Chapter 3

(Next day)

Megan stared in disbelief at Tia's happy face. "Give back Tia," she demanded.

"What are you talking about?"

"Where'd you take her? Bring her back!"

"Megan, you're a nut."

"Well, you're not Tia, and I want her back!"

"Why?"

Megan stopped abruptly. She had to admit that she liked the change in Tia. She wanted nothing more than for her friend to be happy, and now that she was, she was badgering her about it. "Okay, you can stay," she relented. Tia laughed.

"Seriously, why're you so happy?"

"I'm not," Tia said, grinning.

Megan was at a loss for words. "…"

"I wish the guys hadn't gone." Tia sighed, a long, drawn out breath that made Megan giggle. "What?"

"Then why are you so happy?" Megan reiterated.

"I just had a good time yesterday, that's all."

"I told you-"

"Don't even," Tia warned. "Anyway, I had a good time and I wish that they could be my friends."

"What're you talking about? They are your friends!"

"Meg-an," Tia whined. "I'll probably never see them again!"

"They are busy," Megan pointed out. "But I'm sure they'll keep in touch. They're like that, aren't they?"

"How would I know?" Tia giggled. "All I did was see them on TV and made a decision like that."

"Well, I'm glad you made that decision." Megan's voice turned soft. "You're actually happy."

Tia's cheeks turned a shade of pink and she looked away. "Yeah," she said quickly, quietly.

Megan knew it was hard for Tia to admit that there were people who cared about her and when someone told her, she had a tough time accepting the love.

"Well, maybe you can keep in touch with them," she suggested.

"I don't have the number and I don't want to bother them."

"You really need to get over the whole 'bother' thing." Megan shook her head. "It's gonna get you in trouble someday."

"Trouble with who?" Tia scoffed.

~Same time, with the BSB~

"'What happens when you love someone, when you want someone, and you need that someone?'" AJ sang. "'And every time you have some time, you find yourself thinking about about him…?'"

"AJ, pretty late to be coming out of the closet, isn't it?" Kevin said wryly.

AJ laughed. "It's never too late, Kevin," he boomed. "Never too late to share your feelings."

"About someone?" Brian's eyebrows rose.

"Yeah…" AJ broke off, folding his arms behind his head and gazing at the ceiling with a glazed look in his eyes. Brian looked at Kevin questioningly, who rolled his eyes. Brian knew exactly what that meant. I wish AJ would actually fall in love someday so he doesn't mistreat the emotion, he thought. And he'd know what it was like.

Brian's thoughts wandered to Rebecca Stanford, his first love. The girl he had never wanted to share with anyone, and the same girl who had wanted to take some time off, "start my career."

"Do you have to go all the way to Australia?"

"Yes, Brian, I do."

"Please don't. I love you."

"Brian, don't do this."

"…"

"I have to go. It's for the best. Maybe some day…"

"Someday is too far away. How do I know you'll come back to me?"

"You'll just have to trust me…trust me…trust me…"

Brian snapped out of his reverie, and felt his heart squeeze. Rebecca turned into a heart-snatcher while she was in Australia. The invitation, what he preferred to think of as 'the break up,' had sent him into a short-lived depression.

'On Saturday, the fifth of June, two thousand,
Join the bonding of Rebecca Anne Stranford
And James Carter Anthony
As they prepare to start a new life together.'

Brian swallowed hard, remembering the stages of his reaction. Disbelief…shock…anger…embarrassment…and finally, remorse. He had given her everything, and received nothing in return. How had he not seen it before? He had loved her for all he was worth, only to find she didn't even come close to feeling the same way. He'd spent days just wandering around…talking to whoever would listen, about whatever was in his brain.

It wore off eventually, and he could now think of that name without feeling like air was breezing right on through the wide, empty hole in his heart.

"You really shouldn't sit here if you want to leave us and head for some other planet."

Brian's head snapped up and he shielded his eyes from the sun.

"That didn't make sense, AJ," he said.

AJ shrugged. "Your back's gonna burn."

It was Brian who shrugged this time. "I don't burn."

AJ rolled his eyes. "OK." He sat down next to Brian and dangled his feet in the water. He yawned. "What's up?"

"Nothin'."

"Yeah, same here."

"We look forward to break for eight months of the year, and when it's finally come, we have nothing to do."

They laughed. "That's it in a nutshell," AJ commented.

"No, this is it in a nutshell: Help! It's in a nutshell, and it can't get out! Oh, dear, how did it get in this nutshell?"

AJ smacked Brian upside the head. "No more Austin Powers for you, you hear me?"

"Whatever." Brian wiggled his toes underneath the water. "So, what did you think of Tia?"

"She's cool."

"Yeah."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"What's what supposed to mean?"

"'Yeah.' What was that?"

"What, can't I agree with you?"

"That was more than agreeing, dude."

"Oh, okay."

AJ shook his head. "Whatever."

"I'm gonna go inside. My back's feeling pretty hot." Brian stood up and walked away.

"But Brian - I thought you didn't burn!" AJ called after him. Brian didn't answer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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