Your Smile Still Makes My Heart Sing

“J, you cool today?” I slammed my locker shut and looked at Luis.

“Huh?”

“I said are you cool? You barely said a word all day.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, really, what’s up with that?” I shrugged.

“Nothing, I’m just not feeling well.”

“Are you feeling bad for last night? Aw, it’s okay, I didn’t get sick and I didn’t get my house too wet.”

“Wait, what are you talking about?”

“You don’t remember last night? You and Nick threw water balloons at me yesterday.”

“You and Nick did what?” Amanda asked opening up my locker and re-applying her lip gloss.

“These idiots threw water balloons at me last night.” Amanda cackled.

“Good one Jas, you should have called me over so we can fill the water balloons with whipped cream or something.” Luis laughed.

“I hate you sometimes. You’re so evil.” Amanda laughed as she puckered her lips and closed the locker door.

“I know, but I hang around you two a little too much.”

“Rarely,” Luis said. Amanda flipped her hair over her shoulder and placed her hands on her lips.

“I felt like I haven’t seen you guys in forever.”

“Yeah, well I was with you all of yesterday, unlike this girl.”

“Oh, yeah. Hey Jazziebear, where’d you go?”

“Home.”

“Lucky, I wish someone would pick me up.”

“Hey MandaBear, you mind if we come over today?” I asked.

“Duh! You guys haven’t been over in a week. My refrigerator is actually full of food for once.” Luis and I looked at each other and laughed. We all started walking to our last class when I saw that girl from last night.

“Jas! Hey Jasmina, what’s up?”

“Who’s that?” Luis asked. I shrugged my shoulders and kept walking.

“Jasmina!” She touched my arm and I removed it from her touch. “Where’d you go last night? I really wanted to get to know you and Joe’s hilarious. I can’t believe you know him!”

“Mhm, I got to go to class.”

“Don’t be silly, we have the same class together and it’s in another three minutes.”

“Yeah, well I’d like to be early for once.” I heard Carolina laugh, sarcastically at that which made me even angrier.

“I thought you didn’t care about school. Guess I should tell Joe I was just kidding.” I huffed loudly and made my way to my French class. I sat in the back and threw my empty bag on the floor.

“Why do you even bother bringing that if you don’t have anything in there?” Luis asked. I laughed as I shrugged my shoulders.

“I bring food, which you eat duh.” Luis laughed as he sat in the seat in front of me.

“Who’s the girl?”

“Joe’s next victim.” Luis chuckled.

“So that’s why you have an attitude.” I scoffed as I put my feet up on the bottom of his chair.

“What attitude?”

“Here she comes again. What’s her name?” I closed my eyes for a second and opened them again.

“Hi there, I’m Luis. What’s your name?”

“I’m Carolina, nice to finally meet you.”

“I know right?” I looked over at Amanda who was laughing at the two of them.

“Hey I’m Amanda, are you new here or something?”

“No, I’ve known you since we were in third grade. You don’t remember me?”

“No shit! That long?” I laughed out loud. “Wow, that’s crazy. Why haven’t I ever talked to you then?”

“Well, in ninth grade you talked to me once.”

“Yeah? What did I say?”

“Change out of that hideous shirt. Green’s not your color.” Luis and I both laughed and Amanda looked at Carolina clueless.

“Oh really? Don’t feel bad, green isn’t really anyone’s color anyways.”

“Hey nice tank top Mandy,” Luis said. Amanda looked down at her green tank top.

“What? I just got a tan and it’s perfect.”

“Oh wow,” Luis and I said in unison.

:::::

“Ugh, who the hell keeps calling me?” Amanda complained as she looked at her phone. “I’m going to tell them off watch.” She picked up the phone and yelled into it.

“Who the hell is this? Stop calling me you creep. Wait, what?” She laughed. “My bad, yeah here, hold your horses.” She tossed me the phone.

“Who is it?”

“Your little boyfriend.”

“What are you talking about, I’m right here,” Luis said as he came out of the kitchen and sat with us on the couch.

“Not you, that Nick guy. Joe’s brother, you know?”

“Nick?”

“Hey Jas, where are you? Your phone’s off and you haven’t replied to any of my texts.”

“Oh, sorry Nicky. I left my phone at home, what’s up?”

“Nothing, the question is, are you okay? Kevin told me all about it, well the part he saw.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah Jas. Are you never coming by again, ever?” I shrugged but realized he couldn’t see it.

“I don’t know. I’m tired of him and his stupid games. Can we talk later?” I heard Nick sigh.

“Where are you?”

“Amanda’s house with Luis.”

“Hi Nick!” Luis shouted.

“When are you coming home?”

“I don’t know, late probably, why?”

“I’ll see you when you get home, okay?”

“Fine, goodbye Nicholas.” I closed Amanda’s stupid pink phone and gave it back to her.

“How the hell did he get my number?”

“Joe probably.”

“Oh, that’s cool I guess. What’s he been up to lately?”

“I don’t know. I don’t spend that much time with him anymore.” I grabbed the remote from Luis and changed it to the news.

“This is stupid, who cares about the news?” Luis complained taking the remote back from me.

“Old people,” Amanda said as she grabbed a blanket from behind her and threw it over her legs.

“Jas’ parents don’t give a rat’s ass for the news.” Amanda laughed.

“Same with mine.”

“Hey, are you calling my parents old?” I asked.

“No…”

“Yeah you did! What a loser, my parents are like ten years younger than yours!” Amanda laughed.

“Yeah, I love your mom, she’s hot. And as for your daddy?”

“Amanda, don’t even finish that sentence.”

“Fine, I won’t. But, hey, is Kevin still in a relationship?” I looked at Amanda with my eyebrow raised.

“Yes…”

“Back off Amanda, Kevin’s mine,” Luis said.

“You guys are pathetic.”

“Nu uh, you are. Best friends with a Jonas and you’re not even getting anything out of it? That’s what you call pathetic.”

“Huh?”

“You and Nick, best friends right?” I nodded. “Why not make it more?”

“Because I don’t want to make it more?”

“Then go out with Joe! He doesn’t shut up about you.”

“Why don’t you go out with Joseph then,” I snapped back.

“Hello, he’s totally not interested. He’s all into you, not me, but its okay I’ll survive. I just got to find Kevin’s whore and annihilate her.” Luis and I laughed.

“Good luck with that Mandy. By the way, your bed is totally calling me and I’m ready for a nap. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t, okay?” I stood up and started walking to Amanda’s room. I opened her door and fell fast asleep on her bed.

*

“Jazziebear! Wake your ass up!” My eyes shot open just as Amanda hit my head with a pillow.

“What was that for?” I complained as I sat up and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes.

“It’s almost 8 you weirdo, it’s time for you to wake up.”

“What? It’s already 8?”

“No, it’s almost 8. You’ve been asleep for over four hours.”

“You should have woke me up earlier Mand.” Amanda laughed as she sat down on her bed.

“I know, but you looked peaceful and I didn’t want to bug you. Luis is still here if you want a ride home.”

“Good,” I said as I stood up and stretched, “‘cause if that loser left, I would have called him a million times until he came here and got me.” We both laughed as we went down the hall towards the living room.

“Aw, my Luisito loves me, he’s still here!” I joked as I went to mess up his jelled up hair.

“Lay off the hair, and come on, what kind of a person would I be if I left?”

“A horrible person, but come on, I guess I should get home before I get the yelling of a lifetime.”

“Why would you get yelled at?” Amanda asked.

“Well, I wasn’t home last night and tonight’s the second night. I expect a little yelling and then a joke or two from my dad.”

“Can I watch?” Luis asked.

“No, let’s go. Bye Mandy!”

“Later my enchiladas. I will see you tomorrow.” Luis and I both left Amanda’s house and walked to his car.

“Why am I driving you around again?” he asked as he started his car and took off.

“Uh, hello. You know how many rides I gave you before school started?” Luis laughed.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right about that. So, when can I drive your car?” I scoffed.

“Never, that’s my car, oh and daddy’s of course.”

“Fine, then you can’t drive Melinda.” I laughed.

“Who the heck is Melinda?”

“This bad baby you’re sitting in.” I laughed again.

“You named your car? What an idiot.”

“Laugh now, but I bet you named your car.”

“Nope, that’s so stupid Luis. You and your stupid ideas, I want to smack you sometimes, but not now. I want to live to 20.”

“That’s the smartest thing you’ve said all day.”

“Excuse you Mr. Rude.”

“Bless me? What? I don’t get it.” I scowled.

“Never mind, you’re giving me a headache.” Luis laughed

“Tell me why I moved all the way to New Jersey? Oh, for you of course. And here you are being a big, fat jerk. You make me cry sometimes Jasmina.” I laughed. “Now you’re laughing at me.”

“Luis, please, just shut up and quit getting emotional.”

“Okay, I’ll shut up seeing as we’re almost home.”

“Yay, you actually got me home without crashing the car! I’m so proud of you!”

“Hey, not nice.” I laughed as we finally arrived at Luis’ house and we got out of the car.

“Are you making me walk home alone?”

“No, I’m going to stay at your house tonight, duh.” I made a face.

“Ew, why?”

“My parents aren’t home for a week, so I don’t want to stay home alone. Plus I talked to your mom this morning before you came down, she said it’s cool.”

“Then why are you parking your car here? You know me, I’m lazy and I don’t want to walk home.”

“It’s two blocks, you’ll survive. Just wait here for one minute, okay?” I nodded my head as Luis ran inside his house, and exactly a minute later he came with his backpack. “Okay, let’s walk.”

“I hate you, you know that right?” I said as we walked towards my house.

“Hey, can’t get emotional. Plus I heard you used to go to this park all the time. That’s the same walk from your house.” I rolled my eyes.

“Whatever.” After five minutes, we finally got to my house and I opened the front door. It was dark, minus the light coming from the kitchen. I walked into the kitchen and saw Brian and Jared, and someone looking through our refrigerator.

“Hey boys, how are you?” I asked giving Jared a kiss on the top of his head.

“Where the hell have you been all day?” Brian asked.

“Why do you care?”

“Dad had to work late and Mom is working nights now, hello! They had nobody to watch us since you left your phone home.”

“And that’s my problem how? I used to watch you when I was your age.” I heard the refrigerator close and I looked over and saw Joe standing there.

“Yeah, so I was smart enough to call Joe.”

“Yeah, cool, well I’m going to bed, goodnight.” I walked out of the kitchen and bumped right into Luis. “God, you’re so dark you blend in with the stupid darkness.” Luis laughed as I found my way upstairs and into my room.

“Hey, what’s with you and Joe again? Marital issues again?” I scowled again and sat on my bed. “Okay, so next subject.” I bit my lips as I fiddled with a loose piece of string hanging from my blanket.

“You want to talk about it?” he asked.

“Do I have to?”

“Well, no, but what kind of a friend would I be if you didn’t talk about it.”

“Wait, what?” I heard a light knock on my balcony door. I looked at it and went to open it. “Hi Nick.” Nick smiled lightly and brought me into a hug.

“You just get home?” he asked as we released from our hug. I nodded.

“Sorry I didn’t call. Guess who’s downstairs,” I said sarcastically and sat back down on my bed.

“Yeah, I was going to call and tell you about that, but I remembered you don’t have your phone on you.” It was quiet for a good minute, which was starting to annoy me.

“Do you really want to know what happened last night? I know you both want to know, but you’re not asking.”

“You don’t have to tell us anything, I just won’t talk to Joe until I know what he did.”

“I just sometimes wish I never agreed to go out with him. I mean how long did we go out for? Like a week, and during the second week we didn’t talk because he was jealous of Luis.”

“Ooh, a Jonas brother is jealous of me?”

“Shut up Luis.”

“Sorry, go on.”

“Anyways, for the past two months I was kind of glad I wasn’t going out with him. Then the day you guys came back I was starting to re-like him.” Nick laughed and I rolled my eyes at him.

“Sorry, sorry, go on, I won’t laugh.”

“Well, you remember what happened between him and Amanda. She’s my best friend and I hated her for a few days. I don’t know what he’s playing at, but he’s ruining my life. Now this new chick comes in the picture and he drools all over her in front of me. And this is only one day after he played this song for me.”

“What song?” I shrugged.

“Some sappy, I’m still in love with you song.” Luis let out one loud laugh but covered it up with a sad face. “Thanks Luis.”

“That’s kind of stupid of him, I had to laugh.”

“Well, at the moment I thought it was sweet. But I hated the fact he had me under his little spell again. I was for a minute loving the guy, but now I totally don’t want anything to do with him. And him being here, he’s trying to drive me insane.”

“Well duh, he’s an idiot. No offence Nick, you know I love you bro.” Nick laughed.

“Don’t worry about it. I still love my brother and all, but our relationship hasn’t been the same. I even told him he was going to regret it down the line.” Nick went quiet for a few seconds but he continued talking.

“I normally don’t care about the girls my brothers date, but with you it was a different story. You grew on me and became my best friend. I don’t know if you knew this or not, but I really wanted to be the one to ask you out. I was just crushed slightly seeing as you and Joe were getting closer by the days.” I looked at Nick in complete shock.

“Nick, why didn’t you ever say anything?”

“Because I wanted to be the good brother and see my brother happy. I didn’t know it would lead to him being heartbroken and you being crushed more than once. I am sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing? Don’t be sorry for anything, because this is his entire fault and mine too, but mainly his. Wow, Nick that was such a nice thing of you to do for your brother.” Nick sighed.

“Yeah, well life goes on right? Anyways, I came by to see you, but it’s getting late and I should let you go to bed.”

“I’m not even tired, I took a four hour nap at Amanda’s house, so I hyped up for a few hours. Nick, do me a favor though.”

“Yeah?”

“Please don’t be any different towards your brother. He’s still your brother.”

“No way, he didn’t do that to you once, but twice.”

“Nick, please, just do it for me. He’s going to hate you for choosing me over him.”

“And I should care why? He hasn’t done anything for me but be a somewhat good brother.”

“Nick, I know you love your brother. He’s been there for you for the past sixteen years. Don’t say he doesn’t care about you because he does.”

“Fine, but stop talking good about him; he doesn’t deserve it.”

“Deal.” Nick stuck his hand out and I laughed as I shook it.

“So, now what?” Luis asked.

“I don’t know, but I’m starved and I could care less if that thing is downstairs.” I stood up and walked towards my door and opened it. I made my way down the stairs and saw my two brothers and Joe sitting on my couch.

“Jared, go to bed now, okay?” Jared huffed a little and made his way upstairs. I walked into the kitchen and looked all over it for food; which there was none of. I grabbed an apple and started eating that.

“That’s what you’re eating for dinner?” Luis asked as he took my apple from my hand and took a huge bite from it.

“Well, it was my dinner until you put your mouth on it.” I looked through my cabinets and found a jar of peanut butter. I shrugged and made myself a PB&J.

“Now, that’s better. Who needs apples, they’re so blah.” I laughed as I took a bite into my sandwich.

“Want some Nick?” Nick took my sandwich and took a bite from it and handed it back.

“Okay, so you share with a guy you met three months ago, and you can’t share with a guy you’ve known for 10 years?” I laughed.

“Has it been that long?”

“Maybe.” I laughed as I continued to eat my sandwich. Nick kept reaching his hand over and taking my sandwich; which was gone in less than two minutes.

“Now I want some milk, Luis get me a cup por favor.”

“Uh, get it yourself.”

“Luis, baby, come on.”

“Fine!” Luis turned around and got a cup out of the cabinet and placed it on the counter. He then went into the refrigerator and took out the milk.

“Aw, thanks honey.” I poured myself some milk and took a long sip from it. Nick did the same and Luis just shook his head.

“You’re going to get something one day.” I laughed.

“It’s Nick, we can both die together if we catch something.” Luis laughed as he hoisted himself on top of the counter. “Dude, I eat there, why do people think that’s a chair?”

“Well, it makes me taller that’s for starters.”

“Yeah, you’re shorter than me, that is really sad.”

“Only by an inch!” I laughed again.

“It’s okay, one inch, two inches, same thing.”

“Yeah, well who’s taller now?” Luis hopped off the counter and stood next to me. “Nick, who’s taller now?”

“You are.” I looked down at our feet.

“Well, you’re wearing Air Forces and I have nothing on. Air Forces make you taller you moron.” Luis laughed.

“You know what? You’re just jealous Jas.”

“Yeah, that’ll be the day,” I replied sarcastically. Brian walked into the kitchen and looked at all of us weirdly.

“Shouldn’t you be in bed? It’s almost 9.”

“Shouldn’t you shut up? Joe’s still my babysitter until you dismiss him.” I scoffed.

“He can dismiss himself and aren’t you a little too old to be having a babysitter? You’re going to be 13 next year.”

“Who’s the irresponsible older sister I have?”

“Big deal Brian. I was at Mandy’s house working on a project.”

“Uh huh, sure.”

“You know what Brian, you’re not Dad. I don’t have to tell you what I’m doing and where I’m at, okay? You’re just a kid that needs to be in bed now.”

“Fine!” Brian stormed out of the kitchen and I heard something fall on the hardwood floor.

“This kid, I’m going to murder him one day.” I walked out of the kitchen. “Brian! Stop acting like a brat.” I walked in and saw Joe was on the floor. He looked like he tripped over Brian’s skateboard. I wanted to laugh at him, but stopped myself.

“He didn’t do anything, that noise was me.” I rolled my eyes and walked back into the kitchen.

“You know I’m still hungry,” I said out of nowhere. Luis and Nick both laughed.

“I think you should go to bed before you finish up what’s in this kitchen,” Nick said.

“But there’s barely anything in the kitchen, so that wouldn’t take me very long.”

“Yeah, I still think going to bed is the best decision I had all day.”

“Whatever Nick.” I playfully pushed his shoulder and he barely moved an inch.

“Well, it’s 9 now. Does that mean you’re going to bed like your brothers?” I scoffed.

“Nick, do you go to bed the same time as Frankie?”

“Sometimes,” he mumbled. I laughed.

“Aw that’s cute!”

“Sure, whatever floats your boat.”