Putting down my book and leaning back in my chair, I looked around, taking in the distinct lack of people. I checked my watch, 1:15. Why did that seem important? I didn't get much time to mull it over before I heard a high pitched shriek.

'There she is! Over by the Lemon!' The trademark squeal followed by running told me who was coming. Though it didn't prepare me for what came next.

At first I expected them to sit at the table and interrogate me, though this idea was quickly dismissed. What happened next is still a bit fuzzy, though I do distinctly remember Jen's cry of 'Get her!' and Caitlin's plea of 'Please Nikki, this is for your own good' though at the time I was still trying to register what was going on. There was a loud scrape as they pulled me off the chair, followed by a Thunk! as I slipped on my bag and smacked my head off the table, nearly knocking me unconscious. I didn't put up much of a fight as they marched me out of the mall and into the bright afternoon light of the parking lot. Jude, being a year older than us and technically able to drive, was waiting in his mom's old station wagon for us to come. They shoved me in the backseat and sat on either side of me to make sure I didn't try to escape.

As he started to drive out, Jude half turned and said 'I'm really sorry 'bout this bra.' I sneered at the back of his head, but gave up the struggle. The battle was lost anyways. I resigned myself to staring blankly out the windshield as we got closer and closer to Jen's house. I tried to jumpstart my brain into thinking of a way out of this, but nothing came. I was screwed.

We reached Jen's house what felt like about ten seconds. Jen and Caitlin resumed their positions as guards, securely grabbing onto an arm each, and dragged me out of the car. They hauled me up the stairs and into the front porch, just a bit more roughly than necessary. Only after the door of Jen's room had been shut behind us did they let go of me. I walked over to Jen's bed and sank down as they continued to stare at me.

'This can go one of two ways. Either 1 – You tell us what's wrong and we spend the rest of the night girls' night style, or 2 – you keep being stubborn and we go ahead with the intervention.' Jen crossed her arms and waited. I sighed and buried my head in my hands. This was going to be a long night.

Curled up on the corner of Jen's bed, I felt Caitlin and Jen glowering at me from across the room. It had been two hours now, and I hadn't said a word. And believe me; it wasn't from lack of trying on their part. They reasoned, begged, pleaded. They guessed, compromised, they even got angry and tried tough love. And now they were just glaring. I wasn't sure if I appreciated the silence, at least they'd stopped pestering me, but now I had no way of knowing what they were thinking. The more I thought about, the easier the idea of putting two and two together became. It seemed ridiculous to me, laughable, that they had no idea. Or maybe they did. Maybe they were just humoring me, getting me to come out to them before telling me they'd known all along. But maybe I was being paranoid. Just when the silence was getting to me, Jen cleared her throat.

'That's it. I give up! You're obviously not going to tell us, which is stupid because it's only who you like. It's not even a big deal! I don't know what your problem is, why can't you just trust us? Aren't we your best friends? Isn't that what we're for?'

Ouch. That one touched a nerve.

'Can't you see? This is killing me. I want to tell you guys more than anything, but I can't. It's not as simple as 'who do you like' if it was don't you think I'd've told you by now?' I tried very hard to keep my voice steady, not to show the emotion that was now welling up inside of me, threatening to break through.

'I don't know what to think anymore. I thought we were your friends, I thought that meant something!'

'It does! How could say it doesn't? Look, I'm not ready to tell anyone yet, okay? So could you just fuck off for a while?' Jen stood up a little straighter as I said this.

'So that's how it is, is it? Nikki, I don't know what the hell your problem is, but you've been acting differently ever since me and Jude got together. It feels like I don't even know you anymore. I thought it was nothing, it would go away if I gave you some space, but obviously – ' I cut her off.

'Give me some space?! When did you ever give me space? Every single thing I do sends you breathing down my neck. I don't know how Jude can stand it!' I was practically shouting now.

'Don't bring him into this! He has nothing to do with it. Nikki, I swear to God, if you don't tell what's wrong, I'm leaving. I don't need this, not from you.'

'You wanna know what's wrong? You wanna know what's fucking wrong?! How 'bout the fact that I'm standing here screaming at my best friend? Or maybe that I can't hang out with the group anymore because the sight of you and Jude together turns my stomach? Or what about the fact that I'm with a guy I feel nothing for, he's like my brother, and I can't break up with him because I wouldn't hurt him for the world. My life is fucking crashing down around me, while I just watch, pretending everything's okay when it's not!'

'But what the hell does any of that have to do with me?'

'It has everything to do with you!'

'You're not making sense! For fuck sake Nikki, spit it out!'

Maybe it was hearing Jen swear, or maybe it was the seriousness of the situation, or the fact that everything seemed to hinge on this one moment in time, but something made me snap.

'I'm fucking in love with you, that's what's wrong!'

Silence. Jen's jaw dropped. Her eyes seemed to fill with tears, but before anyone had a chance to say anything, she's turned and walked out. It was only then that I noticed Caitlin was still in the room. She stared at me, slightly horrified, and I noticed she was clutching my book.

'Nikki…'

Author's Note – Sorry, I know it's short and it's been a ridiculously long time, and I also know this chapter sucks, though an actual plot eludes me at the moment. Oh well, cookies will stimulate my brain.