“Listen, I was an asshole.” Nick states as way of greeting.

“Yea, I know.” I’m not going to let him off that easy. The entire night I have had to deal with his eyes boring into my back while I danced with Elizabeth and Brodie. He made me feel even more self conscious that I normally do and I hated that he had that effect on me. It is all Elizabeth’s fault. If she hadn’t put these crazy thoughts into my head about Nick and I, I could have ignored the looks. 

“I just care about you, and I don’t want to see you hurt. I know how much Marcus and them get to you.”

“Nick, I appreciate what you are trying to do, but do you seriously think that I would slip my panties off after a guy says a few sweet words to me? In case you haven’t heard, I’m the Mother Teresa Tease, not some hoebag that gets with every man in a mile radius.” I think that is what has upset me the most through out this whole night, the fact that Nick insinuated that I would fall into bed with Brodie just because he said he liked my name.

“I know that, I just got carried away. I’m not used to seeing this Zooey. It got me freaked out.”

“Why would it freak you out, Nick? Because I look like the girls that get you to take off your boxers with just a glancing look?” I mean wasn’t I allowed to change and grow? Was I suppose to stay invisible or an outcast my entire life?

“Now isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black?” Nick asks, sounding slightly hurt. 

“Whatever Kettle, if it’s true than you can’t get offended. It’s fine that you are a manwhore, that’s your thing. But, you don’t see me coming up to you and saying that the bimbo you are talking to looks like she has VD.” I knew Nick, long before I actually knew him. His reputation was one of legend on campus, which is one reason he was one of the pretty people. Who have to be talked about to join that crowd, and everyone talks about Nick.

“Well what if I told you I was over my manwhoring ways, as you so eloquently put them. What would you say to that?” 

“I’d ask you what drugs you were on and who your drug dealer was so I could go kick his ass.” I state, because seriously, Nick in a monogamous relationship is like saying I’m the next Queen of England. You can say it, it just doesn’t make it true.

“I’m serious. I’ve had enough of the bouncing around, sure it was fun, but I’m ready.” Nick says, looking at me with eyes that are pleading me to believe him. Unfortunately, I can’t.

“Whatever Nick, I’ll believe that one when I actually see you saying ‘I do’ to this lucky lady.” With that said, Nick gives me a look and turns around and stalks off. I can’t believe he could be mad at me for not believing that he wants to be in a relationship. And where did this come from? There most be something in the alcohol. First Elizabeth and now Nick. 

A little later that night, as the party was winding down, Brodie and I started making our way to the door. At this point I hadn’t seen Nick all night since he got his boxers in a bunch and Elizabeth was off doing who knows what, probably plotting something against me with Alex’s help.

“So, do you have a ride home?” Brodie asks while weaving a hand through his hair.

“Yea, I’m her ride,” Nick states. Just like that. I’m her ride, if I wasn’t as tipsy as I was at the moment, I probably would have said something stupid; however, Elizabeth beat me to it.

“Yea, Nickers here is her ride. You know, ‘ride’?” Elizabeth says while hanging onto Alex’s arm and laughing hysterically.

“Sorry Brodie, Nick’s gonna give me a ride home, he was suppose to drive us here but we got held up and took a cab.” I was trying to take some of the tension out of the air that Elizabeth’s stupid comment made. I don’t know what Nick’s problem was, it wasn’t like Elizabeth was serious. Besides, I think at this point she might have been really drunk. 

“I’m catching a ride with Alex. We’re gonna go grab something to eat, I’m starving.” Elizabeth says, still hanging onto Alex. 

“Well, then it’s settled,” Nick says, and starts leading me out the front door. 

“Hey, wait up,” Brodie calls to me, just as I’m about to get into Nick’s car.

“Would it be alright, you know, if you wanted, if I could get your number?” Brodie asks, sounding so insecure, the only thing I can think of doing at that moment is giving him my number to make him feel better.

“Yea, it’s,” and at the moment Nick decides to honk the horn and yell at me to get into the car.

“I’ll see you around Brodie.” And with that, I get into Nick’s car and he speeds off down the road. 

I don’t know if it was the alcohol, or the fact that I was still pissed about how Nick has acted all night, I couldn’t stand the awkward silence and decided to fill it with yelling.

“What the hell was that?”

“What the hell was what? You were taking forever and I need to piss,” Nick says while staring out the windshield. He doesn’t even have the courtesy to look at me while he speaks which only makes me angrier. 

“You knew Brodie was out there, that I just wasn’t taking my sweet ass time, what the hell is your problem? I thought we had moved past the whole Brodie just wants in your panties thing?”

“I just can’t believe after all that I have told you about him you were still going to give him your number. He doesn’t just want to be your friend Zooey, no man does, I thought you would have learned that by now.” I can see that he is gripping the steering wheel harder and harder as the seconds tick by, and I don’t understand why he is so mad over a number. 

“Why can’t Brodie and I be friends? We’re friends, aren’t we? And you’re a man. Weren’t you the one that said that Elizabeth and I should get out more, enjoy life, and once I actually start to get one you get mad. It doesn’t work like that Nick.” And with that I turn around and stare out the window. I’m so upset with him that I don’t notice us slowing down until Nick has stopped the car on the side of the road.

As I turn to look at him to see why he stopped, he says something that changes everything.

“No, Zooey. I don’t want to be your friend.”