Australia

I stepped back into my room and enveloped Tash into a hug again. She hugged me back before I stepped back and took in her appearance.

“You look so different,” I smiled at her.

The first thing I noticed was the change in her hair. It used to be red/orange and sticking out in all different directions. It was now chocolate brown and reached just above her shoulders. The razor cut did her cheek bones and jaw line justice; the striaght bang framing her eyes. Her fashion sense had changed dramatically. Usually she wore bright coloured everything; jeans, t-shirts, shoes. Now, she wore simple black skinny jeans with a white t-shirt that had “Love Drunk” across the front of it. She had a pair of converses on her feet. She looked like a completely different person. If it wasn’t for her snake bites lip piercings and the instantly recognisable green eyes, I wouldn’t have thought it was Sam at all. She looked great.

“I could say the same to you,” she smiled. “Your hairs shorter and what’s with the trackies? I have never seen you wear trackies during the day.”

“I haven’t exactly been in the best of moods lately,” I confessed, looking down.

“Oh. Oh!” Tash looked up at me with wide eyes. “You haven’t....”

“Hell no!” I shook my head. “Never again. I promised you.”

“What’s up then?” she tucked some hair behind her ear.

“Let me get dressed and we’ll go down to the park or something,” I suggested. I leaned in closer to her. “It’s not something I want to say here; with 4 pairs of ears able to snoop out anything.”

“Oh, alright,” Tash half laughed.

“Yeah,” I nodded and smiled before moving to my draws and pulling out a pair of skinny’s and a t-shirt. I pulled off my singlet and trackies and pulled on my outside clothes.

“What’s it like living with five guys?” Tash asked from the seat she had taken on my bed. “I mean, the only females are you and Mama Jonas right?”

“Yeah, it’s me and Denise,” I turned around and ran my fingers through my hair. “It was strange to begin with; I’m not going to lie to you. But, I don’t think it was because they’re guys. It was because of who they are. I mean, I’ve been in love with the band for as long as you have. 3 years is a long time and then all of a sudden, I’m moving to America to live with them and I’m dating Joe. It’s surreal to say the very least.”

“So, the house full of guys things doesn’t bother you?” Tash cocked her head to the side.

“Kind of,” I admitted. “But it’s like having my brothers with me, except I’m dating Joe and me and Nick are best mates. I mean, Kev’s the same age as Chris is and Frankie’s the same age as Mark.”

“True,” Tash replied. She was fiddling with the hem on her t-shirt.

“You okay?” I asked, walking over to her. “You seem distracted somehow.”

“No, no,” she stood up and grinned. “I’m fine. Are we going?”

“Yeah,” I nodded. I was still suspicious. “I just got to let Joe know where we’re going.”

We made our way out of my room and walked down the hall way. I poked my head into Joe’s bedroom. He was sitting crossed legged on the floor with Frankie playing Call of Duty.

“Hey, Joe,” I called him and he hit pause.

“What’s up?” he smiled.

“Tash and I are going to head to the park for some girl talk,” I told him, leaning on the door frame. “Can you let your mum know we’ll be back for dinner?”

“Of course,” he smiled at me again. “Have fun.”

“Come on Joe!” Frankie whined. “Call of Duty waits for no one!”

“Fine,” Joe laughed. “Bye Sam!”

“See you!” I blew him a kiss and walked down the stairs.

I spotted Tash and Nick talking in the living room. Nick was sitting on the back of the lounge and Tash was standing in front of him. I approached them slowly.

“So yeah,” I heard Tash say. “Things change.”

“I agree with you,” Nick smiled at her. “Good luck though.”

“Thanks,” she smiled as her pulled her gently into a hug.

“Good luck with what?” I asked.

“Uh, nothing,” Tash smiled at me. “I’ll tell you later.”

“Um, alright,” I pulled a face. “Let’s go.”

After a quick walk, I opened the small silver gate that separated the park from the footpath and the road that ran beside it.

“Here we are,” i announced to Tash who stepped in beside me.

“Cute,” she smiled.

“Yeah. I’ve hung out with Joe here quite a bit,” I told her, smiling.
“Of course you have,” she smirked at me.

“Come on,” I took her hand. “We’ll sit under the tree and chat.”

“Okay,” she started walking towards the tree, pulling me with her.

We sat down; both of us leaning against the trunk with our shoulders touching.

“So, Tash, what’s been happening?” I crossed my legs and angled myself towards her.

“No! You first!” she grinned. “I mean, you’re living the life right now.”

“It has been pretty exciting,” I chewed my lip.

“Care to elaborate on that, honey?”

“Well, I have such a pretty bedroom for a start,” I replied.

“Your bedroom? That’s what you find exciting?” Tash laughed.

“I wasn’t done yet,” I responded; poking my tongue out at her. “I got dressed up and went to the Teen Choice Awards with them. I got to meet Zac Efron!”

“Seriously?” Tash gaped at me. She understood my obsession with Zac.

“Yes! Oh my gosh. He’s so much hotter in real life!” I mused. “I got drunk and Ed Westwick hit on me.”

“Chuck from Gossip Girl?” Tash asked and i nodded in reply. “He hit on you?”

“Oh yes,” i nodded. “He bought me these drinks. I couldn’t even taste the alcohol in them.”

“Vodka raspberries?”

“Yeah,” I nodded. “How’d you know?”

“I’m legal to hit the clubs and stuff in Australia remember?” Tash tucked her hair behind her ear.

“Oh yeah,” I pulled a face.

“What else?” Tash excitedly asked me.

“I spent a day with Nick,” I told her. “And he practically told me he likes me as in ‘like’ like.”

“You’ve got two thirds of the Jonas Brothers band pining for you,” Tash smiled and shook her head. “Lucky bitch.”

“yeah,” I half laughed. “It’s complicated as heck actually.”

“Why?” Tash asked.

I sighed and leaned against her; her arm around my waist and my head resting on the front of her shoulder.

“I don’t know,” I sighed again. “I guess, when I’m with Nick, I feel a certain chemistry with him too.”

“Oh,” Tash replied.

“Yeah.”

I fiddled with my ring on my ring finger subconsciously. I had missed Tash so much. It was so nice to talk to a girl for a change.

“What’s with the ring?” Tasha asked.

“Oh. I have promised myself to Joe,” I answered simply.
Tash sat up quickly, throwing me forward off her.

“What?” she said loudly. “We’re sitting here talking all casual and you don’t think to tell me that you and Joe freaking Jonas are practically engaged?!”

“I was going to tell you,” I replied sheepishly; looking at the grass at my feet.

“When?” she half laughed. “When I was getting on the plane home?”

“No!” I snapped my head up at her. “I was going to tell you during this conversation. It’s just really weird for me at the moment.”

I sighed and looked back down.

“How do you mean?” Tash asked, leaning back against the tree.

“Being in love with Joe is the....”

“You’re in love with him Sammy?” Tash turned her head and looked me in the eye. Surprise was written on her face. I nodded slowly; a small smile playing on my lips.

“Have you told him?”

I shook my head as slowly as I nodded it.

“Why not?” she practically shouted.

“Because of Nick,” I answered her immediately. “I need to figure out what I’m feeling for him.”

“If you’re in love with Joe,” she rested her hand on my knee. “This stuff with Nick doesn’t matter.”

“I guess,” I shrugged. “Maybe you should date Nick. Keep his mind off me.”

“I would,” Tash sat back again. “But I’m taken.”

I looked up at Tash; shocked.

“What?” I grinned at her. “When? Who? What’s his name?”

“Slow down,” she laughed at my enthusiasm.

“When were you going to tell me?” I mocked her. “Before you got on the plane home?”

“Shut it, you,” she grinned.

“Most importantly, what’s his name?” I smiled.

“Um, it’s not a he,” Tash bit her lip and looked at my from under her fringe.