It's All About the Lyrics, Baby

Jessica had expected she would mope the apartment for a while. She had expected to not be able to pay attention in class because she was thinking about Brendon. She had also expected to spend her time calling him and answering calls from him every chance either of them got. What Jessica hadn't expected was Nicole crying on the couch for nearly a week straight.

Nicole had kept calm for the first couple of days. She didn't respond when Jessica asked her about William or about missing the boys. Nicole had even gone to a club or two. It wasn't until she came back from a club drunk and crying did Jessica start to worry.

"Nicole." Jessica sighed, wrapping her arms around her friend "It's okay, you don't need to cry."

"He won't answer my calls." Nicole sobbed. "He said he loved me."

"Honey," Jessica sighed "You told him you never wanted to see him again. Did you expect him to be waiting by the phone?"

"I was scared."

"Did you try telling him that?" Jessica sighed "I know you don't want to get hurt Nicole but can you imagine how much he has been hurting all this time? How it feels to have someone you love shove you away over and over again."

"You know I do." Nicole snapped, running from the couch and vanishing into her room. Music began blaring from the room a moment later.

Jessica let out a small sigh. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed William's number before pressing her phone to her ear. It rang a few times before he answered.

"You are aware that you are calling the wrong guy in band?" William growled.

"Jeeze." Jessica sighed "Wake up on the wrong side of the bed and then get beat with a cranky stick?"

"If Brendon isn't answering his phone, don't call me to try and get ahold of him." William snapped back.

"I actually called to talk to you." Jessica snapped, getting sick of the additude.

"About what?"

"Nicole."

There was a moment of silence before William let out a small sigh. "No."

"What?" Jessica asked, frowning.

"I'm not talking to her and I'm not talking to you about her."

"Why not?" Jessica growled "You said you would do anything to be with her."

"Yeah," William snapped "I tried! You told me if I kept trying than she would warm up and stop being so distant! It didn't fucking work! I fell in love with her and she fucking chucked my heart on the curb and ran it over with her jeep. Why don't you try to stop fucking butting into other people's lives."

With that William quickly hung up in her. Jessica stared at her phone in horror as she felt her eyes start to tear up. She had only been trying to help.

She look down at her phone a moment later as someone called her.

Brendon.

"Hello?" she asked, trying to keep her voice even.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly.

"Yeah."

"I know it was you William was just yelling at." he sighed "Trust me he and I will be having words. I know you don't take being yelled at well. He is just really fragil and upset right now. Nicole kicked him in heart pretty hard."

"She has spent the last few days crying non-stop." Jessica sighed. "She didn't even go to work yesterday because she couldn't drag herself out of bed."

"If she likes William that much, why did she tell him she didn't want to see him anymore?"

Jessica sighed and looked at her shoes "Nicole is really scared of getting hurt and I think deep down she knew how close she was getting to him."

"What happened to make her so scared?"

"She almost got married a few years ago." Jessica sighed "They were together for five years, seriously they were the perfect couple and then she found out he was already married with two kids."

"Jesus, and she never knew?"

"No one did. We all knew him for years and never suspected anything. He was her picket fence and ever since then she hasn't let any guy get close to her or been with one for longer than six months."

"That explains a lot."

"Don't tell William." Jessica sighed.

"It would make him understand."

"She needs to tell him herself. She would kill both of us if she ever found out we had told him."

"Well William seriously refuses to talk to her. He isn't interested in her hurting him again."

"It's only been a two weeks." Jessica sighed "Maybe he will come around?"

"I don't think so Jessica."

"So we just do nothing? Let our friend's be miserable?"

"I didn't say that."

"Do you have a plan?" Jessica asked hopefully.

"It just so happens I do."

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Two Weeks Later

Not too much changed over the last couple of weeks. Nicole was still pretty much locked in her room, crying her eyes out. She had at least been dragging herself out of the apartment to go to work everyday.

Jessica and Brendon were on the phone together even more if it was possible, making plans and plotting.

"You are always on the phone." Nicole wined from the couch.

"You are always moping about." Jessica retorted, phone pressed to her ear.

"Leave me alone." she grumbled.

Jessica rolled her eyes and walked into the kitchen where Nicole couldn't hear her. "Yes, she is still super cranky." Jessica sighed.

"William too, he wouldn't even go out and see the kids after the show last night." Brendon sighed.

"I'm done with school for the summer in three weeks and Nicole is taking two weeks off work. She thinks we are going to home to see my family and get away for a while."

"Three weeks is still a long time."

"I know." Jessica sighed.

"I miss you." Brendon sighed.

"I miss you too." Jessica answered, smiling a little. "I have to deal with miss dark and stormy. I'll call you tomorrow."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Jessica hung up her phone and headed back into the living room.

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Three weeks later

"If you are going to be crabby this whole plane ride I am switching seats with someone." Jessica growled, looking at her friend.

Nicole glared at her "Why are you so mean?"

"I'm not being mean Nicole." Jessica sighed "Stop trying to make me feel bad. You have had a cloud over your head ever since the boys left and I'm sick of dealing with it. William not talking to you is your own fault stop taking it out on me."

"I didn't mean to." Nicole sighed, looking out the plane window.

"I know, but seriously. Sulking is not going to make it better. Cheer up, I miss my sarcastic, hyper, happy friend. Can she come back for the next two weeks at least?"

Nicole let out a sigh and rested her head on Jessica's shoulder "I guess so. I'm sorry I've been such a crabby patty."

Jessica smiled "It's okay I still love you."

The two girls spent most of the plane ride talking about Jessica's finals and Nicole's job. Time passed easily but Jessica became more and more nervous as they got closer to landing.

"What is wrong with you?" Nicole asked, frowning. "You are as jittery as a squirrel trying to hide its nuts."

Jessica gave her friend a strange look "Of all the years I've known you, that is the strangest thing I've ever heard you say."

"Don't change the subject." Nicole glared.

"I don't know what you are talking about." Jessica answered, looking away to avoid her friend's gaze.

"Whatever, but I'm on to you."

Jessica smiled "Let me know when you catch up."

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"Nicole wake up."

Nicole wasn't quite sure when she had stopped watching her friend suspiciously and had fallen asleep. All she was sure of was that she was ready to get off the plane. She threw her messenger bag over her shoulder and stood up as Jessica did the same.

"You are acting like a squirrel again." Nicole comment, looking at her friend sideways.

"No I'm not." Jessica answered, tossing her bag over her shoulder.

"Yes you are." she frowned "What are you hiding?"

"Nothing." Jessica smiled "Now help me find our bags."

"No."

"No?" Jessica asked, eyebrows raised.

"Not until you tell me why you are being so squirrelly."

"Jessica!"

"You shit!" Nicole growled, wide eyed as Brendon picked Jessica up and spun her in a circle.

"You didn't tell her?" Brendon asked into Jessica's hair.

"No, she didn't." Nicole snapped, "Where am I?"

"Seattle." Brendon answered.

"Good." Nicole growled "I'll book a flight and go stay with my parents in the tri-cities."

"Don't be like that." Jessica sighed "Don't you want to see William?"

Nicole felt her eyes well up a little "He has made it perfectly clear that he doesn't want anything to do with me."

"I'm sure he would change his mind if he saw you." Brendon sighed "He has been just as miserable as Jessica says you have."

"He has?" Nicole frowned.

"Yeah."

"So will you drop your additude and try and talk to him?" Jessica smiled.

"You are just going to march me up to him and say "Figure it out?" Nicole asked, looking at her friends like they were crazy."

"No," Brendon smiled.

Nicole smirked "Then what were you plotting?"