Just Jenny!

“You’re on in five!” Some guy in black with a headset whispered urgently in my direction making things OHso much less nerve wracking…NOT!

What the heckam I even doing here? I’m not anybody, I’m the Jonas Brothers’ little side kick, I’m the girl who can’t walk into a room without tripping…I’m nota celebrity!

BreatheJen!

I’m going to killJoe.

Well Chief too…but mainlyJoe as heset all this up! Apparently, Ellen just happenedto have an opening on her November 5th taping, and Joe suggestedshe contact me…or “my people” and now here I am a nervous wreck waiting for my cue so I can go humiliate myself on television (because print isn’t enough), then rush to pick up the gift, so I can make it to top-secret-party-place in order to surprise my best friend who I’ve yet to hold a full conversation with since our falling out.

It’s been a week and a half and aside from the cell phone hieroglyphics which are quicklybecoming our only means of communication, we haven’t exchanged more than a few words as we’ve both been swamped, and have this unspoken agreement not to bring up the fight.

“That’s you!” Head-set-guy hissed as 'Jenny from the Block' started playing. I thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest as I walked out there…then I made eye contact with Ellen and somehow I let out the breath I’d been holding. I know her right? She’s nice, and I just have to make it a few more steps without falling and I’ll be fine.

When I finally made it up on her little stage, up the steps, and into her hug I swear I felt like I’d won the Nobel Prize or something! Walking all that distance, to music, in front of all those people, climbing the two steps and not falling! “It'll be fine.” Ellen whispered in my ear before motioning to the chair on her right.

“So, Jenny thank you for being here, we've actually met before and I told you you'd be on and now here we are.” at least she's easing me into the interview.

“Thank you for having me, I'm a hugefan. And like you said we've met before with Portia, and y'all were wonderful, and looked amazing.” I smiled chancing a look at the audience, while the tech people flashed a photo of Ellen and her wife (I don't care if the marriage is no longer legal) a couple of months ago . Okay not so bad....gonna kill Joe, but not toobad.

“Oh, well thank you, it was fun.” Break for loud audience, “Now lets get to business, you started out drawing a comic strip for a small newspaper is thatright?” she asked, luckily getting into my work, and motioning to a monitor where they had one of my comics displayed. Sure it's a little embarrassing to talk about myself trying not to sound like I'm bragging, but at least for nowthe focus is on something I've accomplished, and not justwho I hang out with.

“Yes, The Daily Observer in New York. I started out freelance and eventually got a regular spot.” I smiled.

“Wow, and now it's been picked up by countless newspapers all around the country in addition to a column based off of this?”she asked.

“Kind of, yes. Both are based on my life, more than each other really, the column is my day to day life, dealing with work, and guys, and spilling my coffee, just normal every day stuff that most readers can relate to. While the comic strip is more out there, you know that's were those little things that shouldn't be funny can escalate to a place where everything is fixed by a cute little catch phrase and a cup of coffee. “ I laughed more at ease.

“Well that's fantastic, now we have to take a break and we'll be right with Jenny, everybody!” she told the camera as we went to commercial. “You're doing great.” she told me as people with head sets ran around doing Lord knows what.

“Thank you, I'm just trying to breathe right now.” I laughed.

“And we're on in five, four... (the rest is apparentlydone in hand gestures)” then the head-set-guy pointed at Ellen and we were back!

“We're back here with Jennifer Moreno, better known as Jennypopular columnist and notable artist.” Wow what an intro! “Now, how do you go from this,” she asked holding up a newspaper, “to this?” she asked holding some woman's magazine with the guys on the cover and then pointing to a tabloid picture on the back monitor of the Jonas Brothers and I eating pizza in New York a few days before my birthday.

My initial response was to laugh, “I don't know. That's just the way things work out in my crazy world. I actually hadn't reallymet the band before that picture was taken.”

“Okay, so you walk into a pizza place, spot them as say 'Hey Jonas Brothers, how's it going?' and sit down, just grab some of their pizza?” she asked laughing.

“Close enough.” I laughed. “I'd met Kevin before, and his brothers were fans of my comic so we decided to get lunch next time they were in the city.”

“Well it seems to have worked, whatever you did, have you seen this?” She asked holding up the magazine, she'd shown me before then opening it to a certain page.

“No I haven't.” Though really they're all the same.

“Well it's new, comes out tomorrow. So you wouldn't have. But there's an interview here with the Jonas Brothers and you seem to be doing pretty well for yourself. When asked about their relationship with you, Joe said you were 'like an older sister', Nick called you 'one of my best friends', and Kevin said 'She's an amazing person, and I'm privileged to be able to have her in my life.' When asked to elaborate, because really that's a vague answer, he said, 'The bond we have transcends everyday friendship to call her a best friend would be an understatement, we almost share a brain.'” she finished giving me a knowing look.

“I love my boys.” I chuckled, trying to play it off. I can't believe he said that! Wait whenwas this?

“Well I'd hopeso. Now would you say that was fairly accurate? How does that work?” she asked a twinkle in her eye.

“Yes, Joe is the younger brother I never had, we have fun and I help him when he needs advice. Nick's so insightful, and way more mature than I am. He also has the best taste in movies, so we get along, and I try and make him act his age.” I laughed.

“What about thisguy?” she asked flashing a picture of Kevin and I walking into the restaurant on my birthday.

“That was my birthday dinner!Thatguy? That guy is the mostamazing friend in the world. He and I might as well be one person, from our coffee drinking, to our unhealthy shoe obsession...it's hard to put that relationship into words.” I'm sure I'm grinning like a moron, but it's hard not to when thinking of Kevin, especially knowing he feels the same. Not the crush, but that we're beyond best friends. I just hope this doesn't get me in trouble.

“Well maybe I could help you? Um, boyfriend? Is thata word you might use to describe him?”she asked shrugging trying to stifle a grin.

AH, I'm blushing! I knew this was coming. “You're mean! But we're not dating.” I chuckled.

“But would you liketo? I can make a call, get him over here. Although you look pretty cozy in this shot. What's going on here? Just how you get around town?” she laughed. Not able to hold a straight face, as she showed a picture of Kevin running with Nick and Joe in the background, and me slung over his shoulder. Where did she even getthat?

I couldn't hold It anymore I cracked up. “Actually, I couldn't get a taxi, so I figured, why not just flag down a Jonas? Saves on gas..”

“And a better view.” she finished for me. “Jennyeverybody. Check out her column comes out Wednesdays in the local paper, as well as her comic strip which can be seen in the Sunday edition. You can also check it out on line, if you go to our website we'll have a link there. Thank you again, we should do this more often.” And I'm done!