When Everything's Made to be Broken 29
Luckily when Monday rolled around everyone had cooled off a bit, sensing that the time they had together was ending fast. Nick picked up Miley for school on Monday and they spent the ride there holding hands and singing to the radio together. For them, things were finally starting to be perfect again. They had worked well together in the past, but it wasn't quite as in sync and consistent as they were now. Something had clicked between them this past weekend and there was no going back.
But for their best friends, the situation was a little bit different.
"What are you talking about?" Joe was yelling now, having gotten in Demi's face at this point. Nick and Miley looked at each other before running to get in between Demi and Joe's heated conversation.
"Step back for a second guys," Miley said, taking a hold of Demi while Nick took Joe. "You don't need to yell at each other."
"He doesn't trust me!" Demi shouted. Joe shook his head.
"It's kind of hard when you don't trust me with anything going on in your life! Ever since we got together you've been distant with me!" He said back, moving forward in Nick's arms and towards Demi.
Demi shook her head. "You never ask me anymore." She lowered her voice and looked at Joe sadly. "Honestly, I don't feel like your friend anymore. Just your make out buddy."
Joe's heart dropped. He couldn't believe it. The girl he loved that he was using her, for physical stuff. He couldn't even believe it.
"Dem," he reached out towards Demi and this time Nick stepped away to allow Joe to get closer. Demi shrunk back into Miley's arms.
"I can't." She shook her head and looked at Miley with pleading eyes. Miley nodded and they hurried off to class together, leaving a defeated looking Joe and concerned Nick.
"She doesn't think I care about her anymore." Joe slammed his fist into the closest locker.
"Hey man, she's just upset at what happened. She's stressed because of her dad, and then she comes to surprise you but sees you with another girl. She needs to hear the truth, but she needs to cool down a little bit first." Nick reasonably said, leading Joe to their first period class. "Besides, if you love her you won't let her walk away that easy. Keep trying. Just, don't yell at her."
Joe nodded. "You're right," he sighed. "I just got so angry, she didn't believe me."
"Well, did you tell her what happened? How you were feeling when she just left school with her friend and no explanation?" Joe nodded, so Nick continued. "Did you tell her that Katie was just a friend, and that she was just there to give you a ride since no one else was around."
Joe looked away. "I didn't get that far."
"Damn, she must have come in today looking for a fight," Nick smirked.
"Shut up man," Joe punched Nick's shoulder as they walked through the door to first period.
"Whatever," Nick scoffed, a smile coming on to his face as his phone buzzed in his pocket.
I miss you. –Mi
Nick smiled, hit 'reply' and started typing a response.
I miss you too baby. How's demi doing? Joe's pretty upset. Love you. –Nick
Joe smirked from the seat beside Nick, knowing that smile on Nick's face. His Miley smile.
"You're so whipped."
Nick shrugged. "Yeah, and I love it."
…
By the time lunch rolled around, neither Joe nor Demi had spoken to each other. Nick walked Miley to all of their classes and made sure to kiss her goodbye. They were perfect, and to them they couldn't wait until lunch so they could just sit together and hold hands without worrying about a teacher saying anything.
As for Demi and Joe…lunch was the devil. They didn't have many other friends in that lunch block and normally sat together, so they both didn't really know what they were going to do if they didn't sit in the normal spot with Nick and Miley. Lucky for them, they didn't get a chance to pick. Or maybe not so lucky.
Nick dragged Joe over to the table where Demi and Miley were already sitting. "You're going to fix this and it's going to be good again. Got it?"
Joe huffed as Nick shoved him into the seat next to Demi and across from Miley. Demi looked at him for a moment, remaining silent. She didn't scowl, so he took that as a good sign to start apologizing.
"I miss you Dem, you are my best friend," he started off. "You mean the world to me honestly and I just…" he trailed off as Demi looked at her hands.
"I miss you too," Demi said quietly, placing her hand lightly on Joe's for a moment but pulling back quickly. Joe sighed at the loss of contact and tried to continue.
"I trust you, I want you and nobody else. You accept me, you never try to change anything about me. There's not one thing that I would want to change about you either. I just wish that you would talk to me like we used to. Like when we were best friends. If you don't like me like a boyfriend anymore, then at least still be my friend. I need you.
"God, Demi, I wish you could see yourself the way I see you. You're so beautiful, loving and you care about me, you even laugh at my stupid jokes." He looked at his hands and got a determined look on his face. "I love you. I'm in love with you. So even if you don't feel the same, please just be my friend. I need you to be my friend."
Demi couldn't speak; she was having trouble breathing too. Joe finally looked up from his hands to stare at the girl he loved, waiting for her to acknowledge anything that just came flying out of his mouth. He finally admitted to her that she meant the world to him and that he was in love with her. She looked conflicted and sad, but she remained silent which only made Joe more anxious.
"Say something, please." Joe reached for Demi's hand and she let him take it in his own without a fight.
"Dem?" Miley said, having been talking with Nick and missing the confession Joe just gave to Demi. She noticed Demi was pale and thought something happened. "Demi, are you okay?"
Demi opened her mouth to speak. "I-" she choked on her words, all that came out was a strangled breath.
Joe looked really sad. Miley now saw what was happening with her other best friend.
Nick whispered in Miley's ear. "What is going on?" She shook her head.
"I don't know."
Joe abruptly got up from the table and picked up his bag, Demi watching him as he left. She opened her mouth to speak again but nothing came out.
Miley untangled herself from Nick and went to the other side of the table to sit where Joe was previously. "Demi?"
Demi started crying then, falling into Miley's arms. "I'm an idiot."
Miley stroked her hair and let the brunette cry into her chest. She looked at Nick who wore a confused expression. Miley mouthed 'He did it' and Nick nodded. They smiled sadly at each other, both knowing what was happening.
They knew Joe told her he loved her. But Demi didn't say it back. And now she regrets it.
Nick walked around the table to the other side of Demi and patted her on the back. "Dem, he's really sorry for what happened last week. He just missed you so much and felt neglected." Nick gave a sad smile at Miley who returned it with one of her own.
"I-I let him walk away!" Demi said into Miley's chest, voice shaky from the tears she was crying. "He l-loves me. Miley, he's in love with me!"
Demi fell apart in her best friends' arms during lunch period that very crazy Monday morning. Even though they were at school, nobody really seemed to be paying attention to them seeing as there was free ice cream provided by the cheerleading team, which everyone was going to.
"Shh, it's going to be okay Demi. It will all work out, I promise you. I promise." Miley gripped Demi tighter, letting her cry until she had no tears left.
Nick continued to rub circles on Demi's back and stared at his girlfriend while she comforted their friend. Nick loved Miley, he loved how compassionate, sweet and caring she was. He couldn't help but mouth 'I love you' to her when they locked eyes. She smiled and mouthed 'I love you too Nicholas' back, a blush creeping onto her face.
The bell rang finally and the lunchroom started clearing out. Demi didn't seem to notice, still wrapped up in Miley's arms. Nick went around the table to collect their trash and throw it away. When he returned he grabbed Miley and Demi's stuff and motioned towards the hallway and Miley nodded in understanding. Nick left.
"Dem?" Miley said softly, urging her best friend to look up.
"Yeah?" she sniffled back.
"I think we should go to the parking lot okay? Just wait in the car until you get it together, or decide you want to go home for the day."
Demi looked around the lunchroom to see that they were the only ones left except for the staff cleaning up. She looked at Miley and gave a genuine smile. "Thank you for being here for me."
"Of course, anything for you D." Miley gave her a light playful shove on her shoulder.
"But," Demi took a deep breath. "I want to talk to Joe. I owe him this."
Miley nodded in understanding. "You sure."
Demi laughed. "Actually," she grinned. "I've never been so sure of anything in my life." She wiped the remaining tears off of her face and stood up. She gave Miley one last hug before taking off down the hall in search of Joe.
"Go get him!" Miley shouted.
"I will!"
Miley laughed quietly to herself and remained seated at the lunch table. She didn't want to get up for some reason; she was perfectly content with staying put.
She couldn't help but think of her mom, her dad and her siblings. They've all gone through so much in the past few years and for the most part Miley has had to make it alone, and still support her younger siblings along the way. She had been alone.
And she survived.
Sure, she had a few friends along the way to help her stay involved and living her life but…she was the reason that she got up every morning. For herself. And now, for Nick.
"Baby," Nick had his arms wrapped around her shoulders and his head rested on her head. "You smell nice."
Miley laughed. She grabbed a hold of Nick's arms and kissed his hand softly. "You smell nice, too."
She felt his smile on her hair. "How did it go?"
"I think your brother is a very lucky guy," Miley said, sighing happily as she sunk back into Nick's arms and his warm chest.
"I think I'm a really lucky guy," Nick said, kissing the top of his girlfriend's head. "Mm, even your hair smells nice."
She laughed. "Okay, can you stop smelling me and kiss me?"
"I thought you'd never ask."
Miley turned around in Nick's arms and stood up to kiss his lips as he straightened up. He deepened the kiss and pulled her closer, placing his hand on her cheek, keeping her as close as possible.
"I wish I could hold you forever."
Nick breathed out in between kisses. Miley wrapped her arms around his neck. Time stopped as they embraced each other, the outside world fading as their lips met again and again.
"You can."
They both smiled through the kisses. And when they got up to walk to the car, they held hands and snuck in a few more kisses, blushes creeping up on both of their faces.
"Leave me alone."
Demi ignored him and kept moving towards him.
"Just go away." He said again, in a harsher tone. She ignored him once again, getting close enough to touch his shoulder and stopping. He was looking at the ground, but exhaled deeply when he looked up and saw Demi standing before him.
"Joe." Demi said, reaching out to grab his hand. He was sitting down against the big rock that lay at the entrance of the old baseball field, which nobody ever came to. Except Joe.
"What else do you want from me?" His strained reply made her whimper slightly. He looked at her, hurt evident in his eyes.
"I can't-" she stopped talking and took a breath, choking back her sobs. "I shouldn't have let you walk away."
"No, you shouldn't have," he grumbled and turned his head down.
Demi took a seat on the ground beside him, laying her head on his shoulder and taking his left hand in both of hers. "I love you too."
He body went rigid under her head.
"I don't want to hurt anymore." She continued, releasing some of the tears building up. "You," she shook her head a little bit and smiled slightly. "I've never known love like I've known it with you. I don't want to keep dancing around this, I just want you and all of you."
Joe was staring at her now, longing for her to continue. But when he saw she wasn't going to, he opened his mouth. "I know I screwed up."
"That doesn't even matter Joe," she sighed, gripping his hand tighter. "Just don't walk away from me, don't you dare walk away from me again."
He smiled. "Never." They both sat up, not knowing what really to do but knowing they needed each other.
"I love you," Joe said, placing his left hand on her cheek and pulling her body closer to his on the ground with his right one.
"I can't believe it took you this long to say that," she said, sniffing up her tears and the gunk they produced in her nose.
"Me either."
They both leaned in, Joe's hand gently cupping her face, letting their lips meet together in perfect sync with the other's. They couldn't get enough, touching, kissing or smiles.
"I love you."
"I love you, I love you."
The words kept flowing out, having been kept inside for so long by both of them that letting them out felt too good to contain.
Finally.
This one is a little bit shorter than the past few, but things are ending. The next one will be the last chapter of this story. -sigh- bittersweet fairwell, () Sorry, She's the Man reference. Hah. Well, hopefully this wasn't completely awful! I had my AP Exams this week, so this has been pretty much done for a while but I couldn't actually post or edit until after the exams! So, please review if you can and thank you all for reading and sticking with this story!
Emily. Whisper hello, I miss you quite terribly.
