CHAPTER THREE:

A few hours later I gazed in the large mirror as I brushed over the silky fabric of my dress, my expression solemn. I wonder what my mom would've thought about this dress, I wondered wistfully. Would she have hated that my shoulders and back were exposed and it was strapless or would she have been in love with the color? Would she have said that it complemented my skin or that I was beautiful in it?

"Wow, princessa," I glanced up and saw that Brendan was in the doorway in a tuxedo. "You look like the most beautiful, young lady." He stepped in the room, smiling at my reflection in the mirror. "My little girl is all grown up."

Oh, God. I rolled my eyes, trying to blink away my melancholy thoughts. "Godfather, you're not about to actually start crying, are you?" I asked.

Brendan turned away from me, dramatically letting out a huge sniffle. "No!"

I burst out laughing. Nick, we have a crier on Ailse Dad!

You too? He asked just as he walked into the room. Bliss just finished an entire Klennex™ box by herself. The reason we're here in the first place is to go hunting down another one because she's still going strong!

I smiled. Did you get the whole, "your growing up" deal too?

He stopped what he was doing for a moment and I could almost hear the laughter in his voice. That he was fighting not to show. Yep.

"Ohh," I looked up and saw Bliss next to Brendan looking as golden blond and blue-eyed as he was dark-headed. "Alexyne-"

I shook my head. "Bliss, don't you dare cry because if you do, I might start and all Gabby's hard work would be ruined." I said motioning towards my face. Gabby had spent an hour just on my make-up alone. She'd rubbed my face with liquid foundation, used gold eyeliner for my eyes and midnight blue eye shadow and volumizing mascara to give me smoky eyes, pale pink lips and a flawless complexion.

Gabby poked her head in the room to say, "Don't worry, cherie, I used waterproof make-up. I'm not a sidewalk chalk artist waiting for a midnight shower to wash away all my hard work."

I smiled at her. "Okay, then. Never mind."

Bliss crossed the room to stand behind me, her arms on my shoulders. "All I was going to say your mother would've said you look like a beautiful exceptional young woman." She revealed, gazing at my reflection.

I tried to smile back, blinking away my tears. "You really think so?" I asked.

Bliss nodded. "Alexyne," she said carefully arranging my hair so that half was castrating down my back and half over my shoulder as Brendan slipped out of the room. "I know so."

I swallowed hard, gazing at my reflection. The boys and my parents died in a car accident when Frankie was 4, right here in L.A. We'd come visiting Bliss and Brendan and ended up never leaving. Brendan took us in along with his new wife Lilith. I knew in more ways then less we were luckier then others in our situation. Even though Kevin hadn't been old enough to become our guardians himself, we hadn't been separated across the country from one another. We weren't poor, neglected (like the press—or the fans—would let that happen!), we hadn't been abused in any kind of way. But that didn't make everything we lost any easier. I think we all would've given up everything—the fame, the money, all of it—to have our parents back. Even if just for a moment.

The tears began to spill down my cheeks as I fought to breath. "I miss them so much." I sobbed. "Especially today. I never thought about how much of us growing up they'd miss until now."

Nick came up behind me, taking my hand. Twin, don't do this, he begged. Not today.

I can't help it, I told him before switching to verbal speech for both of them. "Our parents are gone and they're never coming back."

"They aren't entirely gone." Pulling me confronting into her chest, Bliss said her voice lit like I'd forgotten something.

Sniffling I pulled back. "What do you mean?" I wanted to know, my nose stuffed.

"They live in here," Bliss held one hand over her heart. She lifted my chin. "And there."

"Where?"

She shifted my shoulders backwards, straighting my posture and giving me the look of a princess who, in spite of her grief, managed to keep it strong for her people. Talk about ultimate fail. "In each and every one of you," she said softly. "Everything about Paul and Denise—from your mom's Italian heritage," she motioned to Nick and I's darkened curls. "Denise's stubbornness," she outlined Nick's jaw, her finger managing not to touch his skin. "Your father's kindness," her fingers went on either side of my lips almost as if they were going to pluck them right off my face. She tapped both of our ears, a slight smile appearing. "And his love of music.—Everything about them lives on through you."

I swallowed hard, wiping at my tears. "I never thought of it like that," I whispered.

Brendan quickly poked his head in the doorway. "Hey, Princessa, Zac's here."

"Umm, yeah," I called back, my voice breaking slightly. I was trying to get my red, snotty, "obviously-just-been-crying" face under control. "I'm coming."

Brendan must've noticed my tears or caught onto the melancholy moods in the air because he mouthed, "What's wrong?" to Bliss.

Bliss shook her head. "I'll tell you later," she mouthed back.

After cleaning up all the traces of my tears I could (my eyes were red and puffy still) I raised my dress up so I could walk and stood up. I reached over and kissed Bliss on the cheek. "Thanks, Godmother."

Smiling at me, Bliss waved it off. "Its what I'm here for."

Still holding my dress I walked across the room and past Brendan in the hall where I spotted Zac standing with his back to me.

"Zac," I said and he turned around to face me. He was wearing a clean cut black tux and his longish hair was slicked back making his green-blue eyes look sharper then usual. He smiled at me.

"Wow, Alexie, you look…" he paused and shook his head, "…great."

I pretended to appraise him. "You don't look so bad yourself." I pretended to decide.

We both laughed and I went over to hug him. "You clean up real nice, Efron. Reminds me of James Bond."

He smiled. "Efron," he said. "Zac Efron."

I burst out laughing. "Nice."

There was a brief (but not awkward) pause for a long moment.

"Here, I got you a corsage," Zac said finally, holding out a clear box with a large blue island flower corsage, noticeably that didn't go around my wrist.

My face lit up. "Aww-my-gosh, Zac, you didn't have to do that." I cried as I took it from him and tried to work the box.

"Well, I feel bad." He answered.

That got my attention. "What do you mean?" I asked, my issues with the box aside.

"You know that movie I'm doing? The one with Matthew Perry?" I nodded and Zac sighed. "Well it starts filming tomorrow and…"

I nodded understanding where he was going with this. "And they want you to fly out today." It wasn't a question but instead a fact.

Sheepishly, he nodded. "Yeah."

Turning to the mirror on the Way"How long can you stay?"

"For half an hour at least. No more then 45 minutes."

I nodded. "Okay, that's fine. I'll still get to have my grand entrance."

I cheerfully said, waving his apology aside. I gazed down at my reflection and sighed when I realized that at some point my purity ring had gotten stuck in my hair. "It is so my luck this would happen tonight," I sighed.

"Here, let me help you with that," Zac said, moving to stand fsce to face with me. I pulled my hair over my right shoulder so we could see what we were doing.

We'd just gotten it free when— "What are you doing?" My brother demanded, his voice ringing from across the hall, his face thunderous as he stalked over to us.

Oh, no.

"Joe," I began, turning around and standing in front of Zac protectively. "-its not what you think."

"I know what I saw, princessa. Now get out of my way."

I raised my chin defiantly. "No."

Joe's eyes locked on my own and narrowed. "What?"

"You heard me," I snapped. "I said no."

"This mongrel," he sneered at Zac, "had his hands all over you-"
"This mongrel is your friend!" I shot back. Joe's fiery glare didn't cool down so I snapped my fingers in his face. "Hey! He was just helping me out because this-" I shoved my purity ring necklace in his face, "-got stuck in my hair. Okay?"

"That's all?" He asked evenly, his eyes still on Zac, who surprising hadn't said anything during this entire exchange. But then again he was around Joe on celeb-regular basis so I guess he would understand this spectacle more then most.

Even though I was exasperatingly rolling my eyes, I nodded. " Yes!That's it."

"Fine." Joe's glare lessened to a winter fireplace like heat and he relaxed his posture before adding, "You might be my friend Zac but if you cross lines with my sister…" his voice trailed off as he shook his head. "Don't make me bust a chop, Efron." He raised one eyebrow giving Zac this crazy eyed look before kicking one foot in the air. I could've sworn I head some threads of his tuxedo pants snap.

I rolled my eyes. "Will you people stop? God. You are so embarrassing. Zac and I—we're just friends so keep your stupids in your pants!" And with that I grasped Zac by the arm and pulled him with me, to stand in front of the framed mirror only 10 feet away from where we left.

"I got my eye on you, Efron!" Joe called.

I buried my head in my hands. "Oh my God."

Under his breath, I heard Zac say, "With them around we'd never be able to be more even if we wanted to!"

My laughter bubbling over, I sighed. "You have no idea."
Entering the room, having only seen Joe's last bit, Nick slowly shook his head. "Joe, what the heck is wrong with you?" I heard him demand.

Scoffing, I answered, "What's not wrong with him?!? Mamma and Dad-" Joe's face froze and Nick flinched so slightly and only I saw it while I was struggling to breathe. "-probably left the crib gate down too low more than a couple of times resulting in this…this…" I waved a hand in Joe's direction. "Monstrosity."

Joe rolled his eyes. "Sexy monstrosity, you mean. See, cause I be like-what-cha, hello." He primped up the collar of his dress shirt collar reminding me of someone...

I gasped. "You did not-"

"-just quote George Lopez," Nick cried.

Joe looked around at us with a sheepish look on his face. "What?"

"Dude," Zac shook his head. "Not cool."

I turned back to the mirror taking Zac's corsage and using a bunch of extra bobby pins Gabby had stuck to my dress, nestled it perfectly in my hair. I smiled and gazed at my reflection. I glanced up and smiled at at my straight haired big brother who was suddenly standing next to me. Frankie stood next to him, holding out a small gold face mask. I took it from him and tied it around my neck before adjusting my hair to hide the silver ribbons.

"You look beautiful, Princessa." Frankie told me, his face solemn.

I smiled and curtsied. "Thanks, Frank."

Kevin cleared his throat loudly. "He's right."

Oh no, groaned. Not this. Not again.

"No crying." I told him warningly. "If you want to cry go find Bliss and Brendan. I'm pretty sure their having a boo-hoo cry fest somewhere around here."

"Its just—" he shook his head. "In that dress, you look so much like Mamma." Kevin said.

My eyes started to well up. "Oh, thanks, Kev." I said reaching over and wrapping a arm around both Frankie and Kevin.

"I think that dress is a little too revealing for my tastes." Joe quickly added, ruining the moment we were having. "Why don't I give you my jacket and-"

"Joe! Seriously!" I snapped. "And for that matter, no one even asked you!"

He sighed. "Well, Nick, you look dashing," he changed the subject, his voice suddenly sounding like a old and refined British man.

Nick rolled his eyes toward Selena who just come up, following Kevin.

Kevin mimicked him. "I nearly forgot the reason I came up here." He turned to Joe. "We're about to start. They need you down stairs for the introduction part.

Joe nodded. "Okay. Let's go." He bowed to Nick and me. "Luck." He shot Zac one more crazed look before starting down the stairs. Frankie made grinned at me and made the cuckoo-cuckoo sign behind his back. "I saw that!" Joe called as they all made their way down the back stairs leading down into the ballroom without giving them all the spotlight and taking away from Nick and I's big moment.

"I love your dress, Alexie," Sel told me. "What designer did you use?"

"DaVinci," I smiled back. "And I love yours. Especially the roses." Selena was wearing and a dark midnight blue dress that ended at her knees. On one shoulder, three beautiful fabric roses added to the ensemble. She had a silver mask kind of like mine to hide her features and Nick had a matching one only his wasn't decorated. It was just silver and covered the whole of his face.

Zac sighed. "I guess I better put this ol' thing on." He reached in his tuxedo jacket and pulled out a mask and did just that while Sel, Nick and me stood at the railing of the stairs, staring down at the incoming guests.

I smirked when I spotted Miley Cyrus. Oh, look, its the return of the ex.

Nick followed my gaze and his face grew fiery yet like a stone much to my chagrin. Nick had semi-dated Miley for a while after she tricked him into breaking up with Selena. And when this was all uncovered Nick dumped Miley on live TV making her the laughing stock of Hollywood. Saying she hated them would be saying the least. But the two of us weren't friends in the least so I had no idea why she was here.

At least my ex showed up, he shot back. I don't see yours around here.

I shot him a glare. Oh, I wonder why? I snapped.

Before Camp Rock, which was the official rise of the Jonas Brothers fame, we hadn't been allowed to date. Well, at least Nick and I. But then Nick met Selena and Kevin decided to lift the no-dating ban as long as we promised to remember to be pure. There fore we all took a vow of chastity and got our oh-so-famous purity rings (my ring is on a necklace around my neck).

In the beginning I didn't date because, well, who could I? No one had caught my eye yet. But then Selena set me on a date with her Wizards Of Waverly Place co-star, David Henrie. The date had began okay. Not to great, not too shabby either. But then at the awkward doorstep, to-kiss-or-not-to-kiss end of the date, the boys interrupted and ended up embarrassing me so bad they managed to scare him—along with all future prospects away.

He smiled but answered, We can argue later. The music is about to start.

I could hear the grin in his voice as Joe announced, "And now the moment you've all been waiting for! Escorted by Selena Gomez and Zac Efron are my little brother and sister…"

"That's our cue," Selena nodded.

A soft ballad started to play and I ran to grab Zac's arm.

Ready? Nick asked.

I nodded.

"Let's go." He said aloud as all four of us stepped onto the stairs, girls on the left, closest to the silver railing and the guys on our right. Nick and Selena went first and I followed, trying to neatly keep my arm folded into Zac's while using my left hand to hold onto the railing so wouldn't fall while also holding up my dress so I wouldn't.

Maybe I should've wished for a third arm, I thought with a smile just as we rounded the curve of the stairs and in the view of our guests.

The ballroom had been decorated with my dress color and Nick's tux color combined. Midnight blue, black and gold was everywhere. The carpeted area where the tables were was dark rich blue and the wood on the dance floor was black. The tables had blue and gold place settings at each of them. I spotted some celebs in the crowd. Jaden and Willow Smith, Taylor Swift, (neutrals), Raven Symone, Brenda Song, Sterling Knight and Emma Roberts, just to name a few.

We reached just as Joe finished, "…Nicholas Jerry and Alexyne Skylie Jonas!" By that point we reached the bottom of the stairs which ended right next to the stage. When we were all positioned in a line in front of them, Nick and me next to each other, the guests started to applaud as we smiled graciously at them. Okay, Nick's was strained but other than that.

I eyed him out of the corner of my eye and we both started towards the stage where Joe was. A glossy black grand piano was at the front of the stage which is where Nick and I both took our seats.

"Before my brother and I let you off for the night, we were wondering if we could have a moment of your time," I said into microphone Joe had surrendered over to me.

Nick nodded into the one next to the piano. "We'd like to share a little something we've been working on for a while."

I smiled and leaned into the mic. "Let us know if you like it."

He closed his eyes and began to play the notes of the song we'd helped write, both the music and lyrics, Only Hope.

"There's a song that's inside of my soul," I sang, keeping my eyes on Nick's hands as he played.

"It's the one that I've tried to write over and over again," Nick sang back, his eyes cosed, letting his soul guide his hands.

I leaned forward, "I'm awake in the infinite cold."

"But you sing to me over and over and over again."

Together we started to sing the chorus. "So I lay my head back down. And I lift my hands and-" I clasped the palms of my hands together in a mimic of praying hands. "-pray. To be only yours. I pray to be only yours. I know now, your my only hope."

My own hands joined Nick's dancing ones, across the bleached ivory of the keys for a few seconds before a violin added to our piece, my cue to start walking to the center of the stage before we continued on.

The corners of my mouth lifted into a slight smile as I felt all my awareness of the world outside our music slip away from me. I almost loved singing this part as much as writing it. "Sing to me the song of the stars. Of your galaxy dancing and laughing," I let out a laugh and spun around in a circle, "and laughing again."

His voice low, Nick finished his verse, "When it feels like my dreams are so far." Kevin played his violin harder. "Sing to me of the plans that you have for me, over again."

With the newly joined instruments we began the chorus with freshly gained enthusiasm.

I looked up to sweep my eyes across my audience just as my eyes caught a dark haired guy in a red comical mask, watching me at the back of the room as Nick started pounding the keys as I started singing the bridge. "I give you my destiny. I'm giving you all of me. I want your symphony. Singing in all that I am." My voice raised and I continued on with all the power I could press into my voice. "At the top of my lungs, I'm giving it back. So I laid my head back down. And I lift my hands and-"

"-pray-" Nick broke in.

"-to be only yours." I couldn't look away from him.

"I pray-"

"-to be only yours." I couldn't stop the pointed way I sang 'yours'. It was almost if I was singing straight and only to him.

Passionately, Nick sang, "I pray-"

"-to be only yours. I know now you're my only hope." My voice softened at 'hope', almost whispering it. I took my seat next to Nick at the piano once more.The violin strummed out into a brief solo before I finished. "Mmm. Mmm, hmmmm, hmm. Oooo. O, o, o, o, o. O, o, o, o, o, o, ooo."

We sat in silence before everyone started clapping like crazy.

Happily, I grabbed Nick's hand and pulled him up with me to center stage where we could fully bask in the enthusiastic praise of the crowd. I felt my eyes skim the audience for that hidden face but whoever he was, was gone now. I swallowed my disappointment and tried to focus on the excitement of my current situation.

Twin, I told Nick, keeping a smile plastered to my face as I squeezed his hand and we bowed. We so rocked that.

He nodded. Yeah, and you weren't so bad yourself.

I laughed, shaking my head as I nudged him before grabbing the microphone. "Thank you for your time!" I shouted into it.

Nick quickly snatched it from me. "And thanks for coming to our party," Nick added, eyeing me and rolling his eyes because of my rudeness.

"Oh, yeah." I nodded, "That too."

Selena and Zac made their way back over and taking their hands we got off stage as the band Bliss had hired started to play.

Zac looked grim as he pulled me into the entrance hall where valets were taking cars. "You have to go now, don't you?" I guessed with a sigh.

He nodded. "Yeah. And I am so sorry, Alexie. I swear I'll make this up to you."

"You dealt with my crazy family. In my book that makes us even. If anything I owe you." I said.

A silver car pulled up into the front and Zac sighed. "Well, this is me."

I smiled at him. "Thanks for tonight,"

He smiled back before going through the doors and outside, getting in the passenger seat of the car. He turned back to look at me and I forced myself to smile and wave. He gave an awkward smile back before the car pulled onto the street. I waved until his car was out of sight before I turned around and walked into the building. I re-entered the ballroom from the entrance closest to the stage.

What am I going to do now? I wondered dejectedly. My friends aren't here. My date had to leave early…am I destined to spend my birthday alone?

I glanced around the room wondering what to do now when I saw the boy from when I was on stage. And just as I spotted him a sharp throbbing pain shot through my temples. I closed my eyes and massaged my temples in a circular motion.

A smile white and beautiful gazed at her. "If you're offended by the touch of my hand, my two lips are here like two blushing pilgrims ready to make things better.…" Lips pressed to the outer of her hand. "…with a kiss."

Confused I opened them and found that I eyes were fixated on the boy I'd spotted during Nick and I's song.

He was standing in the corner in the same red, comical mask, wearing a plain semi-formal black suit that made him stand out more obviously then the way he commanded the air about him. It wasn't just that he drew in everyone about him in but it was the way he handled it. Instead of basking in the glory, he was content in the background watching from the shadows. He looked up and even though both our eyes were covered by our masks I knew our eyes locked. Suddenly my throat was dry and I couldn't breathe. And all there was, was him. He was standing near the curtain leading backstage.

Meaningfully, he glanced back and forth to check if anyone was watching, before he slipped behind the curtain.

Without even thinking about what I was doing I made my way through the outskirts of the couples on the dance floor to where the boy had just disappeared. I shot a look over my shoulder making sure no one was watching me before I lifted the curtain and slipped inside.

There was a long hall of space concealed by the curtain which was so thick I could only hear people close enough to lift it up if they wanted to. I glanced around but the whole thing looked empty.

There was no one here. Wistfully I sighed and started to headfor the opening in the opposite direction. Maybe the boy didn't mean to beckon me over. He could've easily meant someone else.

Suddenly someone said, "Behind you."