Was I The Only One?

Joe wanted to hurry home so that we could speak to my mom about my moving out but the more important factor being that I would be moving in with him. I didn’t know how I would feel about living with Joe. Sure we were best friends first and foremost but we do bicker quite a bit and I was worried that the arguing would only get worse if I moved in with him. He seemed so excited at the prospect of me living with him, he lived alone so not only would it be that fact that it was me moving in but that he would have a person to share his home with. Joe always liked to be around other people which was why I was surprised to find out he had moved into a home alone.

I was also worried about my mom. Part of me hoped that Denise would offer my mom the chance to live with them. She hadn’t lived alone since before she met my dad and I was anxious about how she would cope without someone with her. I kept her busy when she finished work and work kept her busy when I was there. With all that free time with her own thoughts only God knows what things she could conjure up. My mom never did get over the death of my dad, she hasn’t been the same since.

Part of me was afraid to tell Joe this though, I didn’t want him thinking I was creating excuses not to live with him. I did want to but part of me thought that it was all a bit too soon.

“Look.” I said, tapping him on the shoulder. He turned slightly and looked to where I was pointing, “Are they allowed inside the mall?” I asked him in regards to the paparazzi that were outside of the Starbucks in which we stood.

Joe just shrugged and placed his hand on the small of my back, I let him guide me so that I was in front of him and out of view of the paparazzi. I stood looking at all the delicious muffins, cakes, pastries and other sugary delights that were behind the glass. My mouth watered.

“You want something to eat?” Joe asked, noticing my eyes attached to the food. I nodded and he chuckled. I stepped forward as we reached the till to let Joe order. “Hey.”

“Hello, what can I get you?” A bright blonde haired girl asked, flashing her pearly whites in a teasing style at my boyfriend.

Joe glanced up at the menu behind her, “A grande caramel frappachino for me please.” He told her.

“And for your friend?” She dropped her smile as she looked to me.

I clenched my fists and gave her a patronising smile. “Girlfriend.” I corrected. “A grande strawberry frappachino.” She looked at me blankly then scribbled it on the plastic cup then took the money from Joe. “What was that look for?”

She blushed, “I just... I thought you were a model. They’re filled with dairy.”

“I think I know how to keep my body right, thank you.” I snapped, lacing my fingers with Joe’s and pulling him towards the end of the counter to collect our drinks. “What a bitch.” I mumbled.

Joe brought his lips to my ear and whispered, “I’d give you a kiss but I don’t want those paps to get their money shot. But you have a better body that her anyway, you should be giving her tips.”

Instead of smiling at the compliment, I snapped at it. “You shouldn’t have been looking at her body anyway.”

He stared at me, shocked that I had caught him out. I turned from him and looked to the man who was making out drinks. “One caramel frap and one strawberry.” He shouted sliding them onto the top with two straws.

I grabbed my drink and took my straw from its packet. I then proceeded to blow the packet off the end of the straw directly at Joe’s face with a childish chuckle. Joe just rolled his eyes at me as I stuck my straw through the layer of whipped cream and into the delicious strawberry drink. I handed Joe my drink to adjust my shopping bags into one hand then I took it from him.

“Thanks.” I smiled cheekily.

I flashed a smile and waved to the cameras that were across the other side of the mall, getting annoyed at people who walked in front of their shot. Joe followed behind me but sped up his pace until he was next to me.

“I have a proposition for you.” Joe said, sipping on his drink.

“Shoot.”

He cleared his throat, “Let’s go bowling with Nick and Emma tonight.”

I cringed, “Like a double date?” I said monotonously, curling up my nose. “Party.” I sarcastically commented.

“Come on, give it a chance?” Joe pleaded with me. I chose to ignore him until we were inside of the car.

I decided that I wanted to drive so I didn’t hand him my keys, he understood and headed to the passenger’s side once we’d placed all of our shopping bags into the boot of the car. Joe shut the boot door for me then grabbed onto my wrist.

“Joe, I don’t want to see her.” I whined, stamping my foot.

He burst out into laughter, “Oh no, as if you just stamped your foot.” I glared at him until he started to cover his laughter with a cough and sniffed upwards. “I know you want to see her.” I stayed silent but folded my arms over my chest. “I can tell you miss her, whenever you say stupid immature things that only she would find funny. Or say random things that only she would understand... I see the disappointment on your face.”

I looked down to my feet, I didn’t know that he noticed that much about me. “Fine!” I exclaimed.

Joe grinned sweetly at me, taking my face into his hands. I smiled back as he leaned in closer resting his nose against mine. My stomach went all tingly, I could feel my palms sweating as the feeling of his breath hit my skin. I felt him dip his chin to press his lips to mine, instead I retreated a bit with a cheeky smile. He moaned in annoyance, I felt him grasp my chin so that I couldn’t pull away. His lips were then pushed firmly against mine, smashing the two together in a passionate kiss. My heart beat rapidly against my rib cage, Joe didn’t help the situation when he moved closer and placed a hand on my back pressing our bodies together.

I pulled away from him and looked at his sculpted face, he looked so cute and childlike with his glasses on. “You’re so precious.” He told me.

“Are you only giving me compliments because I agreed to your little reunion?” I questioned, raising my eye brow at him.

Joe just winked at me and kissed my cheek. “No. You are precious.”

“Yeah yeah.” I muttered walking away from him towards my car door.

I was nervous. I spent a while trying to find a cute outfit but soon gave up and went with a dark grey Beatles band shirt and a pair of navy denim shorts with some white plimsolls on my feet. I curled my hair and tied it back into a messy bun then did my make up with a minimal essence; just foundation, mascara and a line of liquid eye liner on my top lid, no different than how I would usually do.

I had spoken to my mom. She agreed to let me move out, but instead of beginning to pack my stuff away I decided to wait a bit and let her get her head around the idea of me not living with her anymore. I was scared and a bit trivial about my decision. So before I moved any of my things from my house to Joe’s I was going to spend a few days living with him. But the main problem was that in two days I would be flying to New York for four days and Joe would be working long hours on JONAS.

But, I pushed my thoughts of worry to one side only to have them replaced with my angst for tonight and how it was going to go.

Joe picked me up in his obnoxious Mercedes. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a nice car, but Mr ‘friends for change’ wasn’t doing much for the environment. Either way, he loves his car and never fails to let me know that whenever I comment on it.

While Joe drove I continued to converse via email with Carl about my New York schedule. I was over there for four days so I made sure he spread out everything so that I wasn’t rushing around New York trying to get to fittings or bookings on time. There was nothing worse than being a model and being late; clients hated detested bad punctuality and with traffic it was too risky to be doing too much. I had shoots for BCBG, Seventeen Magazine as well as an editorial for Vogue. Vogue was the one I was actually shitting my pants for.

“Julia.” Joe said loudly making my heart skip a beat. “Can’t you put down that blackberry for tonight? Please.”

I groaned unhappily. I had a lot to organise over these two days. I didn’t have someone to do it all for me and hand it do me on a silver platter; I actually had to plan it all out with my management. But I brushed off his comment and turned off my blackberry, shoved it back into my pocket and then gave him an obviously forced smile.

I battered his hand away when he went to pinch my cheeks. “Oh, stop being such a downer.”

“I’m not being a downer, you’re being annoying!” I told him moodily. I stared out of the windscreen watching the paparazzi suddenly come to life like a sleeping dragon when one of them saw our car come into view. Big Rob was ready and waiting at the door with Jeff to keep everything under control; I was shocked at how many fans were there. Word must have gotten out somehow, I guessed it would’ve been word of mouth; no one was stupid enough to tell everyone where we would be going.

“I’m going to stop and see the fans.” Joe told me as he tapped his fingers against the steering wheel. “Are you just going to go straight in?”

“No. How awkward would that be?” I tutted, rolling my eyes at him. He seriously thought I was going to stand with ‘Nemma’ while he greeted his fans? “I’ll just talk to Big Rob or Jeff.”

“Alright then.” He mumbled pulling into a parking space outside of the bowling alley.

The flashes were blinding as they came hard and fast through the windows around us. I waited in the jeep as Joe hopped out of his side and jogged around the front of the car to open my door for me. I gave him my usual thank you smile and took his hand to balance me while I jumped out of his large car. He gave my hand a squeeze before let it go to speak to his fans while I walked over to Jeff.

“Jeff, my eyes hurt can I stand behind you?” He didn’t even think about it but let me shield myself from the flashes behind him.

I listened to the paparazzi shout at Jeff for blocking their shots and the fans shout at the paparazzi for shouting at Jeff. It was all very obnoxious. I tried to ignore the fans that were shouting me from all angles, I didn’t want to be blinded by the shouting photographers who were beginning to irritate not only the fans but me.

“Joe! Is Julia jealous of all these girls?” I heard one man yell in a forgien accent. I rolled my eyes, tapping my foot against the floor as I continued to wait. “Joe! I haven’t shot you.”

“Julia, what you hiding your pretty face for!”

“Yeah come on out!”

“We don’t bite.”

I was nearly sick in my mouth. Each second I waited the more impatient I got with the shouting paparazzi.

“Is it true you two are engaged?”

“Julia, how’s the modelling going!”

“You look beautiful tonight! Come and say hi!”

Just as I was about to go and give them a piece of my mind Jeff stepped to the side and I felt Joe’s hand slip into mine and then his other hand on my side. Jeff started to walk immediately so I followed with a good pace, Big Rob was behind us and with the fans on either side it created a barrier blocking the paps from getting any good shot of the two of us but even still the flashes went off so quickly. I smirked happily as we got inside the practically empty bowling alley.

As soon as I saw the bowling shoes it dawned on me. “Joe! I have no socks on.”

He laughed menacingly at me. “Sucks to be you.” He sang and patted my head.

“Have you brought your bowling shoes?” I asked him trying to keep my voice hushed.

“Yes.” He answered tentative of why I was asking.

I grinned, “Great.” I paused for a moment as he looked at me expectantly. “Hey Joe, can I borrow your socks?”

“What?” He exclaimed, “No! They’re mine.”

“Joe! I’m not putting my bare feet in some skanky bowling shoes! I could get badger STDs or something! We live in L.A.” I snapped, “Please?” I begged him.

He yet out an annoyed, “Urgh.” and then stormed away towards our alley.

Big Rob had alerted me, as I began to wander towards the counter to retrieve some shoes, that he had already gotten me a pair of shoes and they were at the alley waiting for me. I thanked him and gave him a hug then ran to catch up with Joe.

When I reached him I slipped my hand into his and relished in the warm feeling it gave me, masking over my thoughts of what was yet to come.