FIND HER HIGH ON PEACH TREE STREET
"STAR POWER! Tip the guitar UP, idiot!"
"Shut up Connor. I'm trying!"
Three hours of extreme guitar hero had taught me that, although Nick Jonas was a brilliant guitar player, he couldn't even attempt to beat me in the videogame world. He was playing on easy, for God's sake!
"All you have to do is lift the freaking neck!"
"It's not that easy!" I groaned loudly as I watched Nick fail. Again. This was just painful. He sighed, dropping the plastic guitar on the floor. "I'm done."
"Maybe you should just stick to that cookie-cutter pop stuff, Jonas." I picked up the guitar, scrolling down the list of songs before selecting the one I wanted. The beat of the Strokes filled the room as I easily hit the majority of the notes. On expert.
"You should talk, Miss CJ Sullivan, queen of Disney pop." I let out a dry laugh.
"CJ was dethroned to make room for the Jo Bros," I responded quickly before adding, "seven years before her freaking contract was up, mind you."
"What are you talking about?" Nick shot me a look as I scoffed. Like he didn't know.
"Come on. The Jonas Brothers convinced Disney to drop me. It's a dog eat dog world. I was expecting it eventually, just not three years into my contract."
"TEN YEARS?" Nick's shouting caused me to jump. I was really starting to think he was unaware of all of this.
"Yeah, but you knew that already?" The statement sounded way too much like a question as it fell from my lips. I had been so convinced of one thing, but everything I said to Nick seemed to be brand new.
"No," he sighed, rolling his shoulders back and standing. "I didn't. I'm tired." With that, he was walking back upstairs, leaving me all alone. Leaving me alone meant letting me thing. Letting Connor Sullivan think was never a good idea.
What was that kid talking about? Of course he knew. My agent had told me 'those Jonas boys snaked your spot. You're out, they're in' plain and simple. The only way they could've gotten in so fast was A) attacking label verbally into they had to see your live audition, or B) convincing them you'd bring in more money then their current protégée. In this case, it was the latter.
The sound of the front door slamming was enough to startle me out of my thoughts. Peeking into the foyer showed me it was Dee and Joe in the midst of a hot and heavy make-out session. Like I as going to bother them. I just turned on my heel and climbed the stairs. My room seemed to be my only safe haven these days. Sadly, exactly eleven minutes after my head hit the pillow, a soft knock at the door brought me back to life. I didn't even have time to tell the nasty intruder to go away. In fact, before I could even think about it, they had climbed in bed next to me.
"So, I've been thinking about what you said." It was Nick.
"Uh-huh."
"And I think you don't know half the story," he responded quickly.
"Oh really."
"Yes, really. Instead of tell you, though, would you care to try again?" In the darkness of my room, I could barely make-out the outline of his hand, hoping to reach mine. He wanted to shake on it. Okay then. I was too tired for this.
"Yeah, whatever." I pressed my palm into his before finally drifting off into dreamland.
--
"Come on, Connor. They're waiting for you." His fingers gently laced themselves with mine, pulling me up on to the brightly lit stage. Thousands of people cheering, chanting my name. It's all worth it when his fingers are interlocked with mine. That's all the reassurance I need to know. Step forward, take a bow. It's your perfect ending. And I get to finish it all with him. Nick Jonas.
Until I wake up. The cruel sunlight forced itself into my room through the slanting blinds. Everything was quiet except the sound of Nick's breathing. I turned slowly, surveying the situation. Nick fell asleep in your bed, that's not the worst thing that could happen. My eyes traveled to the space between us. Our hands lay limp, fingers intertwined. I let my gaze travel back to the boys face. God, he was gorgeous. I could stare at him all day.
"Why're you watching me sleep?" Oh, shit. Cue a rush of heat to my cheeks. They were most likely bright red by now. How do you respond to a question like that?
"Because you're sleeping with me." Not like that. Nick let out a laugh, releasing my hand and running his through his thick curls.
"I guess I passed out," he sighed, looking up ceiling. My hand felt cold without his against it.
Wait what? What the hell? Was I falling for the enemy? This couldn't happen. I couldn't let it. This kid in front of me was the reason I no longer had a job, or even a life. I wouldn't let this happen.
"You seemed to be having a good dream." Nick turned towards me, that damn smirk playing out on his lips. Too late, it's already happened.
"What makes you say that?"
"You were cutting off the circulation to my fingers." Nick lifted his hand to his face, surveying the damage. Meanwhile, I was blushing like crazy and trying to force that damn dream out of my head. "So, it was good?" I nodded slowly, running my fingers through my pale blond curls.
"Yeah. It was great."
"Good. I'm gonna go get breakfast. Want to come?" Nick Jonas was inviting me to breakfast! Wow, Connor. Shut up.
"I'd love to. I'll be down in a minute." Nick stepped out of my room, closing the door quietly behind him. Suddenly, I felt the need to throw myself into all out girl mode. Forcing myself to take the quickest shower in the world, I three my hair into a wet bum on the top of my head. I didn't bother with make-up, too time consuming. I quickly stepped into a pair of gray shorts and threw on my baggy black Phantom Planet sweatshirt. I grabbed my aviators and sprung for the door. Nick still beat me.
"Took you long enough." There's that gorgeous smirk. I knew this was worth it.
"Seven minutes isn't long, Nicholas." He scoffed loudly, feigning hurt.
"Using my full name against me. That's low." I let out a dry laugh, patting him on the head as I made my way out the door.
"Come on, you said you were gonna feed me." I pulled him towards my car, eager to actually spend time with him that didn't end awkwardly.
"You're certainly enjoying this whole 'try again' thing." More then you know. Nick slid into the front seat of my jeep, grabbing the keys from my belt loop. "I'm driving." Let me tell you something. No one ever drove my car but me.
And now, Nick Jonas.
"I am enjoying it," my smile was extra bright, making sure to enforce this statement. "Do you even have your license?"
"Sixteen-year-olds get it down here, Connor. Duh." Because I was supposed to know that?
The rest of the morning was actually fun, and I was no longer referring to Nick or his brothers as the enemy. Maybe this could work.
When we got home, that's when things got a little weird.
"Did you see that woman's outfit?" I was basically doubled-over in my seat, clutching the emergency brake as I fought to control my breathing. Nick's laughter was just as bad.
"You call that aluminum foil dress clothes? I'm officially scarred for life." As much fun as I was having, I couldn't help but still feel that infatuation. Being so close to Nick in such a confined space just made it worse. Especially when he leaned closer, his laughter slowing to a stop. There was barely an inch between our lips. All I could smell was spearmint toothpaste. Just as Nick was seemingly about to close the space between us, the sound of a car horn sent us both jumping. My head immediately made contact with the ceiling.
"Fuck," I mumbled, sinking back down into the soft leather. The incessant buzz in my ear faded, leading my to realize Joe was talking to us from outside my window.
"Hope I didn't disturb anything." Joe raised his eyebrows, sending Nick some sort of message that obviously only a brother could understand.
"You didn't," he replied quietly, taking my keys from the ignition and handing them back. He jumped down from the seat, acting like absolutely nothing happened.
"Wow, you've got him pretty messed up." I turned my head slowly towards the window, finding Kevin standing behind Joe, who was nodding in agreement.
"He just walked away. How is that getting him messed up?" Kevin just rolled his eyes.
"You've known him for twenty-six hours and already, he's second guessing kissing you in the front of…" he inspected me slowly, completely ceasing his words. "This isn't Nick's car?"
"Nope, mine." Hopefully, Ashley hadn't filled the boys in on my over-protectiveness of this vehicle.
"Ashley said if any of us even touched your car, you'd skin us." Okay, so she had. I just shrugged as a devious looking smile make it's way to Kevin's lips.
"You like him!" Another shrug. I always was a sucky liar. Joe was smiling now too.
"Oh gosh Kevin. Our little brother and Connor Sullivan. Who would've guessed it?" I rolled my eyes, forcing the door open and the boys away from the car completely.
"Too bad he's really not into me." I brushed passed them and into the house. I didn't want to deal with any of the damn Jonas boys anymore.
--
"Damn you, Connor, and your amazing pool skills." Ashley threw down her pool stick on the bright green felt of the table. The four hundred dollars previously belonging to the short brunette slid into my pocket with ease. And I thought these girls would know better then to bet me on a game of pool.
"You knew I was good." I lined up the sticks, turning to leave the oversized game room. Ashley stopped me, placing her slender fingers on my shoulder.
"Connor, hold on a sec. Kevin asked me to talk to you," she pulled me over to the sofa, forcing me to sit. How did I not see this coming? Soften me up with cash, and then probe me about Nick.
"Ash, do we have to do this?"
"Yes. Tell me all." I groaned loudly, resulting in the evil eye.
"Fine. What do you want me to tell?"
"About your Jonas love!" She clapped her hands together; the snake bites on her lips stretched with her smile.
"Gosh Ash. You're subtle." She waved a hand at me dismissively, rolling her eyes.
"Shut the fuck up and tell me, bitch." There was the Ashley I knew and loved. It was so strange to think of her as married, let alone to a straight-laced, Christian boy. Let alone to a freaking Jonas. Ashley had always been the type of girl everyone was convinced would never settle down. One look at her elaborate sleeve tattoos and her heavy array of piercings and you would not think housewife.
"I like Nick. That's it."
"That is not it! You kissed Nick!" Apparently, the other brothers were embellishing the tale.
"I almost kissed Nick. He realized how weird it was and bailed when Joe came."
"What kind of bailing? Like, embarrassed 'I gotta hide' bail, or like 'ha, this chick is too easy' bail?" Ashley was chewing her fingernails while asking this, muffling her words. Once I actually got what she said though, I had to stop and think for a moment.
"I guess the first one?"
"Oh my God! He totally likes you!"
"How does fleeing from the car mean he likes me?" Ashley gave me a pissy snarl.
"You guys were caught in the act. He was embarrassed, so he dipped. Simple as that." That was actually semi-logical. If we weren't talking about Nick, I might've actually believed it.
"We just met. I've been referring to him as the enemy for the past three years. It's just not a good idea."
"You're still stuck on that enemy thing? You can get work at a million other places, you just haven't tried." I knew Ashley was right, but I still couldn't shake the feeling.
"Yeah, whatever." I stood again. Ashley didn't bother stopping me; she knew as well as I that this conversation was over.
I walked to the kitchen, feeling the rumble of my hunger panging away in my stomach. Food, then sleep for the rest of the summer. That'll make it super easy to avoid Nick!
"Oh. Hey Connor." Scratch that.
"Hey, Nick." I brushed past him, grabbing a water from the fridge and walking back up the stairs.
"Connor, wait up." Ugh. The last think I needed was yet another talk. Especially one with Nick.
"I can't really talk." I continued up the steps, not even slowing my pace.
"I just wanted to ask you if you were up for another night of guitar hero." I could hear the smile in his voice as I turned around. He was smirking again, that asshole. I agreed anyway. And so, a pattern formed.