Your Smile Still Makes My Heart Sing

“Hi sweetie, how was school?” I placed my bag on the couch but it got thrown on the floor anyways since Joe sat in its place.

“Boring as usual,” I lied. Well it was boring for the forty-five minutes I was there for. “What did you do all day ma?”

“I cleaned the house up all day.”

“Seriously? You were home all day? That must have been really boring.” I sat on the couch next to Joe who was flipping through the channels. “Can’t you do this at your house?”

“Why waste my electricity when I can waste yours?”

“That was rude of you.” Joe laughed.

“It’s okay, I’m still cool right?”

“You wish.”

“Oh come on, you know I’m still the bomb. Nick, aren’t I the coolest brother?”

“No.”

“Ouch, Nick, brutal much?” I asked.

“I think I’m spending too much time with you Jas.”

“You kind of are. What happened to my sweet Nick?” Nick shrugged. “Great answer.”

“Mija, do you have tarea?” [ homework]

“No, Ma. I didn’t get anything today.”

“You sure about that?” I huffed.

“Ask Luis, we didn’t get anything.”

“Okay, okay. I believe you.”

“Where are your brothers at?” Joe asked.

“School or on their way home from.” I took the remote from Joe’s hands and put on the Discovery Channel.

“Ew, turn this!” Joe complained.

“No way, it’s three and I want to watch A Haunting.” Joe scoffed and crossed his arms.

“Fine, whatever.”

“And if you scream, I will sock you okay?”

“I’m telling your mom on you.” I laughed as I watched the TV. “So, uh, what’s this about?”

“Just watch it Joe.”

“Can I see the remote? I’m not going to turn the channel; I just want to read the info.” I handed him the remote. “Repeat, “A Haunting In-”

“Joe, read it to yourself.”

“Nena, Nena!”

“Cool, your brothers are home!” Joe exclaimed.

“I know. What’s up baby? How was school?”

“Fun, guess what I did.”

“What did you do baby?”

“I made a painting, look!” Jared dug in his small Transformers backpack and took out a piece of paper with a bunch of colors on it. It was pretty good for a five year old.

“Wow Jay, that’s really pretty! It’s so much better than anything I’d paint. You want to put it up on the refrigerator?” Jared nodded. “Okay, go show mommy so she can put it up okay?”

“Whoa, that’s so cool! I wish I could paint like him!” Joe said excitedly. I laughed.

“Go back to Kindergarten then.”

“I wish but I can’t!” I laughed.

“It’s okay; I want to be three years old again.”

“Me too!” Nick laughed. “So can we change this?”

“Why, you scared?”

“No way, it’s just boring since I don’t know what’s going on since you keep talking.”

“I keep talking? You’re the one talking about wanting to be in Kindergarten again.”

“Nu uh.”

“Okay, whatever.”

“Oh, Jasmina sweetie.” I looked up at my mom.

“Yeah?”

“We’re having company for dinner. You know my co-worker I was telling you about and his daughters of course.”

“Really? What’s for dinner?”

“Your father’s going to have a BBQ.”

“Woohoo!”

“Hey, does that mean we can’t stay for dinner?” Joe whispered. I shrugged.

“Do what you want. I don’t even know the girl. Ma says she goes to my school, but I don’t even know if she likes you guys.”

“Of course she likes me; who doesn’t?” I laughed out loud.

“I told you to stop being conceited Joseph. It’s not cool.”

“I’m not a conceited person, ask anyone.”

“Don’t ask me,” Nick piped up, “I always knew Joe is conceited.”

“That how you want to play then Nick? Okay, Nick sleeps with a teddy bear!”

“So do I.” Nick laughed as Joe rolled his eyes.

“Fine, he doesn’t let anyone wear his-”

“Socks?” I pulled my jeans up a little and showed Joe my socks. “Guess who wears them anyways?” Nick and Joe both laughed.

“That is so not fair! I got yelled at the last time I wore his socks. He even does his own laundry now so nobody wears them.” I laughed again.

“That sucks Joseph. Guess you’re not as cool as I am.”

“I am cooler than you.”

“Uh huh,” I replied as I got up from my couch and walked into the kitchen. “Ma, can Nick and Joe stay for dinner?”

“I don’t see why not. Where’s Kevin at?”

“With his novia, little Miss O-M-G.” [girlfriend] My mom laughed. “So you need help with anything?”

“Just clean up your room.”

“But it’s not even messy Ma.” My mom put her hands on her hips and gave me that ‘look’. “It’s not though, but I’ll go clean it.” I turned away and rolled my eyes. I started walking up the stairs when I heard Joe call out.

“Where you be going ma’am?”

“Clean my so called dirty room,” I yelled out as I climbed the top step and walked down the hall to my room. I opened my door and looked in my room. It wasn’t messy, I threw a lot of clothes on the floor but none of those were mine. I picked up all the clothes and put them on my bed.

“Your phone is ringing,” Nick said walking in and handing me my phone. I took it and looked at the caller ID.

“Que?” [What]

“I just wanted to say hi, don’t have to be so mean.”

“Hello Luis Miranda, how are you?” I replied sarcastically as I looked through the clothes.

“Hey, that’s mine,” Nick whispered picking up a sweater. I shrugged and laughed.

“I’m good, how are you Miss School Ditcher.” I laughed again.

“I’m fabulous. How was school mijo?” Luis groaned on the phone.

“I got detention.” I laughed.

“What did you do?”

“I was late to class. Shade wasn’t in the best of moods today.” I laughed again.

“My poor Luis. I probably would have gotten stuck in detention with you though, so kudos to Kevin.”

“More like to me,” Nick whispered again and picked through the pile of clothes.

“Right, I mean kudos to Nick and Kevin I guess.” Luis laughed.

“So what are you doing?”

“Cleaning my room. You should see all the clothes on my floor, half of them are Amanda’s and a lot are Nick’s.”

“I know, last time I went to your room I couldn’t see the stupid floor.”

“It’s not that bad, but I’m going to go now. I’ll bother you later when you’re eating dinner or something.”

“Gee, thanks Jas. Later.”

“Bye.” I ended the call and tossed my phone on my bed.

“Hey, everyone left me downstairs,” Joe complained as he walked into my room, “Whoa, did you just go shopping or something?”

“No, this was all on my floor.”

“Whoa, your room is worse than my room,” Joe said sitting on my bed.

“Your room isn’t even messy.”

“It’s because Kevin won’t allow it to be messy.” I laughed.

“Anyways, I’ll just give these to Mandy another day.”

“Why do girls borrow each other’s clothes?” I shrugged.

“She took pretty much my whole closet, so I just borrowed these things.”

“Girls are so weird,” Joe said scratching his head.

“No, you’re the weird one.” Joe stuck his tongue out at me. “Nice one.”

“When’s dinner going to be ready? I’m hungry.”

“It’s never going to be ready Joseph.”

“Yeah right, it has to be.” Joe walked towards my balcony door and opened it up. “Hey Mr. G! When’s the food going to be ready?”

“My dad’s home?” I walked out where Joe was and pushed him out of the way. “Daddy, dinner’s not ready right because Joe’s rude, say yeah.” My dad looked up at us and gave us weird looks.

“Dinner will be ready in thirty minutes.”

“Dad, you’re supposed to be on my side.”

“But I like Joe better.”

“Daddy, you’re mean.” Joe and my dad both laughed. I walked back in and saw Nick on my computer now. “You’re great too.”

“Oh, I like you better than Joe if that’s what you wanted to hear,” Nick said with his eyes glued to the computer screen.

“Thanks, glad to know,” I replied sarcastically as I went to lie down on my bed.

“Are you going to take a nap now?” Joe asked.

“Maybe.” Joe sighed.

“You’re boring. Let’s go play on your trampoline or something.” I laughed.

“I forgot I had that, okay! Let’s go! Nick you coming or are you talking to your online girlfriend or something?” Nick laughed.

“I don’t have an internet g-f.” I laughed.

“Oh wow, get a life.” I walked out my door and went downstairs and into my backyard.

“Hey Jas, want to help me out with something?”

“Ask your favorite person.” I walked towards my trampoline and starting jumping on it.

“Don’t fall,” my dad said as he began flipping burgers.

“Don’t burn the food,” I replied back.

“Care to help me up?” Joe asked sticking out his hand.

“If I can get up here, you surely can.” I kept on jumping while Joe made his way up and jumped.

“Like oh my gosh, let’s like hold hands and jump up and down.” I started laughing so hard that I fell.

“You sound like Kelsey,” I said and kept on laughing. Joe laughed and jumped in a circle around me.

“I know, that’s why I said that. So, are you not going to jump anymore? I feel like a loser jumping by myself.” I laughed again.

“Cool I like losers.”

“Okay then, I’ll continue to jump alone.” I laughed as I sat there with Joe jumping around. Joe did a final jump and landed right next to me. “Hi!” I laughed.

“Hello there.”

“When are those people coming over?” I shrugged as I traced a circle with my finger. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure, go ahead.”

“Am I bothering you?”

“No, why would you ask that?”

“We’ve been spending a lot of time together, so I just wanted to know if I’m bugging you.”

“Of course not Joe. To be honest with you, I’m enjoying all this time.”

“Really?” I laughed.

“Well, don’t seem so shocked.” Joe laughed.

“Sorry, I just didn’t think you’d ever be my friend again.” I laughed.

“Neither did I, I think your little song changed my opinion.” Joe laughed.

“You really liked it that much?”

“It was sweet and from your heart, so yeah.” I noticed Joe blush a little but he turned his face. “Aww, you’re blushing! I made Joe Jonas blush! Woo!” I stood up and starting jumping up and down on the trampoline.

“Let the whole world know why don’t you.” I laughed as I went to sit down next to Joe.

“Sorry, but I had to do that!”

“Now you’re the one ending your sentences with exclamation points.” I laughed.

“See how annoying that is?” I asked. Joe laughed.

“Okay, I won’t talk like that anymore. But, like I won’t, like, promise I won’t, like, talk like this all the time.” I laughed.

“That was a lot of likes Joe. Don’t ever do that again.”

“Promise,” Joe said while sticking out his pinky. I stared at it.

“You’re pinky is as big as my pointer finger!” I put my finger next to his and examined it. We both laughed at how stupid that comment sounded. “Sorry, you already know how random I am.” Joe laughed.

“Wow, I don’t even compare my fingers to other people’s fingers. Why can’t Nick or Kevin be here at the moment?” I laughed.

“Where the heck is Nick at anyways? I told him to come down a long time ago.” Joe shrugged.

“Does he really have an online girlfriend?” I laughed.

“No, I was kidding since he’s always on my computer.”

“Oh, well when we were away he was always on his phone, but that was with you.” I laughed.

“Did he tell you when he called one day when it was 3am here?” Joe laughed.

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah, I was like what the heck Nick and he just laughed.”

“Hey Jasmina, come inside, they’re here,” my mom said poking her head outside and walking back in.

“Ugh, I don’t want to come in. Joe make them come to me.” Joe laughed as he stood up and pulled my arm.

“Come on, let’s be nice, then we can leave or something.” I laughed as Joe pretty much dragged me into my house. I walked in a saw two parents talking to my parents with two girls who looked bored. All of a sudden the younger girl screamed.

“Oh my gosh! It’s Joe Jonas! Oh my God!” She screamed again which made me take a few steps back.

“Oh snap,” I said standing behind Joe while he just laughed.

“Hey! I’m Joe, what’s your name?” The girl just stood there with her mouth open. “Okay, I’m Joe.” He stuck his hand out to the other girl who looked like she wanted to scream, but contained herself.

“Hi, I’m Carolina,” she finally replied.

“Don’t you go to Riverdale?” I asked.

“Yeah, you do too right? You look so familiar.” I smiled.

“Yeah, it’s my first year there.”

“That’s cool, do you like it there?”

“It’s okay.” I looked at Joe who kept staring at Carolina.

“So are you two friends or something?” Joe nodded. “Where are your brothers at?”

“No clue, they kind of disappeared.” She smiled at Joe who was annoying me by just staring at this girl he just met. I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I took it out and looked at the text I got from Nick.

Uh, I’m scared to come down, can I stay up here?

I laughed out loud and walked out of the kitchen. I ran up to my room and opened my door. Nick looked over and hid his face.

“You’re such a loser Nick, it’s just me.” Nick laughed.

“What was that downstairs?”

“The family is here and they have two girls and one of them flipped when she saw Joe.” Nick laughed.

“How old is she?”

“Nick!”

“What? I was just asking a question.”

“I don’t know, she looked 12 or 13.”

“Oh, that’s too young for me.” I laughed again. “What about the other girl?”

“I don’t know much about her but I guess she’s 17 since she’s in my grade.”

“Yeah and what else?”

“She has the same hair as me, brown and wavy.”

“So Joe likes her?”

“Where’d you get that from?”

“If she looks like you.”

“I didn’t say she looks like me; I said her hair’s the same as mine.” Nick laughed.

“Okay, well you better get back down there before they come up here.”

“You’re so selfish; I should bring them both up here to meet you.”

“No, not now. I have a headache.” I laughed.

“Okay, no dinner for you then.” I walked out of my room and closed the door. I went back downstairs and saw Joe and Carolina on the couch talking.

“Where’d you go?” Joe asked.

“My room.” I sat on the arm of the couch and looked at Joe.

“Cool.”

“Yeah, I guess.” Joe went back to looking at Carolina.

“Wow, I love your earrings, where’d you get them?” I noticed Carolina blush as she touched her earrings.

“Oh, they were a birthday gift from my dad.”

“Awesome, wouldn’t I look good with earrings?” Carolina laughed while I just rolled my eyes. I got up from where I was sitting and went back upstairs.

“Nick, those people are boring, I’m staying up here all day with you.” Nick laughed as he spun on my computer chair.

“Sounds like fun, what do you want to do?”

“Murder Joe.” Nick laughed.

“What did he do now?”

“Nothing, never mind Nick.”

“Doesn’t sound like nothing. Want me to get Kelsey over here so you can talk about your problems with her?” I laughed.

“Gee, thanks for making me feel better.”

“I thought that would make you laugh, and you did. So, my work here is done.”

“What are you doing on the internet anyways?”

“Myspace, I’m writing some people comments, but it’s kind of hard since there’s so many.” I laughed.

“Wow, you’ll never get that done.”

“I know, I should just write a bulletin telling everyone hi.”

“Yeah, but then you’d get a million messages saying ‘Hey Nicky’, ‘Marry me!’ or ‘O-M-J you’re actually online now!’” Nick laughed.

“True, oh well, I’m still going to do it.” Nick spun back around and starting typing a long bulletin post.

“Wow, you’re really doing it.” He finished up his last words and posted it.

“What? I told you I was going to do it.” He clicked back to the homepage and laughed. “Wow, I already have five messages.”

“That’s nice Nick.”

“I’m going to put you on my number one so everyone will add you.”

“Do that and I will murder you.” Nick laughed.

“Okay, fine. Just don’t tell Joe that or he will do it.” I laughed.

“He’s such an idiot that he will probably do it.” Nick laughed as he signed off.

“Okay, enough of Myspace for now, I’ll finish it another day.” Nick turned off my computer and turned around. “What do you want to do?” I shrugged.

“I want to throw water balloons at people, but I don’t know who.” Nick laughed.

“What about Luis, want to throw balloons at him?” I laughed.

“Of course! I wonder what that idiot’s doing.” Nick laughed.

“You have any balloons?” Nick asked. I nodded.

“Go look in that drawer, there should be some in there.” Nick got up and looked in the drawer that I pointed to. He pulled out a package with water balloons.

“How many do you want to use?” I shrugged. “Five?” I laughed.

“Okay, let’s get him really wet.” Nick laughed as he took five water balloons out of the package and put them in his pocket. “Want to go down the balcony and fall on the ground or go out the front?”

“I’d rather go out the front, I’m just going to take my sweater back, put my hood over and leave through the front door. Tell me I’m a genius.” I laughed.

“Wow, you are a genius.” Nick put on his sweater and covered up almost all of his face. “Yeah, those skinny jeans sure aren’t a giveaway.” Nick laughed.

“A lot of guys wear skinny jeans.” I laughed.

“Okay, fine.” I grabbed another sweater and put it on, “Let’s go.” Nick opened up my door and looked back.

“Where are we going to fill these at?”

“He’s got a hose in his backyard; we’ll fill them up there and tell him to come out so we can attack.” Nick laughed as he walked down the hall and slowly down the stairs. He looked into my living room and ran towards the door. I laughed as I pretty much did the same as him. I heard someone calling my name but closed the door.

“Nick, run down about ten houses!” Nick kept on running and I finally caught up to him when we were clear from my house.

“Why’d you keep running?” I laughed as I caught my breath.

“Someone was calling my name.” Nick laughed.

“So, where’s this house at?” We kept on walking until we finally reached Luis’ house.

“Why do all of these houses look alike?” Nick asked. I shrugged as I opened the back gate to Luis’ backyard. Nick slammed it shut and I glared at him. “Sorry! It slipped.” I shook my head as I found the water hose. Nick took the balloons out of his pocket and filled up two. One ended up popping on him and getting him wet which made me fall laughing.

“I’m going to call him, don’t say anything.” I took out my phone and called Luis.

“Yo.”

“Dude, come outside to your backyard, I’ll meet you there in two minutes.”

“Why?” I hung up on him before he could say another word. Nick laughed.

“He coming?”

“He better come, I told him to and whatever I say, he should do.” Nick laughed again. I heard the backdoor opening and a light being turned on.

“Hey Miranda!” I called over.

“Yes?” Nick and I both looked at each other and threw our water balloons at Luis with perfect aim of course.

“Jasmina! You’re such a turd sometimes. And Nick, I thought we were boys!” I laughed.

“Sorry man, it was her idea,” Nick said pointing to me. I fake gasped.

“This was so not my idea.”

“I believe him J. This has you written all over it.” I laughed.

“Well, I suggested the idea; he picked you as our victim.” Luis laughed.

“Thanks a lot Nick, I’m bummed now.” I laughed.

“Anyways, thanks for making my day Luis. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Are you going to school for sure tomorrow?”

“Of course I am.”

“Am I picking you up?”

“Aw, you still love me? Okay, pick me up 7:55 on the dot.” Luis laughed.

“Okay, see you tomorrow then. Bye Nick, I still love you too.” Nick laughed as he waved. “Wait, how are you wet?”

“A balloon exploded all over me when I was trying to fill it up.” Luis laughed.

“Okay bye Luis. Have fun getting a cold.” Nick and I both left Luis’ backyard and started walking home.

“Are we going back to your house?” I shrugged.

“My mom will murder me if I don’t, but I can always say you needed me.” Nick laughed.

“But I was at your house.”

“Well, I’ll tell her you left when Joe and I went into the backyard.” Nick laughed.

“Okay, you do that.”