Post by socrbritney on Sept 25, 2008 15:42:30 GMT -5
Chapter Nine: Brunch
You have my heart
And we'll never be worlds apart
May be in magazines
But you'll still be my star
-"Umbrella", Rihanna
You have my heart
And we'll never be worlds apart
May be in magazines
But you'll still be my star
-"Umbrella", Rihanna
"Where are you going so early?" Joe croaked out as Jenna tip-toed around her bedroom. Jenna threw a Blondie t-shirt over her head and almost fell over putting on some flats.
"Easy, killer. It's too early for me to take you to the hospital," Joe said, rolling over and stuffing his head under a pillow. It was just before 7am, and Jenna was meeting blondychick to finally confront her for leaking those pictures. Joe and the boys would be leaving soon, but Jenna had to do this, to ensure it would never happen again.
After the party, Jenna has brought the boys, Kate, and Haven back to her apartment where they played rock band and swapped stories of the road until the early hours of the morning and everyone had passed out on her couches. She thought she remembered Joe carrying her to the bedroom, because she woke up next to his snoring figure.
"I shouldn't be long. I have an appointment I just can't miss. And when I get back, we can all go to breakfast, ok?" Jenna said, leaning down to brush her lips over his. He smiled sleepily and nodded.
Jenna walked quietly out to the living room and surveyed the scene before her. Nick was crumpled into a ball in her arm chair, fast asleep with his bow tie hung loose around his neck. Haven and Kate were both on the couch, sleeping with their feet touching each other in the middle. On the ground below was Kevin, wrapped up in her Colts blanket like a caterpillar. She wished she could take a picture.
Speaking of pictures, Jenna thought as she slipped out the door. She had emailed blondychick and told her they could meet at the coffee place just around the corner from her apartment. Jenna wasn't looking for a fight. Who was she kidding, yes she was. This was the person who could wreck her and Joe's relationship, and Jenna was going to rip into her.
Jenna walked down the sidewalk while she slipped on her sunglasses. No cameras today, which was good news. It meant people were finally not caring anymore.
She surveyed the crowd of morning people at the coffee place, hoping she would immediately spot the little slime ball. She just saw the usual couples just coming from yoga and party girls unwinding from the night before. Jenna pursued her lips, hoping blondychick didn't skip their meeting. She was about to give up, and then she saw Rachel.
What was she doing here? Jenna wondered. As Rachel turned in her chair and faced her, everything clicked into place.
The pictures.
The snide remarks.
The hitting on Joe.
"You little BITCH!" Jenna screamed as she walked across the outdoor patio. People stopped staring and looked up from their eggs, wondering what was going on. Rachel looked just as surprised to see her and she immediately stood up.
"Jenna? What are you doing here?" Rachel asked.
"Oh, don't act coy! You're blondychick, aren't you? You're the one who leaked the pictures! You're after Joe, and this is ending now!" Jenna snarled at her. Rachel looked shocked, and then her face broke into a big smile.
"Oh, Jenna. I don't give you enough credit. Yeah, I got the pictures from your ex-boyfriend. And I might have sent them along. But, the big question is...can you prove any of this?" she said in a bitter voice.
Jenna was taken aback. Could she prove it? No one knew she arranged this meeting, and Rachel would deny this until the very end. All she had was an email address, and her word.
Rachel watched Jenna thinking this out. "Yeah, I thought not. You can do all you want, but we both know that you accusing me of leaking those pictures will not go down well. After all, I'm a close, personal friend of Joe's," she cooed. Jenna clenched her fists in anger.
"Joe will believe me. You can count on that," she promised. Rachel laughed and turned back toward the table to grab her purse.
"Look, Jenna. You can blame all your relationship problems on me, that's fine. But I don't think you understand who you're dealing with. And the more you drag this on, the more you're pushing Joe away from you...and right to me," she said in a low voice. Rachel flipped her hair and started to walk away. But something in Jenna snapped. She reached a hand out and grabbed onto Rachel's hair.
"ARGH!" Rachel screamed as Jenna dragged her back by the hair. She grabbed her head in pain and turned toward Jenna, her eyes wide.
"I'm going to kill you!" Rachel yelled as she lunged at Jenna, knocking them both to the ground. The patrons sitting around them gasped in surprise as both girls rolled on the ground, tugging hair and trying to get a slap or two in. Jenna was only seeing red, not reason. This was the girl who was trying to take Joe away from her, and she lost all ability to act reasonably.
"Jenna? Omigod, what are you guys doing?" she heard a voice say above them. Then, Jenna felt familiar hands grab her shoulders and pull her off of Rachel. She tried to wrestle free to get another shot in at Rachel, but the hands held her firm. She finally settled down and turned toward whoever had grabbed her.
It was Joe, staring at her with his mouth wide open in shock.
"Joe! She's the one who leaked the pictures! She's trying to destroy us, can't you see?" Jenna yelled, pointing at Rachel. Rachel was across from them, holding her left cheek in pain and trying to catch her breath.
"Is that true, Rachel?" Joe asked, holding on to Jenna's shoulders. Rachel's perfect mouth formed an ‘O' of surprise. She put a hand to her chest.
"Joe, how could you think I would do that? We're friends, remember? Jenna must have misunderstood. I told her I showed you the magazine, but I wasn't responsible for those pictures," Rachel claimed. Jenna narrowed her eyes at her.
"She's lying! Joe, she's lying! She's a manipulative little snake and she is after you, I swear!" Jenna said, tugging on Joe's sleeve. Joe looked between both of them and took a deep breath.
"I think we all need to calm down and thank our lucky stars that no one got a picture of you two fighting. The last thing we need is more bad press revolving around us, right? Jenna, maybe you're just so set on finding whoever did this that you're looking for anyone to blame," Joe said soothingly while stroking Jenna's arm. Jenna whipped her arm away.
"What? I'm not an idiot, Joe! I got the email address from Greg. I sent an email asking to meet at this time and this place and Rachel's the one who shows up? Isn't that some kind of clue?" Jenna raged on. Rachel stepped forward.
"Joe, I have no idea what she's talking about. Maybe the person she was supposed just didn't show up. I was just here to get some coffee before we left," she insisted.
"I'll hit you, I swear to God," Jenna threatened, but Joe held her back.
"She will, Rachel. Why don't you leave and we can all figure this out later," Joe told her, still holding on to Jenna. Rachel gave a little smile and quickly gathered her things to leave.
When she was out of sight, Joe finally let go of Jenna. She immediately stalked to a table and sat down, trying to slow down her racing heart.
"Jenna. What were you thinking? A cat fight? Now, usually I would think that was very sexy. But we have to tour with this girl. I can't have my girlfriend punching out our opening act," Joe said as he sat down across from her.
"Joe! She's lying to you, I promise. You know I wouldn't accuse her unless I was absolutely sure," Jenna insisted.
"I know, I want to believe you. But is it possible you made a mistake?" Joe asked cautiously. Jenna sighed and leaned back in her chair, thinking.
"She told me she did it. After I accused her she told me! She wants you, and she's not stopping until she has you," she told him, grabbing his hands.
"Well, then she'll be trying forever. Because there is no way she'll ever get me. I love you, and that is all there is too it," Joe said simply, giving her hands a little squeeze. Jenna shut her eyes, trying to find a way to prove her side of the story.
"I think we need to go to your parents, Joe. She needs to be off the tour."
"Are you nuts? We're right in the middle of the tour; the fans come to see her sing. We can't find a replacement now. And my parents have enough to worry about! You can't go to them without proof, Jenna." Jenna rolled her eyes in frustration.
"What are you even doing here Joe? I was so close to bringing her down!" she spat at him. Joe looked at her with a hurt frown on his face.
"I came here to get the coffee you like so you could have it when you got back from your appointment. I'm sorry that I interrupted you smacking around Rachel," he said sarcastically before standing up.
"Wait, Joe. Don't go, I'm sorry," she said, getting up to follow him. He spun around to face her.
"No, I need to take a walk. I'll see you back at your place," Joe said before leaving the patio. Jenna watched him go, feeling very alone.
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Rachel had watched the entire fight from across the street. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but Joe's rigid stance and Jenna's flailing arms told her that things were going much better than she planned.
She had to admit, she was impressed that Jenna had tricked her. But it seemed that Rachel was better at being evil than Jenna was. And Jenna had no proof. Which left one loose end. Haven.
Haven knew Rachel had those pictures, but she didn't know that Rachel had sent them. She needed to talk to Haven to get her on her side, and fast.
Rachel quickly dialed Haven's cell. Right to voicemail.
"Hey, Haven. It's Rachel. I just wanted to let you know that Jenna has gone psycho and is trying to blame me for leaking those pictures. I know you saw me with them, but I didn't send them off. You told me not to show anyone, so I didn't. I just wanted to let you know before Jenna starts turning you against me. Call me later, babe. Bye!"
Rachel snapped the phone shut and went to the sidewalk to hail a cab.
With this fight, and those pictures coming out, it's only a matter of time, Rachel thought happily.
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"I can't believe we fought on our last day together," Jenna moaned as she and Joe walked lazily down the sidewalk. Joe had finally come back to her apartment after their fight, long after everyone else had woken up and left to get ready to leave. As soon as he walked in, she threw her arms around him and apologized again. He just suggested they take a walk.
"I know," he answered quietly. Jenna reached down to grab his hand, and he linked their fingers together.
"Joe, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have lashed out at you. I'm just...so sure that Rachel is trouble that I'm going crazy. I know she leaked those pictures. And I need proof," she insisted. Joe stopped walking and sighed.
"So this isn't over? More cat fights, more yelling? Can't you just, let it go? I'm a big boy, Jenna. I've already told Rachel I'm not interested and she hasn't tried anything since," he told Jenna. Jenna looked into his eyes, wanting to feel better about leaving him with Rachel. But she couldn't.
"I trust you, Joe. But if she's so evil that she could get us fighting so easily, than I have to make sure she's stopped. Don't you see? I'm doing this because I love you," Jenna insisted.
"Look, Jenna. We have two more months left on this tour. I doubt Rachel can cause any problems in that time, especially when I'll be sure to keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. Let's just get through the rest of the tour, and we can forget about Rachel. For good," Joe told her, wrapping her into a hug. Jenna buried her face into his chest, thinking about what he had just said. Was it really worth it to cause more problems, when she and Joe had enough to worry about being apart?
Joe pulled her away from his chest and looked at her. She smiled up at him.
"I know I'm right, Joe. And I'm not going to stop hating her. But if you think she won't cause any more problems, than I trust you. But I swear, if she tries anything, and I mean anything, I will be out there so fast and she will regret the day she ever pissed me off." Joe gave her a smile.
"Hearing you talk like that is mighty sexy, J-bomb," he said, kissing her hard and fast. Jenna happily returned the kiss, losing all train of thought. When he pulled away, Jenna gave a little pout.
"When will I see you next?" Joe asked sadly.
"I'm not sure, Joey Joe. I have to go back to work on Monday and get going on the new season, which I'm sure will leave me little time to sleep, let alone fly out to visit you," she answered with a grumble. They continued walking until they made it back to her apartment, where Joe had already packed so he could just take a taxi back to the Jonas household where the bus was waiting.
Jenna sat on the bed, watching Joe zip up his suitcase and make sure he didn't forget anything. He always did, of course.
"I think that's everything. What time is the taxi coming, babe?" he asked Jenna. She smirked, and came up behind him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed herself to his back.
"Not for another ten minutes," she whispered in his ear. Joe turned around and grinned.
"Oh, really?" he said, lowering his lips to her neck. Jenna sighed and tilted her head, so he could get full access to the sensitive skin there. When she felt his tongue softly tickly the spot underneath her ear, Jenna let out a moan.
As soon as Joe heard that, he took it as the ok to throw Jenna on the bed and pounce on top of her. He kissed her urgently, knowing that it would be awhile before he could kiss her again. Jenna tried to lose herself as she kissed him back, but she found her mind wandering to Rachel. Her perfect, little figure. Her evil smile. Her long legs.
The thought of Rachel going after Joe sparked something inside of Jenna. She grabbed Joe by the shirt and rolled him on his back. As soon as he was flat, she climbed on top of him and straddled his waist. Joe watched her with a smile, obviously loving every moment of this. She pulled on the ends of his t-shirt, and he hurriedly took it off.
Jenna let his mouth explore every part of him. His lips, his neck, his chest, his stomach. Joe groaned from underneath her, and she placed her mouth on his. Joe slowly rolled her tank top up, and with a raise of her arms, it was off. Joe rolled them over, so that he was on top. All Jenna could think about was making sure that Joe never forgot about her. Not with Rachel around ready to steal him away.
The kisses grew deeper, the hands wandering more recklessly. Jenna knew that if she didn't turn back soon, she wouldn't be able to stop. And with the force of Joe's lips on hers, she knew he was way past the stopping point. But all it took was another flash of Rachel's face in her mind and she went under again. She wrapped her legs around his waist, urging him closer. Joe more than happily obliged, pressing himself against her frantically. She whispered in his ear, telling him she loved him, telling him she would miss him, telling him that she hoped he would never leave her.
Suddenly, Joe pulled away, panting heavily. He shook his head, as if trying to wake himself up from a dream.
"We....we have to stop, Jenna. I don't think I can...take much more of this," he said, putting a hand through his hair. Jenna let out a frustrated sigh, realizing that she was doing this for all the wrong reasons. She gently squirmed out from underneath him and tried to find her shirt.
"I'm sorry, Joe. I think I pushed you too far," she said, ashamed.
"Hey, no. You didn't push me. You never do, Jenna. Believe me, I was fully aware of what was happening. I'm just, trying to be careful," Joe said, quickly pulling her into a hug.
"I think this whole thing with Rachel is making me crazy. I'm so worried about losing you that I feel like I have to...that I should..." Jenna stared, not sure of what to say. Joe peered worriedly into her eyes, and then lifted her head up to kiss her gently.
"Don't make anything we do about Rachel. She has nothing to do with us, you got it? Clearly, I'm only want one girl, and that's you," Joe said, shaking her body a little as if to shake some sense into her. Jenna nodded, and then glanced at the clock.
"Shoot. The taxi is probably waiting downstairs. You'd better go," she told him, picking up his shirt from the ground. She smelled it first, feeling her heart flutter as she inhaled his scent. Then she threw it at him, and he quickly put it on.
They hurriedly went down the stairs, and sure enough, the taxi was waiting by the curb. Joe shoved his suitcase into the trunk, and came around the side of the cab to say goodbye. He pulled her to his chest, rocking her slowly.
"No goodbyes, remember? Just, see you soon," Joe whispered. Jenna felt a tear fall down her cheek. How many times would she have to do this?
"And if your plan up there was to get me to never look at another girl, then mission accomplished. Because all I will ever see when I close my eyes is you," he said in a lightly teasing voice. Jenna giggled and hugged him tighter.
"I'll call you when I can," he said, cupping her face in his hand. He kissed her long and slow, making Jenna almost fall over into him.
"I love you, J-Bomb," Joe said as he looked into her eyes. Jenna smiled and kissed him again.
"I love you, too. I'll try my best to come see you as soon as I can," she promised. Joe kissed her forehead, her nose, and then her lips. He opened the cab door and hopped in, mumbling something to the driver. He poked his hand out of the window, and Jenna held on to it until the cab pulled away. She saw Joe turn around in the back window and wave. She blew him a kiss, and then he disappeared around the corner.
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Joe and Rachel's taxi showed up at the Jonas household at the same time. Joe watched her get out as he slammed the trunk shut. He approached her as both cabs pulled away.
"Joe, about today..." she started, but Joe just put his hand up to stop her.
"Look, Rachel. I've been brought up to always assume the best in people. And Jenna, well, she's more of a "you have to earn my trust" kind of person. So, I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt here. Just look me in the eyes and tell me you didn't leak those pictures," he demanded. Rachel looked hurt, but Joe stood strong.
"Joe, I promise you I didn't have anything to do with those pictures," she whispered. Her blue eyes welled up with tears, and Joe dropped his shoulders.
"Ok, then I trust your word. But just to let you know, Jenna has zero tolerance for you. So just, try and lay low next time she's around, ok?" he asked with a friendly slap on the shoulder. Rachel sniffed a little, then turned and walked towards the house. Joe sighed as he watched her go, just wishing that the drama would end.
By the time they busses came and they loaded them up, it was already dark. Joe watched Los Angeles roll by as he sat on the couch at his laptop. Nick and Kevin were across from him, talking about who-knows-what.
"Joe, did you bring your motorcycle? I thought I heard Dad say they were making room for it," Nick wondered.
"Yeah, although I have no idea when I'll have time to ride it," he answered. He checked his email, mindlessly deleting spam. Kevin's phone rang, and he answered it with a mumble. After a couple minutes, Kevin turned to Joe.
"Hey, man. Kate says to check out TMZ," he told him. Joe looked at him with tired eyes, but Kevin just shrugged. Joe pulled up the website, and scrolled down, expecting more nasty picture of Jenna. What he saw just confused him.
Him. And Rachel. Hugging in a dark alley. Looking very private.
Joe squinted at the picture, trying to remember where this was taken. Then he remembered. Rachel dragged him into an alley during the Hollywood party and a pap must have followed them. The story basically questioned Joe's loyalty to Jenna, claiming that he was seeing Rachel on the side.
Joe rubbed his eyes, resisting the urge to just scream in frustration. Why couldn't one day go by where he wasn't defending his relationship? It was all so emotionally exhausting, he wondered if he had the energy to handle this crisis.
He picked his phone up, gearing up to call Jenna. But the conversation that he knew they would have brought on more stress. Maybe he could just ignore this. That website had so many other stories, maybe it wouldn't be such a big deal. Jenna knew he wasn't into Rachel. This couldn't become a big deal...could it?
Joe hesitated, and then put his phone down. He and Jenna were finally moving forward, and the goodbye they just had, well, Joe didn't wanna ruin that kind of fun. No, he wasn't going to call her about it. If he just let it slide, he was sure that he could simply avoid another big fight about Rachel.
Joe closed his laptop and stumbled toward his bunk, feeling very tired. He crawled in and closed the curtain. The lights from the passing car just barely gave enough light as Joe laid on his back and stared at the photos he had stuck to the top of his bunk. Pictures of him and his brothers on tour, of candid moments with him and the band, and of course, pictures of Jenna. There was the photo booth picture, the one that started it all. A picture a fan had taken and sent him on MySpace of Jenna cheering from the front row. And his favorite, the one that he took of her. Her beautiful face took up the whole picture, and she was smiling at him. Her eyes showed nothing but ease and happiness. And as Joe looked at that picture, he couldn't think of a time since he left that her eyes had looked at him like that. All the fighting and stress that the tour was bringing seemed to be literally draining both of them.
Joe barely got any sleep that night.
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So much drama in the club, eh?
Sorry this took so long...I hope you guys liked it!
Comments? Leave ‘em.
My readers? Love YOU!
[/FONT][/CENTER][/B]Sorry this took so long...I hope you guys liked it!
Comments? Leave ‘em.
My readers? Love YOU!
hehe
lol
