Waiting For Nick

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

"Ahh... If it isn't the very impeccable Dominick Trenton."
Cissy groaned as herself and Nick watched Paris walk over to where they sat.

It was five minutes to second period on a Monday morning and Cissy didn't have the strength to deal with Paris or her cheeky comments.

"What do you want, Paris?" Nick asked immediately.

"Oh, nothing. It isn't bad to say hi to a friend on a beautiful Monday morning, is it?" She replied, coming to sit on his desk.

ON. HIS. DESK.

Like there wasn't a damn chair right in front of her. She was wearing a rather too short pink skirt, short enough to almost see the leopard prints on her panties.  A button or two were out of place on her shirt. She flicked her hair and smiled ever so sweetly at Nick. She didn't even bother to acknowledge Cissy.

And Cissy was sick of Paris Sweeny. The girl really had lost it.

"What do you want, Paris?" She angrily echoed Nick's question.

"I believe I was talking to Nicky here, and not you, you boy...",

"Don't you even dare call her any names." Nick said quickly before she could get to finish her sentence.

Paris pouted prettily. "Didn't you see her butting in on our conversation?"

"If anyone interrupted a conversation here, its you. So please, would you kindly get up from my desk and go sit somewhere else."

Paris huffed and stood up from his desk. She took the sit in front of her and sat on it. Seconds later, Arin stood in front of her.

"I believe that's my seat you're on. I wouldn't mind if you took your butt off it."

"Ohh, if it isn't little Miss Babyface acting all stern." Paris said, grinning stupidly at Arin. "Sometimes I do wonder if you're any older than my baby sister. Are...",

"I think this is the part where you shut up before you say something you'd totally regret." Arin snapped.

Paris opened her mouth to say something but their calculus teacher, Mr Byron walked in. She slowly stood up, shamelessly flexing her body before Nick. She winked at him before she sauntered away, leaving a nauseating train of expensive perfume in her wake.

"Now, I really want to break her nose." Cissy said as she watched Paris sashay away.

"Not if I get to do the honours before you." Arin muttered as she slammed her books on her desk.

                         ***

"Oh, shit!" Alec said as they watched the main character stumble as a shot went into his right shoulder and the culprit opened the front door and ran out.

The boys - Alec, Jaden, Nick and Dash - were seated on couches in Jaden's house, bags of popcorn, half eaten, on their laps. They'd all gone straight from school to Jaden's place to watch a movie or two.

They watched as the guy's girlfriend, totally freaking out, dragged him away from open space and into the bathroom to clean his wound. Still weak, he opened his eyes and stared at her before mouthing, 'thank you.' They continued to stare into each other's eyes.

"Arrgh... Isn't it enough already? They so remind me of two friends I've got." Jaden said, giving Nick an accusing glare. Alec and Dash laughed as they caught the hint.

"What? Why would I be doing some creepy eye contest with Cissy?" Nick asked. He didn't even bother feigning ignorance. Who else would they be talking about?

"Mhen, you didn't even wait to be accused before pleading your innocence." Dash said, going into another fit of laughter.

"Ohh...he even knows whom we're talking about." Alec said, grinning.

"Of course, he'd know! He's guilty as charged. Going all gooey-eyed on the poor girl." Jaden replied, the movie temporarily forgotten.
Nick laughed. These guys were something else.

"Why don't you just ask her out if you like her that much?" Alec asked him.

"Yeah. 'Cos I'm totally shipping you two." Jaden chipped in.

Ask her out? What if she didn't agree?

Moreover, he didn't think he was quite ready for any relationship whatsoever yet. Cissy was one beautiful, witty and smart girl, all rolled into one but he didn't think she'd be able to handle his own baggage.

The monster in him. The one who'd set...

No, he wasn't going to think about that. Of those days of guilt and shame and pain. He'd promised his father not to blame himself anymore but how couldn't he? He'd done it, albeit accidentally. But he'd done it.  He didn't think Cissy would find him all good when she heard about this.

If  she heard about it.

He wasn't planning on telling her or anyone else for that matter.

"Nick? You okay, bro?" Dash asked, bringing him out of his reverie.

What were they saying again?

"Uh...yeah. I'll see about that." He said to them as he turned up the TV's volume that Alec had toned down when they'd started talking.

"She likes you too, you know." Jaden said, above the volume of the TV.

Nick scoffed.

I wish.