Ten of Me ✓

Fifteen

NICOLE

I spent a long time upstairs in my bedroom fretting. Even though I knew Kayla didn't know Nicole Thorn, I was paranoid that she would somehow recognize me and that my entire cover would be blown. I debated going to Mom's salon and begging for a quick return to Carmen before I dashed off to Aroma Mocha, but I knew that I didn't have time. Anyway, I'd be turning into Hannah soon enough.

For what felt like forever, I rifled through my closet half-heartedly, struggling to find something suitable to wear. I finally settled on throwing on some jean shorts and a geometric print spaghetti strap t-shirt before running a brush halfheartedly through my hair, touching up my makeup, and grabbing some shoes from my closet before dashing downstairs.

Dad was standing in front of the door when I arrived, frowning. It suddenly sunk in that I was grounded; I'd completely forgotten.

"Going somewhere?" he asked in that voice that meant he knew exactly what my intentions were. "If you're going somewhere with that Noah boy, you can forget about it."

I wasn't used to either of my parents questioning my whereabouts or caring who I spent time with, and the fact that Dad was suddenly turning into a protective parent scared me. I guessed he was trying to pick up Mom's slack--she was, after all, more of my friend than my mother.

"I'm not going anywhere with Noah," I said slowly, trying to decide whether or not to be wholly honest. "And I'm going out as Nicole, see? Aren't you proud?"

"That should be a given." Dad crossed his arms and leaned against the door. "You should know to stop those makeovers by now."

I dropped my black wedges onto the floor and began inconspicuously stepping into them.

"I never said you're going anywhere," Dad said as I bent down to carefully fasten the strap on my left foot.

Frustrated, I blew some hair out of my face and then straightened. "Dad, please," I said. "I'm meeting a girl friend for coffee and we have a lot of stuff to talk about, so it would be really great if you'd let me go. You can ground me again later."

I thought of the rickety wooden steps and how Noah had accidentally broken them, keeping me from escaping from my bedroom window any more. Keeping me from escaping to see him. I'd definitely have to think of something different for the party tonight.

"Dad?" I asked when I realized he hadn't replied.

Dad didn't say anything for a few moments, making me wait in suspenseful agony as he cleared weighed out his options. I could practically see the gears spinning in his greying head. "I don't want you spending time with Noah," he said finally, his voice firm. "I'll let you go out with your friend, but you have to promise me you'll disassociate with Noah. I don't like him at all."

I fastened my other shoe and then straightened to meet his gaze. "Noah's really nice, actually," I said, my voice just as decisive as his.

"He's charming, Nicole. You think he really cares about you? He doesn't. I see it in his eyes and his smile. I hear it in his voice. You're just a game to him."

I thought of Noah--his face as he studiced me during our lunches together, and his breath hot on my face--and Erin's--as we kissed. Was Erin just a game, too? How about Kayla?

No. The thought of Kayla chased away all of my fears, replacing them with a strong resolution. Dad was wrong. Noah did care about me. He could have taken any girl to prom, and he'd chosen to ask me.

"I'm not a game to him," I said firmly, hitching my brown leather messenger bag up. "He loves me."

"How do you know, Nicole? Because he told you? How many other girls do you think he's said that to?" Dad was standing up straight, his eyes staring directly into mine. He was challenging me.