Michael In The Bathroom
“Get out of my way,” Adrien demanded. And when Nino would budge, he added, “… Loser.”
Seeing that Nino was frozen in shock, Adrien carelessly shoved him to the side and walked out. Nino closed the door and tried to steady his breathing, but it was kind of hard to do when your best friend just flat out insulted you using a label you took pride in and there’s loud music playing outside.
Someone knocked. “Hey!” Nino could tell the voice belonged to Marc. “Other people have to pee, you know!”
”… I’m having my period!” He shouted.
Marc’s knocking ceased. “Oh… Sorry, take your time.”
Nino didn’t understand. All he was trying to do was save his best friend from making a horrible mistake. Why couldn’t Adrien see that?… Why’d he have to treat him like garbage? Nino made his way over to the tub and sat at the edge.
"… I am hanging in the bathroom at the biggest party of the fall," Nino started singing softly, sniffling a bit. "I could stay right here or disappear. And nobody'd even notice at all."
Yep. It was truly pathetic. Here he was at the Le Chien’s expansive house, where Kim would throw the wildest parties. And he was crying in the bathroom… Yep. Pathetic.
"I'm a creeper in a bathroom," Nino continued, looking down at his black sweater with the word, ‘CREEPS’ printed on in blue letters. "'Cause, my buddy kinda left me alone.
But I'd rather fake pee than stand awkwardly, or pretend to check a text on my phone…” Pretty much anything sounded better than that in his opinion.
“Everything felt fine… When I was half of a pair…
And through no fault of mine, there's no other half there…
Now I'm just-
Nino in the bathroom, Nino in the bathroom at a party.
Forget how long its been.
I'm just Nino in the bathroom, Nino in the bathroom at a party…”
He looks up at the door and glares at it, daring someone to try and knock again. “No, you can't come in. I'm waiting it out 'til it's time to leave.” He scratches his nails against the tiling.
“And picking at grout as I softly grieve.
I'm just- Nino who you don't know.
Nino flying solo.
Nino in the bathroom by himself…
All by himself…”
He gets up and makes his way towards the door. “I am hiding, but he's out there- Just ignoring all our history.” He was hiding from Adrien, the party, everyone and everything. He wanted to leave, but they might run into each other.
“Memories get erased, and I'll get replaced
with a newer cooler version of me!”
’Damn it, Nath,’ Nino thought to himself. He’s the one who got him and Adrien into this mess in the first place with that stupid purple pill! Now he and Adrien are gonna be playing XBOX, and he’s gonna be playing old school Nintendo all alone.
“And I hear a drunk girl singing along to Whitney through the door!”
"I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY!" Juleka, a typically shy girl belted from the other side of the door.
Nino held back a laugh as he continued singing, “And my feelings sink, cause it makes me think-
‘Now there's no one to make fun of drunk girls with anymore!’
Now it's just- Nino in the bathroom,
Nino in the bathroom at a party…
I half regret the beers…” Not really, though.
“Nino in the bathroom, Nino in the bathroom at a party…” He furiously wipes away his tears with his sweater sleeves. “As I choke back the tears, I'll wait as long as I need 'til my face is dry!
Or I'll just blame it on weed, or something in my eye!”
These people already think he’s a stoner. Why not let the rumors be true?
“I'm just Nino who you don't know!
Nino flyin' solo! Nino in the bathroom by himself!”
People were starting to knock.
“Knock, knock, knock, knock.” He quietly sang in the rhythm they were knocking. “They're gonna start to shout soon!
Knock, knock, knock, knock.
Ah hell yeah I'll be out soon!” He screamed.
Knock!
Knock!
Knock!
Knock!
”It sucks he left me here alone!”
Knock!
Knock!
Knock!
Knock!
“Here in this teenage battlezone!”
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
“I feel the pressure blowing up!”
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
“WHERE THE FUCK IS THE MOUNTAIN DEW RED?!” Nathaniel screamed, furiously hitting his head against a wall and screaming if anyone had the nineties soda for some weird reason.
“My big mistake was showing up!”
Nino goes over to the sink, runs the faucet, and splashes some water in his face.
Splash!
Splash!
Splash!
Splash!
“I throw some water in my face!
And I am in a better place, I go to open up the door.” He pauses when his hand is just an inch away from the handle. It’s gone silent. “But I can't hear knocking. Anymore.”
With a sigh, he leaned against the counter and looked at his reflection in the mirror. His face wasn’t as red or puffy, but it wasn’t great, either.
“And I can't help but yearn, for a different time… And then I look in the mirror, and the present is clearer, and there's no denying I'm just-“ He chokes back a sob and sinks to the floor. “... at a party… Is there a sadder sight than- Mmmmmmmmm,” he hummed.
“Nino in the bathroom at a party.
This is a heinous night.
I wish I stayed at home instead watching anime!
Or wish I offed myself instead, wish that I was dead!” If Adrien knew he was the cause for those thoughts, you’d better believe he’d rip that Akuma right out of his head.
“I'm just Nino who's a loner!
So he must be a stoner!
Rides a PT Cruiser!
God, he's such a LOSER!
Nino flying solo!
Who you think that you know?!
Nino in the bathroom by himself…!
All by himself…!
All by himself…!
When all you know about me is my name.
Awesome party, I'm so glad I came.”
Nino decided to skip school for a few days. For now, he’ll just keep hiding and researching. He’s gonna get his Adrien back one way or another.