After talking to my mom there was one thing that became crystal clear, there was only a single course of action to take after Nick's little prank stunt. Payback.

On the spectrum of emotions, anger had never registered for me. Entertainment yes, and maybe even a tinge of admiration, but anger? No. The fact that Nick thought a prank was needed only validated a few hunches I'd been having. She definitely had been embarrassed about our little accident the other night, regardless of how furious she had acted. Nick also seemed to be hiding behind a false veil of anger, though for what reason I had yet to discover.

Just one more puzzle piece that eluded me and damn was I addicted now.

To be honest I didn't know Nick all that well, or really at all, which meant I needed a tiny bit of assistance with my retaliation plans. I'm not sure if my mom knew what I planned or that she provided excellent information to me. Either way, I now had exactly what I needed to mess with her in the perfect way.

A few days of reconnaissance and I had proven one of my hypotheses to be fact. Art was the key to her heart.

Not that I was in any way trying to win her heart. That would be like pulling the pin on a grenade and relying on pure dumb luck for an explosion not to ensue. My goal was to find something harmless enough that she wasn't at risk for anything other than being annoyed. Art seemed to be close to her heart, so that was how I intended to strike.

In my days of observation, I determined that if I wanted access to any of her art things I had two opportunities. Mid-morning on Tuesdays or late in the evening Thursdays. Basketball took up just about every evening I had which meant Tuesday would have to do. 

In the last few days, Nick had become more relaxed in the sense that she began to spread out in our room. The desk that she claimed had slowly been consumed by pencils, pens, and eventually paint but not in a chaotic sort of way. She clearly had a system in place and that was where I would strike. 

As per the usual Nick left in a rush of mumbles and forgotten papers this morning. On a typical morning, she returned to the room anywhere from twice to four times. I now waited for her return as I mindlessly wandered around in my game. I tried to concentrate but honestly, it proved difficult. My body vibrated with anticipation and a guilt-inducing amount of glee. Nick may have been able to ignore the pranks she pulled but I had no intention of doing that.

Right on cue, Nick entered the room in silence. My eyes may have been on my laptop screen but her quick glance in my direction didn't go unnoticed. Nor did the hitch in my chest. I casually stole secret glances at her as she unpacked her sketch pad and tossed her bag on the floor. 

Just like I predicted she seated herself at her desk before her painted nails began to flip easily through her artwork. Something about the care she took with every page made me want to smile. This was a side that could only be seen when she surrendered to her the pages of her sketchbook. Every motion was calculated, thought out presumably a dozen times before executed. I had never seen her work but I had a feeling it was incredible. 

Nick reached for one of her pencils, the one with a little HB on the side. I had noticed this was her weapon of choice but for what reason, I had no idea. After a quick google search, I found it was the pencil used by many to sketch with. It was light and stayed sharp longer. I had no idea the simple act of drawing was so complex but it made perfect sense her tendency to be organized with it.

It was just a harmless switch up, nothing more. I simply swapped her preferred utensil with a darker, blunter one, and may have hidden it as well. I know, real mature. As soon as the tip hit her paper she froze.

"Did you touch my supplies?" She accused, her entire body faced towards me in an instant. I could practically feel the cold chill come off her skin.

"Did you touch my deodorant?"

Nick's face went pale at my inquiry before she covered it up with a scowl. I had known this whole time it was her but the confirmation bought a satisfactory wave of validation and I felt myself slip deeper into her grasp. 

"Real mature." She muttered, turning back towards her desk.

Nick reached for another pencil, this time glancing at it before she let out a frustrated whine. A lazy smile swept over my lips at her cute protest and then widened as she slammed the third pencil down on the wooden desk.

"Is nothing sacred!? I can't even draw in peace anymore?"

I tried to keep a straight face, for what reason I haven't a clue, but the laughter wouldn't relinquish to my will. The daggers that Nick's orbs shot my way were nothing compared to the distorted expression her face took on. It escalated my humor to the point in which my laugh morphed into a hysterical cackle.

The air between us turned cool as my laughter died down. Her irritation was evident by the twitch her eye made and the crease across her brow.

Finally, Nick broke the silence. "You're an ass."

I offered a shrug before placing my headset securely over my ears having gotten the satisfaction I sought.  "Nah, " I responded, casting a brief glance her way. "Just a better prankster than you," I winked.

C

lark is getting a little feisty 😆