"Sit still and stop being such a baby, Kirkpatrick", Kari said as she continued to bandage Chris' bleeding knee. "All done. That'll teach you to check out girls in bikinis while you're rollerblading", she remarked as she closed the medicine cabinet.
"Hey, I wasn't checking those girls out..I was merely..."
"Yeah, yeah whatever Kirkpatrick..", she cut him off, already leaving the room.
"Well, what about those guys that were playing hacky sack down by the beach today huh? You can't deny that you were totally checking them out", he retorted, limping into the bedroom, where Kari was settled on his bed.
"Yeah? So what if I was checking them out?", she answered non-chalantly.
"Well, don't you think Neville would be upset if he found out you were looking at other guys?"
Kari took a pillow from Chris' bed and threw it forcefully toward where Chris was sitting on the window sill. Chris laughed as he dodged the pillow and watched as Kari tried to keep a straight face while trying to glare at him in mock anger. Chris loved to joke about Kari's nerdy next door neighbour, who had developed a crush on Chris' best friend since she'd moved in a year ago.
"I don't have to take these insults. I'm leaving", Kari said, feigning anger.
"Hey, the surf's gonna be 1.3 tomorrow morning. You up for it?", Chris asked, ignoring her mock temper tantrum.
"See you at the beach at the normal time then", she replied without even turning round. "And don't be late Kirkpatrick".
"Me? Late? I'm never the one who's late! You're the one that......" But she'd already left the room.
Chris and Kari had been best friends since junior high. They'd had a chance meeting when a group of 12-year old boys had decided to give the new kid in school a "welcome" fight, until the resident tomboy, Kari, had stepped in. Kari still loved to remind Chris of the story of how she'd saved his butt getting kicked, and 15 years on they were still best friends.
Orphaned at 9 years old, Kari looked to Chris as more than a best friend; he was her family. And to him, she was one of the only things that had remained constant in his life since he'd formed *NSYNC five years ago and his life had become such a complex whirlwind. She kept his feet firmly on the ground and wasn't afraid to kick his butt when she felt he was getting too caught up in the whole celebrity identity.
He'd been there to dry her tears when guys had broken her heart; she'd been there to offer encouragement as he'd realised his dream of bringing together a great singing group. They couldn't imagine what they'd do without each other, and they never wanted to find out.
"Hey Kari, you staying here for dinner?", JC asked as she came down the stairs into the kitchen, where Justin and JC were reading through a pile of take-out menus.
"Pizza? Again?", she asked.
"What else would we have?", Justin replied a little too seriously.
"Kari..babe...where have you been all my life, gorgeous?" Joey swept into the kitchen, picking Kari up and lifting her off the ground.
Kari had made it clear to Joey when they'd met, that she wasn't interested in any of the advances he'd been making since the moment they'd been introduced, but she still took every opportunity to lightheartedly flirt and today was no exception.
"Woah, ok Superman...put me down so I can go home".
"You're coming out with us tomorrow night right Kari?", Lance asked coming into the kitchen.
"Why? Where are you going tomorrow night?"
"That new club is opening, and the owner gave us a personal invite. Ah, the perks of being a minor in a boyband", Justin said with a smile.
"Yeah, you've gotta come Kari", Joey said. "You know I'll show you a good time", he added with a wink.
"Ok, count me in", Kari laughed as she headed for the door."Catch you guys later".
"See ya Kari".
Chris came thumping down the stairs into the kitchen. "Did she leave already?"
"Hey, nice sweater. It'd suit you perfectly...bring out the colour in your eyes", Lance joked, referring to the blue sweater Chris held in his hand.
"Ha ha..yeah, very funny. Kari left it behind"
"Those are all the clothes she left behind?" Joey jested. "No underwear or anything else?" he added.
The four guys laughed. Chris' friends loved to make jokes about his and Kari's friendship. They knew their purely platonic relationship was just that, but their joking remarks always got a reaction out of Chris.
"You could always take it round to her house later and give it to her. The sweater I mean", Justin added smugly. Another wave of laughter.
"Y'know what you guys, you're all really wasting you're time in a singing group. We really should turn *NSYNC into a stand up comedy group", Chris remarked dryly.
"Awwww..c'mon Chris. You know we're only playing", JC laughed, slapping his friend lightly on the back.
Read Chapter Two
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