~90125 - Part 4~

90125...Owner of a Lonely Heart

It was March...just a few months away from their high school graduation. For the life of him, Mike could not figure out how the relationship between Davy and Nicole could've lasted this long. As far as Mike was concerned, Davy didn't show much appreciation or respect toward her...and yet she managed to take it all in stride, making it appear to be no big deal to her. Nicole was definitely in the state of denial, trying to make things work...but it was already beyond repair. Mike could see this, but she couldn't...or WOULDN'T.

One day after school, Mike and Nicole were finishing their calculus homework. He noticed that she was just making straymarks on her notebook paper...totally in La La Land...

" SO...what did you get for #16? I came out with x squared sine x, plus tangent x to the fourth power......Hey NIKKI?... YOO-HOO...anybody HOME?!"

" Sorry, Mike... Yeah, that's what I got, too..."

"I think you'd like my new hairstyle, Nikki...I'm gonna change it to a seafoam green..."

"NO, Mike...I don't think that's the answer for #8..."

"Uh...Nik-...you didn't hear a WORD I just said..."

"...HUH?..."

" Tell ya what... When you're ready to return to planet Earth and get more serious about schoolwork, GIVE me a call..."

As he was leaving, Nicole looked up and said, "But MIKE--"

He continued walking, leaving her behind. He stretched his arm behind him, shaking his hand as if to say to her, "It's too late."

On Friday, the day before Spring Break, the confrontation began.

Nicole was at her locker after school, putting her books away. Mike saw her in the distance and came walking toward her. Growing weary of seeing her with a sad countenance and a defeated body posture, he made up his mind to try and talk some sense into her about Davy.

He put his hand on the locker while standing in front of her.

"I KNOW you don't want to hear this, Nik--"

"Then DON'T tell me--"

"Don't tell you the TRUTH? Now you can stand there, roll your eyes and suck your teeth all you want, but it's not gonna change the fact that y'all's relationship is in SHAMBLES..."

"Really, Mike...That's ENOUGH--"

"NO, hun. I'm just gettin' started..."

Davy was approaching both of them at this time, but Mike didn't realize it since his back was facing Davy.

Mike continued, as Nicole looked down, covering her forehead with her hands when she saw Davy: "I care about you too much, Nikki. And if you think that I'm just gonna sit back and watch that bastard mistreat you like he's BEEN doin', then you're SADLY mistaken..."

Davy then spoke up: "Uh, Mike...if there's something that you need to say about me, why don't you tell it to my FACE?"

"So, you acknowledge that you ARE the bastard--"

"Mike, let it GO...DON'T do this " Nicole said.

Davy replied, "You know WHAT, man? I don't appreciate your meddling into our relationship...it's OUR business!"

"WHAT relationship?? And by the way, I've already MADE it my business..."

"MIKE...DAVY...PLEASE don't do this!!"

By this time, other students started crowding around the three of them.

" This is so EMBARRASSING...cut it OUT, BOTH of you!!" Nicole said, now standing between them.

But there was nothing she could say to stop their deadly staring match.

Davy said, " You know what I find intriguing?"

Mike responded, "I REALLY don't give a damn, but I'm sure you'll tell me anyway..."

"You 'n Nicole have known each other all this time...and y'all NEVER hit it off..." He saw Mike getting angrier and continued, " OOPS...did I hit a soft spot?" Nicole interrupted him:

"Davy, shut UP!!"

Ticked off by her saying that, he said, "WAIT a minute here!! Whose fuckin' side are you on anyway?! Don't TELL me you're defending this... TWIT!!"

Mike said, " Nikki--don't worry. I've got this under control--"

Davy went on, " OH... he we go AGAIN... 'Mr. Lanky' rushing to her aid...like she really GIVES a damn..."

"DAVY..." Nicole interjected.

" You SHUT the fuck UP!!"

" EXCUSE YOU?!! You got some fuckin' nerve talkin' to me like that...how DARE you!!"

"Doesn't that make you feel better, Nikki--"

Turning back to Mike, Davy said, "LOOK, I've about had it up to HERE with you...Why don't you just LEAVE her the hell alone? Can't you take a hint?! She doesn't want to be BOTHERED with you anymore--"

"I'm afraid I can't DO that, son...Nikki and I have a close friendship. Apparently, that's one important thing YOU don't seem to understand. You know what that word 'friendship' MEANS, don't you?"

" Yeah, whatever. You're just jealous 'cause I got her sweet pussy...THAT'S all..."

Nicole could NOT believe what she just heard. Her jaw dropped to the ground...and then...*WHACK!!* Mike slugged Davy square in the face, watching him fall to the ground and said, "You son of a BITCH!!"

When Davy got up, he tackled Mike and their fists were flying everywhere. Embarrassed by onlookers cheering for either side, Nicole tried to stop the fight by pulling Mike off of Davy, but she wasn't strong enough.

Later on that evening, she refused to answer her phone. When she would check the caller ID and her answering machine, the calls were from nobody but Mike and Davy...trying to contact her.

It seemed like no matter how upset Nicole was with Mike, she couldn't stay mad at him for long. After his much persuasion, she agreed to go out with him to a movie Saturday night...as a truce. Now that Mike said all that he wanted to say about Davy yesterday, he promised Nicole that his name would no longer be mentioned.

Davy and Nicole were still a couple--technically. Neither one had voiced their desire to separate yet. But that opportunity would come for her...sooner than she thought.

At one point during the feature presentation at Regal Cinema 17, Mike went to the concession stand to get some more drinks. Nicole happend to look in the rearview mirror and saw a car that resembled Davy's. Out of curiosity, she got out of Mike's car to check...it belonged to Davy all right. ...And he was NOT alone.

Peeking through the steamy windows, she could see Davy in the back seat...making out with another girl. It was a sight she didn't want to see, of course. But somehow...in the midst of her feelings of anger, hurt, and loneliness, she mustered up enough strength and courage to open his car door.

Davy looked up, saw Nicole and got up from on top of the girl he was with, trying to put his pants back on.

The girl pulled her dress down, trying to fix her hair and freshen up as if nothing happened...but it was too late.

" Well Davy, it's CLEAR that you've made your choice about our relationship. But I wanted to be the one to tell YOU first--face to face--that it's OVER between us."

"But Nico--"

"Too LATE, Davy. I should've known. I figured since you were 'the MAN', you would come and tell me to my FACE that you wanted out. But as they say, 'Actions speak louder than words'."

The girl that was with Davy in the car was speechless during the whole time.

"Nicole, please listen to me...I can EXPLAIN--"

Cutting Davy off without looking at him, she said, "You can go back to FUCKING her now..." and slammed the car door in their face.

On her way back to Mike's car, she screamed, "Hope it's good for you as it was for me..."