~Brian’s point of view~
“Nick, it’s about time!” I said, when he came into our room. “I was trying to tell you awhile ago, before you went out to try to decieve Carmen, that…”
“Don’t worry, I didn’t do it, so don’t give me another spill about morals,” Nick said.
Thank goodness! I was hoping he wasn’t going to go through with it.
“You can have the money,” we said at the same time.
“What?” he said.
“Well, I was trying to tell you earlier. I don’t care about the money. August had nothing to do with that. I’m in love with her… I don’t care that I’ve only known her two weeks… so you win. You can have the money.”
“No, I don’t want it… you were right. Sometimes, people who you’d never realized existed just… the one that has been there through all the other wrong matches is the one that you were looking for all along,” Nick said. “You were just too dumb to realize it because it wasn’t ‘love at first sight.’”
I laughed. “You know what this means?” He shook his head. “We’re both really, really dense when it comes to love. But tell me, the person who you’re talking about isn’t…”
“Yeah,” Nick nodded, smiling.
“Cassie?”
“No!” he threw a pillow at me. “Michelle!”
“Michelle? Wow…” I said, as Michelle walked in.
“Hi, guys. I was going to keep ignoring you. But I’m also ignoring Cassie, so I can’t spend a lot of time in my room. So I figured you two were the lesser of the two evils.”
“Michelle,” I wanted to get something in before Nick spoke to her. “What did Cassie tell you all? Exactly.”
“Why? You should know.”
“I want to know exactly what… you need to know how much August means to me. With or without the bet… I have to make things right with her. And I need your help to do that…”
Michelle paused. Then she said, “fine. Cassie said that you’d gone to stop Nick from telling Carmen that he loved her. You wanted to tell August first so you’d win the bet.”
“I was going to stop him to try to tell Nick to call it off. And it wasn’t about who did it first…” I sighed, strumming on my guitar angrily. “Well, I’ll go play somewhere else…” I said, knowing Nick wanted her alone.
~Nick’s point of view~
“Can I talk to you?” I asked, sitting next to Michelle on the couch.
“I suppose. Although you should’ve followed Brian’s example. He wasn’t just playing catch with August’s heart like you were with Carmen’s. He tried to call it off and you still tried to win by apologizing to Carmen.”
“How’d you know that I apologized?” I asked.
“I saw you going to her room.”
“Do you want to know what actually happened? I was going to tell her I loved her because I wanted the money… but then I saw your face in my mind.”
“Me?” she looked surprised.
“When I realized that I had affected you by all this crap, I couldn’t stand it. And I started thinking. And I realized something that I should’ve realized a long time ago.”
“What’s that?” Michelle asked, confused.
“Carmen wasn’t the one I should have been going after. None of those other girlfriends you’re always complaining about are the ones I should’ve wasted time on, either.”
“Well I could’ve told you that. And I did. Carmen was the first girlfriend I liked.”
“Yeah, I know. I was looking for love at first sight, and so I guess that means I was majorly concerned with appearance, popularity…”
“Yup,” she said, sadly.
“But eventually looks fade away. And I would need someone I could talk to. And there’s no one I like talking to more than you…” I said, my heart beating faster. “You’re more beautiful than all the other girls put together. Even with your bad taste in music…”
She looked shocked. Hopefully by all the heartfelt comments and not just the mention of what she listens to.
“Maybe it’s time I started dating for the right reasons. Try one of those ‘serious relationship.’ And you’re one of the only girls I know that I could ever stand for a long period of time. When I found about Kevin, it was killing me. But like I said, sometime’s I’m just a little slow at realizing stuff like that…”
“Look, Kevin’s got nothing on you,” she said.
“What? I thought you liked him… I mean, you’ve been gushing about him forever.”
“Only because I didn’t think you were an option. I mean, I’ve liked you forever… you just never looked at me as more than a friend. So I decided I couldn’t wait forever, because I never thought anything would happen between us. You never liked me because I wasn’t your type and I knew it.”
“Turns out you are the one who defines my ‘type,’” I told her. I gazed into her eyes, leaned in, and kissed her. I crossed the line from friendship into more. A line I should’ve crossed a long time ago.
My heart pounded. I had never felt like this before. Now I was sure.
This was love.
~August’s point of view~
“Did you expect that to make me feel better?” I asked Carmen. She and I were sitting on the couch in my room.
“Well… yeah. Nick apologized. Brian will, too. I’m surprised he didn’t beat Nick to it. He seems more that kind of guy…” Carmen started.
“You come here and tell me that now that the bet have been revealed, along with all the real intentions, and Nick tells you he’s actually not interested in you, and you think that will cheer me up? So when Brian comes and apologize’s and tells me that he’s not actually interested in me, it was just the bet, but wants to be friends, I’m supposed to say ‘okay’ and be as forgiving as you were?” I wondered.
Carmen paused. “Well… not when you put it that way…”
“I can’t wait until this cruise docks and I get off the bloody boat!” I said, more to myself than to Carmen. “At least my family’s out enjoying themselves so I have the room all to myself… something actually went right for me.”
“Come on, let’s go to the Teen Club. Get some drinks. You’ve been locked in here all day. How many episodes of ‘Daria’ can you watch?”
“It was a marathon…” I shrugged.
“Come on, you need to interact with some 3-D people. And don’t worry, I saw Brian on the deck awhile ago, so I know he’s not there, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“Why would I be worried about seeing him? He can jump off the boat for all I care…” I said.
Carmen laughed. “Violent tendencies developing? Come on,” she dragged me out the door.
“Why hello ladies!” AJ greeted from behind the bar. “What can I get you?”
“Coke…” I said. Carmen ordered a Pepsi.
“Sure thing. Tell me, where are the semi-significant others?”
I looked down at the table. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Carmen shoot him a ‘don’t go there’ look. AJ looked at her puzzled.
“Hey, AJ,” someone walked up. It was Howie, with Cassie wrapped around his arm.
“Aww, why aren’t you with Brian today?” she asked innocently. “Not going well with your man?”
I ignored her, and took a sip of my Coke. ‘Think happy thoughts… I’m a nice person… She doesn’t deserve my attention… me looking like this is getting to me is exactly what she wants. If I get all emotional then she wins. And Cassie has won enough…’ I thought to myself.
“You and Brian deserve each other. You’re both just a pain in the…” Cassie began.
Excuse me? Not only is she insulting me, but now Brian? I didn’t even realize what had happened until afterward. My fist felt energized from the contact and my Coke glass was empty.
“Oh my goodness….” Cassie squealed, holding her face and trying to wipe off her outfit.
“Howie, she’s just been using you… she’s been trying to get to Brian,” I informed Howie. “She isn’t worth your time.” I turned around and started to exit.
"Man, she beat me to it," I heard Carmen mutter to Cassie.
I saw Brian standing there, but I just kept walking. Wow. That may not have solved anything. And I knew it had been wrong. But, gee, did that feel great! I’d never forget the horrified expression on Cassie’s face.
Carmen was right. I was developing violent tendencies.
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-Two
Drowning
Frick's Fairytales