Stuck: with You

"Hey."

"We're friends of Arthur, or should we come up with our own nicknames?"

"No, you can keep to Arthur thank you."

Nicola leaned in, stroking her fingers along Arthur's arm. "What about me? Do I have to call you Arthur as well?"

"No... No, you can still call me, call me, Art."

Brendan saw the chance to tease his friend further and took it. "And why does she get special treatment, I've known you ten years and you've never let me give you a nickname."

"She's different. She... she makes it sound right."

Arthur took out his pen and started taking notes, not even looking up to see the stunned faces around him. Eventually Megan leaned in to whisper at Nicola.

"I think Arthur has a crush on you."

Nicola whispered back, loud enough for Arthur to hear her. "I hope so, I've got a thing for him as well."

If 13 year olds could have a heart attack, Arthur would've right there and then.

*

The rest of the day went by far too slowly for Arthur. Only being in 2nd year he had the same people in each class for the full day, meaning he was with Nicola for the whole time. Part of him loved it, she was a friendly, warm, slightly mischievous person which suited Megan and Brendan just fine, quickly accepting her as part of their gang, and she was pretty as could be, sure to grow up into a fine beauty. Of course that was the part he hated, being so close to her all day and trying hard not to embarrass himself further. Arthur just wasn't good around girls, he wasn't good around most people even getting checked for autism at a young age, but girls were elusive creatures that eluded him, and now here was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen and she wanted to talk to him, wanted to get to know him. It was a difficult notion to handle.

The two of them got the bus home together, getting off at the same stop to walk back, Nicola considered taking Arthur's hand but didn't want to push her luck too far.

"I had a good time today Art."

"I'm glad."

"Brendan and Megan are a lot of fun."

"Yeah, I've known them my whole life, Brendan mostly but Megan joined in after her parents moved here."

"I like them, I can imagine they're a dangerous pair."

"They can be."

"Listen, Art, about today. I hope I didn't go too far with what I was saying. You know, about your crush on me."

"Am I that obvious?" The dejection in his voice was impossible to miss.

"Yeah, but don't worry because I wasn't kidding about what I said either, I do like you as well."

"You do?"

"Of course, I mean you're cute, you're smart, you're adorably nervous. And best of all you don't feel the need to show off, you just act like yourself and I respect that. Now I'll admit it, I'm not the type of girl to hold back, when you get to know my parents you'll understand why that is, but I want to believe there's something here and I don't want to lose it."

"So, what are you saying?"

Nicola got in close and whispered in Arthur's ear. "I'm saying EXACTLY what you think I'm saying"

She kissed him on the cheek again and left, only then did Arthur realise they were at her house.

"See you tomorrow Art."

"See you."

Arthur was in a daze as he crossed the road and went inside his house, barely noticing his father watching TV in the next room.

"Hey son. How was school?"

"Good dad, but I'm gonna lie down for a bit, little tired."

"Ok but don't fall asleep, you won't get to bed tonight if you do."

Arthur threw his bag to the corner of the room and fell to his mattress, his mind swimming with everything that had occurred today. And he could only come up with one solution.

He was in love with Nicola McAllister.

*

Over the next month Nicola quickly found her place within the group and they welcomed her, Megan was secretly thankful to have another girl alongside her and the two quickly became firm friends. Brendan was happy to have more ammunition to tease Arthur with, and Arthur... he was just happy to be around her.

Not knowing anyone else since most of her old friends were still across town, Nicola invited all four of them to her house to celebrate her 14th birthday, it was going to be mostly family but she brought them over anyway so she didn't have to stay in the same room as everyone else. Arthur was the first to arrive, his dad had gone to run an errand but promised to be back soon, he knocked on the door and waited.

"It's open." Arthur recognised the voice of Nicola's father shouting him in. He walked inside, seeing Adam and Lexi putting up embarrassing baby photos of Nicola while an older couple set about making the table for later, Arthur didn't recognise them but he could guess she was Nicola's grandparents.

"Arthur, come in, please." Lexi beamed at him, she'd become quite friendly with Arthur since she and her husband moved in, and from the conversations she'd had with her daughter she knew Arthur would probably be in their lives for a good while.

"Thanks, need any help."

"Nah we should be fine, that is unless Captain Pugwash here hits the wall again."

"One time, that happened one time and you're the one that decided we needed a picture frame in the bedroom." Arthur chuckled at Adam, despite only having one eye Adam still had a good humour about himself and was able to laugh at his disability. Arthur didn't know the whole story but Adam had openly admitted that it was his own fault he lost his eye.

"The hammer was one thing but I've seen you mess up walking straight. Hello dear, I'm Claire Burton, I'm unfortunately the pirate's mother."

"I heard that." Adam feigned insult.

"Hi, I'm Arthur Ross, I live across the street."

Claire noted that Arthur wasn't looking her in the eye but put it down to nerves and moved on.

"I know, Nikki's told me a lot about you, oh this is my husband Jonathan."

"Nice to finally put a face to a name." Jonathan gave his hand for Arthur to shake.

"Same, Nikki's mentioned you a few times. You're not her real grandfather? Wait, no I mean..."

"Relax Arthur, I understood what you meant. And no, sadly Adam's father died a long time ago, I knew Claire from work, after she retired I figured I'd asked her out, and here we are." Jonathan put his arm around Claire, they'd been married a few years and while mostly for company, they felt contentment to be with each other.

Lexi joined in the conversation as she put some rubbish in the bin. "Speaking of which, Arthur where's your dad?"

"He had something to do, he'll be here shortly, Brendan and Megan will be along in a little while."

"That's good, other than us and them we've just got Kevin to wait for."

"Is Kevin coming?" A voice behind them spoke up, the sound of feet jogging downstairs accompanying them. Arthur turned and the world went silent as he looked on the shining face of Nicola.

"Yeah, he texted me an hour ago when he landed, should be here by 2 at the latest."

"Yay, I've been waiting for you to meet Kevin, I know the two of you will get on fine."

Nicola hugged Arthur, wrapping her arms a little tighter than a friend normally would.

"Good to see you Art."

"You too."

"Want to come upstairs while we wait for the others."

"Sure."

Arthur didn't even remember walking as Nicola led him up to her room, the adults smiled at the sight of the two of them.

"Those two are awfully close, ain't they?" Claire noted with a smile on her face. "I think he likes her."

"He should." Lexi spoke with the same knowing smile. "She likes him."

"How can you tell?" Adam asked with just a hint of fatherly worry."

"Because she looks at him the same way I looked at you when we were that age."

*

Upstairs in Nicola's bedroom, Arthur familiarised himself with a room that - unknown to him at the time - he would become very familiar with. It was a tasteful yellow, a few photos and posters lined the walls, one of the photos caught his attention, it was Nicola and a boy about her age, the boy had thrown a bucket of water on her head, the snapshot of her shock etched forever onto the photo.

"That's Kevin." Nicola's voice came up behind him, as if by instinct she took a place by his side and rested her head on Arthur's shoulder. "Dad took that photo last summer when we went over to visit him and his mother. I still haven't got him back yet."

"Are you two close?"

"Yeah, I mean we were friends before we found we were related. There was some bad blood between dad and Kevin's mum, not uncalled-for either, but they've patched things up for our sake. I couldn't ask for a better brother. I'm glad you'll get to meet him today."

Arthur looked down at the peaceful eyes of the woman beside him, a half-smile across her face as she remembered the fun times. Suddenly Arthur remembered the package under his arm.

"Oh, I forgot, Happy Birthday."

"Art! You shouldn't have."

"It's not much, but it's something I thought you'd like."

Arthur handed her the box, she could see him trembling as she took it from his hands, it was small, no bigger than a coffee cup, and light. Rather than waiting to open it with everyone else, she took the opportunity to share the moment between just the two of them and opened it.

After taking off the wrapping paper, she found a small cardboard box which opened up to reveal a hair-clasp inside, it wasn't an expensive one but it was well-made and had an ornate lily attached. It was beautiful, more beautiful than a teenager should've been able to afford.

"Art, I don't...How?"

"Mum has a friend who gave it to her as a gift before she had me, I was supposed to be a girl but the doctor read the scan wrong. We never had a use for it but mum figured..."

Arthur was cut off by Nicola wrapping her arms around him and holding him tight.

"Thank you Art, it's beautiful."

Arthur tried to find the words to tell her it wasn't a big deal, that it was just something he had lying around, but as she let him go he saw the joy on her face and it was impossible to tell her so.

Of course the kiss she gave him also kept him quiet.

Nicola hadn't planned to kiss him, but with her arms around his neck and the warmth in her heart it just felt right. After the initial shock had worn off, Arthur fell into an unfamiliar comfort, just holding Nicola in his arms felt like the most natural thing in the world, he didn't even notice that his hands had wandered down to her waist. What was supposed to be a quick peck quickly turned into a several second smooch as the young couple embraced for the first, but definitely not the last, time. Eventually Nicola let him go, her face showing a mixture of confusion and disbelief, as though she'd forgotten it was Arthur standing in front of her, but before he could start worrying, Nikki grew a wide smile, laughing almost to herself at what just happened.

She'd accidentally fallen in love.

"Wow." The words left her lips, breathless and soft.

Arthur nodded. "Wow."

"I hope that's not the last of that."

Arthur shook his head, untrusting of his own tongue.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door, Art and Nikki were just able to let themselves go in time, but not quick enough to hide the guilty looks on their face as Brendan and Megan walked in. Instantly the cousins knew something was up.

"Hey, what's going on here?" Brendan asked in a knowing voice.

"Oh, Art was just giving me his gift, see."

"Oh wow." Megan forgot about catching the pair almost immediately when she saw the clasp. "This is incredible Arthur."

"Pss, that's nothing special, it was his when everyone thought he was gonna be a girl." Arthur silently prayed thanks that he already told Nikki the story and made note to never tell Brendan anything again.

Nicola jumped to Arthur's defence "Well whoever gave him it must've known he'd meet someone special to give it to them."

"And you're special?"

Nicola put on her best smirk as she reached up to put the clasp in her hair, her eyes never leaving Brendan's. When she placed it her hands dropped to her hips.

"I'm fucking darling."

Nikki and Megan left to join the others downstairs, giggling away as they did. Brendan turned to Arthur, stunned at Nicola's response.

"Cheeky little bint isn't she?"

"Yeah, but you did deserve it."

Arthur followed Nicola and Megan downstairs, ignoring Brendan's complaints of everyone ganging up on him. In the kitchen he found Brendan's sister Heather and her girlfriend Paige chatting with Jonathan and Claire.

"Arthur, good to see you again." Heather stood up and hugged Arthur, having known him for years through her brother.

"Hey Heather, Paige."

"Alright there Arthur?" Paige's signature South African drawl was easy fun to listen to; particularly that after 7 years in Scotland she hadn't dropped it yet.

"You two staying?"

"Sadly not, I've got a team meeting at the bar in about an hour and Heather's my designated driver."

"I still don't see why we can't both drink, your dad owns the place and you have a bed upstairs."

"Because my dad's still not comfortable with us and my little brother's way too comfortable."

Heather rolled her eyes, they'd been through this argument before but the smile on her face said she was fine with the repeat. "Tell me about it, I know what pain a little brother can be."

"Shut it dyke."

"In your face fag, I'll be back here to pick you up about, 6 o'clockish? Would that do Claire?"

"That would be fine, unless the kids have other plans?"

The four youngsters collectively groaned at being called kids, but nothing more was made of it and Brendan made plans with his sister to pick him and Megan up later before she left.

"How many more people are coming?" Megan asked Nicola but kept the question open to anyone else in the room.

"Just four I think, my brother Kevin, his mum and my Grandpa, plus Art's dad and that'll be us."

"Doesn't seem a lot for a birthday party."

"Eh, I've only been here a few weeks, let's settle in first before we start inviting the whole school."

Lexi came through with a bottle of cola for the fridge, hearing the tail end of the conversation. "That's Nikki for you, she likes everyone but she won't love just anyone, you lot are lucky she took to you so quickly."

Lexi went to tussle her daughter's hair but stopped when she saw the clasp. "Nikki, where'd you get that?"

"Oh, Art give it to me for a birthday present."

Claire came over and looked at her granddaughter's head. "Arthur, that's far too much for you to spend."

Nicola took one look at Arthur and recognised that he was getting uncomfortable with the attention.

"He didn't spend anything, it was his when his parents thought he was going to be a girl."

"Oh. Well it's still too much, especially for a 14 year old, and what would his mother say..."

"About what?"

Arthur felt his blood chill at the familiar sound of his mother's voice. He loved her, no question, but when he was already on edge about his kiss with Nicola the last thing he needed was more embarrassment.

"Mum?" He asked, turning round to see his mother coming through the front door, his and Nicola's father could be seen outside talking just behind her. "What are you doing here?"

"Well you're father told me your friend was having a birthday party and figured I should introduce myself. Hi there, Penny Hamilton, Arthur's mother."

Penny gave her hand to Lexi to shake, she took it happily though still taken aback by her surprise arrival. "Lexi McAllister, this is my mother-in-law Claire and her husband Jonathan."

Claire and Jonathan gave curt waves, still as surprised as Lexi.

"And this, is the birthday girl, my daughter Nicola."

"My God, aren't you just beautiful, God if David hadn't said you were 14 I'd have sworn you were older."

"Thank you ma'am."

"Oh please, Penny's fine, or Pen if you'd prefer. And what is that I see, I'd recognise that lily anywhere."

"Yes we were just discussing why your son gave my daughter such a delicate, and indeed expensive gift."

Arthur left quickly before he had a panic attack, it was just a hair clasp, why was everyone making a big deal about it. The doctor read the sonogram wrong, he was given it as a gift and he hadn't used it for 14 years, now that he found someone to that could use it everyone was going on about it. He hated the spotlight and more importantly hatred the spotlight over some trivial bullshit like this.

Before anyone could say anything he was outside with David and Adam, the two men chatting about inconsequential nonsense before joining the others inside. Both stopped when they saw Arthur running outside struggling to breath.

"Arthur? Shit son are you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah, just needed some air is all."

"He ok?" Adam asked, concerned for Arthur's wellbeing.

"He will be, I guess with his mother inside he was getting a little too much attention, he's never been very good with that."

"Oh. Is he... y'know?"

"No, it's not autism, just anxiety. Give him some room the breath and he'll be fine."

"David?"

David turned to see Nicola standing beside him, everyone else standing at the door trying to see what was going on.

"I'll look after him, if you want to head inside."

"Are you sure hun?"

"Yeah, I kinda think this is my fault."

David didn't need his cop intuition to know there was a hidden meaning to what Nicola was saying, but he didn't push her on it, instead he let her take over then shooed everyone back inside.

"You alright there hot-shot?" Nicola teased as she fixed Arthur's glasses.

"Not funny."

"Agree to disagree, how you feeling?"

"I'm fine."

"So... fucked up, insecure, neurotic and emotional, got it."

Despite himself Arthur laughed, just that was enough for Nicola to light up.

"I'm sorry about this Art, I shouldn't have worn the damn thing, I knew everyone would've made a big deal out of it I just didn't expect them to take it out on you. Plus if I knew your mother was coming I wouldn't have kissed you so I'm sorry for adding that to everything."

"I'm not."

Arthur's voice was so low Nicola almost didn't hear him, his eyes kept to the ground as though speaking to himself more than her.

"I'm not sorry, you're my friend and I like you so I don't see why we should be sorry. Mum does make things awkward but she can't change how I feel about you."

Nicola wiped a tear from her eye before Art saw, she wasn't used to being vulnerable and feared what Art would think of her if he saw her that way.

"Can I ask, why are you so freaked out over your mother being here? Is it because she and your dad are divorced?"

"Kinda, I mean I see her all the time, her and dad still talk and go out occasionally. I just don't understand why they broke up and I'm scared that people will start wondering how we can look so normal and yet live as a broken family."

"Hey, watch it with the broken family alright. I told you, my brother Kevin went through a divorce, you can talk with him about it when he gets here but I'm tell you know, it's not as bad as it seems. Granted there's a little more fight between his parents but the concept's the same."

It wasn't the first or the last time that Nicola's maturity would surprise Arthur but it was at that moment he knew he would always be safe with this girl, no matter how difficult being her friend would be, he was safe.

"Come on then, let's get back inside before everyone starts spreading rumours about us."

Arthur took a second to compose himself before following Nicola back inside, everyone had gathered in the living room waiting for their return.

"I'm sorry for ruining the day."

"Oh hush dear." Lexi waved off Art's nonsense. "No harm done, no day ruined."

Penny took her son in her arms. "I'm the one who should be sorry, I didn't mean to upset you I was only teasing."

"I know mum, I just... I don't know."

"Well it's over with now, let's forget about it. Come join everyone."