She was gone. There was nothing they could do.

Joe's POV
Wow, I really screwed up this time.

"What?" Kevin asked from the other room. Nosy much?

Buzz off, I wasn't talking to you.

"It's Carly, isn't it?"

Yeah.

"What did you do?" he asked, sitting down next to me on the couch. "You look really bummed. Whatever happened, it must've really sucked."

You'll hate me, I replied, and then added, Forever.

"I'm your brother. I could never hate you. Now tell me, what did you do?" he grilled.

I kissed her, I said simply. We weren't big on secrets in our house. Sure, we were hesitant to say what had happened, but it got out eventually. Nobody had to narc on anyone else.

"Now, what in the hell-" I had never heard Kevin swear, he must me really mad, or disappointed in me- "did you have to go and do that for? You know she's dealing with a bunch of stress right now. You probably just added to it," he said, sending me on an instant guilt trip. "Did she kiss you back, though?" he added, genuinley curious.

For all of about two seconds. Then she pushed me away. That's why I'm so, as you put it, bummed.

"What, because you've never had a girl reject you?"

I shook my head. Never one that I really liked.

"Hooo boy, you's a playa." I had to laugh. "And this is gonna sound really weird and dad-ish, but I want you to apologize to her for just randomly making a move on her. And no more of that until you know for sure that she likes you back, Mr. Playa."

Okay, Kevin. I got up and started to walk back to my room, then stopped and faced Kevin. You'd make a good dad, you know.

"Thank you. And when you're done talking to her, have her come out here. I need to ask her something."

I nodded, then began the million-mile trek to my room. Metaphorically, of course. It was only because I relaly didn't want to apologize. I was afraid she wouln't accept it, and would hate me forever. I stod outside my closed bedroom door and rehearsed what I would say.

Hey, I'm sorry for beoing an ass.I know it was dumb, and I shouldn't have done it.I'm a retard who doesn't know right from wrong.

The last one seemed the most plausible, but I wasn't going to say it. I was going for serious, not self-esteem-cutdownage.

But whichever one I would have gone with, had I thought of something worth saying to her, I would have forgotten it anyway. As soon as I knockedon the door and entered, my mind was wiped clean. Spot and streak free, like Windex.

"What do you want?" she asked impatiently, enunciating every word so it made me feel like a second-grader. She was lying on her back, her legs crossed at her ankles, hands folded across her stomach, and looking straight at the ceiling.

I stood there, dumbfounded. Uhh... My voice cracked and I cleared my throat. How embarrassing... Um... I mumbled again, and then said the first thing that popped into my wpied-clean-as-a-slate mind. Uhm, Kevin wanted to see you, I blurted out, and mentally smacked myself.

"Now, I know you, Jonas. That is not what you came in here to tell me."

Jonas. That stung. She must really have hated me. But I had to hand it to her, she hit the point dead-on.

Uhh.. Yeah.. you're right. That wasn't what I was going to say... what I was trying to say was, I said, stumbling over my words, but getting my thought processes back ever second, I'm really sorry for just making a move on you out of nowhere, and I'd like to make it up to you some way.

She nodded, taking in my apology. "Uh-huh... I'm guessing Kevin made you come up here and say this?"

I nodded. But I mean it, I added, trying to save face. It was really stupid of me to just do that without even asking you first.

"Yeah. Well, I have a confession to make," she said sheepishly.

"I kind of... liked it."

Carly's POV

Why had I just told him that. WHY. I felt like a retard. I was turning into one of those fakey-girls at my school who all fell in love with The AmazingGorgeous Joe Jonaswho also has very pretty eyes.

As soon as I said it, I clapped a hand over my mouth and mentally yelled at myself. When I was done with that, I spoke again. Uh... my mind's kinda zonked-out right now, I don't think I was really thinking correctly. I mean yeah I did like it, but... oh god, I'm digging myself into a hole now, aren't I? I can't believe myself. I am such a loser, tripping over my words, and... Oh, I'm just gonna shut up now. Damn.

I stood up and started to leave the room. Joe laid a couple of fingers on my shoulder. I did a 180.

"Thank you," he said to me.

God, he really does have beautiful brown eyes. You could get lost in those.

"And.. um, Kevin really does want to see you, I didn't say that just for something to say."

He dropped his hand off my shoulder and I went to go see what Kevin wanted.

You needed something?

"Yeah. What's your favorite restaurant?" he asked me absently, not looking up from the magazine he was flipping through.

Oh, um, I really... didn't get out much when I lived with Denise, so I don't really know any good restaurants...

"Did Joe apologize to you?"

I nodded. Yeah, it's all good.

"We;'re going out for lunch. I'll bring you someplace nice, soewhere you've never been. You go get Joe and Frankie, and I'll get Nick and start the car."

Okay... I said, then notified Joe and Frankie that we were all going out.

The boys all went to score good seats in the car, but as Joe was passing me to leave the house, he laid a quick and gentle butterfly kiss on my cheek.

Oh no, here we go again, I thought.