I'll Be Your Girl

“What are you doing out here?” Chad questions, taking a seat on the park bench beside me.

I shrug, staring down at my knees. “I needed some space.”

Chad shifts uncomfortably beside me. “Uh, well I can go if you’d prefer--”

“No, stay,” I cut in quickly, and I instantly wonder why I just did that. I guess something inside me just needs the company, plus I’m not going to ignore my gut instinct. “Please?”

Chad’s features morph into relief at my request, and he smiles and nods. “Sure.” We sit in silence for a few moments, not really knowing where to go with the conversation. Chad’s the one to break it, of course. “I missed you at school today.”

I feel myself blush faintly. Not because I’m charmed or anything, it’s just that people don’t usually say things like that in regular conversation. Then again, this is Chad Milton. “We uh, we had art?”

“Yeah. Where were you?”

My insides squirm at the thought of the day’s events. “I had a weird day,” is all I manage as a reply.

“Hm,” Chad utters softly, “I’ve had a weird night.”

“Yeah? What happened?” I ask, jumping on the opportunity to take the focus from me.

Chad bites his lip and glances sideways at me, a strange expression on his face. “I just came from a party. And uh… practically everyone from school was there.” He shakes his head, as if not entirely believing what he’s about to say next. “I’ve been making out with Elise Summers for the past hour.”

“What?”

What?

Okay sure, Elise Summers making out with some random guy is nothing new, but with Chad? He’s an art geek; she’s a superficial cheerleader. I hate to stereotype, but people like her just don’t make out with people like him. Not in my school, anyway.

“I know. Freaky, right?” Chad chuckles nervously, bouncing his knees a little. “Usually she kind of grosses me out with her rich bitch attitude and everything, but tonight she’d just come from a dance concert or something. She was all colourful and pretty and at first I didn’t know what to think when she started flirting with me.” This is freaking me out…

“That’s um…” I mumble, but fade out when I realise I can’t find suitable words for my reaction.

“I know,” Chad repeats. We both sit in contemplation of this for a little while, until once again, he breaks the silence. “So how are things with you and Nick Jonas?”

I grimace and stare back down at my knees. “I don’t know,” I admit with a sigh. “I just-- I don’t know.” Then Chad’s arm is sliding around my shoulder and I lean into his side, grateful for the warmth. “I’m too tired to figure it out right now.”

Somehow he understands and thankfully, he doesn’t push it. “Want me to walk you home?” he offers.

“How about I drive you home?”

Okay, so maybe my idea of fate hadn’t worked out so well, but I guess it’s kind of redundant as I was expecting to meet Nick by chance. Which doesn’t make sense at all. Chad and I walk over to my car, making tracks in the snow as we move together. Despite his majorly awkward crush on me, this guy actually does make a good friend.

~

Nick’s heart sinks as he sits in his car, watching Remy huddling into the side of another boy. With the haziness of the streetlamp and the gently falling snow, he feels as though he’s witnessing an old silent movie. He can’t hear any words, but he can get the general idea. The music in his head sets a scene of longing and regret, at least from his perspective.

He’s too late. If only he’d thought of the park minutes earlier, he would’ve beaten that guy. He’d be the one with his arm around Remy, shielding her from the cold and easing her worries. His frown becomes even deeper as they walk to Remy’s car together and get in. And then they’re gone, rolling along the road and leaving Nick as sullen as ever.

He hates this feeling. Jealousy and regret thrown together. It’s horrible, unbearable.

Why can’t life be simple, just once? Why can’t he save the day, get the girl and live happily ever after, like everyone expects him to? He’s Nick Jonas, after all.

Well, fame isn’t everything, he guesses. Although… he knew that a long time ago.