Chapter 3 He loves me, he loves me not

Randolph and Nick were both heading home after baseball practice. It was a warm Thursday afternoon and the boys decided that instead of taking the bus back home, they could walk back and enjoy the fresh air.

Unlike DZ, Randolph was definitely the calmer and quieter one out of Nick's closest friends. And Nick actually really enjoyed his company because the two of them were similar in this way. They both agreed that DZ can be a bit too much at times.

"I can't believe we don't have a replacement yet and our first game is this Sunday," Randolph started off saying. "You know it's a bad sign when we start a season without a mascot."

Nick chuckled and replied, "You're always so superstitious. So what's one game without a mascot? Besides it's not like we won't have one for the whole season. They're holding auditions so it won't be long before we meet our new Chester."

"Yeah, that's true. But your brother is irreplaceable. He brought Chester the Panther to life like no one else."

"I'll make sure to tell Kev that," Nick replied in an amused voice. Out of his brothers, Kevin definitely embodied school spirit the most. He really did energize the crowd.

I wonder who the new mascot will be, he thought to himself.

"Anyway, I'm starving," Randolph said as he and Nick gathered their book bags and turned the corner from Horace Mantis Academy. "We should get something to eat."

"I might have some food actually," Nick said as he rummaged through his bag.

"Awesome. Anything will do," his friend replied as he chugged the last bit of his bottled water and successfully threw his empty bottle into the nearest trash bin. "So I guess this is a good sign, no?"

"What is?"

"You know…about Macy? She still hasn't come up to you yet so you don't have to worry," Randolph said quickly. "I mean you honestly aren't going through with DZ's stupid idea."

"Are you kidding me? No way." Nick replied as he managed to grab the batch of cookies from the very girl they were talking about. "I swear DZ needs to get his head check or something because his logic in this makes absolutely no sense. There's no way Penny will get jealous if I start 'dating' Macy. No offense to her but Macy's kind of like a social pariah."

"I wouldn't say that. I mean yeah she's different but that's not a bad thing," Randolph said in a softer tone.

"Then you should go out with her," Nick replied jokingly.

"Wh-aat? Why would-uh-I do that. I mean that's such a crazy idea…" his blonde haired friend replied abruptly. "Plus, she's like obsessed with you, which –no offense- is still a mystery to me. I mean you don't really talk to her…"

"You would think someone who's obsessed with you would put some time and effort into making these," Nick said disgusted as he spat out the last bit of cookie that was in his mouth.

"Oh come on it can't be that bad," Randolph said as he grabbed one cookie. He was so hungry any food would satisfy his cravings but one bite into it and his appetite soon vanished.

"She forgot to take out the egg shells!" Nick said as he examined the cookie closely and sure enough each piece was full of white specks. Macy really was a bad cook.

"It's the thought that counts, right?" Randolph said as he chuckled to himself because he found the whole mishap to be quite amusing. "I thought Nick Lucas always appreciates his fans."

"Yeah I do but this deserves a whole other level of appreciation," Nick replied as he shook his head and discarded the rest in the nearby trash can.

"Anyway, are you going to Keith's party next Friday?"

Nick sighed and replied, "I wasn't really planning on it. I never really enjoyed going to those things. That was more of Penny's scene. Are you going?"

"Probably. But yeah I guess it will be good if you didn't come since you know she's probably going to be there."

"It's not like I'm avoiding her."

"I know—

"She can do whatever she wants. It doesn't affect me."

"So what you're saying if she comes crawling back to you, you can actually say no to her?"

"Of course. She's not that special. Sure, she's popular, smart, and pretty. But there are other girls who can easily top her if given the right materials and social standing. That's all high school is about anyway. It's a superficial game of who looks the best and who's the most popular."

Randolph just chuckled and said, "Well I sure hope you remember this the next time Penny comes running back to you."

"Believe me. I will."

Meanwhile, the calmness of the boy's conversation certainly could not rival the excitement taken place in the room of one Macy Misa.

"STEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAA!" the brunette girl yelled over the phone. "YOU WON'T BELIEVE THIS. OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH OH MY JONAS FREAKIN' GOSH!"

"Macy! Calm down! Do you want to make me deaf?" the blonde haired girl exclaimed. This was the second time the brunette girl made her deaf through the phone "What is all this about?"

"I was right and you were wrong!"

"Wrong about what?"

"About Nick! About everything! I didn't have to change anything about myself because apparently my lovable and winning personality was able to capture his attention."

"What on earth are you talking about, Macy?"

"I found a letter from him in my locker. And not just any letter, Stella, it was a love letter."

"WHAAAAAAAAT?"

"A love letter, Stells! He wrote how he just realized what a devoted fan I was and how I was always so nice to him and that he wanted to get to know me more."

"Just out of the blue he wrote all this?"

"Well not really out of the blue. I've noticed he's been talking to me more. Like after class, he would wait by my locker to strike up a conversation. He started asking me about all the JONAS memorabilia I have because he thinks it would be a good project for the band to document their journey since the beginning."

"Hmmm…."was all Stella managed to reply because a lot of this was not really adding up. "And you know for a fact that it came from Nick."

"Yeeeaah! what kind of question is that?"

"I mean, Macy, you have to admit that this doesn't seem a bit odd to you? You yourself told me that Nick just got out of a relationship with his long time girlfriend and then all of a sudden he's writing you this love letter out of nowhere."

"It's not out of nowhere!"

"Macy—

"Gosh, Stella. You can't be happy for me? Nick actually wrote that he's interested in me and the first thing you do is doubt him?"

"I just want you to be careful. I know Nick and I know he wouldn't do anything mean. But there could be a possibility- maybe a small possibility- that this could be someone else pretending to be Nick. If it's real, then of course I'm happy for you," Stella replied earnestly.

"Okay thanks Stella. You're the only person I told you about this so far," Macy replied as she soon became giddy with excitement again.

"So you haven't spoken to Nick yet?"

"No, I don't even have his number. And I don't know if I should go over to his house. That may seem a bit too forward."

"Yeah I totally agree," Stella concurred quickly because she was glad that Macy was actually handling this better than she anticipated. "So what's your game plan?"

"The game plan?"

"Yeah, how are you going to respond?"

And for the first time in their whole friendship Macy was left speechless because besides the hoopla of the letter, Macy has not really been giving any thought on how to reciprocate his feelings, which is a bit ironic since she's been showering Nick with her feelings without his reciprocation.

"Hmmm…I don't know. I was just going to tell him I got his letter and…" she started off saying. She tried picturing it in her head but to be frank, it was rather difficult for her to gauge how the scene will play out because she was never in the receiving end of a confession of love.

She realized that this letter was in fact the first taste of romance she received in her whole life.

"Macy? Are you still there" her blonde haired interrupted her moment of silence.

"Oh sorry about that I was just daydreaming," she answered and then she said with more enthusiasm. "I guess I'll do what feels right. Now that I know Nick feels this way there's no need to change my personality around him? Right? I mean he had to find my 'gusto' charming for him to write me this letter."

"Uhhh—

"And what better way to shower him with my love by making it obvious for the whole world to see," Macy replied with even more fervor. If Stella was with her right now she would have seen the serious fan-girl glint in her eyes. "Balloons and chocolate-sugar free of course- galore! Why not make this into a full-fledged holiday. The day Nick Lucas realizes his true love."

"Ummm…Macy? I really don't think—

"And then maybe I can bake him more of my batch of home made cookies. What says love better than cooking with all your heart? Which reminds me, I need to go to the grocery store. I think they have a sale on chocolate chips."

"MACY—

"Thanks, Stella! I'll let you know if Nick loves it. I'll tell him you definitely helped me out," Macy said completely oblivious to the fact that she was having a conversation with herself for the last five minutes.

Stella stared at her cell phone in disbelief. This isn't going to go bad? Is it? Stella thought to herself. She felt an urge to go back to New Jersey to oversee what could possibly be a disastrous affair. How did things turn out this way? Was Nick really interested in her? Or was this all a joke? She knew if she brought this up to Macy again, her best friend would be offended and so she just prayed that this was everything her best friend believed it would be.

Even though he was a bona-fide popstar of a group that was currently on hiatus, Nick was never comfortable with fame. Whether it be attention from fans in the street or even classmates in his school, the looks of admiration were enough to make him uncomfortable although he appreciated their support nonetheless. But the second he walked into Horace Mantis Academy the next day, the looks the students were giving him were not looks of adoration. He was not really sure what it was but as he walked down the hallway, it was hard to ignore the looks followed by the whispers that seemed to travel like a forest fire throughout the school. What was going on?

He quickly stepped into the nearest bathroom to check up on his appearance. Was there something on his face? No. He quickly looked down to make sure nothing was exposed. But everything was in order. He looked prim and proper like he usually does. So he went back out and it seemed like the hallways seemed to become more congested as he neared his locker.

And that is when it all made sense. Because when he reached his locker or what should have been his locker it was decorated with hearts and balloons and a bouquet of roses. The whole set up was completely embarrassing and he closed his eyes and wished he could disappear but everyone saw him and the whispering started again.

"OKAY GUYS CLEAR OUT! THERE'S NOTHING TO SEE HERE," yelled DZ who came just in time.

"What's all of this?" Nick said. "Is this part of your stupid plan?"

"What? Of course not," his friend replied clearly offended. "I don't have the time to do all this. Oh wait, lookie here. There seems to be a card."

DZ grabbed a red glittery card off from his locker and began to read it.

"Oh shit…"

"What is it?"

"You're not going to like this."

"OH NICK OF JONAS!"

"This has to be a nightmare," Nick muttered under his breath. He was too afraid to turn around because he knew exactly who it was that called his name, which only meant one thing…DZ's plan worked.

So mustering up all the patience and courage he had, he turned around.

"Hey Macy."

"I hope this isn't too much," she answered back now that she took a good look at the display.

"Ummm…this is quite something else," Nick replied politely. He was bracing himself for the inevitable.

"Anyway, Nick, I got your letter."

There it was.

"And to be honest, I was quite shocked," Macy replied truthfully. "I was so happy that I didn't know what the best way was to return your feelings…"

She went on and on and Nick was half listening because he noticed that the crowd around them was getting bigger. They probably could not hear what Macy was saying but it would not be that hard for them to guess what was going on. And then he spotted her…She really did stand out in the crowd. Her long blonde hair seemed to shine radiantly making it really easy to spot her. He noticed the look of confusion on her face and part of him wanted to run up to her and tell her that this was all a misunderstanding but then he noticed that her new boy toy was standing next to her with an expression equal to hers. He clenched his fist as his previous thoughts vanished away.

"Nick? Are you there?" Macy said as she waved a hand in front of his face.

"Oh sorry, Mace," he said this time with no hint of annoyance in his voice. In fact he decided to put on the charm factor and smiled warmly at her now that he realized who was in the audience. "I'm glad you got the letter." And because he wanted to make his ex-girlfriend even more jealous he leaned in and whispered seductively. "Why don't you meet me at my usual spot for lunch?"

His breath against her ear was enough to send tingles all over the fan girl's body as she nodded quickly. She could feel her face turning red.

Even though no one could hear what he said, Macy's reaction was enough to cause the girls in the crowd to become super jealous especially Penny Madison. One quick glance at his cheating ex, who seemed to be fuming with anger, gave Nick complete satisfaction. The crowd quickly dispersed after Vice Principal Newman cleared the crowd just in time for homeroom.

"What was that about?" Randolph demanded as he and Nick made their way to their class. "I mean you got to nip this in the bud. You can't possibly be going through with this."

"I know I know. But honestly what could I have done back there? Everyone was watching including Penny…I couldn't humiliate Macy in front of them. That would make it worse."

Randolph pursed his lips as he paused for a second before saying, "That's true. I guess. But now that you did admit to writing that love letter, you have to act the part…"

"Believe me I know…I told her to meet me at lunch. Maybe I can try and tone it down."

"Yo man, maybe this wasn't one of my brightest ideas," DZ said finally coming to terms with his idiotic plan. "If you want I could like talk to her and –"

Their conversation would have continued further if it was not for a hand that pulled Nick off his tracks.

"What the…?" was all he could say before he came face to face with the pretty blonde.

"Nick, what the hell was that?" she demanded. "That had to be a joke."

"Why does it have to be a joke? You saw what you saw," Nick said irritated.

"Because it's Macy Misa. No one dates Macy Misa," Penny said in complete disbelief because the idea of Nick falling for Macy Misa was crazy- absolutely nuts.

"Well, it's true. I do like her. And it has nothing to do with you," Nick lied. "So why don't you just go run along to your new boy toy."

"This has to be a joke…It just has to be," Penny continued angrily. "But do what you want, Nick. It's your reputation that's at stake. And frankly, dating Macy Misa won't help you."

"Well it's not like mine improved while dating you. See you later, Penny," he said adamantly as he walked away.

"Nick! Come back here! Nick!"

But he just waved his hand goodbye and never looked back.

Throughout the day, no one could stop talking about what they witnessed that morning. All the girls were envious of Macy, a girl who was not in anyone's radar before. Since when did she become the object of Nick's affection? Everyone was confused just as much as Penny was. All the boys became intrigued by her. They knew Nick could get any girl he wanted in Horace Mantis Academy. But Macy? That was his next choice after Penny? It did not make sense at all.

Macy noticed that she was definitely getting more attention than she did in the past. It was a bit overwhelming. Maybe her public display of affection for Nick went a bit too far…She can hear Stella's voice in her head telling her to tone it down. The lunch bell rang and when she went to her locker she was surprised to find hate letters from anonymous girls who basically told her to stay away from Nick. She laughed it off because she was guilty of doing that to Penny back when they were together. Hmm…so this is what it feels like to be the new IT girl… In a weird sense, it made Macy feel special. Before, no one was ever jealous of her. And now here she had notes from twelve girls who wanted her to disappear from the face of the earth. In a weird way, it validated her burgeoning social status.

Her heart was beating fast as the bell rang indicating it was lunch time. Nick and his friends usually had lunch in the roof top when it was nice outside. And today was a beautiful day to have lunch outside. It was glorious in Macy's eyes. She made a quick stop in the girls' bathroom to check her appearance. She decided to put some colored lip gloss to highlight her feminine appeal. It will be her first time alone with Nick after all. She was getting so giddy.

'Remember to act cool,' was the mantra she kept running through her head. 'Nick's finally coming around. You don't want him to regret it.' She tried having that line of thought going through her head as she made her way to the meeting spot. However before she could meet the 'love of her life' she unexpectedly was shoved into a dark corner of a stairwell.

"HEY!" Macy yelled accusingly as she was bumped into the cement wall.

"Okay spill it. What's going on?"

She looked up and saw the uptight blonde haired beauty with her two henchwomen, whom she really did not know what their names were since they constantly live in the shadows of Penny Madison.

"Spill what?" Macy acted all innocently.

"Don't tell me there really is something going on with you and Nick," she said harshly as she looked down at the petite brunette. She was a good 3 inches taller than her so intimidating Macy based on size was not at all difficult.

However, Macy was not scared of the likes of Penny. Putting her hands on her hips she faced her interrogator head on and replied, "Well if you must know, Nick was the one who reached out to me."

"Ughhh! That has to be a complete lie! It just doesn't make sense!" the blonde haired girl cried out as her two friends nodded in agreement.

"Besides why do you care? Everyone knows you cheated on him with Jimmy. Nick is allowed to do whatever he wants."

Apparently that hit a sour note as Penny glared at Macy with more intensity, but then her faced calmed and said, "Despite what happens, Nick and I will always have a special bond. He will always love me. I mean come on going from loving me to liking you. It's a complete joke…hmmm… Now that I think about it I bet this is all fake…He's trying to make me jealous…that has to be it. I mean that's the only reason to make sense of this."

"Penny, not everything is about you," Macy argued as she now started getting riled up. She had to be wrong…I mean she just had to be…

The blonde haired girl gave her a hearty laugh and said, "Oh sweetie, keep believing that. But trust me, I know Nick longer than you have, and with him, almost everything is about me. I mean come on. If Nick wanted to make me jealous, at least make the rebound someone more threatening. It's just insulting at this point. Well, enjoy this 'romance' while it last which -believe me- won't last long. Ta-ta for now! Come on girls, let's go."

And just like the whirlwind in which they appeared they were gone in a split second leaving Macy to ponder everything that was said. Penny just had to be wrong…It wasn't weird at all for Nick to show interest at a time like this…right?

Meanwhile, the three friends were devising a way to diffuse the situation.

"She's gonna come up any time now!" Nick pointed out frustratingly. "We need to think of something QUICK!"

"Well it's not my fault you invited her up here for lunch," DZ exclaimed while trying to rack his brain. "A mastermind like myself needs some time to think. Just chillax. I got this."

Nick was about to argue but Randolph interrupted him and said, "Personally I think honesty is the best policy here. Just tell her it was DZ's stupid plan and that you're sorry she was stuck in this mess but you guys can still be friends."

Nick and DZ just stared at him as if he spoke gibberish.

"Are you crazy?!," DZ was not afraid of saying. "We can't play the honesty card just yet...Hmmm…what about this…Tell Macy you want to take it slow like really slow. Slow to the point that she would probably get bored and end up breaking things off with you. At least that will buy us some time to think of things to make her rethink her crush on you."

Nick thought of this for a moment. DZ surprisingly made sense this time but then he realized something and said, "Not to sound conceited or anything but I don't really know how to turn off a girl from liking me."

"Well, Mr. Pompous Prince, leave that to me. If there's one thing I'm an expert at is how to turn girls off-er…wait a minute…that didn't come out right" DZ said while realizing how bad it made him look but before he could correct his statement the chirpy brunette girl made her appearance.

"OH NICK OF JONAS!" Macy cried out happily as she ran over to her main squeeze. She eyed him with adoring eyes as Nick gave her an awkward wave.

"Well, Nick, we better go," DZ said as he gave Nick a knowing look. He dragged Randolph away before he could say anything else.

"So Nick of Jonas I hope this morning wasn't too much but I just couldn't contain my excitement," Macy said quickly. "Stella told me to tone it down but since when do I tone it down, you know? So I just wanted to show you that of course I feel the same way too. I mean it's been almost 3 years now and to know that you, Nick of Jonas, could feel the same way too—"

"Okay, Macy let's slow down," Nick said as he tried to stop the girl from hyperventilating. He motioned for her to take a seat on the bench in which he sat next to her. Once he did though, Macy quickly scooted over so that there was no gap between them. She really was not afraid of showing her affection. "Anyway, Macy, I called you up here because we need to talk."

"Of course, Nick of Jonas, it only seems right especially after you basically confessed your love to me," Macy said excitedly as she peered up at him with the unmistakable fan girl glint in her eyes.

Nick had the urge to tell her the truth. He never got a chance to look at the letter but DZ knew better than to say he was in love with her.

"Anyway, Macy…"

"Yes, Nick of Jonas?"

"Macy, can you stop that?" he asked politely.

"Stop what?"

"You calling me Nick of Jonas. Just call me Nick."

"Um…Okay…Nick," Macy said a bit hesitantly. It seemed almost blasphemous for Macy to be so casual with him but it made sense especially since she was basically now his #1 gal pal.

"So Macy about that letter…" Nick said now nervously. He looked at the girl who was now staring at him with wide eyes. She seemed to be leaning towards him causing him to scoot a little bit over to give them some space. "I was thinking that we…uh… take things slow…"

"Slow…?"

"Yeah, you know so that we have more time to get to know each other a little bit better. I mean I'm really ...uh...old fashioned when it comes to these things. I usually take it really, really slow with girls I like..." Nick slowly trailed off while waiting to see her reaction.

The brunette seemed to mull it over a complete two seconds before agreeing wholeheartedly, "I totally understand. I mean you just got out of a relationship so we can take it as slow as you want."

"Thanks for understanding," Nick said with a sigh of relief because he was pleasantly surprised by how quick she was to agree to his request. He noticed that Macy was scooting even closer to him and this time Nick just got up from the bench altogether and stood up.

"Yeah I totally understand. I mean you're the type of guy who would consider everyone's feelings even if they did something wrong to you," Macy replied knowingly. She viewed his request as being considerate of his ex-girlfriend. "I mean no offense, Nick, but your ex-girlfriend is kinda crazy…I mean just before I came up here she pulled me aside and claimed that this whole thing between us was a ploy to make her jealous…Can you believe that? How conceited can she be?"

"Uh…yeah…she is pretty conceited," Nick said uncomfortably because he had no intention of letting Macy know, that this was indeed a plan to make Penny jealous. "Penny can be a little overdramatic—

"A little?!"

"Okay yes she tends to find drama when there isn't but just try to stay away from her," Nick advised her. "She tends to come up with these crazy notions in her head."

"Yeah true," Macy replied. She was flattered that Nick was looking out for her. "I'll try to avoid her from now on."

"Okay good. So that's really all I had to say…I guess I'll catch you later?"

"Wait that's all?" Macy asked in disbelief. She was definitely expecting more than this.

"Uhhh…yeah?" he replied a bit nervously. Was there something else?

"I mean I'm new to all of this but shouldn't we spend…uh…more time to like…I don't know…just talk?"

"Okay suuuure…what do you want to talk about?"

"Well, up to this point I honestly thought there were times you would try to avoid me that's why I was a bit shocked yet of course extremely happy when I saw your letter," Macy started talking. "I kinda just want to know what changed your mind about me?"

Crap…He was not expecting this at all. Maybe Randolph was right…honesty is the best policy…but it was too late now. He stared back at the petite girl who was anxiously waiting his reply because like her, he too was anxious in how he was going to answer this question.

"To tell you the truth…this whole thing was DZ's idea. I actually have no feelings for you it was just a dumb idea to make Penny jealous. I'm sorry but I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."-was what he should have said initially but because Nick did not want to make himself look like a douche bag he came up with a diplomatic response and said the following, "To tell you the truth, I didn't see this coming as well. But I realized how devoted you were to the band and that admiration really touched me. I thought that you would be someone I would like to get to know more- not just as a fan but as a person."

"Oh wow really?" Macy said extremely flattered. I guess my persistence did pay off! TAKE THAT STELLA! "I'm so glad to hear that. I mean when I talked to Penny she really got me worried that this was some way of making her jealous but I was like-psshhh- there's no way you would do something like that. You are like a complete gentleman. Seriously. That girl has quite a big ego."

Nick could feel his heart racing because Macy had no idea that her words actually spoke the truth but there was no way he would tell her that. Come on, Nick, keep your cool. Just follow DZ's plan and things will go smoothly or at least he hoped so...It was a scary thought to leave his fate in DZ's hands but what other choice did he have?

"Y-yeah…that's completely absurd…"Nick said rather quietly.

"Well, Nick, where should we go?"

"Go where?"

"You know!" Macy said excitedly as she jumped up and grabbed his hand. "Our first date!"

"First date?" Nick repeated with more worry than he intended there to be. He did not think Macy would be so forward.

"Yeah I'm free this weekend and I was wondering if you wanted to hang out?"

"Uhhh… this weekend?" repeated Nick hesitantly. He didn't really think about the logistics of pretend-dating Macy would actually involve going on dates. But then he realized something that would help him avoid dating Macy at least in the mean time. "Actually, this weekend won't be good. I have my first baseball game. I can't miss it. Sorry, Mace."

"Oh…"she said dejectedly. "Well, maybe after school?"

"Sorry…I have practice. Coach wants us to start strong this season," Nick apologized trying his best to sound sorry instead of sounding relieved. But he noticed how upset Macy looked and he did feel bad. "But maybe next weekend?"

"Okay yeah sure!" Macy said in her usual excited self.

Nick was surprised how quickly her mood changed and he smiled back at her. Maybe this pretend dating would not be so hard after all. It seems as if Macy would be happy with whatever she could get.

It was Sunday- the first game of the season. Randolph and Nick were in the locker room getting ready for the game.

"I tell you it's bad luck if we don't have a Mascot," Randolph lamented. "I can feel my hand already cramping up. I don't know if I can pitch."

"You're still on that," Nick said as he chuckled. His best friend could really be superstitious. "You'll be fine. Besides, I think I heard the coach saying they found a temporary replacement so just chill."

"Easy for you to say," his friend retorted. "You have nerves of steel. I just can't screw up like last time. That was so awful."

"Look Randolph, your biggest drawback is yourself," Nick said as he placed an arm over his shoulder in a brotherly fashion. "If you let your nerves get to you, then it will affect your pitching. You were awesome during last night's practice. Just pretend this is like a practice session. I believe in you, bro."

"Thanks. You're right. I need to stay focused," said Randolph trying his best to sound put together. "Compared to last season, it can only go up from here."

"That's the spirit," Nick replied as he finished tying up his sneakers.

The game against Saint Augustine was in full swing. Randolph was actually pitching quite well. Nick was happy that his little pep talk with him seemed to be working. He was on second base when he noticed how hyped up the crowd was and he spotted the new Chester the Panther doing a little dance to keep the crowd in happy spirits. Maybe Randolph was right, Nick thought. Chester was good luck. They were leading by two points. It was a close game actually. If Randolph continued pitching the way he was till the ninth inning, they would definitely win their first game.

"It's down to the final pitch at the bottom of the ninth inning! Will the Panthers claim their first win or will we need to go into a tie breaker," DZ yelled over the intercom filling in his role as the sports commentator. "One thing is for sure, the new Chester seems to be pumping up the crowd. Listen to all the cheers! This is quite an exciting game. And there's Randolph, one of my best buds, pitching up a storm. Will he strike the next player out or are we going to have to go to a tenth inning? Here we go. The pitcher is winding up and let's wait for it…and strike one! Things are looking good for the home team. And here's the next pitch...Strike two! The last one will decide the fate of the game... Come on, buddy you can do it. And here's the next pitch...wait for it... YESSSS! And there you have it guys! The first win for Horace Mantis Academy!"

"YES! You did it, bro!" Nick said as he ran up to his best friend as their team stormed the field. "That was awesome!"

"Wow, I feel so pumped," Randolph said in good spirits. "You're right I had nothing to worry about. This is going to be an awesome season!"

"You bet it is—

But Nick could not finish the last of his sentence because at that moment, he was tackled to the ground by the overzealous mascot.

"Nick, it's me!"

He knew that voice all too well and sure enough Chester the Panther took off his head mask and there was Macy Misa smiling from ear to ear.

"Your coach said I can be a fill in for now!" she exclaimed. "Now we won't have to be apart during your games! Each game could be like a date! Isn't that awesome?"

"No that's a terrible idea. That's a horrible idea," was what Nick wanted to say but instead he said, "Y-yeah…that's awesome, Macy. Really great…"

Maybe Chester the Panther was not good luck after all.

Closing Remarks:

So I know I'm taking time updating this story but believe me I will try my best to finish this story. In fact I intend to try and finish all my unfinished work but it's going to be hard since I have such a busy schedule. Anyway this chapter is definitely a warm up for the story. I wanted to establish the characters and the relationship they have for one another. You guys will need to be patient with me especially since I don't expect to have Nick be all lovey dovey from the get go. I mean where's the character development in that? As the story goes along, naturally there will be more Nacy moments and growth in all the characters. Since most of you know my past stories, you know the direction I usually take my stories. I'm debating if I should make this a part 1 and 2 story like Trust Me...I feel like this will be one of my longest works because the outline I initially had keeps changing to include more story lines...sigh... This is what happens when you have an overactive imagination. LOL.

Anyway, I hope there are still Nacy fans out there! Please review. I'd love to hear from reviewers from the past and of course any new ones! I love reading what you have to say. Again this story actually can stand alone without the JONAS back drop but I just love and miss the Nick and Macy pairing.

Review please! I hope to hear from you all!

-Penelope36