Leah watched as Nick pulled his hand away from Lisa's, only to have her grab his hand back. They'd been doing this for the past two weeks: Lisa, trying to make this relationship stronger, and Nick... slowly pulling away. Leah was confused, to say the least. In the beginning of the relationship, Nick had actually seemed interested -- more so than Leah had seen him interested in a girl since she'd known him -- and now he didn't seem interested at all. This wasn't good for Leah. It wasn't good for Leah, because she lived with Lisa ... and Lisa was NOT happy.
That night, after Leah and Lisa had returned back to their condo from their day with Nick, Leah went directly to her room, needing to change. She was taking her jewelry off when there was a knock at her door.
"Come in," Leah called, turning around to face the door as Sheena appeared.
"Hey," Sheena greeted, peeking her head in. "Lisa wants to talk to you. She's in her room."
Leah nodded and turned back to finish what she was doing as Sheena left the room.
Great, Leah sighed, this is just great. Now I have to hear Lisa b*tch about my best friend.
With great reluctance Leah walked down the hallway to her friend's room. She walked in and sat down across from Lisa on her bed. "Lis ... what's wrong?"
Lisa looked up, tears streaking down her face, making Leah gasp.
"Oh ... girl, what's going on?" Leah reached out and hugged her friend who was trying hard not to break down. Leah had never really seen Lisa like this. Lisa was always so calm and collected and was generally a happy person.
"Lee, I don't think he likes me," Lisa whimpered, her face buried in her friend's shoulder. "I'm in love with him and I don't think he likes me anymore. He told me he loves me! Now he's acting so aloof!"
Normally Leah would crack a joke about a model using such a "big" word, but now was really not the time. "Oh Lis, I'm sure that's not true."
"Yes, it is," Lisa wailed, sniffling at the same time. She'd tried so hard to keep herself composed but every time she thought of Nick she thought of how cold he'd been to her lately and she couldn't help but be upset about it. "It's true, Lee, it's true. I need a favor," Lisa suddenly looked up at her friend, tears still running down her face but slower as her eyes grew wider.
"Umm ... what is it?"
"I need you to talk to Nick about it."
"Lisa -- I... I can't just talk to him about something like thi-"
"Yes, you can!"
"No, I can't!"
Lisa took a deep breath, "Yes, Leah, you can! Look, you and Nick are best friends! Closer than close! I even admit that I thought you two would get married! But then you hooked us up and I'm in LOVE with that guy! I need your help ... You gotta figure out what's wrong with him ... what's wrong with me, in his eyes."
"There's nothing wrong with you, Lis," Leah sighed, before suddenly looking at her with inquiring eyes, "You really thought we'd get married??"
"Yes! So anyway, will you do this for me??"
"Why would you think something like that?"
"Leah!! This is beside the point ... Please!!"
Leah sighed and cast her eyes down to the comforter. Her fingers were tracing the pattern lazily and she felt her stomach flutter, though she didn't know why. She realized at that moment that she was incredibly nervous to talk to her best friend about something like this. She never really had before, as strange as that was. "Fine," she gave in. "I'll talk to him. But if he tells me that I can't tell you, then I'm not going to!"
Lisa gasped, "Why would you not tell me?! What would be the point of asking, in the first place?? That would only make me wonder more, and make this even more difficult, if you knew and wouldn't tell me!"
"Lisa Welks! G*d d*mmit! There's a thing called loyalty, y'know! And I am loyal to Nick! I'd be loyal to you, too!" Leah suddenly shrieked, surprising the hell out of Lisa. Leah hardly ever raised her voice, and had never to Lisa, and on the rare occasion that she did yell it was only when she was extremely upset or angry. "He is my best friend, like you stated only moments before, and if he doesn't want you to know something that he tells me in confidence, then I'm not gonna tell you!"
Lisa glared at her, not understanding whatsoever. Maybe it was because she had never had a best friend that she was as close to as Leah was close to Nick. Or maybe it was just because she didn't want to understand ... she wanted to know what was wrong with her boyfriend, and she didn't think that Leah had any right to keep that from her. "I'm going to bed," Lisa finally responded, but her reply was curt and it made Leah's blood boil.
Leah rolled her eyes and stood from her friend's bed, "Fine ... G'night." As she left Lisa's bedroom she passed Sheena in the hallway, who had most likely been listening in and was glaring at her. Leah sighed deeply as she entered her room.
Why were girls such bitches sometimes?
~ * ~
Leah sat nervously before Nick, for the first time ever, except maybe when they'd first met. Her hands were fiddling in her lap, and the gesture wasn't going unnoticed by Nick, who wasn't fully comprehending why his best friend was acting so strange.
"Lee, is there something wrong? You said you wanted to talk to me, and you hardly ever sound so serious ... Now you're sitting here and you won't even look me in the eye," Nick's concerned voice broke the train of Leah's thoughts, making her sigh.
There WAS something wrong. Today was the day that Leah had told Lisa she would talk to Nick about why he was acting so aloof with her. Leah was nervous as hell. Why was this her place to do such a thing? She had nothing to do with Nick and Lisa's relationship, except for setting them up together, and now she was suddenly being placed in the middle. It wasn't fair and she downright didn't want to do it. At all. "Nick ... I just ... I need to talk to you."
Nick's eyebrows rose, "I gathered that much when you said that much on the phone."
Leah laughed, knowing he was being the regular smartass that he always was. That was one of the reasons why Leah didn't want to ask him what she promised she would. He wasn't acting any different around her, and therefore what could possibly be wrong? It couldn't be that something was bothering him, in general... it had to be that something was bothering him with Lisa. And that was another reason why Leah didn't want to broach the subject with him. If he didn't say to Leah that she couldn't tell anybody, then that would mean that Leah would have to tell her friend ... and what she had to say could break her friend's heart. Maybe Nick just didn't want to be with Lisa anymore.
Why do I always play matchmaker? Leah thought, angry with herself. I shouldn't have matched them up in the first place! It was a stupid idea, and now my two best friends are gonna be hurt!
"Leah!!" Nick shook her shoulders. "Stop thinking about what you're gonna say, and say it!"
He knew her too well.
Leah sighed, "Fine." With a deep breath, she decided to just spit it all out, "Nick, Lisa asked me to come here and ask you why you're being so 'aloof' with her lately. She says that you're distancing yourself from her, and I have to admit that I notice it too, and she wants to know if she did something wrong or said something that freaked you out ... or whatever. She says that if it was anything on her part, she's incredibly sorry and that she loves you and that she just wants to make sure that nothing's bothering you, because she wants you to be happy and if you're not happy then she's not doing her part as a girlfriend ... So ... I guess that leads to this question ... Are you happy, Nick?"
Nick looked at her with his eyes wide, "Excuse me?"
"Are you, uh ..." Leah gulped. "Nick what's wrong??" she finally blurted out. "Why are you acting so weird with Lisa?"
"Well, why doesn't LISA come and ask me this if she wants to be such a good girlfriend, huh??"
Leah was shocked at his sudden outburst and realized just then how stupid it was of her to agree to this. Nick was right -- Lisa really should've been the one to do this. This wasn't Leah's place, this wasn't Leah's relationship ... this wasn't Leah's boyfriend. "I'm sorry, Nick. You're right ... I'm gonna go home." With that she stood up and though Nick called for her to stay, she left anyway.
