WARNING: NIGHTMARES ARE PROHIBITED FROM READING THIS FANFICTION

"Mimzy? Mim," Nikki's polished fingers snapped in front of my eyes, pulling my out of my daze. I had been staring at a worker in Mona's, and now he looked at me awkwardly as he passed. Sighing, I took a sip of my coffee, absently playing with Jack's necklace.

"I'm sorry," I said quietly. The weight of a practically sleepless night crashed over me when Mom had woken me up around eleven, saying that Nikki was on the phone. Reluctantly, I had grabbed it and was suddenly bombarded with questions. Where have you been? What have you been doing? Have you been hanging out with him – shudder. I simply said that we could meet at Mona's for lunch and I'd answer (or try to) whatever she wanted to know.

Nikki sighed, and sipped her coffee while looking at me. I tried my best to smile, but I think that was what set her off. She set her cup down and crossed her arms on the table.

"You're not telling me something." Her blue eyes looked hard into mine, until I broke and looked at my hands. She swore. "Mim, this whole secrecy thing is really starting to piss me off."

"Sorry…"

"No, I don't think you are." I looked up at her, eyebrows down. "If you were sorry, you wouldn't have kept me waiting for this long."

My stomach dropped. What could she know? Did she… did she know about Jack? No, that's impossible. Nikki's great and all, but I hardly think that she would still believe in Santa, let alone Jack Frost.

I took a hesitant sip of my coffee before saying, "Well… what do you want to know?"

"Firstly," she held up her fingers to count off of them. "Where have you been? I haven't seen you in, like, almost forever. Secondly, what's going on with you? You look so tired."

Nikki touched my forearm kindly. My heart hurt because I couldn't honestly answer any of her questions without her thinking me a total nut-case. So, with a lie forming on my tongue, I said, "I got in trouble for spilling my mom's paints, so I've been grounded. And I've been having…nightmares." There. That last part was true, at least.

She didn't seem totally satisfied, but nodded and leaned back in her stool. "See? That wasn't so hard now, was it?"

You have no clue… I smiled and shook my head. I wanted to tell her, so bad. But she wouldn't believe me. Absently I rubbed the beads between my fingers, and was sparked with an idea.

I grabbed her hand and jumped up, pulling her towards the door.

"Mim! Where are we going?"

"You want answers?" I asked at the crosswalk.

"What? Of course. Mim, what's going on?"

I shook my head. "Not here. But…" I played with the beads, a stupid grin playing out on my face. "You've just gotta trust me, okay?"

We stood on the rooftop of my apartment building, huddling close together against the biting wind. The air was clean, as clean as New York air could be, and we stuck out faces deep into our scarves. Nikki looked worriedly at me, but refrained from saying anything when I pulled my glove off of my hand. I don't know why, but I feel as if I have to actually hold the bead against my skin for it to work. So, I grip one bead and look at my best friend.

"You have to promise me something," I said. She nodded, pulling back her hood.

"I won't say a word," she crossed her heart.

"That's not what I mean. You…" I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. "You won't believe me. You'll think I'm crazy."

Nikki took a tentative step towards me. "Mim, what's going on?"

"Nikki," I said, stepping up to meet her. "You won't believe me,"

"Yes, we established that you deepest darkest secret is going to be utterly insane," she said, then took my hands, "But I'm your best friend."

I give a look over her shoulder at the glass skyscrapers around us. Our reflections are ambling around on numerous rooftops, and I imagine a thousand different ways that this could go wrong.

"Jack Frost is real."

Nikki whips around, surveying the rooftop. "Mim, this isn't funny…"

"I'm not trying to be funny, Nikki," I hold up the necklace. "He gave this to me. He said that if I'm ever in trouble, I just crush one of the beads and he'll come."

"Right," Nikki placed her hands on her hips. "So where is he? Huh?"

"You have to believe in him. Like I believe in him."

Nikki sighs and shakes her head. I can feel that this won't go anywhere unless I make her believe. With the beads cool against my fingers, I take a step back.

"I'll show you," the back of my knee hits the stone wall that surrounds the rooftop. My heart beating faster than a hummingbird's wings, but I climb to stand on the top of the wall. Nikki rushes towards me.

"Mim, stop it,"

I'm clutching the necklace. I look hard at Nikki. "Just…trust me," and I jump.