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

~6~

"So you're gonna join cheerleading?" I asked Audrey as we're sitting at lunch.

"Yup, I already signed up." She gives a proud smile.

"Great, now you can come to every one of my games." I wink at her. How bad I just wanted to lean over this table and kiss her. I've held it inside for years now, I love Audrey Emily Jakes.

I wanted to scream it to the world. This girl has been the center of my universe since we did that project in first grade. Her smile lights up the entire room, her laughs is the sweetest sound ever, she's perfect.

"Yeah, yeah. You've been whining about it for like ever." She rolls her eyes and I stick my tongue out at her.

"You have a game on Friday right?" Audrey asks me as she takes a bite from her salad.
"Yes ma'm and you will be there." I tease my best friend.

"Yeah, yeah." She gives me the cutest grin ever.

"Get to class kids!" Mrs. Jones yells throughout the cafeteria.

"See you after school Nick." She winks at me and smiles, throwing away her plate.

"Yup, see you Audrey." With that, we went to our lockers. I had Art and Audrey, I think, had Physics. I honestly sucked at Art, but my mom insisted that I took the class. I grabbed my sketch book and headed upstairs to class.

"Hey, Nick!" I heard someone call my name from behind me, and almost tripped looking backwards.

"Hey, Jaxon." My friend Jaxon Rivers comes up to me. He's in Art with me and the only thing we really have in common is that we both play football, and we both hate Art class. I play baseball too, but that's only in the summertime. Before I take my seat, I send Audrey a quick text, remembering that she's gonna have to sit through my football practice. It's for the big playoff game coming up.

N- Practice tonight ;)

A- Ughhhh I have to sit through that? *currently whining*

N- you can wear my sweatshirt and hat...

I suggested that, knowing that's the only way to get her to stay.

A- And....

N- And fruit snacks. Gotta go, see you after

A- Yup, have fun in art

I took my seat and put my phone away just as the teacher came into the room. Time to start this hell.

********
Audrey's POV
"Where are my fruit snacks mister." I outstretch my hand to Nick who's changed into his jersey, football pants, pads, and cleats. His helmet at his waist, in his hand.

"Here you go." He rolls his eyes, finally handing me a box of Smiles fruit snacks. I quickly hug him before the Coach calls him onto the field.

"Jonas! You can flirt with your girlfriend later!" I giggle as Coach Mathi says this, Nick just rolls his eyes and runs onto the field. I sit quietly on the bench and pull Nick's beanie farther down on my head. The early September chills are finally getting to me and Nick's sweatshirts are like the comfiest and I needed them in my life.

As I'm chewing on my third small bag of fruit snacks, Nick runs a touchdown. He quickly looks over to me and I return it with a smile. There are a few more plays that they go over, then practice is done for the day. It's now 4:30 and Nick's practice started at 3:15 so we've been here a little while.

"Great job." I say as I throw my box in the garbage and pull the hoodie tighter around me.

"Thanks Drey. I'm hungry though, wanna go get something for dinner?" He asks, taking off his helmet and shaking his curly hair. It's dripping with sweat and down Nick's forehead. He's trying to catch his breath and does it quite quickly.

"Won't your parents want us home?" I question, standing by his truck.

"It'll be fine. I'm gonna go change quick." I shrugs and runs to the locker room to change quick.

"Well isn't someone looking nice." I comment on my best friend's outfit as he skips out of the locker room toward the truck. I'm sitting on the tailgate and swinging my legs back and forth.

"What? No." Nick looks down at what he's wearing. Loosely fitting dark jeans, his baseball jersey, and a Yankees baseball cap.

"Whatever. I'm hungry." He shrugs it off and runs to quickly open the driver side and climb into the talk vehicle. I jump in myself, immediately plugging my phone in to listen to music. I turn on Falling In Reverse, and I know Nick hates it. But tolerates it.

"Take it back, take it back my friend! All the things that you said about the end!" I was in the middle of singing my heart out to a song when Nick pulled up to our favorite ice cream shop.

"Really?" I click my tongue on my mouth as I look at my best friend.

"What? I wanted ice cream." He reaches up to scratch the back of neck and gives me such a goofy grin. As Nick holds the door open for me, my phone starts to ring.
Diane.

My jaw clenched and I answered as Nick ordered for the both of us, knowing exactly what I wanted.

"Hi..." My voice is quiet and emotionless as I answer my phone.

"I need you at home sweetheart. Mama needs you, I am so lonely." I start to get choked up and think of Nick's words every time she does this to me.

Don't let her get in your head Drey

"You were the one who kicked me out for good. Told me over and over that you didn't care where I ended up." I'm harsh and cold.

"You know I didn't...."

"Goodbye Diane." I growl into the phone, hanging it up just in time as Nick sits across from me at the small table.

"Everything okay?" Nick looks concerned as he licks from his spoon.

"Just great!" I smile quickly and duck my head a little as I quietly eat. That night, I get countless text from Diane. This is the routine whenever she 'kicks me out'. She expects me to come crawling back, and believe me I have before and she just loves it, but now I'm calling it quits. That Audrey is gone.