Chapter
14: Say It Nice.
"So, do you wanna do this again
sometime?" Chris asked Jamie as they walked out of the restaurant with
their arms linked.
"I'd love to," Jamie replied
smiling sweetly, "I had a lot of fun tonight."
There was a short silence.
"It's cool out tonight!" Jamie
commented as the cool wind brushed her and she shivered.
"Here take my jacket." Chris
said stripping himself of the coat.
"No, you're okay, we're at
the car now."
"I was gonna suggest a walk
across the beach."
"Isn't that kinda thing supposed
to be for couples in love?" Jamie asked nervously.
Chris shrugged.
Jamie smiled and slipped her
arms into the jacket he was holding for her, "I'd love to walk across the
beach with you."
As they walked on the sand
barefoot, the sand brushing between their toes, hand in hand, they were
lost in their own thoughts.
I wonder if a relationship
with Chris would work. Jamie thought, we work together so how could it?
But he is a great guy and it's not as if we spend day in day out in each
other's pockets. We both have our own jobs to do so we would only get the
odd occasion to go out together… maybe it could work.
I've got a good feeling about
this. Chris thought, a relationship with Jamie could really go places…
Miami, LA, New York even European… he sniggered at his own humorous thoughts
and stopped in his tracks.
"What?" Jamie asked questioning
his outburst as she stopped next to him.
"I was just wondering, if
we started datin', would it'd work?"
"No way, I was thinkin' the
same thing!"
"You think we should give
it a go?"
"I think if we want it bad
enough it could work."
"What d'ya say we make it
work?"
"Yeah, we will."
Chris smiled and pulled Jamie
closer before leaning forward and kissing her.
As their lips touched Jamie
let out a short laugh.
"What is it?" Chris asked
paranoid.
"All of a sudden I'm finding
the fact that you can be serious absolutely hilarious."
"And you had to show it right
at that moment?" he asked with a smile as he relaxed.
"I'm sorry!" she said with
a smirk. She pulled her face straight and leaned forward to kiss him.
Their lips met and he placed
his hand lightly on her backside. She burst into laughter again.
"What now?" he asked pulling
away.
"Well it's you, no it's not
you, it's me," she laughed. "Suddenly it was, 'ooh Chris' hand is on my
butt'."
Chris watched as Jamie doubled
over laughing. She looked up at him to see a puzzled look on his face.
"I'm sorry!" she said before
trying to straighten her face for a second time, "Okay, I'm okay now!"
She leaned forward to kiss
him again but Chris pulled away, "Forget it. The mood has passed!" he said
before he walked away from her.
"Come on Chris. I'm sorry!"
she called as she walked after him.
~~~~~*~~~~~
As Justin stood outside Libby's
office door he took a couple of deep breathes hoping it would give him
the courage to tell her what he'd been hiding for 8 months now.
~~~~~*~~~~~
Libby looked up at the clock on
her wall, 11:00, time for another caffeine rush I think.
~~~~~*~~~~~
Justin raised his arm confidently
to knock on the door, this was it, he had to tell her how he felt. As he
hesitated, the door opened and a tired Libby stood before him with a mug
in one hand, rubbing her face with the other.
"Jeez, what the hell are you
doing here so late?" she asked, her heart in her throat.
He smiled awkwardly as Libby
took in the view, he was wearing a pair of black jeans and a polo neck,
his clear blue eyes were emphasised by a pair of tinted glasses, Damn,
why did he have to look so good? She thought before she caught herself
smiling and shook herself out of her trance.
"I just needed to talk to
you." Justin said nervously.
Libby looked at him expectantly
as he plucked up the courage to open his heart, she could see he was nervous
but disregarded it, "Spit it out Curly."
"Umm… can we go in your office?"
"Can I get a drink first?"
"Umm… sure!"
"You want?"
"Yeah 'k."
Libby wandered down the hall
rubbing her eyes trying to shake the tiredness from her body; it seemed
that her great idea to come here and study wasn't so great after all. It
was 11 o'clock and she was still nowhere near finished.
"Urgh, I just wanna go home!"
she said as she returned to her office with two coffees. She placed them
down on her desk where Justin was sat flicking through one of her textbooks.
"Jeez, you actually understand
this stuff?" Justin exclaimed in disgust as he dropped the book on the
desk in front of him.
"Well to be honest, at this
time of night… nope." She laughed as she grabbed her mug and wandered over
to the couch.
There was a short silence.
"Well, what was it you wanted
to talk about?" Libby asked Justin as he sat next to her on the couch.
She rested her head on his lap and as he began talking closed her eyes.
"I've wanted to tell you for
a while…" he began.
"Hmmm." She replied sleepily.
"You see, I've been thinking
it over."
"Uh-huh." Libby said her eyelids
fixed tightly closed.
"I think I'm falling for this
girl…"
There was no response.
"Libby."
There was still no response.
Justin smiled and shook his
head, "Typical."
~~~~~ A While Later
~~~~~
Around 4 a.m. Libby woke up disoriented.
When she finally realised she was still in her office she looked at Justin
who was sat up and still asleep. She smiled at him; he looked like an angel.
Suddenly the phone on her desk rang waking him and startling her. She got
up with a sigh and picked up the receiver, "Hello."
"Lib, what are you still doing
there?" Clare's voice asked concerned from the other end.
"I was studying. Why?"
"Have you seen Justin? His
mom has called here, he hasn't been home all night and she's worried."
"Yeah, he's here."
"Get him to call her would
ya'?"
"'K, bye." she said before
putting down the phone and turning to Justin, "Who's been a naughty boy
and not called his mommy?"
"Oh damn! She's prob'ly going
nuts," he said as he got up off the couch and walked over to her desk,
"She's gonna kill me!"
~~~~~ A Couple of Weeks
Later ~~~~~
All the girls sat in the sitting
area of Clare and Libby's apartment. They were having another sleepover
only this one was male free.
"I can't believe you're gonna
get married!" Libby exclaimed nudging Lisa as they sat on one of the couches.
"It's not gonna be for a while
yet, we're gonna have a long engagement." Lisa exclaimed.
"And does Joey know that?"
Jamie asked as Clare walked in from the kitchen with a glass of wine for
them both.
"Does Joey know your answer
yet?" Clare asked as she passed Jamie a glass and sat down beside her.
Lisa shook her head with a
big smile.
"By the time you accept he'll
'ave found someone else." Libby teased.
"Or he might realise he made
a big mistake and take the proposal back before you've had a chance to
say yes!" Clare added playfully.
"Thanks. At least now I know
who my real friends are!" Lisa said glancing at Sara and Jenny.
"So Jamie," Clare said with
a gleam in her eye. "How are thing's between you and Christopher?"
"Fine!" Jamie smiled back
at her. "But I've been so busy working out the re-schedule of the tour
that we haven't had much time together except today, we managed to spend
an hour together before I came over here."
"Are you mad girl? If I had
a choice of spending some quality time with my boyfriend or going to a
male free sleep-over with my friends, I know which I'd choose, and I would
not be sat here right now!"
"Of course it would help if
you had a boyfriend first!" Libby teased her.
"Thanks, friend!"
Everyone laughed at Clare
as she threw a cushion at Libby.
Things between Clare and JC
hadn't progressed since the kiss they shared that night. But thing's hadn't
got worse either, they still talked like they used to, it was just a little
more awkward.
"So come on then Jenny, spill
on what's been happening with you and Lance." Cyndi said looking at her
best friend.
"We went out to dinner last
night. It was very romantic, we had a table out on the terrace, it was
very secluded and we talked over candlelight. It was nice." Jenny replied
shyly.
"So has he asked you out yet?"
Sara asked.
Jenny shook her head.
"That's Lance!" Clare exclaimed
with a shake of her head. "So Kelly you got any boyfriends yet?"
Kelly shook her head shyly.
"Come on Elly, don't pretend
to be all shy." Jamie teased the youngster.
"Leave her Jam. She doesn't
know us, she's bound to be shy!" Clare said playfully.
"Clare you should see this
girl in action, she's got more mouth than anyone I know. She could even
put you out of business!"
"I seriously do doubt that!
No-one could have more mouth than Clare!" Libby said in jest.
"You know I'm so honoured
to have friends like you. I don't know where I'd be without your constant
compliments and kind words!" Clare said sarcastically with a smile to Kelly
who smiled back at her.
~~~~~ A While Later
~~~~~
The girls talked for hours before
the guys of 'N Sync invaded them.
"Oh no, it's the Rat Patrol!"
Clare shouted as Chris and Joey bounded into the room, letting themselves
through the front door, "Quick, hide the strippers!"
"Strippers!" Joey smiled mischievously,
"If its strippers you want, wait no more!"
He turned on the stereo and
turned it up before facing everyone and beginning to take off his shirt.
"No Joey, put it away! There
is not enough space in here for your stomach!" Clare laughed as JC sat
on the arm of the couch next to her.
"Urgh!" Libby exclaimed as
Justin walked in and sat on her lap.
"You've got that the wrong
way 'round!" Chris smiled at the youngster, "She's supposed to sit on your
lap!"
Libby pushed Justin off her
lap as she smiled sarcastically at Chris, she stood up and pushed Justin
into the seat she'd made vacant before sitting on his lap.
"That girl has got brains!"
Chris commented to everyone with a smile, "But you won't be able to talk
about the first thing that rises, the sun won't be up for hours!"
Libby went an embarrassed
shade of red before she moved to sit between Justin and Lisa.
"Leave them alone!" Jamie
said standing up and hitting Chris around the head.
"I'm gonna have you prosecuted
for physical abuse!" he said rubbing his head before scooping her up in
his arms, "See ya later!"
"Where are we goin'?" a laughing
Jamie asked as he walked out of the front door with her.
"Where is he takin' her?"
Jenny asked Lance as he sat on the floor beside her.
"Who knows?" Lance replied
with a smile.
"No one knows what goes on
in his head!" Clare said getting up to turn the stereo down.
"Come on, let's go and save
your cousin." Sara said to Kelly as she stood up and they both made their
way out of the apartment.
"Whachadoin'?" Joey complained
as he stopped dancing in stripper mode.
"Look Fat Boy, we don't need
to see it!" she joked.
"There's nothin' to see anyway!"
Lisa teased causing Clare and Libby to burst into laughter.
"Is that so?" Joey said pulling
her to her feet, putting her over his shoulder and disappearing through
the front door.
"That's 6 down, just 6 to
go and I'll be all alone!" Clare said as JC sat next to her on the couch.
Lance stood up and pulled
Jenny to her feet.
"Where are you goin'?" Cyndi
asked a little put out.
"Down to the beach. You comin'?"
Lance responded as he took Jenny's hand and escorted her from the apartment.
"How can I turn down an invitation
that good?" Cyndi asked sarcastically as she got up to her feet and took
off after them.
"Some sleep-over this has
turned out to be!" Clare said before she stood up and pulled JC to his
feet, "Come on Chasez!"
"Where we going?" he asked
wearily as Clare pulled him toward the door.
"If you can't beat 'em, join
'em!"
"I'm with you!" Justin said
getting to his feet as Clare and JC walked out into the night. He turned
to Libby, "You comin'?"
"No!" Libby replied bluntly.
"Come on."
"I don't want to." She said
playfully.
Suddenly she was hoisted over
his shoulder and he made his way out of the apartment closing the door
behind him.
"Justin, put me down!" Clare
and JC heard Libby scream as Justin ran past them with her still on his
shoulder, hitting him in the back.
"Looks like she was made to
change her mind." JC said with a laugh as he and Clare walked slowly behind
them.
Clare laughed, "It'll be interesting
to see what pain she inflicts on him through when he puts her down!"
They stepped on the beach
to find Chris and Jamie stood cuddling looking out to sea. Joey and Lisa
were sat cuddled up on the sand talking. Kelly, Sara, Jenny and Cyndi splashing
each other with water while Lance supervised and Justin still running around
with Libby on his shoulder screaming at him to put her down.
Clare laughed, "This is so
strange." She said as her and JC came to a standstill.
"What is?" he asked looking
at her.
"The whole group together
like this. We always seem to be doing our own things, it's not like when
we first started together two years ago, we're going our own ways slowly.
It's only a matter of time before we lose touch all together."
"Hey, what's brought this
on?"
Clare shrugged, "You know
it's good us all being together like this. I enjoy times like this when
we all get to be ourselves, even if it is the middle of the night and I've
got work in the mornin'!"
"Now why d'ya have to spoil
it by mentioning work?"
"Sorry but it kinda takes
up 80% of my life so it's a hard topic to avoid!" she replied with a smile.
Suddenly Justin running past
them toward the water where the girls were still splashing each other interrupted
their conversation. He waded into the water up to his knees and then dropped
Libby in. She landed with a smile and quickly came up for air. She got
to her feet and with a smile pushed Justin from his feet causing him to
splash into the water like she had. Clare laughed as a wet Libby waded
out of the sea and walked toward her and JC.
"Where are you goin'?" Justin
asked running up from behind putting his arms around her waist and lifting
her from her feet, "I'm not done with you." he said before running back
down to the water with her.
"Justin no! No! Justin! JUSTIN!"
Libby screamed as she plunged into the water for a second time.
"I'm so glad I'm not her right
now." Clare said with a smile as she leaned on JC.
"Yo! Just," JC shouted to
him, Justin turned to look at him; "Gid wants to go in!"
"No I do not!" Clare shouted
automatically after as Justin made his way toward her.
She began stepping backward
away from the younger man, "No Curly, JC was joking. JC tell him you were
joking." She spat out her eyes never leaving Justin's as he continued slowly
stepping toward her.
"Sorry but you need to be
punished for saying the 'doubleyou' word!" JC called back.
"Oh, she said the 'doubleyou'
word, did she?" Justin asked with a gleam in his eye.
"Come on Curly, don't make
me hurt you!" she said as she slowly edged up the beach.
"Do you really think there's
any fear of that happening?"
Clare didn't answer. She turned
away from him and ran for her life. Justin immediately followed and caught
her before she got far. He wrapped his arms around her chest and carried
her kicking and screaming down to the water.
JC sat on the sand and laughed
as he watched her splash into the water, where Libby, Jenny and Sara were
now dragging Lance in.
"You, Justin Randall Timberlake,
better make out a will 'coz I'm gonna get you back. I always do!" Clare
shouted as she stood in the water soaked from head to foot.
~~~~~*~~~~~
"I'm going to be like the walking
dead today!" Clare said as they all walked back into the apartment at first
light.
""Well I've gotta collect
my results at 11!" Libby said as Clare walked into her bedroom to grab
a change of clothes so that she could shower and change ready to go to
work.
"Can me and Cyndi get a lift
in with you?" Jenny asked as Clare disappeared into the bathroom.
"Ya-huh!" Libby said walking
into her room.
Justin followed her.
"Oh no!" she said turning
around to catch him about to lie down on her bed, "You're still wet so
don't even think about it mister!"
"Whoops!" he said falling
onto her bed.
Libby jumped on him and pinned
him to the bed, "You die now!" and with that they began a play fight.
~~~~~*~~~~~
"Oh please, close the door if
you're gonna do that kind of thing!" Clare said walking past Libby's bedroom
door, dressed for work, causing the couple to burst into fits of laughter.
As Clare walked into her bedroom,
passing everyone who stood in the kitchen eating breakfast, she closed
the door and turned to see JC lay on her bed with his eyes closed.
"Oh, poor baby, you've missed
out on a whole night's sleep!" she said sitting on the bed beside him.
There was no response. He
was fast asleep.
She smiled at a peaceful looking
JC before she got up, grabbed her bag, coat and keys from the bed. She
left the room and closed the door quietly behind her.
"Okay guys I'm off to work,"
she said turning to everyone in the kitchen, "JC is asleep on my bed so
don't disturb him as you leave."
"Can we get a lift in?" Sara
asked Clare as she pointed to Jamie and Kelly.
"Sure!" she replied as she
slipped on her jacket and turned to the youngest girl, "You wanna go back
home?"
"Please." Kelly said with
a nod of her head.
"Come on then, let's go."
They began to head out the
apartment but Clare and Jamie stopped suddenly, "Lib. Call and tell me
your results!" Clare called as Jamie ran back into the kitchen to kiss
Chris.
"I'll be in later!" Libby
called back.
"'K, see ya later!"
~~~~~ A Couple of Hours
Later ~~~~~
JC woke up a little disoriented
knowing he wasn't in his own room but not entirely sure where he was. He
rubbed his eyes and looked up at the wall to see a large framed photo of
him, Clare and the guys. The picture had been taken 18 months ago before
Libby had started working with them. It was Christmas time…
~~~~~FLASHBACK~~~~~
"Okay everyone, squeeze in!"
Lyn Harless said gesturing with her hand.
Everyone was wearing Santa
hats and pulling silly faces.
Click! Click!
They were about to head
off for their Christmas party and Lyn had wanted a photo of them. Clare
had immediately asked for a copy.
When they'd walked into
the hall Chris had stopped Clare in the doorway, under the mistletoe, and
planted a noisy kiss on lips. All of the others had followed suit, first
Justin, then Joey, Lance and then it was his turn. He bowed down and placed
his lips softly on her cheek, "Merry Christmas Clare." He said with a smile.
It was her first Christmas
with them and had joined in on the traditional fancy dress party. She was
going as Rudolph, wearing chocolate coloured clothes and a red nose with
antlers. He'd found her attractive since the day they met but that night
something had stirred inside him making him think about her in a different
way. It hadn't been obvious straight away but he knew now he was falling
for her.
~~~~~~END OF FLASHBACK~~~~~~
JC smiled to himself. He got
up off the bed and walked over to the dresser. As he picked up Clare's
comb, so he could go through his hair, he noticed a valentine's card. He
picked it up and opened it.
"Roses are red,
The sky is blue…"
It was the card he'd sent
her that year. All the guys had started a ritual of sending Clare, Libby
and Lisa valentine's cards since they'd complained about not getting any
in their first year. Every year he'd send all three girls their cards with
their own special poem in. He'd send them the same one every valentines.
~~~~~FLASHBACK~~~~~
"Every year I get the same
poem!" Clare exclaimed as she opened her card and read the contents.
"Me too!" Libby said with
a smile, "Roses are red, Violets are blue, You'll remember me and I'll
remember you!"
"I get, Roses are red,
the grass is green, you're the nicest girl I've ever seen! How sad is that!"
Lisa exclaimed as she looked at Joey.
"Not guilty!" he exclaimed
in reply.
~~~~~~~~~~END OF FLASHBACK~~~~~~~
He walked into the main room
of the apartment to find it empty. He poured himself an orange juice and
flicked on the TV to find a younger version of himself staring back. They
were showing re-runs of the Mickey Mouse Club. He quickly turned it back
off, downed his drink and picked up the keys to his jeep before heading
out of the door.
Chapter
15: Tragedy.
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