One in a Million

An hour and a half was all it took for Aalia to land in Los Angeles, and the time flew by quicker than she thought possible. All she could think about was him. Constant questions poured into her mind. Why had he asked about such things? Why had he acted so mysteriously? Why had his voice sounded so rehearsed, like he’d been practicing every word and expected her answer to be what it had been?

She doubted she would ever find out.

Caroline picked her up from the airport and the two of them drove down the city streets to her family’s home. Aalia had never seen her best friend with such sadness in her eyes. They’d hugged each other tightly for a long time at the initial meeting after Aalia had collected her bags. After that, talking to Caroline didn’t seem normal. She seemed too quiet. Too distracted. Too afraid.

“I bought you a test,” Aalia told her at a red light.

Caroline couldn’t bear to look at her out of shame.

“Thanks, love,” she said, trying to smile at her lap.

Aalia reached over and kissed the side of Caroline’s head to comfort her.

“I miss Dyl,” said Caroline.

Aalia thought of how she hadn’t spoke to Dylan since she’d left for Florida and her heart stung with guilt. She’d been too preoccupied with her own drama to remember to call.

“So do I,” she said, “Maybe we’ll Skype her later.”

Caroline shook her head as the light turned green and she continued driving.

“I can’t tell her just yet,” she sighed.

“Caroline, you don’t even know if it’s certain yet.”

“Don’t you see?” She sounded like she was laughing but not in a pleasant way, “The fact that it’s even possible is what I’m ashamed of.”

Aalia had told Caroline many times in the past to be careful with these kinds of things, but she had never listened. Aalia couldn’t help but feel sad that she had to learn the hard way.

“I can tell you because I tell you everything,” Caroline continued, “Dylan is different. She always warned me this would happen, and now she’ll have the satisfaction of telling me she told me so.”

“Dylan would never say that,” Aalia assured her.

Caroline seemed to agree with her but said nothing about it.

“You’re the only person I’ve told.”

“You haven’t told your parents?” Aalia asked.

She scoffed. “No way. Remember my first few emails? My parents think I know nothing about sex. They would murder me if they found out.”

“Who’s the father?”

Caroline was quiet for a long time, biting her lip anxiously. She hadn’t looked at Aalia since they’d left the airport, but Aalia could still read her face like she always had.

“Do you even know, Caroline?” Aalia couldn’t help but raise her voice in disbelief.

“No, no, it’s not like that,” Caroline rushed to explain, “I know who the father is.”

Aalia waited for her to go on.

“He doesn’t know. He can’t know. If he knows, then everyone else knows. And he’d be ruined,” she said.

“How can you be so worried about his reputation?” Aalia was getting angry.

“It’s not what you think.”

“Then what is it? You’re just not going to tell him?”

“It’s better if I don’t.” Caroline’s voice was small and quiet.

“He has every right to know. You have to tell him. If you are pregnant, and we don’t know if you are for sure yet, you can’t do this alone, Caroline. Of course you’ll have me and Dylan and your family if you choose to tell all of them, that is. But that child would need its father.”

“You never did,” Caroline reminded her.

Aalia thought about how she’d been raised with her mother after her father had left them when she was just a toddler. She hadn’t thought about him in a long time. She tried her best not to.

“That’s not true,” she said slowly, “There were times I needed him in my life more than you think.”

Caroline didn’t say anything back to that.

“We’ll figure this out,” Aalia assured her as they pulled into the driveway of the house, “Don’t worry.”

----------------------------------

Aalia could never get over how different Caroline was from her family. Her parents were quiet and awkward, always exhibiting smiles that were too white and too wide. Every move seemed rehearsed. Every word seemed indifferent. They were blind to every negative aspect to the world, completely convinced that everything was always perfect, especially in their little family. Aalia didn’t blame Caroline for not rushing to tell them about her secret.

The Carter house didn’t make Aalia feel at home in the slightest. She’d visited before and Caroline’s parents had always liked her more than their daughter’s other friends, but Aalia felt out of place.

After Aalia greeted Caroline’s parents and explained how she had missed their daughter so much that she’d come for a little visit, she went upstairs into Caroline’s bedroom and locked the door.

“I have something to tell you,” Aalia said quietly. Caroline’s eyes went wide and she took a seat on her bed, prepared to listen.

“Alright, shoot,” she said.

Aalia took a deep breath and prepared to tell her the story. She wasn’t worried about what could go wrong anymore if she told Caroline.

She told her everything. She told her about her first conversation with him. How he called every night at the same time for weeks. How his voice sounded softer and more familiar every night. How they played Twenty Questions. How he stopped calling for so long. How Aiden kissed her. How he called again at the airport.

How she fell for him.

She paced back and forth in the room, using her hands to talk and try to make the story make sense for both herself and for Caroline. Her words were jumbled, but Caroline saw that the way Aalia talked about him was unlike anything she’d ever seen before.

“And now I don’t know what to do,” Aalia said with tears in her eyes, “I don’t know what his questions meant. I don’t know.”

Caroline stared at her in shock.

“Say something, Caroline,” Aalia said, “Please.”

Caroline blinked and licked her glossed lips.

“Wow,” she exclaimed.

Aalia sighed and threw herself on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. “That helps,” she said sarcastically.

“Sorry, I’m just trying to take this all in.”

Caroline laid down beside Aalia.

“You know I’m the best person to go for boy advice,” she said, “I mean, I don’t mean to toot my own horn or anything. I’m not being cocky. I’m just good. I’ve been told.”

Aalia laughed a tiny laugh.

“But this,” Caroline sighed, “I don’t know about this, girl.”

Aalia closed her eyes, reaching into her pocket and wrapping her long fingers around her phone, thinking about all the nights she had spent with that phone pressed to her ear. With him.

“I guess this is just one of those things you have to let unravel itself,” said Caroline, “You don’t know who he is, and who is the only person who can tell you that? Him.”

Aalia sighed deeply.

“This is a crazy situation,” Caroline laughed, “I’m kind of jealous.”

“Jealous?” Aalia asked, “Why?”

“You have a Mystery Boy, Aalia! It’s exciting.”

Aalia could describe her current situation with him with many words. Confusing. Erratic. Mysterious. But not exciting.

--------------------------------------------

Lights.

They were back and they were everywhere.

Apparently, Caroline went partying every night. And despite what was going on with her, she still insisted on going.

“I have to relax,” she’d told Aalia, “I have to just get my mind off it.”

Aalia had agreed, thinking it was harmless. Maybe some dancing and some food would do Caroline some good.

But not this kind.

Aalia and Caroline had arrived at a house at half past eleven; apparently, it belonged to a friend she’d met at an audition once and she’d come here for parties often.

Aalia felt beyond uncomfortable. She didn’t know anyone other than Caroline, who ditched her for the dance floor more times than once. People tried to mingle with Aalia; one guy actually asked for her number. But she felt too awkward to successfully keep a conversation going. Everything reminded her too much of the Mystery Boy.

“You’re so antisocial,” his voice lingered in her mind. She smiled at the memory.

She missed him.

But her smile faded when she spotted Caroline standing in the middle of a circle of people. She watched in horror as Caroline downed shot after shot of a colorless liquid. Vodka, probably. Caroline grinned as she dropped her last shot glass and it fell to the floor, shattering.

Aalia got to her as fast as she could, pushing through the crowd of people to find her and grab her before she fell to the floor as well.

“Caroline, what the hell are you doing?” she yelled over the blaring music. Caroline’s eyes closed as she laughed.

“Having fun!”

“You can’t drink like this!” Aalia dragged her out of the circle and sat her in a chair by the wall. “You shouldn’t be drinking at all.” She looked down at Caroline’s stomach.

Caroline laughed again.

“Relax!” she said too loudly, “You’re too tense! Live a little!”

“Caroline, this is ridiculous! I can’t believe you’re do—"

Before Aalia could finish her sentence, a guy with dirty blonde hair and a goatee came up beside Caroline and tapped her shoulder. She turned to him with raised eyebrows.

“He’s here!” he told her excitedly, pointing behind her.

Her smile grew as she turned to Aalia.

“He’s here!” she exclaimed.

Aalia was confused.

“Who?” she asked loudly, “Who’s here?”

Caroline began tugging on her arm and pulling her forward in the direction of where the guy had pointed.

“Caroline! Who’s here?” Aalia repeated.

“That guy I’ve been telling you about!” Caroline shouted back at her.

Aalia remembered how Caroline’s emails gushed over an amazing guy she’d met and how excited she’d been to tell Aalia about him. Aalia guessed he must be the same guy she’d been with this whole time.

Caroline sifted through the crowd clumsily, stumbling over a few times with drunkenness, dragging Aalia along by the arm.

When he came into view, Aalia couldn’t believe her eyes.

He was standing in the midst of a large group of party-goers, laughing with blindingly white teeth. His hair was shorter than she’d seen in pictures. Expensive looking sunglasses covered his eyes, despite the fact that it was after dark, but they didn’t prevent her from immediately recognizing him. It was impossible for her to be more shocked than she already was.

Joe Jonas. Right there in the flesh. Staring back at Caroline like she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.