Invman5

Chapter 5

JC looked around Sam's room. He hadn't really noticed it before. Practically every inch of wall space
was covered by paintings, posters, and pictures. There were dozens of pictures on the walls, doors,
dresser, night stand. JC picked up a picture sitting by the computer.   There were the people he'd seen
last night, Sam, another girl and two more guys. JC walked over to the closet. The door was covered
with pictures. JC identified the people in the picture he was holding. There were pictures of other
people too. Half of them were guys.
    JC put the picture back on the desk. "Sarah," he said, walking to the living rom, "Who are the
people in the pictures?"
    "Sam's friend," Sarah replied.
    "Did any of those guys hurt her? Why haven't I ever met any of them? Why hasn't Sam told me
about them?"
    "JC, I'm not telling you who hurt her. Sam would kill me. And I think you'd be shocked."
    Justin looked at Sarah. "Can you tell any of us?"
    "No, Let me finish answering JC's Questions. JC, you aren't around enough to meet her friends.
When you talk on the phone, you do most of the talking. And Sam isn't one to write long letters or
e-mails."
    Sarah looked at Bri.   Both of them were pissed off at JC. Sam hadn't been herself this morning, or
when she came home. Her smile had been fake, as had her laugh and her eyes had lost their
brightness. Sarah and Bri had decided earlier to do anything and everything to hurt JC.
    "Justin, would you like some help figuring out what Sam would like?" Bri asked.
    "Sure," Justin said, confused. This wasn't like them.
    "Well, there's this restraunt in town," Sarah said. "It's a French restaurant, and Sam loves it."
    "Sam doesn't like French cuisine," JC said.
    "Yes, she does," Sarah told him.
    "Then how come I never knew? I'm her best friend."
    Sarah and Bri laughed. "JC, I'm her best friend," Sarah said. "Then Bri. Then a few other people.
And one of those is a guy. He knows her better then you."
    "I've known her for her entire life. I think I know her better then any."
    "You might of known her longer then any of us, but that don't mean shit," Sarah said. "You aren't
around and when you two do talk, you do most of the talking."
    "I do not," JC said. "She talks."
    "Yeah, but only when you need help with a problem," Bri said. "JC, face it. You don't know her
any longer. She's grown up; you weren't here to see it."
    "She couldn't have changed that much," JC said, yet in his heart, he knew he no longer knew Sam
better then anyone. He knew she had changed more then he'd realized, and he hadn't inquired into her
life any further than "Are you having fun?" or "Are you doing good in school?"
    "She has, JC, more then you know. And even before you were still close there were things you
didn't know about her," Sarah told him.
    "Like what?"
    "Like the fact that she.." Sarah exclaimed; she stopped before she said anything else.
    "Sarah, you'd better calm down," Bri said. "Otherwise, you're going to say something you don't
want to, and Sam will kill us."
    "I won't say it," Sarah said. "Now, I definitely won't." Sarah glared at JC for a minute then turned to
Justin.
    "She loves roses," she told him. "Romantic candle light dinners, walks on the beach in the moonlight.
Sam's a romantic."
    "A romantic?" Justin repeated "So she'd like to be serenaded with a song written for her?"
    "Yep," Bri said. "And she likes to go places where she can talk, get to know her date."
    "Cool," Justin said. "Do you think she'll go on another date with me?"
    "She might," Sarah said. " But we're leaving for Paris next Wednesday."
    "You two have to bring me back something," Bri said. "I'm stuck here in the US, looking for and
apartment." she sighed.
    Sarah laughed. "Oh poor Brianna, She's just going to be so bored."
    "I think I would prefer being bored then have to spend the entire time with the guys. By the time you
two come back. I'll be locked in an insane asylum."
    "So don't spend lots of tiem with the guys. Use them to help you find an apartment, then ditch them."

    "That's a good idea," Bri said.
    "There's and apartment open in my complex," Chris said. "It's right between me and AJ."
    Sarah looked at Chris. " And I bet you want us to take it. How big is it?"
    "Four bedrooms," Chris said. " Rent's $550. But utilities are paid. You just have to pay for cable
and phone."
    Sarah looked at Bri. "It sounds nearly perfect. Does it have a pool?"
    "A pool, gym, each apartment has it's own washer and dryer. They allow animals."
    "That does sound perfect," Bri said. "That's what we were looking for." she groaned. " I can't
believe we're going to live between Chris and AJ."
    "I doubt Chris will mind," Joey said. "He's got his girlfriend next door. And AJ won't mind."
    Sarah laughed. "Of course not. He's a guy. He won't mind living next to three women."
    Bri and Sam had met the Backstreet Boys through the guys, and then had introduced them to Sarah.
They'd all become good friends.
    "Who won't mind living next to three women?" Sam asked, wlaking inside.
    "AJ," Sarah said. "What are you doing here?"
    "I'm going to soak in the tub for and hour." Sam replied "Are we going to be living by AJ?"
    "Well, there's an apartment between him and Chris that's for rent." Bri said. "It has four bedrooms,
rent's $550, utilities paid, pool, gym, animals allowed, washer..."
    "You can stop now," Sam interrupted. "I don't care. It's a roof over our heads, and it's not with any
of the guys. I'm happy"
    "We love you too Sam." JC said.
    Sam smiled. "I'm sure you do. I can't help the fact that I want to bring home friends without having
to explain why I'm living with another guy, who's famous."
    "No you want to bring home guys so you can get laid," Sarah said. "Which is why you're living with
me and Bri not by yourself."
    Sam walked to her room laughing. "I can arrange something I'm sure." She closed the door and
headed to the bathroom, stripping her clothes as she went. All three bedrooms had bathrooms. Sam's
was the biggest, the master bedroom. Her tub was big enough to stretch out in and relax. Sam filled
the tub with warm water and bubbles, put her hair up and climbed in the tub. She got comfortable and
closed her eyes trying to relax.
    Justin knocked on the door to her room. "Can I come in?"
    "Go ahead," Sam called. Justin walked in.
    "Where are you?" he asked.
    "In the bathtub. You can sit on the be and talk to me if you want."
    Justin sat on the bed, turning so he could see the bathroom door, which was partially open.