"No flippin' way!"
Molly was adamant. She was not going to fight anyone.
"Molly, listen, as I was just trying to explain... it's not a fight, I just want to wrestle you. Not like, rough. Just a way to see who can take who," Nick said, attempting to reassure her.
Molly: "Who can take who? My gosh Nick."
Nick: "Yeah. Just to see who is stronger."
Molly: "Well I don't see why I couldn't be, frankly."
As Molly said it, Nick was taking a sip of water from the bottle on her bedside table and almost choked on it.
Nick: "Girl, sorryyy but don't make me laugh. You couldn't beat iCarly in thumb war. And she's weak, you know?"
Molly (right) just can't see why Nick (left) is so confident about being physically stronger than her
Molly: "Aw, can you not be mean about Miranda? You know how much I love that show."
Shaking her head with a grin, Nick retorted: "Point made, then?"
Molly: "No it's not, Nick. You're being unfair on me. We are equals here."
Nick: "Pfffft."
Molly: "And anyway, why would you want to wrestle me?"
Nick: "Hm. Well I've been sensing a lot of anger from you, Molly."
"I'm perfectly calm Nick. It's nearly 5am and I think we should go to sleep now," Molly insisted as she turned off her bedside light and sank her head into her big pillow.
Nick: "Ok, kiddo. But your texts earlier on tonight said different. And there was something else you said earlier. After you got home."
Turning her light back on again and reluctantly propping herself back up by her elbows, Molly said wearily: "Go on then?"
Nick (right) is confident that Molly (left) doesn't stand a chance against her in wrestling
Nick: "You said I was a coward and that I'd only pick on you with a group."
Molly: "Oh."
Nick: "Yeah. You made out like I'd be scared to do it on my own."
Molly: "Well I think it's true, Nick."
Nick: "Me? Scared of you?"
Molly: "Why not? I mean, I'm taller than you. And older."
Nick: "What? First thing, you're older by 22 days. Big deal. And you ain't taller than me, biatch."
Molly: "I am, though."
"We really are settling this right now," Nick said, jumping out of bed. Anxious to prove her point, Molly also pulled herself out of bed and stood back to back with Nick on the carpet. It was instantly clear that Molly was the tallest.
"Ok so, you're taller. Fine. But you're weak, like a twig" Nick insisted.
Molly: "You really are convinced that you're stronger than me and you can beat me at wrestling, aren't you?"
Nick: "Yes, kiddo. I know it. But I need you to know it as well."
As the early Saturday morning sun began to peek through the curtains, Molly finally gave in, declaring: "I think we do need to settle this right now, then."
Only too happy to oblige, Nick pulled the duvet off her bed and laid it out on the floor, calling it their 'wrestling mat'.
Molly grabbed a yellow scrunchie off her dresser and fixed her hair in a cute ponytail, which somehow made her feel prepared for action as she stepped 'into the ring' in her PJs.
"So this is like, the ring. You go outside of this space, you fall out of the ring. Got it?," Nick explained.
"I still don't see why I can't beat you, you're only a short girl, and younger," Molly said, very unwisely taunting her opponent.
That was it, Nick thought to herself, this girl is going down.
"You really got a death wish, don't you?", Nick said before counting them in: "Three-two-one...ding-a-ling!"
Nick gave Molly a few seconds to see if she could actually do anything. Molly stretched her arms out and attempted to grab Nick's shoulders to pull her down, but it was a useless effort. Nick effortlessly batted Molly's very slender, unmuscled arms away from her.
Then, Nick clamped her hands on Molly's very slender shoulders and dragged the skinnier girl straight down on the floor. It all happened in a few seconds.
While counting to ten in a loud whisper so as not to wake anyone, Nick used both hands to hold Molly down on the 'mat' flat on her face. She didn't even have to use her full force to keep Molly restrained there, either. It was a walk in the park.
Completely overpowered, Molly was unable to move from that position despite really wanting to.
Having been totally owned in one move by the shorter girl, Molly was suddenly all quiet.
"Are you going to admit it now?", Nick asked Molly as she finished her count of ten.
Molly: "Admit what?"
"Well, chicken hips," said Nick as she jumped on Molly's back to make sure the weaker girl wouldn't be getting up from that position any time soon, "that I am stronger than you!".
Molly: "You're really annoying me now, Nick."
Sitting on Molly's back with her strong, naturally muscled legs placed either side of the pretty brunette's very slight frame, Nick replied: "That may be, my friend. But I'm the winner! And I need you to realise it."
Sighing heavily, Molly said a bit sarcastically: "Well done then, you won. Will you let me up now?"
Nick: "Hm. I don't feel like it."
Molly was squirming around furiously but to no avail. Her body strength was simply nothing in comparison to Nick's more matured and developed body, as she'd just discovered to her cost.
"What if mom and dad come in?", Molly pleaded.
Nick: "They're asleep, Molly. We've been quiet. I like your iCarly PJs, by the way. Very fitting."
Molly: "Nick? Please?"
Nick: "Huh? I'm all good here, thanks."
Molly sighed again.
Molly: "I'm really uncomfortable down here."
Nick: "Good. Settle in."
Molly: "I'll scream. And then mom will come in."
Nick: "If you do that, then I won't help you in school with your problems with your friends. Like, at all."
Molly went quiet again. They remained like that in silence for another few minutes.
"Can't believe you're gonna be 15 soon," Nick teased, "so small!"
Molly: "Ok, so you are stronger, then. Are you happy? Because I wanna get up now."
Nick: "Say that again, cutie?"
Molly: "You're stronger than me. Ok? I admit it."
Nick: "Good. Now say I'm the greatest."
Molly: "The what?"
Nick: "You heard."
Molly: "You are the greatest, ok?"
Nick: "Good girl. Now repeat after me: I will never defy you again, Nick...
Molly: "What the...?"
Digging a knee into Molly's back, Nick insisted: "Say it!"
Molly: "That hurt!"
Nick: "You don't want another one of those, do you?"
Nick was right about that; Molly couldn't take another knee in her back. And her chest was hurting. She'd had just about enough today and needed this all to end.
SUPER-CONFIDENT: Nick can lord it over Molly whenever she wants to
Molly: "I will never defy you again, Nick..."
Nick: "...because you can beat my ass anytime you want..."
Molly: "...because you can beat my ass anytime you want..."
Nick: "...and there is absolutely nothing I can do about it."
Molly: "...and there is absolutely nothing I can do about it."
Nick: "Good girl. You know it makes sense! I really just want us to be good friends. Close friends. Even like sisters!"
Molly: "Uhuh?"
Nick: "Yes of course. But I need you to understand who is boss here Molly. To know your place and not tell me to shut up and things like that. Do you understand?"
Molly: "Yes I do."
Nick: "Good, now you can get up."
The sun rising over Portland, Oregon
Nick got off Molly and offered her a hand up. Molly accepted the help and once they were both back on her feet, the two girls hugged. "I'm proud of you," said Nick. After putting her duvet back on her bed, Nick asked Molly: "Do you wanna get in with me?"
Molly couldn't explain it, but despite the borderline abuse she'd just been through, in that moment she felt closer to Nick than she ever had before. She felt like Nick had taught her something important and that maybe their understanding would be deeper than ever now. Instead of feeling annoyed and affronted like she normally did after incidents like this, this time Molly felt calm about it. And if Molly was being honest, part of her had enjoyed what just happened to her.
While Nick had felt exhilarated by the undiluted power rush she'd just experienced, Molly had - in turn - felt exhilarated by being forced into submission like that. With Nick's strong legs trapping her down there, once she'd got over the initial annoyance and realised there was indeed nothing she could do - even if she tried - Molly had actually felt secure and safe in that position.
Knowing how strong Nick was (well, now she knew), and having seen that Nick didn't beat her up even when she had the chance to do so, bizarrely made her feel quite safe around Nick. All that was running through Molly's head as she whipped off her scrunchie and left it over on her own bedside table, letting her shiny shoulder-length brown hair hang loose once again. After she slipped into Nick's bed, Nick wrapped her arms around Molly's midriff, making the Thompson girl feel very safe and protected. As dawn broke over Portland, the pair drifted off to sleep together, united once again like sisters.
- THE END -