Chapter 5 I Don’t Care If A Fish Eats It

****Nick’s Point Of View******

The music started and Kalie and her team rushed onto the floor in synchronized steps. I sat at the edge of my seat between Chris and Kyle. I watched intensely and nervously.  

The girls wore a very cute peach colored two piece outfit and the boys matched them with black slacks and the same colored shirts. They even had their hair styled the same way; the girls pulled their hair back in curled ponytails that bounced with each step they took and the guys wore their hair slicked back. The dancers all pretty much looked the same expect for Kalie. She was the only one who stood out to me. She was the shortest one, even in heels, in her 5’4 frame. The other girls pretty much dwarfed her at six foot or over. Her little body packed so much energy though and it looked like she never hurt her ankle. I still watched her intensely at the edge of my seat ready to run to her aid if she needed me.

I was put into this trance as I watched her body twist and turn as she performed the cute cha-cha routine. I never noticed she had abs before and how defined they were. I pulled my eyes away from her torso and focused on her face. She was smiling the brightest smile and looked like she didn’t have a care in the world as she danced with her twin. This was what she loved to do and this was her comfort zone and her wide, shinning smile showed that. I smiled as I watched her. It seemed like she forgot all about what happened a few hours prior.

I was amazed at how synced the entire team was. Each step was placed perfectly and they all wore these bright confident smiles.

“Now this is a team!” I thought to myself. “BSB should work more on being this in step.”

They all stopped on the right time too unlike the other teams. To me Kalie’s team seemed much more practiced and ready for the competition then all the others.      

Her family and friends all stood up and clapped, yelled, whistled and screamed for Kalie and Kyle. They turned toward us and blew kisses in our direction. I screamed, “You go Kalie!” and whistled. She laughed and started to blush.

“So you’re still crushing on her huh?” Chris asked as I watched the team walk off the dance floor.

“What?”

“You heard me. Don’t play dumb with me Carter. I know you like Kalie, I mean like Kalie. We all know dude. We figured it out at her sweet 16.”

I acted quickly and played dumb, “I don’t know what you’re talking about dude. I’m just glad she did such an awesome job out there.”

“Oh come on Nick we are all proud of her but… you like her, you want her.”

“Shove off man, she’s my friend. Nothing more,” I lightly shoved him and said in my head hopefully, “Yet.”

We met up with the team after they changed and congratulated them on their first dance they preformed perfectly.

“Kalie that was awesome!”

“Thanks Nick. But you haven’t seen the half of it yet.”

“How’s your ankle?”

“It hurts a little bit but I’ll be ok to walk.”

“No you’re not. I’m carrying you to the car and back into the house when we get home,” I grabbed her waist with one arm and with the other lifted her feet off the ground. She looked at me with one of her eye brows raised and a hard look in her eyes.

“If you’re going to carry me Nick, give me a piggy back ride. I’m more comfortable like that.”

“Ok,” I put her down and leaned over so she could hop on my back. I started carrying her to my car and commented, “Are you feeling ok? You didn’t argue when I said I was carrying you.”

“I’ve just decided that too many guys have fought with me about walking on my own that if they offer to carry me I’ll just let them. I’m tired of fighting over it. You just have to promise that you’ll let me walk on my own when the competition is over.”

“I promise.”

“Wait Kaos…”

“Yes?”

“Did you say when we get home?”

“Yeah. I wanted to ask you if I could sleep over tonight. Oh and I’m supposed to ask for the rest of us too.”

“Sure you can all stay over tonight. I just have to figure out where you guys are going to sleep. I only have two guest rooms.”

“Well you do have the living room full of couches and the fully finished basement Kayl.”

“Oh yeah I forgot about those rooms.” We both chuckled as I set her down and opened the car door for her.

I decided to take the long way home for some reason. Maybe I just wanted to have Kalie for myself for a little while. It was just the two of us in my car and I was glad it was only the two of us because I had a feeling I wasn’t going to get some time with her alone with everything going on.

I took the road that led to the harbor where my family kept our boat and Kalie spoke up, “Can we go to the harbor?”

“Sure. Why do you wanna go there?”

“I need to take care of something.”

“Ok.”

I turned into the harbor and parked as close as possible to where my boat was docked.

“Where do you want to go?” I asked as I helped Kalie get out of the car.

“To the end of the pier if you don’t mind. I just want to sit there for a minute.”

I gave her another piggy back ride to the end of the pier and we sat with our feet dangling off the edge. It was low tide so we didn’t have to worry about getting our feet wet.

“So…” I started to say, “Why did you want to come here?”

She pulled something out of her sweat pants pocket and replied, “I didn’t know what to do with this until you turned onto that road.”

I glanced at the thing she held in her palm. It was the promise ring Dylan gave her. “Can I see that for a second?”

“Go right ahead.”

I looked closely at the ring. I rolled my eyes when I saw the missing stone and gap in the silver colored band. I guess it chipped off when he knocked her to the floor. I guess that proved that to some people promises were meant to be broken.

“What are you going to do with it?”

“This…” she took the ring from me and said as she held it in front of her face, “Good bye Dylan, your ring is broken and so is your promise. And like your ring I’ll never see you again.” With that she chucked the ring into the calm water. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders and brought her into my chest just in case she was ready to cry. She didn’t. I guess the ring was at the harbor bottom already because she was over Dylan.

*****Kalie’s Point Of View*****       

I felt relieved to get rid of that ring and Dylan. For all I cared the ring could have been swallowed by a fish that could have possibly found its way onto Dylan’s dinner plate. I pictured him taking a bite of the fish and choking on the ring. A fantasy out of pure anger and hate I know but a girl can fantasize can’t she?

“You ok hun?”

“I’m a lot better now. The ring and him are gone.”

Nick held me close for a little while and rubbed his hand comfortingly up and down my arm. I guess he was expecting me to cry but I already did enough of that earlier.

There was no wonder why Nick was my best friend, he was being so supportive and comforting by just being there for me. I was so lucky he was there.

“Let’s go home. I’m friggin’ bushed and knowing the way my brothers drive, everyone is probably home already,” I said to him gently pulling out of his hold.

I was right. Everyone who was going to sleep over were already at my house by the time Nick carried me in and up to my room.

“Kay what are we doing for sleeping arrangements?” Crystal asked.

“Well Tally, my grandparents are staying over as well as my parents and the boys. My parents and grandparents are taking the guest rooms. The boys could take either the living room or basement and you girls could take whatever they don’t take.”

“Oh.”

“Oh what?” I asked my best friend.

“Mich and I were wondering if we could sleep in your room with you like we used to do.”

“You two need to talk to me don’t you?”

“You know us way too well Kay.”

“Alright you can sleep with me.”

“Thanks Kayl. I’ll go get my things from my car and tell Mich we’re sleeping together.”

After we all changed into our pjs, Crystal and Michelle sandwiched me into my own bed. We snuggled under my comforters together like we used to do when we were little and turned out the lights.

“Why did you and Nick get home so late tonight hun?” Michelle asked.

“Well Mich,” I sighed. “I had to get rid of something.”

“What did you have to get rid of?”

“Dylan’s broken promise ring.”

“Where’d you put it?” asked Crystal shocked.

“I threw it into the harbor where Nick keeps the boat.”

“Alright!” exclaimed Crystal.

“That’s my girl!” cried Michelle as she gave me a high five.

“How do you feel about getting rid of it?” Crystal asked.

“To tell you the truth Tally, I’m relieved. Both the ring and that asshole are gone now never to be seen again.”

“What was Nick’s reaction?” Michelle questioned.

“He held me like I was going to cry but I didn’t.”

“You didn’t cry? So… that means you’re over him already?” Crystal asked me.

“Yeah Tally. Once I knew the ring was gone Dylan vanished from my memory for a bleak instant. I mean I’ll always remember him but only because I learned from him.”

“Are you sure you’re ok?” Michelle hugged me.

I hugged her back and answered, “I’m sure I’m sure. Dylan and I are over. Besides, Nick was there to comfort me. He’s the friggin best and you have no idea how happy I am that he’s home.”

“The three of us are happy he’s home. And I’m glad he was there for you because Mich and I weren’t,” Crystal took her turn to hug me.

“He’s been really protective and,” Michelle used her hands for a quoting motion, “hands on with you lately hasn’t he?”

“What do you mean by hands on?”

“Well Tally and I have noticed that he was been hugging you and reaching for you a lot lately.”

“Really Mich?”

“Really Kay.”

“I’ve also seen how happy you too have been around each other,” Crystal commented.

“Well of course we would be happy around each other because we have missed each other so much.”

“But Kalie…” Michelle spoke up, “I have never seen his face glow like it did when he introduced you to the rest of BSB and I have never seen someone watch you dance so intensely like he did tonight. It was like he was in a trance Kayl.”

“Really?”

My best friends nodded their heads.

“We both really think he’s crushing on you Kay,” Crystal shrugged her shoulders.

“Seriously?! It can’t be! He’s my best friend! It’s like we’re brother and sister. He can’t be crushing on me.”

Michelle and Crystal looked at each other and Crystal said, “Are you being defensive because possibly you’re crushing on him too?”

I looked at her with wide, shocked eyes, “Crushing on Nick would be like crushing on Kasey or Kyle!”

“Ok Kay. We’ll just wait and see. Maybe you’ll change your mind,” Michelle said calmly.

“Let’s just drop this subject and go to sleep. I have a long day ahead of me with two dances to do.”

“Ok Kalie. Good night,” Crystal replied.

“Night Kalie,” Michelle said.

“Good night my girlies.”

As I drifted off to sleep I couldn’t help but think about Nick and how he was acting around me lately. Looking back on it I couldn’t help but think that maybe he was crushing on me a little bit. As I thought back to the song he sang to me after Dylan beat me I felt a flood of warmth inside my chest when I remembered the smile he flashed at me. Was Michelle and Crystal right? Was I starting to crush on Nick?