Chapter 6
The next day I waited outside for Cindy to come pick
me up to go to the mall.
I sat on the steps playing with a piece of grass,
it actually kept me
entertained.
I heard a door slam at Nick's house. Looking up I saw
those
4 guys and Nick leaving the house. Luckily
they were loud enough I could hear
them.
I saw Nick as my heart pounded. Why did I feel
this way toward
him when I hated him? Maybe
I'm in denial, or maybe it's because I like
Eddie.
God he looks so good today…what am I saying?
The talent show is tonight,
and we'll see what
kind of person he really has become.
"Nick
just ask her out bro," Brian said as he picked
up the basketball.
"No
Brian, you don't understand me and her," he said
sitting on the hood of
a blue Jeep in the driveway.
"What's there to understand?" Kevin
asked
sitting next to Nick. Aaron came outside with
Leslie and saw me.
"Hey
Jess!" Aaron yelled as they ran to me.
All the guys looked in shock, maybe
they were
talking about me!
"Hey guys, what are you doing?"
I asked as
they hugged me lightly.
"We're going to Jacob's house,
he lives right
there," Aaron said pointing to the house next to Nicks.
"Well
you guys have fun, I'll see you later!" I said acting
enthusiastic. The
guys still stood there in shock,
Nick with his eyes bugging out and face red.
"Hey
Jess…were you there when
we came out?" Howie asked curiously.
"Um…yeah.
I've been waiting for Cindy, we're
going out to the mall," I said looking
down at my
feet as I spoke.
There was a long silence when I saw Cindy
come up
around the corner. "Well that's her, are you guys
coming to
the talent show tonight?" I asked as
I opened the door to Cindy's corvette.
"Yeah,
to see me win," Nick said with
that smirk I hated so much!
"Whatever,
bye guys," I said angrily.
I slammed the door as Cindy sped off.
"What
was all that about?" She asked curiously.
"Nothing, Nick just thinks
he's going to beat me
again!" I said pushing my hair back out of my
eyes
with frustration.
"Don't worry about it, you'll kick his ass and
show
him! Right?" She said glancing at me.
"Of course! He'll be sorry
he messed with
me," I said as I looked in the rearview mirror at Nick.
I
knew if I beat him he would never like me, and I
knew if I lost I would never
live it down.
I sighed and looked out the front window with a
situation I
didn't know how to handle.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When
we entered the mall, it was like a totally
different place from when I last came.
Everything in it was new but the Macys on the left
side of the mall.
As I stood in awe, Cindy grabbed
my arm and took me into every store imaginable.
Every single appealing store we bought
something in, I was broke by the
time we finished!
"Thanks Cindy, see you tonight?" I asked opening
the
car door.
I stepped out onto the asphalt and looked at Nick's
house,
they were still outside, now just sitting
in the grass and…singing?
"Yeah,
bye girl!" She said as I shut the door.
I shook my head from the sound I
heard and
put my stuff in my room.
I had at least 6 bags, all filled.
I looked out the window
and saw them laughing, Nick's laugh was so cute,
how
his dimples would show and…
I had to get away.
"Ash? You wanna
do something?" I had called
her up in search of getting away.
"Sorry
Jess, I'm babysitting Keith," she said sadly.
I nodded and sighed, hanging
up the phone
I heard I knock on the door. I opened it and
to my surprise
I saw A.J. on the other side!
"Hey Jessie, the guys and I were wondering
if you'd
come hear us sing, we've got a performance tomorrow
and need to
see if we got it packed
down tight. Please?" He asked with a grin.
"I
don't think so A.J.," I said. As I started
closing the door he pushed it
back.
"Come on please? I know you and Nick are bitching at
each other,
but do it for all of us, pretend that Nick's
not there I guess. Come on Jess,
please?" He begged.
I sighed, knowing he wouldn't go away till I agreed.
"Fine,
just so you'll leave me alone," I said shutting
the door behind me. As we
walked across the street,
A.J. started talking to me.
"So why do
you hate Nick so much?"
"He ruined my life and rubbed it in my
face," I said
folding my arms across my chest.
"He did? I'm
sure he's not like that anymore
though Jess," he said looking at me.
"Okay
you see at the talent show, he still and always
will be the jerk in my life,"
I said as we got
over to the guys.
"I have to beg, but she agreed,"
A.J. said sitting down
with the rest of the group.
"Wanna sit down?"
Howie asked politely.
"No that's okay I'll stand," I said being
kinda rude.
I really didn't want to be there, and hearing
Nick sing was even
worse.
"Okay whatever. Um…let's start on my
lead," Brian said
as the guys nodded.
They started singing 'Water Runs Dry' by Boyz 2 Men.
It was beautiful, all their voices together, it almost
made me cry. But I
held back the tears…until
Nick sung his own part.
"Why do we hurt
each other? Why do we push love
away?" He sang, glancing at me for a brief
moment.
"That was really…really good," I said nodding,
holding
my tears.
"Thanks, you think we're ready?" Kevin asked.
"Um…yeah.
I gotta go though, I gotta get ready
for the show. You guys are good, you'll
blow
them away," I said as I walked away.
I started walking faster,
until I finally just ran home.
I slammed my door and let the tears flow freely.
I closed the blinds and started getting ready for the
show. I pulled
out a dress from one of my bags
and put it on.
Cindy said it was one
of those kinds that judges would
want to drool over. It was a spaghetti-strap
mini dress
that was forest green and had green lace on the rim
of it. It
was pretty, but some people
might of thought I was a slut in that dress.
I
curled my hair and put on some light make up.
I was ready to face my challenge,
either beating
the guy I like or losing to my worst enemy.
