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Look up, the stars are fading
And I am still here waiting to see you again
Be with you my friend
When the moon is gone forever
I hope you're up there somewhere, I'll see you again
Be with you my friend
Cause all the roads they lead to where you are
And all the streetlights shine like they were stars
That's where you are
Let's spend tonight on top of the world
And we can do anything
We can be anything
I'll meet you tonight on top of the world
As real as it seems
You're only in my dreams
Look out across the water
Faces of lonely daughters and mothers who care
But just can't be there
Swear that I will see you someday
I have to find a way To show you I care
Even if you're not there
So I'm following the road to where you are
(Meet you tonight on top of)
The streetlights they will guide me to the stars
That's where you are
Let's spend tonight on top of the world
And we can do anything
We can be anything
I'll meet you tonight on top of the world
As real as it seems
You're only in my dreams
My heart is empty without you
Sometimes you don't know what to do
And I need you tonight
I'll fall asleep and it's alright
Close my eyes and I'll be by your side
Let's spend tonight on top of the world
And we can do anything
We can be anything
I'll meet you tonight on top of the world
As real as it seems
You're only in my dreams
Top of the World
Boys Like Girls
Chapter 5
running on dead
Ned/Carol
“Hey dad,” Ned greeted semi-cheerfully as she picked up on the third ring. She’d been staring at her cell phone buzzing in her hand but hadn’t had the nerve to open it. She just didn’t want to deal with him and his selfish attitude right now.
“Hey peaches,” her dad greeted in reply referring to her childhood nickname. She didn’t like having him use it since it reminded her of the times when her parents had been together and the four of them had been one big happy family. Way back when.
“What are you calling for?” Ned continued crossing her arm over her chest as she started to pace in front of the coffee table. She’d been attempting to do some homework in the living room, since she just realized she had a crap-load due tomorrow, but she wasn’t getting very far as she continued to become distracted by the non-stop marathon of Monk episodes.
“Can’t a father just call to dote upon his daughter?” her dad replied in a deep Southern chuckle.
“First of all stop watching Pirates of the Caribbeanand picking up cheesy lines, and second of all, no, you never call without a reason. So have at it, what do you want us to do this time? Stay in school over the fall break? Done.”
“We’re cutting off your spending allowance.” He said abruptly. Ned stopped mid-sentence and gaped towards her television as if it had just spewed the news to her.
“What?” she shrieked crouching down into a fetal position and wrapping her hands over her head protectively. This could not be happening to her! Not after the week she’d had with her lousy-ass tutor, who was no help since he constantly stared at her breasts, and the glares she received from her Calculus teacher because she’d failed another test. She didn’t need this now “Why?”
“April feels you girls are too old to keep getting an allowance on a regular basis. I agree and we’ve decided to stop the flow until we’ve decided on a different arrangement.” He explained simply.
“So you’re cutting off your daughters because your half-aged wife decided she needs more skiing clothes?” Ned hissed pulling at her hair. How could he do this to them? That money was the only sort of income she received. If he cut her off she would have to start saving and then she would have to actually pay for things on her own!
“Bernadine I’m not doing this to smite your or anything, we just feel its time for you girls to pave your own path in life. To get by with what you have and earn something on your own, the way I had to.” Ned rolled her eyes at her father’s words. He was a fifth generation Harvard law graduate and had more family inheritance than the Hilton’s and Bill Gates combined.
Ned slammed the phone down instead of replying to her father. Fine. He wanted to be a bitch than that was his forte; she wasn’t going to stand for it. She threw her phone across the room with a scream as it smashed into the wall and fell to the ground in three pieces. She felt like screaming again as a loud knock sounded on her door.
“What now?” she hissed at nobody in particular. She yanked open the door to see Nathan standing there with an amused smile on his face. “Jesus Christ!”
“Perhaps I came at a bad time?” Nathan said as his smile slowly disappeared. Ned wasn’t listening as she looked skyward and began shouting again.
“Was it Jacob Myers in the third grade? Is this why I’m being tortured? You know as well as I do that he would have both testicles if he hadn’t tried to feel me up in the lunch line!”
“Maybe I should come back when you’re not having psychotic conversations with God, though it seems as if you enjoy his company when I’m around.” Nathan smirked as he stepped inside her suite, past visiting hours, and closed the door behind the two of them. It didn’t appear that he was going to be leaving anytime soon.
Ned was so riled up over the events falling apart around her that she didn’t notice Nathan getting her a water bottle and two aspirin which she accepted without argument during her ramble.
“What are you doing here?” she asked finally turning towards him as if just realizing he was there.
“Well I came to ask you something but perhaps you should tell me what’s wrong.” He said hesitantly as he didn’t want to set her off into hystericals again.
“Oh God, it’s been a terrible week! I found out my father is cutting me off my allowance because his bimbo of a bride April feels were too old for one, I have a presentation over the pilots of World War I due tomorrow which I completely forgot about, my calculus grade has been continuously slipping even with the help of a fucking tutor, I’ve got three poems due for the literary magazine which I haven’t done, my sisters on the rampage, I’m up to my neck in bad relationships because nobody can fucking work things out and just give up at the first sign of a problem and to top it all off I have you asking me out when everyone knows I don’t do relationships.”
“Well, this is perfect!” Nathan grinned while Ned stared at him in annoyance.
“How is this pah-fect?” she hissed making fun of his accent as she did so. “Have you not been listening to everything I just said?”
“Well, no, not all of it, it was quite long and I don’t have the brain power to comprehend half of what your saying but I’m sure it can be easily fixed.”
“And how do you presume to fix it?”
“Well, I don’t know about the latter situations, your sister and all, but I can help you with your homework. My dad is the curator at the museum of Natural History so I know all about that stuff and I’ve been a math genius since I was three so I can tutor you with calculus if you like. And I know your good with words so your poetry problem should be no contest.” Nathan replied as his eyes lit up.
“Why are you so excited about doing homework?” Ned asked quietly while staring at him. “Especially my homework.”
“Well, I get to spend it with you, yeah?” he replied giving her a strange look. She pressed her lips together and stared at him for a few minutes in silences before she narrowed her eyes.
“On one condition.” She said.
“What?”
“You stop this ‘good guy’ act.”
“What good guy—”
“Ah—”
“It’s not a—”
“Umph—”
“It’s not a good guy act! Seriously!” Nathan said with his hands shoved into his pockets.
“Well whatever it is, just drop it.” Ned hissed running her hand through her hair and fluffing it up. She saw Nathan watching her out of the corner of her eye and turned to him in confusion. “What?”
“Nothing,” he muttered dropping his gaze and looked around. “So lets get started on that report.” He clapped his hands and rubbed them together with a wink towards her.
“Whatever, I have to take a shower first.” Ned responded making her way towards her bedroom.
“What am I supposed to do then?” Nathan asked following her into the room.
“The computers right there; have fun.” Ned said nodding toward her bed where her laptop lay before disappearing into the bathroom.
She took a deep breath before looking in the mirror and rolling her eyes when she saw how puffy and red they were. Crying really wasn’t her thing. She stripped and stepped under the hot steam of water as she took a longer than usual shower. She appreciated the fact that Nathan wanted to help her but with his blatant want of a date last week she was a little weirded out.
This was Nathan for heaven sake. Nathan, who got on her nerves whenever possible and who loved tormenting her in different ways. Nathan, who was constantly seen disappearing into the woods with different girls and reappearing with sticks and leaves every where. Nathan, whom Ned had no time to waste her flattery on because he was probably already hard at work on her replacement.
Twenty minutes later she stepped out of the shower and stared at her uniform on the floor. Well, she definitely wasn’t putting that back on. She grabbed her white terry-cloth towel and wrapped it around her form as she walked out of the bathroom. Nathan did a double take of her as he looked up from the computer screen. She expected his mouth to drop open or drool to appear but it remained closed as his eyes silently soaked in her body.
A small blush crept up her neck and cheeks as she grabbed a pair of flannel pants and a white tank top as well as underwear. She walked back into the bathroom and kicked the door closed as she dressed. She looked in the mirror once she was finished and stood on the balls of her feet.
The pores on her forehead seemed to be sending out their own spotlight. She swore and put a clear nighttime mask on before her eye caught something in the mirror. It was Nathan, glancing at her image through the crack in the door and attempting to not appear obvious. She slowly lowered her body while looking at him and walked out into her room.
“So, what have you started on?” she asked placing her hands lightly against her hips.
“Well, I’ve got your opening paragraph and thesis started.” He replied after clearing his throat and turning the computer for her to read. She sat on her bed beside him and leaned forward to read over his shoulder. Her lips moved as she silently scanned the page. She could feel Nathan watching her.
When she was finished she had a small smile on her face as she turned to thank him. He was inches away from her. She could feel his breath against her cheek as her eyes met his. Time seemed to slow down as his lips slowly parted and his hand slowly rose to cup her cheek. It grew warm in her bedroom that suddenly felt small and stuffy with the two of them sitting so close. Her pulse sped up as her palms became sweaty. She felt her eyes flutter closed as he leaned towards her. His breath was against her lips as he hovered there in waiting.
She shifted closer which was enough for their lips to touch briefly. Nathan ceased the moment to entangle his fingers in her hair and pull her closer. It was the longest, slowest, most heated kiss Ned had ever experienced. Something sparked inside of her which traveled to the pit of her stomach and flared. It felt like a million butterflies had sprung inside of her and decided to take over.
“Ned!” Carol yelled slamming the front door and causing the couple to spring apart.
Ned placed her hand over her mouth in shock and realized she was shaking. From what? Nerves? Excitement? Carol called her name again and she yelled a response as she scooted off the bed and left the room without sparing Nathan a glance.
“Hey,” Carol greeted placing her things by the sofa and beginning to take off her layers. The past week had dropped dramatically and left everyone freezing. “Why do you look so flushed?”
“Do I?” Ned replied absentmindedly while walking to the mirror by their door and looking herself over. Her face did look flushed. What was Nathan doing to her? And she was still shaking slightly.
“What’s going on Ned?” Carol asked from her perch on the edge of the couch.
“Nothing,” she snapped in reply as she turned back to her sister and waved the issue off. “What do you want? I have a lot of homework to do and Nathan—”
“Nathan? Is he here?” Carol interrupted. Ned blushed and crossed her arms over her chest.
“Yeah, he’s helping me with my homework.”
“Oh my God, Ned!” Carol hissed dropping her voice to barely above a whisper as Ned shushed her. “Are you two—?”
“No!” Ned responded as a bad feeling erupted in her gut. Was she lying to her sister? Or was she lying to herself? “No, nothing like that. He’s just helping me with my homework.”
Carol rolled her eyes but didn’t respond to it. “Either way, dad wants us home for fall break. Some news he has to tell us. God I hope he’s moving far, far away.”
“Doubt it.” Ned muttered studying her nails. “Did he cut you off too?”
“Yeah, but I told him he was still gonna pay for gas if he wanted to see us.” She grunted in response with a tint of hatred behind her words.
“Genius.” Ned’s eyebrows rose in admiration. “Well I’m gonna get back to work, I have a feeling its going to be a long night.”
“Yeah, have fun with that.” Carol gave her a wicked smile which Ned glared at before disappearing into her room.
She met Nathan’s gaze as he looked up form her computer and shifted on her feet. She opened her mouth to say something but he beat her to it.
“Do you have any research for your paper that I can pull quotes from?” he asked looking back at the computer screen.
“Oh—um—sure,” Ned muttered crossing to her desk and pulling out a binder full of photocopies she’d made a long time ago. She handed it to him slowly but he simply grabbed it and turned away. She went back to her desk and drummed her fingers along the top. She figured Calculus could wait until later since Nathan was going to be tutoring her as she took a seat, pulled out a bunch of old poems and ruffled through them.
A few hours later Ned had finished the poetry assignment and was working through her calculus homework, Nathan told her to get started and he’d help her when she needed, when Nathan gave a long yawn and stretched. Ned took the time to stare as he worked out his muscles through his tight shirt which clung to him in all the right places. She bit her lip and chewed on it while watching.
Ned really was being stupid by refusing to date him. Any other girl would kill to be in her position, but she just couldn’t bring herself to accept his offer. Every time she had dated a guy in the past an awful sickening feeling had washed over her and she couldn’t deal. And every time she broke it off with someone she felt a wave of relief and comfort. The thought of not being single almost killed her.
“Shit, its so fucking late.” Nathan complained snapping Ned from her thoughts. She watched him rub his hands over his face before lying back on her bed. She glanced at the clock and saw that it was past three in the morning. She only had a few more problems to complete but she wondered how far Nathan had gotten on her paper.
“A page and a half.” He replied.
“What?” she snapped towards him “Five hours and you’ve only gotten a page and a half!”
Nathan started laughing and sat back up again. “Relax, I’m just finishing up the conclusion.”
“Shit,” Ned let out the breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding and threw a book at him. He caught it while laughing and stared at her. Her own laughter died down as she watched the sparkle in his eyes fade. Damn, she really was a bitch. “Um—I’m almost done as well. Care to look these over?”
“Give me a second.” He muttered typing away. He finished ten minutes later and walked over to the desk with her laptop. He hooked it up to the printer and started her paper before looking over her calculus.
“Wow, I think all of these are wrong.” He laughed as she groaned into her hands. She threw her head back and felt like crying.
“I can’t take all this!” she wailed standing and walking to the living room. She flicked on the television and flipped through infomercial after infomercial. Nathan appeared a few minutes later with her backpack flung over his shoulder.
“Come on,” he motioned towards her with his head. She turned off the television and followed him without complaint. They snuck out of the dorm and walked across campus. Ned shivered in her tank top as Nathan turned towards her.
“Why didn’t you grab a coat?” he asked taking his off and wrapping it around her. She shrugged in reply and followed him silently. “And where are your shoes?” he shrieked. She smiled and shrugged again. She hated wearing shoes, but had seriously forgotten to put some on when they left.
Ned didn’t even realize they’d reach the covered parking lot until they stood beside his car. He opened the passenger door for her and bowed as she slid in with a smile. Twenty minutes later they were driving towards the city silently as Ned drifted in and out of sleep. A combination of the heat and rhythmic vibrations coming from the car.
Nathan started humming a song which made Ned roll her head over to face him. He smiled towards her and reached over to place his hand on hers. She smiled and squeezed it while listening to his deep voice.
“…and getting caught in the rain…something something something something….if you like making love at midnight, in the dunes of the cape”. Ned smiled and joined him quietly until they reached the small diner in town. They spent the next two hours huddled together in a booth, making their way through a pot of coffee and home cooked food while arguing over Ned’s calculus homework and bickering in general.
“Pretty nice, huh?” Nathan sighed as they sat together on the hood of his car watching the sunrise. Ned sipped her coffee they’d finally gotten to go once they’d finished and sighed with content. She had to agree that the view was amazing. The sky was all colors of orange, pink and yellow which lit up the trees like magic and made her feel very light and free.
“Gorgeous,” she murmured. He smiled and took another sip as Ned cleared her throat. “Um—about earlier.”
“What about it?” he asked nonchalantly.
“Did you hear—I mean when Carol and I were talking—did you happen to overhear us?” she asked slowly.
He turned and stared at her and from his look she already knew the answer. “Do you think I heard you?”
“I’m sorry,” she said quickly which was weird because she never apologized for things. But for some reason she had an urge to let him know that she didn’t mean it. That she was forcing her feelings aside in order to have nothing but a friendship and to protect herself longer. She couldn’t deal with relationships, not after freshman year. Not after everything that had happened.
“No need to be. Shit happens.” He said with a shrug and brushing off the matter.
“Yeah, but—Nathan—what I said—”
“We should probably get back.” He interrupted hopping off the car and throwing his coffee cup away. Ned blanched from his sudden change in demeanor before following suit and getting into the car. They drove back in silence, not the comfortable one like before but as if an awkward tension hung between them, and he dropped her off in front of her dorm with nothing but a tight smile in response to her thanks.
She muttered curses to herself as she stormed towards her room with her backpack slung over her shoulder. Once there she grabbed her paper and poetry assignment, stapled them separately, slipped on some shoes and walked across campus to the administration office. She slid all of her assignments into the correct teacher’s box before returning to her room. She collapsed on the bed and wrapped herself in Nathan’s hoodie, which she still wore, before falling asleep to his scent.
“Ned and I are going to our dad’s house. He has some big news he wants to tell us. I hope he getting a divorce.” Carol responded picking off the pickles and onions from her loaded turkey sandwich. She liked the flavor of them in general so she still ordered them on her sandwich but she didn’t like eating them, so she picked them off.
“Doubt it,”
“One can only dream.” She said with a sigh as her eye caught a figure walking towards their table. Nathan stopped in front of them and laid his hands on top of the table as he leaned in to speak low.
“Can I talk to you for a second?” he asked shooting Drew a wary glance.
“Yeah, sure. But you can talk to me here. Drew already knows.” Carol said dismissing Nathan’s glanced towards her friend. She had informed Drew of Nathan’s plan last week and he’d advised her to be careful when dealing with her sister. One wrong move would insure that Ned never spoke to her again. She knew what she was doing though. She would be careful and plan everything out to the last detail so her sister wouldn’t suspect she’d been behind it. She couldn’t afford to loose her again.
“I thought we agreed to keep this low key?” Nathan muttered taking a seat beside Drew so he could look at Carol as he spoke.
“We are, Drew’s like family, he’s not about to tell anyone.” Carol replied rolling her eyes. Drew scoffed and bit into his sandwich so he wouldn’t have to answer. Carol gave him a pathetic look before turning back to Nathan. “So what do you need to talk about?”
“Last night,” he said diving straight into it. Carol sighed and sat up straighter since she’d been expecting this. She told Nathan to come over to their suite and offer his services to Ned but she didn’t think things would get as out of control as they did.
“Go on,” she coaxed nodding towards him.
“It didn’t end so well,” he winced while saying that.
“Well of course it didn’t end well, you moved to quickly.” Carol said as if it were obvious.
“It seemed like the—” he started to respond before giving Drew an awkward glance. He paused before looking back at Carol and continuing. “It seemed like the right thing to do at the time. I mean she was so happy over her paper and she smelled so—”
“Okay Romeo, no need to go into details about your make-out session with my flesh and blood.” Carol said holding up a hand and stopping him from continuing. Nathan rolled his eyes as Drew snorted into his sandwich and chocked on his tuna. Nathan gave him an annoyed and confused looked before scooting farther away on the bench.
“Well what am I supposed to do now?” he asked Carol.
“Well I for one wouldn’t go doing anything too drastic. You can’t sweep her off her feet and expect a thank you; you simply have to beat it out of her.” Carol explained. “Like I said before Ned doesn’t want a modern day prince she wants someone who’s going to argue with her and refuse to take ‘no’ for an answer. Someone who’s going to push her buttons and let her push his back, I mean the romantic crap just doesn’t work on her.”
“What if you’re wrong?” Nathan asked sitting closer to the table and leaning his arms on it.
“I’m not wrong about my sister.” Carol said rolling her eyes.
“Yes, but what if you are wrong?” Nathan continued. “I mean this morning we were sitting on my car watching the sunrise—”
“Jesus, are you trying to make the rest of us look like shit?” Drew interrupted speaking for the firs time during the conversation. “I mean it was only the first date and you two were already watching the sunrise!”
“I’m going to ignore that comment for now,” Nathan said narrowing his eyes towards Drew. “As I was saying we were sitting there and she totally went sappy and romantic on me, so what if you’re wrong and Ned really does like all that romantic crap, but nobody’s ever done that stuff because they all think she hates it?”
“No,” Carol said shaking her head. “Trust me, thats so not Ned’s style. If you go all sappy on her she’s only going to run away.”
“Yes, but—”
“Dude, give it up.” Drew said interrupting again. “You can’t win with the prince charming act. You have to be yourself around a girl for once.”
“Funny,” Nathan sneered nodding his head in Drew’s direction and scowling.
“What are you doing for break?” Carol asked Nathan attempting to stop the fight that she could see was arousing in both of the guys. Blood would be drawn soon if she didn’t do something and she knew there was no way in hell Drew could stand up with Nathan.
“Probably hanging around campus.” Nathan said slowly turning back to Carol with a scowl still on his face. “There’s not enough time to go back to Britain, or at the very least my parents refuse to pay for a plane ticket.”
“And I’m assuming your staying here for Thanksgiving as well?” she continued giving him a sideways glance as both he and Drew stared at her uncertainly.
“Yeah, we don’t celebrate your Thanksgiving overseas…” he trailed off as if he’d finally caught onto her plan and understood.
After hashing out the details he left he two of them to finish their lunch as Drew turned to Carol with his eyes wide and a low whistle. “If this goes over smoothly than you deserve a medal of some sort.”
“Oh please,” Carol responded rolling her eyes. “I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
“Yeah right, Ned is going to murder someone when this comes into play.”
“You don’t really think it’ll be that bad, do you?” she replied hesitantly and suddenly not so sure that her plan was acceptable anymore.
“No, I’m sure everything will work out great and they’ll be going out in no time.” Drew said quickly though Carol wasn’t sure he really meant it or he was just saying it to comfort her. She sighed and nodded as she picked up her sandwich and looked at it. She wasn’t too hungry anymore as she set it down again and looked around the grounds. If Ned didn’t take too well to their plan than she was definitely a dead woman walking.
Thanks to: swimchickslam, LethargicLove, Luv-TU, Saraestia, sunflowersing, VenusSmurf1, TwinkleBellStar, and everyone else!