"Nick, ummm, this isn't the way to Alesha's place," Lori said looking as they turned off at the Kissimmee exit.
"Oh," he said flashing her a quick grin over his shoulder, "guess Kev and I forgot to mention that we were kidnapping ya'll."
"Is it really considered kidnapping if the kidnappee willingly goes with and wants to be with the kidnapper?" Alesha asked Nick sweetly. Then she turned and looked at Lori. "And how do you know we aren't going to my apartment?"
Lori rolled her eyes, shook her head and smiled. "Because Alesha dear," she said slowly. "Your apartment is in Daytona," she pointed behind us, "that way. We're going in the opposite direction."
Nick groaned. "Make it stop. She sounds like you, Kev. I...sound...like...Kevin...and...Lori," he said talking slowly. "Ugh, no wonder ya'll like each other."
Alesha tried to suppress a giggle, but it escaped. Lori scowled at her, but if you looked at her eyes, you would have seen that she was trying not to laugh. Kevin was turning red again. "Finally," he mumbled when they pulled into the driveway of AJ's house.
"Oh Kevin, you know you love us," Alesha said smiling sweetly.
"Yeah, okay," he said rolling his eyes and helping Lori out of the truck.
"Grumpy old man," Nick said. He leaned over and kissed Alesha, "*I* love you baby."
Alesha grinned and hopped out of the truck. "Just a warning, Lor," she said. "I'm not gonna be held responsible for anything that happens tonite." Lori looked confused, but before she could say anything, AJ came barreling out of the house.
"Where have you guys been? I've been waiting for forever - " he stopped and looked at Lori and then at Alesha. He blinked and said softly, "Excuse me." and went back inside.
Nick looked at Alesha, and they both cracked up. Lori and Kevin looked at each other and shrugged in confusion. "What was -" Kevin started.
"Okay ladies and gentlemen, oh yeah and boys...sorry. Forgot you were here Nickay," AJ said as once again he blasted his way outside.
"Excuse me? Did you call me a BOY?" Nick asked.
"Oops. My bad. Sorry. Meant girl. Haha!" AJ grinned and hid behind Alesha.
"Oh no you don't. No putting me in the middle," she said trying to move.
AJ held on and whispered in her ear, "Oh my god, Lesh. You HAVE to hook me up. She's GORGEOUS!!"
Alesha laughed and pulled away, "Lori, meet AJ. AJ, this is Lori."
"Umm, interesting entrance," Lori said grinning.
"Always dramatic, this one," Kevin grumbled noticing how AJ was looking at Lori. "I have to...umm...I gotta talk to...is Brian here yet?"
"Yeah. He and Leighanne are inside," AJ said.
"Leighanne?" Alesha groaned. "You didn't tell me she was coming."
"So Lori, tell me," AJ said, "do you dance?"
Lori looked at him funny and shrugged. "Sometimes. Not much though."
AJ grinned, "We'll have to remedy that."
"Anyway," Alesha said giving AJ a strange look. "Come on Lor, let's go introduce ya to the others."
"Why?" AJ asked. "She's met me. She doesn't need to meet anyone else."
Lori started laughing, and Alesha just shook her head. "Whatever Agee." She walked by him and patted him on the head, "You're a sad strange little man." Looking at Lori she motioned to the front door.
They walked inside and went in the front room, AJ grumbling the whole way. Nick was already in there bothering Brian about the Nintendo. Kevin wasn't anywhere to be seen. Leighanne was sitting on the couch with a bemused expression watching Nick and Brian. "Hey ya'll," AJ shouted. "This is Lori." He turned towards Alesha, "There's she introduced. Now can I talk to her by myself."
"Very suave, Bone," Brian said with a grin. He got up from the Nintendo, which Nick immediately jumped on. Brian made a crazy face at him and then took Lori's hand and shook it. "I'm Brian. Nice to meet you."
Alesha looked concerned as Lori shook his hand and smiled. Lori caught her look and laughed. "Don't worry. I'm not."
"Not what?" Brian asked confused.
"Gonna smack you." Lori answered.
"Why would you have -" Brian looked at Alesha and she nodded at him. "Oh," he mumbled and looked at the floor.
Lori reached over and hugged him and said softly, "But if you ever get the crazy notion to stick your cute little nose in their business again, you better make sure you know what the hell is going on."
"Okay...that's enough. I didn't even get a hug," AJ said from the corner he was pouting in.
"You wanna hug AJ?" Lori asked walking over and hugging him.
"Hey AJ, I was -" Kevin stopped as he walked in the room and seen Lori hugging AJ. He turned around and walked off. Nick looked over at Alesha, who shrugged. He then looked at AJ and Lori.
Alesha cringed and sighed. "Ummm...I'll be right back."
Alesha followed the sound of the slamming door, and then continued on outside until she found Kevin. He was standing next to a tree, his head bent and his eyes closed. She walked over and leaned on the other side. "You okay, hon?" she asked.
"No. I don't know why he has to be that way," he said softly.
"Who? AJ?"
Kevin sighed, looked up at the sky and then at her. "Yeah. It's not as if he's gonna start any type of a relationship with her. Hell, we're leaving in 5 days. He's only going to toy with her and then forget her once we leave. That's how it always is." Alesha looked away and sighed. Kevin put his hand on her arm. "I meant with AJ, sweetie, not Nick," he said quietly.
Alesha smiled slightly and sighed. Looking back at him she said, "I know. It's just something that is always there in the back of my mind."
"It'll be all right. Not easy, but it'll be all right. He loves you. A lot. Never seen him like this before."
The stood there in silence for a few moments, each lost in their own world of jumbled thoughts and emotions. Finally Alesha looked over at him and asked, "You like her don't you?"
Kevin smiled, "Guess I was kinda obvious, huh?"
Alesha grinned. "What if I told you that she likes you, too?"
"I'd say you were full of it. She obviously likes Bone. Did you see how she was with him?"
Alesha shook her head and smiled. "First of all, that does NOT mean she likes him. The way she was with you, THAT is how she is when she likes someone. Trust me. Besides," Alesha flashed him a knowing smile, "she told me when she got here."
Kevin blushed, but he looked at her with hope growing in his green eyes, "Yeah?"
Alesha laughed and nodded. "You are SO like a little boy sometimes. Yes. Do you want me to help?"
He blinked. "How?"
She shrugged. "I'll think of something." And before he could answer she had jumped up and headed back towards the house, leaving him there shaking his head and looking at her in shocked amusement.
"Howard Dwaine! Get your Latin butt in here!" AJ shouted down the hallway.
"What AJ?" Howie asked peeking his head around the corner.
"What're you doing? We have a guest."
"No, you have a guest. I'm playing pool." Howie grinned and walked into the front room. He looked at Nick. "Ahh, I see you have finally decided to grace us with your presence." Glancing around he frowned slightly, "Where's Alesha?"
"Of course I did." Nick grinned. "She uhh...she's talking to Kevin."
"HELLO!!" AJ said annoyed. "We're forgetting Lori."
"Oh." Howie smiled. Going over to Lori and hugging her and kissing both of her cheeks he said, "Didn't mean to be rude. I'm Howie."
Lori smiled. "I know. I heard," she said with a glance in AJ's direction.
Howie laughed. "Ahh yes. I see AJ here has designated himself your official one-man welcoming party," he said with a wink.
She laughed. "Yeah. Something like that."
"Oh HAHA D. You're a regular riot," AJ grumbled.
Brian grinned. "Hasn't left her side since she got here."
"I think someone's in luuuuuve," Nick chimed in from his corner, glancing up from his game long enough to make googoo eyes at AJ.
"Shaddup," AJ growled, throwing a couch pillow at Nick.
Leighanne smirked. "Someone's touchy."
"Grrr..." AJ said and stormed off almost running over Alesha.
"Hey Agee," she asked grabbing his arm. "What's the matter?"
"Them," he said pointing towards the front room with a look of exasperation.
"What about THEM?" she asked trying not to laugh.
"Okay. I like her. I'll admit it. She's beautiful. She's funny. She's sweet. She's smart. Her hair, god it's so soft. Her eyes, man I could get lost in their mysterious depths. And her voice," he sighed, "I could listen to her for hours. And THEM," he nodded his head towards the front room, "they're giving me hell about it. Alesha. You HAVE to help me. Please?"
"Help you with WHAT?" she asked.
"Her. You have to help me get her. Please?"
"AJ, Lori is an adult and can make her own decisions. She doesn't need me or anyone else trying to bother her about them." She was cringing inwardly. "Great," she thought, "two really wonderful guys. My best friend. Both want her and both want my help." She sighed.
"But..."
"AJ," Alesha said slowly. "Ya'll are leaving in 5 days to back on tour. Do you REALLY want to do this? I mean, knowing Lori, she's going to get way to attached and it will be all for nothing, and she'll get hurt, and I'll get mad, and the world will just be a terrible, rotten, awful, evil place for everyone. At least that is how I see things ending."
"Is that what you think I would do? What about you and Nick? How do you know he's gonna wanna come back to you when HE gets home from tour?" he asked snidely.
Alesha paled and looked as if he had slapped her. "That," she said softly as her voice and her eyes slowly turned to ice as she looked at him, "was completely uncalled for." She turned and walked away.
"Alesha, I'm sorry. I didn't mean -" AJ called after her, but she wasn't listening as she walked outside.
She sat on the porch her arms across her knees and her head buried in her arms. "What if it's true," she thought. "What if he DOESN'T want me when he comes back? What have I gotten myself into?" She felt a cool hand touch her back. Jumping she looked up to see Leighanne getting ready to sit down beside her.
"Hey," she said softly. "You okay?"
Alesha's eyes were wide with surprise. "Umm...yeah," she said confused. "Bet you find this somewhat amusing."
Leighanne pressed her lips together and then sighed. "I'm sorry for how I acted the other night. It's not that I was afraid of losing my status. It's just that I'm the only girl to not have used the guys for something." She looked at Alesha. "I know how you're feeling. When Brian and I started dating, I use to wonder how I was ever going to survive not being able to know what he was doing and who he was with. He was just getting over his breakup with Samantha. I knew he still cared for her and that he was still hurting. I never knew when or if he was going to see her again. For all I knew, he'd come home one day and tell me "It was fun Leah, but Sam and I are back together, so goodbye."
"Brian wouldn't do that," Alesha exclaimed. "He is so in love with you. You can look at him and see it."
Leighanne smiled, "As can any person when they look at Nick. Darlin', he adores you." She laughed at the look on Alesha's face. "Trust me, I've seen him with PLENTY of girls. You do something to him, you've brought out something in him that no one else could."
"Hey!" Nick said peeking out of the door. "Quit hogging my woman, Leah."
Leighanne smiled and squeezed Alesha's hand, "Trust me. It will be okay."
Alesha leaned over and hugged her, "Thank you."
Leighanne smiled and stood up. "Remind me to give you my phone number in case you ever need to talk." She walked past Nick and patted him on the head, "There you go hon. She's all yours."
"I know that," he said walking over and putting her arms around her. "What's the matter babygirl?"
"Nothing," she said smiling at him. "So...how's Lori doing?"
Nick shrugged, "Playing pool with D and Kev, I think."
Alesha pulled away from him and looked at him in shock. "Lori is playing...pool?"
Nick nodded. "Yeah. I think so."
"Oh my god," she grinned and stood up. "I have to see this."
Nick shook his head and walked in after her. They went into the poolroom to see Kevin leaning over Lori helping her shoot. Howie was laughing at Kevin. Brian and Leighanne were watching with amused expressions on their faces. Howie looked up and grinned, "Hey Lesh."
"Hi D," she said smiling.
"Do you play?" he asked.
Alesha shrugged. "A little. I'm not great at it, no."
He laughed. "Neither am I. Come on. I need a partner."
Alesha went over and grabbed a cue. She walked over to the table and said, "Prepayre for turouble."
Nick grinned. "And make it double."
Lori looked at Alesha and then at Nick. "It's almost frightening how much ya'll sound just like Jessie and James."
Kevin looked at her confused, "Jessie and James?"
"From Pokeman. Team Rocket. The bad guys." she answered.
Alesha laughed, "The fact that you know their names isn't any less scary."
They shot a couple of games of pool, but were soon interrupted by Nick whining about being hungry. Alesha walked over to him and hugged him. "Poor Nickums. What'cha want to eat?"
"Red Lobster," Brian announced.
"That sounds good," Lori said.
"Red Lobster it is," Kevin agreed smiling.
"My aren't we just a cheerio tonite?" AJ grumbled at Kevin as he walked in the room.
Lori walked over to him and sat down next to him, "Someone's a grouch. Wanna come to dinner with us?" she smiled at him.
His scowl disappeared and he grinned, "Sure, where we going?"
"Not McD's Bone," Howie smiled.
Throwing Howie a look, he looked at Lori, "Where we going?"
"Red Lobster," she said smiling.
"Let me guess...Brian picked."
"Yuppers indeedy," Brian answered.
"Well, let's go before I die of hunger," Nick said weakly.
