"Kiss who?" Justin questioned. He had a worried look on his face as he got up off the bed and moved towards me. I didn't want to be near him because I knew if I was I would fall in his arms and forgive him. My heart told me that was the thing to do. My heart was aching as he took each step closer to me. I backed away from him. He looked hurt.
"Justin please. Just stay where you are. I can't handle you being close to me at the moment. I'm still......." Justin cut me off. He backed away and sat on the bed again.
"Just let me explain what happened. Please. It's the least you can do." he pleaded.
"Give me one good reason why I should." I said starting to raise my voice. Who did he think he was? All mighty King Justin?
"You tell me who you kissed." He shot back. A twinge of guilt hit me. I sighed. This had to come out sometime.
"Fine. Explain. I'll give you 5 minutes." I said coldly. I didn't feel like hearing about his experience. It made me sick at the thought of his soft lips against Hallie's. But then again, he was going to feel the same way when I spilled my story. Justin retold the events of last night just as he had told Deanna. Every so often his voice would quiver, like he was trying not to cry. When he was done, I felt myself soften to know that he hadn't felt anything. And he didn't start it either.
"Ok I'm done, I swear it's the truth but if you don't want to believe it then I don't know what else to say than I'm sorry. I never wanted to hurt you. That was the last thing I wanted to happen. And as much as this sounds babyish, it wasn't my fault." he apologized. I felt a little better, but now I had to tell him what happened.
"Ok when Lance and I ran out of the room, I was really upset. He took me home. The whole ride I sat there crying. When we finally reached my dorm I turned my head to him to say thank you and his face was right there. I think you can guess the rest. I let it go on only because in my mind it wasn't Lance I was kissing; despite the fact that I was furious with you I still pictured it being you. But still, I felt nothing in the kiss." The tears were flowing down my face for the millionth time in less than 12 hours. I couldn't believe so many tears could fall from one person's eyes.
I finally managed to lift my gaze to meet Justin's. We just started back at one another, knowing that the same thing had happened to both of us and we both felt awful about it. I wanted to run to him and bury my face in his chest and pretend everything was alright. That nothing had ever happened and I had spent last night with him and not crying in my bathroom. I saw him stiffen as he continued to think. I didn't know what he was going to do, but I could tell whatever the thought, it was about Lance.
I finally saw his face soften and his lips formed into a small smile. I wondered how he could smile at a time like this. He stood up and started to walk towards me. I started to back away again so he stopped walking.
"How about we start over? Forget about last night. Erase it from existence." Justin suggested. I didn't know how to react. I thought he was going to explode at me. But when I thought about it, I was the one who should be sorry. I ranted at him this morning when I knew I had done the same thing. I felt ashamed that I had blamed everything on him. The only thing I really understood was that I couldn't stay mad at Justin forever. A smile formed on my face as well as I moved closer to Justin for the first time. When I got close enough to shake his hand, I extended mine and he took it. He looked confused, but shrugged it off.
"Hi, I'm Emily and I'll be your tour guide." I started to laugh. It felt so good to laugh. I was one of those people who couldn't live without laughter. It was one of the best feelings in the world; except for love of course.
Justin looked relieved as he started to laugh as well. "And I'm Justin. Ti- Tim- Tim-" I started laughing as I finished his last name for him. Just as he had done on the first day we had met. Justin wrapped his arms around my waist and lifted me up the extra foot to his face. I placed my hands on the back of his neck and slowly lowered my head towards his. When our lips finally met, I felt shivers run up and down my spine, giving me goose bumps up and down my arms. When the kiss ended Justin put me back on the ground. My lips were still tingling from where he had placed his just those few moments before. We slowly walked over to the bed and laid down. Justin wrapped his strong arms around my body and softly sang to me. We just laid there, thinking, about everything that had just happened; about us, about the kiss; and about what to do to Hallie and Lance.
Hollis and Chirs in Vegas
Hollis sat there waiting for the numbers to be drawn. The man returned with a drink in hand and said that he had finished his at the bar before he took off. Hollis nodded and took the drink from the man's hand. She took a sip and it tasted bitter but shrugged it off. It was her first drink of the day and she was thirsty.
The man standing at the front of the room began to throw out numbers, " 17.", the man announced as the number lighted on the screen. " Oh! That's Chris's birthday!" Hollis yelled as she tossed her hands in the air. Taking another sip, she finished the whole eight ounce glass within a minute. Feeling like her head was spinning, she shook it back and forth to see if it calmed down.
The game went on and Hollis ended up matching four numbers out of the five. She eyed the paper, making sure it was all correct. As her face began to get full of excitement, she stood up and opened her mouth. Nothing came out and she tumbled over the seat in front her. Her legs stuck in mid air as the guys smirked at what they had done. Glancing at the winning sheet in Hollis's hand, the supposedly nice man to her right bent over and snapped it quickly and gently out of her hand.
Feeling a tap on her shoulder, her eyes awaken with her body aching. Not opening her eyes, but staying still on the hard, plastic chair, Hollis's body laid with her hands draped over on the folded seat cushion. Mumbling is all that could squeak out of that mouth of hers as she tried to pick her body up, but not having enough strength to do so. Headaches became as two strong forced arms were placed on her shoulders as they pulled her back slowly. Falling back into the person's arms, her hair dragged along her face, covering it completely as her body hung like an ornament on a Christmas tree. Soft breath squeezed by her neck as she lifted he head up to face where it was coming from. Opening her right eye just a tad so that a slit shown through, nobody who she has ever seen before entered her vision. Widening, shocked, her eyes flashed opened with a fear of not knowing where she was, what was happening around her. The man held her in his arms, as she tried to push away from him with what was left of her strength.
" Let go of me!" was screeched between her teeth as her nails dug deep within his skin. Letting go of her, she tried to take a step but her body fell straight to the ground. Having no feeling in her knees like they were jelly as her butt was inches away from swatting the ground. Hands scooped her up, grabbing her hand and then placing the other on her back. The man pulled back with his strength as he lifted her up and placed her arm around his shoulder for support.
She placed her head on his shoulder as her feet glided across the floor and his slowly but surely tracked against the red carpet, searching for help. Coming across a desk with customers questions, Hollis was placed down in a recliner chair behind the bars as people gathered around her.
" What's your name?" a tall, chubby woman asked as she leaned close to Hollis's face.
" It's... it's.. googamumbarama," Hollis laughed as she rocked her seat back and forth uncontrollably, tossing her head from side to side. Not having the smarts to answer a question correctly, the alcohol left a big impact . Everyone stared at her in astonishment as her weird actions took over, though always mentioning something with a Chris in the mumbling.
One of the workers steered their way over to the counter as the other's went back to helping the customers, exchanging cash and directing them on where they needed to go. Hollis stopped her movements as she stared at one lady was doing. Holding little microphone in one hand, Hollis became amazed. Her eyes brightened up as she tried to lift her body up, leaning forward to put all the weight there.
Watching as the ground came closer to her face, her knees smacked the carpet but the sound couldn't be heard. Slot machines dinged, and the levers were pulled, nothing could be heard if it wasn't the sound of cash falling. She kept the lady in her view, watching her as she spoke through it. She wanted Chris to be proud of her for once, maybe she could be the one in the spot light instead of him.
Using the counter as balance, Hollis brought her knees high and her feet her now on the ground as her body slammed against the counter. Eyeing the microphone, she lifted her hand up slowly and then quickly snatched it away from the lady. She gasped at the thought and then struggled to get it away from Hollis but she wasn't the type to let it go at that moment. Trotting along, as the long wire followed her path, she scrambled at the thought that the lady was less than five inches behind her, reaching her arms out to stop her. Excitement stored up, then Hollis placed the Microphone to her lips, not knowing what to say.
" Chrissy pooh! Now I'm the..... SUPERSTAR!" Hollis screamed with her lips crammed against the mic. She then stopped in her tracks as she kneeled on one knee and stuck her hands in the air as if she was Mary Catherine Gallagher. Everyone gaped, covering their mouths as they watched in silence.
Machines stopped their musical playing, levers stopped being pulled, change wasn't pouring into the little slots as everyone was surprised. Not being able to hold up her body anymore, Hollis began to descend to the floor at every second given, then laid their flat like a pancake.
JC and Deanna (Deanna POV)
After I had walked out of Emily's dorm, I caught a cab to JC's hotel. I slowly opened his door to find him still sleeping. The bed next to him was all rustled, with Emily's baby blue sweater still on it. He must have slept with it. I felt a rush of guilt hit my heart as I thought about how I had left him there alone. What if Emily hadn't forgiven him? She needed him, but I didn't know if she had the strength to take him back. She was a basket case the night before.
I slowly took off my shoes and slipped in JC's bed next to him. I felt his arms tighten around my stomach, as he started to smile in his sleep. I turned towards him and placed a slight kiss on his forehead. He stirred and then slowly opened his eyes.
"Hey..." he stated groggily. He released his arm from around my stomach and rubbed his eyes until he was semi-awake. "What time is it?" he questioned, yawning in the middle of it.
"Around 9:30. Sorry I came so early, but Justin was whining and I couldn't take it anymore. So I left him on his own at Emily's. I hope he's ok, and her." I told him. I described to him what had happened since last night. He just listened silently, nodding his head.
"Don't worry about Justin. He'll be fine. He just gets like that when he's under stress. You don't wanna see him right before a show. Man......." JC said with a laugh. I returned the laugh as I thought about Justin whining to JC backstage about a costume or something.
"So you want to do something or do you want to sit here and sleep all day?" I chuckled. (Haha) I flipped JC over so I could sit on his stomach and stare at his beautiful face. He slowly place his hands on my hips and he started to smile. I knew I probably should have never asked that question because all JC ever wanted to do was sleep.
"Well, you know what I wanna do, but is that what you wanna do?" he answered. Just before I was going to give him an answer, the phone rang. I heard him mumble something under his breath as I slowly got off his stomach and he reached over to the phone. He sat up on the side of the bed to answer the phone. I crawled over next to him and leaned my head on his shoulder. I heard JC pick up the phone and ask who it was.
"Oh hey Johnny." he started. Who was Johnny? They didn't have 6 group members did they? I softly whispered to him asking who it was. He softly answered me. Ahh. His manager. Why would his manager call him? I heard him start to argue with him about how this was his vacation. I started to think about what that meant. He would have to go home soon and we would have to leave each other because I had to go to college and he had to go home to Orlando. I felt a single tear start to well up in my eyes and as JC hung up the phone it silently and slowly fell down my cheek.
"Oh baby. What's wrong?" were the first words out of JC's mouth after he saw the tear.
"I don't know. I was just thinking about when you vacation was up then what would I do. You would have to go to Florida and I would have to leave and we might never see each other again." I kept rambling on and on about how we were going to leave each other.
"That is not going to happen. Please don't worry about what's going to happen. Right now, you should think about right now. And I know that right now I have my girlfriend sitting on my bed and that I am completely happy." (I know it's cheesy. I'm in a mood)
I didn't know how to react. It was so sweet and he was just sitting there. I smiled and sniffed my nose as JC wiped the tear off my face with gentle hands. I pulled him close and slowly our lips met. Shivers shot through me as we continued to kiss. All the worries melted away. When we finally parted JC told me what Johnny had wanted. They had to go on a talk show in New York just for one day. He told me that I could go with them. Emily too. I smiled. We decided that it had been long enough and we went back to the dorm, praying that Emily and Justin weren't in some huge battle between the sexes. I waited for him as he changed into some clothes, instead of the boxers he was sleeping in. We were quickly on our way to Emily's dorm.