((In the prologue, Leah was kind of beginning to tell the story. Now, it's just going into that period of time, like it's happening at that moment. Does that make any sense? Okay, so let's say it's a few years later, so Leah's telling you the story, but now I guess it's sort of flashing back to then...))
Nick sat at the table in the bus, that night, sipping a warm cup of hot cocoa. His stomach was feeling uneasy, so he didn't really know why he was drinking chocolate, but he was sort of craving it. He didn't want to admit it, and he wouldn't have if you'd asked him, but he couldn't get that girl Leah, from earlier that night, off his mind. She looked like she could have been around the age of 18, probably no older than, and he was hoping she was... but he sort of had a feeling that she wasn't... and he wouldn't have admitted that either. After all, if you admit something, it's true, right?
AJ walked into the room and saw Nick sitting at the table, appearing to be deep in thought, "Hey, bud. Don't start thinkin' too hard... it's not good for ya."
Nick looked up at AJ, before giving him a sarcastic glare, "Thanks, J... What's up?"
AJ sat down next to Nick and reached over to grab a Coca-Cola out of the refrigerator. "Nothing much... I guess I just couldn't sleep. Same with you?"
"Yeah," Nick nodded his head. "Or something like that."
They sat in silence for a while more, before Brian joined them, they had the short similar 'Why are you up?' conversation, and then it grew silent again until Brian spoke.
"So Nick..."
Nick turned his head towards his best friend, warily. Then he noticed it wasn't just Brian that was looking at him expectantly, it was AJ too... and then he realized they HAD been able to sleep, if they'd been trying, but they wanted to know what was up with him and they weren't going to go to bed until he told them. "What?" he muttered.
"Meet anyone interesting?" AJ rose his eyebrows up and down suggestively. "Liiiiiike... a blonde at some li'l meet and greet? Liiiike... tonight? Was her name... Leahhhh?"
Nick glared at him, "What, do you have me bugged or something?"
"Nahh... we saw you talking to her. We saw the smile you gave her. And then when we signed her CD, we learned her name. So how old is she?" Brian asked.
"I dunno, Bri... 18? 19? 20?" now Nick was sounding hopeful.
AJ started cracking up, though Brian looked a little more sympathetic, "Try again, my friend! She's 15," AJ said brightly.
"WHAT?!" Nick jumped up, accidentally hitting his head on the cabinet above him. "OWWW."
Brian cast a glance over in AJ's direction, "Gosh, did you have to tell him so bluntly??"
"You guys, I gave her my number," Nick growled, rubbing his head. "What if she calls?? She's 15!"
"Does age REALLY matter? I mean, you can't be friends with a 15 year old?" Brian inquired, seriously.
Nick looked at him incredulously, "Uhh... I dunno. That's just so weird. That's like being friends with a friend of Leslie's!"
"Oh, boo hoo."
Nick glared... yet again. "Well, I'd WANTED to be more than friends. But I guess not!"
"Sorry, Nick... for all you know she's some annoying thing that you wouldn't wanna be dating anyway," AJ tried to make him feel better.
Nick scowled, "Thanks, AJ... I gave that 'annoying thing' my number!"
~ * ~
Leah paced her bedroom, practically wearing a hole in the ground, "To call or not to call! That is the question..." she then rolled her eyes at herself. "I must seriously be tired if I'm making lame jokes like THAT."
She sighed and plopped down on her bed, pulling the covers over her head with a growl. She couldn't call him that night anyway, it was too late, and she'd look desperate if she called the same night he'd given her his number.
"Maybe I'll call in the morning... maybe," with that she tried to fall asleep... but she couldn't get Nick's smile out of her head. "What happens when he finds out I'm 15??"
