"Jazzy, we landed in Orlando. Jazz, wake up. Jazz, Orlando," Nick tells me, rubbing my arm and gently shaking me awake.
I open my eyes and blink a couple times, stretching as I do. "It's been six or seven hours already?"
Brian smiles at me. "I know. We need to get off and you have five very worried friends to call."
I nod, smiling at the reminder. "Thanks, B."
"No problem." I grab my carry on and we head to luggage claim. I turn my cell on, check my texts and voicemail. I listen to the message and it's my mom saying she couldn't come get me, but she's able to go into work for 11 to meet everyone. The texts are the guys asking if I landed, I start calling them while I wait for my other two bags to come out. A book bag and my suitcase.
I grab them off the belt, put the book bag on my back and used the bungee cords in the front pocket of my suitcase to attach my duffel to my suitcase. I pull the handle out and start walking as I wait for- "Hello?"
"I'm alive and in Orlando."
"Thanks, now I can relax."
"Thought I'd call you first, Daddy C."
"Why?"
"You'd blow a gasket out of concern and worry."
"You know me a little too well."
"I basically lived with you for three weeks in all. Plus, you hovered over me out there. I was FORCED to get to know you and the guys better than you think. I bet the other four are standing around you, looking at their phones and wondering who's next."
"Yeah, and writing me questions to ask you. I'm sure nothing happened besides her falling asleep."
"That's it, slept the whole flight."
"They're getting a little anxious."
"Justin-monkey, Chris-crazy, Joey-bear, James-south, you pick," I tell him.
"Um, south."
"Ok. Talk later."
"Yup."
I call Lance. "Hey, what is this, 'call all five of us back to back'?"
"Yeppaz. I'm alive and in Orlando, James."
"Alright. I'm glad to know that."
"Monkey, bear or crazy."
"Huh?"
"Pick one, I'll call them next."
"Uh, crazy, I guess."
"Chris."
"Oh, ok. Talk later tonight?"
"As long as I don't fall asleep after a shower, you know how jet lag works."
"Alright, talk to you later."
"Later."
I call Chris. "Hello?" he answers frantically.
I giggle at this. "A bit frantic, Chris?"
"Well, we just said good-bye to someone who means alot to us and let her fly home alone."
I smile. "I made it back to Orlando safely. Stop worrying. JC does that best and that's why I called him first."
"Ok. You about to head off to see your mom?"
"For a few minutes, then she heads to work and I go to Tampa for a week after she meets the Boys and their staff."
"Can we talk later on?"
"As long as jet lag doesn't get me first, yeah." I look at Nick and sign for the time. He shows me his watch and our flight was ten minutes early.
"Later, alligator."
"Chris, monkey or bear?"
"What?"
"Justin is a monkey and Joey is a bear," I explain.
"Bear," I hear him walk away from the others, "he's calmer and I want to see Justin worry for a few more minutes. I'm enjoying it."
I shake my head. "Figures. Ok, bye for awhile, crocodile."
"Later, alligator."
I call Joey. "Hey."
"I'm safe."
"She's safe!" he repeats, most likely doing the umpire thing that they do in baseball when a runner crosses the plate safely.
I chuckle. "You nerd."
"You love me."
"As a brother."
"Works for me."
"Should I call Justin?"
He's quiet for a few seconds. "Yeah, you should because he's worrying more than JC was when he came to get us for rehearsal."
"It's that bad?"
"Yes."
"Tell him I'm calling him in a few seconds."
"Will do, skidoo."
"Later, magoo."
"Later to you, Tigger, too."
I call the youngest one to calm his nerves. "Hello?"
"Justin, it's Jazz."
"Oh, thank God, you're ok!"
"Justin, how many flights did you die on?"
"None, I'm still alive."
"How many was I on with you in the past couple weeks?"
"There was.." He's counting. "Seven, I think."
"How many alone?"
"Two."
"Would I be calling to talk to you if I wasn't alive?"
"No."
"Relax." I spot Nick's family and wave to them. "I'll try to call you later, ok? I'm safe, so chill out, deal?"
"Deal," he says, a bit calmer and with some confidence.
I hang up, put my phone away and run to his sisters and brother. "I missed you, Jazz," Bobbie admits.
"I missed all four of you," I tell them as I mess Aaron's hair. "Even your pranks, lil man."
"I ain't little," Aaron disagrees.
"For now you are," Nick informs him. "Someday you'll be taller than us, the girls at least." They share a smile and hug.
"We missed you so much, Nick," Leslie looks like she's about to cry.
"Well, you have three and a half months to deal with me and Jazz."
"I'm still going on tour with you, right?" Aaron asks.
"Yes, and she's going with us. She just has to get some serious school work to finish first."
"I actually finished two months' worth of it while in Europe. So, I think six months of it in three months is more than achievable. It's safe to assume that I'm spending six months on the road with you guys."
"Holy-"
His parents are surprised. "Johnny told us about the deal and that you're signing that at your house before we head to Tampa," his mom informs me.
"Yeah, six months' worth of work, plus the rest of the year in three and half months' time. I can do it."
"Jazz, you're insane," Nick says, shaking his head.
"Motivated," Brian suggests.
"Overachiever," AJ offers.
"Impatient," Kevin observes.
"I say all of the above," Howie honestly implies.
I poke Howie and a huge smile creeps across my face. "At least somebody's honest."
"Let's get you to your house so you can grab some clean clothes, sign the deal and your mom can meet everyone that's going on the promo tour, right, Nicky?"
He gives her a half smile. "Right, mom."
We get in our cars and I text the other four guys my address before we even get to the car. Nick and I sit in the very back of the van, his head in my lap as my fingers rake through his blonde mushroom cut hair. He smiles, causing me to gently smile back. "What's it like over there? Are the girls crazy over there? Are they cool?" We look at Aaron, back at each other and we can read the concern in the other's eyes.
"Aaron, chill out, you're only going on ten! At your age, I was more worried about school, friends, and Nintendo than girls. I didn't really care for the girls out there," he looks at Aaron until the last part of what he's saying, turning his head toward me.
"Are you guys dating yet?"
"Not yet. I don't know when, but sometime soon. We're just very close friends right now."
Jane looks in the rearview mirror and smiles. Nick has his knees pulled back and that's all she sees of his body. He's holding one of my hands with our fingers laced together while the other is going through his hair repeatedly, both of us smiling at the other, our blue eyes locked on the other set of blue eyes. "Nick, have you two figured out the whole sleeping situation?"
"She can have my bed, I'll bunk with Aaron. It'll give the two of us to bond."
"Ok." Nick quietly sings Journey's 'Open Arms'. "We're at your house, Jazzy."
"Thank you, Mrs. Carter."
"Call me Jane, please."
"Sorry. There's quite a few cars on the street. Do you see the other guys' cars?"
Nick sits up and looks. "That's Brian and Kevin," he informs me as he points out a blue Chevrolet. He points to a black Ford Taurus, "That's AJ's car and Howie rode with him." He looks around. "The four cars near those two are security," he tells me as he indicates the black sedans, one on either end of the two other cars. "Everybody's here, so, let's do this." We get up, exit the van, signal the others and we go in my house together.
"Ma?"
"Jazz, how was Europe?"
"I have videos and pictures to show you. It was great!" I spot Johnny. "Tried to keep the deal date from me, huh?" I joke.
"I forgot to get in touch with you."
"Can I see it?" He hands me the document and I read it, everything being what we agreed on in London. I grab the blue ink pen, signing and initialing where it says to, triple checking before I pass it to Nick. Nick does the same thing before passing it to AJ, AJ passes it to Brian after signing, Brian signs and passes it to Kevin, Kevin signs and passes it to Howie, Howie reads and signs it before showing their security staff, the security staff initial who pass it to my mom, she reads it and looks at me.
She looks worried. "Are you absolutely sure you can accomplish this by June?"
"Yes, I'm sure. I finished next month's work before I went to Europe and up until May's work while I was out there. All I have left is June, then September through to February. I plan on picking up the work for June on the way to Tampa. I asked Nick's mom on the phone the other night."
She sighs, bowing her head down to sign her name under mine. She hands it to Johnny. "Thank you, Jazzy, Boys, Vikki. The guys said to leave your gift in your room."
"I'm not even gone 12 hours and they already sent a gift?"
"Yes."
"Can you guys line up?" They do and I smile. "Mom, this is Nick, AJ, Brian, Howie, Kevin, Karl, Mike, Kent, Gary, Paul, Jeff, Mitch, Billy, Jake, Adam, and Jason. The last ten are the security staff. Can I please, please, please go see what the guys sent?"
"How do you group them and know the difference?"
"These five are the Boys and the other five are the guys."
"Ok, go," she shoos me up the stairs and I take off running up the stairs, taking two or three at a time.
I find a copy of their European album (signed) and tapes (audio and video) with their names on them in blue sharpie ink. I grab my extra duffel from my closet, pack the cd, tapes, clean clothes, razors, and my teddy bear (I've had it since I was a baby). I look around the room and spot my baby blanket (it's a patchwork dragon blowing the cotton flower things into the air with a castle in the background) and decide to pack it because I miss my neenee (my grandma on my dad's side, she's in Mississippi). I come downstairs and grab what I need out of my suitcase and duffel. I put my school bag on my back and pick up the duffel I just packed. "Ready, Boys?"
"Got everything?" Nick asks, smiling. I walk over and see the photo album open to when I was seven.
"Did she start from the beginning?"
"No, she already left. We saw this photo album and looked at it."
I put my hand to my chest and breathe a sigh of complete relief. "Thank goodness. Let's go." We hug everyone else good-bye for the week and run to his parents' van. "We're all set."
"Now we can stop at your school to pick up two more months of work and go home," Bob says (Nick's dad).
"Yup." I won't tell them it's the last month or so of this year's and the first three months of next year, making it four. I have this week and all of next month to do it. I spoke to Karen, who informed me. I go in the school with Nick and head for the principal's office. "Mrs. Sheridian?"
"Jazz, come in. Did you have any trouble with the assignments?"
"None I couldn't solve on my own," I tell her as I give her the work for April and May.
She glances over all of it. "Good job. I have your class roster for next year and the first three months of work as requested in the agreement with Mr. Wright, your mom and Mrs. Chasez. This is the work for June. You have until March 31 to hand all of it in, giving you six weeks. All absences are excused and overridden. At the rate you're blowing through the work, you'll be done with next year by the end of this school year and graduate with Tyler Chasez." They pushed me back a year because I came into the classes halfway through the year and their courses are at a higher level than Massachusetts.
"Thank you, Mrs. Sheridan. Is there anything else I need to do?"
"Not at this moment, no." I shake her hand and leave the office before I realize Nick is looking at me like I'm insane.
I look at him, walking next to me. "What, Icky?"
"Only a few weeks ahead? My butt, just a few weeks. By June, you're gonna graduate middle school a year ahead!"
I shrug. "I wanna finish early."
"You'll be done with high school when I finish at the speed you're whipping through the work!"
"I'm three years behind you."
"After this year, only two."
"So?"
"Then over the summer, are you going to be doing some of your work for your freshman year?"
"Sure. That'll get me to February of the year by September. Mail it out, get the last four months' of work done by New Year's eve."
"Then you'll be a year behind me."
"Work on my sophomore year starting in January and finish by June."
"Then what?"
"Junior year from June to December and senior year from the following January to the June of 99."
"You're gonna try to graduate with me?"
"Or a year before."
He puts his arm around my shoulders and shakes his head. "You're out of your mind."
"What's your point?"
"Just that if this works, you're gonna end up making me look bad."
I roll my eyes as my cell rings and I pick up. "Hey, JazzBean."
"Hey, James."
"What year do you graduate?"
"Depends on how hard I push myself."
"What year is your estimated graduation?"
"2001 or 2002, why?"
"What year are you going to try for?"
"I plan on graduating two or three years ahead."
"Ok. How do you plan on doing that?"
"Start off by graduating middle school this year with Tyler. Start high school this summer, work wise. Finish ninth grade by December, tenth by next June, eleventh by next December, twelfth by June 99. I'll graduate with Nick and the year after you."
"Talk about ambitious. Graduating two years early is insane, graduating in two years is clinically insane."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," I reply, flatly.
"I didn't mean it like that. If you want to try to graduate with either of us, go for it. If you do it, we'll be proud of you for another reason."
"Thank you. I'll try to buzz you back after I get to Nick's and shower. Let the other guys know I say hi and I love you guys."
"I will. We miss you."
"I bet it's cuz Justin is driving you up every wall possible."
"That's part of it."
"What's the other part?"
"JC is playing dad to us now and it's driving me, Chris and Justin crazy."
"I dealt with the brunt of it for two weeks. I feel no sympathy."
"I wish you could rem-"
"You're telling Jazz that I'm supposedly being too bossy, overprotective and fatherly, right?" JC and Justin have either really good timing, hearing or a sixth sense that tells them when someone's talking about them (and the location).
"Um-"
JC snatches the phone. "Is he?"
"Meh."
"Jazz."
"JC."
"Samantha."
"Joshua."
"JazzBean."
"Joshie."
"Jazzy."
"Josh."
"Yes or no."
"Yup."
"Knew it."
"Talk to you guys later," I tell him as I laugh.
"Get some sleep and I know you're ambitious, but do what makes you happy."
"I'm graduating with Tyler this year."
"Already?"
"A year early from middle school and two or three years ahead from high school."
"Ty's going to be upset."
"Why?"
"Because he struggles."
"I'm breezing through it. I have the work for June and September through December in my hands. I hand it in on March 31, special treatment. Then I do January through April's work for next year by the end of April. Then May to the end of the year's work for next year by Tyler's last day, May 21. Then I graduate with with your brother."
"Freshman year?"
"I plan on doing it between June and December."
"You did two months' worth of class and homework in two weeks. I'm going to bet you can finish freshman year by the end of August, sophomore year by December, junior year by March next year and graduate with Lance."
"Is that a challenge?"
"I suppose it is."
I hope he realizes that I take challenges like this serious. "If I do it?"
"I'll get you any car you want for your 16th birthday, out right."
"License?"
"That too."
"Insurance?"
"Paid for a year."
I think about it for a few minutes. "Only if Chris, Joey and James are in on it."
"Guys?" They're in the room with him, great. They all agree on it. "They're in on splitting it four ways."
"I'm game," I say with a hint of mischief in my voice.
"Talk to you later."
"Later, Daddy C."
I hang up and get in the van with Nick. "All set?"
"Yes, Mrs. Car-Jane," I reply, smiling.
Nick mouths that I'm insane and we both fall asleep during the ride to Tampa. "Nick! Jazz! Get up! We're home! Come on!"
I look at Aaron and blink a couple times. "Anybody ever tell you that you're a spazz and annoying sometimes?"
"All the time."
I shake Nick. "Hey, Icky, we made to your house." He opens his eyes and looks at me, smiling. He laid down again and fell asleep on the way. "I need a shower and if you want your Dolphins jacket, we have to go inside."
He stretches and gets up. "I'm moving." He spots Aaron spazzing in the driveway. "What's his dilemma?"
"We're here."
"I guess I've been gone for too long."
We get inside and I drop my bags in his room. I see him coming and I smile. "What's up?"
"Just grabbing some clothes to put in my brother's room so I don't barge in here."
"It's your room."
"What if you're getting changed or something?"
"Good point."
"Ladies first for the shower."
I shrug. "Thanks." I wait for him to leave the room, spray his bed with my body spray, grab a clean set of clothes, a bikini, towels and my shower supplies before heading off to take my shower. I call Justin as I walk back to Nick's room. "Yeah, he did challenge me to graduate with James next spring."
"He's out of his mind."
"Definitely."
"He does know your limits better than you think."
"Justin, call me back later?"
"Uh, sure. It might not be till much later."
"What time is it now?"
"Four in the afternoon."
"How long will it be until you call, Timbs?"
"Eight or nine hours."
"That's fine. I'm going to get some of my work done and I'll talk to you then."
"Talk to you soon."
"Miss you and the guys."
"We miss you too."
I head for my book bag, grab my science and history books and assignments for June, deciding to do my work in the yard. I lay on my stomach and start on it. After an hour, I take my tank top off and finish my history assignments soon after that. I start on science and finish it within an hour and a half. I get up and switch my books for math and English. I had been given the books for eighth grade courses before leaving for Europe, I had told the principal my plan to try to finish middle school a year ahead. Now, JC has challenged me to graduate four years early and three years before Tyler. I speed through my English and start on math, the subject I struggle with. I need my math life lines (JC and Lance), struggle with it and decide to go in search for Nick. I pack my books and work up, drop them in the bedroom, and go to the basement. Nick's watching 'Nightmare On Elm Street', the first one (I know Johnny Depp's character by voice). "Can I join you?"
"Sure," he replies, putting a pillow on his lap and I lay down like he did in the van. My head is turned toward the tv on his lap and he's pulling his fingers through my hair as I watch the movie, causing me to drift off to sleep.
Author's Chapter Notes:
*EDITED*
Chapter End Notes:
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