~Brian’s point of view~
We were back on the cruise ship. The sun, which had once symbolized my mood and brightened up the ship, was now trying to melt me with its rays and was making me even more miserable. How could I have screwed this up? She had become so important to me.
I would just give Nick the stupid money. Maybe if August could see that I had voluntarily lost, she would at least talk to me. I had been by her room, but no one had answered. I had called. She had hung up on me. I saw Michelle and Nick near the pool and walked up to them.
“I can’t believe you would do that, Nick,” she said. Even she was mad at us. “I mean, what did Carmen and August ever do to become pawns in some twisted game of yours?”
“Michelle…” Nick started. But Michelle got up and walked away.
“Well that went well,” Nick said, sarcastically. “She told me she was really ‘disappointed’ in me.”
“Well, if you would’ve listened to me…” I said, trying to rationalize. He took my tone the wrong way. Or maybe I hadn’t used to right choice of words.
“Excuse me? Why is it that everyone is mad at me? Michelle didn’t say she was disappointed in you. You were part of this, and even you’re blaming it all on me?” Nick exploded. “Look… we’re finishing this. I’m going to go make-up with Carmen right now. We’re going to tell each other ‘I love you’ and I’ll be expecting a big, fat check from you!” Nick stormed off.
That wasn’t how that conversation was supposed to go. I sighed. I was alienated from basically everybody. If Nick hadn’t screamed and would’ve let me talk, I would’ve told him that he could have his stupid money. All I wanted was August.
~Nick’s point of view~
All this had started over a stupid argument. Brian had said that it takes time to fall in love. I countered him with the fact that you should just know. You should be able to tell right off whether you and someone are meant for each other. And if Cassie hadn’t of screwed everything up, then I would be a richer man.
Cassie may have slowed the process down, but the outcome would be the same. I knocked on Carmen’s door. ‘Okay,’ I said. ‘I’m just going to say it.’ Saying ‘I love you’ couldn’t be that hard. Then I’d make a grand apology.
Luckily, she opened the door. “Yeah?” her greeting was anything but friendly.
“Look… I don’t care what Cassie said… we all know now how truthful that witch is. But I want you to know, that you aren’t just some bet to me. You’re more. And I want you to know that I lov…”
What was wrong with me? I was just getting started.
But Michelle’s face appeared in my mind. The expression I had seen when Cassie had just told them about the bet. My heart had felt like someone was trying to squeeze it.
Why was it, out of all the people who were mad at me (and that list was getting longer as time went on), that she was the person I felt the worst about?
She was one of my closest friends. No one was as fun to pick on as her. She wasn’t the super model like Carmen, or even Cassie (if you didn’t see the evil lurking inside) was. But in her own way, she was more beautiful than any of them.
Sure, she could be annoying. She’d always pester me when she thought I was being a ‘typical guy’ or a ‘dumb blonde.’ And she was always carrying that camera around. And I couldn’t stand to hear anymore about N’SYNC…
But what would I do without having her to pick on? Not being able to take her camera when she wasn’t looking and make her chase after it. Or pretend to throw her favorite N’SYNC CD in a dumpster and what her get annoyed.
And I hated hearing her talk about Kevin. Why was that? Was I…
“Look, Carmen. I came here to finish up the bet. I was going to use you, even while saying I wasn’t. But that’s not fair to you, or to me. You’re a great person. But… I don’t think we’re right for each other. Listen, I’m really sorry about…everything. But I can’t say I’m sorry about the bet completely, because if it wasn’t for that, I might never have gotten a chance to know you. You’re gonna make some guy fall head over heels in love someday… and he’s a lucky guy. I really hope you can forgive me…”
“Well… I’ve already made the voodoo doll and had the cauldron all set up…” Carmen started. “But I suppose I can add long hair and turn it into Cassie…” she paused. “That's one of the first truthful things you've said. And I can’t get too mad at you, I’ve been having feelings for someone else, too. Of course, I'm not getting paid to like him..."
I laughed. “So we’re okay? Friends?”
“Yeah, I suppose. You weren’t really my type anyway,” Carmen smiled.
“Gosh, why is everyone picking on me today?”
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty-One
Drowning
Frick's Fairytales