Beautiful Mistake

"Chrissie!" I heard someone yell. I smiled, knowing the voice. It was my favorite uncle, Charlie. I turned towards the sound of his voice and saw him.

"Willy Wonka!" I yelled back, getting strange looks from people. I was moving in with him and I couldn‘t wait to put the past behind me. I walked across the airport terminal and right into his open arms.

"Hey, kiddo." He whispered, kissing my head. "How was your flight?" He asked, stepping back to look at me.

"Boring. I'm starving." I laughed. He chuckled.

"I should have known. To Applebee's it is." He said, holding his hand in the air like to charge.

"Yay! But first I need my baggage."

"Right-o." He said in a fake British accent. I giggled. "We, uh, have some company, though." He said, dropping his usual goofy manor.

"Oh-what's her name?" I asked and he nudged my arm, chuckling nervously.

"Actually, it's three boys. I really hate to do this-but I have to go on tour with them next week." He said apologetically.

"Oh." I said, trying to hide my disappointment. I just got here and he was leaving me so soon.

"But hey-I'll talk to some people and work my Willy Wonka mojo and get you to go." He said, knowing I was crushed.

"No, Uncle Charlie-this is your job. You go do it-I'll be fine." I said quietly.

"Bull." He said calling me out as we collected my baggage. "You're coming. Don't worry-I wouldn't leave my Nerd alone just when she needed me." He said, squeezing me in a hug. I smiled.

"I'm not a nerd." I said for the millionth time since I was four.

"You're my nerd." He said, batting his eyelashes at me. I laughed as we headed for his car. We reached it and three boys, three very cute boys, jumped out, immediately taking my luggage from us and putting them in the trunk.

"Ok. Nerd, this is Nick, Joe and Kevin Jonas. This is Chrissie Dillenbeck." He introduced. They shook my hand and the one he introduced as Joe curtsied. I chuckled. "Alright, food time!" Willy Wonka yelled, clapping his hands. I jumped at the loud noise, but quickly shook it off. I went to go climb into the backseat, but the guys wouldn't let me. The Joe guy opened the front passenger door for me. I smiled.

"Thank you." I got in and he gently shut the door and climbed in the seat behind me. Willy Wonka started the car and an unfamiliar song started. I stared out the window as we drove to the nearest Applebee's. I noticed the guys rocking out to the CD in the backseats.

"You ok, Nerd?" Willy Wonky asked, forcing me to pay attention. I looked over at him and nodded. He watched me for a second before nodding. "Alright." That's why I loved my uncle. Even though he knows something's wrong-he won't push you, but when you're ready to talk, he's always more than willing to listen. I tugged absent mindedly at my sleeve as we pulled into a parking lot of a gas station. I looked at him.

"I need gas." He said, winking at me. I rolled my eyes and the boys cracked up.

"Oy-Willy Wonka-that's the last thing you need." I joked. He smirked before shutting the door behind him.

"Can I ask you a question?" The boy with curly hair asked. I nodded, trying to remember his name.

"Nick, right?" I guessed and he nodded. "What's your question?"

"Why do you call him Willy Wonka and he calls you Nerd?" He asked quietly. I chuckled.

"I was three and had just finished watching Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and the little boy's name is Charlie. So when he introduced himself I shouted just like on Willy Wonka and the name just stuck." I shrugged, they started laughing.

"And what about Nerd?" Another one asked.

"Kevin, right?" I guessed, hoping I was right.

"Yeah." He smiled.

"Well, every time he saw me I was reading a book, or writing something or studying so he just started calling me nerd." I smiled. Willy Wonka tapped on the window.

"Who wants to go pay?" He asked as though it was a reward. Nick hopped out.

"Can we get red bulls?" He asked and the other two got excited. Uncle Charlie sighed.

"I guess so." Nick looked at me.

"Do you want one?" He asked. I shrugged slightly.

"Sure." He jogged over to the doors.

"So, Chrissie-where are you from?" Kevin asked.

"Um, Maine." I said, glancing at the clock.

"Did you like it there?" Joe asked.

"It was alright." I shrugged.

"But you're moving in with Charlie?" Kevin asked, trying to understand.

"Yeah. Things were just getting to be too much and I just needed a break." I said casually, but I desperately wished we could drop it. "What about you guys? Where are you from?" I asked, redirecting as Willy Wonka got back in and Nick headed back to the car. Joe and Kevin shared a looked and cracked up into loud laughter. I looked at them confused for a minute before turning around in my seat, not quite sure what to make of their laughter. Were they making fun of me?

"What's so funny?" Nick asked, passing out the red bulls. I took mine silently and face forward, putting my seat belt back on. We took off and after a few minutes their laughter died down as Uncle Charlie hit the speed limit.

"You were serious?" Kevin asked, now realizing that I wasn't just asking for kicks. I didn't answer; I just sipped my red bull.

"Chrissie-we're sorry-we thought you were kidding." Joe said, sounding truly sorry. I pulled down the mirror and looked at them, waiting. "You see, we're not used to girls not knowing everything about us. We thought you were just pulling our leg." He said and I blinked.

"Why would they-" I started and it clicked. The tour-they were in a band. "Oh." Uncle Charlie snickered next to me. "Shut up-I didn't know." I pouted.

"Aw-I'm sorry, Nerd." He laughed.

"You didn't know we were in a band?" Nick asked, confused.

"I guess I should have-but it didn't click until just now."

"Explains why she didn't freak." Joe said. I snapped my eyes to his in the mirror; my glare demanding an explanation. "I just meant that every girl who sees us flips out and goes all camera crazy and wants autographs and hugs and pictures. It's just refreshing to meet someone who doesn’t already know our entire history." He said quickly. My stare relaxed.

"Oh-" I said, unsure of what to say. "It must be tough, always having to deal with that." I said and the boys shrugged.

"We signed. We knew, hoped it would happen. Yeah, it gets annoying, but they're the reason we've actually gotten to where we are now, so-it's bearable." Nick said and I nodded.

"I can see that." I said. We slowed down and pulled into Applebee's. I smiled and took off my seat belt. The boys were already out of the car and Joe held the door open for me, gently shutting it after I was out. I looked at him funny.

"We didn't mean to offend you-we just didn't know you were serious." He explained.

"It's fine." He looked at me, disbelieving.

"Really?"

"Really, really." He opened the door for me. "So you guys never answered my question."

"What? Oh, well, we're from New Jersey, we record in California. I was born in Arizona, Kevin was born in Jersey and Nick was born in Texas." He said as we were led to a table.

"Why so scattered?" I asked, flipping through the menu.

"Our parents were musicians, so they traveled a lot." Nick explained.

"That's cool." I said. "So do you guys get along? Or is there a lot of brotherly love?" I asked and they laughed.

"We get along for the most part. If we get really tired or stressed out we try our hardest not to take it out on each other." Kevin said, smiling.

"But if we start doing things like…" Joe thought for a second. "Like Nick hates it when we take his stuff with out asking. Kevin hates it when we pick at his driving." He said. "So if we don't do that-we're pretty much good." He said and I looked at him sitting next to me.

"And what about you? What bothers you?" I asked and he met my eyes.

"Nothing-I'm a saint." He said and his brothers cracked up. I looked at them.

"Don't believe a word he says." Kevin said, still laughing. I smiled a little as our waitress came over to take our drink orders. She smiled at Willy Wonka for a few seconds longer than everyone else. Joe nudged me and I looked over at him, smiling. My uncle was a very good looking guy; 6'4", muscular build, sun tanned face, ocean blue eyes and pearly white teeth-he was practically a poster boy for a California Dream Boat. The ladies were usually drooling all over him, so I was used to this-but I didn't want him to get close to one of these girls. Last time-well, last time it didn't turn out so well for him.

She took our drink orders and waltzed away so he could see her ass shaking. The boys continued to laugh, but I stopped finding it funny. Willy Wonka gently tapped my leg with his foot. I looked at him and he winked at me. I smiled half heartedly and looked at my hands. I was really protective of my favorite uncle. He was the only one who really got what I was saying, even when I talked in circles to avoid something. I knew I could tell him anything and he'd try to help as much as he could. He was my diary for just about everything. He talked to me about everything-treated me like an adult, knew I could handle things. He was the youngest of eight on my dad's side and very close to my age-maybe eight or ten years older. He was my best friend.

I heard him sigh and excuse himself. He got up and left, walking out to the car.

"Hey-you alright?" Kevin asked. I looked up and nodded, pushing everything down like I usually did.

"Are you sure?" Nick asked. I smiled convincingly.

"Yup." The slut waitress came back with our drinks, her plastered on smile fading when she didn't see Uncle Chuck. I sighed. I had been here before.

"Are we ready to order or would you like to wait for your friend?" She asked politely. At least she wasn't a totally douche.

"I think we'll wait for my dad, thanks." I said, smiling. Her smile faltered, before she quickly nodded and walked away.

"Your dad?" Kevin repeated, all three of them looking at me.

"Uncle-but dad made her leave." I said quietly.

"And why would you want her to leave?" Nick asked, Joe's hand gently brushing mine.

"Long story." I mumbled as Willy Wonka walked back in.

"You ok, Nerd?" He asked and I smiled big. "That's my girl." He winked as the waitress walked back over pen and pad in hand. She quickly took our orders before going back to the kitchen. Uncle Charlie looked at me strangely before I excused myself to go to the bathroom. I knew he was going to ask the boys what I had said while he had been outside doing whatever. I did my business and went to wash my hands. I looked at my reflection and sighed. I didn't even bother trying to fix anything-it wouldn't matter anyways. I dried my hands and headed back to my table. I stopped dead.

"Whoa."