Chapter 14 The guys spent the day working on the song, perfecting it.  The album was going to be released early October, and they were going on tour in December.  On Monday, Sam, Sarah, and Bri flew down to Florida.  Bri's plane arrived thirty minutes before Sam and Sarah's, so Chris and Lance who came to pick them up, didn't have to drive back and forth.  The girls were staying at Chris's apartment for the four days they were there.         Chris, Lance, Justin and the girls went out to dinner Monday night. Halfway through dinner, Justin asked. "Are you going to accept George's offer, Sam?" Sam played with her fork.  "I'm not sure I would love to do it, but I want to go to college, and be able to spend time with my friends." "You could.  He won't make you move, so you can stay down here,"  Justin told her.  "And go to school part time." "I've been thinking about it.  I'm not sure. Do you think I should?" "Hell Yeah."  Justin nodded his head. "It's the chance of a lifetime. And it'll get......" He broke off and looked round and looked around at everyone else. "Let's just say, it'll get someone's attention."     Chris and Lance looked confused. Sarah's eyes were narrowed and Bri was staring straight ahead. "I don't see why she'd want to get his attention," Sarah fumed.  "He's already hurt her, and he definitely doesn't deserve her." "Sarah, calm down." Sam placed a hand on Sarah's arm. " I Love him. And even if he can't love me a back, Lesley will destroy his life. I'll be happy if I can show him that." "I still don't see why you love him," Bri exclaimed. "He hurt you." "Sam turned her green eyes to Bri. "I do. I can't explain it. Do you think I want to love him? He doesn't even know I exist. but I love him, and I always will.  He could ask me to rip my heart out and serve it to him on a platter and I would." "What's going on here?" Lance asked. "Someone please tell us." Sarah, Bri, and Justin looked at Sam. She shrugged. "I don't care if they know. Just make them swear to keep it a secret. I find out they told anyone, I rearrange a few body parts." "We won't tell a soul, right, Lance? Chris said. "Can we tell JC and Joey?" Lance asked. "No, you can't. Especially not JC," Sam said. "Don't tell anyone."   "Ok, we won't tell," Lance said. "Who's going to explain?" "Sarah and Bri can," Justin replied. "Sam and I need to talk." He pulled Sam out of her chair and led her toward the door.     The four at the table watched them walk out.  Once they were outside, the guys looked at Sarah and Bri. "Now you can tell us," Lance said. "Although I think I know, I want the entire story." "She loves JC, doesn't she?" Chris asked. "Why I don't know; but yes, she does." Sarah replied.  Her hands clenched. "He's the one who hurt her, with the news of his engagement." "And you two haven't hurt him because of.....?" Lance inquired. "She made us promise not to." Bri said.  "you want the entire story?" Chris and Lance nodded. "Sam's loved him for eleven years," she said."  Sara told them. "We found out the day she graduated....."                                    ~~~~~~~ "JC doesn't like the idea of you becoming a model," Justin informed Sam.  "You'll become famous and be surrounded by men who will tempt you, seduce you, and desire you." "And that thought disturbs JC?" Sam pulled a rose from a bush and began plucking the petals from it. "That, and the thought of you sleeping with another guy." "I don't intend to remain a virgin for my entire life, so he's just going to have to accept that fact." Justin shrugged. "Still it's good that those things bother him.  And Lesley flipped when she found out you'd been offered a position as an Armand model/" "Didn't she want to be one?"  Sam pulled another rose from the push, it's petals joining the ones already on the ground. "And she was turned down.  She became incensed. His models work exclusively for him so there for aren't flying around the world every week, only when they have fashion shows or photo shoots. They're allowed to keep everything they model, and have free run of this salon.  They're paid twice the amount most models get." "So in other words, it would be good to take?" Justin nodded.  "Especially since he's based in Florida." "Which is very good, I can still live here." "And travel the world, meet famous, and infamous people, maybe meet someone you could love and be happy with." "Oh, Justin.." Sam sighed. "You deserve to be happy, Sam.  And JC shows no sign of realizing you love him in the near future. It's my opinion that you should get over him and find someone else." "And Sam and Bri feel the same way." Sam sighed again. "I wish I knew how to explain this to you I didn't choose to fall in love with JC. I wish with every part of my being, that I didn't.  When I admitted to myself that I loved him; I didn't want to change anything about our friendship. But I did fall in love with him. I've accepted that. And I'm not going to fall out of love with  him anytime soon.  Loving him is just as much a part of me as my imagination. I am a whole person; I don't depend on JC. But I can't picture my life without that love. Like I said earlier, JC could ask me to do anything and I would.  Even if he falls in love with another woman, as long as he's happy. I'm.... content." Justin pulled Sam into his arms.  "JC doesn't know what he's missing." Sam hugged Justin.  "I'm really sorry we'll never be more than friends.  But, someday you'll make a woman very very happy." Justin grinned.  "And you'll make a guy happy. don't worry about the friend thing. You make a wonderful friend and I'm glad for your friendship.  Besides I've done some heavy thinking over the past few weeks, and I came to the conclusion that the two of us wouldn't suit." "No?" Sam asked, laughing. "Why Not." "Picture the two of us in bed. One of us would say something, the other would start to laugh, then we'd both be rolling with laughter while trying to kiss.  Or we would be doing something together, and we would start talking, and forget about what we'er doing." "And that's so bad?  At least we know we'd never be bored." "Yeah but do you want someone who's good at talking to you, or good at making you feel every emotion possible?" "I would like both," Sam quiped. "But I get your meaning. And besides I  knew we would be better friends than lovers." Sam tucked her arm in Justin's and they strolled down the path. "Although that doesn't bother me I care deeply about my friends, They're the most important thing in my life.  That's why I didn't want to fall in love with JC.  I wanted us to be friends." "Do you know when you fell in love with him?" "When he dared me to climb a tree. I'd fallen out of one, the tree he dared me to climb, when I was five and hadn't climed  a tree since then Well I don't refuse dares, unless it's something that'd kill me, so I climbed the tree.  I fell out of it again and broke my leg. I spent the day, my seventh birthday in the hospital." "What does that have to do with falling in love with him?" "Everyother kid in the neighborhood had dared me to climb a tree, I refused everytime.  I felt that if I climed a tree, I'd fall to my death." Justin nodded, understanding what she was saying now. "But you accepted JC's dare. What did he do after you fell?" "He spent eh day at the hospital with me, trying to cheer me up.  He also helped me learn how to use the stupid crutches." Justin laughed. "Sounds life fun, using crutches."