One Flight Down

I woke up the next morning and pulled on my blue sweatpants and a simple t-shirt to just get myself out of the room I was in. I didn't particularly care that my hair was somewhat messed up as I pulled it back into a ponytail and stuffed a hat over it. I slipped my earbuds in and my iPod into my pocket along with some cash and took off out of the room, not even bothering to check if Bee was up yet. All I needed was just a regular order at a local place, which I remembered the Starbucks down the street. I decided I'd just head down there and check the prices. I walked into the coffee shop and also into soft, morning conversations. I kept catching bits and pieces but I wasn't really paying attention from how tired I was.

" - I can't believe he's here, I mean - " one girl said.

"You should go talk to him!" said another.

"Damyn! I can't believe you're making me do this!" a male's voice cried quietly and I barely registered as I headed towards the counter.

I walked up to see a girl about my age - looking well not the happiest person alive - as she said good morning.

Morning." I replied somewhat cheerfully as I looked back outside and wondered why she was in such a bad mood on such a sunny day. "I'll have a tall Strawberries and Creme Frappuccino with 2 percent and a couple slices of that banana chocolate chip coffee cake, please." I took out an earbud.

"Okay." she closed her eyes and somewhat shook her head as if she had a headache and went to get my order

I pulled out the cash I had stuffed in my back pocket this morning so I could get something to myself up. I sifted through the dollars and realized I was missing one. "Oh crap." I complained to myself as the girl came back to the counter holding the awaiting breakfast.

She told me the amount I needed to pay and when I double checked the cash in my hands I noticed that, of course, I had one less dollar than what was needed. I placed the bills on the counter and checked my other pockets and sighed as no overly used paper was found. I looked back up to find a dollar being tossed onto the counter by another hand that was not my own. I looked up to the face of somebody that I thought would be impossible to see this close up but I kept my mouth shut.

A soft 'thank you' escaped my pink lips and a small smiled graced his face as he nodded once.

"Hey! Look everybody! It's Nick Jonas!" a girl yelled.

"Damyn!" Nick growled.

Just as I took the first sip of my drink, I was pushed out of the way by teenage girls with pens and cameras. Why did it seem as if they magically appeared? And who knew the push was so big to see a teen rock star? Geez.. I'm probably the most oblivious person this morning.. I thought to myself.

I didn't even bother trying to grab my change as I headed out the door and turned back towards the dorm for my first Saturday on campus. Popping my other earbud in again I vaguely heard a young man's voice telling the 'lovely ladies' that he had to go. I chuckled. Too bad that I kind of wanted stuff like that to happen to me too.. Okay so not the teenage girls craze but the fact of being a super star. It sound like fun if you ask me.

I switched to an AC/DC song and started humming in between sips. Without my realizing, I had started to somewhat dance down the sidewalk, again not caring who saw me. I laughed and turned to the music and then felt myself being run into from behind and my drink splashed onto the sidewalk and my bag crinkled as it hit. My ear buds fell out and I was doubled over. I felt a small bout of anger bubble up inside of me as I turned around about ready to ask what this guy's problem was.

"Oh gosh! I am so sorry! Holy crap I can't believe I actually ran into somebody! I'm so sorry!" His words were but a flurry of an even bigger apology. He picked up what was left of my drink in the cup and my bag.

"Dude, why did you run into me? What on earth possessed and what the heck are you running from?" I looked down and grabbed the wires as he looked up and I saw his deep mocha eyes.

"Girls." he smiled sheepishly and handed the cup to me.

I took one look at it and then to the ground where the most of it lay. "Gee, thanks." I rolled my eyes and tossed it into the nearest trashcan. I heard a stampede of feet slapping concrete and looked back behind me to where the noise was coming from. I suspected the girls he just mentioned.

"You want some help?" I asked.

He looked around somewhat frightened. "I could use it.."

I took off my baseball cap and handed it to him. He looked a little repulsed by it as he held it between his pointer and thumb. "What?" I asked confused and dejected.

He cringed. "It's Red Sox."

"So? Do you want help or not?" I crossed my arms.

Nick slipped on the cap and it hid most of his brown curls. I heard the girls round the corner so I turned him about. "Just keep walking. They more than likely won't notice you if you do that." I grabbed his elbow to lead him along the street. The girls slowed down and looked in all directions, confused. I chuckled thinking how very blonde they were...even though most were brunettes.

Nick and I crossed the intersection and headed back towards my dorm. We looked back as the girls gave up and headed back to Starbucks. Or at least that's what we guessed. He pulled off the hat. "Hey, thank you." he took another look at the hat before giving it back to me with a smirk.

"What?" I took the hat back although somewhat offended.

He stared at it and then looked at me. "I cannot believe I wore that.. thing."

"Well," I took on my motherly tone which I received from my mother. "That thing as you so choose to call it, saved you from fan girl rape, Nicholas." I put my hands on my hips.

He looked taken aback. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry..?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Nevermind.." I replied and slapped the cap back on my own head. "Anyway, thank you again for giving me the extra money to pay for my breakfast," I lowered my voice. "Even though I didn't get to enjoy my drink.. And you're welcome for saving your butt." I smirked.

The rock star nodded his head. "So, I guess I'll see you around..?" He held out his hand like most do when asking for a name.

"Jess, Jess Walker."

"Nice to meet you, Jess." he smiled some. "Well, I'll be seeing you."

I gave him a slight wave as he walked down the cement. I shook my head and turned back towards the walkway that led to the front door of my dorm. As soon as I stepped foot in the room, Bee stood in the small kitchen area pouring herself a glass of milk. "Hey there." she smiled at me.

"Hey, Bee." I couldn't help but smile back. "You'll never guess who I just had the pleasure - or rather not so pleasurable considering he spilled my drink - of meeting." I placed my bag on the table.

"Who?" she asked politely as she silently offered me a glass by tipping one towards me.

I nodded my head. "Nick Jonas."

"You're kidding!" she almost moved the spout of the milk bottle too far that it was going to miss the rim.

And since I wasn't expecting that kind of reaction I jumped a little bit but then laughed. "Yeah."

"And you were totally cool about this?" She placed the milk back in the fridge and handed a glass to me.

I took a sip. "Yeah, I mean.. okay maybe I was freaking out a tiny bit," I held my index and thumb about a half an inch apart. "But it's not like I'm ever going to see him again, so why give him the memory of me freaking out." I shrugged.

"Good for you." Bee laughed and took a sip out of her glass. "So what's on the agenda today?"

I looked off into the middle distance thinking of what might be fun. "I don't know.. maybe you could show me around 'The Windy City' later today." I smiled.

"That would be great! You'll love it!" She grinned at me.

I nodded. "Oh I'm sure, but for now, do you want some banana chocolate chip coffee cake? Man, that's a mouthful." I chuckled.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Later that morning I decided to open up the window to get some fresh air flowing through the room while Bee was away running errands. I smelled a mix of fresh cut grass, gasoline, and I thought it was the same stench of cigarette. I heard honking of horns and then I heard what sounded like an aluminum bat hitting a baseball. I looked down to see a couple of guys doing exactly that in the small patch of field below the window.

The guy that was pitching was amazing to say the least. He had a full technique down and everything. Incredible.

"Go my Curt Shilling, go!" I yelled followed by a bubbly laugh out the window.

The guy looked up at me and soon was hit in the arm by the baseball coming back towards him. "Ow!" he glared at his friend.

"Curt Shilling? Good gosh don't tell me that you're a Sox fan!" The guy cried.

"Um, yeah!" I replied.

He shook his head and looked back up at me. "The Yankees are better and have always been!" He laughed.

I only realized by the laugh now that I was paying attention that it was the young man from earlier. "Nick! Is that you?"

"Jess?"

"Uh huh, what are you doing here?" I asked somewhat taken aback.

He cocked his head to the side. "I'm going to school here."

My eyes widened. "Oh. Crap." I said to myself. "Uh.. bye!" I leaned back in and shut the window as if nothing had ever happened though my face could say way more than that. "You've got to be kidding me..." I shook my head and looked back through the window to see Nick still down there.

"Well then, ain't this going to be interesting.."