[center][h3][color=black][u]Niles[/u][/color][/h3]


There was initially one immediate thought when Zac sat down and Niles saw the watery formation in the corner of his former friend's eyes, and that thought came with a quick trip back in time, to numerous moments as a child when Niles was a bit of a dweeb playing at being cool like all the popular people on the television. In those days, how often did Niles see Zac with tears, and how often did it fall to Niles to repeat some seemingly profound line he had heard; empty platitudes that sounded cool and helpful. But every time it seemed to work, as far as Niles remembered. Every time Zac came to him crying, Niles was quick to turn the frown into a right-side up position. 

And now, years later, how little things changed. Zac put on a brave face initially, but Niles was around people who were paid to put on brave faces. He could tell when someone was acting, when someone was uncomfortable, when someone was lying, not just to another person, but to themselves. And after a hard sigh and an internal question ([color=black][i]Is this my fault?[/i][/color]) Niles ran his index finger and thumb from opposite sides of his temple to the center. 

Niles could not think of anything he wanted to do less than dig up what had long been buried: old wounds. Everyone had moved on. Except for Zac, clearly. Well, Niles had moved on. He wasn't in a band or the symphony orchestra, but he was cool, or at least played cool really well every Thursday night at prime time. The old days were over, and no amount of wishing or hoping would bring them back. 

And yet, as he saw Zac cry, Niles couldn't help but to feel that deep rooted twinge of nostalgia. Once more it fell to him to make things right, to cheer up the little kid; only this time Niles doubted regurgitating someone else's dialog would do the trick. One night. One night. Tomorrow he had made planes with Chelsea to be her wingman on her ever present quest for passion...but she would understand. She might even invite herself along...but that's what clever little lies were for.

[color=black]"One night,"[/color] Niles finally spoke with another deep sigh, not wanting to reveal how much of a bad idea he thought this was, [color=black]"That's it. One night. And I reserve the right to leave whenever I want."[/color] Niles had every intention of leaving an hour or so in, fulfilling the obligation of making an appearance. [color=black]"Just tell me where, I'll figure the rest out."[/color] 

Niles had a hunch that he would regret this. But old habits, or at least old memories, have a tendency to show up when you least expect.[/center]