Mel blushed even more, “Uh, um, uh, oh yeah, sure. Come on down into the living room.”
“Okay.” He said and
followed her down into the living room, “You guys have a really nice place
here.”
“Thanks. I, uh, decorated
it.” She shrugged and waved to the
couches, “Have a seat. Do you want
anything to drink?”
JC leaned back on the comfortable couch, “That’d be great, what do
you have?”
Mel’s eyes flitted all over the room, unable to settle on JC. “What do you want? We have the basics.”
“A water would be great.”
“Sure, hold on a minute.”
“You can watch whatever you want.” Mel shouted from the kitchen, “I wasn’t really watching. The remote should be right there.”
“Thanks.” JC replied and
changed the channel to TLC.
Mel came back into the room with two bottles of water, “What are
you watching?” She asked as she handed
him a bottle of water.
“Trading Spaces.” He
shrugged, “Thanks.”
“Oh my God, I love this show.”
She gushed and sat down in a chair next to the couch, “You like this
show?”
He glanced over at her, “Why do you make it sound weird that I
like this show?” He teased,
She pulled her legs up underneath her in the chair, still slightly
shocked at the reality of having JC of Nsync in her living room watching TV
with her, “It’s not that, it’s just that you’re a guy and most guys hate this
show.”
“Guess I’m different.” He
smirked and took a sip of his water.
Mel was about to respond when Larson burst through the door,
“Honey I’m home.” She cheered as she
bopped down to the living room with her arms full of bags.
“Hey dear.” JC teased back
and stood up, “You want help with those?”
“Yeah, they’re heavy.” She
said handing him some of them, “They’re all going in the kitchen.” JC took them and went into the kitchen. Larson looked over at her friend, “What’s
wrong with you?”
Mel got up and came close to her, “I was just watching TV with JC
of Nsync.”
Larson looked around her apartment before leaning in closely and
whispering, “Really? Oh my god!” She mocked her and Mel rolled her eyes,
“You’re a huge bitch you know that?”
“I know, but you still love me, go figure.” She teased and handed Mel a couple more bag,
“Can you take these to the kitchen?
I’ve got more in the car.”
“Um, well…” Mel twisted her mouth to the side and Larson groaned,
“Dear Lord, he doesn’t bite…well unless you asked him too.” She teased and took the bags from her, “Go
grab the bags from my car then.”
“Kay.” Mel grinned and raced out of the house. Larson went into
the kitchen and dropped her remaining bags on the counter.
“L, I don’t where any of this goes.” JC said looking slightly lost in her kitchen surrounded by bags
of groceries.
She smiled at him, “Well, the slightly cold goes in the fridge and
the REALLY cold goes in the freezer.”
JC made a sarcastic face at her, “Ha ha, I should let your ice
cream melt.”
“And then I’d make you buy me more.” She retorted as she began to unload bags and put things away.
JC ignored her comment and looked around at all of the bags, “I
thought you were making a quick trip to the store? It looks like you bought the whole store.”
“I haven’t gone to the grocery store in forever and I’ve been
eating Mel’s food, so I had to replace that and buy my own.”
Mel came in with armfuls of more groceries, “L, really, why’d you
buy the store?” She said setting them
down on the floor and JC shot her an “I told you so” look.
Larson pointed at him,
“You shut up.” She glanced over
at Mel, “We needed food.”
“We won’t even be here to eat it.” Mel muttered as she began pulling boxes out of bags.
JC picked up on this, “Are you guys going somewhere?”
“Yeah.” Larson wiped her
forehead, “My sister’s getting married this weekend.”
“Well shit.” He said as he
put away some milk, “I was going to ask you if you wanted to come with me to a
benefit.”
“Sorry babe.” Larson said,
“Trust me, I’d skip if I didn’t think I’d be missed.”
Mel grinned at her, “Considering you’re the maid of honor, yeah,
I’d say you’d be missed.”
JC looked over at Larson, “Maid of honor, huh?”
Larson rolled her eyes, “She’s my only sister, so yeah, I’m the
maid of honor, don’t remind me.”
“Don’t sound so thrilled.”
JC teased,
“L, doesn’t like fuss.” Mel said as she unloaded some bags, “And
weddings in L’s family equal big fuss.”
“Fuss?” JC inquired,
“Everyone fussing over me.
Asking me a zillion questions.
You know, what families do. And
they’re going to be on my case because I’m the maid of honor and I don’t have a
date, well unless you count Mel, but she was invited too.”
JC placed some food in the fridge, “Where’s the wedding?”
Larson rolled her eyes, “Jacksonville, Florida.”
He closed the fridge door and looked back at her, “I thought your
family was from Albany.”
“It is, but my sister’s pain in the ass, so it’s in Jacksonville,
where she lives now.”
“How long do you have to go for?”
Larson rolled her eyes again and groaned, “A whole week.”
“You know, L, most people don’t complain when they get a free week
trip to Florida.” Mel scolded playfully,
Larson looked at Mel with her hands on her hips, “I don’t know
what you consider a vacation, but spending a week with my sister flipping out
over every little detail is not my idea of a vacation. I’ll be surprised if I’m sane by time I get
back.”
“Well, would you like an excuse to get away from your
sister?” JC said suddenly and Larson
turned to him,
“What, are you going to call up my mom and claim to be my
boss?” She joked,
“No even better, you two can come to my benefit with me.”
Larson made a face at JC, “Jace, we’re going to be in Florida. I
can’t just fly back to LA in the middle of the week.”
“I think you’ll do just fine.”
JC chuckled.
“We may just have to hose her down.”
“I heard that!” Mel shouted from the stairs,
“We can have Lance hose you down!” Larson shouted back at Mel who
squeaked and ran back up the stairs.
Larson turned back to JC, “So, eight?”
“Yeah, that would be great.
You remember how to get there, right?”
“Yeah. I do.”
“Are you going to be normal?”
Larson crossed her arms and gave Mel her best “mom” look.
“Define normal.” Mel
wiggled her eyebrows at Larson.
Larson rolled her eyes and then began listing things on her
fingers, “No fainting, no screaming, no jumping up and down, no running in a
circle, and no crying.”
“But molesting them is okay?”
She asked with a grin,
Larson smiled, “Hey, as long as you have consent, you have my
blessing. You need to get laid.” She teased and Mel shoved her playfully,
“You’re a whore.”
“Yeah, but I’m right.”
“Okay, so you are.” Mel
rolled her eyes, “Can we go and meet them?
PLEASE?”
Larson sighed, “Fine, lets go.”
Mel squealed and Larson shot her a look, “Hey!” Mel protested, “I’m getting it out now.”
Larson shook her head, laughing quietly at her friend. They got in the car and started driving over
to JC’s house. “L, you are the coolest friend EVER.”
“You didn’t know that? I
thought it was common knowledge.”
Larson grinned as she popped a CD in her player. Suddenly Nsync blared through her speakers
and Mel looked at her,
“I honestly love you.”
“I know.”
They arrived at
JC’s house and went inside. Larson was
more familiar with the house than Mel and led the way. They dropped off their coats and went out on
the deck where everyone was chilling.
“Larson! I didn’t even
hear you come in!” JC said getting up
from his seat and coming over to them.
“Hey babe.” She gave him a
hug, “I hope you don’t mind us letting ourselves in. I rang the doorbell, but no one came.”
“Totally cool.” He looked
behind her, “Hey Mel.”
“Hey Jace.” Mel waved and
tossed her hair over her shoulder, trying to act as cool as possible.
He leaned in to her, “I have someone I want you to meet.” He whispered to her and Mel leaned into him,
“Why are you whispering?
And who is it?”
“JC, are you trying to keep me away from my man?” Larson teased as Lance walked up to the
group.
“Doc! Long time no see!
How’s it going?”
Larson hugged the blonde Nysncer, “Hey Lance, I’m doing pretty
good. How are you?”
“Pretty good since you showed up beautiful.” He charmed and she shook her head,
“I feel the same way, handsome.”
She winked back at him, “Lance, I would like to introduce you to my best
friend Mel.” She turned to Mel who had
a smile plastered on her face, “Mel, sweetie, this is Lance Bass, I think
you’ve heard of him, maybe?”
Mel shot her a dirty look quickly before turning her attention to
Lance, “Hi, I’m so excited to meet you, I’ve been a fan forever and just
wow.” She gushed and then turned bright
red at her teeniness.
“Yes.” She replied haughtily
and looked at Chris, “See what I mean?”
“Oh yeah, he’s a real meanie.”
Chris smirked and wrapped his arm around Larson’s shoulder, “I think you
should go as my date instead.”
Larsen looked over at Chris with a sly smile, “That sounds like a
good idea.”
JC bent forward and lifted Larson over his shoulder, “JACE!” She screeched,
“Hey, you wanted to be thrown in the pool, I’m just doing what any
friend would do.” He teased, mimicking
her words from earlier.
“Let me down!” She
protested struggling to get away from JC to no avail, “Don’t you dare! I was kidding!”
“Like you were kidding about being my date to the benefit?” He teased and stepped up to the edge of the
pool.
“JC Chasez, don’t you dare throw me in that pool.” Larsen threatened.
“Or what? Sorry L, but
you’re really not in any position to be making demands.” JC teased and then felt a foot push against
his butt. “What the he-” JC lost his balance and both him and Larson tumbled
into the pool.
“A real friend would let me catch the flu.” She muttered as she followed JC into the
house.
“Stay outside and catch a cold.”
JC teased her, “You didn’t have to follow me in.”
“I didn’t want to drip all over your deck.” She replied as she caught up to him.
JC shook his head, “So, you’ve decided to drip all over my house?”
“You are too.” She pointed
out.
“It’s MY house.” He
retorted with a smirk, “I can do anything I damn well please to this place.”
They began to climb the stairs to JC’s bedroom, “So that’s why you
have two houses. You can trash one
while keeping the other one really nice.”
“Yes, that’s exactly why I have two houses.” He laughed and opened the door to his
bedroom, “Come on in.”
“This is the first time I’ve ever been in your bedroom.” She said glancing around the professionally
decorated room, “And you didn’t decorate it.”
JC gave her a skeptical look, “And how do you know that?”
She tilted her head to the side as she took the room in, “It’s not
you.”
JC chuckled, “I think it’s very much me.” He retorted and went into his closet to
retrieve clothes for the both of them.
“Nope, it’s too… remote and sterile.” She concluded. The
bedroom was nicely decorated in modern furniture in shades of beige and
brown. Though a few family pictures
were scattered about, they were overshadowed by large pieces of art. In fact, if the pictures weren’t there she
would have trouble believing that JC even slept in this room.
JC came back out of his closet completely changed with a handful
of clothes for Larson. “It’s not remote
and sterile.” He protested. “Here are
some clothes for you, I didn’t know what you would want to wear so I just
grabbed a bunch of stuff.”
“Thanks…uh, where can I change?
I’m not much into strip shows.”
She grinned and he shook his head,
“Just use my closet.” He
waved to his closet door.
“Thanks.” She said and
disappeared into his closet. “Shit Jace, your closet is bigger than my bedroom.”
“I have a lot of clothes.”
He shrugged and leaned against the closet door. There was something that was bugging him,
“Why do you think my bedroom is sterile and remote?”
Larson was quiet for a few moments, “Because…” She trailed off as if she was trying to find
the right words to explain what she was talking about.
“Because what?” He
prodded,
She poked her head out of the closet, “Because, you’re someone who
has a lot of passion and this room just doesn’t reflect that.” Larson disappeared back into the closet and
left JC to contemplate her words.
“Why does it have to reflect my passion?” JC asked,
Larson came out of the closet dressed in a pair of JC’s warm up
pants and a wife beater, rubbing her hair with the towel to get the excess
water from it. She stopped to look at
him as she answered his question, “Because your passion is what drives you to
do what you do, it’s what makes you alive, and it’s an important piece to the
person you are. My question to you is
how you think this room IS you, because you are certainly not a remote and
sterile kind of person.” She stated and
continued to rub her hair with the towel.
“Who do you think I am?”
He asked her,
Larson pulled the towel from her head and looked to the ground to
think for a moment. Larson looked up at
JC, “You’re a warm, caring, generous person who loves what they do with their
whole heart and does it with all the passion you have in your soul and you care
for the people dear to you the same way.
You don’t half ass anything, if you can’t put 100% into it, you
don’t. You can be stubborn about
things, but that’s just because you care too much.” She smiled, “And you’re certainly not a saint, but you have a
good heart and are a decent human being and you try to treat everyone you meet
the same way.”
JC let her words sink in, “Wow, I think that was the best
description that anyone has ever said about me. How’d you do that?”
Larson cocked her head to the side as she grinned at JC, “I talk
to you and see how you interact with people.
It’s pretty obvious if you ask me, hence why this room threw me
off.” She shrugged.
JC shifted his weight, “Huh.”
He said thinking over her words again.
He looked around the room as he crossed his arms. He seemed to studying the room, seeing it
through Larson’s eyes. He looked back
at her, “How did you just change my opinion of my bedroom?” A smirk crept on his lips and she smiled
back at him,
“I was just being honest.
I didn’t do anything.” She
replied with a little shrug.
“Yes you did. Now I feel
like I have to redecorate this room.”
Larson laid a soft hand on his arm, “You don’t have to do anything
just because of my opinion. It’s your
house and if having it decorated this way makes you happy, then leave it.”
JC smirked again; “Yeah, but now I don’t like how the room
is decorated. You were completely right
about the room.” He crossed his arms
and glanced around the room, “I mean I hired this guru of interior design to
decorate and I just realized that this place is his vision, not mine.”
Larson hadn’t meant JC to get so upset over his room, “Jace, it’s
no big deal. Just forget that I said
anything.”
“No,” he said adamantly, “now since you’re the cause of bringing
to light this heinous act of decorating, you,” he pointed a finger at her, “are
going to help me redecorate. I mean the
WHOLE thing, painting, lifting, moving, EVERYTHING.”
Larson let out a little giggle, “Okay, I can handle that.”
“Oh you think so now, but just you wait till you go shopping with
me. You will be sorry that you EVER
called my room sterile and remote.”
Larson held her hands up in surrender, “Duly noted.” She grinned, “We should get back. I’m afraid that I won’t have a roommate
left.”
JC turned towards the door, “Aw, the guys will be gentle with
her.”
Larson followed him out of the room, “Okay, let me rephrase, I’m
afraid that you won’t have any band mates left. I mean I’d hate to be the catalyst in the destruction of
Nsync.” She teased and he laughed as
they walked down the stairs.
“Don’t you know? We can
just replace anyone.”
Larson smirked, “Even Justin?”
JC let out a laugh, “Well maybe not everyone.”
Mel yelled up the stairs, “Hey L!
Are you quite done making out with JC?
You’ve been up there long enough!”
Larson glanced over at JC who was chuckling, “Scratch that, I’M
going kill her.” She said and took off
down the stairs. JC shook his head and
followed suite.