You Can't Fight Fate

B-A-L-L-A-D. Professor Dashwood wrote in large letters on his Smartboard. “What is it?”

The entire freshmen class kept quiet, mostly because half of them weren’t paying attention in the first place. Nick tapped his pen lazily as he contently stared at Stevvie, who sat two rows in front of him in the staircase style classroom. Music theory wasn’t his favorite class, but it helped him learn not only the soul and passion, but the technique and ethics to create better music.

The old professor looked around the silent classroom, disappointed in the enthusiasm of his students.

“Anyone…” he pleaded, raising his hands in the air.

Nick sighed, put his pen down and raised his hand slowly.

Once Professor Dashwood noticed Nick’s hand raised, he turned around and sighed in frustration. Nick wasn’t necessarily his favorite student in the whole world. Being from a time where rock and roll was highly discouraged, he wasn’t all too pleased when he found out one third of the biggest Pop-rock band was going to be in his class. To add to the premeditated loathing against him, Nick made his first report over Elvis Costello instead of a dead composer like the rest of his class when the assignment was to write about a big influence on the history of music. When that ten-page report showed up on his desk, they had butt heads ever since.

“Yes…Mr. Jonas…” he said through gritted teeth.

Nick sat up and prepared to answer the question, only because he felt bad that no one else was.

“A ballad is a narrative form of verse, set to music,” he stated.

“Corr-“the professor began, only to get cut off by Nick.

“But, in the later 19th century it took on the meaning of a slow form of popular love song and the term is now often used as synonymous with any love song. For me, I like to combine the too definitions and define a ballad as a, narrative love story, set to music.”
Nick’s complicated definition got the lazy students interested, and amused at Dashwood’s stunned faced.

“Y-yes…that’s correct. Thank you Mr. Jonas,” he recovered.

“No problem,” he muttered as he slouched back in his seat and went back to staring at
Stevvie. She turned around to glance at him. She gave him a shy smile when he winked at her and turned around to listen to Dashwood drone on again.

“Alright, can anyone give me an example of one that corresponds to Mr. Jonas’s correctly depicted definition?”

Rachael Bowlag, Ashley Runnels, and Sam Grove all raised their hands immediately. Stevvie smirked at their sudden eagerness to answer a question. If Nick Jonas did it, then it was cool. She knew the only reason they raised their hands was to impress him. If only they knew, he would talk to them more if they didn’t act like crazy fan girls every time they saw him, that was one of the many reasons he came to college. But, of course, she couldn’t blame them for their ignorance.

“Why yes, Ms. Bowlag,” Dashwood called on her, surprised she actually was paying attention.

“Blind Eyes, by Nick Jonas and the Administration,” she replied confidently as she eyed Nick flirtatiously.

Stevvie made a fake gagging face behind her, causing Nick to smile. Rachael must have mistaken the smile for her because she and her clones all began to giggle after.
“Well…I can’t confirm this song, on the account that I am not quite a fan of this particular type of music,” he stated rather rudely, “no offense to you Mr. Jonas.”

Nick brushed off his comment and focused his attention on Stevvie, who was peaking at her phone in her purse.

“Oh, it’s an amazing song! You should really hear it sometime!” Rachael went on enthusiastically.

Stevvie covered her mouth to hold back laughter. Nick tried to cover his face with his hands to keep the attention off him. The last thing Nick needed was Dashwood to call him out once again.

“Then if it’s such a great song, I don’t think Mr. Jonas would mind performing it right now?” Dashwood suggested condescendingly.

Nick dropped his pen, along with his jaw at his suggestion. There was no way he was going to perform one of his favorite songs in front of someone who didn’t even appreciate his work.

“Of course he would!” Rachael blurted out, speaking for Nick, “right Nick?”

Nick’s eyes connected with Stevvie’s as he portrayed a slightly irritated look on his face. She poked out her lip and gave him a sympathetic look back, causing him to soften up.
After a few moments, he sighed and began to get up from his seat. “I suppose…”

Rachael and her clones began a round of applause, causing Nick to roll his eyes.
When he finally made his way to the a stool that sat at the front of the room, he silenced the crowd and began the first few chords of the song on Dashwood's (out of tune) guitar.

<->

“Oh Nick, that was so amazing...” Stevvie stated in an overly sexy tone, “…you are such a great artist!” Stevvie rubbed the back of Nick’s head and eyed him flirtily.

Nick looked away and tried to ignore her being all over him. He held back a shy, embarrassed smile.

Stevvie continued to touch his arms and shoulders in an exaggeratedly flirty way.

“Seriously…Rachael was so not like that towards me,” Nick tried to defend himself.

Eric, Jackie, and Storm all cracked up at Stevvie’s demonstration of Rachael after Nick had finished his performance.

“Okay Mr. ‘Sexiest star under twenty’ this is Rachael Bowlag we’re talking about,” Jackie reminded him.

Nick shook his head and sat on the couch. After class, the gang all hung out at a coffee shop down the street from their school, (typical college students for you).

“Or who I like to call Rachael Hoebag,” Stevvie replied as she sat down next to Nick.

“Shoot, Hoebag or not, I’d tap that!” Storm interjected.

They all gave him weird looks before continuing their conversation.

“Come on guys, you can’t blame the girl for likin-…obsessing over the boy. Have you seen him? Honestly Stevvie, tell me you’re not attracted to him?” Eric pointed out.

Storm and Jackie began oohing at Eric’s question.
----
I laughed off the question. “Anyone with eyes is attracted to him.”

Everyone laughed at my answer as I flirted with Nick. I knew it was wrong, but I couldn’t help myself. I had never been attracted to any guy more than Nick, he was like a magnet to me. I felt electricity run through my body every time we touched. I found myself having butterflies in my stomach whenever I saw him. I was always smiling for no reason all the time and I felt as if I was floating in the clouds. I longed to hear his voice and my heart skipped a beat whenever Nick was near. I wanted to feel his kisses and I loved being around him all the time. I thought that his snore is adorable and his smile could make my day. I was falling for him faster than a sinking ship, and I couldn’t stop it.

We all sat and enjoyed each other company for another half hour…that is, until a flash form outside caught my eye. I cautiously looked over the couch and sighed in disappointment. The paparazzi had finally found where Nick had been spending his time after class. Creepy men and women with large cameras lurked outside, waiting for us to leave. Then people would wonder who we where and what business did we have hanging out with such a big star. Of course, either Jackie or I would be tag with the infamous title of Nick Jonas’ girlfriend. The title was like venom to his fans. I had witnessed the cruelty of him and his brothers’ fans at CD release parties or local fan club meetings. When I had first met Nick, I vowed I would never become a target for his fans to dissect to bits, which meant avoiding being spotted out with him by the paparazzi at all costs.

“Guys, I’m feeling a bit tired…my brain is mentally exhausted so I’m going to head out,” I stated as I stood up and let out a fake yawn.

“Let me take you home then,” Nick replied as he began to stood up.

"No, that’s okay…you look like you’re having fun…I’ll just go,” I responded.

I stepped over their feet and tried to leave.

“No...It’s okay. I’ll drive you home.” Nick grabbed my hand to stop me.

I quickly dropped his hand and stuck mine in my pocket. “Nick, I’m a big girl. I can drive myself home, “I said sternly, hoping he’d get the message.

Nick must have been surprised about my coldness in turning him down, (normally I would insist on him taking me home) because he got silent and just nodded his head and slumped back to his seat. I felt guilty for being this was toward him, but this was about my privacy.

Once I got out of the shop, I slipped my coach sunglasses on and walked over to my car. The paps had their cameras ready to take pictures of Nick but put them down in disappointment that it was only me. I couldn’t help but smirk at their ignorance.
<->
Nick stirred his now cold coffee absentmindedly as his friends gave each other questions to study for an upcoming exam. He should have been joining in, but his mind was too distracted to think about Chemistry. All he could think about was Stevvie‘s sudden coldness toward him earlier. What had changed? She had been flirting with him all day before then.
Nick flinched a little at his phone vibrating. It was Stevvie, inviting him over for a study session she owed him. He smiled, hopeful that it was just a bout of PMS or she just was tired like she said and replied that he would be over in twenty.