A High School Story

My arms instantaneously tightened around Nick’s waist as he took a sharp turn into my driveway and I mentally smacked myself for ever agreeing to let him give me a ride home. I had felt self-conscience the whole ride over here due to the fact that is he took a turn just right, I could feel the condom that was residing in his jeans pocket.
“Thanks for the ride,” I mumbled before slipping off of the bike as gracefully as I could manage and then starting my way up the driveway.
I heard the engine to his bike cut off and I fought the urge to look back and see why.
“So when did you want to start the essay?” he called after me and I looked over my shoulder to see him leaning over the handlebars of his bike.
“Tomorrow maybe,” I replied and he stared at me blankly, “Is Saturday not good for you Mr. Jonas?”
“I sort of…already have plans,” he scratched the back of his neck nervously as he spoke and I automatically knew that Mike was starting to control him just like he did the others, “What about before dinner with your parents?”
I stopped the process of trying to unlock the front door with my key and turned my whole body around to see him still seated on his Harley Davidson motorcycle just a few yards from where I was standing. Was I really willing to let him come in when no one was home? Did I trust him that much? No. No I didn’t. But I did want him to come clean with me. Yes. Yes I did.
“Come on,” I sighed and he smiled before jumping off of his bike and jogging over to where I had resumed unlocking the door, “We don’t have time to get much done but we can try.”
“I’m sure we can get plenty out of the way,” he tried to assure me but there was something in his voice that made me suspect that he had plans to get his…mission done and over with.
“If we focus long enough I’m sure we can,” I went along with the essay part of the conversation as I opened the door and walked in before holding it open for him.
“Wow,” he breathed out as he looked around the entrance hall.
“My mom likes to splurge,” I chuckled as I unstrapped my high heels and he nodded absentmindedly as he continued to look around, “I’m going to go grab my laptop from my room. I’ll be right back.”
I picked my high heels up off the cool tile floor and then started heading for the stairs.
“So this is how the upper half lives,” I heard him whisper as I silently jogged up the stairs.
My heart was racing in my chest and I kept wishing that he wouldn’t unknowing go along with my plan. There was no guarantee that he’d become his old self again so what would I do if he didn’t?
Don’t think about that.
I scolded myself as I walked into my room and left the door open for the first time in years. I tossed my book bag into its usual spot next to my desk, placed my shoes off to the side, and avoided looking at the screensaver of my laptop as I bent over to unplug it.
“This place looks a lot different when you enter through the doorway,” Nick joked and I jumped in surprise, “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”
“No biggie,” I managed to breathe out as my trembling fingers wrapped up the cord, “I thought you were going to wait downstairs?”
“It’s more interesting up here,” he whispered in my ear and my breath caught in my throat as I gently placed the messily wrapped cord onto the keyboard of the object it had been providing energy to.
“How so?” I questioned as I tried to keep my thoughts straight and I turned around so that I was face to face with him.
“You’re up here,” he answered and it look me a matter of seconds to realize that his lips were coming closer.
His lips grazed mine gently and I wrapped my arms around his neck as I began to kiss him back. His arms quickly wrapped around my lower torso and I found myself crushed up against him in about a fraction of a second. The world was slowly starting to dissolve and my sense of resilience was going with it. I needed to stay focused but that seemed nearly impossible when I was this close to him.
One of his arms released my waist and he roughly ran a hand through my thick blonde hair as I stumbled backward a few steps into my desk. The sudden blow to my thighs led me to end up sitting on top of the cleared end of the desk as Nick’s hand continued to search through my hair. My arms loosened from around his neck and I put one hand on each one of cheeks to ensure that I could keep him from backing away at least for a little while. I didn’t need to keep him from backing away though, if anything he needed to keep me from backing away. With every second this went on, I found myself finding another flaw in my oh so genius plan.
Stop thinking!
I knew that even if I told myself to a million times a second, I’d never stop thinking that this was a bad idea. It wasn’t going to end well. It just wasn’t.
“Are you okay?” he whispered as he pulled back and I nodded against his forehead as I inwardly cursed myself for tipping him off to my doubts, “Are you sure?”
“One hundred percent,” I assured him before leaning forward and pressing my lips back to his roughly.
Without pausing to think about it, I wrapped my arms back around his neck and let my legs wrap themselves around his torso. His one hand stayed intertwined in my hair as he lifted me off of the desk and turned in the direction of my bed. I fought down the urge to stop him and kept reminding myself that he had to be the one to stop this if I wanted to save him from a future as Mike.
I could feel the mattress press down as Nick gently set me down and then without breaking the kiss, he slowly climbed onto the bed so that he was hovering over me. My fingers traced along his collarbone as his lips pressed against every inch of exposed skin that was located above my neck. I couldn’t find it in me to steady my breathing but I managed to keep my fingers under enough control so that I could undue each off the buttons that were on his plaid button up. He trembled a little bit as I pushed the shirt down his arms and he slipped it off before tossing it to the side. His heavy breathing was an indicator to the fact that he was just about as nervous as I was about this. He tried not to show it when he hung around with Mike and his gang but I knew that he wasn’t ready for this type of relationship, and neither was I.
I could feel his hands resting lightly at the hem of my shirt as I gently pressed my lips back to his. His heart was pounding loudly through his white V-neck and I hoped that he wasn’t able to tell just how much mine was racing. He gave no indication that he could, however, as his lips moved smoothly against mine and he gently began to pull my shirt up and over my head. The self-conscience feeling I had been trying to suppress since I had first seen him standing in the doorway seemed to bubble up as I was laying there in front of him in my revealing, strapless, Victoria Secret, push up bra.
He took no notice to anything new in my behavior as his lips trailed to my neck and my eyes fell shut as I slipped my hands under his T-shirt. Every ounce of my reasoning seemed to disappear with his V-neck and I struggled to hold in a light moan for fear that it would send him over the edge. My hands ran down his chest and traced a small pattern over his abs before starting to struggle with his belt buckle. His lips made their way back up to mine and his rough hands scanned over my bare back causing my torso to arch up towards him. After what seemed to be forever I managed to undo his belt and pull it free before tossing off in a random direction. My hands traveled back up his chest again and I tangled them deep into his thick curls. My breathing faltered again as his lips tilted up and away from mine, leading his forehead to rest on mine.
“I can’t do this,” he sighed and unwrapped his arms from my body before rolling off of me and landing next to me on the bed.
“What do you mean? Do what?” I asked as I tried to even out my breathing, it wasn’t going to happen soon I assure you.
“This,” he answered and gestured between the two of us, “I can’t take advantage of you like this.”
“No other guys would have a problem with it,” I mumbled and he sighed before sitting up and swinging his legs over the side of the bed he was on.
“I’m not like other guys, Mollie,” he replied and I sat up before pulling my legs in so that I was sitting Indian Style.
“How so?” I probed and he froze in the process of searching for his clothes.
“I just am,” he stated lamely and I rolled my eyes.
“Because you wear a Purity Ring,” I answered for him and his head snapped up in my direction.
“How…”
“Keyla told me.”
“Leave it to Keyla to go blurting my personal life,” he mumbled and I glared at him, “What?”
“She only told me because I overhead your little deal with Mike and was convinced that you were going to attack me the first chance you got,” I scoffed.
“You…you heard about…about the deal I made with…with Mike?” he stammered over his words and I pursed my lips in pure annoyance.
“I overheard you at Club 17 dumb ass,” I replied, “And just so we’re clear, I never really had any intention of sleeping with you.”
“Sure didn’t seem that way,” he spat at me and I huffed out a breath of air before I lifted myself onto my knees and sat back on my feet, “Why should I believe you?”
I held up my left hand for him and he scanned it before his eyes fell on my ring finger.
“Because I’m like you,” I answered and lowered the hand with my purity ring on it back down to my lap.
“But…but…for Pete’s sake! Would you please put a shirt on!” he yelled as he once again failed at keeping his eyes averted from my poorly covered upper half.
I rolled my eyes before bending down and grabbing his button up from off of the floor. I roughly stuffed my arms through the sleeves and buttoned the middle button before looking back up at him.
“Better?” I teased and he glared at me lightly before pulling his V-neck over his head, “Don’t get mad at me just because you’re on idiot.”
“I made a mistake okay, it happens,” he replied angrily and I looked behind me at my alarm clock.
“Shit! I’m going to be late for dinner!”
I scrambled off of the bed and ran to the other side of the room and into my closet before closing the door and taking off his shirt as mentally calculated how long it would take me to get to the restaurant. My jeans came off next and then I hurriedly pulled the dress I had picked out to wear for tonight off of its hanger and pulled it over my head. It was a snug fit but I managed to get it to fit me well enough so that it was decent to wear in public. I grabbed my favorite pair of black high heels off of my shoe rack and grabbed the large, black, Coach wallet my mom had gotten me last year when she had to leave early. I pulled my shoes on carefully and then checked myself in the mirror as I stripped my jean pockets clean. Almost there.
“I’m sure you’re going to have plenty of time to get there,” Nick tried to assure me as I rushed out of the closet and into the bathroom.
“I have to get there before my mom or else she’ll think I’m mad at her,” I explained as I hurriedly pulled out my regular hoops and put in a pair of rhinestone ones.
“Why?”
“Cause she left early last week so if I’m late she’ll turn it into something like I’m trying to get payback,” I sighed and tried to fix the tangled mess that my hair had become during the past hour.
“Where did you put my shirt?” I heard him ask as he searched around my room and I groaned lightly as I finished brushing all of the knots out of my hair.
I jogged back into my closet and picked up his shirt from where it was laying on the floor.
“Here,” I said irritably and shoved it into his chest.
He lightly put his hand over mine before I could retract it and I looked up into his deep chocolate brown eyes. Big mistake.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, “for everything.”
“I know.”
He pecked me lightly on the lips and I hesitated for a moment or two before kissing him back.
“Um…right…well, you need to be gone by the time I get back,” I stammered as I pulled back and tried to clear my head before pulling my hand free and walking away from him.
“Right,” he sighed and started pulling his shirt on as I tried to style my hair in front of my spotless bathroom mirror, “You look beautiful, don’t worry about your hair.”
“You certainly did a number on it,” I mumbled to myself as I shook out my natural curls in an attempt to get them to loosen up, “Ugh, this is impossible!”
I ran my brush through my hair again and examined the results while trying to decide if I should put it in a bun or not. Mom would think it looked professional and cute but…it looked fine when it was down. Leave it down. I looked down at the bathroom counter and picked up my iPhone from where I had placed it after running like a madman from my closet. I gently tossed it into the envelope wallet before tucking it under my arm and trying to pull my dress up so that my chest wasn’t hanging out.
“What are you doing?!” I demanded as I walked back into my room and saw Nick leaned over my desk as he read the document I had left open on my computer screen this morning.
“Nothing,” he lied and spun around with a guilty look on his face, “I was just…sorry.”
“You say that a lot,” I scoffed and glared lightly at him as I headed for the door.
“At least I have the decency to say that I’m sorry when I screw up,” he retorted and I stopped dead in my tracks.
“And what is that supposed to mean?”
“Mike told me that the only reason you don’t like him is because he asked you apologize to him when you screwed up and you thought you were above that.”
“That’s the official story,” I scoffed and crossed my arms over my chest as I turned around to face him, “Now; do you want the real story?”
“That depends, are you actually going to tell me this time and not just dangle random facts in my face?”
“Oh, I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you everything,” I replied as I finally lost all sense of caution, “Where do you want me to begin? The part where Mike and I dated freshmen year and I found he was only using me to gain himself some popularity or the part where I broke up with him because I found out just how much of a sick moron he really is?”
“You…you dated Mike?” he questioned and stared at me in shock.
“Unfortunately yes,” I half laughed.
“Why didn’t you ever-”
“Tell you? Well that’s easy; it’s the biggest mistake I’ve made in my life.”
“But he always made it seem like…” he trailed and continued to stare at me.
“He wasn’t always like he is now,” I sighed and let my memories from freshman year rack through my brain, “He used to be a lot like you were when you came to town; nice, sweet, and caring. Everything a girl could ever want in a guy. Then…he started to change.”
“What do you mean?”
“He started pressuring me to do things that I didn’t want to and once he officially made the football team, he thought that he was above me. Above everyone for that matter. That of course didn’t count when he was trying to get me into bed, especially when he tried to take advantage of me,” I explained and his eyes nearly bugged out of his head, “He would have gotten everything he ever wanted from me too, if Keyla hadn’t walked into the room when she did.”
“But…he…and you two…and…and I-”
“That’s why he hates her so much Nick; she’s the only thing that kept him from taking advantage of me. That’s why I fell so much in the high school rankings; he turned everyone against me because I broke up with him before he could successfully get into my pants. That’s why he keeps coming after me, I’m the only girl who had ever shot him down for anything. That’s why my mom doesn’t want me to date, I couldn’t focus enough after everything that happened with Mike. That’s why Keyla and I are so close, we went through the worst together from the very beginning. That’s why-”
“I don’t believe you,” he interrupted me quietly and my stomach dropped, “I know Mike is a lot of things but…he isn’t a rapist.”
I didn’t how to reply to that. Not only was he a rapist but he was arrogant, selfish, violent, and a complete and total pig.
“Nick…you’ve…you’ve seen the way he treats me. You’ve watched him throw me against lockers and hit me and tear me down and touch me and…why is it so hard to believe?”
I could barely keep myself together as I stood there looking right into his non-believing, mind-made-up face.
“Because I know when someone’s blowing steam,” he replied and looked at me disapprovingly, “And you haven’t spoken a word of truth in the past five minutes. Now excuse me, I have a party to go to.”
“When he tells you the truth, don’t even bother coming over here,” I whispered before I stepped aside and let him walk out the door.
“Whatever,” he scoffed and I waited until I heard him leave the house before I fell back against the door frame and let me head fall into my hands.

“There you are sweetie!” Mom cooed as I walked up to our usual table at the French Room nearly thirty minutes late, “We were beginning to get worried about you!”
“Sorry mom,” I tried to sound upbeat but I was feeling sicker by the minute, “My car wouldn’t start after school so I had to walk home.”
I was lying, I was flat out lying to mother and I hated it.
“I had to drive your Vanquish over, sorry,” I laughed as I sat down and she half smiled at me.
“It’s okay, just as long as you didn’t scratch it.”
She waggled her pointer finger at me threateningly and dad chuckled as he reached out and took her hand. I smiled at the look of love for her that he wore all over his face and couldn’t help but to feel a bit jealous. Why couldn’t things with Nick be as simple as this? My parents sure hadn’t had it easy in their lives but at least they had found luck with the most important thing, love.
“So how was China mom?” I asked curiously as I tried to get my mind back off of Nick.
“Same as usual,” she answered lightly, “Wonderful food, great service, and people speaking a language that I can’t even begin to understand.”
Dad and I both chuckled at her attempt to make a joke.
“How is school going dear? Your father told me that you’re having a bit of trouble in your Physics class,” she said and I shot a quick glance at dad before sighing.
“I have a B plus right now but I’ve been studying like mad so by the time the next big chapter test comes along I’ll be able to score high enough that it’ll bring me up to an A,” I assured her and she nodded, “I’m trying mom, I really am.”
“I know you are sweetie, I know. You just have to try a little harder that’s all,” she sighed and patted the top of my hand lightly, “A little extra effort and you’ll have the world at your feet.”
“I’m trying to best I can mom,” I mumbled, “There’s only so much effort I can put in when I don’t get anything out of it.”
“Don’t get anything out of it? What on earth are you talking, Mollie?” her eyes narrowed inward and I saw a nervous expression cross dad’s face.
“I just mean that I work really hard and I feel like I barely get any time to think about anything else, that’s all,” I lied.
“Nothing is more important right now then your academic career,” she reminded me for the millionth time since the start of high school and I nodded silently.
“So where did you leave your car, Mollie? I’ll have to get a mechanic over to it as soon as possible,” dad piped in as he attempted to change the subject.
“It’s at the far end of the student parking lot,” I answered and he nodded before taking his Blackberry out and searching through his contacts, “Shouldn’t be too hard to find considering it’s the only one there by now.”
Mom smiled at me and dad followed suit before sticking his phone to his ear and then starting to talk to whoever was on the other end.
“So how was your day today?” mom asked and leaned towards me slightly.
“It was good. I don’t have a lot of homework over the weekend,” I answered and she nodded encouragingly, “Just some Spanish worksheets to due and of course reviewing for Physics. Oh! And I have to work on a collaborative essay for Mrs. Franklin’s class.”
“With Keyla I’m assuming,” she chuckled and I smiled.
“No, she assigned us partners this time. Nick Jonas is my partner,” I replied and tried not to think about the bitter taste his name left on my tongue.
“Isn’t that the young man you went to Galveston with last weekend?” dad questioned as he hung up and then closed his eyes as he realized just what he had let slip.
“Galveston?” mom echoed as her face fell into a look of pure disapproval, “Mollie, why did you go to Galveston with him?”
“It was a group thing,” I pushed and struggled to find the right words, “You see, Keyla likes his older brother and we’ve all sort of been hanging out and it was just a fun weekend trip that we decided to take. He’s just a friend mom, not even not really.”
“That girl causes much too much trouble for someone of her size,” she hissed under her breath and I bit down on my tongue to stop myself from lashing out at her, she knew nothing about Keyla.
“It was just a let lose day Rissa, nothing to worry about,” dad tried to convince her.
“That’s exactly the point David, you have no clue what exactly those girls were letting lose down there!”
“Mom! I’m not a whore!” I whispered harshly and she let out a long breath before letting her head fall back, “He means nothing to me! Honestly! I haven’t even talked to him lately!”
Another lie.
“Sweetheart, I don’t think you’re getting the point here. It’s not that you haven’t talked to him lately it’s that you even began to give him the impression that he would be able to have any type of relationship with you.”
“Since when is it a bad thing to be friends with a guy?”
“Since the turn of the twenty-first century when friends with benefits became a regular thing,” she answered and dad’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head.
“Mom! I’m not-”
“Mr. and Mrs. Mansfield?” an all too familiar voice said from behind me and I stopped mid sentence as a feeling of upmost loathing overcame me.
“Yes?” mom asked and eyed up the young man that was standing just a foot away from my chair.
“I was hoping that I could have just a moment to speak with your daughter?” Nick replied and dad studied him a bit before his eyes lit up in realization.
“Oh! Hello Nick! It’s nice to see you again!” dad greeted him and I let my head fall into the palm of my hand as mom’s eyes widened.
“So this is Nick?” mom questioned me as she studied him further.
“Yes mother,” I sighed and she pursed her lips before looking over her shoulder for a waiter.
“Marco! Would you bring us another chair please?” she called and the waiter that she was referring to hurried off in search of an extra chair.
“That’s not necessary ma’m, I just need five minutes to speak to your daughter and then I’ll be on my way. I would wait but it really is quite important,” he protested politely and mom waved him off.
“Don’t be silly! We’d be delighted to get to know you some,” she said and I kept my eyes fixed on the white tablecloth, “Why thank you Marco.”
“No problem Mrs. Mansfield,” Marco replied and then walked away in search of someone else to please.
“Please Nick, do sit down.”
I heard the light scuffle of a chair being pulled back on the hardwood floor and I groaned lightly before turning my head so that I was looking at him.
“What are you doing?” I whispered as harshly as I could manage and the look in his eyes told it all, Mike had let the story lose on him.
“Making this right,” he replied before turning his attention back to my parents.
“So Nick, how are your grades this year?” mom probed and I blushed red from embarrassment.
“I do my best ma’m, but I admit that I’m struggling with Physics this year.”
“It’s a hard course if I remember right,” dad agreed.
“Nothing to struggle with if you try hard enough,” mom protested and looked at me for a moment before resuming her interrogation with Nick, “So what are your future career goals?”
“I hope to become a professional musician,” he answered and I closed my eyes.
“That’s not a very realistic goal Nick,” mom laughed, “Do you have any backup plans?”
“I’d like to possibly have a career in politics,” he went on and mom’s face suddenly lit up.
“Really? Well isn’t that fantastic!” she cooed and dad nodded, “Mollie why didn’t you tell us that you’re boyfriend was aiming for a career in politics!”
“He’s not my boyfriend mom,” I retorted and she smiled and brushed me off.
“Details, details,” she chuckled and I rolled my eyes.
“He’s not my boyfriend mom, he’s not even my friend,” I continued and Nick looked at me.
“Mollie, don’t be rude,” dad scolded me and I grabbed my wallet off of the table.
“He had no problem being rude to me,” I scoffed and stood up, “I’m sorry but I’ll meet you back at home.”
“Mollie!” mom called after me and I held back a tear or two as I walked through the restaurant.
He knew now, that’s all I wanted. Did I still want him in my life as long after he knew the truth? No. Okay, maybe.