Chapter Text
Kelly had always hoped she’d have a Valentine's Day worth remembering. Afterall, what was so great about the same thing every year? The same old routine of some guy asking her on a date for the day, trying to act all interested in her hoping they could potentially score with her. Like, yeah it was nice to have the attention and the gifts were great! But when it was the same boring routine over and over with just a different face and a different name, she was sick of it! She wanted something new, something more exciting, and some kind of actual date instead of just some guy trying to score with her! That wasn’t so much to ask for, was it? She just needed to try something different. Maybe she should be the one to ask for a date instead? Ugh, would that be too weird?
She sprawled out on her bed, letting out a quiet groan into her pillow. Whoever said high school was the best years of your life is so full of shit! All it amounted to was one big social competition where the prettiest was at the top and if you weren’t at the top, you were screwed! But even then, being pretty had its own drawbacks, since then you were in a situation like she was right now. So if men were just entirely out as an option since they were just all the same at the end, that meant she’d have to either be asked out by or ask out a girl. Which, she didn’t mind or care about! She had never been with another girl or anything but it’s not like she cared. Her sexuality was always somewhat fluid, she just simply never chose to go after another girl and no other girl had ever actually hit on her.
So… She was just going to have to do something different so that way she could have a happy Valentine's Day!
She just had to figure out how. But that wasn’t a problem! Kelly had always worked hard at everything she did. She didn’t have the greatest grades, but she tried her hardest and still did well. She worked meticulously at her hobbies and spent hours practicing them, whether it was her learning how to play guitar, or her being the assistant captain of their volleyball team. She always put her all into whatever she wanted in life and tried her hardest to achieve what she wanted. So why did dating have to be any different!?
It was just a matter of who she would ask out. Ari was cute but she was also extremely timid. Emily was… well. Emily. She didn’t want to go on a date with a girl who choked her out because she misheard what Kelly had said. Karen was cute, but extremely nerdy and just ultimately not her type.
Jecka was really pretty, but considering the last time they talked, Jecka showed so little interest in anything that had to do with Kelly and would have rather talked about anything else. Nicole would probably be even worse about it then Jecka would, but Nicole at least typically engaged in conversation with her, even if it was to just keep from having to talk to other people or was just looking for ways to make use of Kelly. So, her options weren’t great. But she could make do! It was only one Valentine’s Day date, it wasn’t like she was trying to have an entire lifelong relationship right now.
So! She rolled over, grabbed her phone from its charger, and scrolled through the numbers she had saved, humming quietly as she started sitting up and hitting the call button once she had made up her mind. She listened to the phone ring a few times, and just before she thought it was going to go to voicemail, the person she dialed answered.
“Hello?”
“Hey Nicole! You don’t happen to have any plans this weekend, do you?” Kelly asked, one of her hands drifting down and idly bunching her bedsheets in her fist, then relaxing and repeating the process to quell the growing anxiety in her chest. Stay calm! She could do this! What’s the worst Nicole could do, say no?
…Actually, that was a terrible question to ask, but. Think positives!
“Uhhh, no? What do you want, Kelly? You barely ever try talking to me and the few times you have, it’s been about boys. I’m not giving you any more advice on how to deal with potential pedophiles and rapists if you’re just going to blatantly ignore it and keep dating shitty guys anyways.”
“Actually! I wasn’t asking for advice about that!” Kelly mentioned, and after hearing Nicole make a slight noise on the other end, she hurried to add. “I actually wanted to like, you know, hang out or something! Or maybe we could go out and do something!”
Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes…
“...Like what? You have big parties and hang out with tons of people at once. I’m not keen on getting stared at by Kylar because someone invited him to a pool party and I’m not making small talk with eighty people I either don’t know or hate just so that you can see me for a few seconds, then get whisked away doing other bullshit.”
“Well, I know you really like My Chemical Romance. They have a concert going on about thirty minutes away! I could get us some tickets and borrow my mom’s car and we could go do that! And maybe we could get something to eat either before or after!” Never before was she so grateful that her parents had a decent amount of money.
She heard the silence on the line for a few seconds, followed by a hesitant “Kelly, are you like. Asking me out on a date?”
She had already made it this far, might as well just go for it! “Actually… Yeah… If that’s not too weird or anything! I mean, if you don’t like girls or whatever, I understand, we could just go as friends or something! I just thought maybe I’d at least try .”
She could hear the smirk in Nicole’s voice as the other girl spoke. “I thought you were into guys only? Isn’t it like, against the bible or whatever for you to be into girls? Your parents are major religious freaks and you even were all about praising god last year. Now you’re asking a girl out on a date? Aren’t your parents going to flip out or something?”
Kelly made a slight sigh and nodded even though Nicol couldn’t actually see her. “I mean, maybe?.. I’m not sure. They’re religious, but I don’t really know what parts they care about and what parts they don’t… And I know. I just… After the last time we talked and then I hated the date I had, I just kinda realized you were right about guys and stuff! I wanted to try something different and try going on a date with a girl, but I really wasn’t sure what I’m actually doing, I’m just… trying? If it’s a no and you don’t want to, that’s ok! I’d get it, I just. Wanted to at least try, ya know!”
She heard Nicole hum slightly in amusement. “You know, I could say no and then tell everyone you tried asking me out. You’re fully aware of what you’re doing and who you’re talking to, right?”
“I know!” Kelly felt her heart rate rise nearly through the roof as she felt the impending rejection coming from how Nicole sounded. “I know how you can be sometimes. Jecka has told me a little about the whole Megan and Hunter situation and stuff!.. I knew it was probably riskier asking you than any other girl, but. You’re also extremely pretty and I do think you’re really cool, even if you go overboard sometimes with how mean you are to people.”
Kelly shifted and sat on the edge of her bed now as she felt her face heating slightly after admitting everything aloud. But, she was determined now. Even if Nicole did reject her, she couldn’t say she didn’t try. That’s what mattered to her… Ok, she cared if Nicole said no or not, but that was a separate thing in itself. “So… What do you say?”
“Sure.” Nicole said, then followed with “But, it’s just one date. That’s all. And if you’re expecting anything to happen, I’m going to tell you you’re just as bad as any guy I’ve let take me out. It’s a pretty low bar, so don’t fuck it up!” She could hear that cocky smirk Nicole made when she was harassing and bullying people like Jeffrey. But, instead of it making Kelly angry, or feeling like she was being mocked, she felt her heart flutter.
“Ok! I can come pick you up then! I’ll let you know the time!” She hung up before she could say anything dumb and embarrass herself, then buried her face in her pillow and let out a gleeful groan. She did it! She asked a girl out on a date and she said yes! The fact it was Nicole of all people was just icing on her victory cake of making her Valentine’s Day different. And she was gonna savor every bite like it was her last.
— — — —
Driving to Nicole’s house was more nerve-wracking than Kelly thought it would be. She thought she had the hard part done! She’d already asked Nicole out on the date, gotten tickets, planned everything out! So why was this the most anxiety-inducing part so far? She’d hung out with Nicole in school a couple of times. It wasn’t like she was going on a date with a total stranger. Still, as she made her way across town in her dad’s BMW, she couldn’t help but feel that little voice in her head saying that this was all going to fall apart. That she’d be left sad and feeling like she’d been defeated while Nicole would be angry or pissed with her. Or, worse yet, Nicole would do her usual blackmail aspect and Kelly would show up to school on Monday to hundreds of people knowing things about her she’d never share publicly. Still… She’d gotten this far! She couldn’t give up now. Not when her goal was within arms reach.
Pulling up in front of Nicole’s house, Kelly slid her phone free from her pants pocket and sent the brunette a quick text.
“I’m hre, if ur redy!”
She glanced up at the front door of the house and saw Nicole was already walking towards the car. She buried her phone in her pocket, unlocked the car doors, and smiled as Nicole opened the door and climbed into the passenger seat. The smile she had quickly dissipated as Nicole closed the door behind her. She expected Nicole not to be the most cheery or excited person ever. She knew well enough from the time they spent at school that Nicole wasn’t super expressive and when she was, it was oftentimes not much more than her normal self. So, seeing Nicole look as angry and annoyed as she was, Kelly was suddenly thinking maybe Nicole was having second thoughts.
Her thought was quickly fixed when Nicole spoke up, sounding just as annoyed as she looked. “The sooner we leave, the better. Otherwise, you’re going to witness someone potentially dying.”
She didn’t question it or hesitate, just shifted the car into gear and pulled away. Once they were a few blocks away from Nicole’s house, Kelly saw Nicole visually relax. She waited a moment before speaking up. “Is uh… is everything ok?”
“Yeah. I’m away from home now, so everything’s fine.” Nicole responded dryly. The brunette was staring straight ahead, still looking on edge like she was wound up in fight or flight and needed that one little thing to push her over the edge. She took another glance at Nicole: the brunette dressed for the occasion. A Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge shirt and ripped skinny jeans. Nicole had even taken the time to do her makeup, dark eyeliner around her eyes. It made Kelly feel like she didn’t commit quite enough to the scene, only in her normal blue jeans and a comfortable graphic tee that said Pretty Bitches don’t ask. They Take.
“Ok!.. Well, I hope you’re excited for tonight! I managed to get really good tickets for the concert. And since it’s a little ways away and the concert starts late, I thought we could get food before we go rather than after!” She smiled, returning her view to what was happening beyond the windshield. “I had a decent idea where we could go, but if you have somewhere you’d prefer, we can go there! I don’t mind what we get!”
Nicole made a slight hum and rested her elbow against the door of the car, then rested her head against her palm. She stared over at Kelly, blue eyes scanning the blonde closely. “Take us where you think I’d want to go. I wanna see how much you’ve thought this through.” Nicole made a slight wave with her hand. “Nice car. Is it yours?”
“Actually, it’s my dad. I managed to talk him into letting me borrow it for the night. I told him I was going out with a couple of friends and I needed to borrow his car rather than my mom's since it was an important social event, like a charity thing or something. I had to switch out of the nice clothes I was wearing when I asked after I left.” Kelly glanced up at the rearview, seeing the dress and nice heels sitting in the backseat.
Nicole had a surprised look on her face, though she quickly buried it before Kelly could notice. “I didn’t take you for the type of person to lie to your parents to get what you want. I thought all spoiled rich kids got what they asked for without breaking a sweat.”
Kelly sighed a little. Another rich kid accusation. She did guess she lived in a nicer neighborhood and that her parents made a decent amount of money, but… It wasn’t like Kelly was the definition of a rich kid… was she? “Normally, I have to sweet talk them a little with some stuff. It kinda just depends on whether or not it aligns with how my parents feel about it. But, since I work really hard, I can usually use that to do what I want. Normally, when I have to lie, it’s because it’s doing something they’d be against. Like, going on a date to an emo band with the emo girl from school, for example.” Kelly looked over and flashed a slight grin. “Or, remember when Ari’s house got burnt down because she came out as gay and the straight pride club or whatever burnt her house down? I lied to my parents to get a bunch of money and helped replace Ari’s wardrobe and some of the stuff she was missing after her parent’s insurance refused to pay for it.”
“Wait, that was you that helped her with all that?” Nicole asked, unable to hide the surprised tone in her voice now and glancing at Kelly. “Ari refused to say anything about who helped her, just that someone did. ”
“Mhm! It felt like the right thing to do. It’s not like Ari ever did anything wrong to anyone, she just wanted to be herself. Plus, it’s not like my parents are actually doing anything with all the money they sit on. It’s like… a weird status symbol thing for them.” Kelly shrugged a little. “They use it for throwing parties for their church or like, to host social events when they feel like it, but otherwise they just sit on it and stare at it.”
Nicole stared at Kelly for several long seconds, seemingly either slightly shocked or interested in what Kelly was telling her. “Huh… I had always assumed they just spent their money getting you whatever you wanted.” She then turned her head and looked back out the window. “So, you’re not quite the spoiled rich kid then.”
“I never really was.” Kelly huffed slightly. “It’s what everyone knows me for, or for having a bunch of guys date me, but. I actually work hard for things and try to make something for myself outside of what my parents could offer me. Most of the things I’ve ever asked them for, it was always done for the intention of others and not really for myself.”
“So you just let yourself be a doormat for other people, that way they can get what you want while your wants get pushed off to the side?”
The comment took Kelly by surprise. She hadn’t ever thought about it before… Normally, everything she wanted, she always worked for. It was what she always did! She worked hard for the things she wanted, no matter what it was… Right? It was the things she wanted and not what others wanted or expected of her… right?..
“Not… really? I mean… Isn’t that like, the point of being a kid of people who are successful for shitty reasons? To make up for it by giving others the advantages and opportunities that they wouldn’t be able to get?” Kelly asked, noticing they were getting close to where she was taking them to eat. “I thought that it was like… the best way of giving back was to help people that way and not expecting anything back or placing my wants above others when it came to anything involving money?”
Nicole reached a hand up and pinched the bridge of her nose, making a slight sigh. “I mean, sure, you can do that all you want. But… here. I’ll give you a piece of advice since you’ve surprised me so far and I don’t hate coming out yet.” The brunette turned her head and looked at Kelly once again, a slight look of… envy on her face? Kelly couldn’t quite place it. “It’s great that you wanna say fuck you to your parents and help others out, especially since your dad does shit for the police. But, if you also don’t do some of the things you want, you’ll wind up like me or, even worse, Emily. You’ll be suicidal and hate everyone and the world because you feel it treated you unfairly and it’s not a fun place to be. Like, yeah, we’re cool and hot for it, but it’s also miserable. And we already have enough suicidal hot bitches at our school.”
…Nicole gave her advice?
That was… new. She didn’t hate it, at all! It was… actually relatively the closest thing to being sweet she’d ever seen Nicole be.
“So you’re saying don’t be like… mean all the time like you and Emily are, but don’t let people use me or walk all over me either?” Kelly asked, glancing at Nicole as she pulled the car into the parking lot of Red Lobster.
“Sure, more or less.” Nicole waved her hand slightly. “I mean, out of all the times you’ve helped people have they ever asked if you were happy or that helping them was something you genuinely wanted to do, or if it was you feeling obligated to help them?” Nicole took one last glance at Kelly as the car was parked. “If the answer is never, start doing more things that you want to do. Fuck everyone else.”
— — — —
The dinner went surprisingly better than Kelly had expected it to. It seemed the conversation they had on the way there had made Nicole somewhat more social than what she was planning to be for the night, so Kelly was able to learn small things about the brunette! It was only small stuff like the girl's favorite color, her favorite bands, and what brand of smokes she prefers over others. They may seem small, but Kelly would remember them regardless. It was ingrained in her to remember small things like that. The drive to the concert itself was much quieter than to the restaurant. Nicole either lost the want to talk or didn’t care enough to force conversation. Kelly didn’t want to force anything and make the ride uncomfortable, so she put on a random playlist on her phone and let the music between them fill the silence.
The remainder of the drive was extremely short. Kelly was smart enough to pick a restaurant that was close enough to where the concert was so that there was little drive time between the two events. Soon, they were approaching busy streets lined with cars, and parking garages where numerous cars were honking as people either locked their doors or honked at someone who was driving poorly in front of them. Once again, Kelly was thankful she thought ahead, pulling into a parking garage that was closest to the venue with reserved spaces in them. She pulled the car into one of the last spaces and then turned the vehicle off.
“You really thought ahead and planned for everything, huh?” Nicole mentioned and raised her eyebrow with a slight smirk on her face. “You’re really trying to impress me tonight.”
Kelly grinned a little, though the slight blush that crept along her face was difficult to hide. “I mean, if it’s going to be a date and it’s my once chance to take you of all people out on a date, might as well make it worth remembering, right?”
The two got out of the car and Kelly reached into her pants pocket, pulling out the two tickets she had printed off the night before. “Ok, we just have to go to… this gate here. Gate C to get our physical passes and we should be able to go in fully from there.”
“Physical passes?” Nicole glanced over at the blonde as they started walking together through the parking garage. “I thought they just give you a paper ticket that you keep the stub of if you’re sentimental or something?”
“They do if you buy regular tickets. But, if you buy VIPs, you get a little physical plastic card and a lanyard with it.” Kelly grinned further. “I wanted to make sure we had a good view, so! We get to get in earlier than the people who bought regular tickets, plus you get to go backstage.”
“Wait, you got me backstage and not yourself?” Nicole slowed down, nearly stopping. “Why?”
“Well, I know you like My Chemical Romance and stuff a lot more than I do. I’m not really into the whole ‘emo rock band’ sound! But, I knew they were more something you really liked, so. I bought you the backstage pass since I thought you’d be really happy with it. Plus I know Jecka mentioned once that you played guitar and that sometimes you talked about being a musician. So, I thought you’d maybe want to see what it was like to be backstage at a concert. That way if you actually do become a musician, you’ll be much more prepared and have an idea of what it’s like rather than going into it blind!”
Nicole stared, almost looking dumbfounded. For once, someone had actually rendered Nicole speechless. Kelly just smiled at the brunette. “Come on, let’s go! You don’t want to be late, do you?” She then turned and started walking again as Nicole snapped out of whatever had possessed her momentarily and started walking beside Kelly once again.
“Kelly, why are you doing all this for me?” Nicole asked after they had walked together for a short distance through the parking garage. “If you’ve talked to Jecka and you’ve seen how I am in school, you know I’m not a good person. Yet, you’ve taken me out to one of my favorite places to eat, bought me VIP tickets to one of my favorite bands, and have been extremely nice to me the entire night. Why?”
“That’s easy. You deserve it.” Kelly shrugged a little. “Like, yeah, you do some fucked up stuff at school. And you’ve been a bitch to me before, as well as other people, just because you want to or someone does something that makes you pissed or whatever. But, you also probably deal with a lot of stuff outside of school and in your life that probably makes you the way you are. Everyone deserves a chance to get away from the things that destroy them, even if it’s just for a short while.” She turned her head and looked at Nicole, who was in return blushing slightly herself now. “I know you’re not the greatest person, Nicole. It’s like I said on the phone. I know you do things to people, but most of the time… it’s people that deserve it. Most of the time. I don’t think you’re a bad person. I think you just have a lot of things going on and keep people from getting close.”
Nicole sounded like she choked on whatever breath she was taking in, but Kelly didn’t say anything. She didn’t want to push the brunette into talking if the other girl didn’t want to. She was already enjoying the weird night they were having together, there was no reason to ruin it! What did catch Kelly off guard was Nicole reaching out and taking Kelly’s hand hesitantly in hers. Before Kelly could say anything or look at the brunette, Nicole spoke quickly “Say anything, and not only will I pull my hand away, but nothing like this will happen for the rest of the night.”
The two walked through the rest of the garage, through the streets, and into the venue, hand in hand. Kelly could have died happy there. This Valentine's Day was already better than any other she’d ever been on by far! She had a pretty girl as her date, who was holding her hand! They had good food, and now they were going to see said girl's favorite band play. There wasn’t much better that could happen than this. Like, the only thing that could make this night better was if she got to kiss Nicole or something, but! She didn’t have any expectations. This was already more than perfect for Kelly. There was no reason to try to force anything or do anything to ruin the moment.
Making their way through the gate, getting their VIP badges, and making their way into the actual venue itself was way easier than it should have been. No wonder the tickets were so expensive, they were beyond worth it to walk into the arena before most others and be able to have a section dedicated near the stage for them. After that, it was a matter of waiting till Nicole would be taken backstage and then the show to begin!
“Wow… I mean, I haven’t been to many concerts, but. I’ve never been this close to a stage before when at one.” Kelly mumbled, practically an arms reach from the stage itself. “It’s… kinda amazing and slightly intimidating?” She looked over at Nicole, who was too busy looking around. The pools of blue flicked from one side of the room to another, scanning for something. Each time Nicole found whatever she was looking for, she’d relax a little more. “Everything ok, Nicole?”
“Yeah. Just looking around. That’s all.” Nicole brushed her off, seemingly satisfied now. “You’ve been to other concerts? Who else have you seen?” Nicole asked, shifting the conversation away from herself.
“Oh! Well, I saw Coldplay once since my parents took me with them. Then last year, I saw Brittany Spears and Katy Perry.” Kelly listed, tapping her chin slightly. “But that’s all I really remember? I know I went to concerts with my parents when I was little, but I don’t remember who we saw. It was mostly bands and musicians they really liked.”
“So this is your first time seeing like… a punk or rock band then?” Nicole raised her eyebrow. “I know you said you don’t really listen to these types of bands, but. Are you really sure you can handle like, seeing a band like this live, this close?”
“I mean, what’s the worst that can happen?” Kelly shrugged, her eyes settling on the stage. “Even if it’s something I end up not liking, I can still say I tried. Plus, I’m trying it with you, so. It makes it more special and something I won’t forget.”
Nicole started to blush once again and chose not to say anything, standing next to Kelly and staring at the stage with the blonde, the two watching stagehands set up instruments and run wires where they needed to go. Shortly after, the staff came and collected all those who were doing the meet and greet, so Nicole left Kelly waiting in their little VIP area. The blonde waved her off and then stood there, leaning against the barricade. She couldn’t hide the smile that was growing on her lips or the way her heart fluttered and beat so quickly in her chest. The excitement and giddiness bubbled inside of her like carbonation in a shaken-up soda. It took maybe an hour of boredom before Nicole returned, looking much happier than she’d ever seen the brunette look in her life. Which wasn’t a high bar, but still! Kelly was the cause of that! So, there was a little bit of pride in Kelly’s chest as well.
“That was… pretty cool. Thank you, Kelly.” Nicole mentioned, standing once again next to the blonde and leaning against the barrier, though standing much closer this time.
“Of course!” Kelly beamed and stood there. Slowly, Nicole crept closer till she was leaning slightly against Kelly, tense as she tested her weight and gauged Kelly’s reaction. When the blonde didn’t push her away, the brunette relaxed and the two stood there together as they waited for the show to begin.
— — — —
“Holy shit, that was actually amazing!” Kelly yelled out, voice slightly hoarse and raw from screaming so much during the actual concert. Her ears were ringing dully, but she felt like she was on cloud nine with how much excitement she had just experienced.
Nicole was almost smirking as she walked next to the blonde, making their way slowly through the garage back towards the car. “I didn’t think you’d enjoy it so much.”
“I mean, I didn’t either but! It was so much fun! I didn’t think that we’d be that close and having the singer come down into the pit with us was crazy!” She spread her arms wide and grinned. “I now understand why you and Emily both listen to the music that you guys do. It was so good and everyone was so emotional during all the songs.” She sighed and smiled. “If I could live my entire life feeling the way I felt just now, it’d literally be so perfect.”
“Mhm.” Nicole made a noise as she continued walking. “That’s why most people typically go to concerts like that right before they try to kill themselves.”
“Wait, what?” Kelly stopped, turning and facing Nicole. “Do… Do people really do that?”
“Yeah. It’s a lot more common than you think.” Nicole said, almost matter-of-factly. She stopped as well, facing Kelly. “Think about how you feel right now. In a day or two, you’ll feel that same way again. And again. Little things make you happy, right? You don’t have to actively search out things that bring you joy and happiness.” Nicole watched as Kelly nodded slightly. “People like me, people like Emily, people who have depression and shit, we don’t get that same level of happiness. To us, a big moment like this makes it feel like this was it. We hit the happiest we’ll ever be in life. There’s no point in trying now and staying alive to watch and feel that happiness slip away and fall back into the pit of depression that we exist in.” Nicole mumbled, slipping a pack of smokes from out of her pants pockets and lighting herself a cig. “So yeah, some people go to concerts and experience what they think is the best moment of their life. Then they go home, kill themselves, and that’s it. It’s more common among emo and rock and punk bands fans because the music is so charged with emotion.”
Kelly stared at Nicole for several seconds, all the happiness and excitement she had felt starting to deflate from her. “Wait, Nicole… are you…?”
“No, I’m not going to kill myself when I get home.” Nicole sighed, breathing out a puff of smoke. “I want to be original with the way I die. Dying after seeing a concert isn’t super original and it’s not a hot way to die.” Nicole grinned slightly. “Besides, I also owe you something for taking me out on a decent date for once and not being like every shitty guy who I’ve given a chance to.”
“What? You don’t owe me anything? You coming with me was you being nice and stuff, I thought?” Kelly asked, confusion plastered across her face as Nicole started to walk towards her. And then Nicole was pressing her lips against Kelly’s. Suddenly, the whole world was quiet. Kelly was kissing a girl for the first time. Fireworks were going off behind her eyes, her heart beating quickly in her chest, and her stomach filled with butterflies. It was so much different compared to anyone else she’d ever kissed before. She hadn’t even realized Nicole had pulled away and was smirking slightly at her.
“You tell anyone that happened and they won’t believe you,” Nicole added, the tone of her voice exuding confidence, even if the brunette was blushing about as hard as Kelly was.
“I don’t need to. It happened and I’ll remember it. That’s all I care about.” Kelly mentioned, grinning weakly. She started walking again, leading the two back to the car.
Sure, Kelly could have picked anyone. She could have gone on another date with someone else, gone to another place, do something different. But, in the end, none of that mattered. What ifs were what if’s for a reason. She was too busy thinking about the present, too excited for the future. And as she drove Nicole back home, fingers interlaced with the brunettes… Well. She knew Nicole was never going to be the greatest person. And that was ok. She’d still surrender her heart all the same.