Hellooo!

How were the Holidays, everyone? I'm personally really sad to have to go back to reality. Sigh.

This chapter is dedicated to Littlechild and Rusher Drive.

Enjoy!

"Ciara... Ciara. Come on. Wake up." Someone was rubbing my shoulders. I always wake up to my phone, which hasn't rang yet today, which means it's not past 5:30. Which means I still have some time to sleep, and NO ONE is gonna stop me from doing so.

I groaned and pulled the covers over my head. For my age, I'm quite strong. You can't stop me from holding the blanket over my head. If I wanna hold it over my head, I'm going to hold it over my head. Period. Deal with it.

"Fine, then I'll just tell you." The voice said. It was way to deep to belong to Jaxon so I assumed it was Max's.

"Mr. Shalfoy happens to be in town, and I thought it would be very nice and... mature of you to personally apologize to him." My eyes snapped open under the covers. "So I invited him to dinner tonight."

"What?!" I yelled, yanking off my blanket-armor. "You can't do this to me. It wasn't even my...-" I quickly shut my mouth. Max raised an eyebrow.

"Go on." He said deliberately. I shook my head. I was going to say it wasn't even my idea, but I didn't want Max to forbid me from Kendall.

"Ciara..." He sighed, looking for the right words to say. "You're really not in the position to fight."

As much as it pained me, this was true. After all, I "ruined" his favourite shirt, wrapped my teacher's car with plastic wrap and even smudged it a little with mustard. Which I anyway "borrowed" from the kitchen of the school. Hmm. Maybe I really pushed it this time.

"You're right." I told him, dropping my head to my chest. He patted my head affectionately.

"Bye."

I watched him as he left my room and rubbed my face with my hands. Ugh. Tough start.

I got dressed and looked through my messages to see if I got any new ones. I smiled as I looked at the text Kendall sent me yesterday.

"Our guests can't stop talking about your spaghetti. They ate it all and want more. Sweet dreams, lil' chef. Love ya."

After eating breakfast, I walked to the set. We were filming Big Time Break now. Katelyn sat down to eat pizza.

"Sorry." Katelyn said. "That was my mom."

Kendall shrugged, giving her a lopsided grin as he gestured at the pizza.

"Enjoy."

Katelyn grinned back.

"I will."

Katelyn almost took a bite when I ran up to Kendall.

"Hey, Big Brother." I said. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Kendall stared at me awkwardly.

"Katie... I love you, but I'm a little busy right now... Ow, ow, ow!" He whined as I grabbed his ear and started pulling him. I wasn't actually hurting him, just holding onto his ear while he was leaning down and following me close.

"You are a chump." I said once we were finally far enough from Katelyn, letting go of Kendall's ear.

He rolled his eyes, smiling smally.

"Why? For going after a girl who has a boyfriend?"

"No." I told him, crossing my arms over my chest. "For going after a girl who's lying about having a boyfriend."

Kendall looked at me in shock.

"Say what?"

"CUT! Stay in position! Aaand... ACTION!"

"What do you mean Jo doesn't have a boyfriend?" Kendall asked, still in awe.

"I heard her talking to hear mother. The whole boyfriend thing is a scam."

"Scam?" Kendall gawped.

"Now turn around and give her the one-second "my-little-sister's-crazy" gesture."

He nodded and turned around, then I didn't see what he did because he was turning his back to me. Then, he turned back to me.

"She's been playing me this whole time?"

I nodded.

"Like a fiddle."

He sighed, disappointed.

"What are you gonna do about it, Big Brother? And remember." I said with a serious look, pointing a finger at him."I look up to you."

Kendall half-smiled.

"Oh, you don't worry." He told me. "It's on."

We did our secret handshake, then he went back to Katelyn.

I walked off the set, heading to my dressing room. Just as I was about to lay down on the couch, my phone rang. I picked it up.

"Hullo?" I asked.

"Hi Ciara, it's dad."

I sighed, lowering my phone and was just about to hang up when I heard him yell.

"Don't hang up, please!" His voice was desperate. I took a deep breath, lifting my phone to my ear.

"Speak." I told him quietly.

"Baby, I'm so sorry for what I have done. I was having a bad day, I hooked up with this dumb chick who wouldn't let me take her home and I got pissed and drank a little and..."

"Yeah, yeah." I interrupted. "Is that why called me? To tell me you're sorry?"

"No. I mean yes, but no. I also want... would like you to have lunch with me next week."

Silence. I felt tears coming to my eyes. Just when I think I'm out and can finally stop thinking about this man, he pulls me right back in.

"Ciara?"

I quickly blinked the tears away.

"I can't leave the set."

"Well... How about this weekend? Please?"

"I don't know, dad." Man, this is a strange word. Dad. Wow. I haven't called anyone dad in a very long time.

"Listen, I understand you don't trust me. I completely understand you, and if you'd like, you can bring someone with you. I know you may not feel very comfortable being alone with me, so... Think about it, okay? I'll call you on Saturday again. I hope you'll say yes."

I stayed quiet, unable to speak.

"Bye, Ciara." He hung up.

I stared at my phone. I felt an unwelcomed lump in my throat. No, not now. I don't need this, I have enough problems to worry about. Don't cry, Ciara, don't cry. Don't.

I took a deep breath, looking into my mirror.

"You can do this." I told myself loudly. "You're strong and this isn't going to ruin your day. Go out there and have fun."

I nodded to myself cheerfully and left my dressing room. Let's film.

I was sitting with Kendall at a table, pretending to read a magazine. We were filming the scene where Jo gets caught lying.

"Aaand... ACTION!"

Katelyn walked up to us, holding his fake boyfriend's hand.

"Kendall." She said. Kendall stood up, turning around and grinning at both of them. "I would like to introduce you to my boyfriend, Travis who came from North Carolina, who loves basketball and is not allergic shellfish."

Kendall smiled, extending his hand.

"Well, it's very nice to meet you. Trevor, right?"

The boy smiled, shaking Kendall's hand.

"Right."

"Ha!" Kendall yelled thriumpantly.

"No! Trenton! Trolphans! Trixy!"

Katelyn sighed.

"TRAVIS! You're name is Travis. And you're fired."

The guy sighed in defeat.

"Do I still get my twenty bucks?"

Katelyn snorted and pushed him away, making the guy run off.

"You set me up!" She said, turning to Kendall.

"Well, you lied to me!" Kendall retorted.

"I didn't want a boyfriend!"

"Who says I wanted to be your boyfriend? Because frankly, I don't like dating girls who lie!"

"Well, I don't like dating boys who catch me in my lies and make me hire idiot actors who can't remember their names!"

Kendall shook his head in disbelief.

"Well, I guess we're done here!"

"I guess we are!"

They walked away from each other, then right back.

"So... do you wanna go to the movies sometime?" Kendall asked.

"Yeah, I'd like that." Katelyn smiled. Kendall smiled back and walked back to our table, sitting down and swatting at the table happily.

"I don't think I get this whole teenage dating thing." I told him.

Kendall smiled, staring at the ceiling.

"I'm not sure I do either, Baby Sister." We clinked our smoothies.

"CUT!"

Smiling at Kendall, I took my smoothies and got up. I walked back to the dressing rooms and almost entered my door when I got an idea. I knew who I was going to take when meeting my dad.

I was thinking a lot on set about meeting my dad, and finally I figured I would go, but definitely not alone. Maybe I'm naive to give my dad a 600th chance. I don't know. We'll see.

So after thinking a little, I decided I'd ask one of the guys to come with me. The first who I thought of was obviously Kendall. I feel safe with him, him being tall and everything. Still, I choose James instead. Kendall's great at comforting me in any situaton, but since my dad's large frame and strength scares me, James is a better choice. He's the one going to the gym and working out and having sixpack-abs after all. And he's also the tallest one of the boys.

So what I did is, I went to knock on his dressing room door. My heart was beating fast. If he doesn't have the time to come with me, I probably won't go. Alone with my dad after what he did... heck no.

The door opened and James smiled down at me.

"Hi, Ciara."

I looked up at him, eyes filled with hope.

"Hi."

James said yes. I couldn't stop thanking and hugging him while he kept laughing and assuring me "there's nothing to thank for".

Then, I decided to go back to my dressing room. As I crossed the hall and turned to the left, I heard soft crying from somewhere. I kept walking slowly, following the sound until I almost bumped into a door. There was a sign on it that said "Quiet please, Jasper's napping". Jasper is Challen's little daughter and only 3 and a half years old. The little room she was in is a great place for sleeping, it's basically the only hallway on set that's usually I made friends with her the same day I made friends with Colton, she's adorable. But why's crying?

I quietly opened the door. Jasper was sitting in the middle of her bed, wrapped in a blanket. She had her face in her little hands but looked up when I entered the door. Tears rolling down her tiny cheeks.

"Jasper, what's wrong?" I frowned, stepping into the room but she was faster. Without thinking, she jumped off her bed and ran up to me, wrapping her small arms around my torso. I let out a sigh of relief: she's physically okay. I wasn't completely relieved though.

"What's wrong?" I asked her again, stroking her hair while my other arm was wrapped around her. She looked up at me, eyes filled with tears.

"I.. I... I had a n-...night-mear!" She hiccupped. I almost smiled a little. Jasper was still learning grammar and spelled a few words incorrectly from time to time. For example "night-mear" instead of "nightmare". It sounds really cute the way Jasper says it.

"Aww..." I replied sadly as I guided her to her bed, letting her crawl into my lap. "What was it about?"

In the next 10-15 minutes she managed to tell me between a lot of hicupps and tears. Long story short: her dream was about a big, scary man that was going around and constantly burping. As hilarious as it sounded, I didn't laugh or smile at all. I remember some of my scary dreams from when I was really young and most of them weren't actually scary, but being so young I felt like they were, so I could totally relate to Jasper.

No matter how much I tried to comfort the little girl, she never seemed completely calm. She kept saying she wanted her mom, but Challen was filming. Suddenly, I got an idea.

"Say, what do you we go to see Carlos?"

I saw a teeny grin coming up as she nodded rapidly. Carlos was her best buddy on set.

"Yesss!"

I laughed and took her hand as we walked up to Carlos' dressing room. The moment we arrived I regretted us going there. Carlos was quite cranky when he came to set today. He was all scruffy and everything and looked very tired. Scott gave him a day off but he didn't go home, he just threw himself on the couch and almost instantly fell asleep. I haven't seen him ever since but I knew he wasn't at the top of his game. But I couldn't tell Jasper to leave Carlos alone. For one, she was sort of crying again. Two, it's never good to say something to a little kid and then just not do it. Words, at such a young age mean a lot.

I knocked at Carlos' door and then pushed it open a little. Carlos was lying on the couch, one arm under his head and he was rubbing his eyes with the other. He woke up to the door creaking.

"For the third time, could everyone just-..." He immediately stopped when he saw Jasper standing in the doorway, in her princess pajamas, holding onto a little, pink stuffed lamb, tears in her eyes.

"Jasper, what's wrong?" He asked, opening his arms wide open to her. Jasper jumped into them, letting Carlos rub his back.

"I... I had a night-mear..." Jasper sniffled. Carlos smiled lightly, kissing her forehead.

"Aww, honey. What was it about?" He asked, pushing some hair out of her face.

"I... I can't tell you." She whimpered, snuggling into his chest.

"But you already told Ciara. Right?" Carlos asked gently. I nodded. Jasper squirmed a little.

"But... I... I can't tell you. I'm really scared."

The sound of her voice was breaking my heart, but I could tell Carlos softened as well.

"Aww, sweetie, I'm sorry. I didn't know you were really scared." He told the little girl. She sniffled again.

"It was about a man who was burping at everyone." I said quietly, with all seriousness. Carlos gave a very teeny smile as he looked down at Jasper and stroked her hair.

"Can I get that guy?" He asked Jasper. She shook her little head.

"No, he's in my night-mear."

"Aww, honey... He's in your night-mear?" Carlos asked, smiling.

"Yeah." The little girl said. Carlos rubbed her back for a little before asking another question.

"What did he look like?"

Jasper slightly pulled away from the boy, rubbing her eyes.

"He... he looked like he was... burping everywhere." She stammered sadly, not quite answering the question.

"Ahh!" Carlos said with a frightened expression. "Really?"

Jasper nodded.

"Listen." Carlos said, lying down on the couch. "Here's what I'm gonna do. While you're sleeping..." He started quietly. Jasper's eyes widened in curiousity. "-I'm gonna get inside your head, and I'm gonna talk to that guy!"

Carlos intonated the last four words so threateningly it made the little girl giggle. Then, her smile faded a little.

"He might burp..." She murmered with worried eyes.

"He will?" Carlos asked in a mock shock.

"Yeah..." Jasper said in a quiet voice. "He might burp at you."

"You know what I'm gonna do?" Carlos asked quietly.

"What?" The little girl asked, a small smile tugging on her lips.

"I'm gonna punch him! I'm gonna hit him!"

Jasper started to giggle like mad.

"Punch him in the head!" She laughed, bouncing a little on Carlos' torso.

"Yes, I'm gonna do it! I'm gonna punch him!" Carlos grinned. The little girl kept giggling.

"And say to him: be nice, Mr. Burpie!"

Carlos started laughing, throwing his head back.

"Alright, I'll say that!" He smiled, kissing Jasper's cheek. "See? We're not afraid of the Burp Man!"

Jasper let out a giggle and a squeal as Carlos lifted her into the air, above his head, shouting "Yay! No more bad dreams!" As Carlos lowered her down she automatically laid down, curling up on his chest. The boy smiled, rubbing her back.

"You wanna sleep here?"

Jasper nodded, letting out a yawn and closing her eyes. Carlos couldn't help but yawned, too. He was exhausted, you could tell from his weary eyes.

I slowly left the room, poking my head in for a second.

"Good night." I told them but apparently, none of them heard me. They were both fast asleep, Jasper lying on Carlos' chest, his arms wrapped around her small, blanketed figure. I smiled. Beautiful.

Sorry for not writing for a while, guys. Holidays, ya know. They always take your time.

Next chapter coming next week!

~ I heard love is dangerous, once you fall you're never getting up... ~