No Matter What they say. Ch 2.
There is something familiar about this family. Something very familiar. They are all watching me, waiting for something. This annoys me more than usual. People only look at me if they're looking for something to tease me about. The Joe guy just grins. Wow, now that's a nice sight. SHUT UP MEGAN!!!! "What?" They just smile, Tania laughs. Cow. "Megan, remember your favourite band of all time?" Well of course I do what kind of------ No way. She isn't---- oh sweet mother of JONAS! She is dating Nick JONAS! Wow. Now I get it! "Ok then. Tan, a word please." I run away from the laughter, dragging her with me. "OK calm down Megs, seriously let me go!" I round on her, eyes flashing. "What the hell are you thinking? When will you ever see him? He'll be off touring and you'll be crying on my shoulder!" As her face falls guilt washes over me. Maybe I over reacted. Maybe. "I know what I'm doing Megan." "Do you? 'Cause I am not about to let some guy with a guitar walk in, hurt you and then walk out, I just can't do it T. I love you too much to watch you get hurt, knowing I could have stopped it. Please just tell me you are sure about this and I'll support you 100% I promise." Her smile, when it comes, is dazzling. "Thanks, I'm sure he won't hurt me. Soooooo, Joe huh?" Er, ok? What did he put in her drink? "What about him?" She just grins, jumping about a bit. Crazy chick. "He couldn't take his eyes off you!!" Yeah right. And I'm Taylor Swift. "Sure, shall we get back? Or your boyfriend's family will think I've killed you, not the best first impression." Grabbing my arm she runs back to the table. "Right guys, sorry 'bout that, just needed to clear up a few things. So Megs, there's a spare seat by Joe. Sit." Meekly I nod my head and do as I'm told. Joe smiles, helping me into my seat. "Hi, I'm Joe. Tania's told us loads about you Megan." Oh no, that isn't good. I feel my face drain to a pale green colour and he laughs. He has a nice- WHAT AM I SAYING? God I need help. "It's ok, she said nice things." I regard him suspiciously. "Really, she did. Promise." My eyebrow rises before I realise. This makes him laugh uncontroabley. "Er, Megan. Would you mind explaining how you made my little brother cry with laughter without speaking." My confused gaze meets Kevin's. "I have no idea. Ask him." Tania frowns; she wants me to talk more. Well tough, I don't like talking, if she listened to me more instead of staring at random lads she'd know. "Joe, how did she make you laugh?" Joe pushes himself upright and winks at me. "She was scared about what Tan had said about her. It was funny." "Not if you knew her properly." I mutter my comment but he still hears. "Why would I be scared if I knew her like you did?" Because she is evil when she's determined! "We….. disagree on social things." Tan rolls her eyes at me, causing the whole family to laugh at me. All apart from Joe, who considers my words as if they were important? "Maybe she wants the best for you and you are too shy to consider it yourself." Er, ok, right. "I never thought about it like that. Maybe." That wins me a spectacular smile. Before I know what I'm doing I feel myself grin back. "So Megs, tell me about yourself." My mind instantly goes blank once he asks this question. Damm it, I hate it when people ask me stuff like this. It's so stupid, if I had anything interesting to say I would have said it already. "Erm, nothing much to say. I'm 15, British, errrr, I like writing?" The rest of the family have started their own conversations, the only one listening to me is Joe. "That it? You sure?" His voice is concerned, worried. Why would what I've said worry him? "You really don't think your interesting do you?" This catches me off guard, both his question and his tone, bitter, angry, miserable. "Well yeah. I am a really boring person. I didn't wanna bore you." He leans back, his face tense and carefully blank. "Tania said you'd be like this. I didn't realise quite what she meant. You have real self confidence issues Megan." What? "What did Tania say Joe?" My tone is deliberately light and breezy but underneath I am anxious. "That you think you're boring, that you have no confidence, that you don't talk unless it's answering a question, that you won't change." Ok. This was unexpected. "I didn't come here to be yelled at Joe." "Who's yelling? Anyway you wouldn't even be here if Tania hadn't dragged you here by force. Why are you like this?" This is has gotten way too deep way too fast. "So you've known me all of two minutes and suddenly you are an expert on me?" His eyes open, hard and blazing. "This happened to some one very close to me; I lost them because they wouldn't go outside. I won't let that happen to someone else." He cares, I actually think he cares. "Joe, I am fine. A little shy but that's it. I'm ok." My hand rests gently on his shoulder, trying to get him to calm down. I succeed. His eyes soften, his shoulders relax, his posture slumps slightly. "Sorry, it's a touchy subject." A timid smile creeps over my face. "It's ok, you lost somebody, it's normal to be angry and want to prevent it where possible." Trust me I know. "Tan said you were a good adviser: that you understood a lot of things others would laugh at. She was right." I glow from this praise. He probably doesn't mean it but I don't care. Right now I don't care about much, just the happiness bubbling in the pit of my stomach. I haven't felt it in a long time.