Hiding Heartache

-Regan-

“Emmett, I said I’m sorry!” I explained into the phone for the tenth time during this phone conversation. After my aunt and uncle had shown my around the house and led me to my room, I decided to call Emmett as I promised in the letter I had left him. I was expecting him to be angry, he had every right to be, but I didn’t think that this amount of anger was possible.

“SORRY! REGAN, YOU’RE SORRY! DAMN RIGHT YOUR SORRY! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW SCARED I WAS WHEN I GOT HOME AND YOU WEREN’T THERE! I THOUGHT YOU’D BEEN KIDNAPPED! I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO SCARED IN MY WHOLE LIFE!” He boomed.

“Emmett! I know! I’m sorry, please can I just try to explain?”

“Explain What?! Explain how you scared me to death? Explain how you lied to Aunt Kate and Uncle Dan? Or explain how you left without even bothering to say goodbye to me?” Hearing is last statement brought me over the edge, I broke down.

“You’re right!” I sobbed into the phone “I’m horrible! You are the best brother in the world and how do I repay you? By being the shittiest excuse for a sister ever! I hate not being with you Em, I hate it, but I had to leave. I couldn’t escape him, everywhere I turned I saw him. I know he wasn’t there but I still saw him, I was literally going insane!” I doubt if he could even understand what I was saying, I no longer had control of my breathing and I was positive that I was incoherent.

“Reg, breath” He directed into the phone, after he heard that I gained slightly more control in my breath he continued. “I understand that you are afraid of him, to be honest I was afraid of him trying to find you too. I’ve been sleeping with a baseball bat under my bed because I was so paranoid.” I wouldn’t dare point it out but I could tell by the tone of his voice that he was trying to to cry too. “But at least when you I knew that if he come back I could protect you... but know I just feel so helpless.”

“Emmett,” I breathed into the phone “Can’t you see how much better this is going to be for the both of us? We both have freedom now Em, I can walk down the street without thinking I’m seeing him and you can finally live your life without taking care of your kid sister. You can go clubbing, on trips, you can start to date again without worrying about me.”

“But Reg, I want you here, your my baby sister, I love you.”

“I love you too Em, more than anything in the world, but I need this. Aunt Kate said you can come visit whenever you want, and the second I build up the nerve I’ll buy myself a plane ticket and come visit you too.” There was a long pause in the conversation, no one said anything for what felt like an eternity until Emmett finally spoke up.

“I’m gonna miss you little bear” He whispered

“Not as much as I’m gonna miss my big bear” I answered back, a silent tear rolling down my cheek. “I’ll call you tomorrow okay?”

“Okay, I love you Reg”

“I love you too Em... bye”

“Bye.” With that we both hung up. I took a deep breath to recollect myself.

I looked at the alarm clock that read 3:45, that meant that I still had two hours to get ready for the dinner with the Barnes’ tonight. Aunt Kate told me that they had three children two girls and a boy. One of the girls Annie was sixteen and Dan said we’d be automatic friend because it was hard not to like Annie, I didn’t know if he was right or not about this girl, but I guess I would find out soon.

-Annie-

“Can’t....you...stay..... a while.....longer?” I pleaded with Nick in between kisses. We were standing on my front porch, Nick had to get home early tonight and my family and I were having the Miller’s and their niece over for dinner in about ten minutes, but my mind was set on Nick and I staying on that porch for as long as we could.

“I wish, but Joe, Kev and I have phone interviews all day tomorrow” He mumbled softly against my lips “And my mom will kill me if I’m not home” He took a second to glance down at his watch “Five minutes ago.”

“Nickkkk” I pleaded, burring my hand deeper in his hair in a lame attempt to make him stay.

“I’m sorry love” He whispered before placing another soft kiss on my lips “But duty calls, I’ll see you tomorrow okay?”

“Okay.” I sighed in defeat loosening my grip on his curly lock before placing one last all to quick kiss on those beautiful lips.

“I love you” He said, pulling me into a hug and kissing the top of my head.

“For someone who said they had to go, you my friend are doing a lot of stalling” I laughed into his chest while I wrapped my arms around his torso.

“Fine Annie, be like that” He joked, mocking anger as he released my from his grip and made his way down the porch stairs. I silently watched him walk until he reached the end of the driveway.

“Nick!” I called out to him, he turned around hand looked at me with a knowing look on his face “I love you too!” I smiled, I could hear his musical laughter fill the air before he flashed me one of his breath taking smiles before he turned back around and headed towards he house.

As I walked back inside I heard the sound of my mom Molly cooking in the kitchen. I figured I would steer clear, figuring she was already in what my brother Tyler and I called ‘Guest Mode’ (meaning the only things on her mind were cooking and cleaning.)

I went upstairs and quickly checked my facebook page. I responded to a message I received from Mallory begging me to come back and visit her in California. I was about to sign off when a message popped up on my chat bar at the bottom of the screen. I sighed and rolled my eyes before responding.

What do you want Blair? I quickly typed, trying to end the conversation.

Well, well, well, looks like the JoBro Hoe is in a bad mood :] She quickly responded, I knew nothing good was going to come out of this conversation, if anything it was going to hurt me... again. But I had to keep my strong facade on.

Look I don’t have time for this, what do you want?

Just wanted to remind you again that no body here likes you. You think that just because your in all of the tabloids with your superstar boyfriend that everyone’s gonna bow down and worship you? Well news flash Barnes YOU ARE NOT WANTED. Westlake was a much happier place without you in it... but when you go back to your precious California, leave your boyfriend... and his brothers. A town can never have to many hot guys right?

I didn’t even bother responding, I just signed out and slammed my computer shut before walking into my bathroom to make sure that my tears hadn’t messed up my make up. I know I should let someone as dumb as Blair Johnson get to me, but the things she and her friends said hurt. I would never let them see me react to their words this way but I couldn’t help but cry when I was alone.

Ever sense my first day everyone was horrible mean to me, well everyone but Paige, Ben, Emma and Sam, the only friends I’ve made sense I started school at Westlake Academy. I met Sam during tennis first block on my first day when he was the only one who even acknowledged me presence, he later introduced me to his close friends Ben and Paige and his girlfriend Emma. I guess I was invisible to everyone else until second block when someone in my art class recognized me as the girl who was dating Nick Jonas, after that in became know to everyone else as “The JoBro Hoe” and became a target for everyone to ridicule.

I mean I knew that in the end it was all worth it, because Nick was worth it, but I will never understand what made everyone hate me so much, I had never done anything to any of them. Other than my for friends who stuck by my side while the ridicule took place, no one else knew. Not Ty, not my parents, not Mallory, not even Nick. I would never tell him because I knew he would blame it all on himself.

Just as I had finished reapplying my make up I heard the door bell ring and swiftly made my way down the stairs to meet the Miller’s niece Regan. Maybe I would get to hang out with her for a day or two until the whole school turned her against me.