More Than This

3 -Garrett

Song of the chapter - Another One Bites The Dust by Queen

Not sleeping for an entire night was nothing new to me. I've gone days with hardly any, but it had been a while so I must've been out of practice. I just couldn't sleep after talking with Amber last night, thinking about how to help her, what she should do.

But now that the day had started, I was exhausted. All I could do last night was wait to work this out with her and now that I could, my mind is less than sharp. I didn't think I could carry on a conversation with her for long without falling asleep in the middle of it.

Since it was Saturday, I could try to sleep for a while. That's what I was intending to do but my obnoxious cousin, Nico, was blowing up my phone. I'd already ignored six texts and four calls. That was enough to piss him off.

So it was no surprise that he showed up at my house looking for me.

"What the hell, man?" Nico sounded more threatening than he actually was. That guy wouldn't hurt a fly. Don't get me wrong, he could, after all he's a black belt in Jujitsu. But he wouldn't.

"Calm yourself! I've had a long night. Leave me alone."

Nico stopped and gave me a look, raising one eyebrow. "New lady? I gotta tell ya, it's about time, brah."

"No." Well, it was because of Amber, but she wasn't a lady. Not my lady. Whatever. "Not exactly"

"Right. That's fine, don't kiss and tell. I don't mind. It'll all come out eventually." He smirked. I wanted to deck him. Even though he was my cousin and basically my best friend.

"Shut up. There is a bigger problem that needs our attention. I'm thinking I'm gonna need your help. Mostly, April's help." April was Nico's girlfriend. She also attended school with me, she was a senior. No one knew that I knew her, or that she knew me. We kept our distance at school. Since Nico graduated from there last year, everyone knew him, too. I just didn't need the hassle of being known as his cousin.

"April? You better not put her in any danger, man. That won't work for me." Nico said with all seriousness.

"No danger." at least I hoped not. "I just need her chauffeur services for someone Monday after school."

Nico laughed at that. "A chauffeur? Are you starting some kind of business for the rich kids? Come on, brah, you got more dignity than that. There's no way April is up for that."

Time to clarify. "Nah, no business. But I am trying to stick it to McKinley." Since Nico had gone to Jefferson High too, he knew all about Matt.

"Stick it to him how, by driving him off a cliff?"

Nico always had to be a comedian.

"No, no. I agreed to act as a body guard for his girlfriend. So she could break up with him." I felt uncomfortable admitting that I was helping her out. I knew I was in for a sh*t-storm of questions from Nico now.

Nico just stared at me, hard. He was using his self-perceived powers of mind reading. Which were completely nonexistent.

"I knew it! There is a girl, finally! Man I'm not kidding, it's about damn time you showed interest in the female population. Hell, yes, April can help you out. I'LL help you out if it'll get you some!"

Nico was way too excited about this. And completely wrong, of course. I was not interested in Amber that way. At all. Really.

"Dude, back the fuck off on the female crap. It's not like that. I found him assaulting her behind the cafeteria and told her I'd help her out. She finally agreed." I took a step back and crossed my arms, looking down. Nico should understand this, I really didn't need to explain any more to him. But something made me add one more detail.