"Oh my God! I can't believe that we just talked to Nsync!" Zoe gushed, sliding off of Leah's bed and onto the carpet. A permanent smile spread across her face.

"I asked Justin to marry me, and he said he would wait until I turn eighteen!" Gia exclaimed, sitting cross-legged towards the edge of the bed. Yeah, he said that because he knows that by the time you do turn eighteen, you'll have your sights set on the next big popstar! Leah thought to herself. It was cute though how the girl's were so excited over meeting their favorite group. "Leah will you be my Maid of Honor?" Gia asked.

"Sure thing!" Leah replied, while sitting at the top of her bed, and curling her hair with a curling iron.

"What about me? I'm you sister!" Zoe said.

"Well, did you introduce me to Justin Timberlake? I think not!" Gia replied. Zoe simply roled her eyes.

"Everyone knows that the Maid of Honor title is reserved for sisters, or bestfriends if you're an only child." Zoe said. "And besides, do you honestly think that Justin will ever leave Britney for you?" Zoe asked, pushing her sisters buttons.

"Sure he will, one look at me and how could he not want me?" Gia asked flipping her hair.

The twins were so cute. They wanted so badly to be grown, but yet they still freaked out over Nsync, Backstreet Boys, body glitter, leather pants, Radio Disney, Seventeen magazine, and notes from boys with check yes or no if you like me boxes. Zoe and Gia wanted so badly to be adults, but Leah wanted to tell them to stay young as long as they could. Being an adult wasn't all that it was cracked up to be. She would do anything to get her teen years back.

"Well, you can keep curly, but Lance is all mine! I cannot resist that sexy southern deep voice of his." Zoe gushed.

Leah was happy that she got to spend time with her cousins, and that she got to grant one of their wishes. After they got back from the mall, Leah called JC up, and asked if he and the guys would meet the twins, two minutes later and BAM!... fantasy fulfilled! Leah would forever be revered as a legend in their minds.

"So, do you actually know Christina?" Gia asked.

"And Britney?" Zoe asked.

"Yeah, they're my friends." Leah said nonchalanty, unplugging her curling iron, and wrapping the cord around the base.

The girls gasped in surprise, and exchanged glances. "What are they like?" Zoe asked, rolling over on her stomach and propping her chin up in her hands, looking up at Leah. Gia did the same on the bed. "What are they like?" Zoe asked.

"They're just normal girls." Leah replied.

"No way, they can't be that famous and still be normal." Zoe said.

"Trust me, they're normal, they get zits, and have bad hair days just like you do." Leah said. She wanted to erase the illussion that the twins had of celebrities. She wanted them stop praising celebrities, and know that being famous isn't everything.

"I don't buy it they always look perfect." Gia said.

"Not always, there are a lot of things that make celebrities look perfect. Have you ever heard of airbrushing?" Leah asked. The twins shook their heads, and blinked.

"Okay, well airbrushing is when photographs are majorly altered. They can hide any flaws that I have. Like my album cover for example, I had a horrible alergic reaction from some new type of makeup that the makeup artist used on my face. I had a horrible rash, and broke out in hives, it was a disaster! But I still had to shoot the pictures for my album" Leah said.

"So, why couldn't you just wait a few days until your face cleared up?" Gia asked.

"Well because, time is everything in the music industry, and we had a deadline to meet. So I had to do the photoshoot anyway, and the photographer retouched the photos, so it looked I had a face full of makeup on." Lead explained. The girls stared at Leah dumbfounded.

"So you had no makeup on whatsoever?" Gia asked.

"None." Leah replied. "Oh yeah, and my hair was at least three shades lighter than it actually was on the cover." Leah added.

"Whoa." The girls repsonded in unison. Twin-tuition again.

"Yeah, nothing is what it seems in the entertainment business." Leah responded.

"But you're all so tiny. I wish I was that small." Gia said. Alarms immediately went off in Leah's head the moment she heard Gia say that.

"Trust me, no one, and I mean no one is that small." Leah said.

"But you are." Zoe pointed out.

"Listen to me, and listen to me good." Leah demanded. She sat at the edge of the bed, and the twins gathered around her. "Unfortunately music, is not the only part of the music business. Image is everything, and how my body looks is a very important part of my job. No one in the real world looks like this." Leah said pointing to herself. "It's no fun working out for four hours a day on top of dance rehearsals, and then following a super strict diet. It's not healty, and it's not realistic. Not to mention that the magic of computers and editing can make you look even more thinner than you actually are. I want you guys to know this; Hollywood is nothing more than smoke and mirrors, so don't be fooled by what you see. What you see is not always what you get, almost nothing is real. So I don't want you guys to get all caught up in trying to look like a celebrity or wanting to be famous, because, trust me, it's really not that great. Listen, you guys are fourteen! You're babies! Don't be in such a rush to grow up. You have the rest of your lives to figure out what you want to do, and who you want to be. Please don't try to be famous because you think it's cool. You're way too young to be worried about how much you weigh, or what your body looks like. You girls are beautiful, and you don't need to be focused on losing weight."

"Wow, I think that's the most impactful thing that anyone's ever said to me." Gia said, wiping tears from her eyes. She looked up to her big cousin and constantly tried to be like her, so everything that Leah told her really hit her. Trying to be perfect really did take a lot out of a person.

"She was talking to me too, you idiot!" Zoe said laughing. Leah couldn't help but to laugh too. Zoe was always the comdeic relief. She always broke the ice during a tense moment.

"Shut up!" Gia laughed and playfully swatted her sister on the arm, wiping her tears away.

I need you guys to make me a promise." Leah said, the girls nodded their heads. "If you ever feel the pressure to be perfect, then I want you call me. Don't get caught up in perfection, because that's such a dangerous place to be." Hearing her cousins talk like that scared her. She didn't want for her cousins to look up to her, or want to be like her. She didn't want them to feel the lonliless that she felt. She didn't want them to feel the pressure that she felt. And she didn't want them to form an eating disorder like she did. After going through what she went through, she wouldn't wish it on her worst enemies. For the last few years, she's felt miserable, and she hardly ever felt comfortable in her own skin, and it would break her heart to see her cousins following in her footsteps. "Do you guys understand me?" Leah asked. The girls nodded. "Great! Now let's go downstairs and eat!" Leah said.

*************

Two days later, as Bobbie stepped into the West Coast J-14 Magazine headquarters, she was anticipating for it to be a good day. She was back in California, and she was pretty sure that Nsync was far across the pond, and that's how she wanted it to stay. Needless to say, she was still suffering from the syndrome known as a 'broken heart', so out of sight was out of mind for her. Well, almost anyway. She was excited to be back at work, and that's where all of her attention would be focused. Being promoted from an advice columnist to an actual fashion journalist meant that Bobbie was only one step closer to her dream; Being the executive fashion editor for a major fashion magazine like Vogue or Harpers Bazaar! Now that she was back in her element, Bobbie felt invincible, as if nothing or no one could touch her. Not even a boybander, and his spoiled bitch of a popstar girlfriend. Okay, so maybe that assumption wasn't fair, but she couldn't help it. Although she didn't exactly know Leah, except for a few hi's and bye's here and there, she hated girl. She was just all too perfect. Nothing seemed to be wrong with her, not a hair out of place, and not an ounce of fat on her body. When Bobbie was with JC, every time Leah came around, Bobbie always felt as if she were being pushed to the side. And she absolutely hated it if the other girlfriends were around; Britney, Kelly, Danielle, and Danielle, because Leah was friends with them all. They all had a history together that Bobbie wasn't apart of, and she felt like a total loser. Like there was this inside joke that everyone was in on but her.

She should just stop, she was starting to let this get the best of her again, and she promised that she wouldn't do that. At least not in the workplace. No, she was here to be a professional, and that's exactly what she'd be. When she approached her boss's door, she tapped lightly. The woman in the swivel chair turned around at the sound of knocking on her door.

"Bobbie, hi!" Linda Foster greeted, a pleased smile spreading across her face., She turned to face Bobbie who looked fashionista perfect in a black Diane Von Furstenburg dress, and red Stella McCartney blazer. A pair of black four inch Salvatore Ferragamo pumps, and gold and silver Alexis Bittar teardrop earring tied her look together. Hmm, simple yet chic and very office appropriate, just like I taught her. Linda thought to herself. I'm so proud of my little protege'!

"You said you wanted to see me?" Bobbie asked.

"Right, come in." Linda motioned, waving her arm. "Have a seat." Bobbie sat in one of the two chairs in front of Linda's desk. "So, I wanted to congratulate you on doing such a fantastic job!"

"Thank you!" Bobbie replied graciously.

"Only two weeks as a fashion journalist, and you're already doing better than some of the executives around here!" Linda was quite impressed with her little protege's work. Bobbie smiled.

"I'm just really passionate about what I do." Bobbie said smiling. She loved work! It was the only place where she was the best at what she did, and was constantly praised for it! Who wouldn't want that?!

"I can tell." Linda said. "Which is why I'm picking you for my next project." Bobbie perked up excitedly. "I'm launching a website." Linda said. "It is going to be an extenstion of J-14. A website dedicated to teen fashion."

"Wow! That's incredible! But where do I fit in in all of this?" Bobbie asked.

"I'm picking you to be j-fashions.com's style editor-in-chief!" Linda announced. Bobbie could feel her heart racing in excitement!

"Me? You're picking me?" Bobbie asked in complete disbelief.

"Yes! I'm choosing you Bobbie!"

"I hope you don't mind my asking but, why me?" Bobbie asked. She knew to never ever question Linda Foster, but this just didn't feel real to her. She pinched herself to see if she was dreaming. She wasn't.

"Are you questioning my decision?" Linda asked, arching her left brow. Linda could go from friendly to mean in three point five.

"N-n-no. Not at all, I was j-jus-just-, there are just so many more qualified people here for the position." Bobbie stuttered. Damn the woman could make her so nervous!

"Would you like for one of them to take your place?" Linda asked sharply.

"No!" Bobbie replied quickly

"Well, if you must know. I feel like you have a lot of potential. You simply have more drive and determination than anyone else here. You want it more. You have a very impressive work ethic, and are the best person for the job. Don't be fooled. You got this far on hard work and hard work alone. You've earned this. So don't second guess yourself. You almost remind me of a young version of myself. Like the daughter I never had." Linda explained.

Bobbie felt deeply touched by Linda's words. It was so rare that a boss actually cared so much for her employees. It made her feel great that Linda truly believed in her so much. "Why thank you Ms. Foster, I promise that I won't let you down." Bobbie assured her.

"Oh I know you won't." Linda replied. "So for your first order of business, I want you to be a fashion correspondent on the red carpet at the Grammy Awards next month!" Linda said excitedly.

Bobbie's heart started to race again. And this time, not excitedly. Is this what a heart attack feels like? Bobbie wondered as she felt the bullets of sweat slowly start to roll down her forehead. Is is just me or is it getting hot in here? "Y-y-you want me to what?" Bobbie asked, almost panting. She had to make sure she heard right.

"I want you to be a red carpet fashion correspondent at the Grammy Awards next month." Linda repeated herself.

"I-I-I-I um, wow! I don't know if I can do that." Bobbie stammered nervously. No, she knew she couldn't. She couldn't possibly be there! It was music's biggest night, and she knew exactly who'd be there, and who he'd be with.

"Okay, no problem, I could just call in Aileen to be the style editor-in-chief for j-fashions.com if this is a problem for you." Linda said all too nonchalantly, her hand on her phone. She knew exactly what she was doing, and Bobbie didn't like it one bit.

"Fine, I'll do it!" Bobbie snapped.

"There, that's what I thought." Linda said, hanging the phone back up. Bobbie looked down at her feet, feeling completely defeated once again. Linda gave her a very condescending look. "Oh, you're not worried about that JC guy now are you?" Linda asked. Bobbie didn't say a word.

"Okay." Bobbie surrendered. "I'll do it."

"I knew you'd come through. So the Grammys is just about a month away, that'll give you just enough time to prep. I want you to know the names of thirty important designers that artist may be wearng that night, I need you to know the names of all of the important celebrities attending the event, and I'll need you to prepare a set of standard questions to ask the celebrities on the red carpet. I'll need those questions on my desk by the end of the day. Oh, and don't forget to pick out a killer dress!"

Bobbie stared at her boss's icy blue eyes. They seemed to have no soul, heart or compassion whatsoever. She knew that Linda wasn't kidding. Looking at Linda in her black Armani pant suit, her blonde hair pulled back into a tight bun, and her berry lip gloss tinted lips, she knew that Linda meant business. She was as serious as a heart attack. She was a woman who showed no mercy. She was Satan himself in a designer suit.

"You're dismissed." Linda announced. Bobbie arose from her seat on very wobbily legs. She knew that whatever lay ahead for her, was not going to be at all good. All she could do was brace herself for the drama, and hoped that she could handle it as gracefully as possible. As Bobbie turned to leave, Linda stopped her.

"Remember Bobbie, everyone is replaceable." Linda said icily, narrowing her eyes at Bobbie. She could practically smell Bobbie's fear, and gave her a wicked smile out of pure satisfaction.

A cold chill ran through Bobbie, and she could've sworn she felt herself shiver. Bobbie couldn't have been happier to be out of that office, and out from under Linda's gaze. Once out of Linda's office, she immediately made a run for it. Linda was so confusing. Sometimes Bobbie felt as though Linda could be a type of mother figure, and Bobbie constantly sought her validation, but then she could completely turn and become a monster. With a shaky hand, Bobbie wiped a lone tear from her cheek. She honestly couldn't decide whether or not taking on this job was a blessing or a curse. She just hoped that whatever she did for this job would all be worth it in the end.

z88;

Back in her office, Linda sat satisfied, knowing that she had Bobbie right where she wanted her. Bobbie loved her job so much, and Linda knew that the girl would do just about anything to keep it. Linda almost felt sorry for her. Poor girl, just broke up with the love of her life, and is trying to pick up the pieces of her broken heart. Maybe she shouldn't mess with her. But hell, who was she kidding? She was Linda fucking Foster, she could do whatever the hell she wanted. Sure, she had a heart, but this was business, and this was a cut throat industry. Her reputation was on the line, and she wasn't going to let some 25 year old, fashion editor wannabe ruin her. Linda couldn't stand how Bobbie thought that she was hot shit, just because she dated JC Chasez from a little band by the name of Nsync. So when she found out about their breakup, Linda decided to become somewhat of a 'Maternal Figure' to Bobbie. Take her under her wing, and give her guidance, show her what it meant to become a single and independent business woman. She couldn't even believe it that Bobbie had bought that "You've earned this" or "You're like the daughter I never had" bullshit! What a fool! She was so naive. Although, she had to give it to the girl, she had to handle herself pretty well. She sent the girl to London, even put her in the same hotel as her ex-boyfriend, and she hadn't gotten word of a physical altercation! Good girl! Linda took this opportunity as sort of a 'hazing' experiment. This was the ultimate test. She wanted to see if Bobbie could handle the pressure of working with her ex, and truly remain professional. She wanted to see if the little bitch would break.

*************

"Hi babe!" She could here JC's voice greet her all cheerily. What was he so fucking chipper for?

"Jace..." Leah slurred.

"Yeah?" JC asked, she didn't sound so good. Was she sick? "Are you okay?"

"Are you okay?" Leah asked back.

"What do you mean?" JC asked confused. Did he really just asked that? He calls at an undecent hour and he doesn't know what she means?

"What do I mean?" Leah asked back. "J.C. where are you?" Leah asked, her speech becoming more coherent.

"Budapest," JC answered.

"Right, and what time is it in Budapest?" Leah asked.

"It's 10:17 here... which means that-"

"It's four a.m. here, in Louisville, Ky." Leah said, finishing his sentence.

"Wow honey, I'm sorry. I didn't even think of the time difference, I just really wanted to talk to you." JC apologized.

Awww! How could Leah possibly be mad at that? He somehow always found a way to make her heart melt. "Aww baby that so sweet! Is everything okay?" Leah asked, now fully awake.

"Yeah, everything's fine." JC said. Okay, well he didn't sound fine. He sounded sort of sad, and it broke her heart.

"You don't sound fine."

"I am." JC reassured her.

"What's wrong?" Leah asked.

"Nothing, I promise." JC said.

"C'mon Josh, I've known you long enough to know when something's bothering you." Leah replied. "It's me you're taling to."

"I miss you." JC confessed. Everything was going great in his life. He got to live his dream with four of his bestfriends, he was finally with the love of his life, his family was taken care of, and he was truly happy. The only thing that was missing was Leah being right by his side. He missed her. He needed her to be with him. He needed to hear her voice every second of the day. He wanted to hold her, and kiss her, and squeeze her so badly. He wanted to look deep into her beautiful green eyes while making sweet love to her. He wanted her. And no amount of pictures, emails, or phone calls could equate to her actually being right there with him.

"I miss you too baby. So badly." It was true, Leah did miss him too. She hated that they had so little time together. She tried to keep her mind occupied on other things to keep from missing him, but whenever she was alone she thought of him. That should be a good thing, but because they were constantly miles and miles apart, that was a horrible thing. Being in a relationship was absolutely wonderful, but being apart so much really took it's toll. Her heart ached being away from him, she hated missing him. She almost felt incomplete, like she wasn't whole without him. It was torture. "I miss being held in your arms." Leah admitted.

"I miss holding you in my arms." JC replied. Leah could feel a lump forming in her throat, and she willed herself not to cry, but she couldn't help it. The tears slowly started to roll down her cheeks. She was a girl in love, and she missed her man.

"This sucks." Leah said, wiping her tears away. "This sucks sooo bad."

"You're telling me." JC sighed.

"I hate this." Leah said. She wanted- no- needed to be close to him.

"Leah?" JC asked.

"Yeah?"

"Have you ever... ya know... had phone sex?" JC asked.

"Jace!" Leah gasped. Okay, so she wasn't a virgin, but Leah still considered herself to be somewhat shy when it came to expresing her sexuality, and JC on the other hand, definitely wasn't!

"Well, I'm just sayin', if we can't be together physically, then we have to be together some kind of way."

Oh Lord, my man is a freak! Leah thought to herself. "But Jace... I mean... Phone sex? Really?!" Leah asked.

"Yeah." JC replied, a little to eager. Her voice alone was sexy enough to get him off.

"You're serious about this, aren't you?" Leah asked.

"Yes I am!" JC replied. "C'mon Leah, you're talking to the man who wrote Digital Get Down!"

Leah could practically feel herself blushing. Even with JC, she was so shy when it came to talking about sex. "Oh my," was all that she could say. She really wasn't sure if she could satisfy this man's sexual appetite from nearly five thousand miles away.

"C'mon Leah, it's the communication age! Don't be such a prude!"

"I've never done this before Jace." Leah admitted shyly.

"So are you saying yes?" JC asked.

"I might sound like a complete and total idiot." Leah warned.

"You're saying yes!" JC exclaimed excitedly, he could practically feel his manhood rise already.

"Yes, I'm saying yes Jace!" Leah couldn't believe that she was actually about to do this.

"Are you alone?" JC asked.

"Yes." Leah replied. "Are you?"

"Yeah."

"Are you sure?" Leah asked. She knew how meddlesome boys could be. "Yes, I'm sure!" JC laughed. All of the guys had went out to get breakfast. JC had told the guys to go without him, so that he could hang back and talk to Leah. They understood and gave him his space. "So why don't you start us off." JC prompted, lying back on the bed.

"I wouldn't know where to start." Leah blushed.

"Okay, tell me what you're wearing." JC instructed.

Leah looked down at herself. A Minnie Mouse tank top with matching boy shorts, weren't exactly sexy. "If I told you what I was wearing it might kill the mood." Leah said so very innocently. "So... how about if I take it off..." Leah said, this time more seductively.

JC could feel his hard member start to rise in his boxers. "I like the sound of that." JC replied. He could picture her naked body, lying there, lusting for him.

What do I say next? What do I say next? Leah wondered, internally panicking. "So... here I am... naked... lying here." Leah said awkwardly. Okay sexy, did not suit her at all. Being sexy felt so weird to her.

"Mmmm." JC moaned, as he began stroking his manhood.

"I can imagine you doing some very sexy things to me." Leah purred.

"Mmm, like what?" JC asked, stroking himself and throwing his head back.

"Some very sexy things involving your tongue." Leah whispered into the phone huskily, her voice sending chills down his spine.

"Whoooaaaa..." She knew that voice, and she knew that it most definitely wasn't JC's. Oh. My. God.

"CHRIS!!!" the couple yelled into the phone, both completely mortified.

"Sorry," Chris replied embarrassed that he had gotten caught.

"JC! I thought you were on your cell phone!" Leah cried.

"No, I'm on the hotel phone!" JC replied, pulling his pants up, and scrambling to pull his clothes back on before anyone could burst through the bedroom door. God, I'm so stupid! JC thought, mentally kicking himself in the ass. Being a man, he was totally thinking with the wrong head!

"I thought you said you were alone!"

"I thought I was!" JC said, trying to defend himself. He was not expecting this to happen at all.

Leah felt so embarrassed, she knew this was going to a bad idea. Dammit! They never had any privacy! "Yeah, well I have a feeling that Chris is only the fall guy in all of this!" JC knew that Leah was right. Justin, Joey, and Lance were probably listening in as well. Well, maybe not Lance, but most definitely Justin, Chris, and Joey.

"What a way to kill the mood." JC stated. He had gone from being embarrased to fully pissed off. "Hey, you know what? Why don't you go back to sleep, and I'll call you later, this time on my phone." JC suggested.

"That sounds like a good idea." Leah agreed. "So, I guess I'll talk to you when you know for sure that you're alone?"

"That sounds like a plan. Bye Leah." JC sighed, embarrassed and disappointed all at the same time.

"Bye Josh." Leah said before hanging up. Lying back on her bed, Leah honestly didn't know whether to feel embarrased or relieved, because she had absolutely no idea how phone sex worked, and she wasn't comfortable being super kinky. Note to self: Brush up on your freakiness! Immediately! Leah thought to herself. She would have to ask Lucky for sex advice, she was really open with that stuff.

"Hey, is everything okay in he- Oh my God!!!" Jill shrieked at the sight of her sister lying naked on top of her bed. Ew!

"Oh my God! Jill! Have you ever heard of knocking?" Leah asked, rolling off the bed, and struggling to pull her pajamas back on. She could not believe this was happening! Getting caught twice in less than five minutes? Damn her luck. Was it possible to die of embarassment

"Well, I just... I heard you scream and I thought that... you...um... Wait. What in the hell are you doing naked?" Jill asked. She didn't know whether to be disgusted or intrigued by the fact that her prude little sister could've possibly be doing something kinky. "Wait, were you, ya know... Masturbating?" Jill asked.

"No!" Leah snapped, wrapping her silk robe around her body. "Of course not!"

"Well then what were you doing? Because I didn't see you come out of the bathroom!" Jill said, posting her back up against the doorframe, patiently awaiting an explanation.

Well, there was only one way Jill would leave her alone, and that was to tell her the truth. Taking a deep breath, Leah closed her eyes, and let the words spill from her mouth before she could even think about it. "I was trying to have phone sex with my boyfriend."

"No way! No freakin' way!" Jill gasped in disbelief. "Mary? You?"

"You know I really hate it when you call me that." Leah said. How was it possible to feel this level of embarrassment. Now Leah's had some pretty embarrassing moments, but this definitely took the cake.

"You had phone sex? I can't even picture you having sex period!" Jill exclaimed, coming into the room, and shutting the door behind her.

"I'm twenty-three years old Jillian!" Leah said, calling her sister by her full name. "Did you really expect me to be a virgin?" Jill nodded her head. "And don't you think it's weird to picture your sister having sex period?"

"Oh it's not like I actually visualize you having sex or anything, it's just that you're so prude." Jill replied. Before sitting down on the bed, she checked it for stains.

"Nothing happened." Leah said.

"What do you mean nothing happened?" Jill asked, sitting down next to her sister.

"We got interrupted before we could even get started. The guys were listening in our conversation." Leah explained.

"Wow! I'm so glad not to be you right now!" Jill said.

"Yeah, go ahead and rub it in Jill!" Leah sighed.

"Oh come on, it's not that bad." Jill replied.

"Jill! That conversation was supposed to be private!"

"Well, obciously you didn't get too far. I didn't hear you screaming out in ecstasy, so how much could they have possibly heard?"

"They heard enough to know that I was naked!" Leah said, reliving the horrid moment all over again.

"Okay, now that pretty much tops all of my most embarrassing moments." Jill replied.

"Yeah, not helping!" Leah said.

"It's alright you'll get it over." Jill said.

"Yeah I hope so." Leah said. "Hey Jill, no offense or anything, but I think I want to be alone right now, you know, to take in all of this embarassment without your incessant taunting!"

"Oh I get it!" Jill smiled. "You want to be alone," she winked as she got up from her place on the bed. "I can totally read inbetween the lines!"

"Jill," Leah sighed, slightly annoyed. "Get your head out of the gutter."

"I understand, the physicality of a long distance relationship can take it's toll!" Jill teased, as she walked towards the door. Leah gave an evil glare. "Fine! I'm leaving." Jill opened the door, but before she left said, "and just so you know, I'm not going to let you live this down!" Leah picked up one of her pillows and threw it at Jill. Jill left, and closed the door before the pillow could hit her face.

"Ugggh! My life is so not fair!" Leah groaned as she collapsed back on her bed.

*************

"It was all his idea, I swear!" Chris said, pointing at Justin. JC had marched out of his room, and into the living room area of the hotel suite. He knew for a fact that it was Chris and Justin who had listened in to his private conversation. Well for obvious reasons being Joey was out like a light on the loveseat, and Lance wasn't even in the vicinity.

"What? No!" Justin exclaimed. "Chris is the one who picked up the phone!" Justin tried to defend himself. JC's intense glare shot to Chris, wanting an explanation. He was pissed.

"Dude! Don't put that on me!" Chris said to Justin, who was sitting next to him on the couch. "I didn't even know you were on the phone, I swear!" Chris explained. "When I realized that you were on the phone, I was gonna hang up, but Justin took it upon himself to continue to listen in on your coversation."

"And you didn't stop him?" JC fumed.

"He's his own person, who am I to tell him what to do?" Chris asked, shrugging his shoulders.

"But you listened along with him." JC accused.

"Well we weren't expecting you guys to... ya know... do that!" Justin said.

"Right, you had no idea what me and Leah were talking about, because you had no right to listen in on a very private conversation." JC scolded. He felt very upset, irritated, and most of all humiliated. Sure the guys like to joke around and play pranks all the time, but this? This was crossing a line! But then again, that's what you get when you put the oldest and the youngest together; complete and total chaos!

"Look C, we're sorry it won't happen again. Right Chris?" Justin said. When Chris didn't repsond, Justin nudged him in the side with his elbow.

"Huh? Oh yeah, we won't do it again." Chris said. JC took a deep breath, trying his best to remain calm. They did apologize, so he should let them off the hook, right? He needed time to think, to just be by himself for a little bit. Time to cool off. He needed to get out of there before he said something out of line.

"Okay fine." JC sighed. "I'll be back in a little while." He said, before grabbing his jacket and heading for the door.

"Where are you going?" Chris asked.

"Out." JC replied icily. JC yanked open the door, and rushed passed Lance, who was just getting back from the gift shop.

"Whoa! What was that all about?" Lance asked, taken aback by JC's urgency to get out of the hotel room.

"You don't wanna know!" Both Chris and Justin said in unison.

*************

Later that same morning, after showering and getting dressed for the day, Leah headed downstairs. The smell of maple bacon, pancakes, and fresh coffee directed her straight towards the kitchen. "Morning Aunt Celia." Leah said, greeting her aunt, who was frying bacon in a pan. She made a cup of coffee, and sat down at the island.

"Morning honey, breakfast is almost ready." Celia replied.

"Aunt Celia, you're going to spoil me with all of this cooking." Leah said, inhaling the glorious scent of a homecooked breakfast, something she never did for herself.

"Well someone's got to, because by the looks of it you're not doing such a good job of feeding yourself." Celia responded rather bluntly. Leah stared at the back of her aunt's auburn hair in complete shock. She couldn't believe that she had just said that to her. She almost felt caught, like she had been caught shoplifting a belt from the mall. Leah's rate started to speed up a little, although she tried not to show signs of panic, as not to acknowledge the fact that something was wrong.

"It means that you look like you haven't eaten in weeks, and to be quite honest I don't think you've been taking care of yourself properly." Celia turned to look her niece in the eyes. Dammit! Leah hated when her aunts gave her that look. That was the 'I-know-that-you're-hiding-something-from-me-and-you-better-tell-me-what-is-or-else-I'll-make-you-tell-me!' look. Leah hated that look. Leah shifted uncomfortably under her aunt's gaze.

Should I tell her? Leah contemplated. No I can't! She'd be so ashamed of me if she ever found out! "I think I'm taking care of myself just fine." Leah finally said. Afterall, Leah was a grown woman who was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. Wasn't she?

Celia raised an eyebrow at her niece. That look was the 'I-know-you're-lying-to-me-and-you-know-that-we-don't-lie-in-this-family' look. Leah hated that look too. She knew that no matter what crap she told her aunt, it would never work. But what in the hell was she supposed to say? 'Hey Aunt Celia, I just happen to have Anorexia and Bulimia too'? She couldn't say that!

Celia knew that something was seriously wrong with her niece, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Something was off about her, something was different, and it wasn't good. She was determined to get to the bottom of this mystery before the week was over with, if it was the last thing she did. "I think you should stay longer, maybe being back home is good for you." Celia suggested.

"But I don't have enough clothes." Leah replied.

"Child, you brought enought clothes with you to last a lifetime, and anything you don't have with you, you can buy here." Leah could come up with all of the excuses that she wanted, but Celia wasn't planning on letting her off the hook anytime soon.

"But I have studio sessions scheduled, and I have a meeting with my label, and a photoshoot that I-"

"You work too hard." Celia said, interrupting her. "You can afford to take some time off." Celia was only being so hard on Leah, because she loved her. She could see that her niece was transforming into a different person. She was changing for the worst, and Leah needed a little tough love so that she could get back to being her old self. She wasn't her niece's fan, she was her aunt, and she wasn't going to tiptoe around her just becuase she just so happened to be a celebrity, nope, she was going to be blunt, and tell it to her like it was. Leah needed to be treated like a person, not a product.

If Aunt Celia didn't stop, Leah was sure to break out in a sweat. She hated lying! Depsite years of acting classes, Leah was a pretty bad liar. "Listen Aunt Celia I-"

"Good morning everyone!" Jeremy's voice rang throught the entire kitchen. Saved by the frickin' bell! Leah thought, releasing a breath that she hadn't even realized she had been holding. "It smells great in here, is breakfast almost ready?" Leah missed Jeremy's over-the-top cheery attitude. He that amazing quality about him, where he could instantly cheer anyone up in 30 seconds or less! She missed him! It had been so long since they had been able to just hang. Leah felt a pang of guilt stab at her heart. "Morning mother, you're looking beautiful as always!" Jeremy said, before placing a kiss on Celia's cheek.

"What do you want?" Celia asked, fighting the urge to smile.

Jeremy had a look of faux-shock on his face and gasped. He was so over dramatic! "You mean, I can't tell my own mother that she's beautiful? What kind of world do we live in?" Jeremy gasped. Leah laughed.

"Good morning to you too baby!" Celia replied, and went back to cooking.

"Morning Leelee!"

"Morning Jerr!" The cousins greeted each other with their nicknames that they came up with for each other. No one could ever call her Leelee except for Jeremy, and no one could call him Jerr, except for Leah, that was their thing.

"So what are your plans for the day?" Jeremy asked.

"Well I was going to go rent a car. If I'm gonna be here all week, I'd like to have my own wheels, instead of constantly having to depend on Jill to get me from point A to point B. I can tell that she's already getting tired of me." Leah said.

"Let me take you, we have a lot to catch up on!" Jeremy replied.

"Oh we do!" Leah concurred.

"Breakfast is ready!" Celia announced.

"C'mon let's make our plates before Aiden comes down, they guy is a bottomless pit!" Leah said. Both Jermey and Celia laughed. Leah, Celia, and Jeremy then all made their plates, and headed to the dining room, waiting for everyone else to come down and eat with them.

After breakfast, Leah and Jeremy had left for the car dealership. Meanwhile, Celia had set her plan in motion, and needed her sister's help. As everyone cleared out of the dining room, Celia held Lorraine back. "Hey Lorr, could you please help me with the dishes?"

"Yeah sure." Lorraine replied. Stepping out of the dining room, Celia checked to make sure that no one was arround, and that she and Lorraine were the only ones downstairs. When she saw that the coast was clear, she closed the door. "Um, Celia, is everything okay?" Lorraine asked.

"No." Celia answered. "Something's wrong with Leah."

"You mean you see it too?" Lorraine asked incredulously. She thought that she was the only one that noticed.

"Yeah isn't strange? I can't put my finger on it, but something's definitely wrong with that girl." Celia said.

"She doesn't seem happy." Lorraine pointed out. "Do you think it's Mom's death?" Lorraine asked. "They were pretty close, so I imagine that she's taking it pretty hard."

"That's definitely part of it." Celia agreed. "But I feel like there's something more. Something she's not letting us on to."

"Do you think it's a boy?" Lorraine asked. "Maybe she's got a broken heart."

"No it's not that, she got into a relationship with that JC guy, and when he called her the other day her eyes completely lit up, so that's not the problem I'm sure." Celia explained.

"So then what could it be?" Lorraine asked.

"I don't know, but she's changing, I thought maybe it was because I hadn't seen her in a while, or that she was getting older but- no! It's almost as if she's a different person. When she came downstairs this morning, I mentioned to her that she's lost so much weight, and she kept trying to avoid the issue. Something's definitely wrong." Celia said.

"I agree." Lorraine replied.

"So what do we do?" Celia asked, turning towards her big sister.

"Confront her."

*************

As Leah pulled into the driveway behind Jeremy, she turned the key in the ignition to shut the silver BMW that she had rented. It was nothing like her Range Rover, but she would get used to it. Grabbing her purse from the passenger seat, Leah got out of the car, and locked it, and met Jeremy in the house.

"Hey Jerr, why don't we go to the movies later. I'm dying to see Save the Last Dance!" Leah suggested.

"Yeah that sounds great." Jeremy replied, taking his coat off, and hanging it on the rack. Leah did the same.

"I'll drive this time, and it's my treat!" Leah said.

"Good! Having a celebrity in the family is finally good for something!" Jeremy joked.

"Well," Leah scoffed playfully. "All this time you were only using me! I should've known!" Leah and Jeremy both shared a laugh. Just then, Leah heard her phone ring, she checked her caller ID and saw that it was Lucky. "I have to take this." Leah said, excusing herself, and walking up the stairs.

"Alright, I'll see you in an hour." Jeremy called after her.

"'Kay!" Leah called back before answering her phone. "Hello." Leah greeted.

"Hey how are you?" Lucky asked. "How is it being back home with the sister from hell?" Lucky asked.

"Not nearly as bad as I thought it would be." Leah said, walking into her room. "Surprisingly, Jill's actually been nice to me."

"Wait. Am I getting bad cell reception here, or did you just say that Jill is being nice to you?" Lucky asked in disbelief.

"No, you heard right. She's actually being nice to me. Keep your fingers crossed!" Leah said.

"Will do." Lucky replied.

"So, how's everything with you? You doing okay?" Leah asked.

"I'm doing great actually!" Lucky said. "I was actually wondering if there was enough room in the Big Apple for the both of us?"

"Wait. What are you getting at?" Leah asked, sitting in the chair to the computer desk.

"Well, since I am a freelance stylist after all, I decided to move to New York!" Lucky announced.

"Oh. My. Gosh!" Leah exclaimed. "Lucky are you for real?" Leah asked. She was completely astonished and excited! Having her bestfriend- no her soul sister- in the same city would be amazing! They wouldn't be so far away from each other now, if one of them needed the other. "What made you come to this decision?" Leah asked.

"Well there are two specific reasons." Lucky explained. "Number one, New York is the fashion captial of the world, and two, I've decided when Autumn rolls around that I'm going to apply to NYU!" Lucky was anxious to her what Leah thought of her big news to go back to school. She already had a degree in Fashion Design from the Fashion Institue of Design and Merchandising, but now she wanted a business degree.

"Lucky, that's fantastic!" Leah congratulated. She was so excited for Lucky. Lucky's been wanting to have her own clothing line for a while now, and Lucky's been talking about going back to school for business, and Leah was happy that Lucky finally made the decision to do so.

"Yeah, I just hope they accept me." Lucky said nervously.

"Of course, they'll accept you. You're a successful fashion stylist, and you graduated from FIDM with top honors. If they don't accept you, then I'll go to the Dean of Admissions, and give him a good piece of my mind. Or her."

"Wow, thanks mom!" Lucky teased. Leah always had Lucky's back, and Lucky's always had Leah's. No matter what! "So I wanted to get settled there and I'm looking for an apartment. What's the name of your realtor again?" Lucky asked, a pen and paper in hand.

Just then a thought popped into Leah's head, almost out of thin air. Maybe she was cazy for what she was about to do, but she just hoped that Lucky wouldn't shoot her down. "Um, why don't we live together?" Leah asked, the words spilled from her mouth before she could form a fully hatched plan in her head. She was totally wingin' it here.

"What?" Lucky asked, not sure she'd heard right.

"Why don't we live together." Leah repeated.

"Leah that's great, but I don't wanna impose." Lucky said. She knew that if the two were to live together, the very next week Leah was sure to regret her decision. Leah was very Type-A, organized, and bordeline OCD when it came to her record collection. Lucky on the other hand was almost too laid back for her own damn good, and was a complete and total mess. If the two lived together, Leah would get tired of constantly telling Lucky to pick up her shit. No, she couldn't do that to Leah. When she was in college, and Lucky moved into her very first apartment with her roomate Samaire, she told Lucky that she was the most obnoxious roomate in the history of roomates.

"You would not be imposing Lucky." Leah insisted. "You're like a sister to me. C'mon Lucky, we could be like Laverne and Shirley 2.0, except we'd be in New York!"

"Where is all of this coming from?" Lucky asked, she could tell when something was wrong with her friend. They had that instant friend-tuition, where they could easily sense when something was wrong with the other.

"Okay, to be honest, I need this Lucky." Leah admitted, putting an emphasis on the word need.

"What do you mean you 'need' this?" Lucky asked, quoting her.

"I'm lonely." Leah confessed. She knew that she could talk to Lucky about anything. "I'm starting to hate my apartment. I can't live there anymore. It's way to damn big for me, and I hate it. It just reminds me of just how lonely I am, and you know what it's like for me to be alone. I'm not good by myself."

Lucky sighed. She knew exactly what Leah meant. It wasn't good for Leah to be by herself. "I'm afraid I'll relapse." Leah said near tears. "I can't be by myself Lucky, I can't go back to my old ways, I just can't. I need to be around people. I need to be around you. Lucky I need you, you're the only person that can help me." Leah felt so pathetic pleading to Lucky like that. It was almost embarrassing. She hated asking for help. She usually tried to keep her life under control, but she didn't want to pretend to have things under control, when she actually didn't. She refused for her life to spiral out of control again. Not when she had everything going for her.

Lucky wanted to break out in tears at Leah's plea. She sounded so desparate. She hated to hear her friend sound so weak, especially when Lucky knew just how string she was. Lucky hated that Leah didn't know her own strength. It almost seems as though she knew how to be strong for everyone else, but she didn't know how to be strong when it came to herself. She needed to there for Leah, and she would be. She didn't want to witness Leah on a down spiral again. "Okay, I'm in." Lucky declared. "As soon as you get back to New York, call me, and we'll go apartment hunting!"

"Lucky, you really mean that?" Leah asked.

"Of course I mean it, what kind of friend would I be if I left you alone? Us living together is totally gonna rock. It'll be just like a slumber party every night!" Lucky said, trying to lighten the moment.

"Just like summers in Orlando." Leah stated, feeling wave of nostalgia beginning to wash over her. She missed those days so badly.

"Just like summers in Orlando." Lucky repeated.

"Thanks so much for this Lucky. I can't relapse. I don't wanna go back to that. No one can see me like that. Not even Josh."

"You mean he doesn't know?" Lucky asked, trying to hide the nervousness that was trying to creep it's way into her voice.

"No! I would freak if he found out! Lucky, he can't see that side of me- ever! When I was dealing wit my eating disorders, I was at my absolute worst. He can't see me like that."

Lucky could practically feel the blood draining from her face. She looked as if she had just seen a ghost. She looked down at her hands that were now shaking. Had she made a mistake by telling JC about Leah's eating disorders behind her back? Had she betrayed her? Lucky could pratically visualize the train wreck that was to come. "He won't, I promise." Lucky said. She knew that she shouldn't make promises that she couldn't keep, but she couldn't blow her cover now. Chances are, if JC hadn't told Leah that he'd known by now, that he wouldn't bring it up anytime soon right? Lucky silently tried to convince herself that everything would be alright.

"Thank you so much Lucky! This means everything to me! I want you to know that I really do appreciate everything you do for me. One day, when I'm not so fucked up, I promise that I'll make this all up to you."

"Are you kidding me? You know that I'd do anything for you." Lucky said. Silently freaking out on the other end of the phone. "This is gonna be great! So, I have a meeting with a client, so I'll talk to you later, Laverne!" Lucky affectionately called her.

"Alright, I'll talk to you then Shirley!" Leah said, before hanging up. A wave of relief washed over her. She really did need Lucky to help get her back on track. She honestly didn't know what she would do if she didn't have Lucky.

z88;

Meanwhile, Lucky was back at her house in Los Angeles, nevously pacing across her living room floor. Okay so she lied, she didn't exactly have a client to meet with, but she couldn't stay on the phone much longer and keepher cool. She had to get in touch with JC before he told Leah that he knew about her eating disorders. A million questions began to race through Lucky's mind.

What if she finds out that I told him?

Would Leah feel like I betrayed her?

Would she understand that I was only trying to help?

What if she hates me?

Lucky needed to get in touch with JC, and fast! She had to stop this train wreck before it happened. Lucky grabbed her cordless phone, and quickly dialed JC's number. It rang once, before going straight to voicemail. "Dammit!" Lucky groaned feeling helpless. Great, right when she needed JC, he wouldn't pick up. Lucky had to find a way to get to JC, she had to tell him not to mention Leah's eating disorders to her whatsoever. If Leah knew that JC knew, then there was going to be a big problem. Leah's eating disorders were her deepest secrets and very few people knew about it. She knew how ashamed Leah felt, and she could understand why she didn't want JC to know. Lucky just wished that she could instantly fix this. She was afriad that if Leah found out that she told JC, that Leah would hate her, and losing her bestfriend was too much to risk.