I was putting the last touches of my eye shadow on when I heard Nick's car pull up in my driveway.
"Shoot!" Why couldn't Nick ever be two minutes late? He HAD to be exactly on time! I sighed and took one last look of myself in my full length mirror. I was wearing light blue flared leg jeans that were faded at the thighs, a lavender shirt that extended only to three quarters of my arms, and my white princess Reboks. My hair was curled with it all down but the sides and those little hairs that never grow by your forehead. I finally decided it was okay and headed down the stairs.
I heard the doorbell ring and quickly checked to make sure I had my purse.
"Hey Nick." I felt butterflies run through my stomach as I said that. I wanted to kick myself but I couldn't.
"You ready?" he asked with a smirk on his face. I saw his eyes look me over which made me feel uncomfortable. But I couldn't keep my eyes off of his. They were so...BLUE.
I finally took my eyes away and saw he was wearing a black Chaps shirt with red lettering, baggy blue jeans, and his black, gray, and green New Balances.
I was so tempted to take my arms and wrap them around his waist and bring him in to kiss me.
"Let's go." I let him lead me to his car and when we reached it, he opened the passenger door and held it open for me. "Thanks." I hated when he acted that way, it made me feel awkward. But I had to admit, the attention was good.
"La la la! I bet you don't know where we're going?"
"No I don't and you better not hold it against me," I said while shaking my finger at him. This was true. I only knew we were going to an arcade. That couldn't be the whole thing. It couldn't be. Could it?
I turned my head to face Nick and faced front again. I sighed.
"What was that for?"
"Nothing. Nothing important."
"Well come on, we're here." Nick parked the car in the back of the local mall's parking lot. I was stepping out of the car when Nick came to my side and held out his hands. I smiled as I grabbed the warm tender hands and stood up. I kicked the door closed so I didn't have to let go of at least one of his hands. I didn't.
"I auditioned for that part I was telling you about. The tv series for Disney?"
"Yeah. Did you get the part?"
"Yeah, I did. I didn't think I would either. Lucky chance I guess."
"Are you kidding me? You're great Nick! I can't believe it! I know you're happy!" I was practically jumping all over the boy.
"I was happy about that, but I have something else I need to think about. I met these guys Howie and A.J. They're pretty cool. They want to form a singing group. With me."
"That's great Nick! You should do it! I can just see you now on a stage right here in Florida singing some crazy song you've written. Is that what you wanna do though?" I asked as we entered the mall.
"Maybe. I definitely like singing. But the guys say it'll take up most of our time getting started. I'm still in school and I want to go to college and all. And what about my parents? I don't know how they'll react to this."
"I think if you really want to, do it. Don't worry about school. You can have a tutor and by the time you're ready for college, you'll have so much money you won't need to work ever again if you don't want to. And if I know you're parents like I do, they'll support you all the way. They are the ones who have been taking you to these auditions right?"
"Yeah." Nick's face was filled with an enormous grin. "I think I will do it. Thanks Amanda."
"You're welcome." I smiled and thought about Nick being famous. That would be too weird, and too cool.
"Where are we going Nick?"
"The arcade. Let's go play some games." He looked at me and my face broke into a wide grin.
"You know we're gonna have to finish our tournament in basketball. I'll beat you easily."
"Oh yeah? Let's go."
Nick and I had spent such a large amount of time playing the different games in the mall's arcade that our fingers were numb. We finally were done by three thirty and headed outside of the dimly lit place.
"See!" I shouted. "I knew you couldn't beat my score in the Simpsons!"
"Not this time anyways. But I still beat you in basketball." I pointed to him and we both laughed.
"It's okay. I'll get you next time," I said. "Even though I'm terrible at it," I mumbled.
"Yeah you are."
"Hey! You weren't supposed to hear that." I couldn't help but laugh. We had had a blast.
"Now what?" I questioned.
"Now we go to the food court and get some grub," Nick said and rubbed his flat tummy. "I'm hungry and I know you are too."
"Yeah. Could you hear my stomach growling in the arcade?"
"No but who cares. What do you want birthday girl?"
"Popeyes," I rushed. "I could really go for their fries. Yum." I licked my lips and laughed. "I sound like a pig."
"Nah, not really." I got into the shortest line and we ordered our food. I pulled out the money but Nick hurried and pushed my hand away.
"My treat."
"Nick..." I started.
"It's your birthday. Not mine. Enjoy this moment because I don't pay for anything normally." I scanned his face and finally put my money back into my pocket and let him pay. I kinda felt bad, but I knew there was no way he'd let me pay.
"You didn't have to do that. I had money."
"Amanda, if you want me to get mad at you I will. Now shut-up about it! You're sixteen now!" I guess my face looked sad at his loud voice because Nick quickly reached across the table and touched my hand. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that."
"I'm not mad." I smiled a fake smile and reassured him. "I'm fine."
"You're sixteen. Older than me. Amanda's old. Ha ha!"
"Shut-up!" he smirked and we ate our lunch not talking much until he brought up what we were to do next.
"We're going back to your house after this okay?" my heart sunk but I replied.
"That's cool. I had so much fun today. Thanks Nick."
"What? I'm not taking you home! You're mine allllllll day!" he grinned.
"Why are you taking me back to my house then?"
"So you can get your bathing suit. Jumping to conclusions and all." I rolled my eyes at Nick's remark.
"You KNEW I'd think that! You jerk!" I stood up and gathered my trash from my meal to throw away. As I was walking away, I threw my hamburger wrapper in his face.
"Hurry up Nick!" I urged as I wondered back to the table.
"I'm coming." I followed Nick to the trash can and ushered him out of the mall.
"What's your rush? I thought I should be rushing since I'm gonna be seeing you in a nice bikini." Nick smirked.
"Whatever. There's this really cute guy that was in there that came out here." I searched around and spotted him. "There he is." I turned my head back to face Nick when I saw his face in an unpleasant position. He looked...jealous to be frank.
"Where?" he asked not even caring what the answer was.
"Oh, he's just one of those losers over there smoking. Come on let's go," I lied but smiled to cover it up. Nick must of believed me because he smiled back and it turned into a grin when I grabbed his hand to walk to the car.
As soon as Nick pulled up in my driveway, I quickly ran up the stairs to get my bathing suit.
"Red, red, red, red, red, red and white! Where is it?" I said. A thousand and one thoughts were racing through my head, gaining a new one with each second that passed, and the last one was where my red and white bikini was.
"This could happen Amanda, oh my goodness, oh my goodness, OH MY GOODNESS!" I screeched. I ran and jumped on my bed and buried my head in my pillow to cover my screams.
I felt the blood rush to my face as soon as I lifted my head back up. Calm down, calm down, I thought. Nick and I held hands, and he didn't try to stop it. And, and the way he looked at me! This has to be right!
I jumped up and headed to the window to look at the sun. The sun is going to be setting in awhile, I wonder if we'll still be out by then.
I glanced downward and noticed Nick's car sitting there, running, with him inside of it.
"I gotta get dressed!" With my adrenaline at top speed, I got into my bathing suit, and put my shorts and shirt back overtop of it. Why was I acting like this? I'm acting like a freak! Better yet, a teenybopper! And I was certainly not one of them.
I slipped on my flip flops and rushed out of the house with a towel in hand.
"Back."
"What were you DOING? I saw you in the window just staring out, like you were hypnotized or something."
"Nothing," I said lying, I could feel my face grow hot so I quickly changed the subject. "Let's go swimming Nick."
"Alright." I stared out the window, listening to the road go by under the car's wheel's, as I often did when I had things on my mind.
"Sixteen," I murmured.
"Huh?" Nick glanced at me from the corner of his eye as he parked the car in his driveway.
"I'm sixteen."
"Yeah, I know Amanda."
"Nick, I'm FREAKING SIXTEEN!" Se started laughing at my sudden rage.
"Okay, calm down. Calm down." Shills ran down my spine as he held my wrists within his hands. "You got it?"
"Yeah, but come here." I slowly leaned forward and began whispering in his ear. "When I say go, race me to the pool. Okay?"
"And jump in?"
"Yeah, okay?"
"Okay. Go!" I shouted. I quickly pulled the handle on the car door and ran as fast as I could to reach the pool, which was hard in my flip flops. I caught up to Nick as he was undressing to jump in the pool.
"You already have your bathing suit on?"
"Of course! What did you think I was gonna do, jump in in my clothes?"
"Not much different than if I were to push you in like this..."
"If you do it Amanda, I will ki....AMANDA!" I pushed Nick in and cracked up at the sight of it. It was hilarious! "Come here. NOW." I stopped laughing and took a look at Nick's face. He was serious.
"Nick, I'm sorry."
"Come here." I sat down on the concrete and crossed my legs.
"Please, Nick, I didn't mean to!" I squinted my eyes as he came closer to the edge of the pool.
"Gimme your hands."
"Nick..." I hesitated but finally reached out my arms.
"I'm not mad, I love you too much to be mad." I felt my heart skip a beat and I opened my eyes. I saw Nick reach out his arms and hug me. Even though Nick was soaking wet, I still loved the hug twice as much as the day before, my love was growing for him.
"I have your hands, now give me a kiss." I released from him a little bit and looked at him doubtfully.
"What?"
"You heard me. Give me a kiss," he said in a baby voice. I laughed uncontrollably.
"Stop joking. I'm going to jump off of the diving board." I tried to stand up but Nick pulled me back down.
"If you don't kiss me I'll really get upset, and you don't want to see that."
"Nick!"
"Nick nothing. You threw me in the pool, you owe me something." I gave one last look at him and shrugged my shoulders. He showed no sign of anything so I leaned forward and kissed him on the lips gently. I had only been so hesitant and unwilling because of what he told me. He told me to KISS him. Why would he ask me that? That's just not Nick!
We stayed in the same position for a moment and I thought about our position. We were Nick and Amanda. Nick and Amanda, was this us? No, this is different, Nick and Amanda didn't kiss because they are just friends. They've been friends for who knows how long, and now, something's changed. Maybe it was the way she looked at him and felt those butterflies rummaging around in her stomach, or the way she simply thought of him, or even heard his name!, that made everything different, everything that made her know she was in love with him, and yet he didn't know.
Or maybe it was the way he looked her her and felt those butterflies rummaging around in his stomach, or the way he simply thought of her, or even heard her name!, that made everything different, everything that made him know he was in love with her, and yet she didn't know.
Or even on a lighter note, maybe it was the fact that she was now sixteen, that things had changed. Age made a difference and everything he had done for her today was different, not Nick. It wasn't Nick, nor was it Amanda, but hopefully it would be from now on.
I snapped out of my thoughts and returned to the kiss that I had wished would happen for an eternity.
I felt Nick's arms wrapped around my lower back and slowly pulling me into the pool. This was definitely a Kodak moment.
"Nick, what are you doing?"
"Doing what you did to me, except slower so you can feel the temperature change." As soon as our lips parted, I felt the coldness of the pool entering my clothes and touching my clothed body.
"Nick, let me go. NICK!" I squirmed and finally escaped Nick's grasp.
"Sucker," he replied which snickering.
I glanced down at my soaked clothes and realized I had to take them off in order to swim. I walked up the ladder on the side of the pool and exited the pool.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"Taking my clothes off."
"Oooh feisty!" I rolled my eyes and removed the drenched clothing and watched Nick exit the pool as well to do the same.
I caught a glimpse of Nick checking me out, but I ignored it. I fixed my bathing suit that was a halter top with bikini bottoms, red and white. I glanced over at Nick and saw he was wearing blue swim trunks.
"Look, we got the American flag thing going on Mandy!" I started laughing.
"You know what that means right? We gotta jump off of the diving board together."
"Alright." I headed to the diving board with Nick hanging on to my shoulders and prepared to jump.
"This can't be safe," I said with a hint of laughter in my voice. "Oh well."
"Ready? Let's just do a straight jump. On the count of three."
"One, two, three," I counted and jumped, enjoying it until I felt a set of arms punch me in the face in mid-air. I felt a sharp pain run through my nose, and I knew I would soon be bleeding, but would wash away in the pool.
As I was swimming to the surface I suddenly was hit with a wave of dizziness. I couldn't force myself to swim, I just floated down at the bottom of the pool, slowly rising, until I felt a sharp kick in the head, Nick's feet.
I was confused about where I was and what I had to do, the dizziness just enwrapped my head, not realizing I needed air in my tiny lungs, until I ran out.
Air, I need air! My heart wanted to scream, my lungs wouldn't let me, and my head couldn't think properly. I felt my hair give a tug, like it was being sucked in by the drain, no, this couldn't happen, I needed air! AIR!
Suddenly, my head became crystal clear, as if the dizziness was remote control operated, and immediately turned off, but now I knew my air was gone and I couldn't last much longer under the water. I looked through my wave of hair and saw nothing. Everything went black.
