“Join the club,” Timber said, taking a cigarette out of her jacket.

“You smoke?”

Timber shrugged.

“You shouldn’t smoke,” he shook his head.

Timber shrugged.

“I hear enough of this at home. I didn’t come here for you to lecture me about it too,” she said, hopping off the outside picnic table she’d been on and went back into the bus.

“I was just trying to have a conversation,” Chris muttered too softly for a normal human being to hear.

“Trying too hard,” she snapped and hopped on the bus.

She’s really cold, he thought. But I’d better not think this stuff either . . . she can probably read minds, too.

***

“Yes, I know that already. But even if he does find out, it’s not going matter, right? . . . Okay . . . You . . . You’ll tell him for me, Jas? Okay, thank you. Now let me talk to Genesis . . . Why is she not there . . . Okay. Call her cell phone. Will do. Goodbye, Jason.”

“Who were you talking to? Whose Genesis?” a deep voice appeared out of nowhere.

“Lance,” she said knowingly. “No one. No one that concerns you.” She got up and went to the back outside.

“They. Are. Everywhere. Absolutely no privacy.”

“Who are everywhere, Timber?” Jeff asked.

“Them. The bandmembers. 'N SYNC. Justin and his girlfriend have taken up residence in the . . . oh, the bed place. So if I’m there, even if I’m in the lowest one and they’re in the highest one on the other side I can still tell they’re up there. Lance and JC are in the front with the TV, and Joey’s in the back. I should rent a car, follow the stupid van all over the stupid states. Forget I said that,” she said, a slight smile almost overcoming her face. “No more ’fridger-raider coffee.”

And as quickly as the smile appeared, it faded.

“Okay, Timber. I’ll see what I can’t do to get them to leave you alone. They just want to be your friend, Timber.”

“I can tell you something about yourself.”

“Yeah?”

“You either like the word ‘timber,’ like the name ‘Timber,’ or you repeat people’s names a lot. Or you’re just making sure you don’t forget mine.”

“Making sure I get it right, Timber.” He gave her a warm smile. “Now hurry up. Go get Chris from that picnic table, we gotta go. Hit the road.”

She stayed put. “CHRIS! LET’S GO!!!”

***

Timber sat, sipping her ‘’Frider-raider coffee,’ and watching TV -- with Chris, Lance and JC.

She . . . she never said anything about Chris bothering her, Jeff thought, sitting on the makeshift kitchen table/bed in the tour bus.

But she, however, wasn’t paying much attention to the movie that played. She found herself intrigued with Chris. His eyes . . . are so . . . she caught herself thinking these thoughts again, as she had several nights before, and several days before, and . . . Timber, you have got to stop thinking this stuff.

The way she looks at him, I can see it in her eyes why he’s the only one that doesn’t bother her.

“Hey guys,” Jennifer said, bouncing into view with Justin close behind.

“Goodgodjyoudyedyourhairred,” JC and Lance said simultaneously.

“Wha?”

“That was: ‘Goodgodjyoudyedyourhairred.’ Translation: Good God, J, you dyed your hair red,” Chris said.

And he can translate JC/Lance-ish into English. I didn’t even know they said anything about his hair, more like something about a book they read. But I suppose red and read sound the same. Face it. You have at least a small crush on him.