PART ELEVEN

    Cierra tightened her grip on JC and then yawned. JC’s last words flashed through her mind and made her smile. She rolled over to see JC looking right at her.
    “Good morning baby,” he said.
    “Morning,” she softly said back. “What time did you get back?”
    “Late, that’s all I remember.”
    Cierra nuzzled her nose to his and said, “you didn’t mind me hogging your bed before you got here, did you?”
    “Not at all. I was glad you were here actually.”
    “I’m glad you were glad,” she smiled.
    “How was your day at Disney?”
    “Exhausting, but a lot of fun. Missy kept me well entertained on the road,” she giggled.
    “Nah, Lance’s car looking fine. How did she keep you entertained if Lance was capable of driving it home?” he joked.
    “We didn’t wreck it,” she said as she lightly hit his shoulder. “Let’s just say that Missy is definitely a verbal driver.”
    “I’ll take your word for that. I don’t plan on letting her drive me anywhere anytime soon,” he said with a smile. “Not even if my eye was bleeding and I needed a doctor THEN!” he said in an extremely sarcastic tone.
    “We’ll get you in a car with us eventually. Look, Justy is still alive, and Lance’s car is too!”
    “You two have a lot of faith in each other. That’s all I have to say,” he joked again.
    “You little,” she said and then started to tickle him.
    About an hour later Cierra and JC made their way downstairs to find Lance and Missy sitting at the table together.
    “Lance, when did you get here?” JC asked.
    “About,” he looked at his watch, “a little over an hour ago,” he said.
    “Wow,” Cierra said.
    “What can I say, I missed her,” he said as he pulled Missy a little closer.
    “Now isn’t that sweet,” JC said in a laugh.
    Cierra turned and hit JC in the chest, “I think it is!”
    JC pulled her close to him by her waist and kissed her forehead. “I think so too.” Then he started to lightly tickle her again. She remembered where that got them an hour ago so she backed off and said that he was forgiven this time. He just laughed.

    The four of them spent the entire day together doing random things. They even went over to Lance’s house for a party the guys were having. All the guys were there, as well as a lot of other people. The girls couldn’t believe that they had just met that many people. Tony was there, and so was JC’s other friend Dale. They even got to meet Chris’s girlfriend, Dani.
    Cierra and Melissa were due to leave the next morning around ten. They figured that they would have as much fun as they could. They practically partied till they couldn’t see straight. Cierra spent about an hour just sitting around with Justin talking to him. They considered themselves to be really good friends and he was going to miss having her so close. He knew that they wouldn’t see each other for about a month and a half.
    JC looked over and saw Justin and Cierra sitting on the couch together. He had been looking for her for almost twenty minutes. There were so many people there he could barely find himself. He walked up to them and asked Justin if he could borrow Cierra for a few minutes. Justin agreed and watched as JC took Cierra’s hand and headed to the back door.
    Lance had a beautiful house. It was enormous. JC took Cierra out onto the back porch. Cierra looked into the back yard and saw a little day swing bench. She grabbed JC’s hand and dragged in to it. They sat there together, in the dark, and just looked at the stars for a few minutes. Finally JC turned toward her and took both her hands in his.
    “Cierra, I am so glad that you came down here for the week. I don’t know how I am gonna deal with not seeing you for over a month, but,” he got cut off by Cierra.
    “It’ll be,” she got cut of by him.
    “Wait, I’m not done.” Cierra just looked at him. “Cierra, I’ve never cared for someone as much as I do for you. I know that you and I can make this work because it is something that we both want. I know that it is going to be hard, but it is something that we are ready to deal with.” JC stopped and looked into Cierra’s eyes. “Last night when I got home and saw you laying in my bed, it was like you were supposed to be there. It was like, like I had wished you would be there all the way. I just wanted to hold you.”
    Cierra took a deep breath and tried to hold back all her tears. She could feel them coming on and she knew that if he said what she thought he would, she would for sure cry.
    JC watched as Cierra lowered her head a little. He put his hand under her chin and lifted it up. “Cierra,” he said, “I think I’m,” he paused as he saw her eyes begin to water. “I’m think I’m falling in love with you.”
    It was silent as JC watched the tears fall from her eyes. She was just so happy she couldn’t help but cry. “JC, I’ve already fallen,” she managed to say. She then pulled him close and hugged him for a long time. She knew that she would eventually have to let go of him, but right now she knew she could hold him.

    Meanwhile Lance and Missy were sitting on the back of his car in the front of the house. There was too much commotion going on inside and he wanted to spend some time with her alone.
    “It’s really nice out here Lance,” she turned and looked at his house, “and your house is beautiful.”
    “Thanks, and yes, it is wonderful out here.” Lance paused for a few minutes and tried to collect his thoughts. He has so many things that he wanted to say to her but he didn’t know how to say them. Lance had never been so happy when he was with a girl. He felt like nothing could go wrong as long as Melissa was a part of his life.
    Missy looked at him, “are you okay Lance? Is something wrong?”
    “No, no nothing is wrong. Look Missy,” he said.
    Missy was so afraid that he was about to tell her that he didn’t think it would work because of the distance. She was afraid that he didn’t think he could hold out all the time that they weren’t together. “Yes,” she said in somewhat of a shivering voice.
    “Mis, I,” he took a deep breath, “I have tried to tell you this before, but I couldn’t. I tried to say it when we were out on the cliff but the words froze on my tongue. Melissa, I love being with you, you are the first thing that I think of when I wake up in the morning and you are what I think of all day long. I love you Melissa.” He held his breath and waited to see what Missy was going to do or say.
    “Lance, I was so afraid that you were about to tell me that you didn’t think this was going to work, and that the distance would just be too much,” he was about to talk when she put her finger to his lips. “Lance, I love you too,” she said and then kissed his lips.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    JC held Cierra close and kissed her deeply as he said he goodbyes. Lance and Missy were holding each other and awaiting the terminal to make their call to get on board. Justin and the other guys sat in the seat awaiting their turn to say goodbye.
    Cierra walked over to Joey and Chris and gave them each a hug and thanked them for being so great. Missy followed her in her tracks, but started out with Justin instead, and thanked them too and told them that she would see them all again soon. Lance opened his arms to Cierra and gave her a hug and thanked her for coming down to visit them. Missy walked over to JC and hugged him and whispered her thanks into his ear. She told him thank you for making Cierra so happy.
    Cierra made her way over to Justin and gave him a huge hug. She almost thought of Justin as one of her closest friends. They hadn’t known each other for an extremely long time, but she felt like if she ever needed him, all she would have to do is call him and he’d be for her. Justin kissed her forehead and told her that he would talk to her soon.
    Cierra went back to JC and Missy went back to Lance. They all looked up as their heard their terminal number being called to take their seats on the plane. Neither of the girls were ready to go. One last hug and a soft kiss was given to them both. Words of I love you were whispered into their ears and then they started to walk off.
    Melissa and Cierra were half way down the hallway when Cierra turned around and ran back. She had just remembered that she had something for JC. She ran up to him, kissed him and handed him an envelope. “Open it after I leave. I‘ll talk to you soon,” she said and then ran back to Missy, who was standing at the end of the hallway. Within seconds the girls were out of sight.

    JC turned the envelope over and looked at it. The other guys had already started to walk towards the exit of the airport. “Guys, I’ll be right there,” he yelled. He sat down in the chair in front of the terminal and opened the envelope. He pulled out the card.

    - JC,
        You have showed me a new world and it is one that I never want to leave. I’ve done nothing to deserve you, but I won’t try to convince you that we shouldn’t be together because that would ruin everything. I am willing to do whatever it takes to make us work. I know that we can do it. I am writing this two days before I leave. Right now you are in the shower and I can hear you singing. Your voice makes me smile and your touch gives me the chills. I don’t know right now if we have said these words yet, but if we haven’t, and even if we have ... I love you Joshua Scott. Remember that always. I’ll always be here for you. Though the distance is a lot, I am only a phone call away.

           Forever,
             ~Cierra

    PS: Wear this, for I have one just like it. It’s a friendship bracelet. A couple or not, you’ll always be my friend. -

    JC looked into the envelope and found a leather braided bracelet. Hanging from one side was a small charm, the size of flat pebble, and it said. - Forever friends ~ Cierra and JC - He felt tears come to his eyes as he slipped it over his wrist. He put the card back into the envelope and then put it in his pocket and got up. He looked out the window and saw the airplane leaving the runway. JC turned and walked off and then hurried to catch up with the rest of the guys.

    Cierra reached into her purse and pulled out the bracelet that she had gotten for herself to match the one that she got for JC. She slid it over her wrist and stared out the window of the plane and watched the airport disappear.
    “So, Missy, did you have fun this week?” Cierra asked Melissa.
    “The most! I can’t believe how fast it past by. And I totally can’t believe that we aren’t going to see them for over a month.”
    “I know, but we’ll deal.”
    “Yeah, we will.” Missy closed her eyes and leaned back in her seat. She thought back to things that they did when they were in Florida with the guys. She knew that this was definitely going to be a time that she would never forget. Her and Cierra had both fallen in love with two wonderful guys. How could it get any better.
    The girls were home for about an hour when they called up Anna and Vickie and told them everything that happened. They got to share all the funny and sweet memories with them. They let them know that Joey and Justin said to tell them hi and that they would talk to them soon. It was only about three hours after they got home that both Missy and Cierra got phone calls, from none other than Lance and JC.
    They talked to them for only a couple minutes, but it was the fix that they needed. JC let Cierra know how much he liked the bracelet and that her words in the card touched his heart. The instant phone calls from the guys reassured the girls that things were going to be fine.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    With a lot of phone calls and quite a few mushy letters, the girls managed to go two months without seeing the guys. After they were in Germany they had to go to Japan for two weeks for promotional stuff. This wasn’t planned, it just kind of happened, but the girls understood.
    They couldn’t wait till the next week because they all planned on flying out to Florida again for the weekend. Cierra was chilling at JC’s, Missy at Lance’s, Vickie at Joey’s, and Anna at Justin’s. They would only be there for two night so it wouldn’t hurt to each stay where they wanted to.
    All four girls sat in Anna’s room and talked. Each of them sat on the bed Indian style and talked about what would happen when they were in Florida. Missy and Cierra told them how great it is there and how nice the houses were. Though they never went to Justin or Joey’s house they assumed it was as nice as JC and Lance’s.
    “Their houses are huge!” Missy said.
    “I just can’t wait to spend some time with Justin again. I mean, it really was just last month that we officially said we were an item. Before it was just like, an understanding that we liked each other. Ya know?” Anna said.
    Vickie kind of put her head down and said, “are you guys planning on sleeping with them?”
    All of them looked at her in awe. “Cierra has already slept with JC,” Missy said and then laughed.
    “WHAT?! You didn’t tell us that!” Anna said.
    “Because it isn’t true! We slept in the same bed, but that is it. Missy did the same with Lance, it was just on a couch instead.”
    “Well I think that is sweet,” Anna said. “I know that I won’t ‘sleep’ with Justin per say. We just haven’t spent enough time together.”
    “Missy?” Vickie said.
    “Girl I don’t even know if Lance is like that. I mean, we’ve been together for like, almost four months, but we haven’t done a whole lot, ya know?”
    “CiCi?” Vickie said.
    “Are you seriously asking this?! For real y’all. You know that I don’t plan this stuff out. JC would never push the issue, but if it happens, it happens.”
    Anna looked at Vickie and said, “she’s gonna get some.”
    “What about YOU Vickie?” Cierra said really loud.
    Vickie’s face turned red so fast. “Well, not to sound like a hoe, but you know I am a little freaky deaky, so I dunno. I don’t know that I will have sex with him, but I am sure that something will go down with us. No pun intended,” she said and then everyone laughed.
    “SURE!” the other three girls said in unison.

    Anna laid on her bed with the phone in her hand. She had been talking to Justin for almost an hour already. “I can’t believe we are gonna be in Florida in like two days,” she said.
    “Well I can’t wait to see you,” he said back.
    “And I you,” she said back to him.
    “Anna, you aren’t uncomfortable staying here are you?” he asked.
    “No Justin of course not. Why do you ask?”
    “Well, we haven’t been together very much since we started dating, and I didn’t want you to think that I was trying to push things with you by inviting you to stay over here with me,” he said with a very concerned tone.
    “Thanks for the thought baby, but I am fine. Things are going to be great,” she said with a smile on her face.

    Two days later all four girls hopped on the airplane and were ready for their weekend trip. The guys were all too nice to be buying them tickets to come down there. Guess that’s part of dating a star, certain things have to be done to see the ones you care about.
    The plane landed and the girls took a deep breath before getting off. They walked down the terminal and made their way into the huge airport in which they were slowly becoming familiar with, Cierra and Missy were at least. All of them walked over to get their luggage and then headed to the door. When they got to the front they were surprised to see a familiar face.
    “Lonnie,” Cierra said and then gave him a hug and then Missy did the same. They had met Lonnie at Lance’s party he had before they left. “Lonnie this is Anna and Vickie,” Cierra said as she introduced them.
    He shook each of their hands and said, “nice to meet ya ladies. Are you all ready to go?”
    They all looked at each other and shook their heads, “yup!”     “Well the guys are all at Lance’s. I don’t know what they are up to but I am sure they are up to no good. I told them that I’d come out here to get y’all so they didn’t have to fight the fans. It seems that it has gotten out that they have new ‘love interests’ so they are spying. Fans saw you guys when ya went out to eat the first night. Pictures are already floating around. Also when they were in Germany the guys were interviewed and got asked about if they had girlfriends and they said y‘alls names.”
    “Wow,” Melissa said. “That’s wierd, and so fast!”
    “Fans are crazy sometimes. They know stuff before a lot of US do. I don’t know how they do it! But this time they just put two and two together so they all know who you are.” Lonnie laughed. “But don’t you ladies worry, you’ll be just fine!” Just as they were about to get in the limo a crowd of girls came running and screaming. “In the car ladies,” he said as he gave them a light push to hurry.
    “Oh my God this is wild,” Anna said.
    “Looks like we are going to get a taste of what our poor guys have to go through daily,” Cierra said.

    Lonnie sat in the back of the limo with them and told them that they didn’t need to worry about the fans, if anything they would just want to take a picture or get an autograph. The girls agreed that that wouldn’t be too bad. He also said that with any luck they wouldn’t really have to worry about many people seeing them at all.
    The limo driver pulled up to Lance’s place. Anna and Vickie looked out the window with their mouths wide open. “Wow, this is Lance’s house?” Vickie asked.
    “Yup, cute eh?” Cierra said as she grabbed her purse and waited to get out.
    “Way!” Anna said.
    Right when they all had stepped out of the limo they saw Lance’s front door open. Lance walked out and put his arms on the frames of the doors. He just stood there and watched Melissa smile at him. He was practically in a daze when he heard Lonnie yell at him.
    “LANCE! Get the other guys and come help us get their stuff!”
    Lance turned inside and yelled for the other guys. All five of them came trotting down the walk way and made it to the limo. Each girl got a light kiss from their guy. Lonnie, Lance, JC, Justin, and Joey all grabbed bags and Chris grabbed two caboodles and Melissa got the other two.
    “Missy you can just get your stuff and set it in the hallway for now if you want. We’ll leave the other stuff here in the living room so that they can get it when they leave,” Lance said when they got in the house.
    “Sounds good to me,” she said back to him.
    “So what are we up to for today?” Cierra asked. Her arms were linked with JC’s and she had her head on his chest. She had definitely missed having him so close to her.
    “Well, we figured that since Vickie and Anna missed out on the party last time, that we would have another one. Almost like a “welcome back girls and guys”. We haven’t really spent much time with our other friends since we got back,” Lance said.
    “Hey, that sounds like a good deal to me,” Vickie said. Vickie was always into going to parties. Besides, she thought ‘what could be more fun than a party with five hot guys and their friends’.
    “You sure you girls are okay with this?” Justin asked.
    “It’s a party Justy, I think we’ll deal with it,” Cierra said and then winked.
    “Just making sure,” Justin said. He didn’t want to have him and all the guys to have made plans for something if the girls didn’t even want to do it.
    A couple of hours passed by and then everyone started to show up. There were food, drinks, and people everywhere. Dani, Chris’s girlfriend, was there again to hang out. Steve, Joey’s brother, came with Dani. JC’s little brother Tyler was there along with their sister Heather and her boyfriend Andrew. Tyler planned on bringing his girlfriend but she had to do some stuff with her family. Alex showed up shortly after Tyler did. Dale, Tony, Kate, Alisa, and Keri all got there about mid way thru.
    Everyone got introduced to everyone and the girls couldn’t believe all the people they were meeting. All of them were so friendly and weren’t stuck up at all. The party lasted till almost three in the morning. By then everyone was too tired to think about anything except sleep. One by one everyone left. The only ones left in the house were Lance and Melissa. After they picked up a couple of things they decided to call it a night. For the first time, they were able to sleep in the same bed together, and the both loved the way they felt in each others arms.
    Joey and Vickie headed off to his house, JC and Cierra went to JC’s, and Justin and Anna went to Justin’s house. JC and Cierra slept in the same bed together because it was something that they were used to. On the other hand, both Vickie and Anna slept in spare rooms because the guys felt weird about even mentioning that they sleep in the same bed.

Part Twelve