Give It a Chance for Our Love to Start

Days, nights, a week. I don't really know how long I stayed in my room, staring at the computer, rereading mine and Bethany's emails. It seemed so long ago. It seemed so much simpler. It had been simpler when I thought it was Tinsley, when I didn't have a face to match it to, when I didn't have a vow to honor. I stared at the words of the girl I had fallen in love with, the girl who made me feel at home. How many times on tour after long and tiring days had I turned on my computer praying that I would have an email, and then thanking God that it was there? How many times had I reread her words just to feel like I had something holding me to a place?

And now that was gone. I had walked out on it as soon as I saw Bethany kissing my brother. No I had walked out when Nick tried to justify it. Or had it been what Bethany had said? Against my will, the memory replayed in my head.

What the hell is going on," I asked.

"Joe, this isn't—"

"What it looks like," I had laughed bitterly. "Right. So you aren't making out with my shirtless brother?"

"Let's calm down," Nick soothed.

"No, why don't you shut the hell up," I shot back. "What the hell man? What happened to you don't betray family, and I could never replace you, and all that other bull crap you were just selling me?"

"I didn't plan for this to happen Joe," he said, as he began to justify himself. But how could he make this okay?

"It was my fault," Bethany spoke up. Nick and I both looked at her. "I kissed him. I wanted to kiss him."

"What," I asked quietly, feeling my heartbreak. She had wanted Nick.

"I – I love him," she said quietly. She reached over and took Nick's hand.

"You're lying," I whispered.

"No Joe," she said. "I'm not."

She met my eyes. And I could see she was telling the truth. Without another word, I had turned and walked to my room.

And now here I was. Subconsciously, I checked my inbox again to see if I could find my solace. So long had it been my remedy. So long had it been the first thing I did on the computer. And now, there was no point.

"Joey," Tinsley whined, coming into my room. "I'm bored. Let's do something."

"Um, I can't right now Tins," I said apologetically. "Why don't you go shopping with Bethany or something?"

"I can't," she huffed. "Her and Nick went somewhere." She scrunched her face. "Those two have become inseparable." Tinsley smiled. "It's really cute. I'm glad. Bethany's seemed so sad lately. Nick's really good for her, don't you think?"

I forced myself to nod. Maybe she was right. Maybe they were good together. Maybe Nick was right for Bethany. But it hurt my chest to know they were truly together. It was like she had thrown everything we had away for Nick. It was like she had forgotten everything.

"So can we do something," Tinsley asked again, pulling me out of my thoughts.

I sighed. If Bethany could forget so easily, so could I. "Yeah. Do you want to go see that new Underworld movie?"

---

"Hey look," Tinsley said as I walked back to her with our tickets. I followed her gaze. To my slight displeasure, there was Nick and Bethany. They were holding hands. "Hey guys," she called out to them

They walked over. "Hey," Bethany hugged Tinsley. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Watching Underworld," Tinsley grinned, linking her arm with mine. My eyes were glued to the floor. I didn't think I could see Bethany and Nick holding hands. "What about you guys? I thought you were going shopping or whatever."

"We did," Nick said. "And Bethany wanted like nothing, even when I offered to buy stuff for her. So we decided to come watch a movie."

"And somehow Nick convinced me to watch Underworld," she shuddered.

I smiled slightly at this. Bethany hated scary movies. But the thought made me kind of sad because he had actually gotten her to watch one.

"Congratulations to you," Tinsley laughed. "I couldn't even get her to come see Prom Night with him."

"It's cause I'm so amazing," Nick said.

"Right," Bethany gagged.

"Can we go in," I asked, a bit harsher than I had intended. I felt the atmosphere tense a bit.

"Sure," Tinsley kissed my cheek, completely oblivious to the fact that the area had turned 10 degrees cooler just now. "Sorry Joey. I know how much you love the previews."

"Yeah," I tried to laugh it off. "The previews."

We all went in together. And just my luck, I somehow ended up between Tinsley and Bethany. I felt Bethany shift closer to Nick at the same time Tinsley shifted closer to me. The movie started. Tinsley was staring intently at the screen, probably hoping to be into it enough to get really scared. And then the werewolf jumped. Bethany jumped along with it, grabbing my hand.

I tensed at her touch. She looked at me, our eyes holding each other's for a second before she pulled away and shifted closer to Nick. I sighed, trying to focus on the film.

---

"Hey Nick, what happened to your hand," Kevin asked him as Nick reached for the ketchup bottle on the table.

Nick absently looked at his hand. "Oh nothing. Bethany just clawed my arm out during the film," he grinned. "Thankfully it was only an hour and a half, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to use this arm again."

"Oh man," Tinsley said. "That's why I never sit next to her in scary movies."

"You guys are so funny," Bethany rolled her eyes. "I'm not that bad."

"Right," Nick and Tinsley laughed.

She scoffed, but didn't say anything else. After dinner, I went to my room. Out of habit, I checked my email. I half gasped when I did. There was a new message. And it was from Bethany. Hmm, maybe she hadn't just forgotten everything.