"Ok. Have fun at school." Demi watched from inside the bus as Joe planted a kiss on Taylor's lips.
"I will. I hope." Taylor waved at Joe as the bus doors flapped close. She sighed touching her lips.
Demi gasped loudly and the little girl next to her looked at her strangely and went and sat next to her mommy.
Taylor stopped looking at Joe as the bus driver told her to take a seat. She moved all the way to the back in a seat next to Demi. She smiled over at her politely then stared out the window.
Demi glanced down at what the girl was wearing still in shock over her boyfriend kissing this tall, curly-haired, worthy of supermodel history blonde. She had on a black top that curved around her breasts that was strapless. Her jean skirt went halfway between her knees and her waist with very stylish pleats. Demi attempted to make conversation with her. "Do I know you?"
The girl turned to her and stuttered, "I-I'm best friends with your brother and also we have the same Bio-Chem class." She warily glanced at Demi as she looked out the window.
Demi wondered if she knew she had been kissing her boyfriend or if she normally acted like this. "My brother Taylor?"
The girl nodded.
"I like your, um, top. It's really cute. Where'd you get it?" Demi had no idea why she was talking to the girl who wrecked her relationship with Joe in just three seconds or it probably took longer to have Joe already kissing her goodbye on a bus. She probably just wanted to know what Joe liked in her so much but it was obvious. With those long legs she belonged on a magazine cover like GQ or Sports Illustrated or Playboy.
"Oh, thank you. It was a gift," she paused then continued, "from my boyfriend."
Demi was thankful that the girl was still staring out the window so she didn't notice her mouth drop open like a fish. Joe bought her that? That sniveling little weasel. Demi continued to gather herself before she started to talk again. "That was awfully nice of him."
"Well, I told him I didn't need it but he insisted."
Demi made a sound of disbelief but covered it up with a coughing fit when the girl looked over at her.
"Are you okay?" The girl not knowing whether to pat her back or do something else, she just let her hand lay in her lap.
Demi gradually slowed it down as she pulled out her cell phone. "I'm fine. Just a piece of dust. Went down the wrong pipe."
"Here. Have some of my juice." She pulled a very cold juice out of her black purse on her shoulder. The girl carried juice in her purse? Most of Demi's friends with the exception of Miley and Selena, because they were just weird, wouldn't be caught dead with something like that touching their hands let alone something in their precious Louis Vuitton handbags.
Demi quickly took the bottle and a swig from it before the situation got a little too weird. She gave the bottle back and murmured a thank you before returning to her phone. She decided she was going to text Joe first seeing as how she never wanted to talk to him ever again. She sent out a quick text only thinking about it for about five seconds before sending it out. It said, "I'm sorry but I just can't see you anymore. I saw you today. I was on the bus that you sent your new girlfriend out on. I guess I don't have to tell you to find yourself a new one. You've already got that covered." She didn't mean to be so harsh in the end. It just came out that way. If Joe didn't feel like Demi was enough for him, that wasn't his fault. She just wished he'd told her so that she could have prepared her heart for it. Next she sent out a text to both her best friends that said simply: I met Joe's new girlfriend five minutes ago.
Their texts all came back at the same time. Demi didn't really want to hear from Joe right now so she started with both her friends who basically said the same thing.
'You're Joe's girlfriend.'
Demi rolled her eyes, glanced over at Taylor who had taken a new interest in fogging up the window and sketching her name in a heart in the moistness. She typed back, "I think he was cheating. No, I know he was cheating. Caught him kissing her goodbye. She's a little weird but beautiful. Says Joe bought her these clothes and they're gorgeous. Really gorgeous only on her though."
"You're taking this well." That was what she got from Miley and the temperamental text came from Selena as usual. "Hold on a minute. Joe cheated on you?!"
"If Joe Jonas thinks he can get to me he has got another think coming. I will not just rollover and mourn over losing him. Nobody messes with my heart."
"Not and get away with it." Selena replied.
"Selena, we're not going to do anything to him."
"Speak for yourself. I know where he sleeps."
"Yeah, across the hall from you. He's your brother."
Selena Jonas a.k.a. Joe's sister a.k.a. Demi's best friend. Let's not forget Miley Lerman a.k.a Logan Lerman's sister aka Demi's other best friend. It really didn't help that all their brothers were best friends including Nick, Selena's other brother. "Are you on the bus again?"
"Selena, I'm always on the bus at eight in the morning. It's how I get to school."
"So she's on the same bus as you? Miley asked.
Yeah. Demi looked up and over at Taylor. "She's blonde. She says she's best friend with Taylor? You guys know her?"
"Oh yeah. The bumbling geek with glasses." Demi could almost hear the recognizable laughter coming through Selena's text.
"That's not fair." Miley sent. "She only bumbles when she is around Taylor."
"And she definitely doesn't look like a geek and there are no glasses." Demi sent. "She looks like a model. I'll talk to you guys at school." Demi put her phone away and looked over at Taylor. Then she remembered she also got a text from Joe. She took her phone back out and went through to find what he said.
"I can explain. It's not what it looked like. I promise. We have to talk about this in person." He sounded almost like any other boyfriend that had been caught cheating. She also had no intention of letting him lie to her face so she was definitely not intending on talking to him in person. She put her phone away again as the bus stopped at her school. She picked up her bag and followed Taylor off the bus. "So, Taylor. My friends and I are having a girl's night out tonight." Demi grinned. "it'd be great if you could come."
Taylor grinned back. "I'll be there."
"Great. We'll see you at lunch. I'll give you the details there."
Taylor waved goodbye as her eye caught something. "Alright. See you there." She rushed away toward the building.
"Hey."
Demi turned around to Joe immediately turning angry. "I don't want to hear it." She started to walk away when Joe grabbed her arm but in a gentle way. "Let me go or I will make a scene. You don't want your precious little girlfriend to hear."
"Demi-let me explain."
Selena and Miley turned up next to Demi for support. "Not today, Joe." Miley looked up at him apologetically.
"Let go of her, Joe."
Joe let go but said, "Selena."
Selena whirled on him as Miley led Demi away. "Don't 'Selena' me. The only reason you're not at home explaining to mom why you have an unusual pain in an unusual place is because Demi told me not to do anything to you." After Selena said that she went to join her friends. "So one down. One to go. Where's this witch that I need to cut?"
Miley laughed. "Same old Selena."
"Yeah, about that." Selena nervously twiddled her fingers together. "I sort of let something slip to Nick last night."
Miley's comforting hands fell like dead weights off of Demi's shoulders. "You didn't!"
Uh-oh. Demi backed up but then decided to stop it before it got too far. She stepped halfway between Miley and Selena holding her arms up.
But Miley surprised both of them by slyly smiling and falling into step beside Demi. "That's fine. So tell us about this girl, Demi."
Suspiciously looking at Miley, Selena followed. "Yeah, Demi. You talk to her?"
Demi nodded. "She-yes. I invited her to girl's night out." She said simply.
Selena looked like the most problem with that statement. "I-I-I-she-she-she-Miley!"
"I think what Selena is so eloquently trying to say is that you saw her kiss your boyfriend and then you invited her to hang out."
"She's nice and I don't think she knows." Demi looked up at Miley. "Why do you think Joe was so persistent?"
Miley smiled being the romantic she always was. "Love. I think he really loves you. Maybe he really has a very good explanation for this girl. Like he was dating her before you and he just didn't have the guts to tell her he's really in love with you."
Selena looked at Miley strangely. "Nick is really going to have his hands full with you."
Miley slanted an innocent look up at them. "Was it something I said?"
Selena and Demi laughed.
"That's her?" Miley's bottom lip descended almost to her chin over the other girl's beauty. "She doesn't look the same at all. I wonder if your brother has noticed yet."
When the girl Taylor got stopped on the way to their table, Demi said, "I don't think it's my brother she has to worry about."
Taylor bypassed the guy who blocked her way and made her way to the girls. "Hey."
As she sat down, Selena looked her up and down.
"Taylor. These are my best friends Miley and Selena."
"Nice to meet you." She grinned at them.
Selena rolled her eyes at her sweetness. "Okay, I have to ask. Are you dating my brother?"
Taylor suddenly looked confused. "Me and Joe? No way." She shook her head as she picked up her burger off her lunch plate. "I know what it looks like and it's definitely supposed to look that way for a reason." She glanced across from them to the boy's table which bought all the girls' gazes to their table to notice the boys were looking at them.
Miley nudged Demi with an 'I told you so' look. "I told you there was a good reason." She mumbled to go with the look.
"I'll tell you later." Taylor murmured.
"I thought you liked Demi, Joe." Taylor commented angrily which only bought a smile to his face, both at the mention of Demi and the fact that his and Taylor S's plan was working.
"Hmmm," Joe said pretending he didn't hear Taylor L.
"I've got to say I'm a little confused now, too, Joe." Nick said sitting across from Joe and Taylor L. and beside a daydreaming Logan.
"Why don't you guys worry about your own love lives and stay out of mine?" Joe said.
"In fact," Nick continued, ignoring Joes last comment, "last night you told me you and Demi were finally dating."
"And last night Selena told you Miley liked you. What are you waiting for?" Joe asked changing the subject.
"Well, you know Selena. She likes to play practical jokes. I'm not just going to risk my relationship with Miley over something that our truly psychotic sister says."
"What relationship?" Logan asked, getting back to the conversation. "You guys don't even talk anymore. There's too much sexual tension between you."
Joe laughed. "Are you not weirded out talking about the sexual tension that your sister has with one of your friends?"
"No. I'm hoping one of you will tell me what I need to know about Selena."
"Sorry. Selena's more of a mystery. She even stopped keeping a diary when Nick took it to school for show and tell in the sixth grade." Joe mentioned.
Logan and Taylor L looked over at Nick who shrugged. "Believe me. I learned real young not to mess with Selena. Plus Joe is just trying to get away from the fact that he's dating two girls."
Joe shook his head. "No, I'm not. Demi dumped me over text this morning."
Nick and Logan started to laugh hysterically.
"You sure moved on fast enough."
"Do you like her, Taylor?"
"Who?" He said not really listening to his friends anymore. His gaze had found Taylor at the girls' table.
"Taylor." He said bringing his best friend's gaze back to him. "Do you like Taylor?"
Logan and Nick stopped laughing enough to listen to his answer.
"I don't know. She's my best friend."
"No. I'm your best friend. She's a girl." Joe said.
"A hot girl."
Joe glared at Logan.
Taylor stared longingly at the girls' table. "It's nothing, Joe. Don't worry about me and Taylor. She's all yours."
Joe sighed inwardly.
Nick chuckled. "A text."
Joe flung a piece of bread at him that hit him on his forehead.
"I'm going to call you Swift because I can't keep getting you and the other Taylor mixed up." Selena explained. "So Swift, why are you and Joe pretending to date?"
"Taylor." She looked down.
Selena looked confused until Miley asked, "You love Taylor?"
She glanced over at the guy's table before looking back at the girls, then nodding.
"It would take Demi to befriend your new girlfriend." Nick said.
Taylor coughed. "Excuse me. I have to go throw up." Taylor elevated himself and walked away from the table.
"Soo," Logan drew out. "You gonna tell us the real story now?"
"There's a real story?"
"Yes. Keep up. Even I know something is up and I'm the dumb one." Logan looked expectantly over at Joe. "Well?"
He sighed. "Okay, but only 'cause Taylor's gone." He pushed his tray away and leaned over closer to them. "I'm helping Swift with a little love problem. And though he doesn't know it, I'm helping Lautner, too. Just add a little jealousy to the mix and bam! Instant relationship." Joe half-smiled. "They'll be together by the end of the day."
"What are you getting out if it that's not a broken relationship with Demi?" Logan asked.
"After I do this for her, Taylor's going to let her dad know that I'm looking for a job after school. She's going to put in a good word for me. I'm hoping to work at his record company."
"But I thought you were going to work for Dad after school." Nick said.
Joe lowered his gaze. "This may surprise you, but I don't want to follow in Dad's footsteps. But be my guest."
Nick shook his head quickly. "I was just hoping you'd do it so it can take the attention away from the fact that I'm not joining the football team this year. But don't worry about it. Dad is just going to have to be disappointed. Plus, there's always Selena. Its time to take my life in my own hands. Starting with Miley."
The class bell rang and reverberated through the halls and in the lunchroom.
"Ugh, school." Selena groaned.
"Selena, you say that before every class."
"Well, if I could just skip class and make out with your incredibly hot brother, life would be swell."
"Ew." Miley covered her ears.
Taylor laughed. "I can't be late so, I'll see you after school."
Taylor's arm was pulled to the left and she gave a little yelp before she landed in someones arms in a dark enclosed room. She started to struggle until she heard his voice.
"What are you doing?"
"What are you doing?"
"Taylor, since when do you like Joe?" He looked down. "And what are you wearing?"
Taylor blushed and got a sudden flash of heat. "Joe liked my clothes." She said shyly.
"Of course he did. Your breasts are out." Taylor had his hands on both of her wrists now holding them between the two of them. "Nothing against Joe but he's a bit shallow."
"He's your friend."
"I know. I'm just warning you."
Taylor chuckled. "I think I can take care of myself." She pulled her hands out his grip and headed for the door.
He pulled her back by her elbow and forced her against the closest wall, hemming her in.
Even though her breath was taken away, Taylor managed to say, "What are you-?" before his mouth descended upon hers. She effortlessly fell into the rhythm of his lips grinding against hers. She took that moment to tangle her fingers into his hair and held on for dear life. She moaned breaking the spell, forcing his subconscious to back off of her even though his lips wanted to be on hers.
He hung his head over her right shoulder. He took long, deep breaths raising the hairs on the back of her neck.
She patiently waited for him to speak.
"Taylor..." That's all he said. He looked up then, staring up into her eyes, craving more. He perused her expression more, leaning closer. "I don't want you with Joe."
Taylor smiled. "Okay."
"Okay." He planted kisses along her neck.
"Tay, I'm gonna be late." She moaned, letting her eyelids flutter close from pure ecstasy.
"I don't think you're going to make it to class at all."
\There was a lot of shrill shrieking and screaming as Taylor retold the events of the closet on their ways to Urban Outfitters. Demi had managed to cover her ears through the whole ordeal and not because they were making a lot of noise. She didn't want to know about what her brother did with his lips. In fact, she could live her whole life without knowing what he did with women when he was alone with them. As Taylor finished, Demi gave a bitter laugh like she had been listening the whole time. "You know guys, if we're going to keep telling the things we do with each other's brothers, we're all going to have to buy some earmuffs."
"I'm sorry, Demi."
"Don't worry about it." Demi waved off the apology. "We do this all the time. I'm just never the one whose brother is talked about."
Taylor grinned. "He's so sweet."
Demi smiled. "I know."
"Do you know what I think? I think we should get some-" Selena interrupted.
"Food," Demi and Miley said at the same time then laughed. Miley continued with, "You're always eating. I wonder what would happen if we deprived you for a few days."
"I actually think it'd have a backward effect. She might get more crankier."
Selena looked away from the girls as they reached the food court and the only things that occupied her mind was what kind of food did she want and... There was Logan. She looked back over to the girls with her mouth half open.
"What?" Miley glanced around until she caught sight of her brother then she smiled. "Logan."
"Since when are you happy to see your brother?" (Demi)
Miley glanced at Selena who had turned to gaze in Logan's direction."I'm not, particularly, but I know someone who likes to let others know about their best friend's secrets."
Selena almost snapped her neck as she jerked back to their conversation. "No..."
"Oh yeah," Miley backed away in Logan's direction, smirking.
"No, Miley. Come back here!" When Miley refused to reapproach them, Selena started to look around for an exit then ran towards the bathrooms. Taylor and Demi exchanged looks before trailing after her.
Miley slid into the seat across from Logan and he slowly put the book down, curiously. "Hey. Watcha reading?"
"Nothing. What are you doing here?"
"Shopping. Duh."
"No. I meant here. In front of me."
"Just torturing Selena. What do you mean by you're reading nothing?" Miley reached for the book but Logan pulled it back. "Why are you so touchy today? Let me see the book."
"No. What do you mean by 'torturing' Selena?"
"You have such a one-track mind. Selena. Selena. Selena."
"You're not going to tell me anything, I'm not going to tell you anything." Logan fixed her with one of his hard stares so that she'd go away."You can leave now."
Miley scoffed then proceeded to leave him sitting there. She reconvened with the girls in the bathroom two minutes later. "I think that we all should take the Taylor initiative and tell the guys what we feel about them before it's too late."
Taylor smiled for the millionth time that day. "And I highly recommend it."
Demi laughed. "I bet."
For Miley, 'too late' came on Monday morning when they got back to school and she found Nicole Anderson literally draped over Nick like some cheap clingy drapes. She groaned out loud and it was like he heard her all the way down the hall because his gaze immediately turned to her and she could swear the look he sent her was one of a need to be rescued. She didn't know what it was that had her feet moving toward him but whatever it was, she couldn't stop. She also couldn't take her gaze away from him. It was as if he stimulated a trigger inside of her body that set off a massive burning need to do whatever she had to to get him away from that girl. Before she knew it, she found herself standing in front of the two people at a loss for words. "Um..."
"May we help you?" Nicole's snide remark spurred Miley into action. She didn't know if the grip Nicole had on Nicks arm meant to insinuate something more between them but the same fire she had when Nick and her eyes met across the hall did not seem to care.
"You can start by taking your filthy little hands off my boyfriend." The fire in Miley's eyes must have shown that she meant business because Nicole's arms dropped to her side.
Since Nick or Nicole had never seen Miley like this, both of their eyes had widened, but Nick was smiling a little bit.
"And leaving." Miley was so relieved when Nicole left without another word she breathed a loud sigh of relief.
"Um, thanks." Nick scratched the back of his neck, nervously. "Now you have to walk me to class so Nicole doesn't think you got rid of her for nothing."
Miley stumbled around for the right words in her brain to express what she was feeling. "I don't care what Nicole thinks."
Nick stood there with his hands inserted in his pockets, tilted back on the heels of his shoes. He wore a white t-shirt today with black jeans and a black top hat with a feather in the lining. "Hey." He finally said after a while.
"I sort of don't know how to say what I came to say."
Nick smiled. "I understand. Take your time. We have..." he glanced at his watch then looked back at her, "fifteen minutes until first period." Nick held out his arm for her to take and she gladly took hold of it. "Let's talk a walk."
She nodded, smiling as she walked silently beside him. "I'm not usually like this." She blushed admitting that to him.
"I know. I notice you a lot, Miley."
His statement had her giving him a sidelong glance. "Why was Nicole all over you? Wait. Why am I asking that? Of course I know why she was on you. What I meant to ask was, do you like her? As more than a friend?"
He shook his head. "Is that what you wanted to ask me?"
"No." She said matter of factly. "On a scale of one to ten, how like are you to date her? Be honest."
"Okay." he chuckled. "Honestly, I would never date her, so a zero."
"Why not?"
"Miley, as weird as I find this conversation, I have to wonder why we're talking about Nicole."
"Answer the question, Nick. Honestly."
"Well, honestly, I wouldn't date her because... I'm in love with you." Nick said composed and directly.
Miley stuttered for a moment before she regained her cool. "Okay. Do have any questions to ask me?" She asked hopeful.
The class bell rang and the hopeful expression fell off of his face. "Don't worry about that. Five minute bell. I do have one really important question. You have to answer honestly. I gave you complete honesty. You can do the same."
She nodded in agreement.
"Do you... love me back?"
She nodded again.
"Say it, Miley."
She slowly smiled. "I love you, Nick Jonas."
"Good. Because I really liked it when you called me your boyfriend."
She laughed. "Me, too."
Demi traipsed up behind Joe and slowly covered his eyes, whispering, "Guess who."
"Demi?" He asked, surprised. He immediately turned to face her with a smile on his face. "You're talking to me?"
"Yeah, well, Taylor told me what you did for her and my brother." Demi smiled. "I'm real sorry for not listening to you when you were trying to explain."
"When did Taylor tell you?"
"Friday. At lunch."
"Friday? Why are you just now telling me? I missed you." Joe took ahold of Demi's elbows no longer able to resist touching her.
Demi tilted her head to the side still scoping him out. "I sort of wanted to punish you for not telling me before you started kissing her in public."
"You succeeded." Joe brushed his lips over hers. "I definitely learned my lesson."
"Good." ('who I am' would be a good song to play on Joe and Demi's part)
As Selena paced up and down the back of courtyard a little pissed off. Where the hell was everyone? It was lunchtime and they knew how impatient she got when there was no food and no way was the free food in this place going down her throat to kill her. She would rather eat the thorns on roses. She was quite dreadfully in a dilemma since she left her purse at hone accidentally. And none of her friends were here or her brothers. She was about to go in search of them when she scoped Logan making his way toward her. She all of a sudden became very dizzy and her heart rate increased instantly.
"Hey." Logan produced one of his heartbreaking smiles and Selena felt so lightheaded she had to sit down.
She sighted a bench nearby and went and planted her butt on it.
Logan joined her. "What's wrong?"
"I can't talk to you, Logan."
"You're talking to me now. We definitely do not have a problem talking."
Selena laid her eyes on him for a long moment in silence.
"Hungry?"
All she could do was nod.
"Okay. How about this? You go with me to the restaurant across the street and we consider this a date?"
"You feed me and I will marry you." Selena blurted then instantly covered her mouth in shock. "Oh no."
"Deal. Let's wait until after graduation, though." He grabbed her hand pulling her along, gently, through the gate and across the street. "I think we should talk about kids, too. I'm thinking four or five." He lifted his arms up in surrender when Selena gave him a strange look. "I can live with three."
"You're a weird guy."
"Is that like a deal breaker?"
Selena smiled. "It's definitely cute." She clasped her fingers together with his. "Let's go eat, Lerman."
The End