Just Like Old Nightmares

Pairing: Josh Nichols/Mindy Crenshaw

Part 1

Boy…what a way to hit off a Saturday, Josh Nichols thought to himself as he read the letter in his hand over and over. He plopped down on his bed, and groaned quietly to himself.

"Yo, Josh!" Drake Parker hollered as he opened the door of their bedroom. "Mindy's downstairs. Don't you two have a study session right about now?"

"Oh, yeah, I forgot." Josh stuffed the letter in his pocket before getting to his feet.

"Dude, you got to get over that letter." Drake said, shaking his head. "Reading it over and over is not helping the situation."

"I don't want to see her, Drake. Plain and simple." Josh replied coldly. "I haven't seen her in twelve years and I sure as hell don't want to see her now."

Drake's eyes widened a bit; never in his life had he heard a swear word leave Josh's lips before. This whole thing was becoming more serious.

"Sorry, bro." Josh said softly, trying to keep his cool.

"Ah, it's cool." Drake answered. "…Well? Are you going downstairs to meet Mindy or not?"

"Right, sorry." Josh chuckled nervously, grabbing his science textbook and binder before stepping out of the room, Drake closing the door behind him.

"Okay, Josh, name three of the Noble Gases…Josh? Josh?"

Josh and Mindy Crenshaw, his longtime girlfriend, were sitting down on the couch in the living room, going over questions that would be on the biology test coming up.

"Huh? Wha?" Josh looked up from his 'trance' in a way to his girlfriend.

"Josh, what's going on with you?" Mindy wanted to know. "You're acting…well, so not you."

"I just got a lot on my mind. That's all." Josh shook his head.

"Oh boy…" Mindy murmured, setting her books aside. "Okay, Josh, studying can wait. What is it?"

"You don't want to hear about my problems…It's too much, even for me." Josh excused. He sighed softly, feeling her squeeze his hand in comfort. Mindy always seemed to know how to comfort him.

"Josh…I want to know what's bothering you…" Mindy said softly, tears welling up in her chocolate brown eyes. "You've never kept anything from me, and I never kept anything from you. We've always been able to open up and talk to each other. When you don't tell me things, I really think something beyond repair is happening to you…" Her voice started cracking at his point. "And you don't know how much that scares me."

"Mindy…" Josh swallowed hard, the combination of both the sad expression on his girlfriend's face and his own personal problems becoming too much. "I know you want to help me." He reached into his pocket, taking out the same letter. Mindy looked at the slightly crumpled up piece of paper before taking it in her hand and reading it over. It all became clear to her.

"Oh…" Mindy said in a soft whisper.

"Yeah…my mother's coming to visit."