Who Says Love Has to Be Left up to Fate?

I just had to say before the start, that writing this chapter was immensely hard. Since I want to create real emotions,and since Joe is actually a real live person, I tried hard, but I want to know what you think of the way I portrayed him.
Chapter twenty five: Confessions in the Night Part three.

The trap that came down from the roof had a ladder that ended up in the hallway outside Nick and Joe’s bedrooms. I headed towards Joe’s door eager to escape the oppressing feeling that I had messed things up with Nick. I slowed down as I neared the door when I heard shouts coming from inside and my curiosity peaked and pressed my ear against the door. The voice was a bit muffled but I focused and I grew cleared.

“Had it Joe. No more, okay?”

“Annabelle? What’s with this all I asked is if I could leave you now that you were ready for bed. What’s wrong with that?”

“I wanted you to stay with me like a good boyfriend and to get in with me.”

“Why would I want to do that? There still the fireworks to see and-“

“A real man would understand.” My eyes popped out at this low blow on Annabelle’s part. The room stayed quite from a few more moments before I heard anything.

“You don’t know what I have and haven’t done yet.” I could tell he was making an effort to stay calm but Annabelle wasn’t having it.

“Well I know what you haven’t done with me! You’ve never shown me you’ve loved me.”

“L-l-love?” he stuttered flabbergasted.“Were we already at that stage? Last time we talked we were just past experimenting.”

“That’s it. That just it! You can’t love me; you don’t even want to try. I tried, because I knew what was at stake. I told myself if I could just hold on and make myself fall in love with you then-“her voice was hysterical and I could hear her pacing along the room frantically.

“Backup. What was at stake? Make yourself fall in love with me? What are you on. You forced yourself to go out with me?” he sounded confused but moreover hurt. Annabelle realizing what she had just said remained silent. “Well?” his voice rose.

“No I… I…Yes.”

“Why.”

“Why did you ask me out if you don’t like my personality?” she defended herself by asking.

“Your new personality. I liked how James was right to recommend you to me when he said you were easy to handle. Friendly and nice with no drama.”

“Easy to Handle. What is this? I am some piece of merchandise you just pick and choose because I will do?”

“Well I didn’t force myself to go out with you, I chose to.”

“Damn Patrick!” she shouted, “I don’t care about what my manager say anymore. I don’t care that I was told to date you so I could get a better image and so of your fan base. Yes, Joe, that was the plan. Okay? I needed your already established publicity and fan base. That was the thing, and I tried to love you so I’d be two birds with one freaking stone, but you don’t meet my requirements.”

“Oh really? Well great, you can just write me off than. You know I’m glad I slept on the couch these past two nights instead of by your side. You’re scum Annabelle to even think of using me. What were you just going to dump me after you’ve gotten my younger fans to love you.”

“Yes, especially now that I see we have nothing in common. You didn’t care enough Joe.” Her voice lowered and I could hear her crying. “Demi came first all the time. Your ex!”

“My best friend!” Annabelle hissed at the comment.

“Even that girl Olive held your attention more than me.”

Joe’s tone changed sinisterly cold. “Don’t ever bring Olive into this.”

“Oh how charming. Well I hope you too get together soon.” She said sarcastically. “But I would hurry Nick and Jake both also have their eyes on little Olivia. But It’d be proof Joe, that you didn’t try hard enough because you didn’t care enough. As long as I wouldn’t kick up a fight, you’d were satisfied. Why did you even ask me out?”

“I wanted to move on from Demi!”

“You poor bastard. You have no clue about love do you? You can’t just use girls for rebound. If you’re going to date the Olive-“Joe started to cry in protest, “or whatever chick you choose, remember to actually love them. I don’t want that poor girl to go in you past girlfriends file. She’s too naïve.”

“Why are you going on and on about Olive. We haven’t done anything. It’s you’ve who’s gone behind my back and cheated on me! Me! You had no right or excuse.”

“I was needy, and I needed to feel loved! It’s called being human!”

“That wasn’t even love. Just lust.” He’s voice held some pity for Annabelle. “There are more ways of showing love then just making love, Annabelle.”

“Shut up, you know nothing. He said he loved me. Told me he loved me, while you couldn’t even stay by my side at night.”

“I am so glad I didn’t”

“You will die sad and alone Joe. Nobody will want you, not when I finish telling all your next pathetic little girlfriends what a nut job you are. I’ll be doing those good, preventing them from a complete waste of time.” She ranted possibly throwing things about. Joe amazingly stayed calm and cool.

“Goodnight Annabelle, sleep tight. I’ll just sleep on the couch until the next plane comes.”

“What are we going to do, I want to be with him but we’ve announced to the press that we were a couple a week ago.”

“I’m done with you. I am sorry it had to go like this.” His tone left no room for negotiating.

“You’re scum Joe. Curse you and your pitiful life. You’ll get nowhere in the future. The only ones who will ever love you are your baby faced fans, and even they’ll get sick of you. I don’t need you to get more famous. Ha! You need me!” I didn’t here Joe reply. Obviously Joe knew how to stay calm and controlled unlike Annabelle. I heard a glass shatter as Annabelle let out a roar when Joe didn’t answer her straight away.

“Poor Taylor, to fall in love with a girl like you.” Joe sounded resilient but I could hear the pain in his voice. Annabelle had struck a real low blow again and again.

“Wait Joe, you won’t tell him we were still together when I saw him, will you.” Her voice panicked stricken changed to almost begging “He doesn’t know really were together!”

“You are so two faced Annabelle.”

“Don’t you dare say anything to him. Fine, I’ll just tell him and the reporters whatever I want.”

“Go on. Go tell some reporter how I broken up with you horribly. Make me look bad. That’s all you’ve girls are good for. I’m leaving.” I heard footsteps and rushed away from the door and back down the hallway.

Joe opened his door and walked out swiftly, giving me little time to recompose myself. My mind was reeling. They broke up. Just like that. And it was so painful to listen to. I knew Joe was the victim, but it was in a crime both of them had played. Annabelle and Joe both started dating for the wrong motives, but at least Joe hadn’t cheated on her. He looked a mess. He’s face was pale and eye’s sunken. Slightly disheveled and it made my heart pang. I didn’t want to see him so hurt. I guess he thought that Annabelle liked him enough and respected him enough not to go and do or say what she did.

He didn’t see me at first, as he just stood outside his bedroom door. So I waited. He’s eyes left the ground slowly and when he saw me, light flashed in his eyes and he caught his breath.

“Sorry to scare you.”

“No you didn’t scare me, you just…I am glad you’re the first person I’m seeing.” He slowly walked passed me and to the stairwell, but paused at the top and looked back at me. “You coming? I don’t really want to be alone.” I hastily followed him through to the kitchen and sat down at the counter. He stayed mournfully silent and pulled open the fridge and pulled out a can of beer. He joined me on the island counter and took a good chug of the ice cold can.

“You want some?” he asked. But I shook my head no. He might be a month or so away from twenty one but I had some time to go. Plus I couldn’t even stomach water at the moment.

“So, how much of that did you hear?” I shuffled awkwardly and tried to look innocent.

“Not much,” I contemplated which bits I should say I heard that would not embarrass Joe. “Just about she wanting to be with someone but you just having told the press you’ve gotten together, and you saying, ‘you’re done’. Rough.”

He nodded solemnly. “You heard it all didn’t you?” Then he got that quiet and I thought he would go all confession on me like Demi and Nick had. I think I should become a psychiatrist or bartender or something. People love to tell me their problems. Mom says it’s because I don’t judge, which I don’t. But what Joe did say surprised me. He retook that laid back look and finished his can.

“Olive will you come with me to see the fireworks. I think I can hear them starting.”
“Joe? Don’t you want to talk or anything? I’m a good listener, and plus I forget all the secrets I am told before I can spread them.”

He smiled warmly but it didn’t reach his eyes. “No, not now. No, tonight I want to take you star gazing, and show you the fireworks. I can’t wait to see how excited you’ll get. I can just imagine you’re eyes lighting up and-“

“Enough with the baby voice. Seriously Joe, do you not want to talk about Annabelle. I’ve seen tons of firework shows before.”

“But none with me. I don’t care about Annabelle anymore, she’s history. She’s hurt me, okay? Was it wrong for me to just want to try dating her and see what happens? You know trial and improvement is what mom calls my dating method,” he laughed sourly, “Annabelle wasn’t much of an improvement. I did everything a boyfriend should do, I respected he, took her out and didn’t even consider cheating. I was going to end it when I saw how shallow she had become and plus she was rude to my family and I wish I could have my parent’s wisdom, Kevin’s loyalty and Nick’s passion. But at least I…I…” his slowly stopped and his head collapsed on my shoulder.

“Why me? Why tell me all this?” I couldn’t help rethinking about Annabelle’s assumptions that Joe liked me. But she must be off the rails if she thought that not only Joe liked me but Nick also. Jake, now that might be horribly true.

“I normally talk to Nick Kevin or Dad, but I don’t want to talk to them. They’ve seen me come to them with this problem too many time before and they are getting sick of it. They want me to just settle and get frustrated when it goes wrong. Demi, well…I would but, now that we have history, it makes it hard cause she was in Annabelle’s position to, except we didn’t break up for the same reasons. No way, Demi is better than that. Anyway, you Olive are like a fresh start for me. You don’t know all the things that are in my closet and plus your too nice to judge me straight away.”

I trembled as I took his hand in support and held them firmly to mine. “What do you want me to do Joe. To help you?” I heard laughter of the boys coming in from outside end their shouts of wonder when the fireworks exploded like Joe and Annabelle’s relationship.
“Just stay by my side, and help me forget.”

One thing I’ve learned is that Nick and Joe are similar but a whole lot more different. I thought I had already understood that I didn’t know the Jonas brothers like I thought I did, but I was wrong. There is so much more to them. I’ve only discovered the tip of the iceberg.