Nathan's POV

It's crazy. It's really more than crazy. How you imagine certain things in your head. And how life screws you over.

Freshman year. Was supposed to be a piece of cake. Was supposed to be about basketball, getting laid and having fun. And it was like that. For a while. Not that much to my preference.

And now we come to how life screw it over : I found out my mom was cheating on my dad, my team got disqualified way too soon, I was supposed to tell my dad my mom was cheating on him, my dad found out my mom was cheating on him by chance, my sister of age 8 thinks our whole family is breaking apart, Vanessa. Yes, and Vanessa. Too many problems for a freshman guy who just wanted to live a little.

It's a good thing this damn year comes to an end soon. All I want to do is get over with my exams and get the hell lost from everywhere and everyone. I just don't want to think about anything at all. It will all be over in a couple weeks, so I got to be patient.

And for that time to pass as painlessly as possible, I got to hang out with people that I can actually tolerate. I am seeing Joseph tonight, who I haven't really seen lately since, well... He's in a relationship now. Brand new into that kind of game. It's frustrating not to have anybody reliable to talk about the things that had gone wrong. Reliable, meaning someone who could find himself in my shoes and totally get the shit I am going through. Joseph has said goodbye to his bachelor days and seems pretty committed to his girlfriend. I guess deep down it's nice to see your friend like this, since he sort of looks happy. And Joseph is still Joseph as he insists. So I can hang out with him and enjoy for real the fact that I am hanging out with him. Frat brothers are too much to handle sometimes.

It's past 20.00 and we're meeting downtown to grab a bite. The weather is great and it tricks you it's almost summertime but there are not many people out. Studying and all. People need to chill a bit. I study but I don't make a big deal out of it. I get into the place Joseph texted me and it doesn't take me long to find him. He is sitting lax at the corner table. The best and largest table. He is good at this stuff.

"How do you manage to always get the best table?" I drag the chair opposite from him and get comfortable in my seat.

"I have my connections." He smirks. "I don't like reminding you I am living longer than you here."

"Yeah, you're definitely ahead of the game when it comes to Silver City. All good? How come your girlfriend let you have dinner with me tonight?" I emphasize on the word girlfriend just to tease him.

"Alice is very lenient. She lets me go out with whoever I want, two days a week from 20:00 till 22:00. Isn't she great?" His sarcasm on full glory and as I result I crack up laughing.

"So you're really doing this? The old fashioned way? Devoted to one and only lady at this time?"

"I don't like the expression old fashioned, but I guess that's a way you can call it." Joseph shrugs. "But to be honest I don't feel like laying my eyes on any other woman. I find it strange myself, but it's true."

"Strange things happen as it seems." I grab the menu from the table to give it a look.

"I don't know how to explain it properly, but no matter how different Alice and I may seem, we have some basic things, you may call it, in common. We don't want to lose ourselves in the relationship. That's why I was against getting into one, but I think it works with Alice. Better than I expected." Joseph speaks calmly. I never thought I could hear such things coming out of his mouth but as I said, strange things all around me.

"If you think so." I respond to his sort of confession with a raise of an eyebrow. The waitress comes by our table and we pass our orders. Ginger hair, nice ass, average boobs. I am the only one flirting which is cool, not having competition, but it was fun too back in the days when Joseph and I were both into the game. The waitress leaves our table smiling and I bet Joseph hasn't paid attention to her at all. "I don't know how it happened, but in my opinion you and Alice are much alike in some things. Both stubborn, independent, never losing a chance to party. I think maybe it could work." I tell him shrugging and drink some of my water. I am no good at this kind of conversations.

"It's working until now. I mean it worked at your and Ashton's birthday party and I didn't feel any different. Except the hitting on girls part. As for sex after the parties, it was a blast. Actually everytime we have sex is a blast. We have so much chemistry." Joseph smiles widely.

"Interesting. And it's obvious by the continuous I-am-so-getting-laid-smirk on your face. But yeah, besides that, you don't look different to me either. You promised you're not going to turn as whipped as Robin is and I am choosing to believe you. I barely see the blondie and I couldn't handle another friend turning into a stranger because of a relationship." I could never imagine Joseph getting lost and not finding time to hang out. Girls are different when they get involved with a guy. I guess that's why Robin hasn't been around that much. Not that she's involved with a guy but... well, Robin is a category of her own. Such a romance trash for sure and the shock is she never strikes as that kind of person when you meet her. I have somehow made peace with it. She is happy with Sophie so. Be happy when your friends are happy they say.

"I've told you before and I will constantly remind you; if I ever become a relationship victim, use all the power you've got to bring me back. I will trust you with this mission." He uses his deep theatrical voice. "As for Robin, she is going through some difficult phase now, along with Sophie. It's not easy for her. Actually it's not easy for any of us, who loves Sophie, but Robin is feeling it to the core."

"I know, man. I was just trying to make it lighter or... I don't know, things are shit these days. How is Sophie doing? Still not a word from her mom, huh?" Families are complicated. And mothers even more.

"Nothing! I know her mother is a difficult person, but I didn't expect her to keep the grudge that long. Sophie is a mess. We are trying to keep her positive, but day by day things are becoming worst. Sometimes I don't get parents at all." He seems pretty frustrated and keeps on movings his head nervously.

"Her mother is a bitch for treating her own daughter this way. I know nobody is saying it but since I don't know her, I have no problem being the bad guy. I know enough to state a simple fact." I seriously don't know how I would have reacted if I was in Sophie's position. I most likely wouldn't give a damn about her opinion, but Sophie is for sure not like me. "According to Robin, it's supposed to get better. I guess we should believe her since she is the only one with experience on this kind of matter. She seems hopeful and I hope she is right for her own good. She is doing her best for Sophie but if her mother remains a bitch, my guess is Robin will beat herself up for it. You know her, you think she's going to put an end to this nonsense irrational treatment anytime soon?"

"Nathan... I try to keep a positive vibe for Sophie, because that's what I am good at, but seeing Rebecca hasn't reached her yet... I am losing my hopes." He huffs desperately.

"Great..." My mom isn't the only failure as a mother figure. The difference again is I have accepted it. From what Joseph and even Sophie herself has told me, this is going to be a hard one for her. "Shit. Let's talk about something else."

"Since we are on the family topic, my brother comes to Silver City the day after tomorrow."

"Really? That's cool." The waitress is back and leaves the food on our table. About time. "I barely remembered you had a brother to be honest. He's older than you, right?"

"Yeah! Nelson's family diamond." He remarks sarcastically, grabbing a fry from his plate.

"If that's the case, he must be better than you."

"He is better to be boring." He states. "I always think I am adopted. Me and Dan, we are completely different people."

"I wish I was adopted." I comment ironically. "So you aren't close enough? Seems like you're not so eager about his visit."

"I like my brother, but we are not best friends. We can tolerate each other and co-exist, but he's not my first option to hang out. I guess it started because of the age gap and then because of our different personalities. I guess it's good to see him again. The last time was on Christmas, when he announced he's getting married."

"Married? God, Joss! I almost choked! We are heading from bad to worse!" This is pure irony yet again. It is a disease that keeps on spreading. "He's going to get married? Has he thought it through? Maybe this is your chance to make him change his mind."

My reaction makes Joseph laugh. "I had the same reaction as you, back then. It seemed absurd, but Dan is not like you and me. He is the long relationship type of guy. He had a girlfriend in high school and then he met Olivia, the bride to be, during his second year of university. I guess he had his groupies, having the Nelson's visuals, but the only one I could name for sure was Vanessa. I think I've told you about this before, if I am not wrong." He ponders, trying to remember.

"Vanessa. Yeah, you have told me. Last time we saw each other though, I told you not to mention her to me again. Seems like it slept your mind." I give him a fake smile and grab a big bite from my burger. I am not in the mood to talk about this specific subject.

"Quite the opposite actually, but now you seem in a more talkative mood than in your party. I know something has happened and Alice knows it too, because she didn't deny it. But she doesn't tell me, keeping Vanessa's privacy, thus I didn't insist. I know it's none of my business and I respect that, but it can help if you let it all out." Joseph proposes leisurely without pushing. "It helped me..."

"How come Alice didn't tell you? She is pretty good at nosing around when it is not her damn business. I hope you can keep her at bay from now on. And I'm not in a talkative mood." I puff, bringing back in my mind the moment Alice the cockblocker in all her glory walked in on me and Vanessa. "Seriously, Joss. She needs to know her boundaries."

"We are working on that." He smirks. "But what did she do? She was always Vanessa's bodyguard against you, since that history project." He ponders a bit more on the subject. "The last day of spring break, Alice sent me a message saying there was a roommate emergency and the next day she didn't leave Vanessa's side. And I recall the specific night, when we came back from the beach, there was someone in the pool and Alice went to investigate." Joss raises his head to look at me, having connected all the dots. "It was you, wasn't it?"

"Look at you putting one plus one together." I reward him with a sarcastic grin. "Alice is always Vanessa's bodyguard! I can't imagine what she has been telling her about me all this time! Oh wait, I can easily do that. I am trying to come in peace with the fact that you and her are officially a thing and I don't want to say something that could probably bother you, but yeah, Alice needs to mind her own damn business." I remark as delicately as I can.

"Maybe it's for the best." Joss says and I throw him a glare, but he doesn't get intimidated. "Nathan, you can have any girl you want to screw around with, but Vanessa isn't meant for that. You don't want a heartbroken girl after you. Live your life and mess around, but leave Vanessa out of this. I know her more... She's not made for this kind of things. She's the fucking definition of innocence."

"She truly is, isn't she." I have had enough. It's the same everytime. She isn't meant for this, she isn't meant meant for that. They have no idea but they all seem to have a strong opinion on this matter. It doesn't matter if I have asked for it or not. They are going to make their assumptions no matter what and lecture me without filter. "You know what, you and everybody else has made your point pretty clear. You have figured out every single thing. And I am gonna do you all the favour and stay the hell away from her. So do mine as well; don't ever fucking mention her name to me again."

"Noted." Joseph sips a bit of his beverage, knowing he won't bother me anymore. "So what are you going to do during summer?"

"Nothing. And I am pretty excited about that. I mean I have to practice, 'cause next year we have to make it up for this one, which was a huge disaster. Besides that, I have a bunch of invitations from friends so I'll spend as less time as imagenable at home. What about you?" It's nice Joseph got my hint and lead our conversation elsewhere.

"I am going to New York. Mr. Roberts offered me a internship and it's a huge opportunity. We are going to work on mobile apps, but I am going to spare the details." He looks really thrilled. "Man! New York! Can you imagine? The city that never sleeps."

"Wow, sounds like the best summer ever. Well deserved, dude. I know you've worked hard for this. New York is going to pay your hard work off." I congratulate him genuinely because this is huge indeed.

"I am so excited about it. I can't wait to get over the exams to head there." He tells me with enthusiasm. "I know I will have loads of work, but I won't miss the opportunity to explore the city. Ashton said it's great that time of the year, despite the heat, and he said he will show me around to get the hang of the city." Then he grabs a huge bite of his burger.

"Since when do you talk with Ashton?" I narrow my eyebrows at the news my friend has just shared. "He will show you around?"

"I talk with Ashton since we were freshmen. He's a good guy, not someone I can hang out on daily basis with, but he's one of the good guys around here for sure. I saw him at his birthday party the previous week and I mentioned my internship at NY. Ashton has already been there for an internship as well and he will continue this summer. He proposed to help me if I needed, to show me places to go out and stuff..." Joseph shrugs, speaking casually like he always does, bragging about his soon to be best friend. Can you imagine this? This Ass-ton finds his way through everything and keeps on irritating the hell out of me.

"You don't say. I didn't know you were that close for him to invite you to his birthday party. Good for you, Joseph. I guess you had a lot of fun. And you sure will in the near future. He seems like a really entertaining guy." I raise my glass at him and grin sarcastically.

"You have no idea." He returns the sarcastic grin. "But the invitation wasn't towards me exactly. Alice was invited and I was her plus one, but it's worldly common that a party without Joseph Nelson can't be a success."

"You got a point. Watch out for yourself though. I cannot worry about you becoming as entertaining as him after you two become best friends during the summer." I go on with the same sarcastic tone. "He is pretty boring, isn't he?"

"You can put it bluntly like that." Joseph grins. "But I guess our personalities aren't compatible. Well, you never know what it's going to happen during the summer." He laughs mischievously.

"If you want this to be our last dinner as friends, go ahead." I joke, or warn him jokingly to say it better. "Second internship in New York? Why does this guy have to be so over the top? It doesn't make sense."

"I am surprised I am hearing that coming from you. Our top basketball player, who is way too good for his age." Joseph smirks and then drinks a bit from his coke.

"Yeah, who wasn't good enough to help his team qualify. I can do nothing right but he is one of the good guys around here for sure." I airquote Joseph's words from before. It's hell of annoying and I don't even know the guy.

"You know that basketball is a team sports, right? You put 150% of your powers, but you don't play alone. Nobody says you are not good enough. And I am talking as a fan of the team and not as your friend." Joseph addresses firmly to me,moving his index. "Even Ashton said you did really great."

"He did?" I end up chortling. "How noble of him."

"Yeah! We were talking about the game at his party and he mentioned it."

"I was a topic on his birthday party? What an honour!" Imagine how boring it must have been if they were talking about the fat lost of the season. "What else were you talking about? How great I am at everything I do?"

"Dude, calm down. I boosted your ego, but you're not the centre of everything." Joseph teases me, laughing. "FYI the main topic was how Chloe, Ashton's best friend, managed to organize such a hell of a surprise party."

"Was it such a good of a party? And a surprise. Lucky him." I comment without hiding my lack of interest.

"Yeah! Chloe had organized even the slightest detail. Ashton was so clueless. When Van... When he was brought to the cafeteria he was completely shook." Did he just? Nah, he didn't.

"Sounds good but I don't particularly care. Surprises are tricky though, remember all the things Robin had to do for Sophie's birthday."

"This party was nothing compared to Sophie's. Not that I want to degrade Robin's effort, but Chloe has booked the whole central cafeteria, Ashton's favourite band and has cooked a hell of delicious food." Joseph effuses over the party. I guess he really had a good time. "He and Chloe must be really close. Alice and I were saying that our best friends would never do something like this. What really caught my attention, and I guess everyone's, was that after the surprise Ashton dragged Chloe out. Alice mentioned it as weird, as this reaction seemed to her more intimate than how two best friend should behave, but then again Alice thought I was dating Sophie..." He speaks non-stop and he seems into the conversation, as I am becoming kinda intrigued myself about where this is going the more he talks.

"And your point is?" I raise my hands in the air waiting for his conclusions.

"My point is this whole drag-her-out-and-stay-for-a-quite-sometime-alone isn't exactly what friends do. Alice said Ren wouldn't do it, but I am not sure about me towards Sophie. I mean I've encountered people, besides Alice ,who thought that we behaved like a couple, but I don't think I would stay out with her alone for that long. It was bizarre and a total contradiction with Ashton's whole behaviour later with... someone." Joseph stops at once and takes a bunch of fries to eat.

"Yeah, from what you've saying it sounds like he could have been making out with that friend of his and- wait? Is he into that girl? I thought he liked Vanessa!" What kind of development is this one!

"I don't know. Alice said the same thing. But I guess it didn't mean anything, because after it, nothing changed. They were just two good friends and Ashton spent most of his time with..." Joseph pauses for a minute. "Dude, can I say the name, because I am trying to avoid it for quite some time, but I always find myself on a dead end." He snaps a bit.

"Come on, get over yourself and tell the full story!" I remark intrigued because this is interesting and I was quick to judge.

"Ashton was all the time with Vanessa. Actually Vanessa is the one who brought him. Chloe has asked her to." Joseph fills me in.

"She what? She played such a part on his birthday? She was the one who brought him there?" And she decided to come to my party just hours before that. Attending my party was a last minute call compared to all this planning for good guy Ass-ton to have the best birthday ever. Is she serious? She can't be serious! "What do you mean she was the one who brought him?"

"She was the bait. The one who had to perform the difficult task of bringing him to the party, without raising any suspicions. And she did it successfully. I didn't know Vanessa was so good at this. Alice was doing a hell of a pep talk for days, saying she has Ashton around her little finger and there would be no way not to follow her. I guess it was true."

"Of course it was the fucking true! She has him wrapped around her finger, huh? Good for her, if that's what she wants. Someone to follow her around like a damn puppy." This guy is unbelievable! And so is she! Is that what she wants? Having someone drooling over her? Throwing him the ball and him returning it to her with a wagging tail? "What did she tell him?"

"To do something fun for his birthday, as he wanted to stick to the paper office and he accepted. That was the hard part, but now that you listen to it, it doesn't sound that hard at all. Then she proposed to grab a cup of coffee and that's it. Simple and smart."

"Simple and smart." I repeat and start to feel my blood boiling. "She did all of that for him, huh?" She's such an anxious person, she stresses about everything and she decided to take such a responsibility on her shoulders? For him? "What is going on between them, Joseph?" I ask in a firm tone as I cross my hands in front of my chest.

"Beats me! I know what you know. Well, perhaps a little more as it seems." He takes the last fries from his plate. "I asked Alice once as we were talking on different stuff, but she doesn't say anything on that matter. To be honest, I don't pressure her a lot, since she's a little biased over Ashton and knowing I am your friend might end up to us fighting. We are both stubborn heads." Joseph lets out a chuckle.

"Of course you know more! And I know you can get her talking so I don't believe you. There's more so tell me." I demand as I keep my eyes stuck on him.

"Believe it or not, Alice's lips are sealed, when it comes to Vanessa. And from what I've seen Ashton is into her, but Vanessa has no idea or she plays dump. I vote the first one though. I know Vanessa sees highly of him and admires him, but nothing more."

"She can't be playing dump this whole time! I've seen them together only a couple times and I've seen enough. So have you. I am sure Alice is there to play her counselor. And if he goes on with this, it means she is leading him on somehow. That makes sense, right?" I shrug and look at him waiting for him to agree on this.

"Dude, I think you are way ahead of yourself. I think you have to forget about Ashton or Vanessa. Don't you have a list of girls, you haven't called?" Joseph points at my phone.

"I've already forgotten about her. I mean... She was never an issue." I shrug once more to make myself look more believable. "Make it lists. It's a win-win."

"That's the spirit! And you always have Susan." He winks.

"Exactly. Who I am going to text right now actually." I grab my phone to do that right away. Susan is a good distraction. Not that I need one but yeah, she's good.

"I guess I will have Alice come over as well. We haven't been in touch lately, due to fucking studying." Joseph grabs his phone as well.

"Studying sucks, but at least you can be sure she's not fooling around your back."

"She is not, but there are many douchebags out there who have set their eyes on her." Joseph exasperates, rubbing his hair back nervously.

"You can take care of the douchebags. Actually Alice can easily take care of them on her own." She likes to nose around as I said but she sure knows how to set her boundaries towards guys, especially now that she's with Joseph I assume.

"I thought that too, but not all douchebags are douchebags to Alice apparently." Joseph makes a grimace. Something is up.

"And who are we talking about exactly?"

"As it seems good boy Ashton has a pretty good and decent roommate, as Alice has put it." Joseph makes a disgusted grimace again. Fucking Ass-ton pops up everywhere I swear. "I went to the bathroom for five minutes and when I came back, I saw this douche hitting on my girlfriend on his full glory."

"I bet Alice had him knocked down on the ground between seconds. She's a big girl, she can deal with situations like this."

"I believed that as well, but Alice says she can't pick on anyone without a good reason. She insisted Shawn was not the typical jerk and he was really polite, so she tried to be polite as well. She insisted he hadn't cornered her, but Nathan, when I saw him getting closer to her, I wanted to punch him. I didn't know how I kept my cool." He huffs exasperated again.

"So next time you see him, punch him." I suggest with a shrug.

"If I saw him lay a hand on her, I don't know if I will be able to control myself." He looks really serious and I was actually joking. "Seriously, I don't like being the crazy jealous boyfriend, but Alice is a moving temptation just by being her. I know other guys will check her out, because they are not blind, but sometimes it makes me mad. As I said, I know I can trust her and that she won't let anyone touch her without her permission, but the feeling is still annoying."

"I guess it is annoying, but maybe it will get better? You guys just started going out, perhaps you'll get used to it? I don't know, man. This is not my field of expertise." Look at me, trying to give relationship advice now. "Maybe you should better talk about it with your brother when he comes."

"That's something I've never thought I'd do in my life..." Joseph chuckles awkwardly. "But then again, life has a strange sense of humor."

"Couldn't agree more. It doesn't seem so bad. I am sure he knows more than me on that specific matter. After you talk to him, maybe you can have a chat about it with Alice too."

"Actually we did and we kind of solved it, but I just wanted to get it out of my chest mostly." Joseph seems to calm down a bit.

"Oh, that's good. I don't think I've helped anyway..." I raise my hands apologetically. Is this how my life would be from now on? Giving love advice to people who have abandoned my lifestyle? This is weird.

Joseph chuckles again. "You listened to the crazy rant of your friend. I think I should start paying you for listening to my bullshit."

"Would work for me." I guess I just have to listen to crazy rants and be there for my friends. I tend to disappoint but I have to make an effort. I can't keep on disappointing everyone forever.

Joseph and I spend another hour more or less at the restaurant and go our separate ways. We most likely bump into each other during the week, he has to show his brother the city after all.

A/N: Well who said boys don't gossip? I can say this chapter can be used like a sum up of the previous one, but in a funny way... Please tell us what you think. Always happy and curious to see your comments. Don't forget to vote! xoxo