Chapter 4: The 3 P's: Purple, Punch and Party

Popularity is an odd thing. It is something that comes naturally for a few lucky people and for others, well let's just say it requires some type of effort. One can seal their popularity by either making the right connection or becoming an online viral sensation. But then for some unsuspecting individuals, popularity can also come from a chance event- a miracle of some sort. And that is precisely the kind of predicament Macy Misa fell into when she got that "chance" letter from Nick Lucas. For Macy, popularity never mattered to her. She was someone who did not need her presence to be validated by other people liking her. However, there was one exception – a guy that she hoped one day would acknowledge her presence and see her as girlfriend material instead of an overly excited fan.

Therefore, even though Macy never cared about being on top of the social ladder, she longed to capture the attention of the most popular guy at school so it was inevitable that once Nick reciprocated her feelings, she should have anticipated some special treatment because soon after, she became the most talked about person at Horace Mantis Academy.

While she got hate mail from his adoring fans, there were other people whom she never spoke to before who came up to her and said 'hello'.

"Hey, Macy! How's it going?" or "Let's sit together next period!" – were some of the brand-new things she started hearing from people who were strangers to her a week ago. It was a bit overwhelming, but it made her marvel at how big of an influence Nick had in the student body.

How fickle can people be? Macy thought to herself, but she did not mind. She smiled patiently at them and just nodded her head. After all, it was something she needed to get used to if she was going to be hanging around Nick more and indeed, she was hanging around him more and she was not shy about having her presence known.

"Macy! You need to keep it down. My team can't concentrate with you hollerin' every 5 seconds!" yelled Coach Finnegan from across the field. He, along with most of the teammates, were getting annoyed by the constant "cheering" Macy was providing in the sidelines during their baseball practice. However, her cheering was mostly directed at Nick and thus, would yell at the other players if they dared to foul her precious boy, which caused the other team members to despise her even more. She really was distracting. This was so humiliating to Nick and he would have to apologize to his teammates after each practice. Coach Finnegan was seriously starting to regret picking her as a temporary replacement for the team's mascot.

"OK, COACH! I'll tone it down!" she yelled back one day after she was shouting at one of the freshmen for a bad pitch causing him to leave the field in tears.

With the urging of his team and coach, Nick tried to talk to her about it and said, "Macy, you don't have to show up to all my practices. The coach is getting a little annoyed."

He wanted to add and 'the rest of the team' but refrained.

"Oh, Coach Finnegan, doesn't scare me," Macy said haughtily as she resumed her spot in the bleachers as practice was about to begin. "Once he starts taking his job seriously, I'll tone it down."

And so, Macy became a constant presence during the Panthers practices much to the dismay of the Lucas boy and the whole team.

"This is so embarrassing," Nick muttered under his breath next to Randolph. "Remind me to kill DZ next time I see him."

Therefore, this incident continued for the rest of the week with the coach threatening to kick her out and Macy promising to "tone" it down every time. Until one day, Coach Finnegan finally had enough of her antics. It was when Macy marched out to the field to give the pitcher some pointers and was disrupting the flow of practice that Macy was officially banned from any future training sessions. She could keep her mascot duties since no one else wanted to fill in the role but was only permitted to go on the field during game days under the guise of Chester the Panther and that was all.

Because of this ban, she resorted to waiting for Nick to give him her 'after-practice' meals which consisted of her infamous cookies or her 'heart-shaped' sandwiches. Which is why every Tuesday and Thursday she perched herself on the bench right in front of the boys' locker room anxiously waiting for her curly haired beau.

"I gotta say, you got one loud girlfriend, Nick," said Keith, who was one of his teammates, as they were changing in the locker room after practice. However, before Nick could correct him and say that Macy isn't his girlfriend, Keith continued. "I mean no offense to Macy and all, but to go from Penny to her? Talk about total polar opposites."

Nick tried to ignore him but then Keith added, "I mean, man, that mouth of hers. I don't know how you can deal with that on a daily basis. Hahaha. Unless, of course, that mouth of hers is talented in other ways if you know what I mean."

A couple of guys in the locker room snickered before Nick slammed his locker shut and said, "Shut up, Keith. It's not like that."

Nick was about to turn around to leave when Keith put an arm around his shoulder.

"Relax, man, I'm just joking," Keith said. "Look, I'm sure she is a great girl- a bit too spirited if you ask me but you gotta admire her energy. Just make sure you bring her to my party tomorrow so at least we can all get to know what kinda gal charmed your heart. Alright?"

But Nick wasn't budging because he honestly did not plan on going to his party, let alone take Macy with him.

"Oh c'mon, Nick," Keith continued annoying him as he still had his arm around his shoulders. "Don't be like that. It'll be fun. I bet if I asked Macy, she wouldn't turn it down."

Having known Keith for a long time, Nick knew he would have done it too and invite Macy himself if Nick did not give him a response and so grudgingly, Nick said they would make an appearance.

Meanwhile, the brunette girl waited patiently for Nick to come out. She was sure he was going to love the snack she prepared for him- sugar-free guitar shaped cookies. For someone with no ounce of artistic ability, she was quite proud that they actually resembled his favorite instrument. Macy was on her phone to pass the time when she heard her name being called. Looking up she saw it was Nick's shaggy-haired best friend, Randolph Brown.

"Hey, Mace!" he greeted her happily. "What are you still doing here?"

"Just waiting for Nick since you know… I can't go to practice anymore," Macy replied rather miffed about the ban. "I made him guitar shaped cookies, which I'm pretty proud of."

Randolph smiled at her, "I'm sure he'll love it."

"Thanks. I think so too," Macy said as she smiled to herself. "Are you waiting for Nick too?"

"Not really. Just wanted to say hi," he admitted but then hesitantly started to say. "So, Macy, this thing with Nick-

"HEY NICK! OVER HERE!" Macy interrupted him when she saw the teen heartthrob coming out of the locker room and began waving her hand animatedly to get his attention.

Nick Lucas groaned to himself as he saw the animated girl hailing him down. She really does not get a hint. He was seriously thinking about nipping this whole idiotic plan with Macy in the bud and call it quits. Therefore, as he made his way over to her, he was thinking of ways to break the bad news.

'Look, Mace, I don't think I can go through with this. I thought I could move on right away, but I was wrong. I guess I was trying to distract myself after going through my breakup. But the truth is that I think I need some time to be alone and figure things out. I hope you understand.'-was what he wanted to say to her but when he saw how excited she was to see him, the real words that came out of his mouth were the following: "Hey, Mace. You really didn't have to wait for me."

"Obviously, I had to! How else would I give you this," she said as she showed him the container of guitar shaped cookies. "And how else can I see you when you have practice, silly."

"Of course, how stupid of me," Nick muttered under his breath and then he noticed one of his best buds waiting with the brunette girl. Maybe Randolph can help him out and provide him with an excuse to avoid talking to Macy. Therefore, he tried his luck and said, "Hey Randy! Were you waiting for me to …uh…do that project …with the – you know.."

"Project? I don't remember a project," Randolph replied clearly not getting Nick's hint. "But I'm sure you need to have an important conversation with Macy, remember?"

This time it was Randolph giving Nick a look and he knew exactly what he meant.

"Conversation? What conversation?" Macy asked inquisitively as she looked at Nick with a perplexed expression.

"Uhh…" hesitated Nick. He was conflicted in how to approach this because Nick did not like giving bad news in any shape or form.

Randolph got up from the bench and as he passed Nick, he whispered, "It's better to end this now rather than have it blown out of proportion later."

He was right.

Nick faced Macy who was beaming at him with her big round eyes. She reminded him of an excited little puppy. How can he break her heart when all she wanted was his attention? But he shook his head to focus. Randolph was right I need to break this off now.

"Look, Macy…" Nick started off saying. He sighed and said, "This whole thing…I know I said what I said. But…I think…um…we should…uh…"

Macy furrowed her eyebrows as she leaned closer to hear what Nick was trying to say, "Should what?"

Nick hesitated because he knew she would be devastated. He was going through his own heart ache, and now he was going to cause another. Even though he was starting to feel guilty, he knew he could not continue this farce. There was just too much at stake.

"NICK! MACY!" interrupted a familiar voice. Nick groaned now regretting not saying what he needed to say because he knew what was to come.

"Hey, Keith!" Macy greeted him happily.

"So I'm guessing Nick already told you," the jock said as he put one arm around her shoulder and his other arm around Nick.

"About what?" Macy asked innocently now looking back at Nick.

"My party tomorrow!" he replied excitedly.

"Er…yeah I was…uh…going to mention that," Nick mumbled dejectedly.

"Yeah, I was just telling your boy here that you need to come," Keith said cheerfully. "I want to get to know who our new mascot is and more importantly, the girl who stole this boy's heart. Haha."

"Oh okay yeah sure. A party sounds fun," Macy said quickly although Nick could hear some apprehension in her voice. She has heard about how unruly Keith's parties could get. She never got to experience them firsthand because she was never invited to them until now and she never found the appeal of going to them or any party for that matter.

"Great. Awesome!" Keith said happily while letting go of them. "I'll see you guys tomorrow!"

Macy turned to Nick, and said, "Is that what you wanted to talk to me about? Keith's party?"

"Uh yeah… that's it," Nick lied as the two of them started walking out of the school.

"I never really go to parties…" admitted Macy shyly. Her usual boisterous behavior around Nick was suppressed as a feeling of trepidation overcame her on their walk home.

"I mean we don't have to go," Nick offered keenly. He wanted to seize any opportunity for them not to go. Unlike Macy, the Lucas boy had already been to a couple of Keith's over the top bashes, but he only went because Penny wanted to go in order to maintain "their social standing".

Macy bit her lip and thought about this for a moment.

'Nick is going to think I'm super lame if I don't go…but I don't really know how to 'party'. Plus, I don't even drink. Crap…But then this would be our first date together and if means seeing Nick outside of school, then I should go…' thought Macy as she weighed in her options. For someone who was a straight-A student and sports girl extraordinaire, social events gave her major anxiety. Even though, Macy was quite vocal when it came to sports and her feelings for Nick, she considered herself very much to be an introvert. Thus, the appeal of a party was lost on her.

"Hey, Macy, you there?" Nick said waving a hand in front of her face as he could tell Macy was having some type of internal conflict.

"Oh sorry, Nick…I was just-uh- thinking about something," said Macy as she snapped out of her thoughts and smiled brightly at him. "The party sounds fun. We should go."

"Are you sure? It's really not a big deal if we don't go," Nick said hoping to convince Macy that a party was a bad idea. "I'm sure you have other plans -probably even better plans -than spending a Saturday night with people you regularly see in school."

"N-no no no, I'm more sure than ever, "Macy said earnestly as she tried to hide her uneasiness. "It sounds like it'll be really fun. I can't wait!"

"Okay if you say so…" Nick said doubtfully.

"Party it is! So should we like color-coordinate? Like should we dress like a couple. Or be more casual?" Macy asked trying her best to revert back to her normal chirpy self.

"No one really color coordinates," Nick laughed at her suggestion. "You know just be casual."

"Oh right. Yeah, be casual," Macy agreed quickly trying to hide from embarrassment. She wanted to kick herself for suggesting 'color-coordinated' outfits. Who says that? Oh my gosh…he's going to think I'm such a nerd.

"Anyways, this is me," Nick said as they reached the Lucas' firehouse inspired home. "I guess I'll catch you tomorrow?"

"Yep, see you then," Macy said excitedly and then called out after him, holding up her batch of cookies. "Oh wait, Nick, you're forgetting something!"

"Of course, how could I forget," Nick replied with a forced smile. He was about to head in when Macy spoke again.

"I guess I'll meet you here before the party so we can go together?" she asked and then added excitedly. "It can be our first date!"

"Sure…uh…y-yeah, our first date," Nick agreed trying to match her excitement, but he really did not want to have his first "date" with Macy to be so public.

Saturday rolled in like any other day at the Misa household. Her mother was preparing breakfast and the kitchen smelled like eggs and bacon. The watery inducing aroma easily woke Macy up from her slumber.

"Macy, don't forget about tomorrow. Your sister should be home before 9:30," Mrs. Misa said. "Grammy said they reserved the common room for her birthday for 2 hours so I'm going to get there around 8 to set up. But the cake should be ready at 9:45 am at Louisa's bakery. You and Vic have to get it before you get to St. Augustine's."

"What time is the party?"

"10:30 sharp and don't forget purple," her mother emphasized the last part.

Macy grinned. Purple was her grandmother's favorite color and so she had already set aside the purple sundress she planned on wearing for the special occasion. It was her grandma's big 80th party and the staff at the nursing home where she lived reserved the hall in the facility for her family and friends to celebrate. They always celebrated with her for every birthday but this year was special since it was the big 8-0. It was also the first year after her grandfather passed away so it was especially important for her family to be together.

As much as she was excited to see her family tomorrow, Macy had more pressing matters at hand and she needed to tell her mother about it since she couldn't help out at their thrift store today.

She took her place at the kitchen table and shifted in her seat uncomfortably before saying, "So mom… I…uh…sort of have a party to go to tonight."

Her mother looked at her from where she was standing to make sure she heard right. She had two daughters- two very different daughters and out of the two, Macy was certainly not the one to go partying. Therefore, her mother had to look over to make sure it Macy she was talking to. If there was a party-goer in the family, that would go to without a doubt to Macy's older sister, Victoria.

"A party? Hm… that's new for you," her mother said as she brought the scrambled eggs and bacon to the table. "Who's party is it?"

"This guy in my class named Keith…"

"Keith?...Hm… do I know Keith?" her mother frowned as she tried to rack her brain if Macy ever mentioned him before.

"No you don't know him. He's on the baseball team like Nick," she said quickly as she could feel the heat emanating from her face. She never talked about boys to her mom so this was quite new and awkward territory.

"Nick?" her mother repeated with an even more perplexed expression on her face and then suddenly the name registered in her brain and so she said. "Is this the Nick you've been talking about before? The one in that band with his brothers?"

"Y-yeah," she replied sheepishly as she could feel a blush spread across her cheek. "We're…um… going together."

"Oh you are, are you?" she said with raised eyebrows. "Is there something I should know?"

"No, nothing!" Mach said quickly as she tried to concentrate more on her food.

"Okay," her mother replied taking her word for it. Unlike Victoria, Macy was a very straight-laced girl and she trusted her judgement. "Just make sure to be back before midnight. You know the drill."

"Yes, mom."

"And Macy, I don't want this Nick guy distracting you from your schoolwork and sports. We need all the scholarships that we can get to help with college especially with how the store is going…" her voice trailed off as a now worried expression spread across her face as she was thinking about their financial issues.

Macy recognized that look and knew her mother had been stressed about how slow business has been. Ever since the new mall opened a couple months ago, the Misa's thrift store took a big hit to the point Macy had to pick up some shifts because they could not afford to hire anyone. Her mother had to even take on a part time job at the grocery store as a cashier to help make ends meet. Being raised by a single mother, Macy was always grateful for her support and strived to always make her mother proud.

"I know," Macy said reassuringly as she placed a hand over hers and gave it a comforting squeeze. "And I promise to pick up some extra shifts this week to help out."

Her mother was not that strict, but she did encourage both her daughters to excel in school and to get good grades but she also wanted them to enjoy their time before the realities of adulthood set in. Although her older daughter did the most in the "enjoying life" department, Mrs. Macy worried that her youngest daughter, Macy, was isolating herself from her peers. While she initially had her concern, Macy's mother was starting to think that this party will be a good thing for her. As she finished cooking, her mother took a seat across from her in the kitchen table as she placed a bowl of white rice next to the eggs and bacon.

"And make good choices at this party. Don't do anything your sister would do," her mother continued with a pointed look.

"Of course. You know me," Macy said with a smile.

Macy laughed because they both knew that it was her older sister, who was the wild child. Thankfully, for her mother, Macy did not have any of the same interests as her older sister even though they were only 2 years apart. Macy never looked up to Victoria for anything because…well… they had nothing in common despite their shared DNA.

As the day continued, Macy started to become increasingly overwhelmed by tonight's party.

What was she going to wear? If there was someone who knew how to dress for a party, it was her sister Victoria since she practically got invited to all the parties that were happening.

Thus, today called for Macy to finally look to her sister for guidance.

Her clothes were pretty much her school uniform, sports team uniform, shirts, jeans, and shorts. She was a tomboy at heart. The only remotely nice thing she had to wear was the purple sundress she planned to wear for her grandma's birthday party tomorrow. And that was why, Macy looked across the hallway to her sister's room. She was not home yet…so it would not hurt to look and see what options she had.

Macy entered Victoria's room and just like their personalities, her room was in stark contrast from her own. It was a mess. Clothes were strewn everywhere. Poster of some indie rock band littered her walls. She had to fight her way to get to her closet but was disappointed at what she found. Shirts, tank tops, crops tops and shorts that were barely there filled her apparel. The shorts were more like booty shorts because when she tried one on, they barely covered her butt. Did girls really wear these? The tank tops did not help either. They either were too cropped and showed too much stomach or they were cut too low that a guy did not have to really stretch his imagination to see what was underneath. Nothing absolutely nothing appealed to Macy. She wanted to get Nick's attention but she did not want to use her body to do that.

Why was this so hard? Why was she stressing so much? The only person that mattered to her who was going to be at the party was Nick and it already seemed like Nick was already interested in her. But even so, she still did not want to seem out of place. To say she was stressed, would be a major understatement. And so she settled for the only suitable outfit she had in her wardrobe to wear.

Meanwhile, Nick was really having second thoughts about going to Keith's. He really did not feel like socializing. He was never a party person. In the past, it was always Penny dragging him to these things. Now, it was DZ who was making a big deal about going because apparently, there was a rumor circulating that Nick was not going because he was too heartbroken to make an appearance especially since Penny and Jimmy were going to be there together. Usually, Nick did not care for rumors but he hated when people made him out to be weak by saying he was still pining for his ex, which was what DZ was convincing him everyone was thinking during their phone conversation

"That's why you need to go with Macy to the party," his friend argued with him. "Show everyone that you have moved on. Make her be the new It girl."

"That's easier said than done," Nick retorted. "It's going to take a miracle to make Macy be the new It girl and honestly I don't think I have the energy to make that happen."

"Look I know we have our work cut out but I really think this will work. Penny hates Macy. If she really starts to think you have fallen for Macy, she's going to come back crawling to you and then you will finally have the upper hand."

The Lucas boy shook his head because he really did not think DZ's plan was going to work but he was too tired to put up a fight. However, his friend did persuade him to go because evidently, not going to the party will only further cement the rumors that Nick was too heartbroken to move on and face Penn and her new beau. Thus, he reluctantly got dressed and headed out the front door when he almost collided with the very girl that he and DZ were talking about.

"Macy!" said Nick clearly startled. "What are you doing here?"

"HI NICK OF JONAS! …Er… I mean, hi, Nick," Macy said enthusiastically before correcting herself remembering their previous conversation. "I thought we agreed to meet up before the party?"

"Oh yeah-um- perfect timing. I was just about to head out," Nick said. Since Keith's house was only 4 blocks down, he was just going to walk over. "You look nice."

A COMPLIMENT FROM NICK?! Macy could have died and gone to heaven. She knew wearing the purple sundress was the right choice. Way to go, Macy, way to go! she thought as she mentally gave herself a pat on the back. She was still fangirling and would have continued her daydream if it was not for Nick, who was waving his hand to get her attention.

"Hey Macy. You there?"

"Oh…uh sorry and thanks," she replied bashfully. Get a grip. "You look nice too."

Nick was dressed casually in jeans and a dark blue polo. It was not as formal as her attire but then again, Nick can make anything look good and fashionable. She looked at her purple dress and now started to think that maybe she was overdressed. When they finally reached Keith's party that sentiment was amplified as she looked around the packed house. Most of the girls wore minimal clothing with shorts so shorts that the pocket linings stuck out and shirts that showed way too much cleavage. It was like her sister's wardrobe came to life. This was definitely not her scene. Whereas some girls dressed provocatively, other girls kept it really casual with sweatpants and a tank top or a crop top. Why didn't Macy think of wearing her sweats and tanks? She had loads of those yet here she was wearing her Sunday best. She made a mental note to make sure not to ruin her dress since she had to wear it tomorrow.

Nick did not want to be there but when he looked over at Macy, he noticed that she was not her usual bubbly self. In fact, the whole walk over to Keith's, she was oddly quiet. And so, without a second thought Nick grabbed her hand and gave her a comforting squeeze as he led her through the crowd, surprising the brunette girl completely. This act alone calmed her nerves since she felt so out of place.

He was looking for DZ and Randolph and honestly, was hoping to stay at the party an hour tops but as they made their way through the house, people, whom Macy never spoke to before, greeted her and Nick and some even complimented her on her outfit. Is this what it felt like to be popular? She was not sure how she felt about this but the one thing that was indisputable, was the fact that the two were there together holding hands, cementing the rumors that Nick indeed moved on with Macy. Unbeknownst to Macy, she became the hot topic of the Horace Mantis gossip mill and whispers started to follow them as they made their way through the party.

"Well, well, well, isn't it the newest IT couple," greeted their lively host. "Macy, Nick. Always a pleasure."

"Hey Keith," said Nick casually. He really did not like him at all and could tell that his teammate was already a couple drinks gone. "Have you seen DZ and Randolph?"

"They're somewhere around here," the blonde-haired boy said clearly in an inebriated state. "But I want to meet your new girl Macy Misa."

He extended a hand to her to shake which Macy hesitantly returned and then he handed her a red cup and said, "Night's still young so you better drink up. I want to hear all about the drunken hook ups that happen tonight. You can use any of the rooms except the one at the end of the hallway. Hahahahaha. Macy, please be gentle with my boy Nick."

He said the last part with a wink and Macy could feel her cheeks burning up.

Nick whispered to her as he ushered her away from Keith, "Don't mind him. He's a jerk. Let's go find my friends."

Macy nodded her head as she held on to her drink and tried her best to not spill it on her dress. The more they made their way into the house, the drunker the people were and the more affectionate people were with their significant others. It was getting really congested and Macy found herself holding Nick's hand even tighter as she squeezed into the crowd of people.

Finally, they found DZ and Randolph sitting on a sofa in the living room.

"Oh, Macy! It's good to see you," greeted Randolph enthusiastically as he saw Nick's companion. "You look really nice. Purple suits you."

"Hi, Randolph and thanks," Macy acknowledged him excitedly. She truly was glad to see the shaggy haired boy as he was one of the few people she genuinely enjoyed his company. The two of them have been friendly ever since they were lab partners in freshmen year. Randolph scooted over to open a spot for Macy to sit next to him.

"Nick, I need to talk to you," DZ whispered quickly as he ushered his friend away from the others. "Sorry, Macy I need to borrow my boy over here."

Macy wanted to protest because she liked having Nick around since she felt so out of place, but DZ already whisked him away before she could say anything. At least, she was left with a friend.

"How long have you guys been here?" Macy asked politely as she looked around the room and she could tell immediately that she and Randolph were the most sober ones there. She gripped her red cup even tighter.

"Maybe 15 minutes," Randolph replied as he took a drink from the cup he was holding. "Now that I think about it. I don't think I've ever seen you outside of school."

"Parties aren't really my thing," admitted the brunette girl as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat as the couple next to her started to get busy. Copying Randolph, she took a big sip of her drink and noticed that the fruit punch was spiked with alcohol giving it a bitter taste. She had an urge to spit it out but knew better and reluctantly, swallowed the concoction.

"No, I get you," Randolph agreed. "At this point, for me it's kind of like a formality to just show up. DZ lives for these types of things, but I can do without them. I guess you can say Nick is like me. Penny used to drag him to parties all the time…oh…um… sorry I shouldn't have mentioned her."

"No, it's okay. I don't mind," Macy said truthfully. At that moment, the couple next to her were getting really into their make out session and bumped into her. Maybe it was because of her nerves and the urge to decrease the risk of spilling her drink, she took another big sip of the punch and surprisingly, the bitterness seemed to fade away. She also seemed to be a bit more relaxed.

Randolph studied her face because he wanted to ask her something that has been on his mind since she and Nick became an "item".

"Macy, can I ask you something?" asked the shaggy haired boy.

"Hmm? What is it?" Macy said as she took yet another big sip of her punch as she continued to tentatively look around. The party was definitely getting more rowdy and louder as she now saw couples disappearing upstairs. She realized that she did not eat anything before coming and was starting to crave some food. Hence, her drink served as her only sustenance, which was starting to make her feel a little lightheaded. She started to worry that there would be only alcoholic drinks available but before Macy could continue to lament this misfortunate her thoughts were interrupted by the boy next to her

"Why do you like Nick so much?" he asked her earnestly. It was bugging him even before DZ's plan because it was well known around school that Macy was a super fan of JONAS and had a colossal crush on Nick.

If there was one thing Macy could talk about for hours, it was her love for anything JONAS and with that her crush on Nick.

"Well, I mean you already know how Nick is such an amazing guy," Macy started off saying as she now leaned back on the sofa and looked over at Nick. "He's just so sophisticated and cool. You can tell how much he loves his music and work. For someone to be that mature already, it really is admirable. I guess you can kinda say I can relate to him with my sports. I just knew he would eventually see how perfect we are for each other. And …sigh… it definitely helps that he is easy on the eyes. There's just something about him that just draws me in."

She said the last part while thinking about how Nick held her hand earlier that night and took another mouthful of the punch in her hand.

Randolph wanted to interject but noticed that Macy was blushing and staring dreamily over at Nick who was now talking to DZ in the corner of the room. He followed her gaze and this was the first time the shaggy haired boy looked over at this best friend of 11 years and felt the first pang of jealousy.

Before Randolph could say anything more, Macy got up and said, "I'll be right back. I'm going to get more of this punch. It's pretty good the more I drink it. You want me to get you more too?"

"I'm good but you might want to slow down on the punch," replied the boy because he knew how strong the punch can be from first hand experience.

Randolph wasn't sure if she heard him but he did not mind because he could not ignore the fact that he had an uneasiness brewing up inside of him.

Meanwhile, across the room DZ was excited to share some intel with his best friend. They made sure to find a semi-secluded place to talk and they found a spot by the staircase.

"What is this about?" asked Nick quickly.

"Your friend here found out some very interesting info involving your ex," DZ said dangling the piece of information he had like a bait.

"Penny? What about her?" Nick asked him now concerned.

"Apparently, she and Jimmy got into a huge fight this afternoon right before the party," DZ said closely watching Nick's reaction.

"Oh? What about?" Nick inquired trying his best not to sound overly curious.

"Well, actually, it was about you. Seems like my plan is working because ever since the whole school thinks you've moved on to Macy, Penny is starting to have second thoughts," his friend said matter-of-factly. "Word on the street is that she wants you back."

This was definitely interesting information. As much as Nick wanted to say he did not care at all, he was secretly delighted. The Lucas boy always had the habit of giving Penny many second chances more than she deserved. But now based on DZ's information, it seems like Penny would be the one crawling back to him. This was quite a development.

"What did I tell you, man?" DZ said excitedly. "She wants what she can't have. Now that you have quote unquote Macy, you've become inaccessible to her and that my friend, makes you even more desirable. Honestly, it's unfair because you don't need to be any more desirable as it is."

Nick sighed but before he could reply, there was a tap on his shoulder and there was the beautiful Penny Madison standing behind him. She still had the ability to make Nick's heart flutter just by her presence alone.

"Hey, Nick," Penny said shyly. "Can we find some place to talk alone?"

He looked over at her and then at his friend who was now mouthing, 'What did I tell you'" but then proceeded to shake his head warning him not to give in.

"Okay," Nick simply said ignoring all of DZ's attempts to stop him. However, he got nervous as he followed her up the stairs. "What's this about?"

He asked this as she opened a door to one of the rooms and once they were alone, she hugged him tightly.

"Oh, Nick," Penny lamented as she laid her head on his shoulder. "I made a mistake. I shouldn't have left you. Seriously, I don't know what I was thinking."

Wow DZ was right, Nick thought clearly impressed that his friend actually had good insight for once. As much as he wanted to say he didn't want anything to do with her, the Lucas boy, who was a romantic at heart, still harbored a soft spot for the blonde girl but he knew he had to be strong. He can't just cave in that easily. DZ was right. He always took her back so quickly. If she wanted him back, she needed to earn his trust.

"Penny," Nick said softly as he gently pried himself out of her embrace. "I can't do this."

This caught her off guard because Penny was so used to getting her way.

"What?" she said now narrowing her eyes. "Is it because of her? You really are serious about Macy? I can't believe you brought her here. She's a social pariah."

"Stop it," Nick said sternly. "It's not about her. It's just that you always do this. You know I care about you, but I can't keep doing this with you. Enough is enough."

Penny knew she had to turn up her charm because it seemed like Nick was not giving in as she anticipated. She wanted him so badly and so she walked towards him to the point that Nick bumped into the bed that was in the room. She got so close to him that when he continued to back up, he ended up sitting on the bed.

"I'm sorry, babe," Penny said seductively as she now sat on his lap. "I don't know what I was thinking. I miss you. Can you forgive me? You know that I love you."

Once again, she hugged him but this time she made sure to press her body closer to his so that he could feel all her curves. Nick wanted to tell her to stop but his body wasn't agreeing with what his brain was telling him. He found himself embracing her now as he felt her kissing his neck and then nibbling his ear.

"Penny…" he said softly. They both looked into each other eyes and Nick could feel his body responding in a way that let the blonde hair girl know that he was no longer objecting her moves. Because of this, Penny got bolder and pushed Nick down on the bed as she now straddled him. She dipped her head closer to his and they were moments away before their lips could connect when suddenly the bedroom door swung opened.

"NICK! There you are!" yelled a frantic DZ but then he registered what was happening, he quickly added. "Um oh…Hi Penny, sorry for interrupting but…uh…Nick, we have a situation downstairs. I need you ASAP."

Moments like this, Nick wished he could just punch DZ in the face and tell him to go away especially when he was interrupting his alone time with Penny.

"What could be so important, DZ? Can you see I'm busy here." Nick said icily trying his best to suppress his anger because he could not believe DZ had the nerve to interrupt his intimate moment with Penny. She got off of him so that Nick could sit up.

DZ tried to signal to him what was happening without making it obvious since Penny was there but sensing Nick's impatience, he sighed and then stated clearly, "It's about Macy…"

This time a look of worry spread on Nick's face. As much as the Lucas boy didn't want to leave Penny, he felt a sense of responsibility to the brunette girl especially since he noticed how uncomfortable Macy was when they first arrived at the party and so he got up from the bed.

"Nick, are you serious?!" Penny called after him in disbelief as she watched him exit the room with DZ.

"I'm sorry but I have to go," Nick said hesitantly because he was also surprising himself. Because in what alternative universe would Nick Lucas choose Macy over Penny?

Nevertheless, the two boys headed down the stairs and found Randolph outside holding Macy's hair up as she vomited in one of the bushes in the front yard.

"What happened to her?" Nick demanded to know.

"She's completely drunk," Randolph answered as he did his best to hold her up. "She's been downing the punch like it was juice. I told her to slow it down but then I lost her in the crowd and then-"

"Can she even stand?" Nick interrupted as he now tried to hold onto Macy's left side. It was clear that the girl could not support herself on her own.

"Oh h-hey…hic…N-Nick…," Macy said drunkenly in between hiccups as she turned to face him. "F-fancy…hic…seeing you here…hic…"

She said the last part while pointing at his face but poked his right eye instead.

"Ow!" Nick said as he rubbed his eye. "Macy, we need to get you home."

"Home…yeah…hic…I like home…" Macy said as she tried to stand up straight but then because she was still nauseous, she hurled again in the bush.

Both boys tightened their grip around her as they tried to steady her.

"What are we going to do?" DZ said standing a few feet away because he was afraid that he was going to get Macy's vomit on him.

Nick bit his lip and tried to think but the more Macy vomited the more people were starting to look over at them. Out of his brothers, Nick was the cleverest and could think of any plan right on the spot and fortunately, this was not an exception.

"I'll take her to my place," Nick finally said albeit grudgingly.

"WHAT?!" Randolph exclaimed clearly opposed to this idea.

"We can't send her home like this! What would her parents think?" Nick argued. "It's not like I'm thrilled about this idea either. She sleeps in my place and I'll bring her back home early when she sobers up."

Randolph wanted to protest but sadly the young man had no viable alternative on this matter. There was a crowd starting to form around them and DZ took it upon himself to do some crowd control and signaled for them to escort Macy out as he distracted them.

Thank goodness it was already late at night because there was no one else out to see two teenage boys escorting a clearly intoxicated girl home. Of course, it looked bad to an outsider but if they knew who Nick Lucas and Randolph Brown were, bystanders would know that they were two of the most upstanding gentlemen at Horace Mantis Academy and they both would never think of taking advantage of a defenseless girl.

Randolph and Nick really tried to be quiet as to not wake up any of the sleeping households that they passed by. Nevertheless, Macy clearly was not adhering to their plan because the whole way back, she kept looking over at Nick and was talking loudly.

"N-nick of Jo-Jonas," Macy slurred her speech. "You are so -hic- cute. I really l-like you…hic… Nick L-lucas…D-did you know -hic- that?"

However, Nick was not paying attention to her because he was trying to get her back to his place in one piece.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to have her stay with you?" Randolph asked worriedly as he looked over at him.

But before Nick could answer him, Macy, who was still facing him, said again in a louder volume, "N-nick, d-did -hic- you hear what I -hic- said? I really, really like you…hic…"

"Yes, Macy, I know that," Nick finally replied to her and then looked over at Randolph and said. "We don't have any other choice. I mean where else can she go?"

This time Macy turned to see who Nick was talking to and said, "Oh…h-hi…R-randolph…since -hic - when d-did …you g-get here…hic…"

And that's when it happened so quickly. You see, the sidewalk was just wide enough for two people to walk comfortably right next to each other and so when Macy swung around to look at Randolph, the equilibrium of the three linked people shifted causing the shaggy-haired boy to lose his balance. Since the young man did not want to bring the brunette girl down with him as he fell onto the street, he let go of her arm and incidentally pushed her into the arms of Nick. Thus, at that moment, Macy, being as drunk as she was, took this as her cue to be in Nick's warm "embrace" and because of this act alone, the girl pressed her lips against his – sealing their first kiss as a "couple".

This was certainly becoming some first date for Nick and Macy.


Closing Remarks:

Wow. I know it has been a loooong time since I updated any of my stories. But I have actually been thinking of this story for a couple months because I still intend to complete all of my unfinished work. However, I want to concentrate on this story first before thinking of storylines for Believe Me and Secret Liaisons. I can proudly say I have an outline for a good portion of this story and I actually have been writing excerpts of future chapters. As of now, I know this is going to have two parts so it might be my longest story yet. I cannot make any promises of when the next update will be but I hope to make a lot of progress this year. I hope there are still some NACY fans out there.

I haven't logged on here in a long time. And I was really surprised when I checked the traffic stats of my stories, I see that there are still people reading my stories till this day. I can say that the most popular story is Remember Me followed closely by the Great Pretenders. Most of my readers are from the US and the Philippines. I can't believe how many stories I was able to put out in a short amount of time. I guess I was really inspired back then. I still find joy in writing and I hope to complete all my stories on this website eventually. One of my new year's resolution was to finish at least one story this year.

And I don't know if its a new thing but I have been listening to my stories on my way to work. It's really cool how audio narration is now an option.

Anyway, I guess you can say I'm back? LOL. Please review! Thanks!

Penelope36