by the way, this chapter is going to span the two years between Liv leaving and the Jonas Brothers moving to New York, as seen in ClaireBear536's story "Backwards and Forwards." It is going to be a series of calls and emails to kind of alert what went on.
X-X-X-X-X ::: Chapter 8: Like a Bad Blink-182 Song
"And you'll be gone how long?" Joe asked again as they stood in the airport terminal.
"Just until Thanksgiving - just three months, then I'll be home for a week." Liv replied, keeping her tone optimistic. Joe's brow furrowed.
"Three months is a pretty long time." he said. "Are you sure you'll be able to handle not seeing me for that long?" he asked cheekily. Liv rolled her eyes, laughing at his antics.
"I'll try my best to survive." she said sarcastically as the boarding call for her flight was announced. They both paused, a silence enveloping them.
"You should probably jet." he said quietly. "Time for you to fly."
"Time for me to soar." she added with a small smile. Suddenly, something small attached to her leg.
"Nooooo I don't want you to go!" Tyler yelled, crying. Liv immediately lowered herself to comfort the boy.
"Hey, it's ok, buddy. I'm only going to be gone a little bit - it's not for forever." she said softly, speaking to both Tyler and Joe. Linda came over and pried the sobbing Tyler off her.
"C'mon, baby." she said as Tyler continued to wail. "Olivia needs to go now." she added pointedly. Joe could see Liv's eyes slowly filling with tears, but she held them in.
"I'll see you soon, buddy." she said, kissing his cheek and ruffling his hair. She then held her mom for a few moments before kissing her cheek. Joe was last, receiving by far the best hug he had ever experienced in his life, as well as a soft kiss. They all waved goodbye as she went through security, watching until she was out of sight.
"Well, time to go home then." Linda sighed, taking Tyler's hand. Joe was unsure how to act - should he comfort her in any way? Would that be weird? It seemed weird. Tyler relieved Joe of his conundrum, however, by latching onto his hand as well as they exited the airport.
---
Sent: 15 August 2008, 11:54 P.M.
From: "Olivia"
Subject: home
Hey, Joe! Just dropping by to say I made it here alright, as in with only one incident between me and a slightly insane cab driver. Brit and Jane are all settled in alright - although, apparently the only things models eat are apples and soup. These models at least.
Class starts on Monday. I'm a little nervous. I miss you already.
Liv
Sent: 16 August 2008, 2:49 P.M.
From: "Joe"
Subject: RE: home
Well hello there! I'm certainly glad you're good to go. Am I going to have to come over there and have a little "talk" with this taxi driver? Also, you should probably teach those poor girls the amazing invention that is the sandwich.
Don't worry about school - you're going to be brilliant. I know you are. And I miss you too.
Joe
---
1 New message from Joe, October 31, 2008.
Happy Halloween! Do I get a trick or a treat this year?
1 New message from Olivia, October 31, 2008.
Well, I suppose I owe you a treat. Can be used at a later date.
1 New message from Joe, October 31, 2008.
Ah, don't worry. It will be. :)
---
December 15, 2008
Olivia smiled as she heard her phone ringing. Normally it wouldn't have made her this happy, but as soon as she heard the beginning chords of "Please Be Mine," (1) she couldn't help but smile to herself, even if the other people around her on the busy New York street probably thought she was a little crazy.
"Hello, stud muffin." she answered happily.
"Umm, this is Kevin..."
"Oh, sorry Kev. What's up?" she said, a bit flustered.
"Hahaha I'm kidding, it's me!" Joe said energetically. Liv chuckled, rolling her eyes.
"Good one." she said sarcastically. "So what's going on?"
"You're never going to believe this." he said, rushed. "Guess who is performing for the ball drop this year in good ol' New York City?"
"No way!" Liv exclaimed. "Justin Timberlake?!"
"What?! No!" Joe said. "The Jonas Brothers! Where the heck did you get Justin Timberlake from?"
Liv laughed. "I'm just kidding! I knew it was you all!"
"Girl, please." he said with a bit of attitude.
"Oh, whatever! You started this!" she said flirtily. "Anyway, can we talk about how you're coming here for New Year's?"
"Oh yea! So we'll be getting in on the 29th..." he said.
---
December 31, 2008
"And now, our special guests, the Jonas Brothers!" said Ryan Seacrest, introducing the musical act of the night. The opening chords of their number one hit single "So Close, So Far" (2) echoed over Times Square as they rocked out on top of a building, the cheers of the crowd barely reaching them at their great height. Liv was a couple floors down with a group of screaming fans, blending it with the crowd that was rocking out with them.
"You're so close, you're so far," they sang the last lines of the song. "but my heart can always tell where you are."
"And that was the Jonas Brothers!" Seacrest said as the song ended. "Now, it's 11:59! Let's see that ball drop it like it's hot!"
As the crowd turned to face the ball, Joe positively booked it off the stage, running down the stairs (well, he may have fallen down a flight or two). Olivia stayed in the crowd, watching the ball sparkle with different colors. She knew Joe had to be up on stage, and she was fully prepared to wish him a happy new year later that night after all the hype went down. She was not prepared to be pulled away from the crowd at a startling pace, only realizing it was Joe as everyone started counting down. They broke free of the mass just as it hit 1 second till, Joe pulling her to him and kissing her soundly. Everyone cheered in the new year, kissing and hugging each other, everyone so excited that they didn't notice another couple making out in the corner.
"Joe? Where are you, dude? We're on in like 10 seconds!" Kevin's voice buzzed in Joe's earpiece. The pair broke apart.
"Happy new year." he said, giving her one last kiss before sprinting back up to the stage.
---
1 New message from Joe, February 14, 2009
Roses are red,
Violets are blue.
Flowers are beautiful,
And so are you.
Happy Valentine's Day! Miss you like a fat kid misses cake when his workout obsessed mother makes him go on the Atkin's diet!
---
Sent: 14 April 2009, 9:02 P.M.
From: "Olivia"
Subject: It's been...
Hey you, I know you're touring now, but I felt the need to talk to you. It's been too long, you know? Too long since we've seen each other, too long since you've had a break, too long since I've had a good day...I've been stressing out over classes and roommates and all...I guess what I'm trying to say is that I miss you. Like the kind of missing where your heart physically hurts.
Hope your show was excellent tonight - but I know it was.
Olivia
Sent: 15 April 2009, 2:27 A.M.
From: "Joe"
Subject: RE: It's been...
Hey, there, don't stress. It's been a while, yes, but you're ok, and I'm ok - we're ok. You just have to hold on, you know? Take a deep breath. Shake it out. C'mon, do it, don't just stare at your computer screen and think I'm crazy...there we go. You can call me anytime, mmk?
And, for the record, my heart hurts too. We match!
Joe
---
Early June 2009
Liv slowly walked into her room, glad that her roommates' doors were shut for once - after all, Jane's always smelled like cigarrette smoke, and Brit's always smelled, period. She opened the huge bay window, breathing in the clear air and stretching after a long day of classes and work. She kicked her high heels off - those dreadful shoes that she had had to become accustomed to both on campus and at her job. She booted up her computer, smiling as she found one new message from Joe. It didn't say anything, though, it just had a URL for YouTube.
"What...?" she whispered quietly, clicking on it in curiousity. The video was named "Joe's Dedication," which only encouraged her curiosity more. Did he send her some fan video or something? Hopefully not, some of them were just plain creepy. The video soon loaded, bringing up a picture of the Jonas Brothers onstage at a concert.
"Ok, ok," Joe was saying, trying to get the crowd to calm down. It took a while, but it was soon relatively quiet - which meant that the microphones could be heard over the dull roar. "We want to play a song for you that's a little bit older than this...you might remember it. I believe it's called 'Hello Beautiful'?" he had to pause to allow the crowd to stop cheering again. "I'd like to take a moment to dedicate it to a very special person in my life..." he continued.
"Me?" Kevin interjected.
"Not hardly." Joe retorted quickly over the crowd's laughter. He got the noise to die down again, and gestured to Nick. "Hit it, Nick." he said, Nick beginning to play the beginning chords of the song. "Olivia, this one's for you." he finished before singing.
Liv smiled at her computer, her heart fluttering. She sat and watched the video a couple more times (ten can count as a couple, right?), enjoying it more and more every time she watched it. After a few minutes she was able to compose her response.
Sent: 04 June 2009, 5:46 P.M.
From: "Olivia"
Subject: RE: For You
I think you just broke about a million 12-year-old hearts. Mine, however, is completely mended. :)
Missing you terribly, can't wait to see you again.
Liv
---
New Year's Eve, 2009.
It had been over six months since Joe and Olivia had seen each other, but being apart had gotten easier. The tour had ended, so Joe had a little more free time. Olivia's class load lightened, so she had a little less to do. The results? Well, Joe's brothers noticed that he seemed to be in a much better mood nowadays, and Olivia's roommates noticed that she seemed to have a smile on her face more often.
"Hey, you want to just stay in for New Year's?" he had asked over the phone a few days before. "We aren't performing anywhere for once, so maybe we can watch the ball drop together. Well, separately - but semi together?"
"That sounds great!" she had said. "Brit and Jane are both going to be elsewhere, so it'll be just you and me! And those thousand miles between us."
"Eh, details, details." he had answered. Little did Liv know...
And so, come 10:30 PM New Year's Eve, Liv was sitting in her apartment in her pajamas, enjoying a bowl of ice cream before she would call Joe at 11 o'clock. She relished in the silence of the empty apartment, watching a rerun of the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air as the time ticked by. However, her time was interrupted at 10:57 when there was a knock on the door. She checked the time - who would be calling on her at this time of night? She shook it off, figuring that whoever it was wouldn't take too long, and checked through the peep hole. One quick glance offered her the sight of familiar, curly-ish hair, and suddenly she couldn't unlock the door quick enough.
"Surprise!" Joe said, holding his arms open to her. Liv nearly screamed in excitement and jumped onto him, wrapping both arms and legs around him. He almost lost his balance, having to take a couple quick steps back into the hallway, but quickly regained his footing and wrapped his arms around her torso, holding her tightly.
"I can't believe you're here!" she said excitedly, her voice muffled by his shoulder. "How...what...when...?"
He gently put her down, putting an arm around her shoulders as they walked into the apartment. "Well, Kevin offered that we take New Year's off cause we've been doing so much lately - although, don't tell him that I told you this, but really it was because he had a hot date with Jess. And then Nick decided that it would be cool to spend it with Miley for once, so I was able to jet out here and see you!" he explained. She embraced him again.
"Remind me to send Kevin a thank you note. Or a muffin basket or something." she said, holding onto him tightly. He held her again, thinking that he had never expected to have someone that he would miss holding like he did with Liv. "I do wish you would have warned me a bit - I'm so not cute enough for company." she said, pulling away and gesturing to her shorts and tshirt.
"You look beautiful." he said, placing a hand on her cheek and kissing her. She responded immediately, her arms sliding around the back of his neck, bringing him closer to her. His hands slipped into her hair, which was much softer than he had remembered. He gently tugged it, taking the opportunity to kiss her neck softly as she lifted her head back. She hummed softly in approval, the vibrations making Joe's lips tingle a little bit. She soon couldn't take the absence of his lips much longer, dragging them back up to hers.
"Mmm, I missed this." she murmured against his lips, giving him another kiss. "But the hostess my mother instilled in me is positively dying. So help yourself to anything in the kitchen while I go change real quick." she said.
"Can I come too?" he asked cheekily. She rolled her eyes, pushing his shoulder.
"Just go get something to eat or something, I'll be back in a minute." she said, allowing herself one last kiss before scampering off to her room. He took the opportunity to take off his jacket, hat, and scarf before doing as she suggested and checking out the kitchen. The fridge was clearly separated amongst the three girls by shelves; the top two contained nothing but a couple apples each and obviously belonged to the two model roommates. The third had a bunch of random things on it, like what looked like a half-eaten piece of cheesecake and a pizza box, and was clearly Liv's. Nothing, however, seemed appetizing. He didn't even bother to check the pantry, deciding on a simple bottle of water before ambling back out to the living room.
"Does it really take this long to change?" he called down the hallway. He had traveled for a long time to be here - didn't she see that he didn't care what she looked like?
"It's not helping that I haven't done laundry in a long while!" she called back, finally running back in wearing jeans and a navy sweater. It also seemed as if she had taken a couple moments to brush out her blonde hair, which was still long and wavy. She collapsed on the couch next to him, grabbing his face and kissing him again.
"Well, I don't care about what you're wearing, I think you're beautiful anyway." he said when she pulled away. "In fact, you could be wearing nothing and I'd be okay with it." he smirked.
Liv laughed out loud. "I'm sure you would be!" she said. She glanced at the clock; it read 11:34. "Oh, I've got an idea!" she said, getting up again.
Joe made a small whining noise because she moved away. "And what might that be?" he asked as she pulled him up after her.
"C'mon, I'll show you." she said, pulling on her heavy coat.
"But the bedroom is that way," he said, jerking his thumb down the hall. "And I thought we just agreed on less clothes?"
Liv laughed again, buttoning her coat and wrapping a scarf around her neck. "Goodness, what's with you today? You're like a freaking 13 year old boy!"
"Seriously? Let me break it down for you." he said, finally consenting and putting his jacket back on. "1. You are hot. Like, smoking hot. As in, I worry for you because you live around so many members of the male species kind of hot. Dos, I haven't seen you in over six months. I feel like I've been through withdrawal and am just now being allowed my fix. And c, I am, believe it or not, a man." he explained, counting the things off his fingers as Liv pulled a beanie down over her head and ears.
"All good reasons, but not good enough for me to get struck by lightening." she countered. He stopped, cocking his head to the side.
"Huh?" he asked. She laughed again.
"I heard a speaker once that explained God's wrath as Him going 'smite you, suckers!' And the image of being struck by lightening has stuck with me ever since." she explained, now pulling on gloves. "But enough of that, get your gloves and stuff on!"
"Where are we going that it's going to be so cold?" he asked.
"You'll see, now come on!" she said, not even waiting for him to put on said gloves as she pulled him down the hallway. However, instead of going down the stairs as he expected, she went up.
"Um, I think we made a wrong turn..." he said, finally having all of his gear on.
"No, we're going the right way, trust me." she said, practically running up the stairs before reaching the door to the roof. She heaved her body into it, pushing the heavy door open.
"Quick," she said, holding it open. "put something there so it doesn't close all the way."
Joe scurried around, finding a randomly placed cinderblock a few feet away and sliding it in between the door and the frame. Liv let the door go, dusting her hands off and looking at the handiwork in approval.
"Ok, we're good to go." she said, her breath rising in soft clouds.
"Go where?" Joe asked, a little worried. After all, they were on the roof - there was nowhere to go except down.
"Over here," she said, grabbing his hand and walking out into an wide open section of the roof where a few iron-wrought chaise lounges were set up overlooking the city. "This is my favorite place to come when I need to be alone." she said, and Joe could see why. Lights from buildings and houses twinkled like a Christmas tree as far as he could see, which was very far. It also allowed a viewing of the stars, which shone brightly in the clear night air. She led him over to a chair, allowing him to sit down first before she placed herself in his lap.
"For warmth." she said, smirking, after he gave her an odd look. He rolled his eyes, smiling - he wasn't going to complain. They sat there for a while, not bothering to try and start a conversation. Joe remembered the first time they had hung out - how he had tried so hard to not let an awkward silence happen, how he had thought that if they weren't saying anything then something was wrong. But he was a little older, and practically a little bit wiser, and he realized that sometimes the best conversations are where nothing is said.
He looked at her face, the way the moonlight shone off of her pale skin, making her blue eyes sparkle and the light freckles on her cheeks more prominent. She turned to him.
"What are you thinking about?" she asked mildly, a soft smile playing on her lips.
"I'm trying to calculate how long it would take me to kiss every single one of your freckles." he responded, his eyes dancing. She laughed, throwing her head back onto his shoulder and resting it there.
"Probably years." she answered, staring into the stars.
"I better get started then." he said quietly, gently placing his lips against her cheek. "One," he counted, then did it again. "Two," he counted again, continuing across the tops of her cheeks. "Three..."
"Oh, look, the ball's going!" she interrupted, pointing towards Time's Square.
"But I'm not finished yet." he said, pouting.
"I'm sure you'll have plenty of time later." she told him, tapping his frozen nose. They looked into the distance, watching the ball at Times Square drop, even if it was so small that a dime looked bigger. They could barely hear the crowd faintly counting down, the fireworks and confetti poppers sounding like they were a recording with the sound turned down. Liv turned to face him, giving him a kiss for good luck for the new year. Her lips were cold from the night, but they warmed Joe's soul, and it was then that he knew.
"I love you." he said quietly when they broke apart, looking directly into her eyes and feeling exactly how he had felt when he had asked her out all that time ago. Her gaze softened as she kissed him again.
"I love you too."
---
July, 2010
Olivia practically sprinted through the parking lot of the airport, trying to get inside on time. Her least favorite class had run late today, which in turn made her run late to go meet the Jonas Brothers as their flight came in. To say she was excited that they were moving here was an understatement - I mean, what were the odds that their new record label would have them based in New York? She slowed to a walk outside the automatic doors, inwardly cursing whoever had invented the high heel. She was a little nervous, she couldn't lie - it had been another six or seven months since she had been able to see Joe, and she couldn't help but wonder...
Her wondering soon took a backseat as the PA system announced that their flight had landed. Olivia had offered to pick the three boys up that day - Mr. and Mrs. Jonas plus Frankie were coming later in the week, but the boys had business with the record label that needed to get done as soon as possible. She tapped her foot impatiently, what could be taking them so long?
"Finally!" she muttered to herself as she saw three distinctly dark heads coming down the escalator, her heart doing a rendition of MC Hammer's "Can't Touch This" dance. The little mechanical stairs just couldn't seem to move fast enough according to Liv, as she felt as if it took them roughly twelve years to reach the first floor from the second. She practically flew over to where they were, latching onto Joe as soon as his feet touched unmoving ground.
"Oh my gracious you're finally here!" she said, her voice betraying how utterly happy she was. His arms wrapped tightly around her as he picked her up and swung her around.
"Yep!" he said excitedly. "All the time now!"
"I guess we're just chopped liver or something, Nicholas." Kevin said sarcastically to Nick, his voice carrying just enough so that Liv could hear them.
"Ew, that's sick nasty, Kevin." Nick responded. He wasn't in the best mood - he was having separation anxiety from his better half.
"No, you're not chopped liver!" Liv said, grabbing onto Kevin. He laughed, embracing the girl that had practically tamed his brother. She moved onto Nick, who's mood was a little better now that he was around the woman that had practically become his older sister.
"C'mon, we've still got time for lunch before you have to go to the record label's..." Liv said, intertwining her hand in Joe's as she led them out to the parking lot. As the afternoon wound down, she couldn't help thinking that her life was going in the right direction again - and she was going full steam ahead.
X-X-X-X-X
(1) - In chapter 6, "I Can't Believe I'm Related To You," Joe sang "Please Be Mine" to Liv.
(2) - Not an actual Jonas Brothers song. I made it up.
ok, so this wasn't the best, but i hope you liked it. as always, leave love or anything you might want to see! peace out!