Nicole still couldn't believe what Evan had done to get her back. How romantic was he?! She found herself checking the clock constantly, waiting for 12:35 to come around. Jenna was next to her, scribbling back and forth on her home made book cover, hand smushed against her cheek. Nicole didn't want Jenna to feel bad but she couldn't help but feel upset with her. Had Evan never walked into that bathroom and confronted her, she may have never known his true intentions. But all that was in the past. Quickly, she snatched a piece of scrap paper from her Minnesota History book and began to write:
Jen,
I'm not angry anymore. You didn't know and you only meant to protect me. So, lets forget this whole thing ever happened okay? No use bummin' over spilt milk, right? Much Love,
Nicky
The note was short and to the point. And she hoped, got her message through. Hesitantly, so the teacher wouldn't see, she tossed it onto Jenna's desk. Nicole felt a string of relief lift off her mind. Soon, Jenna and her would feel a whole lot better. The bell rang and soon Nicole would be near Evan, warm and safe.
"You mean it?" Jenna asked. Nicole smiled at her and gave her a hug. Right now, Nicole could hug the world if her arms could reach, which they obviously couldn't.
"Do I lie?" she asked. Jenna knew Nicole better than even her father knew. Her heart dropped alittle at the thought but quickly shook it off. Nicole loved her father. All she wanted to know was that he loved her. Jenna hugged her back when Hector shook them from behind.
"You two sillies hungry?" he exclaimed. Nicole didn't like Hector all that much. She thought he was a brainless and weird dude with difficulties adjusting to a normal life. But that was what made his so darn interesting.
"Yah, meet us down there, okay? And buy me one of those strawberry ice cream bars before they disapear." Jenna ordered him. Like the obiedient boyfriend he was, he did as he was told and made his way to the steps. Jenna stopped Nicole about two footsteps away from the doors and looked her in the eye.
"Evan is a good guy, Nicole. I mean, the guy walked into a girls bathroom to get you back. That says a whole lot more than I can say for Hector, thats for sure." Jenna told her. But Nicole didn't need to be reminded. The thought had been running through her mind ever since it happened. Now the only thing running through her mind was making it to the cafeteria to see Evan. After grabbing Jenna's arm, she made her way through the mass of teenagers and backpacks with the determination Jenna and her had lost $30 bucks to find. It was a shame, she thought, she hadn't met Evan two days earlier. It was a bigger shame, she thought, that she hadn't met Evan before all of her loser ex-boyfriends. But thats just the way it is, she told herself as the doors of the cafeteria came into sight, thats just the way it is.
Evan couldn't believe how difficult and tedious it was today to make it down to the cafeteria. Every student that cut in front of him became another name on his payback list. Ever since he walked out of that bathroom, his nerves were fried. Everyone was rude and that was just the plain and simple truth. They were preventing him the time he could be with Nicole. Evan couldn't help but have to scratch his head at this point. Were they dating now or did he have to ask? And if they were, where could he take her to complete the task of technically going out with her? These were things he never had think about with Rebecca. They had been set up. The first time they met was a date. He didn't even have to ask. Now, with Nicole, he'd have to plan and make everything perfect. And Evan was quite aware that perfection was a tiring affair.
"Harrrr-ley, man!" he heard from his side. A slug to his gut soon followed. He winced and smiled at him. He knew it was Micah. Who else thought violence was any way to greet somebody besides his jockhead brothers?
"Hey, Micah, whats going on?" he asked. Evan picked up the pace. It was maybe 20 steps more til he made it to the cafeteria doors. And Micah Taggs was now #1 on his top five hit list.
"Dude, that chick I was telling you about? Man, she gave me her number." Evan nodded in recognition that he said something but was definatly somewhere else. Evan wasn't into politeness right now.
"Micah, man, I gotta go. Theres someone in there waiting for me. So, peace, okay?" he responded. Micah grinned and smacked his back.
"The Harley man's gotta chick. I read ya. Chill!" Micah said and ran towards another one of his buddies, leaping on top of his back. Evan drew out a small sigh of relief and walked into the lunch room. Everything was where it usually was but nothing looked the same. The room glowed and Evan couldn't help but smile. Nicole has poisoned him and he was sure of it. So, how come all he could think about is when he would get another drink? It wasn't long afterwards he found a seat where he usually sat and waited for Nicole to come through the doors. He was hungry but couldn't eat. All he wanted was to talk to her. Get to know her better. Sure, he was aware he rushed into this thing alittle fast but he was confident that Nicole was who he'd been waiting for. For a year, he had watched her talk with her friends from the far side of the cafeteria and through the unstoppable rumor mills headed by the bored seniors and juniors, he heard almost every time she lost a boyfriend. But Evan wasn't afraid of losing her. At least, too much.
"Hey you." he heard a familar voice. But it wasn't Nicole. He looked up and a sudden coldness made him shiver. He was staring up at his ex-girlfriend from last year. And Evan was pretty sure he heard that she moved. Had she returned to torture him?
"Shannon." he replied, his tone thoroughly annoyed. She took a seat next to him and began running her fingers through his short, spiky hair. Evan wanted to cut them off and dump them in the lunchroom's coleslaw. Surely, no one would be able to tell the difference between flesh and a hydrogenated carrot.
"I've been thinking about you." she tells him. Her red hair was longer than last year but her green eyes were as pure as the ones he fell in love with. Yeah, thats right. Love. Evan had to gulp.
"Yeah, well, I do that to people." he responded. His body tingled and everywhere perspiration could do its thing, nature took its course. Evan was melting under her spell with Nicole walking in the doors, eyes practically horrified with embarrassment and disbelief. Evan snapped out of it and made his move.
"Get off me, will ya?" he asked, moving over. She stood up, shocked. Evan hated yelling or being nasty to people but she may have just totally screwed up Nicole and his relationship once more. What could he do?
"Evan, haven't you missed me? You know, I've been living in Malibu for the past year." her voice told him that he was being almost ungrateful for her presence. Her voice told her she was right.
"So why'd you come back then?" She gasps. "Look, leave me alone, alright?" he finished then took off towards the rec room below the cafeteria, which he was sure Nicole would be. He just hoped she wasn't using the bathroom.
Nicole wanted to break something. Not an object, not glass but just something. Deep within her, she longed to break Evan's heart, as he had done hers. Jenna led her to a crevice between the girls and boys bathrooms where most of the druggies stored their stashes during the day. After telling her to stay there while she got Hector, Nicole started to sob. She refused to do it in front of Jenna but now she couldn't help it. The feelings running through her earlier wanted to trust him but now all that was smashed to pieces. Her heart was crushed. She should have known better than to put her faith into someone she hardly knew but she would never have guessed that something like this would have happened. Who was that girl and why didn't he tell her to get off of him? Wasn't Nicole good enough? There were so many questions with too little answers. Nicole wanted answers.
"Nicole?!" she heard a male call her name. She was almost positve it was Evan except his tone told her he was anxious. There the answers stood behind her so why wasn't she responding? Anger surged through her veins and her head grew heavier with pressure. She didn't feel like answers right now. Now she began to sob again.
"Nicole, please." he called her name out again. This time his tone suggested desperation. Then there was a thud against the other side of the wall. Nicole's heart was beating out of her chest. If a teacher found her back here with all these ciggerettes, that would be the end of her entire teenage life as she knew it. Then there was a sound of footsteps on the stairs.
"Hey Jenna." Evan said. Thats when Nicole realized Evan was on the other side of the crevice wall. She could sense the pain in his voice. Maybe it wasn't what she thought.
"Hey cheater." Jenna replied. Evan stood up and tried telling Jenna something. Jenna wasn't into listening. Nicole knew that if Jenna couldn't get him to shut up and listen to her, she'd have Hector help. And as much as Nicole was peeved right now, she wasn't going to let them hurt him.
"Hold on!" she called out. The room went quiet for a second. When she came out, Evan looked as if he just wanted to embrace her and never let her go but had a feeling he knew he couldn't. Nicole wanted to embrace him to but only with her fists.
"Jenna, could you excuse us?" she asked Jenna, Evan standing in front of her. Now Nicole couldn't breathe. His eyes were numbing her anger. She realized she had to snap out of it if she was going to get any answers at all.
"Nicole, look, that girl..." he started. Nicole wanted to ask the questions, not just recieve them.
"Who was she?" she asked. Okay, so maybe she could have just let him do that one. Nicole was so upset right now, she wasn't exactly watching what an idiot she sounded like. Anger had a weird way of messing up her right side of her brain, particularly the region that controlled her common sense.
"My ex-girlfriend. It's over between the two of us. She can't accept it. Nicole, I'm sorry you had to see that." he told her. Nicole was partly satisfied. Enough to accept his apology with two lips and a heart welcoming back what she wanted all along. Evan's trust. Evan heartily agreed to her acceptation with open arms. And so was they're first kiss. Nicole wanted to know why every great moment between the two of them started with something incredibly stupid or idiotic. All she knew was that she couldn't wait for her next disapointment because the apologies were just getting better and better.