Survivor
Chapter 13
Nick stood in the doorway waiting for some sort of response from Bailey, but her back remained to him and she kept twirling her hair as if she didn't even hear him.
"I guess I shouldn't call him dumb, because he's really not. He's just... oh, I don't know. He's like me, I guess. You know what I mean? Ditzy, but loveable. Stop laughing! He really is! Now he does tend to be a Mr. Happy Hands sometimes, but he's still a sweet guy. I know, Mitzi! He's precious! But I just can't. There's no way it would ever work out. I mean, can you imagine? Me taking Nick Carter to our Winter Formal? Or Nick Carter coming to the frat parties with me? I mean gosh. He's got more important things to do than hang out with me while I study for my history final, you know? But my god, those blue eyes. He just melts me. Mitzi! Of course I didn't! I mean... I could have if I had really, really wanted to, but I... well, he... never mind. I'm not going to kiss and tell. It's not polite."
Nick stood with his shoulder against the doorframe and listened to her a little further. Maybe he was misunderstanding, being that he could only hear her side of the conversation.
"So you wanna know about Kevin?" Bailey laughed. "Kevin is gorgeous. He's absolutely gorgeous. All those pictures you see of him don't do him justice. YES! Those green eyes are even more incredible in person. No way! He's very intense, but he's sweet, too. He's pretty funny sometimes. Yeah. Uh-huh. Me too. And when he fell into the river and got all wet... Stop laughing! It was scary! Listen, I've got to go. This ear infection is killing me. I can't hear a thing out of my other ear and I think this one's about to go deaf too. I'll see you girls when we get back to school. You too, sweetie. Tell Leslie I said to stay away from Bret! Bye!"
Bailey hung up the phone and walked to her bed. She glanced up and saw Nick standing in the doorway in his hospital gown.
"Oh! Nick! Uh... how long have you been standing there?" she stammered.
"Long enough," he muttered.
"What? You'll have to speak up a little. My ears are pretty infected and I can't hear very well," she replied.
"I said long enough," Nick said, louder this time.
"Oh. Well... Um... how's Kevin?"
"He's better, I guess. He's still out of it," Nick said, entering the room. He sat down on the bed and looked up at Bailey with sad blue eyes. "So... I'm big and dumb, huh?"
"Nick, I... uh..." Bailey stuttered, blushing profusely.
"You what? You were just being nice to me out there because Kevin didn't like you and I was the only one who would keep you warm?" Nick barked.
"That's not what I meant! I meant that you were... you were... well... oh, never mind. I can't explain it." Bailey looked down at the floor, then looked back up with sad eyes. "Kevin didn't like me?"
"Nope. He didn't," Nick said, triumphantly. Now he was just being mean. He wanted to hurt her feelings like she had hurt his. "Bailey, why did you say you'd go out on the boat with me if you didn't want to go?"
"I... I really wanted to go. I just didn't think... I didn't think you meant it. I knew you were giving me the brush off," she whispered. "I realized you didn't find me attractive, and it hurt my feelings. I just said it so we could drop the subject." She was still reeling over the fact that Kevin didn't like her. That hurt her feelings more than anything. She liked Kevin. A lot. She worried about him and everything. And he didn't like her. She had never run across someone who truly didn't like her. That stung. Badly. She felt a lump forming in her throat and she tried to swallow it down.
"Nick, I really need to get some rest. I'm not feeling very well," she croaked.
"Bailey," Nick said, suddenly feeling bad for the things he had said to her, "I'm sorry I said that. Kevin didn't like you at first, but he warmed up to you after awhile. I was just being mean when I said that."
"Ok," she whimpered, her blue eyes rimmed with tears. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get some rest."
"Alright. I'll leave you alone," he said, rising from the bed. "But I have to know something."
"What?"
"Do you really think I'm dumb?" he asked quietly.
Bailey shook her head. "No. I don't. I think you're brave and sweet and I think you're very smart. I'm sorry I said that."
Nick nodded. "Well. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Nick." Bailey shut the door behind him and crawled into bed. She hugged her pillow tightly and cried, silently wishing that the pillow was Nick. She missed his arms around her at night. Even though she was in a warm, comfortable bed, she missed being in the cold wilderness, with Nick's arms around her and his warm breath on the back of her neck. She sighed as her pain medication for her horrible ear infection began to take effect, and she fell into a fitful sleep.
Nick returned to his room slowly. When he got there, he found AJ and Howie sitting on the couch watching television.
"Hey, what's with the face?" AJ laughed. "You oughta be smiling from ear to ear, buddy! You lived to see another day."
"I know, I know. I'm just tired, I guess," Nick muttered, slipping into the bed.
"You want us to leave, man?" Howie asked, patting Nick's arm.
"Nah. You guys can stay. It's actually kinda nice to have company, ya know?"
"We're here for ya man," AJ laughed. "So how's the sorority girl?"
"Don't ask," Nick groaned.
"Uh oh... I sense trouble in paradise," Howie chuckled. "What'd she do? Accept another guy's pledge pin or something?"
"Shut up, D. She... called me dumb," Nick said quietly.
"She did WHAT?" AJ exclaimed, a look of mock shock on his face. "Nooooo not you!"
"She did," Nick said, his palms upturned. "I don't understand it. I thought she liked me."
"Nicky, we all like you, but you have to admit, you can be a little ditzy sometimes," Howie said gently. "I mean, remember the famous 'Florida is where I resign" quote?"
"Or how about the time you tried to iron your shirt while you were wearing it?" AJ giggled. "That was pretty dumb, man. You have to admit."
"Ok, I'll admit I'm not always the brightest guy in the world, but when I heard her say it, it just hurt," Nick said, looking up at the ceiling.
"Did she say anything else?" Howie asked.
"Well... she said I was sweet and precious, and she said I was beautiful. Oh, and she said my eyes melt her," Nick said, a slight smile on his face.
"Well there you go," AJ said, as if it had been perfectly clear all along. "She likes you, dude. I'd say the other comment was either taken out of context or she was joking when she said it."
"So you think I should forgive her?" Nick asked.
"I think you should go for her," Howie laughed. "She's hot."
"Yeah, she is pretty hot, isn't she?" Nick said, smiling slightly.
"Ohh yeah," AJ agreed. "I'd fuck her in a minute."
"You'd fuck anything in a skirt," Howie groaned.
"Uh-uh. Kevin wears skirts, and I wouldn't fuck him," AJ corrected.
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The next morning, Nick snuck out of his room and went down to Bailey's room. He knocked softly, but there was no answer. He opened the door slowly, and stuck his head inside. There was no one there. The bed was stripped, and all the flowers were gone. Nick's brow furrowed and he walked to the nurses station.
"Excuse me. Where is Bailey Townsend?" he asked.
"She left early this morning," the nurse said, smiling. "Her father picked her up and he said they were heading back to Tennessee. Apparently she's got to get back to school in another day or two."
"Ok. Thanks," Nick said, sounding very disappointed. Well, he had lost her. She was going home. And he'd probably never see her again.
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On the flight home, Bailey rested her head on her daddy's shoulder. Her ears were bothering her so much, she had taken two of the pain pills the doctor had given her.
"Daddy, I feel so bad," she moaned.
"I know, precious. But we'll be home soon," her father crooned, stroking her soft hair. "Pam is very anxious to see you."
"Ohhhhhhh no. I'm not going back there to spend time with her, daddy. I'll just go right back to school. I'm not staying in the house with that... woman."
"Bailey, now listen," Robert began, but Bailey interrupted.
"No, daddy. I'm not going home if she's there. End of story. I'm going back to the dorm. I've got finals in a few weeks anyway, so I need to start studying. I'll just go there from the airport. My car is already parked in the parking deck, so I can drive myself."
"Honey, please. Just give Pam a chance," Robert pleaded.
"No," Bailey said simply.
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Nick and Brian stayed in Colorado until Kevin was released from the hospital four days later. They took him directly to Brian's house in Atlanta so he could recouperate. One afternoon, a few weeks after they arrived, Nick and Kevin were sitting in front of the fire, staring at Leighanne's gaudy blue Christmas tree.
"Have you ever seen a monstrosity like that in your life?" Kevin whispered.
"It's hideous," Nick agreed. "Where do you get a blue Christmas tree anyway?"
"I have no idea, but I don't think it's anywhere I'd want to shop," Kevin muttered. "She has so much more money than taste."
"I totally concur with that conclusion, sir," Nick laughed.
"Huh?" Kevin laughed.
"Nothing. Just trying to sound intelligent," Nick said, smiling a little.
"Nicky, are you still upset about Bailey?" Kevin asked, ruffling Nick's hair.
"Nah. Well. Yeah. I mean... I miss her, you know?"
"I know. I miss her too," Kevin said, nodding a little. "Why don't you call her sometime? See if she wants to come visit?"
"I can't do that," Nick said. "We didn't exactly part on the best of terms. And she hasn't made any attempts to reach me or anything."
"Nick. Your number is unlisted. How could she reach you?" Kevin said, rolling his eyes. "Call her. Or better yet, go see her. She's not that far away, you know.Her school is only about two and a half hours from here."
"Really?" Nick asked, blinking a few times.
"Really." Kevin said, nodding. Nick stared at him for a few seconds, then jumped up and ran up to his room. He packed an overnight bag and was out the door in less than 10 minutes.
Three hours later, Nick's Jaguar pulled up at the front gate of The University of Tennessee. He asked for directions to Sorority Row. He remembered she lived in the sorority house. Now if he could just remember which one... He drove down the road, looking at the names of the organizations on the front of the huge houses. All the letters on the house were in greek. Damn it. He didn't know Greek. Nick saw a group of girls walking in their exercise clothes and he pulled along side them.
"Excuse me. Do any of you girls happen to know Bailey Townsend?" he asked. The girls looked into the hot Jaguar and the hot blonde guy in the sunglasses and they were speechless for a second. Finally one of them spoke.
"Um... yeah, she's a friend of mine."
"Great! Can you tell me which house she lives in?" Nick asked, smiling his almost perfect Nick smile.
"She's a Kappa Kappa Gamma. Their house is right over there. The big brick one with the white colums on the porch," she replied.
"Thanks!" Nick said, as he pulled away. He parked in the parking lot and went up to the front door. Was he supposed to knock? Ring the bell? He was clueless here. He decided to ring the bell. A few minutes later, a woman dressed in a maid's uniform answered.
"Yes sir. Can I help you?" she asked, looking up at him. He was dressed in a burgundy turtleneck sweater and a black leather jacket with sunglasses.
"I'm here to see Bailey Townsend," he said, smiling down at the woman.
"This way, sir," the woman said, leading him up the stairs. "Miss Bailey's room is #22. Visitation is over at 9:00. Please be sure to let yourself out before then."
"Visitation?" Nick asked, confused.
"Male visitors aren't allowed in the residence after 9pm," the woman said, as she walked back down the stairs.
Nick walked to the door marked #22 and stood silently for a few moments. His heart was racing. What if she didn't want to see him? What if she told him to go away? There was only one way to find out. He knocked on the door and waited.
"Enter," Bailey called from the other side.
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