A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Party

Chapter Seven: Doomed... Friendship

"WHAT?!" Nick exclaimed as soon as the results were announced. "There must be some mistake!"

"I'm afraid not," the teacher said. "If you want you can check for yourself, the cast list list is outside of the classroom..

Nick couldn't believe this. He was going to to play Eric, which was Ariel's love interest. In other words, he was to be Amy's love interest. He did like Amy, just not in that way. "Are you sure there isn't a mistake?"

The teacher nodded. "I'm pretty sure." Nick leaned back as he sighed. He wanted to shout out that he didn't want to date Amy, even if it was only on stage, but he knew it wouldn't do him any good. He'd just be stuck with the part anyways.

Then, an idea came to him. "Who's playing Eric's understudy?" After all, he had been doing this with Amy for years, and there were always understudies.

The teacher looked back at the list. "That would be Phil Ludas." Nick's eyes widened. If Phil played Eric, that would ruin the whole show. "Does that answer your question?" Nick nodded before the teacher went onto the lesson. "Now, today we will be learning about the power rule..." However, Nick wasn't listening. Only one thought ran through his mind: that he was doomed.

"And so, I don't know what to do about Amy," Nick said to his best friend, Chris, after class. "I mean, I like her, just not in that way, and it makes me feel uncomfortable dating her onstage."

Chris smirked. "Oh, I see. You're afraid you'll fall in love with her."

Nick rolled his eyes. "Chris, it's not like that, and you know it."

Chris ignored him. "And then you two will wonder if a fantasy would become reality, and then it will be... DOOMED LOOOOVVE!" He then started to pretend to pick petals from a flower. "Your love is doomed, dead, doomed, dead, doomed, dead..."

"CHRIS!" Nick yelled. Chris's teasing was really starting to get on his nerves.

Chris shook his head. "Sorry, got a little carried away there."

Nick raised an eyebrow. "A little?"

Chris just shrugged. "My little sister's been watching 'Gnomeo and Juliet' lately. It is kind of funny."

Nick sighed. Sometimes, Chris was too much of a joker. "Dude, I'm serious. I just see Amy as a friend, nothing more, and I'm pretty sure she sees me in the same way , despite my little... habit."

Chris nodded. Of course he knew all about Nick's pickpocketing habit. "Just tell her how you feel about the whole situation. Then she'll understand that you don't have any romantic attention, and you both won't have anything to worry about."

"But what about the play?" Nick asked.

Chris shrugged. " I'll think about that. By the way, you really need to quit that habit now that your dad has a new job. "

Nick sighed. "I know, but I've been doing it for so long that I can't help it. Every time I see something I feel like I have to steal it."

Chris moved closer to him and looked him dead in the eye. "You're a kleptomaniac."

" No I'm not! " Nick protested.

"Yes, you are," Chris retorted.

Nick raised up his hands. "Look, kleptomaniacs usually steal on impulse. They aren't able to think: why they are stealing it?" Then , he lowered his voice so only Chris could hear him. "When I steal, I think about how much money I can make off of it. That's why I steal things of worth... And I also steak food so I can eat. "

Chris sighed. "Fine, but you have to kick the habit."

"Don't worry, I will." Eventually.