Australia
Chapter Fifty One
Sam’s POV
It had been an uneventful 3 days. I had travelled on the plane with the Jonas family to Los Angeles, California, we checked into a swankee 4 star hotel with other nominees and celebrities and had gone to the Teen Choice Awards rehearsal: which is where we currently were. Watching the boys perform from the audience was exhilarating. It felt like it had been so long since I watched them perform back in Australia; when in reality, it had only been 3 months. Wow. Had it really been 3 months since I Joe and I had started our relationship? Not that anyone but his family, my family and Tash knew. He ‘wasn’t ready to tell people yet.’ I didn’t understand why he was so reluctant. I guess he wanted to be sure about me before going public; he didn’t want to get hurt again. I guess that was understandable. Joe and Nick approached me together; Kevin trailed slightly behind.
“Hey Sam,” Joe smiled, sitting beside me and pulling me into a brief hug.
“Hey,” I smiled into the hug.
“We have to run Much Better again,” Nick told me. “Then we can leave.”
“Oh alright,” I answered him; smiling softly. I really loved that song. I always felt; since me and Joe happened, that it was written for me, without him even knowing.
“Will you be okay here for another like, 5 minutes?” Joe asked; smiling his warm dazzling a smile.
“I think she’ll manage without you Joe,” Kevin laughed from beside Nick. “She has all this time.”
“Besides, I’m hardly alone,” I mused, shrugging my shoulders.
I watched the three of them look around. I was telling the truth; I was sitting with Frankie and Denise, as well as so many other family members of people here. There were a few celebrities scattered around. I glanced around myself until my eyes landed on a former crush. I blushed profusely. I hoped that none of the guys caught it. My hope was evidently short lived.
“What are you blushing at?” Kevin asked; his voice was laced humorously.
“Its more like whom,” Nick answered him. My eyes shot up and bored down on Nick.
“What?” Joe sounded defensive.
“I remember you telling me about crushing on Zac Efron,” Nick stifled a laugh and I glared at him.
“Efron? You’re kidding right?” Joe looked at me.
I shook my head subtly. Joe laughed; causing both Kevin and Nick to laugh also. I gave my best evil glare to each of them before laughing nervously. They each eventually stopped laughing at me.
“Want to meet him?” Kevin asked me. I felt the blood rush from my face.
“No,” I lied. I’d used to swear that I’d kill to meet Zac Efron; and now he was just feet away from me. I felt my heart start to race.
“Liar,” Joe exclaimed. I noted he wasn’t jealous or defensive anymore. This was amusing him. “Come on.”
He stood up and pulled me to my feet.
“But Joe,” I whined. “He’s probably busy. He doesn’t need this.”
“Sam, look at him,” Joe stopped in front of me. I glanced over his shoulder. Zac was sitting with one leg crossed over the other, sipping something in a foam cup; he stifled a yawn. I looked back at Joe. “Does he look busy?”
I shook my head reluctantly and followed Joe as he made his way over to Zac. I straightened my white t-shirt and pulled my vest a little more closed. I secretly hoped Zac liked girls in skinny jeans; before mentally slapping myself.
“Joe, my man!” Zac stood up as we approached; pulling Joe into one of those ‘bro’ hugs.
“How are you doin’? You and your boys are sounding pretty good.”
“Thanks man,” Joe grinned his Joe grin at Zac. “I’ve been pretty sweet. How’ve you been?”
“Busy. Hectic life at the mo’” Zac shrugged. “Of course, you can relate to that.”
“For sure,” Joe answered. I peeked out from under my eyelashes; peering through the veil that my fringe was becoming.
“Who’s this?” Zac smiled at me.
I felt my knees go weak. I never thought I’d see that smile in real life; particularly not directed at me. I grinned nervously; blushing spreading all over my body.
“Oh! Sorry!” Joe grabbed my arm and pulled me into full view. I looked down. I should never have cut my hair; it would be prefect at hiding my bright red face. “This is Samantha or Sam.”
“Hi Sam,” Zac smiled at me again; he held out his hand. I took it slowly returning his smile.
He kissed the back of my hand. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Zac.”
“I know,” I half whispered.
“She wanted to meet you,” Joe told Zac; I made a mental note to slap Joe later for the smirk that was on his face. “She’s been a fan for ages.”
“Oh really now?” Zac smiled at me. “That’s good to know.”
“Actually man; I was wondering if you could you babysit while we run our song one more time?” Joe mused. I looked at him; my eyes practically bugging out of my head.
“Sure thing,” Zac told him; earning a smile form me. “I’d love to.”
“Perfect,” Joe grinned. “I shouldn’t be long.”
He walked away; I was sure I heard him laugh. Zac told me to sit down and I obliged. I sat quietly; not looking at anything. I heard the opening beats to ‘Much Better’ start to play.
“So, you’re friends with Joe?” Zac asked me; he leaned back in the chair, sipping his drink again.
“You could say that,” I answered, my voice quiet.
“Are you nervous about talking to me?” I heard the amusement in his voice.
I looked at him, blushing.
“Just relax Sam,” he assured me. “I won’t bite I promise.”
I laughed then. Zac was just as nice as I had always dreamed.
“I’m sorry,” I shrugged. “I never thought I’d meet you. Joe practically dragged me here.”
“You didn’t want to come say hello?” he tiled his head to look me in the eye; fake hurt written on his face. He pouted a bit.
“No, no, no,” I mentally slapped myself again. “I really just didn’t want to come over here and make a fool of myself by blushing like a nut and stuttering over my words.”
“You’re doing pretty well for yourself at the moment,” Zac told me. “Besides the blush; that really hasn’t left your face since Joe dragged you here.”
His comment made my blush more.
“You want to know something?” he smiled at me.
“What?”
“It’s a pity I’ll be sitting with Ness tomorrow night,” he confessed. “You seem like better company than her these days.”
I stared at Zac with mouth agape. Trouble in paradise?
It had been an uneventful 3 days. I had travelled on the plane with the Jonas family to Los Angeles, California, we checked into a swankee 4 star hotel with other nominees and celebrities and had gone to the Teen Choice Awards rehearsal: which is where we currently were. Watching the boys perform from the audience was exhilarating. It felt like it had been so long since I watched them perform back in Australia; when in reality, it had only been 3 months. Wow. Had it really been 3 months since I Joe and I had started our relationship? Not that anyone but his family, my family and Tash knew. He ‘wasn’t ready to tell people yet.’ I didn’t understand why he was so reluctant. I guess he wanted to be sure about me before going public; he didn’t want to get hurt again. I guess that was understandable. Joe and Nick approached me together; Kevin trailed slightly behind.
“Hey Sam,” Joe smiled, sitting beside me and pulling me into a brief hug.
“Hey,” I smiled into the hug.
“We have to run Much Better again,” Nick told me. “Then we can leave.”
“Oh alright,” I answered him; smiling softly. I really loved that song. I always felt; since me and Joe happened, that it was written for me, without him even knowing.
“Will you be okay here for another like, 5 minutes?” Joe asked; smiling his warm dazzling a smile.
“I think she’ll manage without you Joe,” Kevin laughed from beside Nick. “She has all this time.”
“Besides, I’m hardly alone,” I mused, shrugging my shoulders.
I watched the three of them look around. I was telling the truth; I was sitting with Frankie and Denise, as well as so many other family members of people here. There were a few celebrities scattered around. I glanced around myself until my eyes landed on a former crush. I blushed profusely. I hoped that none of the guys caught it. My hope was evidently short lived.
“What are you blushing at?” Kevin asked; his voice was laced humorously.
“Its more like whom,” Nick answered him. My eyes shot up and bored down on Nick.
“What?” Joe sounded defensive.
“I remember you telling me about crushing on Zac Efron,” Nick stifled a laugh and I glared at him.
“Efron? You’re kidding right?” Joe looked at me.
I shook my head subtly. Joe laughed; causing both Kevin and Nick to laugh also. I gave my best evil glare to each of them before laughing nervously. They each eventually stopped laughing at me.
“Want to meet him?” Kevin asked me. I felt the blood rush from my face.
“No,” I lied. I’d used to swear that I’d kill to meet Zac Efron; and now he was just feet away from me. I felt my heart start to race.
“Liar,” Joe exclaimed. I noted he wasn’t jealous or defensive anymore. This was amusing him. “Come on.”
He stood up and pulled me to my feet.
“But Joe,” I whined. “He’s probably busy. He doesn’t need this.”
“Sam, look at him,” Joe stopped in front of me. I glanced over his shoulder. Zac was sitting with one leg crossed over the other, sipping something in a foam cup; he stifled a yawn. I looked back at Joe. “Does he look busy?”
I shook my head reluctantly and followed Joe as he made his way over to Zac. I straightened my white t-shirt and pulled my vest a little more closed. I secretly hoped Zac liked girls in skinny jeans; before mentally slapping myself.
“Joe, my man!” Zac stood up as we approached; pulling Joe into one of those ‘bro’ hugs.
“How are you doin’? You and your boys are sounding pretty good.”
“Thanks man,” Joe grinned his Joe grin at Zac. “I’ve been pretty sweet. How’ve you been?”
“Busy. Hectic life at the mo’” Zac shrugged. “Of course, you can relate to that.”
“For sure,” Joe answered. I peeked out from under my eyelashes; peering through the veil that my fringe was becoming.
“Who’s this?” Zac smiled at me.
I felt my knees go weak. I never thought I’d see that smile in real life; particularly not directed at me. I grinned nervously; blushing spreading all over my body.
“Oh! Sorry!” Joe grabbed my arm and pulled me into full view. I looked down. I should never have cut my hair; it would be prefect at hiding my bright red face. “This is Samantha or Sam.”
“Hi Sam,” Zac smiled at me again; he held out his hand. I took it slowly returning his smile.
He kissed the back of my hand. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Zac.”
“I know,” I half whispered.
“She wanted to meet you,” Joe told Zac; I made a mental note to slap Joe later for the smirk that was on his face. “She’s been a fan for ages.”
“Oh really now?” Zac smiled at me. “That’s good to know.”
“Actually man; I was wondering if you could you babysit while we run our song one more time?” Joe mused. I looked at him; my eyes practically bugging out of my head.
“Sure thing,” Zac told him; earning a smile form me. “I’d love to.”
“Perfect,” Joe grinned. “I shouldn’t be long.”
He walked away; I was sure I heard him laugh. Zac told me to sit down and I obliged. I sat quietly; not looking at anything. I heard the opening beats to ‘Much Better’ start to play.
“So, you’re friends with Joe?” Zac asked me; he leaned back in the chair, sipping his drink again.
“You could say that,” I answered, my voice quiet.
“Are you nervous about talking to me?” I heard the amusement in his voice.
I looked at him, blushing.
“Just relax Sam,” he assured me. “I won’t bite I promise.”
I laughed then. Zac was just as nice as I had always dreamed.
“I’m sorry,” I shrugged. “I never thought I’d meet you. Joe practically dragged me here.”
“You didn’t want to come say hello?” he tiled his head to look me in the eye; fake hurt written on his face. He pouted a bit.
“No, no, no,” I mentally slapped myself again. “I really just didn’t want to come over here and make a fool of myself by blushing like a nut and stuttering over my words.”
“You’re doing pretty well for yourself at the moment,” Zac told me. “Besides the blush; that really hasn’t left your face since Joe dragged you here.”
His comment made my blush more.
“You want to know something?” he smiled at me.
“What?”
“It’s a pity I’ll be sitting with Ness tomorrow night,” he confessed. “You seem like better company than her these days.”
I stared at Zac with mouth agape. Trouble in paradise?