"What was that for?!" He snapped, spitting a mouthful of chlorine flavored water back into the pool as he swam over to the side. "I didn't do anything!"
"Sorry, Nicky." Aimee chirped sweetly. "But, I figured that, if Brian couldn't suffer, I might as well make his friend suffer. I mean, it's the next best thing."
Nick glared at her, as he stood there shivering, and hugging himself as a breeze blew through the yard. "First, you crash my barbeque. Then, you pull me into my own pool? No wonder Brian cheated on you." He said it all with a smile, but his words seemed to spark something in Aimee.
"What was that, Blondie?" She jumped up, and stepped closer to him. "Why is it that Brian cheated on me?" She layed on hand on his chest, and gave him a slight push. "It's none of your damn buissness why Brian cheated on me!" She continued, her voice getting louder and more harsh after every sentence. "Just because you've probably slept with every thirteen year old girl in the country-"
"What?! I never slept with a thirteen year old! I'm not some kind of child harrasser!" Nick interupted, shoving her back. "And atleast I don't run around making guys fall in love with me, then breaking their hearts-"
Aimee pushed him as hard as she could, and he stumbled backwards. "What the hell do you know about it you-"
This time it was Brian who stepped in. He put one hand on Nick's shoulder, and the other on Aimee's, and held the two of them apart. Jennie, who had been stading next to Kevin with her hand over her mouth hurried forward, and took Aimee's hand. "Come on, Aim. Let's go." She said softly, guiding her friend to the car.
Aimee cast one more glare at Nick (which he returned with a harsher one) and then jerked her hand out of Jennie's, and followed her back to the Neon. Jennie looked over her shoulder at Nick and Brian, and mouthed "sorry" to them before they disappeared around the side of the house.
"Wow." AJ McLean said softly, letting out a low whistle, as he watched Nick storm off toward his house. "That was a lot cooler than most of our barbeques."
He was surprised to hear a light little laugh ring out from the girl next to him. He hadn't realized that anyone was listening to him, and he certainly hadn't expected this girl. He looked down at her, and she grinned back up at him. Her long, brown hair was pulled into a ponytail on top of her head, and curled into soft ringlettes that rolled down her face. She had amazing large dark brown eyes, and a splatter of freckles over her nose. "Hi." She said, finally, extending one hand to AJ. "I'm Tara Anna. Kevin's cousin."
"You are?" AJ was surprised. She certainly didn't look like she was realated to Kevin. Plus, Kevin said his cousin was nineteen. This girl looked about twelve.
Tara Anna nodded. "I know, I know. Where's the family resemblence? There isn't any." She asserted, wasting no time in answering the question. "And no, I'm not three years old. I'm nineteen. Ofcourse, I've only been ninteen for, like, three days, but it still counts, right?" She smiled. "I'm staying with Kev for a couple weeks while my parents settle the divorce. But enough about me. Who're you?"
AJ was overwhelmed but this girl. First of all, he'd never heard anyone talk so fast before. Second, she seemed to know excatly what he was thinking, when he was thinking it. "AJ." He said at last, and looked over the tops of his sunglasses at her. "AJ McLean. Nice to meet you, baby."
Tara Anna giggled as he gave her hand a light kiss, but then she pulled back a little, and looked down at the ground. "So, um, I'm gonna go see about Kevin, okay? He looks like he may need some help with that grill. And, I must admit, I am an excellent barbequer. So maybe I'll see you around." She scurried off towards her cousin, and AJ looked after her, confused.
It seemed like she'd been having a good time, for a while anyway. But after he introdused himseld, she backed away. He shrugged it off, thinking that maybe she'd been scared off when she matched his name and face to the teeny bopper magazines.
Over by Kevin, Tara Anna was shaking a little. Her eyes looked scared now, and she was huddled close to him. "I see you've met AJ." Kevin commented, not looking up from the burger he was cooking.
"He kissed my hand." Tara Anna muttered, and a tear rolled down her cheek.
"Oh, Terry." Kevin sighed, and wrapped his free arm around her shoulders. "It's gonna be okay." He said softly, hugging her closer to him. "It'll all be okay."