Teenage Dream

After spending hours with the photographer reviewing the photos, Matt had invited everyone back to his house for a movie night so that the rest of the day so they could relax.

“The Nightmare Before Christmas!” Savanah shouted from her seat.

“I second that!” Olivia shouted, cuddling up in to Brian’s side on the massive couches in Matt’s basement.

“Agreed!” Abigail giggled, plopping down on to the couch next to Johnny and cuddling up with Savanah.

“Babe,” He whined.

Abby looked over and Johnny with a blank face. “She’s more comfy, sorry hun.”

A unanimous decision was made to play The Nightmare Before Christmas, leaving Matt to get up and put it in the DVD player. He came back to his spot next to Jess a few minutes later and let her get comfortable on top of him.

Zacky leaned over by Nicole while the previews played and everyone groaned because Matt refused to fast forward through them, saying that his favorite one was going to come on next.

It never did.

Nicole nodded, following him out of the room and up the stairs of Matt’s basement in to his kitchen.

Zacky looked out the back door to Matt’s patio and pool with the waterfall. A fluffy yellow lab ran past them and down the stairs.

Zacky smiled. “Bella doesn’t go far without Matt.”

“Jess is going to have some competition then,” Nicole laughed.

As both of them calmed down, Zacky turned to face Nicole with a sympathetic expression on his face. He picked his hand up and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “About last night….”

“Zacky…”

“No, I was an asshole; a straight up douche bag. I never even gave you a chance to explain,” He said, pacing back in forth in front of her.

“How ‘bout I tell you everything right now then?” She suggested.

“I thought you’d want to watch the movie,” He said with a confused face.

She sighed. “Jack Skellington can be played again when I get home. If you want to know all about my life, then so be it,” She said with a coy smile.

Zacky nodded, opening the fridge up and pulling two beers out. He twisted the caps off and threw them in the garbage, setting them down on the kitchen table where they both took a seat.

“So where do I start?” She asked, taking a hold of the bottle and drinking from it.

“The beginning would be a great place,” He smiled.

“Nicole Audrinna Padge; that’s my full name. I’m most famous in the modeling world but dipped in to the fashion industry a few times when I helped design a few looks. I should be perusing my career a bit more, but I wanted a break from the fashion world. It’s so high paced and hectic that sometimes it gets the best of you.”

“When my boss called that night, I was just a girl that you guys met. I wasn’t a model by any standards and for once in my life, I felt like a normal person,” She said, smiling as she recalled that night. “I don’t want you to look at me any differently now that you know I work in front of the camera. I want to be the same person that you see behind it as you saw in front of it.”

Zacky reached across the table and placed his hand on top of Nicole’s, looking her straight in the eyes.

“I think you’re beautiful Nicole, I really do. Just because you’re a model doesn’t mean that I’m going to look at you differently now. But I have a question.”

“Hmm?”

“Is Jess a model too?”

Nicole nodded. “We’re a team. We work wonders.”

He chuckled. “I can see that. The way you two act is just so natural.”

“Sort of like someone else I know,” She said under her breath.

“Who?”

“What? I didn’t say anything,” Nicole said with an innocent look.

Zacky gave her a bitch-please look cracking through Nicole’s shell.

“Alright fine,” She sighed. “Have you seen her and Matt together?”

Zacky chuckled. “Yeah, I have. They’re cute.”

“She’d be happy with him.”

He took another swig of his beer and set it back down on the table. “What about you, don’t you want to be happy?”

“It’s hard finding a guy who likes you for more than just your looks,” Nicole said in all seriousness, avoiding looking at Zacky. It was then that she remembered his hand was still on hers because he gave it a little squeeze.

She focused her attention back on him with a smile gracing her lips.

“I like you for more than just your looks.”

“We barely know each other,” She reminded him.

“But I’d like to get to know you more…..”