| Chapter Twenty Patty had to get some air. Most of the people at the party had left already, save for the boys of *Nsync and her friends, and after the hectic night, she just needed some time to hang out in silence and collect her thoughts. At least all the drama with Justin had been figured out, that was one thing she was glad they had gotten out of the evening. Patty was standing out by the pool, leaning on the railing, watching the moonlight bounce off the aquamarine water in little glittery sparkles and listening to the crickets chirp happily. She had glanced at the clock before she left the suite; it had been nearly three in the morning, and she�d already been outside for a while. She sighed, taking in the late spring air and thought about how nice the evening had turned out to be. Nick had found a girl, and Jade and Justin were together, and Dawnovan and Lance� Patty smiled, genuinely happy for her friends. She grew sad again though, thinking again about JC. But what about JC? She frowned. He�d been so charming all night but hadn�t made any advances towards her. She hung her head and sighed heavily, dismayed and disheartened by his apparent lack of interest in her. She sniffed back tears. Had she been stupid to think he would actually like her? Had she thought too much of the smiles and the blushing shyness? She lifted her head and looked up at the sky, pondering. It was a clear night, only the moon and stars marring the inky blackness. Her eyes were connecting the dots into pictures, but every picture was of JC. She laughed to herself, thinking that if she wasn�t a teenybopper, she would be one very soon. �Hi.� Patty whirled around, her heart beating wildly in her chest. �Who�s there?� she asked shakily, frightened. He stepped out of the shadows, his face becoming illuminated in the moonlight. He smiled. �It�s just me.� Patty frowned. �Oh. It�s you.� She turned away, sadly. Just friends, she thought. That�s all we can ever be. She blinked back tears and struggled to maintain her composure. �Where�s Nick?� JC asked, walking up to where she stood. �With his girlfriend, I guess.� �Doesn�t that mean he should be here with you?� Patty gawked at JC, confused. �Why would he be with me? I was never his girlfriend.� JC stared at her. She stared back. �Oh.� He stood beside her, leaning against the rail and looking out over the pool, his hands clasped in front of him. Patty furrowed her brow. She shook her head, thinking he was strange, and resumed her position beside him. They stood quietly for a few minutes, just listening to the night and each other breathe. JC took a breath and began talking. �You want to know something about me?� �I would like to know anything about you.� JC looked at her, smiling. �I was hoping you would say that Nick wasn�t your boyfriend.� Patty chuckled. �He isn�t my boyfriend and he never was. I don�t have any kind of boyfriend.� JC turned to face her, still holding onto the railing. �That�s good.� He grinned. Patty blushed and tucked her hair behind her ear. �Do you have any kind of girlfriend?� She looked at him, her eyes questioning, biting her lip. He shook his head. �Nah. I haven�t met anyone for a long time that I was actually interested in. Well, I hadn�t until today.� He moved closer to her. She tilted her head upward to see him better. �Want to know something else?� he asked, his voice deeper. �Sure.� She smiled. He cupped her face in his hands. �I�ve wanted to do this all day,� he whispered as he lowered his mouth to hers. �So have I,� she sighed and lifted her mouth to his. They kissed, each feeling the gratification of being with someone special. Patty broke the kiss and turned away from him. JC stared at her back, confused. When he put his hand on her shoulder, she turned. Her eyes were glistening and she was grinning happily. �Well now, wasn�t that fun?� she asked. �Yes, it was.� He smiled at her and they both laughed. �I thought so too,� she said and bit her bottom lip in anticipation. JC pulled her to him and murmured softly in her ear, �Let�s do it again, then.� And they did, again and again and again. Epilogue HOME |