Bitten by the Lovebug

Kevin finally fell asleep that night, but soon was quickly awakened with a start, made an important phone call then ran to Nick’s room. He shook Nick awake, causing Nick to become irritated, very quickly.

“What do you want, Kevin?” Nick asked, in a tone so aggravated it could scare a ghost.

Kevin ignored his brother’s annoyance and answered, “I figured it out!”

“Figured what out?” Nick asked, frustrated as he rubbed his eyes and sat up in bed.

“I know how to fix things with Emma! Remember that song you were working on?” Kevin asked making hand motions as if he was trying to help Nick remember.

Nick sat for a second, thinking, “The one I was playing when I was upset?” he asked, hoping he was right so he could get back to sleep.

Kevin’s eyes lit up, “Yes! We are gonna finish it, then I need you to convince Piper to get Emma to our private gig and we’ll perform it and I’ll dedicate it to her.”

Nick looked confused, “What private gig?”

Kevin looked at Nick as if he were stupid, “The one we’re doing in a small club once Joe gets back Wednesday. I just scheduled it before waking you up.”

Nick threw a pillow at Kevin, flopped back in his bed and said, “Good, now can I please go back to sleep?”

With that, Kevin left and went back to go to sleep, excited to share the song with Emma.

The next morning Nick called Piper to get her to meet him at a local Starbucks.

“What is so important that you couldn’t just come to the apartment?” Piper asked suspiciously, as the two took their seats.

“Kevin is really upset about hurting Emma,” Nick started, only to be interrupted by Piper.

“As he should be,” she said bitterly. Kevin was still on Piper’s bad side for hurting her best friend.

“Anyways,” Nick said awkwardly, “We kind of developed a plan for him to apologize to her,” he went on to explain.

“We’re performing a low key show here in town soon and Kevin wants to dedicate a song to her.”

“So, what does that have to do with us meeting here?” Piper asked. She didn’t like being out with Nick in public when he had to hide who he was under a hat and a pair of sunglasses.

“I...we,” Nick corrected himself, “need you to talk Emma into coming. Kevin told me she hasn’t been responding to any of his phone calls or texts,” Nick said sadly, knowing how his brother must have been feeling.

“I’m not going to force her to do anything that she doesn’t want to do,” Piper said sternly, not wanting her friend to feel any more pain than she already had.

“Please Piper,” Nick said, “if not for Kevin, then for me,” he pleaded.

Piper couldn’t see the look in his eyes due to his sunglasses, but she could hear the desperation in his voice. She sighed in defeat.

“If he hurts her again, not only will I punch that Beth girl in the face...I’ll punch Kevin in the face too,” she said seriously.

Nick smiled softly at Piper’s response; happy that she agreed to help, but also knowing she meant every word.

“Thank you,” he said as he reached across the table and gently took hold of Piper’s hand.

She gave it a gentle squeeze in response before speaking, “Alright, I guess we better go,” she finished with a sigh.

“I got a lot of work ahead of me if I’m gonna get Emma to go somewhere,” she told Nick with a smile as they both stood.

“Thank you,” Nick whispered before softly kissing the corner of Piper’s lips, “I’ll call you later tonight and let you know when the show is.”

Piper blushed in response before speaking, “Ok, talk to you soon,” she said as they walked out the door together before heading their separate ways.

Piper got home a little later that afternoon, after heading down by the bridge to think of the best way to get Emma out and about. Nick had called and informed her that the show would be on the 4th of July, and Piper hoped that would be easier to get Emma out of the house, since it was a holiday and all.

Piper walked up the stairs of their apartment and entered Emma’s room to find her listening to her iPod with headphones in her ears, looking up at the ceiling. Piper sighed sadly, knowing that her friend was in pain.

“Hey girlfriend, how ya feeling?” Piper asked as she sat with her friend and patted her arm.

Emma pulled her headphones out of her ears and looked at her friend with sad eyes, “I’m ok. What’s up?”

“Oh nothing, I just heard a rumor that New Politics may be playing a private show on the 4th of July and maybe you might like to go together?” Piper asked, with a smile of sweet innocence.

“How could we get into their private show?” Emma asked, trying to fake interest. Even though New Politics were one of her most favorite bands, she was still pretty upset about the way Kevin had treated her.

“I have my ways,” Piper said with a sly grin. “C’mon, it’ll be fun. Remember how awesome their live shows are?”

Emma smiled, thinking back to the time her and Piper had first seen the band’s show. They had put on an amazing preformance and Emma had the time of her life.

“Alright,” she sighed, “I’ll go.”

“Awesome, we’re gonna have a great time, girlfriend. I promise,” Piper said with a triumphant smile and a gleam in her eye.

It was now the night of the 4th and the girls were getting ready to go to the show. They put on some cute outfits, did their makeup and soon were on their way.

“I’m so excited; it’s going to be a great show,” Emma said as the girls walked to the club where the show was going to be preformed. Piper couldn’t help but laugh nervously as she thought of the surprise that Emma in store.

“Me too; and it is going to be a great show,” Piper confirmed, as she tried to avoid eye contact with her friend.

“I’ve never seen so many teeny-boppers at a New Politics show before,” Emma noted outloud as the two girls made their way inside.

“Well...” Piper thought for a moment, “they’re not as much of a hidden talent any more like they use to be,” she finished as she grabbed Emma’s hand and tried to make their way to the front of the stage.

The two girls finally made their way to the front of the stage. Not long after that, the lights went down and the club was emerged in the sound of screams from girls. Emma and Piper could see 3 guys making their way to the stage. Emma let out a cheer of excitement; little did she know who she was actually cheering for...

The lights finally came back on to reveal The Jonas Brothers standing on stage, right in front of Emma and Piper.

“What’s going on?” Emma asked Piper angrily. Piper decided to play dumb as she shrugged her shoulders and pretended to be just as confused.

“Let’s go!” Emma said sternly as she grabbed Piper’s hand and tried to pull her away from the stage.

Piper stood her ground, “Wait, let’s just see what’s going on,” she said as she pulled her friend back.

“Hello everybody,” Nick said excitedly into the microphone causing all the girls to scream and shout. He searched the crowd, looking for the two girls that he needed to be there the most. It took him a moment, but soon he made eye contact with Piper and gave her a small wink.

Piper smiled back at Nick before looking around angrily at all the girls screaming over the guy that she was starting to develop feelings for.

“Tonight we wanted to do something a little different,” Joe said this time. This was the first time that Piper and Emma had actually seen Joe in person.

“I’m leaving,” Emma said furiously, “with or without you,” she threatened Piper.

“Fine,” Piper challenged as she crossed her arms.

“Ugh!” Emma exclaimed as she started to make her way away from the stage.

“I hurt someone,” Kevin said abruptly into the microphone, trying to stop Emma from leaving,
“someone I care about. My brothers and I worked on a song together about how we’ve made mistakes in the past, but this song is about trying to fix them...Just listen, please,” Kevin finished before they started playing.

As soon as Emma heard Kevin’s voice, she stopped in her tracks. She felt like a deer in headlights, not knowing what to do. All she could do was stand there and listen to the song that Kevin had just dedicated to her.

Emma felt tears stinging her eyes as she listened to the words of the song. Piper walked over to her friend and placed her arm around Emma’s shoulders.

“Did you know about this?” Emma asked Piper towards the end of the song.
Piper only nodded in response, as the song ended.

“I don’t know whether to be mad at you or cry from happiness,” Emma confessed as her voice quaked shakily.

“Don’t be mad,” Piper smiled, “but if you are...Nick talked me into this,” she tattled, causing Emma to softly laugh.

As the girls were in the midst of their conversation, they noticed a big man walking their way.
“Excuse me, ladies,” he said, the girls then recognized him as Big Rob, the boys’ body guard, “the guys would like to see you two backstage.”

The girls gave each other a look before following him to the back of the stage.

Emma walked behind both Big Rob and Piper, not really sure what she would say or do when she saw Kevin.

As soon as the girls reached the backstage area, Big Rob left their side to go back to the floor area.

“You gonna be ok?” Piper whispered to her friend. Emma could only nod.

“Ok,” Piper said with a reassuring smile. She looked over Emma’s shoulder to see all three of the boys standing there, “Good luck,” she whispered and gave her friend a hug before walking over to Nick.

Emma followed the direction of her friend, only to turn around and see Kevin standing there.
She couldn’t fight the tears any longer as they begun to resurface and slowly fall down her cheeks.

“Emma,” Kevin said softly as he rushed over to her, “please don’t cry. I’m so sorry,” he whispered as he gently wiped away her tears.

“I thought you didn’t care about me, and I was so angry at you for leading me on, but I guess you really do care,” Emma said quietly through her tears.

“Of course I care about you,” Kevin said with a soft smile, “I wouldn’t go through all that trouble of trying to make you happy if I didn’t care.”

Emma smiled up at Kevin as he gently cupped her cheek, “Forgive me?” Kevin asked softly, as his thumb lightly stroked the side of her face.

Emma only nodded as Kevin leaned down and softly kissed her lips.

“Yay!” Kevin and Emma heard from behind them. They both turned to see Nick, Piper, and Joe watching them.

“So much for some privacy,” Kevin mumbled under his breath, causing Emma to softly laugh.

“Now that everything’s all better, can I please be properly introduced to these two girls?” Joe asked his brothers.

“Joe,” Kevin spoke up first, “this is Emma; she’s the girl that I’m dating” he said proudly as he wrapped his arm around Emma’s shoulders.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Emma said with a smile as she shook Joe’s hand.

“And what about you two?” Joe asked as he directed his attention towards Nick and Piper.

“Joe,” Nick said business-like, “this is Piper; she is the girl that I am dating,” Nick finished with a small wink towards Piper.

Piper also extended her hand and shook hands with Joe.

“Geez, I go away for a couple of days and you both get girlfriends!” Joe exclaimed, “Maybe I should have went to Alabama too,” he joked.

“Guys!” everyone was interrupted by Big Rob, “y’all need to head back out on stage. The crowd is getting a little crazy,” he warned the boys.

“Don’t leave after the show,” Kevin warned the girls, as he leaned down and gave Emma one last kiss upon her cheek.

“Yeah, we have a surprise for you,” Nick told them as he, too, leaned down and kissed Piper’s cheek, before all the boys headed back out on stage.

“Let’s go!” Piper exclaimed as she pulled Emma to the edge of the stage, so they could watch the rest of the show.