~o~

Nina's Point of View

A week. A whole week. A whole damn week. Rex been unwell or something like that. I was getting worried. And pissed. He spent all his free time in his room and when I knocked on the door and asked to come in, I got no answer, like he thought I didn't know he was there. Had I said too much? Had I gone overboard by telling him exactly how much I needed him? Was this my fault? I scoffed at my own thought in my room on that Friday night as I dressed for Christmas Eve Mass. Of course it was my fault. Right about now, I was one of the people who could affect him the most and he spent most of his time with me...or at least he used to.

I tied the skinny black tie around my neck and added some accessories and tried my best to stop thinking about it too much. Right now I needed to clear my mind. Zane was outside half a minute later, calling to tell me he was ready to go and outside. I ran past Rex's room where I just knew he was and just ran down the hall into foyer. Six was there and so was Holiday so I said bye and headed to the front door and got into Zane's convertible.

"Well, you don't look very happy," he commented.

"Not now, Zane. I'm just not in the mood." He drove off.

"All the more reason to talk to me. It's about Rex, I see."

"And I thought I was the mind reader."

"You have that 'man-problem' look on your face. It's different from the 'I'm frustrated', 'I'm tired' and 'I wanna kill someone' looks, although it and the last one are very close. Come on, spill." I exhaled, giving in.

"Rex is avoiding me. He's barely spoken to me, hasn't had breakfast with me, hasn't hugged or kissed me for the whole week. Any free time he has he spends barricaded in his room and he won't let me in. The other day I told him I loved him and...he...didn't respond."

"Hmm. Do you have any idea what could have brought this on?"

"I...told him how much I needed him that day. But he was fine all day. It was only that evening he told me he wasn't feeling well and it was after that."

"Did you think maybe it's not you, but him? Maybe he's got a lot on his mind."

"Yeah, but why wouldn't he tell me? He tells me everything. We're closer than best friends."

"Maybe he doesn't know what to get you for Christmas." I scoffed.

"I doubt. He's being hostile. If he was confused he'd have asked Six or Holi or something and Six would have, like, asked me and tried to pass it off as nothing. It just doesn't make sense. And it seems like it's occurred to him to block his thoughts because I've tried to read it off his head but he's trying not to think about whatever it is."

"We all know that won't stop you. You could force yourself into his thoughts. Just touch him and you'll get all his past thoughts for a while."

"I'm not going to force him to let me know, Zane. If he wants to avoid me, then fine. I love him and I won't do anything that would make him hate me."

"Smart girl. But it seems like things are already bad enough."

"I'm waiting until I trip out and hit him and force it out of him. It's bound to happen with my temper. But, for now, while I'm in control, I won't do it."

"Alright. Well, best of luck to you."

"Thanks. I'll need it."

Focusing on Mass was one of the hardest things I'd ever had to do because Rex was tugging at the back of my mind. I barely socialised after the mass, just saying a quick 'Merry Christmas' to the priest. I had to beg Zane to drop me home quickly and he reluctantly complied. We were silent for the entire trip and I felt bad. Just as he pulled up in front of Providence, I shook my head and exhaled.

"Zane, I'm so sorry for this. I'm buying myself my own car so I won't be bothering you much. I'm sorry I'm making my problems affect you." He gave a half-smile.

"It's okay. He's your first boyfriend and you love him. I can talk to those people some other time. I understand." He leaned over and kissed my forehead, putting his arms around me for a tight hug for a long moment and I must admit it made me feel a tad bit better. It made me feel not so alone.

"Thanks, Zaney. Merry Christmas, hon."

"Merry Christmas. I'll come by with your present tomorrow."

"Okay. I'll have yours waiting. See you."

"See you." I got out of the car and it sped off. I slowly walked back into the building, through the halls, hands in my jacket pockets. Rex walked out of the hall from the bedrooms at the same time and there was a wary look on his face. I looked at him and decided to turn around and head to the cafeteria and hide from him before I did exactly what Zane had said I would. I heard him exhale as I walked.

"Nina, wait." I stopped and half-turned. "How—how was Mass?"

"Good."

"You went with Zane?"

"Yeah."

"Do—do you have plans for tonight?" I shrugged and turned and started walking away.

"It doesn't matter."

I had had plans. I was planning to sit on top of Providence with him in my arms and whisper into his ear that I loved him and wanted to be with him for as long as he lived, and then at midnight give him his present and he'd love it and I'd kiss him so much, so long and so intense that we'd almost pass out. I hadn't wanted a present. I just wanted to be with him. I sighed as I sat at one of the tables in the darkness and silence to wait for him to return to his room where I didn't have to see him. If he had really been trying to make it right just now, he would have run after me or made me stop. He let me go a little too easily. What had gone wrong with our love?

After ten minutes of my mind telling me that I was a coward for hiding here from him, I walked back out and headed to my room. It was going to be midnight very soon. I went to my room and changed into a short, silky, light pink lace rimmed nightgown Zane had given me as a harassment present and picked Rex's present off my dressing table. After a few seconds of twirling it in my hands, I walked back down the hall and rested it lightly on the floor half an inch from Rex's door. I stood there for a whole minute, wondering if I should have hacked the door and made it open because it was probably locked. Instead, I lifted my hand and knocked twice, turning just as quickly and going back to my room.

I turned on the Linkin Park on my MP4 player and tried to focus on the music until I fell into the oblivion of sleep.