Nick and Cassandra had now joined the group on the couch, they had turned the television off, and they were all just talking.
Emalia turned to Kevin and said, "When are you guys getting your furniture?"
"Actually," said Kevin, "some of our furniture is supposed to be coming in tomorrow."
"Oh really!" said Mercedes. "Cool."
"I'm having my house fumigated tomorrow," said Jonathan.
"Uh oh," said Brian.
"What?" asked Mercedes.
"Well, the movers are going to be going in and out of our house, literally all day."
"Yeah, and you're forgetting the painters," added Nick.
"Yeah that's right." With the sound of hint in his voice, he turned his head to Mercedes and said, "What are we going to do?"
"Well, why don't you guys stay here tomorrow!" she said.
"Oh, no. We couldn't put you guys out," said Brian.
"No, it'll be great!" said Cassandra. "We'll make dinner again, go swimming, and we have plenty of room to accommodate all of you. Including Jonathan!" Nicole smiled when she said that.
After the guys had gone home, all of the girls were just sitting on the unfolded couch, and they were all staring at Cassandra with the biggest smirks on their faces.
"What you guys? Why do you guys keep staring at me like that?" said Cassandra.
"Well?" said Mercedes.
"Well, what?"
"Tell us all the details," said Isabella. Cassandra stood up and started to walk to the kitchen.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Cassandra said.
"Yeah, whatever!" said Nicole. "We saw you and Nick in the kitchen. What did he say to you?"
"Did he say what I think he said?" asked Mercedes. Cassandra nodded. Mercedes jumped up and hugged her. "That's awesome!"
"What? What the hell are you guys talking about?" asked Nicole.
"Nick told her that he loved her!" said Mercedes.
"Thank you Mercedes!" said Cassandra.
"Well, you're too slow!" said Mercedes.
"Cool!" said Isabella.
"Well you guys, it's about ten o'clock, and I'm beat. I'm going to bed," said Cassandra.
"Yeah," said Mercedes yawning, "I'm gonna join you."
"Okay guys, good night!" said Isabella. Then Nicole added,
"Pleasant dreams!"
The next morning at eight thirty, the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it!" said Isabella, and she ran downstairs to open the door. "Hey A.J., hey guys. What are you doing here so early?" They all had little duffel bags with them.
"Well," A.J. started, "the painters just arrived and kicked us out."
"Oh, well then come on in. I'll go wake up the rest of them."
"No, you don't have to wake them up yet," said Brian.
"No, it'll give me an excuse to." She ran upstairs and yelled, "Get up you guys! They guys are here!" She heard no movement from any of the bedrooms, until she saw Mercedes, Coreene, Emalia, and Nicole come out of their bedroom. "Oh no, Cassandra's still asleep. I guess I have to wake her up," said Isabella.
"Good luck," said Mercedes. Isabella went into Cassandra's room, and over to her bed. She shook her.
"Come on Cassandra. The guys are here."
"Go away!" said Cassandra.
"Cassie, Nick's downstairs."
"Very funny," said Cassandra and hit her with a pillow.
"Okay, I didn't want to have to do this." She left the room, and went downstairs. She went up to Nick and grabbed his hand.
"Ouch!" he said.
"Oh, I'm sorry! Man, you really must have hit him hard!" said Isabella. She grabbed his other hand and pulled on him.
"Where are we going?" Nick asked.
"To prove to Cassie that she should get up."
"What?"
"Just come with me." Nick willingly went along with Isabella upstairs and into Cassandra's room. "See, she won't get up." Nick went over to her and shook her a little. Cassandra grabbed a pillow and hit him.
"Hey, what was that for?" She looked up at him.
"Oh my God! What are you doing here? I'm sorry, I thought you were somebody else," she said and looked at Isabella. Groggily, she got up and stood in front of her mirror. "Man, I look awful!"
"No you don't," said Nick.
"Yeah, you look like you've just gotten out of bed," said Isabella. Nick and Cassandra looked at her. She put her hands up in defence, and left.
"Okay, you too. Out," and she pointed at the door.
"Why?" asked Nick.
"Because. I'm not presentable yet. I still look awful."
"Cassie, you look fine. I doesn't really matter to me," said Nick, and he went over and stood behind her. He lifted his hands like he was going to gently touch her hair, but he ruffled her hair instead. Her hair went every which way.
"Ah! What was that for?"
"I told you it didn't matter to me what you look like. Especially in the morning. Heck, I look awful in the morning, too."
"Okay, I believe you. But can you atleast leave so I can get dressed?"
"Sure. I'll be downstairs."
"Where's Cass?" asked Isabella. "I take it that you couldn't get her up?"
"Yeah I got her up," Nick said, "she'll be down in a minute."
"Wow," said Nicole. "He's the miracle worker. We're calling you every time we need to wake her up!"
"Uh, yeah," was all Nick could think of to say.
"I'm going to get dressed too," said Mercedes to Brian. "Don't miss me too much."
"Oh, but I will," said Brian and smiled his heart melting smile at her. Mercedes spun around and ran upstairs to hurry.
"Wait for me," said Isabella. A.J. took Isabella's hand and kissed the top of it.
"Put on something nice for me, Mon'cheri. I would like to take you to breakfast." Isabella didn't say anything, she just smiled and ran upstairs. When Cassandra and Mercedes came downstairs, Nick and Brian's mouths literally dropped open. Mercedes was wearing a light red tank top and short cream cut offs, and Cassandra was wearing a short, light blue skirt and a tight white shirt.
"Hey, A.J. Do you, uh, mind if we, uh, tag along with you?" asked Nick.
"Yeah, and uh, um, us too?" said Brian.
"Sure but we're not sitting together," said A.J.
"Yeah, uh, okay," said Nick and Brian, still stunned. Cassandra walked around Nick and Mercedes walked around Brian.
"Where are we going, hun?" asked Mercedes.
"Anywhere you want!" said Brian.
"But for now, we're taking you guys to breakfast," said Nick.
"In that case," said Emalia, "I'd better go get dressed."
"Me too," said Nicole and Coreene.
Upstairs, Nicole, Coreene, and Emalia, were trying to find their most stunning outfits.
"The guys are taking us out for breakfast this morning," said Coreene. Isabella put down the jeans that she was holding.
"Oh, well, that makes it a different story then." They all laughed.
Downstairs, Jonathan couldn't wait to see what Nicole was going to come downstairs wearing. Then he leaned over to Brian and said,
"I think that I'm going to ask Nicole today."
"Good, do it," said Brian.
"Do what? Do what?" asked Mercedes. "I want to know!"
"I'm going to ask Nicole to be my girlfriend today," said Jonathan.
"Oh, cool! Yeah, do it!"
Isabella was the first one to come down. A.J. couldn't believe it. She was wearing white shorts, and a bikini top with a jean jacket.
"You are beautiful," he said to her and picked up her hand and kissed it again.
"Thank you," she smiled and said to him. Coreene was the next one down. She was wearing tight jeans and yellow half shirt.
"You look good," said Howie.
"Thank you," she said. Emalia came down next. She was wearing a short, white sun dress.
"Wow," said Kevin. She walked around him once, then stood in front of him.
"Nicole's next," thought Jonathan. Nicole came down last. She was wearing a short-laced black skirt, and spaghetti strap black and white tank top. He went over to her.
"You look good," he said.
"Thank you," Nicole said smiling.
"I should have told her that she looks like the hottest thing on this planet," he thought.
"Ladies?" said Brian, and held the door open for them all. They all walked to a breakfast diner. Brian and Mercedes, Jonathan and Nicole, A.J. and Isabella, Howie and Coreene, Kevin and Emalia, and Nick and Cassandra, sat at different tables.
At Brian's table, Mercedes was looking at her menu, when he reached across the table and took her hand.
"I love you," she said.
"I love you, too," said Brian. "What are you going to have?"
"I don't know yet."
"Me neither."
At Jonathan's table, both Nicole and Jonathan were uneasy being this alone with each other, this close, this able to tell each other something that they both knew was right, and this scared to do it.
"Hey," they both said together.
"You go first," said Jonathan.
"No, you go first," said Nicole.
"Okay," he took a deep breath. "Nicole? Can I ask you something?"
"Sure Jonathan. Anything. What is it?"
At A.J. and Isabella's table, Nick and Cassandra had joined them at their table. Nick and Cassandra were holding hands under the table, and A.J. and Isabella were playing footsies under the table.
"Ouch!" said Nick. "Hey you guys, watch it."
"Sorry," said Isabella laughing. Cassandra joined her in laughing, and Nick didn't find it very funny. He let go of her hand, and turned his head. Cassandra smirked to Isabella and then leaned over to whisper into Nick's ear. Then she kissed him on the cheek. He quickly turned back around and put his arm around her this time. Isabella started laughing again.
Howie and Coreene had joined Kevin and Emalia. They all had ordered and were already eating.
"Here, try this," said Emalia to Kevin and held up her fork.
"Mmm, that's good. Here, try this," he said and held up his fork.
"That's good too." Meanwhile, Coreene was whispering to Howie.
"I want to make sure that you aren't feeling anything strong for me right now."
"None other than friendship," he said. "Why, do you?"
"No, I like you as a friend, I just wanted to make sure that there wouldn't be any hurt feelings."
"Oh I understand."
"Yes Jonathan?"
"Nicole, I like you a lot. Really."
"Jonathan, I really like you too."
"Yes, but I think I'm falling in love with you." He paused for a second. Neither of them said anything, until Jonathan took a deep breath, gathered all of his courage, and said, "I take that back. I know that I love you. Will you be my girlfriend?" She looked down at her plate, not saying a word. She needed a minute. Was she really over Burke?
About an hour later, they had all gathered outside and were ready to leave. It was Cassandra's idea to walk home a different way, to avoid meeting up with Bobby. They all agreed that it was a good idea. Nicole had a lot going through her mind. She hadn't given Jonathan a straight answer yet. She thought about all of the good times that her and Burke had had. Then she thought of the reasons to why they weren't still together. She stopped Jonathan.
"I'm sorry. That I didn't say anything before. I do love you too. I will be your girlfriend." She smiled at him. He took her hand, and they continued to walk.
They all stopped for a second because A.J. had to tie his shoes, again. Brian went up behind Mercedes, and put his arms around her stomach. He lightly kissed the bottom of her neck twice. She caught herself from almost saying Eric.
"That is the exact same spot and the exact same way that Eric used to kiss me," thought Mercedes. She had to turn around to convince herself that it wasn't Eric that was actually kissing her. That it was Brian.
"Is anything wrong?" he asked her.
"No, nothing's wrong," she said smiling at him. He smiled back at her and hugged her. Her smile faded.
"I am in love with Brian now. Not Eric. I can't go back to him. I can't!"