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Chapter 23
Maranda as Veronica
"Get it!" Mandy dove for the ball and as she was about to go under she hit it up.
I dove for it next and sent it forward, but more towards Lacy's side of the pool. "Lacy!"
"I got it!" She jumped out of the water to spike the ball over the net. Just as it was about to hit the water Nick dove ad hit it back up. Kevin hit over, nearly hitting Mandy in the face. I stuck my hand out and hit it back.
The ball went to Brian in the back and he hit a lay up to Nick who hit it to me. I set it up and Mandy spiked it over. Finally it landed with a splash in the water.
"Yeah!" We girls started cheering while the guys were booing.
"Come on you still have to get the point to win." Brian threw the ball over the net and Mandy passed it to me.
"24 up," I called out the score. I tossed the ball into the air and served it over. Nick jumped up and hit it back to me. I set it up and Mandy hit it over. Brian splashed in the water and just barely hit the ball back. Lacy was next to set it up and Mandy spiked it over.
"Yeah!" We started screaming when Kevin missed the ball. "We won!"
"We kicked your sorry Backstreet butts!" Lacy laughed the hardest.
"Howie!" I screamed.
Everyone, Howie included looked around to find what I was screaming about. All eyes stopped at the overly smoking grill.
"Howie!" Kevin jumped out of the pool like some sci-fi action hero with out the slightest effort.
He ran over to the closed grill and opened the lid. He immediately had to take about 10 steps back because of the smoke. After nearly gagging and waving arms around the smoke cleared and everyone gathered to see the damage…which was bad.
Kevin looked up and everyone was sure there was going to be some yelling. "I say we order pizza." He smirked.
We all laughed and for nothing better to say we cheered on about getting pizza.
Soon we girls were being fed small pieces of our pizza and having our glasses held for us.
"I could get used to this." I laughed as Brian took a bite of his pizza and then fed me a piece of mine.
"I know. It's great." Lacy was giggling more that ever. Everytime Nick fed her something he would make a face or make a noise just to make her laugh.
"Whose fault was it again?" Brian questioned, with a smirk, while looking at Kevin who seemed to be enjoying it as mush as Mandy.
"Hey I don't mind." Kevin shrugged.
"He does this all the time." Mandy smiled.
"Aww," Lacy and me cooed.
"Hey!" Nick and Brian protested.
We just laughed.
"So Aj I hear it's very odd for you to be the single one. What's the deal?"
"Brian already got to you." He smiled and took a bite of his pizza.
"Aww." I smiled.
"What is this?" Brian tried to act mad, but it's hard to do with a big smile on his face.
"Nauh, I just haven't seen anything worth the hassle." Aj picked up his pop and took a sip.
"Hassle," Lacy, Mandy and me asked at the same time.
"Woah! Aj entered the red zone…three times over." Nick laughed.
"Do you think girls are a hassle, Nick," Lacy asked.
"Of course not. Well some are, but that's not to say that you are. Some girls are ugly, but we both know how beautiful you are." He took her chin between his hands and kissed her tenderly.
When the broke her eyes were still closed and she smiled. When she opened her eyes she smiled wider. "You're forgiven."
We laughed. "Smooth, Nick." I laughed.
"Thank you. Thank you." He took a small bow from his seat.
"And Aj? Care to explain your reasoning for us being hassles?" Mandy questioned enveloped in Kevin's strong arms.
"I'm not saying all girls are. Some aren't. Being on tour some girls and all the girls I've ever dated, like attention and lots of it. Being in a band, I can't give a girl the kind of attention she wants. That's what the hassle is," Aj amended.
We girls nodded, accepting the answer.
"That's very sweet. But you know Shannacy has had her eye on you." Mandy noted as if it were nothing.
Aj raised an eyebrow, "Shannacy? That hot brunette with the fine butt?"
"Well she is a brunette but I don't really judge the other two qualifications."
"Let me put it like this; cute, shorter that me but taller than Brian, hazel eyes, tanned skin and a hot body. Our brand spanking new dancer Shannacy?"
"Spanking?" Mandy shook her head. "You're odd…but what's new. Yes that Shannacy, are you interested?"
"Is Brian a shrimp? Of course I'm interested!"
"Hey!" Brian protested.
"Sorry man, just an example."
"Well get a new one."
"Aww." I held out my arms and Brian scooted closer on the couch. I wrapped my arms around Brian's neck. He enveloped me around the waist with his arms that seemed to fit so perfect. He rested he head on my shoulder, exhausted from volleyball.
"So now you're ready to give a girl attention?" Mandy and Aj's conversation continued on.
"I never said I wasn't ready. It's just really hard for people who aren't in the same line of work."
"So do you want her number?"
"Why would we be having this conversation if I didn't?"
"I don't know, but you have to promise me one thing…"
I zoned out the conversation as Brian skimmed his fingers over my bare skin. My fingers trailed threw Brian's still damp, curly hair.
"What's this from?" Brian started our won conversation as he spotted my scar on my stomach and traced it with his finger.
"Oh, I was
a klutz as a kid. It's just a reminder of it." Chills ran sown my spine,
but I tried not to let on.
He seemed to accept the answer because he rested his head again.
I rested my head against his thinking about the day's events. This is the most fun I've had in a really long time. I never thought about work, but how could you when it's staring you in the face and you're in love with it.
I lifted my head abruptly. In love…with Brian? The thought with him wasn't so ludicrous as the thought it's self. I've never loved anyone. I was too young to love Charles as often as I protested that I did I couldn't have. But no matter what I told myself the thought felt pretty good.
Me in love with Brian? I smiled and laid my head back on Brian's. If it weren't so impossible we might have made a cute couple.
It's good to know what love feels like, though it hurts more that anything I've ever felt before. This feeling was something that, even more that Brian's kisses, made me feel alive. It made me feel dead to. I was dyeing because I love him and I can't be with him.
I can't tell him I love him, I made a solemn resolve to myself. He thinks it was just dumb luck at a club that I would go out with him again and again and again. He doesn't know that I've been watching him for 8 years.
"Watching him," that's the first I've thought about actually watching him in what seems like months. With us "dating" I haven't tapped him, gathered information, and probed him, nothing.
I'm leaving my world because of him…no…for him.
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