Me, Too | Joshua Burrage

chapter two

When I wake up in the morning, I half expect the buzz of DeMarius' photo to have died down. It hasn't. I have so many notifications from people tagging me in photos of the kiss and comments discussing the reality of the relationship. Josh and I agreed that DeMarius didn't need to take down the photo, the damage had already been done and I was sure that a million screenshots have been taken and reposted, and we would confirm our relationship on our six-month anniversary.

For the most part, the comments were very positive. People were very happy with Josh and I being together (#Joshbe seemed to be everywhere) and it seemed liked some people had wanted this to be real for quite some time. On the other hand, there were people complaining about Josh and I. They were complaining that it wasn't them with Josh or that Disney wanted us together in order to gain publicity. Or that Josh and Ben weren't the ones dating.

I'm not going to lie, the negative comments hurt a little bit. It hurt that this relationship was so public that people had the nerve to say all of the negatives about it when they didn't know Josh or me personally and that we were really, really happy. But these people had no say in my life. They aren't the ones who decide who I'm allowed to be with.

After quickly checking most of my notifications on Instagram (I'll leave Twitter and Facebook for later) I get out of bed and get ready to head to the theatre for a put-in rehearsal. I was getting ready for my Katherine debut on Wednesday, which was exciting because that was also the day of Josh and I's anniversary. This also means that Kaitlyn gets to cover my track, which is really exciting for her.

It looked like Stephanie had already headed out for the day, as she was not in the hotel room and her personal belongings weren't anywhere visible. I put on leggings, a sports bra, and tank top, and throw my hair up into a ponytail. Throwing on sneakers, I grab my key and cell phone and head out of my hotel room. I'm doing this so quickly that I almost run into Josh and Ben, who are also making their way to the theatre.

"Watch it, Grant," Ben jokes.

"Sorry, Cook, but it's not my fault that you were right in front of my door right as I was leaving," I reply.

"See, I understand that, but you didn't have to attack us," Josh teases. I playfully hit his arm.

I fall in step with the two boys and grab Josh's hand. We get to the elevator, which opens to Sky and DeMarius. The three of us join the two boys and we all make the rest of the trek to the theatre together.

During the walk, I can tell that Josh wants to talk to me alone. He must've seen both sides to the fans' reactions and wanted us to have a conversation about it. That's one thing I love about Joshua Burrage. He's not afraid to talk to me about the important things and truly takes the time to have these talks. DeMarius, Sky, Ben, Josh, and I make it to the theatre ten minutes before rehearsals start, giving us enough time to stretch and get water for those who forgot it (aka me). We are one of the last people to arrive, so we join the rest of the cast onstage and have conversations about the randomest of things.

"Hey, Phoebe, I need you to help settle a debate between Nico and I," Julian says. "Which is better: Harry Potter or Star Wars?"

It doesn't take me long to answer because I've actually thought about this question quite a bit, "Harry Potter. Hands down,"

"Seriously?" Nico exclaims and I nod. "You just had to side with him?"

"Sorry, it's just a fact," I reply.

"Um, no it's not," I hear Josh say from the other side of the stage. "Star Wars is a million times better. I cannot believe I am dating a person who doesn't think so,"

"And I can't believe my boyfriend thinks that Star Wars is better than Harry Potter. I mean, don't get me wrong, Star Wars is great! It's just that Harry Potter, the books and the movies, are the epitome of an amazing storyline and phenomenal characters!" I say.