Chapter 12


"You what?" Brian screeched as he looked at my black eye.

"I hit her...and then she whacked me back." I said simply.

He shook his head in disbelief.

"Isn't that great?' Nick asked giddily. "I mean...well....I'm glad you weren't hurt too badly...but ahh man...I would have paid to see you lay your hands on her. That's my tough girl!" He looped his arm around my shoulders, with a goofy grin plastered on his face. "Besides, Selen...we're twins now!" I rolled my eyes, "yaaay!" I said sarcastically as I removed his arms from around me. I wasn't about to forget Nick was the reason why I was going to have to walk around for weeks looking like some delinquent who got into a fight.

"Ok, someone needs to take some Midol," Nick said under his breath as he left Brian's living to retire to his friend's Playstation.

I rolled my eyes irritably and looked downward.

Brian cupped my chin in his hands and examined my eye under the light. "The make-up artist are going to have a field day with these." he whistled.


"I can't believe we're actually going to do this Nick," I said wearily that afternoon after dance practice.

"Selen…the concert is in three days…and we've barely even made a dent in the ticket sales. Someone needs to put a stop to this woman."

I looked around the bustling Times office and wished yet again that Brian had come. Sometimes I didn't think I had the ability to knock sense into Nick.

He straightened the collar to his oxford shirt and then knocked on the door to the editor's office. It opened right away to reveal a kindly elderly man with thick glasses.

"Hello sir! I'm Nick Carter, and this is my friend Selena Palmer. We were hoping we could talk to you for a few minutes…"

"Why certainly…come on in!"

We sat in two comfortable leather chairs facing his desk.

Nick cleared his throat "we wanted to talk to you about a certain problem we have been having with your paper, Mr….uh…."

"Wheeler," he said. The man sat back and readjusted his glasses, crossing his legs and leaning back into his seat he looked upward for a bit. "I know why you're here….does it have anything to do with a certain Debra Coy?"

Nick and I looked up simultaneously at the sound of the name, nodding.

Mr. Wheeler bit his lip and nodded. Wordlessly he got up to pour himself a cup of coffee.

Why was this guy so calm? Nick and I exchanged nervous glances, and settled in for a long talk with this man.


Chapter 13