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Chapter 7: Fashion Victim

"Where were you this morning?" Macy asked when she finally spotted Stella with only a few minutes before the first bell would ring.

"Meeting with the guys. We're going to London next week, and their outfits have to be perfect."

"You're going to London?"

"Hello? How does their number one fan not know that the guys are being honoured by England royalty for their work? Oh my God, Macy, are you feeling all right? You didn't bump your head at your last game or anything, right?"

Macy ducked away from Stella as the girl reached a hand out to touch her forehead. Truthfully, after her little session on the gym floor with Kevin and him finding her when she'd decided that he was right and that she did love singing enough to find a quiet spot in the atrium to belt her heart out, she was right back at square one. Her affection for Kevin hadn't lessened in the slightest.

So she'd decided on a slight hiatus. She'd gotten one of the JONAS-heads to take over her site for some time, claiming that she wanted to see if there was anyone who would be able to act as her backup should she ever need to be away. She'd stayed clear of everything JONAS. And now, apparently, they were going to help by leaving the country.

"Right." Macy shrugged. "It must have just slipped my mind. I'm distracted by a big game coming up."

"Okay," Stella answered slowly, but Macy could tell that her friend wasn't buying it. Luckily, Van Dyke chose that precise moment to show up and ask Stella if they could chat. Macy slunk away before Stella could remember she had ever even been there.

*J*B*J*B*J*B*

"Are you mad at me?"

Seriously, how often was she going to have this conversation with Kevin?

"Of course not."

"Are you sure? I haven't made it up to you about the volleyball game yet, and I know that, but it's coming. I promise. I just have to think of something good first."

Macy chuckled. "I think I would know if I were angry at you."

Kevin sighed and sat next to her on the bench in the atrium. "Then why are you avoiding us? And why is your fan site so... weird these days?"

"My fan site is weird?"

"Yeah, and not in the way Nick usually thinks it's weird that you have a fan site."

Macy smiled a little at the thought of Nick's reaction to her site. "To be honest I haven't been on the site lately. I'm kind of training someone to be my understudy if ever I can't update the site, so I've just been avoiding it... and you. You know? That way when I look at it again I can see if they did a good job and I know everything I missed or if I'm not informed at all."

"So you're definitely not mad?"

"Definitely not."

"Good. I didn't want to get on a plane with you mad at us. I wouldn't want to die in plane crash if you were mad at me."

"I wouldn't want you to die in a plane crash under any circumstances."

Kevin sighed loudly. "That's good."

"Yeah."

"So, we're leaving for London tomorrow, and it would be a shame if we didn't make up for some of the time you were ignoring us before then. I'm supposed to go to the movies with Nick tonight, but do you want to do something until then?"

"Me?"

Kevin smiled. "Of course you. I missed you. No one else listens to my stories, you know."

"So I've heard. I think they just don't understand how good your stories are. That's all."

"Well, I have a ton saved up for you." He grabbed her hand and pulled her up, guiding her away from the atrium. "Oh, and one more thing, Macy."

"Yeah?"

"Can you please take back your fan site and fix it? Whoever has it right now sucks."

Macy laughed. "Yeah, after all, I'll need something to keep me busy while you're all out of the country."

"Perfect."

*J*B*J*B*J*B*

Macy wrapped herself up in her fan site for what was the forty-eight hours the boys were gone. Kevin was right. It was a mess.

At least it gave her something to use as a distraction as her core four friends were away. That, and the fact that she had to keep reminding herself to pay as much attention on news of Joe and Nick as she paid to any word that was being said of Kevin. Though really, she was sure she was making progress. All right, she hoped she was making progress.

When she did need a rest, she turned her attention to her life-size mosaic of the boys.

*J*B*J*B*J*B*

"Macy! I asked for a pop-up of me and Van Dyke!"

"Yeah, and I... Oh, that's Joe with you there, isn't it?"

Stella scowled at her friend.

"What? It's not my fault if you and Joe look better together."

"Whatever," Stella huffed, stuffing the piece of paper in her bag. "Anyway, I wanted to thank you."

"For the pop-up?"

"No, for not commenting on Joe's horrible outfit on your site."

"Joe's outfit?"

"You couldn't have missed all those pictures from England."

"No, I saw."

Macy's brow furrowed. She had definitely seen the pictures of the boys in London. And honestly, she could have described what Kevin was wearing to the most minute detail, but Joe... he had been there too, right?

"Come on, Macy. Please tell me you understand that this looks horrible, otherwise we have a lot of work to do."

Macy grabbed the magazine Stella was pointing in her direction and cringed at the sight of Joe in the outfit Stella had given him.

"No, I definitely know this is bad."

"Good. So about my other pop-up..."

*J*B*J*B*J*B*

Macy was putting what she hoped were the last touches on her site. She was fairly certain that it was finally back to 100% after her absence.

"Macy, Macy, Macy."

She looked up at the feel of Joe's arm falling around her shoulder.

"Joe? Joe? Joe?"

He nodded. "I heard about the pop-up."

"Stella's?"

"The pop-up, Macy."

"Okay."

"No, Macy. I don't know if it is okay."

"Don't worry, Joe. Stella will always like you more than she likes Van Dyke."

"What?"

From the way the word came out high and quick, Macy knew she had said something wrong.

"What?"

"What about Van Dyke?"

Macy narrowed her eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"You made a pop-up of me."

"I made a pop-up of you and Stella."

Joe continued talking as though Macy had never said anything. "I don't know what we're going to do. This crush of yours isn't going away."

"My crush?" There was no way Joe knew. Let's face it, Stella or Nick would figure out her Kevin situation way before Joe ever would.

"Yes, and while it's flattering, I really think we should stay friends."

Macy tried not to roll her eyes. "You're right. I will try harder to get over you."

"Okay." Joe nodded and leaned toward her. He paused, his arms poised to wrap around her. "I'm going to hug you now, but it's just as friends."

"I understand."

They hugged, Joe giving her a tight squeeze and patting her back as he let go.

"Okay. I'm going to let you think about that."

"Thank you, Joe."

"You're welcome, Macy."

Somehow she waited until he was out of hearing before she started laughing.