Chapter Five;

Despite the conflict between Kevin and Stephanie, the show that night was amazing. The crowd was absolutely incredible, and the boys played an awesome show. Back on the bus, everyone seemed worn out. Joe and Nick went straight to bed, followed quickly by Catherine, who was giggling because she gave Frankie a Mt. Dew, on accident. Frankie had gotten tired halfway through the concert, and said he didn't want to fall asleep, so Catherine gave him a sip of her Mt. Dew so he could stay awake to watch his big brothers. Well, a sip turned into a drink or two, turned into half of the drink, turned into Cat just gave him that one and got another one. BIG MISTAKE. Here it is one a.m., and Frankie is still hyper and doesn't want to go to sleep, so Denise and Kevin had to take care of him, trying to get him to at least lay down and be quiet. Stephanie was the last one to go to bed, but no one seemed the notice. She had been quiet all night, and the fact that everyone seemed to be walking on eggshells around her didn't go unnoticed. She felt they all sided with Kevin -- just like her dream. It's not even like they were fighting anymore, he just didn't talk to her at all. In some ways she liked this more, it was easier to hate him. But other parts of her missed how he was so nice to her. He gave up his coffee for her, gave up his time with his brother to include her, little things like that. She realized hating him was wrong, she just didn't get him. He still confused her to no avail. As she climbed into her bunk, carefully, as to not hit her head, she noticed he was up playing his guitar softly, again. She had gotten used to the sound; Kevin always played his guitar before he went to sleep. It became, sort of, like a lullaby to her. He never sang, just strummed chords until he himself became tired. She looked down from her bunk, grabbing his attention. A simple smile was all she offered, but it sufficed, and a toothy grin was given back to her. Feeling a little bit better, Stephanie laid her head on her pillow and drifted off to sleep, Kevin playing her lullaby. After only a few hours, Stephanie was awoken from her sleep. She was surprised when she could still hear Kevin's soft strumming coming from below her, but with his soft voice with it. Sticking her head over the edge of the bunk, she looked down, one eyebrow raised in confusion. Kevin looked up, laughing as he saw her face. He motioned for her to swing down there and talk to him, and she did just that- awkwardly, I might add. For an instant, both bodies were lost in the moment, just the sound of Kevin's voice in time with his guitar connecting them. After a few minutes, he stopped, and looked at Stephanie. She looked back, then cleared her throat, preparing her mind and mouth.
"You're singing," was all she managed. Kevin smiled, and just shook his head. "Why don't you sing like that every night?" She inquired, noting that she had never heard him sing at night previously.
"Because I know you're listening," he looked down at the scribbled paper in front of him, not looking at her deliberately.
Stephanie's eyes followed Kevin's. "New song?" She asked softly.
"Yeah.." he replied, strumming a few more chords and singing along. "Why do we do this?" He asked, still playing, still looking down at the frayed paper.
This took Stephanie by surprise, and for a minute she couldn't think of what to say. "Do what?" she sighed, and Kevin began again.
"This, fighting, thing. You really don't like me, do you?" He asked her and looked up from his paper.
"No, Kevin, I like you," Stephanie began, but Kevin cut her off.
"No," he started. "You don't," he looked at her with confusion written all over his face.
"I just don't understand you, Paul Kevin Jonas."
"The second," he added with a laugh, but then motioned for Stephanie to continue.
"It's not fair. It's not fair that you get to hang out with your family and never leave and get to stay young forever!" She looked down, unable to face him.
"Is that what you think?" He laughed. "Do you know how much I would kill to be able to go to college? Have friends my own age? Get away for just a second?"
"But you don't, you're lucky, because you have no stress in the world! You don't have to worry about ANYTHING!" She rose her voice, tears filling her eyes.
"You have no idea," he whispered, angering her even more. She began to speak, but Kevin put his fingers up to her mouth, stopping her. "I have to worry every day about my little brother's diabetes, I have to worry about messing up playing in front of thousands of people. I have to worry about still having a close family during this crazyness. I have to worry about what I'll be able to do after this band thing is over. I have to worry about writing new songs that people will like... Shall I continue, there's a lot more," he spat, clearly upset. Tears began to fall down Stephanie's cheek. Kevin reached his hand out to wipe them off, but she quickly took care of that before his hand got close to her face.
"THEN WHY ARE YOU STILL HERE?" She yelled, a little bit louder than she wanted. Lowering her voice and wiping more tears away, she spat, "Why are you still with the band? You're 21, and you don't even get the attention that your little brothers get."
"It's not always about the attention, Stephanie. But I guess you wouldn't understand that, would you?" This pissed Stephanie off, to the point where she didn't even try to wipe away her tears, which were flowing freely down her cheeks. Once again, Kevin reached out to wipe them away, but she pushed his hand away, and climbed back up to her bunk. Kevin put his guitar aside and just thought about what happened. For the first time since she had been on the tour, Stephanie went to sleep without Kevin's lullaby.

The next morning, Stephanie was still furious with Kevin. Catherine awoke Stephanie with a slight shake.
"We're in Oklahoma. The boys are already in sound check," she said softly. Stephanie looked at her, confused as to why she was being so nice. "Kevin told us what happened last night."
Of couse he told them. That boy has no secrets of his own. She thought bitterly. "I HATE HIM!" She said aloud with the same tone as her thoughts.
"Well, Denise thought we could use a break from the bus tonight, so after the concert we're staying in a hotel and leaving tomorrow morning," Cat filled her in as she began to pack a small bag of things she was going to take to the hotel with her. "We're sharing a room, and we're parked in the lot, so I'm gonna go ahead and take my stuff if you wanna join."
"Alright, let me get my stuff," Stephanie rolled out of bed, then grabbed a bag and starting putting her clothes and makeup in it. After collecting all of their things, the girls walked to the hotel and to their room, on the 4th floor. Stephanie was relieved to see her comfy bed in the room. The bunks on the bus were nice, but not as nice as a hotel bed. She wanted to just go to sleep right then and there, but Catherine talked her into going downstairs and back to the bus for some food. Stephanie volunteered to just go get it and bring it back to the room while Cat stayed and found them a movie to watch until they needed to head to the venue.
In the elevator, Stephanie pushed the 1 button, and flinched slightly as it began descending. She started to listen to the elevator music, and dance along. PING! The doors opened on the first floor, and she made her way to the lobby, only to run into....
.... Kevin Jonas.
"Sorry," he said after bumping into her.
"It's whatevs," she started walking away.
"You don't have to be rude," Kevin said, he thought, under his breath, but Stephanie heard it, and turned around sharply.
"Kevin, YOU were the one being rude last night,"
"Well, you're the one who hates me because you're jealous!" he yelled back.
"YOU HAVE EVERYTHING, and it's still not good enough for you!"
"WHY ARE YOU SUCH A HYPOCRITE?!" He asked, throwing his arms up in the air. "You say you're scared to grow up, but you get mad at me for not moving on with my life!"
"You just don't understand," tears began to flow down again, and she ran back to the elevator, pressing all 26 buttons. She sat down, and when the doors opened, she pressed "close doors" quickly, not wanting to deal with anyone. The elevator began to descend again, and the doors opened on the 1st floor to reveal Kevin. Stephanie looked up and quickly reached for her button, but Kevin anticipated this and stepped in before the doors could close.
"I'm sorry," he said. Stephanie pressed the 4th floor button and didn't say anything. "I really am. I shouldn't have said that," he restated as the doors opened and Stephanie walked back to her room.
Stephanie went back to her room and explained the whole thing to Catherine, who really didn't understand. She thought they shouldn't be fighting, along with everyone else, and as Stephanie explained, Cat decided to enroll Nick's help in a plan to force Kevin and Stephanie to work things out. Tonight, at the venue, before the show, her plan would take place...


AT THE VENUE... TWO HOURS BEFORE SHOW STARTS.
"Yo, Kevin.. where are you, dude?" Nick asked around for his older brother.
"Here," Kevin said, emerging from backstage.
"Hey, help me set up the right side mic?" Nick asked.
"Yeah-" Kevin started, but he couldn't finish his sentence for Nick had taken him by the arm and thrown him into a dark closet, and locked the door.
WTF?! Kevin thought, not sure what he was doing in this closet, but he suddenly heard two voices coming down the hallway....

WHILE...
"Hey, Steph, where are you?" Catherine looked around for her best friend, only to find her playing with Frankie.
"Hey, whatcha need?" Stephanie asked, laughing at a joke Frankie told.
"Come with me to the bathroom?" She asked, smiling sweetly.
"Sure, wanna hear a joke?" She asked as they walked towards the bathroom. Catherine nodded, and Stephanie continued. "Why was the policeman in bed?" She asked, then looked in the hallway they had entered. "Hey, this isnt-" she began, only to be cut off as Catherine opened a door and shoved her in, locking it behind her. "HEY! LET ME OUT!" Stephanie yelled and pounded on the door. "I didn't even get to finish my joke," she sighed, but then laughed as she thought about the answer in her head. haha, he was an undercover cop. haha but then she began to wonder where she was. It was dark, and she couldn't find the light switch. She looked around, seeing cleaning supplies. Janitor's closet? She continued looking around, only to see a curly mop in front of her. It startled Stephanie, so she reached out toward it, but it suddenly moved!
"OH MY" she gasped, only to hear the voice of her enemy.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" he asked, outraged. "THAT'S MY HAIR!"
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN HERE?!" Stephanie was freaked out. "Oh, I thought it was a mop."
"You two are going to work things out before the concert. You're not coming out until things are worked out," she heard Cat explain from outside the door. She was unaware Cat was still there, but what was more upsetting was the person she was stuck with now.

VENUE, ONE HOUR BEFORE SHOW STARTS!
An hour later, Kevin and Stephanie were still arguing, about anything and everything. Stephanie was about to pull her hair out, and Kevin was about to help her. He didn't like being mad at someone, but this girl was just so ignorant! Which is exactly what Stephanie thought about Kevin.
"UGHHH. I have to get out of here or I'm gonna kill you," Stephanie came to a conclusion.
"At least we agree on something," Kevin agreed.
"Like how I wanna pull my hair out right now?" Stephanie continued, and Kevin shook his head.
"Or how I wanna punch you?" She continued.
"Okay, that's getting old. Let's just find a way out," Kevin was pacing back in forth in the small closet, looking for a solution.
"Agreed again," Stephanie got out of her sitting position on the floor and looked around for a door or something.
"OHHHH, look!" Kevin pointed to the ceiling, a vent.
"No!" Stephanie argued after following his hand. "I'm not doing it."
"You wanna get out, don't you?" He asked, smiling for the first time since they had been stuck in the closet together.
"Alright, help me up," she commanded, and he did just that, then followed her up into the air duct vent.
Suddenly, the closet door opened, "Hey, are you guys good now?" Cat appeared, but frowned once she saw that there was no one in the room. "Uh oh," she muttered, and then looked at the equally confused Nick.
"We gotta find them," he stated, then ran off to search.