"D'ya know what this niece of Johnny's looks like Joe?" Justin asked, getting impatient, thinking about how much he'd rather be shooting hoops right now than waiting for some spoilt, pre-teen to come through the gate.
"Yeah, I kinda remember what she used to look like, but I haven't seen her in about 4 years now and..."
"Joey?", and unfamiliar female voice called. Both Justin and Joey turned to stare at a tall, brunette with wide brown eyes. "It is you...I'd remember that face anywhere! And you must be JC", the girl said, looking into Justin's blue eyes.
"Ahh..ummm..J-Justin actually. JC couldn't make it, he had a...uh...a previous engagement", Justin stammered, entranced by the girls huge brown eyes, he couldn't look away from them. The girl began to feel uncomfortable under Justin's stare but Joey broke the uncomfortable silence.
"Wow, Lauren, you look so different. I never would've picked you out of the crowd anyway."
"Well, the last time you saw me was five years ago and I was just a geeky little 12 year old then", Lauren smiled. 'Well, she sure is far from geeky now', Justin thought to himself as he and Joey helped Lauren with her bags and walked out towards Justin's Mercedes. 'Annoying little 9 year old...yeah right!', Justin chuckled to himself.
"Hey, we're here!", Joey called as they came into the warm apartment from the lashing rain outside. Chris still sat at the window, oblivious to the football game that Lance, JC and Amber watched on tv.
"Ok guys...oh, and Amber...this is Lauren. Lauren, this is Amber, JC, Lance and that...thing over there in the corner is Chris", Joey explained. Everyone exchanged 'Hi's', and even Chris managed a weak 'Hey' from his position in the corner.
"Ok, well we have a slight problem to sort out...with such a full house, who sleeps where?", JC said. "Since Joey and Lance are crashing in the lounge for now and my room is the smallest..Justin you can sleep on the floor in your room and Chris, you can do the same in yours," JC delegated. No complaints came from Justin, but finally Chris spoke up in something other than one syllable for the first time in hours.
"What? Why? Who's gonna be in my bed?"
"Uh, Chris, if you'd been on this planet for the last hour or so you'd have known that my cousin Amber is here to stay for a while and she gets your bed to sleep in", JC retorted. Chris looked across at the dark-haired girl sitting on the couch next to JC and looked into the saddest dard eyes he'd seen; he couldn't pull his gaze from hers until....
"Hey, why's she wearin' my shirt?" Chris exclaimed.
"Her clothes were soaked through and this was like, the only clean thing in this house. Chris, man where have you been for the past hour? Your home planet?"
"I only let Gina wear that shirt", Chris replied flatly. Silence fell in the room. All the guys knew that that was the one shirt that Chris' girlfriend, Gina, often wore...but that was over now, and it seemed like everyone but Chris could accept that fact. Amber shifted uncomfortably as Chris' eyes glared at her, and his shirt.
"I-I'll give it back now if you want...I-I'm sorry..I don't have anything else..." Amber blushed, embarrassed by Chris' angry attention.
"Don't bother", Chris replied angrily as he stormed fromt he room. The silence returned to the tension-filled room.
"You'll have to excuse Chris, he's not usually like this...girl troubles", Joey explained to break the stunned silence.
"Man, I've never seen him like this before", Justin added with a concerned tone. "Do ya think he's gonna snap out of it? They've been broken up for two weeks now", Lance remarked.
"He'll get over it. Now, how 'bout some dinner?", JC brushed the events aside, although deep down he was worried about his good friend. It had been two weeks now and Chris had been know to bounce back easily after the numerous break ups in the past - but this was different.
"Sounds good", Lauren offered. Amber nodded in agreement, but her thoughts were on the angry man that had just stormed out. Chris ran through the teeming rain, confused thoughts running through his head. 'Why'd she have to end it? Why had he been such a fool in the first place? Why hadn't he seen it coming? Why was that girl wearing Gina's shirt? Who was that girl? Had he really been that out of it that he hadn't realised what had been happening immediately round him all afternoon?' Yes he had. And what for? 'This isn't like you Kirkpatrick, snap out of it, she's gone...forgotten'. But something deep inside him still hurt, longed for her gentle touch, longed for someone's touch.
