She nodded. �I�ll try it.� He nodded. �Good.� She smiled. �Well, I guess I�d better get going.� He nodded. �Yeah�� The next thing she knew was his arms had slid around her waist and he drew her against his chest and he leaned down and grazed his lips over hers lightly. Her hands slid up his chest and slid into his dark hair at the nape of his neck where they pulled him closer, deepening the pressure of the kiss. He pulled away for a second to regain his breath and returned kissing her with as much passion as before, only more. Her back was now against the door, and her hands were urging him to come closer, though no matter how close they got, it wouldn�t be close enough. She pulled away from the kiss, breathing hard. �I- I should get going. It�s pretty late.�
He nodded and she walked out and shut the door behind her. She leaned against the closed door for support and closed her eyes tightly. In that moment she felt like the sun, moon, and stars had all exploded around her. She weakly walked out to her car and headed for home, where a lecture from her mother was awaiting her.
�Nicole Elizabeth Andrews!!! Where in God�s name were you??!� her mother bellowed from the living room. Nicole sighed, and prepared to face her mother�s wrath. Her sister Naomi looked at her and smirked. �Someone�s in trouble!� Nicole shot her sister a dirty look and walked into where her mother was yelling. �Mom. Chill out.�
�NO! I will NOT chill out! Where have you been?!� Nicole pointed to her bag and skates. �Where does it look like?� Her mother sighed, still upset. �We checked the arena. And apparently there was some concert going on.� Nicole nods. �I know. I went down to old Anderson Lake.� Her mom looked even more upset. �You know how dangerous that is! Were you alone?!� She shook her head. �I was with a friend.� Her mom put her hands on her hips. �And who is this friend?� Nicole sighed. �It�s none of your concern.� Her mom looked at her angrily. �Oh, that�s where you�re wrong, young lady. Whoever this mysterious friend is, you are NOT to see again, because I know for a fact that this �friend� was of the opposite gender. You are to focus on your skating and nothing more. How can you be so irresponsible, with the Olympics coming up?! Your sister would never disappoint me like that.�
Nicole glared at her beaming sister in the doorway. �Well, isn�t she a perfect little angel?!� Nicole shot them a dirty look and stomped up to her room and slammed the door behind her. She sighed, and sat down on her bed. She heard her phone ring, and she answered it quickly, hoping for it to be JC. �Hello?!�
�Hey, there sugar.� She smiled. �Hey, Brand. W�sup?� He laughed. �Not much, chica. What about you? Where were ya earlier? I came by to see ya, but you were out.� She sighed softly, remembering how she had been out with JC, she had fallen for him, in just the extremely short time she�d known him, and she also knew that things had gone way too fast and now it was time to slow back down and get to know him. �Nikki? You there?� She shook her head. �I�m here, sorry, I spaced out. I was skating.� He chuckled. �Figured. That�s all you ever do. I swear, girl, if you don�t get to those Olympics� I�m gonna have to beat down a lot of people.� She smiled. �I know ya will. And, I think I�m gonna try that jump tomorrow.� He grinned. �Really? What changed your mind?�
She contemplated whether or not she should tell him, about JC. She told him everything and she trusted him, not to go and shoot his mouth off to anyone. �We-ell. I kinda met this guy�� His ears perked up at the mention of a guy. �Ooh! Really, Nic? Details, hun.� She took a deep breath. For some reason, her stomach fluttered whenever she thought about him. �His name�s JC, and apparently he�s in this band, called Nsync� and I met him today at Old Anderson Lake. He was watching me skate, and he noticed I closed off, when I went to do my triple axle and he told me to go for it.� She paused.
Brandon sat down in a chair, listening. �Wait, how�d he know you weren�t gonna do your jump?� She smiled. �He told me he saw me yesterday, while I was at the arena practicing. Him and the other members of his band went to check around and he said he saw me skating, and how I told Alex I wasn�t ready yet. And then Ade called and I told her about going to the lake today.� Brandon laughed. �Sounds like a stalker.� She smiled. �But he�s not. He�s the most incredible guy I�ve ever met.� He put a hand to his heart. �Ouch, sweetie, that hurts. What about me?�
She laughs. �Aww, Brand, ya know I luv ya.� He grinned. �Ok, go on.�
�Well, ok, anyways. Apparently he rented some skates, not knowing how whatsoever. And I attempted to teach him, only we kept falling down and we gave up. Then we went back to my house to drop my bag off, and then you and my mom came down the stairs and we hid, cuz you know how bad Mom would flip. And then we went and got some hot chocolate and then back to their hotel and we watched a movie.� Brandon smiled. �And?!� he prodded. She laughed. �And nothing. We watched and I left.� He shook his head. �Uh-uh, babe. What else?! He kissed you, didn�t he?� She groaned. �You�re as bad as Adriana! Yes, he did. And it was unbelievable.� He smiled. �Are you two gonna elaborate on this? Turn it into something?� She sighed. �I wish. But probably not. You know it�s just not possible.� Brandon nodded. �True. I�m not taking your mom�s side, but you really should be focusing solely on your skating right now.� She nodded. �Yeah. Well, I�ve gotta get going, I�ll call ya later.� He nodded. �Night, Nicksta.� She smiled. �Night, B.� She hung up and sighed and laid back on her bed. She fell asleep into a whirlwind of dreams and emotions.
Four