so, Kals and I tried a joint once before..and it died. But we're back, and this time, we're going to finish what we start!! Hope you like it!! (FYI: this whole fic takes place over the course of one night, and the timestamp at the beginning of each chapter should go hour by hour, each of us doing that particular hour from our own perspectives...and at some points, there will be random interjections of chapters by Tina...to spice things up)
Very Last Moment In Time
10:00 p.m.
“Mom, I’m fine…I promise. Look, I’ll be leaving here in two hours, as soon as the performance is over. No! I can’t miss it…the boys are just on intermission and they’ll be back in a few minutes. Don’t worry; I’ll call you as soon as I leave here. Love you,” I said, sliding my phone back into my small silver clutch, clasping it shut and tossing it back on the table in front of me. My mother was wonderful, but she was always afraid of the worst possible thing ever. I reached for the glass of cider in front of me, cringing a bit as the tart taste hit my tongue.
I was sitting all alone in a ballroom at the Worthington hotel, which was arguably the biggest hotel chain since the Hilton. All around me were young children, laughing and smiling at their parents, and adults chatting in a businesslike manner. My family could barely afford to send me, let alone anyone else, so I was seated at a table with a few other single teenagers, who were far different from me. The night was important, not only to myself, but to three of my biggest idols. All these rich businessmen and young children were gathered for one reason--a diabetes charity fundraiser.
My attention turned to the stage as a flamboyant young girl stepped up to the microphone, the diamonds around her neck catching in the spotlight. She tapped the mic and cleared her throat, waiting for everyone else to look at her.
“Hi, I’m Kallissa Worthington, and I’m proud to introduce to you all again, the Jonas Brothers!” As she spoke, three breathtakingly beautiful boys took the stage, followed by their backup band, and the youngest took the microphone from the stand in front of him.
“Thanks, Kallissa. Before we continue the performance, I’d like to take a few minutes to thank you all for being here tonight. This event is very important to my family and me. We started the Change For The Children Foundation a few years ago, to help support diabetes research. I’m sure that many of you out there tonight, both young and old, are suffering from--or know someone who is suffering from--diabetes. I’m one of those people. Being a rock star is difficult enough, but when you add something like Type One Diabetes into the mix, it gets a whole lot tougher. This song we’re about to play was inspired by my battle with the disease, and I hope that you each take something away from it, because it’s meant for every hard time and every broken heart out there. Never let anything slow you down.”
Nick Jonas finished his speech, and I was close to tears before he took a seat at the pearly white piano and began playing. An eerie silence fell over the room, music taking its place. Nick’s voice rang out beautifully, causing my breath to catch, just like it did every time I heard the song.
I had always been a fan of the Jonas Brothers, loving A Little Bit Longer more than any other song. I was fortunate enough to see them live one summer, and just a few short weeks later, I was diagnosed with diabetes--Type One--just like Nick. His words suddenly began to take on a whole new meaning, and I found myself attached to the song more than ever. When I heard about the benefit night, I vowed that I would find a way to get there, even if it did happen to be all the way in New Jersey. I took on extra hours at my part-time job, and saved all my money for over a year, just to ease the expenses on my parents. We were able to afford to send me out to New Jersey for the two-day stay, but only by getting the cheapest plane ticket around. My doctor managed to get me a reduced rate at a room at the Worthington so that I didn’t need to commute from a different hotel.
I sat back, crossing my legs at my ankles, and let Nick’s voice fill my mind. Tears were trickling down my cheeks, and I felt content. The only thing that could have made my night better was actually getting to have a conversation with him, though I knew that wasn’t very likely. Two tables over, I heard a high-pitched laugh, and my head snapped over, searching for the culprit. My eyes fell on Kallissa Worthington, who was cackling with her group of followers.
“And of course I’m hanging with the boys after this is over. That’s the only reason I’m here, really; I just wanted to meet Nick. Not that I couldn’t any other way, Daddy’s giving them a year round reservation in one of our best suites, just because they’re Jersey natives, just like us. Anyways, I’m hoping to get Nick’s number…I’m absolutely sure that we’d be perfect together. Wouldn’t we be perfect together, Mals?” The girl next to her nodded and smiled, her bright white teeth shining almost as much as her jewelry was.
I scowled and turned my attention back to Nick. The boys played one more song before stepping off the stage. They began making their way around from table to table, and I realized that they were greeting each person individually. After about fifteen minutes, they made it to my table. I was the only one left; everyone else had gone to the dance floor. Nick pulled out the empty seat next to me, grinning slightly as he sat down. Joe and Kevin followed suit, sitting in chairs on the other side of Nick. I could feel my heart beating out of my chest. Only in my most wild and crazy dreams had Nick Jonas actually sat down to talk to me.
“Hi there. I’m Nick, this is Joe and Kevin. And you are?”
I tried to remember how to speak, but nothing in my mind was working properly. I finally forced my mouth open, my words coming out barely above a whisper. “I’m Brittany, but most people just call me Brit, unless it’s my family, because they call me Bug. That’s why I really like Love Bug…I say that it’s ‘my song’…” I trailed off, trying to stop my rant.
Nick laughed, his mouth cracking open into a genuine smile. “Brittany,” he repeated. “I like that name. So, are you here alone?” I nodded, taking a sip of my cider.
“My parents couldn’t come, but I refused to miss this. It means too much to me.”
“Do you know someone with diabetes?” he asked, scooting his chair closer as the volume of the music increased.
“Yes, actually,” I paused. Telling people that I had diabetes had never been easy for me, it was just a silly quirk I had. “I do.”
“Really? Who?”
I couldn’t help but laugh at him. He was making this whole thing easier than he knew. “No, I mean that I do. As in, I have diabetes.”
“Oh. How long?” I was surprised at his interest. It had surely been a few minutes, and he hadn’t talked to anyone else for very long at all.
“Uhm, it hasn’t actually been that long. I was diagnosed last September, so a little over a year. It’s funny because I got the diagnosis just two months after I saw you in concert for the first time,” I said.
“Oh, wow. Did you enjoy the show?”
I could feel a blush creeping up my cheeks, and I mentally told it to stop. “Of course. It was absolutely amazing. The energy was just…and the way you three perform, it’s crazy. No way to describe it, at all.”
I found myself staring into his chocolate colored eyes, still unable to believe that I was actually having a conversation with Nicholas Jonas. Suddenly, the music stopped and the lights flickered out, leaving the room in complete darkness. Screams erupted from all around me, and I instinctively reached out, my hand finding another, of which I’m sure belonged to Nick.