A Friend Like Me

Mr. Writer, why don't you tell it like it is?
Why don't you tell it like it really is?
Mr. Writer - Stereophonics

“Last day in London,” Joe said with a sigh. “You like the presents I gave you on your birthday two weeks ago?”

“Actually, that perfume you gave me was really weird,” I said.

Joe opened his mouth to say something back to me, but his eyes widened as he saw the paparazzi lurking at the other end of the street. “Shit,” he muttered and, taking my arm, he steered us around.

It was too late, though.

“Hey, Joe!” one of them yelled and they stampeded toward us.

I stood there rooted at the ground.

Because, I mean, there's people stampeding towards us. With cameras.

“Don't look now,” Joe warned, “but see that girl at the head – I said don't look! That's Katelyn Sage. Ignore her. Don't say anything to her, or she'll ruin you. A couple of weeks ago, she provoked Danielle and then she released an article about her saying how Danielle's this gold digger. She's a really good writer, too, and tons of people believe her. Like, she has a lot of credits or credentials or whatever it is. Danielle got so much hate mail that she was upset for the longest time ever and she refused to come outside of her house…that's why we haven't really seen her lately (well, that and we're in Europe). She's written an article about me too and it was that one article you saw, the one that said I was nothing more than a 'sobbing, blubbering, depressed man.' –”

“Hello Joseph,” said a sickeningly sweet and unctuous voice behind us. “Is this your new girl? How long do you think you both will last?” She walked in front of us, blocking us. She had brown hair, pulled up into a bun, and a large crocodile-skin handbag dangling on her shoulder. The photographers stood at a distance, except for one, which I took to be her photographer. “Not a very pretty girl, is she? Don't you think that's a bit of a downgrade?” Her eyes flickered over at me. “I'd be careful if I were you…you wouldn't last long, especially since he's got Demi Lovato on the side.”

Joe's grip on my arm tightened so much it was painful. I shook him off and tried my hardest not to take that crocodile-skin bag and strangle Katelyn with it.

What's she even talking about open relationships for, anyway?

Also, if she's so “credible,” then how come she doesn't know about me?

“Did you see the way we were the first to report that you and Camilla broke up?” Katelyn continued. “Brilliant, by the way, the way you sobbed during a concert. But if you ask me, you deserved that breakup.”

Hurt flashed briefly in Joe's eyes and a wave of anger rushed through me. Taking my arm again, he stepped around Katelyn and strode away from her.

But sensing that she finally got through to him, Katelyn followed us, walking alongside Joe. She pulled out a notepad and a pen. “I have my sources, you know. And they say that you were the one that hung up on Taylor…and according to them, the things you said to her were pretty horrible. I should tell my readers that, shouldn't I?”

“That was last year,” Joe finally said, dropping my arm. “That's in the past.”

“But my readers have a right to know the truth…including the one with Camilla Belle. 'Infamous serial heartbreaker, Joe Jonas…' Snappy start to a sentence, right? Now all we need is a story to back it up. How about giving us a word or two on your side of the story?”

Joe stared ahead, going back to ignoring her.

“What were your thoughts upon hearing Camilla's moved on?” Katelyn prattled on. “How was your relationship? I've heard that you thought she was the one. Really, though, you deserved it after that cruel way you broke up with Taylor. 'Joe's eyes glaze over with tears as I mention Camilla Belle's name…' Ooh, now I really can't wait until I get to publish this. Don't worry though, it'll probably take only a week at most.”

Then, something inside of me snapped and I forgot Joe's warning.

“You vile – you horrible devil,” I said through gritted teeth before I could stop myself as I stepped in front of her to block her, “you don't care, do you? Anything for a story, even if it ruins someone. You don't care. Anything and would do, wouldn't it? Danielle…Joe…Danielle's one of the sweetest people I know. And Joe's – Joe's the most amazing person I've met.”

“Step aside, you silly little girl,” Katelyn Sage said coldly. “You don't know what you're talking about. I know things about Joe Jonas that even you, his best friend, don't know that would make your hair curl…not that it needs it,” she added, eyeing my hair. “For example, did you know that Joe here's slept with Camilla Belle?”

Joe blanched, his fist tightening at his side.

“I've found out only a week ago,” she continued icily. “You've done a pretty good job hiding it, but I've my sources and my proof. What will your family say, Joe? What will your fans say?”

“Shut up,” I snapped. “You don't know what you're talking about. You don't know Joe. I do and I know he takes his promise seriously.”

Katelyn's hardened eyes drifted slowly from me to Joe. “Are you sure about that? I wouldn't mess with me, if I were you two…I could let your little secret slip one day, Joe.”

“Ava, let's go,” Joe said softly, taking my arm. He lead me away from Katelyn and before I lost sight of her, I glanced back at her. She was scribbling furiously on her notepad, a look of satisfaction and irritation on her face.

“Can you believe her?” I exploded. “God! And saying that you slept with Camilla. I mean, you'd tell me if you did, wouldn't you?”

“She'll be after you next, Av,” Joe said in a low and worried voice.

“I don't care,” I said savagely. “Silly little girl, am I? First you, then Danielle…I'll show her.”

Joe swallowed and turned me to face him, his hands on my shoulders. “Ava, I'm serious. She'll dig up something on you –”

“Let her. She can't dig something up on me – I don't have anything to hide. She can't scare me into hiding!”

I stomped into the hotel lobby, jabbing the elevator button.

“You'll see,” I said. “She won't be able to do anything to me.”

{∞∞∞}

Joe slammed the door, worry and anger etched all over his face. He threw down a magazine entitled Weekly Times onto the bed.

We were all back in New York, having just finished the tour.

“Read it,” he said, shaking with anger. “There's something in there that might interest you.”

Startled, I rifled through the pages. Finally, I came across an article with a color picture of Joe and I entitled:

Joe Jonas' Secret Heartbreak
by Katelyn Sage

Although he's currently on a European tour, has sold out tours, and has sold millions of albums, Joe Jonas has something in common with us. His heart's been broken numerous times. When we caught up with him in London, his eyes water when we mention previous girlfriend, Camilla Belle.

But being a hopeless romantic, Jonas thought he has finally found love and solace in steady girlfriend, Ava Summers, who has been Jonas' best friend for seventeen years. After ending his “no commitment relationship” with Demi Lovato, Joe thought that, being his best friend, Ava would be the one for him.

Miss Summers, a plain but ambitious girl, however, seems to have an unquenchable taste for famous musicians and doesn't seem to be content with the Jonas Brother. Ever since meeting James Brown, famous Grammy-winner, Summers has been playing with both boys' affections. Brown, who has been open with his affections (unlike Jonas) had asked Summers to meet his family when the Jonas Brothers arrived in London for the European leg of their world tour, and asked her to meet him there (Miss Summers is going along with the tour to help with Jonas' show Living the Dream) so he could tour her around. He also insists, “I have never felt this way about any other girl.”

Miss Summers, with her grey eyes and long, curly, light brown hair, might be the description of 'stunningly pretty' for the unfortunate boys. But some who know her say it's not Miss Summers' “natural charms” that have sparked these hapless boys' interests.

“She's really ugly,” a former classmate says. “But she's quite brainy and handy with the arts. It would be a safe bet that she's been putting on loads of makeup. Either that or she went through plastic surgery last time I've seen her. She was also snobby after the Jonas Brothers became famous. She wouldn't tell anyone how they were doing.”

Even when I approached her, she viciously snapped, “You vile, horrible devil…you don't know Joe, I do.”

The last time Joe Jonas has had his heart broken, he sobbed at a concert. All we can do now is hope that he's not badly hurt this time. All we can do is hope that he'll set his sights on a worthier girl next time.

“I told you,” Joe said as I stared down at the article, in shock. “I told you not to mess with her! God, Av, I'm worried about you now. Look, she's made you sound like a complete – a complete – something you're not.”

I rolled my eyes and shut the magazine. “Is that the best she can do?”

“Ava, I'm serious,” Joe said, taking my hand in his and helping me off the bed. “This is exactly what I've been trying to avoid for you for all these years.”

“Where are we going?” I asked as Joe lead me out of the room.

“I'm showing Dad the article.”

“Joe, honestly, it doesn't sound that bad.”

Joe turned around, looking at me. “Av, believe me, it is that bad. Danielle received a ton of hate mail and death threats from one of her articles.”

Joe barged into Mr. and Mrs. Jonas and Frankie's hotel room, me in tow.

“Dad, look at this,” Joe said, practically shaking with anger. “Katelyn Sage wrote about Ava.”

Mr. Jonas looked up from the laptop, taking the magazine from Joe. His eyes scanned the article, his mouth thinning with each line he read.

“But what I don't get is,” I said, frowning as I thought about the article, sitting down on the couch, “how she knows that James told me he'd tour me around London when we visit – he'll be in London at the same time as us, you know.”

“What?” Joe asked immediately, his attention snapping to me.

I blushed. “He asked me when we went on a date in Milan. It was during dinner and he just asked me if I wanted to –”

“Well, what did you say?” Joe asked, looking at me with rapt attention.

“And how does she know that he said he's never felt this way about anyone?” I went on, going even redder. “He told me that in our date at Milan, too. But how does she know? Unless she was there…I haven't met her before and she might've been there. But maybe she wasn't. Maybe she just has this multitude of spies.…”

“What did you say?!”

“Huh? Oh, well, I told him that I could meet him, I guess.”

“Ava? Joe?” Mr. Jonas said. “When did you two run into Katelyn Sage?”

“We were going around London,” Joe explained, “and we just walking around, after going to that one train station – by the way, Dad, did you know that that Platform Nine and Three-Quarters from Harry Potter actually exists? – oh, sorry, okay, getting back on topic – and then there were some paparazzi there and she just sort of ambushed us.”

I heard the door open and close and Mrs. Jonas called out, “What happened?”

“Yeah,” Kevin said. “The fans outside just told us that we should, like, stay away from Ava.”

“Oh God,” I groaned, burying my face in my hands as Joe sat next to me, putting his arm around me.

“Katelyn Sage wrote about her,” said Joe, rubbing my back.

“She what?!” Mrs. Jonas said. We handed her the article and she sat down at the couch too, while Kevin read the article over her shoulder.

“It's all online, too – Perez Hitlon, OceanUp, TMZ, Just Jared…just to name a few,” Mr. Jonas said.

Oh. Great. Because, you know, this is just what I wanted.

Not.

I lifted my head up. “Are you serious?”

“I'm looking at the comments,” Mr. Jonas said, “and I'm thinking you're going to need a bodyguard.”

I stood up and looked at the comments, which were practically burning their way out of the screen and into my eyes – they were that harsh (although some were actually nice).

“OMG poor Joe! She deserves to die!”

“ugh, gtfo, slut”

“Are you kidding me? Ava? Joe and her aren't dating, they're like siblings! She's been his best friend for SEVENTEEN YEARS, she's not gonna turn back on him all of the sudden.”

“Ew, I hate her. Soooo ugly.”

“I have a friend who said that she saw Ava last night totally drunk and making out with everyone.”

“What an attention whore.”

“Joe's sooooooooo hot! He deserves better.”

“OMG if I EVER run into her, I'm going to kill her. Or slap her.”

“Ahahahahahahahahaha! Stunningly pretty?! HER?”

“EWWWWW… COME ON JOE!!!!”

“LMAO, Joe, I'm better than her.”

“Wow joe wow verryyyyy pretty omg I wish I was like her!! (jk)”

“HAHA SHE IS SO UGLY I DON'T THINK JOE WOULD FIND THIS PRETTY AT ALL”

“omg! she's………………uh………………joe, r u ok?”

“EVERYONE FOLLOW @IHATEAVASUMMERS!”

“Ugh. She's worse than Camilla.”

“She's worse than Taylor AND Camilla put together.”

“I met Ava once! She was sooo nice! Her and Joe aren't dating, she told me so. She even choked on her coffee when I asked her if they were, lol! She's not that ugly, too, she was pretty when I saw her.”

By the time I read a whole page, I decided I was done.

I mean, someone made a Twitter account to proclaim their hatred of me!

“Do they actually think that about me?!” I cried, sinking down onto the couch. “I mean, I don't think I'm any of those things. I'm not a – a slut. James is my first boyfriend! I've never even slept with anyone! I've only kissed two guys in my whole life!” I was starting to become hysterical. “I made my family and Joe start recycling! And I'm part of a lot of charities! I care about the third-world countries and –”

“Av, trust me, we know,” Joe said. “And…the people that believe that don't matter, because they if they do…well, they obviously don't know you.”

I took three deep, calming breaths. “Okay, okay. No, I don't think I'll need a bodyguard or whatever. I'll be fine.”

“But if something happens…”

“Someone tried to punch Danielle when a Katelyn Sage article went out about her,” Kevin said.

Um. Not really helping, Kevin.

“Okay,” I said. “If someone tries to hurt me or whatever, okay, I will. But as of the current moment, I can't because…because I think this is just what Katelyn wants.” I looked at Joe. “I told you, she can't scare me into hiding.”

Joe sighed. “Okay. Alright. But Av…just for the record, you're not ugly.”

And the sad thing is, that comment made me so happy that for a moment, I forgot all about Katelyn Sage and the commenters.

My phone rang.

“Hello?” I answered.

“Hello?” said James on the other line. “Ava? I just came across this article and…uh…what's going on between you and Joe?”

Oh God. He believes it.

I'm going to be sick.

“Nothing,” I said. But James didn't say anything, so I elaborated. “We're just friends. He's not my boyfriend and he never has been. Katelyn Sage is just making things up.”

“Oh,” James said, sounding relieved. “Okay. Hey, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have believed that article.”

“It's fine,” I said, “but…I kind of have to go now. Uh…see you later.”

“Who was that?” Joe asked.

“James,” I said. “He…he believed the article.”

“Are you serious?!”

I shook my head. “It's not a big deal, Joe.”

Here's the thing, though.

It was. Somehow, it's a big deal that James believed it – and Joe didn't.

And I was thinking about what Joe said – that the ones who believed it didn't know me.

{∞∞∞}

“What the –?” Joe muttered the next day. Justin Bieber was blaring on his laptop's speakers.

I clamped my hands over my ears. “Joe, shut that off! The neighbors are gonna get mad at me! And why, for the love of all that is good, do you have Justin Bieber on iTunes?!”

“I'm trying to!” Joe said frantically. “It won't shut up! And I don't! I don't know where this is coming from!”

“That's impossible.”

“I don't even listen to Justin Bieber!”

Then I noticed the hard drive light was blinking fast.

“Oh my God,” I blurted out. I rushed into my bedroom, pulling on my coat.

“Hey, where are you going?” Joe asked.

“Somewhere,” I said dismissively. “But whatever you do, do not do anything to that computer.”

“What about the music?”

“I don't know. Just don't do anything. And stay there.”

{∞∞∞}

“Oh, look who it is,” Katelyn Sage said when I arrived at her office (I found out her office was only a few blocks away via Google). “Did you see my article?”

“Yeah,” I said. “I did.”

“What, came here to beg me to take it down?” The smile on Katelyn's face was so smug, I had the overwhelming urge to take her crocodile-skin handbag laying on her desk and throttle her with it (again).

“No. I came here because I know you bugged Joe's computer. And I want you to stop.”

Her penciled-in eyebrows arched. “Oh, really? And do you have proof of that?”

“All I need to do is turn in his computer,” I said triumphantly and Katelyn paled. “Now, all I want is for you to stop writing those nasty articles about people. If I ever see another horrible article from you, I'll turn it in – and you'll be arrested.”

Katelyn glared at me. “Alright. But you'll regret this.”

I smiled innocently at her. “I don't think so.”

{∞∞∞}

“Well, you're back,” said Joe when I returned. “I finally got that damn computer to shut up.”

“Don't use it anymore,” I said brusquely. “Katelyn Sage bugged it.”

“What? How do you know?”

“The hard drive was blinking on and off rapidly. Plus, the random music was another clue. Did you lend your computer to someone?”

“Well…yeah. It was at this café in LA and this guy just asked me if he could borrow mine; it happened a really long time ago. But Av, how did you get that?”

I shrugged. “I read it somewhere.”

“Ah, well, figures,” Joe said, looking at me and smiling at me in a sort of – well, affectionate way.

“What?” I asked, my cheeks warming.

Joe, still smiling, looked down at the floor. “Nothing.”