If Not For Her

Chapter 13. "The golden boy"

Annabeth looked between the shocked expression of her brother and the door that just closed. "Sweetheart?" Alex asked. Annabeth made the decision to completely ignore him and turned to the boy beside her brother, "Hello, Nicolas, what are you doing here?" she tried to keep her voice calm. He was standing in her house, next to her brother. "You don't remember him?" Alex asked, his similar brown eyes wide, that was their only similarity, their eyes.

Annabeth looked at him. He was not familiar, at all. "No, should I?" she asked. Alex laughed. She wanted to hit the smile right off his idiotic face. "What's so funny, Leslie?" she asked. His laughter stopped and she titled her head. "It has been a long time and I don't blame you Bethy," he said and the words clicked. Everything fell into place.

"He is Nick, Ollie remember?" he asked. "Oh My God, Nick" she ran and hugged him. He chuckled and she held on. She pulled back, his hands were still on her waist. ." I did not recognize you at all. You look a lot different" she said and stepped back noticing Alex looking at them. The last thing she wanted was for Alex to know she was crushing on Nick.

"I have come a long way from that," he said, pointing at the picture on the wall. It was the picture of his last summer with them before he shifted to another town. It was the three of them smiles wide, their hair wild, it was at the beach. A lot of her happiest memories were there. Now he was back. He was her first friend, well he was Alex's best friend but they soon became fast friends, he used to keep her daisies with him all day.

"Now we all are neighbors so now. Wait till Mum gets back, she will be excited" he said, rushing out. "Oh, no need' Nick tried, but Alex was long gone. "He hadn't changed, had he?" he asked. "Not a bit," she said. He laughed. God, he had changed, he was always sweet and looked after everyone in their class. She knew she was not stupid enough to fall for someone at the first glance, she knew him but just had not recognized him. She fell for her best friend.

They sat on the couch, "how come you are back?" Anne asked. "Well, after my parent's divorce Mum wanted to come back," he said, "I am sorry," she said. "It's fine, Mum had been telling me to meet the neighbors," he said, "she didn't tell me it was you two," he said. That explained her mother's insistence on them meeting the new neighbors. The mothers knew. She shook her head "I was surprised when I saw Alex, today at school" he said. "Wait, you two talked?" she asked, "yes he also invited me to try out today, he told me you would be there," he said. "He didn't tell you?" he asked.

"No, that might have slipped his mind," she said and silently cursed her brother, he had to be mysterious. "I completely forgot about this", he said and pulled out a brown box. Her eyes lit up, "you baked?" she asked. "For you," he said, she looked at him "and your family, of course," he said, Annabeth smiled, why did she think he would bake only for her? She took out a cupcake, it was skillfully decorated. She turned it in front of her eye, "it looks.. professional" she said, "Hoping to be a baker?" she asked.

"Something like that, taste it," he said. She took a bite, it was delicious "you would be a great baker" she said. "Thank you," he said, suddenly a hand swooped out one. "Hey," Anne swatted Alex's hand. He took a bite and sat opposite them, "These are actually great, Nick" he said. "They are," Anne said, he looked at her, "you have got.. a bit" he pointed at her lips, "Where?" she said. He leaned closer and brushed his thumb across her upper lip line. Her breath caught. She saw the daisy bracelet hanging from his wrist, the one she made him as a farewell gift. He remembered her.

He leaned back as if nothing happened. Anne turned around, she was sure she was red. Her eyes met Alex's, who just smirked at her face. "I didn't recognize you at class today," Anne said, trying to regain her composure. "You two have similar classes?" Alex asked, "Yes, I took a year off," he said, "with your music internship, right?" Alex asked. "Yes" Anne was lost in the conversation, but at least she was grateful that they would be having the same classes.

"I recognized you, but could not find you later," he said. Her mind went back to her shamelessly staring at him. She nodded when the door opened. "If it isn't the golden boy" her mother's voice came. "Golden boy" Annabeth mouthed gaining a laugh from the boys. Nick stood up and hugged her mother. "I missed you a lot Anita," he said. "I missed you too" she kissed his cheek. Her mother always loved Nick, and that caused a lot of jealousy in her younger years but now her heart warmed seeing them.

"Why don't you come to dinner this Friday or the weekend, you know what I just talk to Jenna" she smiled at him once again. "Don't stay out too late" she said "I will walk you out Alex said before Anne could offer. "Goodnight Bethy," he said and Alex winked at her before he closed the door. Idiot.

That night she texted, Chris and Adam everything, filling them up with every detail. He checked out every box on her list, she had found the one in her best friend, she could not have been happier.