Now It's My Time to Strike Back

So, what are you saying, Nick? You don’t want to be with me anymore?

I’m sorry, Rosalina. I-I’ve fallen for someone else.

Who?

Victoria.

So, that’s it? You’ve grown close to her in the past five months and you’ve fallen for her instead of staying faithful with me? Nice.

This is what pushed me away from you! Your jealousy, Rose. I can’t deal with that. Victoria isn’t a bad person. She-

The hell she isn’t! She did this! This was part of her plan all along! She wanted the both of us to break up and for you and her to get closer so you could fall for her and lose interest in me. Don’t you see it, Nick?

Stop it, Rose! Just stop it! Please.. I’m-

Don’t you utter those words, Nicholas. We have a show to do in about thirty seconds. J-just go.

I’ll always love-

Don’t.

That was the last time I’d spoken to Nick on stage that night before I passed out, even though that was in April compared to the now hot, scorching heat of July weather in Florida. I was laying peacefully on a shaded bench in the yard Dad constructed over the summer after he found out Nick and I broke up.

But what surprised him more had to be the fact that Vic and Nick had actually started dating not too long after that even after I sung Haunted.

I hadn’t spoken to Vic either, especially not since the summer began in May. But summer was going to come to an end for us early this year since we were now seniors in high school. I’d promised Mrs. Thorne that I would be one of the seniors to come back to give the Freshman a tour of the school and even perform a new song I’d written over the summer.

Mel and I hadn’t seen each other since school ended, breaking me. I desperately needed her, but I knew I was over Nick and the whole drama.

I still talked to Joe and the other Jonas’, but it just wasn’t the same since Vic practically spent the entire summer there instead of helping Dad and I move from our mini-mansion into a smaller home a couple of weeks ago.

Currently, I stared up at the sky with my sunglasses in my jean shorts, black sandals, white blouse which obscured my white bathing suit which had pink, blue, and purple peace signs all over it. Dad had told me to wait out here for a while to “enjoy the scenery”, but decided to do it, anyway.

My mind went cloudy for a few moments as I got lost in the clouds, forgetting about the pain I felt in my heart not only from the break-up, but physically.

“Rose, will you come in here, please? Someone’s here to see you”, Dad called from the back porch screen door.

I sighed, my attention being on him instantly. My heart leapt with joy at him finally getting used to calling me “Rose” instead of “ Rosa” or “Rosalina”.

I stood, walking to the door, sliding it open, then turned to face him.

“So, what did you need me to come in for, Dad?” I began, stopping when I heard five voices yell “surprise!” each voice surprising me.

They belonged to Mel, Jake, Joe, Vic, and Nick. Wait. Nick?! What the hell is he doing here?!

I smiled in relief at Mel, Jake, and Joe, but Vic and Nick still had me stunned. I walked to Jake, Mel, and Joe, giving them a group hug. Jake had been my rock throughout everything besides the old gang, Joe, and Mel. Jake asked his mom to let him stay in Florida for the summer, so we had been hanging out a lot lately.

In fact, he helped us move two weeks ago and might I say, it was just as “hot” that day. I don’t know. I’ve been trying to move on from Nick and Jake has been taking my mind off of him.

“So, I want you to tell me everything. Your hair is so long now!” Mel gushed, linking arms with me as we headed into my room, Joe and Jake at our heels. She ran a hand through my now almost mid-back length hair compared to the shoulder blade length it was three months previously.

“Um, Rose? Aren’t you forgetting a couple of people?” Vic said in a slightly shocked tone with a hint of attitude.

I turned, facing her as the room fell silent, the smiles from Jake, Mel, and Joe disappearing immediately.

“No”, I answered simply before turning away leading my friends to my room.

…

“Your room-looks the same”, Mel said in shock causing me to laugh.

“Of course it does! I haven’t changed anything, silly”, I said, suppressing my laugh.

“It’s been two weeks! I’d expected you of all people to have gone crazy with renovating since you’re the interior designer”, she teased, winking at me.

“I haven’t had the time”, I repeated in a low tone, gaining Jake’s attention.

“What do you mean no time? It’s been two weeks. You’re so creative and everything. Mel’s right, though. What’s been going on?” Joe inquired.

Jake and I looked at one another, him knowingly shutting the door.

“Promise not to laugh?” I asked, getting nods from both Mel and Joe.

“I’ve been thinking about Nick ever since we broke up and seeing him today just brought back old memories”, I said, not wanting to go into detail.

“Thinking about him? Really, Rose, is that what you’re going to call it now?” Jake asked with sarcasm.

I took a sharp breath, wanting to blow up on him right there, but I stopped knowing we were both too stubborn and I was used to his attitude. He was my best friend for five years, after all.

“Jake, you know I don’t want to admit that he’s been on my mind. I was in love with the guy after all”, I said heatedly.

“Don’t let me get started on that”, he said through gritted teeth and I didn’t understand why he was getting more upset than usual.

“We understand he hurt you, Rose, but the reality is, Nick is a different person now”, Joe said for the first time, causing my attention to be on him.

“Different how, besides the obvious?” I asked, not knowing anything about the matter.

“Well, ever since you guys broke up, he’s been sort of..inspired”, he said.

“Inspired how?” I asked, obviously confused.

“He, well, wrote a song this summer and I really don’t know if you’d want to hear it or not”, he admitted.

“I don’t care about music anymore. I’m just supposed to perform the one song at the school and just stay there until the term starts, so, it’s no big”, I lied.

Mel shot me a look, but I ignored it. She opened her mouth to speak, but Joe cut across her.

“Alright then. I’ll be heading back to the airport. I have to get back for school”, he said with a look of sympathy at me.

He stood, then hugged me briefly before shaking hands with Jake again. He wrapped an arm around Mel who smiled a little, but it faltered quickly. She knew he had to leave her again.

“Take care, Joe”, I said, waving slightly.

“You, too, Rose”, he called before Mel led him out of the room.

A sigh escaped my lips as Jake stared at me after they left.

“You’re so full of crap, Rosie. You know that?” he asked.

I closed my eyes as I thought of my actions, feeling guilty.

“I know you care about your sister stealing your ex from you, but if you don’t want them to know you still care about Nick, then the best thing you could do is be nice to them both and pretend like they don’t exist”, he suggested.

Pretend like they don’t exist. That could work. Not.

“How am I supposed to pretend they don’t exist when we’re going to be at the same school together?” I asked, plopping down on my back onto my bed, closing my eyes.

“You did it with Vic and Brian. Why can’t you do it with Vic and Nick?” he asked.

Hm. I realized he was right.

“That’s true. I guess I could do that. How hard could it be?” I asked with a smile.

Jake smiled in return, ruffling my hair a little bit.

“That’s the spirit! And it’s about time I saw that smile!” he teased, putting two fingers under my chin briefly.

We stared at one another laughing a bit when he stopped suddenly, causing me to do the same. I frowned in confusion, opening my mouth to speak when Jake beat me to it.

“Nick was an idiot for letting you go”, he said in an almost inaudible tone.

My heartbeat increased as we stared at one another, my heart leaping a little at his comment.

“Why?” I asked, my throat getting dry all of a sudden.

“Because you’re beautiful, smart, funny, sarcastic, and so creative. You love math, rock music, singing, writing, reading. Y-your favorite books are the Chronicles of Narnia series as well as Harry Potter and A Series of Unfortunate Events. I-I know you better than any guy ever has and-and I think I’m going to do something that I might not regret later”, he rambled, placing a hand on my cheek, caressing it.

My eyes fluttered closed, but I opened them.

“See? Beautiful”, he whispered, leaning in.

I was shocked to not feel myself do the same. He was only a few centimeters from my lips when my door burst open, but it wasn’t Mel.

He stood at the door in dark blue shorts and a red, plaid shirt and I felt my breath get caught in my throat at the sight of him.

His face was blank with emotion compared to the smile I saw when he opened the door, but Jake had already pulled away quickly. I felt angry as I thought of him barging into my room so I rounded on him.

“What the hell?! Don’t you ever knock?” I exclaimed angrily.

“Well, excuse me, Rose! How the hell am I supposed to know which room is which? I haven’t had a tour around here!” Nick replied just as angry.

“Whatever. Vic’s room is the one on the right”, I said, gritting my teeth afterward.

“Whatever. Thanks. Sorry I barged in”, he said in a monotone before shutting the door.

I stared at Jake and he stared back at me.

“Well, that was awkward”, he said, rubbing his hair.

“Yep. I should find Mel. She probably got lost”, I said suddenly.

“Y-yeah. OK”, he agreed.

I turned on my heel, heading back out the way Nick had just come.