Hey guys! This is an old fic of mine that I'm going to post here - if you've read it already, don't give away the ending!
Here's chapter one!
joejoescircus89: you should be here by now.
penelopetheantelope12: what?
joejoescircus89: dinner. remember?
joejoescircus89: run, forrest, run!
penelopetheantelope12: ohh yeah!! sorry... its crazy around here right about now,
joejoescircus89: chat later. dinner now.
penelopetheantelope12: lol okay, okay.
joejoescircus89: I SAID NOW!
penelopetheantelope12: okay!
joejoescircus89: what did I just say?
AOL user penelopetheantelope12 has signed off
joejoescircus89: thank you!
AWAY MESSAGE: My master is summoning me. Yes, I mean you, Joseph. *scowl* - Penny
I let out a soft laugh before grabbing my purse and heading downstairs. Mom was sitting there trying to force baby food down Sarah's throat - she wasn't having it.
"I was just about to come up and remind you. Your dad's five minutes away," Mom said, pushing the little sthingy in my sister's mouth. Sarah spit it back out, mashed carrots dribbling down her chin and onto her bib. She squealed with delight while Mom cursed under her breath.
"Bye --"
"It's raining! There's an umbrella by the door." I hurriedly reached for the umbrella and, with one flick of the finger, opened it and dashed outside. "Bye, Mom!"
I sprinted to the Jonas', taking the usual route I took. It was the same route we took on our morning jogs - just the four of us. Me and my Brothers. Usually we paced ourselves, but today I wasted no time. For one thing, Joe was nearly having a cow because I wasn't already there. Secondly, I wanted as much time with them as possible before they left for the first town.
When I turned the corner onto their street, I could already see two dark figures out in the middle of the road - in the rain. I knew who it was immediately, judging by the height of one and the hair of the other. Frankie and Nick.
"
Penny!" Frankie shrieked, jumping on me. His long hair was wet and stuck to my face as he hugged me - he was literally off the ground, on top of me. I laughed and held on to him - even though he wasn't part of the band, he was leaving on tour with them, too. And I would miss him just as much.
"Hey, kid!" I said enthusiastically, setting him down in a puddle. I looked up to see Nick walking over with his goofy Jonas grin that made me melt - no matter how wet and freezing it was outside.
"Hey, Nicky." I walked over to him with my arms open for a hug. He filled in the space and picked me up about a foot off the ground in the long hug as I laid my hand on top of his dark curls - like I always did when he hugged me - and snuggled into his wet t-shirt.
"Why are you two outside in the rain?" I asked as Nick set me down, then running for the cover of their porch. Frankie and Nick followed me.
"Nick wanted to come meet you," Frankie beamed mischeivously. Nick whacked him over the head and muttered for him to shut up. Frankie shrugged with his toothless smile and went inside, so Nick and I followed, both of us red in the face from running around outside.
"PENELOPE, my love!" Joe skipped downstairs and wrapped me up in a big hug. I laughed into his shoulder.
"Excuse me?"
"Where have you been? I signed off six minutes ago," Joe asked, letting go so I could go hug Kevin. I laughed.
"Hey, Kev," I smiled, hugging him around the waist tightly. "Joe, it's not my fault you have the patience of a hungry Pitt Bull."
"I know
that's right," a woman laughed from the kitchen. I recognized the voice immediately.
"Hey, Denise!"
"Hi, Sweetie. How's your mom?"
"Good," I answered as Joe put his arm around my shoulders. I smiled at him and stood very still against his side.
"And your Dad?" Kevin chuckled, heading to the basement/game room.
I rolled my eyes and started bashing his head in with a wrench. "Hasn't changed his mind. He thinks I'm at Katie's right now." Groaning, we followed Kevin. Joe's arm was still draped around me and Nick was at our heels.
"What's his problem?" Nick asked as we all sat down in front of the big television. Kevin and Frankie started playing some video game while I plopped down on the sofa in between the other two.
"I don't even know - he probably thinks I'm doing something wrong with one of you." I shook my head. My Dad had recently banned me from seeing the Jonas' anymore, because he was under the impression that I was having sex with one of them. I was apparently there too much.
"Which one?" Joe smirked. I looked at him and felt the blood rush to my cheeks. I didn't say anything, just shrugged.
That was one thing that Joe always made me do - he was too good looking. They were all too good looking. Every time we shared a moment, I'd blush and humiliate myself, even though I had known them forever. Before Frankie was born.
"Me, obviously," Kevin said with a grin, focused on the video game. Frankie was whupping his butt already.
"Yep, Kevin, you caught me, you sexy beast." Frankie made a strange little gasping snort noise at what I said. I looked over at Nick and we both just started laughing uncontrollably. Soon I was curled over my legs, gasping for breath. Joe patted me on the back.
"You alright?"
"Yeah - sorry," I giggled. I looked at Nick, whose face was pink from laughing at absolutely nothing - and we both broke out in peels of laughter again. I leaned closer to him and we both just laughed and laughed for what seemed like eternity. And what made it even more hilarious was that we didn't even know why we were laughing now. Frankie's little noise had lost it's shimmer - now we were just laughing at how ridiculous we were.
"Boys, your Dad's home - time to eat," Denise said over the intercom that reached the basement. We all raced to the table - Mama Jonas was the best cook ever and we all knew it.
Knowing the Jonas' system when it came to meals, I was the first to take Nick's and Joe's hands and bow my head for grace. Even though I wasn't as religious as they were, praying before I ate was just something I did now. I had grown accustomed to it.
And plus, it was a reason to hold hands with cute boys, even if they were my best friends.
"Amen," we all chorused as Mr. Jonas finished the prayer.
"Potatoes!" Joe sang, making all of us laugh. After everyone had food on their plates, I caught Denise beaming at me from the other end of the table. I smiled back at her.
"So, Penny, how's the baby?"
"You had a baby?!" Nick teased, turning to me. I smacked him in the arm and turned back to his mom.
"Loud and nocturnal -" Everyone laughed. "- but she's cute, I guess. She's driving us up the wall, except for my Dad - he doesn't really deal with Sarah," I said, my words dripping with anger and resentment at him. I looked around to see all four of the boys shaking their heads when I brought up my Dad. I stifled a chuckle.
"We should just come and kidnap you tonight," Joe suggested. I laughed out loud.
"I wish you would. I have no clue what I'm going to do for the next few months while you're gone..." Everyone was silent for a while. As my throat tightened, I mentally scolded myself. See, I knew this would happen. I couldn't let myself get emotional in front of them - I'd save that for later. I set down my silverware and waited for a moment, hoping that if I stopped thinking about it for a moment, the tears would go back in my eyes. But they didn't.
"Oh, honey..." Denise said softly as a tear tumbled out of my eye. I sighed sadly and looked up to see her looking at me sympathetically, along with Mr. Jonas and Kevin. I tried to smile, but Frankie started crying, of course, which didn't help. I hated watching little Frankie cry. Joe put his hand on my hair and pulled me against him comfortingly, while Nick's elbows rested on the table, and he buried his head in his hands, releasing a loud sigh. It seemed that I wasn't the only person who was upset about not seeing them.
"You'll just have to email me
a lot. And you know I mean that." I beamed, trying to get rid of the depressing atmosphere I'd caused. I hated seeing my brothers sad. They were my second family. Sometimes they were more of a family than my actual relatives were.
They had always been so close to me, and I them. They were my inspiration for art - I couldn't even count how many paintings and drawings of them I had in my portfolio. And I was the inspiration for some of their songs.
We were all sitting in my room as I sobbed uncontrollably into Nick's shoulder. They'd all come over the instant I called and told them what had happened - that Pierre had broken up with me.
"And what kind of name is Pierre anyway?" Joe asked bitterly. "It's like someone who peed... in the air..." I normally would have laughed at Joe's humor, but I was too distraught. I could barely even hear him over the sound of my crying. I was practically screaming into Nick's t-shirt, getting it all wet, but he didn't seem to be bothered. He just cradled me against his chest as Kevin and Joe rubbed my back gently.
I honestly was in love with Pierre. He was everything I wanted in a guy - sweet, sensitive, funny, romantic. He was perfect in my eyes. Was.
"What exactly did he say, Pen?" Kevin asked softly. I pulled my head away from Nick's arm, but still leaned against him.
"H-he said..." I sniffed. I was practically hyperventilating. "He said... 'I can't be-be with someone who wo-won't... do stuff with me!'" I buried my face in Nick's shoulder again and let out an agonized wail.
"Jerk."
"Idiot."
"Penny, don't even worry about that guy. He's nothing. He's wrong." Nick said in my ear. I tried to shake my head.
"No - no, he's right... I should have--"
"Don't even finish that sentence, Penelope," Joe said sternly. I looked at him, tears brimming over. I managed a quick glance at Nick's shirt - completely soaked through. "You're better than that."
"Yeah," Kevin encouraged. "You're better than him."
"I know, you're right... I just... I really thought -" I groaned. "I should just give up!"
"Pen, just because you're heartbroken doesn't mean you have to give up," Nick reasoned. "You just need to start over. Have faith." When you love someone
and they break your heart
Don't give up on love
Have faith, restartAnd that's where
Hold On came from.
Those boys had always been there for me. I was miserable during the few months they were away for their School Tour - and they were going to be even longer this time. Could I take that kind of torture?
After dinner, we all retired to the living room to watch some television. Joe was practically peeing his pants with excitement at the reality show.
"NO DEAL! Oh, come on! No deal!" I laughed loudly as he groaned when the guy took the deal. "Watch, he'll have the million in his case. Just watch! I'll be right."
"Okay, Joe. Whatever you say," I smirked and played with Nick's hair as he laid his head in my lap. I knew the time was coming, but I didn't want to leave any of them.
"See? I told you! One million, in his case! I told you!" Joe repeated, doing a little dance in the middle of the living room. I ran my fingers across the top of Nick's head, sifting through his brown locks, still damp from the rain. Nick loved when I played with his hair; it relaxed him and usually put him right to sleep. But I could see that he was trying hard to stay awake until I was gone. I smiled at him, a new wave of sadness washing over me. Joe sat back down beside me and watched as I curled Nick's hair around my fingers. I smiled at him.
"Fine, show favoritism. Be that way, see if I care." Joe folded his arms and looked away pointedly, trying to pout. I grinned.
"Oh, you baby. Lean forward." Just like Nick loved when I toyed with his hair, Joe loved having me scratch his back. Just like how Kevin liked it when I traced the lines in his palm and Frankie liked when I drew little circles on his forearm with my index finger. I loved my brothers more than anything.
As I ran one hand through Nick's hair and gently drew little pictures on the back of Joe's t-shirt, I realized that there was nowhere I would rather be, nothing I would rather be doing.
And then Joe started purring playfully, so I pushed him off the couch with a loud peel of laughter.
"Okay, time to go," I said quietly, poking Nick in the forehead. His eyes were closed, but he was still awake.
"Nooo," he whined, looking up at me.
"Yesss," I smiled sadly. "Trust me, if I could, I would stay here and play with your hair all night long."
"Sounds good to me," Nick smiled, closing his eyes again. I chuckled and forced him to sit up. He groaned.
"Who wants to walk me to the end of the street?" Normally, everytime I was at the Jonas' house, the boys would walk me all the way home. But I didn't want to risk Dad seeing me with them, so I would have to cut it short.
"All of us," Kevin grinned, yanking my arms so I could stand up. I smiled.
"Yaaaaaaay." I said my tearful goodbyes to Denise and Mr. Jonas, trying not to get too emotional. We all huddled close and Joe opened the big family umbrella and held it up high over our heads.
"You can stand under my UM-berr-ella... ella... ella... eh? eh? eh? Under my..." Joe sang. Kevin whacked him over the head so he would stop. I smiled as Frankie told us he wanted to play in the rain instead, so he ran ahead of us. So it was just me and Nick and Joe and Kevin, snuggling up under one big umbrella for the last time for many months.
"So, what are you going to do on tour?" I asked them. Nick scratched his head.
"Uh... sing...?"
"Wrong!" I laughed, linking hy arm with his. We were three houses away from the corner.
"Email you everyday," Joe said.
"And?"
"Call you everyday?"
"And?"
"Be depressed because you're in New Jersey and not with us?"
"Good boy!" I patted Joe on the head. Two houses to go... "And you should also make some videos and put them on youtube. Just no more Nick Jonas shows, please. I don't like Angry Joe and Bleeding Nicky and BEHIND-the-camera Kevin."
"We will," Nick promised, putting his arm around me. One house to go. I started panicking.
"Do you guys really have to go on tour? I mean, are you sure you want to do this... forever? Can't you just be... car salesmen? Like Kevin?" Kevin let out a loud laugh and playfully punched me in the arm.
"Sadly, I'm pretty sure we're going to be doing this until retirement." I started cracking up at the thought of the boys, all old and wrinkly, singing Goodnight and Goodbye as The Jonas Brothers in their seventies.
"Now
that would be a good concert." We were there. The corner of the street. We all stopped, frozen, as we realized that we'd have to say goodbye now. I didn't want to. Tears welled up in my eyes and spilled over before anyone could even say anything.
"Where's Frankie?" I sniffled. He came running up and wrapped his arms around my waist, hugging tightly. I ruffled his hair and knelt down to hug him goodbye.
"Love you, Frank the Tank," I smiled into his hair.
"I love you, too," he whispered. I stood up and hugged Kevin tightly, pressing my face into his jacket.
"You are going to call me. You have no excuse," I teased. He nodded and released me with a sad smile. I turned around and nearly tackled Joe, wrapping my arms around his waist and squeezing as tight as I could. I felt his lips on the side of my forehead and squeezed harder, closing my eyes. I nuzzled my head practically into his armpit before I had to let go. I was crying really hard now, my whole body shaking. I stood up on the tips of my toes to plant a kiss on his cheek, and then turned to Nick.
Nick and I had a special hug. He wrapped his arms all around me and I just cuddled up against his chest. Sometimes, like this time, he lifted me slightly off my feet. I felt his lips on my hair and I kissed his cheek before we let go.
And then I had to leave.
"I love you, guys." I slowly blew them a kiss, and backed away.
They didn't even have to say it back. I knew they did. But they said it anyways and stood there, watching me, until I disappeared around the corner.
You're a great writer and I hope you've written other things! Thanks for this!
