The Truth Is Out

Julianna's point of view

I hopped onto Nick's kitchen counter. "Soo, Nicky, is…uh…Brad dating anyone?"
Nick looked up from the cereal box he was intently examining. "Brad?"
"Yeah, you know, the friend you introduced me to yesterday," I reminded, rolling my eyes. How he could actually remember his own name was beyond me.
"Oh, I don't think so, why?" he raised his eyebrows. Before I could answer a smile spread across Nick's features. "Do you have a crush on Brad?" he grinned.
"Well, I don't really know him so I can't have a crush…but I'd like to get to know him," I replied. I grabbed the cereal out of Nick's hand and started looking at it myself. "Ew, how can you eat this stuff?" I made a face when I saw tiny marshmallows on the front of the box.
"I can eat it cause it's good," Nick said and reached for his junk. I quickly switched hands, moving the box out of Nick's range. "Gimme!" he demanded.
I grinned and stood up on the counter. "Nuh uh," I shook my head and stuck out my tongue.
"You asked for it," Nick shook his own head and grabbed my legs. Out of surprise I quickly bent down and grabbed onto his head for support since he was holding me around my knees.
"Put me down you dork!" I yelled.
Nick laughed and set me down on the floor. "You messed up my hair," he pouted.
"You nearly killed me," I retorted.
"My hair is more important," Nick stuck out his tongue.
I shook my head at his childishness and hopped back onto the counter. Nick took the opportunity to grab his precious cereal out of my hands.
"So," he turned over the box in his hands. "Do you want me to ask Brad if he likes you?"
"Nick please," I scoffed. "I'm not twelve years old, I don't need my friend to find out if a guy likes me. I'm perfectly capable of doing it myself," I told him. "Now if you'll just give me his number…"
"Oh sure, you don't need my help," Nick laughed.
"I only need Brad's number from you, the rest, I can take care of myself," I retorted. "Please?" I made puppy eyes.
"Okay, okay, just don't do those," Nick surrendered. He dropped the cereal onto the counter next to me and pulled out his cell phone. "All right, his number is…aren't you going to take this down?" he asked.
Duh. I took out my own phone and prepared to punch in the number.
"623-7414," Nick finished and put his phone back into his pocket.
"Thank you so much!" I exclaimed, jumping off the counter and hugging Nick.
Nick laughed and rolled his eyes. "Women," he muttered.
"And you can't live without us," I pointed out. "See ya later!" I yelled as I headed for his door and quickly left.

Nick's point of view

I shook my head at Julianna's sudden departure and returned to my cereal. I was about to put the spoon in my mouth when I heard my phone. I sighed and looked longingly at my breakfast. Didn't look like I was going to get to it any time soon.
"Hello?"
"Hey man," Brad greeted.
I grinned. This was gonna be good. "Hey, what's going on?"
"Nothing, just wanted to ask you something."
"Shoot."
"Is…uh…your friend dating anyone?"
"Brad, I'm shocked! Kevin is married!" I even let out a fake gasp.
"Very funny smartass, I was talking about Julianna."
"Oh well, I don't know…" I trailed off, it was fun torturing Brad. "There was that whole thing with Lance…and now I really don't know…"
"Nick, cut it out," Brad said, clearly exasperated.
"All right all right, sheesh, keep your pants on. No, she's not dating anyone," I replied, staring at my ceiling, trying to figure out what the stain on it was.
"Great!" I could practically hear his smile over the phone. "Can you give me her number?"
"Yeah sure, might as well." I walked around to the other side of my table and sat down in a chair. "It's 352-7351," I recited from memory.
"Thanks Nick."
"No problem, but remember, if you hurt her, you'll have to deal with me," I warned.
"Yes, big brother, sir."
I bet he even saluted.
I rolled my eyes. "Just keep that in mind."
"I will, thanks again, later."
"Bye." I hung up and threw my phone onto the kitchen table. "Now for my breakfast," I grinned and took the spoon. I dropped it back into my bowl in frustration as my phone rang once again. "Forget it, breakfast is out," I mumbled and reached for the phone.

Julianna's point of view

I stared at my phone. I wanted to call Brad but I was also a pretty big chicken.
I turned the phone over, studied the small stain on the back, rubbed it with my finger, and frowned when it turned out to be ink and therefore had made my finger a nice shade of blue.
I looked at the buttons on the phone, having forgotten about my blue finger. I wondered who came up with the whole letters-under-numbers deal and why they excluded q and z. I liked q and z; they were good letters, lots of nice words started with them.
I stared at my phone some more, thinking of all the words that began with q and z.
Then suddenly, my phone rang and I nearly dropped the stupid contraption.
I fumbled with the phone and flipped it open, "Hello?"
"Um, hi, Julianna?" came a male voice, one I didn't recognize.
"Yes, who's this?" I went over to my couch and sat down.
"It's Brad, Nick's friend?"
I grinned. "Right, hey Brad." Was my attempt at sounding casual actually working?
"Hey, how's it going?" he asked, his own voice relaxed.
"It's going well, you?" I started flipping through a magazine on my coffee table.
"Can't complain," Brad chuckled.
"So, how'd you get my number?" I asked, a teasing note coming into my voice.
"I…uh…um…" It was so much fun to hear him squirm. "I asked Nick and he gave it to me, after some teasing from that smartass. I kinda like you."
"Oh really?" I tucked my legs underneath me to get more comfortable. "That's a nice coincidence cause I kinda like you too and I asked Nick for your number," I told him.
"Oh really? How interesting," Brad said and I could've sworn he was smiling. "So, would you like to go out with me tonight?"
I grinned widely. "That sounds cool." There I go trying to be all casual, when what I really wanted to do was jump up and down and yell 'yay!'
"All right, so I'll pick you up at eight?"
"That works."
"See you tonight."
"Yep, bye."
"Bye."
I hung up and started jumping up and down and yelling, "YAY!" at the top of my lungs.
Then I remembered that I never gave Brad my address.
"Oh well, he can always ask Nick," I told myself and continued my happy jumping.

THAT EVENING

I smoothed my ivory knee-length dress with my hands and looked nervously at the clock.
Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.
Why did I have to buy one of those Grandfather Clocks? The darn thing drove me nuts with the ticking and tocking.
BONG!
Oh God, it was eight o'clock already. I needed to get my purse.
BONG!
What if he'll be late?
BONG!
Crap! Where was my purse?
BONG!
What if he won't come?
BONG!
What if this was all a big joke?
BONG!
Dammit, who put my purse in the fridge?
BONG!
Oh yeah, duh, I did. Conclusion: I'm a moron.
BONG!
I looked at the clock again. The longer arrow moved to one. Oh no, it's 8:01; that's it, he's not coming. I plopped down on my couch pouting.
The doorbell echoed throughout my house. I grinned, my pouting forgotten, and hurried to open the door. As soon as I did, I swear, my jaw dropped so low, I suspected it was greeting my washing machine in the basement.
"Aren't I supposed to be the one gaping?" Brad joked and handed the dozen of white roses that he was holding to me. Little did he know that I was staring at him. I didn't even notice he had flowers.
I let out a small laugh and took the roses. "Thank you, they're beautiful," I said.
Brad leaned in closer to me. "And you're breathtaking," he breathed into my ear.
Shivers went up and down my spine and I gulped. That boy definitely knew all right things to say.
"Thanks, you look pretty damn good yourself," I said, finding my voice. I saw a slight hint of blush on Brad's cheeks.
"Thanks," he replied sheepishly.
"I'll put these in water and then we can go," I said, walking to the dining room.
Brad nodded and started looking at the photos on the walls.
While I was getting the vase, I checked out the perfect view I had of my date. He was wearing a pair of khaki pants that I knew must've been made just for him because store-bought pants just don't fit that well. His black silk shirt hugged his body slightly, giving a hint of the muscles underneath the material. The short sleeves showed off his tanned arms and he had a silver watch on his wrist. I looked at his shoes. Black, perfectly polished. His short brown hair was slightly spiked and contained just the right amount of gel. The light in the foyer cast a soft glow on Brad's face and I could see his amazing blue eyes even though I only saw his profile.
I sighed happily and moved to the kitchen to put some water into the vase. After I had done so, I placed the finished product into the living room and returned to Brad.
"All set?" he asked.
"Yep, let's go," I grinned.
He held the door open for me and I nodded at the gesture. He did the same thing with his car door and I smiled wider. This guy was simply a perfect gentleman. Who could ask for more?

Nick's point of view

"So where's Jul tonight? Lately you two seem to be joined at the hip," AJ commented, popping a chip into his mouth.
"She's on a date with Brad," I replied, reaching for my soda.
AJ stared at me.
"What?" I asked.
He stared some more.
"What?" I repeated.
More staring.
"Jay, stop staring at me like you're a teenybopper, you're freaking me out."
"She's. Out. On. A. Date," he stated slowly.
"Yeah, what's the problem?" I shrugged.
"Your girlfriend is out with your friend and you don't care?"
Fuck. I completely forgot about the fact that Julianna and I were supposed to be dating.
"Um…uh…" Crap.
"What's going on?" AJ asked, his tone suspicious.
"Okay, I might as well tell you. Julianna and I were never really dating. We just pretended to so that the reporters would leave us alone with all the stupid stories they were writing," I confessed.
"So you lied to me and the other guys?"
"Um…uh…" This was looking pretty bad. "I didn't mean to…it just sorta happened."
"How do you 'sorta' lie to your best friends?" AJ exclaimed.
"Look, I was going to tell you but then the word 'girlfriend' kind of slipped out of my mouth and it all went from there," I explained.
AJ got up from the couch. "I can't believe you lied to us man," he shook his head and then left.
I ran my fingers through my hair. This, I didn't even see coming.

Julianna's point of view

"I hope you don't mind that we went to the movies," Brad said as we walked out of the theater.
"Not at all, I loved the movie," I smiled, and smiled wider when he laced his fingers with mine. His hand was warm.
"You're probably used to going to expensive restaurants," he continued.
I stopped walking. "Brad, look at me," I turned his face towards mine. "I loved that movie and, contrary to popular opinion, I prefer staying inside and watching a video to going to some overpriced restaurant where you have to pay one hundred dollars for a salad," I told him. "I'm having a wonderful time with you tonight and I wouldn't change it for anything."
His face lit up with a smile. "Really?"
I nodded. "Really."
"Then allow me to escort you to part two of our date," he held the car door open for me.
I smiled and climbed in. I never wanted the night to end.
Brad got in from the driver's side and buckled his seatbelt. I followed suit.
"So where are we going?" I asked.
He started the car and eased out of the parking lot. His blue eyes twinkled. "How do you feel about the beach?"
"Love it, I always go there when I need to relax," I replied, watching him intently. I just couldn't stop. He had to be the most fascinating guy I had ever met.
"Good, cause that's where we're going," Brad smiled. He stopped the car about five minutes later.
I rolled my eyes. "You know, we could've walked to the beach from the movies," I pointed out.
Brad laughed. "True, but this way at least you didn't know where we were going at first."
"And then you told me," I added.
"Details, details," he scoffed and got out of the car. He quickly walked around and opened the door for me just as I was reaching for the handle. He held out his hand and I gladly took it.
The beach spread out before us like the biggest blanket in the world. The sky was filled with stars that flickered in the night. The ocean was peaceful and the waves were heard crashing against the shore. I took a deep breath of the salty air and slipped off my sandals.
"And here I thought you were almost my height," Brad said, pointing at my shoes.
I held them up. "Four inch heels," I stated grinning. "Come on," I pulled his hand and we walked onto the soft sand.

Nick's point of view

"I can't believe you lied to us," Brian stated.
My band mates were spread out on my L-shaped couch and were all looking at me with anything but happiness.
I shifted uncomfortably. So this is what an interrogation felt like. Remind me to never break the law.
"It just slipped-"
"Nothing just 'slips'," Kevin cut me off. "You lied to us and you knew you were doing it the entire time. You're not stupid Nick so don't try to pretend to be."
I looked at him in surprise. For all the fathering that he did to me, I was shocked to find out he didn't think of me as some clueless little kid. "Kev, I really am sorry-"
"You lied to us for-how long has it been-a week? Two? Three?"
So much for trying to get a word in with Mr. Richardson around.
"It hasn't been that long," I sighed. Or has it?
"You still lied," Howie said.
I let out a sigh of frustration. "Okay, so I made a mistake. Like I never make those? Come on guys, give me a break here!"
"Why should we?" AJ got up. "You obviously felt that you couldn't trust us with this secret of yours."
Crap. "It's not like that, I told you it just-"
"Slipped," Brian and Kevin finished. Oh yeah, they were definitely related. Both had the amazing ability to interrupt me. Now they even synchronized themselves.
I rolled my eyes. "What do you want me to say? That I'm sorry? Well, I am! I'm very sorry for lying to you guys but I've done worse things than this, you can't stay mad at me forever."
"We know you're sorry Nicky, but it doesn't change the fact that you lied to us and it makes us feel like you don't trust us," Howie explained. He got up from the couch and went over to the door. "Think about that." He left and the rest of the guys followed without so much as another word to me.
I plopped onto my recliner.
Okay, so I did lie. But it really was inadvertently. My mouth has a tendency to speak much faster than my brain thinks and that was the case in this situation. I couldn't believe the guys were making a mountain out of a molehill. And okay, I could see their point of view. But if they had done to me what I had done to them, I would've forgiven them already and forgotten about it.
I looked at my watch. Almost midnight. I wondered if Julianna was home from her date yet. I needed her input on this. I looked at my watch again. Oh what the hell, might as well. I reached for the phone.

Julianna's point of view

"I'm coming I'm coming!" I yelled, running up the stairs to my room. I got there and looked around frantically for the stinking phone that wouldn't shut up and that I had not left in the base where it was supposed to be. It rang again and I spotted it on my dresser. "Hello?" I gasped, completely out of breath.
"Did I interrupt something?" an amused voice greeted me.
"Why are you calling so late?" I ignored the question.
"I need your help," the person sighed.
I kicked off my shoes, which, in my opinion, were torture devices, and wriggled out of my dress. "What is it Nick?" I asked.
"The guys are mad at me," he said.
"What did you do this time?" I took the t-shirt I liked to sleep in and tried to put it on without putting down the phone.
"They found out that you and I were never really dating and now they're mad at me for lying to them," Nick explained, I could hear the strain in his voice.
"Hmm, I completely forgot about our-AHH!" I yelled as I got tangled up in my shirt, tripped over my shoes, and went flying onto my bed.
"Are you okay?"
I giggled, finally finding the opening for my head to go through. "Fine, just fighting with my shirt. The shirt won," I told him.
Nick laughed, "You weirdo."
"It works for me. Now, as I was saying," I settled comfortably on my bed. "I completely forgot about our deal that we had. I think we may just have gotten ourselves into a bigger mess that it started out as."
"How so?"
"Well think about it. What would happen if some reporter sees Brad and me together and takes a picture? If your fans didn't kill me the first time, they will then. Especially when everyone thinks that you and I are dating. If a picture of Brad and me gets into the papers, it will look like I'm cheating on you again and it won't be so easy to explain this time since we did say that we're dating."
I heard Nick sigh heavily. "So what do we do?"
"I have no idea," I shook my head.
"Okay, but what do I do about the guys?"
"Give them a couple of days to cool off. You all love each other and I'm sure that they realize it was an accident. They just need some time to get over the fact that you did lie to them, accidental or not, it was still a lie."
"I guess. Hey, are you sleepy?" Nick asked suddenly.
"Nope, why?"
"You wanna watch some videos or something? Cause I'm bored, not sleepy, and want company," he replied.
I laughed. "Sure, but I'm not going to your house because I'm too lazy to get dressed normally again."
"That's fine, I'll come to yours. Do you have any videos at home or do you want me to rent some?"
"Rent some, all I have are stupid movies that I don't even watch."
"Okay, so I'll be there in about twenty minutes."
"Sounds good, oh and Nick?"
"Yeah?"
"Do not rent any horror movies."
"All right, I'll see ya soon."
"Yep, later."


chapter 16 chapter 18