I Hate Everything About You

"I don't believe you," I laughed, covering my mouth as to not spit out my drink.

"I lie to you not," Joe promised, putting his hands up to show he wasn't lying. "It was supposed to be our best video ever. And of course, it was completely ruined. I had a huge scar on my face for like 6 weeks. It killed." He took another shot, shaking his head.

I giggled, downing my own shot of the bitter liquid. Next to us, I could feel Dani's disapproving and concerned look burning into my side as Nick tried to talk to her. "So," I said to Joe, ignoring her. "What brings you here, Rock Star?"

"What do you mean," he slurred.

I smiled weakly. "I mean, you're Joe freaking Jonas. You're in the hottest band around, famous beyond words, actually compared to the Beatles, and you're pretty hot. What are you doing in a crap hole like this?"

He smiled at me, though I noticed it didn't reach his eyes. He looked a bit blank. "I could ask you the same thing, Movie Star. You're the Caitlin Pierce, IT girl of the decade, actually being compared to Elizabeth Taylor. You're extremely hot yourself, and I have posters of you on my wall. Why would I see you here?"

I started laughing. "Posters? As long as I've been in this business, that is still creepy."

He started laughing with me. "Okay, so let's forget I said that. But still, this isn't exactly the kind of place for a good girl."

I stared right at him. "Who says I'm such a good girl?"

"Point taken," he put it hands up. "But still, why are you here?"

I glared at him. "Hey, no fair. You didn't answer it, why should I?"

He smiled, not saying anything.

I sighed. "I was kind of fired by my manager." I looked down at the table, remembering my mother walk away.

"I was kind of dumped," he admitted.

I looked straight at him. "My manager is my mom."

"My girlfriend of 6 years," Joe leaned closer. "Who I was going to propose to today, waited until the day I came back from tour and spent a lot of money getting a blimp sign, to tell me she wasn't in love with me anymore, and that she has been cheating on me."

"Okay," I sighed, opening my purse to grab a 20. I held it up for the bartender to bring us another round. "You definitely win that one, which is why I am buying the next round."

[&&&]

"I just don't get it, you know," Caitlin said, leaning over the bar. "She's my mother. She should be that before my manager."

"You need another drink," I started laughing. I sighed as she downed her next shot. Caitlin seemed different from everything I had heard. She wasn't as bitchy as people said. But sitting here with her, I couldn't help but wish she was Alex. "I can why Alex doesn't love me anymore. I'm so childish, and stupid, and immature. And I was always away with the band, and my brothers, and I just didn't give her enough time. No wonder she needed someone else."

Caitlin sighed and reached over to put her hand on my cheek. "Joe, you are amazing. She's is honestly an idiot if she needed someone besides you. And yeah, you're gone a lot, but if she truly loved you, if she was worth it, she wouldn't have minded. She would have just loved that she had you, all of you. And she should have seen that, yeah you have the band, and your brothers, and the fame. This is Hollywood, but she should have seen that she was always first in your eyes."

I smiled at her, not completely believing her. It was my fault. "Thanks," I said.

"No problemo," she smiled back. And then she started giggling.

"What," I asked, confused. Was she laughing at me?"

"I'm not usually this nice," she laughed. "It must be the alcohol."

I started laughing too. "I don't believe that."

She leaned closer. "And why not?"

"You know, I went to a photo shoot once, and near the end, everyone was freaking out because you were coming in half an hour. And honestly, half the people were scared, and the other half just –" I stopped. I didn't want to hurt her feelings by saying they hated her. "Never mind."

She laughed. "Hated me," she asked. I nodded sheepishly, mumbling a sorry. "It's fine. I know already. I'm not that easy of a person to like."

"I like you," I said quietly.

She smiled. "Thanks."

"But seriously, I still don't think this is the real you."

She shrugged. "It doesn't matter who the real me is. This, this bitch, that's who I am, who I will be."

"Why," I asked, curious.

She took another shot before answering. I watched her sway a little, feeling the effects of my own drink. "I am just so tired of all those fake people always around me just cause I'm famous and too nice to tell them off, you know?" I nodded, waiting for her to continue. She just sighed, looking at our empty shot glasses. "I think we need another round."

I nodded, calling for the bartender.

"So what about you," she asked. "What's your story?"

"What do you mean?"

"You get dumped and cheated on by your girlfriend," Caitlin said. "And yet, you're so nice, still. How do you do it?"

I laughed. "It's how I was raised. We're a very – religious family. My dad was a pastor."

"And yet you're in a bar, drinking," she smirked.

"There's always the exceptions," I said sheepishly. And then I sighed. "It just gets to be too much sometimes, you know? Like the fame, and the fans. It's like they expect me to be perfect because we're in the spotlight a lot. And it's like I'm only 22. I'm going to do stupid stuff. And I just – it's hard sometimes, you know?" She nodded, understandingly. "Wow, I'm not usually this honest to strangers."

She smiled, putting her hand out for me to shake. "Hi, my name is Caitlin Pierce. I'm 21. I've been in the Hollywood business since I was 10, and I'm a Gemini. See? I'm no longer a stranger."

I started laughing. "Well Ms. Gemini, can I buy you a drink?"

"Um Cait," Dani said, putting her hand on Caitlin's shoulder. "Maybe you've had enough."

Caitlin looked at me, smiling. "No, our night has just begun." And she chugged another shot.