“I don’t want to leave you,” JC began, holding Alice tighter in his arms.
It was a week after the VMA’s, and the guys had to go to New York for two weeks for a photo shoot and some interviews.
“I don’t want you to leave, either,” Alice told him, kissing him. “I’ll miss you so much.”
“Come up there with me, that way we can be together,” JC said, nuzzling her neck. “You can see New York and spend more time with me.”
“JC, I’m not too sure about that,” Alice told him. “I have to work and I’m not sure if I want to be in New York all alone when you guys are busy.”
“Amaryllis is going, and I’m sure the guys wouldn’t mind if Veronica and Alissa went, too.”
“But, JC....”
“Say yes, Ali. I need you up there. I want you to be with me. I don’t think I can leave you. I love you too much to ever let you go or leave you, even for a few days.”
Alice looked into his blue eyes and felt her heart sinking. Here was the man of her dreams, one who loved her for her, not because of who she was, and she had to lie to him.
This had to end. She couldn’t live with this any longer.
“JC,” Alice began hesitantly, “I have something really important to tell you.”
“What is it, Ali? Don’t be afraid to tell me anything. I’ll love you no matter what.”
“JC, I’m not what you think I am. I’m not a normal teenage girl.”
“Of course you’re not. You can’t be normal, or I wouldn’t love you so much.”
“JC, please don’t interrupt. I’m not your average teenage girl. I didn’t go to a high school in California. Hell, I didn’t even live in California. I lived-”
JC put his fingers to her lips, cutting her off. “I know, Alice. I’ve known since the third time we went out.”
“What do you mean?”
“I know who you are. I’d guessed, and I was nearly positive, but I wanted to be sure. Which is why I introduced you to your parents and Alissa’s and Veronica’s parents at the VMA’s. The three of you looked so devastated that I knew then I had been right.”
“But... but how? How did you know?”
“Just the way you acted, your looks. You might have dyed your hair and gotten contacts, but you can’t hide your features.”
“I didn’t even think you knew what I look like.”
“Ali, when you’ve been in love with someone for four years, you know what they look like.”
Alice ran her hand over his cheek and looked into his eye. “You... you’ve been in love with me for four years?”
“Since the first time I saw you at the VMA’s in 1998. You just seemed so, I don’t know, so content, yet I sensed something inside of you crying out for release.” He cupped her face in his hands. “I understand why you’re doing this, Lorelie. I understand perfectly. I’m not sure how the others will take this, but just remember, I’ll always be behind you. And I’ll support you, and Veronica and Alissa.”
“I love you, Josh.” Alice wiped away a tear rolling down her cheek and hugged JC. “I’ll always love you.”
“I love you too, Lorelie.” JC crushed her to him, his head resting on hers. “No matter what, I’ll always love you.”
“I’m so happy,” Alice sighed, walking into the apartment. She collapsed on the couch.
“What’s up with you?” Veronica asked, walking into the living room.
Alice looked at her, and contemplated telling her that JC knew. Then she changed her mind. “JC invited me to go to New York with him.”
“Good for you,” Veronica told her. “Joey didn’t invite me.”
“You know he will.”
“I hope he does. We don’t have much time together, and I want to spend as much time with him as possible.”
Alissa walked in thirty minutes later. “God, I’m so tired. Did I ever mention Justin is annoying?”
Veronica and Alice laughed. “No, why?” Veronica asked.
“Well, he kept me up all night last night, and then today, bugged the hell out of me while I was at work. He asked me to go to New York with him, and wouldn’t settle for a ‘let me think about it’. Oh no, he had to get my answer then and there, and it had to be the one he wanted.”
“How unfair,” Veronica complained. “Joey hasn’t asked me to go with him. I’m gonna go have a long talk with that boy.” She grabbed her cars keys and walked out of the apartment.
Five minutes after she left, Joey called.
“Is Ronnie there?” he asked Alissa, who had answered the phone.
“No, Joey. She’s on her way over to your house.”
“Oh good. I had a question to ask her.”
“That’s why she was going over there.”
“How would she know I wanted to ask her to go to New York with me?”
“She didn’t. She wanted to ask you why you haven’t asked her yet. See, JC’s already asked Ali and Justin’s already asked me.”
Joey laughed. “So I’m gonna get my ass chewed out?”
“Yeah, basically.”
“Well, she’s knocking on my door right now, so I’m gonna go answer it, let her chew my ass out while I space out, and then ask her. Ah, tonight’s gonna be a good night.”
“Joey, I did not need to hear that,” Alissa told him, hanging up.
Joey set the phone down and opened the door. Veronica was there.
“Were you even planning on asking me to go to New York?”
“No,” Joey told her, straight faced. “I have a few girlfriends up there, and I was gonna spend my free time with them.”
Veronica raised her hand to slap him. Joey captured her arm and pulled her toward him. “Of course I was, Veronica. I don’t have any girlfriends except you, and I don’t want to leave you. I love you.” He kissed her. “We’re leaving Friday,” he told after releasing her lips.
“And what makes you think that I want to go?”
“You wouldn’t have come over here, upset, if you didn’t want to go. Besides, you love me and don’t want to leave me.”
Her reaction surprised him. Instead of a flippant, smartass remark, she looked at him sadly. “You got that right.”
Joey frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I’m gonna miss you when you go on tour again,” Veronica told him, covering her mistake.
“I’ll take you with me then, too.”
Veronica smiled. “Do you think I’d agree to that?”
“Of course you would. Lord knows how many women I’d pick up if you weren’t there,” Joey teased.
“Better not even look at another women while you’re dating me.”
“Possessive, aren’t we?”
“With the man I love? Hell yeah.” Veronica kissed him. “Aren’t you going to invite me in?”
Joey pulled her in, closing the door behind them.
“I hate packing,” Veronica complained, as she folded yet another shirt and placed it in her suitcase.
“You didn’t complain when we were going to LA for the VMA’s,” Joey said.
“I only had to pack for a few days then. Now I have to pack for two weeks. That’s fourteen days. How many suitcases can I take?”
“Three, at most.”
“Oh god. That’ll maybe be enough. Maybe.”
“You can always go shopping there.”
“But then I’ll have to bring it back with me, and I don’t think I’ll have room.”
“So you’re not gonna go shopping?” Alice asked, walking past her room.
“No. Even if I can’t buy much, I’m still gonna spend time at the malls.”
“And not me?” Joey asked, pretending to me hurt.
“I’ll be with you when you’re not busy. But when you’re busy, malls, here I come.”
“Be afraid,” Alissa warned. “Be very afraid.”
“I’m not that bad.”
“Sure you’re not,” Alissa agreed. “And the world’s flat.”
“Then why don’t ships fall off the edge of the Earth?” Veronica joked.
Alissa rolled her eyes and shoved Veronica. Veronica shoved her back, knocking her over. Alissa pulled at her leg and knocked her down. They sat on the floor, laughing their heads off.
“Lis,” Justin began. “You’re not gonna leave me, are you?”
“For as long as I can help it, no.”
“Don’t ever leave me. I love you too much. I loved Britney, at least I thought I did, and she left me. ‘It won’t work out between us,’ she said. ‘We’re too famous to be together.’ What a bunch of bullshit. That’s why I’m so happy you’re just an average teenage girl, not some rich and famous woman.” Justin rubbed her back. “I love you so much.”
“I love you, too,” Alissa choked out, her heart breaking with his words. Any hopes of his understanding flew out the window. She was doomed. The only time she’d been in love, and it had been doomed from the start. Some life she had.
“Alice, why aren’t your contacts in?” Alissa asked, when Alice walked in her room.
“Oh, I didn’t put them in yet,” Alice replied. “Everyone’s gone, so I saw no need to.”
“JC didn’t see you, did he?” Veronica asked, worried.
“No. Don’t worry, no one’s going to find out.”
“Alice, you have to stop being so casual about this,” Alissa said. “Ever since we came to New York, you’ve been acting strange.”
“I realized that if JC doesn’t love me for who I am, no matter what, then he’s not worthy of my love. I think the two of your need to loosen up. It’s like you’re gonna die if they hate you for this. And if they do, then they aren’t worthy of you.”
“Alice, you didn’t tell anyone, did you?” Alissa asked, suspicious.
“No, of course not. I never would. That would endanger everything.” I never actually told JC. He just guessed.
“Ok. Just be careful.”
“I will, Alissa. There’s no need to worry.”
Alissa pushed Justin’s arm off of her, and walked to the bathroom. She needed to put on her contacts. It was the morning they were to leave New York, and they had to be up early.
Justin watched her walk into the bathroom. She’d thought he was asleep, but actually, he’d been watching her. He’d seen her take off her contacts only a few hours earlier, and now she was putting them back in. He didn’t even know she wore contacts. He figured she didn’t want anyone to know.
So he decided to break the ice.
“You know, Alissa, you don’t need to hide the fact that your eyes aren’t perfect,” Justin told her, getting out of the bed and walking to the bathroom door, which she’d left slightly open.
Alissa screamed, startled by him, and dropped her contact. “Damnit, Justin, don’t sneak up on me.” She knelt down, searching for the contact.
“Sorry baby. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“Shit, I can’t find it,” Alissa muttered.
“You probably can’t because you need the contacts o see. Are you nearsighted or farsighted?”
“Nearsighted,” Alissa lied.
“What’s your vision?”
“Justin, I need to find my contact now, not tell you about my vision.”
“Chill, babe,” Justin said, kneeling down beside her. “No need to get mad. We’ll find your contact.” He looked at her face. “You wear colored contacts?”
Alissa mumbled something under her breath that sounded like “fuck” to Justin. His eyes narrowed.
“Do you really need contacts?”
Alissa froze. Silence fell over them.
“Well?” Justin asked, after five minutes.
“No,” Alissa choked out.
“Why do you need them, then?”
“I don’t like the color of my eyes,” Alissa explained.
“I think they’re very beautiful,” Justin told her, looking at her eyes. They were the color of gold. “I’ve seen eyes like yours before,” he mused, staring into her eyes. Suddenly, he sucked in a breath. “God damn it.” He stood up and walked out of the bathroom.
“Justin?” Alissa asked softly.