Spring brought unexpected changes in McKinley High. It seemed like Ken, sarcastic and grumpy Ken Miller, fell in love. His chosen one was Amy, a girl from school orchestra, whose witty comments caused that reaction. Ken's friends were surprised and even more when they discovered what Amy didn't mind about going out with him. They quickly found an occasion to bring them together - Pink Floyd Lazer Show. And Nick thought it would be a proper opportunity to him as well.

"Hey, Daniel, I need your advice," muttered Nick as they came to Lazer Dome and were waiting for girls. "I just… I can't help, man, I'm so in love with her."

Ken said nothing but kept his ears open. Daniel gave them a sly smile.

"Relax, guys. Three simple rules. Don't talk to them first. Don't pay attention to them."

"Um, I don't know, man. I can't…" hesitated Nick.

"And third. When tension becomes unbearable, look at your girl. Stare at her. A few minutes and you found her tongue in your mouth."

"Are you sure it works?" asked Ken surprisingly nervously. He saw Amy, Lindsay, and Kim, walking to them.

"Of course," Daniel smirked. "Just don't mess up."

It looked like a strange triple date. Two of them barely knew each other, two more broke up and back together like every week, and the last two pretended to be just good friends. They took their seats, and Daniel turned to Nick as if to say "Follow the plan." Nick nodded, took a deep breath and squinted to Lindsay. She looked at him and asked, "Hey, what time does it start?"

He just shrugged and gave no answer. Lindsay repeated her ask some girl sitting near. After that, she started watching stars on the dome. Sometimes, the girl looked at Nick encouraging him to talk, but he pretended not to notice it.

"Oh my God," whispered Lindsay and giggled. In several rows from them, Ken and Amy were kissing and paid no attention to anybody. Nick blushed a little. Now even Ken had a girlfriend.

The light turned off, and laser figures appeared at the top. But it was far from Pink Floyd.

"What is that?" exclaimed Nick. "Where is Floyd?"

"It'll be next week, man," said some guy in a Stetson. "Now here is southern rock. Yee Haw!"

"Oh," sighed Nick. He and Lindsay exchanged glances and laughed awkwardly. Lindsay returned to watching the show, and Nick felt he must do something. Maybe, hugged Lindsay or said some nice or funny thing. It got worse when Kim and Daniel started to make out right in front of them. Nick chuckled nervously. Lindsay leaned to him and whispered, "I didn't know that together with tickets we bought the obligation to smooch."

"What? Ha, that's funny," laughed Nick, but his heart bled. He thought he had gained enough pieces of evidence that Lindsay didn't feel the same. How stupid was to count mutuality. Nick sat in the dark near the girl he loved without a chance to be with her, listened to music he didn't like, and his fingers scratched with the desire to roll a spliff. Lindsay's hand found Nick's palm and squeezed it. Nick was amazed by this sudden gesture, but it lasted only a few seconds. After that, his desire to smoke became stronger.

Lindsay sighed quietly. Before they came to the show, Kim had told her Nick kinda liked her, and Lindsay was curious was it untrue or not. And the lazer show with its loud music and turned off lights seemed to be a perfect place for such confessions. But now Lindsay surprised by how uncomfortable felt Nick near her, freezing every time she touched him accidentally or spoke to him. "Perhaps, Kim exaggerated his real intentions," she thought with a chagrin. This incomprehensible tension between them made her feel awkward, and a little bit hurt. And Lynard Skynyrd's 'Free Bird,' playing around, didn't help her to feel better.

It took time for Lindsay to realize something wrong was happening with Nick. She knew he and others smoked pot sometimes and she almost persuaded herself that it was entirely normal. But now Lindsay thought Nick had started to smoke too much. Every day he was more or less stoned, and regular communication with him became practically impossible. Moreover, his school performance deteriorated significantly. Lindsay tried to help him to catch up with the school program, but it didn't work. Once Nick came high to their study, and spent all that time giggling, mumbling some nonsense and asking for brownies. And next time he just forgot about their meeting. One part of Lindsay was ready to give up, but another prepared to fight for Nick, even if it meant to compete against him.

"Why are you doing this? You're an amazing guy when you're not stoned?" she asked softly. Nick invited her to smoke his new weed together, and Lindsay decided it was an excellent chance to speak with him seriously. But instead, Nick started to yell at her. Lindsay was listening to his blames with burning ears. All her doubts and fears came true, she was nothing to him but just a goody girl, who pretended to be cool and wanted to freak out her parents. She really couldn't relax and have fun at all, without her constant hesitations. Kim told her that so many times that Lindsay got used to it, but Nick's truthful words caused more hurt she had expected. Lindsay found a small bag of weed which Nick threw to her. Well, she tried it once more. Maybe, this experience could help her to figure out why her friend was doing that.

Nick's irritation quickly passed after Lindsay had left. He ate a big pack of chips and relaxed on the couch. His mind was wandering from one to another and Nick totally forgot about all the things he had said to Lindsay. Only one slightly disturbing feeling stood like he had done something awry. "Man, I'll deal with it later," he thought lazily and fell asleep.

Next day he was looking for Lindsay, but couldn't find her. Only at the end of the classes, he saw her going to the school bus. Nick ran to her.

"Hey, Linds, what's up?" he said smiling.

Lindsay looked at him as she saw him for the first time. After a while, she said quietly "I tried it, your stuff."

Only after that Nick noticed how wan she was.

"Oh, really? Um, how… how do you like it?" he asked her curiously.

"How do I like it?" she whispered amazedly. "It was horrible, Nick. I was scared, I was paranoid, and I could control neither my thoughts nor my body. If Millie wasn't with me, I didn't know what I might do or what might happen to me."

Lindsay was silent a little. And Nick didn't know how to react. Even when he had started to use it, he had never felt such a weird side effect.

"You know, you were right," continued she, "I'm exactly as my father. I can't just enjoy anything and perhaps never can do it. And it hinders me to understand, truly understand you and others. Look, Nick… maybe it would be better if I take some time to think out that situation. Alone."

Her voice was sad. Lindsay turned and went away without looking at Nick. She didn't see the pain on his face, and he couldn't notice how hard it was to her said all these things. The bus drove on, leaving the tall boy near the school.

Lindsay was deep in her thoughts. All her life turned out to be too strange and too complicated. At the beginning of the school year, she had just wanted to change the routine of her life and have a little bit more fun and freedom. But instead, she gained more problems in school, troubles with parents and constant doubts about her new and old friends. And about Nick.

He was apparently more than just a friend for her, but thinking about him was far from usual sweet dreams what people in love usually imagined. Lindsay felt constant concern, anxiety, and fear for him. Even Kim, who had become her close friend didn't cause such a strong disquiet. And the worst was the fact that she could do almost nothing.

Or she could? Well, perhaps, there was no reason Nick should pay to her words more attention than to Daniel's or Ken's (since they had known Nick much longer than she). But Lindsay couldn't just watch as the guy she… she cared about (even in her thought she avoided using such a powerful word as 'love'), was becoming addicted and ruining his chance for the better life. A little dubiety arose in her mind "Why should I waste my time and nerves on someone who doesn't want to change anything in his life?" But she quickly went away this thought. A true friend would never leave another in need.