Nick & Bailey

64. Bailey

Pete and Candace return to the room the next morning, and I'm glad that Nick convinced me to wear pajamas last night.

"Candace hates her roommate, so they will be back here as soon as they can," he had told me.

I pulled on a pair of his boxers without asking, lying by telling him I forgot to pack anything to sleep in. I have every intention of stealing and bringing them back to school with me. I like them because they are comfortable, but I love them because of the reaction Nick has when he sees me wearing them.

"So it's our last day before classes start again, what do you guys want to do?" Candace asks after Nick and I finally rouse from our sleeping positions.

It's not early, but Nick and I were up late. After heating up some pizza rolls in Pete's microwave, we watched several episodes of Game of Thrones. We were on Nick's bed, and I was sitting between his legs, resting my back against his chest. His fingers would lazily trail up and down my arm until a particularly thrilling part of the show, which caused him to pause. It was so cute, and I started playing a game with myself to see if I could guess when he would do it.

The only downside was that I don't think I'll ever be able to watch TV with him over the phone again. It wouldn't be able to compete with the contentment I felt in that moment.

"How about we sleep? That sounds fun," Nick answers Candace like a true smart-ass.

"Or..." I reach into my suitcase. "We could do a little day-drinking," I say as I pull the bottle of vodka that Nick and I didn't finish last week.

"I like that idea!" Candace says.

"I don't think a half bottle of vodka is going to be enough for all of us." Nick always has to be the most negative person in the room.

"Well it's a good thing a have a case of beer in my trunk."

Nick coughs. "What?!? Do you just keep one as backup all the time?"

"No. Derek bought it for the party in case the keg ran out, but we didn't end up needing it. I asked him to put it in my trunk while we were cleaning yesterday."

I see Nick's jaw clench ever-so-slightly at the mention of Derek, but he lets it go. "Well it's probably warm as piss now. I'll go get it so we can put it in the fridge."

I hand Nick my keys, and he returns shortly after with the beer. Candace, Pete and I have already drank most of the bottle.

"Damn, slow down," Nick says when he sees.

"We saved you some," I reply, handing him the bottle.

He drinks what's left in two huge gulps and tosses it into the trash bin. There's in awkward silence while he finishes maneuvering all the cans into Pete's mini fridge like he's playing Tetris.

Luckily, I've always been good at conversation starters. "So how did you two meet?"

Candace answers me. "We went to high school together near St. Louis. When we were sophomores, Pete joined the debate club and asked me out the next day."

I bust out laughing. "No offense, but Pete, I don't think you've said twenty words since I met you yesterday, how were you on the debate club?"

He laughs. "I wasn't very good. I only joined so I'd have an excuse to talk to her."

Candace's mouth drops open, and she grabs his hand. "Pete, you never told me that."

He nods, and she leans over to give him a quick kiss on the mouth. I think it's sweet, but when I look at Nick, he looks disgusted. I slap him on the shoulder, "Stop."

He relaxes slightly and mouths "Sorry" to me.

"So how about you two? How did you meet?" Candace asks.

"It was the summer before we started seventh grade, right?" I ask Nick, and he nods. I pause for moment, trying to think. "I can't actually remember when we officially met though."

Nick doesn't hesitate. "It was after baseball practice one day that June. I was going to Ian's house, but we had to meet his sister at the park first. The park was only a half block away, so we walked over there. We looked for you everywhere." Nick laughs to himself, remembering.

"Ian was getting so pissed, but then right before we were going to leave without you, you walked out of the maintenance shed with a boy. You looked so embarrassed. It was obvious what you were doing with him."

I smile and slap him on the arm. "That's right! I was in the shed with Derek! His cousin was the maintenance guy, and he snuck us in there!"

I'm already feeling tipsy. I haven't had anything to eat today, but neither has Nick—which may explain why he is finding this story as hysterical as I am.

Through my laughter, I continue, "He kissed me, which literally meant he repeatedly stabbed me in the mouth with his tongue. I cannot believe you remember that, Nick!"

Candace and Pete are both laughing now, but Candace is looking at Nick like a proud momma. "I have a feeling Nick remembers everything about you, Bailey."

Nick's eyes go wide and his cheeks begin to turn red. "Thanks, Candace," he says sarcastically.

"You know you'll miss me next year," Candace responds through her laughter.

"Are you guys not living in the dorms again?" I ask them.

"No. Pete and I already have an apartment lined up. I need to get away from my roommate," Candace explains.

"Yeah. That's why she's here all the time," Nick teases. He reaches into the refrigerator to grab a beer. "They're not super cold, but good enough. Anyone want one?"

We all nod, and he passes them out. "What are you going to do next year, Nick?" I ask. I'm curious, mostly because I still have no idea what I'm doing next year.

"I can't afford to live off-campus, but I'm hoping to get a RA position. I applied for it last semester. It'll kill two birds with one stone, I'll have a place to live and I won't need to wash dishes anymore. Those spots are hard to get, though, so we'll see."

"Well I hope you get it," I say and reach over to grab his hand. He moves it away from me at the last second, and I'm not sure if it was intentional or if he didn't see. I'll choose to believe the latter.

We play a few card drinking games, and by three o'clock in the afternoon, we are all hammered and having a great time. Nick has a friend—Cam, I think—working at the student center that can sneak us some free food, so he and Pete walk over there.

"Nick acts different with you, I like it," Candace says after they leave.

"Different? How?"

"Well, first of all, he never drinks, usually. And, I don't know, he just seems more...laid back and...fun. You bring out a good side of him. I can see why he likes you so much."

"You think he likes me?"

She coughs. "You're kidding, right? I've literally never seen anyone look at another person the way he looks at you. Has he not told you that he likes you?"

I shake my head. "Not really. Well, I mean, he did, a long time ago, but then he kind of...took it back, I guess? More recently, I would say he's alluded to it, but I'm nervous to bring it up. He'll just shut down again...or worse."

Before she can respond, the boys return with the food. I eat a hamburger and a massive amount of fries before literally collapsing onto Nick's bed. After drinking all day, my full stomach is telling me it's time to sleep. I open my eyes slightly and see Pete and Candace crawling into their bed as well.

Nick curls up behind me, resting his arm under my shirt and up the middle of my chest, pulling me closer. "If I am an RA next year, I'll have my own room."

Next year? Will we still be this next year? Whatever the hell this is? I think about what Candace said.

We need to talk, but not now. Tomorrow sounds better...