Chapter Eighteen: Don't Speak

It's the day I leave for the Sacramento airport for the vacation that was planned so last minute. It's probably a good thing that I am leaving Montana, except that it's only been a month since I moved here! I feel that it's almost unprofessional to go back home right at this minute.

    I sit in the teachers desk as I teach these freshmen about the f(x) type of math and how f(x) equals to y and how to graph it. It was the easiest part of my degree. However, nothing about a math degree was ever easy.

    One of the students raised their hands.

    "Yes?" I asked them.

    "Why does f(x) equal y?" He asked me.

    I took a minute to pause and think of an answer that was bullshitting, but also pretty correct.

    "So," I started explaining. "With f(x), you plug x as the original equation and you try to solve for y."

    As I finished explaining the bullshit answer I gave the kid, he nodded and smiled. It actually made sense. Phew!

    As the students went to work on their work, my phone started playing Cake by the Ocean and the kids were staring at me. I declined the phone call and immediately got a text from him.

    The text read: Aww. You never decline a phone call.

    I responded to the text: I'm sorry. I'm teaching right now.

    He responded to my text: Oh! I'm so sorry for bothering you. I'll text you later :kissing emoji:

    I looked at that kissing emoji and I rolled my eyes as I put my phone away.

~

    The last bell rings and everyone leaves the room, I left last, grabbing my bag and heading to my car. I called him and he answered immediately, laughing.

    "I'm so sorry for interrupting you," He said. "I didn't know you were in class."

    I sighed. He knew I was in class, he was just playing around with me. He still doesn't know about the ringtone I gave him that would probably annoy him if he found out.

    "It's not fine," I replied. "But please don't do it again!"

    He chuckled and then I put him on speaker.

    "No really," He said. "I didn't know you were in class. I thought you were on your prep period."

    I forgave him. Now that he has announced his divorce, this was probably the last time I ever get to teach at this school, or any school for that matter. The month was fun while it lasted I guess.

~

    I landed in California and the first thing I see is my name on a sign. I walked over to the sign and it was Tessa holding it for me. I walked over to her while holding my suitcase and she hugged me so tightly I could not feel a single thing. I could not feel my blood rushing a single bit.

    "I am so excited to have you here!" Tessa shouted. "You'll be back to your...job... by Thursday, alright?"

    "Alright." I replied.

    After what is going to happen at that concert, I could tell that she is not going to be happy and I am not going to be able to tell her that it's all a lie to fix his reputation.

    "Are you excited to go to the concert, Jess?" She asked me.

    "Not really," I lied. "They still sound like they're having orgasms while they sing, even when they're live."

    She frowned and then put my suitcase in the back of her trunk, sitting herself in the driver's seat.

~

    As Tessa drives me to her apartment in San Francisco, she is constantly rambling about the Jonas Brothers and how excited she is to see them again for the third time. I groaned and then the Cake by the Ocean ringtone went off and I immediately turned it off as soon as I possibly could. She looked confused and then tried to grab my phone.

    "No!" I replied. "It's fine."

    I grabbed my phone and declined the call, then texted Joe Jonas, saying that I am around my friend Tessa, getting driven to her apartment in San Francisco.

    Joe texted me back saying: I have Sunday off from the tour. Could I come see you then?

    I texted him: Why? Why would you want to hang out with me on Sunday?

    Joe Jonas messaged back: For paparazzi photos. It'll look good for the press and it'll start rumors before tomorrow.

    I groaned and then Tessa looked at me confused as she continued to drive to San Francisco.

    "Who's that?" She asked.

    "Nobody," I lied.

    "Well, it's somebody," Tessa replied.

~

    After that one hour drive, we finally got to the apartment I was staying at before the vacation we took to New York. I grabbed my stuff and carried my suitcase into her apartment, setting it next to the couch.

    "I am so excited to watch the Instagram videos of the tour tonight!" Tessa exclaimed.

    I sighed and laid down, as I needed a break from this whole difficult thing. I played on my phone until I got another call from that Cake by the Ocean ringtone.

    I rushed back into my room and answered the call as quickly as possible.

    "JOE!" I exclaimed.

    "Hey, I'm about to go on!" Joe said.

    I chuckled and then gave him little pieces of applause as he turned the call to a FaceTime.

    He had an earpiece in one ear and his other ear was clear. He had his curls up and he was wearing black glittery pants that looked like jeans almost with a black sleeveless shirt. It showed his tattoos very well and his hair was curly black.

    "I'll be cheering you on from over here," I said as Tessa walked into the room.

    "Who are you cheering on?" Tessa asked me and I shrugged, trying to keep the secret that I was on a call with Joe Jonas. I knew she would freak out if she knew.

    "You'll find out on another day," I replied to her. She rolled her eyes and then walked out of the room.

    "What was that about?" He asked me.

    "It's nothing," I answered him. "She has had a crush on you since you guys came out with your first album."

    He laughed at this statement. I feel like he thinks I was lying, little did he know, I was telling the honest, real truth. She has had a crush on him since forever.

    "Has she really?" He asked me.

    I nodded and he started laughing again. I feel like Tessa could overhear the laughter but I don't tell him to be quiet. I think his laugh is cute.

~

    He is on stage and Tessa is watching a random Joe Jonas fanpage's live stream of the concert. I act uninterested so that she doesn't get the idea or suspicion that I am talking to Joe Jonas behind her back. Before I could get myself a coffee, she rushed to me, showing me the concert live stream on her phone.

    "You know that I am not interested in this stuff, right?" I asked her.

    She didn't listen and kept tugging at me until I took a look. With hearing him sing Hesitate, I could feel my whole body get emotional. I was in the restroom during the time he sang it in New York. Now, I am listening to it live for the first time. I could hear in this voice that at that moment, he was officially saying goodbye to his wife. I started tearing up.

    "Hey Jess, it's okay." Tessa patted me on the back. "Music is a beautiful thing."

    Music is a beautiful thing, Tessa is right. I kept watching the video, crying as that song came to an end. I applauded and then looked at Tessa as she kept the phone in front of me so I could watch the rest of the concert.

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A/n: Hello everyone. This is officially the halfway mark. This is chapter eighteen and there are eighteen chapters left before this story ends. Please stay tuned to see how this story ends.

Thank you all so much for 1.3k reads and over 100 votes y'all are the best! I am planning on making another fan fiction about a different celebrity. Follow if you want to stay tuned for when that is going to come out!

I appreciate the support and I am so thankful to be doing this for fun! :)

-Rainey Loonstien