Work of Art

Chapter 21

"MAGGIE, OPEN UP THIS DAMN FUCKING DOOR SO I CAN BEAT YOUR ASS!" Nick screamed as she pounded on Maggie's front door. Only Maggie's car was visible in the driveway so she was crossing her fingers that her parents weren't home, although at her level of annoyance she couldn't find it in herself to care.

Nick stopped screaming for a minute and pressed her ear to the door. Inside, she could hear a small set of muffled footsteps that were starting to grow louder. Satisfied that she wouldn't be waiting much longer, she pulled her ear away from the door and resumed her pounding. "I'M GOING TO COUNT TO FIVE MAGGIE! ONE, TWO, THREE--"

Suddenly the door flew open and Nick stumbled forward, losing her balance with the momentum her next swing had carried. As she righted herself, Nick was met with Maggie's sheepish smile. "How has your morning been?" Maggie asked tentatively.

Nick scoffed as she pushed past Maggie and entered into her living room. "It would have been better if my best friend hadn;t abandoned me," she retorted, tossing the purple haired girl a pointed look. Maggie continued to stare at her annoyed friend with a knowing look. "We got breakfast, if that's what you're so adamantly waiting to hear." Maggie practically squealed with the news. In one fluid motion, she plopped down onto the couch next to Nick and turned to face her. "What did you get? Did he pay? How did you get here? Do you-" Nick cut off her tirade of questions.

With a sigh, she began to respond. "I just got a sandwich and he offered to pay but I declined. And yes, he drove me here."

Maggie grinned at her response. "I knew it would work," she cheered more to herself than to anyone else.

"And what exactly are you hoping will come from all of this?" Nick asked exasperated.

Maggie's face suddenly turned serious. "I'm worried out you Nicky," she frowned. "You like someone you can't," she stated matter of factly.

"No I don't," Nick cut in defiantly.

Maggie tossed Nick a look, silencing her disagreement. "As I was saying, you like someone who you can't. You and I both know it, there's no denying it."

"So what do I do?" Nick threw her arms up exasperated.

Maggie shrugged. "All I know is that there's a guy that likes you that isn't the father to one of our friends. I'd maybe start there."

Almost as if on cue, Nick felt her phone buzz in her pocket. Retrieving it, she couldn't help the small smile that appeared on her lips as Meyer's name flashed across the screen.

"See?" Maggie prompted.

Nick signed and set her phone down, deciding to answer the message in a minute. "But Maggie, if I like someone else, and I'm not saying I even do, how is it fair to talk to another guy?"

Maggie groaned. "Are you single?"

"What? Of course I am, you think I wouldn't tell you otherwise?" Nick asked, astonished.

Maggie shrugged, picking at her chipped black nail polish. "All I'm saying is that the only person holding you down is yourself. You have every right to explore the field."

Nick nodded, standing from her spot on the couch.

"Where are you going?" Maggie called after her as she walked across the room and out the front door once more.

"I'm going to explore the field," Nick called back over her shoulder.

Maggie shook her head as her friend disappeared from sight, unable to decipher where her friend would end up next. She too had stood and had just about reached the kitchen when she heard the front door creak open again.

"I forgot I was kidnapped," Nick grunted as she walked back inside. "I need you to give me a ride home."

Maggie grinned and grabbed her keys, leading her friend back outside to her car. "Come on loser, let's get you home."

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After Maggie dropped her off, Nick had found herself perched on her bed, staring aimlessly out the window. The morning had long since passed, and Nick sighed as she stared at the clock that was slowly ticking away on her dresser. It had been a couple of days since she had last watched the tedious tick of a clock's hands, anticipating for four in the afternoon. The words 'play the field' kept ricocheting around in her head. It was a great idea in theory, but when it came down to it, it filled Nick with worry. She had dated two guys in her life: Andy and Garett. Neither had done much to prepare her for playing the field. The first had been nice, a stolen kiss here and there, but overall anticlimactic. After some time, they had fallen apart. Garett on the other hand had left her reeling. He was nice at first, it's how they always seem to be. But then, he had wanted more than what Nick was willing to offer. The guilt became unbearable, even though he was never able to get what he wanted. Even Maggie didn't know the full extent of what happened, especially because their relationship had come to an end as quickly as it began.

Nick didn't even know how to approach following Maggie's advice. She weighed her options, deeming that messaging was as good a place as any to start. She withdrew her phone and once again looked at the notification from Meyer.

"Hey, I just wanted to let you know I had a nice time at breakfast," the message read.

She stared at the words for a while, taking a deep breath. "Me too," she typed, squeezing her eyes shut as she hit send.

Before she had a chance to put her phone down, it caught her eye that he was already typing. Her breath hitched as she waited for his next words.

"Did Maggie get a piece of your mind?" the text asked.

Nick chuckled lightly before thinking of her response. Their conversation continued on for a while, the topic of conversation jumping but always staying light. When he finally claimed he had to head out to meet some friends, Nick couldn't help her smile as she texted him good bye for the day.

Setting down her phone, her eyes once again found the hands of the clock, surprised to see it well past four. Out of habit she palm braced against her chest, but no pain came before now. The only sensation she felt were the slight butterflies that fluttered her stomach from the previous conversation.

As Nick stood and made her way out of her room, she couldn't decide which sensation she preferred. And even as her mind eventually settled on her answer as she went about her day, she refused to acknowledge it because it was so very wrong.

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I'm back bitches :)