**Pictures of the private jet**
Stephanie POV
"You can't get out of this Steph. If I have to go, then so do you. I don't want to be the only non-famous person there! You wouldn't let me go through this alone, right?" Amy asks giving me a big pout.
"Hey! I'll be there too!" Jess said crossing her arms and fake glaring at her.
"Oh I know dear," Amy said fluttering her eyelashes innocently. "You just don't really count, because your naturally model gorgeous so you'll fit right in."
Jess cocks her head to the side and seems to mull over this, then finally sighs dramatically.
"Ok, I guess I can understand your insecurity. I am super hot." She said.
Amy glares and throws a big pillow at her, and Jess pretends to fall off of the bed.
Amy rolls her eyes and looks at me again.
"Seriously, though Steph, I want you to be there with me. You're my best friend! Please!!" She pleaded with her signature bambi eyes trained on me.
Darn it! She knows those bambi eyes are my weakness! How am I supposed to refuse going now?
Confused? Well, let me backtrack to this morning.
*That morning*
It's been a month since I came to the decision of never giving Collin more than friendship. It hurts sometimes to see him and feel that fluttery feeling in my stomach knowing nothing can ever come of it. But I shove the pain away, something I got very good at after my mom's death.
I look at Collin from across the cafeteria where he's standing and talking on the phone with an agitated expression. He passes one of his hands through his hair, and closes his eyes before finally nodding and talking into the phone again.
What could have him so distressed? He can't be leaving, can he? It's too soon!
My breath catches in my throat, and I look at him with wide eyes as he sits in front of me. He looks up and frowns when he sees my fear.
"Hey, what's wrong?" He asks worriedly.
"A-a-are you l-leaving?" I stutter. His eyebrows pull in with confusion.
"No," he says slowly. "What gave you that idea?"
I let out the breath I didn't even realize I was holding. "I just saw you so depressed with the phone call, and I figured it was because you were leaving."
He chuckles softly and takes my chin in his hand forcing me to look in his eyes.
"I'm not leaving, Steph, I promise. It's nice to know you'd be so sad if I left, though." He says with a big smile.
I blush deeply and look away. Why did I have to go and connect with Collin on such a deep level? Nothing can happen, I know that, but my heart seems to be having difficulty getting the memo.
"Don't flatter yourself, I was just thinking that if you left I wouldn't have someone to walk around with me and hold my books." I say haughtily to try and deflect the attention away from my heated cheek. Collin laughs.
"Whatever you say," he replies. Then he sobers up. "But really, the reason I was so upset was because that phone call was my manager, better known as my mom. She was telling me I had to go to New York for winter break to go to a few different events, including the famous Starlight party. It's held in this huge yacht, and only the most famous attend."
"Why would you be upset about that? It sounds awesome! I mean, I've always wanted to go to New York, especially times square." I exclaim. He sighs.
"You don't undunderstand. These people are so incredibly boring. You just sit around making small talk about everyone's life and who they are and what mistakes they've made. There's nothing fun to do, and sightseeing has lost its appeal because I've been there before and I never bring anyone, because they always want to come just to gain from my fame."
I look at him with concern. How could someone ever lose the fun of sightseeing in New freaking York?
"Collin, New York is amazing. You don't need others to make it special for you, just go out in a disguise and play tourist for a while. I would kill to be in your position. Christmas for me is going over to Amy's house as soon as I wake up, because chances are my dad will be at work, Carrie will be at some cocktail party with friends, and Stacy will be at the house of whoever her flavor of the month is. You have so many great things going for you, you just have to open your eyes and see how to make them enjoyable for yourself." I say earnestly.
He looks at me for a long while, at first with a sad face, but it gradually turns happy until it's downright mischievous.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" I ask cautiously. He smiles a big Cheshire cat smile.
"Because I, Steph, am a genius for coming up with the most brilliant solution to both of our problems." He says. I raise my eyebrows.
"And this brilliant solution would be?" I ask crossing my arms in front of me.
"Simple. You come with me to New York." He says. He looks back at me with a satisfied smile, but it dissolves when he sees my horrified expression.
"Collin! Please tell me you're joking."
He looks at me completely bewildered. "Why are you upset? It's perfect Steph! You want to go to New York, and I want someone to go with me that I trust. You said yourself that you don't celebrate Christmas with your family, so why not come and spend your winter break with me?"
I look at him completely flabbergasted and say, "Yeah, I want to go to New York, but not like this!"
He looks at me with hurt and I realize that it sounds like I just don't want to go with him. I shake my head.
"Collin, it's not you, it's your world. I'm not the type of girl to fit in there. I mean, the women you know are all gorgeous enough to be Victoria Secret models! I'll just be the ugly duckling who doesn't fit in."
"What?" He asks in disbelief. He grabs my now cold hands from across the linoleum table and says "Steph, why do you see yourself like that? It continues to astound me that someone as naturally beautiful inside and and out as you would put herself down time and time again. The people in my world are, for the most part, conceited jerks who can't see past the next dollar sign. You are one of the few people in this world that I can trust, because I know you don't care about material things. You're the best friend I could ever have."
Pain. It's all I felt whenever I heard him say that. But it has to be like this, because if I give in the heartbreak later on will be worse.
I smile at him and say, "Ok, I'll go. But I expect to be brought to all the great places New York has to offer."
"YES!" Collin yelled pumping his fist in the air. I laugh nervously as people look over trying to find out what's going on. He comes around the table and engulfs me into a big hug.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you! I promise I will bring you to so many great places! This is going to be so awesome with you!" He exclaims.
The alarm rings and we break apart, but Collin keeps one arm around my shoulder as he escorts me to my next class. And all I can think is, what have I gotten myself into?
**Back to the present**
I learned later on that once Noah and Blake had heard they could bring someone too, they asked Amy and Jess to come.
Jess has become a permanent fixture in my school. Ever since she walked in looking like she just got out of a photo shoot in a white blouse, cut off jeans showcasing tan, lean legs and some cute boots with a bright red messenger bag, she skyrocketed to popularity. However, unlike the majority of people she immediately scoffed at the popular people, and went to sit next to Amy since she had lunch with her.
I knew I liked her.
Anyway, here I was with the girls, and I was having second thoughts about this trip with Collin. But Amy had already gotten permission to go as long as she came back home by Christmas, and Jess as well. This would be an amazing adventure for us; the first one we take as friends. How can I say no?
*****
I grip the handle of my suitcase as I roll it on the tile floor of the airport. We're a big group, and we're surrounded by Collin's bodyguards who're making sure his, Noah's, and Blake's fans don't get to us or slow us down.
I wipe my sweaty hands on my skinny jeans, and adjust my Gucci sunglasses nervously. They were a gift from Collin so I could cover my face from any photographers.
I look around and see Jess holding onto Blake's arm with a confident smile on, and Amy walking beside Noah with huge Dolce and Gabbana sunglasses to cover her face. They both easily blended in, and I wonder what it is that just gives them that confident aura that nervous people like me can't master.
We're all walking to the private entrance to get on the private jet that the boys chartered for this. Yes, you heard me right. A private jet!
A warm hand grabs mine, and I look up at Collin who smiles softly.
"Don't worry so much," he whispered as we got nearer and nearer to the plane. "I'll be right by your side the entire way. Before you know it, we'll be in the Big Apple and we'll be sightseeing the empire state building, time square, and a special place that I'm keeping a secret for now."
My worries are nowhere to be seen as I'm distracted by the secret Collin keeps. I stare at him curiously and he smiles mischievously.
"Don't even think you can get it out of me," he says. "I'm an amazing secret keeper. Just ask Noah."
"Ask me what?" Noah asks from behind us. I look away from Collin as he explains, and I realize we've arrived in front of the jet. Collin had successfully calmed me down to the point where I didn't even notice what was going on around me.
That has never happened to me, and it scares me that Collin is the only one who can. I can't lwt him have that kind of power, because he'll leave and it'll hurt. Everyone I love leaves.
I shake my head to rid myself of the depressing thoughts, and I let Collin lead me inside the jet.
I've never been in a jet before, but I'm pretty sure this is a top of the line one. It was luxurious, but not to the point of being ostentatious. It was modern and beautiful with it's stainless couches, mahogany tables, and flat screen tv's. I look over at Amy whose jaw looks like it's going to dislocate from her mouth if she keeps it so low.
Jess, surprisingly, doesn't seem to care much about it, and looks more interested in her conversation with Blake. She has her arms around his neck and she laughs at whatever he whispers. She whispers something back, smirks, and get out of his embrace to walk over to me. I raise and eyebrow at her in question, and she simply smiles secretively.
I shrug it off, but give myself a mental note to ask her about it later. Amy has now closed her mouth, but she still walks around with eyes as wide as saucers and Noah trailing behind her in amusement.
An arm goes around my waist, and I look at a smiling Collin.
"Let's go check out your room." He says.
I nod excitedly, and he laughs bringing me with him upstairs (yeah there's two floors!), and past a long hallway adorned with portraits on the walls.
He stops at the fifth door and opens it. I go inside and see a spacious room with a queen size bed in the middle and two couches on either side. There are a few windows on the sides, and I go up to one, and see two pilots entering the jet and two flight attendants coming behind them.
I turn back to Collin who's leaning on the door frame with a sweet smile on his face.
"Collin, this is amazing!" I exclaim as I walk over.
His smile gets bigger, and that dimple that rarely comes out creases his cheek.
"I'm glad you like it, " he says. "You can take a shower in the bathroom next door and then just rest, if you like. It's going to be about four hours until we reach New York."
I agree and, with one last hug, he leaves. I get my toiletries from my bag and a pair of cute PJs, and I head to the bathroom.
When I get back to my bedroom, I find a tray with croissants and a hot chocolate. A note is set next to it that says: Just in case your hungry! -C
I smile at his thoughtfulness, and I eat the food before getting ready for my nap. I hope I can sleep the full four hours.
***
I wake up with hair in my mouth, and my legs tangled with my sheets. It takes me a second to remember where I am, and when I do, I run to the window to see our progress.
Twinkling lights seem to cober every space, and buildings that look tiny from here but I know are huge in real life meet my gaze.
I have reached the Big Apple.
*****
A/N: Hey there! Did you like the chapter? I hope so! What do you think of Stephanie's reasoning to Collin? What about her trip to New York with him? Have you ever been to New York? I used to live like 11 minutes away, so New York was kind of my second home. Trust me, it's as amazing as they say, especially times square!
So, I really need your help guys. I'm looking to cast Blake, Jess' twin sisters, and Steph's dad. Who do you guys think should play them?
Also, I'm looking for a good slow song for them to dance to, so any suggestions?
Thank you for reading! Auf Wiedersehen!