“I think I’ve finally met my match…” Liza panted as she sat down on the splintery wooden bench next to Nick.
“You were pretty good,” Nick admitted, breathing heavily.
“Were?” Liza echoed.
“Are then!” Nick smiled, showing his teeth.
“That’s more like it…” She remained silent afterwards, taking in deep breaths.
“Are we still going out to dinner tomorrow?” Nick finally asked.
“Yeah, why not?” Liza looked at him, surprised that he asked.
“Just thought that maybe you forgot or something.” Nick answered.
Liza didn’t reply. She leaned back and saw Lisa and her friends coming out of the school with the corner of her eye. Strangely, she felt a peculiar feeling creep up her back and into her conscience, “I shouldn’t be hanging around Nick when Lis likes him…” she thought sadly, “The only thing is, he doesn’t seem to like her.”
“Yo Liz! What’s wrong?” Nick asked, waving his hand in her face.
“Nick, you know, your hand stinks,” Liza said, scrunching her nose up in disgust while pushing away her depressing thoughts and thinking to herself that she will find a way for Nick and Lisa to be together… even if it means being miserable for her…
He shrugged helplessly as he brought his hand up to his face and smelt it. He too scrunched up his nose in disgust and wiped his hands on his shirt.
“You know, you look really cute like that,” Liza smiled, referring to Nick’s reaction to the odor coming from his hand.
“I’m warning you Liz… I HATE being called cute!” He stood up.
Liza shifted nervously to her left, away from Nick, “You’re not going to… argh! You are!” She jumped up as she saw Nick’s hands lifting up and getting ready to tickle her.
“Oh yes I am!” Nick laughed happily as he ran after Liza around the basketball court.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
“Are you going in that?” Lisa asked as innocently as she could.
“Yeah… anything wrong?” Lisa replied.
“Nothing, just want you to look best on your date.”
“What? I thought you didn’t want me to go,” Liza said surprised.
“Nah, I’ve gotten over it…” Lisa reassured Liza. She said to herself, “Ha! Me get over it? What a joke! After tonight, Nick will know that he has made a mistake and he will be mine,” she grinned, “Lisa Timberlake (Author’s Note: Did I mention her last name before? I mean, I forgot… so I decided to just make it up…) never fails to get a guy… after all… I’m irresistible…”
“Lis?” Liza interrupted Lisa’s pleasant thoughts.
“Yeah?”
“I asked if you really are okay,” Liza repeated.
“Um… yeah, sure, fine, better than ever…” Lisa thought, “Not… who would be okay if their boyfriend was stolen away from them?”
“I’m going to leave now,” Liza said suddenly, picking her bag up and heading out the door.
“Um… wait! Um… I just wanted to say that, uh, you left your, uh, lip balm! Yeah,” Lisa thought quickly, “Lydia should be here with the guy already.”
Liza smiled, “This isn’t my first date you know.”
“Yeah, whatever. Um, I’ll take you downstairs?” Lisa offered.
“Okay, I don’t mind,” Liza replied.
Once they were downstairs, Lisa opened the front door and practically shoved Liza out the door. She glared at her. She then slammed the door and then a few seconds later, she heard a faint struggling noise. She grinned slyly as she heard someone choking to call out her name. Ignoring the noise, she entered the den not once looking back. Lisa glanced up at the clock and realized that she should get changed and get ready for her date with Nick. Taking two steps at a time, she ran up the stairs and searched her closet for something to wear. “Something original,” she said out loud to no one in particular. She smiled in approval as she dug out a simple short blue dress out of the closet, “Perfection,” she gazed outside, “Nick will realize how much he has lost…”