Chapter 10

Nick POV

"Hi," I say awkwardly juggling the multiple things in my hands, trying not to collapse or drop these into an embarrassing mess.

"Hi...oh I'll help you with that" Adien said taking a lot. "Wow you bought loads, let me get glasses and some bowls" he spoke after hurling the food onto the counter.

"So we have popcorn caramelized and salted, I didn't know what you liked, Skittles, Twix, some Doritos, Hershey chocolate, Nerds, rocky road, pigs in a blanket, Fanta, and coke vanilla. And some Ben and Jerrys cookie dough. I hope that's enough I'll go buy some more things if you want" I ask feeling nervous.

"No, this is more than enough, I'll order some dominos pizza," he said grabbing the phone from the stand.

"Oh and my....mum makes the most amazing s'mores, they have grated vanilla and cinnamon wedged between two chocolate crackers, I also bought the cream," I say proudly referring to Sally, who technically is my guardian and surrogate mother figure.

"Great! What Pizza and toppings do you want?" He asks before dialling, we order our pizza adding all the best toppings and some sides, God we're gonna get fat, before going into rooms and grabbing every comfortable object and making a fortress in Adien's bedroom. The bed became a throne fit for an emperor.

*ding*

The door bell sounds cheerfully alerting us that the pizza man is here. I don't think I've ever been so happy to open a door. I get the pizzas resisting the temptation to devour the whole thing, it is so much harder than I thought it would be. It must be nice being a pizza deliverer, everyone is always happy when you knock on the door

"Okay so I have 4 movies, 21 jump street, 22 jump street, Warm bodies and last but not least definitely my favourite My sister's keeper," I say bringing out the DVDs. "Have you watched any of these?"

"Yes, warm bodies. I loved the movie, I especially like R. I haven't watched the other three though," He says blushing slightly, looking really embarrassed and trying to hide it from me but failing. "I basically live under a rock, the only time I have a movie night is on a Friday after school, but I haven't had one for a while with my mum's work distracting her,"

"Doesn't matter you can have a movie night with me any day, I'm not exactly a social butterfly outside the school. Anyways, let's start with 21 jump street, do you mind if I use the toilet?"

"Sure, it's there," he says pointing in the direction towards the bathroom. I rush in not even needing the toilet, I fix my hair combing it through with my hands and breathing through my nerves. I don't even know why I'm making an effort. I've only been here slightly over an hour and I'm already frustrated.

I need to get my priorities straight!

**********************

"I can't believe he shot his dick off in the first movie, then in the second that scene in the prison was hilarious." he laughed rolling uncontrollably before landing on the floor with a massive thud and continuing to roll on the floor like a lunatic. Only making us laugh harder.

"Omg are you okay?" I cried...tears running down my face as I struggled to catch my breath. We laughed so hard and so long it got to the point where our laughs became soundless. I'm pretty sure I started to sound like a Windex cleaner bottle. Attractive, I know.

"Stop!" Adien exclaimed breathlessly, clutching his stomach before continuing "Stop my tummy hurts"

"Okay, okay... it's 11:38," We spend so much time pausing the movies and laughing that time flew by. "We need to finish, the last one is My sister's keeper. Beware it will make you cry, I don't actually know why I'm showing you this movie, it's my favourite."

*knock knock*

Came the door.

"Come in," Adien spoke. Before a pretty, short, young-ish woman with blond hair can in, looking exhausted.

"Hey, I hope you guys are having fun, do you need anything?" She asked smiling enthusiastically, her bright eyes not matching her exhaustion.

"No...Nick?" Adien asked me before looking back at his mother after I shook my head.

"Well then, I'm going to go to bed, don't make too much noise," she smiled faking her sternness. "Goodnight you two."

As she spoke she came over to us, kissing Adien on the forehead before kissing me on my forehead. The gesture surprising me. Suddenly a sting of tears threatens to spill. I miss my mother.

We sit in silence as we watch the movie, I try to distract myself from the bad memories. Thankfully it works and before I know it we're both lost in the movie, unable to take our eyes off of the television.

The movie becomes sadder as it gets to the end and a thick layer of emotion is filling the air. It doesn't matter how many times I watch this, I always cry and for some unknown reason, I don't feel embarrassed about crying in front of Adien. It definitely doesn't have anything to do with the fact that he's crying himself. I haven't cried in front of anyone in years.

Eventually, the movie ended, it was a long and painful silence that was only filled with quiet sobbing. I know it sounds cliché. I wipe my tears sitting up slightly and stealing a glance at Adien who just took a deep, shaky breath, like a scared child.

"Well that was...depressing," He laughed closing his eyes and sitting up level with me.

"I know...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have shown you that movie, it's completely ruined the night." I say sheepishly feeling bad, looking at my hands.

"No, not at all, I haven't cried in so long it actually felt good to let some of the hate, pain, and sadness from these old bones" he laughed tapping his knees lifting my spirits "So, thank you"

I look at his sleepy eyes and resist the temptation to wipe the still flowing tears from his cheeks. Even though he is laughing and smiling I could see the pain behind every word. I look around trying to find tissues, finally locating them and wiping his eyes before I can stop myself.

Fuck.

"Thanks," He smiles sheepishly blushing. It's quiet for a while, just us looking into each other eyes, we don't look away and for a while, it's just me and him. He starts leaning forward...I feel his breath fanning my face...

Holy shit, what the hell am I doing?

I jump up shaking the bed and landing with a thump on the ground. It hurt but I recover quickly not caring about the pain, it's better to concentrate on the pain that what we almost did.

"Let's go to sleep," I mutter not able to look or make eye contact with him.

"Okay," He whispers reluctantly barley audible, switching off the Television. Then walking out of the room to the direction of what I recall as the bathroom. I close my eyes replaying the last scene, not knowing what to think. I like girls.

"Here you go," He spoke handing me a warm glass of milk before stepping out of the room and coming back with a mattress and some blankets.

"Looks comfortable," I broke the silence trying to regain the good energy into the room.

"That's good, but you're not sleeping in it; you're sleeping in my bed and I'm sleeping on the mattress." Already the tension is a lot better, lighter and more carefree even.

"I can't do that" I rushed trying to make him see sense.

"Nonsense, you're sleeping in my bed no matter what you say" He argued stubbornly reminding me of my mother...we argue for a while and I win finally convincing him that I would rather sleep on the mattress.

"Are you absolutely sure, cause if you have second thoughts just-"

"Stop it. I'll be fine" I laugh cutting him off before he could finish. We sit in a somewhat comfortable silence before he gets up and rummages through his draws.

"Do you have some something to wear for the night?" he asks pausing and looking at me for the first time in ages.

"No, I usually just sleep in my boxers"

"Me too, so that's sorted...do you need anything else? Are you hungry?" he asks getting into his blankets, I copy him, getting into my mattress bed, which is surprisingly comfy.

"We just ate for a small nation Im stuffed, all I need is a good sleep now," I answer laying on my side and taking a whiff of the lavender smelling pillow.

"Okay, goodnight." We exchange goodnights, but we both know we aren't getting to sleep anytime soon.

"How do you do it?" He asks suddenly out of nowhere confusing me completely.

"How do you change personalities so quickly one minute you're a popular basketball player that seems completely deprived of emotion and the next you actually a sensitive, funny, shy guy"

"Because a school is a hell hole made up of fake people and sometimes you have to do whatever you can to fit in, even if it means pretending and hiding behind a mask" I answer slightly ashamed of my answer.

I never used to be like this, someone said the older you grow the less you care. He doesn't answer so I guess it disappointed him as well and within minutes his heavy breathing calms me.

Eventually, I sleep.

*******************

"...no stop leave her alone!" I wake to a scared mutter in the night. At first, I think it's a ghost and practically shit myself, but as I look up I can see Adien's lips move in the moonlight.

I frown, trying to figure out what's going on.

"Please, take me instead" he screams moving vigorously on his bed, kicking at the covers "I'll kill you, I'll kill you for what you've done!"

His voice changing from desperation to ferocious hatred. I jump up knowing this could get much worst. A flashback hitting me square remembering the nights I used to have nightmares, nightmares of the crash. I still sometimes do.

"Adien! Adien! Wake up, it's just a nightmare it's not real" I shake him awake, looking at his bewildered eyes and seeing agony screwed into them.

"Nick?" He whispered as if not recognizing me at first.

"It's me" I smile holding his arm " I'm here, whatever the dream was it's not real"

With that he bursts into tears taking enormous gulps.

"Hey, don't worry. Do you want me to get your mum?" I ask panicking. I'm used to the other kids in the foster home crying but that's because they're younger, it different seeing him cry. I've never seen him cry this hard, it's like his world is falling apart, like everything he loves is being ripped away and I don't know what to do.

"No *hiccup* don't get her, she'll only worry *hiccup*" he gasped, as if every word was agony to relay.

"Get some sleep okay" I spoke hugging him awkwardly, his shaking body slowly stiffening. I get down from the bed slowly and gently placing him under the duvet again.

"Nick? I know this is stupid and you can say no and I'll understand but... Please, can you sleep with me?"