"Damn this place is HUGE," Ashlyn gasped.
The occupants of the car stepped out onto the gravel driveway that was already full with cars.
Alanna surveyed the well-kept garden; no doubt a gardener was paid well by Justin. "Come on Ash, stop gawking. We're late as it is."
Alanna rang the doorbell and waited patiently for someone to answer. She didn't think anyone had heard when suddenly the door swung open. There stood a smiling Justin with a giggling young boy under his arm.
"Hey ladies."
"And who is this you're torturing?"
"No Ashlyn, you're the expert torturer. This here though is my lil bro, Jon." Justin swung the boy into an upright position. "Say hello to Ashlyn and Alanna."
Jon gestured for Justin to bend down. "Is she the one that you said was pretty?" Jon whispered loudly into Justin's ear.
Ashlyn looked questionably at Justin and Alanna snickered. "I think I like this kid," Ashlyn announced.
Justin pulled a face at her. "Come on Justin I wanna go back outside and play," whined Jon.
"Come in, everyone's out back. Make yourselves comfortable and help yourselves to food and drink too."
"Aren't you the perfect host," remarked Ashlyn.
The two girls followed the brothers though the house and out through the patio doors. Justin left the girls by the door, Ashlyn soon following him. Alanna was left standing on her own and she looked around the garden. She spotted Chris and his girlfriend over by the pool. Joey and Lance were deep in conversation with a group of people she didn't recognise. Alanna suddenly felt out of place. She had never been the kind of person to be able to walk in and immediately fit in with a group of new people.
Alanna felt a tap on her shoulder. "Penny for your thoughts?" <> "JC," Alanna smiled glad to have someone familiar to talk to.
"So what were you thinking about?"
"Nothing really. Just taking everything in."
"Trying to look for a familiar face?"
"You caught me out."
"Well now I'm here to save the day," JC joked.
"My knight in shining armour," she joked back.
"Let's go get a drink."
They grabbed a couple of cokes and headed over to sit under a tree in the corner of the garden. "So who are all these people?"
"Well Justin's mom is here as well as his family from Memphis, they flew in for the show last night. Then we have the Fatones; Chris has Dani here, Lance's mom and dad, a load of Justin's friends. So like you I'm the loner too."
"And us loners have to stick together."
"We sure do."
"So where are your family?"
JC sighed. "Well my parents had to work. Tyler is actually here in Orlando but I think he's doing stuff with his friends."
"And your sister?"
JC laughed. "I have no idea, she didn't return my phone call. If my own sister doesn't call me God knows what chance I have with other women."
"Nah, I bet you have tons of girls calling you up."
"Sadly no. This music thing doesn't guarantee you luck in love."
"So I've noticed," Alanna sighed.
"We're pathetic aren't we?" JC laughed.
"I know."
A little boy ran in their direction and Alanna recognised him as Justin's brother.
"Hi JC," he shouted enthusiastically.
"Hey Jon, what's up little buddy?"
Jon wrinkled his nose. "Not much. Justin's ignoring me though, he keeps talking to that girl."
The two adults looked up to see Justin throw a shrieking Ashlyn into the pool. They both laughed as Ashlyn reached out grabbing Justin's ankle causing him to fall in after her.
"Are you JC's girlfriend?"
Alanna looked up to see the boy staring directly at her. "Um...no.."
"She's just a friend Jon."
"Oh. You were looking at each other like those people on TV do before they suck each other's faces. I saw Justin do that with a girl once. It was gross," he cried pulling a face. "Oh well I'm gonna go see if Joey will play Superman with me, he's fun."
Jon ran across to Joey as fast as his little legs would carry him. When he reached him Joey lifted him up and spun him through the air.
"Listen I'm sorry about that, little kids have an overactive imagination."
Gratefully Alanna smiled at JC. "Yeah I know. I don't know where my brother gets some of the things he comes out with."
"Did you bring a bathing suit?"
"Yeah."
"You wanna go swim? Justin has the pool heated so it won't be too cold."
"Yeah sure I've just got to go change."
~*~
When Alanna came back outside after changing, most of the others had also decided to take a dip.
A wolf whistle sounded out from the pool. Joey was looking at Alanna in her sky blue two piece.
Alanna blushed and quickly made her way over to the pool and hopped in. It wasn't that she was ashamed of her body, it was just she had never been a person to show it off to any extent.
Tilting her head back to wet her hair Alanna felt totally relaxed. How different it was to spend a day with these people in a different setting. A place where they were not imprisoned in a 5 star hotel or watched 24/7, as it sometimes seemed. It was good to see them interact with their families and friends, people they didn't see nearly as often as they should.
Somebody splashed Alanna, the culprit turning out to be JC. "Hey girlfriend."
Alanna laughed at the obvious reference to Jon's assumption earlier on. JC looked adorable, his wet hair flattened against his head. He looked like a little kid up to mischief.
Alanna turned, hearing cheering at the other side of the pool. Justin, Chris, Joey and Jon had a 2 on 2 game of pool basketball going on. Jon was sitting on Chris' shoulders raising his little arms in delight while Justin pouted. She smiled at the scene before her before turning back to JC. JC was nowhere in sight though, seeming to have disappeared without a trace.
Alanna felt something grab her foot and she felt herself being pulled under the water. She kicked and wriggled trying to free herself. Finally after what seemed like a lifetime but was in reality only seconds she burst through the water's surface gasping for breath. Laughter next to her had her scraping the wet hair away from her eyes. "JC! How could you?"
"I'm sorry, but I think you got me back. Damn you kick hard," JC said rubbing his shoulder.
JC looked too smug for her liking. Although she could take a joke, JC was far too happy with himself. Pretending to be mad at him she made her way to the side of the pool and pulled herself up and out.
"Alanna come on, it was a joke," she could hear JC shouting from the pool.
Alanna walked across the grass, heading for the lounger where she had left her towel. Suddenly she felt a sharp pain in her foot and her knees buckled. Wincing at the pain she clutched her foot.
JC had watched as Alanna stalked across the lawn and a few seconds later as she collapsed. He had jumped from the pool immediately rushing to her side. "Alanna are you okay? What happened?"
JC noticed the pain etched on her face and his gaze travelled down to where she clutched her foot. He could see blood on her hand.
"Alanna you're bleeding, let me see honey."
She released her hands so JC could inspect. It was bleeding quite a lot but the actual cut wasn't as bad as it looked. JC's eyes scoured the area quickly looking for the cause. He spotted a jagged stone. "We gotta get you cleaned up. Here hold this, be careful," he said passing her the stone in order to prevent further accidents. He slipped one arm under her legs and the other around her waist, gently lifting her up.
“Justin," JC shouted.
Justin looked up from the pool. At first glance he thought JC was playing around with Alanna but when he saw the expression on his face he knew something was wrong.
Nobody else had noticed what was happening. They were either playing around in the pool or talking over the other side of the garden.
Justin jumped from the pool. "What's wrong man?"
"Where's your first aid kit?"
"In the bathroom, why?"
JC turned slightly so Justin could see Alanna's foot. Justin spotted the bloody foot. "Are you sure she doesn't need to go to hospital?"
"No it just needs cleaning up. The blood is making it look worse that it is but I better get it sorted quick."
"Need any help?"
"No we'll be fine," JC shouted over his shoulder as he hurried to the house, Alanna in his arms.
"I'm such a nuisance," Alanna said as JC carried her up the stairs towards Justin's bathroom. For the first time she noticed just what position she was in. JC Chasez was holding her in his arms. He was dressed in just board shorts and herself in her bathing suit, having not made it to her destination to collect her towel.
"No you're not Alanna."
He entered the bathroom and placed her on the counter. He searched the cabinet for the first aid kit. He returned with the kit in hand and a towel, which he placed around her shoulder.
"We need to wash this blood off." JC picked her up once again and sat her on the edge of the bath. Running the water until is was warm he then placed her foot under the flow.
Alanna closed her eyes as the water hit the wound.
JC took her back to the counter and patted her foot dry with a towel. When the towel was removed Alanna noticed the blood staining the white material. "Justin is gonna kill us."
JC laughed. "He'll get over it."
Taking some ointment out of the box he look at her. "This is gonna sting."
"Thanks for warning me." She winced as he gently applied the ointment. He took her foot between both hands and blew softly to relieve the stinging.
Alanna shivered at the feeling, any pain she felt was suddenly the last thing on her mind. She saw him glance back up at her. "Better?"
"Uh huh...yes thank you."
While he bandaged her foot up she watched him carefully. He bit his bottom lip as he worked, a mask of total concentration on his face.
"All done" he announced as he let go of her foot.
He stood up and looked at her. "Thank you," she whispered.
"You're welcome. Are you okay?"
She nodded not taking her eyes off him.
JC reached out to tuck a piece of fallen hair behind her ear. His hand remained in her hair before he slowly moved it down to cup her cheek.
Eyes locked they slowly moved forward.
"Alanna are you okay?"
The pair jumped apart and looked up to see Justin enter the bathroom. He looked at her bandaged foot. "I see JC looked after you."
Alanna almost choked. "Er, yes he did."
She noticed Justin eyeing the blood spotted towel. "Erm I'm sorry about that. I'll pay you for it."
Justin laughed. "Nah don't worry about it. When you're really famous I'll be able to auction it off. Can you imagine how much I'd get for your blood?" Justin chuckled as he left the room.
Alanna couldn't look at JC. "We should go back outside," JC announced.
"Yeah you're right."
"Can you walk?"
"Yeah I'll manage."
Alanna hobbled after JC a million thoughts running through her head. What had just happened? On second thoughts, what would've happened if Justin hadn't interrupted them?
Chapter 15
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