Chapter eight

You weren't There

Joe ran towards the edge of town, Barber Park was one of the last subdivisions in the town and Joe didn't care how much his lungs burnt, he wanted to get there and he wanted to get there now. Joe ran a good three miles to where Barber Park used to be, but when he reached he stopped dead in his tracks at what he saw. It wasn't a subdivision, it was a snow covered cemetery, small groups of headstones were the only things that were in sight, no houses, no people, just headstones.

Clarence walked up beside Joe, rubbing the back of his head then looked at Joe, "Are you sure this is Barber Park?"

"I'm not sure of anything anymore," Joe said throwing his hands in the air, "All I know is this should be Barber Park."

Joe slowly walked into the cemetery, the snow crunching softly under his shoes, he looked around at the headstones for about ten minutes until he stopped at one and he blinked several times, he couldn't be seeing what he was seeing.

Clarence walked up behind him as Joe stepped over the small fence that was strung across the ground and began wiping at the snow on the stone trying to wipe away the name on it. Though no matter what he did, the name remained.

"Your brother, Nicholas Jonas, broke through the ice, fell into the creek and drowned at the age of six." Clarence said softly reading the small head stone.

Joe stood up like a spring, "That's not true, Nick starred on Broadway, the three of us became the Jonas brothers, sure he was diagnosed with diabetes but he made the best of it, he helped save dozens of people who had lost hope."

"All those people lost hope Joe, Nick wasn't there to save them because you weren't there to save Nick," Clarence said with pointing at Joe and then at the headstone.

Joe fell onto his knees again and dug at the snow that surrounded Nick's headstone until he could read the years of his brother's life, his whole stone read:

In Loving Memory

of our son

Nicholas Jerry Jonas

A beloved son and brother

September 16th 1992—December 19th 1998

"Everything is easily explained Joe," Clarence said softly.

"No, no," Joe whispered to himself putting hand on the stone and slowly tracing his brother's name with his finger, "I'm sorry Nick, I'm so sorry."

"You see Joe, you really had a wonderful life, do you really just want to throw it away?" Clarence asked a little concerned as some tears fell down Joe's cheeks.

Joe ran his hand over the stone one more time before turning back to Clarence with the one hope that he had left, "Clarence, where's Kevin?"

"You're not going to like it Joe," Clarence said calmly with a hint of sadness in his voice.

"What do you mean?" Joe asked finally standing up and looking ready to punch Clarence in the face but he held back.

"Well, after Nick died Kevin shut himself out of the family, he never started to play the guitar and he never sang after Nick died, he's a longer Joe," Clarence said sadly.

"That doesn't answer my question Clarence," Joe said pulling Clarence by the collar of his shirt to his face, "Where is Kevin, where is he?"

"He's just about to close up the music store on First Street," Clarence said as his feet began to dangle off the ground.

Joe dropped him and ran off again back towards town. Clarence slowly sat up rubbing his neck, "Really, there must be an easier way to get my wings." With that said he got and slowly began to follow Joe once again.