*Voice on the Radio* Update 8/11

[rooney276]

Hey everyone! This is my second fic on the boards (the other is on the Joe page), but unlike that one, this one is a work in progress. I'll post what I have so far, but leave lots of comments to keep me motivated!

Chapter 1: Victory


I didn’t know what exactly I was getting myself into when I agreed to take my cousin and her friend to a concert for her birthday. It was free for me, seeing as I was the designated chaperone, which should have clued me in right away as to why my aunt wouldn’t want to go.

It was a sweltering late July day, around 1 in the afternoon, and to say I was exhausted was an understatement. Like saying Henry VIII had perpetual marital bliss. I had been sitting out in the sun for six hours, with only a minute overhang and small sliver of shade for comfort. We only had General Admission tickets, which, if you’re going to see the Jonas Brothers with two fanatical fifteen year olds, means you have to get there at least twelve hours in advance to guarantee decent seats. I was not aware of that tidbit of information when I agreed to this. Nor was I aware just how many screaming girls would be waiting out there with us, dressed to the nines in their Jonas Brothers gear. Tee shirts, hats, shorts, bandanas, necklaces, and sweatpants. How they weren’t dying for heat stroke in the sweatpants, I couldn’t be sure.

I had dressed smartly, a pair of navy blue shorts and a white tank, sunglasses protecting my eyes from the evil sun. Lily and Sam had taken my advice and only worn their tye-dyed Jonas t-shirts, rather than the hoodies.

We were sitting in line, listening to music and trying to stay entertained for the hours that we had to wait. The band was playing at the Great Allentown Fair, which was a big thing for our town. The last big name we had at the fair was Britney Spears, pre-oops, she did it again era. Gauging from the amount of people lining up this early, I gathered that the Jonas Brothers were a big deal.

Of course, I had heard of them. Who hadn’t? But being the big college sophomore that I was, I preferred to shy away from the Disney crowd. I had been listening to their music since I agreed to go to the concert though, and had begun to like it. Some of them were pretty catchy, I must say…but if had to hear those girl scouts over there sing “That’s Just the Way We Roll” one more time…

“Hen?” I glanced over at my cousin, glad to have something other than those off pitch singers to focus on. Lily was holding a large yellow sign up, her puppy dog expression glued to her face.
I groaned and let my head fall back against the side of the building. “Is it that time already?”

“You promised,” she reminded me, shoving the poster in my lap. In truth, I did, before I realized that I had to walk all the way back to the parking lot in order to present the stupid thing. I really needed to learn to stop agreeing to things before I knew all the details.

Begrudgingly, I stood up, wiping the dirt off the back of my shorts. “You do realize just how much you owe me for all this right?”

“You’re my favorite cousin,” she assured me.

“I’m you’re only cousin,” I grumbled, snatching the sign from her and stepping out of the blessed shade. The difference between the lit and unlit area in terms of temperature wasn’t that different, but oh the brightness!

I pushed my way through the throngs of girls and their parents and into the main area of the fair. Oh, just the smell of that funnel cake…or the gyros…or the pizza. I had to forcibly snap myself out of it. The sooner I took the stupid sign down for judging the sooner I could come back and get lunch. I continued to make my way back to the parking lot, passing all shapes and sizes of fair goers on my way. I enjoy the Allentown Fair, I do, it just seems that people crawl out from under rocks to go there. Especially at night, it’s a real freak show then.

After about ten minutes of dipping and dodging large hordes of people and their collective body odor, I finally made it to the cars. I could see my green 98’ Jetta parked against the back fence, and considered just hopping in for a few minutes of air-conditioned respite. But, I had a mission, and that was to present the poster to the “Man in Green” as Sam had so regally put it. Well, I didn’t see any men in green. I glanced around for a few more minutes, feeling completely idiotic. When I didn’t see anyone who looked remotely important, I was consigned to the fact that maybe this contest was just not going on today.
But then, I saw it. A girl, no older than ten, carrying a sign twice her size was running toward a man in a lime green shirt who had just stood up from among the cars. If I stood on my tip toes, I could see a table set up there. On the girl’s sign, “Jonas Brothers!!!” was clearly visible.

I dragged myself over there and unceremoniously dumped the poster on the table.

“Name?” the man asked, clearly as excited as was to be out in the heat all day. Hey, at least he was getting paid.

“Henley Fisher,” I replied. “Also worked on by Lily Cramer and Samantha Anderson.”

The man scribbled our names down. “Okay, you can just have a seat and we’ll let you know if you’ve won.”

I glanced over at the metal folding chairs scattered around the area. “I have to sit here?” I asked, thinking longingly of the funnel cakes and cold sodas back in the fairgrounds.

“How are we going to find you otherwise?”

“I could give you my cell number,” I offered hopefully. He seemed to consider it for a moment, but then the mother of the little girl, a dark haired woman who looked like she’d seen one too many Botox needles spoke up.

“The rules state that you must be present to win. If she leaves, she forfeits.” I glared at her smug smile. There was no one else around; if I left that bitch would win. Well, not her, but the little pug creature that must have been her daughter. She didn’t look much nicer than her mother.

“I want to win!” she whined, looking up at her mother expectantly.

I looked back over to the man, who shrugged apologetically. “My hands are tied. Rules are rules.”

Fuming, I went and sat myself onto on the hot chairs, the backs of my legs burning as they kit the metal. I watched as the woman opened the cooler she had brought with her and gave me a condescending look. She thought she was so smart…The girl grabbed a cold water bottle and began to chug it greedily.
I caught a good glimpse of what was in there, at least five more bottles of water surrounded by a bed of ice chips. She could have easily offered me one. But no, she was hoping I would die of thirst and then her precious little brat would win the contest. Well, I don’t give in that easily, especially not when I’ve been sitting out in the sun all day and winning the contest would mean going inside for a period of time. Oh, it also meant having a private meet-and-greet with the band, but whatever. I just wanted to stop sweating.

The minutes slowly passed by, and I couldn’t help glancing at my phone every few moments. I desperately wanted something to drink, but that woman and her daughter were not budging. I could almost hear the heat radiating off the asphalt, and felt a thin line of sweat trickle down my back. I felt absolutely disgusting.

Then, there was some movement at the desk and Harry (I found out his name when asking if they had any beverages. The answer was, of course, no.) stood up, lifting our two posters with him.

“Well, we’ve never had so few applicants before, but the time is up and we’ll have to end it.” I stood up, as did the woman and her daughter.

Harry looked over the posters one more time and then pointed at the woman. “Your name?”

“Olivia and Carly Griffin,” she said, smiling triumphantly at me.
“Right, well, sorry but I’m afraid you didn’t win.” I almost laughed out loud, wanting to rub it into their faces so badly, but I restrained myself.
“Henley,” he said to me. “If you want to go get the other girls and come back here, we’ll take you over to meet the boys.”
“Wow, okay. I’ll be right back,” I said, reaching down and grabbing on of the woman’s water bottles before walking away, her eyes boring holes into my back. I chugged the cool liquid happily, more pleased with quenching my thirst than actually winning the dumb contest.

I strolled casually back to where Lily and Sam were sitting. They jumped up anxiously when they saw me.

“Grab your stuff,” I said.

“Why?” they asked, eyes wide.

“Cause we can’t leave it here while we’re meet them, it will get stolen.” There was an imperceptible pause before they each let out a high pitched squeal and crushed me into a hug. I couldn’t make out half of what they were saying as they giggled and shrieked as they gathered up their things.

We made it back to the parking lot in a much shorter amount of time than it had taken me, with the two of them practically dancing between people. I took all their things once we were there and shoved them into the trunk of my car, slamming it shut as I watched them jump excitedly near Harry.

“Can we stop at the bathroom first?” I asked, walking up. Chugging that water had been a slight mistake. Sam and Lily stared at me in disbelief. “You can get yourselves cleaned up,” I continued, watching as their eyes lit up and heads nodded in agreement. They didn’t want to face those Jonas Brothers with smudged mascara, now did they?

I did my business and glanced into the dirty fairgrounds mirror. I really looked like I had sat out in the sun all day, and not in the tanned beachy way. It was more of a sweaty, grunge, burger stand way. I ran my fingers through my hair before pulling it back into a messy bun. At least it wasn’t on my neck anymore. I wiped my brow with a cheap paper towel and pulled my emergency Watermelon Spritz perfume out of my bag, trying to give myself a fresh aroma. Who knows how well it worked, but it was the most I could do.

“Henley,” Lily said, sticking her head into the bathroom. “Let’s go!” Sighing, I grabbed my bag and headed out with them. Harry led us past numerous tour buses and lots of large men carrying equipment around. Then, he opened a white door and took a down some steps, leading us to where I realized was underneath the stage. It was cool down there, thank goodness, and the instantaneous change from hot to cold sent shivers down my back. Lily and Sam were too hyper to notice.

Harry stopped at the third door down the hallway. “Are you girls ready?” he asked, looking most specifically at the two fifteen year olds in front of me. They didn’t seem capable of forming words, only nodding.

Harry smiled and pushed to door open.

[rooney276]

Chapter 2

“Hey boys,” he said, “I’ve got the poster contest winners.”

“Oh, great!” came the chorus from inside. I nervously looked at Sam and Lily, thinking they might just pass out from the excitement. However, to my surprise, they suddenly became very compose and sauntered on into the room. Shrugging at Harry, who didn’t seem at all surprised by this behavior, I walked into the room and was instantly pulled into a hug.

In a jerk reaction, I pulled back and stared at the boy who had his arms awkwardly in the air, clearly surprised as I was by the greeting.

“Oh, sorry,” he said, embarrassed. “I’m just so used to hugging everyone, it’s become second nature I guess.” He stuck his hand out formally.

“I’m Joe.”

“Henley,” I replied, smiling and shaking his hand.

“Hi I’m Nick,” came another voice and I spun around. This one, slightly shorter with curly hair, also had his arms out awkwardly, clearly not sure how I wanted to go about saying hello. I shrugged.

“Might as well,” I laughed, hugging him. Sam and Lily were staring at him in wonder.

I turned to the tallest and put my arms out expectantly. This time, it was his turn to laugh as he walked toward me. “I’m Kevin,” he greeted, wrapping his arms around my waist and hugging me tightly. “Congrats on the contest,” he said after he pulled away and moved toward the couch, motioning for us all to have a seat.

Lily and Sam just smiled as Nick sat between them. In order to have us not seem like complete morons, I spoke up on their behalf.

“It was mostly Sam and Lily’s work,” I offered, sitting on Kevin’s right with Joe on my other side. I really hoped I didn’t smell bad.
“Big fans?” Nick asked them, clearly entertained by their inability to form words. They nodded enthusiastically.

“And what about you?” Kevin asked, looking over at me.

“Well, I like you music,” I said carefully, wanting to be honest but not insulting. “But I wouldn’t say I’m awed to the point of mental incapacity just to see you.” I shot a look at the girls, who weren’t paying me any attention.

“Well, that’s good,” Joe laughed. “Better conversation that way.”

“We love you music!” Sam suddenly cried, seeming only to realize now that they were in the room with musicians. “Hello Beautiful is the sweetest thing ever!”

“And SOS is pure genius!” Lily added quickly. “I listen to it, like, every day!” The boys smiled graciously, clearly used to this kind of blabber.

“And what about you?” Kevin asked me suddenly. “Got a favorite song?”

“Yeah, Champagne Supernova by Oasis,” I responded. “But by you, I guess it would be…Underdog.”

“Really?” he asked, eyebrows raised. “Why’s that?”

I shrugged, suddenly feeling slightly embarrassed. “I don’t know, I guess it just hits kind of close to home.”

“What?” Joe scoffed beside me. “I’m sorry, but I cannot see you as an Underdog at all.” I wasn’t sure what that meant exactly, but gave a small laugh.

“Well, you obviously didn’t know me in high school.”

“So, you’re not in high school?” Kevin asked quickly.

“Nope, sophomore in college, baby!” I saw him give a swift look at Joe and suddenly got a wary feeling. “What?”

“Nothing,” Joe said, getting up and moving over to the water cooler at the one end of the room. “It’s just, you’re not in the normal age range of fans is all.”

“I’m only 19, that’s not that old!”

“What he means is,” Nick said, looking up from Lily’s CD he was signing. “Is that you are slightly older than most of our fans. It’s not a bad thing. Most of the fans here are fifteen and younger, so it’s cool to see some older people.”

“I’m going to be sixteen next week!” Lily said proudly. Nick smiled.

“I just turned sixteen.”

“I know,” she said, with an embarrassed smile. Sam wasn’t looking to happy and immediately hopped up to go stand by Joe near the water cooler.

“So, do you guys have any questions?” Kevin looked at the three of us.

“I think they may already know everything there is about you,” I muttered, nodding toward the other two. Kevin smiled.

“You’re probably right. Well, what about you? Any burning questions you just need to have answered?”

“Um…” I looked at him sheepishly. “Not particularly. Um, do you have any questions for us?” I asked, inspiration flooding me.

“What?” Joe looked surprised.

“Well, I’m sure you guys get quizzed all the time about what you like. Don’t you ever just want to ask the questions?”

All three just looked at each other. So much for my brilliant idea.

“Okay, well, what’s one song you wish you could have written?” I asked quickly, trying to redeem myself. They were famous for rock stars for Christ’s sake, I might as well make an effort.

“Hey Jude,” Kevin responded quickly.

“The Joker,” Nick replied.

Lily was in awe. “I love that song!”

Joe seemed to think thoughtfully for a moment. “The Teletubbies Theme song,” he replied in all seriousness. Lily and Sam broke out into a fit of giggles, while his brothers rolled their eyes. I couldn’t help but smile at his expression and shook my head.

“He rarely answers things seriously,” Kevin informed me. I’d already figured this out.

“But I guess it makes it more interesting with all the interviews you do.”

“It definitely does,” Kevin agreed with a smile. There was a silence and I took this opportunity to look them over, without being sketchy, mind you. Nick was wearing fitted jeans and a white button up shirt with a blue tie, his shaggy curly hair falling over his forehead. Joe was in a tight pair of black pants and a black V-neck tee, with bright orange sneakers. Very low key. Kevin was the only of the three in short, a baby blue madras pair with a white tee and a scarf. It was a cute scarf, something I would definitely wear myself. H&M, most likely. LOVED that store. Went there whenever I could, and spent far too much money, but...okay...sorry...tangent. Anyway, I liked the scarf, but only if was below freezing out. Not in the middle of July. Just look at it made me feel too warm. And itchy.

“Like it?” Oh shit, he caught me staring. I look up at him with heat rising to my cheeks.

“It’s kinda warm for a scarf, isn’t it?” Kevin shrugged and pulled it off, making me feel suddenly guilty. “I mean, yeah I really like it, it’s great! It’s just that it’s July and...”

Kevin laughed at my rambling. “No, you’re right. It is too warm.” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lily and Nick glance at each other. Wait, they know each other five minutes and they are already conspiring against me? Figures.

“Hey,” Nick said suddenly. “Do you girls want to go meet Demi?”
“Who’s Demi?” I asked under my breath to Kevin.

“Demi Lovato? She’s our opener, really cool girl.” I made a nod of understanding and looked at Lily and Sam, who were once again balls of excitement. Nick was watching them, smile tugging at his lips, but Joe was watching me. I glanced away as soon as our eyes met, slightly weirded out.

“Do you want to go see the stage?” Kevin asked after Nick and the girl had left the room. Joe had moved on to fussing on with his video camera.

“Yeah, that’d be awesome,” I replied standing up and following him toward the door. I threw Joe a small wave before we left, but he was staring intently at the camcorder.

[rooney276]

Chapter 3

“Wow,” I said, walking out onto the stage and looking out at the thousands of seats on the floor and in the grandstand. “So, this is what it looks like from the other side.”

“Have you been to concerts here before?” Kevin asked, walking toward the back where the stage was still being set up. He picked up a guitar and strummed it a few times before setting it back down.

“Yeah, actually. I came to see the Backstreet Boys when I was ten and then I saw 98 Degrees when I was twelve. Haven’t been back to one since.”

“Oh, so you were one of those teeny-boppers, then huh?” He asked with a teasing smile.

“Excuse me,” I said, putting my hands on my hips. “If I’m not mistaken you’re entire fan base is composed of teeny-boppers. I am merely an older generation.” He laughed.

“If it’s any consolation, I liked the Backstreet Boys too, way back when. And Joe’s first music purchase was a Britney Spears CD from a 7Eleven.”

“What a time we grew up in, huh?” I asked, wistfully, walking toward him and checking out the set-up. “Nice ramps,” I complimented.

“Yeah, we get to slide down them,” he replied excitedly.

“Sweet, can I try?” He looked at me for a moment. For a second, I had an out of body experience where I was looking at myself with the same expression. What had gotten into me?? Until this day, I was usually quiet, shy, and introverted. But being with the boys wasn’t nearly as nerve-wracking as I had expected it to be. I know I wasn’t head over heels for them, but they were still celebrities, and therefore still intimidating. But here I was, wanting to play on their stage and insulting (however unintentionally) their fashion sense. I could just picture the swarm of teen girls attacking me if word ever got out...

“If you want,” Kevin replied. To be honest, I was expecting him to say no, then I would give a half-hearted plea, he would reject it once again and we would move on. I wasn’t really ready for him to say yes. Now, I had to actually slide down the thing. Taking a breath and steadying my nerves, I hopped up the stairs and stood at the top of the ramp.

“I’m going to fall on my ass,” I said, suddenly not feeling so brave anymore.

“Well,” Kevin said moving to the bottom of the slant. “I’ll catch you.”

Great, now I really had to do it. Kevin stood at the bottom, his arms wide and a playful grin on his face. Sighing, I moved forward and let myself be taken by gravity. At first, it wasn’t bad. I grinned as I slid easily down the ramp, feeling like a superstar. Then, the bottom of my rubber sandal stuck to the metal ramp, throwing me forward.

“Ooof!”

I slammed right into the Kevin’s chest, but luckily for me, his balance was far superior to mine and we managed to stay upright.

“You alright?” He huffed. I winced, realizing I had knocked the wind out of him. Mental note: do not eat any more funnel cakes.

“Yeah, sorry...”

“Oh, well isn’t this an compromising situation?” We both glanced over and saw Joe standing there with a smile, Nick, Lily and Sam standing behind him. Lily and Sam looked beyond jealous. At first, I couldn’t figured out why, but then I realized that Kevin was still holding me up, our faces merely inches from each other, each of us out of breath. We realized this at the same time and instantly jumped apart.

Kevin cleared his throat awkwardly. “Uh, Nick why don’t you and I start checking the guitars out. We should be doing a sound check soon.”

“Oh, well, I guess we should get going then,” I said, looking over at the girls. They were pouting, naturally.

“Oh, you don’t have too,” Kevin said quickly, walking over to the guitars with Nick.

“Yeah, chill with me for a bit,” Joe said, coming over. “They have to check the instruments first and then we get to the vocals.”

“Sam, Lily, wanna help me out here?” They quickly shuffled over to Nick, elated.

“And you don’t play?” I asked Joe, sitting on the edge of the stage and dangling my legs over.

“Oh, I play a mean tambourine,” he replied. “That doesn’t need to be tuned though, a much superior instrument.” I giggled despite myself. Oh God, I was turning into one of those girls. Joe sat down next to me and I felt a shiver go through me when his arm brushed mine. Either he didn’t notice or chose to ignore it, I may never know. Instead, he looked over at me from under that side-swept hair.

“So, you said in there, that maybe we wanted to ask the questions.”

“Yes...” I said, watching him skeptically.

“Well, I was wondering if I could take you up on that?” He smiled with such sincerity that I couldn’t refuse.

“Sure,” I said, in a voice I intended to be much louder than it actually came out.

“You’re a sophomore, right? Well, where do you go to school?”

“Marshall College, it’s a small liberal arts school in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Amish country.”

“Sweet, what are you majoring in?”

“English,” I replied. “I like reading and writing short stories, poems and stuff. Kind of a bookworm.” Joe scrunched his nose.
“I have to admit I’ve never been a big reader.” I shrugged and gave a smile.

“Don’t worry, I won’t hold it against you.”

We sat there for a moment and I couldn’t help but feel the butterflies begin to swarm in my stomach. Joe Jonas was sitting right next to me! The only thing that was keeping me semi-calm was the fact that I hadn’t been a huge fan of him before hand. It wasn’t a goal of mine to meet him, and yet here I was, acting as normal as I could manage. I wasn’t sure how long I could go without turning beet red at the slightest embarrassment rather than just laughing it off, though. He was devastatingly handsome.

“So where are you guys sitting for the show,” Nick asked, heading over to us and being followed at the heels by Sam and Lily. “We’ll have to look for you.”

The smiles on Sam and Lily’s faces dropped for the first time that afternoon.

“We’re probably going to be way in the back now,” Lily said, squinting out across the ground. “We had general admission tickets and we left our place in line.”

“This made up for it though,” I added quickly, hoping they didn’t think she was ungrateful.

“Yeah,” Sam agreed. “This has been amazing. Well worth losing our spot.”

“I’m sure we can work something out,” Kevin said, walking over to join our group. I looked over to see he was staring straight at me. “We have some seats up front you can have.”

I was about try and decline politely, but two high pitched squeals cut me off.

“THANK YOU! THANK YOU!!” Lily and Sam crushed him into a hug before turning to Joe and Nick. I rubbed my face, embarrassed.
“Not excited?” I looked to see Kevin staring at me oddly.

“Oh, no! It’s not that, I’m very excited!” Then I saw his teasing smile and felt the heat rise in my cheeks. And I was doing so well...

“Do you always blush so much when you’re embarrassed?”
Yeah, like that didn’t make it worse.

“Unfortunately. It’s one of my many flaws.” I looked down at my feet and felt myself wishing that we had to go for some reason. Didn’t they need to be warming up or something??

“I think it’s cute,” Kevin replied, matter-of-factly. It was official, I had turned into a tomato. Kevin politely ignored my mortification, merely giving me comforting smile.

“Trevor wants us to go over the opening,” Nick said, in a tone that seemed to bring an end to our visit. “I’m sorry, but you guys are going to have to head back out.”

Lily and Sam pouted but I breathed a sigh of relief. This was fantastic and all, but I was tired of embarrassing myself in front of famous rock stars.

To my surprise, as Lily and Sam were saying sad goodbyes to Nick, Joe made a bee line for me. “Can I give you a hug this time?” He asked, referring to our first meeting. I grinned, forcing the color to stay out of my cheeks.

“I think I can handle that.”

He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into a friendly squeeze, as if we were good friends saying goodbye. The smell of his aftershave and shampoo had my mind spinning it was so captivating. I had to try extra-hard to stay steady on my feet as he pulled away.

“Enjoy the show,” he said, with a smile, brown eyes seeming to smolder under his bangs. This was not good. Needed to get away now. But then, Kevin came over and I was forced to endure another hug from another beautiful, sweet, funny, and famous brother. All I can say, is good thing Nick was too young, or else I might have passed out from the sheer bliss of it all.

“Harry, the guy who let you in to see us will give you your new tickets,” Kevin said into my ear as he wrapped me into a hug. I shivered slightly from the sensation of his breath on the back of my neck. He pulled away, leaving a hand on the small of my back and leading me back toward the wings of the stage. I gave Nick a quick hug, my head beginning to reel from the intoxication of the three of them. Was it legal for three people to look so good?

“Enjoy the show,” Joe called after us as we walked back toward the exit. We all waved. Lily and Sam couldn’t stop smiling and laughing with each other about how their lives had just been made and they were the luckiest, like, ever and how Nick definitely liked Lily better, no way he definitely wanted Sam, nuhuh, he was watching Lily the whole time...

I, however, felt like I was walking in a daze. Did that all really just happen?? I did not want to sink to the middle school level and get my hopes up, but I couldn’t help but wonder. Are they always that...friendly? Neither of Kevin or Joe’s hugs felt like ones they would give just a fan, and they didn’t have to give us better tickets...Okay Henley, that’s enough. No getting your hopes up.

Oh, God, now I’m talking to myself about myself in the third person...in my head. I followed Sam and Lily back to the exit, picking up our tickets from Harry along the way. Apparently, one of the boys had called ahead and he was all ready for us. We left the back of the stage, the two girls talking non-stop about the boys, and me just wishing to get through the concert. Then, I could go back to my normal, dull life, full of college courses and car payments and completely lacking good looking rock-stars.

[rooney276]

Chapter 4

“These seats are amazing!” Lily and Sam stared up at the stage in complete awe. The tickets that the boys had given us were only three rows back from the front and even I couldn’t help but get excited at the thought of being this close to them as they performed. I leaned forward on the wooden chair, trying to get a look at the wings of the stage. I could see a few people walking around, but I knew that the boys wouldn’t be there. They would be relaxing before show-time.

“Excuse me,” I heard a voice say. I turned behind me and saw a dark haired woman holding up my cell phone. “I think this just fell out of your pocket.”

“Oh, thank you,” I said taking it from her.

“Oh my God,” Sam said, turning in her seat. “You’re Mrs. Jonas!! And you’re Mr. Jonas! And you’re Frankie!”

I glared at Sam. If these were the boys’ parents, I didn’t want to bother them. They were just here to enjoy the concert like the rest of us. Mrs. Jonas merely smiled though.

“We like to sit with the fans sometimes, rather than watch from backstage. It offers a different perspective.”

“We aren’t usually recognized so easily,” Mr. Jonas added, grinning in a friendly way at us.

“I am like, the biggest Jonas Brothers fan,” Sam said proudly. “Isn’t it amazing how talented they are? You must be so proud!”

“Sam,” I interjected as pleasantly as I could. “Let’s just let them enjoy the show, okay?”

Sam flushed scarlet, clearly realizing just what an idiot she looked like. Mrs. Jonas just laughed.

“We are very proud. They’re good boys.”

“Yes, they gave us these seats!” Lily piped up.

“Did they really?” Mr. Jonas asked, raising his eyebrows.

“I don’t think they’ve ever given out seats this good before. Were you all the way in the back? Sometimes they pull fans from there and move them to the floor seats.”

“No, we were General Admission. But, we won a meet and greet and they gave us these seats since we would have been way in the back for giving up out place in line.”

“It was very nice of them,” I put in. “We really appreciate it.”

“Well, you girls must have made quite an impression!” Mrs. Jonas grinned. “They gave you better seats than they gave us!”

“Oh, do you want to switch?” I offered instantly, looking at short little Frankie, who was sitting directly behind me. “I want you to be able to see.” But Frankie had his iPod on and wasn’t listening.

“That’s really sweet of you dear, but Frankie has seen more than his share of concerts. You girls enjoy your prime spot.”

I smiled. “Thank you.” It’s no wonder where the boys got their charm. Their parents were very sweet. Suddenly, the lights dimmed on the stage and the intensity of screams rose about twenty decibels.

“Here comes Demi!” Lily shouted at me over the roar.

Demi Lovato did a great job, I thought. Most opening acts tend to be lack luster, but hers was not. Lily and Sam absolutely loved it, and screamed like lunatics when Demi waved at them.

“She remembers us!” they squealed. It had only been two hours since she had met them, so it would have been hard for her to forget, but I didn’t want to burst their bubbles.

I thought the screaming was loud for Demi, but it was nothing compared to when the boys came out, very cool during their entrance by rising up out of the stage. The sound of the fans was ear piercing.

It took me a while to adjust, and I didn’t even know what song they had broken into first until about half way through. Joe was dancing singing right in front of us, with Nick off to the left, and Kevin off to the right.

Their energy level was boundless, especially Joe’s, and it amazed me how he could keep it up for the entire time. I was tired just watching! But I didn’t have time to think about much, the concert was so fast paced and fun. I was enthralled, something I was not expecting. I was singing as long (as best I could, at least), laughing at their antics and smiling like crazy. The entire thing went way too fast, and before I knew it, they were off the stage, the crowd chanting for an encore.

I chanted along with them, Lily and Sam almost in tears of happiness when they reemerged.

“This song isn’t usually on our set list,” Kevin said into the microphone, his eyes scanning the floor seats. “But a new friend of our likes it, so we figured we’d play it especially for them.” His eyes found me, and he didn’t look away.

“Henley Fisher, this one is for you.”

Nick broke out into the first chords of ‘Underdog’ and me jaw dropped. Lily and Sam were besides themselves, jumping and hugging me hysterically. My face was bright red, and I stood stock still as Joe sang ‘Someday they'll see how beautiful she really is,I know that last will be the first, The tables gonna turn…’ and waved energetically at me, the girls in the rows in front of us losing their marbles.

Joe laughed at my shocked expression and continued on. I may have imagined it, but I could have sworn he was looking straight at me on the line ‘She’s an underdog, she means the world to me…” No…we’ll say I was imagining it. It’s not nearly as stressful then.

“He was looking right at you!” Lily screamed. Shit.

“You must have really made an impression,” Mrs. Jonas said over my shoulder as the song ended and the boys ran off the stage, the show ending. A moment later, she held up her cell phone for me to see.

BRING THEM WITH YOU was written across the screen. “Well, come on,” she smiled as Lily and Sam freaked and I blanched. As awesome as this was, it was amazingly overwhelming. Things like this did not happen to me. I mean, I could understand why Sam and Lily were excited, their idols wanted to hang out with them. But they didn’t have a song dedicated to them...

I sighed. I couldn’t let myself get freaked out by this.

After all, it didn’t mean anything. Right?

[rooney276]

Chapter 5

Before I was fully aware of what was happening, I found myself in the now familiar surroundings of backstage. Denise and Paul (who insisted we call them by their first names) led us through the winding hallways and back to the dressing rooms, where my Jonas Experience had all started. I felt like it was five minutes ago that I had last walked through that white door, but now, all different feelings were darting through me.

I should thank them for dedicating the song for me, but should I ask why? Should I hug them to show my appreciation? Oh God...
“What did you think?” Joe grinned as we entered the room and his eyes landed on me. Sam and Lily headed straight for Nick, who didn’t seem completely unhappy as the two pretty girls began swooning.

“It was amazing,” I replied honestly, glancing between the three of them. “You guys are fantastic.”

“What about the song?” Kevin pressed.

“Oh,” I started, feeling overwhelmed with pleasure, but not wanting to express it all. It would probably terrify them. “It was really sweet, thank you.”

“I told you she would start blushing,” Joe nodded to Kevin and my hand flew to my cheeks.

“That just means she liked it,” Kevin assured him, giving me a comforting smile. “She blushes when she is happy.”

How the hell did he know that??

“Hey Tank,” Joe said, thankfully turning the attention away from me and grabbing his little brother around the waist before flinging him up in the air. The kid laughed hysterically.

“DJ Danger!” he giggled.

I took this opportunity to move over to the couch where Kevin was sitting. I would rather have to suffer through his intoxicating scent than stand awkwardly in the center of the room.

“So you did like it?” Kevin asked in a low voice, leaning toward me. “I didn’t want to embarrass you, but – “

“No,” I said quickly, nodding. “It was great, it meant a lot. Stuff like that doesn’t usually happen to me, so it was a pleasant surprise.”

“What do you mean ‘stuff like that’?”

I shrugged. Did I really want to share these things with him? I looked over into his deep brown eyes. No, not particularly. But, seeing as I was absolutely transfixed under his gaze, it really didn’t seem like I had a choice in the matter.

“Spontaneous shows of affection, surprise reminders that I’m being thought of, and then of course being mention by name by a rock star at a concert. I don’t win prizes, I’m not nominated for Prom Court, and I am the last person anyone would be jealous of.”

“You won the chance to come meet us, didn’t you? I would think some people would be jealous of that.”

I smiled. “I didn’t make the sign, I just carried it. So, technically, I’m just hanging onto the coat tails of those two.” I jerked my head in the direction of Lily and Sam, who were practically drooling as Nick strummed a few things on his guitar.

Kevin laughed. It was a nice laugh. I wanted to slap myself after I thought that.

“Well, if it is any consolation,” he said, looking back at me. “I’m really glad they won and that you mooched off of their success.”
I would have laughed if he hadn’t placed his hand on my knee. In stead I froze in surprise, and my laugh came out more like a strangled cough. Brilliant.

Kevin definitely noticed, I saw his eyes darken for a split second, before he smile nonchalantly and removed his hand as easily as he had put it there.

I opened my mouth to say something, hoping to lighten the mood by embarrassing myself again, they always seemed to enjoy that, but Joe relieved me of my duty.

“Mom wants us to head back to the bus,” he said as he reentered the room. He glanced at Kevin and me before continuing. God, he was gorgeous. “We have a long drive ahead of us. Next show: Vermont!”

Nick groaned and Kevin sighed, leaning back against the couch.
“What?” I asked looking at them. “Allergic to maple syrup or something? Vermont is cool.”

“It’s the driving,” Nick moaned, standing up. Lily and Sam followed obediently. Nick shook his head at them.

“Well, you have a bus don’t you. You can just sleep and boom! You’re there. Right?” The three of them grimaced.

“Come on,” Joe said, holding out a hand, which I took automatically. My body was working on autopilot and completely ignoring the instructions my brain was sending it. “I’ll show you.”

We walked outside to the bus lot, the temperature cooler now that sun had gone far below the horizon. The fairgrounds were nearly empty now, except for a few stragglers who were hoping to catch a glimpse of the boys as they left. They screamed hoarsely as we all exited the building and the boys waved diplomatically.

“We’ll have to go over then,” Kevin said and the other two nodded. I could see the exhaustion beginning to show on them.

“And this is the bus,” Joe announced as we rounded some big black rigs and were face to face with twelve foot tall Jonas Brothers.

“Wow,” I said, looking at the side of the bus, with their faces and thousands of graffiti messages all over the side.

“Oh. Em. Gee.” Lily and Sam stood, gobsmacked. Apparently the Jonas Bus was more exciting than the boys themselves...

“Can we go in?” Sam asked, pleading with Nick.

“Sure,” he said, giving a smile. I made a mental note to myself that if I ever saw them again (which was highly doubtful) that I would have ask Nick just how he deals with girls like Lily and Sam. I mean, I love them, but I’ve only been with them one day. Nick is surrounded by them 24/7.

“Her name is Janet,” Joe said proudly, stepping inside and opening his arms. “A beauty isn’t she?”

“She’s nicer than my house,” I muttered, looking around at the leather sofas, hardwood tables and plasma TV screens.

“Which is your bunk, Nick?” Lily asked immediately. I did my best to ignore her and prayed that Nick didn’t think that whatever Lily suffered from ran in the family.

“I still don’t get why you don’t like driving,” I said, running my hand over the smooth table. In the back, I could see a lounge area, with more soft couches and remote strewn about the place. There was no doubt there were boys on this bus.

“Imagine six of you, living on here for months at a time,” Kevin said. “The novelty definitely wears off.”

“I guess you’re right. I would definitely miss Finn, that’s for sure.”
“Who’s Finn?” Kevin and Joe asked together, looking at each other briefly.

“My dog.”

They seemed to relax a bit. Or maybe I was just imagining things. Just then, Denise came on the bus.

“Oh hello girls. I’m sorry if this sounds rude, but we really must be going soon. We have another concert tomorrow and the boys need their rest.”

I’m twenty years old and still have a bed time,” Kevin muttered under his breath, making me giggle. “Alright Mom,” he spoke up. “We should probably go say hi to those fans first though.’

“Okay,” she said, leading a sleepy Frankie to his bunk. “But don’t take too long, we want to get on the road within the hour.”

Lily, Sam and I followed the boys off the bus, the gravel crunching under my feet as I stepped out. Lily and Sam were each hugging Nick and Joe goodbye, thanking them profusely. I gave Nick a quick hug before turning to Joe.

“Thanks for everything,” I said as he pulled me into him.

“Any time,” he replied, giving me a gorgeous lop-sided grin. “It was really amazing to have met you, Henley.” I don’t know why, but hearing my name come out of his mouth made me happier than I had been all day, and that’s saying something. He gave my hand a squeeze before moving off with Nick to the fence to see the fans.

I turned to Kevin, who was standing to the side with his hands shoved into his pockets.

“I’ll walk you to your car,” he offered, setting off after Lily and Sam, who were already half way there.

We walked in a comfortable silence for a few moments.

“You guys were really amazing tonight,” I said, for probably the eightieth time that night.

“Thanks,” he smiled. “I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

“And, thank you for all of this,” I said, waving my arms around randomly. Way to be cool… “You’ve definitely gave them the best day of their lives.” We looked over at Lily and Sam who were laughing and squealing together as they approached my car.

“Well, what about you?” Kevin asked, slowly his pace almost to a standstill. “One of the best days of your life?”

I laughed, heat rising in my face. “Well, it definitely ranks in the top 5.”

“Okay, I’ll take it,” Kevin grinned. He turned and looked at me, his face suddenly serious. “I think it’s in my top 5 as well.”

For a second, I couldn’t breath. All I could do was stare at him. Was he really saying what I think he was saying??

Somehow, I found my voice. “I don’t usually do this,” I mumbled, pulling a pen out of my bag and picking up his hand. “But if you’re ever back in Allentown, give me a call.” I made my voice as light as possible, but in the back of my mind I kept reminding myself just how ridiculous I was being. One, they would probably never be back in Allentown. And two, he would never remember to call me. Three, he probably didn’t want to. Girls probably gave him their numbers all the time.

“I definitely will,” he said, smiling as he looked at the digits I had scrawled against his hand.

“Good luck on the rest of your tour,” I said, now looking to get away as fast as possible, unable to believe what I had just done. He probably though I was a whore. Just perfect.

“Oh, thanks.” He looked a little rattled as I started to move toward the car. I moved automatically, getting into my car and roaring the engine to life. I pulled out and gave Kevin a quick wave before speeding out of the parking lot. As I turned down the street and let out a sigh. I was an idiot. There was no way he was ever going to call me now.

I sat in silence for a moment, trying to get my thoughts straightened out. Silence. Wait…I glanced around quickly at the empty seats.

“Oh, Crap!”

[rooney276]

Chapter 6

By the time I collapsed onto my bed it was just after 1am, and I had never been more exhausted. Or mortified. I was just glad it was all over, although I did feel a sharp pain in my chest when I though about how I would never hear from them again.

The more I tried to forget about the day’s events and fall asleep, the more they replayed through my mind. I was becoming more and more embarrassed every time I replayed my last interaction with Kevin and would have given anything to be able to say that it didn’t happen.

I had sped back into the parking lot, and there they were. Lily and Sam were chatting patiently with Kevin, who was clearly enjoying every minute of my embarrassment. As I pulled up, the girls shook their heads at me, like I was the one who had a problem around celebrities, and gave apologetic looks at Kevin. I was beyond mortified as he walked around to my side of the car and the girls climb in.

“In that big a hurry to get away, huh?” he asked, his eyes seeming to sparkle with humor.

“Like I said, I don’t usually do this kind of stuff.” It was all I could do to keep my voice steady.

“Apparently,” he chuckled.

“Okay, we are now in the car,” Lily said, once she had buckled up. My face turned even redder.

“Thanks Lils.”

“Drive safely,” Kevin said, pulling back from the car. I gave him a grateful smile; he was being very cavalier about the whole thing. I had a feeling Joe would not have let me live that whole thing down. But then, I probably wouldn’t have given Joe my number…he’s too intimidating. Kevin is much more relatable.

By the time I had finally crawled into bed, I was nearly in tears over the whole thing. I could just picture them: Kevin telling my pathetic display to his brothers, them laughing hysterically and him washing his hands without a second glance at my number.
Okay, so maybe that was a little melodramatic. They weren’t insensitive like that, something I knew even after know them for a day. But I couldn’t definitely picture Kevin getting in the shower (okay, so maybe I had fun picture that…) and the ink dripping from his hand.

But why did I care so much?? These guys are superstars, and would definitely not be interested in me. I’m sure if I do some research tomorrow on Google, I’ll find out their really dating Hilary Duff, Paris Hilton and Miley Cyrus and that I have no chance in the world. Ugh! Me and my stupid hopes and dreams…they are over rated!

Somehow, I’m not sure how, I managed to pass out into a dreamless sleep. When I woke up, it took me a minute to realize just what happened the day before. Memories came flooding back to me and I blushed again. I couldn’t believe it. I was embarrassing myself, when I was alone. That’s just ridiculous.
I glanced down at myself and realized I was still in the close from last night…gross. I jumped in the shower, trying to wash away everything from last night if I could. It didn’t help, but I did smell nicer, which was a plus. I wandered downstairs and was immediately greeted by the welcoming aroma of freshly made pancakes. I really love my mom.

“Morning, Hen,” she greeted from her spot at the stove as I slid onto a stool at the breakfast bar. “How was the concert?”
I groaned. “It could have been better.”

She glanced over her shoulder, the same eyes as mine flickering in concern. Everyone said we looked alike, even sounded the same. My own father couldn’t tell us apart when he called and one of us picked up the phone. It was pretty annoying.

“From the way Sam and Lily were going on about it this morning, I would have thought it was the best experience in their life.” She brought a plate over to me and sat herself down on the other stool.

“Probably was,” I muttered taking a bite of the fluffy pancake. “Where are they anyway?” The small house was relatively calm and quiet, even Finn, our manic terrier was lounging lazily against the wall, watching with interest as we munched our food. .

“Your aunt picked them up about an hour ago. I figured I would let you sleep.”

“Thanks, Mom. I was exhausted.”

“So what exactly happened that made it so terrible?”

I sighed. I told my mom everything, and this would be no different. I just knew it wasn’t going to be fun to relive it all. But, I spilled every last gory detail and, like the good mom she was, she laughed at the funny parts and looked sympathetic at the bad parts.

“You left them there?” At this part she couldn’t help but crack a smile and I could tell she was trying to keep from laughing. “They didn’t mention that part.”

I frowned and stuffed a large bite of food into my mouth.

“Henley,” my mom said, resting her hand on my shoulder and looking at my depressed face. “You can’t let this get you down. You said it yourself, you’ll probably never see them again.”

“That’s the worst part!” I cried, finally admitting to myself something I had hoped wasn’t true. “I want to see them again! I have this crazy fantasy in my mind that they just swoop down out of no where and we become best friends and everyone from school envies me. That I’m the popular one. The one that people want to be friends with.”

“Oh, sweetie, you’ve always had the potential to be that girl. You just need to stop worrying what people think of you, be more self confident.”

“I try! It’s not that easy for me.”

“Well, you gave Kevin your number didn’t you? That was pretty bold.”

“Yes, well, I think that only happened because I knew there was no chance in hell he was going to call me back. What did I have to lose?”

Mom sighed and got up, moving over to the counter, where my phone was laying and slid it over to me.

“It’s rung three times this morning with a number I didn’t recognize.”

A spasm of excitement and nerves shot through me. I quickly looked, but there were no new messages.

“Do you think…?”

Mom shrugged. “Who knows? Call it back and find out.”

Before I even had a chance to refute this idea as pure insanity, the phone buzzed to life in my hand. I nearly fell out of my seat in shock: it was the same number. I grinned at Mom and jumped off the stool, tearing up to my room. Finn sensed the excitement and barked at me as I sprinted by.

“Hello?” I said breathlessly as I shut my bedroom door.

“Hi, Henley?”

“Yes?”

“Hey, it’s Kevin. Kevin Jonas.”

“Hi! How are you?” Okay, a little too perky and eager but I was nervous, okay?

“I’m great, actually,” he said with a chuckle. Ooh, that laugh. “Except there has been a slight issue.”

“Oh, um, anything I can help with?”

“Actually, yes, that’s why I was calling. You see, Janet seems to have died.”

It took moment to register what he had said. “Wait… Janet? You mean the bus?”

“Yeah, Joe is pretty upset about it actually. So, anyway, last night after you left we tried to get her started up to head to Vermont and she wouldn’t. So, we tried getting a new one, but the only one we could get would take ten hours to get here and then we’d be late for the show and our show after that is in Camden and – well, anyway, we just decided it would be easier for us to just stay in Allentown another day while she is fixed. We’ll reschedule the Vermont show and just head out to Camden tomorrow morning.”

“Wow,” I said, finally comprehending everything. “So, you’re still in Allentown.”

“We are still in Allentown. And enormously bored. I figured that the best way to find something fun to do would to call a real Allentownian. Allentowner?”

I laughed. “Well, yeah, there isn’t a lot to do here, but I can give you some suggestions. There is an amusement park, Dorney, there are a bunch of movie theaters and some bowling alleys. Other than though, there isn’t a lot to do.”

“Are you busy today?” he asked suddenly, catching me off guard.
“Um, no, not really. Why?”

“Well, with Janet out of order, we’re kind of without a mode of transportation. I was hoping that maybe you’d want to hang out with us today and possible let us bum rides off of you. You’d be welcome to join us of course. To be honest, I wish you would.”

“You want me…to hang out with you…all day?” I asked, enunciating everything to make sure I heard him right.

“That’s the idea,” he laughed, probably thinking I’m a complete moron.

“I-I think I can manage that.”

“Great! What time do you think you can come get us?”

“An hour too soon?” I asked, hoping I didn’t seem too eager.

“An hour is perfect.”

“Well, where do you want to go?”

“Up to you,” Kevin replied. “Surprise us. Listen I got to go now, but I’ll see you in an hour, yeah?”

“An hour,” I agreed and he hung up.

One hour till I was hanging out with the Jonas Brothers. Oh My God. What the hell did I just agree to??

[rooney276]

Chapter 7

I made it to the fairgrounds in record time, I was so nervous. To be honest, I couldn’t even remember the route I took, which probably wasn’t a good thing, but I was there in one piece and that was all that mattered.

I parked my Jetta and let my legs lead me toward the bus lot. I stopped awkwardly at the gate, where a large African American man was standing, looking extremely intimidating.

“Um, hi, I’m here to see the Jonas Brothers.” I looked up as innocently as I could, hoping he didn’t tackle me thinking I was some crazed fan. However, he just stared at me from under his dark shades. I took his silence as permission to continue, so I took a step by him, mentally preparing myself to be slammed to the ground any second. Miraculously, I made it to their bus unscathed.

“Henley?” I looked up and saw Joe sitting on top of a picnic table outside the bus, scribbling on a piece of paper, his iPod on. He took out his headphones and looked at me curiously. “What are you doing here?”

“I heard Janet had a little problem,” I replied. Did Kevin not tell him??

“Oh yes,” Joe said, standing up and patting the bus affectionately. “She should be ready to go tomorrow.” He moved toward me and I knew it wasn’t the 98 degree temperature that made the heat rise in my face. He was just so attractive!

“It’s great that you stopped by. Lily and Sam not here?”

“No, they went back home this morning. They live in Philadelphia.”

Joe nodded in understanding, and seemed about to say something else when Kevin emerged from the bus.

“Hen! You made it! Big Rob didn’t give you any trouble did he?”

“Uh no,” I mumbled, shocked as he pulled me into a hug.

“Good, so where are we off to?”

“Wait, you’re going somewhere?” Joe looked between us in confusion.

“Yeah,” Kevin replied. “I’m bored and since you and Nick are catching up on work, there is nothing for me to do.”

Woah, hold on. I’m only hanging out with Kevin?? Joe seemed just as surprised by this as I was. He looked at Kevin with an odd expression on his face, before it broke out into an easy smile.

“I’m almost finished, actually. Plus, it being our only day off, I’m sure Mom and Dad will let us have some fun. Where are we off to, Henley?”

I looked back and forth, between Kevin’s annoyed expression and Joe’s smug one.

“Uh, it’s this place called Quarry Springs, about twenty minutes away.”

“And do we need to bring anything?”

“Just bathing suits and sun block.”

“Sounds perfect,” Joe said clapping his hands together. “I’ll go get Nick and we’ll be on our way.” He strolled off to the bus and hopped up the steps and out of sight.

“Um, what was that about?” I asked Kevin, who was shuffling his feet in thought.

“Nick and Joe are still being tutored. Joe only has a few more assignments before he can officially graduate, but I figured that they would need the day to catch up on work. I guess I was wrong.”

“Oh,” I replied, sensing that this wasn’t the full answer.

“Better get your suit, K2,” Joe said, coming back off the bus wear a pair of bright red swim trunks and a white t-shirt. Nick came off behind him, grinning wildly.

“This is going to be so much better than Chemistry! Hey, Henley!”

“Hey Nick,” I giggled at his excited expression. Kevin went back inside and came out a few minutes later dressed and ready to go.
We all piled into my car, Joe loudly yelling shotgun and jumping into the front seat before the others could protest.

“So, what is this place like?” Nick asked as we pulled onto the highway.

“It’s a quarry,” I replied, merging into the left hand lane and speeding up. “They have all these huge floaty things that you can climb on and stuff. It’s pretty cool. Plus, my cousin works there, so we get in for free.”

Nick and Kevin stared out the window and had random thumb wrestling battles, while Joe entertained himself by flicking through my iPod and playing extremely random music.

“You have a Disney playlist?” he asked looking at me skeptically.

“Disney movies have some of the best songs,” I said, trying to defend my music tastes. “Be Our Guest and Part of Your World are brilliant.”

Joe just snorted and put on ‘Painting the Roses Red’ from Alice in Wonderland.

“Hey!” I said, blood rushing to my cheeks. God, if I spend anymore time with these boys I’m going to be blushing permanently. “You are the last people who should be bashing Disney.”

“She’s got a point you know,” Kevin put in, coming to my defense. “Personally, my favorite is Circle of Life.” I smiled gratefully at him in the rear view mirror. Joe just shook his head and with a playful smile began to sing softly to himself.

“Painting the roses red, we're painting the roses red. Don't tell the Queen what you have seen or say that's what we said. But we're painting the roses red ,yes, painting the roses red…”

“Not pink!” Cried Nick.


“Not green!” Agreed Kevin.


“Not aquamarine!”


“We're painting the roses red!”


My mouth hung open in a very unattractive way as the Jonas Brothers finished off their rousing chorus to my Disney music. They all smiled at my shocked expression.

“Just because we’re rock stars, doesn’t mean we don’t appreciate the classics,” Joe said, flipping to ‘Ooh De Lally’ from Robin Hood. “But if you tell any about this,” he added seriously. “We will have to kill you.”

There was a comfortable silence as we continued to roll down the highway, Nick’s muttering almost drown out by the passing traffic. “Man, that Queen of Hearts was a bitch.”

When we arrived at Quarry Springs, the parking lot was unusually empty, only Luke’s red pick-up truck parked along side the main building kept my hopes alive. I prayed I hadn’t driven the boys all the way out here just for it to be closed.

“So, where is the water?” Joe asked, looking around as we got out of the car, the dust from the parking lot blowing up around us.

“It’s just over that hill,” I said, pointing to a grassy embankment. “I just have to go in and see Luke for second, so if you guys just want to hang out for a minute.”

I pushed open the screen door, wondering if it was in my best interest to leave the boys to their own devices, but I didn’t have a choice at the moment.

“Luke?” I called, looking into the back office and seeing him hunched over a pile of papers.

“Henley, what are you doing here?” he asked, looking up. He pushed some sandy blonde hair off his sweaty forehead and moved over to me.

“I brought some friends up, I was hoping we could go into the quarry.” Luke sighed and I knew this wasn’t good.

“You should have called me, Hen. We’re closed today.”

“Closed? But you’re never closed on weekends.”

“I know, but we have a private party this afternoon and they’ve booked it for the entire day.”

“Can they even do that??” I was desperate now; there was no way I could tell them we had to go back.

“If they pay us enough,” Luke replied with a grin.

“Luke,” I said, grabbing his hand. “I am begging you, please let us just swim for a few hours. There are only four us and I promise we won’t get in anyone’s way.”

He sighed and I could see him caving.

“The party starts at three. That gives you four hours, but you need to be out of here by then.”

“Thank you, thank you!” I hugged him tightly before jogging back to the front door.

“And don’t forget the life jackets!” I heard him call as I slammed the door behind me.

“Alright, we are good to go,” I said, grabbing my bag. “Follow me.”

We walked up over the embankment as we came down the other side, the quarry came into view.

“Oh, no way,” Nick said in awe, as I grinned proudly.

The cerulean blue water shone brightly in the morning sun, so clear it was possible see all the way down fifty feet to the bottom. Rich green foliage covered the rock, giving it the sense of a jungle oasis. Huge inflatable structures were scattered across the lake: two massive ice bergs, floating trampolines, The Blob, spinning logs, huge mats, and a Saturn shaped ball. The boys tore off down the hill and onto the dock, kicking off their shoes and pulling off their shirts.

“Hold on, guys,” I laughed, following them. “You have to put on the life jackets.”

“Life jackets?” they asked, grimacing as I held them up.
“Trust me, you’ll want them.”

I couldn’t help but feel a slight bit disappointed as the jackets covered up their toned chests, but I snapped myself out of that train of thought immediately. I pulled my clothes off slowly, somewhat self conscious of my slight belly. I quickly put on the jacket to cover it up and moved over to the edge of the dock.
I was about to jump in, when there was large splash in front of me. Nick came up sputtering.

“Joe, you bastard!”

[rooney276]

Chapter 8

Panting, I pulled myself onto a floatable mat and flopped down, the small layer of water skimming the surface moving around me. I was exhausted. Two hours of yanking yourself up twenty feet and swimming after three overly hyper boys was enough to make me want to take a nap.

The boys had definitely had fun though. Right in the beginning, Joe had climbed up an iceberg with me, and after five minutes of struggling up the slippery side, we made it to the top.

“Now what?” he asked, looking down at Kevin and Nick who were floating below us.

“What do you mean, now what?” I asked, standing up precariously as the blow-up shifted slightly in the water. “Isn’t obvious?”

Nick gripped the handles tightly and shook his head. I smirked, took two large steps and launched myself over the edge, falling twenty feet to the cool water below. When I came up, Joe was looking warily over the edge.

“Come on Joe!” Nick yelled in encouragement. His brother, clearly not wanting to be thought a wimp, put on a hard face and pushed himself to his feet.

“Oh, this is going to be good,” Kevin muttered, floating beside me. “We don’t call him Danger for nothing.”

No sooner had he spoken than Joe lost his balance, slipped, and went head first back down the way he came up, flailing and splashing into the water.

“Hence the reason for the life jacket,” I laughed as he resurfaced, dazed. Joe looked around quickly, ascertaining his surroundings, before looking back up at the iceberg.

“THAT WAS AWESOME!”

Another thing the boys really liked was The Blob. It was like a big pillow, filled with air and floating in the water. One person would sit at on end, while another person, after climbing up a ladder, would jump onto the other. The stationary person would go flying into the air. This was probably Nick’s favorite. Kevin enjoyed doing flips and tumbles off the trampoline into the water. Joe crawled back up the iceberg eight more times before he was finally too exhausted to do it anymore.

After two action packed hours, we were exhausted.

Nick was making a half-hearted effort to walk across the spinning log, Joe was sunbathing on the trampoline, and Kevin crawled up next to me on the mat.

“This was really fun,” he said, looking over and giving me a smile. “Much better than sitting on the bus all day. Thanks for inviting us.”

“If I remember correctly, I think you invited yourself,” I teased, laying back and shutting my eyes to the sun glare.

“This is true,” he replied, and I could tell he was smiling. I had to keep my eyes shut for reasons other than the sun. I just couldn’t look at him without blushing. The way the sun glistened off his wet skin, his dark curly hair falling delicately over his forehead, his deep eyes and the way they lit up when he smiled….oh God.

“I’m hungry!” Nick called suddenly, having giving up on the log and floating on his back in the water. “Is there food here?”

I looked over at Kevin and laughed. “I guess it’s time to get out.”

“Yeah, I’m starting to prune a bit,” he frowned, holding up his palm.

“Kevin Jonas…prunes?!” I said, mock-scandalized.

“Don’t go telling anyone now. I’m sure Teen Beat would pay a good amount of money for that bit of information.”

“Sings Alice in Wonderland and he prunes…I could make a fortune,” I smiled, sliding into the water and swimming toward shore where Joe and Nick were already headed. I heard Kevin swimming behind me.

Once we were out and dried off, Nick and Kevin headed toward the office.

“Tell Luke I asked for a pizza!” I called after them as Joe and I worked our way back up the hill to the picnic tables. “So, did you have fun?”

Joe smiled but then flopped his right arm around wildly. “I think I pulled muscle climbing up that thing.”

I laughed. “You’re going to pull another one if you keep doing – OW!” I immediately jumped up, grabbing my foot in pain.

“Are you okay?” Joe asked, and I could hear him trying to hide his amusement at the silly dance I was now doing on one leg.

“I stepped on a bee!”

“Ouch,” he winced. He looked down at the ground and peered through the grass. “Yep, there he is. Poor little guy, you really got him.”

“Bees are supposed to fly, not hide out in the grass,” I grumbled, still hopping and trying to see if the stinger was still in my skin.

Joe looked up at me and laughed. “You look ridiculous,” he stated and before I had the chance to argue, I was swung up into his arms.

“What the -! Joe put me down!” I was mortified. I did not enjoy being picked up by anyone, let alone Joseph Jonas, rock-star and heartthrob.

“You never make it up the hill hopping like that,” he replied, tossing my up slightly to get a better grip (and I don’t even want to mention where he was gripping…), causing me to gasp and throw my arms around his neck. He grinned cockily and continued on up the hill. Despite my annoyance at his assumption that he could just do anything to me and get away with it, I had to admit he was right. I could never deny that face anything. Shit.

Not soon enough, he set my down on the wooden picnic table and picked up my foot, gazing in concentration at the bottom.
“Stingers still there.” He put his fingers lightly on my sole and I jerked away, stifling a laugh. It was no use though, as a wide grin slid across his face.

“Ticklish, much?”

“I can’t help it!”

He laughed softly. My, my, what a laugh. “It’s okay. I’m most ticklish under my neck,” he offered up conspiratorially. “Kevin is worst behind the knees and for Nick, you have to go for the armpits.”

“I don’t know if I want to go for Nick’s armpits…”

He laughed again. God, I could get used to hearing that noise. “Fair enough. I wouldn’t either.”

“But at least now I know where all you’re weaknesses are. Now, I can – OW!”

“Got it,” Joe grinned innocently and held out his hand, in which was a tiny stinger. I shuddered.

“Bees are the worst.”

“Why?” he asked, seeming generally interested. “You have a vendetta against things that buzz and pollinate?”

“No, it’s just they are a combination of needles and bugs, both of which terrify me.”

“You’re afraid of bugs and needles?” Joe asked, raising his eyebrows.

I blushed and shrugged. “Well, yeah. I had this awful experience at a summer camp one year which put me off bugs, and I’ve never been a fan of needles. Don’t know a lot of people who are actually. Why…is that weird?”

“No!” he responded quickly. “No, it’s great. I mean, not great,” he amended, catching my confused look. “It just makes you less intimidating.”

“You find me intimidating??” I asked, completely gob-smacked.
“Well, yeah,” he admitted, shrugging in embarrassment.

“Can I ask why?”

“You’re older than me for a start.”

I rolled my eyes. “By like, what, five months? Isn’t it your birthday soon?”

“And how would you know this?” he asked with a cheeky grin and raised eyebrow. I blushed profusely. Okay, so maybe I Googled them a bit before I picked them up. It was nice to have some information, made me feel ahead of the curve a bit.

“Stop changing the subject. Why am I intimidating?”

“Eh…I don’t think I should tell you,” he replied with a playful glint in his eyes. I stared.

“You can’t just tell a girl she’s intimidating and then not explain yourself!”

“It might go to your head,” he warned. I stared at him defiantly. “Okay,” he sighed, before staring me right in the eyes. “You’re funny, you’re real, you’re laid back, your sweet, you’re oblivious to the fact that you have Kevin wrapped around your little finger, and you are incredibly beautiful, especially when you’re embarrassed…like right now.”

I gaped. WHAT??

I moved my mouth but no noise came out, giving me the look of a fish struggling for air. I just couldn’t organize any sensible response in my brain.

“You wanted to know,” Joe said, defensively.

Finally, wrapping my brain around what exactly he had said, I looked up at him.

“Joe…what did you mean by…”

“What is going on here??”

My head shot up. As if my day couldn’t get any more awkward, there standing in front of me, with her hands on her bony hips was Ms. Water Bottle Hoarder herself. What a smell world, eh?

“You again!” she hissed, recognizing my face. “Well, you just turn up in the most unwanted places don’t you? I reserved this entire park for my daughter’s birthday and was assured we would be the only ones using it today!”

“Excuse me, but I think there is a way to work this out,” Joe said, standing up to face her. I was surprised she didn’t recognize him, his face was plastered all over little Carly’s poster just yesterday. Looking up at him though, it was hard to see the resemblance between the rocker Joe and the Joe that stood before me.

Rocker Joe had pin straight hair and tight white pants. This Joe’s hair was curly from swimming, and he was wearing baggy swim trunks and no shirt.

“Oh, just wait till I speak to the owner young man,” she said angrily. I wasn’t too worried about that, considering Luke would never tell his dad about this. But I worried about getting trouble in front of the Jonas Brothers. How embarrassing!

The woman turned quickly to stalk off, but instead slammed right into Nick who was carrying a large pizza in his hands. Red sauce and cheese splattered all over her white dress and the look on her face was one I would never forget.

“Ma’am, I am so sorry,” Nick apologized sincerely, looking on in horror as her face contorted with rage. She looked about to explode, but a new sound erupted from a few feet away.

“OH MY GOD MOMMY! YOU GOT THE JONAS BROTHERS TO COME TO MY PARTY!!”

Somehow, the boys managed to appease the entire group, including the mother, by performing a few acapella songs and taking pictures and there was no harm done. I felt bad, because I knew how they were just looking for a day off, but they seemed to enjoy it. It was only a small group of about fifteen girls, so they were able to get more personal with them. Watching, I could see why they were so popular. They were the most gentlemanly, sweet, caring, and genuinely sincere guys I had ever come across. I knew a lot of boys their age, none of which showed the same level of maturity and kindness that they did.

At one point, Kevin looked up and caught my eye, offering a small smile. I blush, remembering was Joe had said. Kevin was wrapped around my finger. Joe was right when he said I was oblivious to that fact. But, in my defense, how could it have happened? We only knew each for two days! I sat for a moment thinking.

I guess it wasn’t took weird, I mean, one look from them and I would melt. But they were rockstars! And Joe said I was intimidating…

I was nothing special, nothing extraordinary, nothing that made me stand out. I had convinced myself of this, repeating it over and over in my mind for the past nineteen years. Yet now, I couldn’t help but hope that maybe there was something,
anything, that made me special. How could I not? I just spent the entire day with the Jonas Brothers!

“Henley,” Nick said, finally pushing himself through the crowd of fawning girls. Kevin and Nick were still being bombarded for autographs. “Do you want to come back with us to the bus and hang out for a bit before we have to leave?”

“Oh, sure,” I responded, unable to keep from smiling.

“Cool, Joe and Kevin will really like that.”

“Okay, sorry if this is rude, but what exactly does that mean??”
Nick merely shook his head and smiled. “If I told you, I wouldn’t have nearly as much fun as I am going to.”

Okay, forget, romantic, funny, and sensitive. Try, Kevin: the cute, annoyingly mysterious one. Joe: the cute, annoyingly cryptic one. And Nick, the cute, annoying withholds-important-information-for-his-own-amusement one.

I could already tell this was going to get interesting.

[rooney276]

Chapter 9

Okay, it was official. I was a bona-fide bad luck magnet. Forget the whole “oh, the Jonas brothers want to hang out with you” thing. No, none of that nonsense matters. If they hadn’t wanted to hang out with me, this wouldn’t have happened. I would have been on my way back to Lancaster, on the side of the road by myself, waiting two hours for my parents to get me. But no, here I was, my poor, feeble Jetta spouting smoke from it’s engine and the Jonas Brothers lounging lazily in the shade of a tall oak tree, which was far, far worse.

“You sure you don’t want me to look at it?” Kevin offered from his spot in the grass.

“No, no that’s fine,” I responded quickly, completely mortified.

We had been driving along, home from Quarry Springs and through the countryside. Then, without warning, my car shuddered and made a terrible squealing noise. Next thing I knew, smoke was billowing out from under the hood and the four of us were screaming and shouting random explicatives.

Forcing myself to remain calm, I pulled over and we all stumbled out of the car, shaken but okay. It was then, as I watched the three of them stare at my car, that complete and utter embarrassment set in. I was so embarrassed, I couldn’t’ even blush, and that is saying something.

I was standing on the side of the road, sweat dripping down my back from the afternoon sun, my hair completely dried and completely frizzy from lack of brushing and products. I had called my mom, but she was picking up some overtime hours at work, so that left no choice but my dad. I mean, there is nothing wrong with my dad, I love him dearly, its just that he is a tad bit overprotective. And he had no idea I had been spending the day with three rock stars. Not a good combination.

I felt a presence beside me and looked over at Kevin, who had his hands in his pockets and was looking extremely attractive in his dark sunglasses.

“You’re embarrassed.” It wasn’t a question.

“I’m glad you’re able to read me so well,” I muttered sarcastically, it coming out harsher than I meant.

“Actually,” Kevin said, looking taken back. “I find you extremely difficult to read. But in this situation, I would be embarrassed too.”

“I’m sorry,” I sighed. “It’s just, I was trying so hard to make the day go well and then that woman showed up and we had to leave early and now the car...”

“Henley,” Kevin said soothingly, putting his arm around my shoulder. “This day was fantastic. I know that I haven’t had this much fun in a long time.”

I smiled gratefully.

“Your dad said he was on his way?” he asked, removing his arm and taking a step away. I found myself missing the touch of his skin.

“Yeah, should be here soon.”

“So...” Kevin said, giving me a smile. “What were the other four?”

“Other four what?”

“Days in your Top Five. You said that yesterday was in your top five. I have to admit that yesterday was bunched out of position by today, though.”

Now, I was blushing.

“Well, um, yesterday and today would combine for number five,” I said. “Number four would have to be when I got into college.”

“Didn’t think you were going to make it?” Kevin teased.

“No, I was pretty confident, but it’s still a little nerve-wracking, you know?” Kevin shifted awkwardly.

“No, I don’t actually. I’ve never applied to college, I’ve been on the rode since I graduated high school. Not that I regret that or anything,” he added quickly. “I mean, sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be a college student, being on campus and going to class and all that stuff, but I wouldn’t change what I do for anything.”

I smiled at him. “So, what about number three?” he asked.

Just then, I saw a silver SUV turn the corner and head our way. “I think that’s going to have to wait, my dad is here.”

“I must have made quite an impression in order to meet the parents already,” Joe said, coming up behind us and grinning.

“Okay, there is only one rule with my dad,” I said quickly, watching as the truck came to a park. “Don’t make any remarks like that one.”

“Don’t worry,” Nick grinned. “We will be the picture of politeness.”

“Hi Dad!” I said, giving a big smile and rushing over to him, pulling him into a hug. “Thank so much for coming to get me. I didn’t take you out of a meeting, did I?”

“Nothing important,” he said, kissing my on the forehead. “Who are your friends?” he asked, and I frowned as his jaw set.

“Dad, this is Nick, Kevin and Joe. I met them at the concert last night and we went up to Quarry Springs for the morning.”

“Nice to meet you Mr. Fisher,” Kevin said, holding out his hand.

“It’s a pleasure, sir,” Joe added.

“Henley was nice enough to entertain us for the day while our bus was being worked on,” Nick explained. “We’re leaving this afternoon.”

My dad seemed to relax a bit as he realized that the boys were not going to be a constant presence.

“Nice to meet you boys too. It looks like the car isn’t going anywhere though, so if you all want to pile in I’ll take you back to where ever you need to go.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“That’s very nice of you.”

“Now we know where Henley gets her kindness.”

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at their obvious ass kissing. My dad seemed to be impressed though. We all got into the car, the boys in the back and me up front. My dad kept glancing at them in the rear view mirror.

“So where are you boys from?”

“Wyckoff, New Jersey, originally,” Kevin responded. “But we spend most our time in LA now.”

“And what do you do? All go to school, I suppose.”

“Well, I’m still taking classes,” Nick offered.

“I’m going to graduate in a month or so,” Joe spoke up.

“But,” Kevin said, knowing what my dad was getting at. “We travel around a lot. We’re in a band. That’s actually what we were in Allentown for, and how we met Henley.”

“Yes,” my dad said, nodding. “She always did have a thing for musicians.”

I blushed scarlet as the back seat went silent. Dads can say the worst things at the worst times.

The conversation flowed freely after that one awkward silence. We pulled up to the fairgrounds at around 4:30pm, just as Kevin’s phone went off, his mom calling him and telling him to come back. Janet was up and running.

“Thanks Mr. Fisher,” they chimed charmingly as they piled out of the SUV.

“Bye, boys.”

“Dad, I’ll be right back, I just want to say goodbye.” His jaw set again.

“Alright, but be quick.”

I climbed out after the boys, who were waiting by the gate for me. Nick was the first one to come up and give me a hug.

“I’ll be hearing about you all the way to Baltimore,” he mumbled in my ear. Damn him and his secrets.

Joe came next. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and took in his scent, feeling myself getting dizzy and overwhelmed.

“It was amazing meeting you, Hen,” He whispered. “I don’t know if I can ever see an iceberg or bumble bee again without thinking of you.” I blushed.

“Bye Joe, thanks for saving my foot.”

“Anytime,” he smiled, giving my hand a squeeze and following his younger brother onto the bus. Then, it was just me and Kevin.

“So,” he said giving me a smile. “I never thought I’d be saying this, but I’m glad that our bus broke down and we missed the concert. If we hadn’t, I wouldn’t have gotten to spend more time with you.”

Now, I was blushing increasingly. “I’m glad, too.”

“Hey, hold on second,” he said, before jogging back onto the bus. A moment later, he returned, clutching a piece of fabric in his hand. “I remember you liked it,” he said, handing his scarf over to me.

“Kevin...I can’t...”

“Keep it? Of course you can. And if you feel that badly about it, you can just give it back to me next time we see each other.”

“The-the next time we see each other?” I smiled, allowing myself to hope.

“And I can promise you, we will see each other again.” Kevin gave a soft smile and pulled me into a hug, one so tight, yet loving I almost wanted to cry. Why the hell was I going to cry?? “I’m missing you already, Henley Fisher, especially that adorable blush of yours.”

I blushed again, just for him, and he chuckled lightly. Raising my hand to his lips, he gave me a regal kiss. And right then, I knew.

I was falling head over heels in love with Kevin Jonas, and there was a slight possibility he was feeling the same way.

[rooney276]

Chapter 10

“Jonas Brothers? Like the curly haired, Miley Cyrus dating, purity ring wearing Jonas brothers??”

“Yes,” I laughed, rolling over on my bed and looking at my best friend as she stared at me in shock. “Those Jonas Brothers. And for your information, Nick and Miley are just friends.”

“And the reason you didn’t tell me all of this sooner?” Kate asked, an expression of hurt on her face.

“Um, maybe cause you were in Milan basking up the Mediterranean sun and flirting obnoxiously with hot Italian men.”
“Oh, that’s right,” Kate replied, getting a wishful look on her pretty face. Kate Frye and I had been friends since middle school, when she was a new student and I convinced her to come out for the soccer team. We’ve been inseparable ever since. Well, at least until college when I went off to Marshall and she went to Penn State. We got together as much as we could during the summer, but with me working back in Lancaster, it was hard. I was home for another weekend now, since it was her first one since she came home from Italy with her family.

“You could have emailed me or something,” she continued, picking up some popcorn from the bowl between us and popping it in her mouth, golden-red hair falling in waves around her shoulders. She was one of those annoying people who didn’t have to do anything to their hair to make it look perfect. I often wondered how I put up with her as a friend.

“And you would have insisted on coming home right away and you’re parents would have been pissed at me.”

“This is true,” she sighed. “But, I’m here now and you must tell me everything!”

“I already did,” I giggled, picking up a magazine and flipping through the pages nonchalantly. Of course I landed on a page with an article about them.

Kate let Kevin’s scarf slide through her fingers, eyeing it appreciatively. “This is a nice scarf.”

“I know!” She looked up at me.

“You like him don’t you? This Kevin Jonas.”

“I don’t like him,” I lied, heat rising in my cheeks. “I-I mean, we-we barely know each other.”

“You’re stuttering, which means you’re lying. And it doesn’t matter how well you know each other, attraction just happens.” I sat in silence, staring at the picture of them in the magazine. “If it were me, though,” Kate added with a mischievous grin. “I’d go for Joe.”

“Yeah, well, Joe is perfect for you. You’re both crazy.”

“Oh please,” she said, holding up the picture. “You can’t tell me your not attracted to him. He’s gorgeous!”

“He is gorgeous!” I agreed. “And funny and sweet. But Kevin…Kevin is…” I wanted to say perfect, but I didn’t want to sound completely corny. “I feel good about myself when I’m with Kevin. He makes me happy, not nervous, like Joe does.”

“Is Joe not nice?” Kate asked, confused.

“No! Joe is an amazingly sweet guy. But, you know me and my complete lack of self confidence! When I was with Joe, I want to be better than I am, I feel like I can’t be myself. But with Kevin, I don’t need to act. Well, I guess I don’t need to with Joe either, but I feel like I do. God, how could I explain this? I’m comfortable with Kevin, I forget that he’s a world famous musician. With Joe, that’s incredibly difficult. Everything about him exudes sexy rock star.”

“Mmm,” Kate said, licking her lips. “I love me some sexy rock star.”

I laughed, feeling better that she seemed to understand. “He’s all yours then.”

Suddenly, my phone sprung to life beside me, causing me to jump and reach for it with lightening fast reflexes. I looked excitedly at the caller ID. Damn, just Mom.

“Hey Mom,” I greeted, trying to hide my disappointment.

“Hey Sweetie,” she replied. “I have to run to the doctors this afternoon and my appointment might run late, so you’re going to have to make yourself dinner okay?”

“Why do you need to go to the doctors?” I asked, slight panic rising in my throat.

She laughed. “Honey, it’s for a yearly check-up for work. I’m just getting blood drawn and getting updated on some shots, it’s nothing.”

“Okay,” I breathed out in relief. “Well, dinner will be fine, Kate is over so maybe we’ll go out and do something.”

“Tell her I said hi. Love you, girlie.”

“Love you mom, bye.” I clicked the phone shut and looked up at Kate, who was staring at me opened mouth.

“HE’S FUCKING CALLED YOU??”

“That was my mom,” I said, looking at her like she was crazy. “Didn’t you hear me?”

“No, I mean, Kevin Jonas has called you before. That’s why you practically had a heart attack with the phone rang!” I swear that girl knows me far too well. “Why didn’t you tell me??”

“He’s called a few times,” I muttered, blushing in happiness. “But I haven’t heard from him in a couple days.”

“Well, try calling him,” she said, reaching for my phone. I tried snatching it back from her, but she as too fast.

“No!” I said, jumping up and chasing her across the room. “I don’t want to bother him. He’s probably doing an interview or getting ready to perform or something. I don’t even know where he is!”

“Oh, here he is, KEVIN J,” Kate went on, completely ignoring me. “That is so cute, Henley!”

“Kate, I swear to God, if you – Kate!”

She held the phone to her ear grinning devilishly. I covered my face in my hands, flopping down onto the bed, hoping no one would answer.

“Hello, Kevin?” Shit. “Oh, hi Joe!” Shit shit!

I looked up to Kate grinning wildly. “My name’s Kate, I’m Henley’s friend. Yep, mmhmm. Oh, a few times apparently. That is weird. Yep, okay. Oh, well, you have a very nice voice as well! Aw, how sweet of you. Oh, all right. Here she is. Nice talking with you too. Bubye!”

Kate thrust the phone out to me, looking extremely pleased with herself.

“Hello?” I grumbled miserably.

“Henny, don’t sound so excited to talk to me!”

“Sorry Joe,” I said, putting on the I’m-not-annoyed-with-my-best-friend voice. “How are you?”

“I’m doing well. How ‘bout you? I haven’t talked to you in a while.”

“I know, whenever I speak with Kevin, he always tells me your busy.”

“Does he now?” Shit, did I just get Kevin in trouble. “To be honest,” Joe continued. “I wasn’t even aware he was talking to you. He must have forgotten to mention it.”

“I guess so.” I was feeling worse by the second. Joe sounded pissed. There was a moment of silence on the other end.

“Anyway, Joe finally said, trying to lighten the mood. “Your friend sounds hot.”

I laughed and looked up at Kate, who was watching me intently. I gave her a smile. “Oh, I don’t think you’d like her. She has tattoos all over, multiple body piercings, likes to chainsaw small animals in the backyard – AH!”

Kate had lunged at me and we ended up in hysterics on the floor.
“It’s not true!” she yelled in the direction of the phone.

“And she’s a compulsive liar,” I added, struggling against Kate and listening to Joe laugh on the other end. “Like I said, not your type.”

“I don’t know,” he said seriously. “I often have fantasies of tattooed, Harley chicks with whips and leather chaps.”

“Ooh, okay, that is so, so wrong,” I grimaced, but still laughing slightly. “Okay, Joe, I have to go before someone strangles me –ah! – but tell Kevin I called, okay?”

“Will do, Henley. Tell Kate I said goodbye,” he replied before clicking off.

“He’s gone, he’s gone!” I cried as Kate launched herself on top of me again.

“I hate you,” she giggled, falling back against the bed.

“Hey, if it wasn’t for me, you never would have gotten to talk to Joe Jonas. Now, he’s never going to forget you.”

“Yea, I’m the sadistic pierced best friend. What does that say about you?”

“That I’m very non-judgmental,” I replied, standing up and straightening my shirt. “But come on, I’m hungry.”

“Mmm, Cali Burrito?” she asked hopefully. I giggled. Mention food to Kate and she immediately lost interest in everything else. Another annoying little fact about her: ate like a horse and still weighed an astounding 115 pounds.

“Sure,” I agreed, always up for some Mexican food. As we left the house, though, I still couldn’t get by the fact that Kevin hadn’t been telling the others he was talking to me. What was that about?

And then it hit me like a brick. He was afraid I would like Joe more than him. He was afraid of being showed up by his little brother. And it was over me...