Love Me or Hate Me

My favorite memories of childhood always circled around Vanessa and the Jonas boys. Denise and my mother had been best friends since they were in high school, and when the boys moved back in town in 1996, I was four. I had just met Vanessa, who was my first, and only best friend. We met when we were three and a half at the park and became best friends instantly. The boys and I were always together, and Vanessa joined us whenever her parents let her. They were the closest thing I had to siblings, and I loved them all dearly.

First Memory: The Meeting 1996
My mother and I were driving to the airport to pick up some of her friends who were moving here from Texas. I was tired and hungry, and the only reason I agreed to come along was because Dad was working so he couldn't watch me.

"Mom, I'm bored." We were driving in the Chevvy Tahoe, which had none of my toys or books in it because we never drove it. It was too big for our small, three person family, and I didn't understand why we were driving it. "Why do we have to drive in the Tahoe, Mom?"

She sighed, signaling to me she had already explained why and I had forgotten, again. I hated being four. "Remember my friends we're going to go pick up?" She asked, looking at me thorugh the rear-view mirror. I nodded, and she smiled at me. "Well, they have a really big family, five people in all so far, and we need to have enough room for everyone to fit."

"Oh." It made sense now. "Why are we picking them up again?"

She sighed again, and I felt bad for making her repeat herself so many times. "They just moved here, and their stuff is still getting driven over from Texas." I opened my mouth to ask where Texas was, but my mom cut me off before I could speak. "Texas is where Papa and Rosie live." Papa and Rosie were my mother's parents. "They are going to live in Alex and Carls' old house across the street. The mom's name is Denise, and the dad is Paul. I've known Denise I went to school, before you were born, and she's my best friend, just like Vanessa is yours. She has three sons: Kevin, Nick, and Joe. Nick is your age, Joe is almost seven, and Kevin is almost nine."

I was silent for a moment, processing all the information my mother had given me. "Do you think Nick and I will be best friends like you and Denise?" I asked my mother.

She looked back at me with a smile. "I sure hope so, sweetie."

The rest of the ride was uneventful and quiet. I was too busy thinking about the three boys who were soon going to fill up our huge car, and my mother was probably thinking about Denise. When we pulled up to the outside of the baggage claim in the airport, I caught sight of five dark-haired people waiting outside on the curb before my mom blocked my sight and unbuckled me from my booster seat.

Her hands moved quickly, and I was soon freed from the awful grip of the seatbelt. She looked down at me with a stern smile and spoke quickly before I could start working myself up over meeting the Jonas family. "You have to be nice, and I don't want any shyness or hiding behind me, okay Genevieve?"

"Yes, mama," I said meekly. I hated meeting new people; it was always so scary. I braced myself for the meeting to come. My mother didn't let go of me, and I sighed. "I'll be nice, Mama. I'll talk and try not to be shy."

"That's my girl." She smiled at me and picked me up in her arms, plopping me down on the curb in front of her.

I looked up to see five people: one curly-haired boy that looked my age, one wavy haired boy that looked a little older than me, one curly-haired boy that looked to be the oldest brother, one man that had wavy hair, and one curly-haired woman. They were all staring at my mother and I, and finally the woman spoke up.

"Is that really you, Claire?" She asked. She had a huge smile on her face, and I knew at once that this must be Denise.

"Yes, Denise, it's really me," my mother said, laughing softly.

She walked forward and gave Denise a hug. I trailed behind her, hiding from the three boys curious eyes. My mother and Denise pulled back and looked at each other, smiling.

"It's been far too long." My mother was crying, and I couldn't tell why.

"Why are you crying Mama?" I asked, worried. I didn't want to see her cry.

She looked down at me and smiled. "Don't worry, baby girl, I'm crying because I'm happy to see Aunty Denise. I haven't seen her in a long time, and I'm crying because I missed her."

"Oh."

Denise then bent down at looked at me, her eyes level with mine. "Are you the famous Genevieve I've been hearing so much about over the phone?"

I blushed. "Yes," I said shyly.

"Well, you definitely are just as pretty as your mother said you were, and I can't wait to get to know you better." She held out her arms. "Can I have a hug?"

I smiled and wrapped my arms around her. "You're nice," I whispered in her ear, and then pulled back and put my hands behind my back.

Denise looked surprised at my show of affection. I knew my mother had probably told her I wasn't big on hugging or talking. "Thank you." Denise said. "That means a lot." She got up and dusted her knees off. "This is my husband, Paul." She put her arm around the wavy haired man and pulled him closer to her. "And these are my three sons: Kevin, Nick, and Joe." She smiled down at her sons, and they smiled back at her.

"It's nice to meet you all," my mother said, smiling. She looked down at me. "Aren't you going to say something, Genevieve?"

"It's nice to meet you," I said, blushing and looking down at my feet.

I looked up at my mother and she was smiling. Her attention then shifted away from me and towards Denise and Paul. They began to load the bags in the car and talk, leaving Nick, Joe, Kevin, and I to talk to each other. It was very quiet for a few moments, and I looked down at my hands that were now in front of me. Whenever I was nervous I moved my arms around a lot.

"So…you're name is Genevieve?" A voice asked kindly. I looked up from my hands to see that it was the wavy haired boy speaking.

"Yes. It is."

"Don't you have a nickname?" he asked. "I'm Joseph, but everyone calls me Joe, so you must have a nickname too."

"Everyone just calls me Genevieve." I stated quietly. No one had ever given me a nickname before.

"Well…we're going to have to make you a nickname." The older, curly-haired boy named Kevin spoke. "My real name is Paul, but everyone calls me by my middle name, Kevin."

"Hi…Kevin." I said, unsure of myself.

Joe laughed, and then his face turned serious. "I'm going to think up a nickname for you." He scrunched up his face and thought. "How about Gen!"

Nick spoke up. "I think we should call her V. We could call her Gen, but there's too many of those already."

"V…I like it." I said. I actually did like it. Nick was a very smart 4-year old.

(<<<<<<LOVE>>>>>>)

Second memory: The Beach 1998
We were at the beach, and it was freezing cold. I was all alone staring at the water, thanks to Joe and his great idea to start a sand fight with Vanessa, Nick, and Kevin. Even though Joe was nine, he always seemed to act like he was five. I loved him like a big brother, but he was annoying.

I sat staring at the waves, thinking of how beautiful they were, and started to sing random high notes as each wave fell.

"Nice singing," Nick said genuinely, and sat down next to me.

I blushed and stopped singing, looking around to see where Joe and Vanessa were. I found them sitting on a rock and talking. I could see how a huge smile on Vanessa's face, and I smiled brightly, forgetting Nick was there.

All of a sudden I saw a six-year old hand flashing in front of my face.
"V, I was talking to you. Did you even hear me?" Nick's voice was slightly distressed. I felt bad for forgetting about him.

"Sorry, Nick. I was just seeing where Vanessa and Joe were. Where's Kev and your mom?" Aunty Denise was the one who had taken us all to the beach.

"Mom's talking to some lady at the parking lot, and Kevin went to go talk to her about going to a friends after we leave," Nick said absent-mindedly. "Hey, you want to see what I found? He put his hand in his pocket, and then turned to me excitedly, his leg brushing against mine. I was only six, but with that little touch I felt my whole body go warm.

"S-sure." I stuttered.

Nick looked at me strangely, and put his hand to my forehead. "Are you okay, V? You're acting really weird." He took his hand down. "You don't have a fever though."

"Yeah…I'm fine. Don't worry. Show me what you found?" I asked.

"Oh, yeah." Nick's face lit up with a smile. It was a full-toothed smile, and I knew that whatever he found must be special. "I found this." He stuck out his hand, and the only thing in it was some old oyster shell.

I looked at it and then looked up at his face. He was looking down at me expectantly, waiting for me to do or say something.
"It's…beautiful?" I didn't know what to say. It was an oyster shell, not a hunk of gold.

Nick started laughing. "It's not the outside I wanted you to look at, silly. Open it up."

He held the oyster shell out to me, the big shell cupped into both of his hands, and I took it hesitantly. I looked at him and he nodded at me, telling me to open it. I slowly pulled up the top of the shell and gasped. Inside of the shell was a pearl the size of a quarter. I stared at in awe as it glistened in the light, and then looked up to see Nick smiling shyly.

"Do you want it?" he asked. "I wanted to give it to you…since you're my best friend and all…"

I stared at him in shock. "You can't give this to me, Nick! It's too-"

"Pretty?" Nick asked, still smiling at me. "The only other girl I would be willing to give it to is my mom, and she already has enough pearls. I wanted to give it to you because it's pretty like you and you're my best friend."

"You could have given it to Vanessa." I said softly, looking down.

Nick and I were best friends, but him and Vanessa played more together. I played a lot with Joe. I think we both played with one of the spazzes because it helped to bring each of us out. We were more quiet and reserved, and Joe and Vanessa were hyper maniacs.

"I don't want to give it to Vanessa." I looked back up, and his face was serious again. Nick was a thinker, just like me. "I want to give it to you, Genevieve. You can either take it or I can throw it back into the ocean."

"I'll take it," I said quickly. Something that beautiful only came around once in a lifetime, and I wasn't willing to let it go.

"Good." Nick smiled at me smugly. He always outsmarted me and got me to do what he wanted in the end. "Because I want you to have it."

"Thanks, Nick." I blushed.

I took the pearl out of the oyster shell and stuck it into my jacket pocket. I was going to ask my mother what to do with it when we got home…

(<<<<<<ME>>>>>>)

Third Memory: First Day of School (Fourth Grade) 2000
It was the first day of school, and Nick wasn't there. He promised he would be back from his Broadway play to walk to school with Vanessa and I, but he wasn't home. I was pissed, and everyone could tell. It was definitely not a good way to start the school year.

Since Nick wasn't there to walk with us, Joe decided to be a gentleman and walk us to school, even though he was in the middle school that was a couple blocks down from the elementary school. At the entrance to the school Joe stopped and gave us both hugs. All of the kids from our class that were sitting on the stairs stared at us with shock on their faces. A SEVENTH GRADER was hugging Vanessa and Genevieve, the two most crushed on girls in the grade. It just added more to our 'power.'

"Have a good day, girls," He said smiling. He turned to me. "V, I know Nick's not here…but don't be too mad at him when he comes back. He tried his best to leave but they wouldn't let him." He then turned to Vanessa and smiled at her. "I know you'll be fine, Ness. Take care of Genevieve and make sure she doesn't fight anyone without Nick."

He wiggled his eyebrows at me and I smacked him. "Shut up, Joe! I don't miss Nick that much!"

"Oh, you don't, do you?" Nick's voice sounded from behind all of us.

I turned around and gasped, my best friend was back! My face lit up and I ran over to him, giving him a huge hug and a peck on the cheek.

"I thought you didn't miss me?" Nick said confused, holding his cheek where I had kissed him.

"I was lying, duh!" I giggled. "How could I not miss you? You're my best guy friend!"

"Besides Vanessa," Joe said quickly, not thinking. Nick and I started laughing.

"Umm…I'm a girl Joe." Vanessa said awkwardly.

"Oh! I didn't hear the guy part!" Joe blushed. "Sorry Ness!"

"It's okay Joe." She smiled at him, and then whacked him arm.

"Ow!" He rubbed his arm. "What was that for?"

"For you being late," She said matter-of-factly.

"I'm not late…" Joe said, confused.

Nick, Vanessa, and I started our countdown. "5, 4, 3, 2, 1…" DING!!! Joe jumped and Nick, Vanessa, and I rolled our eyes. This happened every time Joe walked us to school. He always stayed to long and ended up running to the middle school down the street.

"UGH!" Joe stomped his foot on the ground like a baby. "You guys need to give me more warning next time."

"Whatever, Joe," Nick said, walking into the building with Vanessa and I on one side of him. "Have fun running."

Joe glared at us and started sprinting down the block as fast as he could, with Vanessa and I laughing at him as hard as we could from the front door of the school. When he was finally out of sight we turned around, only to find the halls empty and quiet, devoid of students.

"Uh-oh," I started.

"We're late." Vanessa sighed.

"Again." Nick said dully.

"Because of Joe," I mumbled.

Vanessa grumbled. "It's ALWAYS because of Joe."

"Seriously," Nick groaned as we got to the door of our classroom. Luckily we were all in the same class this year, unlike last year where we all went through hell in different classrooms. Nick opened the door and waited for Vanessa and I to walk in the class. "It was even like this last year. I don't understand why he has to walk us to school, it's stupid."

"I know. It's like the first day of 2nd grade all over again."

I stopped when I saw the little old lady who was our teacher glare at us. Not only were we ten minutes late, but we weren't even acting like we cared. She looked icily at us and then spoke,
"I presume that you are Genevieve Adams, Nicholas Jonas, and Vanessa Riggs?" She asked in a strict voice. I don't understand how a woman like here could ever become a fourth grade teacher. I could tell we were going to get hell this year.

"Yes," We answered meekly, not wanting to get even more on her bad side.

"Do you want me to call you a nickname?" She asked coldly.

Nick, Ness, and I looked at each other. "No," we decided. "It's fine."

"All right." She was still shooting us daggers through her eyes. "Go find some seats and sit down while I tell you the rules for this year."

She walked up to the blackboard up front and being scratching on it with a piece of chalk as Nick, Vanessa, and I walked to the back of the room where the only open group of seats was. Everyone in the class was staring at us, and I heard them whispering. In third grade a bunch of people had thought that Nick and I were and Joe and Vanessa were dating, and I'm guessing our appearance this morning hadn't exactly shut down the rumors.

I sighed and plopped down in my seat, with Vanessa on my left and Nick on my right. I squinted to see the board and realized why I hated seats in the back so much: I couldn't see and I couldn't hear. Just when I realized that the teacher, Mrs. Smith, told us that our seats we sat in now would be our seats for the rest of the year. I groaned and started pounding my head softly against the desk. Just as I was about to kill some more brain cells, I felt a soft hand come between my head and the desk.

"Don't do that V," Nick said softly. "It's not good for your brain."

"I don't care right now, Nick," I told him grumpily. "I'm tired, and I can't see or hear, and I'm still mad at you for not telling me you were coming back today."

"Well I came back, so you should be happy," Nick said back to me. I could tell I was frustrating him.

"Well, lucky for you, I'm not." I stated, crossing my arms in front of my chest and pouting. "Why'd you even come back? It's not like I need you."

"I came back to be with you!" Nick yelled at me. His face was bright red and his curls were bouncing against his cheeks as he yelled. "They wanted me to stay, but I came back because I wanted to be with my best friend for the first day of school! I though you would be happy, but you're not, so I'm going to leave now."

Mrs. Smith started yelling at Nick but he just ignored her and walked out of the room and into the hall to think. I knew he would be back soon, so I didn't follow him. I don't think I could have even if I tried, anyway. I was too much in shock. I sat there with my head on my hands, staring off into nowhere, Vanessa sitting next to me with her mouth wide open in a gasp.

Vanessa realized I was zoning, and snapped out of her shocked moment. "You okay?" She whispered, poking my side.

"Nick came back to be with me," I said softly. It was all I could say, and for Vanessa it was enough.

(<<<<<<OR>>>>>>)

Fourth Memory: Christmas 2002
It was Christmastime, and I couldn't have been happier. Nick was back from Beauty and the Beast, and the rest of us were out of school. Everything was perfect.

It was December 19th and I had gotten everyone presents except for Nick. He was my best friend, but I didn't know what to get him. He never seemed to want anything, which made it even harder. I got my parents and Paul and Denise the usual gift cards, Vanessa I got clothes, Joe I got a stuffed spider monkey, Frankie I got a Webkinz, and I got Kevin some guitar picks signed by famous dudes. Everyone had offered suggestions on what to get him: stuffed animals (Joe), a matching necklace to the pearl one that I had made out of his pearl (Vanessa), or bake him cookies (my mom.) Finally Kevin told me to chill and just, "Make something from the heart." So I did.

Christmas Eve rolled around and everyone was bustling around. We were having Christmas dinner at the Jonas house, the fact being no one in my family could not cook. Vanessa's parents: Daphne and Frank were coming, and my dad had actually taken off time from a business trip to have Christmas dinner with us.

It was four p.m., and I had just finished my shower. We had to be there at six, so I had tons of time. I walked out of my bathroom and into my room with only a towel on, only to find Joe and Nick sitting on my bed with a two-year old Frankie waddling around my room.

"What are you guys doing here?!" I screamed, almost dropping my towel in the process.

"We, uh, just, um, came to, uh, check on you?" Nick said. Both his and Joe's faces were bright red.

Frankie waddled up to me and pulled on my towel. I smiled down at him, holding my towel tightly to my body. "Hey, Tank. What's up?"

"Vivi," Frankie gurgled.

My face broke out into a grin and I tucked my towel in so I didn't have to hold it, scooping Frankie up and giving him a kiss on the cheek. I then turned to the boys who were staring at me and glared at them.
"Get out right now or I'll shoot you both," I said seriously.

They both gulped and practically ran to the door. I followed them slowly, still holding Frankie. When I got to the door I set Frankie down. The boys were nowhere in sight, meaning they had probably already ran down the stairs and to the living room.

"Vivi?" Frankie's lip trembled. He didn't want me to leave him outside my door.

I sighed and got down to my knees. "Frankie, you have to stay out here for five minutes while I put my clothes on, okay?"

He nodded, showing he had understood. He was only two, but he was all ready almost as smart as Joe, and I'm not kidding when I say that. He sat down right outside my door, preparing to wait while I put on my underclothes and dress on.

I shut the door and ran to my drawers, pulling on underwear and a bra. I then threw my towel into the bathroom and headed over to bed where I had lain out the dress I was going to wear. I stood and admired it for a moment, before putting it on. I reached in the back to pull up the zipper and realized that I wouldn't be able to pull it up with help. I sighed and walked to the door, holding the back of the dress. When I opened the door all three boys were sitting outside of the door with their legs crossed, waiting for me to open the door.

"You guys can come in if you want." I offered. "But you have to be nice and help me choose stuff to wear. Deal?"

"Deal." All three boys said quickly. Nick and Joe pushed past me to get into my room, leaving me standing in the doorway with Frankie.

I looked down at Frankie, and saw him waiting for me to walk into the room. He was such a little gentleman. "Thanks, Tank," I said, walking into the room.

"Welcome, Vivi," Frankie said, following me and slamming the door behind him.

Nick and Joe were lying on my bed, watching t.v., so I decided to get them back for being rude. I walked in front of the television and stood there, still holding my dress up in the back.

"GENEVIEVE MOVE!" Nick yelled. I could tell, without looking at the TV, that the boys were watching sports. Only sports interested Nick that much.

"Hey! What are you doing Genevieve?" Joe yelled like a child. His face squished up and he began to pout. "I was watching that, stupid!"

"Don't call Vivi the "s" word, Joey," Frankie said in his stern baby voice, standing next to me and taking my hand in his little one. "It's not nice."

"Sorry, Vivi," Joe said meekly. Everyone did what Frankie said, because he always was so cute and nice to everyone. "Can you please move from in front of the TV Nick and I are trying to watch it."

"I'm not moving and you're not going to be watching TV," I stated to the boys. Their faces dropped, and Joe clicked the remote to turn the TV off. They could tell I was pissed. "You came into my room without even saying hello, then run off when I yell at you, and only come back after to watch TV? It's CHRISTMAS for crying out loud," I paused for a breath, and then continued. "And I need someone to help me with my dress." I said softly.

"Sorry, V."

Nick and Joe both got off of the bed and came over to me to give me a hug. Frankie waddled over to my bed and hopped on the empty space they had left.

"So do you want me to zip up your dress for you?" Nick stuttered out. He had never helped me with my clothes before, so I bet this was kind of awkward for him.

"Yeah, either you or Joe can." I smiled at him, glad that him and Joe were finally paying attention to Frankie and I.

"I'm not doing it," Joe said, backing away and putting his hands up. "I might get cooties from V." A pillow flew through the air and hit Joe in the back of the head. "Ow! What was that for?" He turned around to see Frankie glaring at him.

"Vivi does not have cooties, Joey," Frankie said sternly. He was so the boss. "Apologize again."

"Sorry, Vivi," Joe said, hanging his head. This was the second time he had apologized in less than five minutes.

Joe walked over to the bed and began to talk to Frankie as Nick went behind me to zip up my dress. I felt his hand on my back, and I got chills from the sudden warmth on my cold back.

"So, I just zip it up like a pair of pants?" Nick asked, hesitating.

"Yeah." I shivered again. "Can you hurry up? I think a gust of wind just blew through my dress."

"Yeah, sorry." He swiftly pulled up the zipper and clasped the top of the dress. "There you go," He said, coming around to face me again.

"Thanks," I smiled.

"Your welcome." He smiled a full-toothed smile back, and my heart started pounding. Whenever Nick was around I was the happiest person ever, it was actually kind of weird.

We stood there awkwardly for a few moments, and then Joe cleared his throat. "Why are you both smiling like idiots?"

Nick and I both jumped and Nick ran his hand through his hair.

"I was just thanking Nick for helping me," I said to Joe. I started to walk toward my closet, leaving Nick by my make-up table. "He's actually nice to me, unlike you who think I have cooties," I teased.

Joe faked shock, and jumped off the bed to follow me into my walk-in closet. "I'm nice to you all of the time, V."

"Sure you are," I told him sarcastically. I bent over and picked up two pairs of heels, one silver and one red. "Which one should I wear?"

Joe looked at the heels thoughtfully. "Neither," he decided. "You should wear the red flats over there." He pointed to the flats I had gotten at the store a week ago. "That dress isn't really a good one for heels."

I nodded. "You're right." I smiled at him as I stuffed the heels pack into the shoe compartment. "Thanks Joe."

"No problem, V." He winked. "See, I can be just as nice as Nick."

Just then we heard a small crash come from my bedroom, and we turned around to see Nick and Frankie looking guiltily fat us. I grabbed the flats and shoved them on my feet, and then walked out with Joe to see the damage. On the ground was a smashed crystal vase of flowers. I sighed, things always broke around these boys, I was just glad it wasn't anything really valuable.

"We're sorry," Frankie said looking at me. He looked like he was going to cry. "It was an accident. Nick was trying to throw me the remote and it hit the vase. I'm s-sorry."

Tears began streaming down his face and I ran over to him and scooped him into my arms. He was like the baby brother I never had. "Oh, Frankie, it's okay." I cooed. "I know you didn't mean to. We'll just make Joe and Nick clean it up and you can help me pick my jewelry and do my make-up."

"Okay," Frankie sniffled.

Frankie hopped down from my arms and linked his hand in mine, pulling me over to the make-up table where my jewelry and make-up was. Nick and Joe gave us dirty looks as they went downstairs to grab brooms and stuff to clean up the mess. I just smiled and winked at them, and then sat down at the chair in front of my make-up table. I grabbed some black mascara and eyeliner, and put a little on. I didn't like too much make-up.

"How about this stuff?" Frankie held out a red thing of nail polish.

I looked down at my fingers and toes. They were freshly painted red and silver this morning. "Um, I already painted my toes Frankie." His face fell. "I'm sorry. I would offer to paint your nails but your brothers would kill me for turning you into a girl."

Frankie laughed. "Okay." He looked at my make-up. He grabbed a thing of strawberry flavored lip-gloss. "How about this?"

"It's perfect." I uncapped it and put it on. "How do I look?"

"Almost perfect." Frankie said. "You need to put on your perfume, though."

"Oh right! I almost forgot." I smiled at him. "Thanks, Tank."

"Sure, Vivi." He handed me my strawberry perfume. He couldn't read, but whenever he picked my make-up and perfume for me, he always made sure the flavor and scent matched. I didn't know how he did it, but I always just guessed it was because he was a genious.

"Thanks." I sprayed myself and opened the jewelry box. "Now you really have to help me with this. I don't know what to wear. It has to be red and silver though, okay?"

Frankie nodded. He looked at the jewelry thoughtfully and then pulled out a white gold ring with rubies and diamonds.

"Perfect," I said, taking it from him and sliding it on. "What else?"

He thought for a moment. "Where's the pearl necklace you always wear? It's so pretty."

I blushed. "Oh, that necklace." It was made from the pearl that Nick had given me, and I was wearing it. I had never taken it off ever since my mother had made the pearl into a white gold necklace chain for me. "I'm wearing it." I pulled it out into the open so he could see it.

"Good." He nodded in approval, and I smiled.

Frankie, as a two-year old, had better fashion than any of his brothers. Kevin was almost as cool with his scarves, but Nick and Joe were just regular guys. They wore whatever they wanted whenever they wanted, and they messed up most of their clothes playing around anyway. Denise was forever complaining about their ripped clothes.

"So…what else should I wear Frankie? I kind of need some earrings. I don't really need a bracelet, but you can pick one if you want," I started to ramble, but Nick's voice interrupted.

"Nice necklace, V."

I looked up to see him an inch away from my face, staring right into my eyes. "Th-thanks." I stuttered out.

"Is that the pearl I gave you?" He asked, smirking slightly at me. "Wasn’t that like…eight years ago?"

"Yeah, it was…" I looked down at the necklace. "And yeah, it is."

"I can't believe you actually kept it and made it into a necklace." Nick's voice was excited and happy. "How much do you wear it?"

"Every day," I whispered. I looked up to see Joe's shocked face and Nick's happy face. I smiled at Nick, and his grin widened.

"Well, it's beautiful. Just like you." He blushed.

"Dude, what's going on here?" Joe asked, confused. "Do you guys, like, like each other or something?"

The room went silent, and it was extremely awkward. Then Frankie broke the silence.

"I like these earrings," He said, holding up a pair of perfect ruby earrings with little pearls. He was the smartest two-year old ever.

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

With the help of Frankie, my outfit was officially perfect. I had already gotten tons of compliments on my outfit, including my jewelry choices. I gave Frankie all of the credit. It was after dinner, and now we were exchanging gifts.

Everyone else had already loved their presents, and now it was time to show Nick his gift. I cleared my throat and all of the chatter stopped, and all eyes were on me.

"I, uh, want to show you guys something." I gulped. "I didn't know what to get Nick, because he already has everything and he wouldn't tell me what he wanted…so I made him this."

I clicked on the flat screen TV as Vanessa dimmed the lights. I had told her of my plan, and she fully supported me on the whole thing. She was super excited to see Nick's reaction. He was a boy after all, so who knows what he would say.

The TV screen was black, and then letters appeared on the screen. It read:
"Nicholas & Genevieve: Growing Up Together"
There was a clip that Denise had taken of us when we first met and Nick thought up my nickname. After that were more clips of us growing up, then the final clip was just me saying how I didn't know what to give him, so I made this as a document of our friendship.

After the movie ended the lights came back on, and everyone in the room was crying, even the boys. Nick was speechless, and when I saw his face I burst out laughing.

"Are you okay, Nick?" I asked, chuckling.

"I'm-I'm good, V." He stuttered out. He turned to me. "I really like the present. Thanks."

"Sure." I looked down at the book of songs he had given me. "I really like your gift, too."

"Oh, well…" He started the run his hand through his hair, and I could tell he was nervous. Then he grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the crowded room and upstairs to his bedroom.

"Nicholas, where are you taking me?" I was slightly nervous, and I didn't know what he was going to do.

By this time we were in front of the door of his room, and he paused. He let go of my hand and turned around. "Well, I got you something when I was in New York on Broadway…but I didn't know if you would want it because I didn't know what you did with the pearl. But I saw that you made a necklace, so I wanted to give this to you. If you don’t like it I can always return it and get you something else prettier. You know I'm a boy so I don't have very good taste, and-"

I cut him off from his rambling. "I'm sure I'll love it. Now stop stalling and open the door, Nick." I said sternly.

"Okay…"

He opened the door and we walked into his room. It was spotless, like always, and I sat down on his bed as he walked into his bathroom to grab the gift he had gotten me. I was excited, and nervous about what it was, and I wished he would hurry up.

He walked out the door and sat down next to me with a little black box in his hand. We sat there for a few moments in silence as I stared at the box, and then I opened my mouth.

"Well are you going to open it, or is the box the present?" I asked sarcastically.

He blushed and opened the box. I gasped and covered my mouth with my hand. Inside of the box was the most beautiful pearl ring ever. It was a white gold band, with one large rose pearl surrounded by tiny white and brown diamonds.

"So…do you like it? Or do you want me to return it? Cuz I can, but I was hoping you would-"

"Shut up, Nicholas." I told him softly, and his mouth closed. "It's beautiful, and I love it! It matches the necklace perfectly." I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank, Nick. It's beautiful." I whispered in his ear. Then I pulled back and looked at him expectantly.

"Your welcome, V." Nick said. He was smiling, and I could tell he was ecstatic over the fact that I loved the ring. He took it out of the box and slid it onto my ring finger. It was a perfect fit.

"Is this a promise ring, Nick?" I asked. I was pretty sure it was, but I didn't know. Nick, Joe, and Kevin all had promise rings, and Frankie would probably get one when he was old enough.

"Yeah…it is." Nick said. "But it doesn't have to be if you don't want it to be."

"No, I want it to be." I looked up into his eyes. "I want to wait for someone special."

"Me too."

(<<<<<HATE>>>>)

Fifth Memory: Winter Break 2005

THE BOYS WERE LEAVING.

They were leaving me to chase their dreams. Nick had gotten signed to some recording company, and Joe and Kevin were going with him. Supposedly the president of the recording company was thinking about signing them as a band. I didn't want them to go. I wanted them to stay with me, to be with me forever, but they had to go. It was their life's dream, and I couldn't speak out against it. I loved them too much to make them stay.

On the day they decided to leave, two days after school got out, we decided that we would have one last get-together to say goodbye. My mom and I walked over to the now empty Jonas house and into the living room, only to find it full of boxes and people. Everyone in the Jonas family was there, and Vanessa and her family were there, too. The only person missing was my dad, John, but he was never really close them anyway, they were always my mother's friends.

I walked up to the group of kids, standing in-between Vanessa and Joe. Nick was across from me, and Kevin was sitting down next to him with Frankie on his lap. It was eerily silent, and I knew that everyone was thinking about what to say.

"So, I guess this is goodbye?" I smiled weakly. My eyes were beginning to tear up, and I blinked to clear them. "I'll always remember you guys."

Joe wrapped his arm around my shoulders and squeezed. He was now 17 and I was fourteen, and he made me feel like a midget. I was only 5'2", and he was already 5'8" and growing.

"It's never goodbye, V," Joe said softly. His voice was thick and I knew he was trying just as hard as I was not to cry. "We'll see you again. Plus we can always call you."

"We WILL see you again." I looked up to see Nick's stony face. "I promise you V, that we will see you again someday."

A silent tear fell down my face. I couldn't take this anymore, and the tears started flowing freely. Vanessa wrapped her arm around my waist, below Joe's. "But what if you guys forget me?" My voice was calm, but my heart was pounding and my tear ducts were working overtime. "What if you see me when your big and famous and you don't remember who I am but I remember you? What if I die before I see you again? You guys are going places, and I'm staying right here in a little town called Wyckoff, New Jersey. You won't want to hang around with someone like me. Anything could happen when you leave, and that's what I'm afraid of."

Joe and Nick looked at me in shock, and Kevin and Frankie looked up from the game they were playing to stare at me. "How could we ever forget you, V?" Nick said softly, his voice full of passion. "You were there with us through everything. You were there when Joe first got stitches because he wasn't looking when he was riding his bike and he ran into a trashcan. You were there for Kevin and Joe's first girl friends, and you were there with me to comfort them when they got their heart's broken. But the biggest thing of all," His voice broke. "Is that you were there with me when I got diabetes. Last month, the most important month of my life, you were there in the hospital. You held my hand and told me it was okay, even when I knew it wasn't. You skipped school to be with me. You were there with me through everything." He paused to compose himself, and a few tears fell down his cheek. I reached up to brush them away, but he caught my hand and held it in his own before I could touch his face. His touch warmed me up and slowed my tears. "You, Genevieve, will never be forgotten, no matter what happens between us. We may lose connection, or get busy with our music, but we will never forget you, ever."

I stood there and stared at him for a second, holding his and taking in all he had said. Joe and Vanessa were still hugging me from the sides, so I shrugged out of their grasp and took a step closer to Nick.

"I'm going to miss you so much, Nick," I said softly, looking into his eyes.

"I'll miss you too, V." He said, pulling me to him in one swift movement and holding me close. He pressed his face into my golden brown hair, and I swore that I heard him say, "I love you," before he pulled away. He smiled at me and laughed. "You're hair smells like strawberries." He randomly said.

"Joe moment," Vanessa muttered.

Everyone laughed and Joe shot her a glare. He crossed his arms and glared at her. "How was that a 'Joe moment'?" He whined. "I don't understand why I'm always picked on as being the stupid one."

"Well-" Nick started.

"It's because you kind of are." I finished, laughing.

Joe glared at me and I stuck my tongue out at him. I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned around to see Papa Jonas.

"I'm glad that you guys are smiling, now," He winked at me, and pulled me into a hug. "I saw you crying earlier. Don't worry, I'll make sure those boys call you," he whispered in my ear.

I pulled away and smiled at him. "Love you Papa Bear. I'm gonna miss you."

"I'll miss you too, Goldilocks," he retorted. I called Denise and Paul Mama and Papa Bear, and they both called me goldilocks. "Keep that blonde hair for me."

"Will do." I pecked him on the cheek and he moved on to Vanessa.

"How's my little redhead doing?" I heard him say before I was enveloped in Mama Jonas' arms.

"You're still so short, Genevieve," she said when she pulled away. "When are you going to grow to be as tall as your mother? You're going to grow at least two more inches, because you're daddy ain't short either."

"Ain't isn't a word, Mama Bear," I teased.

She smiled back. "I know, I know Goldilocks, but you know what I mean. You're going to be a model or something the next time I see you, with your mothers long legs and beautiful face."

I blushed. "Thanks."

Denise's face got serious. "I'm going to miss you so much, Genevieve," she said softly. Nick had gotten his quiet voice from her. She smiled at her four boys. "God blessed me with four beautiful sons, but you…you're like the daughter I always wished for." Her attention snapped back to my face, and she saw that I was crying again. "Now, don't you cry. We're going to come back to visit, and you'll have to share that big room of yours with either Frankie or Nick, doesn't that sound like fun?" I laughed and she smiled. "Much better. Now give me a kiss and I'm going to go say goodbye to the fiery princess standing by Joe."

I laughed at her description of Vanessa and gave her a peck on the cheek. "Love you Mama J."

"Love you too, baby girl." She smiled and walked over to Vanessa just as Papa J said his goodbyes.

I watched them all together and sighed.

"It's going to be hard without them." My mother's voice said from beside me, and I jumped. "Sorry dear." She apologized for startling me. "They're like family."

"Yeah, it's going to be hard." I leaned into her. She was still taller than me, and I liked that because it made me feel like her little girl. "But we have each other and daddy and Vanessa, so we'll be fine."

"Yeah," my mom said thoughtfully. "Thanks goodness for Vanessa. Without her this would be true hell."

"Seriously." I agreed. It was already hard enough with her, I couldn't think about what it would be like WITHOUT her.

A car horn beeped from outside the house, and Denise checked her watch. "Boys, we have to leave!" She said frantically.

We all ran out of the door to find the moving van outside and the two cabs that they had called to take them to the airport. My mother had offered to drive, but Denise refused. She said it would only be a nuisance for my mother. Everyone gave their last hugs and then hopped into their different cabs: Frankie, Denise, and Paul in one and Kevin, Nick, and Joe in the other.

I waved until the cabs disappeared, and when they were gone I just stood there in front of the house with tears running down my face. I missed them already, and they had just left.

After a few hours I felt an arm link in mine, and Vanessa's face appeared in front of my own. "It's dinnertime and we're going to go get pizza," I opened my mouth to protest and she cut me off. "You're coming whether you like it or not."

I sighed and got into my mother's car with her, her parents had already left to go back to work and my dad wasn't home yet. This was going to be harder than I expected.

(<<<<<<ME>>>>>>)

When Nick, Joe, and Kevin left, it was one of the hardest things I ever went through, and Vanessa was the only close friend I had left. Everyone else was "too busy," well that's what you get when you're popular, fake friends and fake pity. I was a zombie for days, and Nessa put up with it. The boys and I drifted apart, mostly because of the long-distance issue. It was hard to stay friends with someone who was in a whole different state, so our friendship just faded away.

It's been four years since the boys left, and Vanessa and I are both going to be seniors. My mother says that senior year was the best year of her life, but we all know that my mother has problems. High school sucks, and I expect senior year to be no different. I am not looking forward to school, and I am definitely not looking forward to being a senior.