Leaving My Fingerprints

“I have a right to know what?” Nick asked me again.

Oh crap. “Oh that um – my mom – she got a job, and we’re moving to um – Egypt,” I lied. Okay, so I knew he deserved to know, and to hear it from me, but I wasn’t just quite ready yet. I wanted – no I needed this summer to feel like every other summer. I couldn’t think about how this was the last time I would get to spend the summer with Nick, because my time was limited, my days were numbered. I knew the second I told him everything would change, and I didn’t want it to. I wanted my last memories with Nick to be joyous, to be like they always were. I wasn’t ready to tell him yet. No, lying was easier. “Yeah, so we’re moving,” I added.

“Oh,” he said, the look on his face questioning. “So you’re moving across the globe?”

I nodded. “Going global.”

He laughed. “How are you going to handle that? You hate the heat.”

I made a face. “That’s true. I do like the cold so much better, but my mom really wanted this job, so who am I to stop it.”

He took my hand. “But it’s all the way on the other side of the world,” he said. “I’m never going to get to see you.”

“We’ll still be best friends,” I promised. Till my last breath, Nick and I were going to be best friends. “And you can bet I’ll be here evry summer and Christmas.”

He laughed. “Sounds like a plan.”

“Nicholas,” Joe came over, his tone impatient. “I’d like to go if that’s okay with you two. God Nick, I sent you over to hurry Maxie up, not lollygag with her.”

“Lollygag?” I giggled.

Joe smirked. “I’m broadening my vocabulary.”

“Lollygag isn’t a big word,” Nick said.

“Unless you’re 60,” I added. Nick and I laughed as Joe glared at us.

“Great the teaming up on Joe thing begins already?” he asked. “Great. Just for that, you both are sitting in the back.”

---

“This is so awesome,” Emma said as she sat on the bed as we unpacked. Normally, I would sleep with Nick, because we wanted to spend as much time as possible together. But since the new house was so big, Denise and Paul had insisted I would be more comfortable here. Nick had argued against it, and normally I would have too. But this time, I was glad for that little privacy as I slept. I didn’t think I would be able to stand it if I slept next to him with this huge lie on my shoulders. “I’m still so jealous that you’re so close to them.”

I laughed. “The boys are so awesome. I’m glad I know them.”

“Knock, knock,” Nick said as he came in. “Need help?”

“No, we’re good,” I said.

“Great,” he said, sitting next to Emma. He grinned at her, and I saw her cheeks turn slightly red before she composed herself. “Joe wants to go see Demi. She’s home for the summer. Do you guys want to go?”

“Yeah definitely,” I said. I had met Demi countless times at the boys’ concerts when she toured with them. And she was honestly an amazing person. “Emma?”

“Oh okay,” she said, still looking at Nick from the corner of her eyes though her head was turned towards me.

I had to refrain from rolling my eyes. But then I looked at Nick. He was staring at her too, though more blatantly. And I knew that look too well. That was the look he wore when he was love struck. I felt my heart break slightly. I refrained from letting it show. “Um, I’ll be right back. I have to go ask Joe something.”

I left quickly before either of them could answer. I couldn’t say anything to him, or to her. Saying something to her would mean admitting I loved Nick. And saying it to him would ruin the summer. And I needed this summer. I stood outside the room, against he wall as I tried to compose myself. Yet another girl Nick was after. And not just any girl, no my friend. And I’d have to sit back and watch as they fell in love, and watch as they broke apart, and then pick up the pieces as I normally did.

“Maxie?” Joe said as he walked out of his room and saw me. “Um – what are you doing?”

“Oh, um looking at the um –“

“Wall?” he asked, smirking now.

“Exactly,” I sighed, nodding. “Amazing plaster you got here. And just the right color too.”

He laughed. “Wow, you got more weird than last summer.”

“Look who is talking,” I shot back.

He thought for a second. “Fine, you win this round.”

I laughed. “So what are you doing?”

“Getting ice cream before we go. Want to come?,” he grinned. He peeked into my room and saw Nick and Emma talking, and looked back towards me, his eyes understanding. “Oh I see.”

“No, you don’t see,” I said. I groaned. I knew that tone too well. In about to seconds Joe was going to tell me I loved Nick. “You don’t see anything.”

“You love Nick,” he grinned. See?

“No I don’t,” I rolled my eyes.

“Right,” he said, his tone making it clear he didn’t believe me. “It’s fine. You don’t have to tell me. But maybe you should tell him.”

“There’s nothing to tell,” I said firmly. “Now, let’s go get ice cream.”

He laughed. “Fine, whatever.” He leaned into the room. “Hey lovebirds. Ice cream time!”

Lovebirds. I cringed. I hoped this wouldn’t change my perfect last summer.