Who am I to Say [7]

Selena tapped her finger as she waited for her drink. Then someone poked her from the back. "Still no sign of Joe?" Nick asked worriedly.
"It is as if he never existed. No text messages nor phone calls."
Nick gave her a confused look. "Are you guys even together? Coz a normal boyfriend would tell his girlfriend if he cannot go to a party with her."
"Yep. A normal one. Joe is just not that normal." She shrugged him off as she adjusted her outfit.
"So, Pocahontas...can I be your John Smith for tonight instead of Mr. Invisible?"
"Psssh. Why are you dressed like that?"
"I'm Jack Sparrow but John Smith sounds stupendous." He smirked.
"Nick Jonas, when did you get so adorable?" She slapped him playfully.
"Err. Since forever?" He teased back.
"Yeah, right. And I'm ugly since forever too."
"Your words really hurt, Selena Gomez."
"Very well." She drank the wine with difficulty as Nick watched her. He looked away the moment she looked his way and saw Joe running to them. "Looks like he's not that invisible at all."
"What?" She asked with no clue at all. He pointed at Joe as he approched them.
"Bee!" Joe exclaimed before he hugged her just too tight.
Selena pushed him away and studied him. "Explain now."
"Okay. I was totally excited about this and all then Chelsea called that she needed a date at an exclusive party. You know I can't say no to her. I planned to be there for only an hour then I totally lost track of time. I just ran away from that party and got dressed in my truck. And now, I'm here...panting and explaining everything to you." Then he flashed a puppy dog's face.
"Just like that?"
"Yep. Just like that."
"You ditched me for that blonde?"
"Bee, you have to understand."
"You know what? Just drink here with your brother." She jumped off the chair. "See you later, Nick." Then walked away from them.
"What is wrong with her?" Joe asked Nick as he watched her figure fade off.
"Try waiting for your date for 3 hours on a party and you'll know what's wrong with her. Good Luck with that."
"3 hours? I've been late for 3 hours?"
"I think I just said that."
"But when we have parties, it's fine with her if I'm late for 5 hours but now..."
"Joe, this time you are her date. She was expecting you to pick her up then you called me to do such thing. I mean, no boyfriend does that. You guys are together now."
"Ohh. Well, I think I'll go talk to her. Thanks, bro." He patted his back before taking the steps toward Selena's direction. He walked past through the party people, searching for the familiar face he's grown with for the past years. He found the figure he used to wrestle with at the back porch all alone. He took the steps with a gulp. She turned around to see him looking through her.
"Bee, I'm really sorry."
"Yup. That fixes everything."
"What do you want me to do? That is the least and most that I can do!"
"Oh. Now, it's my fault? You're the one shouting now?"
"I'm sorry. It's just that you're messing my thoughts up."
"Go figure yourself, Joe. I don't even know you right now." She walked past through him but he caught her arm.
"Selena, we're not even together in reality so why are you making such a big deal out of this?"
"So, that's the thing right? I'm not your girlfriend. That's why you're playing with me."
"No. That's not what I meant. We agreed to pretend but we also agreed not to interfere when it comes to the dating side."
"Fine. I will not interfere but you ditched me. You offered to pick me up then Nick comes running to me, making excuses for you. I'm not stupid, Joe. I know you intended to be late for 3 hours. You went here after the exclusive part ended. It's frigging 11:30 pm!"
"Bee..."
"Don't you call me that. I told you I don't even know you right now! Try waiting here for your date with everyone looking at you, feeling sorry for you, whispering to each other how merciful you are being all alone at the bar drinking yourself out!"
"They did that to you? Who are they?"
"It's not even important."
"No. I'm not the perfect boyfriend but when someone does that to my best friend, I'm going to do something."
"Just stop. Let's stop this right now."
"What do you mean?"
"The pretending. I can't do it anymore. I don't want to ruin our friendship over fights like this."
"But...what about our friends? What are they gonna say?"
"I don't know. I don't even care."
"How about for a month?"
"Huh?"
"Let's make this last for a month. I mean, they're all gonna think why we lasted for only a day."
"But..."
"Bee..."
"Fine. No dates anymore."
"Thanks." He paused as he heard her ring tone. "Look,your phone is ringing."
"Excuse me." She turned away as she answered the phone. "Nick? Yeah? First dance? You'll be too lucky to get mine. Fine. I'll get there in a moment. see you.." She turned to Joe with a smile.
"Was that Nick?"
"Yep. He wants to be my first dance for tonight."
"You haven't danced tonight?"
"Nope. Not yet anyway. Well, I gotta go. He's waiting for me and he's pretty stoked." As she was just about to turn, he held her hand.
"Don't. Please don't."
"What? You've got to let go, Joe. Nick is waiting for me. The sweet song is gonna end real soon."
"How do you know?"
"He told me so. I'll talk to you after."
"I wanna talk now."
"Joe, don't be such a baby."
"I want you to dance with me."
"You're crazy."
"I'm your date after all."
"Since when? 5 minutes ago? Nick stayed with me tonight."
"I've been with you through the years. I'm your Bay. Or did someone replace me now?"
"No. It's just that..."
He placed her arms around his neck as he placed his around her waist.
"We can't even hear the music from here."
"I hope it's fine to dance with no music playing." He smiled that familiar smile she's seen.
"I hate how you make everything fine for me." She smiled back as she leaned her head on his chest and danced with him.
"Wanna know something?"
"What?"
"I've missed you already on the 5 minutes that we were fighting. As I was watching you shout to me and about to dance with Nick, I knew I had to get you back. At those 5 minutes, I was losing you and I cannot deal with that. Can you believe that? I can't even imagine being without you."
"You do have nice words."
"I'm serious here, you know."
"I know. It's just queer."
"I've always been weird."
"Good thing you know that. I sometimes wonder how we became best friends."
"Really? You wonder about that? But me, I wonder in a different way."
"In what way?"
"I wonder how I never got you as my girlfriend."
"Hey, I am your girl friend."
"I mean...a real one. Like we are in love."
"Joe..."
"I know. Past is past. I thought it's the end of everything when the girl I'm in love with broke my heart but then she became my best friend. I'm not sure which is better. Being lovers to friends or being friends to lovers?"
"Stop that. You know I love you." She looked up. "You're the best thing that happened to me. You're the best friend I've ever had."
"You're the only good thing that has happened to me. And I love you too."
"Then why haven't you kissed me yet? Isn't a dance supposed to end with that?"
"Really?I didn't know that."
"Of course I'm just kidding."
"But we can make it real, right?"
"What?" She asked as his face came closer only to rub his nose to hers. She giggled. "What's up with the rubbing noses?"
"I think it's cute."
"And you're being cute right now."
"Anything to rub noses with you, Bee."
"Fine. Just don't sneeze at me." She warned just before he did so. "Eww."
"I'm sorry. You know what? I have something for you in the truck. It's something you can put your things into...like a small sack."
"You mean, like a bag?"
"Oh, yes...that!" He grinned as he tightened his grip on her and kissed her forehead.