Adam woke to the soft sound of purring near his feet. The scent of hot cocoa drifted through the air.
He blinked against the morning light and heard Nickie’s voice.
“Morning, sleepy goblin. I’ve gotta head to school soon. My mom’s home, so take your time.”
He blinked some more, noticing Nickie was already in School-gremlin mode.
“I’ll come with you,” Adam murmured, shifting under the covers, then paused. “This cat is heavy.”
Nickie chuckled from the doorway.
***
They got off the bus together. The air was brisk, the sky just brightening.
“I’ll walk you a bit,” Adam said.
“I thought you skipped on Fridays. A teacher might spot you.”
“Just for a bit.”
They made their way up the hill in no rush until Adam came to a stop.
“This is where I leave you,” he said.
“Okay, see you later.” Nickie stepped past him.
“Hey, Nickie… wait.”
She turned, eyebrows raised.
Adam stood still, the hint of a mischievous smile tugging at his mouth.
‘She probably hates being late,’ he thought. ‘Let’s see how much.’
He waited.
Nickie didn’t flinch. Didn’t even blink. Just waited patiently until he spoke.
“Piggyback?” he offered.
Her face lit up. A wide, unfiltered smile.
“Yes please!”
Adam smiled without meaning to.
Her joy was infectious.
He crouched, and Nickie jumped onto his back, wrapping her arms securely around his shoulders.
‘She really does love this,’ he thought, amused.
“You like the view tall people get?”
“Fuck off, haha!”
Adam grinned and started jogging uphill, making her laugh harder, clinging to him as he picked up speed.
At the top, he slowed and crouched again.
She slid off, still giggling under her breath.
“Okay, now I really have to go,” she said, brushing hair from her face.
“See you tomorrow?” Adam raised his fist.
Instead of bumping it, Nickie wrapped her hand around it, slowly stepping forward.
He understood what she was going for, and had time to pull away if he wanted to.
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He didn’t.
She wrapped her arms around him in a wordless kind of thank-you.
Her touch was light, no pressure, like she was saying "I'm here" without making him feel cornered.
Adam tensed for half a second, then let himself lean into it.
He rested his hand on her back for a brief moment.
“You’re amazing, Bass Boy,” she said softly.
Then she turned and ran until she took a right turn and disappeared from his sight.
Adam stayed where he was, his breath misted in the cold morning air.
‘I’m… okay?’ he thought, a little surprised by the realization.
A small smile crept across his lips as a memory surfaced: Nickie curled up like a sleepy gremlin in his lap the night before, tucked beneath the hum of the cab.
‘She’s cute,’ he thought, and giggled to himself.
Her voice echoed in his head, wrapping around something soft and unfamiliar in his chest.
‘What am I thinking?’ he shook his head, pushing the thought away before it could root too deep.
He turned, hands in his pockets, and jogged down the hill before anyone could recognize him.
But Nickie’s face, laughter, and her wriggling ears refused to leave his mind.
***
“I’ve got it bad”
B.T Public | 3rd person POV
Nickie drifted through her day in a haze, her thoughts stubbornly refusing to stay grounded.
She kept replaying the memory of Adam: his damp shirt clinging to his back, the faint warm scent of his hair, the solid, grounding grip of his hands.
‘Did Adam give me a piggyback ride yesterday? ...Wait. I asked for it.’
Her cheeks burned.
‘I want to listen to his heartbeat again…’
The thought struck with embarrassing intensity.
She twirled her pencil between her fingers, eyes glazed over.
‘Would he let me? Could I ask?’
She sighed, already counting down the hours until their next practice.
‘I want to make music with him. I want to see him again.’
But then, like a sour note cutting through melody, another image crept in:
The steady stream of girls at gigs who hit on Adam.
Some claimed to know him.
Some just threw themselves at the mystery.
At school, it was no better.
She’d heard the whispers.
The shameless fantasies said like dares, followed by giggles.
Adam had become a local enigma.
And the more he stayed quiet, the more people leaned in.
Some flirted openly, trying to crack him with charm.
But Adam never gave them what they wanted.
He looked... bored. Irritated, even.
Especially when they tried to touch him.
Some girls pushed anyway, mistaking his discomfort for mysterious shyness.
Like he was a puzzle they had to solve. A prize.
But Nickie had seen it for what it was. He hated it.
And yet when she hugged him...
Her mind snapped back.
That moment at the hill.
The surprise in his eyes.
How his body tensed, for just a second before he held her back.
Awkward, yes. But real.
He hadn’t pulled away.
She remembered the way his cheeks flushed. Just a little.
And the way he looked at her, like he didn’t quite know what to do with what he was feeling.
Her chest warmed. She bit her lip, smiling.
‘His face back then... He really is... beautiful.’
Without thinking, Nickie groaned softly and facepalmed at her desk.
The boy next to her flinched and glanced over.
She sat up straighter, cleared her throat, and pretended to find her notes fascinating.
No use lying about it anymore.
‘Fuck. I’ve got it bad.’