Into My Arms

I said my good byes to Jimmy and Taylor as I got back to Nick and he said his good byes as well. He was laughing so hard because of the race. “Ready to go?” I smiled and he nodded.

He took my hand as we walked over to Big Rob, walked outside and signed a few autographs and then got to our jet.

“Have a date to your premier?” Nick asked as we walked up the steps to our jet and he walked up backwards.

“Hmm, not too sure…why? Did you have someone in mind?” I questioned with a playful smirk.

He smiled and once we were in the jet, he kissed me. How can one boy make me feel so special…so loved. His forever. That sounds kind of nice.

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We caught up with Anna and the rest of the Jonas’ in Washington because we were all making an appearance at a diabetes event for Nick to speak publicly but I was nervous…we were also going to see the president of the united states. I’ve met him and his kids once before because of the inauguration and I wasn’t as nervous before, because I was surrounded by other Disney friends and a big commotion but now it was going to be quiet and we were all having dinner with the family. We were all waiting in a different room while the press was filling the conference room. Big Rob gave me my lap top as everyone was doing their own thing for the moment. I was wearing a long light blue skirt with an orange shirt. Paul was on the phone and Denise and Anna were talking when Nick came out of the bathroom wearing a pair of nice pants, a shirt and tie. I stood up and adjusted his tie for him and kissed his cheek. I sat back down, putting the lap top back on my lap as Nick put the guitar on his lap and he was playing a quiet tune, I recognized to be Turn Right. I smiled as I signed onto Twitter. But my smile faded when I saw two tweets that made my heart ache. One was under Tish’s (Miley’s mom) screen name…but it wasn’t Tish.

MommyCyruss Rachael! I need you to call me please!!!! :’(

Another was under Billy Ray’s screen name.

Billyraycyrus I miss talking to my best friend about guy troubles…life troubles…

Nick must have noticed my expression because without me noticing, he was at my side, leaning in over my shoulder. “You should forgive her…I don’t think it’s very fair,” he murmured.

I sighed. He was right. It isn’t fair…and I was starting to miss her…

“I know…you’re right…I’ll call her tonight,” I promised. “Good,” he said and kissed my cheek and went back to playing Turn Right. I looked at other tweets that were tweeted to me.

ddlovato missing @ReareaLewis. Hope u come back soon!

x_SelenaGomez_x@ReareaLewis you better get back soon, hanging out with just Demi just isn’t the same…no offense Demi! Love you!

ddlovato @x_SelenaGomez_x none taken Sel. I miss her just as much as you do :’(

I began to type in a response. I did and then it popped up.

ReareaLewis @x_SelenaGomez_x, @ddlovato you both are so strange…but I miss you both tons! I’ll call you both A.S.A.P. and I’ll give u tons of details!

I scrolled down some more.

TayASwifty listening to Strong by @ReareaLewis. So many good memories. I remember when I first heard this song, it was more than amazing back then and it’s still more than amazing now

I went up top to post.

ReareaLewis @TayASwifty haha awww! That’s so weird, because I was just thinking about Teardrops on My Guitar a little while ago

I refreshed the page when I saw I had three more tweets. Both, Selena and Demi replied with “you better” and then I saw the other one was from the Jonas Brothers official twitter.

JonasBrother_s hey @ReareaLewis stop messin around!

I looked up and saw Nick smirking as he was holding his black berry. I rolled my eyes at him as he stood up. I shut my lap top and then stood up as well. We all walked out into the conference room and flashes went off like crazy at me, Nick, Joe and Kevin. As Nick was introduced, he walked up to the podium as Joe, Kevin, Frankie, Denise, Paul, Anna, Big Rob and I waited behind him showing our support. He started talking.

"It's an honor to be here before you today and I’m grateful for the opportunity...I was diagnosed with type one diabetes in November of 2005...my brothers and my best friend were the first to notice that I lost a significant amount of weight...15 pounds in three weeks, I was thirsty all the time…and my attitude had changed...I'm a really positive person and that had changed in these few weeks...I yelled and got frustrated with people would never even think about hurting them like that…” he said and I remembered the time he yelled at me in front of his house…right before he passed out and we took him to the hospital.

“It would have been easy to blame my symptoms on a hectic schedule...but my family knew I had to get to a doctor...the normal range of blood sugar is between 70 and 120 and when we got to the doctors office we learned that my blood sugar was 700...the doctor said that I had type one diabetes but I had no idea what that meant...the first thing I asked was...'am I gonna die'...she looked back at me and said 'no...but this is something that you'll have to live with for the rest of your life'…”

I remember that too…it killed me inside when he asked that question. “We went right to the hospital...where I would spend the next three days...my stay involved a crash course on getting my blood glucose levels and control...and living with diabetes...in the car that night, I thought to myself, 'what good can come out of this', where could the joy be...how can I turn this into something that can then encourage and inspire other people...it wasn’t there...we're driving, it started to rain, lightning strikes and thunder roars, you think 'where's the good'...and it just wasn’t there...like something out of a movie and you feel bad for the character but you never think it'll be you...that was me that night...two days later, I still wasn’t myself…but it was because I still couldn’t understand…then…my best friend walks in and asks me what’s wrong…I asked her ‘why me’ I told her ‘I didn’t want this…I just wanted to be normal like everyone else’…”

I couldn’t believe he could remember that night. I couldn’t believe he was telling everyone about it. He chuckled lightly. “She said, ‘Nick, we both know you’re not normal…and being normal is so over-rated anyway’” he said and a few stifled laughs were heard from the small audience.

“She hugged me and whispered ‘it’s okay’…at first I wasn’t sure why she said that…how she could say that…then she asked me to do a favor for her…she said ‘Don’t think ‘why me’…think ‘why not me’…I told her I was thinking the same thing at the hospital…but I couldn’t just bring myself to say it…but she got me to say it…she told me we would get through it together, and it wont make a difference in who I am and that I would probably forget about having diabetes…I do forget sometimes…but then I always remember it’s still inside me…I guess the point to my story is to let every kid and adult out there with a disease, weather it’s diabetes, AIDS…you aren’t alone…seven years later, my best friend has kept her promise…she does help get through the day…when I’m frustrated with my levels…she reminds me who I really am…way back when she said the words ‘think about all the people you can inspire about this’…now that I’m here today, her words are stuck in my head like glue…I think about who I can help inspire…and if I can help even one person…then that’s all I need to get me through the day” he explained.

I felt the butterflies in my stomach. He remembered that night so perfectly…word for word…

“We're on a journey...that will take us to places that I cant even imagine...this past February we performed with Stevie Wonder...moments where you have to pinch yourself to even begin to feel the reality in it...seven years ago, in that room with my best friend…I knew that was coming...some how, some day...so I said 'enough’s enough, you're not feeling sorry for yourself'...I made a commitment and a promise to myself and to her that night that this will not slow me down..."

It's been an incredible journey, a lot of ups and downs, at my young age I know that a lot of you are saying 'oh well he’s just a child'...but I can assure you that night...I was a child with a dream and I was not gonna let diabetes slow me down...and to this day, it hasn’t...and at times when blood sugar is high and when its low, it'd be a lot easier to throw in the towel and say enough’s enough, I’m done, and I'd just like to have a day off from diabetes...but it just doesn’t work like that...so when I meet these kids and with them telling me I’ve inspired them, often times I laugh and say 'hey its hard to believe' cause when I talk about it and share my story, I’m just saying 'what happened'…to think it could encourage and inspire someone in the world, is an amazing thing...and its crazy to think that the song I wrote 'a little bit longer' is something that helped someone somewhere…”

I remembered that moment so perfectly as well. It was the moment we kissed for the first time in three years…when Nick made his feelings clear.

“I was at a piano in Canada with Rachael as we were shooting a movie called Camp Rock...it was a day where my blood sugar was out of range and it was a tough day...but we sat down at a piano...and the song came so easily...it was more of a self-therapy moment...but last night I met at least ten kids with diabetes and said that song touched them...and again its hard to believe....I’ve always had a heart for helping others, and I realize I’ve been given a platform to speak out and to encourage and inspire other people with diabetes...reaching out and sharing my story is a way that I can give back to others…”

I seriously was almost about to cry. “My brothers, Rachael and I have also started the Change For Children Foundation where we give to organizations that help children...last year alone we raised over 1 million dollars for charities that are close to our hearts...these funds went to such organizations as pediatrics diabetes research, education and treatment, as well as diabetes camps...for the past year I’ve been the ambassador for kids with diabetes as part of the partnership I have with diabetes care...our goal is to encourage and inspire kids with diabetes with their simple wins and to our every day victories...for managing diabetes..."

We started a website called nickssimplewins.com...each day I accomplish my simple wins, that wouldn’t be able to do without the support of my family and friends who help me manage my diabetes every day...every day I need to monitor my blood sugar...which requires me to test it 10-12 times a day...I use Baires contour meter so when I’m busy on tour, other people like my parents and crew can carry around the test chips to make sure I always have my tools ready to test...since my diagnosis, I’ve worn my dog tag to let people know that I have diabetes...then Bair and I thought it would be great to create our own dog tag that all people can wear as a sign of support with people of diabetes...this came to life when I first officially launched the diabetes awareness month last November...proceeds from the sale, go to the Jonas brothers children foundation...another project that I launched earlier this year, allows people to creatively express their own simple wins through an online contest and invites young people with diabetes to record a 15-20 second video that creatively demonstrates their simple win...the video submissions can be demonstrations as a song lyric, photography, painting, drawing, acting, or any other form of creativity...so far we've had our monthly winner since April and you may have seen the video submissions when you walked in today..."

In September I'll be able to select the grand prize winner who I'll have the opportunity to personally meet...our partnership has not only made an impact on my life but on so many young people with diabetes...not only through programs we launched together but also on support of jonasbrothers change for children foundation...I’m so grateful for all that they have done to help my brothers and I to reach our individual goals...once again i want to thank all of you for coming here today...I see many familiar faces i come across in my efforts to  raise awareness of diabetes...and I think of you each day...all of us together will be able to help others with diabetes to feel supported and less alone...I’d like to invite Nancy Kats from Baire back up to speak a little bit more our partnership"

Everyone started clapping for him. I had tears in my eyes but I refused to let them fall as he came back over to us. I gave him a hug as Joe ruffled his hair and Kevin nudged him and we all went back to listening.