Spoiler
hey ya'll! sorry it took so long!
Chapter 3:
(Abigail)
~Cause she’s hotter than hell, and she’s cool as they come, and she smiles and she’s wild all rolled into one.
-The Click five~
Abigail woke, her face buried in Nick’s pillow. The bedroom was filled with sunlight, and the blanket piled on top of her felt deliciously warm. Rolling over, she sat up, her tangled hair falling in her eyes.
“Nick, wake up.” She mumbled, then she stretched and climbed out of the queen sized bed, stumbling towards the bathroom, flipping the light switch. She closed the door behind her, locked it and pulled her shirt off over her head. As she turned towards the shower she caught sight of her face in the mirror over the sink. Her face was pale and drawn with large dark circles drawn under her eyes. Feeling light headed, she twisted the knobs in the shower, turning it to her desired temperature (scorching) and hopped in.
The Shower slowly woke her up, and with the waking, came thoughts. As she struggled not to cry, she had sworn to herself that she wouldn’t cry over Jake anymore. And she wouldn’t. Nick’s mom was right, he wasn’t worth her tears. And neither was the fact that her best friend Anna had betrayed her. And also, she realized, as she shampooed, Anna wasn’t my best friend. She was just the one I said was my best friend. Nick’s my best friend. She leaned back so the shampoo would wash out of her hair, and felt something warm and soft run through her veins. Like warm honey mixed in with tea. The feeling she got whenever she was around Nick. As she slicked conditioner through her hair, she relaxed for the first time since yesterday. No. Since three weeks ago, when it all started…
Jake and Abby stood looking at each other. Abby had her hands on her hips and her face was red.
“What was that?” She yelled, stepping closer.
“I was just kissing you,” Jake muttered defensively.
“You swore Jake Middlein! You swore you would never go there and violate my privacy. My oath.”
“That stupid oath you took when you were thirteen to stay pure?” he laughed derisively, “well this is the real world honey, and fifteen year olds aren’t pure.”
“Nick is.” Her voice assumed the soft quality it always did when she was talking about Nick.
‘I wouldn’t be having this discussion with Nick,’ she thought, looking at Jake. ‘He respects my feelings and wishes.’
“Nick?” said Jake disbelievingly “Nick, the one who girls run from, even though he is on the football team? Imagine!”
“Don’t you talk that way about him.”
“Why is it always about Nick with you?”
“You're right. This is about us.” She buried her face in her hands and took three deep breaths. “Listen here, you are not going to touch or try to touch me again. I do not appreciate it, I do not allow it. If you want to be my boyfriend, you’re going to have to learn how to keep your desires to yourself.”
“They’re not desires! They’re what’s happening in the real world!”
“So this is what this is about!” Abby nodded, “You want to keep up with what your friends are doing it with a different girl every night!”
Jake didn’t answer.
“That is so stupid, Jake! So what if your friends are playing with girls? We have the love people like Romeo and Juliet had. Emotional not physical. Don’t you care?”
“Do I care if we love each other like people who didn’t really live, in a book, written thousands of years ago? Frankly no, I don’t.”
“It’s not a book. It’s a play. And it’s a classic.”
“Dear Lord! Who cares? Nobody that’s who. Except for you. Just like no one cares if their pure. Except for you.”
She jumped back, and tears sprung to her eyes. She turned away, already wishing she were at Nick’s house, snuggled under his covers asleep. “Get out. And don’t come back till you have your priorities set in straight.”
Spinning around, Jake stomped out of her house. And didn’t look back.
Abigail had sobbed all day that day, lying on Nick’s couch, waiting for him to come home from baseball practice. She had used the key hidden under the garden gnome to get in, since her parents were at work and his sister at a party. She had just sat there on his living room couch, soaking the brown leather with tears.
When Nick had finally come home, she had thrown herself at him, sobbing hysterically. Later that night, Jake had called, saying he was sorry, that he regretted what had happened, and would she please forgive her?
I wish I hadn't. Abigail thought, I wish I had dumped that cheater right there.
Abigail turned the knobs to the off position, and stepped out into the steamy, cool air.
She had always, since they were kids, kept some p.j.'s and an extra change of clothes in Nick's bathroom.
She pulled the extra clothes out, and pulled the tee-shirt and jeans on.
A knock came to the bathroom door. "Hurry up Abby Lynn. Now!." Nick’s voice penetrated the foggy air that surrounded her.
"I'll take as long as I want!" she yelled back, laughing.
"Not in my house you won't!"
Abby opened the door and walked out, twisting her hair into a French twist, and fastening it with a black clip.
"Feel better?"
She nodded and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I do."
He put his arms around her and kissed her hair. Abigail didn't notice and released him, wandering out of his room, walking towards the kitchen. Abigail had always loved Nick's kitchen. The clean Formica counters, the white tile black splash, and the stainless steel appliances. The kitchen, unlike the rest of the slightly messy house, was spotless. And it was always stocked with a combination of healthy snacks and yummy junk food.
"Good Morning!" Nick's mother, Lucille said, lifting her coffee cup.
"Hi Lucy," Abby said, waving happily.
"Feeling better?" Lucy said, giving Abby a one arm hug. Abby put her face in Lucy's shoulder, and the soft cashmere tickled her face.
"Yes. I am."
Lucy released her and waved her hand. "We've got some peanut butter, and we've got some toaster struddles and...” Lucy continued to talk and Abby let her, getting food out the fridge.
Nick walked in, and grabbed the second mug of coffee that sat beside the coffee maker.
"How can you stand that stuff?" Abby said, shivering.
"It’s good. And it wakes you up."
Abby rolling her eyes got out a skillet to make some eggs. "Mmm... Make me some!" Nick said, leaning against the counter beside the stove.
"No!"
"You kicked me all night. Don't tell me no!" Nick said jokingly, leaning over her and dipping his fingers in the egg white and swiping her face. "Hey!" Abby shouted, dipping her own fingers, and painting a squiggle on his cheek.
"Oh no, you didn't!" he gasped. Grabbing a jar of peanut butter and digging his fingers in, then flinging the peanut butter at her.
"It’s in my hair!" She yelled, glancing around for more ammunition. Flour she thought, grabbing the jar and scooping some up. And throwing it at him.
"Now guys...” Lucy began, and then shrugged. "What the heck." She said, and wandered out, shaking her head.
Nick ducked, and smeared peanut butter on her jeans.
"Hey now!" Abby shouted, sprinkling flour over his head.
He started smoothing the butter on her feet, drawing squiggles and loops.
Abby danced around, trying to avoid his fingers, and throwing the flour in the air, letting it settle over everything.
Eventually, Nick and Abby came to their senses. Both covered in egg yolk, peanut butter and flour.
They were lying side by side on the floor, giggling hard.
They set up, and looked around, disbelieving they had made this mess. "Oh no..." Abby mumbled, exchanging looks.
"What are we going to do?" Nick wailed. "Mom is going to kill me! I'm going to be grounded forever!"
"Not if we clean it up," Abby said hesitantly.
"Clean up?" Nick rolled his eyes, "You know I'm not big on that."
"Oh I know!" Abby, thought about the time when they were six and eight and he had made her clean up his room before he would play Peter Pan, or the time when they were eleven and thirteen and he wouldn't go swimming until all his clothes were folded and put away. "But this time, I'm not doing it all."
Nick sighed and stood up, sliding slightly on the floor that was covered in food. "Fine. Fine!"
They began to clean up, singing to a CD of Nick's band, Morning Glory.
"You don't want the world to see you for who you are, and I understand that.
You don't want everyone to know the ocean is crashing around your ears," sang Abby, and she vacuumed the floor.
Nick hummed along, as he wiped the counter clean and cooked egg whites with parsley and tomato.
As the song changed Nick went down on his knees, doing air guitar before wiping the floor free of peanut butter.
"What about beauty is you?" he shouted. "What is with the world hating your simplicity? I love your style!"
"This song is really cheesy and cute." Abby commented and she stopped the vacuum and put it away in the closet.
Nick shot her a weird look and said, "Yeah... It is."
don't beat yourself up about it, easy mistake to make.