"So how's Nick's new room mate?" Brian asked, as he opened the front door and saw AJ standing on his door step.
"Next time I try to get out of doing something my mom tells me to do, hit my head repeatedly against a brick wall" AJ responded dryly as he walked pass Brian and into the house.
"Why? Isn't it working out or something?" Brian said, following AJ into the living room where he had decided to sit down next to Howie with his head resting on Howie's shoulder. Brian noticed Howie's startled expression as he looked up and motioned towards AJ's postion on the couch. Brian just smirked and shrugged in response.
"Bone, you're my friend, but I'm not that kind of a friend" Howie said as he pushed AJ's head off his shoulder.
AJ barely noticed as he looked around the room with a lost expression on his face.
"What's the matter with you?" Howie inquired, giving AJ a curious look.
"What's the problem? Nick? That girl?" Brian said, taking a seat opposite AJ and Howie.
"There's no problem. I just feel like throwing myself in front of a bus is all" AJ replied with a sigh.
"Why?!" Brian and Howie both yelled in exasperation.
"You know this girl. The girl I turned down from living with me so one of my old friends from high school could move in? Well it turns out she is a major babe and I just passed her onto Mr Nick-all-I-have-to-do-is-smile-and-girls-fall-at-my-feet-Carter" AJ answered, hugging the cushion tightly in his frustration.
"Well that was dumb" Howie remarked trying to bite back a laugh.
"Serves you right AJ. You practically demanded Jane to force Nick to let her move in" Brian added, clicking his tongue at his friend.
"Don't worry about it AJ" Howie reassured as he patted AJ on his back. "I'm sure Nick's not that charming when he's at home."
"Uh-huh" AJ grunted. "I went with him to grab a bite to eat the other day, and he smiled at some lady and she practically gave us everything on the menu for free."
"Well Nick's got this way of being 'cute' and the girls buy into it but he doesn't even realise he's doing it half the time" Brian remarked. "Trust me, I've seen him in action on numerous occasions."
"I feel so stupid now. See fellas, that's why you should always listen to your mother" AJ piped up.
"I do anyway" Brian said, shrugging his shoulders.
"So do I" Howie smiled.
AJ just cowered further into the couch and grunted. "You two make me sick."
**************
Nick heard the phone ring and ran for where it was normally situated but saw it wasn't there. He scratched his head, trying to think of where he last put it. He threw off the cushions on the couch and found it wedged in between a crack. He quickly answered it. "Hello?"
"What took you so long?" Brian laughed on the other end. "Don't tell me you couldn't find it again."
"No" Nick said guiltily. "I had to run for it you know."
"In other words you were having trouble with that big lard ass of yours again" Brian continued to laugh.
"Do you have a point for calling?" Nick snapped with an annoyed expression on his face.
"My, my, we are a bit testy today" Brian teased. "Time of the month?"
"I'm gonna hang up on you if you don't tell me what you want" Nick said, getting ready to click the talk button.
"Alright, alright, I just wanted to know if you wanted to come over?"
"Um..." Nick paused for a few seconds, looking down the hallway where he saw Natalie unpacking. For some reason he didn't want to leave her, and was about to turn Brian down when his friend practically read his mind.
"AJ said to bring Natalie with you."
"Oh" Nick said, realising he had no excuse now. "I'll just ask her, hang on a sec."
"It's a cordless phone" Brian muttered on the other end, while Nick ignored him and cupped his hand over the mouthpiece.
Nick made his way down to Natalie's room and stood at the doorway until she finally looked up and smiled at him. "Yeah?"
"Just wondering if you wanted to go to my friend Brian's. AJ's there and they said to come over."
"Um" Natalie responded as she looked around at the mess in the room, and the opened suitcase she hadn't unpacked fully yet. She looked up at Nick who was giving her a hopeful face. "Yeah sure."
"Okay, well we'll,leave now if that's okay."
"I don't see why not, let's go" Natalie grinned.
**************
"So this girl's pretty cute then" Howie commented as he finished dialing for take out and returned to the dining table where AJ was giving Kevin and Brian a blow by blow description.
"Absolutely. Who thought that girl with the glasses and braces was gonna turn out like she did?"
"And who thought you were gonna turn out like you did" Brian said teasingly.
"Ha ha" AJ said sarcastically.
There was a knock at the door, causing AJ to jump up excitedly. Kevin got up and pushed AJ down into his seat. "Down boy, I'll get it. You might push Nick down the stairs or something."
"I wouldn't do that" AJ protested.
"Sit AJ, I'm sure Jane would still like her son to be in one piece the next time she sees him" Kevin said over his shoulder as he went to answer the door.
**************
Nick was yawning to himself as he heard AJ retell his story about his foot getting run over for the hundredth time. Natalie was laughing hard about it, while everyone was giving AJ pained looks of boredom.
"Well that was even better the thousandth time around" Howie muttered, while everyone but Natalie and AJ were trying not to laugh.
Nick glanced down at his watch and realised it was early into the morning already and they should get going, as they had an early interview the next day. "Uhhh I'm tired guys, so I better get going. Natalie do you wanna stay or..."
"I'll take you home" AJ volunteered enthusiastically.
Natalie looked slightly taken aback by AJ's response, and looked over at Nick who was trying to stifle back another yawn. "I guess I'll go with you Nick, I'm feeling a bit tired myself."
"Sure let's go, I'll just grab my keys."
"I've gotta use the bathroom so.."
"Yeah sure take your time."
Nick and Natalie walked out of the room together while AJ flashed Brian a forlorn look. "She likes him already and it's only been like four hours since she met him."
"Gotta hand it to you Bone, I can't believe you forced Nick to have to take her in. You should've just flashed him a picture and you could've avoided all the bribery and the black mailing" Brian remarked with a smile. "Natalie's really beautiful."
"With you on that one Bri" Kevin spoke up, with a nod of his head.
"Very cute, and just the same age as Nick" Howie teased, as AJ flashed him a less than impressed look.
Nick stuck his head into the kitchen, and sleepily waved goodbye. "Later all."
"Yeah bye. It was nice meeting you all" Natalie called out, waving and smiling enthusiastically at the boys as she followed Nick to the front door.
AJ stood at the front door, peering over Brian and let out a sigh as he watched Nick and Natalie make their way to the car together, with Natalie laughing and punching Nick's arm playfully, and NIck smiling in return.
**************
Nick absent-mindedly walked out of his room in his boxer shorts, stretching and yawning when he saw Natalie sitting at the breakfast bar eating a bowl of cereal. She looked up and began to start choking on her cereal causiing Nick to quickly jump to her side and start thumping her on the back. "Are you alright?"
"Uh-huh, you just surprised me that's all. I'm fine really" Natalie said, brushing off Nick's concerns and blushing as she glanced at Nick standing next to her.
"Are you sure? Do you need to go to the hospital. Maybe I should call 911?"
"I'm not dying Nick. Seriously I'm okay."
"Alright" Nick said taking a step back. "As long as you're not gonna collapse onto the kitchen floor or anything."
"I'm okay!" Natalie exclaimed with a laugh.
"So what are you doing today?"
"Just unpacking, tidying up, doing my college stuff. Nothing earth-shattering" Natalie shrugged.
"Cool, well if you need anything just tell me. Your keys are on the shelf and make yourself at home" Nick said before taking a glass of orange juice and disappearing into his room, while Natalie looked up from her cereal and couldn't help but stare.
"That's what I call a good morning" she muttered to herself with a smirk.
Chapter Four
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