How to Steal a Happy Ending

•fourteen• No, but your choice of underwear can.

Nate and I made our way to the locker we both shared. With James still AWOL, I struggled to stay in the present. The weight on my shoulders, the confusion in my thoughts...they threatened to ruin the equilibrium I'd brought my daily life to.

I desperately reached for engaging conversation in a place where comfortable silence would've usually sufficed. "So did you talk to Katie yet?"

Nate heaved a sigh and shook his head, his chestnut hair barely swaying with the movement. If it were James, every strand would awake and dance about; at times furiously, at times with mirth. Like every fiber of his being was alive in a way no body else was. And I hated the idea of it. Or atleast told myself to. One day, I'm going to drug him and give him a bloody haircut. Actually, why stop there? I'll shave it all off. And then I'll be happy. Relieved, carefree and happy.

"I mean, I don't know what I'm going to say to her."

I snapped back to reality when I realized Nate was saying something important. Kate. We're talking about Kate.

"James thinks I should just break up with her."

"James is an asshole," I burst out, a decibel too high. Nate held his hands out in front of his as if to say whoa, chill. I sucked in a breath and tried to reorder my priorities. Friends before foes. "I think you should give her a chance to explain. And then decide."

"Explain what? She would've cheated on me if James didn't stop her."

I came to a screeching halt, mind and body. "He what?"

"Apparently, that Brentwood guy and Katie were about to hook up when he stepped in. I mean, if she needs someone to remind her that she already has a boyfriend every single time she sees another guy, it probably means that I don't mean much to her." Sarcasm tinged his tone while a different affliction took over his features.

It took a couple seconds for me to reply. It wasn't because I didn't know what to say. But more because I was trying to hate James even over this new information. Throwing my heart into deep freeze before it swooned at Jimmy's act of loyalty, I gave Nate my final two cents. "Look, everyone deserves a chance to explain themselves. You don't have to forgive her, just hear her out. I mean, if Vince gave me just that, imagine how different things would've been. You can skip all the ridiculous drama, Nate. Come on, it's not going to hurt to hear what she has to say for herself."

He didn't agree or disagree, instead he patted my head and sighed. "Maybe." maybe. It was the most desolate maybe I'd ever heard. Eyes downcast and shoulders slumped, I hated the picture he painted. For a fraction of a moment, I saw the old Nate resurface. Sure, he was adorable as hell but he was also lost and insecure. And seeing those two qualities on this grown-up version of the portly little boy of my memories had me cringing.

I scrambled to wrap my arms around him and hug him close. That familiar scent of paint and something metallic hit me. He gave me a gentle squeeze of his own. "Forget her, you can find someone without a cactus stuck up their ass." I told him, words coming out muffled as I buried my head in his chest.

He laughed and broke our embrace. A wicked gleam occupied his eyes. "And without granny underwear," he finished.

I giggled, "She still wears those? Oh god, and you know the way they just sag off her butt? Hil-ar-ious." My laughter was just about to die down when it struck me. The only way Nate would've know about them was if... "She wears them when you guys are getting it on." I exclaimed rather than questioned. His expression said it all. "Wait," I chocked out between peals of laughter, "does it turn you on?" I almost didn't get those words out as another attack of the giggles plagued me.

He twacked my forearm with his notebook, desperately trying to pull his grin into something more serious. "Watch it Claire, that's my girlfriend you're talking about."

It was then that idea of Katie and Nate together seemed more ridiculous than anything we'd said before it. More ridiculous than granny panties in bed or shaving heads or even 3D romance movies.

We dove deeply and uninhibitedly into laughter. The sick, twisted kind that we could only have in the company of each other.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: I hate it when authors completely forget about the best friends. Irl, I can hardly get anything done without an expanse and probably counter productive group chat- especially when it comes to relationship advice...that and homework (by which I mean, repeatedly asking if anyone's done it and then still not doing it).

Anyway, I really wanted to expand a bit on Nate and Claire's relationship, what do you think? They've known each other for a long time, longer than either has known James.

Vote, Comment, Share <3