Special K: Jess/Nick: 1st person (Julia)

I can't let personal problems interfere with my work life, but it has been bothering me all day. It didn't take long for the nail biting stress and frequent errands around the office to cause me to end up eating the whole box. It wasn't stale yet, reminding me of how soon we had just broken up, but clearly untouched since then.

I had come over, he had called. I left a few things at his place and wanted to pick them up soon. There was no confrontation since he wasn't home. Jess had answered the door in her pajamas still. It was already 7:30 am! When I looked around trying to find the box of my stuff he told me about, Jess had gone back to eating her sugary kids cereal whilst playing the games on the back of the box and, well, that's when I noticed it. Of course I thought it was empty. Why would a full box of cereal be sitting in the trash if it wasn't. But as I inconspicuously bumped into it on the way to the living room, I couldn't help but notice it's weight and lack of movement in the trash. So on my way back to Nick's room, I picked it up and looked inside. It was nearly 3/4 full. 12 ounces of Special K going to waste.

This brings me back to my office where that box now sits empty in the bin beside me as I can't seem to focus on anything of real value. I turn back to the sheet in front of me. Twenty phone numbers belonging to the most annoying, ignorant and appalling human beings that I unfortunately must stay in contact with for my current case.

Dennis Howling: 310-555-2090

Ringing. Ringing. I hang up. Crap! I can't do this. By now I know it's more than him just throwing out my cereal. It should be normal. Guy dates girl that eats a certain food. Guy and girl break up. Guy gets rid of ex-girlfriend's food. But something just isn't sitting well with me. First off, Nick ate the cereal too. Not just when I was there either. Sometimes I'd come back and find it emptier than it was the last time I stayed the night. I know Jess never ate any because she wouldn't touch anything that healthy. Schmidt likes this weird organic crap and Winston just doesn't eat cereal on a regular basis. Thus, concluding my logical analysis that Nick genuinely liked it as well. Which makes me wonder why he'd just go ahead and throw it out. Could it be so personal , so much of a reminder of me that he couldn't bare seeing it in his cupboard?

I call up what's his face again and this time it rings all the way to voice mail. I feel stupid. The next name on my list looks worse than the last so I bury the paper in my desk hoping it won't tempt me any longer. I can't stay focused with this cereal dilemma on my mind.

I pick up the phone again, this time dialing a number from my recent memory and Nick answers immediately.

"Hello?" He says, there are sounds of people talking in the background; loudly. It distracts me, but I choose to ignore it.

"Hey Nick, it's Julia. I-" He interrupts me before I get the chance to talk.

"Did you get your box of stuff? I left it right outside the door to the apartment."

I mentally face palm myself before returning to my original intent of the phone call. "No, but I actually have a question for you."

"He pauses for second as if debating and then responds, "Go ahead..."

"What do you think of when you hear Special K?"

"Uh cereal." He isn't following so I get right to the point. "Does Special K remind you of me?"

He chuckles lightly. "No. Why?"

It's my turn to pause. Do I keep up this conversation or end it with my sanity still intact. "You bought the Special K cereal just for me and I was curious if it reminds you of me." Audios sanity!

He laughs again. I feel like an idiot. "No, Julia. I don't think of you when I hear Special K. Truthfully, it was a minute detail and I know many people that eat it as well. If you ate some of the stuff Schmidt consumes, then I think I'd remember you by that." He is getting a real rouse out of this conversation, so I end it abruptly.

"Well thanks Nick. I will pick up my box tomorrow."

I feel at rest for now, but the moment I head back to Nick's tomorrow, I just know it will be bothering me. Maybe I can ask him in person since I am already in deep with this weird topic.

I go later the next day; late enough that he might be home. Unfortunately it's just Jess and Winston this time, but I figure they are just as good. They know Nick pretty well.

I approach Jess first since she looks the least busy. "Hey Jess, can I ask you something?"

She looks up from her papers she has been grading and gives me those big puppy dog eyes. "Sure," she responds with a weird inflection in her voice.

"Do you know why Nick threw out my Special K cereal? I was just curious."

She looks around for a second and shrugs. "I wasn't aware that he did, but he asked me the other day if I would eat it and I truthfully answered 'no'. Besides that, I don't know how else I can help you." She turns back to the messy, grease stained elementary school work sheets as I head off to visit Winston.

When I peer into his room, he doesn't look as happy to see me as Jess did however. He gives me this weird look with his lips twitching on an angle and I am just about to walk out when he stops me.

"Do you need something Julia?"

He stands up after his inquiry and walks out into the kitchen, just out of ear-shot for Jess. I decide that the Special K topic is pointless now and come up with a random question on the spot as to not look awkward. "So how is Nick doing? I was just swinging by to pick up my stuff."

Winston looks down at my empty hands, but answers none the less. "He's fine." He pauses for a second before conspicuously smiling this evil little grin. "He has actually been seeing someone new. She spends so much time here and absolutely hates Special K." Jess coughs lightly and Winston turns his attention toward her for a second, his smiling growing wider.

Crap, he overheard! I can't believe how messy the situation has gotten, I tell myself. Gulping rather loudly, I nod like a complete moron and turn towards the door. Jess waves good bye and I smile weakly at her affection.

Once outside their apartment, I look down and notice the half full box by the door. Sliding down the wall until my knees are up to my chin, I bury my face in my hands and breathe in and out slowly. Nick has moved on. That is great for him. I want to cry, though I am not entirely sure of why. When I thought he was seeing other people as well as me, it bothered me quite a bit, but more so because I initially lied to him as well. But now that we have broken up- now that I have dumped him- knowing he is dating exclusively again drives me crazy. This prior fact however does not add up in my brain. Is it him dating others or is it him dating a certain someone that is really making me uneasy?

I cope with the news slowly. I gather the facts. Winston looking over at Jess at the mention of seeing someone else. The mystery girl being over here so much must mean she lives here and I could tell, especially when we started going out, that there was something between Nick and her. Did he want our break up to happen. Was he giving me hints with all those voice mails?

There is just too much evidence pointing towards the obvious and I still feel unsteady about my current visit so I stand up and knock again. Jess answers thankfully, but the face she gives me isn't as welcoming. Clearly I have over stayed my visit.

"Do you need something else Julia? Want to ransack my trash again?" There is a tinge of sarcasm laced into her words and those big eyes are heavy on my thoughts.

"I- I just wanted to say good luck to you and Nick and that your relationship runs smoothly."

She stares at me now, totally dumbfounded as if her precious check books with baby farm animals on it has just been thrown under a bus.

"I do too." She says slowly before looking away from the door and mouthing incoherent words in another direction. "I really hope he is just as good in bed the 5th time as he was the fourth."

I nod slowly again, shocked at her sudden change in attitude before she waves good bye a second time and closes the door.

The elevator doors are opening as I hear her voice shouting inaudible words from inside her apartment. Clearly I have missed something, but what else is new?