He didn't budge. She groaned. He always was impossible. She nudged him harder. "Hello! Wake your lazy ass up!" He groaned and turned away. She sighed and sat down. She just stared at him. �Wow. He is wayyy hot... Damn. He had changed the most of all.� She sighed. 'I can't go through with this.' She got up and nearly tripped over a box. Shit! She looked back. He was moving.
She tried to creep out, but it was too late he caught her. "Um, I'm awake, did you need something?" She felt her heart stop. "Um.. well... Justin told me to come..." He yawned and sat up. She turned around slowly. His eyes went wide when he recognized her.
"Liz-bit?" he asked softly.
She smiled. "Hey, Josh." He jumped up and grabbed her and pulled her into a tight embrace. She suddenly felt weak, and pulled away. He looked at her. "How've ya been?!" She smiled. "I'm ok." He gazed at her. "You sure have changed." She laughed. "As have you." He smiles. "Yeah, I guess so. Spill it. Tell me everything."
David walked in. "Sorry, that'll have to wait. Liz, you have 5 minutes and counting to think up some questions." She looked at him. "I hate you." He smiled. "Doesn't everyone?" She frowned and looked back at JC. "Well, guess who's interviewing you today?" He smiled. "Incredible. You're just full of surprises." She nodded. "Guess I am." She waved and walked out. She sat down out in the hall and put her head in her hands, trying to think.
He walked out, and walked past her, smiling as he headed down to where the rest of the guys were. "Hey, Liz-bit's here." Justin smiled happily. "I know it. It's great." JC smiled, sitting down, lost in his own thoughts.
~* A couple hours later, after the interview...*~
Liz shook her head, standing in the corner trying to plead with David. "Please, please let me cover the concert. David, I haven't seen these guys in forever, two of them are my BEST friends, please? I will do anything." He grinned. "Anything?" She nodded. "Ok, here it is. Whitney. Get her to go out with me." She nodded. "Sure, of course, no problem." He nodded. "You've got yourself a story." She squealed, giving him a big hug. "You're the bestest!!" He nodded. "I know it. Now go hang with your friends."
She smiled and nodded. "Wait. Look, I know these guys are your friends, but be careful. Don't go getting involved, ok?" She looked at him. "No way. We're friends nothing more. Besides, I swore off guys remember?" He gave a sad smile and nodded. "Go on." She bounced off, and he smiled sadly as he watched her retreat.
After much persuading and begging, Liz finally agreed to go with them to get food. They walked outside, caps and shades included, and talked just like old times. She was on Justin's back, laughing, when she heard her phone. "Oh, stop." She jumped down. "Hello? Hey, Whit. What?! Damn it. Tell him, I went outta town and I'm never ever coming back." She sighed. "I know. But, it's not fair to me. I don't wanna listen to this. I gotta go. Yes, we're going tomorrow, but you have to go out with David..." Liz pulled the phone away from her ear as she heard upset yelling and screaming. She looked at the guys and shrugged. "He's not a bad guy."
"Whit. Shh. Chill out. He's nice.. You'll like him. Me? No way, he's a pain in my ass. I'll tell him to be good. Yes. Bye!" She hung up the phone quickly.
Justin looked at her mysteriously. "Who pray tell was that?" She laughed. "Whitney. She's my friend." Joey spoke up. "What's this about going out of town and never coming back?" She looked down. "Um, it's nothing. Just some stuff, I gotta work on." He nodded, not wanting to push her. They walked on and she remained quiet, till they reached the pizza place.
They walked in and sat down, putting Liz between Justin and JC who were talking her ear off. And trying to talk at the same time. "Whoa! Wait! Guys! I only have 2 ears. One at a time." Lance laughed. "Really, guys."
Justin smiled. "Sorry. I'm going first. How's Trace?" She gasped. "Trace! He called the other day! I forgot to call him back.. Oops. I hear he's good, though. And Christina's in town, too. She called me, wanting to hook up."
Justin nodded. "We've seen her alot lately through all the MTV things. She's doing great, too. So, c'mon. Spill your guts. You and Trace, I heard you two went out?!" She groaned and put her head on the table. JC looked surprised. "I never heard about that." She picked her head up. "Yes, it's true. Junior year. Now leave me alone." Justin laughed.
"Wow! That's really wacked!" She nodded. "I know it. And it was a mistake. We broke up 2 days later." He laughed. "Talk about short-term!"
"I couldn't do it. There's no way I could go out with my best friend. It was just too screwy and way weird. So it was over just as quick as it started."
Chris smiled. They really have missed her. He was glad they were be able to see each other. "Hey, Liz, what about now? Who ya been seein?" She looked down. "No one." Lance raised his eyebrows. "No one, eh? That's pretty hard to believe."
"Well, let's put it this way: I came to the conclusion that guys pretty much suck." Joey whistled. "Uh-oh! Bad break-up?" She nodded. "The worst. I'm still not over it. But changing subject. What about you guys?" Joey smiled. "Ok, then. Promise you won't tell?!" She nodded. "I swear it." Joey laughed. "Ok, Chris has a girlfriend named Miranda and Lance is seeing Lacey."
She raised her eyebrows. "You mean, these two cuties over here are still single? That's pretty hard to believe." She looked from Justin to JC and smiled. Justin nodded. "Don't rub it in." She laughed.
She looked down at her pager and saw it said 911. "Whoa." She grabbed her phone and dialed the number. "Hello?! What is it?! You little brat! Aly! Don't even do that. What do you want?" JC snatched the phone away. "Alessandra? Is that you? It's JC. Long time no see." He laughed, but Liz grabbed the phone back. "Yeah, what? No, I'm not in Orlando, genius. Ok, ok. I'll send it via e-mail later. Yes, your highness. I shall try." She hung up the phone. "I need a smart sister."
~* A couple hours later*~
The guys decided to head out to a club, and finally gave up on trying to get Liz to come. She walked with JC along the streets, heading for her apartment. "Well, I still think you're wrong. I mean, c'mon. Episode 1 sucked."
He shook his head. "No way. It was still cool." She stood her ground. "Nope. You're wrong, Chasez. I'm right. It totally sucked. It's not Star Wars without Harrison Ford. End of discussion." He grinned. "Nope. Sorry, there Lizzie. You're wrong. And it's not the end. I'm gonna keep bugging the heck outta you about it." She groaned. "No..."
They reached her place and walked upstairs. She unlocked the door and walked in and saw she had 5 messages. She groaned. "I gotta check these. Might as well make yourself comfy." He nodded and plopped down on the bed. She shook her head and pressed play. "Liz! Dang! He won't quit callin' me! I swear! Talk to him and tell him it's over! Please?! For my sake?! Byez."
She looked down, silently cursing herself for playing the messages, cuz now JC was gonna be asking all sorts of questions. "Liz! Where you at?! It's Trace. Call me!" She laughed. She hit the next button. "Liz, hon, c'mon, quit this. Call me. Look, how many times can a guy say he's sorry?! I mean, sheesh. I'm a guy. We make mistakes. Call me."
She turned off the messages before she could hear the next one and turned around. He pointed to the bed next to him. "Sit." She sighed and sat next to him. "What's the deal?"
"His name's Micheal. We were pretty serious, but I caught him cheating, and I ended it. I swore all guys were nothing but assholes, and haven't even thought of dating since. And now he's got this idea, that we're supposed to be together and all this other nonsense. It's crap."
He looked into her usual sparkly blue eyes, and saw they were filled with hurt. He didn't know what to say. Nothing he could say would make it go away...
Late at night you call on the phone
We talk about the day
When you found out he was cheating
You tell me that it hurts to the bone
To trust someone that way
To find that he was decievin'
And I know I've always
Just been your friend
But if you look my way
I'll make sure you'll never hurt again
She looked up at him. "I blame myself. I have a really bad habit, that when I fall, I fall hard. And I just said, forget about guys, ya know?" He looks at her intensely. "Not all of us are like that."
Do you know I exist
Just to promise you this
Endlessly to be true to you
And if you answer my prayer
I'd cross my heart and I'd swear
Endlessly to be true to you
And if you'd only see
How beautiful you and I would be
Endlessly
She sighed. "I know, but I just can't. I told you about him, a while ago, remember?" He nodded, and remembered how happy she'd been, and how hurt he had been...
I remember when you fell in love
I could not believe
That it was not with me
I sent a secret prayer up above
And put my heart away
So that you could be free
And I know right now,
you're broken in two
But did you know my heart's been
Broken since the day I met you
"I remember." he said quietly. She nodded, feeling tears coming to her eyes. She looked down, and a tear fell silently. He looked at her. She never cried. Never. He pulled his friend close and held her as she cried onto his shoulder.
Do you know I exist
Just to promise you this
Endlessly to be true to you
And if you answer my prayer
I'd cross my heart and I'd swear
Endlessly to be true to you
And in my sweetest dream
You'd learn to put your faith in me
Endlessly
She wiped her tears away. "I'm sorry. I know you totally don't want to listen to me cry and gripe about how life sucks." He smiled. "Actually, I do." She tried to smile, failed miserably. He looked around. "I can't believe you live here alone, Liz-bit. I know I wouldn't want to." She shrugged. "I'm used to it, now."
Sometimes the thing you need is the one thing
You can't see
If you put your faith in me
how beautiful you and I would be
He grinned. "Well, looks like you're gonna have a roomie tonight, if ya don't mind." She laughed. "Oh, I am?"
"It's late, and I'm lazy. I don't feel like walking back." She laughed. "Ok, then, but looks like your sleeping in your clothes." He laughed. "Ok."
She walked into the bathroom to change, and as she finished and walked back out, she tried suppressing the grin that spread across her face at JC who was setting up his own little bed on the floor. She laughed. "You are such a dork." She grabbed his arm and pulled him up. "I am not!"
She laughed. "Yes you are! Geeze! I've known you for what, 7 years? Get in." He laughed, crawling in.She shook her head. "What a retard." He threw a pillow at her and hit her square in the face. "You little brat!" She threw it back, and climbed in beside him. "Kick me and die." He laughed. "Yes ma'am!" She smiled, turning away from him. "Night." He looked at her back. "Night."
Do you know I exist
Just to promise you this
Endlessly to be true to you
And if you'd answer my prayer
I'd cross my heart and I'd swear
Endlessly to be true to you
Endlessly...
Five