A quick note: Thank you for reading. The following two chapters are shorter than average, I apologize. The proceeding chapters will be full length.
Chapter 6 - "serious damage"
"Well it SOUNDS like you're insinuating that I'm homeless!"
Shortly following Judy's discovery of Nick's living arrangements a fight ensued...
"That's not what I'm saying Nathan!"
"Then what are you saying!?"
In the heat of an arguement, we rarely take the time to ask why. Why are we really angry? Most of us would be shocked to hear the real reason why we argue so much...
"Well I-... why don't you-..."
Judy is trying to offer Nick a place to stay, but where it is will definately be a problem for him. So she fumbles with her words. Unable to find the best way to explain it.
"So it's your turn to pity me now, is that it!?"
"No Nathan of course not!"
"..."
"I'm just... worried about you."
"..."
"Look just... walk me home?"
Nick wasn't as angry as he was letting on. Truth be told he just wanted to avoid the question, and yelling was the only way he could think of to do it.
Without another word he gathered up her things, and began escorting her home.
As they walked it was silent. Not only was there a fight, but the events preceeding it were just as stressful if not more so.
Their new relationship was not built on a solid foundation. Even despite Nick's lying about who he was, both of them were carying alot of scars from the past.
From a general mistrust of the world, to a permiating fear of weakness they were both untrusting in nature.
Ironically, the thing that threatened their relationship was also the very thing that kept them together... the past.
"Are we near the disabled dorms?"
She asked in earnest, unsure of how they were going to make up. She'd been trying to figure it out the entire trip, but she came up empty.
"We're already there..."
Nick had a feeling she was staying in the disabled dorms. It was partially paid for by the government, and it had services and facilities to help make getting around easier. He was surprised, however, to see that it was a co-ed facility.
"Co-ed huh? Sure you haven't found any guys you like in there?"
She was holding onto his arm, so she had no dificulty landing a solid elbow to the ribs.
"Guh!"
"That's what you get... now can you walk me to the door?"
The anger was retracted from the second half of that statement, as she followed up her assault with a request for a favor.
"You... pain in my ass."
He picked himself up and brushed himself off, and paused to stick his tongue out at her.
"Are you blowing a raspberry at me!?"
"What!? How the hell could possibly know that?"
"I can smell your breath!"
"Fine! Then I can do a real one!"
He took a deep breath and sprayed her with the hardest raspberry he could muster.
She shielded her face and prepared for vengeance, but before she could Nick had skirted around behind her and picked her up.
She thrashed around and eventually landed a kick to his head.
"Alright stop already!"
He wasn't angry, in fact he was enjoying it. They used to rough house alot as kids, and just like then he would never win...
He laughed as she tried to charge him and fell on her face. It was short lived as she kicked him in the shin from were she landed.
"Ow! Damnit!"
He hopped around to the sound of Judy's laughter, and just like that it seemed things were back to normal.
They laughed it off and he helped her up. After a few moments they were at the door, ready to part ways.
"So... are you going to pick me up tomorrow?"
She grinned in his direction.
"So... changed your mind about sticking with me already?"
He only paused to mock her.
"Well, you could always just sleep over... it is co-ed after all."
"God I knew you were a creep!"
He laughed as she tried to launch her third assault on him. This one was unsuccessful.
"You gotta pay to stay here fluff, I'm pretty sure they don't allow overnight visitors."
"Did you just call me "fluff"!?"
"It seemed appropriate."
Her face didn't say angry or offended, it said that she was deep in thought
"...Nick used to call me that."
"If you miss him so much why don't you marry 'im?"
His voice said he was mocking her, but his face told a different story...
Judy couldn't see his face, so she laughed at his joke.
"Well don't tell anybody, but I thought about it."
She giggled at her return fire jab, but Nick wasn't laughing...
"Ok, if I ever introduce you to Nick don't tell him I said that!"
She was still giddy with laughter for the audacity of what she'd just told him.
Nick was emotionally torn. She was talking about him, but she didn't know it was him...
"I mean... he'd have to fight me for you... right?" He laughed nervously.
She scoffed, completely unaware of the look on his face or what was going on in his head.
"Pffff, AS IF! You wish you had a shot with me!"
She was teasing him, assuming they were still making jabs at eachother.
Nick opened his mouth to start another fight, but before he could he felt an unexpected tear roll off his cheek...
It caught him completely off gaurd. Emotionally confused and overwhelmed, he panicked...
"FINE! Screw you then!"
He growled it at her, and without a goodbye he took off at full sprint.
"Aw come back you jerk I was just kidding!"
She was still unaware that he was through with joking. As she heard his steps get farther away her laugh slowly faded.
Judy was well aware that her blindness made it hard for her to keep up with certain situations, but she didn't know that this was one of them, at least not yet.
They had just been laughing and rough housing, so she just assumed it was a mean joke.
"Goodbye jerk!"
She playfully yelled it out into the courtyard, blissfully unaware that she'd just done serious damage to their relationship.
As Nick ran and fought with his emotions, Judy returned to her room and laid down with a smile. Looking forward to all of the laughs she would share with "Nathan" tomorrow...