Jesus! She's hot and my date tonight! Might have a problem with keeping my hands to myself, I know if I don't that she won't have a moment's hesitation to beat me senseless for it once we get to the hotel again. "James, tie it, not stare at the almost naked skin back there," she reminds me, a heavy notation of annoyance present in her voice.
"Sorry, this is as close to naked as I've seen you in the time I've known you," I remind her as I grab the strings and tie them just above her butt.
"I know and then I grew up some."
"You know how I feel about him and your heart."
She turns to face me when I let go of the strings, putting her hand on the side of my face and gives me a soft smile. "James, my whole heart remains back home."
"I know. It just hurts to see you in pain, no matter what kind it is."
We get seated and she sits beside me, focused on the awards. It's the Billboard Awards and we have been nominated. I must admit that I'm nervous. "Are you performing?"
"No, two noms and we're presenting the FOY award."
"Cool, relax because there's no singing and dancing required tonight," she tells me, making perfect sense.
I begin to calm down and it begins, captivating her and I both. We head backstage to prep for when we have to present the award to the winner. She stays backstage and I blank out the whole thing because this whole experience has happened so fast, a realization I come to as I reflect on the past 4 years. I know we handed it to Britney, we gave her hugs and she gave a speech; the details I'm fuzzy on. "Lance, what's up with you tonight? Damn, girl, you look sexy!" Justin says, quickly complimenting Jazz.
"I began thinking about everything we've gone through since this all started and to me, it's been almost a whirlwind."
"Same thing for me," Jazz admits, very happily.
"Are those stripper heels?!" JC screams, pointing at her shoes.
"What if they are?" she retorts, fighting a smirk and laughter.
"Are they?" He's got that death glare in his eyes that only his baby sister would dare to challenge.
"Josh, they are only 4 1/2" heels, not 6 and that means they're not classified as stripper heels," she explains.
"They sure look like it," he snipes.
She narrows her eyes at him and whips around, bumping into the person behind her. "Watch i-…oh, hi, Aaron."
He hugs her, a smile playing on his lips and it's a silent teasing one at that. "Hey, how are you holding up?"
"Good, just the usual overprotective brother shit," she laughs, wrapping her arms around him. His around her waist and hers around his neck.
"Ah, speaking of older brothers, mine's looking for your beautiful self to see him."
She groans and a nasty scowl appears on her face. "As usual. Can he ever just leave me alone?"
"According to him, you're his girlfriend and it makes it ok to want you as much as possible with him and by his side," Aaron explains his brother's reasoning.
"I'll see him the week after New Year's," she waves Nick's demand off.
"You know he won't wait." He's nervously rubbing the back of his neck, looking at her through his lashes with his head down.
"You never saw me."
She scurries away from Aaron and we follow suit soon after, only to hear footsteps coming from the other end of the hall. "Jazzabee?"
"Shit!" she mutters, hanging her head and smacking her forehead. She quickly plasters a fake smile on her lips and turns to face him. "Ickers! Hey," she greets, hugging him and pressing a short kiss to his lips.
"Wondering how you're doing because I haven't heard from you in a couple weeks. I'm starting to worry if I've done something wrong?" he replies, looking in her eyes and holding her face in his hands.
"No, you ain't done nothin' wrong." Her eyes shut and she looks at the floor, one of his hands slipping to rest on her hip.
He always brings that twang and truth out of her, always makes the real her come out. The same girl I've grown up with for the past 8 years or so. "Call or text me later? What about the holidays?"
"Sure, we can talk later and I'm spending those with my family. I'll see you after the new year, yeah?" she responds, her eyes moving to meet his.
"Yeah, that's cool." He presses a kiss to her lips and strokes his thumb across her cheek.
He slides his hands to hers, one from her face and the other from her hip. "Nick! We have to go!" AJ yells.
"Alright!" he shouts, looking over his shoulder and Justin mutters something under his breath. "Love you, baby. Bye."
She's silent as we get to our seats, thinking about whatever is eating at her. Once we're sitting and the other guys are engrossed in the show again, she leans over to me. "James, bhí sé rud beag ró milis. I mo thuairimse, rud éigin ar bun. An cuma i súile Aaron ar thug sé ar shiúl."
I didn't know what to say last night, so I let her stay in my room. We talked about so many things, I can't even begin to list them. She did pour her heart out to me, expecting nothing but honesty and me to hold her while she cried on my shoulder. It was extremely emotional for her last night, I never even considered he had gotten to her in ways like this. It makes me wonder what he's done to her, I'm thinking of playing detective to find out. The funny part is that she requested I keep this from my brothers, I'm not sure I can because it's some serious stuff. I hear a knock on my door, a rhythm only JC can do and yes, we all have a specific knock. I quickly, but flawlessly get up to answer it without waking her. I open the door and step outside, leaving the door open enough to hear if she wakes up or needs me. Should I tell him? "Why was she jumpy after running into him?"
"Morning to you too. She told me and it'd be best to inform you after she goes to see him, you won't be able to scream at her."
"I promise not to and you know I don't break promises."
"Fine, when she goes shopping with Justin tomorrow in Edmonton, seeing as we leave in about an hour for the airport. Knowing Justin, he might want to do it today and tomorrow."
"Deal," he says, holding out his hand to shake on the promise.
We shake on it and Chris comes bounding down the hall, hyper as ever. "We leave soon, right?" he inquires, rocking back and forth on his feet with his hands in his jacket pockets and a huge crap eating grin on his face.
"Yes, we leave in 45 minutes and no, you can't wake her up," I announce.
He flips that grin into a pout. "Please?" he pleads with me.
"No, she'd been up for close to a day and a half and I'll carry her, unless anyone else wants to."
JC nods, silently confirming that he wants to piggy back his sister for part of it. "Nah, she's not as small as she used to be."
"Fuck yourself, Christopher," she sleepily growls, her hair in complete disarray and in my sweats and an old Mississippi Showstoppers shirt of mine. "I do have long enough to wash up right quick, right?"
"If it's going to take under 15 minutes," JC informs her, watching her curiously.
She comes back out in a pair of JNCO jeans and my Taz shirt from the first trip to Orlando. The only downfall to her liking my clothes and being the size she is, she fits them. I don't know how much of my clothes she's confiscated over the past year or two, but I'm sure I can find all my missing JNCO jeans in her drawers or bags. I know where the three pairs Justin's been looking for have gone and I bet you've figured it out. "Why my clothes?"
"James, I have some of Oshai's, Justin's and Psycho's too," she confesses, putting up her hair as she looks in the bathroom mirror.
I lay back on the bed and relax. "Right," I draw out, pretending not to believe her and I know otherwise. JC's Monstars jersey, some of Chris' jerseys, and of course Justin's jerseys and JNCO pants.
"James, ní féidir leat imirt balbh le liom, tá a fhios agam a fhios agat cad atá ar iarraidh agus a mbaineann gach ítim a!" she yells at me, giving her fold over pony a tug to ensure it's tight and turning to face me with her toiletries bag in hand, the other on her hip. I'm sure she giving me the glare her Neenee is infamous for when someone's playing coy, I know because of the hole being bored into my head (as if I need another). I don't look at her face, I don't need to confirm it.
"Don't look at me in that tone," I remind her. "Is féidir liom a sheoladh i gcónaí leat ar ais chuig Orlando nó 'Sippi," I tell her in a sing song voice.
"Fine, but you know better than to get smart with me, green eyes."
She zips her bag and flings it over her shoulder, kicking my shoe covered foot. "Ready to go?"
"No, I need like an hour to totally do my hair, nails and make up," she facetiously remarks, imitating Paris Hilton in a mocking tone.
I look at her like she's lost her mind and we crack up, knowing darn well she never was nor ever will be like Paris. "Kay, let's skeedat."
"Aw, lawdy! I haven't heard that word in the longest! We are so country!"
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