I get up around 7:30 to shower and get ready to go. I forgot to wash my clothes. I see my cell phone in my lap and put it on Heather's dresser without checking it. I head to the laundry room to catch a glimpse of a familiar shade of teal out of the corner of my eye on the island counter in the kitchen. I check the neatly folded stack of clothes and find that they are mine. Then I notice a note beside the pile.

'Jazzy,

I saw your bag in the laundry room and knew you meant to wash them. The past two days have been hard on you, dealing with the boys and Andi having to leave. I know you just moved to Orlando, which makes it even harder. I washed and dried them. Your attention is on trying to get through your first week here. You start school tomorrow. I miss them too. I'm always here for you.

Love you.

-Karen'

Wow. She just amazes me. When did she have time to do this for me? I turn the paper over and write on the back.

'Karen,

Thank you for opening your home, heart and arms to me. Thank you for doing the little bit of laundry I had forgotten about. Thank you for understanding that my mind is in a chaotic state right now. I will make sure to hug you when I see you next. No words can express my thankfullness and appreciation for you and your family.

Love you more.

~Jazz'

I grab my clothes and race upstairs to finish packing before I head home. I'm going over my mental checklist, making sure I had everything in my bag, before checking the time. 'Ugh, only 8:45. I can leave around 9:15 and be home a few minutes early.' I shrug and sit in the moon chair, checking my voicemail and texts. No voicemails. But there are six texts. Justin is so corny in his text to me-something about having a water gun fight when they get home. I smile and tell him to bring it on.

Chris sent a text asking if I'm ok and wanting to know what Nick and I talked about. I tell him that we talked about music, football, and whatever came to mind. I make sure to reassure him that nothing will come of it for a long time, six months or more. I'm confusing, I know. Welcome to the world of most girls, it's even more true with teenage girls.

Lance's text was just to be funny. He sent five words-'Hey, food's on the table.' His way of starting inside jokes using quotes. I send him back a quote of his own-'That was easier than I thought.' Joey sent me a knock, knock joke and I try not too laugh too loud, not wanting to wake Heather. I send Joey a text, telling him that I'm laughing like crazy. JC's text simply said to call him, I guess he doesn't like texting either. I look at the time and it's 9a. I decide to leave just a little earlier. I grab my bags and cell phone before heading out, locking the door handle as I leave. It's a habit. I get halfway down the path from the house and call JC.

Two rings. "Hello?"

"Josh, it's Jazz. You said to call you."

"Yeah, I did. How was the rest of yesterday?"

"Really good. Ma met the Carter clan sans Nick." I wonder if I should tell him Leslie three wayed with Nick and I, practically forcing us to talk. I decide to tell him, knowing if I don't Tyler or Chris will. "I talked to Nick last night."
"What about?"

"Football, described myself, he described himself, music, dancing, you know, the general get to know each other kinda things."

"Anything between you?"

"Other than starting a friendship? No, nothing. I haven't even met him yet."

He laughs, knowing damn well I'm smarter than that. "Someone has to make sure you're not doing stupid shit."

"Hey, I resent that!"

"Hey, you're a teen and a girl. Newsflash-you're gonna do some stupid shit sometime in the next few years."

"Fuck off."

"Things like that. Watch ya mouth. At least until you turn 14."

"Friday. I can't wait. I also can't wait for you guys to come back home so I can make all the foods you guys are gonna fall in love with. Especially the Italian one." Yes, I mean Joey.

JC laughs pretty hard and I hear the other guys ask what's so funny. He probably waved em off. "I'll tell you guys later. We'll see about that."

"Hey, I know it's almost a year from now, but could we find a way to spend Christmas or Thanksgiving together?"

"All of us?"

"Yeah."

"We'll plan it as it gets closer. For now, just worry about us remembering your birthday."

"Alright. Justin's birthday is the 31st and Joey's is the 28th, right?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Just making sure. I'm trying to figure out what to do."

"You have plenty of time."

"Hey, I'm almost home. Call you later?"

"Yeah, we just started the promo tour here in Europe."

"Just a day of riding a huge bus with 4 other guys, slowly going batty?"

"Yes, Jazz, that's exactly it."

"Aight, later."

"Bye."

I walk up the path and unlock the door. I look at the time on my cell to make sure I got home by ten. It's only 9:37, showed up just over twenty minutes early. Ma comes out of nowhere (her room, actually) and scares the shit outta me. "Jazzy."

I spin around and see Ma. "Hey, Ma." I give her a hug. "I'm home and early even."

"Good. It looks like it's just you and me today. Beverly and the girls got a call last night. Some of their family is visiting today."

I shrug. They have family and that comes first. I know I'm only going on 13, but gramma taught me alot. I should call her tonight. "Family first, like gramma always tells us."

"So Universal Studios or Disney World?"

"Ma, I'm getting too old for Disney world."

"Universal it is."

"Can I bring my tapes?" The Mustang only has a tape player.

"Sure. It's not a long ride."

Ma doesn't like my music. She's an oldies and country kinda person. I like rap, hip-hop, R&B, pop, complete opposites musically. I just heard this new group, 112, and spent the money on their debut album. Ma says it 'drips sex'. I make sure to grab that and a few other tapes. I change my mind and just take the whole mesh bag of tapes. We head out to Universal and spend the rest of the morning going on rides. We take a break from the rides to enjoy lunch and catch up on what we've done over the past few days. My cell rings and it's Leslie. "I have a call."

"Go ahead." Ma knows I need friends right now.

I pick up. "Hey, Les."

"Why, hello. Just talked to Nick and we have a 15 minute window before he calls you."

"Really now?"

"What did you talk to him about?"

"We just got to know each other and we just talked is all. Why?"

"You got him hooked. He likes you. He's digging you."

"Nah, he ain't digging me."

"He is really digging you."

"How can you tell?"

"He asked for me to mail him the pictures we took of you yesterday."
"What?" I get up and walk across the food court so Ma can't hear my end of the conversation. "I didn't even look good."

"Girl, he goes for the natural beauty. He loves your personality. He's in love with your voice."

"I don't, I just, what is so addicting about my voice?"

"He couldn't stop thinking about you."

"Really? Why me?"

"Why question it?"

"I don't think I'm that good looking."

"Ppppppffffffffftttttttttt! Girl, you are gorgeous, you have a beautiful personality and our parents adore you."
"I guess that's one thing I don't have to worry about."

We laugh. "Yeah, mom is picky about who's around us, especially when it comes to Nick and Aaron."

"Well, Nick said something about staying in Orlando with one of his friends."

"I know he talked to mom and dad about it. They said he can stay at AJ's. He comes back February 18th."

"Is that the date to set?"

"Yeah. Mark your calender."

We laugh. "Hey, I'll buzz ya later."

"Alright. Later, Les."

I hang up and smile, wondering how in the world Nick likes me when he hasn't even met me yet. I remember that he asked Leslie to develop the pictures from yesterday and send them to him. I start worrying about if they come out good until my train of thought is interupted by my cell ringing. "Hello?"

"Hey, it's Nick."

I smile again. "Hey, you. How was your morning or day?"

Nick chuckles. "It's almost 7 at night here."

"Where's here?"

"Spain. Madrid, I think."

"I bet it's beautiful."

"Yeah, it is. Speaking of beautiful, I asked my sister to send me copies of the pictures of you from the beach, yesterday."

"I know. She called me."

"I bet you're just saying you look alright and you're actually more beautiful than you tell."
"I'm just shy. I think my hips are too big. I know I'm dealing with so many changes right now, including my body."

"I love your honesty and personality."

I look down. "Thanks."
"I think the most important thing in a girl is her personality."

"So, who are you staying with? Did your parents ok you staying in Orlando?"
"My parents said I can stay in 'Lando, at AJ's. They also said that you have to meet Kevin, Brian, Howie and AJ."

"Why?"

"Kevin is like the dad of us, Howie's the best one to get advice from, Brian is just curious about who you are, and AJ thinks he's gonna make you his girlfriend."

"AJ can dream on cuz I ain't looking for a man. He may not even be my type."

He laughs. I shiver, loving the sound of his laughter. "Good point. Can I tell you something?"

"Sure."

"I hung up with you last night and I slept great. I dreamed about you, holding you."

"Why?"

"There's something about you that just gets to me."

I giggle, nervoous. "We ain't even met. How could you dream about me? Why would you wanna hold me?"

"I don't know. I know this may sound crazy, but your voice is melodic and soothing to me. Your laugh is contagious. Your giggle makes me smile. Your intelligence gets my mind going. Your personality is beautiful. Your honesty is something that's hard to find."

I smile, blush and giggle. "You're just saying it to make me feel good about myself."

"It's the truth. I like talking to you. You just get to me. You understand me."

"Nick, how old are you gonna be when your birthday comes?"

"Sixteen. Why?"
"I'm only gonna be thirteen in five days."

"We're just friends. Friendship has no age limits."

"Oh. I guess I was reading too deep into it." I feel like an ass. Wow. Downfall about me being scared to be involved with a guy.

"Me, too. I'm just glad we understand each other. Maybe we'll just click when we meet and be close."

"Maybe we can be close friends."

"Listen, let's just talk and worry about right now."

"Ok. Well, right now, I'm hanging at Universal Park with my mom."

"What rides have you been on already?"

We start talking about the rides and food. He suggests that he take me to SeaWorld when he gets back. I laugh and agree to it. He starts talking about the dolphins and other animals they have there. He insists on me getting in a tank with dolphins. "No way! I am not getting in a tank with dolphins."

"I'll be in the tank with you. They're trained and very gentle."
"No way, Nick."

"Come on. They have the trainers right there in the tank with us."

"No. What if the dolphins freak out?"

"They won't if you stay calm. I've done it before."

"Are you sure that it's perfectly safe?"
"Yes, they have trainers and they make sure you know what to do. Dolphins are gentle animals."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Just read up on them. Talk to a dolphin trainer."

"Why?"
"Get some information and you'll learn that you have nothing to be afraid of."

"Alright. I'll stop by my school's library tomorrow and read up on em."
"Good. You'll see you're scared of something that you have no reason to." We talk for about another ten minutes. "I think I oughta let you go. Gotta get on stage. Can I call you in a couple hours?"

"Sure."

"Alright. Talk to you later, Jazz."

"Later, Nick." I hang up, smiling more than I have since hearing we were moving to Orlando. For the past two days, I've actually been happy we did move here. Since starting to talk to Nick, I've realized that I have been given a new start with new friends. I call Sherri and she three ways Dawn in. "Sher, Lil D. You girls'll never believe the past few days I've had."

Sherri's got something on her mind. I can tell by the way she says, "Spill it."

Dawn's excited. "What happened?"

I tell them what's happened and Dawn giggles about my first kiss. Sherri gasps. "We said we'd have our first kiss with guys that are like brothers on a double date!"
"It just happened. I swear."

"Anyway, any other big thing happen?" I continue to tell them about everything and tell them about Nick. "Why haven't you called before today?"

I knew something was bothering her. I've known her for close to 13 1/2 years, I know Sherri. "I'll be honest, it's been a busy week and I haven't even called gramma."

"Oh, well, you better call her next. You know she's gonna give you a lecture for not calling sooner."

"I know. I'mma let ya go to call her."

"Call me more. Well, us, cuz I'm always patchin in Dawn."

"Hey."

"I gotta bounce, girlies. Gramma's lecture time." We laugh and hang up. "Here goes nothing."

I call my gramma and it rings three times. "Hello?"

"Hi, gramma."
"Samantha Marilyn Charpentier."

I wince at the use of my full name. "I'm sorry, gramma. I got caught up making friends and getting settled in."

"Start making time to pick up the phone and call me. Just a couple times a week. It's all I ask."

"I can do that. I miss you."

"I miss you too. Baby girl, how are you doing?"

"I'm doing good. I made like ten new friends."

"Good. What about school?"
"I start going to my new school tomorrow."

"Good. I have to go to the store. Talk to you in a few days. I love you."
"Love you too, gramma." We hang up and I realize it's three in the afternoon. I walk up to my mom and hug her. "I'm sorry for being on the phone. I called gramma, Sherri, Dawn all after Leslie and Nick called me. I'm so sorry."

 "Jazz. Relax, you have friends and family you needed to call."

"You understand?"

"You're almost a teenager." We laugh. "What do you say we go on a few more rides and head home?"

"Alright." Ma always understood what my friends mean to me. We stay at Universal for the next two hours and head home for dinner. "Today was fun and I'm not gonna forget it."

"You're welcome, Jazz."

"What's for dinner?"

"You pick. I set up with Jane and Bob for you to visit them next weekend."

"Thanks, Ma. Can I invite Tyler and Heather over?"

"Yes. What do you want? Pizza or Chinese?"

"Hmmmmnnnnn. Both?"

"Alright. Only this once."

I smile. "Thanks, Ma." I call Heather and Tyler. Roy and Karen tell them to make sure to be home for 9. We pull into the driveway as Heather and Tyler are two houses down. I get out and they run up. I tell them about my day as we head inside and decide on which pizza and chinese dishes to get. My mom orders the food and I pull out my old ghetto (ok, they ain't that old or ghetto) Sega Genesis and N64. "Sonic or Mario?"

"Mario." Tyler hooks up the N64, 3 controllers, and puts the Mario Kart game in.

Heather looks at me. "I'll pass, he cheats."

I smile. "I'll still beat him." My mom laughs. Tyler and I start playing Mario Kart and I'm righteously kicking his ass. My cell starts ringing and I answer it. "Hey, talk to me."

Nick laughs. "Hey, beautiful."

I giggle. "Unh! How's the fall feel? Off ya high horse yet? You haven't even seen a picture of me, ughh, so how do you know I'm beautiful? Tyler, stop cheating or I'mma just kick your butt worse than I already am."

"What're ya doin?"

"Playing Nintendo 64, the, unh, Mario Kart game."

"You really get into it, huh?"

"Yeah, but see cuz I'm a, whoo! Uh-huh, yeah!, girl, I'm skilled. I can play it, talk on the phone with you, and eat, while kicking Tyler's butt."

Nick laughs. "Go, Jazz, go. Just wondering, but who's Tyler?"

"You remember how I told you about my friend, Josh, and his friends touring in Europe?"

"Yeah."

"His little brother."

"Oh. You're single, though, right?"

"Yeah. I'm single."

He lets out the breath he was holding, sighing his relief. "Cool."

"What's up with the sigh of relief?" I hear the doorbell and smell the food. "FOOD!"

Nigh busts out laughing. "I wanted to know. You really like food."

"I LOVE food. Pizza and Chinese, mmmmmm."

"Have a piece of pizza for me."
"Sure. Cheese or pepperoni?"

"Doesn't matter."

I grab a piece of each and my plate of Chinese, settling in to play the game with Tyler again. "How was your show?"

"It was good. Johnny wants us to meet this group, *NSYNC."

"That's cool. If they do the same thing as you, you can give em tips."

"Yeah, but I don't know."

"Give em a chance, get to know em. For all anybody knows, they could be a friend of a friend of yours. Know what I mean?"

"Yeah, that's true."

"When are you supposed to meet em?"

"In two weeks."

"You guys just found out?"

"Yeah, alot of things are last minute. It's just how things are."

"Oh." I take a big bite of the pepperoni pizza. "Mmmmm, it's so good."

"You're mean."

"I'm sorry. I love pizza and chinese. Mmmmmm, Saturday, from ten in the morning till two in the afternoon."

"What about it?"

"I'm in a baby-sitting course."

"So you make your own money?"

"Yeah, on top of my allowance. I save half of my allowance for college and to get my own car when I'm 16. Get my permit and license. I still have close to 5 months' worth of it all saved. I spent four months' worth on a cell phone, a bbq, clothes, and spent some on souvenirs at Universal. I bought the food me and my mom ate there too."

"You're money wise."

"Yeap." My mom sits behind me and rubs between my shoulders to get my attn. "Sup, Ma?"

"It's quarter past 8. You going to walk them home?"

I pause the game and look at them. Heather shakes her head. "Heather's got it." I get up and hug Heather and Tyler. "See you guys later."

"Alright." They leave.

I forgot I was on the phone with Nick. "JAZZY!" That makes me remember.

"Sorry."

He chuckles. "Happens. When do you have to go to bed?"
"By 9:30."
"It's quarter past two in the morning."

"Where you are, yes. I'm in Orlando, where it's only going on 8:30."

"Oh." He laughs. "Guess we're in different time zones."

"Well, I'm pretty sure we are."

We laugh before talking about school, video games and music. He brings up the dolphin thing again. "You're gonna look up stuff on dolphins, right?"

"Tomorrow. I can do that after school. Look, sweetie, I gotta call my boy."

"Your 'boy'?"

"Yeah, my friend. I told Josh I'd buzz him back and talk. He's like a brother to me."

"Really?"

"Yeah, plus he's like ten years older than me. That is gross." So I exaggerated a bit. Sue me.

Nick laughs. "Talk tomorrow?"

"Yeah. Call me after 11 tomorrow night, your time. You're about six hours ahead of me."

"Won't you be eating by then?"

"It's either then or you call me around 1a again."

"My time, right?"

"Yes, your time."

"How about 2:30 my time?"

"That's 8:30 here in Orlando."
"Perfect. We can talk the hour before you have to go to bed."

"Why are you so set on staying up that late and being the last person that talks to me every night?"

"I wanna get to know you so that when we actually meet I can feel completely comfortable. Comfortable enough to hug you."

I giggle. "Makes sense. You wanna know what your little brother said when he took pictures of me yesterday?"

"What'd he say?"

"I can thank him when you and I are together."

"What?!?!"

"Yeah. Why would he say that?"

"That's, uh, that's Aaron for ya." He chuckles nervously.

"Talk to you tomorrow."

"Alright." He sighs. "Talk to you tomorrow, beautiful."

"Talk to you tomorrow. Night." We hang up and I call JC. It rings twice before he picks up. "I think I REALLY like Nick!" I tell him before he can yell at me for calling him at quarter till three in the morning where he's at.

"One-WHAT? Two, it's almost 3 in the morning."

"I think I really, really, really like Nick." I'm a little calmer and more composed.

"What do you mean by 'like'?"

"Like how I like James but 50 times more."

"Are you seeing him?"

"No, we haven't even met or spent any time face to face, getting to know each other, better than we are yet."

"When do they go back to Orlando?"

"February 18. He said something about meeting this group named, um, what did he say they called themselves?, NTINK-"

"*NSYNC?"

"Yeah, that's it."

"I've heard of them."

"Tell those guys I said hi and to be nice to Nick and his friends."

"If we meet them, I will make sure to tell *NSYNC to play nice with the Backstreet Boys."

"What?"

"I'll make sure to tell *NSYNC to be nice."

"Thanks. I think it's supposed to happen in two weeks."

"We have a meeting that day too. It's a casual one."

I can tell JC is biting his tongue, but decide to ignore it. I look at the clock and see it's almost 9:30. "Hey, I gotta get some sleep. Talk to you tomorrow. I'll try to call on the way home from school."
"Alright. Good night, Jazz."

"Night, Josh." I hang up and head to bed. I make sure to get my bag ready for school and plug my cell phone in before I get into my pjs, set my alarm and get into bed.