Signed /Dream Team/

57

I can't believe Nick followed me outside. It's like when someone forces you to take your little brother places with you.

And he looks like a lost puppy too, I don't know what to do with him. My heart can't take it, I can't keep ignoring him.

"Are you mad at me?" He sits next to me on the bench, leaving some distance between us either because he's scared or for comfort. But knowing him I know that he doesn't care about things like personal space and comfort. So definitely scared.

"Just disappointed," I speak, "I don't know how involved you were in the whole thing and how much of it is your fault, but I'm hurt that you knew and didn't tell me."

Nick looks down at his feet and starts fidgeting with his bracelet.

"I'm sorry.. I didn't know it was serious," his voice is small.

"How did that even happen? How could you agree with him in the first place?" I don't get how someone would think of that plan as an okay thing to do and not predict the consequences.

Nick shifts in his seat and takes in a breath.

"The first few hours after we met.. you were like cleaning around the house and arranging your stuff, I remember. Then George pulled me to the room and we talked for a while," his words bring back the memories. I even remember joking to myself that they were probably talking shit about me in the room.

I hum, encouraging him to continue.

"We both knew we were fucked and Clay was gonna kill us, there was no way he'd let that slip if he ended up in the streets after everything that happened to him," Nick's eyes are still focused on his shoes, "and it was my fault so I was scared. I was more scared than George I think, and the fact that he was like trying to find a solution instead of blaming me made me lean towards him."

I was expecting to hear this whole introduction thing, the backstory, but from the way he's putting it, there's one thing I want to know.

"Whose idea was it?"

Nick hesitates for a moment.

"I thought maybe if we're really nice to you you'll let us stay, and George thought being nice isn't enough.. and I agreed."

I can somehow understand that they were scared, I was nobody to them, and it felt like they have no other choice. What I don't understand is how they kept going with it.

"Why didn't you tell me? We were supposed to be friends, Nick," maybe at this point, I should accept my fate of spending my whole life without having any friends, "that's not how you treat a friend, right?"

I know how guilty he feels just by looking at his body language. He just nods and apologizes again, sitting quietly for a while then speaking.

"He's my friend too... I don't know, I'm sorry," he sighs.

"So you chose to support the gross actions of your one friend over your other friend? Clay wasn't even my friend but he told me, Nick. Why didn't you?"

"Because bros before hoes..?"

When I tell you I facepalmed audibly. It makes him give it another try at explaining.

"Okay, I'm gonna be completely honest, I know it's not a good justification or whatever, but I thought George had no game and he was just gonna embarrass himself."

And now I sigh. I sigh cause I can't even stay mad at him and I believe that it's a genuine thought process he went through. I bet he doesn't even know that George's plan worked. And you know what, let it stay that way.

"That's so dumb," I shake my head.

"It's not dumb at all," he finally looks at me, "like your singular ass cheek is out of both my and George's leagues combined."

I don't know if it's the phrasing, the way he delivers it, or the context, but I actually snort at that.

"Now that is a stretch," I roll my eyes.

"You need a reality check in the mirror," he chuckles, "like honestly."

Regardless of the distress they've caused, I can't unsee the fact that all three of them have been extremely effective at forcing self-love on me. Well, in George's case it was all play pretend, but still, at that time his compliments were everything to me.

We sit in silence for a few seconds. Then I come up with a question.

"So you packed your things," I remember the suitcases and it brings disgust to my face, "do you have anywhere to go?"

Nick purses his lips and shakes his head, "No clue, honestly."

Then there's the same silence again. It's been haunting me since the morning.

"Well you can stay.. if you want to."

Nick's head snaps to look at me and I see his eyes light up immediately. But not because I told him he can stay. There's actually a different reason.

"Does that mean I'm your friend again?" His eyes widen.

"If you make sure no bros come before me this time," I frown.

"You can be my bro this time," he suggests, "and George will be my hoe."

I mean, sounds good to me.

"This is the last time I'm trusting you," I warn, but he doesn't even care to process my words. He's celebrating already.

I can't help but feel a twinge of happiness as well, even though my mind is busy with a distracting thought.

"What do you think they're doing?" I ask, checking my phone and seeing that it's been 30 minutes already.

"Having angry sex probably," the way Nick says it makes it sound like it's not supposed to be a joke.

"Hot," I speak, "can we go watch?"

"What if we get cum all over us."

The fact that it's the only concern he has.

And the fact that I get flashbacks from his words and smile like an idiot.

"Fun night with Clay, huh?" I don't know what made me think that he wouldn't address it. He's Nick, of course he was gonna address it.

"What about it?" I raise a brow and it takes him by surprise that I don't even try to deny it.

"N..nothing.."

That's what I thought.

What are George and Clay doing though, I'm getting worried..