The day I stepped back into my room, at home in LA, I felt like something was missing. Everything seemed off. For months, way after my 13th birthday, everything still seemed off. I practically badgered my mom to buy the Disney Channel just so I could see the guys everyday.
It's entirely safe to say that hanging out with Justin and JC, along with Celeste, for the rest of my vacation went extremely well. Numbers were exchanged and addresses were written down. I was going to miss them all. Cel was from The Bronx in New York and I knew I'd probably never see her again. Justin from Millington, Tennessee, and JC from Bowie, Maryland. I was way across the country. With any luck, we'd go back to Orlando this year, but I knew it was a longshot.
1994: The Cancel
I turned on the TV and turned to Disney Channel only to see that I was getting nothing but weird previews.
"Moooooom, what happened to my Disney?!" I called.
"The show got cancelled! I'm not spending my money.........."
I don't know what she said after that, I tuned her out. All I heard was show and cancelled. I had to call someone and find out what was going on. I dialed Justin first, hoping he would pick up.
"Hello?" answered a male voice.
"May I please speak to Justin?"
"May I ask who's speaking?"
"Zahra."
"Oh hey Zahra, what's up?" Whoa. THAT was Justin? He sounded a little different. Guess he was on the road to pu-ber-ty.
"I'm okay, how are you doing?" I asked softly.
"I'm....good? Why do you sound all sad and stuff?" I noticed how cute his accent was and giggled silently.
"I heard about the show, I'm so sorry," I responded.
"Oh that? It's cool, really. It's not so bad being back home, I can go to school and stuff."
"How's that going for you? School?" I asked.
"It's....not as pleasant as I'd hoped. Some kids at school think I'm some stuck-up sissy. But I'm not like that, I'm not like that at all," he replied.
"I know you're not. Don't worry about those kids, Justin. Make friends with people who do see you for the great person you are."
I heard a light chuckle. "You just made me realize how much I miss hanging out with you. You always know what to say. I talked to Cel yesterday and she told me to punch the next guy who called me a sissy."
I laughed, that was Celeste alright. She was a pound their face in now and ask questions later type of girl. Justin missed me. I don't blush and giggle like a fool often, but he sure knows how to make me.
"I miss hanging with you, too. I should go see you one of these days or you come see me, that'd be so cool. I mean, your mom has to wonder who you've been writing and sending pictures to this entire time."
"Trust me, she knows who you are. I talk about you all the time."
He talks about me all the time? Okay, I have to be hearing things, right? "You what?"
"Have you talked to JC?"
"Way to change the subject, but not lately no, why?" I asked.
"He asked me about you."
Oh did he? Bet he told you how cute a kid I was. Ugh. What an unintentional jerk.
"That's cool, guess that means I have to call him. Anyway, I was just checking to see how you were holding up. I'll call you later," I said.
"Thanks, I appreciate it, bye Zee."
"Bye Justin."
He talks about me all the time. Hopefully, that's a good thing.
1995: Runaway.....To Me?
14 was the age of greatness for me, of course except I still had my period. My breasts were in, my body fanned out, and I was almost done with jr. high. The latter being the greatest. My wall was filled with pictures sent to me from Celeste, Justin, and JC. I didn't think they'd actually ever write me letters, but I always returned the favor. Justin was growing up to be this major hot guy and JC had already been in the same category for quite awhile. My family and I never did get back to Orlando, but Cel did keep me posted on all the action she wished I was there to partake in with her.
I wish, one wish. I only wanna see everybody, just for a microsec--
"Hello?" I asked. I was a bit irritated, damn call came in and messed up my wish.
"Hey Zahra, it's JC." Oddly, I'm not irritated anymore.
"Oh hey Josh, I was just about to call and see if you got my letter."
"Yeah, that's what I'm calling about. Your picture....um you..."
"What? Was it a cute kiddie photo?" I asked. He chuckled. I am never gonna let that go. Obviously.
"Would you stop it? Um...It was a nice school picture."
Seriously, JC? I really don't want to ask if that was really what he was trying to say. I'm letting it go.
"Wow a real compliment from you," I teased. “You look super different in your pictures.”
"Oh please. I don't look that much different."
"To me, you do," I argued.
"Wanna find out?" he asked.
I felt my cheeks warm with embarrassment. It was annoying how easy that happened. Is....is he hitting on me?
"How would I do that?"
"I'm coming to LA," he quietly responded. Oh, he wasn't hitting on me. Well, I could dream, can't I?
"Are you serious? When? Why? How? Where are you gonna stay?"
"Whoa, whoa, slow down. I have a friend who's gonna help me get there, and he's setting up a job for me," he explained.
"Where are you gonna LIVE, Josh?" I asked again.
"I was hoping you could help me with that? Maybe."
Oh, yeah sure.....wait, WHAT?!
"Come again? What exactly are you asking me?"
"If I could stay with you, just until I save up enough money for an apartment."
"Josh, are you crazy?!" I yelled.
"Just ask for me, please. I'll have a job, I'll help pay for whatever I need to, and I'll....I'll even enroll in school if she wants. Help me out. Your know your mom loves me, she knows I'm a good influence on you."
I smiled. "Good influence? Yeah right, if only she could see ALL the pictures you've sent me."
There were a good number of pictures where he wasn't wearing a shirt. Not like I minded anyway.
"Dude, don’t word things that way. I was at the beach. What was I supposed to have on? A parka and mountain boots? Anyway, ask for me, please? Pretty please? With JC sugar on top?"
Okay, so he was shirtless at the beach. Whatever. This is what I mean by unintentional jerk.
"JC sugar? I'm not in the least fazed by those," I said.
"You wouldn't know. But anyway, ask her please? With Justin sugar on top?" he laughed.
"Now, I could work with that," I joked.
I pictured him rolling his eyes. JC never admit it, but he hated when I played him and Justin against each other. But why wouldn't I? JC has made it clear that I’ll always be a kid to him. At least Justin and I would be kids together. On the other hand, JC did like the attention I gave him. Like any other teenage guy, it made him feel like he had the upper hand.
"Are you gonna ask for me or not, Zahra?"
"I'll ask and call you back," I replied.
"Thanks, I love you a billion right now," he said.
"Yeah, yeah. Bye."
I hung up the phone and paced the floor of my room. How the HELL was I gonna approach my mom with this? We did have a nicely furnished basement, but my mom never said anything about renting it out. She could use the extra money for the house renovations she'd been wanting to get done. Aha! I know how I'm gonna do this.
I calmly walked downstairs. My mom was sitting at the counter, flipping through a magazine. She looked up and I stared at her.
"Alright, what do you want and how much is it gonna cost?" she asked.
Shit. I hate when moms do that! She didn't even give me a chance to put on my best "mommy" voice.
"Mother! I am appalled by you....yeah okay, do you want to rent out the basement?" I asked.
"Depends, who wants it?" she asked me.
"JC....," I replied. Oh no, here it comes. I can feel it, she’s gonna launch into and —
"How much can he pay for rent?"
....kick my ass? Hold up. What’d she just say?!
"Mom, does this mean you're considering?" I asked.
"I need the extra money, since my hours are going to be cut short for the next couple of months so I can finish up the rest of my nursing classes. Give me his number so I can speak to him and his mother."
"Uh....okay." I wrote down his number and strayed back upstairs to my room. Who the hell is that woman downstairs? That's not my mom. My mom would've thrown me into next year for asking if a 19-year old boy could stay with us.
JC's gonna be living with me? Mom, of all the times to say no, this would've been it.
1995: Moving In
I was so nervous. It's been two years since the last time I saw JC. What if I'm not what he's expecting to see? Unfortunately, my mom would be working by the time JC got here, so I had no choice but to go this alone. As I was walking down the stairs, the doorbell rang. I quickly jogged to the door, only to stand in front of it in pure fear. The doorbell sounded off once more, and I was still frozen.
"Coming!" I slapped my hand against my forehead. Stupid!
"Zahra? It sounds like you're already at the door."
"I am, I'm just having a hard time opening the it." I shook my head and dropped it forward against the wooden barrier.
"Well, could you have an easy time? All this crap I have isn't exactly light."
I took a deep breath, unlocked the door, and finally pulled it open. There stood JC; he was taller, slender, and his hair was still dark and wavy, but cut shorter. The only things that didn't change were his eyes and his face. Damn, he was right. JC smiled at me, as his eyes looked me up and down. I forgot I was standing in the doorway and quickly moved aside so he could come in.
"Oh my GOD," I whispered as I closed the door back.
"Hey! Come here and give me a hug!" JC smiled. I walked over and threw my arms around his waist. I...only got an inch or two of a growth spurt and that was it. He lifted me into the air and spun me around. I think I heard music start to play in the background, and white Lilies fell from the ceiling.....that doesn't mean I liked it or anything......right?
"Wow, you don't look anything like your pictures, Zee. You definitely seem more older," he complimented.
"How much older?" I really wanted to know.
"Like.....a 17-year old, if it makes you happy," he smiled. I pushed him and grabbed one of his bags.
"Come on, follow me to your new abode," I said as I led the way to the basement. I switched the light on and walked down the stairs. No matter how nice it looked, the basement always freaked me out. It was comfortable, regardless.
"This is pretty dope, are you sure your mom wants to rent this out?" he asked as he put his things down. He walked around, in awe of everything.
"You wanna risk asking her?"
"You're right, definitely not. Hey....thanks for doing this for me. I appreciate it more than you'll ever know."
It's no problem, really." I headed back toward the staircase, still not letting go of that nervous energy I'd had since I opened the door.
"You're not going to stay so we can do some catching up?" he asked.
"I actually have some chores I need to be getting to, but we can catch up later."
I lied. The thought of being in a room alone with JC scared me. Not because I was worried about him. But because I was worried about me. I didn't want to feel like something was happening between us and he was only being friendly. I'm 14. I have an overactive imagination. Mixups are more than likely to happen...and often.
Once Justin found out about JC living with me, he threw the option of coming on a road trip to see me. I knew that was only the jealousy speaking. I tried all I could to get him to actually admit that he liked me, but that Justin was a stubborn one. I mean, he had nothing to worry about. Justin did tell me JC had a girlfriend, which that jerk never bothered to tell me. So if JC has a girlfriend and Justin apparently "doesn't like me", what is there to be worried about?
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing. If anything, I want Justin to be happy. And in possibly damaging how he thinks I feel about him, I told him he should be out having numerous girlfriends.
"Justin....we're 14 and on different sides of the country. It's not like you're into me or anything, so you should definitely go and check out the girl fishes."
That was my bait. Stubborn Justin let it go RIGHT over his curly head. And as far as I'm concerned, that was the last we spoke of Justin and I as more than friends.
Story Tags: friendsturnedlovers mmcera firsttime tourj nsasync tour jealous triangles roommates hotel otherwoman debutsync presync tourjc jc justin friendswithbenefits cheaterjc
