Chapter six

A granted wish

Sixteen year old Joe sighed as the record director yelled out again, "No, no, no, Joe what is wrong with you today, you are totally off key!"

"I'm sorry," Joe said rubbing the back of his neck looking over at eighteen year old Kevin who gave him a sad look.

"Maybe if I could play the guitar while we record-," Kevin said, he knew that's what Joe needed but didn't want t say it.

"I already told you Kevin, we don't need you to play at the same time you record you're vocals," the director yelled causing Kevin to jump back a little.

"You don't have to yell," Thirteen year old Nick said as he took off his earphones, "I need a break, I'll be right back." Then he walked out of the room.

Kevin and Joe looked at each other, the only ones knowing that the only reason Nick was leaving was to check his blood sugar, since he was diagnosed with diabetes, he had been having trouble keeping his blood sugar under control.

As soon as Nick left the room the director turned back to Kevin and Joe, he was not happy, "Okay-while Nick takes his "Break" Joe do I need to give you some voice lessons or something, what is going on with you?"

"He's just having an off day," Kevin said quickly trying to help his brother.

"I asked Joe," the director said looking at the younger teenager once again.

Joe sighed and looked at Kevin who shrugged, Joe took a deep breath and began to tell the director the truth, "Well, you see I need Kevin to play the guitar for me to stay on key."

"Why would that be?" the director asked crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"I-I'm deaf in my left ear, the guitar helps keep me on key," Joe said softly.

"I see, why didn't you tell us about this when you were signed?" the director asked looking more and more annoyed by the minute.

"Well, we thought you didn't need to know, if Kevin can play the guitar by my right ear I'm fine," Joe said as Kevin put a hand on his brother's shoulder.

The director sighed and looked back to the two older brothers, "I'm sorry boys, but this isn't going to work out."

Both Kevin and Joe's mouths dropped in disbelief, "You can't just break our contract just because Joe is deaf in one ear."

"No but I can because you didn't tell us about it, I'm sorry boys but we can't have a contract with someone who might be able to sing one day and then not sing the next," the director said as he opened the door.

"We've been here for almost two years, we've recorded a full album here," Kevin said as the director turned to them again.

"I'm sorry Kevin, that's my finally word," the director said as he walked out just as Nick was walking in.

"What's going on?" Nick asked looking at his brothers.

"We just lost our record deal and it's all my fault," Joe said as he left the room before anyone could say anything.

Nick was so confused, as Joe walked passed him and out the door, Nick looked at Kevin, "What just happened?"

"Joe had to tell him about his hearing loss, and the director basically just fired us on the spot," Kevin said as he picked up his guitar case and slung it over his shoulder.

"Oh man, and it's my fault Joe can't hear in the first place," Nick said with guilt in his eyes.

"Don't blame yourself Nick J, come on lets go find Joe," Kevin said as the boys left the Columbia records studio for the last time.

NJNJNJNJNJNJNJNJNJNJNJNJNJNJNJNJNJNJNJNJNJNJNJNJNJ

Joe started running once he was out of the building, the cold December wind brushed his face, but he didn't stop, he just wanted to run. He ran for a good two miles until it began to snow and he reached the small bridge that ran over the river in the town. He just stood there for about ten minutes, looking out over the water and let the tears flow down his cheeks.

"Me and my stupid ear," Joe said to himself as he rubbed at his left ear at the same time he tried to wipe away some of the tears, "Sometimes I don't think I'm even worth the name Jonas, in fact it would probably be better if I hadn't been born at all."

"What was that?" a voice asked behind him.

Joe turned around to see a short middle aged man looking at him, "How long have you been standing there?"

"Only for a few minutes, what did you say before?" the man asked looking at Joe with dark green eyes.

"Oh, I just lost my brothers a record deal of life time just because I'm deaf in one ear, sometimes I think they're better off without me and they would probably be better off without me, sometimes I wish I had never been born in the first place," Joe repeated himself though he didn't know why he was talking to this man and telling him his feelings.

The man nodded and started off into space for a moment and then looked back at Joe, "Alright, you have your wish-you've never been born."

"What?" Joe asked confused just as the snow stopped suddenly where just a moment ago it looked like there was going to be a blizzard.

"You've never been born, you don't exist," the man said putting his hands in his pockets.

"No-what the-," Joe started as he hand shot towards his right ear and he pointed at his left, "Say something else in that ear."

"Sure, you can hear out of it," the man said talking into Joe's bad ear.

"That's weird I haven't been able to hear out of that ear since I was nine," Joe said rubbing his ear, then he pulled out his wallet.

"You won't find it," the man said as Joe began to open his wallet.

"I won't find what?" Joe asked looking at the man.

"Your ID card, like I said you don't exist, you have no ID cards, no keys, you were never born," the man said his hands remaining in his pockets.

Joe bit his lip and put his wallet back in his back pocket and then reached for his jacket pocket.

"Its not there either," the man said like he knew Joe's every move.

"What?" Joe asked looking at the man as he started to believe him.

"Nick's emergency insulin," the man said calmly.

"Look man, who are you?" Joe asked checking his pockets anyway, he was right, Nick's insulin was not there.

"My name is Clarence, I'm your guardian angel, and you've been given a gift Joe Jonas," Clarence said looking and the teenager with kind eyes, "A chance to see what the world would be like without you."

Joe gulped and looked over the water again, what had he done.