Judge Me Sweet [jb] - by Ana Gabriela

How many of you girls would give anything to live a life of fame, fortune and fashion? Want to take my place? As the daughter of world-renown fashion designer Natalie Lillian Désirée [try saying that five times fast, I dare you], my life was just that. Rich, spoiled, annoying … girly, yea - I was the whole package.
But I didn’t want to be the whole package. I was constantly being pushed around by people who didn’t even know me. They thought that I could easily be figured out. I was a complex person, on the inside. On the outside, I was exactly what my mother wanted me to be.
My mother wanted me to be Amelia Annette Désirée.
That girl that was obviously reaching her limits, that girl that was obviously faking a smile and hiding her pain, that girl that was obviously hated by all.
Yea, I’ve been talked about and yea, I know people don’t like me because of who I seem to be. Just, before you judge me, I need to ask for one extremely simple thing:
Judge me sweet.




* * *



She has what she needs, friends &
family. There are people out there
without anything at all & she knows
that but something is wrong. And
even though she puts on a smile &
laughs, and when she's having fun
it's not as bad, but at night she cries.
And she hates to be alone for every
little thing. Something feels wrong,
but she doesn't know why.

Chapter One
She Shall Remain Nameless
Part One
-----------------
October Third




Things that I will never do:
1. Lie
2. Cheat
3. Deceive
Amelia looked up at the brightly colored bulletin board over her desk. There were photos of her with friends, her with celebrities, movie stubs, concert stubs, the bottom half of a calendar in the middle (with the current date circled, highlighted and ‘birthday!’ written in it) and the list her mother had made her write at the beginning of the school year the month prior.
Her mother believed that if she wrote down her promises and goals, she would be more driven to keep them … her mother also believed that Amelia was one of the most beautiful girls that had ever walked the planet.
On both beliefs, her mother was wrong.
Amelia had lied, cheated and deceived that year. She lied on a daily basis. Either telling her mother she had done her homework, who she was hanging out with or that she had actually gone to school. Cheating didn’t happen that often, but it happened. Texting for answers, studying the pictures of tests her friends had taken and copying homework was something all teenagers did. Deceiving was a family trait, Amelia could deceive as much as she wanted to.
She searched through her white bookcase looking for her security blanket. The deeper she looked, the more frantic she got. Her mother had done it again, her mother had hidden Amelia’s notebook.
Ever since she was old enough to write and let her emotions loose, Amelia, actually she preferred Mia, had used it as her way to vent. Writing songs, poems, novels or just diary entries was the only thing that kept her sane.
The horrible life she was forced to live was to unbearable on her own. Although she loved them, her friends just didn’t understand how much she wanted to be a normal fourteen-year old girl. In truth, she would only be fourteen until six 'o clock that evening ... but still.
To them, her life was one of the best known to mankind. Her mother was a famous model turned fashion designer which gave Mia instant fame, fashion sense and beauty.
But Mia had so much more than that!
Brains had gotten her into advanced classes and a 4.3 GPA; Talent had won her countless amounts of talent shows [but never did these talents include singing, because Mia was terrified of singing in public]; her positive attitude on the outside shielded the world from seeing how torn up and lonely she was on the inside.
Those were the true talents of Amelia Annette Désirée.
Scratch that.
Those were the true talents of Mia, the misunderstood up-and-[hopefully not]-coming heir to the Désirée dynasty.



* * *

so tell me what is wrong with me;
I’m a girl with everything.
so why am I not strong enough?

Chapter One
My generation
Part Two
-----------------
October Third



“… and then you shake her hand and say what an honor it is to meet her.”
“But it’s not an honor.” As their mother went on about how they were to greet the weekly celebrity, Joseph, his eighteen year old bigmouth brother had a smart remark to everything she said.
When their mother’s sweet face slowly started turning into a cold ‘you-better-shut-up-before-I-smack-you’ Kevin jumped in quickly.
“So, who is this lady, Mom?”
“This lady,” she gave Joe a weary look and sat down at the kitchen table, “is the world’s biggest fashion designer.”
After keeping silent, Nick couldn’t resist asking the question that was burning inside all of them. “Why does that matter to us?”
“Well, she’ll be at the gala and it would be nice for you three to know who she is.” Denise Jonas raised her eyebrows at Joe, almost as if daring him to try and open his big mouth again.
And of course, Joe did …
“Does this umm, ‘important person’,” If it wasn’t for the fact their mother was watching, Nick would have ripped off the fingers Joe was using to make air quotes around important person, “have any daughters?”
Kevin slid down in his seat and stuck a hand over his face. Finally, Nick understood how embarrassing it was to be blood-related to Joe Jonas.
“Preferably my age.” Joe smiled excitedly and started counting things down on his fingers. “I like brunettes, green eyes, kind of tall …”
“SHUT UP!” Kevin stuffed a hand over Joe’s mouth and pulled him out of the kitchen by force. From what Nick could see, Joe was still counting down his preferences in girls.
His mother chuckled and took out a box of cookies from underneath the counter. “Those two are so-”
“Immature?” Nick grabbed a cookie, taking a swift bite before breaking into a smile.
“I was going to say sweet …” she smiled and looked out the kitchen window into their backyard; Frankie and his father were playing catch before the sun went down for the day. “You’re answer was good too.”
“Seriously though,” Nick got up from his seat and started taking the plates from their late lunch to the sink, “Why are we going to that thing tonight again?”
“It’s called a gala.” His confused face must have turned on a light bulb in his mother’s head. “Dinner with some important people. I’m surprised you three got invited to her daughter’s birthday party actually …”
"What kind of self-respecting teenager calls her birthday party a gala?" He rolled his eyes and looked towards his mother. “Do you think we’ll do okay?”
“Why wouldn’t you?”
Nick started on his way to the stairs, ready to grab his things for a quick shower before the limo came to pick him and his two brothers up. “It just seems a little … larger than life.”




* * *

immature is a word used by
people who don't know how
to have fun.

Chapter One
Utopia
Part Three
-----------------
October Third



Purple silk slipped across her skin while she grimaced every time there was a pull on her dark chestnut hair. Mia sighed dramatically every time she had to readjust her short strapless gown. Any kind of movement was frowned upon by her mother’s hairdresser.
“Stay still.” The words were barely audible through the woman’s European accent. Where from; Hungary, Russia … Czechoslovakia? She had no idea. The only answer to the woman’s command was another dress adjustment from Mia. “A girl your age shouldn’t wear dresses like that.”
“It’s not like I have anything that will pop out.” Giggling, the hairdresser stuck in a few silver diamond hair pins to keep her side bangs in place.
“Amelia?” The door to her bathroom opened and in stepped Natalie Désirée, or to Mia, Mommy. As she took in her fifteen-year old daughter’s appearance, a wide smile spread across her face. “You look gorgeous. I knew you would do that gown justice.”
Her mother’s smile was genuine, Mia knew that, but the look in her eyes held something that she had been avoiding for as long as she could remember.
“No.”
The smile on her mother’s face faltered. “I didn’t ask anything, Amelia. I wish you would stop jumping to conclusions.”
With a polite nod to her mother, and a quick thank you to the hairdresser, Mia stepped out of her bathroom, out of her bedroom, down the spiral staircase and past everything that separated her from the French doors to the backyard.
As she made her way past the dining room, she stopped and stared at her reflection. The person looking back at her was so different from who she liked to be.
Her hair had been done perfectly and every large curl was placed properly in it’s place. The dress her mother had designed for the evening was a deep purple and shined amazingly against her tan skin. The summer days she had spent at the beach were greatly appreciated …
Then, as if she had been avoiding it, Mia jumped as her eyes connected with the one’s facing back at her. The emerald green twinkled in a way that many longed for. To Mia, it was the result of so many tears shed. To Mia, it wasn’t her at all.
Slowly, she backed away, hoping not to fall in her three inch silver peek-a-boo heels, another one of her mother’s custom designs.
Cool October air made the bare skin on her body prickle. As she took in a deep breathe, gratitude for living in the northern California mountains swept over her. Making sure that it wasn’t dirty, Mia took a seat on the wooden porch swing in her large backyard.
Large trees of countless varieties surrounded the Désirée property and if someone were to trespass, security cameras were hidden among most of them. A swimmer’s paradise was in one of the far corners. The large pool and hot tub were surrounded with a cobblestone and wooden deck, waterfalls and fountains, a built in cabana in the shallow end, a built in slide made to seem a part of one of the larger waterfalls and steam rose out of it slowly. Over in another region of the property was a playground built big enough that Mia could still fit comfortably in the swings and not be able to touch the ground on the monkey bars. Through the acre of forest was a large lake that frosted over in the wintertime and which Mia spent ice skating on. The lake, about a mile long and wide, was definitely Mia’s resting spot. It was the one place where no one could ever judge her.
You could say her mother liked extravagant things and Mia wouldn’t protest. If you said their backyard was the most amazing thing you had ever laid eyes on … Mia would tell you to look inside the house. It was even worse.
Currently, in the middle of her sanctuary was a large white tent. Where, in less than an hour, would be filled up with the country’s finest. The brand new wood dance floor would be scuffed with the stilettos of models, actresses, singers and et cetera, while the bar would be filled up with the men accompanying [or wishing to accompany] the women. Her birthday, Mia’s fifteenth birthday, would be celebrated by her mother and her mother’s friends.

Like always.



* * *

And then I sat and cried
It was the worst kind of sobbing
the kind that hurts your chest
and steals your breath
And no one could hear me.

Chapter Two
Pretty Girl [the way]
Part One
-----------------
October Third



“These people are loaded!” A hard thud echoed through the limo. “What was that for, Kev?”
Nick straightened out his suit jacket and rolled his brown eyes in a manner that if anyone saw him, they would realize he had been doing it his entire fifteen years of breathing; Nick had turned pro. “Will you two stop?”
“Little bro,” Joe slid an arm around his younger brother’s shoulders, as if wishing to share some wisdom. Of course, with Joseph Jonas, there was no wisdom to share, “no girl would ever want a guy like you.”
Rolling his eyes, yet again, Nick slid out of his brother’s reach and stared out the tinted window at their location.
Surprisingly, Joe had been right. The house, if you could call it just a house, was built even better than the ones he saw on episodes of Cribs. The extravagance leaked out all the way onto the driveway, where the dark cobblestone that matched perfectly with the exterior of the home was lit up with white and gold Chinese lanterns.
As the limo slowly pulled to a stop in front of the house, Nick felt his heartbeat gain momentum and start to pulsate faster than before. His mother had said there was nothing to worry about, but Nick knew one thing for sure:
How was he supposed to fit in among a crowd of people more famous than he could ever aspire to be?
“Nick, are you getting out?” A gentle shake brought him back to his senses. Kevin and Joe were standing outside already. He nodded and slid out of the limo and into the cool October air. The sun was setting and the purple and pink sky made the white tent in the backyard stand out.
After they were lead inside and were sitting at one of the many tables set up on the polished dark wooden floor [which Nick had no idea why they put this outside], it finally dawned on him that he had no idea what he was doing.
“Is that Mischa Barton?” Joe’s head snapped to the punch table and Kevin rolled his eyes.
“You’ve said that about every girl you’ve seen tonight Joe … and we’ve only been here for five minutes.”
“Can you blame me?” A tall blonde model Nick had seen on the Victoria’s Secret commercials that spammed the television walked by and he could’ve sworn Joe was a centimeter away from whiplash.
“Whoa there buddy,” Kevin grabbed Joe’s shoulder and slumped him back in his chair, laughing. “She’s like twenty-five.”
Nick reached across the table and closed his brother’s mouth for him. Joe turned to look at them and narrowed his eyes.
“Age is just a number.”
“Of course it is … and being broken is just pain in action.” Nick motioned towards the bulky professional football player that was now wrapping his arm around her waist. “Try hitting on her now.”
The lights in the tent dimmed as the last of the stars glistened into view. The view of Joe’s face falling and mouth hanging wide open in disappointment was obscured by the dark.
“I would like to thank you all so much for coming tonight to help celebrate my daughter’s special day.” Every head turned to stare at the body belonging to the voice that bellowed throughout the entire tent and most likely to the neighboring houses. The woman seemed to be in her mid-thirties and she smiled kindly to every face that stared back at her.
“Amelia has been so excited to see all of you again.” She looked over to her right and a spotlight turned onto another figure.
A teenage girl stood straight with her hands at her side, smiling nervously. Every aspect of her looked perfect and Nick couldn’t help but feel intimidated. Pretty wasn’t the word to describe her, neither was beautiful or gorgeous. The way she looked was on a level he couldn‘t comprehend.
“My God …” Nick turned around and couldn’t help but join in on Joe’s helpless gawking. There was definitely something to gawk at that time. The girl walked up to the glass podium and took a deep breathe. She looked over the crowd and smiled. For a second, Nick thought she had locked eyes with him … but she didn’t even know him.
“I just want to say thank you to everyone for coming tonight, but seriously … call me Mia.” With just that sentence, she turned around and walked down the stage and back onto the dance floor.
“She’s really … where’s Joe?” Nick’s heart dropped and his face fell as Kevin gestured in the direction of the birthday girl, Mia. “This isn’t going to be good.”
Kevin laughed and took a sip of his water. “On the contrary, I think it’s going to be quite entertaining.” He took out his iPhone and smirked. “This is when technology is God.”



* * *

I could write about a thousand songs to impress you
But I wouldn't want to do that
I could make you feel like the queen of the world, but I won't
Cause you're full of imperfections.

Chapter Two
All These Things I Hate
Part Two
-----------------
October Third



As the wind started picking up and the party finally got started, Mia had the usual wave of loneliness sweep through her body. Everyone seemed to be having a pretty good time at her party. Except, of course, the birthday girl herself.
While the music was playing and all the attendees were dancing, Mia was seated in her chair, playing with one of the white rose petals that had fallen onto the purple table cloth. Her mind raced to the rhythm of the music and the sounds of heels clicking on wood was driving her slightly insane.
“Happy Birthday.” Mia jumped and let the rose petal fall to the ground. A tall brunette boy with hazel eyes and a slightly coc.ky smile slid into the seat next to her.
“Umm, thank you.” She gave him the once over that girls were famous for, and raised her eyebrow. “Do I know you?”
The teenage boy, around seventeen or eighteen, laughed and stuck out his hand. “No you don’t. I’m Joe.” The blank expression on her face must have triggered something in his mind. “Jonas?”
“Is that supposed to help me file the police report later tonight?” She looked down at the outstretched hand and wrinkled her nose. Mia rose from her chair and started to walk across the dance floor to the dessert table on the other side of the tent. If she couldn’t have fun that night … she would at least have chocolate.
“Did I bother you or something?” The boy, Joe, caught up to her and they began walking in step, much to Mia’s disappointment. He was to fast for her, and especially faster when she was in three inch pumps.
“Look,” She grabbed one of the chocolate covered strawberries and turned to face him. With her body leaning gingerly against the table, Mia knew she was, more than likely, making her predicament worse, “I don’t know why you’re here, because I obviously don’t know you. And don’t even give me that crap about becoming friends, because I wasn’t born yesterday. I know what you want.”
Mia grabbed one of the colorful drinks on display at the bar and walked away from the boy and back towards her table. The way her heels clicked each time she took a step farther away from him made a victorious smile spread over her face. He wasn’t going to be bothering her anytime soon, she knew it.
“Mia!”
A smooth hand grabbed her shoulder, turning her around on the spot. Mia mentally groaned and took a sip of her drink. In front of her, like every year, was the life of the party.
a.k.a. The-Sleazebag-That-Loves-You-In-A-Freaky-Way.
“Can I help you, Jake?”
Her mother’s assistant’s son slid an arm around her waist and led her to the dance floor. “You always promise me a dance, but you never fulfill that promise, Mia.”
“Oh dear, that’s definitely on the list of things I want to do before I die, Jake! Dance with the country club’s butthole.” As Mia began to walk away, her mother’s hazel eyes caught her green. The look, Mia knew it well, signified to go along with Jake. Mia had no choice but to obey, she never had a choice.
“Come on! All I want is one dance, Mia.” He laid his arms on her hips and they moved closely together for the three plus minutes of agony Mia liked to call Avril Lavigne’s ‘Hot’.
On more than one occasion, Jake attempted to slip his hands lower; on more than one occasion, Mia dug her three inch peek-a-boo pump heel into his foot. If her prayers were answered, he would have gotten the clue and gone away. Of course … he didn’t.
“How about one more song, Mia?” As the DJ took a break and Mia went to sneak a little alcohol from the adults [the only thing that could make her keep the thoughts of violent murder from taking over], Jake followed her around.
His light blue eyes were big and hopeful, but Mia knew exactly what was going on behind them. The boy was an actor and if she didn’t stay one step ahead of him at all times, she would get caught up in his lies. All the other girls at the country club thought he was perfect: Light brown hair, a slight tan, tall, beautiful eyes, a great smile and kind of sweet when he wanted to be … but Jake just wasn’t perfect to Mia.
The Jake Warner she knew was an arrogant jerk that thought it was okay to treat people lower than him like trash. The Jake Warner she knew was beautiful, yes, but used his beauty to get everything he wanted. To Mia, the Jake Warner everyone else knew was a complete fairytale.
“How about you … drop dead, Warner?”
“What did I ever do to make you hate me like this, Mia?” He stood in her way and looked down at her in a way that Mia wasn’t used to. For the first time, he wasn’t eyeing her. She opened her mouth to protest the use of acting in trying to swoon a girl when, once again, an arm draped around her bare shoulders. Except this time, it wasn’t freaky-stalker boy or Jake Warner.


* * *
Sometimes I listen to you
& think how poetic you are,
but then I listen a little more
& I realize you're not a poet at all;
you're just a great liar.

Chapter Two
What a Bright Idea
Part Three
-----------------
October Third



“I don’t know …” Kevin looked down at his phone and concentrated on his thoughts. “Part one was hilarious, but part two was just as good.”
“What’s there to think about?” Laughing hysterically, Nick grabbed the phone and replayed the evidence of Joe’s humiliation. “They’re both great!”
“Will you two drop it?” Joe stirred his drink, frowning.
“I think we should call part one: dismissed. Then, part two can be: rejection times two.”
“Agreed.” Putting his iPhone back in his pocket, Kevin smiled and started laughing softly to himself. “Wait until the fans see these on Youtube.”
“You wouldn’t …” Joe’s mouth fell open in shock and his eyes narrowed in disgust. “You two sure know how to kick a guy when he’s already down.”
Kevin smirked and clapped a hand on his irritated younger brother’s shoulder. “We try, Joseph….we try.” He laughed again as he held the phone higher while Joe tried to jump for it.
What Kevin seemed to have forgotten was that he and Joe were basically the same height; this allowed Joe to easily knock Kevin to the unnaturally lush grass, struggling for the phone. Nick flopped into the nearest chair in exasperation, watching his older brothers poke, pinch, and bite whatever part of the other was closest. He had to go through it every day…living with those two constantly trying to commit homicide was enough to drive even the calmest person insane. Now it was enough to drive Nick to do something a little rash. Grabbing a delicate shot glass off a nearby waiter’s silver platter, Nick stared at the crystal clear liquid inside, his insides boiling with frustration at his older brothers.
Acting as though he couldn’t care what the world thought of him (though he did sneak a glance around to make sure both Kevin and Joe were still occupied), Nick downed the alcohol recklessly, the unexpected fire that surged down his throat making him choke. He set the tiny glass on the blindingly white tablecloth that covered the table next to him, then leaned back in his chair and watched as Kevin and Joe continued to wrestle, grass stains now adorning their vests and designer pants. Nick sighed and looked out over the brightly lit dance floor, his dark eyes searching for one girl and one girl only.
He stood up suddenly as he saw her being pursued by a lanky teenage boy, the look in his eyes displaying his intentions clearly. Nick nudged the still-wrestling Joe with his toe.
“Hey, isn’t that the girl who dissed you earlier?” he asked, but Joe didn’t even pause in his attempt to relieve Kevin of his phone to look up.
Nick glanced at the girl again, his stomach clenching uncomfortably as the other boy caught up with her and placed his arm around her waist. He watched the pair with a growing disgust as, several times, the tall teenager tried to slide his hands down the girl’s back. Whether it was the effects of the alcohol or his own reckless nature surfacing, Nick didn’t know, but he found himself walking towards the pair rapidly. Without thinking, the youngest Jonas Brother slid his arm across her shoulder as soon as he reached her, pulling her close to his chest as he stared coolly at the blue-eyed boy, as though daring him to question his actions.
With a single glare, Nick knew he was trespassing onto no-man’s-land. This girl, Mia, was one of those independent types. With that one glare, Nick knew she was one of those girls that hated being tied down and forced into doing things. This new information, which could have done him a whole lot of good minutes before, made Nick’s new found confidence shrink away to nothing.
“Excuse me, we were kind of in the middle of something.” The brunette boy that had been following Mia around like a sick puppy looked at Nick with an even more sinister glare than Mia’s.
“We weren’t in the middle of anything, Jake.” Her emerald green eyes flashed back to ‘Jake’ and narrowed into pure disgust. “Just go away.”
“Are you kidding me?” Jake looked between Nick and Mia, frowning. “Who is this guy?”
The moment of truth had finally arrived between them. It was sink or swim time. The chances of him getting away with wrapping his arm around her ‘just because he felt like it’ were slim to none, and he wasn’t the world’s best liar … you could ask anyone who knew him.
“I’m her ... boyfriend.” Alright, he was definitely not the world’s best liar, but he could work with what he said … hopefully.
Once again, the shocking green eyes turned to him and instead of glaring, they were somewhat thoughtful. Maybe, if miracles really did happen, grateful.
Turning away from him, Jake looked down at Mia in complete shock. Which, somewhat hurt Nick. What was so surprising about him being her boyfriend? … that is, if they really were dating.
“Nick Jonas.” He stuck out the hand that wasn’t wrapped around Mia, smiling. Jake looked down at it and his eyes widened even more. “Dude, it’s called a handshake.”
Without a second glance or thought, Nick shrugged and walked away, pulling the small brunette with him. They walked past his still entangled brothers, the dessert table, the bar and completely out of the white tent.
“You‘re an idiot, you know that?” Mia looked up at him and placed a hand on her small hips.
“Excuse me?” This was, shockingly, not the form of gratitude Nick had been expecting.
“You’ve just gotten me, both of us, into a really awkward situation.”
Had it been gratitude Nick saw in her eyes … or mania? Either way, he was definitely regretting his heroism.
“I really don’t understand how this is bad. I helped you …”
The flecks of silver within the emerald flashed dangerously. He had struck a nerve.
“Look,” grabbing his hand and leading him to a small wooden porch swing a few dozen yards away from the tent, Mia sighed and gave him a consoling pat on the shoulder; as if he had just been diagnosed with a fatal illness, “you don’t know Jake. That was sweet, but now he’s going to get suspicious that I’ve never mentioned a boyfriend before. So, Nick, you just made a very bonehead mistake.”
The way she said his name made an electric shock go through his entire body. It was as if she was saying the syllables trying to get used to familiarized with them. Almost as if she knew she was going to be saying that name later on.
“Oh.” Realization of his mistake hit him hard and Nick couldn’t help but feel a connection with Mia. While he was being chased by teen girls everywhere, she was being stalked by a sleaze ball.
And just like that … genius, pure brilliance, struck him down in a way he had never experienced before.
“I think I’ve got a way to fix both our struggles …”




* * *
You can never prepare for the
moment that changes your life.

Chapter Two
Tell Me Why
Part Four
-----------------
October Third



“What are you?” Mia laughed and shook her head. Everything the curly-headed Jonas boy said was making her giddy. “Mentally ill?”
“You’re not hearing me out!” His voice carried, but Mia firmly believed that none of the drunk models standing, make that staggering, a few yards away from them had even a slight clue that the boy was planning one of the most devious acts of trickery she had ever heard.
Mia raised her eyebrows and shook her head in shock. “I’ve sat here quietly for five minutes listening. It’s not my fault that your plan is stupider than the way your brother tried to pick me up.”
“What’s so stupid about wanting to trick the media … and that guy?”
“For some reason,” Mia sighed and looked up at the brightly lit stars in the sky, “I have this feeling that you’re going to get more out of this than I am.”
“We’re both going to get something out of this. Neither of us is going to get more.” Nick smiled and raised his right hand. “Promise.”
“I don’t even know you. Why should I believe you?”
“Think about it … you could tear me down in a second with this. You’ll be fine and I’ll be living in fear until it’s over.”
With a small wave of her hand, Mia got up and walked away slowly. She expected to hear footsteps behind her, but they never came. A few feet away from the window seat, Mia turned back around and smiled a little. It wasn’t common for a boy to sit quietly and watch her leave without putting up a fight.
“Come on.”
Nick smiled and jogged to catch up with her. Mia held onto his shoulder and slipped off her heels carefully. They walked silently through the wood and Mia stole glances at her companion.
In the moonlight, she somewhat realized why her schoolmates plastered his face on their notebooks and wrote “Mrs. Nick Jonas” while daydreaming. The boy, Mia had to admit, wasn’t that bad to look at. His smile was slightly contagious, as she had witnessed minutes before. Unlike on most teenage boys, his unruly curly hair was slightly … attractive. The brown eyes, freckles on his right cheek and determined focus were the icing on the cake. Nick Jonas, although stupid, was … well, pretty.
“Can you just … explain this all to me, slowly?”
Nick sat down on the dock and let his feet dangle over the, more than likely, icy water. Mia did the same and turned her head around to face him.
“Plain and simple: we fake a relationship. Why?” Mia blushed and closed her mouth before asking the obvious question, “Because I’m tired of this whole ‘who’s he dating?’ thing. I want everyone to just shut up and get on with their lives.”
“Wouldn’t that be lying to your fans?”
“Can I ask you ask you a question?”
“Sure, when you answer mine.” He turned around to face her and leaned in close. He grew closer until they were centimeters apart. Mia felt her heartbeat grow faster and her palms began to sweat. The boy wasn’t an idiot, he was psycho.
His eyes twinkled with mischief and he opened his mouth into a smile. “We could totally pull it off.”
As her heart started to slow down to it’s usual pace, Mia pushed Nick away from her and got up. She grabbed her shoes and rolled her piercing green eyes. “You’re insane, you know that?”
Nick laughed and took out a cellphone from his suit jacket pocket. “Call me when you realize how much you want to get rid of that Warner kid.”
He snapped her picture and started walking back out of the wood and most likely, back to the party where people were supposedly celebrating how Mia had grown over the past year.
The thing was, Mia didn’t feel anywhere near grown up anymore. That boy, Nick Jonas, had just proven to her how much she still needed to learn. How bad she needed to prove herself.




* * *
you just walked away
and I just watched you
what could I say?

Chapter Three
Sister, Sister.
Part One
-----------------
October Fifth



“Miss. Désirée?” With a quick jump in her chair, Mia stood up and covered the computer screen from the eyes of her driver, Dean. If he had seen the pro/con list, she wouldn’t be allowed out of his sight until an arranged marriage to Jake Warner or enrollment at a convent took place.
Dean raised his eyebrows, but shook the absurd behavior off. He motioned towards the door and laughed. “Ready?”
“Of course.” Mia grabbed her tote filled with schoolbooks and began the long walk down the spiral staircase and out the front door. In the long driveway a black SUV was ready to travel the hour drive to her small prep school.
“Is it just me … or is that skirt getting shorter everyday?” Dean opened the back door and Mia slid inside, setting her tote on the spot next to her.
“What would you do if I said it’s getting shorter?” Mia winked and turned on the small television in the up right corner of the backseat.
“Convent.” He jogged around the car and got into the drivers seat, turning on the car.
“Then, no.” She giggled and flipped through the channels, hoping to catch the last ten minutes of the Morning Show. “It’s just you, Dean.”
Monday morning’s were never fun for Mia. They were just a reminder that she wasn’t anywhere near perfect. Although she had straight A’s, she wasn’t the top of her class. Sports weren’t her thing and the only after school activity that seemed remotely interesting to her was the Performing Arts Club, but she could never attend it thanks to her Ambassadors’ meeting held at the same time.
Thanks to the un-wanted attention she got due to her family’s fame, Mia was begged to join the Ambassadors, a group of the school’s popular and do-gooders that planned dances, fundraisers and all that school stuff. It wasn’t that big of a deal, but it did bring even more attention to Mia.
The hour went by and sooner than she wanted, the SUV was stationed in front of Horizon Preparatory Academy. Dean opened the door to the backseat and helped her out. “Have a good day at school and remember I’m taking you to the Warner‘s after school today.”
Mia’s face fell and she grunted a few curse words under her breath. Dean knew how she felt about her best friend’s last name, and he knew he wasn’t supposed to associate the two. To her, it didn’t matter that they were related, all she cared about was that her best friend, sister really, was nothing like her cousin, Jake.
The car drove out of sight and Mia walked inside the large school building. Her locker, unfortunately, was on the third floor and she was already running late.
“Amelia Annette Désirée!” A hard slap on the arm was followed by some rapid Italian words and Mia laughed at her friend’s sudden outbreak of anger.
“Yes?”
“You’re dead to me. I’ve disowned you! I can’t believe you -”
“Wait, what?”
The two girls walked up the stairs slowly and in step. Corrine was slightly taller than Mia and had long auburn hair that was constantly either curled, waved, slightly crimped or just plain straight. Unlike Mia, Corrine liked experimenting.
“When were you going to tell me you’re dating-” She pointed at a picture of the curly-haired psycho Mia had been thinking about for the past two days, “him?”
“Is he everywhere?” Mia looked around at the lockers that lined the walls and sighed. His picture, just like his two older brothers’, was plastered all over them. She now had somewhat of a clue how bad being stalked by thousands of teenage girls had to be for him.
“Hello, back to the deceiving act, Mia!” They reached their lockers and Mia opened hers slowly, sticking her bag in and taking a math book out.
“I’m not dating him.”
“But Jake said …”
Mia slammed her locker shut and glared at her friend. Corrine looked down at her black Prada heels and whispered, “I didn’t answer back … but he texted me about it.”
“I’m not dating him.” Mia smiled and hooked her arm with Corrine’s. Their short red and black plaid skirts swished together back and forth, Corrine’s black and Mia’s red cashmere sweaters matched their complexions and outfits perfectly. The two were, without a doubt, closer than close. Even if the uniforms weren’t required, they would most likely go to school matching every day. “I’ll tell you after school.”




* * *
It's not where you are,
it's who you're with.

Chapter Three
Breaking Loose
Part Two
-----------------
October Fifth



“Is you-know-who going to be there today?”
“I don’t know …”
“Did you tell that person I was coming over today?”
“Well, kind of …”
“CORINNE MARIA MORETTI-WARNER!” Mia slammed her hand down on the crème leather backseat to her SUV and grunted. “Do you not understand how much I despise that cousin of yours?”
“I’m sorry, but he has ways to get me to talk, Mia! He’s so-”
“Annoying, pathetic, love-sick, full of himself … take your pick.”
The car parked in front of a large Victorian house that had undergone some serious re-modeling since Corrine’s mother had married Jake’s uncle. The house, just like hers, was leaking extravagance. Why famous mothers loved sophistication, Mia didn’t know.
The two girls grabbed their bags and slid out of the backseat and walked up the long driveway to the front door, where Corrine‘s mother was waiting. Antonia Maria Moretti was one of Europe’s most famous singers. Jake’s uncle, Benjamin Warner, was one of the world’s leading private oil distributors. The two met at one of Antonia’s shows while Benjamin was traveling on business. Much to seven year-old Corrine’s dismay, the two married and moved permanently to the States.
“Ciao Mia!” The curls on Antonia’s head bounced up and down excitedly, someone had definitely had their sugar that morning.
“Ciao. Umm, is Jake here?” Mia stepped into the large house and made her way to the kitchen. The housekeepers were busy preparing dinner and the smell of melting cheese and tomato sauce made her stomach growl. “Mmmm, Italian.”
“Of course!” She smiled and took a seat at the counter. Corrine groaned and pulled on Mia’s arm. The two girls knew that if you got her mother on a sugar high, you would never be able to get her away. “Is there something special going on between you and him?”
Mia ignored the knowing wink Antonia sent her and laughed in a girly way. The best way to get her off the subject was to play along for a while. “Of course not! I was just wondering …”
Almost as if a brand new set of batteries had been put in her, Antonia jumped off the stool and walked out the door. Corrine and Mia followed her, but stopped before they walked out to the backyard. If Jake Warne wasn’t an arrogant jerk, Mia decided, would have looked pretty amazing shirtless.
He was pulling himself out of the heated Olympic sized pool and grabbing a fluffy white towel, speaking to Antonia. From inside, she couldn’t quite tell what he was saying … but Mia had a feeling that her name was hanging around in that conversation.
Jake turned his head to the door and Corrine tackled Mia to the ground. “Don’t let him see you!”
“Get off me!”
Corrine grabbed her and pulled her back inside the kitchen. “Pathetic. Just because he’s shirtless …”
“What are you talking about?”
“I saw the way your eyes almost fell out of your face, Mia!” Corrine dragged her up the three stories to her bedroom and slammed the door shut. Mia sat down on the four-poster bed and giggled.
“Oh please. You know he’s hot. I mean, what’s wrong with appreciating someone’s abs? At least I realize he’s an annoying idiot.”
Corrine locked the door and turned on the television. She flipped the channel to the Disney Channel and they caught the last part of a Jonas Brothers music video. “So, what’s going on between you and curly?”
“Nothing! He tried to get me away from Jake and got us into this really stupid situation. Now, he thinks we should fake being a couple-”
“Oh my God!”
“I know! It’s pathetic really …” Mia got up from the bed and walked across the bedroom to her friend’s large closet. “So, what should I do? I haven’t necessarily ruled it out yet.”
“Pro/Con?” Corrine hopped off the bed and followed Mia inside the closet, where she dimmed on the bright ceiling and floor lights.
“Did it.” She grabbed one of the sundresses on display and held it up against her body, facing the mirror. Her face scrunched up and she wrinkled her nose in distaste. “Pink really isn’t my color, is it?”
“How far did you get in it?” Corrine grabbed the pink dress out of Mia’s hands and tossed it behind her. She grabbed a brown plaid puff sleeve jacket and handed it to Mia.
“Pros: He’s cute, he’s not Jake, he seems different and he’s not Jake.” Mia slipped off her school uniform and put on a beige long sleeve sweater, the plaid jacket Corrine had handed her, dark denim jeans and traded plaid bow heels for chocolate brown suede fold over boots.
“You said he’s not Jake twice.”
“I know.” Mia raised one of her eyebrows at Corrine and smirked.
Corrine laughed and stepped out of the closet fully changed with Mia following. Corrine’s outfit was just as trendy as Mia’s: a grey striped pull over cropped vest brought out the flecks of green in her brown eyes; dark denim straight leg jeans; a black undershirt; the red bow plaid skimmers were the only touch of color in the entire ensemble.
“What are the cons?”
They jogged back down the spiral staircase and into the entertainment room where a large flat screen TV, piles of movies, large black leather chairs, a soda fountain and popcorn maker were stationed.
“That’s the thing … I haven’t really thought of any.” Mia sat down in front of the towering bookcase of DVDs and started looking them over while Corrine started up the popcorn maker.
“Then go for it. You need some romance in your life, Mia.”




* * *

A simple friend wonders
about your romantic
history. A real friend
could blackmail you with it

Chapter Three
She's a Push-Over
Part Three
-----------------
October Fifth



“So Mia, when is your mother coming back from Russia?” The large dining room was lit with candles, the dark hard wood floor beneath the twelve person table shined brightly and the gleaming china was filled with gourmet cooking.
“I think she’s coming back next Saturday. She left early this morning before I was up.” Mia took a small bite of lasagna and concentrated on chewing. If she didn’t, she would be slapping sense into Jake Warner. The godly teenage boy, she admitted he was nice to look at, had placed his hand on her thigh and had refused to let go the entire meal.
Courtesy, sadly, was one of the only things Mia had picked up from her mother’s socialite lectures. Even if Jake was a slime ball that couldn’t control his hormones, Mia wasn’t going to start a scene at her best friend’s house. When they were away from everyone … that was something completely different. Mia was going to tear the boy limb from limb if she could.
“You should stay here while she’s gone, Mia!” Mr. Warner smiled across the table and Mia almost opened her mouth to agree. That is, until a certain boy opened his mouth and made her close hers.
“You should! We never get to spend any time together, Mia and I’m spending my holiday here.”
“Holiday?” Corrine tilted her head inquisitively, but Mia knew her friend was really screaming Italian curse words inside.
“Didn’t your mom tell you?” Jake’s hand slid from her thigh to rest on the table. Mia breathed a sigh of relief, but felt her thigh grow cold. “My school’s getting re-modeled so I’m going to another private school around here for a few months.”
“No, my mother forgot to mention that.” Corrine was mad and everyone at the table knew it. Her accent was appearing and her fingers were tapping on the cherry table. The smile on her face had been replaced with a vicious glare.
“I’d love to stay here, but I couldn’t intrude. I wouldn’t want to be any trouble.” As the electrons in the room seemed to rise, Mia jumped in. A fight at the Warner-Moretti residence was like asking the police officer to come over with their sirens and lights flashing.
“Oh, we insist Mia! You’re family here.” Antonia smiled gratefully over at Mia and her heart dropped.
“Well … if you insist.” She looked down at her plate grimly and felt Jake’s hand return to her thigh. Her eyes met with his and she sent out daggers. He pulled his hand away and set it down on the table.
“Excellent! Jake, do you mind driving Mia over to her house to get her things?” The bottomless bit where her heart was falling seemed to be getting deeper. Jake turned to her and smirked while Corinne’s mouth fell open.
“What about me? Can’t I go?” Was it possible for hair to stand up and strangle someone? Because that seemed to be the next step in the Corrine anger un-management.
“Fine, go if you want to.” Antonia rubbed her temples and waved her hand in the direction of the door. The three teenagers stood up and walked out of the dining room and past everything until they were sitting awkwardly in Jake’s silver Lexus.
“So how’s the boyfriend?” Jake glanced over at Mia, who was staring out the window of the passenger seat.
“Pretty darn good. Though, I don’t know why you ask about him … it doesn’t seem like you care much if I have a boyfriend or not.” She didn’t turn away from the window, but fixed her gaze at the tallest mountain in the distance. Corrine gave her seat a gentle kick and coughed in a way that sent the message ‘you’re pushing it’ to Mia’s attention.
“I just think it’s odd that you’d find a boyfriend in less than a week, Mia. The last time I saw you, you never mentioned him. Knowing you, you would’ve yelled it in my face the second you saw me.”
“Well, if you didn’t know Jake … relationships start in seconds.” Mia turned in the leather seat and faced him, smirking. “The process is quite simple, actually. Someone asks the other to go out with them and the other accepts or rejects. It so happens I accepted.”
Corrine jumped from the backseat and turned into a mediator. “Well, I hate to break out this little love fest, but if you don’t start paying attention to the road Jake, you’re going to miss the turn to Mia’s house and drive us into the lake.”



* * *

Here’s to the fast times;
The times we felt alive.

Chapter Four
A Broken Artist
-----------------
October Sixth



“PHOOONNNNNEEEEEE!” Nick jumped off his desk chair and onto the cold, hard wood floor beneath him. The pain in his backside turned into a small stinging as he got up and snatched his cellphone out of his younger brother’s hands. Frankie, Nick was certain, was going to have as big of a mouth as Joe.
“Hello?” He laid across his bed and held the phone to his ear. The thumping of numerous feet outside his door meant that his older brothers were back from their game of football with their friends and the female giggles meant that the group of boys had made new friends.
“Hey Nick, it’s Mia. You know from -”
“I know.” Nick smiled and cut her off. He knew exactly what she wanted and he wasn’t going to beat around the bush. “What’s up?”
“Well, I don't really want to talk about this over the phone. Are you busy? I just got out of school and I’m on my way into the city and wanted to know if you-” Her voice seemed hurried and anxious.
“Where and when is all I need to know.” Nick jumped up from the bed and began slipping on his converse. A smile had spread across his face in the thirty seconds of conversation they had shared.
“Well, my driver’s dropping me on Rodeo Drive. I’ll meet you at the small café on the corner.”
“Spoiled.”
“I resent that!” Mia giggled and Nick’s smile widened. Their entire meeting, Nick realized, wasn’t going to be that icy. If he could make her laugh, he was golden.
“Well, I’ll see you in …”
“I’ll be there in twenty minutes … ten if Den continues to disregard the rules of the road.”
“Alright, I’ll see you then.” Before Nick turned off the phone, he had the urge to ask one more question. “Just wondering, how did you get my phone number?”
Mia giggled on the other line. “Let’s just say I’ve got some connections, rocker boy.”


* * *

I woke up this morning with this feeling inside me
that I can't explain. Like a weight that I’ve been
carrying has been carried away.

AWSOMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEe!!!!!!

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AWSOMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEe!!!!!!

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