Lead You On

"You're sure I'm allowed to be here right?"

"You're with me," Nick laughed, "I'm performing. Of course you're allowed."

I rolled my eyes and hissed, "I mean invited. Wanted."

Nick sighed angrily. "What is up with you? Kevin didn't mean it, he's never mean."

This is what he said every time. Kevin wasn't mean and he wasn't trying to be. Yes, he was.

"Look, Nick, I don't know what drug you're on, but have you looked at the way he looks at me? He hates me. I'm afraid of him, Nick." I tried to explain.

Nick shook his head and looked away, to the door, where his brothers had entered. Joe was talking a mile a minute, and Kevin was grinning and nodding. His eyes swept the room, looking over me and waving at Nick. Nick waved back and looked at me triumphantly, as if Kevin's friendly attitude to him proved he wasn't mean.

And even though I was getting freaked out by the vibes Kevin was sending me, I felt my heart speed up at Nick's gaze on me.

"Come on, boys, it's time for the show!" Mr. Jonas yelled out, grabbing his sons by their shirts and dragging them to the square patch of floor that would rise onto the stage.

Nick and Joe smiled at me and waved as their heads disappeared into the ceiling. I heard screams getting much louder. I smiled as I imagined the rush they must have going onto stage.

"Rio, I'm bored." Frankie said to me, bounding over.

"Why don't we watch your brothers play?" I asked him, falling onto my knees to talk to him at his level.

Frankie groaned and shook his head, "No way! I watch them do this almost every night. I wanna hang out with you!"

I grinned, "Okay! Let's go annoy people!"

I grabbed his hand and stood up, and we skipped down the hallway, screaming the wrong words to the Jonas Brothers songs. Well, I didn't know the words, so I was the only one screaming the wrong words.

I had just met Frankie that day, but he was closer to me than either of the other brothers had been on the first day I met them. Frankie knew Kevin hated me and said he said Kevin was being difficult. I asked him if he had ever been difficult before. He didn't answer.

Suddenly my eyes found a dark shadow in the corner crouching down and sneaking past Bill, who was watching the main backstage entrance. I squinted, it was a girl!

"Hey, Frankie, there's a girl sneaking backstage!"

"Oh, we need to tell everyone there's a code red."

I grabbed his shoulder and swung him around to face me, "No, Frankie, let's have a little fun with her. Follow my lead."

I held Frankie's hand and walked past the curtain where the girl was hiding, "Well, Frank, I can't believe they found people who look exactly like your brothers to go on stage. You're brothers really needed the resting time." I said loudly. I saw the curtain shuffle a little, but pretended not to.

Frankie grinned at me, catching on, and nodded, "Yeah, come on, let's go to their dressing rooms. If we're quiet, we can sneak past where they're sleeping, on the couches in the back hallway, and look through their clothes!"

"Yes! And I can finally steal Nick's checkered t-shirt!" I smiled and we skipped past the curtains completely, and tip-toed dramatically around the corner, where Frankie fell down in silent laughter. I covered my mouth and picked him up and shoved him in the closet right there, and followed him, quietly closing the door.

Frankie gasped for breath and I grinned before pressing my ear to the door. Sure enough, there was a shuffling sound of someone trying to get by without being heard. I held Frankie's mouth closed and slowly opened the door, then looked at Frankie and we both nodded.

We crept behind her for a step, and I figured she was definitely older than me, with short red hair that looked kind of... purple? and was wearing jeans and some sort of t-shirt.

And then we pounced.

"AHHHH!" Frankie and I screamed, jumping on the girl's back. The girl jumped and shrieked too, then clamped her hand over her mouth and glanced around, probably afraid the real Jonas Brothers would wake up.

I looked at Frankie and we both burst out laughing, and I managed to say, "You totally fell for it!"

The girl scowled, then grinned and laughed too. "So those are the real Jonas Brothers on stage?"

"Duh! I'm Rio, by the way." I said.

Frankie smiled and held out his hand, ever the polite boy, "I'm Frankie."

"It's nice to meet you." the girl said, "My name's Mariah. You're not going to kick me out, are you?"

"Yup, we totally are!" I said happily, then stood up and yelled, "Security!!"

Big Rob raced over, dressed in his outfit to go on stage later in the show, "Big Rob, please get this girl a backstage pass. Her name is Mariah."

Frankie and I grinned at Mariah, who smiled back, her pretty green eyes lighting up.

Possibility of friendship, a definite plus.