The Exchange Student

It felt good being home.

Not that I missed being on the road, but just seeing Mom, Dad, Frankie, and Elvis was always nice.

This morning, I woke up to the sound of total quietness.

No screaming, no slamming doors, no barking....

Just quiet.

But, the quiet didn't last long.

"Joe, wake up! Joe!"

I opened an eye to see Frankie looking at me.

"Frankie...what is it?" I asked.

"It's Ishani....she's gone!"

That's when I sat up.

"What?" I asked, more alarmed.

I got out of bed, and followed Frankie down-stairs.

Nick, Kevin, Dad, and Mom were in the living room, and I looked at everyone.

"Where's Ishani? What happened?" I asked, and no one said anything.

But, after a few moments, Mom did.

"S--she l--left u--us t--this n--note...." Mom stuttered, and burst out crying again.

I walked over there, and Mom handed me the note.

Dear Joe and Family:

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to leave, I just had too.

I really loved being with you guys, but after Joe got hurt, I just couldn't it take anymore.

It was my fault that Joe got injured, and I didn't want anyone else being injured neither.

I still love you guys, and I am truly sorry

--Ishani

Dad looked at me.

"Joe--"

But, I was already out the door before he said my name.

I walked all the way until I got to the main part of Los Angles.

I started walking, and I tried thinking of places where Ishani would have gone, but there weren't too many places where she could have gone.

Finally, I settled down by a bus stop and I sighed.

But, I had a feeling I wasn't alone, and I looked over at my right:

A lone figure was sitting not too far away from me, and had their head in their lap.

With curly, black hair......

"Ishani?" I asked, and Ishani looked up.

"Joe? What are you doing here?" she asked, and I gave her a small smile.

"Looking for you. Everyone is worried about you." I told her, and Ishani didn't smile back.

"Why? I basically killed you!" Ishani explained.

"Like I said, everyone is worried about you." I said, dismissing her last statement.

Ishani frowned.

"Well, I'm not going back. I'm going home."

I felt like the world stopped.

"You can't--" I started to say, but Ishani cut me off.

"Face it, Joe: you almost died because of me, and I know it's not fair to leave your family like this, but I don't want anyone else getting hurt too."

I sighed, and I looked at her.

"Do you want to know who lit the building on fire?"

"Joe--"

"It was Greta." I responded.

Ishani looked at me, and then she scowled.

"Of course......I don't know how Christina, Danielle, and even Alysa survive when all of your ex-girlfriends are running around."

I laughed as I got up.

"So?" I asked, and I held out my hand towards her.

Ishani glanced at it, and she looked down.

I frowned as I dropped my hand.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing...I just....I can't go back to your house. I mean--"

I gave her another smile.

"Is that all? Everyone will be happy to see you, Ishani."

Ishani smiled back as she got up.

"Are you sure?"

I grinned.

"Of course. My mom treats you like her daughter, after all."

When we came back home, I right:

Everyone was happy to see her, and personally, I was happy that she was safe, and sound.

Later that night, I was in my room, sitting on my bed, when I heard a knock at the door.

"Come in!” I explained, and Ishani came in.

“Hey.” she replied, and I looked at her.

“Hey.”

There was a pause, and Ishani bit her lower lip.

Then, she looked at me.

“Why did Greta lit the stadium on fire, Joe?”

That’s when I looked down at the ground.

Of all things, I didn’t really want Ishani to know I liked her.

Not until I knew what she was doing next year:

Staying or leaving America for good.

“I don’t know. You heard Danielle: some of our old girlfriends still like us, and....”

Ishani raised an eyebrow.

“Joseph.” she stated.

I looked up at her then.

“I guess while I was talking to Nick and Kevin that one time, she might have been around, and I guess she heard that...well...I liked you, and--”

Ishani frowned, and then she smiled.

“Really?” she asked, and I nodded.

“Yeah. I guess with everything happening, there wasn’t really a time....it’d be kind of weird.”

Ishani sat down on the bed next to me.

“I guess it’d be weird. I mean, since your mother treats me like a daughter, and--”

That’s when I leaned over, and gave her a quick kiss on the lips.

When I pulled away, Ishani looked kind of shocked.

“You were saying?” I asked, and Ishani just shook her head, smiling.

“Joe Jonas, you amaze me.”

I re-turned her smile.

“I know.”