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Oct. 15th, 2003 10:40 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
amfiguree[Het] [N'sync] [PG-13]
Steal My Heart
(Meanwhile, At Naomi’s house.)
“There’s something not right here...” Naomi mused. She sat down on the couch and switched on the television. That’s funny, she thought to herself. I’ve been absolutely begging for a day off and now when I finally get it, there doesn’t seem to be anything to do. Chase is... well, I don’t know, and Justin... isn’t keen on talking to me right now. Hmm... I wonder what Ally’s up to...?
The phone rang and Naomi answered it, “Hello?”
“Mayo? This is Ally.” Naomi smiled when she heard Alyssa’s voice.
“Speak of the devil,” Naomi commented.
“What?”
“Oh... nothing. So... what’s up? Are you going out with Lance or something?” Naomi asked.
“Well, actually, yes. We thought we’d go out for a spin, but... I can’t make it. Something cropped up at the last minute and, well... Lance could really do with a bit of fresh air. Do you think you could go with him instead?”
“Uh... Ally... since when have I become a back-up unit? Since when have I become Lance’s back-up nanny for that matter.”
“Um... oh, come on, Mayo. It’ll be fun.”
Naomi sighed and shrugged, “Okay. But just this once. The next time you can’t make it for an outing, call James or something.”
Alyssa giggled, “You know I can’t do that, Mayo.”
“And why’s that?”
“Well... because... there’s just this unwritten rule about a girl calling her best friend’s brother and asking him for favors.”
“Well that’s never stopped you before, has it?” Naomi smirked.
Alyssa nodded slowly, even though she knew Naomi couldn’t see her. There was a devilish twinkle in her eyes and she was glad Naomi wasn’t there to actually see it. “Uh... look, why don’t you just quit making this so hard on me and GET OVER here!”
“So I just drive over there and let you take the car?”
“Uh-huh.”
Naomi shrugged, “Okay. Give me fifteen minutes. But Ally?”
“Hmm?”
“We have to be back for dinner. I promised James and if I don’t keep my promise this time, I swear I’ll never forgive myself.”
“Okay. No problem. I’ll be there too.”
“Great. Then we can finally have a quiet meal together after so long.” Naomi grinned at the thought.
Alyssa smiled as she imagined Naomi’s face, “I’ll see you soon, Mayo.”
“Later Ally.”
Alyssa put down the phone and turned to Lance, a triumphant expression on her face. “So... what do you have to say?”
Lance was beaming and he grinned at Alyssa, “Thank you, O great one. I shall never doubt your, um, prowess again.”
“That’s better. I told you I’d get you a date with Mayo, and I have. Unfortunately, you have to make sure she gets home before dinner.”
Lance’s face fell for a second before he brightened again, “That’s always better than nothing, right? Thanks Al.”
“No problemo, Lance. Just make sure you use this chance well. She’s not going to hang around all day waiting for JC to make a move. If talking to him is what she wants to do, she’ll go all out to get it. That’s always been her motto.”
Lance nodded slowly, “Mmhmm...”
Lance and Alyssa sat quietly on the bed, thinking. After a while, the sound of a car roaring up the driveway jerked them out of their thoughts. The same word popped into their minds and they turned to look at each other. Naomi, they were both thinking. “Well, I guess this is it, Lance.” Alyssa gave him an encouraging smile when she saw the look of uncertainty on his face. “Go for it.”
Lance nodded, waved and practically ran out of the house to meet Naomi. Alyssa giggled at the stupidity of it all, “I was coaching a member of N’sync on how to get a girl... whoa, that feels dumb.”
Then Alyssa sank slowly onto the bed and sighed, “I just hope in the end it’s worth all the effort.”
JC had been pacing outside Lance’s room for the last twenty minutes. There were two slips of paper in his hand and he extended his hand out. “Alyssa, would you like to go for a movie with me? I...” Then he sighed and shook his head, “Too formal.”
He plastered a smile on his face and tried again, “So how about it? The movie sounds pretty good.” He poked his tongue out at himself. “Too... not me.”
JC sighed and tried again. “Hey Alyssa, I heard you’re a real movie-goer. I’ve got a couple of tickets to the latest movie. Would you like to go with me?” JC brightened and he nodded, then an expression of exasperation came over his face. “Heard from who? Catch didn’t say a word. And why should I be asking anyone about her?”
JC bit his lip, “Hmm... Alyssa, these are tickets to the latest movie. I’ve heard it’s pretty good and there’s no one else around, so would...” his voice trailed off as he shook his head. “That makes it sound like I’m asking her only because I don’t have another option. That’s definitely not the plan.”
JC paced the hall agitatedly. “What do I say?”
He stopped in front of Lance’s door and tried again. “Alyssa, are you free? Do you think we could maybe catch a movie or something? I’ve already got the tickets so if you don’t have anything on, I was thinking...
“No, no, no!” JC was on the verge of pulling his hair out in exasperation. “That makes it sound like I’ve got a motive! Ugh! Since when was asking girls out a chore to me? Now that I’m in N’sync, I should be even better at it.”
JC chewed thoughtfully on his bottom lip, “So why am I stuttering? Hell, I’m just gonna go in there and take it as it comes.”
He took a deep breath and was about to knock on the door when he heard a car zooming into the driveway. Before he knew it, he was knocked down by Lance, who was charging out of the house at a thousand miles per hour.
JC stood up slowly, brushed himself down and stepped up to the door again. He lifted his hand to knock but then he pulled back. He did the same thing three times over before finally shaking himself and knocking loudly on the door.
“Come in,” he heard Alyssa say.
JC walked nervously into the room. “Funny,” he said to no one in particular. “The last time I came in here I made the biggest mistake in my life. I wonder if this is a chance to rectify it...?”
“JC?” Alyssa stood up slowly and turned to face him. “Hey.”
“Hey yourself,” he replied softly. He clutched at the tickets nervously before licking his lips and saying, “Um, look, Alyssa, you... I... Uh, well, you see... I have, um, a couple of tickets to-”
“I’d love to,” Alyssa interrupted.
JC’s eyes were wide but the corners of his mouth twitched upwards into a smile, “Are... are you sure?”
Alyssa nodded, “When is it?”
“Well, it’s supposed to begin in an hour, actually.”
Alyssa smiled, “Perfect timing.”
JC grinned, “It’s funny you should mention timing because I’m usually the time-keeper in the group.”
“So I’ve heard,” Alyssa smiled.
“Really? From who?”
Alyssa blushed when she realized her mistake. “I mean... I... well, it was sort of obvious... I guessed.”
JC had a sly smile on his face that made Alyssa blush even redder. “Ahh... you... guessed. I see.”
Alyssa bit her lip and gave JC a lopsided grin, “Okay, smart guy. Get out of here and give me a few minutes. I’ll be out soon.”
JC grinned as Alyssa pushed him out of the room, “Hmm... now... where have I heard that before?”
He giggled as the door slammed shut. He bounced onto a couch and resisted the urge to scream out loud. I got a date with Alyssa! Yes!
Alyssa leaned against the door weakly. He asked me out, she thought. “I can’t believe it. He actually took the initiative and ASKED ME OUT!”
Alyssa giggled and went into the toilet. “Uh-oh...” she bit her lip as she realized the worst possible thing. “Hmm... no change of clothes.”
“Um, JC?” she yelled.
“What is it?”
“I... don’t think I can go for that movie.”
“What? Why not?” There was a hint of disappointment in JC’s voice and Alyssa felt a pang of guilt.
“I... uh... I didn’t bring an extra set of clothes.”
JC grinned and picked up the package Lynn had just flung at him. He kissed Lynn on the cheek before whispering, “Aunt Lynn you are an absolute life saver!”
He pounded on the door. “Come on, Alyssa! Open up! I’ve got the answer to your problem.”
The door opened and Alyssa’s eyes twinkled happily when JC handed her the clothes. “What... how... where did you get them from?”
“Let’s just say I owe someone a huge ‘thank you’.”
Alyssa giggled and shut the door. She ran into the shower and pulled her clothes off of her body. She ran into the shower and shivered as the cold water hit her. She sighed and quickly shampooed her hair. The image of JC standing at the door with her clothes in his hands flashed in her mind and Alyssa giggled.
“He is so...” Alyssa couldn’t even find the words. Her heart was pounding wildly against her chest, her cheeks were burning and she was feeling happier than she had in days. “ARGH! How do I say this?”
Just the thought of JC’s smiling face gave Alyssa goose bumps. She giggled, “Okay, get a grip, Carter. You’re acting like a... a... teenager!”
Alyssa bit her lip, but she still couldn’t conceal the grin that was spreading slowly across her face. “Oh, I absolutely understand why they go wild over these guys. DAMN! He is just plain gorgeous!”
Alyssa stepped out of the shower and quickly put on her clothes. She stared at the clock on the mantelpiece and her eyes widened when she realized she had taken half an hour to get ready. She applied a light coat of make up and flew out of the room. I never knew fantasizing about a guy could make time fly so quickly! She thought to herself as she apologized to JC, who simply grinned and shrugged.
JC grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the door, waving to Lynn. Alyssa felt a tingle rush up and down her spine at his touch. She bit her lip and smiled at him. JC opened the door and stepped aside as Alyssa stepped into the car and sat down. “Thank you,” she smiled as JC closed the door. He slid into the driver’s seat and shrugged.
The drive to the cinema was quiet, and neither of them spoke a word. Alyssa’s mind was racing and she hugged herself as her thoughts wandered. I can’t believe this is happening. Is this how Lance felt? Oh boy... then I totally understand why he looked so nervous... I’m as nervous as anyone could get and...
Alyssa’s glance turned to JC’s hand on the steering wheel. She continued staring at it as they made their way downtown. Just looking at his hand is giving me nervous vibes. What do I say? What do I do? Do I let him take charge? I mean... how can a simple movie be so nerve-wrecking?
JC’s mind was racing as well. He could feel Alyssa’s gaze on his hand but he didn’t turn to her. He didn’t know what to say, or do... his mind was a whirl and all he could think was ‘I’m going out with Alyssa... finally. This is incredible!
When they reached the cinema, JC got out of the car and helped Alyssa out. “Thank you, JC.” She responded with a smile that made him feel tingly all over.
“It’s my pleasure.” He responded with a smile that was equally, if not even more so, electrifying to her.
“Um, do you want some popcorn?”
Alyssa shook her head, “No thanks.”
JC shrugged and pulled his sunglasses down his nose. He stared into her eyes for a few seconds that completely took her breath away. “Are you sure?” he asked, finally slipping his sunglasses back on.
Alyssa gave him a shaky grin, “You know what?”
“What?”
“Popcorn doesn’t sound like such a bad idea right now.”
Alyssa was desperate for anything that would take her mind off the intense look he had given her. JC smiled and bought a tub of it. “I’m a sucker for popcorn,” he confided in her with a sly grin. “I just needed a better excuse to buy it.”
Alyssa gave him a small smile and grabbed a handful of popcorn as they entered the theatre. “Well, since you’ve already bought it, I see no sense in rejecting it. After all, how many girls get to be treated to popcorn by the one and only JC Chasez?”
JC grinned. She’s some girl, he thought to himself as they settled down. He closed his eyes for a moment and tried to grasp what was happening. I asked Alyssa out, she accepted, we’re at a movie together now, we’re sharing popcorn, we are FLIRTING... and I see no reason to stop. No reason at all.
The lights dimmed and then went out totally. A few advertisements were screened and finally, the movie started.
JC hardly noticed. His eyes were fixed on Alyssa... her hair, her face, the intrigued look in her eyes, her hands as they grasped for the popcorn. Her fingers gently brushed against his hand and her head jerked up as she turned to him. Her cheeks flushed and he couldn’t help smiling at the embarrassed look on her face. “I was uh, looking for... popcorn. You know, it’s dark and...” she gave him an apologetic smile, “Sorry.”
He shook his head, “It’s okay.”
She turned back to watch the movie but nothing was registering. Her mind was focusing on the way JC was looking at her. She knew he was looking at her - his eyes were practically burning into her body - but she tried her best to ignore it. She continued to stare at the screen, which seemed totally blank to her and ignored the blush creeping slowly onto her cheeks. Her heartbeat accelerated when JC slowly and casually wrapped his arm around the back of her chair. Then she drew in her breath and waited for JC’s arm to go slowly around her shoulders. And, as she expected, they did.
JC gently dropped his arm onto Alyssa’s shoulders and he smiled when she turned to him. His heart was racing but he didn’t let Alyssa see the flustered side of him. Actually, it was almost pitch dark so there was no way she could check out his face anyway.
The occasional light that hit his face vanished as soon as it had appeared. Alyssa gave up trying to read his expression and she hesitated a moment before leaning closer to him. The moment she responded, his arm squeezed hers gently and he pulled her tighter to him. She sighed softly and leaned her head on his shoulder. JC smiled.
They remained entwined in each other’s arms as the movie went on. They sighed from time to time and the people sitting near them smiled when they saw the young couple. JC hardly noticed. Every bit of his attention was focused on Alyssa and although she wasn’t obvious about it, she felt the same way.
Alyssa watched as JC’s chest heaved up and down as he breathed nervously in and out. Alyssa hadn’t had any time to put on perfume, but she knew her soap was doing it’s job. She smiled and closed her eyes for a second, listening to JC’s breathing. JC watched her and his hands slipped gently into her smaller ones.
Alyssa’s eyes popped open when JC squeezed her hands. She looked up at him and blushed when she saw the look in his eyes. He stared at her hands as though he couldn’t believe what he was seeing and he proceeded to explore every inch of their soft whiteness. He saw her veins crisscrossing messily around and he smiled.
Alyssa drew in her breath when he rubbed his thumb over her hand, as though examining their texture. It was ticklish and Alyssa almost giggled. But his focused look and the frown creasing his forehead made her laughter stop in her throat. Alyssa couldn’t help thinking how amazingly good-looking he was, even though she could only catch glimpses of him as the movie played on.
When the movie was finally over, Alyssa sighed. JC stood up, put his hand gently under her face and tilted her chin so her eyes met his. “Don’t sigh... I had a good time, didn’t you?” they made their way out of the cinema hand-in-hand, the tub of popcorn left forgotten on JC’s seat.
“Yeah...” Alyssa replied. But it was so good. And that’s the whole point. I never want it to end. Why couldn’t the movie lasted longer?
“Which part of the movie did you like best?”
Alyssa’s eyes widened and she licked her lips nervously as she tried to recall the faintest bit of the movie, “Uh... the... monsters?”
“I thought it was a romance show... were there monsters?”
“Weren’t there?” Alyssa could have sworn she had seen a monster on the set. “I thought it was horror.”
JC grinned sheepishly, “I guess we weren’t exactly paying attention to the movie, were we?” His thumb ran up and down her hand and Alyssa almost swooned. “But if you ask me, my favourite parts are definitely the hands.”
Alyssa looked down and blushed when she saw the mischievous look in his eyes. “Uh-huh, if you say so.”
He’s talking about me! He’s actually talking about me! It’s like... I’m his movie. He was watching me the whole time. Scratch cinemas! Why don’t we just replay the whole scene right now?
JC grinned when he saw the glazed look in Alyssa’s eyes. She didn’t say much, only smiled when he helped her into the car again. He smiled at her and hopped into the driver’s seat. “You’re not really saying much. Are you feeling okay?”
“JC, was that a date?”
“What?” JC was a bit confused. He looked at her like she had just spoken an alien language.
“Was that... I mean, was that, like, our first date?” Alyssa wanted to know, she needed to know. “As in like, a date date? Or was it just, you know, a friendly thing?”
JC pondered carefully over Alyssa’s question as he sped out of the car park. “I think... well, Alyssa... would you object if we tried, you know, to take our friendship to another level? I mean, you can take that date as an innocent friendly request if that’s what you want, but... I mean-”
Object? Alyssa almost laughed aloud when she heard that. No way in HELL! Why should I object when that’s the only thing I want right now?
“Uh... JC, this may scare you... but I think that if we started dating...” Alyssa looked at him guiltily. “I’d die happy.”
JC smiled in relief. “So... I’m wooing you now, is that it?”
“Something along those lines I guess.”
JC shrugged and grinned, “No objection here, your Honor.”
Alyssa giggled, “So do we keep this under wraps? Or can we, you know, actually tell the other guys?”
“Well, it would be more mysterious if we kept it a secret and went out in the dead of night to meet each other... or... you could risk letting the whole world know that we’ve went on one date and it was to a movie. Either way it’s your pick.”
Alyssa giggled, “Why don’t we just tell them? It would save them the trouble of actually using their brains to come out with all sorts of stupid reasons as to why we sneak out of the house to meet up at night.”
“That’s true,” JC told her and grinned, “So I guess that settles it? We’re... dating and... now we’ll just have to see how Lance and Naomi take it.”
“What does our dating have to do with them?”
JC shrugged, “They’re our best friends, aren’t they?”
Alyssa nodded slowly, but she suspected there was more to it than JC was saying. “I guess. Well, here we are. Thanks for the lift, JC.”
Alyssa gave JC a quick kiss on the cheek that left him feeling helpless and bounded into the house.
(Meanwhile, [continued from the time Lance runs out of Justin’s house to meet Naomi], in Lance’s car)
“Um... where is Alyssa?”
“She’s getting ready to leave,” Lance lied. He had no idea what Alyssa was doing, and in all honesty, he didn’t really care. Not when his head was whirling with thoughts about Naomi that were so intense he could hardly think straight.
“Oh... I brought a fresh change of clothes for her and I thought maybe I’d give it to her,” Naomi explained. Lance smiled at Naomi’s thoughtfulness.
“Why don’t you just leave it with Lynn? I’m sure she’ll pass it to Alyssa for you,” Lance suggested.
“But that wouldn’t be nice...” Naomi’s voice trailed off when Lance took the package from her with a smile and handed it to Lynn with a sweet smile that clearly said, ‘Please help me, I’m being such a good boy’.
Lynn sighed, shook her head and took the package indoors. Naomi giggled as Lance hopped into the driver’s seat with a winning smile on his face. “I can’t believe you, Lance,” Naomi said, in between giggles.
“What’s so unbelievable?” Lance shrugged, but there was an unmistakable gleam in his eyes. “I just picked up a few tricks from Justin along the way, is all.”
Naomi giggled again and they set off. Lance drove slowly, taking his time and enjoying the beauty of the nature surrounding him. Naomi looked at the tranquil look at Lance’s face and smiled, “You’re a nature boy, aren’t you?”
“Well, I’m up for anything that gets me away from the hubbub of the celebrity world for a while. It’s relaxing and it helps get my mind off of things, you know,” Lance shrugged and Naomi nodded.
“I guess it’s hard to get any relaxing moments into your busy schedule.” Naomi shrugged, “But then again, I wouldn’t know, would I?”
Lance nodded, “If you think this is busy, you’re gonna get the shock of your life when you see us on tour. It’s total madness.”
Naomi was totally at ease with Lance and that scared her. She felt the same vibes she had felt when she had gone out with Marcus on their first few dates. Everything was moving too fast, and the quick pace scared her.
Naomi sighed and rubbed her aching temples. Lance glanced at her and smiled, “Are you okay? Maybe I should just drive you home and-”
“Nah... I’m fine,” Naomi protested. “I’m just a bit worried, that’s all. It’s just that... never mind.”
“Just that what?” Lance asked softly.
“You scare me, Lance.”
“I scare you?” Lance sounded half-amused, and half-bewildered.
“You’re worming your way into my heart and I can’t seem to stop it. But it’s just going too fast. How do I know for sure if these feelings are for real?” Naomi said, before she could stop herself. She blushed and shook her head, “Um, just... I’m sorry. Just save me the embarrassment and pretend I never said that.”
Lance looked at her, a smile on his face. “Why would I want to do that?” he asked softly and something in his tone made Naomi look away.
“I... um, you don’t have to if you don’t want to. It’s just... I...” Naomi shrugged when she found herself at a loss for words. Justin said to follow my heart. Do I start now? If I do what I feel like doing, that would be giving Lance a kiss right now. And shocking the hell out of him in the process.
Lance looked at Naomi but only saw a blush on her cheeks. Unfortunately Lance, you can’t read into me and there’s no way I’m going to tell you what I’m thinking right now. You’re just going to have to take it as it comes.
Naomi plastered a bright smile on her face, “So... where do you feel like going today? You’re all, um, dressed up. So I don’t think anyone’s going to recognize you.”
“Well, I thought maybe we could just cruise around till we found a spot we wanted to stop at.”
“Sounds good,” Naomi replied nonchalantly. She was enjoying Lance’s company more than she wanted to admit, but through it all, JC weighed heavily on her mind. She found herself thinking about him more and more. Why won’t he talk to me? The more I think about it, the more I feel as though something’s wrong. It’s just...
“Naomi?” Lance waved his hand in front of her face.
“Huh? What? Oh... sorry Lance, I was daydreaming.”
Lance smiled funnily at her, “I can see that. Well, I heard from JC that you liked ice-cream. Is there any chance you have a sudden craving?”
Naomi grinned, “You’re an angel, Lance.”
Lance chuckled, “I’m glad to hear that. Looks like I made the right choice after all.” He helped Naomi out of the car and gulped when Naomi slid her arm through his. It was an innocent gesture on her part and Lance knew it, but he couldn’t help shivering with excitement when she leaned on his shoulder to get a better look at the name of the place.
“Let’s get a little something,” Lance suggested.
Naomi smiled brightly, “Yes sir!”
“Wow... Naomi, are you sure you can finish all that?”
Naomi nodded and scooped a little bit of ice-cream into her mouth, “When we were kids, JC always used to buy me banana splits every Sunday as a treat.” Naomi’s eyebrows raised in surprise. “Hmm... what do you know? It’s Sunday!”
“Is my company as good as JC’s?” Lance teased.
Naomi shrugged and giggled, “Hmm... I have different kinds of fun with each of you guys. But... there’s something special when I go out with you.”
Naomi blushed at her own words, “And with JC and Justin too, of course. Actually, it’s a magical experience whenever I’m with you guys.”
Lance nodded slowly, spooning his ice-cream into his mouth. He chuckled when Naomi tried to lick some ice-cream off of her nose. But her tongue was too short. She wiped it away with a napkin and Lance laughed when she sighed and said, “What a waste of a good lick of ice-cream.”
Lance was enjoying himself. Every gesture of Naomi’s was unexpected and she was a lot of fun to be around. She could be thoughtful and funny, silly and temperamental, and just about any other character that suited her moods.
Her silly words and comments made him laugh but some got him thinking. It seemed as though there was a deeper meaning to her simple words. Lance watched her, with his head slanted to a side, as she continued savoring her banana split. She was thinking about something, he knew. She was being quiet and not her usual bubbly self, and Lance guessed that she was thinking hard about something.
In a way, he was right - and wrong. Naomi was reminiscing one of the times JC had brought her for ice-cream...
“Yummy... thanks Chase!” Naomi said delightedly as he plunked a banana split in front of her and one in front of himself. “I love banana splits!”
“I don’t know how you managed to talk me into trying one of these things,” JC admitted, spooning slowly into the ice-cream. “I can’t think of anything worse than banana and ice-cream mixed together. Ugh! How do you eat the stuff?”
“It’s easy, really!” Naomi reassured him. She stuck her spoon her mouth and giggled when the cold ice-cream hit her tongue. “Mmm... try it, Chase!”
“Okay...” JC lifted the spoon slowly to his mouth before looking Naomi in the eyes, “The only reason I’m doing this is because you begged me.” He warned her before spooning the fruit and ice-cream into his mouth.
Naomi giggled at the expression on his face. His eyes were closed tightly as his tongue slowly tasted the cold desert. His eyes suddenly popped open and he grinned at her, “What do you know? It does taste good, after all.”
Naomi laughed. But then she frowned when a dab of ice-cream landed on her nose. JC laughed at her expression when she tried her best to lick it off her nose. But her tongue was too short and she couldn’t reach the ice-cream no matter how hard she tried. JC leaned over and licked the ice-cream off the end of her nose. Then he wiped her nose with a tissue and sat back down, crossing one leg over the other.
Naomi looked at him in surprise. JC shrugged, “I wouldn’t want to see that bit of delicious ice-cream go to waste.”
Naomi giggled and continued eating her ice-cream. JC looked at her for a few seconds before scooping more of the split into his own mouth. But he couldn’t get over the sweet, surprised look on Naomi’s face when he licked the ice-cream off of her nose. He knew that she was three years younger than him, and gestures like that could easily be mistaken, but she was innocent and she wouldn’t read too deeply into it. He relaxed at the thought and giggled when Naomi sighed contentedly at her empty bowl of ice-cream.
After that incident, it had become a custom for either JC or Naomi to get at least one dab of ice cream on their noses each time they had ice-cream together so the other one could lick it off. Naomi stared down at the tissue paper in her hands and sighed softly, “What a waste of delicious ice-cream.”
Lance watched Naomi and smiled, “Sweetie, do you want to leave now or should we just hang around for a while?”
Naomi pushed her unfinished dish of ice-cream away from her. There was just no way she could finish that ice-cream without JC around. She threw the tissue away quickly and smiled at Lance, “That’s okay. I’m not really hungry so why don’t we just drive somewhere else right now?”
Lance shrugged as they walked back to the car together. “Okay. Why don’t we go for a quiet walk in the park or something?”
“Sounds good to me,” Naomi forced a smile but now, more than ever, she was missing JC. She knew it sounded crazy but she had always talked to him at least once a day over the phone for the past few weeks and the sudden break in the tradition she was getting so used to was really getting to her.
“Um... Naomi, are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine, Lance.” Naomi stiffened when Lance put his arm gently around her shoulders but then she relaxed and put her head on his shoulder. Memories of JC and her together came crashing down around her. I wonder what JC’s doing, she thought. I’m missing him like crazy and the good old times just seem to keep popping up in my mind... where is he when I feel like talking to someone?
Naomi looked at Lance, who was whistling softly and drumming his fingers lightly on the steering wheel. Lance is good-looking and sweet and everything I ever thought I’d look for in a guy... but... I guess the bond just isn’t there yet.
Naomi felt as though a huge weight had been put on her shoulders.
Naomi tried to forget her need to talk to JC and for a few minutes, she managed to put it out of her mind. But when everything came rushing back to her at once... “Lance, I’m not feeling very good right now. Do you think you could drive me home?”
Lance was disappointed but he managed a smile, “No problem.”
They drove the rest of the way in silence. Not that we spoke that much anyway, Lance thought ruefully. “Um... Naomi?”
“Hmm?”
“Do you think, you know, maybe we could go out for dinner on Wednesday?” Lance asked hopefully.
“Um... okay,” Naomi agreed without thinking. Lance smiled and a gleam appeared in his bright green eyes.
“I’ll pick you up at six-thirty, all right?”
“Sure,” Naomi waved as she got out of the car and Lance sped off. “Bye.” Then she shook herself and stared in dismay at Lance’s fast disappearing car. “What did I just say? I... I agreed to a date with Lance? Oh Naomi!”
She trudged into the house. But her weary expression turned into one of gladness when she heard Alyssa’s laughter. “Hey guys!”
“Hey Mayo!” Alyssa called back, waving from the backyard. James waved as well, “You’re just in time.”
“Alyssa just told me the most amazing news!” James said when Naomi sat down. Naomi smiled tiredly in reply.
“Really? What is it? I have some news of my own.”
“Well...” Alyssa was about to make Naomi spit it out before she said anything, but she couldn’t contain her excitement. “JC and I went on our first date today and we’re going to start dating!”
Naomi’s smile brightened and her eyes lit up. “Really? I mean, wow! That is just plain wonderful!
“Isn’t that amazing?” Alyssa gushed, elated. “I mean, it was only our first date today and I’m already feeling, like, wow!”
Naomi was delighted, but at the same time there was something inside her that just didn’t feel right. In fact, she was starting to feel a little jealous. I’m being stupid... just because Chase is going to start spending more time with Ally doesn’t mean he’s going to neglect me or anything. Although he’s already started ignoring my calls.
Naomi forced a smile as Alyssa rambled on. “Sorry James,” she whispered when Alyssa showed no signs of shutting up any time soon. “I’m not feeling very well. I think I’ll go to bed early tonight. Tell Alyssa I’m happy for her when she lets you get a word in.”
James smiled worriedly, “You look a bit pale. All right, go to bed. Do you want to call Chase before that?”
Naomi shook her head and turned away quickly when she felt a lump in her throat. “No... it’s okay,” she reassured James. That’s the last thing I want right now. He’s still not answering my calls.
Naomi was about to leave the backyard when something Alyssa said caught her attention, “And now Lance doesn’t have to worry about a thing so you and JC can start talking to each other again! Wow! Everything’s resolved in a few hours! That’s great!”
Naomi turned around slowly, “What did you say?”
Alyssa smiled guiltily at Naomi, “You see, when Lance figured you and JC slept on the same bed, he was practically fuming with jealousy and JC promised he would put some distance between the both of you till Lance had everything figured out. But now that JC’s dating me, Lance won’t have any worries so you and JC can get everything back to normal again? Isn’t that great?”
Naomi thought she would puke. Suddenly everything seemed to make sense. Alyssa had gotten her to go out with Lance while she went out with JC. And it was obvious that JC thought Alyssa had it good, so now they had decided to start dating... now that JC was hooked up with Alyssa, Lance wouldn’t have to worry about anything that JC and Naomi did together. Naomi sighed and as if on cue, the phone rang. Naomi picked up, “Hello?”
“Catch?”
Naomi almost collapsed when she heard JC’s voice. “Chase?”
TBC
Steal My Heart
(Meanwhile, At Naomi’s house.)
“There’s something not right here...” Naomi mused. She sat down on the couch and switched on the television. That’s funny, she thought to herself. I’ve been absolutely begging for a day off and now when I finally get it, there doesn’t seem to be anything to do. Chase is... well, I don’t know, and Justin... isn’t keen on talking to me right now. Hmm... I wonder what Ally’s up to...?
The phone rang and Naomi answered it, “Hello?”
“Mayo? This is Ally.” Naomi smiled when she heard Alyssa’s voice.
“Speak of the devil,” Naomi commented.
“What?”
“Oh... nothing. So... what’s up? Are you going out with Lance or something?” Naomi asked.
“Well, actually, yes. We thought we’d go out for a spin, but... I can’t make it. Something cropped up at the last minute and, well... Lance could really do with a bit of fresh air. Do you think you could go with him instead?”
“Uh... Ally... since when have I become a back-up unit? Since when have I become Lance’s back-up nanny for that matter.”
“Um... oh, come on, Mayo. It’ll be fun.”
Naomi sighed and shrugged, “Okay. But just this once. The next time you can’t make it for an outing, call James or something.”
Alyssa giggled, “You know I can’t do that, Mayo.”
“And why’s that?”
“Well... because... there’s just this unwritten rule about a girl calling her best friend’s brother and asking him for favors.”
“Well that’s never stopped you before, has it?” Naomi smirked.
Alyssa nodded slowly, even though she knew Naomi couldn’t see her. There was a devilish twinkle in her eyes and she was glad Naomi wasn’t there to actually see it. “Uh... look, why don’t you just quit making this so hard on me and GET OVER here!”
“So I just drive over there and let you take the car?”
“Uh-huh.”
Naomi shrugged, “Okay. Give me fifteen minutes. But Ally?”
“Hmm?”
“We have to be back for dinner. I promised James and if I don’t keep my promise this time, I swear I’ll never forgive myself.”
“Okay. No problem. I’ll be there too.”
“Great. Then we can finally have a quiet meal together after so long.” Naomi grinned at the thought.
Alyssa smiled as she imagined Naomi’s face, “I’ll see you soon, Mayo.”
“Later Ally.”
Alyssa put down the phone and turned to Lance, a triumphant expression on her face. “So... what do you have to say?”
Lance was beaming and he grinned at Alyssa, “Thank you, O great one. I shall never doubt your, um, prowess again.”
“That’s better. I told you I’d get you a date with Mayo, and I have. Unfortunately, you have to make sure she gets home before dinner.”
Lance’s face fell for a second before he brightened again, “That’s always better than nothing, right? Thanks Al.”
“No problemo, Lance. Just make sure you use this chance well. She’s not going to hang around all day waiting for JC to make a move. If talking to him is what she wants to do, she’ll go all out to get it. That’s always been her motto.”
Lance nodded slowly, “Mmhmm...”
Lance and Alyssa sat quietly on the bed, thinking. After a while, the sound of a car roaring up the driveway jerked them out of their thoughts. The same word popped into their minds and they turned to look at each other. Naomi, they were both thinking. “Well, I guess this is it, Lance.” Alyssa gave him an encouraging smile when she saw the look of uncertainty on his face. “Go for it.”
Lance nodded, waved and practically ran out of the house to meet Naomi. Alyssa giggled at the stupidity of it all, “I was coaching a member of N’sync on how to get a girl... whoa, that feels dumb.”
Then Alyssa sank slowly onto the bed and sighed, “I just hope in the end it’s worth all the effort.”
JC had been pacing outside Lance’s room for the last twenty minutes. There were two slips of paper in his hand and he extended his hand out. “Alyssa, would you like to go for a movie with me? I...” Then he sighed and shook his head, “Too formal.”
He plastered a smile on his face and tried again, “So how about it? The movie sounds pretty good.” He poked his tongue out at himself. “Too... not me.”
JC sighed and tried again. “Hey Alyssa, I heard you’re a real movie-goer. I’ve got a couple of tickets to the latest movie. Would you like to go with me?” JC brightened and he nodded, then an expression of exasperation came over his face. “Heard from who? Catch didn’t say a word. And why should I be asking anyone about her?”
JC bit his lip, “Hmm... Alyssa, these are tickets to the latest movie. I’ve heard it’s pretty good and there’s no one else around, so would...” his voice trailed off as he shook his head. “That makes it sound like I’m asking her only because I don’t have another option. That’s definitely not the plan.”
JC paced the hall agitatedly. “What do I say?”
He stopped in front of Lance’s door and tried again. “Alyssa, are you free? Do you think we could maybe catch a movie or something? I’ve already got the tickets so if you don’t have anything on, I was thinking...
“No, no, no!” JC was on the verge of pulling his hair out in exasperation. “That makes it sound like I’ve got a motive! Ugh! Since when was asking girls out a chore to me? Now that I’m in N’sync, I should be even better at it.”
JC chewed thoughtfully on his bottom lip, “So why am I stuttering? Hell, I’m just gonna go in there and take it as it comes.”
He took a deep breath and was about to knock on the door when he heard a car zooming into the driveway. Before he knew it, he was knocked down by Lance, who was charging out of the house at a thousand miles per hour.
JC stood up slowly, brushed himself down and stepped up to the door again. He lifted his hand to knock but then he pulled back. He did the same thing three times over before finally shaking himself and knocking loudly on the door.
“Come in,” he heard Alyssa say.
JC walked nervously into the room. “Funny,” he said to no one in particular. “The last time I came in here I made the biggest mistake in my life. I wonder if this is a chance to rectify it...?”
“JC?” Alyssa stood up slowly and turned to face him. “Hey.”
“Hey yourself,” he replied softly. He clutched at the tickets nervously before licking his lips and saying, “Um, look, Alyssa, you... I... Uh, well, you see... I have, um, a couple of tickets to-”
“I’d love to,” Alyssa interrupted.
JC’s eyes were wide but the corners of his mouth twitched upwards into a smile, “Are... are you sure?”
Alyssa nodded, “When is it?”
“Well, it’s supposed to begin in an hour, actually.”
Alyssa smiled, “Perfect timing.”
JC grinned, “It’s funny you should mention timing because I’m usually the time-keeper in the group.”
“So I’ve heard,” Alyssa smiled.
“Really? From who?”
Alyssa blushed when she realized her mistake. “I mean... I... well, it was sort of obvious... I guessed.”
JC had a sly smile on his face that made Alyssa blush even redder. “Ahh... you... guessed. I see.”
Alyssa bit her lip and gave JC a lopsided grin, “Okay, smart guy. Get out of here and give me a few minutes. I’ll be out soon.”
JC grinned as Alyssa pushed him out of the room, “Hmm... now... where have I heard that before?”
He giggled as the door slammed shut. He bounced onto a couch and resisted the urge to scream out loud. I got a date with Alyssa! Yes!
Alyssa leaned against the door weakly. He asked me out, she thought. “I can’t believe it. He actually took the initiative and ASKED ME OUT!”
Alyssa giggled and went into the toilet. “Uh-oh...” she bit her lip as she realized the worst possible thing. “Hmm... no change of clothes.”
“Um, JC?” she yelled.
“What is it?”
“I... don’t think I can go for that movie.”
“What? Why not?” There was a hint of disappointment in JC’s voice and Alyssa felt a pang of guilt.
“I... uh... I didn’t bring an extra set of clothes.”
JC grinned and picked up the package Lynn had just flung at him. He kissed Lynn on the cheek before whispering, “Aunt Lynn you are an absolute life saver!”
He pounded on the door. “Come on, Alyssa! Open up! I’ve got the answer to your problem.”
The door opened and Alyssa’s eyes twinkled happily when JC handed her the clothes. “What... how... where did you get them from?”
“Let’s just say I owe someone a huge ‘thank you’.”
Alyssa giggled and shut the door. She ran into the shower and pulled her clothes off of her body. She ran into the shower and shivered as the cold water hit her. She sighed and quickly shampooed her hair. The image of JC standing at the door with her clothes in his hands flashed in her mind and Alyssa giggled.
“He is so...” Alyssa couldn’t even find the words. Her heart was pounding wildly against her chest, her cheeks were burning and she was feeling happier than she had in days. “ARGH! How do I say this?”
Just the thought of JC’s smiling face gave Alyssa goose bumps. She giggled, “Okay, get a grip, Carter. You’re acting like a... a... teenager!”
Alyssa bit her lip, but she still couldn’t conceal the grin that was spreading slowly across her face. “Oh, I absolutely understand why they go wild over these guys. DAMN! He is just plain gorgeous!”
Alyssa stepped out of the shower and quickly put on her clothes. She stared at the clock on the mantelpiece and her eyes widened when she realized she had taken half an hour to get ready. She applied a light coat of make up and flew out of the room. I never knew fantasizing about a guy could make time fly so quickly! She thought to herself as she apologized to JC, who simply grinned and shrugged.
JC grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the door, waving to Lynn. Alyssa felt a tingle rush up and down her spine at his touch. She bit her lip and smiled at him. JC opened the door and stepped aside as Alyssa stepped into the car and sat down. “Thank you,” she smiled as JC closed the door. He slid into the driver’s seat and shrugged.
The drive to the cinema was quiet, and neither of them spoke a word. Alyssa’s mind was racing and she hugged herself as her thoughts wandered. I can’t believe this is happening. Is this how Lance felt? Oh boy... then I totally understand why he looked so nervous... I’m as nervous as anyone could get and...
Alyssa’s glance turned to JC’s hand on the steering wheel. She continued staring at it as they made their way downtown. Just looking at his hand is giving me nervous vibes. What do I say? What do I do? Do I let him take charge? I mean... how can a simple movie be so nerve-wrecking?
JC’s mind was racing as well. He could feel Alyssa’s gaze on his hand but he didn’t turn to her. He didn’t know what to say, or do... his mind was a whirl and all he could think was ‘I’m going out with Alyssa... finally. This is incredible!
When they reached the cinema, JC got out of the car and helped Alyssa out. “Thank you, JC.” She responded with a smile that made him feel tingly all over.
“It’s my pleasure.” He responded with a smile that was equally, if not even more so, electrifying to her.
“Um, do you want some popcorn?”
Alyssa shook her head, “No thanks.”
JC shrugged and pulled his sunglasses down his nose. He stared into her eyes for a few seconds that completely took her breath away. “Are you sure?” he asked, finally slipping his sunglasses back on.
Alyssa gave him a shaky grin, “You know what?”
“What?”
“Popcorn doesn’t sound like such a bad idea right now.”
Alyssa was desperate for anything that would take her mind off the intense look he had given her. JC smiled and bought a tub of it. “I’m a sucker for popcorn,” he confided in her with a sly grin. “I just needed a better excuse to buy it.”
Alyssa gave him a small smile and grabbed a handful of popcorn as they entered the theatre. “Well, since you’ve already bought it, I see no sense in rejecting it. After all, how many girls get to be treated to popcorn by the one and only JC Chasez?”
JC grinned. She’s some girl, he thought to himself as they settled down. He closed his eyes for a moment and tried to grasp what was happening. I asked Alyssa out, she accepted, we’re at a movie together now, we’re sharing popcorn, we are FLIRTING... and I see no reason to stop. No reason at all.
The lights dimmed and then went out totally. A few advertisements were screened and finally, the movie started.
JC hardly noticed. His eyes were fixed on Alyssa... her hair, her face, the intrigued look in her eyes, her hands as they grasped for the popcorn. Her fingers gently brushed against his hand and her head jerked up as she turned to him. Her cheeks flushed and he couldn’t help smiling at the embarrassed look on her face. “I was uh, looking for... popcorn. You know, it’s dark and...” she gave him an apologetic smile, “Sorry.”
He shook his head, “It’s okay.”
She turned back to watch the movie but nothing was registering. Her mind was focusing on the way JC was looking at her. She knew he was looking at her - his eyes were practically burning into her body - but she tried her best to ignore it. She continued to stare at the screen, which seemed totally blank to her and ignored the blush creeping slowly onto her cheeks. Her heartbeat accelerated when JC slowly and casually wrapped his arm around the back of her chair. Then she drew in her breath and waited for JC’s arm to go slowly around her shoulders. And, as she expected, they did.
JC gently dropped his arm onto Alyssa’s shoulders and he smiled when she turned to him. His heart was racing but he didn’t let Alyssa see the flustered side of him. Actually, it was almost pitch dark so there was no way she could check out his face anyway.
The occasional light that hit his face vanished as soon as it had appeared. Alyssa gave up trying to read his expression and she hesitated a moment before leaning closer to him. The moment she responded, his arm squeezed hers gently and he pulled her tighter to him. She sighed softly and leaned her head on his shoulder. JC smiled.
They remained entwined in each other’s arms as the movie went on. They sighed from time to time and the people sitting near them smiled when they saw the young couple. JC hardly noticed. Every bit of his attention was focused on Alyssa and although she wasn’t obvious about it, she felt the same way.
Alyssa watched as JC’s chest heaved up and down as he breathed nervously in and out. Alyssa hadn’t had any time to put on perfume, but she knew her soap was doing it’s job. She smiled and closed her eyes for a second, listening to JC’s breathing. JC watched her and his hands slipped gently into her smaller ones.
Alyssa’s eyes popped open when JC squeezed her hands. She looked up at him and blushed when she saw the look in his eyes. He stared at her hands as though he couldn’t believe what he was seeing and he proceeded to explore every inch of their soft whiteness. He saw her veins crisscrossing messily around and he smiled.
Alyssa drew in her breath when he rubbed his thumb over her hand, as though examining their texture. It was ticklish and Alyssa almost giggled. But his focused look and the frown creasing his forehead made her laughter stop in her throat. Alyssa couldn’t help thinking how amazingly good-looking he was, even though she could only catch glimpses of him as the movie played on.
When the movie was finally over, Alyssa sighed. JC stood up, put his hand gently under her face and tilted her chin so her eyes met his. “Don’t sigh... I had a good time, didn’t you?” they made their way out of the cinema hand-in-hand, the tub of popcorn left forgotten on JC’s seat.
“Yeah...” Alyssa replied. But it was so good. And that’s the whole point. I never want it to end. Why couldn’t the movie lasted longer?
“Which part of the movie did you like best?”
Alyssa’s eyes widened and she licked her lips nervously as she tried to recall the faintest bit of the movie, “Uh... the... monsters?”
“I thought it was a romance show... were there monsters?”
“Weren’t there?” Alyssa could have sworn she had seen a monster on the set. “I thought it was horror.”
JC grinned sheepishly, “I guess we weren’t exactly paying attention to the movie, were we?” His thumb ran up and down her hand and Alyssa almost swooned. “But if you ask me, my favourite parts are definitely the hands.”
Alyssa looked down and blushed when she saw the mischievous look in his eyes. “Uh-huh, if you say so.”
He’s talking about me! He’s actually talking about me! It’s like... I’m his movie. He was watching me the whole time. Scratch cinemas! Why don’t we just replay the whole scene right now?
JC grinned when he saw the glazed look in Alyssa’s eyes. She didn’t say much, only smiled when he helped her into the car again. He smiled at her and hopped into the driver’s seat. “You’re not really saying much. Are you feeling okay?”
“JC, was that a date?”
“What?” JC was a bit confused. He looked at her like she had just spoken an alien language.
“Was that... I mean, was that, like, our first date?” Alyssa wanted to know, she needed to know. “As in like, a date date? Or was it just, you know, a friendly thing?”
JC pondered carefully over Alyssa’s question as he sped out of the car park. “I think... well, Alyssa... would you object if we tried, you know, to take our friendship to another level? I mean, you can take that date as an innocent friendly request if that’s what you want, but... I mean-”
Object? Alyssa almost laughed aloud when she heard that. No way in HELL! Why should I object when that’s the only thing I want right now?
“Uh... JC, this may scare you... but I think that if we started dating...” Alyssa looked at him guiltily. “I’d die happy.”
JC smiled in relief. “So... I’m wooing you now, is that it?”
“Something along those lines I guess.”
JC shrugged and grinned, “No objection here, your Honor.”
Alyssa giggled, “So do we keep this under wraps? Or can we, you know, actually tell the other guys?”
“Well, it would be more mysterious if we kept it a secret and went out in the dead of night to meet each other... or... you could risk letting the whole world know that we’ve went on one date and it was to a movie. Either way it’s your pick.”
Alyssa giggled, “Why don’t we just tell them? It would save them the trouble of actually using their brains to come out with all sorts of stupid reasons as to why we sneak out of the house to meet up at night.”
“That’s true,” JC told her and grinned, “So I guess that settles it? We’re... dating and... now we’ll just have to see how Lance and Naomi take it.”
“What does our dating have to do with them?”
JC shrugged, “They’re our best friends, aren’t they?”
Alyssa nodded slowly, but she suspected there was more to it than JC was saying. “I guess. Well, here we are. Thanks for the lift, JC.”
Alyssa gave JC a quick kiss on the cheek that left him feeling helpless and bounded into the house.
(Meanwhile, [continued from the time Lance runs out of Justin’s house to meet Naomi], in Lance’s car)
“Um... where is Alyssa?”
“She’s getting ready to leave,” Lance lied. He had no idea what Alyssa was doing, and in all honesty, he didn’t really care. Not when his head was whirling with thoughts about Naomi that were so intense he could hardly think straight.
“Oh... I brought a fresh change of clothes for her and I thought maybe I’d give it to her,” Naomi explained. Lance smiled at Naomi’s thoughtfulness.
“Why don’t you just leave it with Lynn? I’m sure she’ll pass it to Alyssa for you,” Lance suggested.
“But that wouldn’t be nice...” Naomi’s voice trailed off when Lance took the package from her with a smile and handed it to Lynn with a sweet smile that clearly said, ‘Please help me, I’m being such a good boy’.
Lynn sighed, shook her head and took the package indoors. Naomi giggled as Lance hopped into the driver’s seat with a winning smile on his face. “I can’t believe you, Lance,” Naomi said, in between giggles.
“What’s so unbelievable?” Lance shrugged, but there was an unmistakable gleam in his eyes. “I just picked up a few tricks from Justin along the way, is all.”
Naomi giggled again and they set off. Lance drove slowly, taking his time and enjoying the beauty of the nature surrounding him. Naomi looked at the tranquil look at Lance’s face and smiled, “You’re a nature boy, aren’t you?”
“Well, I’m up for anything that gets me away from the hubbub of the celebrity world for a while. It’s relaxing and it helps get my mind off of things, you know,” Lance shrugged and Naomi nodded.
“I guess it’s hard to get any relaxing moments into your busy schedule.” Naomi shrugged, “But then again, I wouldn’t know, would I?”
Lance nodded, “If you think this is busy, you’re gonna get the shock of your life when you see us on tour. It’s total madness.”
Naomi was totally at ease with Lance and that scared her. She felt the same vibes she had felt when she had gone out with Marcus on their first few dates. Everything was moving too fast, and the quick pace scared her.
Naomi sighed and rubbed her aching temples. Lance glanced at her and smiled, “Are you okay? Maybe I should just drive you home and-”
“Nah... I’m fine,” Naomi protested. “I’m just a bit worried, that’s all. It’s just that... never mind.”
“Just that what?” Lance asked softly.
“You scare me, Lance.”
“I scare you?” Lance sounded half-amused, and half-bewildered.
“You’re worming your way into my heart and I can’t seem to stop it. But it’s just going too fast. How do I know for sure if these feelings are for real?” Naomi said, before she could stop herself. She blushed and shook her head, “Um, just... I’m sorry. Just save me the embarrassment and pretend I never said that.”
Lance looked at her, a smile on his face. “Why would I want to do that?” he asked softly and something in his tone made Naomi look away.
“I... um, you don’t have to if you don’t want to. It’s just... I...” Naomi shrugged when she found herself at a loss for words. Justin said to follow my heart. Do I start now? If I do what I feel like doing, that would be giving Lance a kiss right now. And shocking the hell out of him in the process.
Lance looked at Naomi but only saw a blush on her cheeks. Unfortunately Lance, you can’t read into me and there’s no way I’m going to tell you what I’m thinking right now. You’re just going to have to take it as it comes.
Naomi plastered a bright smile on her face, “So... where do you feel like going today? You’re all, um, dressed up. So I don’t think anyone’s going to recognize you.”
“Well, I thought maybe we could just cruise around till we found a spot we wanted to stop at.”
“Sounds good,” Naomi replied nonchalantly. She was enjoying Lance’s company more than she wanted to admit, but through it all, JC weighed heavily on her mind. She found herself thinking about him more and more. Why won’t he talk to me? The more I think about it, the more I feel as though something’s wrong. It’s just...
“Naomi?” Lance waved his hand in front of her face.
“Huh? What? Oh... sorry Lance, I was daydreaming.”
Lance smiled funnily at her, “I can see that. Well, I heard from JC that you liked ice-cream. Is there any chance you have a sudden craving?”
Naomi grinned, “You’re an angel, Lance.”
Lance chuckled, “I’m glad to hear that. Looks like I made the right choice after all.” He helped Naomi out of the car and gulped when Naomi slid her arm through his. It was an innocent gesture on her part and Lance knew it, but he couldn’t help shivering with excitement when she leaned on his shoulder to get a better look at the name of the place.
“Let’s get a little something,” Lance suggested.
Naomi smiled brightly, “Yes sir!”
“Wow... Naomi, are you sure you can finish all that?”
Naomi nodded and scooped a little bit of ice-cream into her mouth, “When we were kids, JC always used to buy me banana splits every Sunday as a treat.” Naomi’s eyebrows raised in surprise. “Hmm... what do you know? It’s Sunday!”
“Is my company as good as JC’s?” Lance teased.
Naomi shrugged and giggled, “Hmm... I have different kinds of fun with each of you guys. But... there’s something special when I go out with you.”
Naomi blushed at her own words, “And with JC and Justin too, of course. Actually, it’s a magical experience whenever I’m with you guys.”
Lance nodded slowly, spooning his ice-cream into his mouth. He chuckled when Naomi tried to lick some ice-cream off of her nose. But her tongue was too short. She wiped it away with a napkin and Lance laughed when she sighed and said, “What a waste of a good lick of ice-cream.”
Lance was enjoying himself. Every gesture of Naomi’s was unexpected and she was a lot of fun to be around. She could be thoughtful and funny, silly and temperamental, and just about any other character that suited her moods.
Her silly words and comments made him laugh but some got him thinking. It seemed as though there was a deeper meaning to her simple words. Lance watched her, with his head slanted to a side, as she continued savoring her banana split. She was thinking about something, he knew. She was being quiet and not her usual bubbly self, and Lance guessed that she was thinking hard about something.
In a way, he was right - and wrong. Naomi was reminiscing one of the times JC had brought her for ice-cream...
“Yummy... thanks Chase!” Naomi said delightedly as he plunked a banana split in front of her and one in front of himself. “I love banana splits!”
“I don’t know how you managed to talk me into trying one of these things,” JC admitted, spooning slowly into the ice-cream. “I can’t think of anything worse than banana and ice-cream mixed together. Ugh! How do you eat the stuff?”
“It’s easy, really!” Naomi reassured him. She stuck her spoon her mouth and giggled when the cold ice-cream hit her tongue. “Mmm... try it, Chase!”
“Okay...” JC lifted the spoon slowly to his mouth before looking Naomi in the eyes, “The only reason I’m doing this is because you begged me.” He warned her before spooning the fruit and ice-cream into his mouth.
Naomi giggled at the expression on his face. His eyes were closed tightly as his tongue slowly tasted the cold desert. His eyes suddenly popped open and he grinned at her, “What do you know? It does taste good, after all.”
Naomi laughed. But then she frowned when a dab of ice-cream landed on her nose. JC laughed at her expression when she tried her best to lick it off her nose. But her tongue was too short and she couldn’t reach the ice-cream no matter how hard she tried. JC leaned over and licked the ice-cream off the end of her nose. Then he wiped her nose with a tissue and sat back down, crossing one leg over the other.
Naomi looked at him in surprise. JC shrugged, “I wouldn’t want to see that bit of delicious ice-cream go to waste.”
Naomi giggled and continued eating her ice-cream. JC looked at her for a few seconds before scooping more of the split into his own mouth. But he couldn’t get over the sweet, surprised look on Naomi’s face when he licked the ice-cream off of her nose. He knew that she was three years younger than him, and gestures like that could easily be mistaken, but she was innocent and she wouldn’t read too deeply into it. He relaxed at the thought and giggled when Naomi sighed contentedly at her empty bowl of ice-cream.
After that incident, it had become a custom for either JC or Naomi to get at least one dab of ice cream on their noses each time they had ice-cream together so the other one could lick it off. Naomi stared down at the tissue paper in her hands and sighed softly, “What a waste of delicious ice-cream.”
Lance watched Naomi and smiled, “Sweetie, do you want to leave now or should we just hang around for a while?”
Naomi pushed her unfinished dish of ice-cream away from her. There was just no way she could finish that ice-cream without JC around. She threw the tissue away quickly and smiled at Lance, “That’s okay. I’m not really hungry so why don’t we just drive somewhere else right now?”
Lance shrugged as they walked back to the car together. “Okay. Why don’t we go for a quiet walk in the park or something?”
“Sounds good to me,” Naomi forced a smile but now, more than ever, she was missing JC. She knew it sounded crazy but she had always talked to him at least once a day over the phone for the past few weeks and the sudden break in the tradition she was getting so used to was really getting to her.
“Um... Naomi, are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine, Lance.” Naomi stiffened when Lance put his arm gently around her shoulders but then she relaxed and put her head on his shoulder. Memories of JC and her together came crashing down around her. I wonder what JC’s doing, she thought. I’m missing him like crazy and the good old times just seem to keep popping up in my mind... where is he when I feel like talking to someone?
Naomi looked at Lance, who was whistling softly and drumming his fingers lightly on the steering wheel. Lance is good-looking and sweet and everything I ever thought I’d look for in a guy... but... I guess the bond just isn’t there yet.
Naomi felt as though a huge weight had been put on her shoulders.
Naomi tried to forget her need to talk to JC and for a few minutes, she managed to put it out of her mind. But when everything came rushing back to her at once... “Lance, I’m not feeling very good right now. Do you think you could drive me home?”
Lance was disappointed but he managed a smile, “No problem.”
They drove the rest of the way in silence. Not that we spoke that much anyway, Lance thought ruefully. “Um... Naomi?”
“Hmm?”
“Do you think, you know, maybe we could go out for dinner on Wednesday?” Lance asked hopefully.
“Um... okay,” Naomi agreed without thinking. Lance smiled and a gleam appeared in his bright green eyes.
“I’ll pick you up at six-thirty, all right?”
“Sure,” Naomi waved as she got out of the car and Lance sped off. “Bye.” Then she shook herself and stared in dismay at Lance’s fast disappearing car. “What did I just say? I... I agreed to a date with Lance? Oh Naomi!”
She trudged into the house. But her weary expression turned into one of gladness when she heard Alyssa’s laughter. “Hey guys!”
“Hey Mayo!” Alyssa called back, waving from the backyard. James waved as well, “You’re just in time.”
“Alyssa just told me the most amazing news!” James said when Naomi sat down. Naomi smiled tiredly in reply.
“Really? What is it? I have some news of my own.”
“Well...” Alyssa was about to make Naomi spit it out before she said anything, but she couldn’t contain her excitement. “JC and I went on our first date today and we’re going to start dating!”
Naomi’s smile brightened and her eyes lit up. “Really? I mean, wow! That is just plain wonderful!
“Isn’t that amazing?” Alyssa gushed, elated. “I mean, it was only our first date today and I’m already feeling, like, wow!”
Naomi was delighted, but at the same time there was something inside her that just didn’t feel right. In fact, she was starting to feel a little jealous. I’m being stupid... just because Chase is going to start spending more time with Ally doesn’t mean he’s going to neglect me or anything. Although he’s already started ignoring my calls.
Naomi forced a smile as Alyssa rambled on. “Sorry James,” she whispered when Alyssa showed no signs of shutting up any time soon. “I’m not feeling very well. I think I’ll go to bed early tonight. Tell Alyssa I’m happy for her when she lets you get a word in.”
James smiled worriedly, “You look a bit pale. All right, go to bed. Do you want to call Chase before that?”
Naomi shook her head and turned away quickly when she felt a lump in her throat. “No... it’s okay,” she reassured James. That’s the last thing I want right now. He’s still not answering my calls.
Naomi was about to leave the backyard when something Alyssa said caught her attention, “And now Lance doesn’t have to worry about a thing so you and JC can start talking to each other again! Wow! Everything’s resolved in a few hours! That’s great!”
Naomi turned around slowly, “What did you say?”
Alyssa smiled guiltily at Naomi, “You see, when Lance figured you and JC slept on the same bed, he was practically fuming with jealousy and JC promised he would put some distance between the both of you till Lance had everything figured out. But now that JC’s dating me, Lance won’t have any worries so you and JC can get everything back to normal again? Isn’t that great?”
Naomi thought she would puke. Suddenly everything seemed to make sense. Alyssa had gotten her to go out with Lance while she went out with JC. And it was obvious that JC thought Alyssa had it good, so now they had decided to start dating... now that JC was hooked up with Alyssa, Lance wouldn’t have to worry about anything that JC and Naomi did together. Naomi sighed and as if on cue, the phone rang. Naomi picked up, “Hello?”
“Catch?”
Naomi almost collapsed when she heard JC’s voice. “Chase?”
TBC
