Chapter One

          "Bug, I really don't want to go." Rachel plopped down onto the bed belonging to her best friend. She picked up a decorative pillow from the mass of them assembled at the head of the bed and hugged it to her chest, her full bottom lip slightly protruding.

          Madison Park sighed heavily, fluttering her jet black blunt-cut bangs and rolled her eyes. "Come on, Boo," she begged. "You've been so mopey and moody lately." Rachel raised gloomy hazel-green eyes. "When are you gonna get over that dipshit Mark?" Madison hadn't meant to sound irritated, but she had been worried for her friend of six years.

          "I am over Mark. It has nothing to do with that...jerk."

          Madison lowered to her bed, crossed her legs, facing Rachel. "Then what is it, Rachel?" Rachel frowned. Madison never called her by name unless she was serious. They'd started calling each other ‘Bug' and ‘Boo' the moment they met; on Halloween when they were ten years old. Rachel was dressed as a ghost and Madison, a ladybug.

          "It's just..." she sighed heavily and flexed her fingers. "Ugh! There are no good guys out there. They're all these horny, immature little boys."

          Madison and their friend, Angela Aceves, giggled. "Uh, Boo, we're still in high school. It is highly unlikely that you're gonna meet your soul mate in P.E. or Social Studies."

          Rachel rubbed a finger under her nose, trying to hide her grin. "I know."

          "So come with us and meet the guys." Madison reached out to take Rachel's hand, bouncing on the bed with excitement. "I begged JJ to get us in and now I owe him big time. All because I know how much you, my best friend, loves *NSYNC and wants to meet them."

          Rachel slouched and scoffed, flicking her eyes to Madison. "Isn't it bad enough that you're the lucky one to be friends with Justin Timberlake and the other guys? Must you make me feel worse?"

          "I'm not trying to make you feel worse. I just want you to have some fun, Boo. And the guys are fun. And I'm trying to get you to go somewhere that isn't school or one of our houses."

          "Bug!" Rachel squealed. "You make it seem like I don't go anywhere else. I go to the mall."

          "To work. That's not good enough." Angela rose from the chair at Madison's desk where she had just finished painting her nails. "So...I'm not going if you're not," she said stubbornly, placing her hands on her narrow hips, fingers splayed.

          Rachel glanced between her two friends and couldn't help but grin. "All right, I'm going."