Now It's My Time to Strike Back

I began eating my sub as I waited patiently for Nick to exit the bathroom. He did, only about five minutes after he’d entered it, surprising me altogether.

My face whipped up at him as I sat on the floor at the foot of my bed as I watched him. He stared at his phone for a few moments before staring at me, stuffing his phone back into his pocket.

I swallowed the bite of sub I was chewing on at the time before speaking.

“How’d it go?” I asked, my mind telling me that was a stupid question to ask.

“Obviously Vic didn’t take it too well if the conversation didn’t even last more than five minutes”, he snapped, catching me off guard.

I felt my walls come back up as I responded.

“I’m sorry I asked”, I replied, tearing my eyes from him as his words stung my heart.

That was a mean thing for him to say. Apparently Nick had realized it was, too for he spoke once more.

“I-I’m sorry”, he said, catching me off guard.

Nick barely apologizes that quickly. Hell, I’m not even dating him and I got an apology right away. I shook the thought away as I looked back at him, watching him walk back to his sub which rested on his bed. Then, he copied my actions by sitting on the floor, eating in silence.

I began to wonder if this was how things were going to be between us. Him snapping at me wasn’t a big deal, so why were we treating it as though it was?

I cleared my throat after a few minutes seeing as how ridiculous we were acting.

“It’s OK”, I mumbled, but I knew he heard me since he responded after I did.

“Why? It wasn’t right for me to snap at you like that. I had no reason to”, he retorted, but in a calm tone.

“But it’s honestly no big deal. If we’re going to be roommates, we have to get over the small things like that, you know?” I asked.

Nick nodded in return. He then did something I didn’t expect him to; he moved closer to me. In fact, he was right next to me.

I took a sharp intake of breath as my mind went crazy as Nick surprised me further by leaning in slowly, inching closer to my face…. to reach for the remote to the TV which rested on my bed. I felt like my heart was going to implode from how fast it was beating due to Nick’s closeness, but I pushed the thought away as I felt the heat rising in my cheeks deciding it best to divert my attention to the carpet and my food.

Nick turned the TV to some movie channel in which they were playing my favorite movie, Moulin Rouge causing me to gasp lightly at the coincidence of the situation.

Nick had always promised to watch Moulin Rouge with me when we were together, but we never did and now it was on TV.

My walls came up even further as I opened my mouth to speak.

“You can change the channel, you know?” I asked, glancing from him to the movie and back again.

It was just starting, causing my heart to burst (emotionally, anyway).

“Isn’t this the movie I promised I’d watch with you when we were together?” he asked, his eyes meeting mine.

I blushed like mad as I nodded in agreement, waiting for his response.

“Well, I don’t see why I should change it, then”, he replied easily, catching me off guard even more.

He ate only half of his sub, wrapping the other half as he waited for me to finish my own. Was he just full of surprises tonight?

Once I finished my half, I wrapped it up, handing it reluctantly to Nick as he placed them both into our mini-fridge. Was it weird that I felt special, knowing that Nick and I were sharing something other than our dorm room together? Reality slapped me in the face for the umpteenth time tonight as I realized my stupid thoughts.

It was just a fridge, nothing more and it’s not like Nick and I were together or anything. But was it wrong when I felt kind of bubbly on the inside when I watched him smile at the funny parts in the film or just sit silently as each song was sung by Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman such as Come What May?

When the movie ended, I was in tears, just as I usually was whenever I watched Moulin Rouge causing me to be embarrassed.

“I’m sorry. It’s just Satine dying like that and their love and everything is just so-”, I began, but Nick finished my sentence for me, grabbing a tissue as well, handing it to me.

“-beautiful, romantic, heart-warming? Am I right about those?” he asked, smirking slightly, but stopped as he watched me nod my head in response.

I felt like a complete loser.

“I’m sorry. I must look like an idiot crying over a movie, don’t I?” I asked, a slight laugh escaping me.

But Nick shook his head in protest.

“Of course not. It’s a good movie and the ending was pretty sad”, he agreed.

I yawned, not realizing how late it was. I checked the time on my phone, it reading 10:30pm.

“Whoa. I’m beat”, I said with a yawn, stretching slightly.

My left arm went up, accidentally hitting Nick in the face. It startled him so much that he fell over. Startled myself, I leaned over to him completely discombobulated.

“Nick! Oh my gosh! I am so, so sorry!” I rambled, stopping short when I heard his melodic laughter fill the air.

He was laughing at what had happened, not me. Soon enough, I too began laughing at the predicament.

It was a good, necessary laugh; one that I hadn’t truly had in a long time.

Once it was over, I got on my knees, catching my much-needed breath. Nick did the same, standing shortly afterward before having his right hand outstretched for me to take. I did, somehow feeling a strong spark igniting there, but I ignored it.

We walked to ourthe closet, grabbing our respective pajamas before taking turns with the bathroom with the changing. As we got ready to climb into bed, Nick spoke.

“Good luck with your performance tomorrow”, he said, catching me off guard.

I stared at him for a second, wondering what would make him say that all of a sudden. I opened my mouth to speak, but thought against it as I climbed into my bed, shutting my bedside lamp off before falling into a deep slumber.

…

I didn’t think I would end up waking up from a nightmare, but I did. My white tank top was slightly drenched in sweat as was my neck and part of my chest while my grey yoga shorts were completely dry. I looked to my left seeing Nick sound asleep, light snores coming from him.

Cautiously, I got out of bed, walking silently to the bathroom, turning the light on after I shut the door behind myself. It was definitely an odd dream.

I began to think back to it as I slumped down to the floor, closing my eyes as I tried picturing it vividly in my mind again.

I was walking the halls of the campus holding someone’s hand, but I couldn’t see their face. It was silhouetted like in movies when the face of a person is obscured in shadow.

I laughed, smiled, cuddled, kissed, and caressed whoever it was, all in different places first the school, then my dorm, my home, and then finally, a home in which I didn’t recognize.

When I laid in the king size bed I shared with whoever it was, an engagement ring rested on my ring finger and soon enough, the silhouetted head turned into a familiar one; one with curly hair, until it became Nick’s face.

That was when I woke up. Was that a sign? How would Nick and I get back together if he’s supposed to be with Vic?

The thought raced my mind numerous times before a knock sounded at the bathroom door, interrupting my thoughts.

Nick’s voice soon sounded slightly muffled through the door.

“Hey, Rose. You in there?” he asked, slightly groggy.

Shit. I realized he needed to get in here.

“Um, yeah. Just a sec”, I answered, standing slowly as I sighed quietly before opening the door.

Nick was in a white t-shirt and plaid boxers, scratching his head as though he were exhausted.

“Hey”, he got out sleepily.

“Hey”, I replied in a quiet tone.

“What are you doing up this”, he began, looking back at the clock before finishing, “early?”

“My body woke me up is all”, I lied, staring into his semi-sleepy eyes.

“What for, do ya think?” he asked, a yawn escaping him.

I shrugged as though I didn’t know why, but moved out of his way so he could enter the bathroom. He took a step before stopping, turning to face me as he spoke.

“Are you sure it’s nothing?” he asked as though he knew something I didn’t.

“Yeah. I’m fine”, I lied again, plastering a smile on my lips.

We stared at one another for a few moments before he said, “OK”, before shutting the door behind him.

I crawled back into bed trying desperately to end the constant struggle I had in my mind. A part of me wanted to tell Nick the truth, but then where would that get me? Nowhere.

I shook my thoughts away as I drifted off into a slow, deep slumber.