"So what have you been up to?" Nick asked shoving his hands deep in his Jean pockets.
"Nothin' just shopping, working, the usual, you?"
"Nothing just rehearsing, rehearsing, and rehearsing, you know the usual."
"Sounds like fun."
"I missed you a lot."
"Oh..Why?" She raised her eyebrow.
"'Cause you are my best friend and I'm going on tour again soon."
"I know, and nothing is wrong."
"Well, I haven't asked if anything was wrong yet Trouble!" Nick ruffled her hair.
"Hey don't touch the hair bud! And how did I get that nick name anyway?" She smiled innocently; glad that the subject had changed. "I'm an angel!"
"Oh sure," He grinned
"Shut up Nickels!" She hit him playfully. That's what was so weird about their friendship they could be so mad at each other they wanted to kill one another than be best friends again. "So whatcha wanna do tonight?"
"Um.." Nick thought aloud, knowing she would come up with something fun.
"Oh nevermind, I have a pl---idea!" She declared grabbing his arm.
"Sounds like Trouble is gonna do something evil." He grabbed the ball and shot; it flew in. He started doing his victory dance.
"You'll see Carter, just you wait. You'll see and your little dog too." She hissed in her best witch voice.
"Chilling Thompson, very chilling," he laughed.
"Just wait. My room five O'clock, be there...or don't," she blew him a kiss and went into her house.

"Honey I'm home," Nick yelled walking into her front room.
"I'm peeing!" She yelled from upstairs.
"That's great." Nick yelled back. "So, is Manda home?" He asked heading toward the kitchen.
"Yes, Nickels I went shopping!" she yelled running down the stairs and into the kitchen.
"Awww you know me so well," he grinned, grabbing a Mountain Dew.
"You're just so adorable," she pinched his cheeks.
"I know," he walked out of the kitchen. "So, my dear, what evil plans to you have for tonight?"
"Umm, first and foremost......no Playstation!" She yanked the controller out of his hand.
"Why not?" He whined.
"Nick, we do that every night, or we used to," she smiled shyly and grabbed his hand. "What are we gonna go then?" He whined more following her.
"Oh you big baby! Come on," she headed for the stairway.
"Okkayy," he ran to catch up with her, holding tightly on to his pants so they didn't fall down. Half way up the stairs she stopped dead in her tracks.
"You know that wouldn't happen if you didn't buy them five sizes to big!" She hit his stomach playfully.
"They aren't five sizes to big," he whispered, "they are three." Nick pushed her a little, "and they look cool!" He added quickly. She just laughed and continued up the stairs and to her room. He plopped down on her bed and turned on the TV. She sat down between his legs on the floor and started to take of his shoes then socks. This is going to be so funny, she thought smiling.

"Um, Trouble what may I ask are you doing to my feet?"
"Well, Nickels I'm gonna...." she smiled widely, "It's a surprise k?" He went back to watching the cartoon that was on. She pulled out a big shoebox from under her bed and picked out a bottle of green and a bottle of pink. She twisted off the lid giggling to herself.
"What are you doing?" Nick asked yawning.
"Nothing." Nick tried to look down but she pushed him back on the bed. He stayed that way the whole time she was painting his toe nails. "Wanna see?" she asked when she was done. "Um Nick?" She stood up. "Hey Nick," she shook him, he didn't move. "Guess that's a night," she shrugged. She walked to her bathroom and changed into her pajamas and walked back into her room. Nick was still sleeping. "Ohmigosh...he---he is sucking his thumb." She burst out in a fit of laughter. How cute, she thought putting his socks back on "That'll be our little surprise Nickels," she whispered pulling the covers around him and climbing into her bed. "Sweet dreams," she kissed him on the cheek and fell fast asleep.

Nick woke up to her curled up in a ball in his arms, her legs wrapped around him. He smiled thinking how nice this felt.
"Sorry," she pulled away from him.
"That's fine," he whispered sitting up.
"You're leaving today," she cried.
"Yeah I know, I'm gonna miss you a lot."
"I'm gonna be here all by myself all summer," she frowned.
"Don't look so down Trouble it's only two or three months, maybe Amanda or Emma will come down."
She faked a smile. "Maybe, but I'm sure if Aaron is gone Emma won't even want to talk to me." Nick laughed. "I'll just check on your house, make sure it doesn't run off or anything, and work on my game I guess."
"That's my girl." Nick hugged her and jumped out of bed.
"Nick don't forget to call and um.......wash your feet." She laughed with an evil grin.
He cocked an eyebrow, "oh, oh I will, I will." He laughed at her. "So what's my surprise?"
"Um..I forgot," she grinned.
"You are the worst liar I swear." He hugged her again.
"Hurry back Nickels."
"I'll try maybe I'll even have sweet teach me how to email you." Candice laughed
"And don't forget my present!"
"Present?" he teased.
"Yeah you promised me a gift," she stood up. "But I guess I'll just take my best friend back!"

"Will do, love ya, bye," he saluted walking out the door. She heard him run down the stairs and slam the front door, like he was in trouble or something, she laughed to herself. Then the phone started to ring,
"Hello?"
"Is Manda there?" a raspy voice asked.
"No, not right now..may I take a message?"
"Um..er..yeah can you tell her that Aj called, could you please."
"Aj?"
"Yeah."
"What's wrong?" Candice and Aj had talked before, when she followed Nick to photo shoots and stuff. They were kind of friends.
"She just...well we," He stammered. "Can you please just tell her I called I've gotta go."
"OK..bye." She hung up and if almost timed the front door opened.

"Candi gurl I'm home!" Amanda yelled cheerfully.
"Manda what's wrong?"
Amanda looked confused, "what makes you think anything is wrong?"
"Well, Aj just called and he sounded really sad."
"He called..Great!" Amanda cheered dancing around.
"Amanda talk to me," Candice screamed.
"Ok, well last night we went to this club and we were kissing and he told me he loved me! We have only been dating a month, I mean he said he loves me Why? How? Since when?" Amanda started yelling.
"Clam down, it's Ok."

Amanda wiped her watering eyes and continued, "so I'm like god Aj you have some nerve and then he got mad, and I tried to explain to him what I really meant, cause it came out wrong, and he just snapped and I started freaking out and he said he was sorry and so did I. Then I told him I didn't believe in love," she faked a smile.
"And?"
"Well, he said he understood and he could handle that. So, I told him we didn't have to be in love right now, and we didn't have to be in love to you know," she winked, "and he goes no that's not what I meant at all," she said in her best Aj voice. Both girls burst out laughing. "Now I got him round my figure and I've gotta call him!" she jumped up, the phone rang, "Aj baby!"

"Um..no it's Nick," Nick said in a whisper.
"Oh sorry Nick, here you go," Amanda twisted her face into a sickened smile. She pulled the phone away from her head and yelled for Candice. She appeared at the stairway, 'hurry your ghetto booty up' Amanda mouthed.
"That is what you are, coming from a far reaching for the stars, run away with Aj," Candice sang. Nick started laughing on the other end.
"Oh shut up Nickels!"
"So how ya doing without me?"
"You haven't left yet have you?"
"No."
"You are such a blonde Carter," she laughed. "But I'm gonna miss you all summer!"
"Yeah I'm gonna miss you too but Aj's got a knife up to my head telling me to put Mandi on so talk to ya later babe!"
"Bye Nickels," she whispered. "I love you" she mouthed into the dial tone.
No No no you can't love him you're just a screwed up distraction in his life her head screamed.

"Hello?" she asked groggily.
"Hey, girl you Ok?" a chipper voice asked.
"Oh hey Nick, " she said in a whisper.
"Oh..I'm sorry I didn't mean to wake you."
"It's Ok I was just getting up anyway."
"So how have you been? What's new?"
"Nick you've only been gone for two weeks," Candice laughed. "I'm fine and you guys?"
"Fine touring gets tiring but we are all up for it, I can't wait to get home."
"Sounds great," she starred down at her bowl of salad with disgust. "I've been trying out for some plays and some Disney stuff."
"Cool, hey but I've gotta go call you later bye."
"Bye," they both hung up. "Ohmigod...I can't do this." She threw her bowl across the kitchen.

"What's up Nicky?" Aj asked staring at Nick's sad face.
"It's Candice, she's sick or something and she won't tell me anything!"
"Nick just let her deal with this by herself, you're her best friend not her father and plus she's 19 not 9, she can handle whatever's wrong."
Nick nodded. "But what if she can't," he mumbled under his breath.