Last Time Around

Leah's friend Stacy was going to give her a ride home after their soccer practice. I went straight home since I didn't have to work today and sat at my kitchen table thinking about multiple things, when I should be doing my homework.

Why was my phone getting alerts about the Jonas Brothers?

Who are they?

Why do they sound so familiar to me?

I walked into the back of our apartment to the first room on the right. My room. It was right next to the bathroom and across the hall from Leah's room. There is another room at the end, that we use for storage kind of. There is a small bed in there, for guest that we don't have. One of my guitars. Some boxes that I never seemed to have unpacked and other items that I'm probably not even aware of.

When I got into my room, I found my laptop under some blankets and turned it on. I typed in the Jonas Brothers into Google and plenty popped up. Images, concert tours, tickets, show times. They had their own show? Maybe Leah has watched it before. I clicked on images and saw three boys standing on stages, red carpets, and Miley Cyrus? What? That's not weird at all. Enlarging a photo to get a better view, I wait impatiently for it to load. Finally it pops up and my eyes pop open.

Nicholas!

I stared at the screen as a flashback replayed in my head.

It was three years ago. I was only sixteen. My parents had taken me to the mall to buy the newNever Shout Never CD. The mall parking lot was packed. Too packed for a Tuesday afternoon. We walk inside and head straight to the F.Y.E. there. A line, no it was a crowd, of girls were piled outside of the store. What the heck was going on? My dad helped plow through the girls to actually get inside the store. They waited as I walked to the back were the CD was most likely to be. I grabbed it, so happy, and turned around quickly. Too fast of course that I crashed into a guy that was tall, muscular, tan, and had thick black hair.
"I'm sorry!" I said while sitting on the ground.
"No problem. Are you okay?" He asked with a warm smiled. He had little teeth.
"I'm fine." I said before getting up. That really hurt.
"You're not hurt are you?" He asked offering his hand.
"Um, no, I don't think so." I checked myself. I pushed on my legs and arms. Nope, not bruised. "Yup, I'm good." I laughed.
"Hah, you're funny." He laughed too. "Are you buying a CD? I could sign it for you to make up for running you over." He offered trying to stop his chuckles.
"What?" I said. Who was this guy?
"Hold on, let me get my brothers." He said and put his arm up to wave over to guys. "Nick, Kevin, come here." Why was he calling these guys over?
"Who are you?" I asked.
"Um, Joe Jonas?" He said confused.

Two guys walked over. Both with curly hair but one was definitely older. The other looked young, maybe my age, and had super curl, poufy hair. It was kind of cute.
"And this is Kevin and Nick, my brothers." Joe said, still having confusion in his voice.
"I'm sorry, I don't recognize you guys." I admitted.
Kevin laughed and pointed up. Well all looked up at a poster hanging above our heads. It read 'Jonas Brothers! New album out today! With special guest themselves for a signing party!' Wow, that's embarrassing.
"Sorry." I smiled shyly.
"It's cool." Kevin said and briefly walked away.
"Look, I'm really sorry for the knock over." Joe said and glanced over his shoulder. "But I got to go, the fans." He shrugged and walked away.
I nodded and turned around to go find my parents.
"Wait!" A voice called. I turned around. It was Nick. "You forgot your CD." He said smiling at me. He was definitely cute.
"Oh, thanks." I smiled. I liked the sound of his voice, so nervously, I tried to keep the conversation rolling. "You ever heard of Never Shout Never?"
"No, but would you recommend it?" Nick asked. Was he flirting?
"Absolutely."
"I will then."
"Okay," I blushed.
After I bought the CD I left.

But it turned out that my parents needed to visit Sears for some new mattresses. Their beds were giving them back pains. So I wandered the mall on my own with money, looking for a snack to eat. I was sitting on a bench eating a pretzel and holding an Icee when a voice spoke behind me.

"Care if I join you?" It was Nick.

That was where it began. We hung out for three days. Three amazing days that somehow I did forget. But it ended as soon as it began. He left for his tour; I was stuck in Westlake while he roamed the world. He never called, wrote, or kept in any contact at all.

That was when I was always happy.
That was when I was so alone and lost.
That was when I was forced to grow up because everything changed.

Things will never be like they were then.