We Can Change the World

"Hey Kevin," I said, walking over to where Kevin was packing his guitar up. "Have you seen Joe?"

"Uh yeah," Kevin looked up. "He kept trying to talk to Dani and she was ignoring him so he started yelling. That's when I sent them both to the green room. I swear, there is definitely something going on between those two."

"Th-th-the green room," I stuttered.

"Yeah, why," Kevin asked.

"I ran into Selena outside. She's here to surprise Joe," I said, hoping Kevin would get it. He stared at me, confused. "I sent her to hide in the green room until I sent him there."

Realization flooded his face. "This is not good."

"What are we going to do," I sighed.

∂∂∂∂∂

"Just leave me alone, okay Joe," I yelled as he blocked the door of the green room.

"No," he shouted. "You really think I don't know about last night. Dani, you were drunk. I smelled it as soon as you walked in. Hell, I could hear it from how you were talking. You could barely walk."

"You don't know what you're talking about," I said. "I was perfectly fine."

"No you weren't Dani," he yelled. "God, what is wrong with you? You swore you wouldn't drink anymore!"

"Is this about my drinking or the fact that it was Ben who helped me," I asked. But then I suddenly regretted it. Joe didn't know about Ben.

"What," he said.

"Never mind," I said.

"No tell me," he said. "How did Ben help you?"

I sighed. "I went up to his suite to freshen up before coming back to the room and we –"

"Slept together," Joe finished for me.

"No," I shouted. "God, what kind of girl do you think I am? I would never do that – to you or to myself!"

"How would you know," he voice was bitter. "You were drunk."

"But I wasn't stupid," I yelled. "I would never do that!"

"You also said you wouldn't drink anymore," he yelled back.

"Yeah, well you said you wouldn't hurt me," I shouted. "And look what happened."

"I told you I didn't mean that!"

"Yes you did Joe. You think my past relationships have been horrible. Fine, I get it! But yours have been pretty effed up too. Look at Mandy, AJ…. Selena."

"Selena," he shouted. "I'm only with Selena because of you. But you know what? You're right, it is effed up. So let me fix it." He pulled out his phone and started dialing something.

"What are you doing," I asked.

"Fixing it," he said before putting the phone to his ear. "Hey Selena, it's Joe. Listen, I just wanted to say that I like you . . .a lot, but only as a friend/ I'm sorry…. Yeah, thanks for understanding…. I hope we can still be friend…. Okay thanks, bye." He hung up and looked at me.

"What the hell was that for," I yelled. "Why would you do that?"

"It's not effed up anymore," he said.

"You think that wasn't effed up," I asked. "What the hell is wrong with you? I can't believe you! That was the --"

"I didn't even call Dani," he rolled his eyes, interrupting me. "See," he handed me his phone with the last dialed called screen up. Number 10 read Nickiepooh.

"Well in that case," I smacked him.

"Ow," he yelled in protest.

"Joseph Adam Jonas, you are such a jerk!"

"I'm a jerk," he shouted. "Dani, you're stringing me along, waiting for Ben to come save you!"

"What," I shouted. "That's so stupid. I love you, not him!"

"Then why would you go to his suite last night," he shouted. "That doesn't seem like you love me!"

"I was drunk," I yelled. "Excuse me for not being able to control my actions!"

"I can't understand why you drank," he said, his voice low now.

I looked away, shamed by my actions. "You really hurt me with you said Joe."

He put his hand on my chin and angled my face so that he was looking me right in the eyes. "I am so sorry Dani. I never meant to hurt you. I swear, I didn't mean it."

"No," I sighed. "It's okay Joe. Actually, I think the thing that hurt the most was that it was true. I mean, my past relationships have been really bad. And when you said .. . that, I started to realize that it is because I have had a hard time trusting people. And then I realized that that was because none of those guys were you."

Joe just stared into my eyes for a long time before he bent over and kissed me. I didn't resist. Instead, I put my arms around his neck and pulled him closer to me and he pressed himself harder against me, putting his hands lightly on my waist. I had missed him so much, and now that he was kissing me – everything felt so right. When he pulled away, he kept his arms on my waist. He smiled at me. "I love you."

"I love you too," I sighed as I hugged him, resting my chin on his shoulder. I opened my eyes and froze. On the other side of the room, standing by an open closet door, was Selena.