This Heart, It Beats, Beats for Only You

“Wow this is really cool,” Nick said, looking around the park where dozens of people were sitting, waiting for the movie to begin.

Casey didn’t say anything as they found their usual spot. Most of the people here were couples. Just when she thought it couldn’t get more awkward. She sighed and placed the blanket down for them to sit.

“I’m shocked Miss Cartwright,” Joe gasped. “You sitting on the ground. With all the dirt and bugs?”

Casey rolled her eyes as everyone laughed. “Cute,” she mumbled before taking a seat.

“Do you guys do this often?” Kevin asked as he sat down next to Danielle.

“Well Casey likes coming here a lot,” Marisa shrugged. “So we come usually once a week.”

“This place is nice,” Casey said defensively, not keen on having them all think she was some sap. So she liked the memories here. That did not make her some sappy memory stricken girl. She stood up. “Popcorn anyone?”

Again, Joe pretended to gasp. “Carbs?”

She rolled her eyes. “And the cuteness keeps coming.”

Everyone laughed as he stood up too. “I’ll come with you. Anyone want popcorn?”

“Sure,” they said and Casey and Joe set off to get some.

“This place is nice,” Joe said once they were out of earshot. “But it’s nice to get away from the love fest over there.” He grimaced as he shot a look back at their little party.

She laughed. “I was thinking the exact same thing.”

He smirked. “So you aren’t jealous?”

“Of?” she asked, confused. Was she supposed to be jealous of something?

“That all your friends are with that someone special and you’re stuck with little old boring me,” he smirked again.

She rolled her eyes. “First of all, I doubt you can be boring and secondly, do you really think so little of me?” They got into the line for popcorn. “I mean, I can be a good person, you know? I can be happy they’re happy.” He stared at her, as if seeing her in a new light. It made her feel awkward. She flushed slightly. “What?” she asked finally.

“You are not an easy person to figure out Casey Cartwright,” he said finally.

She blushed. “Well either are you Joseph Jonas.” Was he flirting with her? No he couldn’t be. She had mistook his words for flirting before and it had ended disastrously. She would not make that mistake again.

He laughed as they reached the front of the line and he pulled out his wallet. She had opened her purse at the same time. He stopped her, smiling. “I got it,” he said.

“I can get it,” she said quietly.

He laughed. “I wasn’t trying to be rude or anything,” he assured her. “Call it old fashioned chivalry.”

She smiled. “Thanks.”

Joe handed her the two carriers of coke and grabbed the four containers of popcorn in his own hands. “Besides, I took a twenty out of Kevin’s wallet this morning,” he grinned as they made their way back past the blankets of couples.

She laughed. “So you’re a thief too?”

He smirked. “Duh.”

They handed out the stuff they had brought and took their seats. They had somehow ended up next to each other. Casey sighed as she watched her friends. She was happy for them. She just couldn’t help but feel a little awkward.

“Popcorn?” Joe asked her, breaking her from her trance. She grinned and took some.

There was a simultaneous shushing that went around the park as the lights that had been set up dimmed and the movie started. Breakfast at Tiffany’s was the movie playing tonight. Casey grinned. She loved this movie. Marisa and Zoey both looked at her and all three started laughing, simultaneously recounting the many times they had watched this together.

Everyone was quiet as the movie played but Casey was physically aware of how close Joe was to her. He was resting back on his hands and his arm was grazing her own. It sent shivers down her spine. She sighed silently. Such small contact had such an impact on her. What was wrong with her? She didn’t fall this badly for any guy. Whoa, wait. Fall for him? Casey hadn’t even thought of it as that until this very moment, until she felt his effect on her. Maybe she was falling for him. The thought made her uneasy. Casey Cartwright did not fall for any guy. She made guys fall for her. Maybe it was the fact that Joe clearly wasn’t falling for the charm. Maybe that was why it was in reverse this time.

She couldn’t concentrate on the movie after that. Music started and all around them, couples started getting up and slow dancing. Kevin smiled at Danielle and they both stood up and started dancing too. Drew and Marisa followed suit. Nick shyly asked Zoey to dance. She looked ecstatic as she stood up and fell into his arms. She awkwardly rubbed her arm.

Joe offered her his hand, smiling at her. She nodded slowly and they stood up. She nervously put one hand on his shoulder and held the other one. She tensed as he placed his hand on her waist. “It’s just dancing,” he rolled his eyes, obviously having felt her dance. “I won’t ask you to have sex with me, don’t worry.”

She rolled her eyes too. “Again with the cuteness.”

He laughed. “I am cute, aren’t I?”

“I hadn’t noticed,” she lied.

He smirked. “You don’t have to lie. I know you check me out. Stare out your window to see if I’m changing or something. I promise, I’ll change by the window next time.”

She rolled her eyes again. “Wow, talk about conceited.”

He chuckled. “I’m only kidding Casey. You need to learn how to take a joke.”

She smiled hesitantly. “I can take a joke. You’re just not funny.”

“Oh come on,” he said. “I am so funny.”

“In your head,” she countered.

He laughed. “You know, Miss Cartwright, this is nice,” he said, changing the subject.

“I’ve been known to have that effect on people,” it was her turn to smirk now.

He smiled. “And you’re calling me conceited?”

“And you say I need to learn how to take a joke,” she shot back.

He laughed. “Fine so we’re even now,” he said.

“Alright,” she grinned. “So you were saying something about how nice it is to dance with me?”

He chuckled. “I mean like being here, hanging out with you, even if it is a majorly sick love fest,” he indicated his brothers. “I haven’t really had fun just hanging out doing stuff like this in so long. I’m always usually surrounded by fans and stuff watching my every move, you know? It’s hard to just like let loose and just have fun.”

She smiled, understandingly. She didn’t know what it was like to have fans always surrounding you. But she did know what it was like to have people watching your every move.

“You probably know what it feels like,” he continued. “I mean makeascene.net. You probably have people always watching you.”

She shrugged. “It’s nothing like what you have to go through though.”

“Don’t you get tired of it though?” he asked. “I mean everything you do is on that site.”

She sighed. “It’s annoying sometimes. I feel like they expect these things from me, like causing drama or doing something fun. But some nights, I just want to crawl up on the couch and watch a movie or sit on my steps and read or something and not worry about what people are going to deduce from it.”

He nodded. “Wow, you really are hard to figure out.”

She laughed. “Thanks.”

They stopped talking then, just staring at each other. Casey tensed a bit. He was staring at her peculiarly. She found them both moving closer to each other, they eyes still lost in each other’s. Their lips were getting surprisingly closer. She could feel his breath on her face as they got closer to each other. This was it, she thought. Was he going to kiss her this time?