" So when did you meet Jericho exactly?" I asked, popping an m&m into my mouth.

Nick shrugged, a strand of his hair falling from beneath the hold of his beanie. His fingers mindlessly drummed against the worn leather of the car wheel, generating a beat to a song I couldn't hear, " I don't know. we've known each other forever, really."

" He's your best friend then." I mumbled, chewing another candy while looking out the window.

" yeah. Sometimes." He replied, an amused smile playing his lips.

taking the small brown packet into my hand, I brought it to my lips and tilted my head back, pooring a small collections of m&ms into my mouth. While they rolled on my tongue, I thought about the time Jericho had blatantly cheated on his girlfriend. Starting to chew, I thought about the time he drove to california for my grandmother's funeral. My eyebrows drew together, " he confuses me, to be honest."

Nick flicked his gaze to the left as a car started to drift towards the center of the road, then back to the right. Finding an opening, he passed it, " he's a confusing guy I guess. Jericho has his own way of dealing with things and he's been through a lot."

" Fair enough." I replied, tossing the empty m&m bag towards the trashcan - and missing. Then, turning my body towards Nick, I asked, " How long till we're there?"

He sighed, " another hour or so?" He made a face that said he wasn't sure.

Resting my feet on the dashboard, I popped my fingers, " yeah, alright. I spy?"

Chuckling, he said, " I spy something...... long."

" dammit Arson, if it's your dick-"

" no no. not this time, anyway." He shot me a cheesy, award-winning smile.

Rolling my eyes, I looked out at the scenery in front of us, " Uh.... the road?"

" well that was quick?"

" Can you see any other long things right now?"

He smiled, childish as usual, " This is where my dick comes into play."

Hitting my head back against the headrest, I groaned, " I walked right into that one."

Nick chuckled to himself, flicking on his left blinker to hit an off ramp. Memory told me that Jericho lived in a fancy little cabin house, one that sat right along a salty lake and found itself in the middle of a cluster of trees. I couldn't really remember the colors, or anything too detailed; it was dark and party lights were practically consuming the house.

It was quiet for about ten minutes before I asked, " are we there yet?"

" not yet." Nick said, frowning.

Another two minutes.

" are we there yet?" I tapped my toes together, playing with the tips of my hair.

" Not yet, Angel." He said, his thumb rubbing the wheel.

Three minutes.

" Are we there yet?"

He groaned, " no, Angel, not yet."

I gave him the benefit of the doubt, waiting a full five minutes before asking, " How about now? are we there yet?"

He eased his foot on the break, " yeah. I'll just pull over and you can get out and walk. Call me when you get tired." He flashed a faux darling grin.

I glared at him until he brought the van up to speed again. Then I asked, " are we there yet?"

Nick turned the radio all the way up. The beat bounced the walls of the van and rumbled in my eardrums. naturally the centre of my body swayed slightly to the sound. Nick patted along with the rifts, his fingertips playing the leather wheel like a piano.

After the song died out, Nick dialed the sound knob back to nearly zero and sighed, his whole stature completely relaxed. I smiled to myself, without a real reason. Then I frowned.

There it was again, like my stomach started to get goosebumps and my heart constricted once. Pulling one leg up, I wrapped my arms around my shin and set my head on my knee, trying to control the uncomfortable feeling brewing in my tummy.

Nick, being the wonderfully timed soul he is, suddenly sat straight up and looked at me, paying absolutely no mind to the road, " Holy shit Angel. The brain named itself. The brain named itself. Like, just up and said, ' I'm a brain, bitch'. How in the wo-"

" Nick the road!" I reached over and jerked us back onto the pavement and away from the ditch. letting out a breath of relief, I said, " yes, Arson, the brain named itself. Your point?"

" I just think that's amazing."

Taking the opportunity, " does it blow your mind?"

" and it came up with it's own synonym too: mind! That's insane." He looked completely in awe, like he had never once realized that. Then I realized he probably never had. This was a whole reveal for him - he was acting like a three year old about it.

I just stared at him, waiting for his whole epiphany to fade. When he cast me a quick look, I did the slow blink; the most effective way to tell someone how completely disappointed/unamused/unimpressed you are with their overall exitance.

Frowning, he said, " hey, leave me alone."

Shaking my head, I looked away from him and back to the window. Jericho's house was less than thirty minutes away, reminding me of that time Nick sat next to me along the shore of the lake, instead of being inside the house and partying with his life long friend. Then my stomach turned again.

" jesus." I said, with a frown, " do you have any tums?"

" I got Rolaids in the glove box." He said, leaning over to open the drawer in front of me. He continued to hand me one of the small minty tabs, which I popped into my mouth. It didn't really help. That was a shame, considering they were one of the best stomach pills you could by off the shelf.

As soon as the Rolaid had dissolved, I saw Jericho's house. It was actually kind of serene: The roof and walls covered by the kaleidoscope shadows of the trees, the surface of the lake licking at the air like a lovesick puppy, the giant whole recently dug in the front yard.

I did a double take, " um, what?" It looked like he was burying a body, the hole was that big. No, bigger, like he was burying big foot. turning my glance towards Nick, I asked, " what's that?"

" A new project?" He said, raising a brow and looking nearly as confused as I was.

He pulled into the driveway and we hopped out, My eyes focused on the hole with every step I took towards the door. Jericho pulled it opened before we were even then, and practically crashed into Nick, " Nicky! I have so much to tell you! and don't mind the hole that's just a no inovative project I'm starting to-" He made air quotes,"- better my life and improve the track of my life style'. basically, I'm making a pool."

Arson grinned, " nice! How big?"

The other boy draped one arm around Nick's shoulders, steering him to look at his project, " that, times thirty-five plus. It sounds crazy, but I strive to have the biggest pool in america!"

" mhm. Yeah, sure... and are you making this all by yourself?" Nick asked, biting his lip to keep from laughing.

Jericho nodded, " of course! what kind of person would I be if I asked for help?"

" A smart one?" I muttered, under my breath.

Nick patted his shoulder, " Yeah man, good luck."

" Thanks!" Jericho replied, giving him a cheesy grin.

Arson headed inside, dropped the small bag he had prepared for the night onto the couch. Jerry turned to me, and bowed like a gentlman, " Pretty girl." He opened the door, " and how is Nick's Angel?" He asked, leading me through the door.

Instead of bickering with him, I just said, " i'm fine, thank you."

He looked shocked, " Nick! I think you broke her!"

The batman beanie wearing boy called from a nearby hallway, " I didn't break her, Jericho."

" if you say so." Jericho mumbled, giving me an icredulous look, " So then.... You and Nicky are a.. thing?"

" Friends, Jerry, we're friends."

" you don't hate him."

I shook my head, my eyebrows drawing together, " um, no?"

He let out a short huff of a laugh, " oh my god, I never though I'd see the day."

" sometimes I feel like i've known you for too long." I replied, gently placing my bag on his couch before finding the kitchen.

While I prepared myself a glass of water, Jericho leaned against the counter, " There's only one guest bedroom, so unless one of you sleep on the couch, you'll have to share a room."

" that's fine." I said, flipping on the faucet to fill my cup.

" really?" Jericho groaned, " Nick! I really think something's wrong with her!"

Nick appeared in the doorway, a passive expression caressing his features, " Jericho, i'm serious. She's fine. Why? what did she do?"

" she's okay with sharing a room with you." Jericho said, " She didn't say anything like, ' that bitch gotta sleep on the couch', or ' that hoe's sleeping outside'. What did you do to her?"

My cheeks flushed hot when Jericho said I was fine with cuddling Nick. In reality, I was, but it wasn't just something you stated. I was dying of my own personal ebola, an uncanny flip taking place by my stomach. Taking a sip of my water, I tried to cool my cheeks.

Nick looked from me, to Jericho, to me, to Jericho, " what else?"

" I asked her how Nick's Angel was, and all she said was 'fine, thankyou'. Like whoa... and she didn't make any snappy remarks. Not even one." This was really blowing Jericho's mind.

Nick looked from me, to Jericho, to me, to Jericho, " What else?"

" she said she didn't hate you."

From me, to Jericho, to me, to Jericho, " Anything else?"

" um, not that I can recall?" Jericho said, tapping his index finger on his chin.

nick's expression went slack, " oh my god. Jericho I broke her!" He grabbed the other boy's features, " quick, get some duck tape! We can still make this right!"

Jericho nodded, then frowned, " you're teasing me."

A cheesy smile, one I had grown kind of fond of, " yeah, I am."

Jerry pushed Nick, who chuckled to himself. I rolled my eyes, downed my water, and asked, " do you have any tea?"

" This is a man's house, i don't have any tea." Jericho said, frowning at me.

" top left cabinet in the small pink bin." Nick said, before taking a bite out of a pear.

I smiled, " thank you."

Turning, I found the top left cabinet and the small pink bin, choosing a tea that would best relax myself. Jericho and Nick found it in themselves to bicker and push each other like boys do. At one point Jericho stole Nick's beanie, which sent Nick into a speech about all the way he would torture that second boy if said beanie was in any way harmed. It was cute, really.

Taking a small sip of my freshly made iced tea, I asked, " are you two going to screw each other now? because you're getting dangerously close."

They both stared at me, jaws slightly agap. " works everytime." I said, a small triumpant smile on my lips as I took a second drink.

Nick took a subconscious step away from Jericho, who did the same. The awkward silence that fell between them was broke when Jericho said, " Not cool, Beautiful, not cool."

I shrugged.

With a small sigh, Nick said, " hey Jerry, I'm gonna go take a walk around the place, see if I can find any place you can expand your pool."

It was honestly cute how Nick teased Jericho, who seemed oblivious to half of it, " Alright man, don't trip."

Arson grabbed his jacket before heading out, shrugging it on as he shut the door. Then I looked at Jericho, " so, how are you?"

" Top dollar. Yourself?" He asked.

I shrugged, " about as good as I can be."

" Good deal." He smiled, " want to go sit on the back porch and see if we can find a whale?"

" do you really think there are whales in that lake?"

" no." He smiled, " but it's always fun to pretend."

So we did. we each grabbed on lawn chair and sat on the porch, Jericho lighting himself a cigarette, myself sipping at my iced tea.

" so, " he said, blowing a steam of smoke in the opposing direction, " you and Nicky, aye?"

I sighed, crossing my legs, " what about it? We're just friends Jer, nothing more."

His eyebrows pulled together, " I know, it's just.... He looks at you differently, ya know?"

" what do you mean?"

Jericho shook his head, " don't worry about it."

" tell me." I pushed, curiosity nipping at my mind.

" Nick," he took another puff, " isn't about the relationship stuff. Hell, the way I knew him, he wouldn't have ever considered a long-term relationship."

I small, single laugh breezed past my lips, " I don't think I understand."

Jericho suddenly closed off, " dammit."

" what?" I asked, eyebrows knitting together in confusion.

He sighed, low and long, smoke mingling with his breath, " look, if I tell you these things you can't tell Nicholas. He isn't the same guy anymore and it would kill him to lose you."

" yeah okay, it'll stay between us. Now what did Nick do." I urged, shifting in my seat anxiously.

He leaned closer, moving his cigarette to the ash tray on the other side of him, " okay so after his parents passed, he was pissed. I mean, yeah he was torn but mostly he was angry at everyone. So, he started to party with me. Now I know you're gonna accuse me of being a bad friend but fuck that because it was hard on me too. Anyways, I guess that's where he got all his skills."

" skills?" I asked, arching my eyebrows.

He smirked, " yeah. Alcohol tolerance, apparently a good kisser, in bed-"

" stop there!"

" kidding. He wasn't really a manwhore." Jericho teased. Falling serious once more, he continued, " anyways, as it all went on it started to wear on him. At this point, he was practically against love. And even more so, the depression part started to set in. He lost all motive for awhile there. Just kind of quit on me. I did everything I could, you know. He's like a brother to me." He paused, as if lost in memory, before continuing, " then one day he dropped the bomb. Flat out, he said he was moving. Honestly, babe, he was a seventeen year old kid and he was moving? But that's what he wanted. He packed up his shit and went all the way to New York. Long story short, you were his neighbor and when I see him show up with you at my house, I'm alarmed. Hell Carter, I never thought I'd see him care about someone in that 'way' again."

" oh wow..." I said, sitting back in my chair, " I mean that much to him?"

" and you must like him back." Jericho replied, taking a drag.

I scoffed, " oh please."

" are you kidding me? I just told you his story and you aren't mad or confused or unnerved. You're just worried about hurting him because of how much you mean to him. You like him back." Jerry smiled like a fool, which he was.

I shook my head but before I could respond, Nick's rich voice sounded from the front yard, " Jericho I'm going to kick you ass so hard when I get out of this hole!"

Standing up rapidly, we rushed around the house to find him. What a sight he was, standing in a giant hole that went over his head. I had to brace myself on Jerry's shoulder to keep from collapsing. The tall idiot said, " oiy! How'd you get down there!"

Nick's eyebrows were drawn together, " Does it matter? Give me a hand."

Stepping foreward and crouching, Jericho reached a hand down to Nick, who locked their palms and stepped up on the wall. After successfully, but barely, getting him out of the pool hole, Jericho straightened Nick's beanie and said, " You should hope my hole's okay. If it has even one crumble, I'm coming for you."

Rolling his eyes, Nick said, " please, grow up Jericho; it's dirt."

" Special dirt." Jerry replied, lifting his chin defiantly.

Instead of fighting the other boy, Nick simply walked away. I supposed he thought he wouldn't win that battle no matter how hard he tried. Looking at me, he smiled slightly, " good talk with Jericho?"

" He's certainly one of a kind." I replied, then added, " we found a whale in the lake by the way, we can go look again if you want to see it."

" A whale." Nick deadpanned.

Jericho patted his shoulder, " Yep." Draping his arm across the other boy's shoulder's, he added, " It was huge. Mobey Dick on crack."

Another battle Nick decided to let go. I, on the other hand, had a different idea, " Mobey dick? More like jesus. I swear I have never seen a whale so big. You know, I'm not even sure it was a whale."

" It had to be a whale." Jericho relayed, narrowing his eyes.

Crossing my arms, I replied, " It could be the locness monster."

jericho's face fell in awe, " oh my god you're right. Shit, I might have to move."

" or catch it." Nick replied, defeated. We'd finally broke him; he was playing along.

Suddenly, Jericho groaned, " I need food. Inside. now." He looked at me, " Sweet cheeks, how good of a cook are ya?"

" Ew no, I can't cook to save my life." Then I looked at Nick, a light smile brushing my lips, " But you can."

Jericho looked confused, " he can cook?"

" like a pro." Nick replied, ruffling my hair.

" hey!" I snapped.

He chuckled, until I poked him in his side. After that, Jericho yelled, " well then.... tag it is!"

I tagged Nick, who stood shocked at first, before running afer Jericho. Talking this time to hide, I bolted into the house and behind the island in the kitchen. I could hear Jericho run into the house yelling, " you will never catch me!" before running out the back door.

Nick was hot on his heels though. Before he was fulling outside, the boy in the batman beanie tagged him. Then, spinning on his heels, Arson ducked behind the counter with me. Eyebrows knitting together, he said, " Angel?"

and I cursed, " Arson, you idiot!" Before leaping up from behind the counter and out the front door, where I knew Jericho would soon find me.

And I wasn't wrong. He was calling my name, pumping his arms and pushing his legs as hard as they would go. Being as tall as he was, he had a small advantage. But being as small as I was, so did I.

Taking a sharp left, I banked for the grove of trees, quickly maneuvering around the tangled branches. Bark scraped against bark while Jericho ducked in after me. Long limbs catching on twigs, he had quite the time trying to find me in the catacomb of trees.

The only real problem I had was my hair. It consistently found ways to loop itself around the smaller branches sticking out at me. I think my blond head was the only reason Jericho even caught me.

Once out of the trees, Jericho's fingers just barely brushed my shoulder. Never the less, I took the tag and snuck towards his house.

On my way, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and checked my texts: one from Gavin, two from Nora, and a whopping six from Chasity. Having friends was both nice and horrible, the whole situation being all new to me.

Quietly, I tiptoed inside. Anticipation bit at the walls of my stomach while the organ did a little flip. I gently set my phone on the counter, and as silently as possible, I leaped around the island to tag Nick.

Except he wasn't there.

Drawing my eyebrows together, I nearly screamed when two arms captured me and hoisted me up into a shoulder. I gasped, strands of hair finding their way to my face, " Nicholas Dean Arson put me down!"

Even if I was trying to sound angry, a giggle bubbled up from my voice box and I found myself completely amused my the irony of the situation, " your it."