The Trouble With Relationships



Michelle had only one foot outside of her room when Nick appeared in front of her. She jumped, startled. Then closed her eyes and laughed it off.

“Oh, Nick. You scared me! I was just gonna look for you.” She continued to close the door and assumed they would walk down the hall together, but Nick didn’t budge.

“Is AJ in there?” He asked, looking at her coldly. She couldn’t lie to him. He knew her too well. But AJ answered for her. He opened the door suddenly and stepped outside. Wearing the same thing he had on the night before. Nick looked at AJ, and then at Michelle.

“I’ll talk with you later.” He said, pointing to Michelle. Then he pushed passed AJ with aggression. They could tell he wasn’t happy with them spending so much time together, not at all. They watched as he went to the elevator and then saw that it had gone down to the lobby.

“I probably should have a talk with him.” She suggested, and AJ nodded. “Wish me luck.” He did so by giving her a tight hug and nuzzling her neck. Then he went back into his own room to shower and change.

Michelle found Nick sitting with Kevin, Brian, and Howie. They were having breakfast, as they usually did. Inconspicuously. She approached their table and greeted Brian, Kev, and Howie with a friendly morning smile.

“G’morning.” Brian said, his Kentucky accent slipping just a little. She nodded.

“Good morning to you too.” Nick had his back to her. Not intentionally, but just because that’s how he was seated. She placed her hand on his shoulder and he shied away.

“Nick, we really have to talk.” He looked up at his three friends sitting across and next to him. He didn’t want them to witness their conversation. So he got excused himself and they sat at another table to talk.

“Yeah?” He asked, as if he had no clue as to what Michelle needed to discuss with him.

“It’s about AJ. I know you wouldn’t approve of us, but...” Nick held up his hand and she stopped mid-sentence.

“Us? What the hell do you mean, us? You haven’t even known him that long!” He argued.

“Nick, I’ve known him just as long as I’ve known you. It’s just that we haven’t been really attracted to each other until now.” Nick put his head down on the table then raised it up again, showing her that he couldn’t believe what she was saying.

“So...what? You’re seeing him now or something?” Michelle rested her head in her palm.

“You know what, Nick? I don’t know yet. But it could very well go there.” Nick shook his head, just like she had asked him if she could.

“No. Absolutely not! I won’t have it. He’s no good for you. He’ll just get you into trouble. And you’re too sweet to get mixed up with a guy like AJ. If I know you at all, you haven’t done anything with him yet. But if you keep messing with fire, you get burned.” Michelle was the one in disbelief now. Her eyes were wide and confused.

“No? You’re telling me that I can’t see AJ? Nickolas Gene Carter, the last time I checked, you were not my father!” Nick rolled his eyes at her and scoffed.

“Yeah, but I know your father. And he wouldn’t approve of you having AJ stay in your room all night! But you know what? Try looking at it this way... if you wanna mess around with AJ, fine. Do so! But don’t expect me to be hanging around when he breaks your heart! Don’t expect me to hang around period! Either you have me as your friend, or him as your boyfriend. You decide!” Nick said, hitting the table with his last words. Then he got up and left the restaurant, which was within the hotel.

Michelle lowered her head when she felt tears coming. Then she felt someone’s presence come near her. She dried her eyes and looked up. It was Howie. Smiling at her softly.

“Had a fight, I see.” He noted. Michelle nodded in agreement.

“Nick has a temperament issue. We tell him about it all the time, but he won’t pay any attention to us. Are you ok?” She nodded again, wiping the tears from her cheeks now before they dried.

“Just give him some time, ok? He’ll cool off soon and then you two can work out whatever it is that is troubling you. K?” Michelle nodded a third time. Then Howie got up and gave her a hug before returning to his friends at their original table.

Michelle rushed up to AJ’s room after talking with Howie. She knocked on the door lightly and waited. AJ opened it and steam from the shower he had just gotten out of warmed her skin. He pulled her inside gently by her hand. And then he closed the door behind her.

AJ was only wearing a towel, and he was just going to pull it off and kiss Michelle when she brought things to an abrupt stop.

“Wait! Before you do or show me anything, I have to tell you something.” He got a worried look on his face and sat down on the bed, towel still around his waist.

“What’s wrong?” He held out his hand for her, and when she gave it to him, he led her toward the bed so that she was seated next to him.

“I talked with Nick. Just moments ago. And he’s not happy about us at all, Chez. In fact, he doesn’t want me to hang around with you anymore.” AJ shrugged and started to kiss her neck and the sensitive area behind her ear where he knew she loved to be kissed.

“Nick can’t keep up from seeing each other.” He breathed between kisses.

“He can. And he has. He told me that if I kept seeing you, we weren’t friends anymore. Chez, I do care about you. A lot. I always have, now more than ever. But Nick is one of my best friends. And I wouldn’t feel right to have him angry with me.” AJ moved his face away from her neck and then he got up from the bed.

“I can’t believe this shit! Damn!” He shouted, his voice so full of anger. He leaned against the wall then. His head facing the wall as well. Michelle thought that maybe this was a good time to go. She merely touched his shoulder to let him know that she was leaving. And he nodded, understanding. Still leaning against the wall.

As Michelle left his room, she felt like she was betraying her heart. AJ was so very sweet to her. And he made her feel so loved. She knew that if Nick wasn’t so against it, she and AJ could probably have a good, healthy relationship together. Why was Nick being so damned difficult? Why???

~*~*~*~*~*~


The very next day on the bus... Nick acted as though nothing had ever gone on between Michelle and AJ. They were playing PS2 together and Nick was losing a game. He leaned over and fooled around with Michelle’s controller. She pushed his hand away and they started a little fight outside of the video game. Laughing and pawing each other.

When Nick lost the game anyway, he pinned Michelle to the floor of the bus and tickled her until she could hardly breathe. AJ walked by them and stopped to look. Nick stopped and let Michelle go. She still hadn’t noticed AJ.

AJ made a scowling face at Nick, then shook his head in shame. Nick just responded with a smile. And AJ knew that Nick was flaunting the fact that he now had Michelle and AJ couldn’t touch her.

“You’re an asshole. A complete asshole.” AJ said before proceeding to the back of the bus where the rest of the guys were. Michelle heard this and turned around to see him walk away. And she knew why he called Nick that. Nick just shrugged and started another game.

“You know, I am still trying to figure out what you saw in him, anyway.” Nick said, shrewdly. Michelle shoved him hard in the arm.

“Because he’s a good person, Nick! And he’s hurt right now. And he’s also right, you are being an asshole.” She got up from the floor and threw down her controller near Nick’s knee. He followed her to the back of the bus and stopped her, pulling her arm.

“Ok, I have been... a little off lately. But it’s only because I still love you.” The bus yielded to a stop. They were in front of a McDonald’s.

“I cannot believe you would tell me this now!” She turned around and ran off the bus and into the fast food restaurant. AJ, who was still sitting in the back of the bus, saw that Nick had said something to make her leave. He then got up and took this chance to speak his mind to Nick.

“You may not wanna accept it, but I do care about Shell. We connect. We have fun. And I enjoy being with her. Nick, I will not allow you to keep us apart. You don’t have that right!” They looked each other over and the tension between them was so thick, it could be cut with a knife. Kevin separated them and wrapped his arm around AJ, pulling him off of the bus.

Brian and Howie stayed back and took it upon themselves to calm Nick down. Because the young blonde was steaming at this point. He had told Michelle his true feelings, and she walked out on him. And now his good friend, AJ had become his competition.

“Ok, Nick, what is going on? We’re tired of being in the dark, man.” Brian said, placing his friendly hand on Nick’s cold shoulder.

“It’s that bastard causing all the trouble! Why don’t you ask him?” Howie jumped in at this point.

“Well, because he’s all the way in there and you’re right here. So why don’t you go ahead and vent.” Nick sighed and eventually gave in.

“I wanted Michelle around so that maybe we could get back together again. I mean, I still have feelings for her. And AJ has to go and ruin things for us!” Brian and Howie looked at each other. This is what they thought was going on, and Nick had just confirmed it for them.

“Did it ever occur to you that it takes two to tango? If AJ has been spending all this time with her, it’s because she allows it and enjoys it. You two have been like brother and sister for so long. No flirtation, nothing. Just friends. And now you’re spring love on her, out of nowhere.” Brian explained, and Nick simmered down a little. He never looked at it from her point of view.

“And there’s AJ. He and Michelle have always been cool with each other. But now she’s older, and mature. And he’s attracted to her. Just as she is to him. AJ had no idea that you still loved Michelle. No clue. You can’t blame him.” Howie added. Now Nick was sitting again. Calm and collected.

“So what do I do?” He asked his two friends, hoping they could help him out in getting Michelle back without hurting anyone in the process.

“Let her decide for herself. If you try to keep her away from AJ, she’ll just desire him more. It’s just human nature. But if you give her freedom to decide, you’re chances are greater.” Nick got a little scared.

If he didn’t protest to her seeing AJ. She would do just that. And he would never get a chance to show her how much he cared for her. But if he didn’t give her the freedom she needed, she would hate him. He opted to go for the first alternative.

“So you’re saying if I just back off and give her space, she might come back?” Both Brian and Howie nodded. Nick bit his lip, showing that he was thinking it over.

“Ok.... I’ll back off.”




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