Chapter 4: A Best Friend and A Brother

A/N: And I was like… "OMG!" After reading only one review but it cheered me to continue. Here it is!

Since that day, Jerome and Nina spend time together; like walking in school, doing chores, assignments, watching horror movies, star gazing, food fight, whatever sweet friends do. Jerome had forgotten about his parents and Nina forgot about Fabian. They were happy at all, when Jerome and Alfie were on a prank, Nina was also on their side. But nothing changed; they were still friends, Fabian was still annoyed by Joy, and Joy has something, something that is life-death taking. What would that be?

Wednesday morning, Jerome and Nina were on kitchen duties that time, Fabian entered the dining room and sat on his seat, but the two didn't notice him. They were writing on a sticky pad for a little fun, telling their thoughts and reminisce there their moments together. Fabian was looking at them, his thoughts and conscience attacked him and insulted him, "Now you feel guilty for letting her let go of you. Now, you regret everything, you deserve this, Fabian. It is because of your being a total pushover."

And Thursday came; everyone was ready for their music performance in the theater room (this wasn't yet the real music performance, just a practice). Jerome was looking for Nina, Amber was in trouble for her dress, Patricia was alone, Mara and Mick were practicing and Joy and Fabian were in a little argument,

"What do you mean you don't want to play? We rehearsed this a million times," Joy was worried, "I don't want to have a low grade on this."

Fabian just left her with an eye roll and whispered, "I don't want to do this."

And the teacher started, he walked on the stage and call on for, "Clarke and Martin will be the first one to perform."

"What? We are?" Nina's first expression, she thought it was voluntary but it's not. "It's okay, come on." Clarke held her hand and pulled her to the stage with his guitar.

Fabian was hiding behind the door while Joy was looking for him. Everyone was blushing on what they saw; Jerome and Nina, Nina and Jerome. It's just something new, new pair they see, or rather new couple.

Jerome started to play the guitar and Nina began to sing, "If you ever find yourself stuck in the middle of the sea, I'll sail the world to find you."

"Oh, her voice makes me fall in love with her!" Amber was amazed while the others were shocked and just roll their eyes.

And Jerome sang his part, "If you ever find yourself lost in the dark and you can't see, I'll be the light to guide you."

"Oh, his voice is even lovelier!" Amber Millington, *face-palm*

Fabian watched them in jealous, until finally Joy found him, "Fabian! We're next!"

Fabian had no choice; he also didn't want to have a blank grade either, so he agreed.

"You can count on me 'cause I can count on you."

The song ended followed by applauses, Joy was pulling Fabian on the stage while the Jerina left them peacefully.

Fabian was kinda nervous as he played the guitar, after seconds Joy began. He wasn't feeling comfortable since the morning came, even in his room and with his room mate, in the hallway with some of Nina's friends. He felt stupid that time and he had planned something.

Jerome and Nina were smiling, so as Alfie and Amber beside them, they weren't actually watching at them but the two A's were complimenting the Jerina, "Nina, you have a beautiful voice, and so as you, Jerome, plus, you can play guitar!"

"Sshh! You're interrupting them!" Nina tried to stop her. "My point exactly," Amber just rolled her eyes and focused on the stage again.

Fabian then looked annoyed, by the looks of the audience, by Jerome and Nina. He just stopped, stood up and walked out, "Hey, Fabian!" Joy called, some were surprised and some were laughing.

"I heard Joy dumped Fabian lately in school, in front of many students. That's kind of embarrassing right?" Amber Millington, the forecaster, said sitting on Nina's bed. Patricia, Alfie and Jerome were on the floor while Nina was on her study table's chair.

"Really? That's ouchie," Patricia answered.

"Well, he deserved it." Jerome answered and Nina smirked.

"I guess so," She said, but still felt sad for him because of embarrassment.

"And Joy is starting to talk to me again, I mean yeah, she always do, I just ignore her, but now, she greets me and I greet her." Patricia added.

"I think Sibuna is back." Amber murmured. "SIBUNA IS BACK!" She squealed and they all laughed at her as she exited the room.

She ran downstairs towards to Fabian and Mick's room. She knocked and saw Fabian on his bed and Mick wasn't there (might be having a date with Mara in the laundry room).

"Fabian?"

"Yes, Ambs?"

She entered and closed the door, "So, how's with you and Joy?"

"Well, I know everyone knew that we broke up lately…it's just…I'm an idiot."

"Very." Amber whispered, "And now, what's your plan?"

Fabian stood up and walked towards Amber to whisper something, "Can you keep a secret?"

"Sure," the blonde answered. "And will you help with that?" Fabian added. "Sure."

Amber walked upstairs, she first looked inside Joy's room to check on for her, she was asleep already, and then she headed to their room.

"Where have you been? You missed Alfie's joke," Patricia started. "And it's about you," Jerome added as he grinned and followed by a hard laugh.

"Whatever, dress thief. Nina! Come with me." Nina was on where-are-we-going face, but she just followed her.

They walked towards the attic door, as if they were going on a mystery again and will start on the very top of the house.

"Give me your hair pin," Amber ordered and Nina followed. She opened it and said, "After you." Amber's smile was frightening, and Nina was a little scared of her, wondering what happened to the real Amber.

When Nina entered the door, Amber immediately closed the door and Nina freaked out,

"Amber!" she shouted and made a hollow sound with her hands.

"Don't make noise or Victor will caught you there. Someone was waiting for you upstairs, go find him." Amber walked back to her room while Nina went upstairs.

Amber entered the room all smiley while the others were surprised of her,

"What happened to you?" Patricia spoke up,

"I became a fairy godmother!" Amber answered squealing and blushing as she held her cheeks with her palm.

"Just now?" Alfie added,

"Yes! Just now! I feel like I'm in a fairytale; helping the princess with her prince, helping the prince get back to her princess—"

"Wait," Jerome interrupted, "Are you talking about Fabian and Nina?"

Amber widened her eyes of shock, "Oh…a little." She grinned.

"WHAT?!" Everyone's chorus and stood up.

"Amber, can't you realize what Fabian did her?! After the Joy thing?" Patricia was disappointed.

"Come on, guys. Let's give them a chance, and for one good thing; Joy broke up, so Fabian is free to go back to Nina."

"Wait a minute, they become boyfriend-girlfriend?" Alfie asked,

"Maybe they're not because…maybe Joy invented it." Patricia suggested.

The three were arguing and Jerome went silent. He sat back down while the others looked at him,

"Oh, someone was jealous here," Millington said in an irritating and annoying voice.

Jerome looked at them, not feeling guilty, "what?"

"Oh nothing Jerome, just be happy with them, okay?"

Jerome just rolled his eyes and left the room. After closing the door, he tried to sneak in the attic to disturb the two lovebirds inside. It was locked but then thought of an idea; he opened one of the doors near the attic and slammed it in order to wake up Victor. He ran to Victor's office and greeted him, "Hi, Victor, I was awakened by the attic door and I guess someone barged in there."

"Hmm…" Victor took his keys to check for it and Jerome ran as fast as he could to go downstairs while giggling, "I hope he'll interrupt them."

Jerome entered the room sighing and panting; he immediately jumped on to his bed and tried to sleep peacefully. Alfredo then entered the room and saw him, "Hey, Jerome, what did you do to him?"

"To whom?"

"To Victor, why was he going to check for the attic?"

"You didn't hear that, did you?" He faced Alfredo as he sat up.

"Hear what?" He raised his brow in confusion.

"That the attic door slammed."

"What?"

"You didn't notice that, didn't you? I heard it right after I left the room." Jerome smirked as he lied back down.

Patricia and Amber sneaked out the room, hiding behind the door, "Why is Victor here? And heading to the attic?"

"We should stop him!" The girls went out to Victor and stopped him, "Victor, wait!"

Victor looked at them, "What?"

"…why are you going to the attic, is it…dangerous? Or…I mean…it's dark already, you might slip onto the stairs." Amber grinned and Victor shrugged.

"Victor!" Patricia tried, Victor looked back again to them, "I…"

Nina walked upstairs scared and nervous, she opened the door, took 4 steps and then her sight became black. She held its hand and removed it away as she looked back, "Fabian! You scared the hell out of me!"

"Surprise!" A grinning Fabian said as Nina smiled, "what's all this?"

There was a blanket on the floor and cupcakes and milk on a basket. He held her hand and led her to sit down. Nina was pleased then, "what's this for?"

"You know what it means, you're smart, and I know what I did was wrong, I'm sorry."

Nina frowned, "well, you are forgiven then."

Fabian smiled and started to eat the cupcakes, so as Nina, "is this a date or something?"

"Does it make you reminisce all our dates?" Fabian smirked and she laughed.

"Come on, tell me. What are you planning?"

Fabian knelt down, "can we start over?"

Nina was silent.

Then they heard a door slam and freaked out, so they fixed everything and tried to find a place to hide. Yeah! The place where Sarah's portrait is. Fabian took boxes and put it inside the divided room. They built it up as a cover, and they hid behind it.

"It really makes me reminisce all our dates." Nina smiled, so as Fabian.

"So, what's your answer?"

"Does this means yes?" Nina just...*eww* kissed Fabian on the lips, just like fireworks in China.

After that 'eww' thing, Nina had decided to go down. Luckily, she had her phone on her pocket and decided to call on Amber to check the door, "Amber, what's the news?"

Amber answered sighing and panting, as if a dog was following her and ran a marathon, why so tired? "Oh, Nina, Victor almost checked in the attic. Thank you for Patricia's lies."

"That's great. So, can we go out now?"

"We're back together!" Fabian added and Amber was pleased.

"Okay." And she hung up.

The two love birds quietly walked downstairs and Amber opened it slowly, she was glad and smiling, until they all fell asleep and dawn came.

Nina was dreaming again; her hands were cold and her legs were not okay. She was sitting on a bus stop shed and the night was very cold. The rain poured down, the winds were getting colder, her lips were blue and there she fainted. After a relief, she felt her body was bouncing, she tried to open her eyes and she saw a road coming closer to her. Beside her sight, there was a blonde hair feeling her cheeks, her hands were wrapped around a neck, and her legs were held by someone. "What happened?" She murmured. "We're almost there, princess beauty. Just hang on." A British accent voice answered as she closed her eyes again and fell asleep.

I remember when I asked her a help and she immediately agreed. She fell asleep on the table and I don't want to disturb her so I carried her and transferred her to her bed. The mornings I walked with her to school, the times we were doing kitchen chores, the night we fell asleep in the attic, the dawn I held her hand and we almost kissed, the sticky pad memories where we wrote our feelings and thoughts. She just became my best friend, and I didn't feel replacing Fabian. Everyone knows I hate words, I do a lot of actions and never admit liking or hating things. I always questioned myself, "How will I ask her?" But now, that might not happen anymore, Fabian is back again. I'll just start my distance now and maybe…not talk to her that much now.

Jerome closed the notebook after writing, who could have thought that he also writes in diaries? He hid it under his bed mattress and peacefully fell asleep.

The next morning was absolutely a great day for Fabina, plus Amber, but the breakfast was silent and no one's joking.

"No joking episodes? Or pranks?" Patricia said, and made her reminisce 10 months ago, when she poured water on Amber and everyone's quiet.

Jerome and Alfie looked disappointed as to the news, Mara and Mick broke up last night, while Fabian and Nina were back together and Amber was the fairy godmother.

"Hmm…" Patricia hummed. Jerome finished his food and immediately left them and Alfie followed him. Nina was worried.

In class, Jerome was still quiet and not listening to the teacher. Nina was so worried, so she took some sticky pad and wrote something and when the bell rang, she stood up and posted it on his book.

By after class, Fabian and Nina were absolutely together, of course, being sweet couple-ish again, Jerome and Joy weren't pleased. Joy has to do something again. She approached Jerome in the laundry room and talked to him calmly and in a little whisper,

"Jerome."

"What?"

"We should team now, Fabina is back again!"

"Well, if you think I'm with you, well I'm not."

"Come on, the way you look at them is the same as Nina looked at us weeks before."

Jerome went silent for a while. Everyone knows how Jerome has his vengeance and he's cruel and really bad, just like the past year. He talked with his thoughts and agreed with her joining in her plan.

"Okay, what's your plan?"

Joy smirked and Jerome was then with her plan.

Supper was quiet again. Trudy was worried and she respectfully questioned them as she poured their glass with a juice, "Is everything okay, kids? You seemed so quiet this past days."

"Ask Patrick and SpongeBob." Patricia answered as she finished her juice and Trudy refill it again. But the two were just still mouth stitched. Alfie knew Jerome's thoughts, and he only knows that Jerome has a diary. As Jerome writes everything on his diary, he also discusses it to him. Alfie was sad for him, for Jerome never had a successful relationship. But who said that his relationship with Nina was ruined? No one did, but he did. He let his feelings overcome him, he didn't even think about the reality of Nina was happy from the fantasy of two of them only. Jerome was just hit so hard, maybe for weeks he'll get used to, he just got used of being with Nina all the time, of course, his life goes on and he has to adjust with her. Maybe I could wait, he thought sometimes, but of course there's always the against-side of his mind which says, how long? Forever? He just ignored it and faced the reality for now.

After eating, Nina secretly approached Jerome, taking the chance while Fabian was doing his chores, "What's wrong, Jerome?"

He was stopped and answered after seconds, "Well, nothing's wrong, Nina." He said with a tone of 'there's something' which Nina already knew.

"Come on, we've been best friends, we tell secrets and problems."

"Well, I've just told you, nothing's wrong."

Nina frowned, "come on, tell me, please?" She held his right arm and he already predicted that. Jerome just sighed and left her. There Fabian to the rescue but too late, "what's wrong?" she looked at the leaving Jerome and so as Fabian.

Later that night, Nina was lying down on her bed and Amber noticed her, "Aren't you happy that you and Fabian were back?" Of course Nina was, she still loves him.

"Well," Nina sat up and faced her, "I am, but it's just…Jerome."

"What's with him?" Amber walked into her bed and sat down.

"He's acting weird since Fabian and I were back again." They both frowned, Amber sighed and answered again with a great advice,

"Well, maybe he's just jealous or something. But, he's your best friend, and best friend relationship can last much longer than boyfriend/girlfriend relationship."

"Yeah, you're genius."

"I know, I'm not just gorgeous."

Nina just rolled her eyes and left the room pleased with her. She heard again Patricia and Joy arguing,

"Patricia, if I could just tell you, I would. But I need Fabian with me."

"What do you mean?"

Nina was shocked, "No, nothing. If I have time, I'll discuss it to you and promise me you will not tell anyone especially Nina."

She continued walking and went downstairs with an eyebrow arched, she noticed that someone was in the kitchen, it was Alfie and Jerome having a little conversation, so she sat down on the stairs and listened carefully.

"I'm just an idiot. After all this time, I was with her while Joy and Fabian were being a couple, I feel she just used me."

"You're wrong dude, you approached her."

"Well, maybe."

"You're her best friend, you should not feel that way."

"I don't know, but I'm still on Joy's plan."

Nina was again surprised on everything she knew, "Plan?" she whispered and listened again.

"Oh, no dude. I thought you promised to yourself that you'll make her happy? In whatever her decision will be?"

"But I also promised that I will not let Fabian hurt her again!" 50% yelling, "I'm going to bed now." Jerome has left the room as Nina quietly walked in the kitchen and saw Alfie on the counter.

"Hey Neens." He grinned, and Nina smiled. She grabbed a glass and poured it with water.

"What's up with him?" She questioned and Alfie was pleased with her question.

He sighed and, "He's not happy with you and Fabian."

"Why not?" She said after swallowing.

"I don't know, your best friend is kind of jealous."

Nina just shrugged and finished her water, "Amber was waiting for you upstairs."

Alfie ran upstairs excitedly and Nina followed.

"Yes, Amber?!"

Alfie entered the room gladly but then he's just looking at sleeping Amber, Nina entered the room, slammed the door and cornered Alfredo with questions,

"What's Joy's plan?" Almost yelling, she held his shirt strongly and cornered him on the door.

"I—"

"Tell me!" Alfie was scared now, for the first time.

"I don't know, he just said that that plan was to keep away from you. End of story." He was shaking and already surrendering, Nina wasn't pleased yet, but she loosed her grip and let him leave. Good thing Amber wasn't awake, if she is she won't let Nina do that.

The night was long again, and Nina was having again her predictable dream, she was sweating and her face was so scared and nervous. She shouted out loud that the other room could hear it. She found herself crying and Amber ran into her, so as Patricia, who had ran with only one slipper. Nina was facing her palm and crying sadly, it would be a nightmare rather.

"What was it, Nina, why are you crying?" Patricia said as she continued sobbing. Nina didn't talk. Amber was right beside her, sitting, rubbing her back. Patricia ran downstairs to get some water as Amber continued comforting her. Amber checked the time and it showed 1:03 am. Patricia came back with a glass of water and a small pitcher for refilling if ever. After minutes of relieving, Nina was okay then, she drank a lot of water and she almost finished the whole pitcher.

"So, what was it?" Amber started, trying to talk carefully, "I heard you screaming 'No!' and 'Jerome'?" Nina was sobbing and shaking. She wasn't still able to talk. Patricia just shrugged and entered with information, "I saw Jerome outside your room," Nina looked at her, "and I think he heard you. I wondered what he was doing out there."

"Sleepwalking?" Amber suggested, "Sleepwalking? And going outside Nina's room?" Patricia question Amber, with a voice of 'youre-no-using-your-mind-again'

"We never know! I'm just suggesting."

Nina then talked after drinking water, her voice was hoarse and just loud enough, "Is he still outside?" Patricia shook her head with 'No' and Nina frowned.

"So, can you tell us about your dream?"

A/N: Okay, a little cliffy. And for the sticky notes, it is based on a true story, my guy bestfriend and I write on notepad (but on my phone) So, I was inspired to add it here too.

bs13: I really appreciate your review! Thank you for reading! I hope you'll like this another update.

For guests/non-member: Thank you too!