Erica smiled as she watched Aaron and Nick battle at the Play station. "Hey you two."
"Erica! I’m kicking Nick’s butt!"
"No he’s not I’m letting him win!"
"Yeah sure Nick you just can’t accept defeat from your 16 year old little bro can you?" Aaron smiled.
"Excuse me little man, but, I do believe you won’t be 16 till December so HA!" Nick slipped past Aaron.
"HEY no fair! Cheater! He distracted me!" Aaron sulked attempting to put himself back in the lead.
"Now boys… fight nice." Erica came and sat next to Nick.
"Hey." Nick whispered and kissed her cheek keeping his eyes on the screen.
"I am fighting nice… Nick’s being bad.’
"Well in that case Nick can’t have ice cream with us."
"Ha. Ha. Nick… I’m special and you’re not!"
"Erica…" wined Nick.
"Fight nice then."
Aaron slipped around Nick and Nick in turn slipped past him. In the end Aaron won by 2 seconds.
"See?" Erica smiled and hugged Nick and then turned and kissed Aaron on the cheek.
"Hey! Who’s your man?" Nick smiled acting like he was gonna fight.
"You’re my man but he’s my man’s little bro who won the game."
"Only by two seconds!"
"So?"
"I’m not gonna win this am I?"
"Nope." said Erica and Aaron in unison.
Nick kissed Erica’s cheek and gave Aaron a high five. "You the man!"
"Come on, ice cream time." Erica led them out to the car and they drove to a little homemade ice cream stand.
As they walked in they were fighting over who was best.
"Okay listen… A.J. is the best dancer, Bri is the best singer, Howie is the best winker, Kev is best at getting people to listen and Nick is…"
"What?" Aaron smiled waiting for Erica to finish.
"Yeah I’m the best what?"
"I’m not sure yet… we’ll have to wait and see."
She winked at Nick who blushed. Aaron just rolled his eyes. "One Butterfinger flurry."
"Make that three."
They got their ice cream and sat down. A group of girls came in talking. "No Aaron’s hotter than Nick!"
"No way. Nick’s got the looks!"
"I’ll take either of them any day!"
"Just as long as I get A.J.!"
Aaron and Nick stifled laughs and ducked down as the girls passed.
"Okay this will settle it! They both are major hotties Aaron’s still got the, major baby face but he’s dead sexy for being so young and Nick’s getting more mature giving him the greater sex appeal!"
Erica began to laugh. The girls looked over. "Oh god I’m sorry I didn’t mean to laugh."
Nick and Aaron we’re crying from laughing so hard. "Hey Mr. Sex appeal." whispered Aaron.
"Hey dead sexy."
"Guys shut up! Don’t be rude."
The girl’s giggled as they ordered their ice cream and then sat down across the aisle from them.
"Were we too loud?" asked one of them.
"No…" Erica smiled and held back a laugh kicking Nick under the table that was shaking from his laughing so hard.
"Are they okay?"
"Yes… they’re just… weird."
"Do you like BSB?"
"Oh yes… very much."
"Who’s your fave?"
"A.J." Nick kicked her. "Ouch! God I meant Nick. You don’t have to get all defensive!"
"Cool. Nick’s my fave too. Most of us like Nick… as you heard." The girl blushed slightly.
"Yeah. Have you ever met him?"
"No, none of us have." She frowned then smiled, "We’ve heard him and Aaron are REALLY nice though."
"Oh they are. Oh yeah… Aaron’s got the abs." She smiled.
"He does not! He’s puny! I’m the sexy one!" Nick forgot where he was.
The girls gasped as Nick stood up and lifted his shirt to show his abs to Erica. Aaron cracked up laughing and Nick turned bright red.
"Aaron now you show us. We’ll decide who’s the sexy man."
Aaron stood up slowly and lifted his shirt.
"Dude! Where’d you get abs?" Nick laughed.
"Oh my god." whispered one of the girls finally stifling a laugh.
"Oh hi, my name is Aaron." He extended his hand to her.
"Hi, I’m Jess," Nick flinched at the name, "And these are my friends, Jackie, Casey, Kelli, Christina, Jamie, and Faith."
"Hi. It’s nice to meet all of you. How are you Jess?"
"Nick are you okay?" Erica whispered when she saw him flinch again.
"Yeah, I’m fine. Nothing’s wrong I’m all right. It’s just the past. No need to think about that now though. She doesn’t have any control over me. I don’t need her." He mumbled. "She screwed me over. She doesn’t matter anymore. You matter, you’re with me, and she’s history. She can go screw with him all she wants it won’t hurt. I don’t need that kind of crap."
The girls watched curiously as Nick mumbled. "Is he ok?" Jess asked Aaron.
"Oh um, he’s just coming out of a real tough time. He’ll be ok." Aaron looked curiously at his older brother.
"Nick, who are you talking about? What’s going on?" Erica began to worry. She didn’t know what was going on with her boyfriend he was going crazy.
Aaron continued talking to the girls, as Erica led Nick out the door, so they could talk in private.
"I’m so sorry Erica." Nick took her hand.
"It’s ok just tell me what’s wrong." They sat down on the edge of the sidewalk. "She was my last girlfriend before you. Her name was Jess, obviously. I thought I loved her. Well, I did. I was positive she loved me too. I was ready to ask her to marry me. I went over to A.J.’s house and she came along. I was just about to ask her when she stopped me and said, ‘Nick, I need to tell you something. I have to break up with you. I’ve been seeing another guy. We’ve been sleeping together for five month’s now. He’s giving me something you never can.’ Then she walked out the door." Nick stared at Erica for a minute.
"Oh my god." Erica whispered under her breath and he continued.
"I was devastated. A.J. and Shorty were already upstairs asleep. I opened the fridge and pulled out a six-pack. It was gone not to long after and I just couldn’t stop. I got more and more. I was totally wasted. Elsie came downstairs around five puking and I blew up at her. In my head she was Jess. I don’t remember what I said to her but I was real nasty to her. I do remember telling her she was a slut."
"Oh Nick… I’m so sorry." Erica had tears streaming down her cheeks. So did Nick.
He pulled Erica close and put his head on her shoulder. Erica ran her fingers through his hair in an attempt to calm him down. Then Aaron came out followed by the girls.
"Oh I’m sorry. We’ll go back in." he stumbled.
"No, no it’s ok. We’re fine." Nick stood up and hugged his brother.
"They want a picture with us. Is that ok?" Aaron looked at his brother and mouthed, ‘You told her about Jess?’
Nick nodded and then said, "Yeah, just let me wipe my eyes." Nick wiped his face and also Erica’s.
The owner took a whole roll of pictures for them and they all got ready to leave.
As Jess and her friend’s went to leave Aaron stopped her. "Jess, send me a few copies of those pictures." He handed her a card with his cell phone number on it. "I’ll tell you where to send it. Just don’t tell them." He motioned towards her friends getting in their car.
Aaron gave her a hug and ran to get in the car.
"Aaron. You like her?"
"Shut-up Nick." Aaron blushed.