"Why?" Joey asked.
"Umm, there's a girl hanging on the back of the van," said Justin.
"Huh?" said Chris.
Joey pulled the van into an empty parking lot. J.C. opened the side door and got out of the van. The girl ran over and gave him a hug.
"I love you guys," she said. "can I have your autographs?"
"Uh, sure," said J.C.
The girl gave him a piece of scrap paper and a pen. She stuck her head in the van and looked at Kate. "Who are you?" Then she looked at Justin who still had his arm around me. "Is that ugly thing your girlfriend?" she asked him.
"This is my girlfriend, and she's not ugly," said Justin.
"Sure," said the girl.
"Here," said J.C. He handed the girl her paper and pen, got in the van and started to shut the door.
"Hey," she said. "What about the other guys?"
"Your lucky you got one," said J.C. And with that he shut the door, and Joey took off.
"I just love you guys," said Chris in a high voice, imitating the girl.
Everyone laughed. Justin noticed I hadn't laughed. "Is something wrong?"
"Do you think that girl is right? Do you think I'm ugly?"
"Of course not. She's just jealous. Your beautiful," said Justin.
I layed my head on his shoulder and fell asleep.
I woke up to Justin whispering in my ear.
"Did I fall asleep?" I asked.
"Yeah. You look cute when you sleep."
I blushed. "Where are we?"
"We're following your dad to your house," he said.
"Really? I asked. I sat up and saw my dad gone from the front sseat. "You let me sleep that long?"
"I didn't want to wake you," he said. "You looked so peaceful."
I looked out the window and saw us aproaching our house. Joey parked the van next to our car. Kate jumped out first. "Come on Lance let me show you my room."
"I'm comming," he said as he got out. Kate ran in the house with Lance hurrying behind her.
"Looks like Lance found himself a girlfriend," said J.C.
"Kate has had a crush on him since the first time she saw him picture," I told them.
"Well, Lance is a good guy," said J.C. "He'll play along with her."
"You know if she was a few years older then they would be perfect," said Justin.
"Why don't you guys come on in and make yourself comfortable," said Brett. The guys followed him into the living room. "There's a guestroom with two beds and a futon and Kate has a bunkbed. Erin will show you upstairs."
I led the way up the stairs. "There's the guestroom," I said.
"I get the bed," said J.C.
"I get the other one," said Chris.
"Okay, I guess I'll take the futon," said Joey.
Justin and I left them there and wen't to my room. "Here's my room," I said as we walked in. He looked up at the walls. I realized I still had some Nsync posters on my wall.
"Who are those weirdo's?" Justin said in a differen't voice.
"I don't know," I giggled. "But the blond one is cute."
"So, where am I staying?"
"Well, since all the beds are taken. I guess you'll just have to stay in here."
"Darn." He smiled. "I'll be right back, I'm going to go get my bag."
He came back carrying a big black duffel bag.
"Got enough stuff?" I teased.
"Just the essentials." He plopped down on the bed next to me.
"Who's that?" he asked, pointing to a picture on my dresser.
"That's my mom," I said.
"Oh, where is she?"
"She... She's dead," I stammered, tears forming in my eyes.
"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I didn't know."
He leaned over and held me in his arms. I broke down crying, unable to help myself. "Don't cry, I'm here now to make it all better," he whispered.
I stopped crying and wiped the tears from my eyes. I looked into his loving baby blue eyes and forced a smile.
"I don't know what I would do without you," I said.
"Neither do I," he replied. We kissed. His lips were so soft, I didn't wan't the moment to end.
"We had better go downstairs with everyone else," said Justin.
"Yeah."
We held hands as we walked downstairs. My dad was in the kitchen making dinner.
"What's for dinner dad?" joked Justin.
"Don't tell me your already planning marriage," said Brett in a fake exasperated tone.
"Good idea," he grinned. "How does tommorow sound?"
"Tommorow what?" asked J.C. as he walked in.
"Didn't you hear? We're getting married tommorow," said Justin.
"Really?" asked J.C. surprised.
"Well," said Justin thoughtfully. "Not yet anyway."
"Man, you had me going for a minute," J.C. laughed.
"So what are we having for dinner?" asked Justin.
"How does hotdogs and hamburgers sound?" asked Brett.
"Fine with me," said Justin.
"Wheres everyone else?" I asked J.C.
"Oh, they're upstairs playing Nintendo in Kate's room," said J.C.
"Tell them dinners just about ready," said Brett.
"I'll go get them," said Justin. He left the room.
J.C. looked at me. "You know your differen't from all the girls Justin has dated before."
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" I asked.
"No, its good. I've never seen him so into a girl before."
"He's never had a girlfriend before?"
"Oh, he's had girlfriends before, probably one too many. Most of them just dated him because of the fame."
"Oh."
Justin came back in the room, followed by Kate and the guys.
"Something smells good," said Chris.
"We have hotdogs and hamburgers off the grill and french fries. Everyone help yourself," said Brett.
Justin and I got our food and wen't out back away from the others. We sat down at the picnic table in the shade. "Hey cool, You have a basketball goal," said Justin.
"Yeah. We can play when we're done eating."
"That sounds good."
We finnished eating and I got my basketball out of the garage. "I get the ball first," I said.
We played for a while until it got dark, and we went in.
"So, who won?" asked Justin.
"I don't know. Lets call it a tie."
We went upstairs where everyone was watching MTV. J.C. was sitting in the recliner, Lance, Kate and Joey were on one sofa and Chris was sprawled out on the other sofa.
"Move over grandpa," said Justin.
Chris sat up and groaned, and Justin and I sat next to him.
"What's this?" I asked.
"Total Request," answered Kate. "They are aobut to show the number two video."
Carson presented the video, Backstreet Boys, I'll Never Break Your Heart.
"Look at those Nsync wannabe's," said Joey.
Everyone laughed. After thee video, they wen't to the number one video, Tearin' Up My Heart.
The guys sang along, and at the end Chris said, "I gotta get that Cd!"
Everyone laughed. We watched T.V. for a few hours.
J.C. yawned. "I'm tired, I'm gonna go to bed."
"Me too," said Chris.
J.C. and Chris went into the guestroom followed by Joey. Kate had fallen asleep on lances sholder. He picked her up and carried her to her room. I got up and led Justin to my room. I opened up the closet and got an extra pillow out.
"Here," I said, handing him the pillow.
"Thanks."
"Your not uncomfortable with this are you?" I asked.
"No, we're just sleeping, fully clothed." He smiled.
"Okay, I was just wondering."
I got my shorts and t-shirt out of my dresser and went in the bathroom to change and brush my teeth. When I came back he was in a pair of shorts without a shirt.
"Wow, that lifting weights paid off."
He grinned. I turned off the lights and we layed down under the covers.
"Did you ever wish that you could go back to being not famous?" I asked.
"Man, almost everyday I wish I could play basketball on my school team with my old friends. I miss being in high school and comming home to my family everyday."
"That must be tough."
"It is. but I get used to it. The guys are like my family."
"You guys are really good friends."
"Yeah."
"Its kinda boring around here, cause its just me, dad and Kate," I said.
"Well, I don't think your boring."
I smiled. "I love you."
"I love you too." He kissed me on the cheek.
We layed there talking for almost an hour. Finally we kissed goodnight and fell asleep.
Chapter 5