Chapter 5
At 11:00 I was still laying in my bed and I heard a knock. "Oh no no no," I moaned to myself. I got up and felt pain all over my body. I glanced at myself in my mirror and wiped away all my tears. My eyes were all red and puffy from crying all morning. I didn't bother to take my makeup off before I went to bed so all around my eyes it was all black. I couldn't take it off then so I decided to just leave it on and say it smeared.I unlocked the latch on my door and opened it. It was Nick. I turned my head so he could hardly see it, but he saw it before I had time to move it. "Rachel!" He pushed me and himself in my apartment and onto the couch. "What happened? You look horrible. Have you been crying?"
"No," I snapped quickly.
"Yes you have...why?" He cupped my chin in his hand and made me look at him. He took his thumb and ran it across my cheek. I felt a shiver run up and down my spine. I didn't look at him, I refused. My eyes travled across the floor, then across his feet, then around the walls until there was nothing left to look at except him. "Rach...answer me. Is it something I did?"
"No, Nick, no. You didn't do anything."
"Then why?"
"Oh, I've just been thinking about things," I replied.
"What kind of things?"
I didn't expect him to ask that. "Uh...a-all sorts of things.." I studdered. My fists clenched. I hated lying to him. It hurt so much.
"Like...? You must be thinking of something pretty bad if you've been crying," Nick told me.
"Just my past."
"Your parents?" I nodded yes hoping that would be a good enough excuse. "Don't worry...everything will be fine. I know it's hard for something like that to happen...but you're tough." He held up a fist and made me laugh. "There, that's better." He wrapped his arms around me and gave me a squeeze. He brought his hand to my head and pulled it to his chest.
"Nick?"
"Hmm?"
"Why did you stop by anyway?"
"Just to tell you that you were right."
"About what?" I asked practically falling asleep.
"Kerri."
My eyes shot open. My heart just about stopped. I began to breathe quickly but managed to choke out, "So you like her then?"
"Yeah..." I looked at him. His eyes were shut and his lashes curled at the top. His eyebrows were positioned in downward and his soft lips were in a small pout. He looked adorable. If only I could kiss those soft lips...everything would be perfect. I felt tears coming but I blinked them back.
"Nick?"
"Hmmm?"
"I-I...think I...nevermind."
"Okay," he mumbled.
*Knock Knock*
I jumped up, startled by the knock at the front door. I slid Nick's arms away from me and stood up. What time is it anyway? I glanced at the clock. 2:00 pm. Already 2:00. I looked in the mirror. My hair was sticking straight up and my mascara was still smeared, but not as much. I quickly patted my hair down and pulled it back into a pony-tale.
I went over to the door and peeked through the hole. Kerri... I opened the door and said as nicely as possible, "Hi Kerri, what's up?" She gave me an evil glare and looked past my body. Oh God, if she sees Nick, what will she think? What will she do? She'll probably think we slept together...oh God, oh God. "What's wrong?"
"You!" She pointed a finger at me.
"Um, Kerri, what are you talking about? I didn't do anything to you."
She pushed past me to the couch where Nick was sitting there watching the whole scene. She changed from a horrible aching voice, to a sweet innocent tone. "Nick, Sweetie, do not think I'm some horrible person. I just called your house and you weren't there and last night I saw you go in here so I figured you were here. That's all." She gave a what she tried to make a sincere smile and gently touhed his shoulder.
You were checking up on me?! And last night you were spying on me?!" Suddenly he changed from a yell to a barely hearable whisper, "What kind of person are you?"
That whisper did it. A rush of guilt flooded into her eyes and Nick knew it. He was smiling inside.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about. I wasn't spying or checking up or you. I was just driving by and saw you come inside - that's all."
He waved a hand. "Save it, Kerri. I did think you and me might have had something to start out with. Maybe. But not anymore. And you call Rachel your best friend. If you were her best friend you would have known that she wouldn't sleep with me, and you should have known that I wouldn't sleep with her!"
I stood by the doorway watching it. Nick was standing up for me. For me . A smile appeared on my face. My eyes lit up and for the first time in a long time, I was happy.
"Kerri, leave - now," I said to her. She grunted then stormed out. "Yes!" I screamed and ran over to Nick. " I can't believe you did that! To Kerri!" We laughed and he hugged me. "Hey, I thought you liked her?"
"Well, I thought I did, but nah. Not after what just happened. I mean she's nice and everything - or well she was - but, it would never work out after this," he told me.
He was just so great.