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sing along with the band, even though it was one of my favorite songs. All I kept thinking about was Nick and how I hadn’t seen him in the halls at school today. I wanted to make sure he was all right. I wanted to find out if he’d be leaving again. I chewed my bottom lip as I thought about how horrible it would feel to lose him all over again, even though he’d only been here for a few days this time.
    My thoughts were interrupted as Emily squealed, “We’re here!”
    I flashed a smile and opened the door, climbing out of the backseat. People said physical pain had its own way of making you forget your troubles and your worries. I guessed I was about to find out if that statement was true.
     
    ~
     
    Jess’s apartment was cute. Very artsy and filled with bright pinks and black. Gray and white pictures of up-close flowers hung on her walls in a decorative fashion. I walked over to the black futon couch and sat. Grabbing one of the black and white polka dot pillows, I hugged it to my chest.
    “Are you nervous?” Tiffany asked me. “I’m nervous as hell right now. Seriously, I think I might throw up.”
    I chuckled. “I’m nervous, but not that nervous.”
    “Then you go first. Please? That way you can tell me how bad it hurts.”
    I rolled my eyes. “Fine.”
    Emily and Jess came back out into the living room. Jess was carrying a silver tray with all of her equipment neatly lined up. “Who’s first, ladies?”
    “Me,” I answered with a slight wave.
    “All right, cool,” Jess said as she sat the tray down on the coffee table in front of me.
    “Yay! I’m so excited!” Emily said, clapping her hands and bouncing on her toes.
    “I’m just going to clean the area first,” Jess said as she pulled on some gloves and wiped the right side of my nose with an alcohol-drenched tissue. “Is the right side okay?”
    “Yeah.” I smiled.
    “Which stud do you want—the white diamond or the pink?” Jess asked, her violet eyes meeting mine.
    “White,” I answered.
    “Hey, I was going to get that one,” I heard Tiffany grumble beside me.
    “You should have gone first,” I teased.
    “This is going to look so cute!” Emily exclaimed.
    I watched Jess as she readied the little gun she’d be using. My stomach twisted and my heart began to pound. I swallowed hard and bit my bottom lip. Why the hell had I let these two talk me into this?
    “Ready?” Jess asked with a smile.
    I nodded and then closed my eyes once I felt the coolness of the gun press against my skin. A loud pop sounded as pain radiated from where she’d shot me with an earring.
    “It’s going to bleed a little bit, but that’s normal,” Jess said as she wiped my new piercing with a tissue.
    “Ah, it looks so good!” Emily squealed, handing me a mirror.
    I glanced at myself. The area around the little white diamond was red and there was a slight amount of blood, but nothing too severe. I liked it. I liked it a lot.
    “Did it hurt?” Tiffany asked.
    “Not really, no,” I assured her as I set the mirror down, my eyes still slightly watering from the pain.
    I sat back, unbelieving I’d just gotten my nose pierced, and wondered if anyone would notice. More specifically, I wondered if Nick would. What the hell was wrong with me? I was acting obsessed.
     
     

CHAPTER FIFTEEN
     
    NICK
     
    It was Monday. My face still looked like shit, but I had no choice in the matter, I had to come to school. I’d avoided Jules all weekend, which meant that I’d spent the entire weekend locked in my house pretty much or working out without the garage door open like I liked. I figured if she couldn’t see me, then she wouldn’t know whether I was home or not and she’d leave me be…at least until my bruises healed some. That was all I wanted.
    I sat my tray down at what I’d call my usual table and began to chow down on my Salisbury steak.
    “Ew, you’re actually eating that stuff? It’s not even real meat. I swear,” I heard Emily