"So," Nick starts, taking a bite of his pizza. "Ooh, hot!"
Miley giggles. "So?" she repeats.
He picks up a book that was on the coffee table. "Why do you read?"
Demi looks over at him and frowns a little. "That's a weird question. Don't you read?"
Nick shakes his head. "I used to. My brother and I used to read books together all the time. But after my parents divorced and Joe moved in with our father, I just...stopped." He shakes his head again. "So. Why do you?"
"Because..." She stops for a second. She absentmindedly feeds some of her pizza to Bella, who was resting on her lap. "Because when I read, I can escape reality for a little while. I can fall in love, and make new friends. I can go to Italy, or to Paris, or to Africa. I'm happy when I read."
Nick stares at her. "Wow."
"Is that a good 'wow' or a bad 'wow'?"
"Neither." Nick smiles at Demi. "It's a great wow." He glances at the clock. "I should get going." He grabs his book bag and stands up. "Thanks for the pizza."
Demi nods, holding a sleeping Bella close to her. "Same time tomorrow?"
Nick nods that time. "I'll be here." He stares at her for a second.
"What?"
"I don't know." He tilts his head to the side. "It's crazy but I think I may actually like you."
Demi feels her face get hot. "Really?"
Nick nods and puts his fingers to his lips. "But shh, don't tell anyone." He turns around and walks out the door.
Demi watches him leave. "Why do I feel like this, Bells? I can't fall for him. I know he'll just break my heart. What am I supposed to do?"
"Hey, where we you last night?" Taylor asks the next day at school. "I wanted to see if you wanted to go clubbing, hook up with some hot girls." He pauses. "Let me guess, you were with your new fuck buddy, weren't you? Is she hot? Help a friend out and hook me up."
"What happened to Selena?" Nick wonders.
Taylor shrugs. "She got boring. Had to ditch her."
Nick rolls his eyes. "I wasn't with a girl last night," he starts.
"Hey, Nick," Demi says, interrupting him.
Nick groans and rolls his eyes. "What?"
Demi hands him a book. "You left this at my house last night."
Nick groans once more and grabs the book from her. He glares at her until she gets the hint and walks away.
Taylor laughs loudly. "You were at herhouse last night?! Oh, my God, dude. You blew me off for her?" He laughs again, louder.
Nick knows Demi can hear him. Hell, the whole schoolcan hear him. He saw Demi's shoulders slump but doesn't move from his spot. He looks at Taylor and pushes him again.
"Shut up. I have to work with her for this project." He rolls his eyes once more. "Trust me; I'd rather work with anyoneother than her."
"Can't you get a different partner? I mean, that kid with the bad acne and BO would be a better partner than the nerd."
"You don't think I tried? Demi's the only one left."
"Then why don't you just work by yourself?"
"Because I needa good grade on this, Taylor. If I worked on it by myself, I'd for sure fail. At least with Demi, I don't have to do allthe work."
"Whoa." Taylor holds up his hand. "You're actually doingwork?"
"I have to. Demi said she'd tell Mrs. Lawson if I don't."
Taylor shakes his head. "I'm telling ya, that girl hasto have a crush on you." He laughs. "But that's so disgusting. Don't even think about doing her."
"Ew, nasty. Never in a million years will that happen."
"Although…" Taylor lets his voice trail off.
"Although?" Nick repeats.
"Maybe she needs to get laid," Taylor suggests "She seems to be really uptight. A good banging might be just what she needs."
Nick has to bite his bottom lip to keep himself from defending Demi. Taylor's wrong, Nick knows. Demi isn't uptight. She's just misunderstood. By her classmates, by her dad…by Nick.
"What are you doing tonight?" Taylor asks a few seconds later. When Nick hesitates, Taylor stares at him. "Don't tell me you're going over to her house again?!"
"I have to, Taylor. We're almost done the project. The sooner we're done, the sooner I can stop going to her house. Hopefully we'll finish it tonight and then I won't have to spend time with her everagain."
Taylor rolls his eyes. "Whatever, dude."
Demi looks up as the door opened. "You're early, Nick. It's not even four yet." She stares at the man standing in her doorway. "D–Daddy, what are you doing here?"
"I live here," he replies nastily, his words slurring. "Who's this Nick you were talking about?"
"A friend from school, Dad. We have to work on a project." She leans down and whispers to Bella, "Hide."
Bella looks at Demi for a minute and then quietly takes off for her room.
Her father walks toward the sofa and slaps Demi in the face. "You're a slut," he spits at her. "Just like your mother was."
Demi holds her cheek and looks at her father with hatred in her eyes. "Why don't you just leave like she did? I'd be better off on my own anyway. Without you, with no one but me and Bella."
"You'd be dead in a week if I weren't here," he says.
Demi scowls at him. "You're killing me a little bit more every day you hit me, every time you...rape me. Don't act like you care about me now."
"No one cares about you," he replies. "Don't you get that? You're a slut, and a whore, and no one gives a shit about you. If they did, someone would have taken you away from here a long time ago. But they haven't, and you're still here, and no one cares about you."
Demi swallows hard, knowing her father was right. She tries to keep her tears back—she always hates crying in front of this man—but it doesn't work and she starts to sob.
Her father laughs loudly. "You are such a fucking cry baby." He grabs her roughly and pushes her down onto the sofa, getting on top of her. "I'll shut you up." His hands move to his belt, undoing it, not taking his eyes off of Demi once.
"P—please don't," she whimpers, closing her eyes.
She knows not to cry when he does this. The first time she did, he beat her so bad she couldn't even walk the next day. She usually just closes her eyes and thinks about something, anything else. But this time she just can't. She starts to sob again.
"Shut up, you fucking bitch," her father says, slapping her across the face. That just makes her cry more, though, so he hits her once again.
"Daddy," Demi says, fear in her eyes, looking up at him. "Please don't."
Her father just shakes his head. "You asked for this." He takes the belt off and turns her over so her back is to him.
Demi closes her eyes again and waits for the pain to come.
"Do you want to go clubbing tonight?" Zac asks over the phone.
"Can't," Nick replies. "Have stuff to do."
"Dude, you're turning down a chance to get drunk and fuck some seriously hot girls because you 'have stuff to do'? Who are you and what have you done with my friend?"
Nick rolls his eyes. "Life isn't all about going out and getting drunk and sleeping with every woman you see, Zac."
Zac frowns at his phone. "Yes, it is!" he protests. "Getting drunk and fucking every woman I see is a great life!"
Nick rolls his eyes again and hangs up without saying goodbye. He really needs to reevaluate his friendships. He shoves the phone in his pocket and walks to the front door.
"Where are you going?" his mother wonders, looking from the kitchen table.
"Out," Nick says simply.
"Nick," his mother starts, "can we talk? Please?"
Nick sighs heavily and stops, looking in at her. Then he scowls, remembering the lies she said about his father.
"No," he tells her. "I'll be home late tonight."
His mom sighs and wipes at her eyes as he leaves. He walks quickly to Demi's house, not liking this feeling she gives him.
Youcan'tfallforher, he told himself. She'sanerdandageek.Ifpeopleknowyoulikeher,you'llgetridiculedfortherestofyourlife!
He stops outside of Demi's house and thinks for a second. He's forced out of his thoughts by a loud scream.
"Daddy!"