Crazy In Love With You || (n.j.)

~2~

"He misses for the fifth time!" I tell Nick as we're in the local basketball court. He glares at me, sweat running down the front of his light gray shirt. I just giggle.

"Think you can do better?" He challenges.

"Oh, I know I can Mr. Hotshot." I take the ball out of his hands and go to the free throw line, shooting perfectly, three times in a row. Nick looks at me, mouth open.

"Half court." I state, backing up to the half court line. I dribble, crouch down, and take my shot. It rolled around the rim and went in the basket.

"Boom!" I cheer, running to get the ball before Nick. But I fail. Nick ran and got the ball before me, dribbling around me mockingly. He goes to shoot and I try my best to block him. Nick's taller then me, so it was hard to block him. See, he's 5'9 and I'm 5'4, so there's a bit of a difference.

"Lunch?" He asks as we're just shooting the ball around.

"Sure. Wendy's?"

"Sounds great." Nick shows a goofy smile and holds the ball, walking to the locker room.

"Meet you in the lobby." I make him aware. He nods and heads into the Men locker room. I go to my locker, marked G7, and get out my bag with my nicer clothes in it. I picked out skinny jeans and a black tank top that was open in the back.

It's literally my favorite shirt for the late summer. It's only three weeks into my junior school year and so it's still considered summer for me.

I slip on my knee high brown boots and one of Nick's hoodies that I stole. It's a Yankees sweatshirt and he claims it was his favorite. A few days after I took that one, Nick went and bought a new one.

I brush my hair out and put on a plain black SnapBack. SnapBacks are a thing that Nick and I share. Every time after we play basketball, on Saturdays specifically, we both wear our black SnapBack. I study my reflection in the mirror, deciding I could use a little eyeliner. After applying my make up, I heard a yell.

"You almost ready Drey?" That's what Nick calls me. He's called me that since we were in kindergarten.

"Yeah! Just grabbing my bag." I say back, straightening my hat. I run over to my locker, sling my drawstring bag over my back, and rush to the door.

"Hey. What'd I miss." I lean against the doorframe and raise my eyebrows up and down at Nick.

"Oh shut up." He smacks my arm playfully.

"Let's go, I'm staving." I sling my arm around Nick, at his shoulders.

"Bye you two." I hear a familiar giggle as we pass through the lobby. Ashley. I look over Nick's shoulder, seeing her sitting with Reese, whispering and glancing at us. I just scowled and kept walking with Nick.

"Food coma." I put my arms around Nick's neck, putting all my weight on him.

"Drey, not again." He laughs, playing right along. Nick and I are in his basement which is basically a giant living room. The Jonas family is more on the 'wealthy' side of the fence. Nick falls down with me and we laugh on the floor, until our stomachs hurt.

"You guys having fun down here?" We hear Mrs. Jonas's voice, or as she tells me to call her Denise, which I usually call her mom.

"Yeah mom." Nick sits up, leaning back on his elbows.

"Okay kids. Your father and I are going to dinner with some of our friends. Kevin, Joe, and Frankie are all playing PlayStation so you won't really have to-"

"I got it mom. You go over this every single time you leave." Nick brushes a curl of hair out of his eyes, keeping his gaze on his mother.

"Okay Nicholas. Just make sure Frankie is in bed by normal time. Audrey, you can sleep over since it's Saturday, if you'd like sweetheart." Her gaze goes to me, a smile on her face.

"Thanks mom." I give a big grin, getting up to hug her. Mrs. Jonas is caught off guard and jumps at my touch.

"Thank you." I whisper in her ear. The Jonas' have known for sometime that my own mother and I are not, or have not been, on very good terms lately.

See, my father left us when I was around 11, everyone and everything was happy before that. When he left, it was devastating for my mother, as much as myself. My mom took it harder then I did and she took it all out on me. Granted, she's never laid a hand on me, but words have been said.

I always tell her she was so much happier, we were so much happier, before dad left. My mother has 'kicked me out' of the house many times before. So, I just stay at Nick's place. It's never been anything like me moving or stuff like that.

They've always welcomed me, since Nick first introduced me when we had an art project to do together in first grade. I've always told Mr. And Mrs. Jonas that I owed it to them someday. They just shrug it off and tell me not to worry about it.

"You're welcome sweetie. Anytime." Mrs. Jonas pulls away from me, showing a warming smile that only a mother can posses. She steadily walks up the stairs and I go sit on the floor by my best friend.

"How've things been with you and your mom?" Nick curiously looks at me.

"Diane. And they've been okay, haven't been home much. Well when she is." I correct Nick first, then answer. I don't even call my own mother mom a anymore. She is simply Diane to me.

"Just move in with us." Nick whines, putting his hands on my knees.

"I can't, not until we're at least 18. We are only 16, Mr. Jonas." I point out. I'll be turning 17 at the end of the school year, which is roughly nine months away. Nick just turned 16, so I'm a little older.

"Ughhhh, rules." He rolls his eyes and I shove him to the ground.

"Not fair!" Nick yells, taking me down with him. I giggle as he starts poking my sides. I tickle his feet and Nick kicks like crazy.

"I'm hungry." I sit upright and everything stops.

"Dude, we ate like a few hours ago."

"Yeah. A few hours ago. That's a long time." I get up and race up the stairs to the kitchen. Nick follows behind me. When I get up there, I look into the living room and see Joe and Kevin playing a video game. But Frankie is nowhere to be found. As I rummage through the cabinets, I notice there are no fruit snacks.

"Nicky!" I yell.

"Yes Drey?" Nick emerges from the living room.

"You have no fruit snacks." I pout, crossing my arms.

"Hmm..." He looks as though he's in deep thought.

"I ate them all." Nick and I are startled by a little Frankie, who just appeared.

"Ergghhh, Frankie I'm gonna get you." Nick's little brother screams and runs into the living room, I'm running on his heel. Nick just laughs hysterically and sits on the couch, watching me chase his little brother. I chase Frankie all the way upstairs to where everyone's bedrooms are, until I can't find him.

"Guess we're playing hide and seek." I shrug, plodding downstairs into the living room. As I look to the flatscreen tv, I see animated blood fly everywhere.

"Oh! I wanna play! Can I?!" I jump over the back of the couch, squeezing in between Joe and Kevin.

"I guess.....Drey." Joe emphasizes my nickname, knowing that Nick hates it when other people call me that. Joe hands me the controller and I glance over to a scowling Nick.

"Awww pouty Nicky is sitting all alone." I tease my best friend, adjusting my hat. He smiles when I look at him, always has. I never knew I could make someone smile and laugh as much as I do to Nick. He truly is my other half.