Stuck Between A Rock And A Hard Place

Chapter 20

Nancy's POV

Alicia is an interesting person. I thought she would turn a leaf at the sleepover, but I was proven wrong. She really wasn't that different. Don't get me wrong, she was a tad bit friendlier, but it didn't make much of an impact. I can only hope that she will come around eventually.

I talked with June for a while, but I did end up abandoning her to socialize with Bertram. After some careful thought and consideration, I realized that I needed to talk to him. Interacting with Ham, and especially Alicia, I learned that things weren't weird between any of us. There was no palpable tension. In actuality, it was my warped version of reality holding me back.

The conversation with Bertram was a little awkward at first. We both danced around what we truly wanted to say.
Eventually, Bertram cracked. "Nance...can we just be together? Let everything go and just date?" It took me a minute to respond. I was anticipating it so much, yet it also caught me off guard more than I could ever reiterate. Oddly, it came from miles away.
I was able to properly collect my thoughts and craft the perfect reply. "Yes! That's exactly what I want, that's all I want!"
A flicker of surprise lit up his face. "Really?"
"Yes really!" I cupped his face in my hands and kissed him in front of everyone. This time, I wanted people to see.
June, one of my intended audience members, burst out into laughter. "You two finally got together!"
"It should have happened a while ago," Benny said.
"You have no room to say that," Bertram chuckled. "It took you two literal years to get together."
"The irony is hilarious," I added.
"Honestly, that's fair," Benny shrugged.
Avery, who was watching everything from the corner of the living room, started laughing. "A Nancy and Bertram relationship, I didn't see that coming." I think she spoke for everyone with that comment. None of us saw the relationship coming, not even me and Bertram.

After everyone found out about my new relationship, Ham came over to personally congratulate me.
"I know we have a lot of shit in our past, but I'm really happy for you," he said. "You two are a very cute couple."
"Thank you! It means a lot," I smiled. "You and Alice are adorable too! Speaking of Alicia, how are things with her?"
"They're good. I mean, I'm dating an amazing and gorgeous girl," he smirked at the ground. "How could things not be good?"
"I am beyond excited for you," I beamed.
"Feeling is mutual Nance," he said before going back to his amazing and gorgeous girl. Maybe she was significantly better than I thought. There had to be a different side of Alicia that only Ham had seen. If there wasn't, I don't know how she got Ham to think she was amazing.

The sleepover was really fun. We did a lot in one day, truthfully I was impressed with how much we did. Our day featured multiple rounds of baseball, which Benny and June beat us at, many intense board game tournaments, which Benny and June also beat us at, and screenings of a few different movies. Thankfully, that wasn't a game, so June and Benny couldn't beat us at it. Obviously, a lot more happened, but I think those were the most notable highlights.

I felt like it was summer again. I was having flashbacks to when I first met all the guys and started getting closer with June. It made me realize how far our friendship had come and how much I loved them.

Author's Note: Chapter 20!! This is just a very cute chapter, I like Bertram and Nancy a lot!
I hope you enjoyed this chapter!! 😊❤️
Like all the previous chapters, I proofread but if you see any typos please let me know! 👍