"Riss, wake up." The voice was unfamiliar and male. Marissa sat up quickly, blinking sleep from her eyes.
"What, I'm up...." She focused finally on Lance, and smiled sleepily. "Hi. How long did I sleep?"
"Four games of Super Smash Brothers, with three players." She looked blankly at him, and he laughed. "Translation: about two hours."
She groaned and rubbed her eyes. "With wet hair. I hope Joe's parents aren't too fussy about the furniture."
Lance shook his head. "They can't be. They have boys - not to mention us."
The book fell off the couch, and she picked it up. "I'm doomed to never read this thing." She got up and replaced it. "So, what's the plan?"
"Dinner, then dancing."
"What, are you insane?" she asked as they left the room to join the others in the kitchen.
"No, ‘N Sync."
Marissa groaned. "Yes, you are insane."
"No. I thought I made that clear the first day we met."
"Oh, like I believe that," she scoffed as they stepped in the kitchen. "I took one look at your friends and came to the conclusion that you all must be insane."
"Hey!" JC protested.
"What?" Marissa asked innocently. "You're the one who claimed to be insane in the first place!"
"I did not!"
"Nobility among half-breeds? Most definitely insane."
Anika burst into laughter, and Chris chuckled. "Half-breeds?" Justin asked.
"Yes." Marissa grinned. "In honor of Joey, since he's not here, I'm hungry. What's for dinner?"
"You'll want to shower, we're going out. I'll take you back," JC said.
"Okay, gotta get my stuff," Anika said, and she and Marissa left the kitchen. Marissa returned almost immediately, leaning on the doorframe.
"What did you call me?" she demanded of Lance.
He turned startled pale green eyes on her. "When?"
"When you woke me up."
"Uh... Riss."
"That's what I thought." She vanished again, leaving a stunned silence in the kitchen.
"Was it wrong?" Lance asked plaintively, and received only shrugs as an answer. With a pitying smile, JC clapped Lance on the shoulder and went to get his keys.
The drive was quiet except for the occasional stomach growl; Marissa identified at least three as hers. She let Anika shower first, and dug through her suitcase for something suitable to wear - something that would cover the bruises she could feel on her arms. She rubbed her right arm for a minute, thinking about the time at the beach, and vaguely regretted not having the presence of mind to dig her fingernails, short as they were, into his chest that morning. She sighed and went back to finding something to wear.
When she stepped out of the bathroom, she noticed Anika sitting on her bed, a smug look on her face. She'd replaced the outfit Marissa had laid out with another, and Marissa sighed. She didn't want to go through this now, before she'd had time to completely think about it! "I can't wear that," she said from the bathroom doorway.
"Why not?" Anika asked. "It shows off your legs!"
"Oh, good, get some way-too-young guys all excited," she said blandly.
"And Chris," Anika added.
Marissa sighed. "That's what I'm avoiding. I don't want him to think I'm trying to... oh, I don't know! The idiot has me so confused!"
Anika raised her eyebrows. "You like him?"
"Oh, yeah, I like the guy who accuses me of using him, and then yells at me when we come in contact for the first time in months and bruises my arms!" It had slipped out before she realized it, and she sank down on the bed she'd designated as hers.
"He bruised your arms?" Anika asked quietly. Marissa nodded and showed her.
"He's got quite a grip," she said, trying to be funny, but there was no humor in her voice. "I don't think he'd planned on that, though."
"Tell me what happened," Anika said flatly, and sat on her own bed with an expectant look on her face. Marissa took a deep breath and started at the beginning.
"He kissed you?" Anika blurted when she finished.
Marissa nodded. "I don't think he planned that either. We surprised him by being here in Orlando - and at Joe's house."
"We? I wasn't there!"
"No, you weren't. But I don't want to embarrass him. I'm just glad he showed up."
"Uh, huh," Anika said with a knowing look. "You are sweet on him."
Marissa laughed. "If that's the standard, then I'm sweet on all of them. Get my dress from wherever you hid it."
With an aggrieved sigh, Anika retrieved her outfit and Marissa dressed. "You can't tell the others, you know," she said when she emerged from the bathroom.
Anika sighed. "Why do you keep protecting him?"
Marissa grinned. "Well, someone has to," she said smartly. "And I'm not. We have a while to wait, I would guess," she said, trying to change the subject. "They are five."
"They aren't all at Joe's, are they?" Anika asked. "You'd think they could get ready fairly quickly."
"They might, but Justin is meticulous about his hair." Marissa's mouth quirked in a smile. "JC is almost as bad. And, I imagine, he's trying to get everything just right." Anika blushed, and Marissa laughed. "Well, you do make a cute couple!"
"How do you know? About Justin, I mean." Anika switched the news on.
"Lance sent me an email once while they were waiting for him." She laughed. "I saved it for posterity's sake - or blackmail. I'll let you read it when we get home."
A picture of ‘N Sync flashed up on the screen, and Marissa's eyebrows went up. She reached for the remote and turned up the volume. "Looks like Joey's accident made the news. He'll be mortified. Justin's going to be worse."
"I'm going to call and check on the timing," Anika said, and reached for the phone.
"He won't be there," Marissa said, trying to hide a smirk.
Anika slapped her arm. "I know that. But Joey can call the others and find out."
With a knowing smile, Marissa turned back to the TV. She cautiously turned the volume down to she could hear at least Anika's half of the conversation.
"Hello?"
"Hi, this is Anika, can I talk to Joey?"
"Hey, Anika, this is Joe. Are you ladies ready?"
"Done and waiting," she grinned.
Joey laughed. "Justin's going to be upset," he said. "I'll be there in a few minutes to pick you up, and call JC so he knows he doesn't have to."
"Okay. We'll see you in a bit." She hung up and turned to her friend. "Joey's coming to get us."
There was a wealth of disappointment in that statement, and Marissa burst into laughter. "You may end up kissing him before the end of the week!"
"Who, Joey?" Anika asked.
Marissa stared at her, then grinned. "If you like the bad hair color and scruff, go for it!" she said with a shrug.
Anika threw a pillow at her. "Oh, right."
Marissa laughed again. "No? Not into half dwarves?" she asked.
"Half dwarf?"
"And why not? He's scruffy enough."
Anika grinned. "So, what about Chris?"
Marissa shrugged. "No idea." It was almost too casual, how she turned back and began flipping through the channels.
"Why not?"
"I'm still trying to assimilate what happened." She kept flipping through the channels. "All of it."
"Like what?"
She shrugged. "The whole thing from the beginning. There's just too much to think about, and I can't do it while on vacation, surrounded by the problem, you know?"
Anika took the remote and switched the TV off. "Or when the TV is on. What do you want, regarding ‘N Sync?"
"Nothing, really," Marissa said, then shook her head. "No, that's not true. I like them. They're good guys."
"Yes, I know." Anika grinned. "And?"
"I like having friends. They're cute. Um..." She flushed. "My best friend is going to end up dating one of them, and I get final say?"
Anika grinned. "No. So, Chris?"
Marissa took a deep breath. "I don't know. I really don't like thinking that there's someone out there that doesn't like me for no reason."
"Chris thinks he has a reason," Anika argued.
"What are you, devil's advocate?" Marissa asked, frustrated and wanting to change the topic.
"Yes. He thinks he has a reason, Marissa."
Marissa sighed. Changing the topic like that had never worked with Anika, why should it work now? "So did Jeff, but that didn't make me feel any better. At least Chris told me to my face and let me defend myself, to some extent."
"Who's Jeff?"
Marissa gestured aimlessly. "This guy in Denver who was interested in me. He set up a date with me a couple of years ago, then left a letter in Mom's mailbox, telling me.... oh, all sorts of ways I wronged him. He didn't give me a chance to explain - or even defend myself against - some of his accusations. Why is it I never see these things coming?"
"Because they're over-sensitive?" Anika asked. There was a knock on the door, and Marissa went to get it.
"Or," she said, opening the door, "I'm more oblivious than I thought." She smiled. "Wow, Joey! You clean up nice!"
"If you can see that, you're not oblivious," he grinned. "Ready to go?"
Marissa laughed. "I'm oblivious, not blind," she told him, and went to get her purse.
They got to his parent's house just as Chris pulled up with Justin in the passenger seat. Inside they found Lance and JC waiting somewhat less than patiently. "You ladies look lovely," Lance said with a grin.
"I second the motion," JC said.
"Who's driving?" Joey asked.
"You," Justin said.
"That Monster isn't sexy, but it gets us places," JC added, offering his arm to Anika. She took it with a smile.
"You do look great," Justin said. Marissa smiled.
"Thanks. You guys clean up good," she grinned. "It's pretty amazing."
"Oh, thanks," Lance said, and offered her his arm. "Shall we go?"
"Definitely," she grinned, and they all started for the car.
Dinner was uneventful, other than three different autograph requests, and Marissa and Anika enjoyed it. Marissa watched the guys interact with each other, biting her tongue to keep herself out of the conversation, afraid to somehow ruin the mood. They were animated, enjoying each other's company, and even Chris didn't glare at her too much. He seemed to have completely forgotten she was there.
He hadn't, of course, and felt almost like he was under a microscope. He realized it was his own fault, but that didn't necessarily make it easier to live with. Marissa had never seemed shy, but she was quiet this evening. She seemed to be enjoying herself. At least, she was smiling in all the right places. He really didn't know how to take her.
They left, comfortably full, climbing back into the car. Marissa found herself against the door, next to JC. A quick glance showed her that Anika was in the back seat, arguing animatedly with Justin and Lance about something Marissa was sure she didn't want to know about.
"You're quiet," JC said softly, and she looked at him in surprise.
"Yeah. Observing this weird group of people I fell in with," she responded with a grin. "I've been enjoying you guys. You've got a good vibe, for lack of a better word, even if I do risk sounding like Justin."
He chuckled. "Thanks. It's stood by us the last few years."
"I can tell. Thanks for letting us in for a while."
"It was our pleasure," he told her. She nodded and turned to look out the window.
"Not everyone's," she whispered, but she smiled as she said it.
The club was crowded, but they got in fairly quickly, and found a place to meet. Once that was established, Justin vanished into the crowd, and everyone else split up, going different directions, some to dance, some for drinks.
Marissa found herself dancing a lot, sometimes with the guys she knew, sometimes not. She managed to find Anika after an hour, and the two of them collapsed at a table. "Oof," Anika said. "Have you seen Joey?"
"Yeah. I just danced with him." Marissa chuckled. "Weird guy, for all I know he can dance, but weird. He's doing okay."
Anika nodded. "Good. Seen JC?"
Marissa lifted her eyebrows. "Not recently. You?"
"A couple of songs ago, but not since."
"Hmm " Marissa said. "Have did you see Chris at all?"
Anika gave her a knowing grin that held a glint of something else. "No, I haven't," she said.
"Get that smirk off your face!" Marissa demanded, laughing. "Have you seen Justin or Lance?"
Anika shook her head. "Not recently. Why?"
Marissa shrugged. "Figured I'd get them all out of the way."
Anika laughed. "Out of the way?"
"Okay, asked about," Marissa grinned. "Ready to go back in?"
Anika grinned. "Oh, yeah."
They met up three hours later. Joey was leaning against the wall, his eyes closed, a look of vague pain on his face. JC took a quick poll and found that everyone was ready to go, except Justin, who claimed he'd met a friend. "I'll just get a ride from her," he said with an easy grin.
"Her?" Chris asked. Justin waved him off.
"I'll see you guys later," he said, and vanished back into the crowd.
"Well, that was easy," Lance said. "Let's go."
Marissa followed JC and Anika, more tired than she would have believed. She could only imagine how Joey felt, after being nailed in the head with Justin's surfboard. He didn't look so good, leaning on Lance....
Someone grabbed her left arm, right on the bruises she'd gotten along with the unwanted kiss that morning, and she spun. "Blast it, Chris!" she yelled, and pulled her arm from his grip. "You've got to find another place to grab me."
Everyone froze around them. "I don't think that's what you meant," Anika said softly. Marissa didn't look at her.
"What was that supposed to mean?" Chris asked softly, his brown eyes narrowed. Anika and JC got the others moving again.
"It means my arms are bruised!" she hissed. "Between this morning at Joe's, the beach, and just now, I've got two complete sets of bruises!"
His eyes dodged her's and he flushed, then he looked at her again. "I'm sorry about this morning," he said. "And at the beach. I was completely out of line." He started to say something else, closed his mouth, then started again. "I'm really sorry about the whole thing," he said. "I went a little crazy, and took it out on you."
Marissa took a deep breath, and he thought he heard a tremor. It took her a minute to answer. "I'm sorry for going off on you like that. I just..." She paused. "I thought you were going to attack me again."
He was silent. Someone yelled his name, and he waved them off without taking his eyes from her. "No," he said. "I probably won't do that again."
She smiled; his heart skipped. "Good," she said, and cast a glance over her shoulder. She could just make out Anika and Lance in the back window of the suburban, watching them anxiously. "We'd better get Joey home."
The car was quiet as they climbed in, and JC started it and pulled forward. Marissa leaned against Anika and closed her eyes.
"Riss, wake up," she heard, and opened them again. The car was stopped, bright lights splashed across her face. She closed them.
"Not ‘till you use my real name," she mumbled."
There was a sigh from Anika. "Marissa, get off me. I want to sleep."
With an effort - and a helping hand from Chris who'd gotten out to let them by - Marissa crawled out of the suburban. Anika joined her as she started for the hotel, waving good bye to those still awake in the car.
"What was that all about?" Anika asked as they walked into the lobby, turning once to wave at JC, who waved back and drove off.
"What?" Marissa leaned against the elevator door as Anika hit the button; to her surprise, it opened right then and nearly dumped her in.
"You yelled at Chris to find another place to grab you."
"I now have two complete sets of bruises," Marissa muttered. "It's just frustrating."
"What did he want?"
Marissa sighed. "He apologized for this morning, for yelling at me at the beach, and just in general for his behavior the last few months. So I don't know if we're friends, enemies, or just acquaintances with friends in common!"
The elevator opened on their floor. "What do we have planned for tomorrow?" Anika asked as she pulled the key from her purse.
"I don't... oh, wait, something light, because we expected this day to go late." They got in, and Marissa checked the itinerary they'd left on the table. "Yes. Shopping! We can sleep in tomorrow."
"Oh, thank you," Anika sighed. They changed and crashed, sleeping almost immediately.
Justin got home late, pausing at the door long enough to wave at Trish one last time before closing and locking it. He started for bed, pleased with himself, but came to a halt at the door to the family room. Chris was up, flipping through television channels. "Don't tell me you stayed up for me," he said, humor in his voice.
"I didn't." Chris straightened with a grimace. "Couldn't sleep, decided on mindless entertainment, only there's no entertainment on. Who's the ‘she' you got the ride home with?"
"Remember Trish?" Chris nodded. "We hit it off again." Justin shrugged. "This on again, off again thing is confusing."
"Women are confusing," Chris told him with a grin. "She's a woman. Therefore, she's confusing."
Justin sank down next to him. "Oh, that's cheering. Thanks." He sighed. "So, since we seemed to get along okay, I invited her to the Benef..." He clapped his hands over his mouth, blue eyes wide, as Chris turned to face him.
"You didn't." Justin nodded. Chris groaned and switched the TV off. "I know we went through this with Johnny and Donna." He grimaced. "In fact, I distinctly remember you being there and very vocal, very involved in the conversation. We decided not to invite dates."
"I know, I know!" Justin shifted nervously away from the older man.
"We can't just invite one.... The Wright's are going to go ballistic!"
"I know!" Justin said. "But I can't just uninvite her. We'll have to find a couple of women...." He paused, and a smile crossed his face.
Chris' eyes widened. "No. No, Justin, no, don't even think about it!"
"Why not? Besides the obvious, I mean."
Chris paused in his defense. "What obvious?" he asked.
Justin gave him a knowing grin. "The problem with this group touring so much is that we get to know each other really well. JC will love it, and Marissa's safe for Joey to be around. Besides, they'll be here."
Safe for Joey, what about me? Chris' thoughts demanded. "You don't know that!" was what he said, however.
"Sure I do. Lance told me."
"Scoop... I'm gonna get him."
"Don't hurt him, we need him, remember? We transplanted him all the way from Mississippi."
"What are you guys yelling about?" JC asked, leaning sleepily against the doorframe.
"We woke you up?" Justin asked, suddenly nervous. "I didn't think we were being that loud. I hope Mom didn't wake up."
"Why do you think her room is sound proof?" Chris asked in a futile attempt to get their attention away from JC's question.
"He's yelling because I invited Trish to the Benefit concert next Friday."
"Trish..." JC's eyes searched the ceiling, then he nodded. "Right. I remember her." Then he scowled. "You invited her to the benefit? We weren't going to take dates!"
Justin cringed. "He covered that. So, invite Anika!"
"Don't... say that," Chris finished under his breath at the smile that covered JC's face. It was hopeless, it was him against the world. "All right, now I'm going to bed." He heaved himself off the couch, stiff from the day's activities, and started for his room. "Night all."
"Night, old man," Justin said, but Chris didn't respond.
"Night," JC called after him, then looked at Justin.
Justin grinned. "He likes ‘em both, he just won't admit it." He slipped past JC and started for the stairs. "Call Joey when you get up in the morning. I'm going to bed."
"Oh, like I'll be up before you," JC scoffed.
"Aren't you always?" Justin asked before bounding up the stairs. JC shook his head and followed a little slower.
Go on to Next Chapter | Chance