“No way! She’s just a really nice girl. What gave you that idea?” Nick asked.
“You’ve never cared before if people don’t believe what you say. I think you want her to trust you.”
“What? You lost me.”
“You actually went to the point of calling me to prove that you weren’t lying to her.”
“That doesn’t mean I like her. Dude, she’s eighteen. She looks like she’s fourteen. She’s so much of a pessimist that it actually depresses me. However, she’s a really sweet girl, and I wish I could just get through to her that not everything in the world is bad.”
“Why do you care?”
“Because I wanna help her! In just a week, I’ve made a really good friend, and I want our friendship to last.” He paused. “And when she was having fun yesterday, I saw something break through. I saw the old Heather, the one from before her parents died. I don’t know what I did, but I must have done something. I like to see her smile.”
“You like her.”
“I think she’s pretty, for a girl who looks like she’s fourteen, but no way do I like her.” However, the fact that he was blushing furiously didn’t help his argument.
“You don’t blush when you talk about a girl you don’t like, Nick.”
“I…I got sunburned?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Fine, I like her a teensy bit, but it doesn’t matter because I wouldn’t date her. She’s too damned pessimistic.”
“I thought you said you brought out the old Heather.”
“I only can do that every once in a while. Most of the time, she’s still the sad girl I hate to see.”
“Then you have to figure out a way to bring out the old Heather all the time.”