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Everything Your Heart Desires Chapter 14 "So?" Kevin asked the girls with a quirk of his dark eyebrows as he nodded to the trains. Kristy and Cheryl exchanged knowing smiles. "The very back," Kristy said with absolute confidence. "Would you guys care to translate?" Brian asked, noting the grins Howie and Kevin sent each other. Howie draped his arm over Cheryl's shoulder. "Kris and Cher here are self-proclaimed Disney fanatics. They say they know how to get the most out of every ride." "And in this case, the back is the best," Cheryl said as Kristy nodded. "Oh, pul-lease! Everybody knows that. You can ask anyone... Excuse me?" Nick said as he turned to two young girls standing in line behind their group. "Where's the best place to sit on this ride?" The girls stared in open-mouthed surprise as the object of their hushed conversation addressed them. "The b-back," one of them said, in a voice barely above a whisper as her friend nodded her silent agreement. Nick gave them one of his patented "Carter" smiles. "See?!" he smirked as he turned back to the group. Kristy arched her eyebrows in response, her face otherwise expressionless. Kevin bit back a smile and shook his head. "Uh, Kaos... don't," he tried to warn his youngest friend. "Don't what? These girls have to realize that they're dealing with a group of guys who've spent a lot of time here... some more than others," Nick chuckled as he looked pointedly at Kevin. "We're not some bunch of amateurs." A.J. and Brian nodded as Nick talked, clearly sure of their own expertise. Kristy smiled sweetly at Nick and the others, only Kevin, Cheryl and Howie recognizing how her hazel eyes sparkled as they did whenever she was faced with a good challenge. "Then you know about the goat." "The goat?" A.J. asked, sending Kevin a wary look. Kristy and Cheryl nodded innocently. "The goat." The girls took Kevin and Howie's hands and filed into the designated spots in the boarding area. Brian turned around to face Cheryl and Kristy as they took their seats. "OK, I'm dying of curiosity... what about the goat?" Cheryl glanced over her shoulder as Kristy tucked her hand in Kevin's arm, then smiled and nodded. Cheryl faced forwards, and in unison the girls recited their "Big Thunder Mountain Mantra." "See the goat. Feel the goat. Be the goat." "Wha...???" Nick, Brian and A.J. puzzled as they heard laughter from the last two cars of the train.Kristy stepped off the ride and took Kevin's hand. Nick, A.J. and Brian followed behind the two couples, laughing and recounting how much stronger the force of the turn felt by watching the goat the entire time the train rounded one of the corners. As they came to the ride's exit, Kristy turned to face the three youngest members of the group and raised a single blond eyebrow while Cheryl stopped beside her. A.J. and Brian exchanged a quick look and got down on their knees, bowing in submission to the "Disney Queens." Nick shook his blond head as he watched the girls giggle and motion for his friends to rise. Kristy turned her laughing eyes to Nick and again arched her brows in a challenge. Howie chuckled as he watched the conflicting emotions cross Nick's animated face. "Well Nicky boy, what did we learn from this little episode?" "See the goat. Feel the goat. Be the goat?" Nick answered, not willing to completely give in to the two women who now had four of his bandmates under their spell. Kevin shook his head once again as he wrapped one of his arms around Kristy's waist. "He's still so young." Kevin gave Nick a patient smile. "Nick, today's an important day for you... you've learned a valuable lesson. Now repeat after me." Nick nodded reluctantly. "I was wrong..." A pained look crossed Nick's handsome face. "I was..." He swallowed. "Wrong." Kevin tried not to laugh, unlike Howie, Cheryl, A.J. and Brian. Kristy stood next to Kevin, her eyes dancing with laughter and a small smile tugging at her lips. She looked back at Nick as he repeated after Kevin again. "You were right." Nick watched the pretty blond smile brightly at Kevin before leaning up and kissing him softly, while the redhead in Howie's arms giggled at something he'd said, and decided that the two oldest guys might know a few things after all.The group continued to make their way through the many lands of the Magic Kingdom. The girls interacted easily with the rest of the guys and they had as good of a time while they waited in line as they did on the rides themselves. Kristy and Cheryl purchased pictures of the group from Splash Mountain, threatening to send them into MTV if the younger members of the group gave them any more trouble. Brian and Nick groaned as they looked at the large display screen in the photo order area with their screaming faces on it and begged the girls to take pity on them. A smile tugged on A.J.'s lips as he watched Howie feed Cheryl little bites of a Mickey-pretzel during one of the groups many breaks. He couldn't ever remember seeing his best friend so happy, as the couple flirted and held hands. And then there was Kevin. A.J., Brian and Nick all exchanged amused glances as Kevin shared his ice-cream sandwich with Kristy and "missed" her mouth, smearing vanilla on her upper lip. Brian smiled, watching his cousin "help" her as he very thoroughly kissed away the smudge of ice cream. “Uh, Train? You better watch it... you’re gonna make that ice cream melt!” A.J. chuckled as the two broke apart. “If Kev’s finished with his snack... should we get movin’?” Brian teased his cousin who smiled mischievously at the blushing blond in his arms. “Where to next, Your Majesties?" Nick quipped, giving a half-bow to the two girls. Cheryl nodded in front of them. "Pirates!" The attractive group chatted and laughed as they wound their way through the line, drawing looks of interest, curiosity, surprise and awe from the park’s other guests. As they approached the front of the line, Nick and Brian turned to Kristy. "So, how do you get the most out of this ride?" they asked, genuinely interested in her suggestions. So far, she'd been right-on with every ride. "This one's tougher... it’d be better if there weren't as many people in line right now." She paused, her expression thoughtful. "Then my recommendation would be for B-Rok to ride up front, Kaos behind him, Bone in the middle somewhere, Cher and D in the back... and Kev and I in our own boat!" Kevin wrapped his arms around Kristy and grinned. "I so like the way you think! I know I'D definitely get the most out of the ride that way!" he said as he lowered his head and kissed her sensually.Brian paused from his “performance” and watched Kevin stand off to the side of the shop, a content smile on his face as his eyes followed Kristy’s movements. They were in one of the hat shops and Brian, A.J., and Nick were making Cheryl and Kristy laugh as they tried on a variety of Disney hats and did their best impressions. Brian smiled as he thought about his “mission” for the day. His Aunt Ann – Kevin’s mom – had called when she’d heard from Tim that another family member would be meeting the new lady in her son’s life. It was Brian’s job to observe the two together and report all he could about the woman who’d so quickly become such an important part of Kevin’s life. From what he’d seen so far, he was going to have nothing but good things to share with his aunt. “Kris. Cher. Found the perfect ones for you guys.” A.J. grinned mischievously as he held his hands behind his back. The two girls approached him together. “Now, turn around and close your eyes.” Howie couldn’t help but smile as he watched Cheryl’s smile in nervous anticipation of what his best friend had planned. “Viola!” The two girls opened their eyes and grinned as they looked at their newest accessories in the mirror. “So? Whatta ya think?” Cheryl asked Howie with a tilt of her head. Howie nodded his approval and took her hand in his, lowering his head and kissing it softly. “Milady,” he said, just as he had done the first night they’d met... only this time, the sparkly-blue princess crown on her head made it more official. Kristy smiled at Kevin across the room, and turned in a little circle as he gestured with his finger for her to do so. Her crown was a circle of ribbon and stars with curls and streamers of both falling down her back. A.J. had chosen well; the purple ribbon matching the light-weight sweater she wore with her gray cotton shorts, and the gold practically blending in with her hair. A smile played on Kevin’s lips as he held out his hand and Kristy crossed the room to the open area where he stood near the courtyard. The two held each other’s eyes as Kevin pulled her into his arms and began leading her in a waltz as “Once Upon a Dream” from “Sleeping Beauty” played overhead. “So if she’s Sleeping Beauty...” “Aurora.” Cheryl corrected. “Fine, Aurora,” Nick conceded with a roll of his eyes. “And he’s Prince Eric...” “Prince Phillip. Wasn’t Eric Ariel’s man?” Howie asked his own redheaded princess. Nick glared at the couple who kept interrupting him. “Ehh hemm! Then what does that make us?” As Kevin twirled Kristy by, she overheard their conversation and began to giggle. Cheryl soon joined in, knowing exactly what her friend was thinking. “What?!” Nick asked, confused by the smirks on Kevin and Howie’s faces and the grimaces on those of Brian and A.J. Kristy and Cheryl exchanged amused glances and turned to face the three youngest friends. “Hello Flora, Fauna, and Merriweather!”Next: Chapter 15 |