| Katherine cautiously stepped off the large plane that moments ago landed in sunny Orlando, Florida. She wondered if he would recognize her or even remember her. After all, they haven�t seen much less talked to each other in the last four years. She nervously looked around the busy airport and a man with sunglasses and a red baseball cap approached her. He took the heavy bag from her shoulder and dropped it onto the tile of the airport. Katherine looked oddly at the strange man and a smirk came across his face as he lowered the dark glasses down to his nose. A wide smile immediately appeared across her face and he pulled her into a tight embrace. �I missed ya Kitty.� �Josh, I saw you a week ago,� she laughed. �But I�m glad to hear that you missed me in such a short period of time.� �Well what can I say...�he said picking up her bag and walking out of the airport. �You�re my favorite cousin.� She rolled her eyes with a smile as he continued. �So how�s everything going at home?� �Ugh, please. The reason why I came was to get away from all that.� �Kitty, you know you can tell me anything,� he said after he put her bag in the trunk of his Jeep. �Can we please talk about something else?� The desperate look in her eyes told him that he should leave it be for now. �Okay, when you want to talk about it, we will.� �Thank you,� she whispered giving him a hug. They both hopped into the car and started making their way to Jive studios. �You excited about being on tour with us?� �What kind of question is that? If I wasn�t the least bit excited about it, then I might as well have stayed home and not traveled a couple hundred miles to see five guys hop around a stage night after night.� �Dance and sing,� he corrected. �Oh and it�s so nice to know that you wouldn�t come just to see me.� She playfully punched him in the arm and he laughed at the look of disbelief on her face. �That�s not what I meant and you know it.� �Sure...ow! Would you stop hitting me you abusive girl?!� �I should smack you again for that little remark you just made, but I�m feeling pretty nice today.� �I feel so loved.� �You should.� The smirk she had on her face turned to a warm smile as she heard his laugh. She sighed and rested her head back on the headrest. I thought popped into her mind and suddenly she became very nervous again. �Josh?� she asked watching the scenery pass her. �Yeah?� �How come the other guys didn�t come?� �They�re helping out with last minute stuff before we leave tomorrow, but I�m sure you�ll get to meet them all today.� He looked over at her for a brief moment and smiled knowingly at her tensed body. �A little nervous, are we?� She jumped slightly and turned to him. She gave a small laugh. �Of course not. Why should I be?� �Oh I don�t know. Could a certain curly haired member have to do with anything?� She froze when she realized who he was talking about, but soon relaxed so he wouldn�t notice. �Justin?� �Mmm hmm,� he said with a simple nod of the head. �Oh look. We�re here.� She turned to find him with a bright smile on his face and she rolled her eyes as she got out of the Jeep. As soon as they walked into the building, Katherine saw one amazing sight. To be shocked was an understatement. The place looked like the New York Stock Exchange. Everyone was running around like chickens with their heads chopped off getting last minute things together and checking to make sure everything was set and ready to go. JC pulled Katherine through the mass of people and into an elevator. �Yeesh, is it always this crazy when you guys go on tour?� JC laughed. �To tell you the truth, it gets worse every time.� If her eyes could get any wider, they just did. �You�ve got to be kidding me.� A ding was heard signaling that the elevator reached its destination and the silver doors parted. �Make sure your seat belt is strapped on tight cause this is going to be one hell of a ride,� JC said as they stepped into a large hallway. A spiky blonde-haired man rounded the corner as he talked on his cell phone. A look of frustration was on his face as he slowly rubbed his temples. An instant smile came on his face the second he looked up and saw his band mate and a girl walking beside him. �Hey Brian, I gotta let you go. Something came up...yes...I�ll get back to you...bye,� he said with a sigh and turned off the phone. �Business troubles?� �As always. Brian wants to sign somebody, but I haven�t even heard the girl sing yet...� he glanced over at Katherine and gave her a warm smile. �And who is this lovely lady?� Lance asked as he shook her hand. �This is my cousin Katherine. She�s going to be staying with us during the tour. Katherine, this is Lance.� �Nice to meet you,� she replied shyly. �Same here,� Lance looked back at JC. �Hey I gotta run. I�ll catch ya later,� he said jogging lightly down the hallway. JC shook his head with a laugh. �Seriously, I don�t know how the guy does it.� �He seems nice.� �Lance is a great guy. I�m sure you�ll get along with him well.� A loud banging echoed through the empty hallway and Katherine looked to JC in confusion as he just rolled his eyes. Katherine quickly followed him as he made his way down the hallway. He poked his head into a room and found the source of where the banging was coming from. �Hey Joey! Do you know how to close a door?� Joey looked up from the set of drums he was playing and gave JC a mischievous smile. �If it means that I get to annoy you...then no.� Katherine appeared in the doorway and Joey�s eyes immediately darted to her. He quickly stood up and made his way over to Katherine. �And who might this be?� he asked kissing the back of her hand while taking in her trim figure, ocean blue eyes, and luxurious jet black hair matching with that of her cousin�s. JC shot Joey a look of warning and spoke up. �This is Kate...my cousin.� Joey abruptly looked up and took a couple steps back as JC continued his glare at him. Joey looked around the room for an escape. �Um, I think I hear Johnny calling me...yeah. See you later Kate... JC,� he said scrambling out of the room. Katherine and JC stood in silence for a few moments as Kate tried to comprehend Joey�s sudden outburst. She cleared her throat. �Well...that was umm...interesting...to say the very least.� The shrill of a cell phone rang throughout the room and JC quickly took the small object from his pocket and answered it. �Hello...not again,� he groaned. �Fine, I�ll be right there.� He flipped the phone and pocketed it. �What happened?� �Chris got his foot stuck in the wall again.� She raised an eyebrow at him. �Don�t ask. Listen. Stay right here. I�ll be back in a few minutes.� She nodded while he left the room. All alone, she looked around the room with all sorts of goodies ranging from musical instruments, most which she couldn�t play, to microphones and recording devices. Not having much to do in there for her, she decided to take her chances and venture out into the halls. �Man, JC can be so gullible at times,� Justin laughed as he and his partner in crime walked aimlessly down a hallway. �He would have never bought it if it weren�t for me,� Chris commented proudly. �Yeah, I�m sure your pathetic cries for help really did it,� Justin contradicted sarcastically. �It was all my great acting skills that got him.� Chris ignored his comment and stopped walking. Justin turned and sighed. �Okay, okay you helped too...� �No listen,� he said putting a hand up. Justin listened closely while his eyes wandered. �Okay, I�m listening...and I don�t hear anything.� Chris snapped his head to the closed door they were standing by. He started to open the door slowly and the sound got louder. �What are you...� �Shh,� Chris shushed putting a finger to his own lips. He opened the door slightly more and both peeked in while the sounds of a piano filled their ears. A petite girl clad in jean overalls and a white shirt sat on a piano bench in the corner of the small room with her back to them. Her fingers graced the white keys rapidly, her eyes lightly closed as she continued the piece. Mischievous smiles tugged at the boys� faces as they snuck into the room. They tip toed their way across the carpeted room and Chris sat down next to the girl. Katherine felt the weight under her shift and her eyes popped open finding a strange man sporting dark hair and a goatee childishly smiling at her. She instantly snatched her hands away from the piano as if it were to bite her and felt the blood rush to her face. �I�m sorry. I didn�t know anyone was in here.� �It�s okay. I�m Chris and this is my sidekick.� Justin sat down on the other side of her and she turned to come face to face with the one person she�d been thinking about all day. Both looked at each other in complete and utter shock. �Justin?� Justin�s voice was barely audible. �Kate.� |