Nick was somewhat disappointed that he was no longer another nameless face at Columbia especially with Devyn. She knew who he was now and that wasn’t exactly what Nick wanted.
“Devyn!” Nancy snapped. “Nick Carter is not an asshole, he’s a sweetheart.”
“Then this obviously isn’t Nick Carter because if you had seen the crap he’s pulled this morning…”
“Whatever Devyn,” Nancy said rolling her eyes. “You’ve probably pulled some stupid stuff this morning too.”
“Even so, I at least deserve an apology,” Devyn retorted, with a disgusted sigh. At that, both she and Mike turned around just as Professor Lockwood was entering the lecture hall. “Great, just perfect, what a wonderful day this has turned out to be.”
Mike began to smile, hidden at first but then getting to the point where it was impossible to hide. Devyn turned to him, “What are you smiling about.”
Mike stifled a laugh. “I’ve seen you like this before Dev…”
“Like what?!”
“Someone has a crush.”
“On who, him?!” Devyn snapped, motioning over towards Nick. Mike could no longer contain his laughter. That said enough for Devyn. “Screw off Mike. I do not have an attraction to that pop-star pretty boy. Okay?”
Devyn didn’t realize it before, but Professor Lockwood had begun class only to stop it and listen to Devyn and Mike argue. “Miss McPherson,” the professor began. “Causing trouble a little earlier than usual today?”
“Sorry Professor Lockwood,” Devyn called.
The professor just rolled his eyes and continued on with yet another boring lecture about friction while Devyn sat back in her squeaky chair and felt the tips of her ears grow hot with anger and embarrassment.
Devyn tossed her messenger bag on the living room couch in the dorm and plopped down beside it. The day had only gotten worse since her physics class and her run in with Nick Carter. She decided to blow off Accounting and head back to the dorm for a change of clothes only to forget her key. As she sat outside in the mildly cold weather waiting for Mike to return from class, the two guys next door, whom Devyn had developed a playful feud with, had soaked her from head to toe with snowballs. She drip-dried in the freezing cold just in time for Mike to let her in only for her to realize that, once again, all of her clothes were dirty. As Devyn was gathering her clothes together for a trip to Hale’s Laundromat, she realized that today was the second Monday of the month, meaning that she had a Pre-Med meeting, which she had completely missed. On her way back from the laundromat, Devyn’s ’84 Jeep Wagoneer broke down on the side of the highway. Two hours later, she finally got a ride back into town and walked, clothing basket in hand, back to Columbia where she had already missed all of Pre-Calc and ten minutes of her Spanish Lit class. Thankfully, the professor was out sick so class had been canceled. After her Advanced Art and Art History class, Devyn finally made it back to the dorm, leading to her present state of lounging around on the couch. A knock on the door forced her out of relaxation as she got up to answer it. “Thank God this day is almost over,” she muttered to herself seconds before the door swung open. “Oh…wonderful!” Devyn said, exasperatedly throwing her hands in the air. While messaging her temples, attempting to ward of a headache, Devyn angrily spat out, “What do you want?”
Nick was just as shocked to see Devyn as she was to see him. “This is dorm number 245, isn’t it?” Nick asked, checking the slip of paper in his hand and then re-checking the door number.
“What do we have for him Johnny?” Devyn replied sarcastically.
“Dorm number 245…you live in dorm number 245?”
“You’re a quick one there…what are you doing here?”
Nick swallowed hard in disappointment. “Well,” he started. “If this slip of paper indicating my dorm assignment is right, I live here.”
“No!” Devyn said loudly. “Tell me this isn’t happening. Who are you assigned to live with…there has to be a mixed up.”
“It says Mike Jackson and Devyn McPherson, but I assumed that Devyn was a boy…it’s a boy’s name…”
“Oh God no! Please tell me your dyslexic!”
Nick didn’t say anything.
“You have to get this changed,” Devyn said. “There is no way that both you and I can live under the same roof…I don’t have to know you for more than an hour to know that…”
“It says here that there’s a 30 day trial period to avoid constant switching…” Reality dawned on Nick. “That means that I have to live here, with you for 30 days! God damnit!”
“What do you mean with me?!” Devyn argued. “How am I going to survive living with you before I put a gun to my head and pull the trigger.”
“Oh, would you?” Nick said, faking excitement.
Devyn rolled her eyes and after about 10 more minutes of arguing finally stepped aside allowing Nick in to the dorm. Nick was surprised at the size of the place, which was surprisingly large for a Columbia dorm room. The kitchen was fairly small which led out into the wood floor dinning area and living space. The hall branched into three bedrooms, two occupied, one vacant. Nick peaked into one, which happened to be Devyn’s. “Damn,” he said. “It’s obvious that you live here.”
“What gave it away,” Devyn muttered.
“I dunno, the clothes everywhere, the video games all over the floor…I think I see an entire pizza over there…”
“Anything else you would like to comment on?”
“Well…”
Devyn cut him off. “Just shut up,” she said. “Are you always this annoying.”
“Are you?” Nick said. “Damn!”
“You’re a Backstreet Boy aren’t you? You’re loaded. Can’t you pay to live in an apartment or something?”
“I’m not that rich,” Nick mumbled. “If I were rich I would pay to have you…” he stopped there as he heard a click of a key in the door.
“Mike’s home,” Devyn said thankfully. “Maybe he will be able to straighten this out.”
Nick followed Devyn to the door and watched Devyn’s eyes light up as Mike walked through the door. He wished that he hadn’t of screwed up so bad with this girl and that maybe he could have had the same chance with Devyn that Mike had now.
“Hey Dev!” Mike said. He paused and looked over at Nick. “Hi…” he said slowly.
Nick looked down at the floor and waited for Devyn to explain the entire thing. When she had finished, Mike was practically in tears laughing. “Devyn, there’s nothing I can do and there’s nothing that the RA can do until 30 days are up…basically, you’re stuck…with lover boy I might add.”
“Shut up Mike!” Devyn said through clinched teeth.
Nick felt like slamming his head into a wall. Why on earth did he have such bad luck? He screwed things over with a beautiful and fiery girl and now he had to live with her for at least 30 days. “This isn’t going to work,” Nick finally said softly.
“No shi…” Devyn was cut off by Mike.
“You two are going to have to make it work,” Mike said. “God, why do I feel like I am baby-sitting two five-year-olds?”
“Just lucky I guess,” Devyn retorted.
“Yeah, lucky…” Nick whispered to himself.
Chapter Six
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