Chapta' 3-
Nicole's house was quiet as it was every morning. But her nose still longed for the smell of sweet blueberry pancakes and Vanilla Musk to stir her to get up. Now all she could smell was the odor of her cat box and a strong smell of her fathers new obsession, cherry cigars. Things had changed since last year all right. She checked her clock and realized she still had twenty minutes until her usual wake-up time. This was a relief. Now she could think about Evan and last night. Hopefully, he wouldn't just pretend that it never happened. Nicole had been to plenty of parties and met all kinds of different guys but most of them later barely said a word to her afterwards. Like she didn't even exist. Like she was just an aparation or something, although she never believed in such things. But something inside of her told her that Evan wouldn't do that. He was different.
"If I could, than I would, I'll go wherever you will go..." Nicole sighed to herself as the throaty ballad belted out of her stereo. Somehow, she felt she could relate. She wanted to be with Evan and she knew it. Or maybe the emotion of the song was over-taking her common sense. She didn't care. She was smiling.
"Turn it down, Nicky." her dad said from the living room. She grinned like an idiot at him as she poked her head out the door and blew him a kiss.
"Whats up with you?" he asked. The grin apparently didn't have an affect on his mood at all. The cigar was numbing his senses again. Nicole wanted to rip it in half. Why should the cigar be around him more than she could? She wanted her dad back.
"Nothing." Nicole replied, coldly. Her head went back inside the room, her heart slunk back down and all her happieness felt just spit upon. How could things ever be good again when her father refuses to let them? After picking up Jenna's jeans and shoving them into her backpack, she remembered Evan's number. She plopped down on the floor, plucked it from the pocket and read it. 365-1052, I miss you, she mumbled. She cracked open her door again. The laugh track on an old episode of Seinfeld was playing but her father sat silently in front of the tv, practically motionless. Things could never be good again. So, she shut the door.
Evan could smell the gym from all the way on the other side of the school. It had a scary way of destroying everything in its path within a 3 mile radius. So, if Nicole smelled something, he could always blame it on the gymnasium. Now all he had to do was find a way to hide his black eye. The whole concept was destined for failure.
"Hey you! Wait! You!" a female voice called him. It wasn't Nicole but he presumed whoever it was obviously had no idea who he was. So he looked around and spotted Jenna making her way towards him.
"Umm, hello." he responded, politely. She looked over him like a toy inspector and grinned.
"Jenna Walker, Nicky's friend." she exclaimed, holding out her hand. A tall guy stood behind her, a cd player in his hand and headphones hugging his skinny head. He waved and continued to hum whatever he was listening to.
"Umm, Evan Harley. Nice to meet you." He probably was laying the politeness on alittle to thick because she sorta raised her eyebrow and smiled.
"Nice to meet you too...this is Hector." Jenna replied and took ahold of the tall guys arm. Hector smiled at him and pursued his music again.
"Do you like Nicole?" His mouth went dry. Where did that come from? And how should he respond? 'Yes, I've been fantasizing about your friend having my children.' Durr, no.
"Well, umm, I guess." Mental smack. Evan couldn't believe he said he guessed he liked his goddess. Of course he liked her, she was in fact the most remarkable girl he had ever met.
"Okay, well, I'll go tell Nicole." Jenna said and tapped Hector back to Earth. Evan's head was spinning faster than a record player.
"What? Wait, no, you can't do that." he exclaimed. This wasn't happening. Jenna just grinned confused, as if she was doing him a favor and he just wasn't reacting correctly to the arrangement. How did she think he would react? Thank her and go on his merry way?
"Why? Don't you want her to know?" she asked. Hector was bopping his head now and singing louder to students as they passed by. The bell went off.
"No!" Evan heavily resounded. Her face went pale. This might not have been the best thing to do to the best friend of his dream girl but Evan felt trapped and without escape. This couldn't be real.
"Oh. I get it." she said and dragged Hector away as they made their way into their homeroom. Evan just leaned against his locker, his back flattened to the cool metal, a look of desperation on his face. Jenna was going to tell Nicole he had no interest in her, for sure. He growled to himself and slammed the locker shut as he made his way to homeroom. At least now he wouldn't have to worry about Nicole noticing his unbathed stench or his black eye. She wouldn't be talking to him ever again and that was for sure.
Nicoles eyes were drooping and her stomach churned. Everyone seemed to be staring at her. She knew what they were thinking. Anorexia's cover girl didn't eat her breakfast this morning. Big surprise. But that wasn't true. Nicole couldn't stand seeing her father the way he was and refused to leave her room. It was only when he went to the bathroom that she snuck out and squatted by the side of her house. For fifteen minutes she hid there, waiting for Hector and Jenna to pick her up. Inside, the tv roared with laughter but her father just sat there and stared. Stared like a lifeless drone.
"Nicole Rosenthal?" the rollcaller exclaimed. Nicole's arm raised and more people stared. 'Look how tiny her arm is', they probably thought to themselves. She didn't care anymore, though. She didn't have anything to hide. Her head dropped onto her stack of books and began wondering where Evan was right now. Who did he have for homeroom? Finally, the bell went off. Nicole made her way to the door as bookbags and purses brushed her sides.
"Remember, school photos are next Friday. Don't forget to hand your money in if your paying for copies." the teacher called. It was no use though. More than half of the class had already bolted out.
"Nicole? Honey, would you like a granola bar?" the teacher offered. Nicole's face went pale. With a shake of her head, she rushed out of there as fast as she could. Even her teacher thought she had a problem. Wonderful. After meeting Hector and Jenna in the hallway, she felt accepted and safe. Here she wouldn't be judged.
"I talked to Evan today." Jenna mentioned casually. Her heart soared on hearing his name. Then realized it had just come out of Jenna's mouth.
"You what?" she asked. Jenna had a serious look upon her face and almost looked apathetic. Nicole wanted to scream.
"Nicole, I think you should know something. I asked him if he liked you and the guy couldn't even give me a straight answer. Frankly, I think he was just using you." Nicole's hopes dropped faster than a bird falling from the sky at hearing the words Evan and using you. Evan wouldn't do that to her, she thought, or would he? Jenna stopped her midway to class and looked at her.
"I didn't mean to shock you. Look, theres other guys. Don't waste your time with misery, it only brings disapointment." she told her. The words were hollow and meaningless. Without the thought of Evan in her world anymore made her sick. How did she get so attached, so quickly? It had only been one night. One night that changed her entire life.
