Oops… Sorry for not updating at all this month… I went on vacation for a week and wrote two pages during that time. When I came back, I was determined to finish this chapter, but ended up just adding piece by piece every few days. I had writer's block, and I had no idea what I wanted to happen in this chapter, but right now, at 1:22 am EST, I finished this. I got hit by inspiration, but I had no idea where it had come from. Anyways, enjoy and don't forget to leave a review on the way out!

Masquerade

Chapter Ten

"Where's Frankie? I need to talk to him." Joe approached Nick at his drum set slash bed. Nick was just sitting on his bed, reading a teen magazine. Surprising, right? He liked to read the articles about JONAS. You never know if they're writing a bad article about them. Y'know, lies.

"Uh, I think Mom and Dad just dropped him off at Stella's before going to the meeting for our record label. I'm surprised they didn't need us for that meeting today. But anyway, what did you want to talk to our youngest brother about?" Nick answered, peeking from the teen magazine.

"Well, I was just going to rant to him, since I'm sure he's not listening and doesn't care anyway," Joe somewhat lied. He wanted to ask him about the mystery girl from last night. Frankie asked all those questions that Joe's sure that Frankie knows something.

"You can rant to me," Nick offered with a sudden suspicious smile on his face, putting down the teen magazine he was reading. "I don't care and I won't listen!"

"That's the thing, Nick, I know you don't care, but I know you're listening. You want to butt in my love life," Joe sighed. He sat at the edge of the floor, his feet dangling in Nick's bed. Nick had a bed in ground. It's a good thing he's feeling like himself again, right?

"Ooh, your love life?" Nick repeated. "I didn't know you had one."

"Ha ha," Joe fake laughed. "Very funny. But seriously. I told you about Macy, so I obviously have a love life."

"Speaking of Macy," Nick's voice trailed off. "Are you over her?"

"Hm?"

"Oh, it's just that I saw you dancing with some other girl at the dance last night and it seems like you two really hit it off. And then I know you move on from a girl really quickly if you meet someone else you're really interested in."

"Well, I don't know," Joe sighed, sitting beside his brother on his brother's bed. "It depends, to be honest. If I ever find out whom the mystery girl is—ugh, never mind. Love is confusing."

"Go on, Joseph," Nick encouraged his older brother to release his feelings to him. Yes, Joe was right, he did want to know about Joe's love life, but he wasn't going to tell anyone other than Kevin. And maybe Stella. He would tell Frankie too, but Nick now knows that Joe tells Frankie anyway so there would be no point in that.

"Well, let's start with Macy."

"Wait, so what are we talking about now?"

"Um, it's pretty relevant in your voice that you want me to tell you about everything, so I might as well explain to you my feelings for both girls. And maybe I'll figure out who I like more."

"Alright, so, just keep talking. I'm positive you have a lot to say so I won't interrupt. I'll only answer if you ask me to."

"Y'know what, Nick? You can be really nice to me when you want to."

"I'm just being nice because I've missed this you. 'Cause you know, after the Macy incident, you've been a jerk, and yeah."

"Yeah, sorry about that," Joe apologized. "Love can make us do crazy things, eh?"

"I hear that. Remember what happened with Penny?" Nick reminisced and shuddered at the same time.

"I found that funny," Joe chuckled. "But all the songs you wrote with her name in it are pretty good, actually. I would have said 'the songs you wrote for her', but we all know you only wrote Give Love a Try for her. You didn't even use her name in it. But yeah, we should use all the other songs and take her name out. They'd be instant hits!"

"Eh, well I kind of think those are pretty embarrassing, but maybe in the future," Nick shrugged. "But this isn't about me right now; this is about you and your girl problems for once."

"Alright, alright."

There was a pause.

"Well? What do you feel for Macy?" Nick urged him to speak up. It seemed to him as if Joe couldn't find the words to say.

"I don't know anymore, to tell you the truth. I think my plan worked."

"What plan?"

"My plan to stop liking her. You know, just avoid her."

"But still, what did you feel when you did like her?"

"I guess I felt the same way you did when you were falling fast and hard for Penny," Joe shrugged. "Just that, I wasn't falling fast. I've liked her for a long time and—you already know that story."

"Okay, I told you, this isn't about me, it's about you."

"I know, but just for an example," Joe pointed out. "I knew I liked Macy from the start. The way she was crazy about me—"

"I know this is about you and all, but there's no need to be conceited. And she was crazy about you? Boy, she was crazy about all of us."

"Hey, I thought you said you were just going to listen to me go on and on about my problem?" Joe reminded his younger curly haired brother.

"Oh, right. Sorry," Nick apologized, after realizing his mistake.

"I'll be honest; it kind of scared me in the beginning how obsessed she was about us. I mean, I liked her, being a fan and all, but—ugh, I still don't know how to explain this all. But the important thing is, I don't like her anymore so I can just move on. For now I want to find out who the mystery girl is. Macy is better off without me."

"You're lying to yourself, Joseph," Nick stated. "You're not over Macy, are you?"

"Not even a little," Joe sighed. "But still, I like mystery girl also. I want to know who she is."

"How are you going to find that out?"

"I could like, announce it to the school or something," Joe shrugged. "And I could like, ask them questions about that night."

"But if you did that, almost the whole girl population at school will be in line," Nick pointed out. "You are a famous rock star, after all."

"True, but only that one girl will know the correct answers to my questions," Joe replied.

"That's also true. What kind of questions will you ask? Tell me, and I could write them down for you." Suddenly, Nick had a piece of paper in hand with a pen. He put the paper on the floor, the floor being higher than his bed.

"Um, I'd ask her what she was wearing that night," Joe began, as Nick wrote down the question. "Then I'd ask what she called me and what I called her back."

"Uh, what was she wearing? What did she call you? And what did she say?" Nick questioned. "I'm also going to write the answers down so it's easier for me."

"A red flow custom made dress. And a matching gold mask. Her shoes were two or three inch open toed heels," Joe answered. "She called me 'stranger,' I called her 'anonymous.'"

"Alright, just keep thinking about the questions and the answers to them," Nick advised, "and I'll be sure to write them down. I'm determined to help you find out who she is."

"Okay."

-x-

"Macy!" Stella greeted in a sing-song voice. She and Frankie entered Macy's unlocked house. The two were looking for her.

"How'd you get in?" Macy questioned.

"Door was open," Frankie answered.

"Right... I guess I forgot to lock it when my parents left this morning," Macy shrugged. "So, what brings you here?"

"Just to hang out," Stella said. "And Frankie just wanted to come along. He wants our bond to build."

"Aw, how cute," Macy said in a high pitched voice and pinched Frankie's cheeks. "Let's go upstairs to my room, unless you wanted to go out or something."

"Well, we can go to your room for now, and if we think of anything, we can go out later," Stella suggested. Frankie and Macy nodded. The trio went upstairs in direction of Macy's room. Once they were inside, they all sat on the bed.

"So about last night…" Stella's voice trailed off. Frankie eyed her with excitement. He wanted to see where this would take them.

"What about last night?" Macy asked, reaching for her iPhone on her bedside table. Once it was in her hands, she decided to tweet. She tweeted, 'Chilling in my room on a Sunday with StellaMFashion and FrankieLucasOfficial.' Yes, the other two had Twitter accounts as well.

"Do you want to find out who this mystery dude is?" Stella continued.

"I guess, but it wouldn't really matter to me anyway. I have no interest in boys right now," Macy replied honestly and carelessly, putting her phone back on its place on the bedside table, right beside her beloved framed picture of her with JONAS, Frankie and Stella. She stood in between Joe and Frankie, as Stella was beside Kevin and Nick.

"Are you sure?" Frankie raised an eyebrow, trying to make things more interesting. "What about Joseph?"

"No, we are not getting into that, Frankie," Macy pointed her finger at him.

"Hey! Finger pointing is not nice!" Stella pointed out. "But seriously, do you want to find out who the guy was? I bet there's a small piece inside you wanting to know."

"That's true, Stell," Macy agreed, "but a bigger piece of me doesn't want to know. I couldn't care less if I find him or not. I just had fun, that's what's important to me from last night. Oh, and by the way, when's the next dance? I'm totally attending again."

"You're not answering my question!" Stella's voice was bit louder than before. Her voice returned to regular volume, "I'm not sure, but I'll still be on dance committee! And great! I'm totally making your dress again."

"Ladies," Frankie cleared his throat. He really did want to mess with Joe and Macy, but with specific orders, he knew he couldn't.

"Well, yeah, I guess I do want to know," Macy shrugged. "But after I find him, I probably wouldn't talk to him or anything. It was just a one time deal."

Stella and Frankie turned to each other and flashed a knowing smile. Macy happened to notice this and raised an eyebrow.

"Do you know something I don't?" Macy asked suspiciously. She was sure they knew something, but she didn't think too much of it. She knew they'd come around and eventually tell her.

"Of course not!" Frankie denied. "But we can help you find your mystery dude. Trust us, it won't be that hard." Frankie said that last part under his breath.

"No! I don't want to," that was Macy's final answer. "I know I'm going to regret saying this, but I want Joseph!" If only she knew.

"See, I knew you weren't over him just yet," Frankie smirked. "He's not over you either." Once again, Frankie said that second part under his breath. Stella smiled because she heard. Frankie was lucky Macy didn't.

"Shut up, Frankie," Macy shot him a look.

"Come on, Macy, we both know you still like him," Stella told her.

"But I want to get over him so bad!"

"Then this is why you should find that other boy."

"That's not going to help," Frankie let out a small laugh. Stella elbowed him to make him stop.

"No, I swear I'm okay," Macy reassured them. "But if Joseph happens to come around, I wouldn't say no for an answer."

"Too bad he's over you," Frankie announced. Stella mentally gave him thumbs up.

"Then I don't really care anymore. I can still like him, I mean, I run his band's official fan site."

The three continued to talk as Macy tried to change the subject. At one point, they decided to go out for frozen yogurt at a store nearby. Right after that, they went straight to the park and hogged the swings their whole time there. They went back to Macy's and watched a movie. Unfortunately, though, after the movie, Stella and Frankie had to leave. Stella drove Frankie back to his house.

"Frankie, you really need to learn how to keep your mouth shut," Stella stated.

"I shouldn't be the one to blame; you're the one messing with her!" Frankie retorted. "Macy and Joe can get together themselves. We don't have to set it up."

"I know that, but their bond has been getting weak ever since that plan Joe put into action to stop liking Macy. I still doubt that plan worked."

"It didn't," Frankie answered, "but dancing with that mystery girl made him get over Macy."

"But the mystery girl is Macy," Stella said matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, which makes it stupid," Frankie said. "Joe moved on from Macy, to Macy. Joe's the one who really needs to know who that girl is. It's going to make him feel really idiotic."

"Well, whatever, I'm not messing with Macy anymore, if that's what you want," Stella announced. "But you, you and your brothers have to get Joe to find out who the mystery girl is. It's the only way!"

"I'm okay with that, but you and Macy will be involved sometime in the process."

"Make up your mind, dude! First you don't want me to mess with her, and now you want me to!"

"No, it's nothing big. It's just a small role. I'll call you later after I talk with Joseph. He's been opening up to me lately, and I'm taking advantage of that."

"Okay, good."

Stella pulled up into the driveway of the Lucas home. Frankie got out of the car, thanking her and saying bye, before walking to the front door of his house and entering it. Stella then reversed out of the driveway and returned home as well. She did a lot of thinking when she was in her house and in her room. Macy was her best friend, and she wanted her to find out who the guy was, without interfering. Funny, though, because by Stella making a plan, she is interfering. But she'll just have to leave it up to Frankie and the brothers. They know Joe is probably determined to know who the girl is.

Stella wanted the best for her two best friends. Joe and Macy seemed like a cute couple. Joe's ridiculousness balances out with Macy and her bubbly personality. All in all, they'd be a really fun couple. They could be the ones always making jokes, always laughing and living life to the fullest. They could brighten up anyone's day just by saying hi, or even being in the same room as them. Their personalities would just be so powerful together. Of course there would be seriousness every once in a while, but that would be good too, knowing they really do care about each other. The thought of these two being together made Stella grin from ear to ear. She was not jealous at all. But she just wanted them to happy, even if that meant planning a scheme that would get these two together, so be it. Joseph Adam Lucas and Macy Gale Misa needed to be together. She knows she'll be a part of whatever Frankie and his brothers are planning, and she was proud. She wanted to be involved in the coming of these two. They are just too adorable.