Chapter Five

          "So? How'd it go?" Madison dropped her lunch tray to the table with a loud smack and slid onto the bench across from Rachel and Angela.

          "How'd what go?" She asked between nibbles of her burrito.

          "Chris met her parents," Madison explained. Angela nearly choked. Rachel patted her on the back then returned to her untouched cafeteria food.

          "I thought it went well. He was really polite and made sure not to touch me. He even called them ‘sir' and ‘ma'am.'"

"Did they freak out about his hair and his piercings?" Angela asked.

Rachel shook her head. "He put on a hat and he took out his earrings."

Madison eyed her friend. "Why do I get the feeling there's a big but coming up?"

"I don't know. Why do you?" Madison rolled her eyes and flipped her hair, recently layered and trimmed, over her shoulder, then settled her eyes on Rachel. She sighed. "They thought he was nice, but too old for me. And I even lied about his age."

"How old did you tell them he was?" Angela asked.

"Twenty," she replied, a guilty look on her face. When her friends said nothing, she shrugged it off. "I don't know. I think they think it's just a summer fling and now that school's back in session, we'll like, drift apart. Or something parent-y stupid like that."

"Is that what you think?" Madison questioned before sipping from her large Diet Coke.

Rachel cupped her chin in her hand, smiled softly, almost dreamily, and shook her head. "Hell no. I can't wait to see him again. He just makes me feel-I don't know. He doesn't treat me like a little kid, like everyone else."

Angela discreetly made a face and pushed her empty tray away. "So when will you see him again?"

"Well, they have a short break from the tour in a couple of weeks and they'll be in L.A. for about four days." Rachel crossed her arms on the table.

"For what?"

"They're performing at a benefit, attending an awards show and JJ, Joey and I believe Lance, want to go to the Out of Sight premiere," Madison answered promptly.

Angela sent a curious gaze across the table and Rachel hid her smile by chomping on a barbecue chip. "How did you know that?"

Madison's crystal green eyes twinkled. So far the only people who knew about her and Justin were the other guys and Rachel. It was hard dating a popstar, especially one who was always rumored to be dating young, beautiful starlets.

"Okay, pinkie swear not to tell." She reached across the table, her pinkie aimed at Angela. Angela glanced at Rachel who raised a shoulder in response. Curious, she stretched out her hand and linked her pinkie to Madison's. "I am unofficially dating JJ."

A loud gasp escaped from Angela as she stared at Madison. Rachel would have laughed, but stared in disbelief at her best friend. "Wait, wait, wait. What do you mean ‘unofficially'?"

"Well..." Madison pulled her hand back. "We've known each other since we were kids, you know? We've seen each other with other people and I think one of the things that make us such great friends is that I don't treat him like ‘Justin Timberlake.' He's just JJ to me. And we both agreed to just take things slow. See how they go. I mean, he's off gallivanting across the country, gyrating his hips at any pretty little thing that'll look and I'm here...going to school."

Rachel narrowed her eyes. "So define unofficial for me."

Madison made a face at Rachel. "For JJ and me, it means if we meet someone else we might be interested in seeing, we can go for it. And when he comes back into town, I'm all his."

"But will he be all yours?"

"Angie!" Rachel yelled.

"What? Look, from the eyes of any red-blooded female our age, you guys are leading a pretty charmed life. You're dating two guys who just happen to be in the hottest band at the moment." Rachel and Madison exchanged amused glances. "But realistically, it's a sucky situation because while you two sit at home going to football games and pep rallies and studying for pop quizzes, they're going to award shows and movie premieres-" Angela said looking directly at Madison, "-and studying the bodies of pop stars."

"Thanks, Buzz Kill. Any other aspects of our lives you'd like to run through the garbage disposal?" Madison frowned, distorting her pretty face.

"I am just making sure that you understand what you are getting yourselves into."

"You're wrong."

Angela and Madison's eyes shifted to Rachel, at the hard, short tone of her voice. She nodded at Madison. "I can't speak for Justin, because I don't know him well enough, but..." she looked at Angela, "I know Chris.  And he isn't out with anyone else. He cares about me. If he didn't, he wouldn't call me every night after every performance and talk until he fell asleep. He wouldn't bother taking me to his favorite restaurant to try his favorite dish or to stay up late the night before he had to catch an early plane so he could meet my parents or take me miniature golfing because he knows I love it. Or listen to soft rock when all he wants to listen to is Busta Rhymes."

Madison saw the heat come into Rachel's cheeks and sat up straighter. "Um...Boo..."

"If all he wanted from me was a quick screw, he would've tried a long time ago instead of being a perfect gentleman on every date we've been on."

"Rach..."

"So next time you want to make us understand, why don't you try being a little supportive instead of bringing us down...friend." Rachel slung her book bag over her shoulder and jumped up, carrying her lunch tray to the nearest trash receptacle. Angela stared, wide-eyed at Madison, who shrugged and got to her feet to follow Rachel, catching her as she headed to the parking lot.

"Boo." She tugged on Rachel's arm as she stopped reluctantly. "What the hell was that?"

Rachel crossed her arms. "She pissed me off."

"Yeah, I got that. Why?"

She lowered her gaze to her feet, kicking at the gravel. "Chris said the guys have been giving him a hard time lately and not always in a funny way."

"Oh."

"Particularly JC. Apparently, he's not too jazzed about me being..." she rolled her eyes. "Jailbait."

"Ew, harsh."

"Yeah, tell me about it." Rachel blew out a breath. "Listen, tell Ange I'm sorry. I just didn't expect everyone to take this so badly."

"But you understand why, right? I mean, I love Chris, he's always been cool with me, but I wouldn't be a very good best friend if I didn't tell you there is a small part of me that worries, too."

Rachel moved her shoulders. "And just what is it that everyone is so frickin' worried about?"

Madison frowned. "Don't get defensive with me, Rachel. I don't want to see either of you get hurt."

Rachel looked away. "Do me a favor and take notes in Geometry," she said walking around Madison.

"Wait, where are you going?"

Rachel stopped to look back. "Home. I just can't deal with all of this right now."

"Boo-"

"I'll be fine!" Rachel yelled over her shoulder as she made her way to her car.