Elizabeth glanced once more at her
soon to be old apartment, the place that she had shared with her mother
for 18 years. Elizabeth's father had died when she was only a few years
old so Elizabeth's mother, Diana, raised her by herself. Her mother never
remarried and she had passed away just a few months ago. Diana had been
diagnosed with breast cancer a year before, and she thought she was beating
it, but it didn't turn out that was true.
Elizabeth, or Lizzy, as most of her
friends called her, was moving in with her best friend, Anna, now that her
mother was gone. Anna lived a few hours away in a beautiful beach house
in Orlando, Florida. Elizabeth and Anna had grown up together in the same
apartment building and were very very close. When Anna was 21, she moved
to Orlando when she got a job at Jive Records. Elizabeth had stayed behind
to finish college at Florida University. Now 20, she was ready to go and
face the world.
She glanced at her watch and saw
it was almost three in the afternoon. That was the time she planned on leaving.
It would take her over three hours to get there and Anna had said to come
for dinner. Elizabeth had never been to her best friends new house, nor
had she been to Orlando, but she was looking forward to seeing both.
Elizabeth quickly swiped the photograph
of her and her mother off the almost empty mantel, then placed it into one
of her bags. She wiped her eyes once more then grabbed her keys and headed
to the front door. She took one last look around, then she walked out and
headed to the elevator and towards her new life.
****
“JC, I told you already I'm not taking
her back,” Justin repeated for the second time, as he and JC drove into
his Orlando driveway.
“Are you sure this time?” JC asked
glancing at his friend. “I mean the last time Meg cheated on you, you just
took her back, just like that.”
Justin stared at JC. He was getting
really tired of getting this lecture over and over again from all different
people. “That's was before! I'm over her, I don't need her anymore.”
JC nodded in agreement. “You're right,
you don't need her. She's a cold hearted person and you can do better.”
Justin got out of the passenger side
and grabbed his bags from the trunk. “I just want to forget this year, Meg
especially. I just want to enjoy this break this Summer and meet new girls.”
“Maybe you'll find someone you'll love
this summer,” JC said as they walked inside Justin's house.
Justin shook his head. “I doubt it,
it's so hard to fall in love.”
“Not really,” JC said following Justin.
“That's because you have somebody
already,” Justin said pointing to a picture JC had given Justin of him and
his girlfriend of over a year, Anna. “You don't have to worry about finding
the right person, you've found her already.”
JC smiled thinking about her. “Her best
friend is moving in with her, maybe you'll like her. Anna talks about her
all the time, they are very close.”
Justin shook his head again at JC.
“Don't match me with anybody, especially with any of Anna's friends.”
“What's wrong with Anna?” JC asked annoyed.
“Nothing man. I like Anna, I just
don't want to be set up with anyone. I want time to get over Meg,” Justin
said. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude, you know I like Anna.”
“Speaking of,” JC said, “she invited
us for dinner. Her friend is arriving today. Please say you'll come.”
“If you promise not to try anything with
trying to set me and this girl up,” Justin said looking seriously at JC.
“I mean it, JC.”
“Fine. We have a few hours so let's
go and shoot some hoops or something,” JC suggested.
“Okay,” Justin said rushing out the
door. JC laughed thinking soon Justin would be back to his old self. He
grabbed a basketball and followed Justin to the court.
****
Elizabeth drove down Anna's street
in her new blue jeep. She glanced around at the house and finally saw the
address her best friend had given her. She parked the car on the side of
the road, and leaving her bags in the back, Elizabeth walked up to the porch
and knocked on the door.
She glanced around at the house.
It was white with a bit of blue and it had the most beautiful view. Anna
had a flower garden in the front with pansies and lilies. When she turned
back to the door, she saw Anna standing there already.
“Lovely view, isn't it?” Anna said
smiling, stepping out of the house and embracing Elizabeth. “I've missed
you.”
Elizabeth hugged her back. “I've
missed you too. You look amazing, you have changed so much.”
“Don't look so amazed.” Anna laughed,
then looked at Elizabeth. “Lizzy, you've grown so tall.”
“That's all you can see that's changed
about me?”
Anna laughed again. “You're hair,
it's much shorter.”
They walked inside a few moments
later. Elizabeth couldn't believe what the inside was like. The walls were
beautifully painted with pink and blue, and the furniture looked very expensive.
She looked around in the bedroom hallway and saw there were five bedrooms,
but only one being used. She couldn't imagine why Anna had so many.
“Why so many bedrooms?” Elizabeth
asked, meeting Anna in the kitchen, who was stirring a pot on the stove. Elizabeth
looked at the four plates. “Having more company?”
“Actually yeah,” Anna said putting
the plates on top of each other. “My boyfriend and his friend are coming
over for dinner, too.”
Elizabeth looked stunned. “You have
a boyfriend?” She had never mentioned anything before.
Anna nodded, then smiled. “Yeah.
We've been going out for over a year. I can't wait for you to meet him.
His friend is really nice, too.”
“Yeah I bet.” Elizabeth sighed. She
could tell by Anna's tone that she was being set up. Elizabeth hated when
people tried to set her up with guys, it had been happening to her since
she’d become a teenager.
“That's not what I'm trying to do.
I'm not like the others who kept on setting you up with losers. You see,
Justin, well he just got out of a relationship. Anyways, I'm just saying
he's a nice guy. Though sometimes he can be annoying.”
“That must be tough on him. How old is
he?” Elizabeth asking tasting a bit of the dessert sauce.
“Just turned 19. He's cute too,” Anna
said.
“I said I don't…”
“And I said I won't try. Listen,
you're at a place in your life where you're happy with your job, and I'm
happy for you,” Anna said placing the plates apart.
A few moments later the doorbell
rang. “That must be them!” Anna dropped the forks onto the table then ran
for the door. She opened it and smiled when she saw her boyfriend.
Elizabeth looked from behind the
wall and saw Anna embracing a nice looking man. “Come on in guys.”
The two guys walking into the hallway.
Elizabeth caught a glimpse of the other guy. She knew Anna was right, he was
pretty cute.
“Guys, this is my best friend, Elizabeth,”
Anna said taking the guys' coats.
The guy with short brown hair extended
his hand. “It's nice to finally meet you, I'm JC.”
She shook his hand. “A pleasure to
meet you.”
“This is my friend, Justin,” JC said gesturing
towards the man next to him with blonde hair.
“Nice to meet you too,” she said
shaking Justin's hand. “I just wish Anna would have told me before she had
a boyfriend.”
JC put his arms around his girlfriend then gave a playful
pout. “You never told her about me? I'm shocked.”
Anna laughed then kissed him. “We don't really talk
about guys, do we Lizzy?”
She shook her head. “But I just figured she'd say something
as important as having a boyfriend.”
“Why don't we go in the living room and get a drink?”
Anna suggested, wanting to change the subject.
“Good idea,” Elizabeth agreed walking into the living
room. The others followed and all sat down. JC and Anna sat next to each
other on the love seat with their arms around each other, and Justin and
Elizabeth sat next to each other on the bigger sofa, at opposite ends.
“Why don't you and me go get the drinks?” Anna said
to JC.
JC got up from the sofa after Anna did. “You guys behave
yourselves,” he said following Anna into the kitchen, looking at Justin
and Elizabeth.
For a while Justin and Elizabeth were silent, then Justin
looked at her and sighed. “I'm sorry I'm not good company. I'm just not
in the mood for this.”
“Don't be sorry, I could tell something was bothering
you. Actually, Anna told me about it. I'm really sorry,” she said.
“What did Anna tell you?” he asked. Now he was looking
at her.
“About your ex.”
“I just don't want to be around people, you know?”
“I can understand. When my mom died, I didn't want to
be around anyone, either.”
“Oh I'm sorry I didn't know.”
“It's okay, how could you know? That's why I'm here.
Anna is the only person I have left,” Elizabeth said sadly, wiping the hair
out of her face.
“I'm really sorry. I can't know what your going through.
I can't imagine what I'd do if I ever lost my mom,” Justin said moving a
little closer to her.
“You're lucky,” was all she said as she looked down
at the floor.
“Can I ask you something?” he asked.
She looked up at him. “Sure.”
“Did it ever bother you when people said everything
would be okay?”
She nodded. “All the time.”
He smiled a little. “Thanks, I feel a bit better. I
guess it's just because well, me and her weren't together for very long,
but I loved her. And I thought she loved me, too.”
“It hurts, I know. People expect you to believe things
you can't. I had a boyfriend once. I said I loved him, then the next day
he dropped me like a fly.”
“Why'd he do that?” Justin asked curiously.
“He found someone else.” She looked sad, then she laughed.
“He ended up cheating on her.”
“Ouch,” Justin said just as Anna and JC came back into
the room.
“So you actually talked,” JC said handing Justin a pop
and sitting back on the love seat.
Justin opened it up and took a sip. “Haha very funny.
Yeah I actually do have a mouth that works!”
JC laughed then threw a chip at Justin's head.
Anna walked over to Elizabeth and handed her her favorite
drink, orange juice. “Thanks,” Elizabeth said.
“How did you get him to talk to you?” Anna asked quietly
so the guys wouldn’t hear.
Elizabeth almost spit out her juice. “I didn't do anything,
he's not a happy guy right now, though.”
“Yeah I know.” Anna sighed. “But you were nice to him,
right?”
“Of course I was!”
Justin and JC both turned to face Elizabeth after her
outburst. She was beat red.
“Sorry,” she apologized getting up. “Let's eat.”
The other three got up and followed into the kitchen.
During all of dinner, Elizabeth felt nervous, she couldn't believe she had
yelled like that.
“Anyone for coffee?” Anna asked getting up from the
table.
“I'll help,” offered Elizabeth, quickly getting out
of her chair.
“No you stay, JC will help me. You and Justin can talk
some more.” Anna gestured for JC to come with her into the kitchen.
JC got up from his seat. “Coming.” He gave Justin a
look, then walked into the kitchen.
“What was that all about?” Elizabeth wondered to herself.
“Can I ask you something else?”
She turned to face Justin. She smiled. “Sure.”
“What were you and Anna talking about when you yelled
like that?” Justin asked.
She was afraid he would ask her that. “We were um..…”
Elizabeth paused.
“You were talking about me, weren't you?”
She nodded. “I'm sorry. She just asked what we talked
about.”
“It's okay,” Justin told her. “I don't mind. My life
is pathetic and boring anyways.”
She laughed. “I doubt that.” She decided to change the
subject to something more uplifting. “Can I ask you how JC and Anna met?”
“Well she works for the record label we sing for.”
“You sing?”
“Don't you know who were are?” Justin asked, confused
but kind of glad she didn't seem to know who he was.
“What do you mean by that?” Elizabeth asked, more confused.
“You've never heard of us?”
“Who?”
“NSYNC.”
“Who?” she asked again.
“NSYNC,” he repeated.
She looked at him with a straight face, trying to figure
out what he was trying to say to her. “What's that?”
