"Can you believe it Hazel? They're actually gonna be able to visit me for Christmas!" Larissa said excitedly to her best friend Hazel.
Hazel finished wrapping a gift then looked at her ecited friend sitting down on the couch with the cordless phone still clutched to her chest. "You really wanna see him again don't you?"
Larissa let out a little sigh and picked up the picture frame that sat on the end table next to her. "Yeah I do. It's been three months. And I really miss him. I know that I told him that we should take a break from each other while he was on tour, but I haven't been able to do anything other than think of him since then.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~flashback~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Joey, I know you want to try to make things work out while you're on tour, but I don't think we can make it work. We're two different people. Our worlds don't fit." Larissa said as a tear fell off her cheek.
Joey put his hand on the side of her face and wiped the tears off her face. "But I care a lot about you."
Larissa closed her eyes and tried hard to not cry. "I know. I care a lot about you too. But...I don't think you're ready to be a one woman man. Much less mine. And I don't think I can do the same at this time."
"Will you at least try to wait?" He asked holding her close to him.
"I'll try...."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~end of flashback~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hazel watched her best friend tear herself up remembering the past. Her and Larissa told each other everything. But her relationship with Joey Fatone was a no-no topic to talk about. And Hazel hated being left in the dark not knowing what happened wetwen the two of them. But she didn't want to push Larissa.
"Why don't we decorate this tree? We wouldn't want them to see a mess of presents under a bare tree, would we?" Hazel said trying to change the subject.
Larissa jumped off the couch and took an ornament out of a box and hung it on the tree. "You're right. Enough thinking of the past, today's a new day."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
(The Nsync Tour Bus)
"Three moe days until we finally get a break!" Justin sighed as he plopped down onto his bunk.
"You're telling me. I can't wait until I get to sleep in my own bed." JC said as he got onto the bus.
"Yeah, well I don't know if I really want a break. Especially since that break means I'm going to see Larissa again." Joey sighed sitting down at the table.
"I thought you wanted to see her though." Lance asked.
"I do, it's just that the last time we saw each other, it was...well, it was hard. And now I'm gonna see her again, and most likely we'll act like nothing bad happened but it will just end up ruined again." Joey said.
"Does she know what you've been up to during the past couple months?" Justin asked half asleep.
"No. I haven't talked to her until now."
"So that means, she doesn't know about Crystal?" Chris asked curiously.
"No again. I don't think I want her to find out for that matter." Joey answered.
"Whatever man...just don't do anything stupid when we see her. Or actually, don't SAY anything stupid." Lance commented.
"Oh I pray I don't." Joey sighed.
__________________________________________________________________________________
(Three days later/The day before Christmas)
Larissa jumped out of bed the moment she heard a door open and shut. She ran through the hallways and looked at the front door, no one. She slowly walked through the living room and saw that nothing in the house was moving.
"You're just imagining things Larissa." Larissa thought to herself.
As she walked back to her bedroom, she was startled when she bumped into Hazel.
"Geez Hazel, you certainly know how to scare a girl," Larissa said trying to stop her heart frm racing.
"I think you're just a little to excited about seeing a certain someone today." Hazel said putting some bags of groceries on the kitchen counter.
Larissa aimlessly wandered over to the bar stool and sat at the counter, "no I'm not. Well...of course I am to a point...but you know...like...oh whatever."
Larissa grumpily stomped to her room to change while Hazel watch her go off. It was a little unsettling that Larissa and Joey were going to meet each other again and most likely act as if nothing had happened. Then when he would leave, she would be the one drying Larissa's tears. But she had no say in the matter, it was up to the two of them.
"I just hope that he knows not to make the same mistake again." Hazel said to herself, then sighed loudly as she continued unpacking the groceries.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
(An hour later)
"Alright Hazel, I'm leaving to go pick them up at the airport." Larissa said picking up her purse off the couch.
"Wait a minute...is that MY new leather jacket you're wearing. And MY red twinset top? Girl are you crazy? It's minus forty degree outside and your wearing THAT? Which are mostly MY clothes?" Hazel said looking over her friends outfit.
Larissa had been scavaging through her closet and decided that she would borrow Hazel clothes without her permission, as usual. She was wearing her long black skirt with little sparkles, Hazel's red twinset spaghetti and button up sweater, Hazel's black leather jacket that stopped right before her knees and lace up boots.
"I'll be fine. Don't worry about it." Larissa said playfully.
"I was talking about the clothes!" Hazel said sarcastically.
"Very funny. Catcha later!" Larissa opened the door and the cold Boston December chill brushed her cheek.
She was on her way to meet the guys. Meet Joey. There was no turning back now. She hoped that it would all turn out alright. She actually didn't just hope, she prayed.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
(On the plane)
"So how you holding up?" Lance said looking over at flustered looking Joey.
"I dunno man. I can't decide whether I want to tell her about Crystal or not. I like her a lot Lance, but I don't want to keep something so big from her. It wouldn't be fair." Joey said sulking miserably in his seat.
"Yeah, but that whole episode with Crystal is in the past. She'll understand." Lance commented.
"I hope so, cause I decided that I'm going to tell her."
Just as Joey decided, the pilot came over the intercom and announced that they had now arrived in Boston.
"Here goes nothing." Joey said unbuckling his seat belt.
________________________________________________________________________________
Larissa could feel every muscle in her body become stiff when the people started coming out of the terminal. Sure as she thought, the five of them came out disguised, it was a public place of course!
Larissa held herself back from running into Joey's embrace when she saw him smile at her. That was it. They made eye contact and that was all it took for Larissa to feel week in the knees.
"Hey you!" Chris said running up and hugging her.
"Good to see you to Chris...but do you think you can let me breathe for a sec?" Larissa strained to say cause Chris' embrace was so strong.
"Chris, umm, I think you've knocked the wind out of her." Lance said noticing how blue in the face Larissa was starting to get.
Once Chris let her go, she practically fell to the ground, but Justin had caught her in time. "Actually, he sueezed it out of me. But don't worry Chris, I still love you."
Larissa kissed Lance on the cheek then turned to see Justin still standing behind her, "hey baby cakes!" She said jokingly as she hugged his tall slender body.
"You know I hate that name! But only you can call me that, so don't the rest of you even think twice about it!" Justin said pointing at the other, laughing guys.
"Well, well, well...if it isn't little miss perfect?" JC said hugging her.
"ME? I thought we had forgotten that little episode?"Larissa said a flushed about what had happened between the two of them before.
"Whatever you say." He said waving his arms in the air.
"Oh you, stop it!" She said pushing him away from her.
Fun time was over, it was time that Joey and Larissa met reunited. The other four guys stepped back and Joey appeared behind them. Larissa put on a little smile on her lips and so did Joey.
B
"Hi Joey," Larissa said quietly, Joey had to practically strain his ears just to hear her. But his heart heard it nonetheless.
"Hey Larissa. It's nice to see you again." Joey said as he gently hugged her. It was a pretty unusual thing for Joey not to give his huge hugs that he always gave.
"Yeah, it's been a long time." She said as they pulled apart.
The four guys gave each other knowing looks and watched the two space out.
"A little too long," JC muttered to the others.
(That night)
Everyone had gone to sleep by 11pm. They were pretty much tired. They had had a very quiet dinner. Everyone was too scared to say anything, well two people for that matter. The rest were just waiting to watch someone explode.
"Larissa?" Hazel said when she noticed her friend sitting in the darkness of the living room?
"Oh Hazel I'm sorry, did I wake you up?" She asked kinda spaced out.
"No, but you've got me worried. Why aren't you asleep?" Hazel asked sitting next to her.
"I can't sleep. I just thought I'd sit here, wait for Santa and my Christmas wish to come true." Larissa said dreamily.
"And what is that?" Hazel asked knowingly.
Larissa let out a soft sigh and turned towards her friend, "that I would have the courage to talk to him again."
"I'm sorry Liss, I can't help you with that, all I can do is offer my advice. So here it is, there's a someone out there in this world that's meant for you, and you only. Whether that someone is in this house, or out there in that world, you'll them, one day, and you'll know they're the one." Hazel said hugging her and beginning to walk off.
"Hazel? How do you know, for sure, that person is the one?" Larissa asked.
Hazel gave her a gentle smile and answered, "you'll know when you realize that you miss them most at Christmas time." Hazel said turning the Christmas tree lights on and pointing to the fresh falling snow outside.
Larissa sat there thinking a little bit of what her friend had just told her. She finally got up off the bed and was about to go to her room when she noticed a light coming from the back porch. When she walked to the window to see who it was, she felt a tear form out of the corner of her eye. Sure enough, there was Joey sitting on the swing of the back porch with his face buried in his hands. Larissa slowly walked out onto the porch and stood in front of him.
"Is there anymore room on that swing for a friend?" Larissa said with an innocent sweet smile on her face.
Joey looked up at her and smiled, "for you? Always."
Larissa took the seat next to him and they rocked the swing back and forth slowly.
"I'm sorry I've avoided you the whole day.I didn't mean to, I just thought that I could forget about what happened between us if I could forget about you. But I never could, you were the first thing that entered my mind every morning, and the last when I'd go to sleep. I've missed you. More than I thought I ever would." Larissa was practially in tears at that point. She couldn't hold back the emotions that were raging inside her.
Joey sat there, in contempt, he wanted so badly to hold her and never let go, but before he could do that, he needed to get things out in the open.
"Larissa," Joey said softly as he took her hand in his and looked into her bright green eyes and took a deep breath, "before we...before I let my emotions run free, I need to tell you something first, and I want you to listen to me, okay?"
Larissa shivered at the seriousness in his voice and nodded her head. She was afraid that she wasn't going to be prepared for what was coming next. Intuition had her right.
"These past three months without you have been like go through hell and back. It took every ounce of energy to let you walk away from me that night we said goodbye. But during the time we were apart, I don't know how it happened, but I thought i had fallen for this girl I met on tour but..."
"Wait a minute, you just confessed how much you've missed me and all that crap, and now you don't know how you fell for someone else?" Larissa said with tears falling from her face as she got off the swing and walked to the door.
Joey let out a sigh and got up but kept his distance from her, "I told you how I've been feeling cause it's the honest truth. But I also told you about this other person because I thought you should know."
"Who is she?" Larissa said closing her eyes and holding back her tears.
"Crystal."
"MY SISTER JOEY? MY SISTER?" Larissa said opening her eyes. This time her eyes were full of hate and pure anger.
"You don't understand, you haven't heard the whole story yet..."
"I don't think I need or even WANT to hear anything more from you. You've just finished professing how much you miss me, and now you want me to listen to your lame excuses on why it's okay to fall for my sister instead? You bastard. Did you ever stop and think of how this would make me feel? I should've listened to my friends when they warned me about you. But I didn't I thought what we had would be different. I guess I was wrong. I'm gonna walk out of your life tonight, and you can count on me NEVER coming back." With that, Larissa opened the door to the house and shut it behind her. She pushed her back against the door and slid to the floor in tears.
Joey walked over to the door and gently rested his head against it, "you don't understand." He said to himself.
(Christmas Day)
Larissa had woken up pretty late sice she had fallen asleep pretty late. Her night as pretty much a combination of anxiety, tossing, turning, crying, and a LOT of Cookies 'n Cream ice cream.
When she had gotten out of bed she had remembered that all of the guys had probably already left to go visit some relatives that had flown in to visit them at a friends home. And it looked like most likely that Hazel had already left to go to her parents house. Larissa wasn't suppose to get to her family's Christmas party until later that night, so she was pretty much spending Christmas Day alone. Or so she thought.
Larissa walked over to the entertainmnet center and turned the radio on lit a fire in the chimney and sat back on the couch and watched the snow fall outside her window.
"You'll know when you realize that you miss them most at Christmas time." Hazel's word repeated in her mind.
"Well maybe I'll miss that person on the next Christmas." Larissa sighed and closed her eyes and a familiar song popped into her head at fist she started to hum, but she couldn't help it, she started to let her sweet voice sing the true feeling words.
The fire is burning
The room's all aglow
Outside the December wind blows
Away in the distance the carolers sing
in the snow
Everbody's laughing
The world is celebrating
And everyone's so happy
Except for me tonight
Because I miss you
Most at Christnas time
And I can't get you
Get you off my mind
Every other season comes along
And I'm all right
But then I miss you
most at christmas time
I gaze out the window
This cold winters' night
At all of the twinkling lights
alone in the darkness
Remembering when you we're mine
Everybody's smiling
The whole world is rejoicing
And everyone's embracing
Except for you and I
Baby I miss you
Most at Christmas time
And I can't get you
Get you off my mind
Every other season comes along
And I'm alright
But then I miss you most at Christmas time
In the springtime those memories
start to fade
With the April rain
Through the summer days
Till Autumns's leaves are gone
I get by without you
Till the snow begins to fall
And then I miss you
Most at Christmas time
And I can't get you
Get you off my mind
Every other season comes along
And I'm alright...
But then I miss you, most at
Christmas time
-"miss you most at christmas time"/mariah carey-
Joey had been leaning behind her in the hallway opening and listened in as she sang to herself. He could tell that the words meant something to her, it was the way she sang it. She did indeed have a beautiful voice, but the way she was singing now was more beautiful than words could express.
She slowly let the last verse slip off her lips and she let out a sigh. "I think I'm going insane."
"No you're not," Joey said revealing himself as he walked up to her.
"I thought you had left along with the others?" Larissa said turning to look away and acted hostile toward him.
"Well, I was about to, when I decided that the only time we can truly talk to each other." Joey asked hopeful.
Larissa turned to look at him and saw the sincerity in his eyes, but she fought her hardest not to fall for it again. "I don't want to talk to you. You lost that privilege."
Larissa got up and made her way to her room, just as she was about to close the door, Joey held it open and walked inside.
"So what are you gonna do now? Beat to death until I listen to you. Don't waste your time, the baseball bat's in the kitchen." Larissa said foolishly but with confidence.
"You know I wouldn't do that." Joey said standing in front of her.
"You're wrong, I don't know you anymore," Larissa said moving away from him and lying down on her bed.
"Would you just let me say what I need to?" Joey pleaded.
"Go ahead and say what you want, but I can't promise you that I'll listen."
"The days after we had left each other were torment. So you're friends told you that we probably wouldn't last. But didn't we prove them wrong? Didn't I prove YOU wrong. We did have something special. We still can have something special. If you just let me explain." Joey said as he sat down on the bed with her back facing him.
After she didn't respond, he let out a sigh and continued, "while I was on tour, I met up with your sister at a party. Unlike what you thought happened, we didn't do anything. But we started to date, I won't lie to you about that. But I broke it off with her a week later. I realized what you had said that night was true, that I wasn't ready to be a one woman man. But I found that I couldn't care for another girl like you. You changed me, for the better. I wanted to be the type of guy you deserved. But I guess my mistakes cost me that chance. And I'm sorry for it."
Larissa lay there on her bead silently crying. She could barely see the pillow next to her anymore. His words were so solemn and so heartfelt. But she wasn't ready to let her guard down just yet. She had been hurt once, she wasn't about to take a chance and let the past repeat itself.
"I want to believe you so much Joey. But I need some time to think things through." Larissa said trying not to sound choked up, which she was undoubtedly.
"Take your time, but please don't take to long. Like you said, 'I can't get you off my mind, every other season, comes along and I'm alright, but then I miss you, most at Christmas time'". With that, Joey brushed her hair gently then got up and walked out of the room.
Larissa wiped the tears off her face and took a small frame out of her nightstand drawer. She held the picture of Joey and her from their first date in front of her. "Please God, help me to know if he really is the one."
(Later that Night)
Larissa needed some time alone before she had gone to her family party. So she decided to walk through the streets of Boston to the party. She was walking steadily through a near by park and she started singing to herself again...
Every other season
comes along and I'm alright.
But then I miss you,
most at Christmas time...
It seemed ironic when she stopped in her tracks and noticed Joey standing in front of the Christmas tree in the center of the park. She took a deep breath and started walking over to him.
"Joey?" She said calling to him when she was about a couple feet away from him.
He slowly turned to look at her was astonished to see her there, "hey. What are you doing here this late?"
"I decided to walk to my parents' home." She said with a gentle smile.
"Oh," he saddly stated.
"About what you said earlier, why did you do it?" She asked calmly.
"Do what?" He asked confused as to what she was implying.
"Why did you tell me? You know you didn't have to." She clarified.
"Because I wanted us to start over, and I wanted us to be open with each other, even if I only got your friendship in return.
Joey simply answered.
Larissa stood there in the gleam of the tree lights and smiled, "you said you lost the chance to be the type of guy I deserved...what did you mean by that?"
"I meant that you deserved a guy who could give you everything you wanted 24/7. The type of guy who made you happy everytime you were sad. I just wanted to be the one hodling you, and selfish as it was of me, I wanted that guy to be, and only me."
Larissa could feel a tear well out of the corner of her frozen eyes, "Joey, you are more than that type of guy you described. And I'm willing, God help me, to admit that I let go of you because I loved you. I loved you so much that I just wanted to let you live life. Not worrying about me. I love you, I always have and always will, but the question is, do you feel the same?"
Joey slowly walked up to her and cupped her pale cold cheeks with his gloved hands and pulled her in for a sweet gentle kiss. Once they pulled apart he smiled gently at her and replied, "I love you more than you can imagine."
"Good, cause I would of slapped you if you had just kissed me for the heck of kissing me."
"Oh really? Then I would just have to do this..." Joey picked a bunch of snow in his hand and threw it at her.
"Oh it's on now big boy!" She said grabbing a chunk of snow herself and hurdling it at him.
The two spent the rest of the night having a snowball fight. All in all it was definitly, a merry christmas after all.
The End
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