| “All of this time, guess I must have been blind, meant to be, can’t you see, we’re Picture Perfect…” “Lura!” Justin shouted from his office, from underneath his desk. “Yeah?” she asked from her room, trying to find her writing notebook. “Do you have any idea where I put my baby blue UNC hat?” Allura snickered to herself. “Which one?” she asked with a grin, abandoning her search for her notebook and walking into Justin’s office he had set up in the back of the house. The two best friends had been living together for the past three years, since 2001, they had recently celebrated their twenty-third birthdays. They had been best friends since birth; they were born in the same hospital in Tennessee in 1981 and their mothers, Lynn and Carol, had been best friends when they went to high school. When Justin and Lynn moved to Florida for MMC, both Allura and Justin were so depressed that without each other, Carol decided to move two weeks after Lynn and Justin had left. They were nearly inseparable ever since; she went with him everywhere and he went with her everywhere. They had both chosen music as their life; Justin with his singing and dancing and Allura with her writing and producing. She was currently producing a solo singer named Angela Via, whose first single she wrote and was now being sent to radio stations across the US. (A.N. I know that Angela Via’s Picture Perfect just came out in 2000, but in this story, it didn’t, so just kinda forget about it for the sake of fiction, k?) “The one with the little purple mark on the side of it from when Jon was eating mulberries,” Justin said, sticking his head above the desk momentarily. “And you think it would be under your desk?” Allura asked curiously. “Well, you never know what might be here with Busta taking things and hiding them whenever Chris is over… Hey, I was looking for these Doritos for two weeks!” Allura scrunched up her nose in disgust. “Eww, J, don’t eat those, that’s disgusting, there’s more Doritos in the kitchen, eat those. Anyway, I think you may have left the hat underneath the sink after you tried to wash the mulberries off of it and failed. Why do you want the hat that’s stained, anyway?” Allura asked, headed toward the kitchen to try and find Justin’s hat. “Because it’s my lucky hat,” Justin replied, walking behind her. “You remember, I wore that hat when-“ “The third album sold four million copies in the first week. Yeah, Justy, I remember. See? Here it is, what did I tell you?” she asked, pulling the hat out from underneath the sink, turning around and sticking it on Justin’s curly-haired head. He smiled and adjusted the hat. “You always find everything for me, don’t you?” Allura grinned. “Yep.” “Well, thanks for the help, but I better get to the studio before JC kills me.” “Okay, see ya later. Or are you gonna go out clubbing or something?” Justin stuck his head back in the kitchen. “We were thinking about it… If we do decide to go out, then I’ll give ya a ring, come with us.” “Sure, I don’t have anything going on tonight. Just don’t call me and tell me that I have ten minutes to get ready again, like last time.” “No prob babe. Love ya, see ya later.” Allura sighed as Justin pulled out of the driveway with a screech. “I wish he realized it. Why doesn’t he realize it?” Allura headed to her bedroom and glanced around the room before lying on her bed. Her vision trailed over to her bulletin board, where she had tacked up her favorite pictures of her friends and herself. Justin had done the same in his room across the hall, but his board was a mess (as was his room), with cute little “Guy” comments that Joey and Chris had written in marker by the pictures. She saw a picture of the two of them sitting on a swing in Justin’s backyard when they were no older than eight; grinning with missing teeth. Another picture had the two blowing out fourteen candles on their birthday cake, thirteen and one for good luck, on the set of the Mickey Mouse Club. Another was of them shoving the same cake in each other’s faces and the faces of Ryan Gosling and Britney Spears, two of their best friends. Another was of them at Allura’s prom at Edgewater High School, Justin didn’t have one since he was tutored, so Allura brought her best friend to hers. Having Justin at her prom caused quite a commotion, since ‘N Sync was just gaining popularity with I Want You Back in the States and all the girls liked Justin. Justin was lucky that she didn’t leave him alone, he would have been mobbed and he knew it. Her favorite was of her with Justin and JC; they were watching the Independence Day fireworks at Epcot Center. The three of them were leaning on the railing of a boat, Allura and Justin were seventeen and JC was twenty-two. Allura was standing in between Justin and JC; Justin had his arm around her shoulders and JC had deposited his arm around her waist. All three of them were oblivious to the world around them; they weren’t even aware that Joey had snapped the picture. “I showed some friends of mine my favorite photograph, you know the one of you and me from way back, and when I told them all that you were not my guy, they couldn’t see it, couldn’t understand why…” Those words she had written. God, that was six years ago, Allura thought to herself. Who knew that I, of all people, would start to have a crush on him, of all people? ~*~*~ “Lura, I know you’re there, pick up the phone!” JC’s voice came over the answering machine. Allura stirred on the couch and slowly opened her eyes. “JC? What in the hell…” “Lura, I’m on the phone, I’m sure I’m waking you up, but pick up already!” Allura could see the grin on his face as she picked up the light blue cordless phone. “JC must you always interrupt my sleep?” “Yep,” he said with a grin. “My God, you’re annoying,” Allura muttered while she sat up. “And I was having a good dream too. I swear JC, the next time you’re napping and calling out Pamela Anderson’s name then I will get you back.” “You wish.” “Payback’s a bitch C,” Allura pointed out. “Promises, promises. Anyway, me and Joey and Justin were gonna go to Club Voodoo in like an hour, you wanna go? Or do you want more sleep?” Allura yawned and decided that she would never be able to get back to sleep anyway. “Yeah, I’ll go. Club Voodoo?” “Yeah, Voodoo. I can pick you up if you want me to,” JC offered. “Umm, yeah, I guess, if you want to. I’ll be ready in like, an hour, give or take.” “Sure, no prob. Later Lura.” “Later.” Justin sighed as JC hung up his cell phone and tossed it back at him. “Thanks for calling her,” he muttered, locking the keys on the phone before sticking it in his pocket. “No problem man,” JC replied, sitting back on the swivel chair. He looked Justin in the eye. “You have gotta tell her you heard the song.” Justin lifted himself out of the chair and ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “I know, but how do I go about doing it? She’s my best friend; I just don’t feel that way about her. What am I gonna tell her, Sorry Lura, but I don’t wanna be with you like that? That would ruin everything we have as best friends and I do not want that.” “I know,” JC said gently. “But Lura’s resilient. She gets over everything, she’ll get over this.” Justin sat back on the chair and stared JC down. “You’re saying that because you have a crush on her.” JC was taken aback with Justin’s comment. “What? Curly, I think all that bleach you put in your hair is finally seeping through to your brain.” “You know I’m right,” Justin insisted. “I see the way you look at her. The way you treat her. She’s special to you and you know it.” JC tried to lie his way out of it. “Nah, you’re crazy man, I don’t like Lura like that.” Justin grinned. “Yes you do. And you know it and I know it and Joey knows it.” “Joey? When did he find out that…” JC trailed off as Justin grinned in triumph. “You sneaky little curly haired rat.” “Gotcha.” JC sighed heavily. “Okay, so we’ve established that fact that I like her. What do I do about that, huh? She wrote a song for you J, I highly doubt that she sees me in any sort of a different light.” “Go after her. Don’t let her slip away. And do it tonight, because I honestly don’t know how in the world I’m gonna charm my way outta explaining to her that I just don’t like her like you do. But if you’re with her, maybe I won’t have to do it.” ~*~*~ “Lura? Ready yet?” JC asked as he walked in the door. Allura stuck her head out of the bathroom and shouted, “Yeah, gimme a sec… Oh, while you’re just standing there, could you do me a big favor and save me about twenty minutes of searching time?” “Sure, whaddya need?” JC asked, walking toward the bathroom. “My black platforms, you know, the ones with the open toes?” “Yeah, I know those. Do you have any idea where they might be?” “Umm, somewhere in my bedroom, I think the floor might have eaten them again.” JC wandered to her bedroom and immediately spotted the shoes on the floor near her bed. He picked them up and walked over to the bulletin board she had set up and looked at the pictures on it. He found a picture of himself and her, standing in front of the Eiffel Tower a few years back, in 2001 for their European tour for No Strings Attached. That was the day Justin was sick and couldn’t even get onstage, let alone walk around Paris. So JC decided to be nice and take Lura around. That was the day he fell for her. She was only nineteen and they were five years apart, but she was so different than everyone else he had ever dated. He snapped out of his memories when Allura called from the bathroom, “Did you find them?” He walked out of her room to see her just walking out of the bathroom, dressed in a short black skirt and a white tank top, her hair up in a high ponytail at the back of her head. She looked so amazing that JC stopped and stared. Allura saw JC staring at her and she stopped in her tracks. Why is he staring at me? she asked herself. Do I have something on my skirt? Wait, I know that look… Chris gives Danielle that look. What did he call it? His I Love Her So Much Look? Oh my Lord, is that the look JC’s giving me? Oh my God, what do I do? “Hey, you found my shoes, thanks.” “Oh, um, yeah, here,” JC said, snapping out of his reverie and handing her the shoes. “So, we ready to go?” “Yep,” Allura replied as she grabbed her purse. “Let’s go.” “Milady,” JC said in a fake accent as he held out his arm for her to take. Allura giggled and took it. “Thank you kind sir.” “Anytime,” JC said as his smile took on unnatural proportions. ~*~*~ “Hey Jace, where’s Justin? I thought we were gonna meet him here,” Allura said, looking around the entrance to the club for her best friend. “Oh, um, he said to meet him inside,” JC said quickly, turning Allura toward the entrance to the club, having spotted Justin flirting with a perky blonde. “Oh, okay,” Allura said, full knowing that they would never find Justin inside Club Voodoo once they were in the building; it was packed that night and Allura was surprised that she and JC weren’t spotted yet. Oh well, she was about to spend the night with JC. What harm could it do? ~*~*~ “Jace, I think I’m gonna get something to drink,” Allura shouted over the music. They had been dancing for about an hour and Allura was getting pretty thirsty. “Sure, I’ll come too,” JC said, putting his hand on the small of Allura’s back and leading her toward the bar. “Whaddya want?” JC asked, turning toward Allura. She thought a moment. “Something alcohol, I’m not driving, how about a Sex On The Beach, that sounds good.” “You have no idea how good it sounds,” JC muttered as he ordered her drink and a Pepsi for himself, since he was driving. “What was that Jace? Did you just say something?” Allura asked, thinking she heard what she heard. “Me? Nope,” JC said as their drinks came. Allura tried to hand over some money, but JC wouldn’t let her. “You can get it next time,” he said, pushing the cash back into her hand. ~Seven Sex On The Beaches Later~ “JC, let’s go back to your house,” Allura said, leaning on JC. “I wanna do what I was drinking.” JC’s eyes widened. “You wanna… WHAT?” “I’ve been drinking Sex On The Beach… I wanna have sex on the beach. The beach behind your house.” “Lura, you’re not thinking clearly,” JC tried to say, but was cut off by Allura. “NO! I am thinking clearly, I know very well what I am doing,” Allura insisted. “Lura, what about Justin?” JC asked quietly, wondering if Lura was actually drunk or not. “What are you talking about? Justin’s my best friend,” Lura replied, getting confused. “The song Lura, we heard Picture Perfect,” JC blurted out. Allura’s eyes widened. “You… oh my Lord, you heard it…” She sat down on a bar stool, trying to calm herself down. “I know how you feel about Justin,” JC said gently. Allura looked up. “What? JC, what are you talking about?” “The song… It was about Justin, right?” Allura started laughing. “No, it’s not about Justin, he’s my best friend in the world, I would never write something like that about Justin,” she said through laughs. JC was confused. “Well then… Who is it about?” he asked cautiously. Allura stopped laughing and looked at JC. “It’s about you.” “You really aren’t drunk, are you?” JC asked, looking into Allura’s eyes. Allura sighed. “No, I’m not. I know you like me JC, it’s been obvious to me since I was twenty years old.” JC smiled. “Well you’re not that observant, I’ve liked you since you were nineteen.” “Figures, I’m really not that observant,” Allura laughed. “I do live with Justin.” “True.” JC looked around in search of Justin. Spotting him, he said, “Whaddya say we head back to my house?” Allura smiled. “Sure.” JC smiled in return. “Great. I’ll go tell Justin, he’s over there.” With that, JC leaned over and kissed Allura quickly and sweetly on the lips, and walked over to Justin. “Hey man, me and Lura are gonna go over my house.” Justin grinned. “Gonna get some action tonight C?” JC grinned in return. “Maybe, maybe.” Justin’s face turned serious. “JC, I’m gonna tell you this once and once only. If you ever, Ever EVER hurt my best friend than I swear you will be in an extreme amount of pain. Got what I’m saying?” JC nodded. “I got ya Curly. But I assure you, that little lecture you just gave me was completely unnecessary. Allura is just so… She’s just…” JC fought with the words for a few seconds and just blurted out what was on his mind. “I love her.” Justin grinned. “Than treat her right, you know she deserves it.” “I will, trust me, I will.” ~*~*~ “Do you, Allura Marie Timmons, take this man, Joshua Scott Chasez, to be your lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and in health, till death do you part, as long as you both shall live?” “I do,” Allura replied, smiling at JC. “And do you, Joshua Scott Chasez, take this woman, Allura Marie Timmons, to be your lawfully wedded wife, in sickness and in health, till death do you part, as long as you both shall live?” “I do,” JC said, tightening his grip on Allura’s hand. “Then by the power vested in me, by the state of Florida, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride,” the priest said with a smile. JC raised Allura’s veil, took a glance at Justin, who was standing behind him grinning, watched him nod his head, and leaned over and kissed his new bride, the beginning of their life together. |
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