"There it is..." Justin said, his smile sparkling as we turned into a long, cobble-stone driveway in his BMW Roadster. The driveway was lined with exotic flowers and bushes that traveled all the way up and back down the C-shaped pavement.
"Wow... It's beautiful," I said, glancing up at the two-story mansion that lay underneath the creamy blue Orlando sky.
"Yeah, Mom and Paul just bought it about 6 months ago when Jon and Steve switched schools down here," Justin said. I looked over at him and saw that his gaze was set on the house in front of us. I followed his sightline and got stuck in my own stare.
"I wish you could have met them this time. Mom just told me a few days ago that they're at Disney World with Paul's parents for the week," Justin told me, obviously bummed that we wouldn't be seeing his beloved brothers during the visit.
"Aw... I'll get to meet them, baby," I smiled and placed a soft hand on the back of Justin's neck, rubbing lightly against his curls as he steered around the driveway.
My smile dissolved as I returned my stare to Justin's family's home. The half-hour drive from the airport had given me plenty of time to get extremely nervous, and Justin could sense it as I removed my hand from his neck, and began sweeping the same loose hairs behind my ears, time after time. I had met Paul, Justin's step-father, over the phone about a week earlier. He seemed like a very sweet and funny man, which relieved some of my self-proclaimed pressure. I had yet to talk to or to meet Lynn, Justin's mom... and I was terrified.
Justin turned off his car's engine as we came to a stop behind the train of cars that proceeded us.
"Finally!" I heard JC say loudly as he and the guys piled out of their various cars. I sighed heavily, listening to their doors slam shut.
"God... it's gonna be good to see Lynn again," JC exclaimed as he pulled his bag out of the back-seat of his Jeep.
Chris hopped out of the passenger side of the Jeep, his bag tucked under his arm, "Last one to the door has to sleep on the couch!!" Chris yelled, making a mad dash for the house.
"Oh hell no!" JC took off, catching up with Chris easily, and the two began struggling up the stairs, each of them pushing and grabbing with child-like grins painted on their faces.
Eric and Joey simultaneously slammed the doors of Joey's Escalade and sprinted after the dueling JC and Chris.
"Hey, no fair!" Lance yelped through the back window of Joey's car, "Joey put the child-proof locks on!!" Lance whined, shouting after the others for help. The four men continued their immature play, taking no notice to Lance's cries.
"ERIC!!!" Lance's voice boomed, startling everyone.
The commotion suddenly stopped, all eyes falling on Eric who was bounding up the steps, taking them 2 at a time. A chorus of laughter rose from the guys as Eric came to a halt, flung an evil look towards Joey, sighed, and went to his boyfriend's rescue.
Justin chuckled and shook his head, climbing out of the car. He walked around to my side of the car as the rest of the guys continued their battle up the stairs to the large wooden doors.
"This should be fun," Justin giggled as he opened my car door.
"Yeah..." I said, unblinkingly, not showing any sign of laughter.
"Shelly! Girl, stop it already," Justin read my mind, cutting me from the millionth bad scenario that was running through my head.
"Listen to me. My mother is going to love you. She won't make you feel uncomfortable, or awkward, or a burden, or anything else that you're afraid you're going to be to her," Justin knelt down and took my hand.
"I know. I'm just paranoid... I can't help it," I said, letting a smile dance across my lips as I gazed into Justin's calming eyes.
"Do you trust me?" Justin asked, raising his hand to my cheek.
"Of course I do."
"Good. Then prove it," Justin grinned and kissed me quickly, pulling me from the car before I could protest.
Eric and Lance had already made their way to the top of the steps to join the others in their immature play. I drew in a large breath as Justin and I began to ascend the red-brick stairs.
I clenched Justin's hand slightly as he advanced quickly towards to doors. Justin noticed this and came to a halt, glancing at me with a questioning look.
I shook my head, meeting his stare with pleading eyes. Justin sighed and smiled at me. "Can somebody ring the doorbell?" Justin said, and he moved back to my side, wrapping a tight arm around me.
JC was the only one who heard Justin's request, but he was the farthest one from the door, fighting off Chris's shoves into the iron railing.
"Dude, stop it!" JC laughed, pushing Chris away from him and cracking up. "Hey, somebody ring the door- Chris! Quit it!-mmmph!-" JC tried to direct his yells towards the others, but Chris pulled him into a head-lock and proceeded to give his skull a noogie.
This time JC's request for the door-bell was neglected, as Lance tried his best at an attempt at Joey bullying. "You're such a prick, man!" Lance said, a stern look across his face. Joey stuck his lower lip far out and made puppy-eyes at Lance.
"Uh-uh, man. I'm serious... You're a bastard, and you know it," Lance's scowl showed a glimmer of a smirk as he tried to remain grim, poking a finger at Joey's chest. Eric stood by his boyfriend's side, turning red for Lance.
"I know, I know... But that's why you love me, right?" Joey placed his face inches from Lance's, exposing his gigantic grin, which caused Lance to try even harder to keep up his "pissed off" act. Lance bit his lip hard to keep from laughing.
"Uh-oh..." Chris interrupted Joey and Lance's exchange from his tight grip on JC, "Looks like we've got another one turning gay on us!" he joked, referring to Joey.
"Who you callin' gay, man?" JC laughed from underneath Chris' choke-hold, "You're the one that won't get the hell off of me!"
We all errupted into laughter and JC escaped, struggling to run from Chris' punches.
"Ow! Ow, okay! I was kidding, dude!" JC laughed as Chris tackled him once more.
"Yeah, uh-huh... Sure ya were-"
"CHRISTOPHER KIRKPATRICK..." The noise stopped abruptly, all eyes turning towards the door.
"Now, just WHAT do you think you're doing to my sweet Josh, there?" Lynn Harless asked, raising one eyebrow, with a smile on her face.
"LYNN!!" JC twisted away from Chris and ran to Lynn with open arms.
"Oh, it's good to see you again, honey," she said as they embraced warmly. Her blond curls and blue eyes lightened my heart a little, finding familiarity in her characteristics.
"I thought you were bringing... um, Mary Beth, right?" Lynn asked JC.
"Yeah, her name's Mary Beth... Her flight doesn't get in 'til tomorrow afternoon, though. She's going to meet us at soundcheck," JC pouted, sad that he had to suffer one more day without Mary Beth.
Justin and I moved closer to the door. He unwrapped his arm from around me, but held my hand tightly as each man greeted Lynn.
"Now, don't tell me, don't tell me... Eric, right?" Lynn asked once she had hugged Lance hello, "So you're the love of my Lansten's life?" she smiled at them as the two men laced their fingers together.
"I should hope so," Eric giggled, turning a shade of crimson once again.
In a blink of an eye, Justin and I were the only people left waiting for a greeting.
"Hey, sweetheart..." Lynn smiled at Justin, stepping outside from the doorway.
"Hi Mom." I let go of Justin's hand, and he fell into his mother's arms. "I've missed you so much," he sighed.
"Oh, I've missed you too, sweety," she said, her eyes closed tightly, and a smile drawn upon her face. Without realizing it, a smile crept across my lips as I looked on at them.
Lynn remained smiling, her eyes fluttering open. Her vision traveled and rested on me, just as I realized the goofy grin stuck on my face.
"And this must be Shelly?" Lynn asked, pulling away from Justin and moving towards me.
"Hi, Mrs. Harless. It's great to meet you," I said, surprising myself at how calm I was.
"Oh, please... call me Lynn, honey," she said, "It's about time I met you... I've heard ALL about you since January!" she chuckled, pulling me into a comforting hug.
"He isn't driving you crazy yet, is he?" she whispered to me, laughing.
"No, no... Not yet," I said, smiling, and she turned back around to lead us inside.
Lynn stepped through the doorway, followed by me, then Justin. She closed the door behind us as Justin gave me his "I told you so" look. I rolled my eyes and smiled at him, tracing his palm with my fingers, and then linking our hands together once again.
"I told everyone to make themselves at home, so you two are free to go pick a room. Justin, I'm sure you remember your way around since last time?" Lynn asked.
"Yup. I got it, Mom."
"Wonderful. Paul is out back grilling up a fabulous dinner for everyone. He told me to say 'Hello' and 'It'll be ready in an hour.'" She laughed, "You know how he gets when he's cooking," she said to Justin.
Justin laughed in response. "We'll be fine, Mom... Thanks for having all of us, again." Justin kissed his mother on the cheek as she patted him lightly on his back.
"My pleasure sweety... Now shoo!" she smiled, winking at us. "Dinner. Out back. One hour. See you the-en..." she smirked, gesturing to us to hurry, and exited through a corridor to our left.
Justin moved around behind me, wrapping his arms around me, and laying our clasped hands across my stomach. I felt his breath against my ear, followed by the slightest touch of his moist lips.
"Well, you heard the lady... Only one hour... Time to find a room..."
~*~Shortly After Dinner~*~
"You're sure she said Flight #310?" Justin asked me, as his eyes scanned over the flight listings on the screens in front of us.
"Positive," I said.
Justin sighed, "Well this sucks... We cut out RIGHT after dinner, have to lie to everyone about where we're going, and the damn surprise won't even work if we can't find her."
"Find who?" a voice came from behind us. I whipped around, immediately recognizing the voice.
Before me stood Mary Beth, her loose blond coils spilling over his shoulders and down her back. She wore jeans and a simple v-neck tank top, but she looked like a different person. When she had left for France she was my beautiful best friend, Mary Beth. She had returned as my beautiful best friend, the Super Model.
Before I could speak, or even move to hug her, Justin greeted her, "Dang, girl! Who's this?" he smiled at her, and took her hand, twirling her around.
She laughed, her creamy complexion turning a shade of pink in embarrassment. "Justin... come on," she giggled.
He stopped spinning her, and they embraced tightly. My smile grew as every second ticked by. As soon as they parted, Mary Beth looked at me with a smile as big as my own.
"You look so amazing!" I screeched at her, running into a gigantic hug.
"Oh, shut up... It's all fake," she laughed.
"JC is going to pass out!" I said.
Justin laughed from behind us, "You got that right."
Mary Beth and I released each other, and she rolled her eyes, smiling, "Please, guys... All I want right now is a normal night with all the people I love... No more model talk," she sighed, laughing.
"I think we can accomplish that," Justin smiled, picking up her few small bags, and reaching for my hand.
The three of us made our way out of the airport, and into Justin's Mom's Jaguar, that he asked to borrow since no more than two people could fit in his Roadster.
"So how'd you guys sneak away?" Mary Beth asked us once we were on the highway, headed towards Justin's family's house.
"Well we told Lynn and Paul what we were doing, but all the guys will be surprised to see you once we get back," I told her.
Justin laughed as he turned the wheel to exit the highway, "Yeah, after dinner we told the guys that Shelly had a meeting at Johnny's house to talk about the album... We're good for at least another hour."
"Who's album??" Mary Beth asked loudly, peaking her head in between the front seats.
I looked at Mary Beth, who looked back at me with scolding eyes, "Didn't I mention that to you before?" I joked.
"Um, NO. You didn't," she urged me on.
By the time I told her all about the album plans with Johnny and Brian, we were pulling into the driveway. Justin parked in the 4 car garage and the door lowered behind us.
Mary Beth sighed as we all climbed out of the car. "I'm SO glad that I'm back..." she said as Justin popped the trunk and pulled out her bags.
"Well so are we, woman!" I said, walking to the door that would lead us through the laundry room, and then into the kitchen.
"Okay ladies..." Justin began, "I'm going to run to JC's room and put Mary Beth's bags down... Everyone should be out by the pool, so I'll meet you down there in a few seconds."
Justin opened the door and walked inside. I turned to look at Mary Beth who was fidgeting with her fingers.
I laughed, "What're you doing?"
"Hmm? Oh, nothing..." Mary Beth dropped her arms to her sides.
"Uh-uh... I know that look. What's wrong?" I asked, walking towards her.
She swept her hair behind her right shoulder and looked up at me, "Nothings wrong at all... I just hate knowing what's coming..."
"What's coming?" I asked.
"I mean, these few days before the tour ends will be amazing... But I know once it's over, JC is going to want to relax, and I'm going to be so busy getting everything started over here," she said, sighing.
"Mary Beth, would you stop worrying for 2 seconds?" I laughed, "JC won't care if you're so busy that you don't have time to speak to him... All he needs is you here with him. He told me himself that he'd wait for you forever... I think he'd gladly wait for things to calm down with your career. Besides, you know how the boy is... JC can't relax. He'll find something to keep him busy if he needs to," I smiled, trying to elicit a laugh from her.
Mary Beth looked at me and rolled her eyes, "Why are you so damn smart all the time?" she said, throwing an arm around my shoulder, and walking toward the door.
I just laughed, "Glad I could help..." And we walked into the laudry room.
Justin stood at the other end of the small room blocking our path into the kitchen. I looked to my left and saw all of Mary Beth's bags thrown haphazardly to the floor.
"Justin, what are you-" I stopped myself as I realized what had happened.
"Shelly? I thought you just said that she was staying later at Johnny's, Justin..." came JC's voice, just feet away, in the kitchen.
"Um... no, she, uh-" Justin struggled to come up with another story, but it was too late. I saw JC's head poking through the blocked door.
I looked at Mary Beth who's eyes were wide and waiting. I watched them soften almost immediately as they met JC's blue eyes.
"Oh my God..." I heard escape from JC's lips.
Justin moved aside and JC blew past him and into Mary Beth's arms. I walked towards Justin as Mary Beth was lifted off her feet in their embrace.
"I thought you didn't get back until tomorrow," JC said, shocked, and still wrapped around Mary Beth's small frame.
"It was supposed to be a surprise, baby... I'm sorry I didn't tell you," she said, and I heard the tears filter through her voice.
"It's okay... I love you..." JC said in between the small kisses he began to drop all over her face and lips.
"I think we'd better..." I whispered to Justin, and pointed towards the door. Justin nodded, and we walked into the kitchen. I looked back at Mary Beth and JC as I pulled the door closed.
"You... are so... beautiful..." JC sighed as Mary Beth pulled his face to hers and silenced him with her lips.
