Please Don't Cross Me, I Asked Nicely

Nick returned with a small smile on his lips, making me worry for a few seconds, but I pushed the thought away as Mitchell brought my attention and everyone else's except Mel and Joe, whom were both outside.

“So, we have to do that thing again this year, Nick. It could be a new tradition for Mel and Rose”, he said, earning a slap from Jason.

“You dummy! Now, you've spoiled it!” Jason scolded, shaking his head in shame at his friend's stupidity.

“Thanks for ruining the surprise”, Nick said, glaring at Mitchell.

“Yeah, thanks so much”, Alyson added, rolling her eyes at him as Maya nodded in agreement.

“OK, what are you guys talking about?” I asked, with one of my brows raised in confusion.

All eyes landed on Nick as he nodded to them in agreement.

“Since Nick says it's OK, we'll tell you”, Jason began, “Any volunteers?” he asked to the others.

Everyone shook their head causing him to roll his eyes.

“Losers”, he mumbled before speaking louder. “The 'thing' Mitch was talking about was the ball drop on New Year’s. Every year since about two years ago?” he asked the others whom nodded in agreement.

He decided to continue.

“Basically ever since we found out Nick....”, he began, trailing off as eyes landed on him again and once again Nick nodded.

“She knows”, he added.

“Whew, alright. Ever since we found out Nick has diabetes, we started a tradition that every year for Christmas and part of New Years, we spend it in New York, one of the greatest cities in the U.S. It gives us a chance to begin each year anew. We pretty much change something about ourselves instead of just living life without taking any risks. That's something that we learned from Nick, actually”, he concluded, smiling a little in respect for him.

I could only imagine what it must have been like for Nick and the others. I'd realized everyone was looking at him in respect not because of his diabetes, but because he was one of their most cherished friends. To me, I completely understood how they felt. They never took him for granted and for that, I knew these people were going to be the ones at my wedding some years down the line.

“Wow. That's so cool”, I said in awe.

“Yeah”, Jason agreed, a hint of pink in his cheeks.

“So, what are we gonna do now?” Alyson asked, being more comfortable from earlier. I smiled.

“I don't know. Snowball fight?” I suggested.

Everyone nodded in excitement, scrambling to put on their respective gloves, coats, and boots. I laughed, shaking my head as I thought of the New Year thing wondering what it'd be like. Alyson's voice brought me out of my thoughts.

“Hey, you OK?” she asked. I didn't hold her pushing me into the pool and almost killing me against her anymore. I knew she had officially changed into a better person which made me grateful.

“Yeah. I'm just thinking about what Jason said. It's my first time being in New York and automatically, I'm introduced into a new tradition. I just hope I can keep doing it, you know?” I asked, thinking of the arguments Nick and I have had recently.

I hoped more than anything that we wouldn't argue again. God knows I don't want to lose that boy.

“Everything will be OK. You just have to look at everything even if it’s something you don't want to see”, she replied, her eyes trailing Nick but it wasn't in a way that indicated she still wanted him.

She was observing him and soon enough, so did I. Nick was putting on a large, black jacket different from the one he wore in Seattle. I looked back at Alyson seeing she still hadn't torn her gaze from him so I continued speaking.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

I saw her face get covered in an emotion I didn't recognize, but it went blank again. Shortly, she looked back at me, smiling as a laugh escaped her.

“Nothin', Rose. Ha, forget about it”, she said, patting me once on the arm before walking out into the cold winter air.

I took a sharp breath as a pain went through my heart starting the routine again before heading out myself.

…

There were screams every few minutes or so seeing as it was boys vs. girls in the snowball fight and currently, we were winning. My mind still hadn't pushed away what Alyson had said which stuck for some reason. I wanted to know what she was talking about but at the same time, I didn't. I didn't know what was wrong with me.

About a foot of snow covered the patio of the “yard” for the penthouse creating a sort of winter wonderland for us. Aly and Maya made a fort out of a couple of chairs and tables as the boys did the same. The goal was to hit all three players at least once with a snowball. We'd taken out Jason and Mitchell already leaving Nick alone, but he, himself had taken out Aly leaving me and Maya.

“Just give up. You know you can't win”, he said in a competitive tone from behind his fort.

“Never!” Maya cried dramatically as she made two more snowballs adding to our huge pile.

We had about a minute to finish making our snowball pile. I smiled because I thought we would win for sure. But was I dead wrong.

That minute passed by faster than I expected it to and as good as Nick was under pressure, he hit Maya right in the face just as she stood to aim a few snowballs at his fort. I gasped in shock as she did the same before laughing, wiping the cold substance from her face, giving me a sympathetic look before she shrugged, heading back inside the warm penthouse with the others leaving Nick and I alone.

I had about fifteen snowballs left from the pile since I knew the three Maya dropped were going to get me eliminated.

“Wanna give up, Babe?” Nick teased, but I knew it was his competitive side kicking in after losing two of his teammates and taking out the only one I had left.

“Can’t we call a truce?” I asked, tucking a snowball into my jacket pocket. I had a plan up my sleeve and if executed correctly, I could win and get a kiss out of this.

I pulled off my white scarf I borrowed from Mel, waving it in the air as a white flag of sorts and I heard crunching of snow heading my way, indicating Nick had fallen for it.

I stood, going to hug him as he held his arms open for me, but I did the same knowing I had to make it believable. He hugged me and I soon forgot about my plan until I felt him reach into my pockets, pulling out the snowballs, hitting me straight in the chest.

I gasped in shock at him.

“How did you know I was packing?” I asked, glaring at him.

“Easy, Rose. I know my girlfriend”, he said with a smirk. I rolled my eyes playfully as I stared at him as though I was angry.

Soon enough, he erupted with laughter, it being melodic in my ears.

“You’re so cute”, he said with sarcasm as he wrapped an arm around my own, pulling me to him as he placed a quick kiss to my lips.

Maya, Mitchell, Jason, and Alyson came back outside and chatter filled the air. I almost couldn’t understand what Maya and Aly were saying, but I soon deciphered and comprehended what was being said, answering feverishly, but in the end, we headed back inside, getting hot chocolate.

Even after the snowball fight, Victoria never came out of the bathroom which caused me to worry. I politely excused myself from the group, explaining that I wanted to check up on Vic. Nick tried convincing me that he would go and do it for me, but I politely declined him as well.

Once I made it to the bathroom door, I knocked softly before I spoke.

“Vicky, its Rosie”, I began, calling her by her childhood nickname I gave her, “did you wanna talk? You’ve been in here a while and I’m worried.”

I didn’t hear a response right away before the door opened only a crack wide as she responded.

“Please come inside. I do need someone to talk to”, she said in a timid tone. She sounded as though she had been crying.

“OK. I’m comin’ in”, I said before entering, shutting the door behind me.

The sight before me broke my heart. Victoria’s eyes were red and puffy and they were no longer hazel, but blue, the kind of blue that they were the day Mel insulted her.

“What’s wrong, Vic?” I asked soothingly, wrapping an arm around her as she sat on the bathroom floor, huddled in a ball.

“N-nothing. It’s just..”, she said trailing off.

“It’s just-what?” I asked.

“It’s just, I’ve thought about all of the things I did to you and even to Nick, in a sense and I’ve regretted it. I really regret it and I’m sorry. I-I hope you can forgive, you and Nick”, she said, sniffing a little as a tear slid down her cheek.

I quickly grabbed some tissue, handing it to her as she cried in my arms. I rubbed her back comfortingly before I decided to speak.

“Vic, of course I’ll forgive you. It’s what Mom wanted. She-she wanted us to hang out and here we are. I’m sure Nick will forgive you, too. I believe you’ve changed for the better, you know?” I asked.

“You do?” she asked, but it sounded muffled.

“Yeah”, I answered with a smile.

“Thank you, Rose. Thank you”, Vic said, choking slightly.

That was when I knew my sister had really changed for the better. Or so I thought.