[[ Friends Forever ]]

What I hadn't known the night before was that Nick had heard my entire conversation with Charisma. He'd thought I was going to the bathroom, and hadn't bothered to get up. When I'd returned, he was pretending to be asleep, and I didn't suspect that he was awake. But he was really facing the other way staring out the window, thinking.

" Nick, I- " I started. " Nikki, I- " he tried to say something, too. We looked at each other for a minute, then he nodded for me to go first. " I think I figured that dream out... and it scares me, Nick, " I said. " I know what you're going to say, " he said softly. I looked at him oddly. " How do you know? " I asked. " I overheard you talking to Charisma in the middle of the night. You didn't know I was awake, but I was listening, " he replied.

" So you know that I'm scared? And you know what I'm afraid of? " I asked. " You're scared that what we have isn't real. That the dream is trying to tell you that we're going to lose what we have now, " Nick said. I started to cry. " Nick, I don't want to lose you. I love you, " I said. He got up and put his arms around me. " Nikki, dreams are not always real! What we've got is real! Dreams are just something that get in the way, " Nick tried to comfort me, but I continued to cry.

" You don't know that! You're right, what we have is real, but what if we wake up and find out that this is all really a dream? " I yelled. Then I buried my face in his shoulder and sobbed. He hugged me tightly, and tried to quiet my crying. " Shh... it's okay... everything will be fine... just forget about it, " he said. I pulled away. " If only I could! It haunts me! It won't go away, Nick! " I screamed.

" Nikki! Calm down! If you don't think about it, it will go away! " Nick said, taking me back into his arms. This time I gave up and cried on his shoulder.

" What's wrong with her? " LeAnn asked, walking in. " LeAnn, could you go in the other room? She's just a little scared. She'll be fine, " Nick said. LeAnn shrugged and went into the living room to watch TV.

" Nikki, there is nothing to be afraid of. If you just believe in us, then we'll last forever. Don't give up and say the dream tells the future. It doesn't! We hold the future in our hands, so it's up to us. Dreams don't decide what lies ahead! They're nothing but something to worry you! Now don't worry! Things will be fine, " Nick said, holding onto me.

" You don't understand what it's like, Nick. It scared me, okay? I love you too much to lose you, and I'm sorry if it's a crime to believe something once in a while. You know, there isn't much I can believe in anymore. Sometimes I wonder if there is honestly anything in this world I can believe in, " I said.

" Believe in me. Believe in us, " Nick said. I looked up at him. " I do, Nick! I believe in you, and I believe in us. But do you believe in me? Do you believe in us? " I asked. " You know I do! And I believe that what we have is real, and you've got nothing to worry about. If that dream really meant something, all it's trying to say is that we're not close enough, " he said.

" We're as close as two people can get, " I said, " literally. " He was still holding onto me. He let go and laughed. " You know what I mean. We don't go anywhere together or do anything together like normal couples do, " he said. " Nick, we're not a normal couple! First off, we can't go out anywhere by ourselves. You know it doesn't happen. We've got mobs of four hundred people following us. Secondly... Nick, we're more than just a couple. We're... well, I don't know the word, honestly. But we've got more than a normal couple does. We've got... you know what I mean, " I said, unable to explain.

Nick smiled at me. " Yes, I know what you mean. But hey, why don't we go out somewhere, just you and me, and forget about all the people? Let's forget about everything, and just live for the moment. Let's throw our cares and worries out the window for a few hours and just have a good time together, " he suggested. I laughed. " You're nuts, aren't you? You know how much trouble we'd get in? " I asked.

" That's the beauty of it! " Nick exclaimed. I couldn't help it. I just burst out laughing. But I had to agree. He had a good point. " Well... I guess you could call it taking a risk... taking a risk to be together... well, we're already together... taking a risk to... to... to just have fun... taking a risk to just have fun together, " I said.

Nick laughed. " Exactly! Now come on, let's do it! Let's go hit the town! " he said. " Nick... " I trailed off, trying not to laugh at him. He looked at me. " I'm drawing a blank... what's wrong? " he asked. " Um... well, considering it's still dark outside... don't you think it's a little early? " I asked. He looked out the window, then at the clock. " Oh... whoops. Well, let's go later on. But don't you forget, we're going out today. And nothing's going to stop us! "

" Let's go downtown to the cinema, and to the arcade, and to one of those little restaurant places on Main Street. You know? Let's roam downtown! Hit the mall, shop for a while. Forget about everything around us. Just be together! " Nick said a couple hours later. I laughed at his excitement. But it was starting to get to me, and I had to admit I was really looking forward to it, too.

" Okay! Woohoo! We're gonna have a blast! " I exclaimed, dancing around. I started to jump and spin around in circles, but then smacked my sprained wrist on the wall. " Ow! Schiza! " I screamed, grabbing ahold of it and squeezing my eyes shut in pain. [ For those who do not understand German, the term ' schiza ' means ' shit .'] " Are you okay? " Nick asked, rushing over. I breathed deeply, trying not to scream. " Damn it, damn it, damn it! " I muttered through clenched teeth.

" Nikki, are you okay? " Nick asked again. I opened my eyes and looked at him. " That hurt, " I said simply, then shrugged it off when it stopped smarting. Then I went about my business. There was no sound behind me, and I turned to see what Nick was doing. He was just staring at me, looking confused. Then he shook his head and laughed. " You sure are quick to recover, " he said, picking up a pair of Justin's socks from the floor and tossing them into the laundry room.

" Nick! " I yelled. Justin and I were again arguing about his learning to drive. " What's the problem, Justin? " Nick asked, walking in. Justin looked at him, then at me, then ran from the room, obviously mad. But it was amazing how well the kid listened. Considering Nick was only four years older than him, I was surprised. It wasn't normal that any fifteen year old boy listened so well, especially to someone who was as close to his own age.

When the kids had moved in with us, my main concern was controlling them. I knew they were good kids for the most part, but everyone knows teenagers get into their share of trouble no matter how well behaved they are. However, Nick was old enough to control and discipline them, and so was I, and this point had been proven in the beginning. Justin had thought he could get away with anything at first, and had come home from a friend's house angry, letting loose every word in the book.

Nick and I had lectured him for about an hour about using that kind of language, and he'd been restricted from visiting his friends for a week. He'd straightened that out quickly. Then LeAnn got the idea when she was sixteen that she could take off in my car any time she wanted and go wherever she wanted. However, the third time she returned home, she found a very angry me, and a very angry Nick. In a couple months, those two kids were straightened out and they knew what they could and couldn't do.

" Time for your lesson! " I yelled up the stairs a little while later. The kids' tutor had arrived and was waiting for them in the study room. Two pairs of feet thudded down the stairs and the kids raced into the study room. The door shut and I wondered why they hadn't complained about schoolwork today. Shrugging it off, I went up to my room to get ready to go out with Nick.

When we were about to leave, I poked my head into the study. LeAnn and Justin were both hard at work on assignments. " Wow, Jen! I'm impressed! " I said, grinning at the kids' tutor. She smiled. " They're both working on essays that I told them were topic of choice, so they're liking that. Are you going somewhere? " Jen asked. " Yeah. Nick and I are going out on the town for a while. When you leave, can you make sure these two are up in their rooms with something productive to do? " I asked.

" Yeah, I planned on assigning a couple chapters of these books for their language arts stuff, and for science, they'll both have something to do, too, " Jen said. I smiled. " Thanks. I'll see you guys later! " I said, turning to go. " Bye! Have a good time! " LeAnn said. " Good riddance! " Justin kidded. I walked over and playfully hit him on the back of the head. " You just wait, Justin Lee! " I said, giggling and leaving the room.

Nick and I went downtown and first went into the movie theater. We decided on a newly released horror movie and purchased tickets. Then we went into the designated theater to sit down and wait the remaining ten minutes before the movie. By the time it was half over, I had grabbed onto Nick's arm so many times I was sure I'd pulled it out of the socket. Either that or my grip on his hand was so tight that I'd probably cut off all circulation in his hand.

When the movie was over, we left the theater and headed to the mall. " Ahh... now this is better. I won't get so scared that I piss my pants here, " I said, grinning. Nick laughed. " Was that movie really that freaky? " he asked. I hit his arm playfully. " Yeah, and you weren't even holding onto me when I was scared, " I whined, pouting and trying not to laugh.

" Oh, poor baby. You were so scared you couldn't think, right? " he teased. " Exactly! " I said, laughing. He put his arm around my shoulder and pulled me as close as he could. " Aw, I'm sorry, " he said exaggeratedly. " You're terrible! " I exclaimed, still laughing. We wandered around the mall until we'd finally gotten to the food court. " It's about damn time! " I muttered, heading toward the Taco Bell.

When we'd finished eating, we left the food court to shop around the mall for a while. As usual, I couldn't leave without an armload of stuff. I managed to spend about two hundred dollars. Nick finally got sick of going from store to store with me, and dragged me into a sports store. I complained a little, but decided it was only fair, since I'd made him go to about fifteen stores he probably could not have cared any less about.

By the time Nick was ready to leave the sports store, I had gotten interested in some of the stuff. When I'd become a freshman in high school, before Strike 4 had been anything other than a little local group and I was still in public school, I'd played for the school's girls soccer team. I'd also loved football, and when Nick walked up ready to leave, I'd managed to find my way to the soccer section of the store and was completely absorbed in looking at the warm up suits.

" Nikki? Ready to leave? I know you're probably bored to death, " he said. I hadn't even heard him, I was so interested in trying to find a black warm up suit in my size. " Nikki? " Nick asked a minute or so later. I heard him this time. " Huh? " I asked, not even looking away. " Ready to go? " he asked. I shook my head.

" Nope, " I said, pulling a warm up suit off the rack and looking at it.

" What do you mean nope? " Nick asked. " I can't find a black one, " I said, then headed toward the dressing room to try on the one I'd just found that was blue. Nick stared after me, amazed that someone could be as open to anything as I was. When I returned, he just laughed.

" What's so funny? " I asked.

" You! You know I came in here because I wanted to make you stand around bored like you did to me, and you still managed to find something to look at! " Nick exclaimed.

I giggled evilly, then turned away from the rack and spotted team logo jackets. " Oh, damn, I gotta check these out, " I said, going over to the rack. Nick sighed, following me. But it didn't take long for him to start looking around again. Turn a male loose in a sporting goods store, and he'll spend the whole day in there.

He was still looking around half an hour later when I found a Florida Gators jacket I wanted. " Yo, Nick, ready to go yet? " I asked. " If you are, " he said. " Gimme a minute, and I'll be done, " I said, going to the registers to pay.

Wh at left Nick bewildered as we walked out of the store was the fact that we'd just left a sporting goods store and I'd bought something, but he hadn't. I had to laugh. " Nick, you're a pretty pitiful shopper, " I said, giggling at him. " Hey, it ain't my fault, " he said.

We stopped at an ice cream shop to get sundaes and rest after leaving the mall. When Nick sat down, he sighed exaggeratedly. " Oh, come on. You know it was fun, " I giggled, reaching into a bag and pulling out a box containing a pair of new Adidas shoes I'd bought. I quickly switched them with the old pair of Nikes on my feet and shoved the box back into the bag.

" Jeez, Nikki, do you ever stop? " Nick teased. " Stop? Oh, honey, this is just a little break, " I said, wondering what he'd say. The truth was, I was ready to go home. My feet were killing me, and I was dead tired.

Nick looked at me warily. " Please tell me you're kidding. I don't think I can handle any more shopping, " he said, head in hands. I giggled. " Yeah, right! This was a shop till you drop day, and I'm about to drop! " I exclaimed. Nick laughed. " You're not the only one! " he exclaimed, taking a bite of his sundae.

We went back home after finishing our ice cream, and LeAnn immediately wanted to know what we'd bought. " Relax, Miss Nosey. There's some stuff in here for you and Justin, " I said, handing her a bag of things I'd gotten for her. " Thanks! " she exclaimed. Then she sat down on the floor and immediately started digging through it. " Justin! " I yelled from the bottom of the stairs. " What? " came his reply. " Get down here! " I yelled back.

He bounced down the stairs, looking a bit preoccupied. " What is it? I was in the middle of a game! " he exclaimed. Nick burst out laughing in the other room. " Boy, I should hit you, " I kidded, handing him a bag full of things I'd gotten for him. " Whoa, cool! " he exclaimed when he discovered a video game he'd been bugging me about for the longest time.

" What posessed you to get all this? You never spoil us like this! " LeAnn exclaimed. " Exactly why. You guys deserve it, you've been really good and you've helped out a lot, and I'm glad. So I thought you two deserved a reward, " I said simply. " Thanks! You're such a great sister! " Justin said, hugging me. I laughed. " Yeah, I know, " I said, giggling.

Nick and I were still awake a few hours later, around one thirty in the morning. LeAnn and Justin had gone to bed around eleven, and now Nick and I were up talking. " That was really nice of you to get those things for LeAnn and Justin. They really do work hard, and they did deserve it. But still, it was really nice of you to do that for them, " Nick said.

" Well, they're great kids. They deserve to be spoiled every once in a while. It's like a law, " I said, laughing. Nick smiled. " They are great. They're like busy little bees most of the time. They do everything they're told and don't complain at all, and they're just all out well behaved kids, " he said. " Yeah, " I yawned, " damn, I'm tired. "

" Go to sleep then, " Nick said. He followed me up the stairs and into our room. " That bed has never looked so tempting, " I mumbled, changing into my pajamas and climbing under the covers. Nick appeared in the doorway of the bathroom with a toothbrush in his mouth. " Oops, " I said, getting up and going into the bathroom to brush my teeth.

That night I had another vividly real dream. But this one was good. I dreamed that Nick and I got married, and everyone was happy. Now that was what I wanted to see in my future. Nick had been right. The nightmare from two nights ago was explained in this dream - Nick and I just needed to do some things together like a real couple.