"CHICKEN FIGHT!!!!" Chris screamed from inside the warm blue water. Joey and Chris were in the water splashing each other and trying to get two more people to chicken fight while Lance and Katie were sitting in the surf kissing. Justin and Jc were playing frisbee and Ali was sitting at their stuff taking in the atmosphere. The sun and gone down quite a bit and it was about 4 in the afternoon. Most if the crowd had gone home, so it was just *nsync and their women on the beach. There were no clouds to be seen except far off in the horizon and groups of sea gulls flew over head. Ali breathed in the sea air and let the smell absorb in her lungs. It had cooled off a lot, but earlier it was so hot that your feet burned if they stayed on the sand more then two seconds at a time.
Ali was just about to open up her journal and start a brand new entry but a something hard hit her in the head. "Ouch! Hey what the heck?" Ali turned around just in time to see a brown spiky haired boy and a brown-blond fro boy duck behind the lifeguards boat. "You two get your butts back here so I can beat you both!" The heads reluctantly raised and smiled.
"You think you can beat us?" Justin asked her in more of a challenging way.
"Well I need someone else on my team. You know what? Let's chicken fight instead." Ali said as she stood up and pulled off her tee-shirt which revealed a tiny baby blue bikini. Even though she had only tanned for an hour it looked great against her light hair and suit.
"I knew I loved you the most," Chris boasted as he ran out of the water to wrap Ali in a big wet hug.
"You're lucky it's hot out Kirkpatrick!" Ali said as she pulled away.
"And you're lucky I'm hot!" Chris said proudly.
"Oh, right and you're so hot because you haven't hit puberty yet." As Ali said her comeback she moved away.
"You're dead sugar chica. Dead you hear me!" Chris ran to where Ali had moved too, behind the lifeguard boat, and picked her up around her waist.
"No please Chris. I was kidding. K-I-D-D-I-N-G ok?" Ali was giggling and trying to get out of Chris's strong hold.
"In we go. Now we can have a chicken fight." He smiled as he threw her into the water.
"Ok who's my partner? We need to beat this little boy down! Who's with me? Come on!" Ali raised her arms as if she had already triumphed.
"I'll do it!" Jc got off his towel, which he had sat on to watch Ali and Chris fight, and ran into the water. He ran right back out after it touched him. "Ali baby I'm sorry it's too cold for me." Jc said smiling as though he had planned this so Justin could jump at the chance.
"Justin that leaves you honey. Come on pretty please?" Ali got on her knees and begged.
"How could I say no? I got you babe!" Justin said running into the water.
"Now we're Sonny and Cher huh?" Ali mocked him.
"Funny. Funny girl! You wanna win or not?" Justin jumped onto her back. "Come on you can hold me. You run around and I'll scratch them."
"You wish pretty boy. Get off so we CAN kick some ass." Ali stated as she threw her head back to through Justin into the breaking wave.
"Getting kinda sure of yourself there aren't you?" Chris declared as he got onto Joey's shoulders.
"You know it boy!" Justin said hoisting Ali up to his shoulders as well.
"Boy, I ain't no boy. I a man!" Chris announced proudly while he lifted his head up high.
"Yea, you're a man who didn't pass English class." Lance snickered.
"So you've come to join our fight have you? We'll since if you got what it takes. So come on? Katie get up there," Chris instructed.
"Oh no you don't. Ali and I can't compete. We get nasty." Katie said winking to Ali to see if she caught on.
She obviously did because she said back, "damn right we get nasty! There's hair pulling and name calling. You don't wanna see us when we get bad."
"Wait. You do that? No not my beautiful hair!" Chris jumped off Joey and did a terrible impression of Justin worrying about his lil'fro.
"So I guess it's just you and me since once you get out of the water you can't come back in." Katie boasted.
"Oh well. I get to see a chick fight." Chris and Joey pulled up their beach chairs and sat right at the edge of the water. Jc decided to follow since he didn't have anything better to do or so he led on. He truly wanted to watch Katie and Lance loose to Justin and Ali.
"Can I be the referee?" Chris asked.
"Sure Chris. Did I tell you how hot you look in the suit? Too bad you're not a few hundred years younger." Katie said laughing.
"Well that's not a sportsmanship attitude and I think the game should go to Ali and Justin for knowing how to treat a figure of authority." Chris moved closer to Al I and Justin.
"Well, I think Katie needs her eyes checked because you do look so hurt me bad sexy standing there. Letting the sun catch your hair like that. Too bad I'm on Justin's shoulders." Ali blew a kiss at him and winked.
Justin tickled the bottom of her feet to get her to stop talking. She got the message and balanced her weight on Justin and prepared to fight to the death. Well not really, but she thought so. "Ready to die Katie?"
"After you, I mean not me. I mean, you know what I mean!" Katie got to kiss on her knee from Lance and put her hands out and got ready.
"Get ready? Get set? Go!" Chris shouted.
Katie almost fell off Lance immediately because Justin was making faces at him. "Hold on Katie. Sorry."
"Ok come on. We got to beat them. I lost last time I did this against Ali and I want revenge. Besides this time I have a better partner!" Katie look down at Lance adoringly.
"And how do you know he's better. I bet Justin is a better kisser!" Ali smiled nervously after she realized what she had just done.
Chris saw the look in Ali's eyes and saved her by saying, "now if you all don't stop I win. So go!" Chris made a loud whistle sound to get them to start.
Lance and Justin kept moving back and forth and to side and then to the other side. Ali finally got a hold on Katie's arm and held it tight. Katie tried to grab onto Ali's other arm, but couldn't. Ali started tickling Katie's stomach and Katie couldn't stop laughing. Katie did get a chance to squeeze Ali's pinky which caused Ali to squeal in pain.
"Get the heck off my nail!!!!" Ali wriggled out of her clutch and kissed her throbbing pinky. "Now it's war!"
Ali grabbed Katie's string to her suit and pulled as hard as she could. The knot came undone and the only way to hold it up was for Katie to fall back into the water and retie it. Ali and Justin had won.
"Oh baby we're the greatest!" Justin flipped Ali down and grabbed her into a spinning hug. He kissed her cheek and held her close. He didn't want to ever let go. He just spun her until they both lost balance and fell into the water together. The water and breaking waves rushed over their in twined bodies and limbs. Justin was on top of her and was looking into her clear blue eyes. She hadn't ever looked as beautiful as she did at that moment. Justin wanted to take a picture of this scene and save it forever. Justin brushed away a piece of Ali's dirty blond hair that had fallen onto her eyelashes. He smiled as her nose scrunched together in a giggle. "Ali, you look amazing right now." Justin leaned in to meet his lips with hers and closed his eyes. He was about to seal their kiss when Ali abruptly got up and ran out of the water shaking her head ‘no'.
"Crap!" Justin cursed softly to himself and got up as well. He walked back to the beach with his head hung in pain and frustration.
Ali had picked up her towel and wrapped it around her shaking body. Justin walked over to where she was standing and didn't say anything. "It's ok Justin. I just didn't want anything to happen to further screw up what ever it is that we have."
"I'm sorry. Really I just I fell back into what we had and it felt right. It felt great." Justin tried to explain.
"Don't do this Justin. Please don't Justin. Not know. I can't handle this right now. I can't handle anything right now," Ali's voice cracked as she choked on a sob and ran back through the dunes.
"Why does she always run?" Justin asked out loud.
"Give her a break she was on the soccer team." Katie said. Her face was a little flushed. Lance had obviously taken advantage of their privacy in the water. He too was a little flushed and red in the cheeks.
"She played soccer too? Is there anything she can't do?" Chris asked amazed.
"She can't remember," Katie slipped and looked around nervously to see if Chris, Joey, or Jc had notched. They had.
"Remember what?" Jc asked Katie who had taken a firm hold on Lance's hand.
"Nothing never mind." Katie tried to change the subject. But they wanted to know.
"You can't say something like that and not explain. We all love Ali a lot. She's one of my best friends and I want to know what's going on." Jc demanded and left no argument for Katie.
"I don't want to get into right now. I promise I'll tell all three of you." Katie regretted again what she said.
"Wait only Chris, Joey and I don't know. I can't believe this. No offense Katie, but Lance or Justin you should have told us!" Jc said angrily.
"No, Jc don't punish them or be angry at them. I made them swear not to tell you three. I didn't want to ruin the trip. With everyone worrying about Ali it won't be right. Or fun." Katie explained.
"Wait now why would we be worrying?" Joey asked after he realized what Katie had said.
"No Joe. Oh god I don't know." Katie knelt down in defeat. "Fine. What's the worst thing that can happen to a women?"
"Her thong ripping while dancing!" Joey said excitedly.
"Where do you dance Joey?" Lance asked worriedly.
"That's not important. The worst thing is well ya know." Jc didn't want to say what everyone was saying.
"Mike took total advantage of her while she was passed out." Katie clutched the sand that was at her toes as she said the words. The words that had haunted her sine last summer.
"I'll kill him. He hurt my sugar chica. Where the hell is he?" Chris had jumped up from the sand and Justin had to restrain him from running into the hotel to draw blood.
"Chris she doesn't know. She'll never know. I'm not going to tell her and none of you are."
"I don't know if I can hold this in. Not Mike." Jc clenched his fists together. "Yes Mike, he did this and Brian knew. Ali doesn't know. Every time I see either of them, especially with her, I just want to scream." Katie let a single tear slid down her pink cheek.
"Katie, we have to do something!" Chris persisted.
"No, no we can't. Not now. It's so close to Jack and what happened with all of us. You're leaving in what 2 two weeks about right? We'll tell her later. Let's just not give her a reason to run to either of them. Agreed?" Everyone nodded and started picking up their things.
They all carried the stuff and went back into the hotel. They had all decided to go to diner inside the hotel and then for a night around town. Miniature golfing was what they planned to do in town. While the six of them we showering and preparing for the evening Ali had gone to the pool for a soothing swim. As she jumped into the warm water all of her tension seemed to drain right out of her. She had the whole pool to herself and took long slow strokes into the clear water. Just as she finished her second lap another body came into then water. They were under the water so it was hard for Ali to see who it was. All she knew was that it was a guy.
"Hello?" Ali tapped the person on the shoulder. When they didn't respond Ali realized that their head was still under the water. In a state of panic she screamed out for help. She pulled the man out of the water and turned him on his back. As Ali caught a glimpse of his face she gasped. It was Mike.
She put her head on his chest and tried to listen for a heart beat. She couldn't hear anything so she proceeded to begin mouth-to-mouth. After about a few puffs into his mouth nothing happened. Ali tried one last time and put her mouth to his. As their lips touched Mike came to life and forcefully kissed Ali. Since Ali's mouth was opened so wide Mike took advantage of the moment and slipped his tongue into her mouth.
Even though Ali knew she should have stopped she just didn't have the strength to pull away. Mike basically did all the work, but Ali let him. When Ali did pull away it was because the pool door had slammed. She stood up and shook her head. Trying with no success to contemplate what had just happened.
Mike was standing up and laughing. He moved over to where Ali stood, but before he could wrap his arms around her she moved to see the bag lying next to the door.
"Oh my god," Ali muttered to herself. He looked at the brown bag which held a blue towel and something else that she didn't get a chance to look at much more due to the fact that Mike pulled her close to him and knocked the bag out of her hand.
"Leave Mr. Timberlake's dorky bag alone and come back to me," Mike smiled as he leaned into her lips, but Ali turned her head so he only got her cheek.
"How did you know it was Justin's?" Ali demanded.
"When you were yelling help and pulling me out I saw him walk in. He saw my eyes open so he didn't say anything."
"Why the hell did you scare me like that?! Not cool at all Mike!" Ali yelled with all her anger at what he had just done come back into her. Ali glanced around the large room. The pool was the length of the back wall so no where to get out that way, but the opposite wall led to the hot tube outside and then once outside she could use the stairs to get to her room.
"I'm so baby I just wanted to kiss you again," Mike said seductively.
Ali's thinking was interrupted by a key phrase he had just said. "What do you mean again? We haven't kissed prior to this."
"Sorry, I meant to say that I wanted to kiss you. I've dreamed about it so many times I actually thought we had before." Mike covered up. Ali was too out of it and confused to see through his scam.
"I have to go find him Mike." Ali went back to edge of the pool to get her shirt and towel. She left through the outside door and ran to the stairs. As she climbed two sets of them to their floor she stopped and glanced over her shoulder. She saw a boy with a backwards hat on sitting on a deck chair. Something inside of her made her go back down the stairs and talk to him. It was just about dusk so Ali couldn't verify exactly who it was until she reached him.
"Hello," Ali said quietly. As the handsome young man tuned so their eyes could meet Ali's heart skipped a beat. It was Justin. Sitting here all alone. "What are you doing out here?"
"You must be cold here," Justin took of his Tommy sweatshirt and pulled it onto Ali.
"Thank you Justin, but you didn't answer my question. Why are you out here and why were you in the pool room before?" Ali asked him again.
"I came to talk to you and then I heard you scream ‘help' so I rushed to get to you. When I walked in you were on top of Mike about to kiss him. He looked at me and smiled n a sense of victory and closed his eyes. So I dropped my things and ran out. I wasn't in the mood to see you kiss some guy pretending to be your friend."
"What do you mean pretending to be my friend? Mike and I have known each other for a long time. A lot longer then you and I. We're close. I thought he was drowning so I was giving him mouth to mouth."
"That's not what I saw. You two were making out. I'm not stupid." Justin said defensively.
"I didn't call you stupid Justin. I don't know anything Justin ok? I'm sorry you saw what you did ok? I didn't know it was going to happen." Ali turned so she didn't have to look into Justin's clear blue accusing eyes.
"Then why didn't you stop him?" Justin grabbed her shoulders and turned her around. He looked into her eyes and felt her shoulders begin to tremble under his hands.
"I couldn't. I don't have the strength." Ali stated quickly.
"Then why," Justin stopped and took a long breath. "Then why could you stop me?" Now it was Justin's turn to turn away.
"Oh Justin, I'm so sorry. But with you it was different. I can't let kissing affect us. With you I feel so comfortable with you. I don't want to mess anything up. It was torture for me when we had problems." Ali would have gone on, but she couldn't when she saw that tears had formed in the corners of Justin's eyes.
"Ali, I don't want you to see Mike like that. He's no good for you. You have to trust me," he paused, "and trust us." Justin looked deep into her eyes. They were full of confusion and heartache. Justin just wanted to hold her forever and make sure nothing could ever hurt her again.
Justin out his arms around her and held her close. Ali almost let him do this, but the words he had just said were still inside her had. "Are you telling me how to lead my life Justin? What's wrong with Mike?"
"I'm telling you that he's no good for you. I'm not telling you how to ‘lead' you life. I'm just trying to look out for someone special to me. Just please stay away from Mike. And Brian." Justin added trying to not seem so jealous.
"Wait, wait now it's Brian too? These two people hold more memories, more wonderful and special memories, that you and I hold or will probably hold. They know Jack the way he was before he was sick. I can't loose them. They hold the past with me and Jack."
"But they don't hold your future. We do Ali. The guys and I do. I need you Ali I really need you. Can't you see that?" Justin persisted.
"I can't see anything Justin. All I know is that I'm not going to stop spending time with either of them because you say so. You don't know anything about them Justin. And the fact that you act like we're so close and then hurt me like this, well it wounds me much deeper then anything either of them could do. Good night Justin."
"Wait, will you come with us tonight? Please. Don't let me affect what happens this trip. I'm sorry I'm just worried about you." Justin stood up as well and wrapped her in a big bear hug.
"Alright Justin, let's just forget this all happened. I'm sorry you saw what you did, but I promise those two won't be my priority these two weeks ok?" Ali smiled up at him.
Oh being in these arms feel so good. Why did I kiss Mike. Well I didn't, but I let it happen. Why can't these arms belong to me. Forever around me? Why can't I stop loving Justin? He's just too wonderful. I need to stop these feelings or I'm going to do something I regret. Especially since I try to hide the feelings I harbor inside me. I'm going to end up running to someone like Mike and really do something stupid. What's wrong with me?
"You there Ali," Justin was snapping his fingers in front of Ali's face.
"Sorry, come on I have to change and shower." Ali pulled out of his arms and laced her fingers with his.
"Can I come?" Justin asked jokingly.
"Sure, but I won't be there." Ali said laughing and pulled him up the stairs to their rooms. They laughed the whole way there not to mention hand in hand.
While the two of them were goofing off they failed to realize the figure that had been watching them throughout their conversation and post that. Mike had been standing in the doorway since Ali left and had watched them. Anger had been growing inside of him. Once again Justin and *nsync had ruined his plans.
"They're all going down. No more nice guy. Ali is going to be mine and no one is going to stop me!" Mike cursed loudly to himself and went to his home.
Unfortunately Mike's threat was very true and Justin and the guys didn't understand or know what they were making enemies with.