I tried to get up and run, but I only made it out into the hall before I stumbled and fell, causing her to trap me.
"Mandy, you're stuck!"
"Nooooo, I won't do it! I'll get into masive trouble!"
"How? It's only eight o'clock! I think you can squeeze this one little groping Nick appointment into your schedule." I groaned as she reminded me, but I stopped short when I heard a door open.
"What the is going on out here?"
"Oh hey Jakob!"
"Look, I'm trying to sleep, and then I hear this big old BOOM coming from in the hallway. Now I see it's you two freaks."
"Freaks? Look who's going to sleep at eight on a weekend!"
"I like sleep, I live to sleep, now shut-up!" Courtney and I giggled together, and I caught her off guard by running down the hall and out the front door. She was right on my tail, I never knew the girl could run!
Before I knew it I was laughing so hard and running down my street at full speed, in the dark!
"AMANDA! You're gonna get it!" I heard Courtney scream. I panted heavily as I ran and ran, not slowing down any. I was used to running this long at this speed, and it only made my adrenaline go up!
I finally haulted as I realized Courtney was nowhere in sight.
"You're really slow! Don't make me run back to your slow self!" I screamed out into the air. I calmed my breathing and listened. I couldn't hear much except the zapping of bugs as they got caught in those little lantern things.
I started walking back, smiling, but that's when I heard a rusttle in the bushes, and knowing it was my dear friend. But before I got smart, I got tricked and jumped on. She tackled me and made me scream, I guess she really scared me!
"Stop! You're all wet Court!"
"I know! The wetness from the grass just makes me smile as I get you and your pjs all wet! Nice revenge for running away from me!"
"Pjs? Oh my gosh, I totally forgot I was wearing my sleepy clothes!" I stood up, brushing myself off and glancing at my outift. I was wearing dark blue cotton pants with gold moons and stars on it with a white shirt with a gold star in the middle of it. I laughed and shook my head, but Courtney grabbed my shoulders and faced me away from her.
"Lookie! You're right where I wanted you to be!" I looked and there was the Carter's two-story house before me, and I sighed. This was not logical!
"How do you expect me to accidentally bump into Nick, touching his peter, if he hates me and doesn't wanna talk to me? Okay, it's just not happening! Let's go!"
"Amanda, I gave you the bet, you are supposed to do it! Now I would've done yours, so you have to do mine! C'mon!" I just stood there thinking, nervous butterflies floating around in my tummy.
"I'm just trying to figure out how I'm supposed to get close to him if he doesn't like me! Much less 'trip and fall and grope'! Any suggestions?"
"Nope, you have to do this on your own!" I gave her a puppy dog look. "Just go up there, ring the doorbell and ask for Nick. Pretend you wanna be friends again, just like old times." I was thinking it was a good idea, but how could she know we were ever friends? She didn't even know who he was 'till the other day!
"How do you know that we used to be friends?"
"That's not all I know! I know that you used to like him! And if you grope him, you can jump into the sack with him, now go!"
"Un uh, how do you know about me and Nick?"
"You really wanna know?"
"Yes! I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want to know...." I said trailing off, hoping this would be the last request of mine for her to tell me.
"Okay, I'll tell you, on one condition! Go do your bet. And I'll be watching from the bushes, I have to see."
My mind boggled and I bit my lip. Maybe this bet would help, not only would me and Nick attempt to be friends, but maybe it'll bring us closer together once and for all. Then I won't have to pick on him to talk to him. I gave one last look at Courtney and headed toward their front door. I heard her squeal and hide into the bushes as I rang the bell.
"I hope you know what you're doing." I mummbled to myself under my breath. I heard some footsteps as I prayed silently for no one to answer, too late.
"Hello Amanda! I haven't seen you in a loooong time! Please come in." Jane said and held the door open for me.
"Actually, I just came real quick to speak to Nick. Is he available?"
"Yeah, sure. Hold on, I'll go get him." I was relieved she didn't make me go into her house at eight o'clock at night, to see my worst enemy, in my pajamas! How embarassing!
"Amanda?" Nick's voice said surprised.
"Hey Nick. Can we talk?"
"Huh?"
"You know, as in talk, English? Words, and sentences?"
"Yeah, I'm sorry, I'm just surprised to see you that's all." Nick closed the door and we stepped down the front walk's stairs.
"Can we go for a walk?"
"In your nightgown?" he snorted and I rolled my eyes.
"Yeah, it was kinda the spur of the moment thing." We headed out of his driveway and down the street.
"This better not be one of your tricks. I'm taking time out of my day, and if you do something, I'm gonna beat you up. I don't care if you're a girl but you-"
"Nick!" I cut him off. "It's not a trick, I promise." He stopped and I began. "I've been thinking Nick. Remember when we used to hang out like everyday? And pull pranks on each other? And...and actually acted nice to each other?"
"Sorta. I don't know if we were ever 'nice' to each other." I laughed and looked down at my hands. Oh my goodness. Before I could understand my own actions, tears sprung to my eyes. First it was a couple fo tears and then I sat down on the ground and balled. It was mortifying.
"Okay Amanda, I'm going home. You can't even get through one conversation without playing a joke." I looked up at him and he shook his head.
"Nick, I'm not faking!"
He slowly lowered his hand down to my cheeks and felt the wetness from my tears. "I'm sorry!" He stood me up and wrapped my arms around his neck. I didn't know he was all I needed to help me release my feelings I had been hiding for so long. "It's dark, I couldn't tell. But if you had been crying, you would have had me fooled all the way!" I pulled away from him and took in the moment. How had I gone from a dare to this position?
Nick lifted my head up and let my arms fall from his body.
"What's wrong? Did da lil' precious girl miss me that much?" I smiled and shrugged my shoulders.
"I just missed it."
"Missed what?"
"Missed.....my life. I let it go from me." I heard Nick snicker at my crazy talk.
"You're life isn't even half-way over yet. And now that we're friends again.....how about we do something fun, for old time sake?"
"Nah." I rubbed my face with my arms and smiled. This was really weird.
"What are you smiling about?"
"Well, I heard an old saying that said if you smile, it makes people wonder what you're thinking."
"Clever." I shrugged my shoulders and sat back down on the pavenment. I looked up at Nick and felt butterflies jump around, I knew what that meant. I liked him again. Or maybe I never stopped.
I reached my arms up for his hands but I accidentally hit his.....genitals! I swear it was an accident! But at least the dare got completed.
I felt my face turn red and I noticed Nick's did too. Then he started walking away mummbling.
"I'm sorry Nick! It was an accident!" As I got up to catch up to him, Courtney ran out of the bushes.
"What took you so long? I was in the bushes for....ages! But you did it! Way to go!"
"Not now Courtney." I said in a low mean voice, hoping the ditz would catch on. I turned away from her to get Nick, but it turned out he was already there.
"You know, I thought you meant what you said. Of course I was skeptical, but I was beginning to trust you. Now I know you're just a whore, like you have been from day one."
"Come on Amanda, we don't need that loser."
"NOT NOW!" I screamed. I ran to Nick before he could close the front door.
"Nick, it was an accident. I swear!"
"Get away from me, you make me sick."
"Nick stop!" I turned him to make him face me. "If it was a trick, would I be pursuing this any longer? Nooooo!"
"Okay, then why did Courtney just do what I saw?!?" I didn't know how to reply to that. I just let my mouth speak and my brain sit, not thinking.
"Because! She's a wench and she does some crazy things! Nick, just believe me, please? When I did......that, I went to reach up for your hands and make you sit down with me. But it didn't quite work out that way! All I can say is that I'm sorry and if you can't accept that, then I'm just gonna have to accept the fact that we won't ever be friends again. I don't know how I'd deal with that again." I felt tears coming to me as I said the last couple of sentences. Nick just looked at me as I tried to hold back my tears, and pretty soon I heard the front screen door open. It was just his little brother.
"Why are you guys fighting? I can hear you all the way in the living room with the tv on!" Nick and I just stared at each other. Finally, he turned to Aaron.
"We're not fighting. We just were making up."
