Productivity

(4/4)


Stella knew what she had to do, and the guys did as well. The first step was to convince Macy to help Nick break up with Carson. Should be simple enough. Let it slip that Nick couldn't figure out how to break up with his popstar girlfriend, and then the guys would tell Nick he might need to seek out a girls advice. Stella would tell him she didn't have time to help him at the moment, and Nick would have no choice but to go to Macy. This would lead to several conversations about relationships (and possibly a new Jonas song). The second step was to make sure Nick worked up the courage to make a move on Macy. That job belonged to Kevin and Joe.

Hopefully they wouldn't need the third step. But Stella had it prepared just in case.

"Are we ready?" Stella asked Joe and Kevin the next morning as they pulled up outside of their hotel in Chapel Hill.

"As ready as we're going to be," Kevin said with a sigh. They approached the counter where their father Tom was checking them in with Nick and Carson by his side. Carson had invited herself to Chapel Hill, and swore that she had at least two more days before she had to be back in Albuquerque for her concert.

"Remember," Stella whispered to the two eldest Lucas Brothers. "If we do this right Carson will be out and Macy will be in by the end of the week. That's the goal."

"Right," Kevin muttered. "Carson out; Macy in. Got it."

Stella texted Macy to let her know that they had arrived at their hotel. She warned her friend that Carson was with them. Macy's response came quicker than Stella expected.

"Oh joy, why did she come?"

"She's clinging to the wreckage."

"What do you mean?"

"She knows that Nick is about to break up with her and she's freaking out."

"Nick's about to break up with her?"

"Yes, he just doesn't know how he should do it."

"He should just tell her the truth as bluntly as he can. It's the only way she'll take the hint. Trust me, my step sister is exactly like her."

"You should tell him that."

"Can't you tell him for me?"

"I could, but I'm not sure he would listen."

"Why would he listen to me over you?"

"It's just a feeling I have."

"Who are you texting?" Nick asked.

"Macy," Stella told him. "I'm letting her know we're checking in."

"Macy, huh?" Nick asked with a grin. He felt Carson's arm tighten around his and he glanced at her nervously.

"Hey, Nick," Joe said from beside Kevin. "Can we talk to you for a minute?"

"Over there," Kevin added as he pointed to a spot across the room from Carson.

"Yeah," Nick answered a little too quickly as he wriggled out of Carson's grasp and followed his brothers.

"Dude, when are you tossing Carson out on her rear?" Joe asked gruffly.

Kevin rolled his eyes and smacked Joe in the back of the head, "Real sensitive."

"What? Geez, it's not like I'm the sensitive one," He said as he motioned to Nick. "That's his job."

Nick sighed, "I'm trying, but I don't know how to do it. Any advice?"

"From us?" Joe asked with wide eyes. "Are you joking? I've never had a good break up."

"And I can't break up with girls. My voice goes all squeaky and I end up waiting for them to break up with me," Kevin said with a shake of his head. "Ask a girl."

"What?"

"Ask a girl for advice. They probably know how to handle it better than we would," Kevin clarified.

"You think Stella would help?" Nick asked.

"Well, it wouldn't hurt to ask her," Joe said with a shrug.

"Right," Nick said with a nod. "Can you guys distract Carson while I talk to Stella?"

"Definitely not a problem," Joe smirked. "I'll tell her I saw a girl earlier wearing her exact same outfit. That will keep her busy for a while."

The three brothers rejoined the group and Kevin and Joe surrounded Carson. Nick pulled Stella to the side.

"I need help," He said desperately.

"With what?"

"Breaking up with Carson," He told her quickly.

"Oh, I can't help you with that," She said simply.

"What? Why not?" Nick asked in a low whisper.

"Are you kidding? Did you see that jelly stain on Joe's shirt last night? Who knows what he'll do next…I've got to focus on stain guarding your out fits," She said.

He sighed, "Great, I'm screwed."

She shrugged, "Not really. You could always ask Macy to help."

His brow furrowed, "Wouldn't that be awkward? Asking the girl I've been in love with for four years to help me break up with my current girlfriend?"

"No, I think it would be fine."

"Really?" Nick asked in confusion.

"Yeah, and besides if you don't get help from someone you'll be stuck with the pop princess," Stella said as she motioned to Carson who was angrily pacing in front of his brothers.

"Does Macy still have the same number?" He asked urgently.

Stella grinned victoriously, "No, but I've got her new one if you need it."

"Please," He asked with a sigh. Stella quickly gave him Macy's number and walked off to join the guys as they purposefully caused Carson to freak out. Nick quickly dialed her number. It rang a couple of times before she answered.

"Hello?"

"Macy? It's Nick," He said as he let loose a nervous breath.

"Nick? What's up?"

"Are you coming by here at any point today?"

"I was planning on dropping by for lunch. Why?"

"I need your help with something," He told her.

"Does it have anything to do with Ms. Up-and-Coming-Pop-Sensation?"

"How did you know?" He asked.

"Stella," She answered with a giggle. "Break up troubles?"

"Yes," He sighed, "Any ideas?"

"Pull her aside and be completely honest with her, and I mean completely honest. Do not soften anything. You want to be firm in what you say so she doesn't think you'll be getting back together in a couple of days," Macy suggested.

"That's it?"

"It's a lot more complicated than it sounds," Macy told him seriously.

"Have you had to use that strategy before?" He asked curiously.

"Yes, the last boyfriend I had just couldn't let go as a matter of fact he still can't let go," She told him with a sigh of her own. "Not to mention my step-sister is a diva and a half, and so I have to treat her like that."

"Crap, Carson's coming," Nick said urgently as the blonde stalked toward him. "I'll call you later, Mace, thanks for the advice!"

"Good luck, Nick!" Macy managed to say before he hung up.

"Can we go up to our rooms yet?" Carson snapped.

Tom Lucas looked bewildered and bothered by her tone, but didn't say anything about it.

"I just got our keys," The boys' father told her in a disapproving tone.

"Wonderful, I apparently must change my outfit," She pouted.

Nick cleared his throat, "Carson? Can I talk to you for a minute? In private?"

She forced a sweet smile as she turned to him, "Of course, Nicky."

Stella cleared her throat, "You know I think all of us should head on up to our rooms."

"Why?" Joe asked. Stella rolled her eyes and pulled him behind her by the collar.

"Don't ask questions just do it," She said urgently. Mr. Lucas and Kevin quickly followed the two as they headed toward the elevator.

"Is something wrong?" Carson asked with wide eyes.

He gulped. Macy was right. This was more complicated than it sounded.


Macy hummed a cheery tune to herself as she entered the hotel lobby, but the happy melody froze in her throat when she saw an angry Carson stomping toward her.

"This is all your fault," The diva sneered to her. Macy's eyes widened as Carson stopped in front of her.

"I'm sorry?" Macy said in confusion.

"This break up…all your fault. We were fine until you waltzed into the venue last night," Carson said with a glare. "I cannot believe he is dumping me for some nobody. He'll be crawling back to me in a matter of days, you'll see."

"Yeah, you're delusional," Macy told her with a shake of her head. "So you lost yourself a rockstar, big deal. Go find another meal ticket. Preferably one that I'm NOT friends with."

"You're nothing special, you know. You're just like all of their other fan girls. A face in the crowd…nothing more," Carson said angrily.

"Carson!" Nick snapped from behind them. "That's enough!"

She turned and glared at him, "Jerk. I won't make it easy for you to come back to me."

Carson pushed passed Macy and shoved the door open violently. Nick and Macy watched her stalk down the street. After a moment of silence Macy spoke up curiously.

"She does realize that this isn't New York and she can't just wave her hand and find a cab, right?" Macy asked.

"Probably not," Nick smirked.

"So, the break up didn't go so well I see?" Macy asked with a knowing smirk.

"I don't think it ever had a chance of going well. Carson's not exactly an easy going person," Nick said with a sigh.

"Why did you date her again?" Macy asked teasingly.

He sighed, "It seemed like the thing to do at the time."

Macy laughed lightly, "I'm sorry, but you do realize how ridiculous that sounds, right?"

He chuckled, "I do now."

"You need to find a nice normal girl. These high strung, crazy charismatic girls just do nothing for you," She said with a smile.

"I'm trying," He told her with a meaningful glance. Macy blushed and looked away from him although she wasn't quite sure why. It's not like he was talking about her.

"Where's everyone else?" She asked.

"They retreated to their rooms when I pulled Carson to the side," Nick told her.

"Sad, they missed the show," Macy said with a small smile.

Nick felt like they should talk about some of the things Carson had said. Macy didn't seem bothered by it, but he had learned early on that with Macy Misa appearances could be deceiving.

"Macy, about what Carson said-"

"Don't worry about, Nick. It's not like I actually believe any of it," She said softly as she studied her shoes. He gave her a stern glance.

"Whether you believe it or not I know that it got to you. If it didn't you'd be able to look at me right now," Nick said as he took a step closer. Macy's breath caught in her throat as Nick took yet another step closer. There was only an inch of space in between them. Macy swallowed thickly.

"Really, I'm fine. Don't worry about it," She mumbled.

"You're not just a face in the crowd, Mace. You never have been," He told her honestly. "You've always been so much more than that."

She breathed deeply and looked up at him. She couldn't help but think that he looked absolutely gorgeous. Not that he hadn't always been gorgeous, but right now…the way he was looking at her made him breathtaking. He meant it. She had no doubt about that. She couldn't remember anyone looking at her the way that he was looking at her right now. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tight.

"Thank you," She whispered.

"For what?" He asked.

"For knowing what I needed to hear," She said softly as she continued to hug him with a smile.

He breathed in the smell of her hair and smiled softly. She began to pull away and he fought the urge to pull her back and never let go.

"I really should have stayed in touch with you guys," Macy said with a guilty expression.

"Yeah, you really should have," Nick said with a small playful glare. "But don't worry because I'll never let that happen again."

She chuckled, "Good. Should I make sure that you never date another Carson again?"

Nick smirked. He had a few ideas about how she could do that. He wondered if it was too soon to ask her out. He did just break up with Carson, but…hadn't he waited long enough to make a move on Macy? Would she think he was trying to use her as a rebound if he did make a move?

"Nick?"

"Hmm?" He asked as he shook himself out of his thoughts.

"Everything okay?" She asked.

"Yeah, I was just thinking about something," He told her ambiguously.

"Anything you feel like sharing?" She asked.

For a split second he thought about cowering and making up some irrelevant thought, but he ultimately decided that it was now or never.

"Yes, actually," He told her. He took a deep breath, "I've had a crush on you since about halfway through our senior year of high school."

Macy's eyes widened, "You…what? Me? Since when?"

He fought back a chuckle, "I just told you. Since halfway through-"

She smiled a little as she interrupted him, "No, I got that part…I just…really? Me?"

"Why is that so hard to believe? You told me I needed a nice normal girl," He smirked. "Last I checked you are nice and normal."

She gave him a shy smile, "Normal? Hitting rockstars with sporting equipment is normal?"

He laughed, "Okay, maybe that's not so normal, but I wouldn't want anyone too normal, would I?"

"True, and I haven't hit anyone with athletic equipment in years," She pointed out positively.

"Good to know," he grinned.

Macy took in a nervous breath, "So, what do we do now?"

"Well, I think this is the part where I ask how you feel about me," Nick told her thoughtfully.

"Oh, well, if I told you it killed me to listen to you complain about all those girlfriends of yours in high school would that answer your question?" She answered playfully.

He nodded with a smirk, "I think so."

"Well, then it killed me to listen to you complain about all those girlfriends of yours in high school," She repeated.

He reached out to take her hand, "Would it be too weird if I asked you out right now?"

"You mean right after breaking up with your girlfriend?" She asked as she laced her fingers with his. "I don't know."

"Just so you know you don't have to worry about being a rebound. If anything she was the rebound. If you can have a rebound for a crush, that is," He told her as they began to walk toward the hotel elevators hand in hand.

"Oh you can definitely have a rebound for a crush. Trust me," She answered with certainty.

"The ex-boyfriend that doesn't understand it's over was your rebound, wasn't he?" He asked knowingly.

She nodded, "And that ended about as well as you and Carson."

"Is there a point to me waiting to ask you out? I seriously doubt my feelings are going to change at this point," he said with a small insecure smile.

"It would be a waste of time to just sit around and wait because you broke up with someone you didn't really care about to begin with, wouldn't it?" Macy asked as Nick pressed the 'up' button on the elevator.

"And wasting time is highly counterproductive, don't you think?" He asked playfully.

"Oh, totally counterproductive," Macy nodded.

"So we're agreed? I should just ask you out now?" He asked.

"Ask away, Nicholas," She told him brightly.

"Macy," He said with that bright smile that left her weak. "Would you like to have dinner with me sometime?"

She let go of his hand for a moment to hug him and place a lingering kiss on his cheek, "I would love to."


And that's the end...I hope you guys liked it. I'm thinking about writing a Joe/Stella companion for this...maybe. You guys tell me what you think...should I? Once again I want to thank faerietaleredux for her amazing reviews! Enjoy!

angellwings