Alone

Nicky Russo started to hit his clenched fist lightly against the oak door at the front of the Keeler household. Then he stopped, and he took a deep breath. With his fist hanging in the air six inches from the door, Nicky used his other hand to pull out his cell phone. He checked his inbox to see if Payson had returned his text. She hadn't.

He took another deep breath and let his knuckles hit lightly against the wood. For Nicky the wait seemed like an eternity, but it was only about a minute before Mrs. Keeler answered the door. "Nicky," she said kindly. "What are you doing here."

"Hi, Mrs. Keeler," Nicky replied. "I was hoping I could talk to Payson. That is, if she wants to talk to me."

"I'm sure she does Nicky, but the other girls are here, too. I'm sure the two of you will want some privacy, so I'll have her come outside," Mrs. Keeler told him with a wink before she shut the door.

Nicky's heart thudded in his chest as he waited for Payson to come outside. He rehearsed what he was going to say to her in his head. Apologize, beg for forgivness, give her the chocolates. That was the plan atleast, but with Payson, things didn't usually go the way Nicky wanted them to.

After another minute or two, Nicky heard the doorknob start to twist. He took yet another deep breath and put a smile on his face. Then Payson stepped out onto her front porch.

"Payson, I'm so sorry for-" he started.

"Don't, Nicky," Payson interrupted. "You don't have to apologize for liking Kaylie. I can't say I blame you for liking her more than me. She's everything I'm not. Pretty, charming, charasmatic, graceful, the National Champion, a gymnast."

Nicky laughed. He just couldn't help himself. "Kaylie is all those things, Payson. But you're list of great qualities is so much longer." Payson started to speak, but Nicky cut her off. "You're the most beautiful girl I know, you're sweet, caring, smart, hard working, and I don't care if you're not the National Champion or even a gymnast. I just care about you."

"Wow," was all Payson could say.

"I love you, Payson Keeler," Nicky said.

"I love you, too," Payson replied, a little choked up. Nicky slowly stepped closer to her and put one of his hands on the side of her face. Then he reached into the pocket of his hoodie and handed her a box of chocolates.

"Another perk of retirement, you can enjoy Valentine's Day chocolates," Nicky said.

Payson didn't say anything. Her mind momentarily drifted to Ike's rant about Valentine's Day having bad candy. Then she pushed Ike her thoughts and laid her hands on Nicky's chest. "That's true. But the best perk is that I can do this." She stood up on her tiptoes and gently pressed her lips against Nicky's.

Nicky moved his hands to her back, avoiding her bulky brace. Just as they were really starting to get into their kiss, the couple heard knocking on the window beside the porch.

Payson and Nicky pulled apart from each other, blushing furiously. Then they turned and saw Emily, Kaylie, Lauren, Heather, and even Mrs. Keeler all crowded together in the window waving at them. Payson made an irritated face as she waved back.

The four teenagers continued to wave at them while Mrs. Keeler slowly closed the blinds. Then Nicky and Payson were alone. But they were also together. And it felt to both of them that things were exactly how they were supposed to be.

First of all, I want to thank Love's Crash Test Dummy for agreeing to do this contest with me.

Now I want to explain this contest to everyone. Here's the rules:

1) We go through the alphabet writing stories based on a word that begins with each letter.

2) Although we are both doing 'A', we will start alternating each letter when I do 'B'. Then she will do 'C' and so on.

3) We always pick eachother's word. (Except this time. We both picked our own.)

4) All stories have to be 500 words in length.

5) Five day time limit from when the other author posts her story.

6) My stories will always be Payson/Nicky and her's will always be Kaylie/Nicky.

After the contest is over, there will be a poll on both of our profile that ask which story in the contest is your favorite.

PLEASE REVIEW!