Author's Note: I'm super sorry I haven't written in forever! But I really do want to keep this story going, but it will probably only be a couple more chapters…So I hope you enjoy!

"Who is it?" She asked me, genuinely concerned.

"Its um…" I bit my lip.

"Is it Nick?"

"No, worse." I clamped my eyes closed and spat out the next few words. "Its my mom."

"You should answer it…" she told me. And I looked at her and knew she was right. I pressed answer.

'Hello?' I said hesitantly.

"Joseph, you need to come back to the venue now." Her voice was stiff and without any emotion.

"Is he okay?" I heard a heavy sigh and my dad's voice speaking quickly in the background.

"He just wants to see you." There was a pause. "There are still fans here, and the paparazzi just showed up."

"I don't give a flying f*ck if there are paparazzi there!! Ugh…" I took a sharp intake of breath when she gently placed her warm hand on my shoulder. "I'm coming right now, okay?"

"All right. I'll tell him."

"Bye, mom."

She hung up.

I hung up with my mom and hung my head for a moment, trying to collect my thoughts and my emotions. For a second, the imprint of her hand burned on my shoulder. Then I got up.

"Let's head back," I told her, staring straight ahead at my reflection in the Bean.

"You go ahead; I think I'm going to stay here for a while." She smiled slightly, but I could tell it was just to lighten my tense mood. I wasn't entirely comfortable with leaving her alone, but I didn't feel like reasoning with her.

"Call me when you want to come back," I said, and walked away from her, onto the street, to hail a cab.

* * *

I came in through the back entrance of the venue, with my sweatshirt hood up, and my hands shoved deeply in my pockets, as if I could snap and hit someone at any second. I got some stares by the crew members as I walked the halls, but the first person who talked to me was Frankie. He scootered towards me and stopped.

"Hey Joe," he nodded.

"Hey Frankie."

"Nick's in the dressing room."

"Thanks." He scootered off in the opposite direction.

I realized how much I loved Frankie at that moment. Although he was young, he knew exactly how to respond. I continued down the hall until I came upon a door with a star on the center. I took a deep breath. I knocked.

"Yeah," came from inside the room.

I slowly opened the door. And took several swift steps inside.

"Joe!" Nick whirled around to face me, looking surprised, with some tissues pressed to his nose. My heart ached to see him like that. A mess. Because I made that mess. Now, I had to clean it up.

"Nick…"

"…"

"How's your nose?"

"It feels worse than it looks." I cringed at his words.

"Uh…sorry." I looked down at my feet.

"Yeah, me too. I'm sorry that you drove a wedge between us. Things will obviously never be the same!"

I didn't say anything. What could I say?

"Joe, what happened?"

I said nothing.

"God, Joe, just talk to me!!"

"You kissed her! You kissed her, and she didn't want you to! You could've realized! You knew I had feelings for her! You know me better than anyone! And you just had to go and kiss her! What the hell man?!?" I was breathing heavily, but I was not finished. "And I'm getting tired of this paparazzi-superstar crap! It takes stuff out of a person! I snapped okay! I just snapped!!"

It happened really quickly. In the blink of an eye. Its amazing how quickly things happen in life, yet when you look back how much time there was for you to do something about it.

Nick collapsed.