I love you all! Seriously, I thought I would only get one review again, but I found myself surprised. I told you this was going to be fun.
I know; long chapter. Just the way everyone likes them. ;)
Remember: Reviews are more helpful than encouraging.
Disclaimer: In case everyone forgot…I own nothing to do with JONAS or any other famous musician mentioned in this chapter. OCs are mine, though. So, I guess that's something.
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"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Nick said while turning his iPod on. I was about to check on my appearance in the visor mirror just to see the damage. "Curiosity killed the girl who looked at her broken nose."
I put the visor back up in a huff, not even bothering to give a polite laugh at his lame joke. "How can you tell it's broken anyway? Are you a doctor?" Yeah, I'm being mean, but please tell me who wouldn't in my situation. I received a metal baseball bat to the face and I was dragged out of the school by people I barely knew. My only consolation was Nick having an awesome car. Black leather seats with a new car smell, and the Camaro was iPod compatible. As I said; awesome.
"I don't need to be a doctor," Nick said, pulling out onto the highway. "Your nose looks like a black-and-blue-with-red-all-over "Z"." He winced after hearing his own words and I did too. "Sorry, that was a bit crude." He cleared his throat awkwardly and continued trying to find a song to play, ignoring my outraged expression.
"It's fine…I guess," I said in defeat when my glare did not get the reaction I wanted. I decided to use my eyes to look out the passenger window. I could kind of see my reflection from the glass, and once I did, I almost wanted to cry. Nick's description had been spot on.
New Jersey rushed by in a blur of gray and green. I became content with window-gazing throughout the whole ride, but I also couldn't stand the awkward silence. Then again, did I really want to talk to the boy who had his brothers basically kidnap me? But…he's also willing to drive me to the hospital…so I guess Nick couldn't be that bad.
"Ah, there we are," Nick said under his breath. Music proceeded to play throughout the car. I guess he found the song he was looking for. "Do you like Stevie Wonder?"
I shrugged, listening as the catchy soulful tune met my ears. "I've never really listened to him before, but I do love music. This song sounds good though. What's it called?"
"'Superstition'," Nick answered, snapping his fingers along with the drum beats, "Possibly the best song ever written."
I laughed as I saw Nick basically "jam" (I put it in quotes because I don't consider a subtle head movement jamming) out to the R & B song. His curly hair lightly bounced back and forth from moving his head around in beat with the song.
"Who else do you like?" I asked. We both had time to kill since the traffic was a little heavy on the highway. The car literally inched forward as I spoke.
I found my question answered when another song played through the speakers.
It was probably the most random song to play after Stevie Wonder, too.
"You like Johnny Cash?" I asked in all astonishment once I heard the familiar country lull of "Ring of Fire." "I would have never guessed." Seriously, I thought Nick would listen to The Beatles or Nirvana all the time, or something along those lines. He is part of a rock band after all.
"Am I not allowed to like Johnny Cash?" Nick asked with a furrowed brow.
I shook my head, "No, I didn't mean it like that. I just never expected this song to play after Stevie Wonder."
"I like a lot of music," Nick said indifferently. Oh gosh, I hope I didn't offend him. I opened my mouth to apologize for the big hole in the middle of my face that sometimes had trouble shutting up, but the supposedly offended interrupted me.
"What type of music do you like?" he asked, throwing me off-guard. Okay, I guess he wasn't offended; which is good, but very confusing.
"I'm not too picky," I answered slowly, unsure of the questioner's intentions. Who knows? Nick might be setting me up for an embarrassing conversation. "I guess you could say I like everything…unless it's not good."
Wait, did that make any sense?
"What?" Nick asked, flicking his eyes off of the road and to me for a split second. "You like all music except for what you don't like?"
I guess it didn't.
"It makes sense to me," I replied defensively, crossing my arms. I waited for the insulting laughter to come from the musician sitting next to me, but a different reaction came instead.
A soft chuckle met my ears, and I turned from my brooding corner to see Nick with a small grin… Okay…I guess me making a fool of myself amused him, but it wasn't the bad type of amusement. You know, laughing at the expense of someone else's misfortune? The boy next to me appeared genuinely amused in his own, quiet way.
Not to mention Nick Lucas' grin was the most infectious grin I had ever seen. And let me tell you, I know a lot of people with good smiles: my parents, Van Dyke, Adam, just to name a few. But Nick Lucas…wow.
I shook my head when I realized I went into too much detail over a guy's facial expression. There's something I've never done before. Weird.
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"Yeah, it's definitely broken," the doctor said as he examined my nose with an annoyingly bright light. The painful poking and prodding wasn't necessary either.
Nick sat in the corner of the examination room, reading a book he had brought with him. Okay, now I'm starting to feel guilty over having him wait on me, but I kind of wimped out in the waiting room. That's right, I wimped out. And the whole waiting room moment went by as such:
Me: Oh gosh, the doctor's going to straighten my nose!
Nick: Yes, he is.
Me: It's going to hurt!
Nick: Yes, it is.
Me: I'm going to die!
Nick: No, you won't.
Me: I can't do this!
Nick: Yes, you can.
Me: Are you sure?
Nick: Yes, I am.
Me: Will you come with me?!
Nick: Yes, I will.
Argh! I can actually feel the guilt washing over me. Then again, I guess that's how he felt during the accident…
Well…I guess we're even then.
Wait, the doctor is talking again. Time to go back to the real world.
"I'm going to set the bone in place," the male doctor, who looked like he just hit his one-hundredth birthday a week ago, said to me. He tried to get near me again, but I backed away with wide eyes. I remember all of those times in horror movies where the guy/girl with the broken bone has it straightened. A loud pop and scream always follows.
"Young lady," the old man reprimanded me and my avoidance tactics. "Sit still. Or do you want a crooked nose for the rest of your life?" Now that is a difficult question. Pain? Or a crooked nose?
Nick cleared his throat, and I glanced up to see him giving me a look my dad would give me. The type of look that said, "Quit being a baby." Or, maybe it meant "Hurry up; I'm tired of waiting on you." Dang his hard-to-read face!
I paused and bit my lip. My eyes actually flickered between the door and the doctor. I could probably make a run away easily.
I shook my head over my immaturity and I took a shaky breath, steadying myself on the examination table.
"Okay," I squeaked and squeezed my eyes shut when the doctor placed his hands on my nose.
"I'm going to count to three," the doctor stated. I nodded, shaking all over, and waited for the imminent pain.
"One."
Goodbye world.
"Two."
Allison, Adam, you guys can have all of my CDs.
"Three."
CRACK!
"HOLY MOTHER OF-"
Believe me, the sentence continued and at the same ear-splitting volume. If the old guy wasn't deaf before, he is now. And Nick? His extremely wide eyes told me the loud noises emitting from my mouth scared him, but who gives a crap. I just experienced a butt-load of pain; Nick can deal with it. Imagine someone ripping your nose off at an awkward angle…and multiply it by three. Got it?
Thus ends my trip to the hospital.
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After an uneventful drive back to school parking lot, the sun had already set and the clock in the Camaro now read 7:00. All of my screaming in pain had tuckered me out so our uneventful drive was also a quiet drive. Well, except when my parents called in hysterics, wondering where I was. After the complicated call ended, the rest of the drive then went by in silence. I don't think either Nick or I minded, though, because it didn't feel awkward. There was the occasional comment on a random song playing, but other than that; peace and quiet.
Nick drove into the parking lot, and pulled up beside my car; a car which paled in comparison to the shiny, red Camaro beside it.
"Are you okay to drive home?" Nick asked as I opened the door.
"Yeah, I'm good," I said, gingerly touching the tape on my nose. "Thanks for the offer, though." I stepped out of the vehicle, and walked to the back of it, getting my bags from the back seat. But, before I left for my car, I definitely had to show my gratitude.
"Thank you for being my chauffer today, Nick," I said with a ghost of a smile because, anything bigger would hurt. "I know I wasn't grateful at all when I thought I was being kidnapped, but now I know have a lotto thank you for."
"It's no problem," he said, shaking his head sincerely. "And, I'm sorry this whole day didn't go the way you planned." Does this guy always act like the whole world rests on his shoulders?
I waved my hands in front of me and shook my head, "Whoa. As I said before, none of this is your fault. Everything that happened today was pure coincidence…pure, painful coincidence."
Nick's mouth opened, and he looked like he was about to say something else, but I really did not want to hear another apology come from him.
"Nick," I stated with finality. "Forget about it. Thanks for the ride. See you around." With that said, I grinned at the semi-shocked expression from the boy and closed the back door. I slung my bag on my back and walked to my car.
I turned the ignition on and felt the familiar rumble of my Corrolla, not to mention the familiar tune of "Bohemian Rhapsody" playing through my speakers. Before putting my car in reverse I glanced out my side window and saw the red Camaro still parked beside me. A chuckle escaped my lips when I realized what Nick was doing.
He was making sure I got out of the parking lot okay.
Another note to self: Allison has great taste in guys.
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"I'm home!" I called out once I entered my house. I really did not expect my parents to have already been waiting by the front door. When I walked in, they scared the crap out of me.
"Jane!" My mother exclaimed, engulfing me in a bear hug. I then had no more air in my lungs.
"Mom," I choked out, trying to push the woman off of me. Dang her strong arms!
"We were so worried!" My father added in the same tone of the person crushing me…and then he decided to turn the already painful hug into a group hug.
"ACK! Stop it!" I love hugs; they're great. This, however, is ridiculous. I struggled again.
What is it with me and struggling today…?
"Sorry, dear," I heard my mom apologize as she graciously let me go along with my dad. "Let me look at you."
I stood uncomfortably under my parents' gaze as they basically stared in horror at my nose. After the doctor straightened and bandaged my nose, I finally got up the courage to take a look in a regular mirror. Instead of looking like a "Z," it now just looked like somebody painted my nose black and blue and stuck medical tape on there for fun.
"Are you guys going to stare all day? Because I have homework…not to mention I'm so hungry I could eat an entire buffet." I had to start on my horrifying French poem, and my stomach had continuously growled for the past three hours. Nick had offered to stop somewhere to eat, but I really couldn't put him through any more trouble. I'm sure the Jonas member had a busy evening schedule anyways, like most celebrities usually did. You know, I'm actually surprised the Lucas brothers had time to go to a regular school and share their music with the entire world altogether.
Oh wait, my mom's saying something.
"Jane? Did you hear me?" My mom asked with concern. "The doctor didn't drug you up did he?"
I shook my head with a laugh, "No, he didn't. He gave me a prescription, but it's nothing major. What were you saying?"
"She wondered who drove you to the hospital," my dad explained, gathering my school bags up in his arms. "You never told us on the phone. We assumed it was either Adam or Allison, but you just pulled into the driveway all by yourself."
This will be fun to explain.
"Funny story actually," I laughed again, but when I saw the serious expressions on my parents' faces, I shut up. Geez, they hadn't even heard the story yet. "Adam and Allison were busy with things they had no control over. Nick Lucas drove me…" Wow, that statement sounded weird but strangely easy to say. I also expected a more grandiose reaction from my parents.
My mom put a finger up to her mouth out of concentration, "Nick Lucas? For some reason the name sounds very familiar."
My dad nodded in agreement, "Yeah…I think I saw his name somewhere in the newspaper this morning."
I snorted out loud, catching my parents off guard. "Sorry, but your obliviousness to teen pop culture amuses me." Unfortunately, my remark did not amuse them. I guess I'm not as funny as I thought. "Anyways…" I continued, though in a more depressed manner, "Nick Lucas is the boy in the platinum-selling album band, JONAS."
Recognition finally appeared in my parents eyes, and they both laughed excitedly.
"Wow," my dad breathed, throwing an arm around my shoulders, "I didn't know you had it in you, Jane. Asking a famous musician to drive you to the hospital."
"I can't believe you dragged Nick of Jonas all the way to the hospital," my mom put her face in her hands, laughing incredulously, but then her face turned serious. "That is no way to treat someone, Jane."
I shrugged my dad's arm off in a huff, "He and his crazy brothers were the ones who dragged me. I had no choice in the matter." Was it so hard to believe I was the victim during a crisis? Apparently so, because my parents had skeptical expressions etched onto their faces. "Fine, don't believe me. I barely believe how my day went either. I'm just going to go and collapse on my bed and sulk, okay?"
My dad brought my stuff upstairs, and my mom told me she would make me some comfort food (which usually involved pancakes drenched in syrup). I plopped down on my bed, and just lay there, staring face up for a few moments. I mostly recollected everything that happened today, and what a day it was.
Actually, I probably shouldn't say "was," something else could happen.
And, of course, my cell phone rings after I think that.
I groaned and rolled over, snatching my cell phone out of my purse which lay by my bed. Ah, it's Allison. I flipped my phone open and rested the receiver against my ear.
"Tell me everything," the blonde's voice immediately ordered.
"I'm fine, by the way," I answered flatly. "Thanks for asking."
"What?" Allison asked defensively. "If you weren't fine, you wouldn't bother answering your phone." Dang, she knows me well.
I sighed, "Nothing exciting happened…well, when I cursed the world after I got my nose straightened, I did see some very comical faces from Nick and the doctor."
I heard Allison laugh on the other line, "Nothing too bad, I hope."
I winced when I remembered a few words that had popped out of my mouth, "If I got Nick Lucas to show some emotion, I think it was pretty bad." I could see it on the news: Nick Lucas was put in a mental institution from bearing witness to a frightening girl screaming every curse word ever invented. The sad part to that thought was that it had a high probability of actually happening.
"I heard he was kind of stoic in that way, it's kind of sexy," Allison mused and I wanted to laugh at her awkward use of the word "sexy." It sounded like a foreign word to her.
I decided to give her all of the details about the drive to and from the hospital; how Nick and I listened to music…which is all we really did. So my feedback only lasted five minutes.
"That's all?" Allison asked, sounding disappointed. I kind of felt bad for my friend and her nervousness on having a first crush. I wish I could help her more, but the fates were against me today. At least I tried.
"Yeah," I mumbled, but then brightly added, "However, I now know that Nick likes strawberry smoothies, and that he is a perfect gentleman!" Not much information, but I considered the latter very helpful. "So, if you wanted to talk to him, he definitely wouldn't ignore you. You should try it Allison."
I heard silence on the other end. I probably scared the poor girl by mentioning such an "impossible"task. I put a hand to my forehead and sighed. "You know…you will eventually have to talk to him. I tried getting information, I really did, but I think the best results will come from you talking to him."
"I know," I heard Allison finally mutter. "But, how?"
"You say 'hi,'" I stated slowly. "Trust me, it works."
Another pause followed, but Allison did eventually mumble something along the lines of, "Okay."
I pumped my fist in the air and sat up on my bed with a smile. "Alright! You can do it! Don't wor-"
"If you come with me."
My fist fell down limply along with the rest of my body, "Why don't you ask Adam?" I whined. Not that I didn't want to help her or anything, but after my episode at the hospital I think Nick would prefer not to see or hear me talk any time soon. "I think Nick and him have gym together anyway-"
"No!" Allison blurted out, making me jump a little.
"Why not?" I asked incredulously. "You and Adam are friends, and he would most likely do it for you. That guy can never say no to you, for some reason." It's true, and so unfair. Adam may be the nicest person alive, but even he refuses to do something for me sometimes. Allison, on the other hand, he would do anything for her. If she needs someone to go to the store with her late at night, Adam does it. If she needs a yoga partner, he goes with her (after I say no to her quite vehemently). Heck, if Allison needed to go to France, Adam would probably rent a private jet just to get her there. Adam does favors for me when I need them the most, but with Allison, there's something different…something more substantial.
I wonder why.
There was a nervous clearing of the throat on the receiver, and I frowned. "What's wrong?"
"Um…Adam and I aren't…speaking…at the moment," Allison said, sounding like she had a bad taste in her mouth.
My jaw went slack. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me, Jane," Allison answered roughly. "We got into a fight while we waited by your car after school. We were talking about how our day went, and then out of nowhere Adam says I should find someone else to like. I told him to mind his own business when it concerned someone I liked, and then he tells me it is his business…and then you get dragged out of the school by two-thirds of JONAS."
My mouth was now wide open, "What is his problem?!"
"I've never seen him like this before, so I have no idea. But, obviously this is all somehow my fault," Allison said, actually sounding confused, hurt, concerned, and angry all at the same time.
Who does Adam think he is? He told me he was fine earlier today, and then acts like a complete jerk to Allison! I am so confused and furious. I never thought I'd want to hit Mr. Smiley in the face, but right now I could do with Macy "accidentally" dropping a baseball bat on his face. She does owe me one after all.
"You know what? Forget Adam," I said with new determination. I was going to get Nick and Allison together if it killed me! "I'll go with you to talk to Nick tomorrow, and you two are going to hit it off so well that he will- he will…um, I don't know what Nick will do, but I'm sure that it's going to be amazing!"
Sometimes I really wish I would think things through.
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"Okay, there's your target," I said to Allison in a spy voice, as we peeked around a corner in the school hallway. The Lucas brothers appeared to be having a normal conversation with each other.
Or as normal a conversation can get when Kevin suddenly danced for five seconds…
Oh well, who doesn't love a five second dance party?
Oh, apparently Nick doesn't. If looks could kill…
"Are you ready?" I asked in anticipation.
"No," Allison breathed out.
"Too bad." I grabbed the petite girl's arm and dragged her from behind the corner. If I didn't force her, we both knew she wouldn't budge.
"Nonononononono!" Allison hissed rapidly, and pulled back. Unfortunately, her height was no match for me.
I hope no onlooker mistook me for dragging a little kid around…because that embarrassing occurrence has already happened. My parents definitely did not appreciate getting a call from the principal explaining their daughter might need psychiatric help.
Pfft, as if I'm crazy-
Oh look! There's a smudge on the wall that so looks like the Kool-aid man! I wrote a song about him once…
Right, back to pulling Allison against her will towards the Lucas brothers.
"Hey, Nick!" I called out, ignoring the many colorful words firing out of Allison's mouth as I dragged her with me. I smiled when I saw the three boys acknowledge me.
I immediately frowned when Joe and Kevin flinched at what I knew was my face. Yeah, I am embarrassed to have a huge bandage covering the middle of my face and then go to school where everyone can see it. I can't do anything about it, though, so I'll let Joe and Kevin's reaction slide…this time.
Allison had given up struggling, and now hid behind me.
"Hi," Nick greeted with a nod and a ghost of a grin. His brow furrowed slightly when he noticed an extra pair of legs behind mine.
"Hey," I said, trying to hold back a laugh when I heard Allison muttering behind me. I would have loved to continue the short round of amused glances from Kevin, Nick, and Joe, but I had a purpose. I grinned and spun around, pushing Allison in front of me. The poor girl looked like a deer caught in the headlights, but I wouldn't stand for silence between her and her crush.
Wow…either Allison shrank a few inches, or I just never noticed how tall Nick actually stood; or the other brothers for that matter. My friend resembled a child with her three older brothers scolding her because everyone literally towered over her.
Huh, Nick's even taller than me.
Why do I keep smiling about this?
"Nick," I snapped out of my strange thoughts, and gestured to the frozen blond standing in front of me, "This is one of my best friends, Allison Harris."
I had hoped for a better reaction from Allison other than a squeak.
"Nice to meet you," Nick politely extended his hand towards Allison who stared at the limb dumbly. I nudged her which jolted the girl out of her stupor. She shakily put her hand in Nick's and shook it.
Perfect. I'm a genius. I can already hear the music of love! Wait. Never mind, that was the alarm on my phone.
"Likewise," Allison said quietly and immediately let go of his hand. There, now a beautiful relationship can develop-
Wait a minute, why is she backing away?
Allison had looked down and started to move away, confusing me and the Lucas brothers. Wasn't she going to stay and talk to her crush? I gave her a questioning stare, but the girl never looked up, but I swore her face turned as red as my hair.
Aw, adorable! Even if she just embarrassed herself by running away…and totally left me as the person who would receive the uncomfortable stares.
Allison and I are going to have a chat in the near future concerning her lack of communication skills.
"What's an elementary school girl doing in this school?" Joe questioned after a long pause.
Kevin gasped, "Maybe she's a genius! A prodigy."
I cleared my throat and glared at Joe and Kevin who looked like they were totally in the moment. The only people who were allowed to make fun of Allison's height were either me or Adam. "She's sixteen…" And definitely not a genius.
What? It's the truth. I was nice enough not to say it out loud, so give me credit.
"No way!" Joe exclaimed, earning a nudge from Nick.
"Remember what I said about not talking?" the youngest Lucas said pointedly to his older brothers.
Joe scoffed, "You only tell it to us all the time."
"There's a reason, trust me," Nick explained, rolling his eyes and turned back towards me. "Sorry about that. How are you?"
"I've been better," I gestured to my nose, but shrugged. "How are you?" I hope the headline I thought of earlier never made it into print.
"I've been better," the boy gestured slightly to his older brothers. Kevin and Joe didn't notice the non-verbal insult coming from Nick since Stella had arrived. She appeared to be talking animatedly about the red, silken shirt in her hands. My eyes, however, stayed on the boy flicking the curls out his eyes. This guy can't only be sixteen. He acts so mature, and even looks like he should attend college.
"You know," I started thoughtfully, catching the attention of Nick, "you act older than you really are." I noticed it the other day, and since I am on speaking terms with the guy I might as well use the opportunity to get to know him.
I can't help it…Nick Lucas is an interesting individual.
His usual, unfazed, intense expression flickered for a second. I guess he didn't expect me to make a comment as such.
"Well," Nick clicked his tongue and turned back to where his older brothers were, "I kind of have to be."
"Interesting," I mused, and yeah, it really did interest me. The youngest brother acting the most mature; one doesn't see that often.
Unfortunately, the bell rang, so I had to cut my musings short. Plus, Nick looked a tad uncomfortable from my observation. "Sorry, I can be blunt sometimes," I apologized while readjusting my book bag. "Anyways, I have to get going. The social science building is on the other side of campus." I nodded my head goodbye and decided to make a hasty exit before I made another forthright statement.
"Wait up," I heard Nick call out. I furrowed my brow and glanced back to see the youngest Lucas say a quick farewell to his brothers and Stella, and then casually make his way to my side. "I have my first period in that building. I'll walk with you."
I guess he didn't mind my observation.
"Sounds good. I always love company," I walked on and smiled as Nick and I continued chatting.
"What's your first class?" he asked.
If I hadn't known Nick was introverted in his way of speech, I would have considered him a person uninterested in anything I had to say. Luckily I knew, so I didn't let the flat tone get to me. I also hope he doesn't talk like that during his concerts…otherwise the girls on the Jonas fan sites have grossly exaggerated the fun they had.
"AP American History," I answered as we turned the corner. "I have Mr. Roberts. It's a good class, though I prefer World History."
The boy next to me nodded lightly, and I couldn't help but notice how addicting it was to watch his chocolate-brown curls bounce across his eyes. If Allison had decided not to chicken out, she could witness the same sight, I thought while mentally shaking my head in shame over my friend's spontaneous shyness.
Reluctantly removing my eyes from Nick's features (he looked my way, so I couldn't be caught staring), I decided to continue this nice conversation we were having. "What class do you have now?"
"Geography," he answered with a ghost of smile. I guess that means he really likes it.
"Is that one of your favorite classes?" I asked, noticing the slight change in demeanor. It was hard to read Nick at first, but as we talked more I found myself learning more about him.
I kind of like it.
Allison would like it too, if she stuck around more than a few seconds.
"Yeah," Nick responded, looking a little confused over my guess. I shrugged it off, and opened the main door. "You know, I think we have a class together."
I whipped my head towards him in surprise as we walked outside towards the small building to our right. "Seriously? No…I would have noticed. I know a lot of people in all of my classes. And, the girls would sigh dreamily if you were in the same class as them." Adam has gym with him, and he always tells me how distracting it is when he hears the girls on the other side cheer Nick on when he did something awesome…for example…tying his shoes can bring quite the uproar.
"I can stay low-key if I'm on my own," Nick replied, sticking his hands in his pockets. Surprisingly, he didn't seem offended over me not noticing him at all. Every time I forget to say 'hi' to either Van Dyke or Adam, they sulk like little girls. I now hold a high appreciation of this musician's maturity.
"The only class I can't go unnoticed in is gym," he continued. Is that disturbance I see in his eyes? Good grief, I guess Adam didn't over-exaggerate about gym at all.
We both entered the social science building, and Nick turned to go down a different hallway.
"Wait a sec," I stopped him, and he turned back inquisitively. "What class do we have together?" If I had a class with Nick, that would be awesome. I do like talking to him. As I said, he's interesting.
"You'll see," he replied simply with his signature grin, and walked away.
I remained standing in the hallway, not sure of anything going on around me. The people who walked by didn't even catch my attention.
There were two reasons for this:
Reason number one- Nick Lucas never answered my question.
Reason number two- That awesome grin of his kind of fried my brain for unknown reasons.
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After a short moment of gaining back my composure, I raced the rest of the way to my American History class. I plopped down in my seat just as the bell rang.
I felt a pair of eyes staring at me, but I stayed oblivious. Adam is trying to silently apologize to me. Tough cookies, man. You deserve to feel guilty; after the way you treated Allison and I for the past two days.
Adam is lucky I don't…well, I'm not that violent, so forget punching him in the face. A loud verbal attack sounds more like something I'd do.
Good plan.
"Jane," Adam started, sounding depressed.
"Adam," I responded flatly. Instead of yelling at him, I think I'll just give him the cold shoulder.
Another good plan.
Mr. Roberts started checking the role, which meant no more talking. Fine by me.
I continued to face forward in my seat, keeping my mouth shut. I opened my notebook for future class notes, but Adam obviously wanted to talk to me. He tore a sheet of paper out of his notebook, scribbled down something, and slapped the paper on my desk. The loud noise caught me off guard so I almost fell out of my seat.
Mr. Roberts gave me the teacher-glare which I, in-turn, gave to Adam. The boy simply motioned for the note he gave me. I obliged with a sigh, and read the horribly-written sentence on the note
I need to tell you something.
The non-informative statement brought a snort from me, earning another glare from Mr. Roberts. He's a good teacher, but he hates any kind of disruption. I sent him a non-verbal apology, and turned back to Adam with a raised brow.
"Thatwas a great explanatory note," I whispered sarcastically.
"Either way, can I at least explain something to you?" Adam asked quietly, almost a step away from begging.
Wanting to be enlightened about his strange behavior, I nodded my head and gave back the note. After a few moments of waiting, I glanced to his paper and saw Adam had written nothing. I looked up to his face, and saw he was contemplating seriously over what he was going to write.
Is the reason that serious?
I began to worry, and my imagination went into overdrive.
Is Adam dying from a serious illness that he forgot to mention until now? Is he moving, and the distress from leaving Allison and I caused him to have a mental breakdown? Or, did he commit a serious crime in which case the police have finally found out it was him, and he's going to go to jail for the rest of his life-
Oh, Adam handed back the note. Sigh, it's another single sentence response. That kid really needs to work on communicating-
I'm in love with Allison.
Eh?
Let's read it again. My eyes must be playing tricks on me.
I'm in love with Allison.
…
Eh?
…
WHAT?
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"You're in love with Allison?" I whispered frantically to Adam as we left American History. My brain had fried (yet again) after I finally comprehended what the note meant. I now had my speech back, and I latched onto my friend as we made our way to AP Statistics.
"Sorry I never told you," Adam apologized with a pained expression.
"It's fine," I said incredulously. How could I have not seen it? Adam and Allison have been my best friends for years, and I never noticed the change in the boy walking next to me. "How long have you liked her?!"
"Since the beginning of summer," he admitted, looking around him and making sure no one listened in on our conversation.
My mouth dropped open, but closed again when we entered our math classroom. We took our usual seat in the back, and I continued to gaze at Adam with a dumbfounded expression. Though, I did take a millisecond break to see if AP Statistics was the class Nick attended without my knowing.
Nope, no Nick.
And yeah, I'm a tad disappointed.
I continued staring at Adam with the same attitude as before.
Four months, and I never noticed…does that make me a terrible friend?
Well, if it doesn't make me a terrible friend, then my trying to set up Allison with Nick does.
"I'm sorry," I said with my head in my hands, but I heard an extra voice say the same thing. Adam and I had apologized simultaneously. We laughed lightly, and everything between us felt normal again…or as normal as it was going to get.
Except for the extreme confusion building up in my mind and in my heart. I made a quick, mental diary entry.
Dear self,
You have two awesome friends. One is in love with the other, but the other is in love with someone else. Do I set up the other with that someone else…or do I set up the one who is in love with the other with the other?!
God help me.
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Of course there's a twist, muahahahahaha! Oh the drama. Anyways, I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. Nick and Jane are becoming friends! Huzzah!! And, I wonder what class they have together…? Hmmmm… ;)
Please review so I know people are actually reading this and actually like it.
Next chapter should come out tomorrow or maybe later tonight... I already wrote it, I just need to review it. Everything is going to be in moderation.