Chapter Six

Melissa laughed as Rachel and JC came up to them after the tug-of-war event concluded. The blue team the victors. She giggled seeing the dried mud caked on the blonde's legs, arms and face. Even her hair was coated. JC hadn't faired much better.

"This crap stinks," Rachel said as she rubbed at her arm watching as some of the mud flaked off. "I feel like I should stand in the open and let all the kids throw water balloons at me."

Melissa and Justin high-fived.

"That can be arranged," The blonde singer grinned.

"I'm sure it could."

"How many times did you take a trip into the mud?" Melissa asked her friend.

"I don't remember...four?" Rachel looked at JC for clarification. She couldn't stop the giggle that escaped seeing his face streaked with mud. She reached up and removed a clump that was clinging to his hair.

"I think so, after the first time, it really didn't matter anymore." JC could feel his skin starting to itch as the mud dried. "We need a hose."

"Need more than that Dawg," Justin waved a hand in front of his face, laughing. "That has to be the nastiest smelling stuff ever."

"I think they are too clean," Rachel said glancing at JC, their eyes conspiring.

"I think so too," JC turned toward Justin and Melissa grinning.

"Oh no," Melissa's expression quickly changed. "Don't you dare," she told them looking at JC, then Rachel. Melissa shrieked as arms wrapped around her from behind lifting her off the ground. "Put me down!"

"Not a chance," Lance laughed, caked in mud from his own tumble into the pit during the game.

"Lance!" Her protests proved fruitless though as Lance tossed her into the mud. "I hate you!" She yelled feeling the mud seeping into her toes. It oozed between her fingers as she clenched the bottom. She heard more commotion and looked up seeing Joey and Chris carrying a struggling Justin toward the pit. A crowd had gathered, cheering them on. Justin's attempts proved useless as well as he joined her, kicking up mud, sending it in her direction.

"I'll get you back, you fuckers!" Justin called and he wiped his face with his hands, making the mud worse.

Melissa laughed when she looked at him and before long Justin was laughing too. She cupped her hands, letting the mud pool in it. She caught his eye, looking down, then looking sideways. She grinned when he caught on.

"One...two..." he whispered, cupping his own hands. "THREE!" His yelled was followed by mud being slung toward the unsuspecting crowd.

"Son of a bitch," Chris shouted as mud hit him in the chest.

"Damnit!" Joey yelled, turning his head away.

Keeping it up for a few minutes, Justin and Melissa stopped and drug themselves away from the mud. Towels were handed out. Melissa held hers but didn't use it, instead made her way to Rachel. She grinned before pouncing.

"AH!" Rachel shrieked as her friend wrapped her into a crushing hug, smearing the mud she was caked in all over her. "You're such a bitch," she laughed and stood there accepting the hug.

"You love me," Melissa grinned at her after she released her friend. She finally used the towel to get the worst of the mud off. "I could use the hose now."

Rachel smiled at JC as she accepted the towel he handed her. Spending a few more minutes joking around as they cleaned up, they dispersed to get changed for the basketball game.

*~*~*~*~*

"How are you doing?" Rachel asked as they sat in the bleachers inside the arena. They had showered off the best they could and changed clothes. She had changed into jeans and a green shirt to hold up team colors. She still felt dirty as she pulled on the clean clothes, but it was as good as it was going to get until she was able to get back to her place and take a real shower.

"I'm... okay. Yeah," Melissa told her, clapping as Justin's team made a basket. The basketball team was red versus blue. Justin and Joey were on the blue team, leaving JC, Lance and Chris on the red team. Other celebrities filled up the rosters. "I'm okay."

"Good," Rachel threaded her arm through Melissa and leaned against her shoulder. "I was worried that today would be hard."

"Well it hasn't been easy," Melissa leaned against her friend, her eyes following the movement on the court. "I wasn't sure how it would go today. I am thankful I wasn't on Joey's team. That would have been too hard. But then I almost felt guilty being on Justin's team and having fun."

"Don't feel guilty. You had no reason to be guilty for having a good time. Joey is the asshat who couldn't see what was in front of him the whole time and do something about it."

"I know," Melissa sighed and looked at Rachel as timeout was called on the court. "But I still love him. I just can't stop. I can't turn it on and off on a whim. I wish I could. Believe me. I wish I could stop loving him and move on, but..."

"Yeah," Rachel sighed and squeezed her friend's hand. "The heart wants what the heart wants."

"What does your heart want?" Melissa asked with a sideways glance as she messed with the beaded bracelet still adorning her friend's wrist.

Rachel felt the blush creep up her neck, spreading over her face. "I don't know what you're talking about it."

"Yeah right," Melissa grinned, but let her friend off the hook. For now. "I'll find out later, but for now I'll just say that I'm happy if that's the case. He'll be good for you." She watched the blush deepen on Rachel's face and her grin broadened. She turned her attention back to the game in time to see Justin fall to the ground and tripping up Lance.

"What kind of blatant miscall was that, Ref!"

*~*~*~*~*

"You still going to do this?" Justin asked as they ended the halftime talk they had planned.

"Yeah. It's the only time I can sing it and know she's actually in the crowd to hear it." Joey said as the lights dimmed. "I don't know if I should. She seemed pretty happy today."

"A front man," Justin told him. "She was putting on a show."

"She did a pretty damn convincing job." Joey griped the microphone. "I don't even know if this will work. She'll probably think it's just a new song for us."

"Not if you're the only one singing it," Lance pointed out. "Since when do you sing lead?"

"True." Joey sighed. His heart hurt after watching Melissa laugh and joke around throughout the day. Every time he heard her laugh his eyes would follow the sound. And he had wished that he had been the one to put the smile and joy on her face. And he would have been, if he hadn't messed up and kept everything inside. She would have been on ‘Team Superman'. The day would have gone so much better if he could have shared it with her.

But instead he had been dealt an audible, finding out this morning that Melissa wasn't on his team, but Kat. He should have seen that coming. He should have known that Melissa wouldn't stay on his team. After what he had done to her, she probably wanted nothing to do with him.

"Stop over thinking it and just sing," JC clapped the man on the back. "The song is perfect and she'll know exactly what you're trying to say."

Joey took a breath and decided to sing the song like it was his only way to communicate with her. He ignored the voice in his head telling him that it was. The guys fell in line around him, leaving him in the middle.

"What are they doing?" Melissa whispered as she watched them stand at center court. Joey stood in the middle with JC and Lance to one side, Justin and Chris to the other. It was an unusual line up for them. Joey usually anchored one of the ends.

"Just listen," Rachel whispered as the men started singing ‘oo's' in their five part harmony. She was torn between wanting to watch Joey's face as he sang the song written for her or Melissa's to see her reaction.

Joey dropped out of the harmony, picking up his cue to start singing. The lights were dimmed low, a spotlight shinning on them. He wished he could find Melissa so he could look at her while he sang, but it was too dark. He stared out into the darkness making out the shadows of the crowd in the vicinity where Melissa had been sitting during the first half.

"She was my once in a lifetime. Happy ending come true. Oh I guess I should have told her But I thought she knew." He took a breath listening to the guys harmonize.

"What is this?" Melissa breathed. Joey's voice drifted out, wrapping her up. Her eyes were riveted to the court and she could swear he was looking right at her as he sang. What was he singing? She'd never heard it before. Her eyes prickled with tears and she reached for Rachel's hand squeezing it as the words washed over her.

"I thought she knew my world revolved around her. My love light burns for her alone. But she couldn't see the flame, only myself to blame. I should have known," Joey voice rang out, taking a higher pitch usually reserved for JC. A lump was rose in his chest as he sang the chorus. The song hit on his emotions. "I should have known."

Tears trickled down Melissa's cheek but she made no move to wipe them away. She was frozen in her seat. The words echoed in her mind after Joey sang them, wrapping around her heart. And she felt as if piece by piece the cracks where repaired.

"Damn him," she whispered her eyes slipping closed. The movement allowed more tears to slip through and roll down her cheeks. "Damn him."

"A heart full of words left unspoken now that we're through," Joey's voice cracked on the last word. Pain hammered in his heart. His voice rose as he continued on, "I sell my soul to have this silence broken. Oh I thought she knew. I thought she knew."

The guys came together to sing the chorus and Joey was glad. He was afraid his voice wouldn't hold steady. Emotions churned through him. The unknown was playing at his mind. Did Melissa like it? Was she listening? Did she understand what these words meant? Did she even care?

When their voices faded in the arena and silence rang before the clapping and cheers started. The lights were turned back on and Joey searched the crowd for Melissa. His heart stopped when he didn't see her. He scanned the area again and saw Rachel coming down the stairs. He searched again, but knew it was fruitless. His eyes met the blonde's and she gave him a small smile before continuing at a fast pace toward the doors.

Joey's heart plummeted to his stomach. Melissa was gone.