| Chapter 1 �I cannot believe I actually let you talk me into this! I�m starting to regret this decision of mine and wonder if I�ve gone mad. Why do I let you talk me into things like this? I gave up so many things to come with you on this trip so you better appreciate this. Ah, the things I do for you! � Krystal whined to her best friend while packing her clothes into the suitcase. �Quit whining. You sound like a spoilt 5 year-old. Wait a minute, I forgot! You ARE one! Don�t roll your eyes at me Kris; Ask anyone u know. They�ll all agree that you don�t act your age. Anyway, it�s too late to go back on your decision. We already have the plane tickets and all the arrangements have been made. Yes, I am aware that you dropped many things just to come with me for this trip and I appreciate it. Keep on wondering if you�ve gone mad. The only person who thinks you�re sane is yourself. You let me talk you into things like this �cause you love me and you know it!� Ashley replied with a smirk. This was how the two bonded, always teasing and shooting insults and sarcastic remarks at each other. They were like sun and moon, day and night. They were so different, yet they understood each other so well that sometimes, words weren�t needed to make the other understand. They shared a bond that many could only wish they had. It was, as if they were sisters, yet looking at them, you knew it wasn�t possible. They were both beautiful, though in different ways. At 5�7, Krystal, blessed with exotic features that came from her Chinese mother and a tall, athletic frame that came from her American father, a prominent businessman, made her breathtakingly beautiful. Large deep-set brown almond shaped eyes that seemed to pull you in, straight nose, pouty lips and bouncy dark brown hair that stopped just below her shoulders, framed her face. A tan, which came along with the long hours she spent playing many different types of sports, combined with her excellent figure made her irresistible to guys. But this was not what drew people to her. It was her rebellious yet playful and mischievous, outgoing, fun, carefree, charming, witty, smart-mouthed, tomboyish, stubborn, strong-willed attitude and spunk that drew people to her. There was never a dull moment with her, for she was always either playing a prank, making people laugh, or offering a challenge to anyone who dared to take her on. Although she was pretty, popular and talented, she was also modest, in more ways than one. Having skipped 6th grade and acing all her current classes, she never showed off. Neither did she show off her shapely figure in clothes that seemed a few sizes too small, yet instead chose more comfortable, loose fitting clothes, much to her mother�s protest. Her mother, who was now a famous fashion designer and former model, believed that a figure as nice as Krystal�s, odd to be shown off and dressed femininely, unlike Krytal�s tomboyish outfits. Her mother spent thousands of dollars on Krystal�s clothes, most of which would never be worn. This was her way of rebelling against her parents� wishes to act and dress like a lady. Her parents never had enough time to spend with her, always working or away on business, making them drift apart. But, she did, sometimes, flaunt her basketball skills on the court. In high school, she was practically a legend since she was the only female, in the school�s history, to ever try out and make a place for herself on the boy�s basketball team. In the school, there was only one basketball team- the boys�. Trying out was one thing, making a place and staying in it was another. As pretty and talented as she was, she wasn�t easily accepted in the team. The boys on the team tried to make her life a living hell and make her drop out of the team, but being as stubborn as she was, she refused and instead, proved herself to be one of the best players the school ever had. Looking at this, one had to admire her determination and courage. But life for Krystal wasn�t always smooth sailing. When she was young, she suffered tremendously and that suffering was what molded her to be way she was today. When she was young, she suffered from leukemia and had undergone chemotherapy and surgery. Ashley, on the other hand, was extremely petite and lady-like, wiith long, straight dirty blond hair that reached the middle of her back, gorgeous clear mint green eyes and a dazzling smile with sparkling white teeth fit for a toothpaste advertisement. She had a slender frame that stood at 5�5 and had grace and style. She carried herself so well that just looking at her you could tell she had an air of confidence and sophistication. Unlike Krystal, Ashley often dressed in clothes that flattered her figure, yet didn�t reveal too much. Ashley�s family background was also almost the opposite of Krystal�s. Her parents were quite well to do, although not as rich as Krystal�s. They took the time to build a relationship with each of their 3 children, Jeff, Ashley and Shuana, who were 22, 20 and 18 respectively. They treated Krystal as one of their own, often giving her advice and guidance. Krystal and Ashley had been friends since 5th grade, which was when Krystal moved to California. Ashley was charming, witty, sarcastic, intelligent, gentle, confident, fun-loving and levelheaded. She was always willing to lead a helping hand or just a listening ear to anyone who needed her. she was indeed one of a kind. Both girls had graduated from collage not too long ago and were now looking for jobs. Ashley was going to Florida for a modeling shoot and asked Krystal to accompany her on the trip. While they were there, they were supposed to visit Ashley�s cousin, Jesse, who was on tour with some other group. She was the group�s opening act, meaning it wasn�t her tour so she had to ask the other group if it was possible for us to be a guest on the tour. A million thoughts were running through Krystal�s head. What if I don�t get along with Jesse and the gang? Did I pack everything? She wondered. Oh, forget it! Why am I even worrying? If we don�t get along, that�s fine. I still have Ash to keep me company. It�s not as if they�re monsters that are gonna eat us up or something. Even if I don�t remember to pack everything, I have the money to buy the things I need or I can just share with Ash. She won�t mind, she�ll probably do the same too, anyway. Secretly, She was looking forward to the trip. 4 months away from her parents and their complaining about her not being ladylike enough. She could dress any way she wanted and do almost anything she wanted. Freedom. She gave a smile and continued packing. She packed her usual jeans, tank tops, Nike shirts but also some of her more revealing clothes. She had intended to hit some clubs while on the tour with Ash. After she finished packing, she looked around at her room. This was her favourite place in the whole house. It was her sanctuary; the things in there were hers and hers alone. She could do anything she wanted with her room and she was allowed to design it anyway she wanted. Glancing at her bed which was filled with stuff toys, she remembered the countless nights she had spent as a child crying herself asleep, her shelf filled with books she loved, her hi-fi system, her desk where she had once spent many long nights grueling over her books, her computer where she wrote her deepest thoughts and worries and where she had made many friends, the phone which comforted her when she was lonely for company, the television, the posters on her walls and the basketball hoop which she took her frustrations on when she was mad. This room held so many memories. She groaned. Since tonight was going to be her last night at home for the next 3 months, her parents decided to invite her relatives and some friends to dinner with them. She decided to wear a dress to please her parents. She picked out a simple white dress and put it on. There, she was done. She stared at the reflection in the mirror and decided that she didn�t look too bad. She hadn�t worn a dress for ages so it felt a little strange. Oh, who cares? It�s only going to be 1 night, deal with it. ��� (The next morning) Early the next morning, the alarm clock rang. Krystal let out a groan and tried to wake herself up. Today was the day they left for the tour. She had an hour to eat her breakfast and get ready before driving to Ashley�s. Downstairs, she poured herself some coffee and ate some cereal while reading the paper. After breakfast, she decided to have a nice long bubble bath. She missed them terribly for she hadn�t had those for ages. As the tub was being filled up, she reflected on the night before. When I reached the table, it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Most of the people who were at this dinner never saw me dressed up like this because I seldom did it. Needless to say, some were shocked. Could this be the rebellious girl they knew? The one that always had sarcastic comebacks and comments? She looked so stunning, so pure, so innocent, like an angel that descended onto earth. My mother had no idea I would actually follow her wish and behave and dress like a lady. When she saw me, she looked so shocked and she actually shook her head a bit and made sure she wasn�t dreaming. It was as if she didn�t believe her eyes. I was slightly insulted although later on, as I thought about it, I realized that she had a right to be shocked. I seldom took the initiative to dress up. Throughout dinner I put to use all the �training� that my parents taught me on how to behave and how to act at the dinner table. My �performance� throughout the night was flawless. I was the perfect lady, and I knew my parents were proud of me. It gave me a sense of satisfaction knowing that for once since I reached 13, I was their perfect daughter. I could tell that my �performance� was greatly appreciated by my parents and they knew that in my own way, I was showing that deep down, I was still their little girl. By the end of the night, my mother had tears in her eyes. �You�ve grown up to a beautiful young lady so fast. Look at you! I knew you were going to be pretty when you grew up, but I never imagined that you�d be this gorgeous, both on the outside and on the inside. Always remember that I love you so much even though I seldom say it out loud.� she said as tears streamed down her face while holding me tight. I felt so secure, so safe in her arms. I missed that feeling so much even though I never knew it. I didn�t know if the tears on her face were tears of happiness or sadness. Whatever it was, it was touching all the same and for a while, we understood each other and were closer than ever. After realizing that the bath was ready, Krystal spent half an hour sitting in the tub, relaxing her muscles and then got up to change. What should I wear? She tried on several different sets of clothes before deciding on her Nike track shoes, loose fitting Gap jeans and sleeveless white shirt, then rushed to her car and got to Ashley�s. ��� While Krystal was at Ashley�s, she got to say goodbye to her family. � Be careful! You�re both very beautiful and attract a lot of attention. Don�t get into any trouble.� Her mom said. �Don�t worry, Eve. They�re adults and know how to take care of themselves. Have fun girls!� her dad said, smiling. �Ash, don�t do anything I wouldn�t do and good luck for the shoot, Sis. Take care of each other ok, Kris? Enjoy the trip!� Jeff said as he gave Krystal in a hug. � Tell me about the trip and email soon sis. We�ll miss you! And go get some cute guys while you�re there.� Shauna winked. Both grinned and nodded in agreement before going to the car. � Whew! That was one long goodbye. I spent half an hour trying to get my mom to stop worrying. She gave me tons of instructions before letting me go. Any longer and I think I would have died! I�m so excited. We are gonna have so much fun with Jesse. She�s absolutely great. You are gonna love her! � Ashley exclaimed. �Yeah, I can imagine your mom doing that. But that�s probably cause we give her reason to worry, especially you! Can�t wait to meet Jesse. She sounds pretty cool. We�ll probably get along. By the way, is she the one whose picking us up later?� Krystal asked as she tried to escape a whack from Ash for that comment. � I should think so. Oh yeah, could you accompany me to the modeling shoot tomorrow? I�m really nervous and I think I�ll need your support in case I freak. You know how I am when I�m freaking. Can you remember the time when we auditioned for the school play? No wonder we never auditioned again!� After agreeing, the two girls laughed and discussed old times all the way to the plane and giggled at their past. Even as kids, the two were always in trouble and up to no good. They played countless tricks on their friends and family. Some turned out well, some didn�t. ��� (Later, on the plane) �Thank your dad for the tickets. I got to rub the fact that I�ll be flying first class and that I�ll get to go on the trip in Shuana�s face so many times. I really loved to get back at her for doing the same to me when she got to go Texas. � Ashley said as she giggled. � No prob. But I want the window seat!� Krystal replied, rushing for the seat and sticking out her tongue when she got it. � Aww� Ash, you lost your touch. Guess you lose again.� she grinned, shaking her head. �We�ll see Kris, we�ll see.� She answered, shooting Krystal a dirty look then burst out laughing. After gazing out of the window for about 15minutes, Krystal decided to go to the toilet. � Ash, move. I gotta go to the bathroom, so get your lazy bum out of the seat and let me pass.� �Fine, fine. The things I do for you!� she rolled her eyes as she got out of her seat. As Krystal was walking to the toilet, someone crashed into her. �Ouch! Watch where you�re going! How can you be so careless? I could have got hurt!� a tall guy, who was wearing a cap and sunglasses exclaimed. � Excuse me, but you were the one who crashed into me. You not only don�t apologize, you still got the cheek the scold me. And I can bet you�re much heavier than I am so more likely I get hurt than you! But then again, all you care about is yourself right? You know, I was gonna apologize for not seeing you, but since you�re so rude, u don�t deserve my apology even though it�s probably your fault since you wear sunglasses in an airplane where there isn�t even any sunshine.� Krystal shot back. � Do you have any idea who you�re talking to? YOU should be the one to talk to me about being rude. You�re scolding a stranger and being rude to ME.� He took off his sunglasses and his deep blue eyes blazed with anger. He probably would have been cute except for the fact that he was angry and extremely rude and egotistic. What a jerk! �Look pal, I don�t care if you�re Bill Clinton or George Bush. You�re being rude to me and scolding me when it�s YOUR fault. You�re not only selfish, but egoistic as well, so excuse me but I have to go to the restroom, where I was headed before I was so rudely interrupted when YOU came and knocked me down and scolded me. People like you aren�t worth my time so I�m not gonna stand here taking your crap.� she retorted, then pushed him out of her way, leaving him speechless. After going to the bathroom, she returned to her seat, only to find Ash there, smirking. �What�d I tell you? Payback�s a bitch.� She rolled her eyes and Ash finally noticed the smoking coming out of her ears. She was fuming mad. � What? Does the chair really mean that much to you? I�m sorry. I was just fooling around. I didn�t think you�d be this mad. Here, have it back. I�m so sorry.� �No, Ash. It�s not the chair. You can have it since I had it for so long. It �s just that while I was on the way to the bathroom. Some jerk came and knocked me down. If he only did that, I�ll forgive him since accidents do happen, but this guy had the cheek to scold me for being careless and nearly getting him hurt. He must be mad or something �cause I�m so much smaller than him. he�s about 6 feet tall and I�m only 5�7, plus it wasn�t me who was wasn�t watching where I was going. All I was doing was walking and bam! I get hit by a guy who wears sunglasses in the plane. I mean, what kind of guy wears sunglasses in a plane where there�s no sun? Is he stupid or what? I know he isn�t blind �cause he took off his sunglasses and I could see that he had clear blue eyes. Then the guy comes and says I�m the one being rude and asks if I have any idea who he is. Do I care who the hell he is? I don�t care if he�s George Bush or some kind of king! He was rude and not only did he not apologize when it was his fault, he still scolds me! Men!� � Kris, calm down. I know you�re mad, but you don�t need to spend so much energy being mad at the guy. I mean, there are so many more important things to use your energy on, like was he cute?� Staring at her blond haired friend, her jaw dropped to the ground. � Argh! How can you ask me such a question? He was such a jerk and you ask me this? I don�t care if he�s cute. He�s still a jerk.� �But you still haven�t answered my question. Is he cute?� �ASHLEY! Fine, I�ll answer your question. Yes, he was cute. Ok?� �Ok. So, what does he look like?� �AHHH! Now I wonder why you�re my best friend. There is no way I�m answering your question. If I do, you�ll probably ask me to introduce him to you or something!� � You know Kris, that isn�t such a bad idea.� �Ugh! � ��� (Meanwhile, a few rows down) �Hey man. Why do you look like you�re about to tear your fro out? You know that�s impossible. It�s attached to that thick head of yours and your skull is so thick that nothing can go through so don�t even try. You�ll just be in pain.� Chris said as he laughed. �Haha. That�s SO funny. It�s the funniest thing I ever heard. Maybe you should try to think of cheesier jokes, though I think it�s impossible.� Justin retorted. �Dude, I don�t think you even know HOW to think so of course you think it�s not possible.� �Oh forget it! I�m not in the mood to argue with you. I�m so mad at this girl! I was walking back form the bathroom and then she hits me. I didn�t even see her and so I ask her what her problem is. How can she be so careless? She nearly got me hurt! Then she scolds me for being selfish and rude for scolding her and not apologizing when it was my fault and yet scolding her. So I say she�s also being rude and scolding me when it ain�t my fault and ask her if she knows who I am. She tells me she doesn�t care if I�m George Bush or Bill Clinton. I�m still being rude to her and tells me I�m selfish and egoistic and that she isn�t gonna waste time with me and taking my crap. How DARE she? She�s got one hell of a attitude problem.� � You know, J, she is kind of right. You were acting really selfish and egoistic to her. Maybe you should have apologized to her. She may have been in the wrong, but you should not have said some of those things you did.� Lance responded quietly. �J, you know you�re not supposed to reveal who you are. For all you know, she might have screamed out your name and you would have been surrounded immediately and you know that in that time, no one can protect you. Plus, the plane is so small you would have no where to run to.� JC said sternly. �Yes Dad. I know that. Hey! Whose side are you on! She was the one who crashed into me!� �Was she cute? What did she look like?� Joey asked. �Yes, she was cute but WHO cares? She was an idiot! Shut up Joey, I know you�re gonna say that you care. I don�t even know why I�m having this conversation with you guys when you�re on HER side!� Justin said, ending the conversation abruptly by turning to his side and putting on his headphones. The guys simply shook their heads and shrugged. Around half an hour later, Justin had cooled down and decided he wasn�t going to think about that argument any longer. What was done, was done. It was all in the past and he would forget about it. But somehow, he couldn�t get the image of that girl out of his head. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn�t get her out of his head. He shook his head and tried to shake the image off. I must be going mad. I wonder why I keep thinking of her. It�s not like she�s drop dead gorgeous or anything. I mean, she is pretty in her own way and all, but I don�t go for these types of girls, plus she�s got an attitude. I guess I shouldn�t have said some of the things that I did, although she shouldn�t have been so� so� rude! Argh! I�m going to FORGET it. Forget it. Forget it. ��� Meanwhile, a few rows in front, Krystal was still thinking about their argument. He was such a jerk. He�s probably like that all the time. Egoistic, selfish, rude jerk. I will never like a guy like that. Guys who behave like that are pigs. Oh, whatever. It�s not like I�m going to see him again or anything. Why should I care? Slowly, Krystal�s anger subsided and soon, she was back to normal, joking around with Ash. �Oh Kris! We only have 15minutes until we reach Florida. I�m so excited to see Jesse. She�s the best. I haven�t seen her in ages! You know, this is so cool! She�s becoming more and more popular. Maybe one day she�ll be more popular than Britney Spears! Ack, that girl can�t sing for nuts. She just sorts of whines. At first when she started out, she was ok. She looked all innocent and dressed better. Now, she sings the worst songs and wears almost nothing! I just hope Jesse won�t be like that. I�ll be so ashamed. But then, who knows what the future holds?� � Yeah, I agree. Britney Spears used to be so innocent looking and her songs weren�t too bad then. Actually, some were quite good, but now� I�m not so sure. She shouldn�t dress the way she does now. It�s too skimpy, but who am I to say? It�s her choice, not mine.� Soon after, the plane landed. �Come on Kris! I can�t wait for you to meet Jesse!� �Ok, ok. Don�t need to run so fast and pull me along. I have legs and can walk you know.� Krystal replied while getting her bag from the overhead compartment. �Ok, Ash. Lead the way!� When they had everything done, we tried to look for Jesse. � She said she�ll be waiting here. Do you see her?� �Nope. Maybe she�ll spot us first. Keep looking.� �Is that you Ash?� a girl their age asked. She had strawberry blond hair that had a slight wave and was dressed in a spaghetti strapped top and tight black pants. She wasn�t very tall, maybe 5�4 or so, very petite looking and quite pretty. �Jesse? Oh my gosh! You look so different!� Ashley said while giving her cousin a hug. �Oh cool, you must be Ash�s best friend Krystal. It�s great to meet you. Ash told me so much about you over the phone. � �Yeah, that�s me. Call me Kris. Hardly anyone calls me Krystal unless I�m in trouble or something. Pleasure to meet you too. Ash was so excited to see you. She was practically dragging me all the way.� Krystal said as she laughed. �Hey! I did not! You deserved it! You were walking so slowly. Slower than a snail!� Jesse gave a laugh and told the pair to get their baggage. On the ride to her house, where they would be staying for the remaining day before the tour started, she told them about the going away party that the group was having tomorrow night. She said they were invited and that it�ll be a good way to meet the crew and those associated with *N Sync. �Oh cool! Kris, should we go? It�s sounds fun. Jess, is there any dress code? Where is it?� �Yeah, cool. Let�s go.� �It�s at Justin�s place. Don�t worry about where it is. The three of us are going together. You can wear anything you want. It�s just a gathering for their friends and crew before they leave for the tour. Relax. They�re great guys, really friendly and being with them will NEVER be a bore, that�s for sure. So, have you heard *N Sync? Are you a fan?� �Erm� I have heard of *N Sync but never listened to their songs, or at least none that I know of. I don�t even know their names and what they look like. I�m not exactly a big fan of pop. R&B and Rock is more my style.� Krystal answered. �Same goes for me, except I listen to R&B and Rap. I can�t stand rock. It all sounds like noise to me. How Kris manages to listen to it is still a mystery to me.� On hearing this, Krystal simply rolled her eyes. �Oh whatever, Ash. Everyone knows I got better taste than you anyway. It�s your loss.� she said shrugging, a huge grin on her face. �Like real! You can only wish, girl. Ok, fine. You know what? We�ll just say we BOTH have good taste ok? How about that?� �Fine, fine.� �I have a few posters of *N Sync. Want to see them? And oh yes, I could lend you their CDs too. I have all of them. It�s great! How about that?� �That�ll be cool. Thanks a million!� While the two cousins discussed things at home, Krystal mind wondered to what she was going to wear tomorrow. She knew couldn�t very well go in her jeans and tank top. That wouldn�t be a good first impression. she didn�t want to look cheap or sloppy. Oh well, I�ll sort it out later, she thought. �Ok, we�re here. Come on upstairs. That�s where the guestrooms are. Leave your bags in the car for now. Someone will bring them up soon. You guys can choose your room since I have three guestrooms. Feel free to make yourselves comfortable. I�m kinda tired after a whole day of recording so I think I�ll turn in now. If you are hungry, you can either order pizza or eat the food that�s in the kitchen. Goodnight. My room�s just around the hall, second from the left.� Ash and Krystal raced up the stairs and looked at the rooms. Unfortunately, Ash beat Krystal to it so she got the prettier room. Krystal had a hard time deciding between the two that were left. They were basically the same so she choose the one closer to Ash�s. Taking a minute to survey her surroundings, she glanced around. The room was painted a sky blue, with yellow curtains. There was a king-sized bed, a desk and a television. She looked into the toilet. It was nice and spacious, with slick black tiles. The walls were white and it had a shower. Not bad, she thought. Krytal unpacked some of her stuff, which had been brought up not too long ago when Ash and her were checking out all the rooms, had a quick shower and changed into her pajamas, which comprised of a huge T-shirt and shorts. Lying in the bed, she stared in the ceiling and wondered what they would do the next day. She couldn�t wait for the tour to start. She could tell it was going to be something she would remember forever. ��� |