WARNING: SPOILERS FOR 'KARAOKE SURPRISE'.
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Avalanche
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since when do you come around
and the temperature has changed
nothing's the same
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They're sitting in the cafeteria discussing Stella's friend-aversary gift. Joe suggests a party and his brothers agree; but Kevin says the magic word and Macy appears.
Joe blinks up at Macy as he tries to realize where she came from. "How did you do that?" he asks, voicing his curiosity. She looks defensive at once, and her brow furrows a little.
"I wasn't following you around trying to listen to your conversation if that's what you're suggesting," she says, a little too frustratingly. Joe hides a smile. Meaning she was following them around.
For some reason, he likes that.
"Macy," Nick breaks into his thoughts and he sees how Macy's face lights up as Nick says her name, and he wants to take over the conversation but he can't because he has no good reason to, so he lets Nick keep talking. "We need your help. We want to throw a party for Stella."
Macy's face lights up even more now and Joe can't help but want to cheer at how cute she looks like that. "Ooh," Macy muses, still looking at Nick, which frustrates him to no end. Joe can't stand the fact that they're staring at each other, so he breaks in.
"What kind of party would Stella really like?" he asks, and finally, Macy's eyes break from Nick's to his, if only for a moment. She grins.
"Stella loves surprises," she suggests. She excitedly takes the seat in front of Joe's and Joe's heart starts beating faster. He likes Macy's closeness. "And I love surprises too," Macy continues, forgetting about Stella. Joe can't help but be intrigued at what Macy likes. "And I like ice cream, and party games, and, and—and balloon animals!"
Joe can't believe how fascinated he is, and he wants Macy to go on, but Kevin breaks in calling her name, annoyance in his voice. Joe locks his jaw but refrains himself from saying anything.
Her smile erases and Joe wants to be the one to put it there again. She looks a little disappointed, but keeps talking nevertheless. "Oh, right Stella," she says. She takes a deep breath, as if contemplating. Joe stares at her, and for a moment doesn't want her to say anything, he just wants to look at her.
But that only lasts about a second. "Stella loves karaoke." She states, but more calm now and Joe can't help but blame Kevin for erasing that beautiful smile and her comforting state.
Joe says something to try and get her to speak again. "That's right! We can throw her a surprise karaoke party," Joe says, but the smile doesn't return to Macy's face. His head makes up a plan in less than a second, just to see her face light up again. "Can you come over later and help us plan it?" Her eyes meet his and Joe can't help but smile a little.
She looks dumfounded, but keeps her eyes locked in his as she asks if he's serious.
Joe is about to say something, but of course Nick takes his spotlight. "We're serious."
Macy glances at Nick, but Joe refuse to let her keep looking at him for more than a few seconds.
"Seriously," he smiles and he can't help but look mesmerized as Macy smiles slowly again and her face is starting to light up. He tries not to pat his own shoulder and praise himself.
He's about to tell her about her smile without thinking, but he hears Stella greet them as she enters the lunchroom.
Ah, Stella was there. Joe hushes his brothers and the beautiful girl in the table. "Remember, big surprise," Joe looks at Kevin the whole time, and Kevin grimaces.
"Oh, no, I'm not good at this," Kevin says, his voice sounding strangled. Joe glances at Macy and tries not to notice the amused look on her face, but he can't help it and he can't help but feel amused himself. But then he remembers what they're hiding, and he sends his brother a hard glare.
"Not good at what?" Stella asks, her face confused. Joe wants to punch Kevin for even saying he wasn't good at keeping a secret.
"Uh, uhm," Kevin meets Joe's glare for a moment, and he finally says something coherent. Kevin says something, but Joe doesn't care to listen as he sees Macy hold back laughter, and when he finally looks at Kevin he is doing a strange dance and he Nick is looking dumbfounded and Joe can't believe what an idiot he can be.
"Kevin," Nick says firmly, but Kevin doesn't slow down. "Cronk it up over there, please," Nick takes Kevin outside, and he can't help be happy because now he has Macy's attention to himself. "Phew," he says to Macy. "He almost blew it." Macy only smiles wider and he realizes she still finds it funny, and he wants to smile back but then he remembers Stella as she sits on the chair Kevin left empty and he doesn't want to groan but a sudden feeling wants him to.
"Almost blew what?" Stella asks, as if wanting to be let in on the secret. Of course, Joe can't allow that.
Joe and Macy look at each other in desperation. Macy stutters, trying to think of something, but Joe is already way ahead of her. "This trumpet!" Joe laughs nervously, and looks at Macy, urging her to continue the story.
Macy laughs with him. "Right! 'Cause you're not allowed to blow it in the hallway," she agrees, looking at Stella. Joe can't help but see the guilt Macy hides, and it makes him feel guilty, and it saddens him to see Macy feel this way but he knows she wouldn't do anything to jeopardize the plan.
He can't take her guilt anymore, though, so he tries to lure her away. "Ah, I'll just go put it in my locker," he says, only glancing at Stella.
Macy takes the hint. "You know what, that looks heavy, I'll go help you." They both leave Stella at the lunch table alone, but for some strange reason, he still feels elated.
--
She's in his house, and Joe can't help but notice how pretty she looks out of the school uniform. Red orange is definitely her color.
She's arranging the flowers, but their beauty is outshined by Macy herself. Joe picks up the karaoke machine and starts setting it up close to her, hoping to catch her attention. Macy gasps and Joe hides his smile. He managed to catch her attention. "The CroonMaster 5000? Stella's gonna freak! She thought the 4000 was awesome," she squeals, and Joe tries not to be annoyed by the fact Macy has to bring up Stella, but he can't because this is Stella's party.
"Yeah, but this one's a thousand times more awesome," he jokes, and Macy giggles. He likes the fact he can make her laugh, but he doesn't let her know that. "But you have to be a genius to figure out how to turn this thing on," he complains, looking at the huge manuscript in his hands.
Macy takes it away from him, their hands brushing together for a moment, and he can't help the shock that runs throughout his body by that one little brush and he's happy because there is a spark between them after all. Macy looks so concentrated in the instruction manual and Joe just stares at her, taking in like every day her beauty.
She finally closes the manual and turns on the karaoke, and Joe can't believe how amazing she is. They both watch the screen as it turns on and both of them wow in amazement.
"Genius in the house," Joe compliments, but can't look at Macy because he wants to kiss her so badly it scares him. But those thoughts are pushed aside as they both hear Stella's voice coming from downstairs and Joe feels stupid, because he knows that Stella has the key to his house and she was to walk in at any moment, but he was too distracted by Macy to think it through.
"Uh oh," Joe says, freaking out. "Stella's in the house!" Joe sees Macy's face as freaked as his as she screams to hide the evidence, and both of them quickly hide all the party evidence before Stella comes up and finds it. After everything is done, they both look at each other and smile in triumph, and Joe wants to lean in and capture her lips in his own, but he sees Macy look back and gape, so he urges himself to do so as well and they find the instruction manual for the CroonMaster 5000 on the floor, the last piece of evidence. Stella calls again as they both jump and reach for it at the same time.
Macy grabs it before him, and she hides it under the table and now they're both sitting on the floor and Joe can't help want to touch Macy, to hold her in his arms but he can't because she doesn't like him that way. Now Macy is having trouble hiding it so Joe reaches out and helps her, their hands brushing and their bodies making contact, so close they could be hugging as Stella comes in.
They both look at Stella with stupid smiles on their faces. "Macy," Stella says, surprise audible in her voice. "What are you doing here?" then Stella glances at Joe, and her smile start wiping away. "On the floor," she finally gets a frown. "With Joe," she snaps, glaring at Macy.
Joe wants to get between the both of them and protect Macy from the hideous stare, but he can't because that will give away too much so he stays put but their bodies are still touching and his heart races.
"I was," Macy says, her nervousness breaking Joe from his inappropriate thoughts. "Helping him with his math homework," she says, and Joe laughs once and agrees with Macy. He wishes that was true, but he isn't about to admit that.
Stella has a bitchy face on, and Joe wants to tell her to back off. "Didn't know you were any good at math," Stella snaps at Macy, and Joe wants to yell at her and tell her that of course she is, she's a straight A student, she as Macy's best friend should know that.
"Oh," Joe says. Instead of screaming at Stella, he picks the next best thing. "She's very mathematical. That's why they call her Mathy Macy!" he makes up as both he and Macy stand up.
Stella keeps up the bitchy look. "No one has ever called her 'Mathy Macy'," Stella attacks, and Joe is getting easily annoyed. Why can't she just give up on it? "And, besides," she continues, her face softening. "I thought I was the one who helped you with your math homework."
Joe tries not to roll his eyes. "Yeah I just, thought you know I'd give you a break." He says. Besides, he adds silently. I would much rather have Macy over.
He surprises himself by thinking this, so he continues talking to stop thinking. "I know what a handle I can be." He adds, and looks at Macy and sees the guilt that kills him all over again.
"Oh," Stella says, suspicious. "Oh, well in that case; where are all the books? The calculators…the crying," Stella sends a glare at Joe, and he doesn't care. He lets Stella send him as many glares as she likes.
"Well, we're doing mental math," he says logically. "It's like, jumping jacks for the brain,"
Macy agrees and they both do little hand gestures to prove this. Stella is still glaring at both of them.
"Oh," she says. "Well, I just brought these pants to go with the Friend-aversary shirts," Stella says, putting down a bag she has in her hands on the couch. "And now I'll go," she spits. "Don't want to keep you two from adding your figures together." Stella leaves and Macy's guilt overtakes her again as she mutters a 'later' to her best friend.
And of course, Joe is left alone with Macy Misa all over again to keep feeling whatever he is feeling.
--
He sees Macy and Stella coming down from the stairs and Macy looks nervous, so he assumes Stella's asking her something that interferes with the party plans. He motions Macy to the back lockers, and she motions to him to wait, she'll go right now.
He sighs and goes to that back lockers by himself, frustratingly waiting for Macy—the beautiful girl he can't stop thinking about—to show up.
He's looking around to see if she's coming, and finally she shows up, but without a smile on her face and he feels so bad because he knows she feels bad only because he's making her lie to her best friend, but what other choice does he have? And besides, it's the only way to get Macy to spend any coherent time with him.
"Hey," she greets, and Joe leads her to Macy's locker.
"Hey," he greets back, and ignores his racing heart. "We need to figure out a way to keep Stella busy before the surprise party," he ells her, and she starts to lighten up.
"Right," she says, grinning at him, which only makes his heart beat faster and he can't help but smile back. "We have to be sneaky,"
Joe laughs but stops abruptly when he hears Stella's voice.
"Sneaky?" Stella says, and they both turn towards her and he wants to slap himself. "About what?" Stella asks, and he needs to think fast.
"Uh, Sneaky is the name of Macy's friend's cat. He ran away from home."
Macy's smile disappears and a look of worry overtakes her features. "What?" she says, worry in her voice, and Joe can't help to feel like a jerk from even making her feel that way at all, so he gives her a hint that it's not true. Finally, realization dawns on her and she nods.
"Oh! Right," Macy says. "Yeah, I better put up these flyers," Macy says, taking out an empty sheet of paper from the binder she's carrying and Joe can't help but feel doomed.
But Macy tries to keep her cool. "Right after I make them." She adds, and runs away quickly from the spot. Joe wants to follow her, but Stella stops him and he tries not to groan.
"Hmm, so," Stella says. "Do you wanna do some homework later?" Stella asks him, and Joe doesn't know how to turn her down. No, Stella, because I'd rather be planning your party with Macy?
"Later," Joe muses, trying to make time to come up with an excuse. "I can't. I'm gonna…be doing homework." He nods, and then he realizes that made no sense whatsoever.
Stella stares at him, but his heart doesn't race like when Macy stares at him. "You can't do homework later because you're too busy doing homework," she repeats.
Joe mentally slaps himself. "Yes," he agrees anyway.
"Oh," Stella replies. "Okay. Well, I won't be able to see you later because I'll be too busy not seeing you," she retorts. "How do you like me now?" she smiles sickeningly sweetly and walks away.
Macy comes out from where she was hiding and he instantly feels better. "Do you think she's on to us?" Macy asks, and Joe doesn't know what to say. He decides to lie, to make Macy feel better.
"Doesn't suspect a thing." He says, and he loves how gullible she is with him.
"Good." She states shortly, and smiles at him. Joe smiles back and asks her if she's still coming over later. She has to come, he told himself. I'll die if she doesn't.
"Oh of course," Macy says, amusement in her tone. "To do homework," she winks at him and he grins as they both slip away in different directions.
Joe is frustrated with himself as he watches her go because a few days before he would be dying to hold Stella but now there's only one brunette in his mind.
--
Joe tries to call Macy after school, but for some strange reason she doesn't answer. He doesn't let it get to him, though. He can't. It doesn't bother him. Nope, not at all. Macy's not his girlfriend, right? So why would he care?
Joe rolls his eyes at his own lie.
He has to find Stella to ask her to hang out with him later. To stall for the party and from seeing Macy.
--
Joe finally spots Stella with his brothers and he splatters a smile onto his face as she walks over to him. "Joe!" she yells, and he knows what's coming but he doesn't want her to complain, not now.
"Hey, want to hang out Friday?" he asks her quickly. She looks shocked and Joe can't help but smile at how funny her face looks.
"What?" she mutters, and Joe keeps smiling.
"I thought we'd hang, chill, do some homework—you and me?" he uses those two words because he knows Stella will fall for them.
He would have, as well, if he wasn't going crazy over Macy right now.
"Uhm, well," her face seems strong and determined, as if to reject him. "Yeah I'm free," she smile dreamily at him. "Yeah that sounds really great." She looks excited now, and Joe feels like an even bigger jerk, leading her on like this.
"Cool. Later." He says, afraid he sounds strangled. And now Stella looks even more excited as she walks away. Again, the only thing on his mind is Macy, Macy, Macy, and what she thinks about him right about now.
--
It's Friday, the day of the party, and he's standing next to the most perfect girl in the world.
Macy looks excited. "Okay," Joe tells her. "I'll get Stella, hang her at school for a while, and then bring her back here for the big friend-aversary surprise party," he says, and Macy starts getting excited all over again.
"Okay," she says. "Let's synchronize our JONAS watches," she holds up her wrist to reveal a small watch, and when he holds up his he realizes he doesn't have one.
"I don't have a JONAS watch," he says, confused. "But according to yours, I'll be here ten past Nick," he smiles. Any other day he would have found this completely creepy, but now he finds it…flattering.
"Okay but if you get here a quarter to Kevin, you blow it," her face is so serious and determined that when he agrees he can't help but smile. He holds up his fist and she taps it with her small hand and like always he ignores the shock waves it brings up his arm.
He slides down the pole, only thinking about Macy and how pretty she looks and how he wishes she could be the one falling for him, and not only as a JONAS fan, but as more than a friend.
He walks quickly to the door to meet Stella but panics when he sees she's entering the house and he feels stupid for not thinking of this again, damn the stupid house keys Stella has.
"Stella," he says. She smiles and greets him and starts walking past him, but he puts his arm in the way. Stella looks at him expectantly.
"What are you doing here?" he asks. "We were supposed to meet at school," he urges.
She gives him a flirtatious look that doesn't affect him anymore. "Yeah, well, I thought it'd be more fun if we hung out here so I brought popcorn and a movie." She smiles and tries to walk past him again, but Joe doesn't budge. "Aren't you gonna let me in?" she asks, her smile a bit more forced now.
Joe smiles slightly. "Let's go get some ice cream," he suggests, trying to lure her away from the house. "I know how you love ice cream." He tries to lead her out the door, but this time Stella's the one who stops him.
"I never eat ice cream," she half yells, backing Joe up into the house. "Unless a guy breaks up with me, which has never happened, so I stand by my first statement."
Joe stops her and doesn't let her in. "Okay, Tacos!" he says, and he can't help but think how much Macy loves tacos.
But then he feels dumb, so he continues to speak. "Broken hearted or otherwise everyone loves a good taco," he says. "Vamonos!" he says as a pun, but Stella pushes him back.
"What's going on in here?" she asks, her voice dripping venom. Joe denies anything is happening. "Where is she?!" she yells, going through the couch and looking frantically everywhere.
"Where's who?" he asks, a bit dumbfounded. She throws a pilliow at him and speaks Macy's name.
Oh. He now understands what's happening. Stella's jealous…the thought makes him smirk as he speaks. "Macy? Why would Macy be here?" Stella stand in front of him, giving her back to the pole right as Macy slides down.
Joe's eyes widen. Being caught in the act wasn't part of the damn plan.
He has nothing else in his mind but offering Stella to dance, but Stella is confused and looks behind her, gasping when she sees Macy. "I knew it," she spits.
Macy waves at them and falls a bit from the pole, and it takes everything Joe has in him to not go and hold her.
"Macy," Joe says. "What are you doing in my house?" he asks in a monotone. His heart is racing, but it's not because he's nervous. Well, he is, but he's nervous that Macy might fall. Stella turns to glare at Joe.
"Uh," Macy starts. "Thanks for letting me use your pole Joe." She pauses. "Bye." She looks up and starts climbing back up the pole.
"Macy!" Stella yells, pushing Joe into the couch to not catch her. "Get back here Macy Misa!" she spits at her. Joe is wondering what Stella is capable of. "Look, if you ant to date Joe behind my back at least you can say it to my face," Stella struggles to keep her words coherent as she tries to climb up the pole to follow Macy, but Macy is already back up and Stella can barely climb a first step.
Stella looks at Joe's amused expression and scowls. "These arms are made for sewing!" she yells at him, and stomps upstairs.
Joe calls to Stella and tells her to wait, but he knows this isn't possible so he runs after her.
As Stella enters the room, Macy, Kevin, Nick, and every other guest yells surprise. Stella yells 'What' and Joe tells her it's their fifteen year friend-aversary.
He doesn't know what's going on between her and her brothers because he's too busy staring at Macy, relief still not in her face. He knows that Stella's going to have to apologize or forgive her before Macy can smile all over again.
So he interferes in the conversation to speed up the process. "How about we crank the CroonMaster 5000?" he asks, and Stella gasps.
"5000?" Stella jumps with joy. "That' supposed to be like, a thousand times more awesome than the 4000," Joe glances at Macy and see she's not laughing like when Joe said it, and it pleasures him.
"Yeah," Kevin jumps in. "Thank to Macy. She helped us plan this entire thing with all your favorite stuff," Macy is still not smiling as Kevin says this, and Stella's gaze softens as he looks at her.
Kevin, Nick and Joe leave them alone.
But Joe is hurting inside. Because Joe knows she would give Stella anything she wants and that includes himself. Because Stella loves him in a way he'll never love her.
Joe loves Macy Misa. And he doesn't care what anyone has to say. After all, she's his avalanche. She crashed down on him when he least expected it.
--
and where do we stand
can we pull through this avalanche?
--