Vote For Nick, I Mean Nicole!

"So, friend, do you want to dance?" Nick asked Nicole.

Nicole looked at Starr then at Chloe, and they just gestured to Nick, as if saying 'go ahead.' So Nicole took Nick's hand and they walked right into the middle of the dance floor.

It started off as normal dancing, but pretty soon Nick and Nicole were doing the robot/chicken dance. "Oh, how mature!" Chloe shouted. Derek laughed and tightened his arm around Chloe's waist. What had started out as something fake actually had turned into a budding romance. Chloe actually liked Derek now. And she didn't have to worry about other girls, like with Joe. But she couldn't help but feel bad. Joe wasn't happy at all. He looked...depressed, really. But oh well, he would just have to move on.

And as for Starr and Josh, they already had made plans for their first date. He stood by Starr's side now. He was a little more shy than Derek, but Starr liked him either way.

"That was so much fun!" Nicole shouted, now running up to her friends with Nick following.

"You guys are stupid! I applaud you!" Starr exclaimed. Nicole rolled her eyes at her. She was about to say something but suddenly her name was being called on stage.

"Nicole, please report outside! Now Nicole! Your parents have a surprise for you." The party host said on stage. That's when people started to go outside, wondering what was going on.

"Why do I have to go outside?" Nicole asked herself out loud. Chloe glared at her.

"Gee, I don't know why. What could your parents have possibly gotten you that can't go inside? Something that all sweet sixteeners get. Oh! I know! Maybe they bought you your very own...Elephant! Yeah, that's it!"

"Alright Chloe, I get it. You don't need to use your heavy sarcasm on me." Nicole stated as she walked towards the main entrance of the mansion and out the door. It took about a million years to get out though because everyone went outside at the same time, trying to check out Nicole's surprise. But when she finally stepped outside and pushed through the crowd, it was so worth it. Everyone was crowded around the brand new shiny black car!

"Oh...my..." Nicole said inaudibly. She couldn't speak; she was speechless. But only for three seconds. "GOD!!! OHMYGODOHMYGODDY GOD, GOD! That's my car. Mine! Like, all to me! And it's soo prettyful! OH em gee! Mommy! Daddy!" She ran over to her parents, who were laughing at her reaction, and gave them each a big hug and a nice wet kiss. "Thank you so much!"

"Oh you are so welcome sweetheart. You deserve it." Her mom replied.

"Besides, I only get the best for my little girl. Well, I guess you're not so little anymore, huh? Where has the time gone?" Said Nicole's dad. She quickly inched away, not wanting to hear it. But he had something else to say. "Nicole?"

"Yeah dad?"

"Don't forget your keys." He dangled them in front of her, and she looked at the shiny keys as if hypnotized. Then Nicole extended her arm and her dad dropped the keys into her hands.

A wide smile spread across her face. It said: finally!

Nicole turned around and walked over to where her best friends,and Nick, were. They had their phones out, all smiling. "You guys did not video tape me!" Nicole shouted at them accusingly. She expected them to deny it, but they didn't say anything. They just laughed at the phone. "Okay, let me see." Nicole said and snatched the phone from Chloe.

"You were so hilarious! You were like, 'ahhhh! Is this my car?! Is this my car!'" Then Chloe went into a fit of laughter and Starr joined along. Nicole rolled her eyes.

"Oh, hahaha! Just for that you will not be riding in my new car today. Or tomorrow. Or the next day. Ever."

"You know, Nikki, we were just playing. You know we love you right?" Chloe said. She smiled all innocently. Nicole rolled her eyes.

"Get in." She said. Chloe smiled and Starr followed her into the backseat of the car. Derek and Josh followed them into the back seat as well.

"You too, poodle boy." Nicole said and smiled at Nick. He smiled back.

----

"So where do we go now?" Nicole asked her friends, stopping at a red light. They had driven away from the mansions and were now driving towards all the restaurants and stores. Not many places were open since it was midnight.

"I don't know. Everything's closed." Starr said, cuddling with Josh.

"IHOP's not closed. It's open twenty four hours. That's convenient." Nick stated, looking through the brand new foggy window at IHOP just a little ahead. It was cold and humid outside, so the windows fogged. It made Nicole not happy, but you just can't help something like that.

"IHOP again? I already ate there this morning with Chloe and Starr." Nicole said, but slowed down anyway. She turned to the right lane, preparing to turn right, into the parking lot.

"So? It's already Sunday. Meaning not Saturday. Meaning we ate there yesterday not today. Come on, Nikki, you know you love IHOP. You do." Starr said.

Nicole laughed at this. "Why do you think i'm slowing down?" She asked, not really expecting an answer.

Nicole parked in front of the door at IHOP. The music stopped when she turned the keys of the car. They all got out of the car, being careful not to slam the door too hard. Because then, Nicole would surely kill them. Don't put it past her.

When they went inside, there were only three other people there. They looked over at the overdressed teenagers. Nicole laughed. "They're probably wondering why we are so dressed up for IHOP."

"Because IHOP is amazing and it's something that should be celebrated in formal attire." Chloe stated, in a tone that said that what she had just said made perfect sense.

"We're not in formal attire, Chloe, we're in costumes. Remember?" Nicole said.

"Oh yeah. Right. Of course." Chloe said back. Nicole could tell she was not interested or cared.

The waitress seated them at a booth near the kitchen, away from the windows. There was nothing to look at but darkness, anyways. The girls sat down on one side of the booth, and the boys on the other. And each according to their match. Chloe went in first, and Derek sat across from her. Then Nicole went in, and Nick sat across from Nicole. Then Starr sat last, with Josh across from her.

Chloe started playing with the syrups. "I really love your car Nicole. I love it. I do." Starr said, looking at her. Nicole smiled.

"Aw, thank you! I love it too. Very much. What shall I name it?"

"Name it Carlisle!" Starr exclaimed.

"Erm, no. Think more. Think better." Nicole stated.

"Name it Willie." Chloe said.

"That's worse than Carlisle! Come on guys! Be original!" Nicole shouted. "Any suggestions from the guys?"

Suddenly the waitress came over. They ordered coffee, and soda. Why, they did not know. They also ordered the appetizer sampler meanwhile they waited for the food. They contemplated names for the car. They were all ridiculous. But they had fun. They talked really loud and laughed obnoxiously, but nobody minded, they just shook their heads at the crazy kids.

And Nicole felt like she bonded with the guys. This could really be her new group of friends. Her posse. Her people. Well, you get the point. She was just so comfortable, she was her true self.

When the food came, they all shared. They ordered something different on purpose. Nick got the Big Steak Omelette, Josh had Chocolate Chip Pancakes, Starr had Nutella Crepes, Derek had the Double BLT, Chloe had the Crispy Chicken Strips, and Nicole got the Viva La French Toast Combo. They all split up the food, and soon everyone had a little bit of something on their plate. "Well, it is official then. This is the best idea evah!" Nicole shouted. Everyone laughed.

After they finished eating, They all had to go to the bathroom, except for Nicole and Nick. But Nicole suspected that someone had planned it. Surely, this could not be a coincidence, right?

"Let's just get in the car and wait for them there. We already paid anyways." Nicole stated. All six of them had paid and equal amount of money for the bill. Not even Nicole could get out of paying, her birthday was over forty minutes ago, Chloe stated.

"Okay, sure." Nick replied. When she stepped outside, Nicole forgot how chilly it was. After all, it was November now. She shivered only slightly, but that's all it took for Nick to wrap his jacket around her. The butterflies started up again and she blushed. She hoped he couldn't see her blushing in the dim parking lot light.

Nicole looked down and opened the door to her new car. Once inside, she turned on the heater. "Oh yeah, we never named the car. And no, I will not name the car Sir squilliam fancypants the third. And it's my first car!"

Nick chuckled. "Oh why not? It's such a good name!" Nicole just glared at him. She turned on the radio and searched for her favorite station.

"Hm. Fine. What about, Audi? I mean, it's the car's name, after all. Just name it that."

"Or..." Nicole said, looking at nothing in particular.

"Or?" Nick prompted.

"Shh! I'm thinking!" Nicole hushed him. It made Nick want to laugh. She glared at him, but couldn't keep a straight face for too long. "Or we could name my car Addi. You know, Audi, Addi. Addi. Audi. Audi Addi. Yeah? Yeah. I think so."

"Yeah, that's a nice name. But Sir squilliam fancypants the third is much better, just saying."

"Oh, Nicholas, you are utterly ridiculous." Nicole said. It made her want to laugh, the way she said it.

Soon they were both quiet. Nicole wondered how long being in the bathroom could take, even if they were doing number two. But they had probably planned it. That's what made sense to Nicole. It had to be the only way.

Nicole put the heat down in the car; it was already warm enough. Nicole would've returned Nick's jacket, but she just didn't want to. It smelled soo good.

Suddenly the doors to IHOP opened and Derek, Josh, Starr and Chloe came stumbling out into the cold. Nicole could see their breath in the chilly night air. They laughed as they came towards the car. As soon as they were all inside, Nicole took off and asked them, "What in the world were you guys doing in the 'bathroom' for so long?" She used air quotes on bathroom.

"Trust me, it's better if you didn't ask." Chloe stated, then looked at Starr and the guys and laughed along with them. Nicole gave them a look but just shrugged it off. She didn't really want to know, anyways.

"Well, let's get back to the party then!" She shouted, and turned up the music. As she drove, they all danced along to the music.