I wake up to an alarm going off shortly after falling back asleep. I half whine, half whimper at the noise. Howie pokes me and I swat at him, he stops. Brian gently shakes me by the shoulder, calling my name. A hand wraps around my ankle, instinctively making me kick at it, it pulls and I wrap my arms around Nick's waist as we both get yanked off the bed and crash to the floor. I look AJ in the face and flip him off, snuggling up to Nick again. "I think we should get up. We can sleep on the flight home."
I roll my eyes. "That's today?"
"Yeah," he confirms, stretching and yawning.
"Time?"
"4:21."
"I have another hour to sleep. Nick, help me get back to sleep."
He smiles. "It takes you forever, it'd be a waste of time."
"Yeah, princess, flights are for sleeping anyway," AJ interjects.
I sit on the bed with my legs folded like a pretzel, yawn, stretch and slowly wake up. 5:45, JC will knock on the door. I'm woken up again by Lance soon after. "James?"
"Yeah, it's 5:35. I checked his hand and it wore off. We better get you back to your room before he gets up in ten minutes."
"Ok." I look at the Boys and smile. "See you guys at the check in counter."
Nick hugs me. "See you in a bit," he agrees with a weak smile.
I turn and walk out of their joined room, making sure to shut the door before running for my room. I jam my key into the slot and leave my door open to signal security that I'm awake. I quickly change and slowly pack the rest of my things into my bags. I text Nick. 'Almost done packing. You?'
'Done. Only had to change my clothes. Showered last night.'
'I have to shower when we get to your house.'
'That's cool.'
'Call me? Bored. Finished packing.'
JC comes in the room as Nick texts back 'in a few', leaning on the doorway with his arms crossed against his chest. "You talk to Nick?"
"Yes. He's calling me back in a few."
"You packed yet?"
"Yeah," I sigh.
"You sound so excited to go home," he deadpans.
"I am, but I'm not," I admit. We stop talking for a few seconds and that's when Nick calls, JC tells me to be ready in an hour. "Hey."
"Hey, beautiful. He know?"
"No, got back in my room before his alarm went off."
"Actually, Jazz, I knew," JC informs me.
"How?"
"I woke up after you left and read my hand."
I hang my head. "You don't seem bothered by it."
"Kevin, Howie and Brian were there. Anything happen?"
"Watched a movie, fell asleep like usual and woke up to come pack," I recount as I look in his eyes.
He shrugs and turns away. "You've been acting better and smarter since he's been around, proving I can trust you around him. As well as him around you."
I hear Nick let out a sigh of relief. "Now we just have to meet your mom." He's happy to know there is no reason that JC won't trust us.
"That's the easy part. She loves your brother and sisters. She talks to your parents a couple times a week, along with the guys' parents. She may want to meet the rest of Howie and AJ's families."
"AJ only has his mom. Hoke is a police officer, Paula is always there for us. Brian and Kevin's parents live in Kentucky. Your mom knows my parents."
"Hoke and Paula?"
"Howie's parents."
"Oh, ok. What's AJ's mom's name?"
"Denise."
"Will they be there?"
"Along with my family, yes."
"Cool. I miss your brother and sisters."
"15 minutes, Jazz." I hear Nick get the same time warning.
"Ok, Daddy C. Guess we leave in 15. I better be sitting next to you or I'm gonna pitch a fit," I tell him.
"What's your seat number?"
"23 aisle."
"I'm stuck sitting between you and B-Rok."
"Who? I don't know your nicknames that well."
"Brian is B-Rok or Frick, AJ is Bones, Howie is Sweet D and Kevin is just Kev."
"What about you?"
"Frack or Nicky."
"I call you Icky."
"You're the only one who can, Jazzabee."
I smile at the memory of when he came up with it. "You're the only one who I let call me that."
He chuckles. "We have our nicknames and only we use em. Heh, that's funny."
"You're funny."
"You have a twisted sense of humor."
"I know. JC's about to give me the 5 minute warning. Talk to you soon. Meet at the gate?"
"Yeah. See ya there."
We hang up. "Nick, cad ba mhaith liom a dhéanamh gan tú?" I say, looking at my phone.
"What does that mean?"
"It goes for you guys too. Cad ba mhaith liom a dhéanamh gan tú? 'What would I do without you?' I'm really gonna miss you guys!"
"We're going to miss you too. Justin will-"
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK "C'mon, Jazz, open up!" Of course he comes on cue. I look at the clock, seven minutes. I open the door and I'm greeted with a huge hug, picking me off the floor. "I'm going to miss you! Even though you really pissed me off yesterday, I'm going to really miss you."
"Justin, loosen the death grip," I tell him, feeling like he's about to snap me in half.
He puts me down and looks at me. "Call us when you land?"
"Of course."
"Call each of us everyday?"
"When haven't I at least texted you guys everyday?"
"True, but we miss hearing your voice sometimes too."
"Send a text saying it and I'll call as soon as I get the chance."
"Ok."
Chris and Joey hug me simultaneously. "Hug my baby sisters when you see them for me?"
"Just for you, I will."
Joey smiles. "I'm going to miss having to carry you around asleep and piggy back. I guess I'm going to have to go back to taping these guys' antics," he says, thumbing in the other 4 guys' directions.
"Jazz. I need a hug," Lance says.
"Anytime, James. Just ask," I tell him as we embrace each other. I kiss the four them on the cheek and step back.
"Time to go," JC informs me. I hug him and kiss his cheek. I grab my bags and give JC the room key.
"I'm gonna miss the five of you so much. Hurry up and come home!"
"You're still cooking all that food right?" Joey either has women, Kelly or food on the brain.
"Yes, Phat One."
"Can you make Chinese another time after we come home?" Chinese food=JC.
"Yes, I can, Josh." He smiles like a kid on Christmas or Easter.
"I want your macaroni again," Justin tells me.
"Doable."
Lance smiles. "I just want brownies and cookies and cake. I like your baked goods," he admits. I smile and nod.
I wave and head down the stairs with JC, Lonnie and Derek in tow. We get in the van and head for the airport, not speaking as I rest my head on JC's shoulder and on the verge of tears. I may not get to see these guys for 9 months or longer and they don't know how much I'm gonna miss their antics and craziness. I can't tell them that because they'd probably feel guilty for making their dreams happen. JC checks me in and sits with me at the gate, neither of us can say a word. He's trying his best to keep me from crying, he can tell I want to and probably has an idea as to why. He hands me picture envelopes and ten envelopes. "What're these?"
"Pictures and letters. Pictures you took while you were here and some we had taken of us with your camera. Lonnie, Derek, Johnny and Darren snuck some pictures of us. The guys and I have copies with the six of us." He pulls out a picture of the six of us laughing. "This one is my favorite, I wrote why on the back. We picked five each and wrote our reason why it's one of our favorites, even Lonnie and crew did it," he explains. I flip over the picture and read what he wrote. I hug him with a huge smile on my face. It read 'You told us a joke and, for once, I actually got it :) Thanks'.
I read a few and smile even more. "Thank everyone for me."
"I will. Joey stuck tapes in your gym bag. The letters are ones we wrote and didn't send or have been writing since you came to see us. It's going to be awhile before we can see you again and we hope that this is enough to hold you over till we can spend time with you again," he admits, his voice cracking during the last sentence.
"I hope so too."
I open my eyes and see the Boys behind JC, I signal 'wait'. Nick nods, knowing I want to go home and I also don't want to leave the guys at the same time. "I have to go to rehearsal after we pick up the other four at the hotel."
"Do me a ginormous favor?"
"Depending on what it is, maybe."
Always cautious, a typical JC trait. "Tell the guys I love them and I'm really gonna miss the five of you insanely. And you have to use those words."
"You love us and you're going to miss us insanely?"
"Yup, I do and I am."
"Got it. Stay out of trouble."
"Come on, JC," Lonnie tells him.
"We're going to miss her too, but we have to go," Derek says, hugging me.
Lonnie gives me a hug and the three of them leave, waving. I wave Nick and the Boys over once Lonnie, Derek and JC are out of sight. "I'm gonna miss em."
"I know," Nick sympathizes.
We sit there quiet, my head on his shoulder with me on the verge of tears. I curl my body on the seat and start crying. "Why is she crying, Nick?"
"JC and the guys are her best friends and brothers."
"I guess it makes sense," AJ reasons.
Nick rubs my arm with his wrapped around mine, soothing me as best as he can. He starts whispering to me before he recalls some of the lyrics to 'Can't Get You Off My Mind' and he sings it quietly to me. I look at him, surprised. "You remembered," I whisper, tilting my head up so I can whisper in his ear. He smiles and nods, still singing the middle of the song loud enough just for me to hear.
Our flight is called over the intercom and all I understand is 'Paris, France' and 'Orlando, Florida, United States'. "That's us," Howie announces to the five of us.
Nick wipes my tears with his face and I pull a baby wipe out of my carry on bag, wiping my face. "Let's get on the plane, get you to sleep and be home when you wake up," Nick suggests.
"I'm game for that," I admit, drained of energy and tears.
Nick carries my bag and his onto the plane with his arm around my shoulders. His bag on his shoulder and mine in his hand. We sit in our seats and he puts his arm out to signal he's settled in. I lay my head on his shoulder and kisses my forehead with a smile as he wraps his arm around me to run his fingers through my hair.
Brian must've pointed this out to AJ, I hear him scoff. "Nick, stop spoiling her or we're going to suffer with it all summer."
"I'm not spoiling her," he informs him.
"Everything baby wants, baby gets from you," he claims.
"I've told her no."
"About what?"
"Me going home with her," he informs AJ.
"We are though, to meet her mom," AJ argues.
"No, 'home' as in Mississippi."
"When did she ask? When is she going?"
"She asked when we saw her last and she's going in April, the week of the 21st."
"You two spent the day whispering back and forth."
"That was part of it."
"What was the rest?"
"That was between us, she asked to keep it that way."
"That's what I mean-she wants from you, she gets from you. She has you wrapped around her finger. Man, I bet if she said-"
"Ná tús, Alexander."
"All I understood was my name."
I yawn. "Don't start," I translate sleepily.
I feel Nick shrug. "There will be times I'll tell her no, I'm sure," Nick calmly says, closing the argument. I feel his body tense as we take off, my arms holding onto him tightly, and relax as we even out, my arms loosen around him as I relax a little.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Jazzy is still scared to fly, so someone helping her fall asleep soon after boarding makes it all easier to deal with.
*EDITED*
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