Author’s Note: This story is based on a mass email I received a few months ago. I’m sure that you’ll immediately recognize it if you were, at some point in time, forwarded the said email. As I was reading it, I told myself, this is sooo a Joey story. So, being the loser that I am, took it’s premise, played around with it, tweaked it and work with it, made it more NSYNC, made it more NSYNC fanfic. Credit goes to who ever you are who wrote the original story.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this story are purely for fictional purposes only. It’s neither the author’s nor and especially not Joey’s. Okay? Okay. Again, it’s faniction ladies and gents. Thanks.
20 Questions (Part 2)
“Are you going to ask me about Kristine?”
“I was, well a lot of us where wondering where she is.” She admitted. “And last week when I flew in to Orlando for a photo shoot, I tried calling her but she never returned my call. I figured she was in New York with you but you arrived by yourself last night …“ her voice drifted off when she saw the sudden change in Joey’s mood.
Joey took his time to pour more champagne in his glass, and drank, before he replied. “We broke up.”
“Huh? Since when?” She asked in astonishment.
“Two, three weeks ago?”
“Three weeks? Joe what’s wrong with you? You broke up with Kristine and you never told anyone?”
“Lance knows. But I swore him to secrecy. I just … I wanted to sort things out before…”
“Why? What happened?”
“Irreconcilable differences.”
“What the hell?”
“She wanted to move in with me.”
“Ahh, I see and you are afraid to take that big leap of commitment,” she accused.
“No. Actually it’s the opposite of that. I asked for a commitment.”
“Okay, wait a second,” she held out her index finger. “Now you’re confusing me.”
“When she suggested living together, I said sure when do you want to get married?”
“You proposed?
He nodded.
“Wow,” she said in disbelief. “Wait,” she said moments later when the idea hit her. “She said no?”
Again all Joey did was nod and sighed. “She said it’s not her thing.”
“Marriage?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, maybe she’s just not ready for it that’s why she suggested the living together thing.”
“It's just that, it's not my thing.”
“Huh?” She asked in confusion. “What’s not your thing?”
“Promise me you won’t laugh?”
“Try and enlighten me first, before I can decide if I should laugh or not.”
“I don’t believe in living together.”
“Hold on,” this time she raised her hand at him. “Are you telling me that while you smugly go about telling me about being a player, about sleeping around with fans and how you are only human, but you don’t believe in living together without marriage?”
He nodded, taking a nibble off his thumbnail.
“Well shit, Joe. That’s the most fucked up crap I’ve ever heard.”
Joey sighed, his mind racing, trying to figure out how to explain everything to Ella in a way that she would understand. “Okay, look, check this out. You do know that I might as well be the most carefree, sometimes irresponsible, usually reckless, and impulsive person you know right?”
Ella simply raised a brow. Though Joey pretty much nailed his description of himself, she still couldn't figure out where he was going with it.
“Right?” He asked again when he didn’t get any response from her.
“Okay, yes.” She rolled her eyes.
“But despite that, you know that I don’t judge anybody as long as they aren’t stepping on anyone’s toes, right?”
“Okay, yes again. Joe, would you quit it with the washing of hands and just say it. Geesh, I’m not going to crucify you or anything. Laugh at you maybe, but come on already.”
“Fine,” he raised both his hand up in the air, avoiding her gaze, as he wasn’t sure of her reaction to what he was about to say. “I’m just saying, that well, I’m not judging or condemning anyone who doesn’t believe in it and at the same time I hope no one judges or condemns me because I believe in it.” He paused to see her reaction but couldn't really tell. All he knew was she was staring at him, and he was sure that her mind was probably running a mile a millisecond. “I was just brought up to believe that marriage is sacred.”
“And?” Ella had to prod.
“Well, living together would scar the sanctity of marriage.”
She threw him a wry look. “Joey, last I checked according to the church, sleeping around before marriage, I think it’s what they call premarital sex, would also scar the sanctity of marriage.” She said with sarcasm.
“I’m not talking about religion here, Ella. I’m talking about my own stance.”
“Are you serious?” She asked incredulously. She has to admit that she wasn’t expecting this from Joey and she wasn’t sure if she was going to actually laugh at him or admire him for his stance.
He finished his drink first before he responded with a nod. “For me sex is more of a primal need, a primal instinct.
“Because you’re only human, is that it?”
“Yes. Yes. It’s secular rather than ecclesiastical.”
“Fuck Joey! What are you talking about? Secular? And what’s the other word? Ekle… what? Are you already drunk? Because shit Joe, you’re spitting out words-of-the-day here.”
Joey sighed. “Ecclesiastical, it means …” He frowned when he saw the obvious disbelief in her face. “Look, Ella, my reasoning may be screwed up...”
“Damn straight, it is!” She interrupted.
Joey sighed. “But that’s how it is for me. Marriage is not something that you do on a trial basis. If you want a practice mode, then that’s what being boyfriends and girlfriends are for. But once you are married, you’re married. It’s a leap of faith. You take a vow with the person you love, for better or for worst, in sickness and in health not knowing if it’s going to be better or worst or sickness or health. “
They were silent for a while with Joey trying to collect himself and Ella, trying to absorb and understand Joey’s so called stance.
“Dang, Joe...” Ella was the one who broke the awkward silence.
“What?” He asked curiously, half scared of what she thought.
“I just...“ She paused as she slowly shook her head. “Man, either you’re already drunk for blabbing such cerebral crap on me or I’m already drunk for letting you blab your crap on me and actually understanding it.”
Joey laughed nervously. “Is that good or is that bad?”
“I dunno,” she shook her head, actually looking confused. “Like I said, it’s all screwed up but somehow I get it.”
Joey smiled, relieved with her reaction. “Ironic isn’t it? Single and ready to mingle Joey believes in the sappy stuff. But that’s how it is for me. Kinda like my mom and dad, ‘ya know. Through thick and thin.”
“Definitely sappy,” she agreed. “But hey, wait. What about Kristine? How is she?”
“Pissed,” he sighed. That was why Joey was thankful for Justin’s birthday bash getaway; because it literally became his get away from the hoopla he created for himself.
“I can only imagine.”
Finishing his drink, he shrugged then sighed heavily again. “She doesn’t get it. She thinks I’m making it up as an excuse because I'm afraid of the commitment. I mean, I did ask her to marry me for Christ’s sake!”
“But did you mean it?”
Joey was silent for a second and then shrugged. “She wanted a commitment; I offered to give it to her.”
“You didn’t answer my question,” she reminded him, reaching for the champagne bottle to refill Joey’s glass once more. “How about this: what if she said yes?”
“Well, she didn’t.”
”Joe, your proposal probably took her by surprise. I mean living together is a big deal as it is let lone marriage. Maybe she’s just not ready for that yet.”
“She won’t be ready ever.” He said with a heavy heart.
“What are you talking about?”
“She’s … she said...” he sighed. “I already told you. She said that marriage is not her thing.”
“Yet. Right?”
He shook his head. “No. Ever.”
“Oh,” that fact quieted her. “I’m sorry,” was all she could think of saying.
“Don’t be,” he shook his head. Joey gave his trademark it’s-all-good shrug; though his smile did nothing to disguise the hurt he felt inside. “At least, I found out before I started planning the wedding.”
Ella patted Joey’s thigh encouragingly.
”I want the whole nine yards, Elle. And knowing that she doesn’t want it …” his voice trailed off, pain enveloping his broken heart once more.
Ella couldn’t help herself, putting down her glass; she slid right next to Joey and took his hand. All she wanted that very moment was to comfort him. She pulled him to her, allowing him to rest his head on her shoulder. A good minute passed before Ella could think of something to say. “Hey, you know what I also think?”
“What?” He finally opened his eyes, closing them earlier and enjoyed the comfort and warmth his friend offered.
“I’m thinking,” she paused; hoping that what she was about to try would console him even just a little bit. “Here lies the real reason for all those women, Joe.”
“Huh? I already explained that to you.”
“Yeah, but check this out. Maybe you’re player tendencies are actually a result of your subconscious looking for that person who’s willing to do forever with you.”
“Oh, shut up!” He picked up a paper napkin, balling it before he threw it at her.
“Hey!” Ella picked up the same napkin and threw it back at Joey. “I listen to you yakked about your cracked-up stance...” she raised her hands to make the quotation marks gestured with his fingers. “On marriage and living together and sex but I say one logical thing and you tell me to shut up?”
Because he promised himself that he wouldn’t think about his situation with Kristine that weekend, he tried with all his might to push all his thoughts and feelings about his ex-girlfriend aside and gave his full attention to his friend Ella. He gave her an amused smile, loving the way she was getting all worked out. There was no way he was going to admit that he thought she was right. “What are you going to do? Walk out on me? You know you can’t do that or you’ll be signing a ten thousand dollar check to Justin Timberlake.”
Ella pouted as she folded her arms to her chest. There were three rules to their long-standing tradition. First, you accept who ever you get as your poker partner. Second, you loose the poker game, you and your partner goes directly to the 24-hour room. Third, should you decide not to finish the 24 hour provision, your get out of jail card will cost you ten thousand dollars, payable to the one and only Justin Timberlake. “You and your stupid game!” She scowled before picking up her glass and emptying it.
“Speaking of games, are we still doing this or what?”
She grabbed the champagne bottle carelessly and filled her flute once more. “Like I have a choice.”
“Actually you do. As a matter of fact you can...”
“Quit with the babble Joe and just ask me a question.” She interrupted.
He couldn't resist reaching over to pinch her playfully on the cheeks.
“Ouch!” She slapped his hands away.
This time Joey laughed. “Ready?” He asked.
She nodded. “How many questions have we asked so far?”
“A lot,” Joey replied. “But technically, this would be my seventh.”
“So this is the lucky thirteenth q, right?”
Joe nodded. “So, since you asked me, I’m going to ask you too. Why did you break up with Jason? And before you complain again, you asked where Kristine was and not why I broke up with her. “
Ella smiled and was quiet for a moment. “You can say that I have an irony of my own.”
“Do tell,” he raised his glass.
“We broke up because of sex.”
“Sex?” An eyebrow instantly arched.
“Or the lack there of.”
Joey frowned. “Exactly what do you mean by that, E?”
"Guess, it's my turn to go sappy on you," she sighed, drinking her champagne.
"You're the romantic-comedy movie lady; you have all the right to be sappy." Joey encouraged her.
She hesitated for a second but continued on. “I was looking for the magic."
“What magic?”
“The one I lost on prom night.”
“Your virginity?” He teased.
“No you idiot!” She sneered. “Real magic. You know,” she shrugged once more becoming reluctant to continue and risk sounding corny. “True love.”
“And you insult me when I told you that I believed in the sanctity of marriage.” He laughed.
She grunted. “Okay, next question. My turn.” She quipped.
“No wait!” He frowned. “I thought you guys were serious?”
She took a few more sips before she decided to continue. "We were. As a matter of fact, he was the first serious relationship after a very long time.”
“So what happened?”
“You know, it just hit me right now that we actually have a lot of things in common.”
“What do you mean?”
”Well, for one thing, it’s no secret how like you, I too went on a maniacal dating rampage, making those people in the National Inquiring pretty busy.”
“But wasn’t that before we met you? I specifically remembered you telling us that you were on a sabbatical.”
“I did, didn’t I?” She gave a light laugh. She ran her fingers to her hair and then licked the sweet taste of the champagne from her lips. “Second thing we both have in common, like you, I too had a wake up call.”
“What do you mean? Did someone claim to have gotten pregnant by you?”
Ella couldn’t help but smile. One thing she loved about Joey was how he could always make her smile or laugh despite any situation. “If that was possible, I’d probably be a she god by now instead of spending the night locked in a hotel room with you.” She teased, knowing that her little insult would offend Joey at all.
“Now, see,” he paused pointing a finger at her. “There you go again with your drive by,” he accused.
This time she laughed. “Joey. Do you want to hear my story or do you want to go on to the next question?”
He rolled his eyes exaggeratedly. “Fine, fine. Go ahead.”
“Okay,” she took a deep breath. “Serious now,” she inhaled again. “Okay, so as I was saying that it’s a well known fact that I am or was, although no one dared calling me one, a player. My reasons like I said was I was looking for the magic. Sappy I know but I guess being in this business, despite all the people a round me, most of the time I still feel alone. I don’t know when someone is a friend because I’m Ella Stiles the actress or because I’m Ella Stiles the person. I guess you could say that I’m just afraid to be alone.”
Joey sensed the earnestness in her voice that he just kept quiet, allowing her to continue.
“Anyways, one day I just realized it’s just not working at all. That getting in and out of a relationship faster that a speeding bullet is not actually the answer, because despite all the men, Joey, I still felt alone most of the time. So I decided to take a step back, figure things out, find out what I really want.”
“Did you?”
”Yes,” she nodded; finally drinking the contents of the glass she’s been nursing for a while. “I really wanted the magic. And I thought since what I did before wasn’t working, maybe I should try a different approach. So I told myself, maybe this time I should hold out till I really think that the guy was worth it. So, like I told you guys, I went on a sabbatical,” she paused to smile at herself and then finished her drink. “And then I met Jason.”
“If you thought that he was the worth it guy, then why did you break-up?”
“I made a decision that I wouldn’t make the same mistakes I did before so I thought that I’d make this relationship special. I talked with Jason about it and he was fine with it in the beginning.”
“Which is what?”
She was quiet for a second; thinking twice is she would share something too intimate with Joey. Then once more she met his eyes, no longer teasing this time but rather reassuring. “Of all the boyfriends I had… we … Jason and I… we don’t … we haven’t had sex.” She finally confessed.
“As in nothing?” Joey couldn’t believe it.
She nodded. “We would kiss, make out a little … but that’s it.”
“Damn.”
She sighed this time. “I explained it to him as soon as I agreed to date him why this meant so much to me and he said he understands but…”
“How long have you been dating?”
“Seven months.”
“Damn,” he said this time with an incredulous tone.
“Joey!” She whined at his reaction, giving his knee a push.
“What? I’m just saying E, I mean seven months? Man!”
“Yes, exactly! You are such a man!” She rolled her eyes as she sighed before reaching for the open bottle of Cristal. “No one dies from not having sex, Joe.” She replied sarcastically, pouring herself some more champagne.
Joey laughed again. “Yeah, but they could go crazy.”
Her jaw dropped, not really knowing if she should laugh or hit her friend upside his head. “Maybe we should stop?”
Joey frowned this time, realizing his mistake. “Come on, Elle, I’m sorry, go ahead.”
Taking a sip from her glass, she nodded. “Or maybe not.”
”Look I’m sorry, promise I will keep my mouth shut.” He swore as he pretended to zip his mouth close.
She took another sip of champagne, allowed it to play in her mouth as she decided whether to continue of not. “Fine,” she surrendered, sooner or later they would find out about it anyways. “As I was saying earlier, I made a decision that I’d be abstaining from sex for awhile. Maybe this way, we could invest emotionally first and when the right time comes, when we really truly care for each other, when we’re at that point that we are actually falling in love, then we’ll make love in the real sense of the word.”
“Man,” Joey blew out air from his mouth. “And here I thought I’m the king of sap. You’re as fucked up as I am.” Joey shook his head.
“Did you just insult me, Joe?” She demanded.
“As a matter of fact, I did,” he admitted proudly, raising his glass.
She made at face at him just as she threw a few chips at him.
“Hey!” Joey complained. “We’re the king and queen of sap. No wonder we’re both in here.”
“What are you talking about?”
”Fate is punishing us for our screwed up crap.”
“You think?”
“Like I said karma.”
“But I don’t think there’s nothing wrong with wanting to actually know how it feels to make love.”
Joey gave her an incredulous look. “Okay, that’s it. I’m confiscating your glass,” he declared, attempting to take the champagne glass from her.
“Hey,” Emma complained, spilling some champagne on her shirt in her attempt to keep her glass.
“Are you hearing yourself, Emma? You are sounding like some chick in them romance novels. I mean, not even you say what you just said in all of your romance, slash, comedy, slash, love story, slash, mushy movies.” Joey said almost in disgust. “You are drunk, woman.”
“I am not,” she insisted, finishing her champagne to make a point. “Tell me Joe; is there really anything wrong with wanting to be in love?”
He wasn’t even sure if he wanted to answer that question because clearly, his friend was already drunk, but when he saw the pleading look in her eyes, he sighed. “No.” He shook his head. “As Michael Bolton says, love is a wonderful thang,” he raised his glass smiling, his eyes held her gaze.
She felt a tingling sensation when her eyes met his but attributed to the alcohol she has been consuming all night. She wanted to look away, but she couldn’t. His eyes. They have been friends for quite sometime but it was only now that she realized how soulful Joey’s eyes were, how looking into them makes one simply want melt.
“It’s your turn, hun.”
“What?” Joey’s voice brought her back from where ever her thought went. Maybe Joey’s right, I’m drunk and I should stop drinking, she thought to herself, instantly placing her glass on the table.
“I’m waiting for your fourteenth question.”
“Ohh …” she knew she blushed but with the wine and all, her cheeks were already warm and red as it is. “Okay, uhm …” she picked up the champagne bottle and filled her glass once more while thinking of a question. “Well, I’m not sure if you want to answer this after what happened with you and Kristine but…” she hesitantly began.
“No, go ahead.” Joey prodded with a nod.
“In line with my sappy break down earlier, how do you know when you’re in love?”
“How?” He scratched his chin and actually pondered on her question. “Geesh, Ella, I don’t think there’s an actual formula to that.”
“But was there a sign that actually told you that that was it?”
“It was really different each time. Like with Kristine,” he paused not even knowing that he smiled. “It’s funny, really.”
“What?”
”Corny actually. The guys gave me grief on this when I mentioned it to them. “
“What is it?”
“I heard bells.”
“No shit?” She gave him a skeptical look.
“As in the Beatles song.” When all he got was a skeptical stare from his friend, he continued. “Seriously. It was a Sunday. We just came from my parents’ home for brunch, we decided to go to Lake Eola for a while and just hang out. I don’t even remember what we were laughing about but … I don’t know … our eyes met … and I saw something … something I couldn’t explain. All I know was I just needed to kiss her. And I did. And it felt like magic. Then we heard the bells.”
“Figuratively, you mean?”
“Nope,” he smiled. ”As it turns out, we were less than half a mile from St. James Church. So I took that as my sign.”
“The sign that told you that you’re in love.”
“Yup.” He nodded. “I know it sounds sappy and corny, but I guess if you’re the one feeling it, it’s not. “
Ella will smile but will take a few moments before she spoke again. “You really do love her, huh?”
He nodded. “I did.”
“Did? As in past tense? Are you telling me you’re over her?”
“No,” he insisted. “But a lot has change, Ella. I love her but … being in love doesn’t only look at the present, Ella. Being in love entails looking at the future. I heard this saying once, uhmmm, it goes something like, ‘love is holding hands and looking at the same direction’. Or something like that. And that’s so true. If the two of you aren’t looking and going at the same direction then what’s the point, right? I love Kristine, but if we don’t share the same ideas about the future then we are not meant to be.
“Wow.”
“What?”
“Seriously I didn’t peg you to be the romantic one.”
“I’m Italian. I was born a romantic. It’s in the genes.”
She chuckled at his attempt to be cute. “Really now?”
Joey winked at her playfully as if he just didn’t pour his heart out a moment ago. “Okay my turn to ask.”
“This how many now? “
“Fifteen.”
“Cool. Go for it.”
Joey took a deep breath and then looked at her intently. He’s been meaning to ask his question the moment she mentioned it. “You kept talking about your wake up call. Since I already told you mine, would you mind telling me yours?”
She was quiet for a long time. Her brain and her heart were debating whether to tell him or not. She was afraid of how he would react if she told him and for some reason still unbeknownst to her, it mattered a lot what Joey thought of her.
“No one knows about this, Joey,” she finally spoke, almost in a whisper.
Silence followed again.
“You trust me, right?” He heard himself ask. Ella turned to face him and when their eyes met, he realized how hard his question was for her that he was now having second thoughts.
“I do.” She nodded timidly, looking away from him.
“Look, Ella, you don’t have to tell me. I’m sorry.”
“No, its fine,” she made her decision. She knew that she was bound to tell someone sooner or later. And at that moment, she felt safe to tell it to Joey. “I just … I need more champagne.”
“Are you sure?” He asked her again.
She nodded. “Yes.”
Joey carefully poured Cristal in her glass. “Take your time. We have the whole night. And remember, you can choose not to answer it. I can just change the question to “ what’s your favorite *NSYNC song instead,” he offered.
Ella took her wine glass and emptied it, as if gathering up her courage from the alcohol. “Here and Now.” She said while she refilled her glass.
“Here and now what?”
“My favorite *NSYNC song. Here and Now.” She took another sip off her glass.
“Really? Wow. I’m amazed you even know that song.”
“When I got the gig for you video, I did a research on you guys. I listened to your songs, read stuff that was available, went to a lot of website about you guys. And, as a side note, where I discovered fanfic and eventually, slash.” She babbles when she’s nervous. She babbles when she was buying time.
“Slash?”
“Slash, the one I told you about earlier. Stories written about you guys that is of the romantic …”
“Okay, okay … I remember … and God, I would really want to forget. Let’s go Ella, get off it.
She laughed despite her nervousness. “Okay well, as I was saying, I was trying to get ready for you guys and this was during the peak of Napster and I guess I downloaded every song I saw on line that weren’t on your CDs.”
“Ohhh … you did Napster. Wait till JC hears about this.” Joey teased.
She made a face knowing JC’s stand about illegal downloads via the internet. “I know so just be shhh about it. I mean if it weren’t for Napster I wouldn’t have discovered the song. I love it.
“Are you serious?”
“Cross my heart.” She swore, her finger drawing a cross to her heart.
“Wow.”
“What?”
“I … well I’ve always pictured you as a rock and roll girl, you know. Never sappy. Guess despite knowing you for so many years, there are still a lot of thinks I don’t know about you.”
“How about I tell you something that can finally tell you who I really am?”
“Ella, I said its fine. You don’t have to. You already answered my question about your favorite *NSYNC song.”
But she wasn’t listening. Taking a deep breath she began her story. “I was doing the movie This Girl with Zach Moore and at that time I was dating Nick Armstrong…” her voice faded. “Joey, promise me that whatever I’m about to tell you wont leave this room. It’s just between you and me okay? If this goes out, I will hunt you to your grave and then dig you up just so I can kill you again.” She threatened.
“I told you, E; you don’t have to tell me.”
“But I want to Joe. I need to. I’ve been keeping this all to myself for so long, I just … I need to tell someone, please.”
Her eyes were pleading. Her eyes were moist and it scared Joey. Taking her hand he gave her a tight nod and said, “Go ahead.”
“Only one other person knows about this and she probably forgot about it already.”
“Zach?”
She shook her head.
“Nick?”
She shook her head once more. “Nick was in New Zealand on location during that time and well, I got lonely and something happened between Zach and me while filming.”
“And...?”
Elle forced herself to finish her drink, despite the unsteadiness she was now feeling. “Uhm...I...uhm...I got pregnant.”
“What?” Joey nearly dropped the glass he was holding.
It was the first time she said it out loud since it happened and she didn’t even know if what she felt was relief or something else. She poured more champagne into her glass, and then tried to suppress the bout of tears pooling in her eyes with the alcohol. “I didn’t even notice until I realized that I missed my period the second month. “I uhm...shit. I took an EPT test and I got two fucking pink lines. And to make things worst, Nick found out about Zach. I didn’t even bother to explain myself because, shit Joe, what else could I say? I...uhm...I was afraid and uhm...” her tears drowned her voice.
“It's okay...”
But she was determined to finish her story despite her tears. “I uhm...I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t tell Zach because I know he wouldn’t believe that the baby was his, and of course I couldn’t tell Nick because it was adding insult to injury. He would have hated me, if I told him. I couldn’t tell my manager because he will fucking kill me and I couldn’t tell my parents because I can only imagine what it would do to them. Shit… shit… shit!” She exploded in tears, burying her face in her hands.
Joey pulled her to his side, wrapping a consoling arm around her. “Ssshhh...you don't have to tell me this if it upsets you...”
Elle stubbornly ignored him as well as the uncontrollable tears falling from her eyes. “I felt so lost. So alone. I was afraid that it was the end of me, you know. If the news comes out I was pregnant, I know for a fact that I will be hurting my career, I will be hurting Zack and Nick and their career. I will be hurting my management, and I will be hurting my parents. So I did what I thought was right at that time …” her voice trailed off, trying to gather up the strength to say what she was about to reveal. “And so I went to a clinic...” she was no longer fighting her tears, in fact, she allowed herself to wail in pain, letting all her pent up emotions come out. “I didn't mean to, Joe. Please believe me when I tell you now that I didn’t mean to. I wasn't myself then. And I felt so afraid. So alone...”
“Elle, ssshhh...I’m so sorry you had to go through that alone. I’m so sorry.” He just took her in his arms, enveloping her with his comfort, his warmth, hoping that it would help her ease even a little bit of the pain she felt.
Joey held her as she cried. Joey consoled her with his embrace. Joey soothed her with his voice. Ella didn’t feel a single ounce of scorn, of disrespect from him. Despite her confession, he didn’t judge her; instead, he gave her solace. Joey didn’t know how much it meant to her.
“I’m going to get some water for you, okay?” He finally said when he was sure she wasn’t going to burst in tears anymore.
She nodded, wiping the trail of tears on her cheeks with the back of her hand.
Joey carefully releases her and instantly, she felt cold. Shivering, she looked up at her friend. “Thanks, Joe,” she whispered bashfully.
Joey smiled, touching her face to wipe away the tears she missed, before he walked over to the kitchenette to get her a glass of water.
She shivered at his touch, it confused her but dismissed it as an emotional aftermath what with what just happened plus of course the two bottles of Cristal they had consumed.
“Here,” he said, sitting next to her.
“Thanks,” She timidly smiled, accepting the glass and taking a sip from it.
They will be silent for a long time again, with Elle, in Joey’s arms, resting her head on his shoulders.
“Want to call it a night and hit the sack?” He suggested later.
“We haven’t finished our game yet,” she replied, surprising Joey.
“Well, I figured, after …”
She shook her head. “We have five more questions to go . And I believe it’s my turn.”
“Okay, go ahead.” Joey figured that finishing this game was her way of getting over what had just happened.
“If we were...if we were the last two people on earth, would you consider doing it with me?”
“Doing what?”
“You know…”
“What?” He would teasingly smile down at her, admiring how she could bounce to a different mood after what had just happened. Maybe that was one of the reasons why she was a very good actress.
“Fucker,” she smiled.
Joey grins this time, relieved to see her smiling again.
“So would you?”
“Why not?” He shrugged playfully.
“Well that’s good to know.”
“Really?”
“Really.” She nodded with a satisfied smile. “Your turn.”
“If you could be something else, what would you be?”
“A thing? Not a person?”
“Yup,” he nodded, eyeing the glass of champagne the table, but eventually decided against it. He needed to stay sane that night, for their own good. Their closeness was stirring something inside him that he knew was far too dangerous to even consider, especially at that moment of vulnerability.
“I dunno...maybe a violin...yeah. A violin.”
“Why?”
Licking her dry lips, she continued to give Joey a peek of who she really was. “I always saw the relationship of a violin and its player as very intimate. When I watch and listen to a violinist, what I see and what I hear is he strokes the soul of the instrument while the instrument penetrates his soul. It’s as if they’re making love. Very intimate, very sublime. There’s sincerity because without it there wouldn’t be any music. The violin surrenders her body to her player, her whole body and her whole soul, in full trust. I want to be a violin. I want to be stroked in the soul. I want to make sincere music. I want to experience the sound of love.”
“Wow that was deep.” Joey would say moments later, breaking the silence.
“Have I ever told you that when you sing, your voice reminds me of a violin?”
He nervously looks down at her, not knowing what to say.
“You have a very beautiful voice Joey,” she said as their eyes met.
“Uhm, thank you,” he replied bashfully, not knowing he was blushing. “It’s uhm… your turn.”
She nodded. “Let say you fell in love with a girl and I mean really hard like a big thud and then you find out that she…” she pauses in hesitation. “That she did the same thing I did… would you still love her in spite of? Will you still marry her despite of? Especially with you fucked up stance regarding marriage?”
“Does the girl love me too?”
“Yes.”
“Is she willing to do forever with me?”
She couldn’t help but smile and couldn’t understand why she blushed and suddenly felt warm and fuzzy, despite feeling numb from all the Cristal she had consumed.
“Yes. In fact that’s all she ever wanted.”
“Then yes.” He said.
Ella saw the sincerity in his eyes.
Again they will be quite for awhile until Joey spoke. “I'm into my last question.”
Ella lifted herself from the comfort of Joey’s arms and sat up. “Better make it good then.”
“If you were again to be the next victim of this tradition, if you were to be locked up in a room like this again, who would you want the next guy to be?”
“I guess anyone as long as it’s not Justin.”
“Justin? Why?”
“That boy is too whinny for his own good, I swear, I will end up killing him even before the twenty-four hours is up.”
Joey chuckled, shaking his head. “Seriously, Elle. Come on.”
She unconsciously bit her lower lip as she pondered on Joey’s question. Who? “I want someone whom I could talk to and at the same time understand. Listen to what I have to say without judging me no matter how shocking or immoral or wrong. I want the violin player who'd stroke my strings…” her voice trailed and was quiet for a moment. “Sorry,” she apologized. “I think I had enough of Cristal. I’m babbling.”
All Joey would do was look at her. Admiringly. God she was beautiful.
Ella looked away. For some strange reason, after knowing Joey for so long, that night, she became conscious of his eyes, aware of what his gaze does to her.
“Elle?” Joey said her name cautiously.
Hesitantly, she looked up and the moment their eyes met, all she wanted to do was melt in his arms. “God, you have no idea just much I want to kiss you,” she jumped away from him the moment she realized what she said. “I can't believe I just said that,” she said embarrassed and at the same time confused and terrified of the emotions enveloping her. “I’m sorry.”
Joey grabbed her by her wrist when she tried to leave. “Elle,” he whispered his voice sounding like a violin to her ears.
Their eyes met again and Elle knew there was no escape. “Don't you want to kiss me?”
To her surprise, Joey smiled. “Is that your last question?”
Before Ella could reply, they both heard a distant chiming of bells. They didn’t know it but it was coming from beach where Justin was throwing another party. A live band was playing and he decided to join them, picking up a tambourine made out of tiny bells.
She wouldn’t believe it if she didn’t hear it herself. Bells.
Bells!
Ella smiled. She has finally found the magic. “Yes.”
The End
c. 012505 joone
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