i've fallen*
chapter 01
4:45pm
"Those research papers are due when you get back! You have a whole week, don't forget them! Have a nice break!" The professor said as the students left.
Rachel walked out of the classroom. She saw her friend Scott down the hall and went over to him.
"Hey Rach...So you going to Sarah's party next week?" Scott asked her as she walked up to him.
"I don't know? I have this damn 15 page research paper to do for Professor Haress' class."
"Damn! Have you started on it yet?"
"No. We just got the assignment today. I'm working on it tonight though."
"Well if you have any free time, call me and we'll hang out."
"Alright."
"Well I got to go see you later girl." He said kissing the top of her head. She hugged him.
"Ok. Bye."
"Bye, Bye." He said walking away. Rachel walked in the opposite direction of him. Going out to the parking lot. She walked up tp her black Jeep Laredo. She set her bag in the passengers seat and got in. Starting the car and making her way home.
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Rachel walked inside the empty apartment. Walking towards the kitchen, she set her keys on the table. A red light flashed on her answering maching, saying she had messages. While the recording talked she went through the mail.
"You have 2 new messages...first message, sent today at 11:36am....'Hey Rach! It's Kimberly. Called to see if you were still alive and if you'd be home, but I guess not. Well I'll probably be home next weekend. Have a fun spring break! I know I am! I'll call you later. Bye!' click....Next message sent today at 1:17pm...'Hi sweetheart! It's mom. Just called to see how everything is. Hope your good. Call me later and don't forget. I love you. Bye.' click...No more messages." The recording stopped.
"I'll remember mom." She said to herself. She grabbed her book bag and walked upstairs to her room. She walked into her room setting down her bag and going out of the room again. Passing Kimberly's room to the study. She took out her laptop and turned it on, logging onto the internet. While trying to figure out what she'd do her research paper on.
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8:00pm
"Hello?" She said answering the phone.
"Hey Rach. It's Jess. What you up to?" Jessica, a best friend of hers, asked.
"Working on my research paper."
"Well can you take a break from it and come get a drink with me?"
"I guess. But I'm not going to drink tonight. I'll be the DD."
"Okay. But you can still check out some hotties and go dancin'."
Rachel laughed. "Of course."
"Ok I'll go pick you up. Be there in a few."
"Ok, later." Rachel hung up the phone
After changing she went into the kitchen to wait for Jessica. She turned on the small tv on the counter and the news was on.
"Today around L.A. a big boy band is in town....*NSYNC will be performing 2 concerts and be here for a week. So don't be surprized if you catch them around hanging out." The news anchor said.
Rachel chuckled. "Kimberly would freak out if she knew *NSYNC was here."
'She's a 23 year old who has a crush on Justin Timberlake.' She thought to herself. Her thoughts were interruped by the door bell ringing. She walked over to the door. Buzzing Jessica in. A few minutes Jessica came out of the elevator and into the apartment. (The apartment is like the house the cast members of 'The Real World - Chicago' live in. With the elevator that opens from the middle.)
"Hey Jess."
"Hi...you look nice." Jessica said
"Thanks. So do you."
"Ready to go?"
"Yep." Rachel grabbed her car keys and purse, then walking into the elevator and leaving.
"Am I driving?" She asked
"Sure. I'll just leave my car here." Jessica said
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15 minutes later...
"Hello ladies. ID's please." The large man said with a smile.
They both showed him thier ID's and were soon walking in the large crowded club. Walking over towards the bar they ordered their drinks.
"What would you two ladies like to drink tonight?" The bartender asked
"I'll have a Jack and Coke please." Jessica said
"And for you sweetie?" He asked Rachel flirting.
She smiled. "I'll just have a shirley temple...I'm the driver tonight." She said
"Ok."
He made their drinks and gave them to the girls. Rachel paid for the drinks.
Jessica drank the last sip of her Jack & Coke. "Alright! I'm ready to dance! See you later Rach!" Jessica said getting up and walking away.
"Bye. Have fun!" Rachel laughed.
She sat there for a while. A young tall curly blonde came and sat next to her.
"Hey. My name is Justin." He smiled. Introducing himself.
"Hi. I'm Rachel." She shook his hand.
"Nice to meet you Rachel."
"Likewise."
"So would you like me to buy you a drink?"
She looked at him. "You don't even look old enough to drink yourself."
He laughed. "Your right. I'm 20."
"Aw. But no thanks. I'm driving tonight. I'm here with my friend."
"Oh so why aren't you dancing?"
"'Cause I just got here and I'm not really in the mood. She dragged me here."
Just then a tall older guy walked up to them, with the most gorgeous blue eyes. Even though it was dark she could still see them.
"Hey man what's up?...and who's this?" He said in a sexy voice.
"Just chattin' with my new friend Rachel."
"Hi Rachel. I'm JC." He said taking her hand and kissing the top of it.
"Hi." She smiled.
"Would you like to dance?" He asked
"Sure." She said not able to take her eyes off of his.
"Hey! I was going to ask her!" Justin said
She looked back at him. "Sorry Justin. Maybe later?...I promise!" She shouted back at him. He smiled.
She looked back at JC. They walked onto the dance floor, finding a spot. A slow song began to play. JC pulled Rachel close. He wrapped his arms around her waist and she wrapped her arms around his neck. She rested her head on his shoulder as they got closer. She couldn't figure out how all of a sudden she got all this courage, when around a guy she was attracted to. Rachel looked over and saw Jessica. Jessica have her thumbs up. She smiled.
Another slow song played after the first one. JC and Rachel continued dancing. Now talking more.
"So Rachel...you live here in LA?" JC asked
"Yes. I go to college at UCLA."
"Oh really? That's great. What year?"
"Senior, 5th year. If you want to call that a senior." She laughed.
"And your age is?..."
She laughed. "I'm 24. And you are?"
"25." He said
"So do you live here in LA also?"
"Not exactly."
"What do you mean?" She looked confused. But really knowing that he was from *NSYNC the whole time.
"I'm in that group *NSYNC." He said kind of annoyed.
"Oh yeah. Cool...why do you seem...annoyed?" She asked
"I just want to have some fun for a change and not have people all around me just because I'm JC Chasez from *NSYNC. Know what I mean?"
"I actually knew who you were but knew that maybe you might not want to be seen as one of the *NSYNC guys." She said
"Exactly. Thank you."
She smiled. The song soon ended.
"Well thank you for the dance JC. It was nice."
"Your welcome. My pleasure." He smiled. He gave her a quick hug and she disappeared into the crowd.
He stood there for a while watching where she just left. The feeling of her in his arms, the smell of her. He couldn't get it out of his head. She was beautiful.
1:00am
"Yeah. I'm beat." Jessica said slurring her words a little.
"Okay let's go."
They headed for the exit.
"Rachel, don't you have to say goodbye to your guy?"
"My guy?"
"JC."
"Oh...nah it's alright. I'll probably never see him again."
The two walked out of the club. Rachel not noticing the pair of blue eyes watching her leave. 'God I hope I see her again - soon.' JC thought to himself.
Rachel drove back her her place. Jessica was stay the night since she couldn't drive herself home. Rachel helped her to one of the guest bedrooms. Then went into her own room and fell asleep right away.
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Saturday. 9:00am
15 minutes later she walked out of the foggy bathroom. With a towel wrapped around her body and head. She walked back to her room and going to her closet grabbing panties and a bra. She put them on, then looking for something to wear. She found her dark blue jeans and a white tank top that said 'rock star' in silver rhinestones. She went back into the bathroom. Blow drying her hair and applying some make-up.
She walked to the kitchen. Leaving a note for Jessica. 'Jess- Went to the Starbucks. Going to relax for a while. Be back later. Your keys are on the key hanger. Feel better. Call me. Bye. -Rach.' She grabbed her own car keys and walked out the door.
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Rachel took another sip of her french vanilla cappiccino. She brang along some of her work and laptop. She was so into her work, she didn't hear someone call her name.
"Rachel?"
She looked up. Seeing JC.
"Oh hey." She said
"Hi...can I join you?"
"Sure go ahead."
He took a seat across from her. He was so glad he met up with her again. This time he would keep her.
"So what you working on?"
"A 15 page research paper."
"Wow...How far along are you?"
"Barely started yesterday. I still don't know exactly what I want to do it on."
"What does it have to be about?"
"Anything music wise."
"Do it on *NSYNC." He joked, laughing. She looked up at him.
"Yeah right. And all the research I have to do there is go to my friend Kimberly." She laughed.
"She a big fan?"
"Yeah. Not so like obsessed, but she's in love with Justin."
He laughed. "You a fan?"
"I guess you can say...I don't know...I have no choice that's all she listens to.." She laughed. "...just kidding, not all the time but a majority of it."
He laughed lightly. "So what's your major?"
"Last year I got a bachelor's degree in Performing Arts and I'm going back to master in Photography."
"Interesting...do you sing?"
"Not really...I'l just mostly the performing behind the songs. Producing, song writing, stuff like that."
"Cool. That's the stuff I enjoy the most when we record new songs."
She smiled. "Yeah...ok back to the paper...I was thinking, an old musician. Thier history, what they did and went through. Their challenges."
"Yeah that's good."
"I think I'll do that. But on who?"
"Stevie Wonder?"
She raised an eyebrow. "An idea...I'll have to think of who. But I'll take a break for now." She closed her laptop. "So...what are you, JC Chasez doing here at this Starbucks?" She said putting her attention on him.
He smiled. "Was craving a cappiccino, so I came to the nearest coffee shop."
"Oh." She sat back in her seat.
"So what are you doing the rest of the day?" He asked
"Nothing but work on this damn paper. But I probably won't, so nothing that I know of." She said
"Would you like to go to the movie with me?" He asked
"Are you asking me on a date?" She smiled at him.
"Only if you want to call it that." He said in the most sexiest voice as he stared at her. She stared back at him for a few seconds.
"Alright. What are we going to see?"
"How about The Sum Of All Fears?"
"Ooo...Ben Affleck! I'm all for that."
He laughed. "Want to go now?"
"Ok." She put all her stuff in her bag and stood up.
"Can I give you a hug now?" He asked
She smiled. "I guess so." She hugged him. "Do you know what the times are?"
"No. But we'll find out when we get there."
"Ok then."
The two walked outside.
"Do you want to just take your car and afterwards I can come pick my car up?" JC said
"That's fine."
They got into Rachel's car and left.
"I have a car just like this." JC said
"Really? Cool." She smiled at him.
The bell rang for the dismissal of class. All the students got out of their seats to leave.
Still working on her paper, she was interrupted by a phone call.
They walked up to the club entrance after parking.
"Ready to go Jess?" Rachel asked
Rachel woke up the next morning at 9:00am. She sat up rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She stood up and going to the bathroom to take a shower.
i've fallen'
chapter 02
fiction