By Josie Barker
This fanfic is based on the lives of the Jonas Brothers and Freaky Friday. In this Josie story, you are a self insert in the lives of Nick, Joe, and Kevin Jonas. But this time, you’re the fourth Jonas brother. You’ve all heard the hits, “Sucker,” “Only Human,” the list goes on and on. Kevin, Nick, and Joe Jonas are heartthrobs of the 2000s, but who everyone seems to forget—who we all seem to forget—is the fourth addition to their fast-fame: Josie Jonas, the fourth Jonas brother. Remembered for their musical genius, the Holy Trinity of pop rock, overlooked their younger brother. Although arguably the most talented of the family lineage, Josie Jonas’ gifts are undermined— he was reduced to just the triangle tapper behind songs. Please enjoy this Josie fanfic as the fourth Jonas Brother!
“Hey! There’s no way you all are flying to Amsterdam tonight, without me!” I screamed at my brothers. I mean, how could they? How could someone you spent all thirty years of your life with disregard every move you make, every breath you take, forever. Growing up, I’ve always been the odd one out, dumbed down to just a “have-to invite” on another wedding guest list rather than one of the bridesmen. “You can’t just-just leave!” I pant, running across the room and shoving myself into the gap left by the open door. My mother stumbles downstairs, and I watch as Denise Jonas shouts, “Stop it you four!”
Heads turn, and I watch the room relax. Shoulders drop, and we all slide into our marble dining table seats, while Mom ushers us into our spots from behind. She sits at the head of the table, and exhales deeply, “You all are staying home.” A collective “What!?!” exchanges through locked-eyes, and I think to myself, maybe just maybe, my brothers have collectively remembered my value.
“Fine,” Kevin sneers, “no one appreciates the Dutch anyway.”
Mom jolts up from her chair, “You boys need to have some bonding time!” We chuckle—there’s no way that’s happening—but soon enough we are all stuck in the seats of her luxury, seven-seater van.
***Joe pinches his temple, looking back up at his mother.
“The aquarium, seriously? This is where you brought us, mom?” He gruffs, and fingers the glass enclosure, eyes darting around, fixating on each individual fish.
“Oh please,” Kevin grunts, snarling at his brother, “you love these fleshy gill reliant wet bags of meat.” Embarrassed, Joe turns away, and our mother walks into the illuminating blue light scattered across the tiled floor. “Listen, sons, it’s been a rocky past few months, I know…and I understand. However, I don’t appreciate the four of you tainting the Jonas family name. What kind of family craves to feel a divide? Feel pity for your brother, Josie. Shame on you all.” I look around, all three manly heads facing straight down, but then I notice Nick bobble his head back into place. “Mom, why are we here?”
Mother stammers, and steps toward a distant archway, signaling a figure to come into place. Kitted up, the man in scuba gear waddles on out, approaching a white-plastered staircase, his flippers flapping with each step. Diving in, we watch as a school of sardines circle him, curating bubbles upon bubbles, grasping for the light of the surface. A giant isopod inches its way up the glass panes, approaching the dangling legs of the scuba diver, half submerged in the water-filled container. We look up at the aquatic cage and the diver blurts out an order, which appears to be just a jumble of mumbled words. “MmmMmmHmph,” commands the scuba-man. Raising a brow, Nick bursts back out to the paddling man, “We can’t understand a word you are saying, please take your mask off.” He pulls down the thick goggles and instructs the entry of our beings into the water. Unreliant, we wade into the pool, and watch as the deep-sea pillbug ascends. The isopod grunts, “Listen, you four don’t understand each other, so I’m letting you undergo a grave transformation.” “What?” Exclaims Joe, and the ground rumbles in anger. We sink to the bottom and the scuba diver watches as we release bubbles up to him. Darkness surrounds my view, and I listen to the swarming fish as I descend into the deep blue.
***“Ughh..What happened yesterday? My head hurts so bad!” I hear Joe speak, but when he jolts out of our communal beds, he screeches. Looking in the mirror, he drops his silk robe to the floor in anguish and turns to us. “I’m Kevin! Why am I Joe right now?” I snicker and stretch, but when arising, I hit my head on the bottom of the top bunk. What? I’ve never been this tall before…I must be Kevin, the tallest of us brothers! I certainly wasn’t in my body because I realized I occupied the body of an absolute sky scraper, one counteracting my previous 5’6” measurement. Nick stands up, who is in actuality Joe, and sighs, “Guys, seriously stop freaking out! I’m pretty sure that giant isopod switched our bodies. Easy fix!” I drop my head into the satin pillow case assigned by Kevin, and push myself off of the bunk.
***Driving around, we search everywhere for some sort of sign, a way out of this body. Nick grunts and spits toward my direction, “ugh, Josie your skin is so bumpy, and jeez do you even brush your teeth?” I laugh unwillingly, and clench my teeth together, but then I catch a strong scent trailing from out the van’s windows. I jolt up, hands on the metal legs of the neck cushion, “Pull over! We have got to go to that pancake palace!” Joe pulls over and I sprint out of the car, leaving behind the weird looks of my siblings. Soon enough, they follow, and we collectively decide to stuff our perfect faces with chocolate chip pancakes, ruining our chiseled chins with syrup. “Hey,” Nick says, “maybe that weird gilled-bug was right.” Kevin’s eyes shift left and right for a few seconds, as if he needs a response but then quickly takes the role. “Right about what?” Kevin scoffs. Nick scooches out of the IHOP’s seat and takes a deep breath. “I think we need to understand each other, love each other.” We exchange smiles. I watch, holding my breath, as Nick, or Joe, whoever was speaking in that moment, let out a chance of reconciliation. “Josie,” he murmurs, watery eyes fixed up at mine, “I’m sorry.” My lip curls up, and I pull my brothers in from across the table in a big embrace. It’s as if a lightning strike came down and struck us, switching our bodies with glee, we turn to the left and see the isopod, coffee in hand, glowing in joy, smirking up at us. The four of us, brothers in that moment realized that together, we are the Jonas Brothers.
Josie = Kevin
Kevin = Joe
Nick = Josie
Joe = Nick