Money, Fame & Love

Chapter One

It was regular summer afternoon. The air was warm and crisp, and the sun beamed down on you wherever you walked. I was on my way to a little vintage cafe down in SoHo to meet up with my best friend Taylor.I walked in and I sat down at a booth towards the back. I had my headphones on in my own zone with my nose in a book. I felt the table move. Just as I had expected, I looked and met the bright baby blue eyes that belonged to Taylor.

"Dude, was all of that table movement necessary?" I asked irritated.

Taylor smirked. "Well you had your headphones on and the world off...so yeah it was."

I rolled my eyes at him and laughed. Taylor and I have been best friends since pre-school. We live in the same neighborhood. Our parents use to try and get us to date each other but Taylor likes guys, so instead of dating each other we just gawk over hot guys together from time to time.

"So are you gonna go get our order or what?" Taylor asked. I was looking through my instagram feed on my phone. "Look I ordered you pay. That's how it works." I replied without looking away from my phone.

Taylor let out a grunt and obediently got up to go pay for our order. He came back with his mocha latte and my cappuccino. Taylor and I always meet at this cafe to catch up and tell each other what we've been up to. It's summer so our schedules are completely different but we still manage to make time for one another.

"So i broke up with Alex." he said sipping his latte.

I looked up from my phone setting it aside "Why?"

"Because he got boring." Taylor whined.

I stared at him blankly. "I thought he was the one you've been waiting for. You guys were totally in love."

"I thought that I loved him but you see what had happened was..." Taylor started.

I sat there listening to his "reasonable" explanation for breaking up with like his fifth boyfriend within the past three months. He went on and on about how Alex was too clingy and he wasn't exciting and wouldn't let Taylor into his world.

I was going interrupt Taylor when suddenly a guy came crashing into our table. Our drinks hit the floor, mine spilling on my lap before it landed.

"Dude what the fuck?!?" I shouted. Everything got quiet and all eyes in the cafe were on us for a brief moment.

The guy that knocked into our table sank to the floor and started picking the cups up, while repeating "I'm so sorry." over and over again. Taylor was trying to hide his grin. I glared at him and he looked me with a "rather you than me." look.

I looked at the guy. He was tall and had ruffled curly hair and he was wearing a blue hoodie with khaki shorts and a pair of ray bans. "What the hell is your problem?" i snapped.

"I am so sorry, here let me buy you guys another drink." He offered fidgeting for his wallet. I raised a hand at him letting him know to stop. "I don't care about the drinks. I care about my shorts." I said.

I was wearing a red cropped top and white shorts. Apparently it's true that it's bad luck for a girl to wear white in the summer. "I'll take you to H&M so you can get a new pair of shorts, I'll pay for them and everything." he said.

"Yeah you go on and do that. I'm just gonna head on back home and change." Taylor said grabbing his phone and putting his shades on. He walked over to me and kissed me on the cheek and walked out the cafe. Leaving me staring after him.

"C'mon. Your boyfriend doesn't mind." said the guy.

"He's not my boyfriend. He's my best friend who happens to be gay." I corrected.

"Well he doesn't mind. So are you going to let me buy you clean shorts?" he asked.

I looked at him for a moment. "Fine, but give me your sweater so I can cover this up." I sighed.

He took off his hoodie and I wrapped it around my waist to cover up the stain.

We walked down the block to the mini H&M store. I felt his eyes on me as I skimmed through the selection of shorts on display. I found a pair of denim shorts that were my size and walked over to the fitting rooms to try them on. They were the perfect fit I thought to myself as I observed myself in the mirror.

"They look nice on you." said the guy.

"Thank you..." I said turning around to face him. I wondered what his eyes look like. He still had his sunglasses on. "Can you go pay for these so that I can put them on and get on with my life?" I added.

I walked back into the dressing room and took the shorts off handing them to him. I waited in the fitting room while he paid for the shorts. "Here you go." he said passing me the shorts over the door. I grabbed the shorts and put them on. "Thanks." I said when I got out.

We walked upstairs to the exit. Just when I thought the day couldn't get any worse it was raining outside. I took the guys sweater off and gave it back to him. He handed his hoodie back to me.

"Keep it, it's raining you need it." He said.  

"T-thanks." I said putting the hoodie back on. Who was this? Why was he being so nice to me? I had been nothing but rude since he dropped our drinks. I grabbed his arm and pulled him back.  

"How are you gonna get home?" I asked.  

"It's a nice day for a walk." he smiled crookedly.  

I sighed. I pulled him with me to the train station. The D train station on Broadway and Lafayette was always empty. He was still wearing his shades. I look at him trying to gather a way in my head to get him to take them off.  

"I could have walked. I actually enjoy walking in the rain." he protested as we took a seat on the subway bench. I had six minutes to ask him who he was and find out as much about him as I could.  

"You'd have gotten sick if I had let you walk home." I argued. I don't know what it was about him but something drew me in.  

"You don't even know my name." he said. I looked up at him. The train would be here in three minutes. "You don't know mine." I said. 

He ran his finger through his curly jet black hair. "I'm Joe."  I motioned my hand towards him "I'm Kayla." Joe took my hand and shook it. I walked over to the platform. Two minutes until the train arrived. Joe followed me over to the platform.  

"Take off your glasses." I said facing him. "If I do you have to promise me that I'll see you again. Tomorrow at the same cafe." he said. The train was pulling into the station.  

"I promise. Tomorrow same time." I agreed. I stepped into the train and once I turned around the doors shut and Joe was standing on the platform. He didn't have his glasses on. I gasped. "Jonas." I whispered. The train pulled away from the station leaving me staring at Joe Jonas and his crooked smile.