, : Moving to Wyckoff : . [Prt.7?]

For the next few weeks I adjusted to living in Wyckoff. I hung out with Mandy a lot and I went over to the Jonas's to help out with stuff every once in a while. I have pretty much given up on the whole Nick and Joe situation. Who cares if they liked me or not right? Besides I didn't really need any self inflicteddrama going into high school. Starting off with a clean slate was for the the best. For now I was just thankful to have the best neighbors and friends I could ask for. I heard the phone ringing. I picked up and answered. 1

"Hello?" 2

"Hey Gracie? This is Kevin." 3

"Oh hey! How's everything?"4

"I feel stupid calling you since you live across the street but yeah everything fine. We just got some more merchandise. You can come over and see it if you want." 5

"Sweet! I love new stuff! I'll be over in a couple of minutes!" I hung up and went to tell my mom where I was going. I crossed the street and knocked on the door. Mrs. Jonas welcomed me in and I went immediatly to the living room. There was Nick and Joe pouring over the new merchandise. 6

"Hey guys!" 7

"Hey Gracie!" they said in unison. I looked at all the boxes in the living room. The room was covered with boxes. This happened everytime they got new merchandise. I was usually over to help. Mandy usually came too, but she wasn't here today. I walked over to the corner where the guys were. I was about one foot away from them when my clumsyness got the better of me. I tripped on a box and ended up right on top of Nick. I froze. I felt him tense up then relax. For some reason I felt like I belonged there. It's like we were meant for eachother. I didn't want to get up. We were kind of stuck there until Joe cleared his throat. I turned a deep crimson and I pulled myself up as quickly as I could. 8

"umm.. sorry" I whispered, and I ran upstairs without turning back. I ran to the safest place I knew, Kevin's room. He and I had kind of bonded over the past few weeks. He was like my older brother. Except unlike my real brother he wasn't annoying. I told him not tostay away fromthe fanfictions on the internet, he told me the best way play a guitar solo.He pretty much rocked.He was sitting at his desk. It looked like he was commenting people on Myspace or something. 9

"Hey! Why are you running?" he asked 10

"Oh my gosh! That was so embarassing!" I said taking a seat on the edge of his bed. 11

"More embarassing than what Joe made you do the first time you came over?" he asked as a joke. I gave him a look and he backed off the subject. 12

"So was it really that bad?" he asked 13

"Yes!" "So are you going to tell me?" 14

"Maybe.." 15

"You're starting to sound like Frankie when does something wrong." 16

I smiled slightly. "Well, ok since I trust you and I know you aren't going to tell anyone." 17

He nodded and said "Of course" 18

"So I was walking into the living room after you called me about the new merchandise and I walked over to the corner where Nick and Joe were and I fell over a box because of my clumsyness and I landed right on top of Nick and we kind of froze and got stuck and we didn't really move or notice anything until Joe cleared his throat and I was so embarassed I ran up here and so now I'm talking to you." I said in one big breath. 19

"Ok so from what I could actually understand, yeah that was pretty embarassing." he said sympathatically. I nodded and put my hands over my face. 20

Kevin sighed. "Did you know Nick really liked you when first moved here?" 21

I swore I felt my heart skip a beat when he said that. "He did?" I asked not believing what he said.22

"Yeah, actually I've never seen him that crazy about someone after justmeeting them oncebefore. You might not have been able to tell but I could." I didn't say anything. I was still trying to digest "really liked you when you first moved here." But he had said "when you first moved here." What was that supposed to mean? 23

"Then what happened?" I asked, afraid to hear the answer. Kevin sighed again. 24

"Then you went on all those morning runs with Joe." Again I had no answer to this. We kind of sat in silence while I thought. That's why Nick ran up the stairs when I was going to lunch with Joe. He liked me. He actually liked me. 25

"But Joe and I are just friends" I finally said. "Like you and me." 26

"I know. I could tell" 27

"How are you so good at all this?!" I really wanted to know. 28

"Being the oldest of four brothers will do that to a person. Not to mention I'm older and wiser" he said with a sticking his tongue out at me. 29

"So he doesn't like me anymore?" I asked 30

"I don't know. He kind of just stopped caring about it." 31

"Oh" Iwas expecting that answer, but I was stillmore disappointed than I should havebeen.32

"Well I don't really know because I can't read minds." 33

I nodded. 34

"Thanks Kevin you're the best, but I think I'm going to go home now." 35

"No problem I'm only happy that I could help you or one of my brothers." I quietly crept down the stairs and out the front door. I went home and burried myself under my cover. I screamed into my pillow. What am I going to do? I know I like Nick, a lot,but he doesn't like me anymore. He thinks I like Joe. I stayed in my room the whole day. Even when my mom told me it was time for dinner. I just told her I didn't feel well. Which, in a way, was the truth. I wanted Nick to like me again but what could I do?36