Chapter One-The Things YouDo

“Honey, I’m home!” Mia Adams called out as she entered the house she shared with her best friend Kara Edwards.

“I’m in the kitchen. Come and tell me about the first day of school!” Kara called back.

Mia laughed and headed down the hallway.

“What do you want to know?” Mia asked walking into the kitchen.

“Any cute guys?” Kara questioned.

Mia thought for a moment.

“I suppose, but considering they’re all about five-years-old I think they may be a bit out of your league.”

“No you sicko! I mean cute twenty-something –year-old older brothers.” Kara said.

“Afraid not.” Mia replied.

“Damn!” Kara said. “Anywho, I thought you were supposed to be home at like 4:00…it’s 6:30.” She said.

Mia nodded.

“So did I, but my reading club ran late.”

Mia had just started her new job as a kindergarten teacher at a local elementary school in Orlando. After school she ran a reading club for students in fifth and sixth grade.

“So do you like this new school?” Kara asked.

“I do. Everyone there is really great, but it’s a lot more work than the last school I was at.” Mia said.

“You did have an aide helping you. It must be different being on your own.” Kara suggested.

“True, plus I wasn’t running any after school activities. I guess I have to get used to it.” Mia told her.

“Indeed. Oh, Lance wants you to call him.” Kara said, referring to Mia’s boyfriend of two years Lance Bass. “Are you going out with him tonight?”

“We were supposed to, but I think I’ll just stay in.” Mia said.

“Cool. I’ll start dinner and you call him and then we can watch ‘Ocean’s Eleven.’” Kara said.

“Good deal. I’m gonna go change.” Mia said heading upstairs to her room.

After a quick shower and a change into ‘non-teacher’ clothes Mia picked up her phone and punched in Lance’s number.

“Hello?” Lance asked.

“Hi Lance.” Mia replied.

“Hey sweetie. How was school?” he asked.

“It went well. I think I’m going to like it there.”

“Great. I called earlier but Kara said you weren’t home yet.”

“Yeah, my reading club went a little longer than I thought. Then I had to set up some things for tomorrow. The time kind of got away from me.”

“I understand. Are you coming over tonight?”

“Actually I’m kinda of tired and my head is pounding. Why don’t we postpone until tomorrow.”

“Your head hurts again?”

“It’s no big deal, just stress.”

“Alright. I’ll be at the office doing Free Lance stuff tomorrow so just call me when you get home.”

“Okay, I love you.”

“I love you too. Bye.”

Mia hung up the phone and headed downstairs to the kitchen.

“So what’s new at the hospital?” Mia asked Kara as she wandered over and poked through the cabinets.

Kara worked as a nurse in the maternity ward at Orlando General Hospital.

“Nothing much. What are you doing?” she asked.

“Looking for the Tylenol.” Mia replied.

“You have another headache?”

“You sound like Lance. It’s just stress. No big thing.”

“As a member of the medical community…”

“I’m not a baby Kar.”

“Still, you should go to the doctor, this isn’t normal.”

“I’m fine. So have you talked to the others about dinner on Saturday night?” Mia asked changing the subject.

Kara nodded.

“Yeah, Chris called this morning and he talked with Justin and Joey. So they’ll be there. Justin is supposed to call JC and Emilie so hopefully he’ll remember.”

“Cool. So Chris called huh?”

“Mia, there is nothing going on.”

“I didn’t say there was.”

“But there’s that gleam in your eye.”

“No there isn’t. I was simply asking you a question.”

“It’s never just a question with you.”

“No need for the hostility.”

Just then the timer went off on the stove and dinner was ready.

“Go get the movie started, I’ll get dinner.”

“Alright.” Kara said heading into the living room.

Mia shook her head as she took the pizza out of the oven. It was obvious Kara and Chris both liked each other…now if there was only a way to get them to admit it.

Chapter 2