Dare You To Love Me

“Hello?” I answered, picking up my BlackBerry. I’d finally gotten the cover for it! It was all black rhinestones, with silver rhinestone paisleys going up all over the back. Unique, gorgeous and perfect; just like me.

Obviously.

“Hey, baby!” Mia squealed into the small object. “How’s LA?”

“LA is LA, baby.” I laughed. “I’m going to a party tonight, so sorry if I suddenly jet for no reason.”

“If it’s for a party, you can be excused from anything honey, you know that!” Mia laughed. “So, tell me about this party.”

“Oh, nothing spectacular.” I sighed, picking things out from my suitcase. “You know how my dad is a manager for this... Band... Thing?”

“Yeah, vaguely...”

“Right, well the big guys at his company are throwing a party for him and his money-makers.” I sighed. “Whatever keeps the bills paid, I guess.”

“You never know... There could be a totally fit guy there, ready to jump you...”

“Yeah, I wish!” I laughed. “It’s all a load of teenage brats. No men. Apart from the old guys in the corner, perving.”

“Haha! Teenage brats? Like us, you mean?”

“But of course.” I replied, smiling. “Now, even though there’s no chance of pulling tonight... What to wear?”

“Something short, skinny and low.”

“You say that about everything.”

“Not when it comes to guys and their juniors.. In fact, usually it’s the exact opposite.”

“HAHA!” I laughed into the phone. “Mia! That’s dirty!”

“You know it!”

I picked up a relatively short, yellow halter-neck dress of mine with a V-neck plunge. It left enough to the imagination, but thanks to sorting out my luggage on my balcony this morning when I’d gotten in, I had a nice glow that I knew would make me look hot... especially in this dress.

“So, how’s everybody doing in Jacksonville? Is Mom okay?”

“Of course she is, I’ve been checking in regularly with Natasha for you. Can I just say that you’re little sister is a total social climber? She’s turning into one of those cheerleader types. The grade-A bitch ones. It’s all Juicy Couture and candy-flavoured lip-gloss.”

“Oh, please, cinnamon is just so much better.” I teased, putting my BlackBerry between my cheek and my shoulder and hanging the dress up. “See? I take rides on the wild side!”

“Oh, if you had it your way, you’d be riding a lot more...”

“Dirty little shit!” I laughed, before sighing. “God... It feels so weird to not be in Jacksonville for one summer, you know? We never went on a vacation. You’d love it here, Mia. It’s so sunny and bright and... There’s just a chill vibe here you don’t get anywhere else.”

“How would you know? You’ve never been anywhere else!” Mia pointed out. “God, Ro, can you please just cut the emo crap and come home? Jacksonville isn’t the same without you! What does LA have that Jacksonville doesn’t?”

“Pretty much everything.” I pointed out. “Let’s start with the Walk of Fame. Does Jacksonville have a Walk of Fame? No. No, it does not.”

“You’ve moved state for a piece of sidewalk?” Mia asked me, incredulous. Sometimes, that girl just didn’t get me. “Jacksonville! Hello! Michael Jackson! Los Angeles is just... Los Angeles!”

“Yeah, and I get what you’re saying... It’s no Jacksonville, but that’s what I want. I hear you; I don’t want to make it big or anything dumbass like that. But what I do want is just... Something different. And I’m not getting that at home with Mom. Plus, she’s been relying on me too long. This was the thing she needed; something to snap out of it. I felt trapped there, Mia, you know how it is at mine these days.”

“And you think shacking up with the dad you’ve never really had is going to make things better?”

“No,” I admitted. “but, it’s a start. I need to grow up... I’m eighteen, for crying out loud! And as long as I was in Jacksonville, or anywhere near Florida, that just wasn’t going to happen.”

Mia sighed gustily down the phone.

“Okay, baby, if that’s what you think, then... Then I’m one hundred percent behind you. So you’ve decided whether or not this is a permanent thing?”

“I haven’t decided anything yet.” I replied quietly. “I just want to see how it goes, okay? And what I really don’t need is you waiting to pounce and say I told you so.”

“Friends don’t say I told you so, baby.” Mia told me. “Friends say, “Jackass situation, now let’s go get pissed to forget about it.”

I laughed.

“You’re the best, Mia.” I smiled. Mia was awesome. “Well... I guess my new start starts off with a bang, right? A big Hollywood party. Now get off the phone, bitch, I’ve got a party to get to!”

“Haha! Let me know how it goes! Love you, baby!”

“Bye, Mia.”

*

“Remember, Nick, you’re not drinking.” Kevin told me warningly.

I just raised an eyebrow at my brother. Really? Really?

“I think it’s Joe you should be worrying about.” I nodded my head towards the retreating figure in the distance. “Drowning away his sorrows. Upsetting God. Committing a deadly sin.”

Kevin stared at me disapprovingly, but went after him anyway.

I was in a suit. No surprises there, I spent most of my life in them. The CEO’s of Disney had decided to have a big party, and everyone that was family to The Mouse was invited, from the little ‘uns to the granddads at the back, talking about the stock market.

“Hey, Nick.”

“Oh, hi, Selena.” I muttered absently, letting her kiss my cheek and latch herself onto me.

“I thought you weren’t up to it tonight?”

“I’m not.” I replied. “Publicity though, right? Where one brother dares to go, the other two follow.”

“Stop being such a grumpy-puss.” Selena grinned at me.

I heavily objected to being called anything that had the word “puss” in it.

“I’m going to get a drink.” I muttered, gently pulling my arm away from Selena’s. Not to pare my girlfriend’s feelings; oh no, far from it. No, if I moved too quickly, Selena would probably snap my arm off.

“Get me one?”

“Sure.”

I weaved my way through the crowd, nodding and plastering a smile on my face as I greeted the people I knew/recognized/had no idea who they were, but they knew me [apparently].

“Can I just get two Cokes, please?” I asked the bartender. Getting anything stronger here wasn’t likely, especially as my brothers and I were plastered all over the walls. Let’s not forget that everybody in this room knew each other and would no doubt just love to stop a Jonas from getting something he shouldn’t. It’d be the ultimate epitome of smugness.

“Oh, you look so happy to be here.” Demi snorted, materializing beside me.

“Oh, can’t you tell?” I replied, putting a huge, fake grin on my face. “What’s up with you, anyway? You’re Disney’s new bad girl. Shouldn’t you be sticking your tongue out at people and stamping on their stilettos with combat boots? Go. Fulfil your destiny. Shoo.”

“Shut up, jackass.” Demi replied, grinning. “Trace is only about a half hour drive away, I could have seen him...”

“Trace?” My head shot up and I started wildly looking around the room. “Miley’s here?”
Demi started laughing so hard, I was surprised she didn’t wet herself. I glared at her.

“God, Nick, paranoid much?” Demi started cackling again as she appreciated her joke.

“Oh, yeah. Super smooth.” I muttered sarcastically.

“Nick, of course Miley’s here. She’s the Disney “It” girl, remember?”

“Last time I checked, you and Selena were trying to knock her off her pedestal.” I smirked, leaning back against the bar.

“Someone’s been reading Perez, then?” Demi smirked. “Whatever, I’m done with all that shit.”

“No, you’re not.” I laughed. “See this room?” I waved at the party scene before us for emphasis. “This room has got more politics in it than the Oval Office.”

“Whatever. Is Selena here?”

“Of course. Can you not see the bruising forming on my cheek, woman?” I pointed at where Selena had kissed me for emphasis. “Why, anyway? You guys still got beef?”

“Beef? Who even says that anymore? Jackass.” Demi snorted.

“Wannabe.”

“Has-been.”

“Bitch.”

“Gay-lord.”

“Whore.”

“That hurts, Nick, it really does.”

“Good, Demi, I’m glad.” I replied, before turning and picking up my and Selena’s Coke’s. “See you later.”

“Yeah, if neither of us have blown this a-hole by this point.”

I stopped and looked at Demi disapprovingly, with as straight a face as I could manage.

“Language, Demetria. And sexual acts are nothing to joke about, especially considering your current HIV predicament between Trace and yourself.”

Then I quickly lost myself in the crowd, before Demi could throw something at me.
I loved being a jackass.

“Oh, it’s just great to see you too, Selena! How is everything with Nick?”

“Everything is great, Miley. Just fantastic!”

“That’s wonderful!”

Especially a jackass that had two hot girls constantly on the brink of a skinny-dipping mud-wrestle. Only, tonight, that just didn’t seem appealing.

“Courtesy of Nick Jonas.” I smiled smoothly at some random girl, who I’d happened to be passing and handed her one of the drinks, before flashing her a quick smile and
disappearing into the opposite direction of Miley and Selena’s voices.

“So, where is Nick?”

“He’s just getting us some drinks.”

“Seems like he just doesn’t want to be around his girlfriend, to me.”

I rolled my eyes as Miley and Selena’s voices slowly died out. Girls.

“Wait, I think I just saw him over there...”

Oops. Time for a more hasty exit, per se.

“Oh, sorry-” I cut off, ducking behind the girl I’d just bumped into.

“Are you trying to look up my skirt?” She asked me arrogantly, in my opinion. And
undeserved. Sure, she was hot, but she wasn’t someone I knew; so, obviously, she wasn’t important.

“Keep dreaming.” I snorted, standing up and brushing myself down as Miley and Selena’s voices fully disappeared. Selena would give me hell later, but I’d deal with it then.

The girl gave me the filthiest look she could muster and turned away to talk to Jason Dolley, who I nodded to in passing.

I bumped into a couple with their tongues down each others throats. Ew.

“Oh, hey, Nick.” Zac Efron pulled his tongue out from his girlfriend- who I recognized as Vanessa, now [obviously]- ‘s throat to pull my hand into a fist and do that manly hug thing.

“S’up?”

“Not much, man, you?” Zac asked me. I shrugged. I wasn’t the world’s most scintillating conversationalist. It was more to do with the whole, if you haven’t got anything nice to say, don’t say anything rule. So, my fanbase thought I was quiet and sensitive, when in actual fact, I was a loud jackass moron. “Oh, Nick, this is my girlfriend. V, this is Nick Jonas.”

“Hi!” She smiled happily at me. Did I recognize her? No... Yes... Vaguely. She’d been the one with the nudie pictures all over Google Images, right? “It’s great to finally meet you... You’d think we would have met before!”

“Yeah... Parties like this.” I smiled politely, deciding not to comment on how technically, as she’d been dropped as the new Disney It Actress [Miley had “It Overall” down to pat], she shouldn’t even be at this party. As for Zac, he was a nice enough guy, and was moving on to bigger and better things; also known as B slash C-grade Hollywood movies. I didn’t get why he hadn’t just stuck to Disney for a little while longer; sure, it was a limited audience, but the mega-bucks and chicks?

Then again, if my girlfriend was sending me pictures of her in her birthday suit for my birthday, I wouldn’t really want to break up with her either.

Unfortunately, [or fortunately, depending on your perception] I didn’t have that problem.

“Well, if you’ll excuse me.” I said politely, just to get away from the awkward null in the conversation. I walked over to the bar... Ooh. A crowd was forming.

Shit, was Joe crying again?!

I forced my way to the front of the crowd.

“I said you can’t go anywhere!” Cody Linley, House of Mouse resident bully, was holding the wrist of a beautiful... Oh, sorry. It was the arrogant bitch from earlier.

“Tough shit.” She muttered through gritted teeth, stamping hard on his foot with her stiletto and going to turn away.

Where were all the guys? The crowd seemed mainly to be of the female population. My brothers dag chivalry, why didn’t they jump in and save the girl?

I saw Kevin and Joe on the other side of the bar. What the hell?

But then I took in Joe and Kevin’s stances. Apparently, Joe was drunk or crying. Possibly both.

I watched as the girl got swung back around so she thumped against Cody’s chest.

“Come on, baby, I’m sorry, don’t be like that.”

“Get off me, jerk!”

“You look really hot... I could have you right now...” Cody said sluggishly, apparently trying to
sound sexy.

“Leave her alone, Cody!” A girl I didn’t recognize called out from the crowd, but didn’t move forward. I took in the girls’ various faces. They were scared, angry and worried but were more worried for themselves and what would happen if they stepped in front of the drunken
shit.

“Shut up!” Cody yelled- babyishly, in my opinion. “Come on, stop- stop squirming!”

The girl was trying to pull away from Cody’s grasp calmly, but I could see the panic through her body posture.

A part of me was tempted to leave her there for being so arrogant. She thought she was hot shit, Cody thought she was hot shit, therefore they would make a beautiful couple.

But, unfortunately, I am the awesome Nick Jonas. Remember I said my brothers dug chivalry? Well, I dug me.

I sighed quietly and walked through to in front of the crowd.

“Cody, let her go.” I said, resigned.

“What? Nick? Are you saying something? Nick, it is you! How are you, man? You good? I’m
good!”

I raised my eyebrows at Cody’s drunken slur and looked at the bar. He’d had... God, he’d had what, one tequila? Now, I’m not exactly a big drinker, but I’m big enough to be able to
say lightweight!

“Cody, let her go.” I said, louder this time.

“Or WHAT, Jonas?!” Cody yelled, holding onto the girl even more and speaking a lot louder than necessary. “Bring it, GOLDEN BOY!”

Okay, really? First, nobody used that expression anymore. Second, I wasn’t even blonde.

“Cody. You’re making a spectacle of yourself.” I said calmly, stepping forward.

“Shut up and stop being a pooper, Nick!” Cody started laughing hysterically. “Nick’s a
pooper! NICK JONAS IS A-”

It was at that exact moment that Miss Arrogance decided to punch Cody in the face with her free hand.

“Holy shit, that hurts like hell!” She shrieked, cradling her knuckle as Cody let go of her in shock.

“Bitch!” Cody yelled furiously.

I quickly pulled on Miss Arrogance’s arm and pushed her behind me.

“Stay behind me.” I muttered. I was sure she said something back, but I was too busy trying to work out how to not fight Cody for her. Seriously, she just wasn’t worth it. Are you looking
up my skirt? Psh.

“Jonas, you’re going to fucking well PAY-”

“What the hell is going on here?!” John, our manager, burst through the crowd and into the small invisible bubble where Miss Arrogance, Cody and I were.

“Hi, John.”

“Cody?” John looked at me, confused. “Nick?” Even more confused. “Ro?!”

“Hi, Dad.” Miss Arrogance- apparently known as Ro – smiled grimly.

“You... I can smell alcohol!” John burst, sounding surprised.

“Yeah, because that jackass spiked the punch.” Ro glared at Cody. “If you don’t believe
me, try some yourself.”

John hesitated, before doing so. I felt Big Rob materialize beside me.

“Rob, get someone to take this away... Ro’s right, it’s spiked.” John turned to me. “Nick, thank you. Do you mind taking Ro outside for me?”

“Sure.” I muttered. I wasn’t happy with it, but hey, maybe John would be able to do me a favour at some later point.

I took Ro’s wrist and led her out of the club, ignoring people’s whispers as we walked by. I felt, more than saw, Selena and Miley gawk at me.

As soon as we got out of the stupid club, Miss Arrogance found her voice again.

“I was doing fine, I didn’t need your help.” Ro hissed at me, before cradling her knuckles again.

“Oh, it really looked it, with Cody having a firm grip on you and all.” I shot back sarcastically. I sighed. “I didn’t even know John had a daughter. What’s your name?”

Ro laughed.

“Oh, you won’t need my name.”

“Why’s that?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“You’d only need my name for future reference.” Ro commented. “And, trust me, we won’t be
seeing each other again.”

“You know you’re an ungrateful little bitch, right?” I snapped.

Ro raised an eyebrow.

“The Disney boy knows profanities. What next? He’s had a beer?” Ro smiled brightly...
and sarcastically.

“You’re hot, but you’re not that hot.” I muttered. Ro just raised her eyebrows at me. I watched as she shivered slightly. “Oh, that’s ironic.” I commented. The hot girl was cold; like her ice cold heart. I sighed. “Where’s your jacket?”

“It’s inside.”

I sighed theatrically again, took off my suit jacket and dropped it unceremoniously by her
feet. Bitch better catch it before it lands in that puddle...

At the last moment possible, she picked it up and stared at me funny.

“Put it on then.” I muttered. “God. I’m being nice.”

“I’m not asking you to.”

“What is your problem?” I asked. “And why aren’t you drunk from whatever he put into your drink?”

“What’s yours?” Ro shot back, before snorting. “Trust me, Disney, I have a much higher tolerance for alcohol than you or any of your friends inside.”

Just then, John came storming out of the club.

“Nick, thank you for that.” He told me sincerely, shaking my head. Big Rob came up to me- great, another lecture. I tuned Rob out and listened to John and his estranged daughter instead.
“It’s cool.” I replied quietly, to no-one in particular, watching John and Ro.

“Ro, are you okay? Cody... I didn’t realize he was such a scumbag...”

“Yeah.” Ro muttered awkwardly, watching her high-heeled shoes.

“But... Well, you didn’t help the situation with that dress...”

Ro’s head shot up.

“Excuse me?”

“I know we haven’t spoken much since you arrived, but...”

“But what?” Ro asked, through what sounded like gritted teeth.

“... You really should have let me seen what you were wearing before you left the house...”

“For real?” I heard Ro ask incredulously.

“Ro, you look lovely, but maybe you should have-”

“No...” Ro muttered. “No!” Ro muttered louder this time. “Look. With all due respect; you
have never been my dad, okay? And I didn’t move in with you for you to become one. I moved in here because you did exactly what you’re doing now. And you know what? It’s time you heard what I thought about that.” Ro paused and I heard her step forward and say lowly; “You have never been my dad before now. So don’t think you can start now.
Because you can’t make up for seventeen years with one sentence of dad-like concern.”

Ro then walked past John and over to me; I wasn’t even hiding that I had been listening aptly.

“Thanks for the jacket.” She told me stiffly, before removing it from her shoulders and passing it to me.

Then she walked away, leaving John, Big Rob and most certainly me, shocked behind her.