Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist

The hood of the van obstructs our view, but we can hear the rattle of the Yugo engine threatening to come to life. "No time to explain," Thom says. "Let's just say Scot and I hate the fucking guts of Nick's ex and we'd like to give him a little assistance with moving on with his life. So, please, take the boy out tonight, see the city, see the backseat of the Yugo, I don't care, just please take our friend out tonight. We've already decided that we like you and that you'll be Nick's salvation. No pressure or anything."

Flattery could get him everywhere and I am all about salvation right now, but, "Can't," I tell him, though I'm tempted. Really tempted. I'm curious what would happen if I dared another leap toward Nick's hand-or other parts, like that really tasty NoMo mouth. "Nick's giving me and my drunk friend a ride back to Jersey. She's asleep in the back of the Yugo now."

Thom says, "We've got a mattress in the back of the van. We'll trade you. We'll get her home if you'll take on Nick tonight."

I decide some living is worth doing. "Done," I tell him. I slip the fifty into my inside shirt pocket, then scribble the directions to my house on Thom's hand. I tell him where to find the house key under the potted plant and not to worry about my parents-they'll probably tip him for getting Caroline home and making me go out on a date with a live male. And I am not feeling frigid about Nick at all. I can't remember the last time I felt anticipation-not of sex (necessarily), but of getting to know a delicious new person, even if he is a poor schmuck.

So we're settled, and I get out of the van with Thom, who enlists Scot to help him transport Caroline from the Yugo to the van. But once I'm back inside the Yugo, I have no chance to explain to Nick the new order of this middle of the night.

Because through the windshield, I see that Randy at the wall is doing the soul-brother shake with a new arrival who happens to be the mind-fucking guy who turned me Sub Z last year. Apparently Uncle Lou's actual nephew did not survive his year on the kibbutz in South Africa. The call of the real wild-Manhattan-must have been too great for him. And fuck, the Evil Ex has seen me and now he's at my side at the passenger door of the Yugo and he's saying, "Hey, baby, you ready to pick up where we left off?"

5. NICK

I never thought Jessie would betray me like this. I have done nothing but love her and treat her right. I've stood by her side and defended her when people called her trash and said they didn't understand why I kept her. I thought that meant something. But no. Now when I need her most, she's totally bailed. I turn the key and I turn the key and I turn the key and she doesn't do a damn thing. How alone am I right now? Even my car has decided to give up on me.

I could be really mad at her. But mostly I'm afraid. That this is it-terminal. That we can volt her till the lights go out in Manhattan, and she'll just sit here. Unblinking. I can't afford to fix her again. If this is it, then this is really it.

I'm not really paying attention when Scot and Thom remove Caroline from my backseat. After all the time it took to get her in. But I can understand the impulse to abandon ship.

I'm about to help Scot connect the cables when this guy I've never seen before leans into Norah's window and says, "Hey, baby, you ready to pick up where we left off?"

What. the. fuck?

Okay, maybe I hang with a queercore crowd and all, but still-I never, ever, in a million zillion years would have imagined that a guy could use the phrase "hey, baby" and mean it. He says it like he's whistling at some girl's boobs as she walks down the street. Who does that?

I expect Norah to put him right in his place. But instead she freezes. She looks away, as if she can ignore her way out of it. By some logic, this should mean that she's now looking at me, since I'm 180 degrees away from our uninvited guest. But instead she focuses on the dashboard, on the place where the lighter should be. And I guess I'm a little surprised, because it was just starting to look like we were going to go someplace together. That this wasn't just going to be a ride home. Now it's becoming a ride nowhere, and I'm sad that it's so out of my hands.

"Baby, I'm back," the guy goes on. "How 'bout getting out of this heap and saying hello?"

Now, it's one thing to try to harass Norah out of my passenger seat. But to bring Jessie into it is completely uncalled for.

"Can I help you?" I ask.

He keeps looking at Norah as he talks to me. "Yeah, buddy. I just got back to the States and I've been looking for this lady here. Can you spare her for a second?"

He reaches in the window, unlocks the door, and opens it.

"We'll be right back," he goes on. And I'm about to tell Norah she doesn't have to do a thing. But right then she reaches over and pops off her seatbelt. I figure this is a decision on her part-until she fails to follow it up with another movement. She just stays in the car.