Niki woke up the next morning, only to realize that she was still clutching Joe’s letter tightly in her hands. Even after reading it and responding to it, she held the letter all night long, rereading it over and over again, until she could recite it almost perfectly. She immediately threw the covers back and raced out to the porch, staring down the driveway at the mailbox. Squinting her eyes, she was sure she saw the little red flag sticking up. Not sure if it was still from her letter in the night, or a new one, Niki threw on a pair of sandals and ran to the mailbox.
Sure enough, there was a new letter waiting inside. Niki pulled it out and began to read, slowly making her way back to the house.
Niki.
Happy birthday! I’m really glad that someone actually got my letter, and I’m not even going to ask how. I have to make this quick, we’re taking my little brother to the beach today, but I wanted to write you back before I left.
It sounds like we’re in the same boat, you and I. But why, if the guy proposed, would you leave him without an answer? That’s like, the worst thing for an ego…trust me. I mean, not that I’ve proposed to many girls…sorta can’t do that at eighteen, there are laws and such.J
And, to answer your question, yes…I am a musician. I’m in a band with two of my brothers. Maybe you’ve heard of us…we’re the Jonas Brothers. We’re here vacationing, because we just got back from our first European tour, and in a few weeks, we are playing a show in Canada, and then back here to the states to kick off a summer tour-in Detroit. If you’d like, I can get you tickets to one of our shows…if, you know, twenty-four year olds are into that sort of thing.
For now, I have to go…maybe I’ll see you at the beach or something.
-Joe.
Niki put the letter back in the envelope as she finished, opening the door and stepping back into the kitchen. She hadn’t heard of Joe’s band…but it seemed like they were pretty big. She blamed her lack of knowledge on the fact that her life was consumed with work-grading papers, writing tests, lecturing, and creating lesson plans- and Luke. When she got back into the kitchen, she realized that even if she didn’t know who they were, there was one person who just might. That one person was standing at the coffee pot, stirring cream into a cup of steaming coffee.
“Morning, Brit,” Niki said, pulling out a chair at the table and sitting down.
Brittany followed, placing the hot cup on the table and taking a seat as well. “Hey, Niki. Happy birthday! Why on earth are you up so early on your birthday? If it were me, I’d still be sleeping. But then again, I’d be sleeping anyways…I’m not even sure why I’m up right now.”
Niki laughed as Brittany rambled on, not paying much attention to what was coming out of her mouth. Finally, she interrupted the rant to ask the question she was dying to know. Brittany was only about two and a half years younger, but Niki figured that she would be a little more in the know with music and all the pop culture stuff.
“Brit, I need to ask you something,” she began.
Brittany looked up from her coffee and raised an eyebrow at Niki. “Go ahead.”
“Do you know anything about a band called ‘The Jonas Brothers’?”
Brittany’s lips pursed in thought, and after a while, she replied. “Uh, I think so. Well, yes, I mean, I went to see them…back in like, 2008, in Detroit…it was a great concert, of course we had really crappy seats but it was still great…why? They haven’t been popular since that last summer tour.”
“Really? You saw them in concert? I was…just wondering,” Niki replied. It didn’t exactly make sense that they weren’t popular, but yet were getting ready to go on another tour, if what Joe said was even legitimate. Then she remembered what he said in his letter. Detroit. They were getting ready to kick off a summer tour in Detroit…it just didn’t add up. “Can you tell me about them? Like, everything you know.”
“Well, for starters, they are three brothers, all from Jersey. The whole group started as a solo project of the youngest brother’s-Nick-and then it became this big group effort. Their first album totally bombed, but the second one was crazy good. The third one was alright, but it didn’t go past that. They did an international tour, just a few shows in Europe with Avril, and then came back here and did the tour that I saw them on. That was their last big hoorah…then it all just, died,” Brittany said, shrugging her shoulders.
Niki nodded, not paying attention as she tried to process all of the information she had just gotten. When Brittany got up to go shower, Niki pulled out her stationary and began to write a reply to Joe, knowing that she would need answers.
Joe.
I’m a bit confused, and I’d really like to clear things up. But first, thanks for the birthday wishes-it means a lot to me.
So, I asked one of the friends here with me if she had ever heard of your band. She said that she had, and that she’s even seen you in concert. But what confuses me is that she said you haven’t been popular in almost five years. And she said that you’ve already done a European tour, and that your third album was the last big thing that you did…I don’t know. Everything she said sounded so much like what you just described to me, but yet it’s all twisted around, and nothing makes sense.
For now, I’m just going to collect myself, and hopefully you can clear things up for me. We’re all headed to the beach today as well; hopefully I’ll see you there. Look for me, alright? We’ll be having a birthday party, you won’t miss it.
-Niki.
She dropped the letter in the mailbox on the way out, while the other five girls waited in the car, eager to get Niki’s birthday celebration started. She flipped up the flag and hopped into the backseat, squeezed between Tina and Erica in the tiny car.
* * *
After spending the entire day at the beach, the six girls returned home for a cook-out, as well as to remedy the bright red sunburns that they had all acquired during the day. Niki raced to the mailbox as soon as she had showered. While everyone else sat on the back deck, she was inside her room, trying to make sense of the letter that she held in her hands.
Niki-
Your friend, she must be delusional. Five years ago, my brother Nick was still on Broadway, and we hadn’t even thought of becoming a band. We started this whole thing three years ago, I promise. I wouldn’t lie to you, but I feel like something’s not right. Let’s figure it out together, soon, preferably, because I don’t like the way this feels.
I was a bit upset that I didn’t see you at the beach today…but I do want to meet you soon, I can’t stop thinking about you, and it’s only been a few hours since I got your first letter.
-Joe.
Niki didn’t have time to write out a reply, and she wanted to talk to Brittany in depth, and learn everything she could before she wrote back to Joe. Something did indeed seem fishy, and she wanted to find out immediately. She stuffed the letter into her pillowcase and walked through the sliding glass door, barely dodging a water balloon that was clearly meant for her head.
The six girls crowded around a picnic table to eat the dinner they had made for Niki’s birthday. In the middle of conversation, Brittany looked over at Niki, and brought up the worst possible thing ever.
“So, Niki…why did you ask about the Jonas Brothers today?”
Niki glared at her before answering, making note of the hush that had fallen over the girls. “No reason really, I just heard some girls back home talking about them before school got out.”
“The Jonas Brothers? I used to like them sooooo much! Especially Nick, even though he’s like…Brit’s age. But I haven’t heard anything about them in years!” Erica exclaimed.
“It’s nothing, really. I was just asking a question. But Brit, can I talk to you?” Niki asked, standing up.
Brittany followed her back into the house, as Niki tried to figure out where to start with her questions.
