"Joseph! What the hell did you do to my home?!" I called walking to the living room after a long day of work.
"Calm down, I'll help you clean up later." He shrugged, leaning back farther into the chair. He took one of the million open bags of chips on the table and continued to eat.
The piles of random clothes, food, and miscellaneous objects laid in piles all over the room.
"There is no later! Kali is coming over in an hour and my house looks like it was demolished with a wrecking ball!"
"Alright, fine! I'll leave." He stood up from the chair as he grabbed his keys off the table beside him. It's amazing he was able to find them under the piles of trash.
"It's astounding to me how you don't even live here and still manage to turn my house into a landfill." I groaned, pulling out an empty trash bag and began to clear up the room.
"Have fun with your girlfriend." He smirked, patting me on the back before leaving.
I rolled my eyes and chuckled. Yeah, my girlfriend, I kidded to myself.
Not that I wouldn't enjoy having Kali as my girlfriend. She was very pretty, no matter what she wore or how much makeup she had on (some people were just born beautiful). She was also very caring, understanding and sweet. It just wouldn't work.
She's my best friend and I wouldn't want to put that in jeopardy. Not only that, but she was in a relationship. A very serious relationship from what I could see. Don't ask me what I thought of him, not that I knew too much about him. There was just something so off about him, something I can't quite put my finger on.
I spent what felt like the next hour vacuuming, scrubbing and picking up his trash. I let him watch my place for me for a few hours while I made a few loose ends on some songs, and I come home to this. This has to be like a new world record.
By the time, I looked at the clock I realized Kali would be here in a little less than 15 minutes. I threw a few extra blankets and pillows onto the couch and ordered a large cheese pizza before plopping onto the couch.
I rested on the couch for a good ten minutes before I heard the doorbell. "I'll be there in a minute!" I grabbed my wallet and strolled to the door. "If only you were only 5 minutes later… My pizza would have been free…" I remarked looking down at my wallet as I attempted to pull out a 20.
"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you." She teased, her bright blue eyes glittering.
"Kali! I thought you were the pizza delivery guy."
"I'm sorry, did I come too early? I could wait a few minutes if you want…"
"Don't be ridiculous, you worry too much." I chuckled and gestured into my apartment, "Come on in, you're just in time for Law & Order."
She strode in and plopped down onto what she considered "her side of the couch."
Not before long, a familiar bark could be heard coming from my room. My dog, Elvis, ran into the room and jumped up beside her.
"Hey Buddy!" She exclaimed, rubbing him in the way she knew how he liked it. Cuddling up with the blankets on the couch, she turned the volume on the TV up and she recited the intro to the show:
"In the criminal justice system, sexually based offences are considered especially heinous. In New York City—"
Halfway through I rushed over to the couch and sat down beside her as I joined her in reciting it with her.
"-the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit. These are their stories."
Nearly two seconds into the episode, there was another knock on the door. I looked over at the clock and groaned. "One more minute, they couldn't have waited one more minute." She chuckled at me, cuddling farther into the couch.
I opened the door to a skinny, tall kid who couldn't be more than 17. "That'll be $10." I handed him a 20 and he handed me back my change. His gaze made its way over the couch with Kali cuddled into it, "Cute girlfriend."
"Oh, no… she's not my girlfriend. She's just a good friend."
He chuckled and handed me the box. "Yeah, sure. Have a good night, man."
I rolled my eyes at the idea once again and set the box down in front of Kali on the table. She was focused on the TV and didn't seem to notice.
"Pizza is here, sleeping beauty." I laughed, waving a hand in front of her face.
She laughed untangling herself from her cocoon and went to grab a slice. I playfully swatted her hand away. I've had enough of a mess in my apartment for today, the last thing I needed was another one. The sudden fear and alarm was apparent on her face as she lowered her hand. Her hand trembled and she bit her lip to keep her mouth shut.
"Kali?" I whispered softly. She looked terrified out of her mind.
A second later, she shook her head and managed a smile I knew was fake. "I'm sorry, I'm fine. I guess I'm just a little out of it today."
"Are you sure—"
"Yes it's nothing, Nick. Just drop it." She sounded somewhere between hurt and annoyed.
I gave her a pitiful look, wavering to stand up from my seat. "I'm going to go get some plates."
I pushed myself off of the couch and grabbed two paper plates, a couple plastic cups and a 2 liter of Pepsi. Kali had always preferred Pepsi over Coke, so I made sure I always had some stashed away somewhere.
"You know, I don't think he committed the murder." She remarked, referring the show. It never ceased to amaze me how well Kali could recover from uncomfortable situations like that.
"But they have solid evidence against him." I stated, making my way back over to my seat with the supplies.
"Please, you can make any person look bad if you try hard enough." She scoffed, pouring herself a drink and cuddling back into the couch.
I laughed, sitting next to her on the couch and slapping a piece of pizza onto my plate. I went to hand her a plate before I realized just how well she cocooned herself into it.
"Am I never going to get my blanket back?" I teased.
"If you can cut me out of it."
"How are you supposed to eat, silly?"
For a moment I swore I saw something that resembled fear flash in her eyes before going to an expression that looked completely emotionless, "No, it's fine. I'm not hungry."
"You were hungry a second ago." I mused. I assumed my voice reflected the way I felt, confused and little concerned. Yet I made sure there was a tone of amusement to lighten the sudden tension in the air.
"Opinions can change."
"Are you sure, you don't want eat anything? I bought it for the both of us, it wouldn't be fair for me to eat it all myself."
"You mean you wouldn't mind if I had a slice?"
"Of course not, honey. Take as much as you want."
She smiled at me and unwrapped herself from the blanket and took a couple of slices and slapped them onto the plate. About a slice and a half later she nearly jumped off the couch in excitement.
"I told you he didn't do it! I knew the secretary seemed suspicious!"
I chuckled as I pulled her into me for a hug. "You were right." She usually was when it came to storylines, I don't know why I bothered arguing about it with her. Maybe it was the way she got excited when she was right.
"Like always." She giggled, pulling herself into me for a tighter hug.
"Shut up, are you not always right." I joked tilting her chin towards me.
"Maybe not all of the time, but most of the time." She smiled brightly.
"Are not." "Are too." "Are not."
The next part came so suddenly I'm still not sure who started it, but the next thing I knew her lips were on mine. It may have only been a few seconds long, but it felt like time froze. It felt like… there wasn't anything else in the world besides just me and her. Before I could wrap my head around it, she pulled away. Her face dropped as she untangled herself from me. "I-I have to go." Her hands shook as she grabbed her phone and her cardigan and headed toward the door.
I sat there in shock for a moment. What just happened? Surely I didn't just imagine that.
By the time I had realized she had gone, she was already standing at the door. I jumped off the couch. "Come on, Kali. Can't we talk about this?"
"Talk about what? Nothing happened." She put her hand on the doorknob before I gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Kali—"
"I-if Brad ever found out he would have my head! He would kill me!" There was so much panic, so much worry in her expression. So much fear. Her body was trembling again.
"Don't you think you're exaggerating just a little bit? I'm sure he'll understand…"
Of all of the things I wanted to un-see in life, the pain that flashed in her eyes that moment was the first thing. "You just… don't understand, Nick… I have to go." She muttered as her voice cracked on the last word. She threw herself out of door, and sprinted out down the hallway.
Of all things I felt today, confusion was most collective. Why was she so jumpy? Why had she looked so hurt today? Hadn't she kissed me back? Did she kiss me first?
I couldn't get out of there fast enough. My head was reeling and my heart was pounding as my thoughts went rampant in my mind.
What just happened? What did I just do? What was I doing here? Why did I even come here in the first place? You came to visit your best friend, Nick; that's what you were doing. Yeah, visit him, not have a make out session on his couch. God… if Brad even heard so much as a glimpse about this—
My thoughts were interrupted by a loud whistle followed by a bright flash.
"Hey baby, what are you doing hanging around the Jonas family? Are you here to spend the night with your boyfriend?" A mocking voice called to my left. The continuous flashes from the cameras left me blind and unable to look up.
Great, the paparazzi, just what I needed. I nearly rolled my eyes. You would think after being friends with someone famous for their whole life, the people stalking their every move would know me too. I guess that's one thing about the media, they focus on who and what they want to focus on.
"Nah, I don't know man. She looks like she's about to tear up, maybe they just broke up?" another photographer replied in the same annoying mocking tone.
"Fuck off." I growled, pushing my way through the crowd.
"What's wrong princess? Can't handle a little rejection?"
I was nearly two seconds away from punching someone before a sudden burst of self-hatred came over me. I threw myself through the crowd and out to my car. Fuck this, fuck all of it. Fucking paparazzi and their fucking ways. What was the point of their job anyway?
I sat there in my car for god knows how long, unmoving. I had no desire to do anything but sit there and sob. The hate for myself and my life in general at that moment was overwhelming and indescribable. I managed to find the strength to drive myself home, knowing if I stayed out in front of his apartment it would only make matters worse. I crawled into bed that night in full out sobs. I had no will to move or do anything but sob. And I did just that until I fell asleep.
The next morning was the first time I had my own headline: Nick Jonas and his girlfriend's indoor date ends in tears.