#except nick

For @jatp-week. Day 6: favorite trope. I couldn’t figure out what my favorite trope was so I just chose one at random. Which happens to be “they are dating but everyone thinks they hate each”.

Read on AO3

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Nick was at his locker just like usual when he felt a shift in the air. Looking around he found that the whole hallway was frozen, staring at something down the hall. He peered around his locker door to see what was the spectacle. 

Julie’s laughter bounced down the hall to him. The crowd were parting for her and the person holding her hand. Julie leaned into her partner, murmuring something into their ear and snickering again.

Even Flynn was staring at them as they stopped in front of Nick. They only seemed to just now realize that they were being stared at.

“What are you all staring at? Don’t you have something to do?” Carrie asked, looking over the crowd with a sniff.

“You’re dating Julie Molina?!” someone shouted.

“Yeah, I am. Obviously. Let me and my girlfriend have some peace!” Carrie rolled her eyes turning back to Nick. “I don’t get why they find it so shocking.”

Nick had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep himself from laughing. He could see why everyone was shocked, after all Julie and Carrie had almost antagonistic banters in the hallway for everyone to see nearly every day. He had known from the very beginning of them dating.

He got to know the full story. How Julie and Carrie had gotten up in each other’s faces and subsequently ended up kissing. The following freak out that Carrie had, she had thought she had gotten over whatever crush she had on Julie as a kid. How they ended up kissing again. How they went on their first date. All about that date and the following dates.

“Well,” Nick started once he finally got the urge to laugh under control.

Before he could continue, Flynn burst through the crowd. “Why didn’t you tell me?!”

Julie smiled seeing her best friend. “Hey, Flynn. And I did tell you. Remember?”

“When?” Flynn flung out her hands in a wild gesture.

“When I said ‘like I’m dating Carrie’ like three weeks ago,” Julie said, chuckling. Nick bit his lip at the shocked and aghast look Flynn had.

“But it’s Carrie!”

“I know.” Julie then pecked Carrie’s cheek. “I need to grab my books. See you later?”

Nick could see how Carrie’s eyes softened when she looked at Julie. “I will see you later.”

Julie grinned and gave Carrie’s hand a squeeze before she grabbed onto Flynn’s and drug her away. Flynn gave Carrie the “I’m watching you” gesture as she went. He had to turn back to his locker to hold in his laughter.

“What is so surprising about Julie and me?” Carrie muttered, opening her own locker door.

“You mean besides the two of you acting like you can’t stand each other? Oh, and no one had any idea you were even remotely interested in girls?” Nick offered, pulling out two ridiculously heavy textbooks for his next two classes.

“I thought we were obvious!” Carrie exclaimed, closing her locker door the same time as Nick and turning to him. “Like, I was actually around her a lot! Doing stuff with her!”

Nick finally let a smile through. “You know, most people wouldn’t be able to read that in you, right? I know how smitten you’ve gotten with her. The heart eyes you get.”

“I do not get heart eyes!” Carrie said, glowering at him.

“I think you need to check the mirror when you look at Julie…” Nick grinned at his best friend.

Nicolas- 5/10 a tad too formal, is a good name, bit long

Nico-  7/10 short, to the point, everyone IRL calls me this

Tick- 10/10 for some reason is my online name, short, will answer it it with a smile, easy to scream

Powdermonkey- 3/10 league name, too long, literally noone calls me this, but fine.

Monkey- 7/10 appropriate, shorter than Powdermonkey