(chapter 6)

I diverted my eyes from the road and looked at Nick. It's been awhile since our ice-breaking session and he had actually taken a nap right after it. It had been quite serene for the past couple of hours and as Blondie yawned, I was seriously considering gags. "Yea?"

His sleepy eyes looked directly on the road. I should probably do the same if I wanted my body to stay attached with each other. "What's going to happen to Jessica?"

Aww, sweet guy was actually concerned about his girlfriend. I smiled, somehow sympathetic. "Your girl's gonna be fine, Nick. Archie is probably going to drop her somewhere near Sheraton, for all that we know," I said, unsure of myself whether to put it snidely. Truth to be told, his current graffiti-defying hair and pathetic pout did tune down my sarcasm a notch or two.

Nick was silent for a moment. I didn't blame him. Any sweet guy would worry about his girlfriend being carted away by some dangerous criminals. I wonder if Jeremy would break a sweat if by some twisted fate I was the one being kidnapped. Wishful thinking.

Nick bit his lip and turned on his seat. Out from the corner of my eyes, he was squirming. He looked down on his bounded hands and sighed deeply. "Is this really what I thought it is?" he wondered aloud. His shoulders drooped lower with the bottom lip curled unmentioned.

I shrugged. Amused was not the word. How could he not be screaming some serious ear-deafening tune already? I was mildly impressed. "It's called kidnapping. You know, where people are being taken away, and as the result, they have to pay the ransom in exchange of their freedom?" You thought after hours in a forced roadtrip Mr. Popstar was going to get a clue.

Blondie's eyes grew monstrous. Monstrous baby blues are not good. Absolutely hazardous. So I looked away. "I have to pay the ransom money?! Like, seriously?!"

I frowned, slash raising an eyebrow. I was certain my forehead would put rumpled shirt to shame. "It's not a free ride up the continent! What do you think?" To think this guy made trunks of money without being a far cousin to Bill Gates was beyond me. 

Nick narrowed his eyes. "Isn't that supposed to be a guardian thingy or something? To pay ransom and shit? They did say something about it in the kidnapping 101, didn't they?" He struggled to snap his fingers, obviously trying to come up with an idea. "Kevin! You know, Kevin plays his role well," he said enthusiastically, a hopeful gleam in his eyes.

More wrinkles. "Are you telling me that you are not already legal?" I wrinkled my nose. Which sucks even more? The fact that Blondie was acting, well, blond or my current discovery of his not-yet-legal state?

Nick rolled his eyes. There, that didn't look too pretty. I was satisfied. So Nick Carter was not so flawless after all. "Hello? I'm freaking 22? Did you miss that in BOP?"

"Pardon me while I pull my teenybopper act together," I retorted. Nick was freaking hilarious. Nick didn't look too pleased either. I remembered a face a third grader gave to Archie after he had stolen her bike during one of our emergencies. I just had to ruffle that blond locks. "Don't worry, you'll get over it."

CJ laughed. She was being careful not to swivel off the road. "Matt Damon is one hot hot guy. Don't you want to look like him?"

I gave up hope on fixing my hair. Angie would definitely scream to see her blond Backstreet gone brunette overnight. "Nick Carter is one hot hot guy too, from past experience. Shan't we stick to the blond macho looks?"

"You have a way in stroking your own ego, I see," CJ replied, smiling happily. She peeked through the rearview mirror before grinning back to me. "Plus, blond men are a little bit of a fag, don't you think?"

A fag? "I'm not a fag!"

CJ smirked. "Well, now at least you don't look like one."

Who does ever get away from calling Nick Carter a fag?

"I let you get away this time." I looked down on my hopeless pair of bounded hands. They could barely tousle my hair. Getting a revenge was out of question. "You should thank your legs though," I added, biting the inside of my cheek. I was not certain whether flirting with your kidnapper was legal.

CJ narrowed her eyes. "Why would I thank my legs?" she asked curiously. I tried to take note of her eye color. Since her eyes were practically glued to the road, it was quite a challenging mission. "I mean, they are just legs." Talk about obliviousness.

I tapped my fingers on the window. CJ disapproved by shooting a glare. So her eyes were grey. Very pretty grey. "You know, CJ," I started. Her ears didn't even perk up. "I bet you a hot kinky sex that the guys don't even notice I'm missing."

CJ shuddered. I guess she was more morally intact than I gave her credits for. "Uh, I'm sure," she stammered. Her nose wrinkled again into this particular cute expression. After a moment, she killed the engine.

Withdrawing the car key, CJ opened the door and stepped out. After a few deep breaths, she spun around, her brown hair wisping around her face. She was obviously awed.

The cabin that near the blue lake looked inviting and comfy. Lush and green pine trees created a magnificent effect on the background. The air was fresh, clean. It was simply breathtaking.

"This is our humble Shangri-La for the next few days," CJ said, grinning from ear to ear as she opened the passenger door. "Don't even try to split. It won't look too pretty if one of my bullets is stuck in your head," she said sweetly, you would think she was asking for an autograph. She bent down and undid the rope that bounded my feet.

"Oh, and Nick?"

"What?"

"Keep your pants on."