Madman

I looked quickly back and forth at my parents, seeing if I made the right choice. Yes, I love them both, but….

I whispered my answer, barely audible.

“I’m sorry, who?” Judge Jacob asked.

I cleared my throat, watching as everyone leaned forward in their seats. Nick, Kevin, and Joe were looking at me anxiously, trying to guess who I had picked, worry clear across their gorgeous faces. Mom and Jake leaned forward, hope in their eyes that I would pick them. Aiden, Drake, Jake, and Derek were at the edge of their seats, apprehensive of what I was going to choose.

I swallowed, watching the typist type a million words a minute, putting everything down as we spoke. “I choose Jake.” I said, louder this time.

Judge Jacob smacked his gavel down, saying a few things I didn’t listen to, and we all stood up as he left.

My heart twisted and shattered into a million pieces as I watched my mother sob so loud, I think they hear heard in China; her lawyers putting their heads in their hands in defeat, sighing; Jake and his lawyers with very wide grins, shaking each others hands, congratulating each other; everyone in the audience and jury gasping at my decision.

I starting crying as I fell back in my chair, watching as my mother’s lawyers helped her out the room, and the jury leaving also.

I watched Nick run towards me and felt him pulling me into his arms. I just pushed him away lightly and walked out the room, my hands in my pockets. I buttoned my coat up as I felt a rush of cool fall air hit me. I looked over and saw my mom’s car pull out the parking lot and disappearing down the road.

“Let’s go home.” I heard someone say lightly as they put their hand on the small of my back. It was Jake.

I nodded and followed him to the car.

Right now, we’re on break for about a week, so during this week, since Jake already bought a house in Florida, we’re gonna drive down there with the moving truck and move in.



When we finally got to the house, I looked out the window to the brand new house. It was...absolutely monstrous. It had the old Victorian look to it, with a balcony in the front. It was…I can't describe it. I loved it so much. "Wow...." I said, still staring.

"What do you think?" Jake asked me, a smile in his voice.

"It's...amazing...." I smiled, then we both got out of the car. I looked over, seeing Nick, Kevin, and Joe getting out of their car, and my band getting out of theirs. "Why did you make them come again?"

"Why pay the movers when I can have seven strong boys for free?" He grinned, and I laughed.

"You're so cheap." I smiled.

He shrugged, and walked a little ahead, and I felt someone put their arm around my shoulders.

"You okay?" He whispered. It was Nick.

I looked at him, smiling slightly, and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine." I kissed his cheek, and we both blushed like mad.

"Good." Nick whispered in my ear, giving me good shivers down my back.

I took a deep breath as I walked inside my new home. The inside was just as gorgeous as the outside. I can't even describe it.

"Whoa...." Nick and I said.



"So what do you think?" Joe asked me, bringing my last box in my room.

I looked up, biting my lip, shrugging.

He sighed, then sat on my bed. "Carter...I'm....I'm sorry...."

I looked at him. "Huh?"

"I should have never ever said anything like that to you at the hotel. It was out of line for me, and I'm sorry." He said. "It was just...the day Nick came back after telling you, he was a mess. I don't think I've ever seen him cry so much in my life. And before, he wouldn't shut up about you. He kept telling us about how he met this beautiful girl who was just perfect for girl for him and...he was so happy. And it was great. He was so happy. Then when he came home that day...he was...I can't even describe it. So I was mad. I was gonna be mad at anyone who hurt my brother so much. So I just blew up. And I shouldn't have. So, I'm sorry." He looked at me.

I smiled slightly. "I forgive you, Joe."

He grinned widely and pulled me into a huge hug. "Thank you."

I pulled back. "I guess I should apologize too."

"For what?"

I bit my lip. "Uh...back at the hotel...I kinda pulled a prank on you...at three in the morning...."

He went wide-eyed. "That was you?!"

I smiled apologetically at him. “Uh…I’m sorry…?”

"Oh, you are so dead!" He said, then tackled me on the bed.

“AH!” I screamed, laughing.

He started to tickled me. “You are so dead, Carter!” He laughed.

I squirmed everywhere. “S-Stop!….Joe! S-S-Stop!”

“NO WAY!”

I was laughing so hard my sides hurt, and tears were falling from my eyes. “Joseph! Stop! I’m sorry! Please!”

He stopped, and we both fell back, laughing hard.

“I haven’t laughed that hard in since the prank….” I smiled, leaning my head on Joe’s stomach. My head moved up and down as he laughed.

“Same here. That was a clever prank. Where’d you come up with it?” He chuckled.

I shrugged. “I just thought of it…man, and when it’s gonna be on YouTube, it’s gonna be soooo popular!”

“Huh?” He asked, not laughing anymore.

“Nothing.” I said quickly, looking up at him, my head still on his stomach. “Don’t worry your pretty little face about it.”

He smirked. “Oh, so you think I’m pretty, huh?”

I shrugged, getting on my knees, but he stayed lying down. “No, I wouldn’t say pretty…”

“What would you say?”

I bent down so my face was an inch from his. “More like gorgeous.” I winked at him, and he grinned.

“I would say the same thing about you…but it would be an understatement.” He smiled, winking at me. I blushed like mad.

“You really know how to make a girl blush, Joe….” I whispered, then kissed his cheek.

He smirked at me. “Nope. Only you."

I smiled, and he chuckled softly. “Cute.”

“Psh, sexy.”

I shrugged, putting my lips to his ear. “Can’t argue with that.” I whispered. “See ya later, Joe.” I kissed his ear, then walked out the room, and down the stairs.

I sat on the couch in the living room, tired from the day. In the corner of my eye, I saw Nick sit next to me. I looked at him, smiling, grabbing his hand.

He smiled at me. “So, you like you’re new house?”

“It’s gonna take some getting used to, but I like it.” I shrugged, looking around. I leaned my head on his shoulder and he put his arm around my shoulders. “This is going to be so different. Especially when tour starts again.”

“You just gotta hold your dream; don‘t let it go.” He said quietly, kissing my head.

I went wide-eyed. “That’s it.”

“What’s it?” Nick asked, confused.

I sat up quickly, then sprinted downstairs to my music room that was made just for me. All my instruments were in their cases, then put in a thousand boxes. There was a little recording studio, and a piano in the other corner, and all my sheet music and hundreds of notebooks.

And let me tell you, I had every instrument out there, and I knew how to play each one perfectly.

“What’s going on?” Nick asked as I pulled out a notebook with my special songs in them.

I flipped to a clean page, ignoring him and his questions, then started to write down lyrics to the new song I had in my head. “Go away.” I said to Nick, not mean or anything, just to get him out of the room so I could brainstorm, and he nodded, then left.



It took about fifteen minutes to write the lyrics, because it wasn’t a very wordy song, but a lot of music in it that spaced it out.

All night, from 4 in the afternoon, to 6 in the morning two days later. I had been working for 38 hours straight. I had played each instruments’ parts, then put the notes down, then recorded them, sang each lyric, correcting them when I needed to, then recorded them. It was a lot of work, let me tell you. I don’t think I’ve ever worked this hard on a song in my whole life.

And thankfully no one bothered me. Nick must’ve told them what I was doing.



I smiled as I looked over my finished song. I had a stack of sheet music for each instrument, so I had about six stacks of sheet music. My lyrics had been transferred to some loose leaf paper, and copied a few times for everyone that I needed to give it to.

This really was going to be one of the best songs ever made. Now all I needed to do was get everyone to play in it.