Hi guys! I'm not dead. How cool is that. I kinda wanted to finish this, even though I have ZERO inspiration at all ever lately. I can't even write original stuff. Hope this is good enough for you guys.

Even Better
Chapter Six
Build Me Up, Buttercup

Begin&&

When Nick opened the door, walking into the front lobby of the building, the first thing he noticed were the intricate decorations. This was no doubt a Stella event, he could tell from how beautiful and just perfect everything looked. He smirked to himself, despite the intense heartache and loneliness he felt entering this building so full of beauty with no Macy to make this worthwhile.

He stood outside the lobby door for a good minute, talking himself in to walking inside. He really didn't want to, it was one thing to arrive single with a group of friends, but arriving stag alone? He mentally cursed Stella, Joe and Kevin for making him come, for making sure that JONAS played a show tonight. This was heart wrenching for him. Thinking about how his stupid brother didn't even notice his infatuation with Macy. How could he?

Nick sighed, pacing the floor. That wasn't fair, was it? It honestly just wasn't fair for him to think of Kevin so negatively. His brother obviously didn't know of his feelings for Macy because Macy didn't even know of his feelings for Macy. Nick wasn't even sure he knew for certain until Kevin showed an interest to Macy's interest. Why did his life have to be so confusing?

From inside Nick's pant pocket, his cell phone began to ring. His ringtone was old fashioned this week, an antique telephone ring. Or as antique as it could get on a smart phone. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and looked at the caller ID. It was Stella. Of course it was Stella because according to the clock, he was 5 minutes late for JONAS's performance.

"Hello…Stella I…?" Nick asked, bracing himself for the yelling, the screaming, the clawing, the…

"Nick?" Nick froze when he heard her voice. Macy's voice.

"Macy…I…Uh…" He stuttered.

"Nick we're all really worried…why haven't you arrived yet? You're never late for a show. We expect that from Joe, but…" Macy's voice trails off and Nick's heart throbs in his chest.

"Macy I'm…I…I…wasn't…" Nick can't even get a word out, he's so tongue tied. So instead he slips inside the door to the ballroom, hanging up his phone and putting it back into his pocket. He doesn't want to sing, he doesn't want to play an instrument…not tonight. He's not even sure if he can, not with the way he feels. Not with the things he's thinking about Macy.

"I think he hung up," he hears someone say and he turns and sees her standing there in that breathtaking backless red gown. He can't even breathe as he watches her pass a phone back to Stella.

OhmyGod, he thinks, heart racing, palms sweating…Macy….

"Great," Stella says, stomping her foot. Now where are the other two knuckleheads?" Macy shrugs, looking out into the crowd.

"It doesn't help that every single guy here looks the same, Stel," Macy remarks, and Stella huffs.

"Just go find your boyfriend and let me deal with Joe." Macy blushes when Stella refers to Kevin as her boyfriend because she hadn't ever really called him that herself. But, that's what he was, right? Her boyfriend.

"Okay," she responds and Nick feels a twinge in his heart and a lump in his throat. Her boyfriend.

"Kevin?" Macy calls out questioningly into the crowd, but no one answers her, "KEEEVVVIIIN?" she calls again, way louder this time. His brother would've had to have been deaf not to he—

"There you are!" Macy says, grabbing his arm, "Couldn't you hear me, Kev?"

"I-I…" Nick stammers. Macy smiles up at him and squeezes his bicep.

"It is really loud in here," Macy comments, having to shout a little over the music the DJ was playing and the chatter all around them.

"Y…yeah," Nick says, voice cracking and Macy giggles. He can't even process what's happening, just that her touch is…so…he sighs and smiles at her.

"C'mon," Macy says, "let's go see if Stella found Joe and then I guess we can try Nick again since he's still not here." Macy grabs his hand and chews her lip.

"O..oh" Nick responds.

"Something's been up with him lately, y'know? He seems so distant from all of us. I don't understand what changed." Nick's heart is thundering in his chest now and he feels uncomfortable listening to Macy talk about him…she thinks she's talking to Kevin. This isn't right.

"M…macy…can…" Nick tries, but his stomach is in knots, his voice is too high pitched and doesn't sound natural, and he just…can't.

"Wow, Kev, you don't sound too good…is your voice going? Stella is going to have a conniption!" She leads him backstage and glances around, Stella and the other boys aren't back yet. Nick's stomach lurches.

"Oh," Macy says, "I guess she hasn't found them…uh," she glances around again, confused before saying "Ohhh well, guess we'll just…wait here…" and leaning into him a little bit, smirking up at him and gazing into his brown eyes through his mask. Nick can't even breathe.

END&&

It's not over, is it?

FD