The sunlight peeked through the blinds on the living-room window creating slanted rays of light across the wooden floor. One of the rays rested upon the couch where Chris and AJ were still sleeping; AJ on his back, one arm hanging toward the floor, the other arm positioned around Chris, whose head rested contentedly on his chest, rising and falling with each breath.

Chris slowly opened her eyes, squinting at the contrast in lighting. It took her a minute to realize where she was...and who she was with. She felt herself begin to blush, and a wave of nervousness rushed through her.

Oh my God! Chris thought. What did I do last night? How did I end up on the couch with him? She shifted a bit, discovering there was more room than there seemed, and that she could get off the couch without disturbing AJ. And she did.Once Chris was safely off the couch and standing by the window, she breathed a quick sigh of relief and rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands. Then she opened the blinds, allowing the sun to enter full force. She smiled smugly as AJ groaned and turned over, pulling the blanket up over his head.

That'll teach you, she thought, as she tiptoed to the stairs and up to her room. Chris went in and closed the door. She didn't know what all happened last night, whether she just passed out again or what, but whatever happened, it gave her one of the best five hours' or so of sleep she had had in over a month.

She padded into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. Her reflection was blurred because she didn't have her contacts in, but from what Chris could see, she looked pretty good. Refreshed. There was another emotion written on her face, but it was hard to decipher. If she hadn't known better, she could have sworn she had sex.

"Nah. I don't feel that different." Chris said, opening the medicine cabinet and pouring some pills into her hand. She swallowed them with a cupped hand of water and made a face.

"Uck!" she choked. Then Chris closed the cabinet and went back into her bedroom to pick out what she was going to wear. She glanced at the clock on her dresser as she rummaged through some drawers. It was almost twenty after. God, what am I doing up this early? And I'm not tired, either.

It was too quiet and still in the house. Eerie, in fact. Somehow it was like she was alone again.

"Which still doesn't give me permission to walk around naked. Not like I did before anyway," Chris said to herself as she selected a pair of khakis, a fitting light green tank top, and a pair of sandals. She put them on her bed, went back into the bathroom, and started running water for the shower.

Kevin opened his eyes at the sound of running water, rolled over to see what time it was, sighed, and flopped back onto his back, putting his arm over his eyes. Not that the gesture would block out the sound of the roar from the pipes, but to him it seemed to help. After a few minutes, he pushed back the covers of his bed in the room across the hall from Chris's and sat up, rubbing his eyes.

"What in the world is she doing up this early?" he asked himself. Wait a minute, it could be AJ.

"Nah...I don't think he'd ever get up before ten if his life depended on it. It has to be Chris." He got up and opened the curtains, and then the window. The sun was shining brightly for 6:30 in the morning, and there were blue skies as far as the eye could see. Kevin looked down across the street. He could see Kat pulling out her lounge chair and a boombox. What is it with these girls? It's summer! They're not supposed to be up until at least noon. At any rate, he agreed that it was an ideal day for tanning.

Rehearsal was supposed to start at eight. He'd better get AJ out of bed and into the shower. Not that Kevin was actually going to push AJ into the shower, he'd at least be the polite host and get his sorry ass out of bed. There was a job to do.

Actually, there was more than one job. Chris's nineteenth birthday was this Friday, and Kevin had to finalize the plans and try to think of a way to get her out of the house. But first, he had to get some people up and moving, after he made coffee. Chris didn't drink it, so she wouldn't have made it. In fact, Kevin realized that even though he and Chris had been severely close before he joined the group, now he hardly knew her at all. That bothered him. Not enough to lose sleep, but enough to make him think.

"I should ask her to hang out sometime. Just so we can get to know each other again."4 Kevin opened his door and went downstairs to the kitchen, not looking into the living room.

He went to the counter and opened the cabinet, taking down the Maxwell's canister. He scooped some grounds into the filter, then put the canister back. A few moments later, the awakening aroma of coffee floated throughout the downstairs. Kevin got down a coffee cup and stood by the pot, impatiently waiting for the brewing to finish.

Suddenly there was a series of thumps coming from behind. Then the thumps changed to clicks as someone rushed into the kitchen.

"Good morning!" Chris chirped, hugging Kevin from behind.

"Morning, Chris," Kevin said, with noticeably less enthusiasm.

"Oh, come on! You can do better than that." She dropped her hands and went to the refrigerator. "If I were your girlfriend instead of your cousin, you'd be nice to me," she continued, pulling out a can of Diet Pepsi.

Kevin turned to look at her, raising an eyebrow. "What, pray tell, are you doing up this early, and in such a good mood? And where did that comment come from?"

"What? Can't I be cheerful for once in my life?" she asked, popping the top off the can and taking a sip. "Besides, it's my birthday on Friday. And despite the fact that I will be another year older and single yet again, I'm in a pretty good mood."

Kevin poured some coffee into his cup and sat at the little table in the center of the kitchen. Chris sat down across from him and took another drink of her soda. He waited until she had swallowed before he said anything.

"Did you always drink soda for breakfast?" Chris looked at him with a funny expression on her face.

"Why should my drinking Pepsi in the morning be any different than your drinking coffee? They both have caffeine and are both great pick-me-ups."

"However, coffee doesn't have man-made chemicals in it."

Chris narrowed her eyes."Oh, so you're starting early are you?" Then she smiled mischievously. "But the day is young. I'll get you later."

Kevin stood up and pushed in his chair."Well, I've gotta shower and change before the other guys get here."

As he started towards the stairs he said, "You might want to put on some shorts because we're not going to be practicing here."

"You just want to see my legs," Chris said to Kevin's back.

"I heard that," he replied, before he went upstairs.

Chris drank more of her soda. The can was almost empty and she leaned back in her chair and began to tilt the can back and forth on the table. She looked past it to nothing in particular, losing herself in thought and the rhythmic motion of the can.

AJ smelled coffee. He didn't normally drink it, but somehow the smell always got him up. Not much could actually get him out of bed, except for the coffee smell and if someone jumped on him. He smiled under the blanket as he thought of who he would want to jump on him.

Somewhere upstairs the shower was running again. The house was old and so were the pipes. Every sound that was made could be heard, no matter where a person was. AJ had almost been there a month and still hadn't gotten used to it. He'd might as well get up.

Throwing back the blanket, AJ sat up on the end of the couch.

"Ahh," he moaned, partly because of the brightness of the room and partly because of the sudden head rush he got. A few moments later, he was able to get up, and AJ trudged into the kitchen to grab some coffee.

Chris was still sitting at the table gazing into space, tilting her can. AJ looked at the can and then the clock. It was almost seven.

"Not much of a coffee drinker, huh?" AJ said, getting down a cup from the cabinet.

"Huh?" Chris said, jerking out of her trance. She turned around in her chair, a faint blush creeping up her neck as she noticed AJ standing at the counter.
"I said you must not be much of a coffee drinker," he repeated, coming toward the table with his coffee." Chris smiled. AJ almost dropped his cup.
"I'm sorry. I didn't hear you. No, I don't like the taste. But I love cappuccino."
"That's different."
"Yeah, well, that's me. It's the same thing with beer, though. It just tastes like yucky water. Now give me a pina colada and I'm totally gone."
AJ laughed at her honest response. "Aren't you a little young to be trying that stuff?"

Chris gave him a straight face. "Hey, it's not like there's anything else to do." She got up and went to the sink to rinse out her empty can. Then she put it on the counter beside the sink with about a dozen others.

AJ watched her back. He wanted to ask her so badly. But it wasn't the right time. He took a deep breath. Or was it?
"Are you feeling better this morning?" Chris turned around with a surprised look on her face.
"Feeling better as opposed to what?"'
"Last night," AJ replied, taking a drink

Chris's surprise changed to confusion, her brow furrowing as she tried to remember what it was that had happened the night before. AJ watched her concentrate and began to wonder himself. Had it only been a dream?

"You won't believe this," Chris began, an innocent look on her face, "but I don't remember anything about what happened last night. All I know is I came home from work early and went to bed."

"Then what I should have asked was 'How are you feeling this morning'," AJ said, looking straight into her eyes. Oddly enough, the look Chris had in her eyes was genuine. She really had no idea what happened the night before. And he wasn't sure he should tell.
"Why don't we start again? But not from the beginning. I'm not sure I could take another soda this early in the morning."

AJ softened his gaze, and Chris felt her heart skip a beat. She wished she knew what he was talking about, but her memory wasn't all that great anymore. He shook his head and stood up.

"As much as I'd love to, I have to get ready for rehearsal. But I'd be happy to try this again tomorrow." As AJ started toward the doorway, he heard Chris get up and stand behind him.
"I have to go up to my room anyway," she said when he looked over his shoulder. "And, just so you know, I'm just feeling a little queasy this morning, but it's normal. I'll be fine by rehearsal."
"Are you sure?"
"If I said it was normal, why are you asking if I'm sure?"

"Good point." When they reached the staircase, AJ moved aside and motioned for Chris to go ahead of him. She smiled and trotted up the stairs, tripping halfway up.

"Ahh, shit," she cursed, landing on her knee. AJ had reached out to steady her, but was a little too late. Instead he stood behind her and helped her up.

"Is this normal too?"he asked, holding her hand.

"What? Me falling or you holding my hand?"

AJ, aware of his poor choice of attire, still held Chris's hand. Willing his voice steady, and not too eager, he answered her with a question.

"What do you want it to be?"

Chris started to blush. This was one of the moments she had been waiting for all her life. It had never happened before, and she paused a moment before answering.

"It depends on what you're asking me. If you're asking if I make a habit out of falling on the stairs, then the answer is no. If you're asking if I should make it a habit to hold your hand, then I think the answer would be yes."

AJ couldn't believe his ears. He was holding her hand, and he hadn't even had to open his mouth to risk being rejected. Not that it mattered; he would have kept fighting for her until she said "yes."

"Wait a minute," he said, dropping her hand. "Are you saying that you'd like to go out with me?"

Chris leaned toward him, and with her heart beating furiously, kissed him on the lips. Not a kiss of friendship, not even a peck on the cheek. This kiss had nineteen years of built-up passion behind it. AJ thought he felt an actual electric shock run through him; he felt it all the way to his toes. And from the way Chris looked when she pulled away, he could tell she had felt the same way.

"Does that answer your question?"

Chris was in her room, sitting on her bed. She had meant to get her shorts out of the drawer and put them on. Instead, the dresser drawer hung open, and Chris was just staring at it, mulling over what she had just done. She had kissed AJ McLean! She was going to go out with AJ McLean!

"Oh, my God! What have I done?" Chris cried.

You did what you wanted to do.

"But why do I feel so bad about it?"

Because you weren't ready.

"Well, fine Ms. Know-it-All. When will I be ready?" Then there was silence. Chris shook her head. "I thought so."

She pulled her stare from the dresser and moved it to the clock. It was 7:45. Chris could hear AJ in the bathroom, still getting ready for rehearsal. She didn't understand why he had to spend time working on himself when all they were going to do was get hot and sweaty...

"Ugh! Out sick thought! Out!" Chris said, pointing her finger and directing it to the door. "Rehearsing. There's going to be a lot of people around today and it's going to be busy. And we're going to be busy rehearsing. Nothing else. Just rehearsing. Try and get it through your head, girl!"

She got off her bed and went to the open drawer, pulling out a pair of khaki shorts. Chris decided there wasn't enough time to change before they left to wherever it was they were going to rehearse, and there was the sound of another vehicle pulling into the driveway. Shortly thereafter, a horn tooted, and she heard Kevin yell, "Coming!" He rushed down the stairs and opened the door.

Chris quickly grabbed her backpack and threw the shorts into it, along with some sunscreen, a hat, and a towel. She grabbed her sunglasses from her nightstand, and putting them on, opened her bedroom door and stepped out into the hallway. She paused. Should I go get my medicine to take with me? I don't know what time we'll be back, and I don't want to get sick. Glancing at her watch, Chris decided against it. She didn't want to go into the bathroom and get it, not with AJ so close. Maybe I'll just wait until he leaves.

At that moment AJ came out of his room and closed the door. His hair was still damp from the quick shower, and he was wearing a pair of windpants and a white T-shirt. He had a baseball cap on, and was holding his sunglasses in his hand.

"Ready for a workout?" he asked, noticing Chris in the hall.
"Uh, almost. I forgot something in my room," she said, opening her door again. AJ stood outside her room, his arms crossed.
"I'll wait for you."
"Okay. I'll just be a sec," she smiled, then disappeared into her room. Quietly she opened the bathroom door and got her stuff out the medicine cabinet. When Chris returned to the door, AJ was still there, which surprised her.
"Ready now?" he asked, reaching for her hand. Chris took it, a tingle running down her spine.
"Yeah. Let's go." They headed down the stairs just as Kevin began to shout for them to get a move on.
"I honestly thought I used to be punctual," Chris said.

AJ laughed. "Get used to being late. We're on 'Backstreet time' now. Not really late, but enough to cause a stir."
Kevin was standing at the front door, making it a point to look at his watch as they went out the door.
"So we're starting off on the right foot, I presume?" he said, closing the door behind them. Chris turned around, AJ still holding her hand. She smiled at Kevin, and held up the hand AJ was holding.
"I most certainly am."
Kevin groaned. "Oh, no. Please tell me I'm not seeing this, Chris."
"Sorry, Kev. We're just getting to know each other. We're leaving the good stuff for after rehearsal," AJ replied, grinning slyly. "Who's car we going in? Hi, guys!" he continued, waving at Nick and Howie. "Where's Brian?"

"Hey, Bone!" Nick waved back. "He's running late. He said he'll meet us there. Probably stuck with Emily again."
"Yikes," AJ said, making a face. Kevin pointed to the Jeep.
"We're going with those two," he said.
"Is there going to be enough room or is someone going to get lucky enough to have me on their lap, seeing as I'm the only female here." Chris said, moving toward the Jeep.

Howie chuckled. "Chris, I think that someone already had that in mind," he said, nodding toward AJ, who was behind Chris, preparing to pick her up. She turned, shrieked, and flew into the backseat. AJ jumped in beside her, and Kevin climbed in beside them.

"I hope you two are going to take it easy," he said quietly to AJ, who looked at Kevin in question. "I don't want to see her get hurt. Please don't move fast. She's never experienced anything like this before. Take it slow so she'll enjoy it."

AJ smiled. "Kevin, Kevin. Have I ever done anything totally spontaneous?" At the look on Kevin's face, AJ's smile faded. "Don't worry, Kev. I'll be careful this time."
"Please. Just make her happy."
"No problem."
"What are you two talking about?" asked Chris. "Even though I'm sitting here, I can't hear you, and it bothers me because I know you're talking about me."
"Boy, see the ears on that one!" said Howie. Chris reached up and slapped him playfully.
"Hey! These ears have heard a lot! Don't diss me."

Nick turned around in his seat to look at the threesome in the back. "You guys comfy back there? I hope you're all buckled in tight 'cuz Howie's driving."

Howie backed the Jeep out of the driveway and started toward the highway. "You'd better stop, Nick. Before I throw you out and you have to walk home." Nick put on an innocent face and turned back to face the front.

"Where, exactly, are we going?" Chris asked.
"To, uh, I really don't know. Where we goin' Howard?" AJ said.
"To the lake," Howie said. "I got to pick the rehearsal spot for this week. Hope you brought your suits."
"Ack! Howie! How were we supposed to know we'd be practicing at the lake? None of us brought suits.' Chris said.
"Guess we're all gonna have to do the skinny, then," AJ suggested. Kevin rolled his eyes.
"As much as you'd enjoy it, I don't think we're going to be swimming."
"Ahh, Kev. Don't be such a party pooper." Nick said.
"Shut up, Nick."

Chris laughed. It was amazing to see how well they got along all the time. Even though they had their own individual relationships with each other, they seemed to be the best of friends.
"So where, exactly, can you practice at a lake? And who's lake is it?" Chris asked, to anyone who was listening.
Howie looked at her in the rearview mirror. "There's a pavilion right by the lake, if you can call it that. It's closed in just for us and there's mirrors and stuff so we can see what we look like."

"And sometimes we look really stupid," Nick interrupted.
"And usually it's you," AJ retorted, laughing at Nick's expression.
"Anyway," Howie continued. "It's the company's outdoor recreational facility. There's a lake, water slides, tennis courts, hiking trail, et cetera. It's kinda like an amusement park."

"Then how do you all get to use it if it's for everyone on the label?" Chris asked, leaning forward. With the wind blowing over and around the Jeep, it was getting difficult for her to hear.
"Let's just say that there may be tons of artists on the label, but there are only a few that have made millions for the company."

"So this is how you get rewarded?"

"Yep. Problem is, we're not the only ones."

"Ohh," Chris said. "Gotcha."

She leaned back against AJ, who put his arms around her. The sun was shining unusually bright for so early in the morning. Maybe it just seems that way because of what's been happening to me.

It was almost nine when Howie pulled onto the dirt road leading to the lake. It was nothing like Chris had ever seen before. There were no palm trees, no sand, no smell of the ocean. In fact, it looked like they had gone through a time warp or something and were in another state.

"Kinda reminds you of being in Kentucky, doesn't it," Kevin asked. Chris nodded.

"It's so weird. I can almost see a log cabin in the woods there," she said, pointing.

Just then, the Jeep pulled out in front of the lake. Chris drew in her breath. The sun was shining on the water, making it glitter like expensive jewelry. The green grass surrounded the lake on three sides, the fourth side bordered by sand. On the opposite end was a dock, and tied to it a rowboat. In the middle of the lake was a floating device resembling a raft.

The pavilion was on the right. Indeed, it was closed in, but the doors could be pushed aside so it could be open to the outside. Howie pulled into a parking area beside the pavilion and shut off the engine.

"What do you think, Chris?" asked Nick.

"It's beautiful here. Are you sure we're still in Florida?"
AJ nodded. "Yessir. We are. Doesn't look it, though. Personally, I prefer the palm trees."
Kevin was already out of the Jeep. He turned around and held out his hand to help Chris out. She took it and jumped down to the ground. AJ climbed out last and followed the others to the pavilion for rehearsal.

Brian and Emily were already inside waiting when they entered.
"Hey guys! How you doing?" Brian said, looking at his watch, then back at Kevin. "And I thought I was going to be late."
"Well, what time did you get here?" Kevin asked.
"Uh, well, we got here--"
"About 30 seconds ago," Emily finished. "So no one gets in trouble because we were all late."
Chris smiled when she saw Brian's look of relief. He was never a good liar, and he got exasperated whenever he tried. AJ was talking behind her.
"That's great. Because it was all Nicky here's fault," he joked, pointing at Nick. Before Nick could respond in whatever was he was going to, Howie clapped his hands together, getting everyone's attention.

"Okay people, listen up," he said. "We have lots to do today. Brian, did you remember the boombox?"
Brian nodded. "Yep. And every song we've ever done."
"Good. Because we have to practice with Chris and get her familiar with the routine." Chris blushed as she saw everyone look at her. AJ came up beside her and took her hand. Brian raised his eyebrows.

"Chris, you and Bone together?" She nodded.
Emily smiled. "As of when?"
"This morning."
"Alright. Enough chitchat," Howie cut in. "Chris, this is going to be a test of your level of devotion. You're a fan, right?"
"What kind of question is that?"
"I just want to know how well you know our routines."
Chris continued to look at him in confusion. "I'm not reading you."
"Let's try this," AJ suggested, going over to the boombox and putting in a CD. "Everyone get into position for Everybody. Chris, take my place."

Kevin, Howie, Brian, Nick, and Chris got in line, crossed their arms and lowered their heads. AJ pressed the play button and turned up the volume. Suddenly, Chris understood.

Five minutes later, Chris was standing in the final position, looking at herself in the mirror. The five of them were all frozen, and it looked great. She was still standing that way when everyone began to applaud and surround her.

"Now that's what I was talking about," Howie said, slightly out of breath.

"I think I read you now," Chris replied. "But what did you mean?"

"Do you know every routine?" Brian asked.

"To tell you the truth, the only time I've ever seen the routine was at the concert."

"And you were able to do it that well?" Nick said incredulously.

"I'm not going to answer that because I don't know the reason why," Chris said. "What's next?"

Howie looked at Kevin, who nodded. "Well, can you do a dancer's routine?"

"Depends on who her partner is," AJ said. Nick rolled his eyes.

"Subtlety sure isn't one of your strong points, is it, Bone?" he said.

"Can you guys cut it out for a little while?" Howie said. "I think we should run through the entire show--"

"What!" Nick cried.

"--and then we can take a break and swim or whatever," Howie continued. "But then we should do it again, and then we can go home.''

"Sounds good to me," Chris said.