Title: Hope

Summary: I sighed before looking up, my eyes locked with the eyes of Nikki Howard. For the first time in a long time, I felt something. Something I hadn't felt since the accident. Hope.

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters used, they belong to Meg Cabot, no money is being made. Blahblahblah.

-Start-

I blinked. What the hell was this? Glow-in-the-dark dinosaur stickers? Nikki Howard wasn't only an airhead, she was weird. A weird supermodel, who was beautiful, but also a stuck up druggie (Well, at least I think she's a druggie. That amnesia excuse needs to be saved for the soap operas). I know I didn't have the right to judge her as I didn't know her, but I couldn't help but to feel that way.

She was the type of people that Em and I hated. The ones who have everyone at their feet, and think that only beauty would get them through life. Forget having brains and a great personality. People only wanted to be around Nikki Howard for the perks. You know the perks, such as getting into clubs, red carpet events, free stuff, just to name a few. I was so above that, all of it. So was Em.

Em… her name sent chills down my spine and puts a sad smile on my face. She, full name being Emerson, was my best friend. Was, being keyword in that sentence. Over a month ago she was taken away too soon. Yeah, she died. And I watched it happened. I watched my best friend slip away.

It was a freak accident, not that much of a freak accident, but that's what it would sum up to be. A TV fell on her, and she was gone, bleeding and broken. Life as I know it would never be the same again. Even now it wasn't. My best friend was cremated and we would never do all those things we planned to do in the future. You know that phrase, you don't know what you got until it's gone? Or something like that…?

Well, yeah. It was the day of her memorial when I realized my true feelings. They were, surprisingly? (Maybe, maybe not…?), pass friendship. Was it love? I loved her, yes. But, I was in love with my best friend. But she was never coming back, and she would never know. But I knew, and that was enough. I was in love with my best friend and I didn't get the chance to tell her – to have her tell me she felt the same way or reject me. I would take rejection if that meant she would breathe again. As long as she was alive, safe and in my arms. But that was so far fetched. There was no hope. None at all.

Looking at the clock, I quickly stopped my game of Madden NFL (Funny thing is, I didn't even like sports…but I couldn't enjoy any other game that would remind me of Em. And the majority did.). After I signed off the computer, I grabbed my books and the glow-in-the-dark stickers (Don't ask me why, it just felt like I should. Maybe I'll sell them on eBay. Oh yeah, they'll be a hit: Nikki Howard's dinosaur stickers. Woo, the fans will go crazy—note the sarcasm, please.) before leaving the computer lab to go to first period – Public speaking, a class I had with airhead/druggie Nikki Howard.

During the class, while not paying attention, but keeping my face focused on the person speaking. I felt Nikki's eyes burn into me, I didn't look back, I couldn't face her after our exchange. It was too, I don't know, but in some ways it felt wrong. Besides, I didn't care for her. Plus, that seat, the one she's sitting in. That seat belonged to Em. That was Em's seat and she was sitting in it. She with her (probably) three hundred dollar (okay, probably an exaggeration…but you never know) skinny jeans.

I looked down. I wondered, and I did wonder about this often, if Em were here what would we be doing? I'd probably be sleeping while paying minimal attention and Em would be doing… I don't know what she'd be doing, but whatever it was I wish she were doing it. If that made sense.

I laid my head down on the table, feeling tired. Not caring about what the girl at the front was blabbing about. Just laying my head there, I began to think back to Em and I.

I blinked groggily, rubbing my eyes. "Dude, I heard every word you said."

"Oh really?" I watched as she raised an eyebrow. "What was my assigned topic again?"

I smiled crookedly. "Um…I'm not sure. But, I know it had something to do with short-shorts. And glow-in-the-dark dinosaur stickers."

My head shot up just as the bell rang. Glow-in-the-dark dinosaur stickers? How did she know? How did Nikki know? It couldn't be sheer coincidence, hell no. I didn't believe that for a second. I pulled the stickers out from my book, staring at them. They were ordinary stickers. Nothing special. I sighed before looking up, my eyes locked with the eyes of Nikki Howard. She smiled, (you know that smile that make guys—minus me because I'm currently in love with Em—weak in the knees).

For the first time in a long time, I felt something. Something I hadn't felt since the accident. Hope.

-End-

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A/N: I just got finished reading Airhead, and it was an awesome book. I loved it and I couldn't help but to feel bad for Christopher and decided to write this. I can't wait until Being Nikki comes out, and if you're reading this I bet you can't either. Please review, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this piece.