Never Again

I sat there, looking dazed and on the verge of fainting. Before I could speak, before I could answer, Joe leaned forward, catching my right hand in hs left. His bedraggled hair, mussed and curled, shielded his eyes away from me. His lips, those that I'd kissed all those months ago, were set in a straight line. His awkward smile had gone, leaving a frown in its place. I choked.

"What?"

Across the room, my mother sighed. This was obviously not the reaction she'd been hoping for. My Dad didn't say anything but watched the two of us with a stare that didn't waver.

Joe swallowed (though it sounded rather like a gulp) and said, "I'm asking you to marry me, Rose." He scratched his neck. "I didn't think it was rocket science or anything..."

"What about Taylor?" I asked him quickly.

"It was all publicity. You saw the way she acted around you," Joe smiled slightly, "she's one of my best friends. Disney and the company wanted us to spark some 'good' media attention. She decided to be the 'valley girl' in order to show you that... well, maybe that you were the one for me. Taylor's amazing. She's nothing like what you must've thought.

"And everyone knew about this? Kevin? Nick?"

"Nick's a blabbermouth. He knew as much as he could keep quiet."

I shook my head and felt it swimming. "Joe... everything that's happened to us recently," he looked over at me, a curious expression cast on his face. "Has been up on lies. That's not healthy-"

"Who's to say it isn't?"

"-and I don't know if we can be together knowing that everything is lies. And Taylor? You roped the girl into playing this? Joe-"

Joe stood up, dropping my hand so it fell in my lap. He moved in front of me, kneeling and said, "Rose Fletcher I've been in love with you ever since you told me that you hated grape juiceboxes," he held up a hand to stop my interjection, "no, let me finish. You've always been my best friend. Through everything. And when I left at first... I never forgot about you, no matter how I tried." As he was saying this, I was acutely aware of my parents leaving the room, giving us some privacy. "Do you have any idea of the amount of times I had this mad urge to call you and tell you everything that was going on? The first record I was so pumped I wanted to call you and get you a flight over so we could hang out. But I couldn't.

"And everytime we won an award or I met a fan and she told me she liked my hair or that I was funny I wanted them to talk to you cause you know that I'm like the least funniest guy in the world unless I'm tripping over something. When I fell at those awards? I wanted you to tell me how much of a dork I was and that national television knew of my dorky ways. I wanted you on tour because going to all these places and all these countries meant nothing unless I could share it with you.

"I want to share everything with you, Rose. And I know that we're young and hell, I'm stil foolish but I need you. And I think... that maybe, somewhere deep down... you know you need me too."

It's amazing how, when you need your voice, it fails you. I wanted nothing more than to reply - to give him the answer I was sure of, but my throat failed me. Instead, I closed my eyes and looked up towards the ceiling. And slowly, ever so slowly, I began to shake my head, clear my thoughts and try and regain my voice.

Joe was quiet. "It's okay... I guess that maybe I was-"

My eyes shot open. "No," I smiled lightly, "I'm shaking my head because it's amazing how, after all this time, you still know me like the back of your hand."

He looked over at me and gently took my hands in his. "So that's a yes?"

"Oui."

He deadpanned, "You know I suck at French."

"Yeah, but that word's pretty easy to translate, right?"

And, without warning, Joe wrapped me in his arms. "I've missed you," I mumbled, the words getting lost as he buried my face beneath his.

"I know the feeling."