Please Don't Cross Me, I Asked Nicely

Another month passed and it was finally the middle of March. We had only less than a month left before I was to perform the song with Nick and his brothers for their grandfather’s birthday which was currently about two weeks away.

Ever since that night I gave Vic’s phone back, I hadn’t spoken to her. As usual, Nick was polite, but we still hadn’t spoken to each other since the argument.

I was starting to lose hope that he and I were going to work things out as each day passed. Mel, also started thinking the same way. It was so bad to the point that we stopped mentioning the matter altogether.

Speaking of Mel, she and Joe are on speaking terms again, thank God. They’ve been talking non-stop everyday (except when they’re busy) but they do text each other regularly so Mel’s been smiling a lot more these days making me a little bit happier.

Currently, we were all studying for our end of the year exams being nervous wrecks about next year. According to Mrs. T, school for some of the new seniors next year are going to come back early over the summer. I still hadn’t decided whether or not I wanted to do it, but I still had it as an option, so I didn’t count it out yet.

Jake and I have been rekindling our friendship since he gave me Vic’s phone and sure enough, he was back to the semi-nerdy person he was before except he wasn’t the scrawny boy I knew Freshman year.

Right now, I was studying feverishly for A.P. Psych and it was killing me. There was so much to remember that I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to remember it all.

I hadn’t seen Jake that day, but we texted a few times. Mel was currently in the library crunching for the same thing whereas I was in our dorm, getting more and more stressed out by the second. My phone beeped, signaling I’d gotten a text from someone.

When I read it, I gasped in shock at who it was from. Nick. It read:

Hey. I was wondering if you wanted to hang out today. I’m still unsure about everything, but I know that I want to see you.

I quickly replied back to him, my fingers shaking in slight excitement but I couldn’t get the sadness out of my heart either.

Idk if now is a good time. I mean, I’m studying for AP Psych right now which is a pain. How come you’re not studying?

I read a long paragraph of my notes as I took my black pen, scratching out some of the scribbles of messy, incomprehensible things on the side when my phone beeped again.

Rosie! Are you busy?

Fuck. It was Vic.

I responded to her basically telling her the same thing I told Nick.

Nick’s text came in before hers did.

You’re studying for Psych? It’s not that hard to remember. And I understand if you’re busy..

I groaned before I typed quickly, ignoring Vic’s text seeing as I didn’t bother reading it yet.

I’m sorry. Not everything is easy for me. The human body/mind is interesting, but not this damn much. T_T

I read Vic’s text after I hit the send button.

Ugh. Why is everyone studying today? Exams aren’t that hard.

I scoffed, not even bothering to answer her about to set my phone down again as it beeped once more, Nick answering once again.

I could come over and help you study. I’m pretty sure I have everything down pact so no worries there. Then will you be able to hang out?

I groaned angrily. I wanted desperately to just say no but the part of me that missed Nick made me say otherwise.

Fine. But if this takes longer than an hour, I’m staying in.

I went back to my work before I heard a knock at the door a few minutes later. I groaned once more, yelling knowing whoever it was could hear me.

“What the FUCK is with everyone FUCKING BOTHERING ME TODAY?!” I asked, swinging the door open after the last word seeing a slightly stunned Nick at it with a brow raised.

He was in grey sweatpants, white sneakers, and a black t-shirt. Soon enough, the stunned expression was replaced with an amused one.

“Not all of us need to study”, he teased in a smug tone. I rolled my eyes at his royal assness.

“Not all of us have so much time on our hands”, I answered.

As sure as I thought it would, my reply wiped all emotion from him. He stared at me with a hard look and I stared back, but he ignored me, stepping over the threshold as he walked to my bed, grabbing the book as he stared at me.

“What exactly do you need help with?” he asked coldly. I knew what I said hurt him, but I couldn’t take it back, not now.

I gently took the book out of his hands, sitting next to him as I flipped to the table of contents, pointing to the last two chapters in the book.

He stared at me incredulously.

“You haven’t read those yet?” he asked.

I shot him a look.

“I haven’t been able to focus fully on it lately”, I answered, sparing him the details.

He sighed sadly before responding again.

“Rose, I-”, he began, but I cut across him.

“Just help me study, please”, I said, not wanting to hear his excuses.

“In a minute, Rose. I-”, he began again, but I cut across him again.

“Nick, I don’t want to hear it, alright? Just help me study if you’re going to!” I exclaimed.

“It’s not about that, OK?! I was just going to say I wanted to start over…again”, he said, shocking me.

What the hell?

“Start over?” I asked, frowning.

“Yeah. Take things slow this time”, he answered in a slightly cheerful tone. I still didn’t understand what he meant.

Take things slow? What the hell did he mean slow?

“How slow is slow?” I asked in a serious tone.

“I mean, you know, back to how things were in September. Our sarcasm, jokes, everything. I want to get to know you better before I start the whole l-word thing”, he began, but I laughed without humor.

“September? Are you serious, Nick? It’s March now and you want things to start over like they were around your birthday? What is this about? And what the hell do you mean before you start the l-word thing? Do you just not love me anymore?” I asked, my heartbeat increasing with each word I spoke.

Nick didn’t speak at first but when he did, he sounded so pitiful and I don’t mean in a good way.

“I do love you, Rose. I truly do. I just don’t want us to rush with the love thing. It’s like ever since we started saying it, things have gone from good to bad”, he said.

“What the fuck?! So now you’re blaming this on us ‘moving too fast’ basically?” I asked, folding my arms across my chest. I was pissed off, but I was trying harder than ever to contain it as much and as long as I could.

“Well, in a sense, we did move too fast. One month we’re together, then the next, I’m not a virgin and we’re saying I love you everyday as though we’re married. I’m not ready for that kind of commitment yet”, he answered blatantly.

“How can you even say that, Nick? Back in December everything was good! What changed?” I asked, not wanting to bring up Vic.

“Our arguments did. We started arguing over your sister and me”, he said.

Oh, damn. Here we go.

“Just leave”, I said in a low tone.

“R-Rose, I-”, he tried, but I interrupted him.

“Go! I don’t need your help, Nick! Just go!” I exclaimed in a loud tone without yelling.

Nick placed my book back on my bed before exiting the room and I locked the door behind him.

What the fuck just happened?