| ~The Part of Me I Never Had 25~ |
| My eyelids fluttered open. The bright light blinded me. There was a weight on my right arm as I tried to sit up. I glanced down. It was JC�s upper body. I tugged as lightly as I could as not to wake him. He stirred, but didn�t wake up. I looked at his face. Even in sleep I could see his eyes. His beautiful, warm eyes. The ones I had fallen for less than 3 months ago. His lips-the ones that gave me a sense of love and passion. His hair-a trait that was irreplaceable. I crawled over him and looked at the clock. It was 8:00. My arm was asleep. The tingly feeling shot up my arm when someone grabbed it. I spun around. �Don�t worry, it�s just me.� �Oh. Gosh Curly, don�t freak me out like that.� I withdrew my arm from his hand. �Sorry. What are you doing?� he asked, watching me rub my right arm. �My arm fell asleep.� �Oh. So anyway, how�d it go?� he asked eagerly. �We made up and out. That answer your question?� �Yes! The old JC is back!� he said doing a victory dance. �Shh! JC�s sleeping!� I hissed. �Sorry. But I�m glad you guys made up. You guys were made for each other.� �Then why didn�t you guys do anything?� I asked as I opened a can of Pepsi. �We thought that you would figure out on your own that you were doing something stupid, but turned out to be longer than I thought,� he explained, getting milk and cereal. �Well I�m sorrry.� We sat down. �We�re taking a week-long break from the tour starting next week, and we would like it if you went and stayed with us,� Justin suggested while crunching away on his Applejack�s. �I dunno�� �PLEASE?!� I jumped as I heard the unexpected chorus of voices. Chris, Joey, Lance, and Justin had jumped out and shouted. �Shh! JC�s sleeping!� I hissed at them. �Ugh. What�s goin� on?� asked a groggy voice in the other room. �See?� I left and walked to where JC was sleeping on the couch. �Hey sweetie,� I whispered. �Hey Jessie. Where�s my morning kiss?� I kissed him and continued, �Want some breakfast?� �Sure. A pop would be fine. Coke.� I got up and left to get his drink, glad to have him back. *************************************************************************** �Beat you again, Chris,� I said triumphantly as I beat Chris for the fifth time. �How are you so good? I can always beat the other guys. Why can�t I beat a girl?� �Are you callin� me a girl? If you haven�t noticed, I AM a girl and quite proud in fact. I don�t have horrifically disgusting habits, like SOME people do,� I said defiantly. �I�m just not used to losing to girls,� he said simply. �Well get used to it!� I yelled after his walking figure. �Challenge ya!� Justin called, picking up the controller. �You�re on!� And so the battle began. *************************************************************************** �Hey Jessie?� JC came up to me. �Yeah?� �I was thinking, we have a week-long break starting in about 3 days�you think you wanna, you know�stay with me?� he asked uncertainly. �Of course I will!� He looked surprised and pleased at my quick response. �Great. We all live together remember�� �I think there will be enough room in the house C.� He paused before continuing, �I�ve been thinking a long time and I was wondering something. Don�t say anything till I�m done ok?� I nodded. �I was thinking�you could move down to Orlando with me. Don�t say anything yet. You could be near us, and we could arrange to have you on tour with us all the time. It would be great. Just think of it. You and I can be together forever. What do you think?� he asked. The idea was one that had crossed my mind more than once. �Well�I�d have to leave my friends, Keith would be crushed, my mom would be wondering how this happened, I�ll be with you, I�ll be with Justin, I�ll be with the other guys, I won�t be so cold in winter. I don�t know. What do you think?� �I�d love it if you could stay with me. If Keith is going to be in the way, invite him to move down here. I�d gladly pay for the house if that�s what it takes for you to be there with me.� �I�m sure Keith wouldn�t want you to pay for the house. Maybe an apartment, but not a house,� I argued. �Fine. Just call him and tell him.� �Ok. But it�s not my fault if he explodes on me,� I warned as I reached for my phone. I dialed an all too familiar number and waited for an answer. Hello? �Hey Keith, it�s Jessie.� How long has it been? My god you must�ve been having some hectic days. �I called you to run an idea your way.� Go ahead. �How would you feel about me moving?� Why would you move? �Just tell me what you�d think.� JC�s face was fixed on me. I wouldn�t be able to handle it. �Oh.� Wait. You�re not moving, are you? �I-I-yeah I am.� How could you do this to me? �Calm down Keith.� This is because of that JC guy you�ve been seeing, right? �Yes, but that�s not the point. I�ve talked it over with him, and he had an idea.� What? �For you to move down here too!� I-I�I don�t know what to say. I�d like to, but I don�t think I can� �That�s the only way Keith. If you want to see me, then move.� I don�t have that kind of money Jessie. �JC will pay for it. He wants to.� I don�t want him to pay for a house for me! �How about just an apartment?� I�ll have to think about it Jessie. I�ll call you when I have decided. Bye. Click I looked at the phone in my hand and turned it off. �What did he say?� JC asked. �He said he�d think about it. I don�t know if he�s gonna want to want you to pay C. He has a lot of pride and wants to stick with it.� �Don�t worry about it.� �But what about my stuff? I have so many things to think about. My house, my furniture, everything! How am I supposed to fit everything in your house?� �Don�t worry about it. We�ll just get to my house, look to see what space we have, and choose what you want to keep. Then we�ll move it all back to my house.� �You really thought about this didn�t you?� �I want this to work Jessie. I really do.� He left the room just as Justin came in. �Hey JJ wassup?!� he asked as he sat down. �Nothin� much. JC just asked me to move in with him,� I said casually. �We were expecting this.� He shook his head. �Expecting what?� �That he�d ask you this. He�s been thinking about it ever since two months ago. He was making plans for it. That�s why he�s been working so much JJ,� he explained. �Oh my god. Why didn�t he tell me? Why didn�t he tell me before I broke up with him? Before I was tortured through that month of hell? Why didn�t YOU tell me?� I asked angrily. I had to go through a hell that could�ve been prevented? This is mad! �JC only told me yesterday. It was in the way morning and he didn�t want me to tell you so,� then he made a motion of zipping up his mouth. �Ok. I won�t tell him. For long.� �It starts in 3 days Jessie. Don�t forget anything on this bus. They�ll take it outta here like a pile �o rags.� �K Curly. Hey, do you know what JC�s doing with my bracelet?� Then I added, �He never gave it back.� �I might have an idea, but I don�t know for sure.� �What�s your idea?� �Can�t tell. The whole confidentiality thing you know,� he said as he left. I whipped out my cell and dialed. Hello? �Mikayla? It�s Jessie.� Hey! What�s the update? �JC told me he loves me,� I said simply. I held the phone away from my ear as I heard a shriek come from the other end. Oh my god Jessie! You are so lucky. He�s a superstar! �He�s more than that Mickey. He�s a sweet and thoughtful guy.� Well, anyway, what else? �He asked me to move in with him,� then I quickly moved away from the phone. I didn�t know it was possible, but this one was higher, louder, and longer. �Where�s the fire?� asked Chris, hurrying in. His gaze settled on the phone. �Oh. What made her so jumpy?� �I told her something.� I picked up the phone again. �You told her you were moving in with C, right?� �How�d you know?� �All of us know. He�s been talking nonstop about it for an hour.� He left. �Hello Mikayla?� Oh. My. God. You are moving in, right? �I guess.� You guess? You better. We�ll be visiting girl and you know it! �You are not staying in our house! You can visit, but not stay.� I�m gonna pack! See ya! Click. I hung up. �You�ve already started calling it yours huh?� �Yeah, better get used to it now.� Lance sat down. �Do you like traveling with us?� �Yeah, of course I do. You may be guys, but you guys are great to have around.� �Good. Joey says you don�t like us around.� �Why would he say that?� �He says everytime you�re talking to him, it�s like you�re mad or you�re teasing him.� �What am I supposed to say? He teases me first. He gets me mad sometimes, but I�m not always like that.� �Hmm�I gotta tell him that.� Then he got up and left. �That was weird� *************************************************************************** RiNg! I picked up the phone. �Hello?� Jessie? �Hey Keith. What�s your decision?� I decided to go for it. �Alright!� On one condition. �What�s that?� I asked nervously. That Michael comes with. �Oh. That�s all. That can be arranged. Hang on. I�ll get JC.� I turned to the lounge and called out, �JC!� He rushed to the room. �Has he decided?� I nodded. �But on one condition.� �What?� �That a close friend of ours comes along with him.� �Oh. That�s all.� �My first reaction too. So can it be done?� �Oh yeah.� �Ok.� I put the phone to my ear. �It�ll work.� Great! When do I come down? �I�ll ask. Hang on.� I turned again. �JC!� �What now?� he asked as he trudged into the room. �When can he come down?� �Let�s see. August 5. That�s the day after we get down there. That�ll work.� �Great. Keith?� Still here. �You can get here in the afternoon of August 5. That ok?� Lemme see�yeah. That�ll work. �Great! See ya then. Oh, and call me when you find out the time, ok?� Duh. I wouldn�t wanna live at the airport, would I now? I laughed. �No, I guess you wouldn�t. Well, see ya then!� Aiight. Bye! Click. *************************************************************************** �Got everything?� �Yes father. Now let�s hurry!� I rushed. We were getting off the plane at Orlando. I was excited to see the house. I was also counting the days off till JC�s birthday. I had painted him a picture of us on a balcony under a full moon. I had been working day and night on it, making it perfect. I had finally gotten it right. I had even wrapped it. We walked briskly through the area, not wanting to be seen by fans. They had very dark sunglasses on, baggy clothes, and caps on. When we reached the limo, we let our guards down a little. I had learned the hard way the consequences of traveling with the guys. I got so much hate mail, I was competing with Lance�s emails. Some people had spotted me with JC, so that was in magazines, as well as questions about JC and me in interviews. I learned to cope. I disguise myself by making myself look darker, wearing tall heels, wearing bandanas, and sunglasses. *************************************************************************** The limo lurched. We were here. �C�mon Jessie let�s go!� JC hurried, grabbing my hand tightly. �Ow! JC! Why are you in such a hurry? I�m excited too, but you don�t have to-� I stopped. They opened the door. I saw the house interior of course, but my furniture! I hadn�t realized my mouth was hanging until JC pushed it up. �Surprise,� he said softly, kissing my lips. �Oh my god JC. How did it? When did it? Why did it?� �Just stop JJ. You know when I said JC was planning this?� I nodded. �This is what I meant. He planned to get everything down here, and get you to move here.� �Justin! Why didn�t you tell me all my stuff was gonna be here?� I asked, gaping at the sight before me. The furniture was arranged the same way it had been at my house, only there was more space. I was in awe. He remembered where my furniture went when I couldn�t even remember what it looked like. I walked in slowly, taking in every inch of the room. The carpet was milky white, the walls were a tinge of blue on white, there was an elegant glass chandelier hanging above the foyer, there was a fireplace with pictures on the mantel, to the right was the kitchen, my furniture was in the right positions, there was a wood ceiling fan hanging above it, on the wall straight ahead, there was a black piano, and there were a nice flight of wooden stairs leading up to who knows how many floors? �Like it?� asked JC, putting his arms around my waist from behind. �Like it? I love it!� He didn�t respond. He just put his chin on my shoulder. �You guys gotta get a room!� Justin shouted, throwing a pillow at us. �Or at least unpack first.� �Ok, ok, ok. Just don�t throw the pillows. They�re really nice and I don�t want a 19 year old to ruin them.� I picked up the pillow. �So what if I am 19? I�m not old, I�m not young, I�m perfect,� he argued. �You wish,� I snickered. �You�re getting it!� he lunged for me and grabbed me. �Children! Children! There will be no monkey business in this house, understand me?� asked Chris in his teacher voice. We nodded. Justin went at me again and threw me over his shoulder. �Oof! Hey! What gives?� I asked defiantly. �Nobody.� He continued his way out a door. I couldn�t tell. I could only see his butt. Nice one, by the way. �What are you doing with my girlfriend?� JC called after him. �I�m just gonna throw �er into the pool, C, nothing to worry about.� He walked out another door. This one had a screen. That could only mean one thing. I squirmed wildly and screamed. �JC!!! Help me!!� �COMING!� I saw him charging toward Justin. I looked on the floor. There was a puddle of water. Looking up, I noticed JC was going too fast. He was gonna slip! �JC! Watch out!� But it was too late he was already slipping on the puddle of water. Right into us! I felt the impact of his weight into my upper body. I could also see the floor going past. Everything seemed to go in slow motion. When I focused, I could hear Justin, JC, and me all screaming. And I heard another sound. Voices�LAUGHING! LAUGHING? At us? They were gonna get it. I felt Justin pitch over. He was falling into the water! I took a deep breath. SpLaSh! The water soaked in to my clothes in an instant. I tried to get up, but my clothes were weighing me down. I took off my shirt and I was able to get up a little faster. To my right, I saw a dark figure racing to the surface. When he kicked, his foot made contact with my stomach, forcing the rest of the air I had out of my mouth. There was still at least 7 feet till surface. �I can make it�� I thought sluggishly. But it was no use. My brain and my body were screaming for air, my muscles were aching, and my brain was shutting down. �So�close�I can�make it�just a couple�� Too late. My world fizzled to black. |
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