Please Be Mine

I got up a little late the next morning and noticed three new messages on my hiptop. Two were from Joe, and one from Nick.

Joe had sent, "We're up early, I'm so tired, heeeelp meeeee!" at 7am. Then he sent: "Which is your favourite game on Tony Hawk? I wanna practice so I can beat you XD" at 9am.

Nick sent: "You know how last night we were talking about songs? I was playing Time For Me To Fly today because you reminded me of it."

The texts made me smile wide as I pad out to the kitchen to make breakfast. I texted Joe back saying my favorite game is Graffiti, and text Nick back saying he HAS to play it for me.

I finished making toast and sat down at the table, contemplating on how to break the news to my mother. Times up... she walked in the room and I sat up straight.

"Mom?" I ask tentatively, hoping she's in a good mood.

"Yes Mackenzie?" She says coldly, continuing to make herself coffee.

"Umm last night I got fired from my job." I say in a quick torrent of words.

"What?" She snaps, turning to face me.

"My boss is really mean and she just fired me on the spot." I cower at her fiery glare.

"Then it's summer camp." She says, crossing her arms.

"But.. No.."I stutter, floundering for some kind of counter.

"Yes. That was the deal. Job or Camp. I'm not having you wandering around home doing nothing." I'm speechless from indignation. "I'll book a spot for you today." She says finally, strutting out of the room.

Camp... I knew the kinds of camps she sent me to. They were girls only camps that taught etiquette and finishing. The very last night would be a cotillion ball. I had gone to one every year since I was 5, and I hated it. Finally this year I was old enough to get a job, well, old enough in my mother's eyes. I'm 18, apparently that's the appropriate age to find work. Apparently it's inappropriate for a 17 year old to earn more than 5 dollars pocket money. Those camps were nightmares, and I blew my one escape this summer. Fantastic.

I tried to push this new predicament out of my brain as I showered and dressed. I pulled on dark blue track pants and a purple t-shirt, I would change into my concert outfit later tonight.

My phone buzzed again with another text. "You should see Joe and Nick, Nick is practicing Time For Me To Fly like it's the most important song ever, and Joe is furiously playing Graffiti against Frankie. I think they want to impress you. We're all looking forward to seeing you again. Can you come down early?" Kevin writes.

I grin at the thought of the boys. "Yeah I can, I don't really have a way of getting down there though." I text back, still grumbling about what Mom had said.

"I'll pick you up. :D" He texts back, I smile.

"Sure, give me an hour to change." I text back, and hurry to get ready.

"Cya soon!" He texts.

After about 45 minutes I'm ready and waiting in the living room. Kevin's Jeep pulls up early, and I race out to meet him. Apparently Joe and Nick had won the fight today, Joe was sitting in the front and Nick in the back. Both boys got out to hug me and grin.

"Hey Kenzie!!" They chorus, and Joe helps me into the front.

"Hey!" I say back, and Kevin hugs me across the console again.

We got to their hotel and they took me up to their room, which happens to be the penthouse. Mr. and Mrs. Jonas are reading a newspaper, and Frankie is playing Tony Hawk furiously.

"Hey Mom, Dad." Nick says, guiding me forward with his hand on my back. "This is Mackenzie." They both look up and smile at me.

"It's nice to meet the both of you. You've raised some very polite and well mannered boys." My reluctant years of etiquette training kick in for a moment as I hold out my hand. They look slightly shocked by my properness but soon respond. Mr Jonas shakes my hand.

"It's our pleasure Mackenzie." Mrs Jonas smiles warmly, shaking my hand too. "How did you meet the boys?" She asks politely.

Joe pipes up immediately, "We were checking out a music store and she was dancing to SOS, then she crashed into me." He grins and I smack him on the arm.

"And then I got fired." I add, feeling myself blush again.

"So we took her out to dinner to compensate." Nicks adds now. By this time Frankie had sidled over to his brothers.

"Who's that?" He asks bluntly, walking up to me boldly. I lean down to his level.

"Mackenzie." I hold out my hand, and he grabs it and shakes it hard.

"Franklin." He says seriously. "But you can call me Frankie." He adds, grinning.

"Cool. And you can call me Kenzie or Mack." I reply, grinning back.

Joe then pulls me over to the playstation, and I win the first few games. Mistake. He made me play until he won, and when he did he accused me of cheating and challenged me again.

"Please! No more!" I say laughing, he and Frankie had begun taking turns playing me on Tony Hawk.

"Hmph. Okay." Joe says, crossing his arms and playing mad.

"Thank you for understanding." I say seriously, resting my hand on his arm. He winks and announces he'll be at the gym for a while and Frankie goes with him. I walk over to where Nick and Kevin are jamming.

"OK. Time for you to fly Nick." I demand, sitting down in front of him. He smiles cutely and Kevin plays along with him and does the back up vocals. By the end I'm singing along too. "See? I love that song."

Kevin nods too. "It is very cute Nicholas." He ruffles his brother's hair. Nick glares at him.

I watch them jam for a little while, and Kevin finds a tambourine for me to help with. We hd lunch, and at around 2pm Mr. Jonas geot a phone call. He talked sympathetically on the phone and then walked over to us with a grave look on his face. Joe had come back for lunch and was jamming with us too.

"Guys, Bill our sound guy had an accident, and he's in the hospital now. He won't be able to come tonight."

The boys' mouths drop and Kevin asks "What happened to him?"

His father replies,"He was mowing the lawn, he lost control of the mower and crashed into a tree. He fell off and his arm is in pretty bad shape. I tried to find a replacement but no one is available." Shock reverberates through the room.

"Without the sound guy we can't play." Nick says, squinting at the ground in frustration.

"Ummm Mr. Jonas?" I ask meekly.

"Yes Mackenzie?"

"Well, what kind of sound board is it? Because when we did cotillions I would sneak off to help the sound guy, because I hate dancing like that. Way too proper. I ended up doing the sound for the last two." Mr. Jonas raises an eyebrow, intriegued.

"Ok guys, let's go down to the Hall."