Nicole thought she looked good.
She had 'borrowed' (without asking, or Rebecca knowing) Rebecca's curling tongs (she didn't want to use Zoey's because Rebecca's were stupidly expensive, celebrity-hair-stylist ones) and had flicked a funny switch so her hair was wavy. Not as wavy as Rebecca's, whose waves were big and full of volume, but hers were smaller waves and cause her hair was cut differently from Rebecca's, it sat differently too. After a state of absolute panic proclaiming she had nothing to wear for the date, she had also 'borrowed' (in the same context) some items out of Rebecca's closet. The white slip camisole she was wearing sat at Rebecca's belly-button, but it sat past Nicole's hips. She didn't mind, because she teamed them with a denim mini (also 'borrowed,' but from Zoey) that looked about two inches shorter because the camisole sat on top of it. For shoes, she had had a problem. Zoey had miniscule, baby feet and Rebecca had the biggest feet she'd ever seen (well, something had to balance that height), so she ended up opting for a pair of kitten heels with a little sling at the back.
No, I look more than good, I look hot.
She knocked on the door.
There was a sort of scuffle that Nicole could hear from outside the room, before the door flew open. She was about to say 'Hey Nate,' but realized it would be completely stupid and inappropriate.
Because it wasn't Nate at the door.
"Nicole, right?" Shannon Sewell leaned against the door, her golden blonde hair pulled back to reveal dynamite bone structure. She had on a blue, floaty Summer dress that made her look like a goddess.
Nicole nodded.
"Come right in," Shannon stepped aside, "gosh, you're a lot prettier than I remembered. I love your outfit, it maximizes your leg length by about, a million!"
Is this some sort of weird date where there's other girls? Is she on a date with Nate as well? I don't stand a chance if she is.
Once she walked past the tiny corridor that lead to the boys' bathroom on the right, she stepped into a big, vast room that reminded her of Room 101. Two walls were painted baby blue and the other two were painted green. There was a bunk bed and a single bed by the huge window that looked over the basketball courts, a wide-screen television on the drawers and some weird game console Nicole had never seen sat beside it. It was clearly a guys room, posters of Britney Spears and Amerie decorated one wall, and a life-size Ciara cut out stood beside the window. On the single bed, Art sat with a red-head Nicole thought was maybe in her math class. Lisa-Something. On the floor, Harry sat alone, with an empty space beside him. Shannon scurried past and sat there, resting her head on Harry's shoulder.
What? What the hell is this? Where do I sit?
"Nicole!" Nate stood up. Nicole grabbed onto the wall for support. He was wearing his usual casual low riding jeans so his Calvin Klein strip showed, a salmon pink Old Glory shirt with the collar turned up and he had his sandy blonde hair spiked at the front and longer at that back.
Holy be-jebus in the name of Señior Lobsters food bib…he's gorgeous!
"Glad you showed," he blushed before embracing her in a tight hug. For a second, she stood poker straight and stunned, but realizing that she looked extremely strange and a bit like a frozen fish, she lifted her arms and hugged him back. He led her to a seat on the sofa near the single bed.
"Hey Nicole," Harry lifted his hand in a sort of wave but did a manly 'nod of acknowledgement' while his hand was in the air. Nicole wasn't sure what to do. She tried to imitate him. He laughed.
Okay, calm down. You're sitting in the Alpha Male's dorm with the Alpha Male and the Fifth prettiest girl in the school, who hangs out with Adrienne and Christina…calm. Calm. Find your inner self. Or Nate, whatever's closest.
"We're gonna watch Pirates of the Caribbean," Lisa-Something piped up, "if that's okay with you?"
"Yeah, cool," she shrugged casually, fighting the temptation to squeal, 'Oh my God I love Pirates of the Caribbean! Do you love it? I love it!' Shannon, funnily enough, looked like she was doing the same thing.
Harry, closest to the DVD player, slid it in and fast-forwarded it to the menu.
The guys must have had surround sound, because Nicole could hear water behind her.
Nate 'yawned,' putting his arm around Nicole's shoulders. Nicole felt oddly pressured, because Shannon and Harry were already making out on the floor, and Lisa was actually lying on Art, him stroking her long, blood-red hair. She rested her head on his shoulder lightly. The sweet aroma of DKNY Be Delicious for Men reached her nostrils.
She couldn't believe where she was, or what she was doing, but she knew one thing.
Damn this guy smells good.
Rebecca looked at the assignment sheet again.
'Define the term 'love' from a personal opinion. Any length will be suffice, as long as it is your work and your views. Your essay should include paragraphs, 1.5 line spacing, an introduction, conclusion and the title will be : 'A study of the term 'love' by (insert your name here).
"This is stupid," she sighed, sinking down in the bean bag and helping herself to some of the gummy worms Adrienne had left for her. "How am I supposed to know what love is?"
"What should I write about? How every girl just falls in love with me whenever they see me?"
Logan paced back in forth in Room 32. He was speaking to Michael in particular, but Michael had given up listening long ago to concentrate on his own essay. Or a game of Doom X.
The point was, Michael wasn't listening.
"Or how everyone just can't help loving me?" Logan continued, oblivious to the fact that Michael was pressing various buttons on his laptop furiously and hissing "Why won't you die!" at the screen.
"Or how I just ooze loveliness," Logan sighed and sat down on the edge of Chase's bed, "I can't think. It's so hard. Do you think Dana'd help me?"
At that point, Michael had obviously re-tuned in because he burst into raspy laughter.
"Dude, Dana is a cold, cold girl," he laughed, "ask Rebecca. She's really smart."
Logan grimaced.
Hell will freeze over and be used as an ice rink for the clinically obese before I ask Rebecca Sinclair for any help.
Zoey's fingers hovered over the keyboard to her laptop, sitting on top of Nicole's top bunk. She hadn't had Room 101 to herself in a while. It was quiet, sort of nice. She put 'Ghetto Gospel' by Tupac and Elton John on repeat, at a low volume, so the room wasn't silent. It was the first time she'd listened to it where Nicole and Rebecca weren't singing along. Badly.
She'd also brought up a bag of lightly salted nacho chips, and a bottle of coke with lemon just to keep her company.
A study of the term 'love' by (insert your name here)
She stared at the title again. What was she supposed to write? 'Love is Evol spelt backwards'?
The credits rolled for Pirates of the Caribbean. The boys left the light dim. Shannon and Harry had finally parted. Lisa sat up from lying on Art and tied her hair back. Nicole didn't want Nate to move his arm.
Heaveeeen…I'm in Heaveeeen…heavy-heavy-heavy-heavy-heaveeeen…
She sung in her head, resisting the urge to clap or hum along.
Doob-bi-do-do-bi-do-something like that, doob-bi-do-do-bi-do-big fluffy cat.
She looked up at Nate's face, just to make sure she wasn't dreaming. He was looking back down at her.
In fact, he wasn't looking down at her. Perhaps Nicole was hallucinating with sheer joy, but his face was coming closer.
Holy crap! He's gonna kiss me!
Nicole slid out from his grip, and began giggling nervously.
"I er…do you mind if I look at your bathroom?"
Everyone stared at her.
What the hell was that? Can I look at your bathroom! Oh Jesus.
"Sure," Art said uncertainly, pointing down the little corridor, "it's just around there."
Nicole tripped down the corridor and into the bathroom where she slammed the door shut.
"What's wrong with me!" She hissed, "He was gonna kiss me and I ducked out!" She looked at herself in the mirror. She looked just as good as she had done when she checked herself in the mirror in Room 101.
"It's cause I don't know what to do if he does," she sighed to herself, "if he leans in, what am I supposed to do? Watch him? Sing a song? Lean in too? Levitate?" She let out a long, heavy sigh, "I need help."
She trudged over to the toilet seat (which satisfyingly enough, the seat was down on) and collapsed on it, miserable, her head held in her cupped hands, her elbows perched on her knees.
"I need help," she moaned.
What's that?
A flat, blue, rectangular object was sitting on the unit beside the sink. Curiously, she slid it along and sat it on her lap. The PCA logo shone through about a million cut-outs of Christina Milian and Hilary Duff. In the corner, ontop of them all read 'Harry Onslow.' Nicole's head suddenly kicked into gear.
This is Harry's laptop!
She flipped it open nervously, and turned it on, hoping it wouldn't need a password, or would at least have a guest feature. Luckily, it had neither. A screensaver, featuring all the contestants from America's Next Top Model Cycle 4 flashed up.
Guys.
She double clicked on PCA Messenger.
Sign in?
I think so.
Gosh, I'm so kind to you all. In lead up to my fabulouso holiday I have given you THREE new chapters. That just shows how much I love y'all. I'm a giver. ConfusedMo thanks for reviewing, the comments were reeeaaaalllly nice and I totally treasure them! And don't worry, Kristen is supposed to be... shudder . MrsLoganReese thanks for reviewing again. I've shouted you out so many times but you really do rock. zxxbsmsgirl3148 you eat that pie with pride and tell Lucy to get her own! Thankies and pie, cremosa and glacial cherries, N x