99 Red Balloons

Chapter 1

99 dreams I have had, in every one a red balloon
It's all over and I'm standin' pretty, in the dust that was a city
If I could find a souvenir, just to prove the world was here...
And here it is, a red balloon

I think of you and let it go...

-*-*-*-*-

Nick ran down the stairs quickly, his worn down converse clapping loudly against each step. The books in his hands were nearly dropped when he skillfully avoided colliding head-on with a student going up the stairs. Luckily, the dark haired boy moved out of the way just in time, but when he realized who was rushing in the opposite direction, he grasped their arm and pulled them back. He gave him a concerned but amused look and the rushing boy sighed impatiently.

"What is it, Joe?" He asked, irritated and looking around frantically for the one girl on his mind.

"Hey, I'm not the one running down the stairs without a 'Warning: I run without paying attention.' sign stapled to my shirt."

"Ha-ha, very funny, but I'm in a hurry. I gotta find Demi and tell her that Mom and Dad gave the 'okay'." He told Joe and once again looked around the empty hallway quickly, scanning for his girl's dark brunette, wavy locks.

"Whoa, they're letting her stay with us over the summer?"

"Surprisingly, yeah. It will be fun, though. I can't wait to see the look on her face when she finds out. I mean, I know she'd give anything to not have to spend the summer with her grandparents in Wadsworth. They never even remember they are her guardians, they forget she's around. I feel awful about that, and you know as much as I do that she'll be welcome at our house." He explained, actually taking a break from his frantic search.

"Well obviously, Nick. Mom and Dad loved her ever since she visited us over Christmas break." Joe said and smiled at his brother. He smiled back and nodded, "Yeah, you're right. So like I said, it should be a fun summer."

"Yeah, I hope so." Joe said and looked down in deep thought. He took a deep breath and after a moment realized he was still standing there. He looked up and saw Nick had disappeared, probably gone to find Demi. Why doesn't he just check her dorm room? Joe thought and chuckled at his brother.

-*-*-*-*-

Taylor let her head fall as she heard the conversation between the two girls in front of her. She knew who they were talking about.

"I heard he's breaking up with her." One of them spoke, unaware of her presence walking behind them.

"Of course he is. She's a slut. She hooked up with David at the 'End of the School Year Party', completely cheating on Joe." The other said and it took everything in Taylor to not whack the brunette with her purse, causing her to fall forward, flat on her face. Even though everyone in the school knew that David skipped that party to go to a friend in mourning, as she needed him.

"I heard that she hooked up with David and his roommate..at the same time." A dark red-head spoke and her friend, Selena, laughed.

"Slut."

The gossiping girls faded into a different hallway as Taylor stood there, her head hanging low, and a silent tear rolling down her porcelain cheek. The lies that slid across their tongues, seeping into others' ears were like venom. And they were all about her.

-*-*-*-*-

Demi sighed as she looked out her window. The end of the school year had arrived and she would be on her way back to Oklahoma to live with her grandparents. It was planned for her to stay at her boyfriend's house all summer, but he hadn't gotten back to her with news from his parents yet, so she knew she was heading back to her cruddy hometown.

She turned back to her computer screen and hesitated on clicking the submit button to buy the one way ticket to hell. Maybe, just maybe, Nick would suddenly pop in the room with the good news of her staying with him.

She sat for two more minutes, just looking at her door, waiting for him to knock. Her bags were all packed and the only thing she had out of it were clothes for tomorrow, as she was already in her pajamas, sweats and a concert tee. She had a single sheet and comforter on her bed with a pillow, all the rest was stuffed into a suit case.

The door opened and Demi's eyes lit up, her head snapping left to see who was entering. Aw crap. She thought as she saw her best friend, also her roommate, walk in.

She turned away disappointed and looked at the submit button once again.

"Wow, didn't know I brought you down so much, Demi." Selena joked and Demi turned back around to face her. She smiled softly, "You don't, Sel. Nick does."

"Aw, you don't mean that."

"You're right. I mean, it's not his fault if his parents said no. But he could at least tell me."

"Demi, you know I'd let you come home with me if I could, but my parents won't budge."

"I know, and I love you for that. You're my best friend, I'm gonna miss you over the summer."

"I'm gonna miss you too." Selena sighed and Demi got up from her bed and hugged her. After a moment they let go and Demi looked back at her laptop.

She sighed. "I guess I gotta get my plane ticket. It's past dorm curfew, I don't think Nick will be stopping by anytime soon."

She sat back down and Selena gave her a sympathetic smile as she clicked the orange submit button. There. All done. She was going back to her cruddy life, where she was invisible.

"Looks like I'm heading back to Wadsworth..."

"Ugh. I wish Nick came through that door a long time ago saying-"

"Dem! You're coming to New Jersey!" The sound of Nick's voice flooded through out the room and Demi jumped off the bed excitedly.

"No way! Ahhhh!" She squealed and jumped into Nick's arms. Selena smiled at them as they hugged. Demi immediately pulled away a frown taking over her smile.

"What...what's wrong?" Nick asked, worried and Demi shook her head.

"I already bought my plane ticket to my grandparents' house."

"Well unbuy it, 'cause you're coming with Joe and I."

Demi laughed. "I can't just 'unbuy' a ticket. That's not even a word. Well, I guess I can call the airport and cancel the ticket order."

"Great." Nick said and kissed her.

"Oh please. Get a room." Selena joked and made a gagging noise.

Demi pulled back and smiled, hugging him one last time.

"Okay, I gotta run but we'll meet up tomorrow around 9 AM. Our plane leaves at noon." Nick told Demi and she nodded.

"I'm so happy for you!" Selena exclaimed and hugged her best friend.

"I know, I'm stoked. This is gonna be the best summer of all time." Demi said and smiled at the thought of a drama free summer with her boyfriend and his family.

-*-*-*-*-

Miley smiled sympathetically at her best friend as he stepped out of the taxi. She ran out of her front door and into his arms. "I'm so glad you came" She whispered and hugged him tightly.

"Anything for my best friend."

"Thanks for flying down to New Jersey. I mean, missing the 'End of the Year Party' and stuff. It was a really nice thing to do."

"Like I said, anything for my best friend." David said and smiled at her as they pulled apart. She grabbed one of his suit cases and he grabbed the other two, kicking the taxi door shut. They walked into her house and plopped the suit cases down.

"I don't think you know how much it means to me that you would spend the summer here."

"Miles, you know I don't mind. It beats going home for the summer. My parents are the whole reason I started going to Shane M.J. Academy Boarding School. I can't stand them." He said and shook his head at the thought of having to spend the summer with his older brother and drunk parents.

"At least you have two of them..." Miley said softly, a weird smile spread across her face. Instantly, David regretted his choice of words.

"Miles..." He started, "you know I didn't mean it like th-"

"I know." She interrupted him, shrugging with a tight lipped smile pulled together, "You would never...mean it like that."

David nodded and looked down, slightly ashamed of how he talked about his parents around Miley. Although she knew how they treated him and what he went through in that house, her experience taught him a valuable lesson and sometimes he had to bite his tongue.

"Promise me something?" She said randomly and looked up him in the eye.

"Anything."

"Promise me you won't take anyone or anything for granted. Ever."

"I promise."

Miley nodded and took in a deep breath and smiled. "Well, my dad spent a long time cleaning up that guest room for you and making it nice and made up. Haha. I'll help you unpack and get settled in."

"Great." David replied and they made their way upstairs, both very thankful to have a best friend there for them.

-*-*-*-*-

Kevin took a deep breath and felt for the velvet box in his pocket, checking that it was still there, it was. He saw her approach the elevator and quickly rushed to her side. A cool breeze from outside blew in the doors, making her hair blow into his direction, causing him to get a whiff of her strawberry scented shampoo. She rushed to the elevator as soon as she saw him approach her.

"Kevin, go away." She said, annoyed, and pressed the elevator button obnoxiously.

"Just hear me out!" He begged and touched her shoulder gently. She shrugged his hand off of her and shook her head, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Don't make me get down on my knees and beg. Please. Give me a minute, two minutes tops?" He challenged and she bit her bottom lip.

"I thought I told you that I didn't wanna see you ever again?"

"I don't care. When you love someone, you chase after them." She looked at him, as he had taken both of her hands into his very own.

"You have one minute." She answered stubbornly, yanking her hands out of his grasp. By now a scene had already been formed. As much as they wanted to deny it, people were watching.

"I was stupid, no beyond that. And I was wrong. But I just wanted to ask you something."

"30 seconds."

"Marry me, Danielle?" The three words dripped from his bottom lip and onto the diamond ring in his hands.

-*-*-*-*-

Joe cringed at the rumors ringing through his ears. The gazes burn wholes through his skin as he walks by and the curious students stop talking and stare. Now Joe isn't an idiot. He knew when he was being talked about and he always knew what it was about. Usually the the guy's lounge is never a gossiping place, but everyone has been talking about this.

"Hey Joe, you still with that chick?" He heard someone from his biology class ask him and he looked up from his cell phone.

"Uh, you mean Taylor? Yeah...why wouldn't I be?" He played dumb, but nobody fell for it. You would have to be blind and deaf to not know this end of the year drama.

"You got some competition. David and Chad have her under their grasp." One guy said and pounded fists with another, laughing at the inappropriate pun. Any other day, Joe would have ignored the comment and kept on walking, but today, he was fed up. It was the last full day of school and there were just a couple hundred students left at the school, all leaving tomorrow. Those couple hundred fed him rumors day and night for the past three days.

He stopped in his tracks and swallowed the knot in his throat, biting his tongue as his jaw locked. Slowly turning around to face the three boys he clenched his fists. "Are you fucking kidding me?" He spat out. "You don't know what the hell you're talking about."

"Right. We aren't the ones being played."

"I'm not being played, man. She didn't do anything with David and Chad. Besides, David wasn't even at the party. He left a few days ago to visit Miley." Joe argued, knowing he was exactly right.

The boys just smirked and walked away. Joe sighed and looked down at his cell phone. He had began a text message but never sent it and he wondered if it was the right thing to do. He pondered about it once more before deleting the three most adored words and typing in the four most dreaded ones. With that, he pressed the green send button.

We need to talk.

-Joe

A/N: Okay this is my newest piece of work. I'm proud of it so far. I really think this will go somewhere. Mainly because it's not about just one couple or one person but about basically companionship all together. I hope you guys saw the obvious relationships set out so far. Some will grow and some will be demolished. I can't wait until you guys can read more. Also check out the trailer for this story at my YouTube. My account name is xStruckxByxLovex and the video is called 99 Red Balloons Fanfic Trailer. So check that out, it will help you visualize some things and it helps you get an idea of the story.

10 + reviews for chapter two.