"She's holding back a little," Brian said from Nick's couch. "I mean, we had a great time but that was a given. You can't not have fun with Sara."
"What do you think she's holding back?" Nick asked taking a sip from his can of coke.
"I don't know, a part of herself that she probably keeps hidden." Brian leaned back. "She most likely doesn't even realize she does that."
"Maybe you should talk to her," Nick suggested smiling. Brian rarely asked Ncik for advice and when he did, it meant he was really worried.
"No, I think she'll come around on her own, or at least I hope," Brian said. There was a silence and then he decided to change the subject. "So, isn't it sad about Kristen?"
"What?" Nick asked staring at Brian in confusion.
Brian looked even more confused. "Didn't you talk to Kristen? About her dad."
"What about her dad?" Nick asked sounding really worried.
"He had a heart attack, he's in the hospital. He is in the same condition he was when he got there," Brian explained. "How can you not know about this? She called you everyday trying to get a hold of you."
"I was busy," Nick said distractedly.
Brian stared at his friend. He had been busy but too busy to call his girlfriend back? "What is up with you? Nick, what did you do this vacation?"
"Hung out with Marcus and my family," Nick said quickly.
Brian sighed. "Something else happened too, didn't it?"
Nick started to shake his head but then realized he had never been able to lie to Brian before. "Yes."
Brian stood up. "Nick, I'm not going to say it out loud but, c'mon, how?"
Nick chuckled but it wasn't a happy sound. "Believe me, I don't even remember half the night. I was too drunk."
"Holy shit Nick! You are also underage!" Brian yelled staring at him with lots of anger. "Are you trying to be an idiot. Cause you are succeeding."
"I don't know, I was trying to have some fun," Nick said shrugging his shoulders.
"You're not a little kid anymore. You know that getting drunk is stupid, especially when you're as well-known as you are," Brian said closing his eyes and counting to ten. "You have to tell Kristen."
"No way, she'll dump me or something. I like her too much," Nick said shaking his head no.
"She'll be hurt even worse if you don't tell her. I mean, she'll be hurt anyways but tell her. I like Kristen, she's a close friend of Sara's and she deserves to know," Brian said slowly.
Nick was quiet. "She's going to hate me."
"Maybe so, but maybe she won't." Brian changed the subject then and they spent the rest of the afternoon watching ESPN.
"Hey," Sara said after Brian opened the door.
"I thought we were all meeting at one," Brian said confused. He gave her a hug and closed the door after she entered.
"Everyone is, but I wanted to come early. You know...to...to see you," Sara said unsure. That was the truth but what if Brian didn't want to see her. "I can go though. Come back later."
"No," Brian said kissing her. "I like seeing you. Now you can help me set up."
"Oh, is that what I can do," Sara said smiling. She followed him into the kitchen and smiled even bigger. "You are cooking."
"Well did you expect the food to make itself?" Brian asked sarcastically.
"No, I figured you'd order it from a deli or something. But since you are making it, can I stir something?" Sara asked excited.
Brian threw his head back and roared with laughter. "Is that all you can do?"
"Unless you need toast made or sausage, I can't cook," Sara said looking sad.
"Can you pour chips into a big tupperware bowl and stir dip?" Brian asked stifling his laughter.
"Yeah," Sara said. Brian gave her the chips and dip. She carried them out into his backyard and set them on the picnic table. "It's so beautiful here."
"Yeah," Brian said standing next to her. "Wasn't northern Minnesota pretty though? I've heard it looks nice in the fall."
Sara layed her head against his arm. "I guess it can be pretty but I didn't pay much attention to it. Bemidji, Minnesota is not a happy place for me. I never have to go back, which is a happy thing for me."
"Weren't you ever happy there?" he asked feeling bad that she hadn't had as nice a childhood as him.
"Lets get this party started!" AJ yelled making both Sara and Brian jump.
"Did you knock?" Brian asked.
"I did but you couldn't hear it out here. You never should have given me a key to your house."
Brian rolled his eyes. "Tell me something I don't know."
"Sara and I are in love," AJ said pulling Sara to his side.
"What?" Brian looked at them in confusion. Sara stood there staring at AJ as if he had grown 2 heads.
"You said, tell me something I don't know, you didn't know that," AJ said which made Brian groan. "You are an idiot," Brian said heading towards the house.
Soon, Kayla and Dani were there. And then Kevin, Kirsten, Nick and Howie arrived.
"Where's Kristen?" Nick asked Sara.
Sara stared at him. "Ya know, when she needed you, you weren't there. I hope you make it up to her. She'll be here soon." She walekd away and Nick shook his head. He iddn't know how he'd make it up to her.
"Oh, who is she?" AJ asked looking interested.
"Dustin Puffe," Kayla said slowly.
"Her name is Dustin," AJ said looking confused.
"No, Dustin is a he," Kayla said. "He was an old high school crush. We hung out and caught up on eachothers lives."
"Oh," AJ said sotly. "Uh...I'm gonna go talk to Dani for awhile."
Kayla watched as he made hsi way across the yard, he wasn't happy with her but she couldn't help that. He was probably jumping to some stupid conclusion.
"Dani!" AJ yelled interrupting her conversation with Howie. "I need to talk to you." He paused and gave her a hug. "Hope you had a good vacaion. Now, who is Dusitn Puffe?"
Dani stared at him. "Some guy who went to high school with us. Kayla had the hugest crush on him. Why?"
"Kayla hung out with him. That's bad isn't it?"
Dani chuckled. "I have no idea. I wouldn't be the one to ask. Kayla and I don't talk much. She probably told Sara about it already."
AJ looked sad. "Maybe I should just let her have her Dustin."
"Alex, go talk to her. I can't see you like this, and I know she would be honest with you," Dani said.
But AJ couldn't get his feet to move in her direction. For the first time, he was genuinely afraid, that she would wnat to break up. And AJ didn't want to break up.
And Kayla was busy anyways, hugging Kristen who had just arrived. AJ wouldn't interrupt her now. They could talk later, much later.