I'm Something Like A Player

“Happy Birthday, Missy!” Cody ran into my house, Will right behind him. I was in the middle of pouring some soda when they tackled me and sent it out of my hands and onto the floor.

“Look what you did, smart ones!” I laughed as we were sprawled on the ground. We got up and they gave me proper hugs.

“Happy birthday, Kyle” Will said, his cute grin on his face.

“I love you guys. Thanks!”

“Now go get dressed! We’re takin’ you out, bestfriend.” Cody told me. I laughed before throwing my hands up and walking upstairs to change.

“So what are we doing today?” I asked. We piled into Cody’s Navigator. The boy was a spoiled mess. Right after he passed the test his dad drove him straight to the dealership. I got my car as a gift from one of Renee’s old flings. He was a sucker. Heh, good thing or I’d be walking to school everyday.

“First things first, we are taking you shopping.”

“Oh how queer of you,” I teased and Will smacked my shoulder.

“You’re lucky I love you because I will go shopping for no other girl but you. It’s demeaning.”

“I love you, too.” I kissed his cheek and turned back around in the passenger seat.

“So where’s that boyfriend?” Cody asked me.

“Can you believe their dad had made plans for them to go to an audition but didn’t say anything until two days ago?!” I asked incredulously, “He had to go to New York. But he sent me the most lovely video on my phone this morning.” I smiled, blushing at the memory.
“God, could you be any more girly.” Will scoffed, rolling his eyes.

“Screw you!” I laughed.

“I do not think Nick would appreciate that. And I have a girlfriend you hooker.”

“Oh yeah, Sara. Well sue me for wanting to get in your pants.” It was always fun to have this playful banter with Cody and Nick. This is what my bestfriends were for. To take me places on my birthday while my boyfriend was away. And you know what? Renee wasn’t even home when I woke up. And that was really weird, and sad. She’s always there.

“How are you and Sara?” I asked Will, looking out of my open window. It’s not really that I had anything against Sara, it was that she had become Shayne’s replacement for me. Me and Shayne never patched it up, because when I was considering making amends, she runs her fucking mouth. So I washed my hands with her and kept the friends I had. But I’ll always remember the friendship I shared with Shayne. Five fucking years for it to change. That sucked, but you just have to let that go.

“Awesome.” He replied with some dopey grin. And that made me laugh because it’s probably exactly how I looked when I talked about Nick.

“Well I’m happy about that. I was positive you’d become a whore when you got drop dead sexy.”

“I was planning on it. Give each one a taste. But that has changed.” He smirked and I shook my head.

Shopping with Cody and Will has to be one of the best things in life to do. It’s super funny and always efficient. All three of us went into Victoria Secret, our last stop, and tried on the lingerie. And I swear on my life, Cody looks great in a corset get up. Wow, that had everyone in that store in tears. By the time we were done shopping at the mall and every other place we could find, it was sunset.

“I’m fucking exhausted,” I slouched down in the seat of the car. I let my eyes close and my arm support me head.

“Wasn’t that fun?” Cod rubbed my arm and I put on a sleepy smile.

“Of course. I don’t know why you guys paid for everything, we bought a lot. You didn’t have to.”

“Like hell. You’re our bestfriend, Kyle. And it’s your birthday.” Cody responded.

“And I owe you for helping me all those times.” Will put in.

“Thanks you guys, seriously. Today was great.”

“Of course. We’d do anything for you.” Cody assured me. After that I sort of drifted off, the fun of today wearing me out.

&&

“Yo, bitch get up.” I heard someone whisper. The feel of my pillow was against my face and a cover over my back.

“What?” I muttered, getting up and seeing Renee. The guys must’ve put me in my bed. Awww, what good friends!

“Happy Birthday, pretty lady.” She smiled at me and I gave a weak one in reply. “Guess what?”

“What?”

“You’re seventeen!” She exclaimed and we both laughed. “Get up, let’s get dressed.”

“And do what?” I asked, still laughing a bit.

“I dunno. Dress up just to get dressed up. Denise invited us to this formal party, which I think is really cool. You know she’s into dance and music so we might see some fames!” Renee squealed. It was funny. Renee was really into dancing, it’s what she wanted to be and the job she worked at now was just part time until she got a job in dance. And I was the one who was into singing. I wanted to pursue that, but not until I got through high school.

“Sure. Only if you do my make up.” I said, knowing she’d agree.

“Don’t have to ask me twice. We’ll make you sexay!”

&&

“It’s great you girls wanted to join me. We have to make a stop before we go, though. Just have to check up on something.” Denise said, parking out front of a building. It looked like a two level that was really spacious, even from the outside. A dance studio, I guessed.

“You can come in,” She said and all three of us got out. I held my clutch in one hand and followed her lead, but also gazing at how pretty the night was. I didn’t even know what time it was, but that didn’t matter. The stars were splayed across the midnight blue sky and looked as if they were twinkling with delight.

“I used to love coming here,” Denise told us as we walked down the dark corridor. And as soon as we came to the first corner, I found out how my birthday was gonna go. Now I’m all for surprises, but when all those people appeared I nearly screamed.

“Surprise Kylie!” They yelled with huge smiles and I started to laugh, turning to hide in Denise shoulder.

“Happy Birthday, Honey” She kissed the top of my head, hugging me. When I looked up, Nick came into view. Along with him on stage here Joe and Kevin, smiling at me, Joe’s smile especially mischievous. Nick and Kevin had guitars slung across them, their legs in a stance ready to play.

“She’s arrived.” Joe spoke first.

“And we wanna start it with a song, just for her.” Nick said looking me in the eye the whole time, and winked. I felt my cheeks heat up and my stomach churn with butterflies.

Then they started up, fast paced guitar, making it sound great.

Take my hand tonight
We can run so far
We can change the world to anything we want
We can stop for hours just staring at the stars
They shine down to show us

That...

you know when the sun forgets to shine
I'll be there to hold you through the night
And we'll be running so fast we can fly tonight
And even when we're miles and miles apart
You're still holding all of my heart
I promise it will never be dark
I know..we're inseparable

We could run forever if you wanted to
And i would not get tired
Because I'd be with you
I keep singing this song until the very end
We have done all these things

I would give it all
Never let you fall
Cause you know we're inseparable
I would give it all
Just to show you I'm in love
Cause you know we're inseparable

By the end my lip was trembling and the want to kiss Nick was immense. He gave the okay to start the party and stepped off stage, causing me to run up and wrap myself up with him.

“You lied,” I whispered before kissing him.

“Happy birthday, Kylie. I love you.” He smiled, kissing me once again before Joe ran over and yelling party, throwing water at us.

This was by far the sweetest thing I’ve ever had a guy do for me. Hell, the sweetest thing anyone’s ever done for me. A surprise party, songs written about you, Nick Jonas was amazing.

Halfway through the night, after the grinding and water throwing and playing with the DJ table, I was slow dancing with Nick.

“So, you having fun?” He asked with a smile.

“I’m with you aren’t I?” I returned his smile.

“It looks like we did a pretty good job.”

“Awe worthy. I can’t believe you all were able to hide this from me. Especially Joe!”

“That was hard, but everyone knew it was for you. You’re quite admired.” He teased, but I knew he was telling me the truth. It’s not like I’m vain, but I knew I was a good friend to a lot of people. And it made me more than happy that they would do this for me.

“Could we have you attention please!” I heard an all too familiar voice call through the microphone, interrupting the kiss Nick was giving me.

Shane stood up there, dressed in a hot pink dress and looking just as I’d expect her to be dolled up. Guess she snuck in, everyone knew she wasn’t my friend. The chatter amongst them asking ‘what the hell was she doing here’ told me that.

“We have some great things to share with you all.” Sara joined hands with her and they smiled so huge you knew it was made up. My eyebrows scrunched in confusion and my eyes searched for Will. It was his girlfriend up there, he should know what’s up. But when my eyes met his they were just as clueless. Fuck, that meant this was no good.

Then it hit me. Shayne. Shayne knew things. Things that I’ve never told anyone besides her and Cody. Things that if they got out, it would end badly. In this case, it would be Nick and I ending badly. I suddenly felt ice cold even though Nick’s hand was resting on my arm. My stomach began to go uneasy and I felt my palms start to sweat. Please no. Dear, God please let her have some sort of faithfulness to our old friendship.

“It seems our birthday girl, ain’t so perfect. In fact, she’s a dirty little liar.” Shayne smirked, scanning the faces of everyone in the crowd. I wanted to cry. To scream out and punch her so she would stop. She was trying to ruin my happiness and I didn’t know why. She was bitter and I don’t even know what I did.

“C’mon Shayne.” I barely let the words out of my mouth in a plead. Her eyes met with mine and her snide smile got bigger.

“Why so nervous, Princess?” She laughed sarcastically.

“Shayne don’t do this” I begged but that didn’t stop her. I let everyone see how vulnerable I was at the moment and she ate it up.

“What?” She laughed again, “You don’t want everyone to know that you fucked his brother? In his house own damn house?”

As if the room could have gotten any more silent, there was a gasp before the quiet was deadly. My lip trembled and the anger I was feeling caused the tears to start and blur my vision. Nick flexed his grip on my arm before letting go. I felt his hardened gaze on me but didn’t dare looking. What the hell would there be to say?

“Shayne.” Cody stepped on the stage and grabbed her arm but she shook him off.

“What? Can’t anyone be honest around here? I mean their whole relationship is a sham!” She pointed to Nick and I . I saw him out of the corner of my eye, his eyes darting from Shayne to me. “C’mon, Kylie, Tell them how Nick was just a game.”

“Shut the hell up. You don’t know what you’re talking about.” I growled through clenched teeth.

“Oh? I don’t. Well I think she does.” On cue, Kathryn Fern waltzed onto stage, looking not nearly as torn as she led on to be. The sadistic smirk on her face told it all before she got to.

“What the hell is this?” I heard Nick ask himself. He had yet to say anything to me. But by the way his hands were trembling with rage, I knew he wanted to do so much more.

“Kylie found me and begged for information on Nick. She said she’d break his heart like he did me. She made me a promise.” She said the last line as a final statement. Like In the courtroom, the final blow to put the crook in jail. But in this case, it was to put a selfless bitch like me on the spot. “Go on and tell him, Kylie. Tell him how we were friends and how we hung out. Tell him how this love thing’s a joke.”

“Is it true?” I heard him he asked me. The blurring was getting worse and I knew it was soon that I’d start to cry under all these circumstances

“Nick I-”

“I asked you is it true?” He cut me off fiercely. My eyes went to look into his and I could see the heartbreak evident. So clear to me what this was doing to him. It looked like I wasn’t the only one holding back tears.

“I’m so sorry. But I swear I love you, Nick. It’s changed for me and-“ My tears fell and I choked on my sobs.

“Save it. Since we’re all letting shit out why don’t I give a confession. It’s nice to know you were only using me because all I dated you for was a dare. If I got into your pants I was team captain. So now I guess we both win, right?” He asked bitterly, words like venom they bite into my conscience to stay forever as a haunting reminder.

He was telling me that I succeeded. I broke Nick Jonas’ heart. Nick Jonas, the player, had been broken. And all because of a girl who played the same game. Kylie Marie Brooks