Who Says Love Has to Be Left up to Fate?

Chapter twenty-three Confessions to the Night

I shyly hid my face behind the large and loaded basket of food that I was balancing in one hand awhile carrying a swinging pitcher in the other. Through the cracks of piles of finger sandwiches and chips with salsa, I could see a crowd of excited rowdy boys in the back barbecuing part of the field shouting over each other.

There were at least ten boys Nick, Joe and Kevin had invited and their age range was just as large; most seemed to be in between twenty and twenty two. Nick and Kevin was lost in a crowd of young lads and really seemed at eased and relaxed, more so than at the restaurant this morning with their bosses and managers.

Nick was hanging out, literally chilling, arms and elbows resting on a ledge behind him with his Ray Bans on and his mouth going a mile a minute. He was with another other boy and they seemed quite close. Kevin was bent over the picnic table and with a bottle of ice cold J2O in his hand and in deep conversation with his friends, Dani wasn’t with him then. She told me that she decided that she’d give him his with-the-guys time if he made it up to her later.

Apparently when you’re super famous staying in touch is hard and they haven’t seen their friends in a long time. She had scurried of with Demi in a different part of the garden and they were swinging together on one of those bench swings each on a cell phone trying to catch up as well with long distance friends (LDFs they were called).

Annabelle on the other hand was in the mist of all of the throng of boys and seemed to be keeping up well with the conversation she was having at once with all of them. They could not get enough of her. She was a pro at seducing them. She didn’t flirt. Oh no, but it was like she didn’t have to. Anything she said was interesting to them; they all wanted a little piece of Miss Denton and didn’t care which. In all honesty Annabelle was interesting to talk to. She had done tons of things, been many places and seen so many people. Hence why ten minutes later I am still standing in front of the backdoor watching all of them from a far wondering how I should go about fitting in.

I was hesitant because of the incident earlier. I mean when I went into the restaurant I tried to really put myself forward so I wouldn’t be sitting like an outsider the whole time. I told myself that I had nothing to worry and that no one would bite my head off. Well those three practically did, they came so close that I should probably go see a doctor just in case. So no, I wasn’t ready to just go up to a whole other group of strangers that might chew me to pieces.

I mean that’s the whole thing about not being shy, you tell yourself no one will criticize you, but when they do, well you’re left sore. And I was aching. So I am here, nervously wandering what the people will think of me. Cause you want it to be something good, you want everyone to instantly love you when you make your first impression, it’s not realistic but that’s what we all want to be liked.

I’ve decided I am not going to go through with this. I’ve had enough of meeting empowering people already. These are Casual friends of the Jonases but I know I’ve seen the faces of most of the boys at least once before, and probably on T.V. I try to escape by spinning around running back indoors to hang out with Frankie that has been cast away to hang with his parents as his brothers need some ‘Big Boy Time’. However since my head wasn’t in the right universe I completely forgot the tray of food and pitcher of water I was carrying and in my hurry I slip. Thinking about it, it really was a disaster waiting to happen.

Next thing I knew I was on the floor with the tray still in perfect condition and Joe standing in front of me soaking wet. The two litre pitcher of water was basically empty.

“Hurrying off somewhere?” asked Joe under the floppy mop of his hair that was now lying limp and wet in his eyes. He spluttered and smoothly whipped his hair out of his eyes. I had really got him, and with the loud sniggers that reached use from all across the garden, I knew that I had gotten him good.

Joe shivered and shook and ran his hand hastily through his hair trying, in vain, to get it back up in volume and curly like he had arranged it before. It gave him that irresistible just out of the shower look.

I put down the massive tray of food, (enough for thirteen hungry growing boys) and stood up. Joe hadn’t stopped looking at me with a looking at me and I felt guilty that I had thrown ice cold water all over him but….

It was so funny!

He was completely drenched from head to toe and the expression was far from I expected. I thought he’d get mad and scream ‘Olive you’re so stupid!’ or ‘What’s wrong with you!’ those kinds of things, but he had a mischievous smile on his face as if it was part of a prank or a joke. When I finally lost it and started laughing his face lit up and he did too while shaking of all his water on to me making me shriek louder than I am proud of.

Then our playful moment stopped and Joe shook his head and I thought he was finally going to let me have it, but instead he put his two hands together and started clapping slow at first but faster and faster as the others joined him cheers and roar of laughter. Shouts of ‘Nice One’, ‘OOOH!’ filled the yard. I was beside myself with embarrassment and that translated into me laughing ridiculously as Joe clapped but didn’t stop his head shaking. As the laughter died down he said to me quietly.

“Oh, you are not going anywhere. You’re staying with me,’ he grabbed my hand and spun me around so I wasn’t facing the house anymore but the people outside. ‘Everyone, I give you…. OLIVE!’ his deep voice boomed across the whole yard and he sounded like a T.V. show presenter, or one of those dudes in the boxing ring, or circus ringmaster. The way he said Olive could have easily been replaced with ‘Everyone I give you, The WORLD’s ONLY CRAZY CLUMSY GIRL.’ I was surprised he took getting dumped with ice cold water so light heatedly; it was really sweet of him to ease the awkwardness so I felt inclined to respond.

"Thank you, Thank you, I am here for one night and one night only," I said in the same tone as Joe, and bowing repeatedly in an exaggerated manner. Gosh Olive, you are such a loser.

Joe had been leading me to the table where the boys were watching me intrigued, and confused. The funny moment gone they now really took me in and I could really make out their reactions. Did they like me, or was I ‘Bah, go join Demi and Dani, we want to talk to Annabelle’? Joe, who hadn’t let go of my hand, used his other one to point out everyone at the then to me. “This is Olivia,”

“Oh that’s the girl you told us about." One guy with long shoulder length hair said. “I should have guessed.’

“Wait. That’s the girl?’ another asked bemused and he narrowed his eyes and looked at me as if trying to see more clearly.

‘No….. is it?’ yet another one added. I looked in panic at Nick who was looking guilty and then Kevin who was trying to hid his expression by digging into a hamburger. What have they said about me? What? Obviously not that Olive’s a girl that goes around spilling water on people or else they would have known it was me right away. Maybe it was something good then.

But wait if that’s the case, then there goes my good impression that the boys had started to build up for me.

‘Yes this is Olive, okay.’ Said Joe exasperated.

Wolf whistles came out and someone said ‘Well you sure do know how to pick them!’ I was surprised by their hollers. Does this mean I am attractive now, ’cause that’d be good?

‘Finally, we get to meet this legend. Man she does not disappoint. Introduce us!’ This was one boy with amazing blood hair and brilliant gray eyes, very Australian looking and sounding. His comment worried me to say the least.

Joe led me in a circle and introduced me to the boys as they stood up. I realized that I was in a big boy territory now and that they were much older than me when the first one, like the other dozen that followed, leaned in for a kiss on the cheek. I was amazed and my shock made me feel immature, these guys probably thought I was twenty as well and wouldn’t expect me to blush when they did it. Plus they each threw me a nice little pickup line and compliment to which I could only think to answer back with a small curtsy every time. Now I know they were laughing at me, but I am convinced it’s progress that they aren’t running awayfrom me. Come on Olive be a mature and classy girl like Annabelle.

I was glad for Joe’s comforting hand as I was introduced, however his grip kept getting tighter as we went on and when I turned to look at him introduce me, and he looked slightly peeved of, unlike his friends that were very excited. Finally I got to last one I made a grimace of relief to Joe that expressed my joy that all this greeting was over and that seemed to cheer him up quite a bit.

I can’t actually remember the boys’ names but just a few. They were hilarious and I sat between Kevin and Nick who filled me in the confusing details of their conversation. We continued on the topic of Annabelle’s amazing life. People could make a movie on her, and then the attention shifted on to me pretty quickly. I made sure it never steered near my age and schooling. I knew it was wrong that I was making up this charade, but I wanted to be as old as those around me for once.

After a while I was wondering why Demi and Dani weren’t interested in coming over to join in the conversation, but after a good more minutes I kind of got it. These guys, though very respectable everything like the Jonas Brothers, soon fell into the trend of the typical sex jokes and then talk of sport and which team beat who and what not. I could not hold my own in any of those departments and soon wasn’t really taking part in the conversation at all.

That was fine by me, all these previous conversation had me do too much talking and I really just wanted to sit back relax, with a ton of hamburgers, hot dogs, and ice cream with my blueberry pie, and watch very cool people have meaningless conversation. The day was hot but as the sun was setting and it was nearing ten o’clock it started to slow get cooler. I was growing restless and itching to sneak away to join Demi. That is until the conversation took an interesting turn.

“So we are going to The Rox, in four days, who’s excited?” asked Kevin. Nick must have noticed my confusion because he leaned in and slowly whispered in my ear. “An adventure camp, down in south Texas. Stuff like paint balling, assault courses, quad bikes, water sports. It’s a military base part time.” I was really trying focusing on the words and not the cool mint of his breath or the breath blowing to my ear. He’s been talking to me like this all night and I think I’ve finally manage to stop my urge to giggle fiercely and jerk away when he does it in a what that tickles like mad.

“Yeah we got the tour bus all deck out and full of the supplies for the trip. We’ll only be gone four days but food is all important.” Some guy said that I didn’t know the name of.

“Would you be interested in joining us Olivia?” asked Teddy, a boy the guys knew from their church that seemed extremely nice, and if I understood correctly was on his way to becoming a major Hollywood film maker. No little ambitions for the people at this table. “If you’re up for it I’d like to see how you can cope. I’d love to have a girl like you along, but The Rox, is no joke.”

“Really adventure, in an all terrain style: dessert, shrub forest and lakes,” added this boy named Jake, trying to scare me out of it and make me back down. Jake, was in my opinion the oddball of the group. He wasn’t weird, or out of it, but he just didn’t fit with these Jo bros’ friends type. He was hard and tough and something about the way he looked at me from across the table said pedophile. Well, okay. Not pedophile because I am not that young, but I bet he was a real perve.

If Joe wasn’t talking to me as often as he was he’d have notice how much of a move he was putting on Annabelle when he was not busy trying to cool down Demi with his charm. They didn’t seem to mind (or notice) though the large amount of looking he did when he talked to the girls. Pats on the back, or lower, shoulder rub and fooling around type hugs. Over friendly for my comfort. But then I am also thinking that I am the one over thinking it because Demi could easily tell if his thought were inappropriate or if it was just his harmless personality.

“They train the US army there sometimes, and paintball guns can hurt and leave bruises.” He continued, his voice low and particularly husky, “It’s been said they can even knock out people, it aimed correctly.” A small shiver ran through me. Just what was I signing myself up for? A roar of manly war like cheer spread through the group as Jake revealed the most ‘exciting’ part of The Rox. “People have died, or been gravely hurt. Oh don’t look so worried, not often. Rarely people die. It’s been known to happen, oh, let’s just say five times. And people have to be flown to the hospital at least once a year due to major injuries. That’s why they keep a helicopter handy at all time. It’s in a remote location so help would take hours to drive in. So secluded that finding the injured is what can lead to their death.” The whole table had grown silent and were watching Jake’s face intently as he spoke like he was telling a horror story, even the candles that served as decorative lighting, suddenly added to the tense atmosphere as the prolong the shadows of his face when he bent low over them.

“Demi and Dani were right to back out. Demi knew she couldn’t risk that pretty head of hers just yet. The fans would be so disappointed if she couldn’t make an appearance because she grazed her knee.”

“Shut up Jake!” said Demi flustered with embarrassment. “It’s not true; you know I am not allowed. I have signed a contract saying that I wouldn’t put my life at risk. You know I wanted to come so don’t make up stupid crap.”

“I know Babe (Babe? Babe? What as Slug!), just teasing. So, are you in Olive?” With the sudden attention drawn back on to me I was momentarily paralyzed. I looked at Demi and she signaled me thumbs up and I knew she wanted me to do it for her. To show that we girls weren’t afraid of The Rox even if we weren’t big tough men. But actually I was terrified exactly because I wasn’t a tough guy like the rest of them that hit the Gym ten times a week.

“You’re on. But with the odds of five deaths in so few years, I’d watch my step if I was you.” I reply with an even and leveled voice. Again the table filled with cheers as I shook my hand with the devil.

Nick took me into a big hug which I relaxed and slumped into. He congratulated me on joining their little adventure trip while, I tried to fend off the idea that this was a huge mistake. Because now that I think about it, if Dani is not going, and Demi is not going, and Annabelle who made it clear that the mere thought of producing that much sweat is gross, then I would be the only girl in a huge group of much older boys. What were the sleeping arrangements anyway?

Nick pushed me off him and held me back at arm’s length to try and see me better. “Olive, are sure you are fine? Don’t feel you have to go. I’d love to do this with you, since I know you’d make the trip ten times more fun. Honest you would, but I rather you’re comfortable. You’re a …” his eyes searched the heavens to try and describe our relationship the aways advancing at a rapid pace. “Close friend to us now Olive, and please don’t feel that you have to be polite with us or anything and do what we want because we are Jonases. Your important so your happiness is important.” He spoke low and slow, so that the other people around the table wouldn’t hear him comfort me. His features were soft and gentle and a small smile dance on his lips. It took all my efforts not to blush. Did he know the effect he had on the female gender, simply because he looked and smelled so good? To add charm and gorgeous phrases should be a crime because it almost made my heart stop.

“Oh I am just peachy; it’s just that I was wondering…” No Olive you weren’t wondering, you were worrying. Now stop it! is what Gina would say to me. Take this as a great opportunity to get closer to the boys. I was decided, I will go on this death trip to an adventure club with just boys. Who knows it could spark a brilliant romance, right? One always occurred between the heroines who are trapped with a group of boys. I stifled a giggle, this could be fun. Now I just need to make up what I was wondering about’?

“Can, uh, Frankie and… Oh! Gina come?” I addressed the whole table, “I mean you said you needed someone to replace Dani’s pre-booked place, that’ll be me and Demi’s will be Gina, and Annabelle’s would be Frankie. You don’t want to waste money do you?” Who was I kidding they were loaded. “I know his only nine, but he is probably just as good as I am. I count for half a person skill wise so if we stay together we would make up a whole person,” I was blabbering.

“Actually I think it’s a good idea,” voiced Joe. “I kind of guess you don’t want to be the only girl. Right?” I hesitantly nodded, but more than anything I was glad to see that Joe knew what my problem was right away. “Well he’s been begging to come. Normally we’d say no, but the camp is booked fully to us so we won’t be playing another team, and we can all look out for him and be gentler to him. Plus if you stick to him-“

“Like glue!” I exclaimed, “Oh thanks Joe!” I stood up and ran around the table and enveloped him into a bear like hug which he kept going for some time. I stayed in his friendly arms as the conversation got back on track. I talked with Dani and Demi with the occasional input from Annabelle for the rest of the late night barbecue.

Annabelle seemed removed for some reason and deep in thought. I wondered what was wrong but when I tried to ask her she frostily said “Nothing that should trouble you Olivia,” she hates calling me Olive, apparently she thinks it’s ‘bizarre ’ to be called after a fruit. “Nothing at all. Nothing whatsoever. Zilch, Nada! Joe will you come with me back inside? I am going to get ready for bed.”

I don’t know why but I still think something was bothering her.

“What? But the fireworks will start in fifteen minutes.”

“I know, but…” she gave him a small peck, “I am really tired.” Peck. “And I want you to tuck me in.” Double peck. I shook my head sadly when I say all Joe’s mates watching this scene enviously. I am sure they all would love to ‘tuck in’ Annabelle. Surprisingly though Joe was reluctant to leave.

“Yeah but can’t you wait for the fireworks? I was going to show Olive a great spot to watch them and then do a star watching session.” Annabelle’s expression saddened visibly and her voice became barely more than a hush.

“Why do you need to show her this place? And star watching? What does that have to do with anything?” I was wondering myself, Joe hadn’t told me of these plans. And though I really wanted to sit and watch the sky with Joe and the girls, Annabelle’s eyes were brimming with water ever so slightly.

“Can you believe it? She’s never done it! And she doesn’t know any constellations, so I thought I teach her. Tonight’s great for it.”

“Well I haven’t either!” she cried. Joe mouth fell in to a small O shape and winced and probably smacked himself internally. I hope he didn’t to hard, he needs whatever brain cells he’s got. “Good night everyone. It’s been a pleasure meeting you and I hope you have a blast at The Rox.” Her voice cracking she quickly and gracefully stood up and left the now quiet stricken table.

end of part one