CHAPTER 22:

The next morning I woke up with a photo of Lucas on my bedside table. I climbed out of bed and went to my computer desk. I turned on my monitor and saw that my AIM box was flashing. I opened it to see that I had a message from Joe

IM For: rockstar550
liveformusic:Hey Bella! =D what's up?
rockstar550:Hey Joe! I can’t really talk right now something came up and I have to leave asap
liveformusic:Is everything ok?
rockstar550:Remember my best friend Lucas
liveformusic:Yea
rockstar550:He was coming down to Miami to visit me for thanksgiving and his plane crashed he’s in the hospital and he might not make it through the night
liveformusic:Omg Isabella I'm so sorry
rockstar550:It’s not your fault things like this just always seem to happen to me but I gotta go I want to be with him the last few minutes.
liveformusic:Everythings going to be ok I promise
rockstar550:No it won’t now I really have to go
liveformusic:I'm taking the next plane out to Miami
liveformusic:I’m here
liveformusic: Can we please meet somewhere? I came to be here for you! I’m sorry about what’s going on! I think I sort of just met you I’m not sure though so can we please meet tomorrow somewhere I need to know for sure. IM me whenever you get this message.

He had sent me three messages since I left last night.

rockstar550:I really appreciate what you did. Coming all the way out here
liveformusic:I just wanted to be there for you
rockstar550:Thanks
liveformusic:Your welcome and I think it’s about time we meet it’s been almost two years since we met
rockstar550:Yea I agree
liveformusic:Even though I think we sort of did
rockstar550:Yea me too but I have this strange feeling it was all a dream
liveformusic:Me2
rockstar550:So where do you want to meet?
liveformusic:There’s a Starbucks near where I’m staying do you think you could meet me there
rockstar550:Yea sure
liveformusic:Well I’m staying at the Hilton Hotel in Miami Beach do you know where that’s at?
rockstar550:Yea I’ll be there in about half an hour
liveformusic:Ok see you then
rockstar550:Hey Joe?
liveformusic:Yea Isabella
rockstar550:How come you never told me you were Joe Jonas?
liveformusic:Uh... I’ll see you in a bit

He replied and with that, he signed off.

I went to the bathroom, showered, and got dressed and then I decided to head out to meet Joe. As I walked passed the living room and passed the kitchen I heard a voice I really didn’t feel like listening to right now.

“Where are you going?” her snotty annoying voice asked.
“Why good morning to you too Juliet” I replied sarcastically.
“I asked you a question” she replied as she stared at me with hate-filled eyes.
“Out” I said simply.
“You have to work today,” she said to me as if I didn’t know. When didn’t I work?
“Don’t I always” I replied under my breath.
“Excuse you,” she said with attitude.
“Bye Juliet” I replied and walked out the door.

I got into my car and drove away from my ‘house’ if that’s what you’d like to call it. I got onto 826 north (a highway in Miami). As I boarded the highway there was a hug billboard that read: FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS. I thought about the dream I had last night with Lucas. I hoped everything that happened last night was a dream but unfortunately, it wasn’t. Lucas was truly dead and I was alone once again. I switched of 826 north and got on to I95 south; the highway that led to the beach. The whole drive to Joe’s was bizarre. I kept seeing signs that either said: “Follow you dreams” or “Remember your dreams” and even one that said, “Remember to keep your promises”. It was really strange. Those signs were all things that Lucas had said in my dream. Could it be that Lucas was trying to send me a message or something? I arrived at the Starbucks to see Joe sitting in the window. I took one good cleansing breath and then I walked in.

“Hey Joe” I said as I approached the table.
“Wow” he said as he stood up to greet me. “It really is you”
“Yea and it really is you” I replied.
“Have a seat,” he said as he pulled out my chair for me.
“Thanks” I said as I took a seat.
“I’m sorry about last night. I was just dumbstruck and I wasn’t thinking clearly. I didn’t know how to respond to that,” he explained.
“I know I understand. I was a little confused and surprised as well to find out you were the Joe I’ve been talking to for almost two years” I replied.
“When did you find out?” he asked.
“Last night” I said.
“How did you know it was me?” he sat forward in his seat and looked at me.
“Well when you started to describe me it kind of hit me and then when you said my name I automatically new and even more when you spoke about Lucas” I said as I tried to hold the tears that were trying to form in my eyes.
“I’m sorry about him. How is he?” he asked concerned as he reached for my hands.
“He died last night” I looked away as I pictured him with his eyes closed and surrounded by doctors.
“I’m really sorry!” he said as he gripped my hands tighter in his. “I really am I mean it. I may not know what it’s like to lose a best friend and your parents but from what you’ve told me it’s horrible. I wouldn’t even dream of it,” he explained.
“Don’t ever” I replied as I looked back to him. “It’s the worse feeling in the world. Last night when I saw him close his eyes” I paused as I let a couple tears escape. “I didn’t know what to do. I no longer wanted to live he was everything I had left and now he’s gone” I explained as the tears flowed more. “He’s gone and there was nothing I could’ve done to stop it. I loved him with all my heart. I was madly in love with my best friend and I never told him until it was too late. I hate myself for it,” I cried to Joe.
“Come here” he said to me as he stood up and pulled me into a hug. “I’m sorry Bella. I’m so sorry about the pain you’re feeling right now. I wish there was something I could do to make it go away” he hugged me tightly.
“Why do I have to suffer so much? What have I done to deserve so much pain and agony? Why do I always have to lose the ones that I love? Why me?” I yelled through sobs. “Why?”
“Shh come on let’s get out of here and go talk somewhere else where it’s quieter” he said as he pulled away, wiped the tears, and held onto my hand.
“Okay” I agreed as I let him pull me out of Starbucks.

*JOE’S POV*
She was in love with her best friend and he’s gone. He left her alone to suffer. After we left Starbucks, we drove to the hotel and sat near the pool that led to a beautiful beach. We sat on the beach chairs and thankfully, she was calmer than before.

“I’m sorry about dumping all my problems on you” she apologized.
“That’s what I’m here for to be there for you when you need me the most” I comforted her.
“Thanks” she said as she lightly touched my hand.
“So if there’s anything you ever want to tell me or ask me don’t be afraid to do so” I assured her. “I’m here to be your friend and your listener.”
“Thank you Joe” she smiled.
“You have a beautiful smile and beautiful eyes to match it,” I said as I softly placed my hand on her cheek.
“Thank you. Lucas used to tell me that all the time” she commented as her eyes flooded with tears. “God I’m so sorry about only talking about him” she apologized.
“It’s all right I understand”
“It’s just that I miss him so much. We had many great times together here and now it’s all just a memory I’ll have to remember always. We were going to go to college together in UCLA and we were going to be together forever but I never told him that last part. I never got a chance to tell him how in love I was with him until he was dying,” she cried.
“I wish I could make the pain go away” I wiped the tears.
“But let’s stop talking about him before I run out of tears” she half-smiled. “Did you know that he was Ariel’s older brother?”
*beep* are you serious?” I asked concerned and she nodded. “Omg poor girl she must be devastated”
“I don’t know I haven’t spoken to her since I left the hospital last night” she replied.
“Oh”
“But yeah do you remember on March 24, 2007 you said and I quote ‘To love is to risk not being loved in return. To hope is to risk pain. To try is to risk failure, but risk must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing’
What did you mean?” she asked.
“I said it referring to you,” I answered.
“Me? Why me?”
“You say you wanted to be a rockstar and a writer but yet you’re still here doing all the dirty work for your aunt and cousins. What I meant by that was that if you never try to do the things you want to accomplish then you’ll never get anywhere. Accomplished dreams happen after risks are taken,” I explained.
“Oh it makes sense now” she replied.
“My turn on January 12, 2008 you wrote ‘It hurts to love someone and not be loved in return, but what is the most painful is to love someone and never find the courage to let the person know how you feel’.” I replied. “Who were you referring to? Or what?”
“I was talking about Lucas and me. About three years ago, when we were in our junior year in high school he insisted that I learn to ride a Jet Ski so I finally gave in. After falling about six times, I gave up, he kissed me for the first time in our whole lives of being friends, and I knew instantly that he was the one for me but I was too afraid to say anything about it. And the quote is true because I loved him but I never had the guts to tell him how I felt and now he’s dead and that is the worst pain of all” she explained.

I did hear right. Is was Isabella so that meant that my brother Kevin...no...It couldn’t be I was in love with her. I knew her before anyone did. I’ve loved her longer and I know her in a way no one else does except maybe Lucas but still. Kevin and I were both in love with the same person. What are we going to do now?