calls David after four days of being "missing". He tells him where he is, and David finds him in an abandoned alleyway behind trashcans, high. David doesn't know what he's on, until Nic tells him. David knows Nic is now opened up to a different world of drug, being that he had a past with it too. -
Nic Enters Rehab
Nic is forced into rehab by David. Nic, being the stubborn person he is, says he doesn't want to do it being that he can recover on his own. Nic attends Ohlhoff Recovery, which is a 4-week program. David hopes that it will be the best form him; he hopes Nic can get sober. Rehab at this point is the only solution for Nic at this point, being that he ran away from home twice to get high off meth. -
Nic Overdoses
Nic hits rock bottom by almost dying from drugs. He puts himself into critical condition and on life support after going unconscious from drugs. He understands that the only way for him to get back on his feet is by attending rehab, even after running away from it multiple times. He knows now that's it's either rehab, or he'll end up killing himself from drugs. -
Nic Relapses
Nic is involved in a relationship with a girl named Z. When Z breaks up with him, Nic becomes depressed and vanishes. About two weeks later, Nic calls David to tell him that he relapsed, and that he is using heroin and meth. David knows he can't do anything about it, and Nic is stuck in a position where he has to decide for himself. He starts to not be as stubborn, volunteering to move to L.A. and work. -
Nic Becomes Sober
Nic enters back into the real world. He completes three months at Santa Fe Rehab center, and he meets a girl who is an art student. They live together and Nic gets a job at a cafe. After going through ups and downs by using drugs, Nic finally knows that he needs to become sober. He writes a book and writes many articles; they help him express what he went through and what he's going through.
