Sorry for the delay, but this is one loooooong chapter. So, it's more like
getting two or three chapters at once.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chapter Eight
(A week later.)
Rory stood outside the door to Room 224, fidgeting nervously. She took a deep breath in and lightly knocked on the hard wood in front of her. She heard Nick's voice shout at her from the other side.
"It's unlocked! Come in!"
Rory opened the door and gave Nick a strange look. "It's unlocked? Come in? What if I was some sort of lunatic?"
Nick looked up from the sketchpad in front of him and with both eyebrows raised. "Rory... You ARE a lunatic."
Rory walked in and sat on the edge of Jason's bed. "Exactly my point. I could have been wielding an axe, planning your grisly murder, leaving your cold dead body here for Jason to find when he gets out of class."
"No way. That's far too teen campus slasher movie for you. If you wanted to kill me, you'd do it much more creatively than that."
"Ahhhh. You know me so well." Rory tried to steal a glance at what he was sketching but couldn't really see it from where she was sitting. She grinned and asked him a question in a child-like voice. "Soooo... whatcha drawing, Nicky?"
"Mimi and Jason. I got the pictures from Halloween back, and I wanted to do a pencil sketch of the devil and the angel together."
"Oooooh... Can I see?"
Nick nodded and carefully passed his sketchbook over to her. Rory sighed softly in amazement. He had perfectly captured them with just paper and a pencil. Nick handed her the picture he was using as the basis, but Rory immediately thought his drawing was even better than the picture. He drew perfectly the love that shone brightly in their eyes, something that a camera couldn't even capture.
Rory looked up at him and smiled. "Nick... You are so talented. This is just amazing. They look so..."
"In love?"
"Yeah, exactly."
Nick took the sketchpad from her and laid it on his desk. He frowned sadly and looked Rory in the eyes. "Pretty pathetic, isn't it?"
Rory nodded in agreement. "If you're referring to Mimi and Jason, I would have to agree. And, that's why I'm here actually."
"Ohhhh, so this isn't just a happy social call."
"Not exactly... I came to you because I know that you see what I see. And, I know you want to do something about it too."
Nick sighed softy and nodded. "You're right, I know they want to be together, and you know it. But, what can we possibly do? *They* are the ones that are screwing everything up for themselves."
Rory raised an eyebrow thoughtfully. "How good are you at chemistry?"
"What? Why?"
"Truth serum... It's the only way."
Nick laughed and threw a wadded up ball of paper at her, smacking her in the shoulder. "Okay, besides concocting a truth serum -- what can we do?"
Rory shrugged in confusion. "I don't know... I've been through every bad sitcom cliche that I can think of and I don't think any of them are a good idea."
"Sitcom cliche? As in... locking them in a room together where they are forced to give in to their passion?
"Oh yeah, that's right at the top of the list. Then there's the "set up one of them on a date to make the other one jealous" ploy. If we did that we'd just piss them both off, not to mention the poor pawn who we'd be fixing one of them up with."
Nick nodded in agreement. "This is definitely not a time to play games. We just have to get them to admit their feelings. If not to each other, at least to one of us."
Rory bit her lower lip thoughtfully. "But, I've tried. I've been hounding her for a while now, and she still won't admit it, not to me. Even though it's obvious they should be together."
"You know... I thought I almost had her at the Halloween party. While you and Jase were dancing and we were taking a break... She almost wanted to say it, but she..."
"Stuttered like a flippin' idiot?"
"Exactly."
"Yeah, I know. It's good that Mimi didn't go into theatre. She's a terrible actress."
Nick ran a hand through his wavy brown hair in frustration. "And Jason... He thinks he's so suave and brilliant at hiding his emotions. And, most of the time he is. But... really. It's pretty obvious to me how he feels about Mimi. Why can't she see it?"
Rory threw herself backwards, laying flat on her back on the bed. "Because even a person who has perfect 20/20 vision sometimes can't see what's right in front of their face."
"And which one of your books did you read that in?"
Rory rolled on to her side and propped herself up on one elbow. "No book. It came straight from my head."
"Well, you're right. By fate, or chance, or coincidence -- we have somehow ended up with the two blindest roommates in the entire state of Illinois."
"Okay... here's the deal. I don't think locking them in a room together would do anything. Not like in a TV show. But, what if... You talk to Mimi. Today when they get back from their Psych class. Confront her and do not back down until she spills her guts. Don't even let her out of your sight until she admits that she wants to be with Jason. Take the whole weekend if you have to. Annoy her to death. And, I will do the same for Jason."
Nick raised his eyebrows doubtfully. "And you think *that* will work? Why me?"
Rory nodded enthusiastically. "Mimi needs a sensitive person to listen to her, to give her advice, to help her along. And, I think you're really a much better person for that than me. I mean, I try, and I do okay sometimes..."
"Are you saying you're NOT sensitive?"
"Well... I can be. But, you're much better at it. I'm too loud and insane for all that mushy kind of stuff. I just think she'd open up to you about her feelings more than she would to me."
Nick nodded in agreement. "Well, you ARE loud and insane. I'll agree with you on that. So, you think you're better suited to handle Jason than I am?"
"Oh yeah. Back home in San Diego, I kind of have this reputation for being the toughest bitch around. When I really want to be tough, I can have the biggest, most macho football player crying for mercy."
"Okaaaay... That means you're going to beat up Jason until he admits his feelings for Mimi?"
Rory grinned and winked at him. "Only if I have to."
Rory rolled off the bed and stood up, walking over to Nick's chair. "So whaddya say, Nicholas? Do you think it's worth a try?"
Nick paused to think about it for a moment and nodded. "Alright, alright... But if this plan fails miserably, I'm placing all the blame on your head."
"This plan will not fail. Victory is assured." Rory paused and looked at his sketchpad again. She ran her fingers over the sketch of Jason and Mimi and then looked back towards Nick. He was still sitting and she was just inches away from him. "You know, Nick... I'd ask you to draw me some time, but I don't think I'd look very good in pencil."
"Hmmm... What would you prefer? Oil painting?"
"Oh yeah, that would be so awesome. Seriously, if you ever need a model for a class project, a muse, an inspiration... I work cheap. Cookies are a great incentive."
Nick chuckled and nodded. "Double chocolate chip?"
Rory smiled happily and winked at him. "Throw in a chocolate milkshake and I'd even do it in the nude."
Nick's brown eyes widened with shock. "You would?"
"I might... I am a lunatic remember. You never know what a truly crazy person would do for a sugar rush." Rory paused and grinned slyly at him, letting the bad girl in her shine through proudly. "Would you *want* me to pose in the nude?"
"I... Well... Geez, Rory..."
She lifted her shirt slightly exposing her bare stomach to him. "See... I have great abs."
The devil on her shoulder was laughing maniacally, especially since she had never seen Nick act this flustered or nervous about anything. Rory was absolutely merciless, grabbing his hand and laying it on her tanned and toned stomach.
Nick felt his entire mouth go dry, silently cursing Rory's ability to draw anyone and everyone under her spell. "Yes, those are... Very nice... You must work very hard to have a stomach like that."
Rory laughed and laid her hand over his. "Are you kidding me? I'm the kind of girl who likes a Nestle Crunch more than stomach crunches."
Nick licked his lips nervously and nodded. "So, you're just genetically blessed?"
"Pretty much." Rory grinned wickedly and allowed him to move his hand away, she straightened her shirt and tousled his hair with her fingers. "You know, Nicholas... You're pretty cute when you're embarrassed."
He looked away from her, knowing that he must have been blushing by now. "Rory... You are the only one who has ever called me Nicholas. Not even my parents call me that. It's Nick or Nicky."
Rory clapped her hands together proudly. "That just makes it more special. Right?"
Nick looked back at her and nodded. "Yeah, I guess so... It doesn't sound so bad when it comes from your mouth."
"Thank you. Hey... I'm gonna go grab a soda from the machine, then we can go over all of the details for our plan. You want something?"
Nick grabbed two dollar bills out of his desk drawer and handed them to her. "Just a bottle of water for me. My treat."
Rory smiled happily and leaned over, planting a soft kiss on his cheek. "You're a very sweet boy, Nicholas."
Rory quickly ran out of his room and started walking towards the lounge. She couldn't help but grin as she made her way to the soda machine. Rory knew it wasn't nice of her to play such flirtatious games with Nick, but it was too much fun not to do it. Never was he cuter than when she said something to embarrass or fluster him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Later that Same Day)
Jason walked Mimi to her door after class was over, still pretending like things were the same as they always were. Mimi stood in the hallway and watched him walk off to his own room. She really hated him. Well, not necessarily him, just what was happening between them. One week ago they had shared a kiss on a crowded dance floor. From Mimi's perspective it was the most perfect kiss imaginable, but not a single word had been mentioned about it since they walked out of the party that night. Everything had gone back to being normal, exactly the way things were before the now infamous Halloween kiss.
Mimi sighed softly and looked towards the floor. Apparently, it had meant a lot more to her than it had to Jason. For just a brief shining moment, she had gotten her hopes up. Imagining that it was possible for Jason to fall for her, for them to be together. But, in the days since, she figured that it was just a mistake, one magical kiss. The first one and the last.
She attempted to clear her thoughts of all things Jason and went through the door to her room. Rory was sprawled out over her bed, maniacally typing away on her laptop computer. Mimi put her stuff on her desk and looked at her curiously.
"Hey Rory... What are you doing?"
Rory looked up from her typing, her brown eyes sparkling mischievously. "I just had a great idea for a story, and I had to type it out before I forgot it. Inspiration hit me hard."
"Oh yeah? What's it about?"
Rory paused thoughtfully and then shut the computer down. "Love. So, basically nothing you'd be interested in..."
Mimi glared at her in surprise, her jaw dropping slightly. "What is that supposed to mean?"
Rory stood up and shrugged, putting her computer back on the desk. "Nothing... It means nothing. Hey... Are you going to be here for awhile?"
"Uhm... Yes. I don't have any more classes today, so I was just going to hang out here and get some reading done."
"Good, good. I've got to run to the library for something. When I get back, we should go grab a bite to eat or order pizza... Sound alright?"
Mimi nodded in agreement, still a bit hung up on Rory's comment about love. "Yeah, that sounds fine."
Rory grabbed her purse off her desk chair and headed towards the door. "Cool... I'll be back soon."
Rory made a quick exit and shut the door behind her. She paced around the hallway nervously, as she waited for Nick. It wasn't too long afterwards that she saw him slip out of his room and walk towards her.
She grinned at him slyly. "So, how suspicious did you make Jason?"
Nick frowned at her. "Well, you know me. I'm a terrible at this sneaky stuff. So, of course, I made an extremely awkward exit."
Rory laughed and patted him on the arm. "If only you were as suave as me..."
"Yes, if only."
"So... Are we ready to do this?"
Nick took a deep breath in and nodded. "I'm ready."
Rory smiled and gave him a brief hug. "Then let's not waste any more time."
Nick nodded and headed towards Mimi as Rory went the opposite direction towards Jason's room.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Mimi was still sitting in the same exact position when she heard the knock on the door. She figured it was Rory, but had no idea why she'd need to knock on her own door.
"Rory! What did you forget this time?"
"It's not Rory. It's Nick."
"Oh... Well, come on in, it's unlocked."
Nick opened the door, and tentatively stepped inside, shutting the door behind him. "Hey Meems... How's it going?"
"Fiiiiine... What can I do for you?"
Nick sighed and sat on the edge of Rory's bed, across from Mimi. "We need to have a talk. A serious talk."
Mimi cast her eyes downward and nodded. "About Jason, right?"
"Yes, about Jason. I know you're having a hard time admitting that you have feelings for him. But, I can tell that you're in love with him... or at the very least in the process of falling in love with him."
"Whoa... Nick... I really don't want to talk about this."
Nick stared at her in silence until she finally lifted her eyes to look at him again. "Mimi, you HAVE to talk about this. I will not leave this room until you admit what's in your heart. If it takes the whole weekend, you are going to tell me. I'm here to pester you."
Mimi frowned at him in confusion. "Why? Why has *my* love life turned into some sort of mission for you and Rory?"
"Because, we care about you. And, we both know that if you and Jason would just tell each other the *truth*, you could have the happiness you deserve."
"The truth about what?"
Nick crossed his arms and shook his head. "Like you don't know. You want Jason, Jason wants you. It's a fairly simple equation."
Mimi shook her head vehemently. "Jason does NOT want me."
"Yes, he does. I live with him, I know. He may not say it, but he does. Do you really think that kiss on Halloween was just an accident? Jason slipped and fell on to your lips?"
"I think it was a mistake. He hasn't mentioned it once this whole week. So, obviously he regrets it."
"No, you're entirely wrong. He's just afraid, Mimi. Scared to death of what he's feeling for you. And do you want to know why?"
Mimi nodded and threw her hands up in confusion. "Yes, please. Because, I don't understand any of this. I don't understand what I'm feeling sometimes. And, I certainly don't understand what's going on in that thick head of Jason's."
Nick sighed softly and looked at her with complete seriousness. "He's afraid that if he tries to take things to the next level with you, it will ruin your friendship."
"Well, I don't want to ruin our friendship either."
"I know you don't. But, falling in love with your best friend... that's not ruining a friendship. That's the start of something amazing. Everyone should be so lucky to fall in love like that. Because, if you do get together with Jase... it won't be based on just lust and physical attraction. It's so much more than that... It's friendship and trust."
Mimi bit her lower lip and paused to think about his words. "I just... I don't feel like I'm deserving of that kind of love. I'm not good enough for Jason. And, I'm definitely not the type of girl he used to go for."
Nick looked at her in disbelief. "You're not paying attention to the key words in that last sentence. 'Used to.' USED TO go for, Mimi. I know all about Jason's less than stellar past. But, he's different now. He's changed... Do you even understand why he used to be the way that he was?"
Mimi shook her head in confusion. "I... I guess I haven't really thought about it."
"It's the same reason we're all screwed up. Insecurity. I'm insecure, and I always have been. That's why I'm not exactly aggressive when it comes to relationships. Did you know I have never once asked a girl out? And, it's because I'm afraid of rejection. The only girls I've ever been out with were ones that asked ME out."
"Really?"
"Yes, really. But, that shouldn't surprise you... That's just me, and it's an issue I need to work on. Even Rory, who acts like she knows everything and seems to have all of this confidence about herself, she has insecurities too."
"I don't know about that."
Nick grinned at Mimi and nodded affirmatively. "She does. Believe me. Like I said, everybody does for some reason or another. Jason has had to live for eighteen years in the shadow of his big brother. A brother who is a perfect student, perfect athlete, perfect son, perfect citizen. In the eyes of their parents, Josh does no wrong. And, no matter how hard Jason tries, he can never live up to that. So, instead of being the good son, he's the bad son."
Mimi nodded in understanding, starting to get a clearer picture of Jason's family problems. "To get attention in any way possible. I understand. But, Josh can't be that perfect... Nobody is THAT perfect."
"Of course he's not. But, in the eyes of mommy and daddy, he is. So, Jason has never felt good enough. He treated other people like dirt to build himself up, and make himself feel better. He dated that Jan girl because she looked good on his arm. He let her treat him as badly as he treated everyone else because he didn't think he deserved any better than that."
Mimi frowned sadly and sighed. "I get it... I do. I mean, I don't have an older sibling who is perfect. But, I grew up being the best friend of Belle Black. So, I know all about not being good enough, not being perfect enough. And, I treated people badly too, but not because of them, because of *me*. When Chloe showed up... I was jealous and I did awful things to her. You know, it's not easy having friends like Belle and Chloe. They're always going to be more beautiful, smarter, more interesting, more talented... And, it's not THEIR fault that I feel this way. It's just the way the world works."
Nick stood up and came to sit next to Mimi. He grabbed the framed picture off of her desk and held it in front of him. The same picture that Rory had analyzed on her first day here. "Let me tell you something, Meems. The people in this picture. I don't know them. I've never met them. They are just names, pictures and stories to me. I'm sure these girls, Belle and Chloe, they're not as perfect as you make them out to be. But, I know you and I care about you. Just like Rory does. So, wouldn't you like to know what we see in you? Two people who have never even met these other girls that you claim to not be as 'good' as..."
"I... I don't know. I - I guess so."
"Well, first off, Mimi... You are beautiful. I know you don't think that, but you are. You one of the prettiest girls I have ever known, and you can argue with me all you want, but I'm not going to change my mind about that. And, what makes you beautiful isn't just what is on the outside... It's what's on the inside. You are smart, funny, spirited, caring, considerate, compassionate... You are always there for your friends when they need you. There is only one thing wrong with you..."
Mimi cringed in fear, worried about what he might say next. "Oh God... What is that?"
"The only thing that is wrong with you is what you think of yourself. I have liked you since the first day I met you, and I am really glad that we're friends. And, I know Rory feels the same way. That's why we're doing this. Because we love you, and we love Jason. And it is a crime if you two don't open up your hearts and love each other."
Mimi sighed deeply and put her hands in her face. She hated that he was right. She absolutely hated that Rory and Nick really did know so much. "Nick... There are just so many reasons NOT to tell him how I feel."
Nick put his arm around her shoulder and let her rest her head on his shoulder. "But, there are even more reasons TO tell him."
"But, how... I..."
"First off, you need to tell me. You're not denying that you have feelings for him. But, I want to hear it from your mouth, the straight up truth."
Mimi lifted her head and nodded in understanding. She took a deep breath in, and pulled on the edge of her shirt with one hand, trying to shake her nerves. "Geez... I don't know why I'm so anxious. I'm just telling you how I feel. It's not like I'm telling it to Jason."
Nick gave her a smile of encouragement. "That's right. Say it to me first, that way it will be much easier when you do say it to Jason."
Mimi's jaw dropped for a second, but she immediately closed it. Say it to Jason? She didn't even want to think about that. That was far too much anxiety than she wanted right now. She shut her eyes for a second and then opened them to look at Nick. "Okay... I... I'm falling in love with Jason. I... I love him. I want to be with him."
Nick grinned proudly and nodded. "See? Do you see how good that feels? Just to say it out loud... It's like a weight being lifted."
Mimi nodded slightly and smiled back at him. He was right, it felt like a huge wave of relief had just suddenly hit her. "You're... You're right... I do feel better."
"Good, now you just have to tell Jason how you feel."
Mimi's eyes widened and shook her head. "Oh no, no... I can't..."
Nick grabbed on to her hand and tried his best to reassure her. "Yes, you can. Stop listening to what your head is telling you, and listen to what your heart is saying."
"I'm so scared though..."
"I know, but he is too. Just as scared as you are. You just have to ask yourself if love is worth taking a chance for."
Mimi closed her eyes to consider Nick's words. There was nothing she wanted more than to be loved, and to give her love to someone else. And her heart was telling her that the person for her was definitely Jason. She just had to put aside her insecurities and fears long enough to open herself up to him.
"I... Yes, it is worth taking chances."
Nick hugged her tightly, glad that she was finally starting to agree with him. "Good. I'm glad you are actually listening to me."
Mimi let go of him and smiled slightly. "But, if you are wrong about this..."
"Then you have my permission to hate me for the rest of your life."
"Oh, good... Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Mimi looked at him seriously and continued. "No, I'm serious. Thank you for being so persistent, and not letting me slide by with a bunch of silly lies."
Nick grinned wickedly at her. "We're friends. This is what friends are supposed to do for each other. Besides, you're a terrible liar... you can only slide by for so long on your lies."
Mimi laughed and nudged him with her elbow. "I know, I know... I'm absolutely awful at covering things up sometimes."
"Well, now that our deep and serious talk is out of the way. Where's that book you were going to loan me?"
Mimi hopped up from the bed and went to her closet, searching on her top shelf for the book he was talking about. Nick watched her for a moment, and wondered what Rory was doing and if she was having as much luck as he was.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Meanwhile - We find out what Rory & Jason have been up to.)
Jason's door was wide open, so Rory peeked her head around the doorjamb. She grinned evilly at him as he sat on the bed sifting through one of his textbooks.
"Jaaaaaaason. Put your book down."
Jason looked up from the book with both eyebrows raised. "Excuse me?"
Rory walked in and put her hands on her hips, looking at him like he was her child and she was his mother. "Put your book down, Jase. We need to talk."
Jason put his book aside and nodded. "About what?"
Rory quickly shut the door and leaned against the wooden surface. "About Mimi."
"What about her?"
"You already know."
"Strangely enough and especially considering how detailed you're being in your questioning... I have no idea what you're talking about."
Rory strode towards Nick's bed and sat on the edge, facing Jason with a look of stone cold seriousness. "You are in love with Mimi."
"No, I'm not."
"You're lying."
Jason matched her glare perfectly with his own. He had told many lies in his life, and he had gotten pretty damn good at it. Rory would not get him to tell the truth. Not when he had so much to lose by saying it out loud. "I am not in love with Mimi."
Rory crossed her arms over her chest angrily. "Yes, you are. You're a great liar, brilliant at deflecting questions and changing the subject when you want to protect your heart. But, not this time. We are going to sit here until you tell me exactly how you feel about her."
Jason stood and walked towards the door. "Not if I leave..."
Rory flew up from the bed and ran faster than him, throwing herself in front of the closed door. "You're not going anywhere. Not until I get the answer I'm looking for."
"Rory... You know I'm bigger than you. I can move you out of the way if I need to."
"Yes, but you should know that I'm the most tenacious person you will ever meet in your entire life. If you walk out that door, I walk with you. I'm not going to leave your side until you tell me what I want to hear."
Jason looked at her doubtfully, but knew she wasn't lying. Rory was never one to back down from anything, and she certainly wouldn't this time. He turned away from her and resumed his original position on his bed. Rory followed and sat across from him again. Her brown eyes were on fire, hoping to burn a hole into his skull as she stared directly into his eyes. Jason was completely silent and Rory began to speak again.
"I'm completely serious about this, Jason. You know I am. You love Mimi, she loves you. You belong together. I don't care what hang-ups and insecurities you have about it, it's the truth."
"Rory... You don't know what you're talking about."
Rory rolled her eyes and crossed her arms again. "Oh, yes, I do. You're insecure, she's insecure. Neither of you think you deserve each other. But, guess what? You do. In fact, you're perfect for each other."
Jason refused to back down as well, knowing that he was stubborn enough to keep Rory at bay for at least a while. "You are mistaken."
"No... I am not. You know it too. I can tell. You know that you love her, you just don't have the balls to admit it."
Rory grinned proudly. Tell a man he's a coward, question his manhood, and get him so mad he'll have to prove you wrong. Nice move, she told herself.
"Are you calling me a chicken?"
"Yes, I am. Chicken. Coward. Gutless. Wimp. And if I had my thesaurus, I'd call you a myriad of other things that mean the same thing."
Jason's eyebrows furrowed together in frustration. "I am not."
"Don't be juvenile. We could sit here all day and play the 'am not', 'are too' game. But, we're not going to. I am going to sit right here until you tell me that you want to be with Mimi."
Jason stayed silent, crossing his own arms to match Rory's stance. She planned on waiting here all day if she had to, and the rest of the weekend. Jason just hoped that he could hold out longer than she could.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(One hour later.)
They sat in the same exact places for an entire hour. Rory kept her eyes glued to Jason for the entire time, hardly even blinking. And Jason was beginning to wonder if she even had eyelids. Every time he looked away from her, she would kick him in the shin with the toe of her shoe and yell at him, "Don't look away from me!"
Jason sighed heavily and looked at her with concern. "Rory... How long is this going to go on?"
"As long as it has to, buddy."
"Well, I need to... use the bathroom."
Jason stood to walk towards the bathroom door and Rory chased after him, grabbing on to his arm. "Oh, no you don't! There is no escaping me!"
Jason whirled around and looked at her in shock. "I have to PEE. Please, give me a break."
"No way. If you need to pee, then I'll go with you."
"That's disgusting."
Rory grinned and nodded. "Fine then, if you want your privacy... You need to tell me right this second how you feel about Mimi."
Jason paused to think about it. He could have stayed here playing the staring game with her for the next ten hours if he had to. But, he knew Rory well enough to know that she would not be backing down any time soon. In fact, she was right when she said she would be glued to his side for the whole weekend if that's what it took.
Jason took a deep breath in and rolled his eyes angrily. "Alright, alright... Mimi is my best friend. And, I am falling in love with my best friend. I love her, OKAY? ARE YOU HAPPY NOW? CAN I PLEASE USE THE BATHROOM?"
Rory threw her head back and cackled, clapping her hands together victoriously. "I KNEW IT! HA HA!"
"So... please... bathroom... now."
"Do you promise me that you'll actually do something about this? You are going to tell her, aren't you? And soon..."
Jason paused and then nodded reluctantly. He was using his bladder problem as an excuse to give in. He really did want to be with Mimi, and that's why he kissed her on Halloween. He was just scared of what he was feeling, even though he wanted nothing more than to love her. "Okay, fine... I will tell her. Soon... tomorrow... I promise. Can I go now?"
Rory smiled happily and patted him on the arm. "Yes, go. But, if you break your promise to me, I will destroy you."
"Yes, I don't doubt that you will." Jason laughed at her and hurried into the bathroom.
Rory giggled girlishly and did a dance of victory across his dorm room. She was still shaking her booty when Jason re-emerged from the bathroom minutes later. He couldn't help laughing at her, and when she saw him come back in she stopped in mid-booty shake, laughing loudly along with him.
She straightened herself back up and cleared her throat. "Ahem... Yes... Well, now that this is over with. I better be going. I promised Mimi we'd get some dinner together."
Jason rolled his eyes and grinned at her as she headed towards the door. "Yes... Nice talking to you, I guess."
Rory winked at him and practically ran down the hallway. Nick was pacing outside the door to her room, holding the book he had borrowed from Mimi. He looked at her anxiously.
"Well?"
"Geez... You're done already?"
Nick nodded and smiled at her. "It was a lot easier than I thought, really. My work here is done... What about you?"
Rory pumped her fist in victory and grinned at him. "I won."
"Won?"
"Yes. I won the staring contest, and I got the truth out of him just like I planned it. He's even going to tell her very soon. I made him promise."
Nick smiled sweetly at her and gave her a celebratory hug. "Mission accomplished. Good job."
Rory slipped out of the hug and nodded proudly. "Same right back at you. Whatever you said must have been pretty brilliant."
"Well, not that brilliant. This is all your doing, you know. Your idea. I'm glad I listened to you."
Rory smiled and put her hands on his face. "Yes, true. But, I couldn't have done it without you."
She stood on her tiptoes and gave him a very quick peck on the lips. "Thanks, Nicholas... You're the best."
"Anytime, Rory"
Rory let go of his face and motioned towards her door. "I better get in there, so I can hear her side of the story that I'm sure she's dying to tell me."
Nick nodded and started to walk back towards his room. "Me too... I'm sure Jason wants to rant about how annoying you are."
Rory laughed and watched him walk away before heading back into her room. She could almost hear Jason grumbling about how much of a pain she was, but she didn't care. In this case, it was worth it.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
No Mason? NO MASON!?!? I know... What was I thinking? There were no Mason interactions at all in this chapter. But, it was still important, I think. And, seeing as how it leads in to big Mason stuff soon, I hope you'll forgive me.
I'm really pleasantly surprised and overjoyed that you guys seem to like Rory/Nick. I've never written original characters in my fics before, so I was nervous about it.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chapter Eight
(A week later.)
Rory stood outside the door to Room 224, fidgeting nervously. She took a deep breath in and lightly knocked on the hard wood in front of her. She heard Nick's voice shout at her from the other side.
"It's unlocked! Come in!"
Rory opened the door and gave Nick a strange look. "It's unlocked? Come in? What if I was some sort of lunatic?"
Nick looked up from the sketchpad in front of him and with both eyebrows raised. "Rory... You ARE a lunatic."
Rory walked in and sat on the edge of Jason's bed. "Exactly my point. I could have been wielding an axe, planning your grisly murder, leaving your cold dead body here for Jason to find when he gets out of class."
"No way. That's far too teen campus slasher movie for you. If you wanted to kill me, you'd do it much more creatively than that."
"Ahhhh. You know me so well." Rory tried to steal a glance at what he was sketching but couldn't really see it from where she was sitting. She grinned and asked him a question in a child-like voice. "Soooo... whatcha drawing, Nicky?"
"Mimi and Jason. I got the pictures from Halloween back, and I wanted to do a pencil sketch of the devil and the angel together."
"Oooooh... Can I see?"
Nick nodded and carefully passed his sketchbook over to her. Rory sighed softly in amazement. He had perfectly captured them with just paper and a pencil. Nick handed her the picture he was using as the basis, but Rory immediately thought his drawing was even better than the picture. He drew perfectly the love that shone brightly in their eyes, something that a camera couldn't even capture.
Rory looked up at him and smiled. "Nick... You are so talented. This is just amazing. They look so..."
"In love?"
"Yeah, exactly."
Nick took the sketchpad from her and laid it on his desk. He frowned sadly and looked Rory in the eyes. "Pretty pathetic, isn't it?"
Rory nodded in agreement. "If you're referring to Mimi and Jason, I would have to agree. And, that's why I'm here actually."
"Ohhhh, so this isn't just a happy social call."
"Not exactly... I came to you because I know that you see what I see. And, I know you want to do something about it too."
Nick sighed softy and nodded. "You're right, I know they want to be together, and you know it. But, what can we possibly do? *They* are the ones that are screwing everything up for themselves."
Rory raised an eyebrow thoughtfully. "How good are you at chemistry?"
"What? Why?"
"Truth serum... It's the only way."
Nick laughed and threw a wadded up ball of paper at her, smacking her in the shoulder. "Okay, besides concocting a truth serum -- what can we do?"
Rory shrugged in confusion. "I don't know... I've been through every bad sitcom cliche that I can think of and I don't think any of them are a good idea."
"Sitcom cliche? As in... locking them in a room together where they are forced to give in to their passion?
"Oh yeah, that's right at the top of the list. Then there's the "set up one of them on a date to make the other one jealous" ploy. If we did that we'd just piss them both off, not to mention the poor pawn who we'd be fixing one of them up with."
Nick nodded in agreement. "This is definitely not a time to play games. We just have to get them to admit their feelings. If not to each other, at least to one of us."
Rory bit her lower lip thoughtfully. "But, I've tried. I've been hounding her for a while now, and she still won't admit it, not to me. Even though it's obvious they should be together."
"You know... I thought I almost had her at the Halloween party. While you and Jase were dancing and we were taking a break... She almost wanted to say it, but she..."
"Stuttered like a flippin' idiot?"
"Exactly."
"Yeah, I know. It's good that Mimi didn't go into theatre. She's a terrible actress."
Nick ran a hand through his wavy brown hair in frustration. "And Jason... He thinks he's so suave and brilliant at hiding his emotions. And, most of the time he is. But... really. It's pretty obvious to me how he feels about Mimi. Why can't she see it?"
Rory threw herself backwards, laying flat on her back on the bed. "Because even a person who has perfect 20/20 vision sometimes can't see what's right in front of their face."
"And which one of your books did you read that in?"
Rory rolled on to her side and propped herself up on one elbow. "No book. It came straight from my head."
"Well, you're right. By fate, or chance, or coincidence -- we have somehow ended up with the two blindest roommates in the entire state of Illinois."
"Okay... here's the deal. I don't think locking them in a room together would do anything. Not like in a TV show. But, what if... You talk to Mimi. Today when they get back from their Psych class. Confront her and do not back down until she spills her guts. Don't even let her out of your sight until she admits that she wants to be with Jason. Take the whole weekend if you have to. Annoy her to death. And, I will do the same for Jason."
Nick raised his eyebrows doubtfully. "And you think *that* will work? Why me?"
Rory nodded enthusiastically. "Mimi needs a sensitive person to listen to her, to give her advice, to help her along. And, I think you're really a much better person for that than me. I mean, I try, and I do okay sometimes..."
"Are you saying you're NOT sensitive?"
"Well... I can be. But, you're much better at it. I'm too loud and insane for all that mushy kind of stuff. I just think she'd open up to you about her feelings more than she would to me."
Nick nodded in agreement. "Well, you ARE loud and insane. I'll agree with you on that. So, you think you're better suited to handle Jason than I am?"
"Oh yeah. Back home in San Diego, I kind of have this reputation for being the toughest bitch around. When I really want to be tough, I can have the biggest, most macho football player crying for mercy."
"Okaaaay... That means you're going to beat up Jason until he admits his feelings for Mimi?"
Rory grinned and winked at him. "Only if I have to."
Rory rolled off the bed and stood up, walking over to Nick's chair. "So whaddya say, Nicholas? Do you think it's worth a try?"
Nick paused to think about it for a moment and nodded. "Alright, alright... But if this plan fails miserably, I'm placing all the blame on your head."
"This plan will not fail. Victory is assured." Rory paused and looked at his sketchpad again. She ran her fingers over the sketch of Jason and Mimi and then looked back towards Nick. He was still sitting and she was just inches away from him. "You know, Nick... I'd ask you to draw me some time, but I don't think I'd look very good in pencil."
"Hmmm... What would you prefer? Oil painting?"
"Oh yeah, that would be so awesome. Seriously, if you ever need a model for a class project, a muse, an inspiration... I work cheap. Cookies are a great incentive."
Nick chuckled and nodded. "Double chocolate chip?"
Rory smiled happily and winked at him. "Throw in a chocolate milkshake and I'd even do it in the nude."
Nick's brown eyes widened with shock. "You would?"
"I might... I am a lunatic remember. You never know what a truly crazy person would do for a sugar rush." Rory paused and grinned slyly at him, letting the bad girl in her shine through proudly. "Would you *want* me to pose in the nude?"
"I... Well... Geez, Rory..."
She lifted her shirt slightly exposing her bare stomach to him. "See... I have great abs."
The devil on her shoulder was laughing maniacally, especially since she had never seen Nick act this flustered or nervous about anything. Rory was absolutely merciless, grabbing his hand and laying it on her tanned and toned stomach.
Nick felt his entire mouth go dry, silently cursing Rory's ability to draw anyone and everyone under her spell. "Yes, those are... Very nice... You must work very hard to have a stomach like that."
Rory laughed and laid her hand over his. "Are you kidding me? I'm the kind of girl who likes a Nestle Crunch more than stomach crunches."
Nick licked his lips nervously and nodded. "So, you're just genetically blessed?"
"Pretty much." Rory grinned wickedly and allowed him to move his hand away, she straightened her shirt and tousled his hair with her fingers. "You know, Nicholas... You're pretty cute when you're embarrassed."
He looked away from her, knowing that he must have been blushing by now. "Rory... You are the only one who has ever called me Nicholas. Not even my parents call me that. It's Nick or Nicky."
Rory clapped her hands together proudly. "That just makes it more special. Right?"
Nick looked back at her and nodded. "Yeah, I guess so... It doesn't sound so bad when it comes from your mouth."
"Thank you. Hey... I'm gonna go grab a soda from the machine, then we can go over all of the details for our plan. You want something?"
Nick grabbed two dollar bills out of his desk drawer and handed them to her. "Just a bottle of water for me. My treat."
Rory smiled happily and leaned over, planting a soft kiss on his cheek. "You're a very sweet boy, Nicholas."
Rory quickly ran out of his room and started walking towards the lounge. She couldn't help but grin as she made her way to the soda machine. Rory knew it wasn't nice of her to play such flirtatious games with Nick, but it was too much fun not to do it. Never was he cuter than when she said something to embarrass or fluster him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Later that Same Day)
Jason walked Mimi to her door after class was over, still pretending like things were the same as they always were. Mimi stood in the hallway and watched him walk off to his own room. She really hated him. Well, not necessarily him, just what was happening between them. One week ago they had shared a kiss on a crowded dance floor. From Mimi's perspective it was the most perfect kiss imaginable, but not a single word had been mentioned about it since they walked out of the party that night. Everything had gone back to being normal, exactly the way things were before the now infamous Halloween kiss.
Mimi sighed softly and looked towards the floor. Apparently, it had meant a lot more to her than it had to Jason. For just a brief shining moment, she had gotten her hopes up. Imagining that it was possible for Jason to fall for her, for them to be together. But, in the days since, she figured that it was just a mistake, one magical kiss. The first one and the last.
She attempted to clear her thoughts of all things Jason and went through the door to her room. Rory was sprawled out over her bed, maniacally typing away on her laptop computer. Mimi put her stuff on her desk and looked at her curiously.
"Hey Rory... What are you doing?"
Rory looked up from her typing, her brown eyes sparkling mischievously. "I just had a great idea for a story, and I had to type it out before I forgot it. Inspiration hit me hard."
"Oh yeah? What's it about?"
Rory paused thoughtfully and then shut the computer down. "Love. So, basically nothing you'd be interested in..."
Mimi glared at her in surprise, her jaw dropping slightly. "What is that supposed to mean?"
Rory stood up and shrugged, putting her computer back on the desk. "Nothing... It means nothing. Hey... Are you going to be here for awhile?"
"Uhm... Yes. I don't have any more classes today, so I was just going to hang out here and get some reading done."
"Good, good. I've got to run to the library for something. When I get back, we should go grab a bite to eat or order pizza... Sound alright?"
Mimi nodded in agreement, still a bit hung up on Rory's comment about love. "Yeah, that sounds fine."
Rory grabbed her purse off her desk chair and headed towards the door. "Cool... I'll be back soon."
Rory made a quick exit and shut the door behind her. She paced around the hallway nervously, as she waited for Nick. It wasn't too long afterwards that she saw him slip out of his room and walk towards her.
She grinned at him slyly. "So, how suspicious did you make Jason?"
Nick frowned at her. "Well, you know me. I'm a terrible at this sneaky stuff. So, of course, I made an extremely awkward exit."
Rory laughed and patted him on the arm. "If only you were as suave as me..."
"Yes, if only."
"So... Are we ready to do this?"
Nick took a deep breath in and nodded. "I'm ready."
Rory smiled and gave him a brief hug. "Then let's not waste any more time."
Nick nodded and headed towards Mimi as Rory went the opposite direction towards Jason's room.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Mimi was still sitting in the same exact position when she heard the knock on the door. She figured it was Rory, but had no idea why she'd need to knock on her own door.
"Rory! What did you forget this time?"
"It's not Rory. It's Nick."
"Oh... Well, come on in, it's unlocked."
Nick opened the door, and tentatively stepped inside, shutting the door behind him. "Hey Meems... How's it going?"
"Fiiiiine... What can I do for you?"
Nick sighed and sat on the edge of Rory's bed, across from Mimi. "We need to have a talk. A serious talk."
Mimi cast her eyes downward and nodded. "About Jason, right?"
"Yes, about Jason. I know you're having a hard time admitting that you have feelings for him. But, I can tell that you're in love with him... or at the very least in the process of falling in love with him."
"Whoa... Nick... I really don't want to talk about this."
Nick stared at her in silence until she finally lifted her eyes to look at him again. "Mimi, you HAVE to talk about this. I will not leave this room until you admit what's in your heart. If it takes the whole weekend, you are going to tell me. I'm here to pester you."
Mimi frowned at him in confusion. "Why? Why has *my* love life turned into some sort of mission for you and Rory?"
"Because, we care about you. And, we both know that if you and Jason would just tell each other the *truth*, you could have the happiness you deserve."
"The truth about what?"
Nick crossed his arms and shook his head. "Like you don't know. You want Jason, Jason wants you. It's a fairly simple equation."
Mimi shook her head vehemently. "Jason does NOT want me."
"Yes, he does. I live with him, I know. He may not say it, but he does. Do you really think that kiss on Halloween was just an accident? Jason slipped and fell on to your lips?"
"I think it was a mistake. He hasn't mentioned it once this whole week. So, obviously he regrets it."
"No, you're entirely wrong. He's just afraid, Mimi. Scared to death of what he's feeling for you. And do you want to know why?"
Mimi nodded and threw her hands up in confusion. "Yes, please. Because, I don't understand any of this. I don't understand what I'm feeling sometimes. And, I certainly don't understand what's going on in that thick head of Jason's."
Nick sighed softly and looked at her with complete seriousness. "He's afraid that if he tries to take things to the next level with you, it will ruin your friendship."
"Well, I don't want to ruin our friendship either."
"I know you don't. But, falling in love with your best friend... that's not ruining a friendship. That's the start of something amazing. Everyone should be so lucky to fall in love like that. Because, if you do get together with Jase... it won't be based on just lust and physical attraction. It's so much more than that... It's friendship and trust."
Mimi bit her lower lip and paused to think about his words. "I just... I don't feel like I'm deserving of that kind of love. I'm not good enough for Jason. And, I'm definitely not the type of girl he used to go for."
Nick looked at her in disbelief. "You're not paying attention to the key words in that last sentence. 'Used to.' USED TO go for, Mimi. I know all about Jason's less than stellar past. But, he's different now. He's changed... Do you even understand why he used to be the way that he was?"
Mimi shook her head in confusion. "I... I guess I haven't really thought about it."
"It's the same reason we're all screwed up. Insecurity. I'm insecure, and I always have been. That's why I'm not exactly aggressive when it comes to relationships. Did you know I have never once asked a girl out? And, it's because I'm afraid of rejection. The only girls I've ever been out with were ones that asked ME out."
"Really?"
"Yes, really. But, that shouldn't surprise you... That's just me, and it's an issue I need to work on. Even Rory, who acts like she knows everything and seems to have all of this confidence about herself, she has insecurities too."
"I don't know about that."
Nick grinned at Mimi and nodded affirmatively. "She does. Believe me. Like I said, everybody does for some reason or another. Jason has had to live for eighteen years in the shadow of his big brother. A brother who is a perfect student, perfect athlete, perfect son, perfect citizen. In the eyes of their parents, Josh does no wrong. And, no matter how hard Jason tries, he can never live up to that. So, instead of being the good son, he's the bad son."
Mimi nodded in understanding, starting to get a clearer picture of Jason's family problems. "To get attention in any way possible. I understand. But, Josh can't be that perfect... Nobody is THAT perfect."
"Of course he's not. But, in the eyes of mommy and daddy, he is. So, Jason has never felt good enough. He treated other people like dirt to build himself up, and make himself feel better. He dated that Jan girl because she looked good on his arm. He let her treat him as badly as he treated everyone else because he didn't think he deserved any better than that."
Mimi frowned sadly and sighed. "I get it... I do. I mean, I don't have an older sibling who is perfect. But, I grew up being the best friend of Belle Black. So, I know all about not being good enough, not being perfect enough. And, I treated people badly too, but not because of them, because of *me*. When Chloe showed up... I was jealous and I did awful things to her. You know, it's not easy having friends like Belle and Chloe. They're always going to be more beautiful, smarter, more interesting, more talented... And, it's not THEIR fault that I feel this way. It's just the way the world works."
Nick stood up and came to sit next to Mimi. He grabbed the framed picture off of her desk and held it in front of him. The same picture that Rory had analyzed on her first day here. "Let me tell you something, Meems. The people in this picture. I don't know them. I've never met them. They are just names, pictures and stories to me. I'm sure these girls, Belle and Chloe, they're not as perfect as you make them out to be. But, I know you and I care about you. Just like Rory does. So, wouldn't you like to know what we see in you? Two people who have never even met these other girls that you claim to not be as 'good' as..."
"I... I don't know. I - I guess so."
"Well, first off, Mimi... You are beautiful. I know you don't think that, but you are. You one of the prettiest girls I have ever known, and you can argue with me all you want, but I'm not going to change my mind about that. And, what makes you beautiful isn't just what is on the outside... It's what's on the inside. You are smart, funny, spirited, caring, considerate, compassionate... You are always there for your friends when they need you. There is only one thing wrong with you..."
Mimi cringed in fear, worried about what he might say next. "Oh God... What is that?"
"The only thing that is wrong with you is what you think of yourself. I have liked you since the first day I met you, and I am really glad that we're friends. And, I know Rory feels the same way. That's why we're doing this. Because we love you, and we love Jason. And it is a crime if you two don't open up your hearts and love each other."
Mimi sighed deeply and put her hands in her face. She hated that he was right. She absolutely hated that Rory and Nick really did know so much. "Nick... There are just so many reasons NOT to tell him how I feel."
Nick put his arm around her shoulder and let her rest her head on his shoulder. "But, there are even more reasons TO tell him."
"But, how... I..."
"First off, you need to tell me. You're not denying that you have feelings for him. But, I want to hear it from your mouth, the straight up truth."
Mimi lifted her head and nodded in understanding. She took a deep breath in, and pulled on the edge of her shirt with one hand, trying to shake her nerves. "Geez... I don't know why I'm so anxious. I'm just telling you how I feel. It's not like I'm telling it to Jason."
Nick gave her a smile of encouragement. "That's right. Say it to me first, that way it will be much easier when you do say it to Jason."
Mimi's jaw dropped for a second, but she immediately closed it. Say it to Jason? She didn't even want to think about that. That was far too much anxiety than she wanted right now. She shut her eyes for a second and then opened them to look at Nick. "Okay... I... I'm falling in love with Jason. I... I love him. I want to be with him."
Nick grinned proudly and nodded. "See? Do you see how good that feels? Just to say it out loud... It's like a weight being lifted."
Mimi nodded slightly and smiled back at him. He was right, it felt like a huge wave of relief had just suddenly hit her. "You're... You're right... I do feel better."
"Good, now you just have to tell Jason how you feel."
Mimi's eyes widened and shook her head. "Oh no, no... I can't..."
Nick grabbed on to her hand and tried his best to reassure her. "Yes, you can. Stop listening to what your head is telling you, and listen to what your heart is saying."
"I'm so scared though..."
"I know, but he is too. Just as scared as you are. You just have to ask yourself if love is worth taking a chance for."
Mimi closed her eyes to consider Nick's words. There was nothing she wanted more than to be loved, and to give her love to someone else. And her heart was telling her that the person for her was definitely Jason. She just had to put aside her insecurities and fears long enough to open herself up to him.
"I... Yes, it is worth taking chances."
Nick hugged her tightly, glad that she was finally starting to agree with him. "Good. I'm glad you are actually listening to me."
Mimi let go of him and smiled slightly. "But, if you are wrong about this..."
"Then you have my permission to hate me for the rest of your life."
"Oh, good... Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Mimi looked at him seriously and continued. "No, I'm serious. Thank you for being so persistent, and not letting me slide by with a bunch of silly lies."
Nick grinned wickedly at her. "We're friends. This is what friends are supposed to do for each other. Besides, you're a terrible liar... you can only slide by for so long on your lies."
Mimi laughed and nudged him with her elbow. "I know, I know... I'm absolutely awful at covering things up sometimes."
"Well, now that our deep and serious talk is out of the way. Where's that book you were going to loan me?"
Mimi hopped up from the bed and went to her closet, searching on her top shelf for the book he was talking about. Nick watched her for a moment, and wondered what Rory was doing and if she was having as much luck as he was.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Meanwhile - We find out what Rory & Jason have been up to.)
Jason's door was wide open, so Rory peeked her head around the doorjamb. She grinned evilly at him as he sat on the bed sifting through one of his textbooks.
"Jaaaaaaason. Put your book down."
Jason looked up from the book with both eyebrows raised. "Excuse me?"
Rory walked in and put her hands on her hips, looking at him like he was her child and she was his mother. "Put your book down, Jase. We need to talk."
Jason put his book aside and nodded. "About what?"
Rory quickly shut the door and leaned against the wooden surface. "About Mimi."
"What about her?"
"You already know."
"Strangely enough and especially considering how detailed you're being in your questioning... I have no idea what you're talking about."
Rory strode towards Nick's bed and sat on the edge, facing Jason with a look of stone cold seriousness. "You are in love with Mimi."
"No, I'm not."
"You're lying."
Jason matched her glare perfectly with his own. He had told many lies in his life, and he had gotten pretty damn good at it. Rory would not get him to tell the truth. Not when he had so much to lose by saying it out loud. "I am not in love with Mimi."
Rory crossed her arms over her chest angrily. "Yes, you are. You're a great liar, brilliant at deflecting questions and changing the subject when you want to protect your heart. But, not this time. We are going to sit here until you tell me exactly how you feel about her."
Jason stood and walked towards the door. "Not if I leave..."
Rory flew up from the bed and ran faster than him, throwing herself in front of the closed door. "You're not going anywhere. Not until I get the answer I'm looking for."
"Rory... You know I'm bigger than you. I can move you out of the way if I need to."
"Yes, but you should know that I'm the most tenacious person you will ever meet in your entire life. If you walk out that door, I walk with you. I'm not going to leave your side until you tell me what I want to hear."
Jason looked at her doubtfully, but knew she wasn't lying. Rory was never one to back down from anything, and she certainly wouldn't this time. He turned away from her and resumed his original position on his bed. Rory followed and sat across from him again. Her brown eyes were on fire, hoping to burn a hole into his skull as she stared directly into his eyes. Jason was completely silent and Rory began to speak again.
"I'm completely serious about this, Jason. You know I am. You love Mimi, she loves you. You belong together. I don't care what hang-ups and insecurities you have about it, it's the truth."
"Rory... You don't know what you're talking about."
Rory rolled her eyes and crossed her arms again. "Oh, yes, I do. You're insecure, she's insecure. Neither of you think you deserve each other. But, guess what? You do. In fact, you're perfect for each other."
Jason refused to back down as well, knowing that he was stubborn enough to keep Rory at bay for at least a while. "You are mistaken."
"No... I am not. You know it too. I can tell. You know that you love her, you just don't have the balls to admit it."
Rory grinned proudly. Tell a man he's a coward, question his manhood, and get him so mad he'll have to prove you wrong. Nice move, she told herself.
"Are you calling me a chicken?"
"Yes, I am. Chicken. Coward. Gutless. Wimp. And if I had my thesaurus, I'd call you a myriad of other things that mean the same thing."
Jason's eyebrows furrowed together in frustration. "I am not."
"Don't be juvenile. We could sit here all day and play the 'am not', 'are too' game. But, we're not going to. I am going to sit right here until you tell me that you want to be with Mimi."
Jason stayed silent, crossing his own arms to match Rory's stance. She planned on waiting here all day if she had to, and the rest of the weekend. Jason just hoped that he could hold out longer than she could.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(One hour later.)
They sat in the same exact places for an entire hour. Rory kept her eyes glued to Jason for the entire time, hardly even blinking. And Jason was beginning to wonder if she even had eyelids. Every time he looked away from her, she would kick him in the shin with the toe of her shoe and yell at him, "Don't look away from me!"
Jason sighed heavily and looked at her with concern. "Rory... How long is this going to go on?"
"As long as it has to, buddy."
"Well, I need to... use the bathroom."
Jason stood to walk towards the bathroom door and Rory chased after him, grabbing on to his arm. "Oh, no you don't! There is no escaping me!"
Jason whirled around and looked at her in shock. "I have to PEE. Please, give me a break."
"No way. If you need to pee, then I'll go with you."
"That's disgusting."
Rory grinned and nodded. "Fine then, if you want your privacy... You need to tell me right this second how you feel about Mimi."
Jason paused to think about it. He could have stayed here playing the staring game with her for the next ten hours if he had to. But, he knew Rory well enough to know that she would not be backing down any time soon. In fact, she was right when she said she would be glued to his side for the whole weekend if that's what it took.
Jason took a deep breath in and rolled his eyes angrily. "Alright, alright... Mimi is my best friend. And, I am falling in love with my best friend. I love her, OKAY? ARE YOU HAPPY NOW? CAN I PLEASE USE THE BATHROOM?"
Rory threw her head back and cackled, clapping her hands together victoriously. "I KNEW IT! HA HA!"
"So... please... bathroom... now."
"Do you promise me that you'll actually do something about this? You are going to tell her, aren't you? And soon..."
Jason paused and then nodded reluctantly. He was using his bladder problem as an excuse to give in. He really did want to be with Mimi, and that's why he kissed her on Halloween. He was just scared of what he was feeling, even though he wanted nothing more than to love her. "Okay, fine... I will tell her. Soon... tomorrow... I promise. Can I go now?"
Rory smiled happily and patted him on the arm. "Yes, go. But, if you break your promise to me, I will destroy you."
"Yes, I don't doubt that you will." Jason laughed at her and hurried into the bathroom.
Rory giggled girlishly and did a dance of victory across his dorm room. She was still shaking her booty when Jason re-emerged from the bathroom minutes later. He couldn't help laughing at her, and when she saw him come back in she stopped in mid-booty shake, laughing loudly along with him.
She straightened herself back up and cleared her throat. "Ahem... Yes... Well, now that this is over with. I better be going. I promised Mimi we'd get some dinner together."
Jason rolled his eyes and grinned at her as she headed towards the door. "Yes... Nice talking to you, I guess."
Rory winked at him and practically ran down the hallway. Nick was pacing outside the door to her room, holding the book he had borrowed from Mimi. He looked at her anxiously.
"Well?"
"Geez... You're done already?"
Nick nodded and smiled at her. "It was a lot easier than I thought, really. My work here is done... What about you?"
Rory pumped her fist in victory and grinned at him. "I won."
"Won?"
"Yes. I won the staring contest, and I got the truth out of him just like I planned it. He's even going to tell her very soon. I made him promise."
Nick smiled sweetly at her and gave her a celebratory hug. "Mission accomplished. Good job."
Rory slipped out of the hug and nodded proudly. "Same right back at you. Whatever you said must have been pretty brilliant."
"Well, not that brilliant. This is all your doing, you know. Your idea. I'm glad I listened to you."
Rory smiled and put her hands on his face. "Yes, true. But, I couldn't have done it without you."
She stood on her tiptoes and gave him a very quick peck on the lips. "Thanks, Nicholas... You're the best."
"Anytime, Rory"
Rory let go of his face and motioned towards her door. "I better get in there, so I can hear her side of the story that I'm sure she's dying to tell me."
Nick nodded and started to walk back towards his room. "Me too... I'm sure Jason wants to rant about how annoying you are."
Rory laughed and watched him walk away before heading back into her room. She could almost hear Jason grumbling about how much of a pain she was, but she didn't care. In this case, it was worth it.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
No Mason? NO MASON!?!? I know... What was I thinking? There were no Mason interactions at all in this chapter. But, it was still important, I think. And, seeing as how it leads in to big Mason stuff soon, I hope you'll forgive me.
I'm really pleasantly surprised and overjoyed that you guys seem to like Rory/Nick. I've never written original characters in my fics before, so I was nervous about it.