Leeny's eyes lit up. "Sure… oh wait, I don't have any money left."
"No problem, it's on me," Sandrea said with a kind smile.
"I barely know you. I couldn't accept."
"Oh, please. It'll be fun. There is no one here that's my age. Besides it's not really on me. It's on your brother. What do you say?"
"Won't he get mad?"
"Yeah right. That boy has so much money he won't even be able to notice he's missing any."
This convinced Leeny and the two girls went shopping.
*At Kevin's house*
"I suppose Brian told you all the whole story?" Nick asked everyone when he walked into the house to hear a bunch of 'how are you doing's.
Brian gave Nick one of his goofy smiles. "I just thought I'd save you an explanation."
Nick glared at Brian but shrugged it off. He sat down on the sofa next to Claudia. He laid his head on her lap. She was always like an older sister to him. She combed her fingers through his hair and told him everything will be ok.
"What does she look like?" Brian asked about Leeny.
Nick sighed and began to answer when AJ interrupted him. "Man, she's hot! She has short brown hair, about down to her chin, she has these cheerful light brown eyes, and she has the most amazing smile," AJ continued with a smile. "She's kind of short. About 5"2 but she is really shapely. If you know what I mean." He winked at Kevin who nodded in approval.
"Wow Nick, it looks like you got one hot sister," Brian replied picturing the girl in AJ's description.
"When did you see her AJ?" Howie asked.
"I went to Nick's house earlier to talk to him about my problems with Amanda and she was there."
"You're having problems with Amanda?" Claudia asked concerned.
"Yeah, but hopefully it will be solved by tomorrow."
"You left out a part of your story Aje," Nick reminded him. "When I came home I found Leeny in her robe lying on her bed next to AJ with their arms around each other about to kiss!"
"Way to go boner!" Brian squealed.
"Hey, it wasn't what it looked like. She started talking about her mother and she began to cry. I just comforted her."
"I'd hate to hear where that comforting would have ended up if Nick would have came home fifteen minutes later," Brian teased.
"Shut up!" AJ protested throwing a pillow at Brian's head.
*At the mall*
"Can I see how that one looks?" Sandrea asked Leeny. Leeny was inside a dressing room trying on some outfits some for school and some for special occasions. Sandrea practically had Leeny buying out all the stores. They were on their last outfit for the day.
Leeny stepped out of the dressing room. She was wearing a hot pink tube dress that went down to her knee. It had a slit in the back.
"That looks so great on you!" Sandrea complimented. "It's a really good date dress. You know, if you and… hypothetically speaking, lets just say you and AJ would ever go out on a date." Sandrea grinned.
Leeny blushed, "I don't know what you are talking about?"
"Oh, come off of it Leeny. I saw the way you and A.J were about to kiss. Don't play dumb. You know you want him and I can tell he wants you."
"Don't be silly Sandrea. Besides even if I did want AJ, hypothetically speaking, doesn't he have a girlfriend?"
"Yeah, her name is Amanda Latona. But I heard she's being a real bitch. We have all been waiting for them to break up. Maybe you can move it along a little quicker."
"Amanda Latona? That name sounds so familiar. Is she a performer?"
"Yep, she use to be part of some group called Innocence, that no one has ever heard of. Now she's supposedly starting a solo career that is going no where fast. We all think that she's just with AJ to get known. But hell, she is lacking talent so bad that she could be married to Michael Jackson himself and she would still be unknown."
Once the girls paid for the dress they went to the mall's food court for some lunch.
*Back at Kevin's
"Bone has a new girlfriend!" Brian teased in a little boy voice. "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh, and she's JAILBATE!"
"Bri, you better shut the hell up before I kick your ass!" AJ was getting really frustrated now. He did have feelings for Leeny but Brian was blowing it out of proportion and it was getting AJ a little embarrassed.
"Fine, I'll leave you alone Aje. But first you have to admit you have a thing for her." Brian gave A.J a serious look. "Come on, just admit it."
AJ knew when he was beaten. "Ok, I think she's really hot."
"Oh, AJ come off of it. You think every girl is hot. That doesn’t mean you almost kiss them all. Especially when you have a girlfriend. Now tell us the truth." There was a pleading tone in Brian's voice. "I'm not just telling you this so we can hear it. I want you to realize how you feel for her. I mean by the way Nick tells the story you were pretty close to cheating on Amanda."
"Yes, I am really attracted to her. She is really sexy. Not only in her looks but the way she carries herself and her attitude towards life. If Nick wouldn't have came in I would have cheated on Amanda. Hell, I probably would have had sex with her if I could have."
"A.J! Watch what you say man! That's my sister!" Nick screamed.
Everyone in the room stared at Nick in shock. "I thought you didn't think of her as your sister Nick?" Kevin asked. Nick jumped up from the couch and ran to the kitchen.
*At the mall*
Leeny and Sandrea sat at a table in the food court. The mall was pretty crowded for a weekday. Leeny's mind wondered and she started thinking about AJ. She wished Nick had come in a little later. She really wanted him to kiss her.
"You know," Sandrea interrupted her thoughts. "I was thinking about the outfits you chose, and you and AJ have very similar taste in fashion."
"He likes to wear hot pink tube dresses too?" Leeny joked.
"No of course not. But, he likes things that stand out. Like animal print, rhinestones, and shiny leather. He's not one for practicality."
"Neither am I. When my mom was alive she use to laugh at me because I always wore Tommy Hilfliger jeans even to just garden. I was always in designer and name brand clothes. You couldn't get them off of me. But after my mom past away, I guess it didn’t seem as important."
"Or maybe you felt guilty that they were important to you."
"That too."
"You know, you remind me a lot of Nick. The way you are so hyper all the time. You are into sports and video games. It's like you have this split personality. Like you are girly on one side and a little tomboy on the other."
"That's what my mom use to say. Like one minute I'd be decked out in my tutu and glitter for my ballet recitals and the next minute I had my cleats on for a big soccer game."
"And you kind of look like Nick too. Something about your smile and the gleam you get in your eye."
"I don't really think Nick would appreciate that."
"Oh, you'd be surprised. He is the one who told me that you have his smile."
"He did?"
"Yeah, he said it was weird. It was kind of like looking into a mirror."
"Oh."
"You know, Nick isn't all that disappointed that you came along. I think part of him is actually glad. He was never that close to his sisters. I think mostly because they are so girly and sort of superficial. I think he actually sees himself in you."
"Then why all this hostility over me?"
"Well one thing you need to know about Nick, is that he's terrified of change with his family. Part of it is probably because he is always on the road, where his surroundings and faces around him change so much that he wants his family and friends to be kind of secure for him. When you came in to the picture it changed his security in his family being the same forever."
"Will he ever get over it?"
"Nick, is a stubborn boy. But I can tell he does have a soft spot for you. Just give him a little time. He'll come through."
*Kevin's house
"Maybe I should go talk to him," Brian offered. After all, he was Nick's best friend.
"No, I think I can help him out a bit," Claudia said heading towards the kitchen.
Nick was sitting at the counter with his head in his hands. "What's the matter Nick? There is no shame in calling her your sister."
"Yes there is. She ruined my family. Everything was perfect until she came along. I knew no matter what happens on the road that everything will stay the same. Now it's not."
"Everything is the same. It is actually better." Claudia reassured him. "Now you have someone, besides Sandrea. Someone you can talk to about your problems without being embarrassed. She's your sister. No matter what happens she's going to love you because there is that special bond between you two."
"Claudia, how can we have a bond if we don't even know each other?"
"Think about it. She's your sister, it's in your blood to be drawn to her. Do you remember when Aaron and Angel were born?"
"Yeah."
"How did you feel about them? Did you love them?"
"Of course."
"But you didn’t know them."
"I know but they are my family."
"Exactly. You loved them because you are one in the same. Leeny is no different."