A Friend Like Me

When I'm weathered, you come to me, you're my best friend
And that is how I know we'll make it through
How I know your face, all the ways you move,
You come in, I can read you
You're my favorite book
My Favorite Book - Stars

“Ava!” Joe yelled at the airport, despite the fact that there were people around. He pulled out a single red rose from behind his back and handed it to me.

“Joe!” I said breathlessly, accepting the rose before tackling him into an embrace. “Thanks!”

“No problem,” Joe said into my ear. “Happy one-year-a-versary!”

It was around a year after I went to Prague, and exactly a year since I saw Joe at my apartment. I was now at LA for the summer to spend time with Joe, seeing as we were both pretty busy for the past year; he had been out touring, and promoting Camp Rock 2 with Demi (who had eventually come to speaking terms with Joe again) while college kept me busy.

As soon as he was sure we were away from prying eyes, Joe gave me a long, gentle kiss.

“I missed you,” Joe whispered when he pulled away.

“I missed you, too,” I said.

“'Least it wasn't Prague, though,” Joe said softly.

I nodded.

During the car ride, Joe held my hand. I closed my eyes, savoring the little things.

Because a little more than a year ago, I was still in Prague and Joe wasn't speaking to me. Or rather, I wasn't speaking to Joe. And two years ago, the closest I'd get to a moment like this was in my dreams, because Joe wasn't seeing me in that way – and he was with Camilla at that time.

But the little things were worth everything – this whole relationship was worth everything.

For example, a week ago, after a long film final that I had studied for with long, grueling nights, I came home to a box of a dozen roses sitting outside my door. The card that came with it simply read, "I love you," but it was enough to get me to call Joe for the third time that day, giggling madly and flirting shamelessly with him.

Which, okay, was extremely pathetic and hopelessly romantic of me to do, but I didn't care then.

Actually, you could say I've been pathetically giddy this whole year. I wouldn't care, however.

Honestly, I've never been happier.

“Are we doing anything today?” I asked as we neared his house.

“Nope,” Joe said.

I looked at him.

“Nah, I'm just kidding,” Joe said. “Come on, Av, you know me. I have a couple of things planned.”

Although there was a smile on my face, I rolled my eyes at him. “Like what?”

Joe winked at me. “It's a secret.”

{∞∞∞}

I stepped into the kitchen, in a blue summer dress Joe had bought for me once.

Joe, who was packing food into a basket, smiled at me the second I came in.

“I always knew you were saccharine,” I said, “but I didn't know you were sugary enough to take us on a picnic.”

Joe stuck out his bottom lip, pouting at me as he wrapped his arms around me.

“That's mean,” he said. “And I always knew you were rude, but I didn't know you were rude enough to insult my…picnicking.”

I laughed, wrapping my arms around him, too.

“I love you,” I told him, and pressed my lips to his.

“I love you, too,” Joe replied, “even though you make fun of me all the time.”

“So, where are we going?”

Joe raised his eyebrows at me. “You ask way too many questions, Summers.”

“And you keep way too many answers, Jonas.”

{∞∞∞}

“The lake?” I asked as we slowed to a stop near the familiar edge of woods.

“Yeah,” Joe said. “I mean, it's our little place. We almost kissed here for the first time, remember? And it was, like, one of our first romantic moments. And we had our first date here.”

“Could you be any cheesier?” I teased, even though my heart was currently doing a million back flips right now, despite the fact that I've been dating Joe for a year now.

“You know you love it,” Joe said as he opened the door for me and helped me down.

Grinning, I slid my hand into Joe's.

I was grateful for the privacy that the lake offered – because Joe had released a new solo album and a movie not too long ago, and because they were set to release a new album soon as a band, they were in the spotlight again. Katelyn Sage, although she had to tone down her undercover work because of some lawsuits, had been had been posting all about them.

Joe spread a checkered fabric down on the dock. He placed the basket down, and sat himself down as well, me following suit.

After lunch, Joe and I just laid there on the dock, the blanket and the basket tucked away somewhere on the base of a tree nearby. Joe's arm was currently my pillow, and all we were doing was gazing at the clouds.

Truth be told, it was almost exactly like that time over a year ago when we almost kissed. Except this time, I could kiss him, and not pretend that we just weren't thinking correctly because of jet lag.

“I can't believe it's been a year already,” I mused.

“I know,” Joe said. “But God, Ava, you drove me so crazy then, with that damn James and all….”

I giggled. “Charming, Joseph.”

“No, really,” said Joe. “And we kept arguing and arguing and I kept thinking that, somehow, everything was going to blow up in our faces and I'd lose you, which I did. And you were so freaking stubborn, too, and I was some bumbling idiot.

“And I should’ve noticed you before. Like, if I had, I wouldn’t’ve slept with Camilla and…as cheesy as this sounds, I would have, like, actually saved it, you know? Like, I think you’re pretty much it for me. I know I say that a lot, but it’s true. I mean, you’ve waited so long and we’ve been through so much.

“Like, if I had known you felt the same way about me, or if I actually listened to Nick or Kevin about what to do, none of that would have happened and I would've know what to do with you. I wouldn't have tried to use Demi or yelled at you all those times.”

“I know,” I murmured, “but Joe, we're here now; that's all that matters.”

“I know. And James is off in Britain, recording another album, but all he does with you now is talk accquaintance-ly. Ha! Sucker.”

I buried my face in the crook of his neck, laughing. “Oh, Joe….”

“But Av, I really do love you.”

“I still love hearing you say that.”

“I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you!”

Moving up, I pressed my forehead to Joe's. “I love you, too.”

{∞∞∞}

“What is this?” I asked as Joe stopped near a parking meter, a block or two away from a beach boardwalk.

We both got out of the car; as soon as his feet hit the pavement, Joe walked over to the parking meter.

“This is a parking meter,” Joe told me as he dropped quarters into the slot.

I smacked him playfully. “Really, Joseph? I had no idea.”

Joe grinned at me, smitten. “Yeah, Av. And you call me dumb.”

I rolled my eyes pointedly at him.

Honestly, however, everything was blissful.

We teased each other constantly, sure, and we argued (okay, seriously. It’s us. What more could you expect?), but we always made up (which usually consisted of Joe kissing me roughly). However, we had multiple sweet moments like this. Moments where it would just be Joe and I – no worries, no secrets, no one to interrupt us.

Joe wound his fingers through mine, leading me down the boardwalk, towards the carnival.

“I have something for you, by the way,” I announced, deeming that a boardwalk by the beach was romantic enough to give Joe his present (it is, okay?! The waves slapping against the rocks below, being underneath the big, blue, cloudless sky is romantic).

I dug through my purse in search of the disk. Finally, I pulled it out.

“Here,” I said, blushing. “It’s…well, it’s something I made. It has pictures on it of like…pretty much this past year, and some from our childhood. And I included some videos in it, too.” I cleared my throat, starting to think that maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. “I mean, I couldn’t think of what to buy you, because you have everything already and I—”

Joe cut me off by taking the CD away from me and kissing me full on the lips, wrapping his arms around me.

“Ava,” Joe stated, once he pulled away. “I love it, okay?” He grinned at me. “Seriously. And you didn’t even have to get me anything in the first place.”

“Yeah, I did,” I said, still in his arms.

Joe pressed his forehead against mine. “No,” he argued, “you didn’t. I have everything I need already, because I have you.”

“You’re so cliché,” I breathed before kissing him lightly.

“Here,” Joe said, leading me to the carnival. He sauntered to the ticket stand and bought a few tickets.

After paying, he guided me toward the Ferris wheel that looked over the Pacific Ocean. We were the only ones that were on the ride.

Joe whispered something to the employee manning the Ferris wheel. He nodded and let us through.

“Av,” he said as our cart climbed higher and higher, “I have something for you, too.”

He reached into the pocket of his jeans, but because they were so tight, he struggled. He lifted the opening to make it wider, but he still had a hard time. Meanwhile, I looked at him quizzically, trying not to laugh. He cursed under his breath as he wriggled something in his jean pocket in an attempt to wriggle it out.

“Hey,” Joe shouted to the bottom once we were at the top, leaning over the side of the cart. “Stop here! Stop!”

The cart jerked to a stop and I was nearly thrown into Joe.

Finally, Joe pulled out a flat, light blue box after a difficult struggle.

My mouth dropped open as he opened it, revealing a necklace. Round diamonds, alternating with light pink gems, clustered together to form the outline of a heart, which was set on a silver chain. The diamonds glittered at me as they captured the sunlight, reflecting the sunlight back at me.

“Joe,” I breathed, choking out a few incoherent thoughts. “You didn’t have – you really – this is so…”

Joe beamed at me. “You like it?”

I nodded; words were failing me now.

Leaning over, Joe took the necklace from the box and tried to put it on me. I turned on my chair to make it easier for him. Joe’s hand pushed my hair aside and clasped the necklace.

Looking down, I touched the necklace.

“Thanks, Joe,” I whispered.

“The pinks are pink sapphire,” Joe explained as the Ferris wheel lurched into motion again, once he gave the signal, “and the metal’s platinum.”

That did it.

I lunged forward (well, as much as you can actually lunge in a moving Ferris wheel cart) and slammed my lips on Joe’s.

Joe groaned in surprise, but wrapped his arms around my middle, pulling me down onto his lap. Both of us became guilty of smiling into the kiss.

“I love you,” I said breathlessly after pulling away.

“I love you, too,” Joe said.

And to think that just over a year ago, I thought that that three-worded, eight-lettered sentence would be the death of our friendship.

But you know what?

It’s not. It wasn’t. And it won’t be.

Maybe some risks are just worth taking.

And maybe some things are just worth fighting for.

{∞∞∞}

And now, you're beside me,
And look how far we've come
So Close - Jon McLaughlin