Unrequited

A New Sensation - Summer 1976

*mature content* continue at your own risk*

Nigel, at his parents' behest, begrudgingly led Arianna to his friend Nick's house one afternoon. In the past, he hadn't minded being with her, but now he was none too pleased by her presence. He didn't want the younger girl tagging along as he spent time with his friend.

Arianna was nervous as she followed Nigel into his friend Nick's house. She knew Nigel didn't really want her there and wished her Nana hadn't made her go with him. She watched as Nigel slumped into a chair at the kitchen table, his back to her, trying his best to ignore her. His friend Nick also sat at the table, and he eyed her, making her even more nervous. What was he thinking? She didn't want to disturb them, so she pressed herself into a corner of the kitchen, trying to be inconspicuous.

"Why is Arianna here?" Nick asked, still looking her way. He liked the girl enough, but he didn't want her disturbing their time talking. They had plans for their future to plot!

"Mum made me bring her," Nigel complained, sounding disgusted and annoyed.

Arianna looked at his hunched shoulders and wished he wouldn't be so ill-tempered with her. She missed how they used to play and be friends when they were younger. But he was older, and 'playing' obviously no longer interested him. At least not the type of playing that she innocently meant.

"Well, when can we go vinyl shopping?" Nick asked, hoping that the conversation of music would bring Nigel out of his doldrums.

"She goes home Sunday," Nigel said, with a careless toss of his head towards Arianna. "We can go after she's gone. I don't want her tagging along and bothering us," he snapped.

Tears pricked at Arianna's eyes. Why was he so angry with her? Why did he have to be so mean? She hated how rude he was to her. He had never been that way before on all of her past visits to England. What had changed? What had she done wrong?

"Well, that's fine then, I reckon. What are we going to do today?" Nick asked, eyeing Arianna again.

He watched as she nervously shuffled, pulling at the front hem of her tee shirt. When the cotton of her shirt tightened on her chest, he realized she had breasts and quickly looked away, blushing.

"I don't want to go anywhere with her!" Nigel snarled, making Nick cringe. Nick wondered why Nigel was acting so rude to the girl? She was nice to look at. She was kind. She was -

"I hate you, Nigel Taylor! You're being very rude, and I want to go home!" Arianna yelled defiantly as she stepped up beside Nigel. He didn't even look at her, just fiddled with the edge of the doily that was in the middle of the table.

"Then go," Nigel said dismissively, waving her off.

"Ooh, you're a... you're a..." Arianna stammered.

"I'm a what?" Nigel prompted, looking up at her angrily. Tears brimmed in her eyes, but he did not care.

"You're a jerk!" she screamed in his face, then ran out the back door, sobbing. Both boys stared after her, shocked at her outburst. When they finally looked at each other, they both burst into laughter.

"That's was frightful," Nick stated, and Nigel wholeheartedly agreed.

When Nigel returned home later for dinner, his parents scolded him for being so mean to Arianna. She was a guest, and how dare he be so rude! His punishment was to spend the entire following day with her, showing her the same friendship he showed Nick Bates. He was to take her into the city on the bus and show her around. Nigel reluctantly agreed, but he was not in the least bit happy about it. And after dinner, when he and Arianna were alone watching the telly together, he let her know just how displeased he was.