"Michelle, what is it? Calm down. What did your boss say?"
"Well, let's just say he wasn't happy with having to wait for the Littrell article."
"And?"
"And...well I could possibly lose my job for not handing in this extremely important story. Mel..what do I do? I don't want to ruin this...this...I don't even know what we have."
"Relationship?"
"Maybe. I hope. But I know writing this will forever take away any chance of being together."
"Michelle, answer this truthfully."
"Ok."
"Do you want this 'thing' to turn into a relationshhip?"
"Yes."
"Do you WANT to write the article, knowing you could lose him over it?"
"No," she said along with a little sniffle.
"Then don't do it."
" I won't."
***Back at Brian and Nick's Apartment***
"Nick! I can't believe this. How could you?"
"How could I what, Dad?"
"Don't play stupid with me Nick. Your blond hair and blue eyes is not gonna get you outta this one! You know damn well what I'm talking about!"
"Liz?"
"Yes, Liz. You know she's BJ's best friend."
His voice growing louder by the second, "Well excuse me Dad. I never knew I had to consult you about MY love life!"
"Nick..what am I supposed to do? Your sister is sitting in here in tears because her best friend won't talk to her."
"Damn Dad, that's not my fault! If they're such good friends, than why would Liz take this all out on BJ?"
"Nick, think about it for a sec! You're BJ's brother! You have everything to do with it."
Rolling his eyes in Bri's direction, "Our relationship has nothing to do with BJ. This is between me and Liz. And if Liz chooses to bring BJ into this, then I'm glad I am not with her anymore. What kind of person takes out their anger towards me, on my sister?"
Just then, BJ wiped away her tears, grabbed the phone from her dad and yelled, "The same kind that dumps his girlfriend of a few years over the answering machine, Nick!"
***At the NY GAZZETTE office in NYC***
"Is that ready to hit the press yet, Mr. Thompson?" an eager intern shouted to the editor in chief of the GAZETTE (Michelle's boss).
"No, not yet. Just a few more revisions and this guy might be missing a few high notes," he bragged back to his intern.
"Yes sir, and you know...if i may say, this is purely sneaky...perfect for catching the reader's attention."
"I know. If only I'd thought of this sooner." he said with an evil chuckle.
***Back to the Boys' Place***
"BJ...that was low."
"And dumping my best friend wasn't?"
"Well, I'm sorry BJ. But, really did you think I'd stay with HER forever just because she's YOUR best friend!"
Silently cursing her brother off (she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of making her tell him off), "No i guess not!! But you know what Nick, I'm glad you broke up with her because YOU don't deserve her!"
"I'm glad to see that your loyalty is to the family BJ," he said sarcastically.
Ignoring his comment, "Yeah, definitely. She could do a lot better. Ya know, she's put up with your shit for long enough Nick. Let someone else deal with it! Although, I don't know where you're gonna find someone who thinks that you could actually be loyal to them."
"You'd be surprised!" he shouted picturing Mel's smiling face.
"Well, I hope she's prepared for you Nick. Tell her to look at the real you, not what she wants to see."
"She already has, BJ."
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me. She already does know the 'real' me. And she knows I will be loyal to her. And I know I can trust her. Which is more than I can say for my relationship with Liz."
"Don't go there Nick! And anyway, who's this new girl you found so quick?"
Nick frowned, he held the reciever, and he quickly ran the conversation by Brian, "I didn't want to fight with BJ, but damn, she had no right to tell me who to love. How can i tell her i found a new girl so fast. No, I have to be man and tell her. She deserves to know. She's always liked Melanie. They've always gotten along real well. She just has to accept it. She doesn't have a choice. She'll have to mend things up with Liz, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna start loving her again." He finished before Brian could get a word in.
"Nick? Hello! You there? Who's the girl?"