She gazed around his room; everything was neat and orderly. Mandy she thought sitting on his bed, which was perfectly made. She held back the tears when she heard a distant voice calling her name. Aj ran into Nick's room gasping for air; he came face to face with Candice.
Her face grew hotter and she narrowed her eyes on him, poking her index finger in his chest and pushing him out into the hall. "How could you Aj?" She screamed pushing him back into a wall, knocking off some pictures. "Why the hell didn't you tell me?" She cried. "Why Aj, why? I wanna know and I wanna know now!"
"Candice-I," he stammered.
"Why? Why didn't you tell me? Why did you let me get to know him so well? Why did you let me go through all of this pain? When you knew I didn't even have a chance!" She backed away from him and turned toward the stairway, "Aj I thought you were my friend." Tears once again filled her dark blue eyes.
"Candi, I'm so sorry. I didn't think he would do this again really, and plus you already liked him before I met you." Aj grinned; she smiled a little and let the tears fall.
"He lied to me Aj," she sobbed hugging him.
"No, he didn't," Aj patted her back, she got the hiccups.
"Yes, he did! He said he loved me," Candice choked out.
"He does," Aj soothed.
"No, he doesn't and I don't love him," she cried.
"Mandah is just always--well she is," Aj stumbled for words.
"Booty call," a voice cut in.
"Kristin," Candice jumped up and hugged her.
"So what are we gonna do now?" Kristin smiled.
"I know what I'm doing," Candice stopped crying.
"What?" Kristin and Aj asked simultaneously.
"I'm moving back to Missouri." Candice declared stomping down the stairs.
"This is so great," she smiled hugging him.
"A blast," Nick faked a smile.
"What's wrong Nick?" She sat him on a nearby bench.
"You want the truth?"
She narrowed her eyes at him, "I already know Nick. I know you don't love me any more and I know you miss her," she whispered.
"Nah, yeah, I mean you are a great friend, the best. I dunno I'm so confused Mandy."
"Nick really it's ok so you love her eh?"
"Not really, I mean I dunno..maybe?" Nick ran his hand threw his hair.
"Shh, it's ok," Mandah hugged him. "Look Nick I'm so, so, so sorry for the way I acted it was very immature and selfish of me." Nick starred hard into her eyes and saw the love and trust he knew was always there. No one else could see it because no one else bothered to look.
"Ok here's what you're gonna do Nick. So you like this girl right?" he nodded his head and she started again. "Ok so what we gotta do is get you back to Florida ASAP. If this doesn't work then you know I'll always be here, I always have."
"Yeah I know," Nick sighed. "But she hates me right now."
"I doubt it. Now come on Nick you're flying to O-Town."
"Candi you can't do this," Aj stood there watching her pack her clothes.
"Why not? He has moved on hasn't he!? So why can't I?"
"Maybe you just need to sleep on this really just go to bed." Aj grabbed her suitcase and sat her on the bed.
"Aj you don't even know," she pulled the blankets up to her chin.
"I don't have to," he kissed her on the cheek and turned off her light.
"Good night Aj," she said closing her eyes.
"Night Candi," Aj whispered shutting her door.
"What if she hates me?" Nick sighed gazing out the plane window.
"Nick she doesn't hate you. Why would she?" She smiled, "I'm so sorry I was so crazy before, I guess losing my first love was harder then I thought it would be."
"Yeah it was," Nick whispered resting his head on her shoulder. "You never lost me Mand and I'm glad you don't hate me or her." Nick drifted into a light sleep.
She slowly crawled out of bed and made her way down the stairs and into the kitchen. She ran her hand threw her hair and yawned, grabbing a bowl and some cereal. She turned on the television and flipped threw the channels stopping on cartoon network.
"Hey girl," a voice whispered from behind her. She screamed and threw her bowl up in the air.
"Nick?" She choked on her milk.
"I'm back," he shifted his weight nervously.
"Don't be nervous Nick, I don't hate you." Candice stood up and walked over to where he had retreated too after her milk went all over.
"So are you moving?" he stuck his hands in his pockets.
"Yeah back to Missouri, with my mum and dad..how can you tell?"
"The boxes near the door," Nick half smiled.
"I'm gonna transfer to Missou and just take classes there." She shrugged.
"Why?" They moved to the kitchen.
"Nick this is very hard for me. It will be hard for both of us, but obviously you know who you want to be with now so," she trailed off.
"Huh?" He mumbled, dumbfounded.
"I'm better now, but since you chose Mandy, I'm cool with it." Nick frowned.
"Who ever said I wanted her," Nick asked grinning. "I want you."
"Nick," she started picking her next words. "You-you can't keep doing this to me..or her! You can't pick a different one every other month or when you moods change!" She said sternly.
"I never chose Mandy, I just wanted to leave on good terms and she will always be my friend no matter what. She was the one would made me fly back here...so I could be with you."
"She did?" Candice asked shocked. I guess I should've gotten to know her better before I judged her, she thought sadly, but she almost attacked Nick and me!
"Yeah, she even got me the soonest flight out of California." Nick added in Mandy's defense.
"That was really nice of her, I should think her."
"She thought you were using me," Nick chuckled; Candice didn't laugh.
"I'm just glad you're back and you're mine!" Candice wrapped her arms around him. Nick looked down at her shirt, "hey that's mine!"
"I know," she grinned, "but I like it!"
"So do you think we could try this one more time?"
"Third time's a charm," he held her closer and kissed her neck; she pulled away.
"Nick, I'm going to get dressed," she brushed her lips against his and ran upstairs.
Nick collapsed on her couch and noticed the milk all over and cleaned it up. They spent the whole day catching up on each other's life's. The next couple of days Nick were extremely busy and Candice was busy packing and getting all of her stuff for school straight.
Nick crawled out of his bed and walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. He grabbed a bowl and some milk and cereal. He headed for the TV, his hair was greasy and going every which way and he needed to shave his face badly. Candice walked down the stairs heading for the same place Nick was.
"Hey Scrubby," she sat next to him putting a spoon full of cereal in her mouth.
"Hey Trouble," Nick shoved cereal in his mouth.
"So how has your last week been," She asked.
Nick shrugged, "ok I guess. We are getting ready to tour again and Mandy is going to be our opening act..we think."
"Cool--need a shave eh?" She rubbed his face.
"No, I'm going for a more wholesome look you know that 'I just got up and don't give a shit what I look like' look?"
She smiled, "yeah me too."
Nick stood up and walked to the window, "it's raining."
"It usually does," she rolled her eyes.
"I know but today is special." Nick ran back to couch and curled up next to her resting his head on her shoulder.
"Oh and why is that?"
"Because," he kissed her lightly. "I'm off today and we have to spend it together."
"That's awesome," she smiled. "So what plans do you have for us today?"
"First," he stood up. "You have to get up and get dressed."
"I don't wanna," Candice groaned.
"Stop your whining and get up," he pulled her off the couch.
"I've got a great idea," she grinned running away from him and up the stairs. Nick slowly followed her up the stairs. Nick got ready and headed back down stairs; Candice was singing in the shower.
"Gotcha," she screeched wrapped her arms around his neck.
"You suck," he pulled her over the couch.
"Yeah I know," she grinned.
"Wow, no make-up..good look for you."
"I know that's my plan," she smiled. "You are gonna put my make-up on!"
"What? Me?" Nick smiled evilly.
"And you better do a good job, cause remember you will have to look at this face all day long," she flashed him a cheeky smile.
"Scary," Nick shuttered.
"Come on lets go!" She pulled him off the couch. After Nick tried to put on her make-up and she washed it off. She headed down stairs to see what he was doing.
"Yeah OK. Love you, yeah, bye." Nick hung up the phone.
"Who was that?" Candice sat on the counter.
"My mum..you have to come see my family for New Years," Nick groaned.
"Ok," she hugged him.
"I hate flying," Candice whined.
"Me too and you never get used to it either." Nick agreed putting on his headphones.
"So what is Brian doing?" She grabbed his game boy; he pulled it away from her.
"I dunno," he stuck out his tongue. "Mine!"
"Gosh, you have to have a Discman and gameboy, spoiled brat!"
"Damn straight," Nick laughed. "You have your own CD player in your bag anyway!"
"I know but I want yours..mine is so far away," she smiled.
"Go away I wanna sweep," Nick whined turning toward the window.
"Fine you big baby and I won't wake you up!"
"Night," Nick smiled.
"Loser," Candice turned to face the other way.
"Wake up," he shook her gently. "Come on we're landing get up."
"Nick?" She smiled sweetly.
"Come on get up we're landing."
"What if they hate me?"
"Why would they hate you? It's not like they don't know you already."
"I dunno..I mean just everything that has happened the past months."
Nick sighed, "it's fine." He whispered kissing her forehead.
"They are picking us up right?" She asked grabbing her bag off the conveyor belt.
"Yeah, hey there they are now!"
"Nick!" A blonde girl screamed.
"Hey Beej," Nick hugged her tightly. A tall man and Aaron soon followed.
"Hey Candice!" Aaron hugged her.
"Hey Air it's been forever, you're getting so tall soon you'll pass up Nick!"
"Dad you know Candice right?"
"Yes-hello how are you?"
"Fine thanks..you?"
"Better, come on guys lets move out." Nick hung back from the group and pulled Candice back with him.
"See they love you," he squeezed her hand. She just smiled and squeezed his hand back.
"So what are your plans for New Years?" Jane asked fixing dinner.
"I dunno," Candice started.
"Hoping to live," Nick jumped in.
"Go away..you stink," Candice smiled.
"You're so nice, mum do you see this? How she treats me!"
"You do stink!"
"Fine, fine all gang up on lil OLE me!" he stomped off to play more basketball with Aaron.
"So are you and Nick dating yet?" Jane asked sitting next to Candice at the table.
"I guess you could call it that," Candice shrugged taking a bite of her apple.
"I've got something to show you, come here Hun." Jane walked out of the kitchen and into the next room; Candice hesitated.
© A Candi Idea