This Is The Story of a Girl...

Truth Be Told...

Their embrace is the start of a friendship. A kind of friendship that Stella has never really had before, besides Jace. Stella is the first to release herself from Nick's overpowering hug. She drops her arms by her side and looks up at his face. "Thanks." She says simply and softly. Nick smiles and nods, then realizes that she is shaking and they are outside in the school's parking lot. People are stopping to look, and he feels that she is uncomfortable. 

"Let's get into the car and put the heat on. It's freezing out here." He says grabbing his soccer bag and his school bag. Stella picks her school bag up off the ground and hurries along to Nick's black pick up truck. She opens the passenger side door and hops in. Nick simultaneously throws his bags in the back seat and sticks the key in the ignition and turns the big black machine on. The engine screams and finally mumbles a low growl. The stereo comes on loud, and Nick reaches for the volume notch and turns it down to level three.

Stella recognizes the song that is playing through the speakers. "Here Comes My Girl by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Great song." She reaches for the volume notch and then says, "Do you mind?"

Nick smiles and says, "No, not at all. Go ahead." while rubbing his hands together to get the blood flowing. Stella turns the volume up to nine and hums along with the song. The second verse comes up and Nick yells, "But when she puts her arms around me, I can, somehow, rise above it. Yeah man, when I got that little girl standing right by my side, you know, I can tell the whole wide world, and shout it, hey, here comes my girl, here comes my girl, yeah, she looks so right, she's all I need tonight!" holding his cell phone in the place of a microphone.

Stella laughs and says, "You know, I would have never pinned you as a Petty fan." She turns to Nick and he turns the stereo down again. They both sit in the truck, waiting for the heat to come on full blast. Nick puts the truck in drive and begins to pull forward out of the parking space.

"Oh yeah? So what would you have pinned me as then?" He asks curiously and glances at her, while she gazes out the side window. He admires her innocence and her breathtaking natural beauty as he rips his eyes off of her long wavy rosy hair. Stella stays silent for a moment, thinking.

"Well, it seems like all of your soccer friends listen to hardcore rap and the top of the charts songs. They rap about drugs and sluts down the hallways in school. So I just figured that you were like that too." She pauses and looks over her shoulder and sees him smiling like mad. She continues, "I never really thought you liked older stuff like Petty. I mean I listen to that stuff, and country, and some soft pop sometimes. I mostly listen to soundtrack music or soft violin and piano instrumentals when I'm painting." Stella turns back and peers out of the window again.

Nick nods and stays quiet for a few moments, processing what Stella just said. "Huh, I see. Nah, I don't like rap too much. I actually don't even swear too much, unless I get really angry. Some rap songs are cool, like when I'm warming up for a game or taking a run. But I really love Petty, U2, Van Morrison, Journey, Aerosmith, and I'm learning to like a couple country artists. I like the classics. I don't do drugs, and I hate when girls wear their shirts so low that I can see...everything. It's gross. Like, have some self respect." Nick keeps his eyes on the road and comes to a red light.

Stella smiles and turns her shoulders towards him again, "Wow. Nick Manns, you have completely shocked me. I thought you were like the rest of those assholes you call your friends, no offense." Stella pauses and Nick shakes his head and chuckles. "I thought you drank and smoked and got with girls all the time. But what do I know, I've only really witnessed that through the television screen." She laughs and he holds her gaze for a few seconds. The light flashes from red to a neon green. Nick gently gives it gas and speeds up to the speed limit.