BROTHERLY LOVE
By Sarah Wartman
PART ONE
“No, Chris, I don’t wanna!” I exclaimed as my older brother dragged me into an abandoned warehouse where this new “group” he had formed rehearsed.
“I want you to meet the guys, Isabelle, it won’t take very long,” Chris said as he grabbed my arm and dragged me into the building.
“But I’m supposed to meet Angela at the mall!” I shrieked.
“Since when have you not wanted to meet guys?” he asked me.
I was fifteen and a freshman in high school at the time and I felt I was way too cool to be hanging out with my older brother. I had much better things to do than follow him around while he and this so-called group practiced.
I didn’t see what the big fuss was about. Chris found me a folding chair and I sat down and sulked. My mother had been going on and on about how these five guys had so much “talent” and were “truly gifted” and how I should be supportive of him. But I could have cared less. It always seemed like Chris and all his activities came first and that just didn’t seem fair.
I crossed my arms and sighed loudly, making it obvious my presence was not one of choice. When they finished one of their songs, Chris looked up to see my reaction.
“That was great,” I said, quickly standing up. “Can I go now?”
“No…” Chris said, coming around the music stand to grab my hand. “You have to meet everyone first.”
He introduced me to the four, Justin, Joey, JC and Lance. Each had their own distinctive characteristics, Justin being a black wanna-be who looked like he should still be in middle school, Joey being a flirtatious ape, JC being the one with the big nose and cuffed jeans and Lance looking like he came straight out of an eighties sitcom.
“So,” Joey said once Chris was finished introducing me. “How old are you Isabelle? Or should I call you Issie?”
“Do you enjoy having all your limbs intact?” I asked him.
“Yes,” Joey answered sheepishly.
“Then I suggest you don’t call me Issie.”
“Yeah, she kind of hates that nickname,” Chris told them.
“I’m fifteen. And Belle is my nickname of preference,” I informed them.
“Fifteen? Me too, when’s your birthday?” Justin asked me quickly.
“July, why?”
“Damn, yo, she’s older than me!”
They all laughed and I studied each of their faces. A feeling sunk deep into the pit of my stomach. I somehow knew these four guys would be a big part of my life for a long time. And I couldn’t decide if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
PART TWO
I was jarred from my memories by someone picking me up and throwing me over his shoulder.
“Justin!” I shrieked, pummeling my fists into his back. “Put me down!”
“No way! You’ve been in la la land for, like, thirty minutes. We were done with practice and you just kept staring off into space. All the guys are finishing getting dressed and I thought I’d come see ya,” he explained and finally put me back down on the ground.
It was three years later and I was a senior in high school. The guys were on tour and I was traveling along for a week during my spring break. My attitude had changed greatly since the day I met the four. Justin and I grew close, and I figured it was due to the closeness of our ages.
“So, how did it go?” Lance asked, sneaking up on me. “Was the practice okay?”
“Of course it was,” I told him, walking back to where the dressing rooms were.
“Are you sure?” Justin persisted. “I kind I felt like we weren’t pushing hard enough.”
I spun around on him and sighed. “Oh please, like you guys could EVER have a bad show. I mean, seriously, think about it. As long as you throw out a few pelvic thrusts, those twelve year olds could care less if you miss a note or two.”
“Oh, Isabelle, always the practical one,” he told me, throwing his arm around me and putting me in a headlock.
“Ah!” I screamed. “Justin Randall, you let me go now!”
“And what if I don’t?” he yelled.
“Leave her alone,” I heard my very over protective brother say. Justin’s gripped loosened and I squirmed free. I straightened my shirt and looked up to see Chris and I smiled.
“Let’s go guys,” he said and we walked out to the bus together. Justin and Chris darted to the back of the bus to get first dibs on the PlayStation. I sauntered to my bunk and found the book I was currently reading. I looked over to see JC laying on his bed, staring up at the ceiling.
“Hey there,” I said, sitting down next to him. “What’s up?”
“Nothing,” he said. “We kind of had a shitty rehearsal.”
“Oh, don’t work yourself up over it,” I told him. “Trust me, you guys are awesome and I know you’re gonna do a good job tonight.”
“You think so?”
“No, not really, but that’s what you want to hear, right?” I asked, smiling widely at him.
“Oh, you,” he said, sitting up and tickling me.
I squirmed and laughed uncontrollably until he decided I had had enough and stopped. I sat up and grinned. “You all are so cruel to me,” I told him. “I don’t know why I take it.
He grinned at me. “Cause you have to.”
“Oh really?”
He nodded. “Yep, that’s what big brothers are for.”
“Funny, last time I checked I wasn’t biologically related to you,” I informed him.
“That may be true,” he answered. “But deep down you know you love us like brothers.”
“Oh, please, don’t flatter yourself. Maybe I should call Nick Carter and see if he has an opening for a roadside assistant,” I said, knowing that would get a rise out of him.
JC laughed and pushed me off his bed. I lost my balance in the small space between the beds and JC closed the little curtain to his bunk.
“I’ll get you later, Joshua Scott.”
“Sure, whatever Belle,” he yelled from behind the curtains.
PART THREE
“Man, I’m beat,” I heard Joey say as we climbed back into the bus after the show.
“Me too,” Lance agreed.
I slumped into one of the front seats and put my feet up. I could understand why the guys were so beat, but I still had my adrenaline pumping from the concert and wasn’t about to go to bed yet. I found the remote and clicked it onto MTV.
“So, Belle,” Justin said, sliding into the seat next to me. “We hear you’re gonna be singing in a talent show in a month or so.”
I looked up at Chris and glared. How could he tell them?
“Uh, yeah, I guess so.”
“I didn’t know you sing,” JC said, sitting down across from me.
“I don’t,” I answered quickly.
“Stop being so modest,” Chris said, sitting down next to me. “She can sing like a bird.”
“Chris, why did you tell them?”
“Cause they wanted to know what I was doing during my break and I told them I was gonna watch my baby sister sing her heart out.”
“Oh God,” I said and put my face in my hands. “Please tell me”
“Yes, we’re coming!” Justin shrieked. “How could you not tell us about this?”
“And it’s a duet,” Chris continued and I just wanted to shrivel up and die right there.
“Oh,” Justin exclaimed. “A duet? Who’s the lucky guy?”
“Yeah, who’s the lucky guy?” JC piped in.
“His name is Zack, okay?”
“Zack?” Justin asked. “Who’s Zack?”
“My best friend, okay? Nothing more, I promise.”
“Belle, if you don’t want to sing, then why are you?” Chris asked me.
“Because Zack has an awesome voice and asked me to sing a duet and I reluctantly agreed,” I answered.
“Oh, well, I’m sure you’ll be great,” JC said, smiling at me and I couldn’t help but look away.
~*~*~*~
I looked at the alarm clock in my bunk. 3:25. I had been trying to sleep for hours, but failed. This was my last night on the bus, I was flying back to Orlando that day so I could go back to school. Since I couldn’t sleep, I decided to get up and keep the bus driver company. I tended to do that when I couldn’t sleep, and he seemed appreciative.
“Oh, hey JC,” I said, sitting down across from him at the table. He looked up from his laptop and smiled.
“That damn internet is addicting,” he told me, shutting his computer down.
“I was pretty shocked to see you up,” I told him.
“Yeah, well, there are a lot of things about me that would shock you,” he said and winked at me.
“Yeah, I bet,” I told him.
“Couldn’t sleep, huh?”
“Nope,” I said and looked down the hall where the bunks were.
“Yeah, I bet you’re sad you have to leave us and all.”
“No, not really,” I said and smiled.
“Well, believe it or not, we’re sad that you’re leaving.”
“Oh please. I don’t believe that for a second,” I told him.
“Well, it’s true. Especially me,” he said and smiled. It was one of those smiles where I couldn’t tell if he was joking around or being serious and I just laughed.
PART FOUR
“So, since we’re asking each other questions,” JC said later on that night. “If you could go one place in the world, where would you go?”
“Easy,” I said, popping a Dorito into my mouth. “New York City.”
JC sat up and studied my face. “You’ve never been to New York City? Oh, come on, surely your brother has taken you to New York Belle!”
I shook my head. “Nope, every time you guys have played there I couldn’t come.”
“What a shame. It’s an awesome place,” he told me, tossing a chocolate chip cookie my way.
“Yeah, I’m sure it is.” I said. “Okay, your turn. Where would you go?”
“Greece.”
I sighed. “You’re kidding me. That’s where I’m going on my honeymoon.”
“Oh really? You’re getting married? And you didn’t invite me?” JC asked, pretending to look hurt.
“Oh, shut up. You know what I meant.”
He laughed. “Yeah, I did.”
“Josh,” I exclaimed, looking at the clock. “It’s almost five in the morning. You’re gonna be such a grump in the morning.”
“Oh, I will not.”
“Whatever. I think I’m gonna go to bed. Thanks for keeping me company.”
“It was my pleasure. Sweet dreams,” he said as we walked back to our bunks.
“Sweet dreams,” I answered and shut the curtains to my bed.
~*~*~*~
“Have you been practicing hard for your singing debut?” Justin asked me on the phone a couple weeks later.
“Yes. I’m so nervous, J,” I told him.
“You worry too much. What are you singing?”
“I’m your angel by R. Kelly and Celine Dion.”
“Oh, good choice,” Justin said.
“Yeah, well, Zack sounds awesome and everything, but I’m afraid I’m gonna butcher it and make him look bad.”
“Oh Isabelle, have some confidence.”
“Yeah, well,” I mumbled.
“Is she complaining again?” I heard Chris ask Justin.
“No, she’s not Chris. Back off.”
“Let me talk to her,” I heard him command and I sighed. “What exactly is the problem Belle?” he asked me once he got the phone from Justin.
“Nothing, I was just telling Justin how I was nervous, that’s all.”
“Oh, well, you’ll do fine.”
“Who’s all coming to watch?” I asked him.
“Justin, JC and I. The other two are going to see family.”
“Oh, okay.”
“Well, I better go. I’ll see you in a week.”
“Okay, love you.”
“Love you,” he answered.
I was about to hang up the phone when I heard Chris yell at me.
“What?” I asked him.
“JC says hi and he can’t wait to hear you sing.”
I smiled. “Tell him I said hi back.”
PART FIVE
“Oh God, Oh God, Oh God,” I kept mumbling as I paced back and forth in front of Zack. “How could I have ever thought I could do this! Have you seen all those people out there!” I shrieked.
“Shhh,” Zack said, putting his hands on my shoulders to stop me from pacing. “You’ll be fine Isabelle.”
“No, I won’t. Why did you talk me into this?”
“Because you’re my best friend and you have a beautiful voice. Who else would I have asked?”
“I don’t know,” I said, playing with my hands like I do whenever I get nervous.
Zack saw this and took my hands into his. “Would you be this upset if your ultra famous brother and his friends weren’t coming?”
“Yes!” I said.
“No you wouldn’t,” he said as the teacher came up telling us to take our place on stage. I looked at Zack with panic in my eyes and he laughed softly.
“Calm down,” he said, giving me a big hug. “You’ll be fine. Let’s go.”
I took the microphone into my hands and desperately searched for my brother in the audience. I knew if I saw his face, his comforting smile, I’d feel better. I heard the music start and I panicked. I closed my eyes so I could concentrate. I heard my cue and took a deep breath and started.
I opened my eyes and instantly locked eyes with JC. It was odd how he was the first face I saw. Someone up above must have known I needed that because his face eased my nervousness. I looked over at Zack to see him smiling. This wasn’t so bad after all, I thought to myself.
I felt my body relax some, allowing myself to belt out the chorus. We ended the song and the audience uproared in applause. I looked out to see Chris, Justin and JC standing and whistling.
~*~*~*~
“Isabelle,” I heard Chris yell and turned to see him running towards me. He picked me up and spun me around. “That was so good!”
“Thanks,” I said, flustered as he sat me back down on the ground.
“Yeah, you were great,” JC told me, scooping me up into his arms. He hugged me tightly.
“Thanks,” I whispered in his ear.
“Anytime,” he whispered back.
“Hey, where’s my lovin’?” I heard Justin ask.
I let go of JC and turned to hug Justin. He picked me up and I shrieked. I hugged mother and talked to some other people for a while. The three guys mingled and signed some autographs. I was grabbing my jacket when the three guys stopped me.
“What are your plans tonight?” Chris asked me.
“I’m going out with Zack and some other friends, dad. Is that okay?” I asked him, grinning.
“Yes, just don’t get into any trouble, got it?”
“Yes,” I told him, rolling my eyes.
“Will there be any fly honeys with you?” Justin asked me.
I sighed. “I don’t know.” I looked at Justin and smiled. “Would you like to come Justin?”
“Would I?” Justin asked, putting his arm around my shoulder. “Let’s go!”
I laughed and turned to Chris and JC. “Thanks for coming. It really meant a lot to me.”
“Of course. You two have fun,” JC told us as Justin led me away and back to my friends.
TO BE CONTINUED