"You think if we tie Wade to a chair and forced him to watch bad choreography he'll eventually just combust?"

Lance laughed at Chris's words before he took a drink from his water. He guzzled the whole thing in one drink. Rehearsals had finished for the day. Thank God. He was beat.

Chris had collapsed to the ground when Wade called an end to the torture. It had been fifteen minutes and he still had yet to move. Lance walked over to him and nudged him with his foot. "You okay man?"

"Fuck." Chris groaned. "I'm too old for this shit."

"If you actually spend downtime staying in shape you wouldn't want to die now."

"I'd give you the finger but I'm too tired to lift my arm." Chris opened an eye and spied JC still going through the new portions they learned today. "Where the fuck do you get the energy?"

"Siphoning yours while you sleep at night." JC said as he went through the sequence for Pop, the opening song for their tour. It was also slated to be their first single from Celebrity. Crunch time was upon them. Celebrity was supposed to be released next month but it wasn't finished. The release date was pushed back until June. He hoped it would be finished by then. Unfortunately, they couldn't push their tour back. The tour needed to be completed before football season. One of the downsides of a stadium tour. JC couldn't fault the stadiums. After all, the stadiums belong to the teams. They were just borrowing it for a night.

"The fuck you say." Chris sat up and threw a water bottle at JC. "For fuck sake, sit down. You're making my hurts hurt."

"Your hurts hurt?" JC picked up Chris's water bottle and uncapped it. He took a long drink.

"I got fucking hurts on top of hurts."

"Want me to kiss and make it better?"

"How about you kissing my dick," Chris told Joey.

"Probably be the most action Joey's gotten in a long time," Justin grinned.

"Fuck. My dick and hand have become the best of friends. They're completely dependent on each other."

"How's Briahna?" Lance asked wiping his neck with a towel.

"Perfect as always." Joey grinned at the mention of his daughter, only a few weeks old. The reason his hand had been seeing a lot of action. Kelly, his girlfriend, was still on sex restriction from birth. Before Briahna was born, she hadn't been in the mood during the final month of pregnancy.

"Better brush up The Stranger, you're gonna need a back up," Chris pushed himself off the mat. "By the time Kelly's cleared you're gonna be on tour. Unless Lance wants to help you out."

"Fuck off," Lance snapped Chris with his towel. "He'll have to trade off anyway. Don't want one arm getting bigger than the other."

"It won't be that bad," Justin grinned gathering his bag. He stuffed a dirty, sweaty towel inside. "Isn't Rachel spending the summer with us? Maybe she'll help you out." He yelped when a hand caught the back of his head. "Fuck C," he glared at the older man rubbing the back of his head. "What the fuck?"

"She's Lance's sister. No way to talk about her." JC's glare rivaled the one Justin sent in his direction.

"You have to put it in terms he'd understand. He doesn't have a sister. Lynn's coming right?" Chris grinned. Lynn was Justin's mother. "I bet she'd help you out. She probably knows her way around a man."

"Stay away from my mom," Justin glared at Joey.

"I don't want your mom."

"What's wrong with my mom?" Justin asked offended.

"Yeah," Chris snorted. "She birthed a legend."

"Damn right," Justin smirked.

"What's everyone doing tonight?"

"You mean besides Justin's mom?"

"Mention my mom one more time..."

"Anyone wanna go out?" Lance asked trying to bring the conversation away from Lynn before Justin walloped Chris.

"Can't. Diaper duty." Joey said. "We'll be leaving soon and Kelly will be by herself. Well my parents will be there and hers. But I won't. Gotta make up all I can for when I can't."

"I can meet up later," Chris said as they spilled out into the parking lot. Thankful it was void of any fans who figured out where they were rehearsing. "I got something to do after this."

"Justin's Mom?" JC grinned slyly thankful the teasing had turned away from Rachel. Not that he wanted to think about Lynn in that manner. Lynn - as well as Diane Bass - had become a second mother to them. Since Justin and Lance had been underage at the beginning of the group, both women accompanied them to Germany. The difference with the teasing about Lynn, no one had the balls to actually do it where she could hear. Unlike Rachel.

"Fuck you."

"As fun as that sounds I am actually meeting Rachel after I get home and shower Wade's torture off."

"Rachel?" Lance asked surprised. "You're meeting my sister?"

"Yeah. She called me last night wanting to talk to me about something."

JC froze in his spot at Chris's words. The conversation carried on around him but the words were garbled. They sounded like he was underwater. Rachel wanted to meet with Chris to discuss something.

Chris.

"First she goes to JC now you," Lance looked at his band mates. "What's she doing?"

"She went to JC first?" Chris whined. "Here I thought I was special."

"You're special alright," Justin laughed.

Lance turned to look at JC. He hadn't thought anything of it when Rachel asked about his band mate yesterday. She was friends with them all. He assumed she wanted to go and see him. Catch up on his on goings since the last time she'd seen him over the holidays.

She had been gone awhile. When she had come home he'd asked about her visit with JC. She informed in the visit had been short. She had been out shopping at the mall. Not that she had any bags. She had told him nothing caught her eye. "JC?" He called JC's name but received no response.

"Dude?" Joey snapped his fingers in front of JC's face. "Snap out of it."

"What?" JC shook her his head. "What? Stop it." He knocked Joey's hands away when he continued snapping.

"Where the hell did you go man?" Justin asked.

"Nowhere." JC said trying to shove the new information aside. It was bad enough Rachel's request had stayed with him for the night not allowing him to sleep.

"What did my sister want?" Lance asked, staring at JC trying to get a read on him. He was good at reading the guys. Came with spending so much time with them in close quarters. JC refused to meet his eyes and he watched a red hue form on JC's face that had nothing to do with the Florida heat.

"Nothing."

"She went over to your house for nothing?" Lance arced and eyebrow in disbelief.

"We're friends. Can't she come over to talk?"

"You're hiding something." Lance concluded.

"Maybe she's gonna throw you a birthday party."

"Yeah she needed help for your birthday present."

"Didn't know what stripper to call."

"I can certainly help with that." Chris grinned. "Oh man. I can't wait until she comes. Man do I have ideas..." he rubbed his hands together. "Later guys."

"You're gonna let him be alone with her?" Justin asked Lance as Chris left.

"I'll pay for her therapy."

"She's gonna get educated." Justin chuckled. "Learn more than she's learning in college."

"Oh yeah," Joey laughed. "He's gonna scar her for life."

The words stuck with JC the whole way home. Rachel wanted to talk to Chris. He knew what she wanted to talk about. It had nothing to do with Lance's upcoming birthday. Not even close. Rachel was gonna ask Chris to teach her how to have sex. Chris would take her up on it. Chris never passed up the opportunity. Rachel might as well be the devil's playground.

‘She's gonna get educated.'

Justin had no idea what education Rachel was seeking. Had no idea that's exactly what she was after. An education. If Chris turned her down... Justin was next. JC knew. Joey was out because he was with Kelly. If he had been dating Bobbie, he'd be out too. Chris and Justin were single.

Pulling into his driveway, JC quickly backed out and turned around. If by some miracle Chris turned down Rachel's offer, Justin would be next. Justin would definitely take her up. He knew that for sure. He heard the comments made on the bus during the last tour. Lance didn't ride the same bus as he, Justin, and Chris. This allowed comments to be let loose and Justin had let some fly. Justin hadn't been single then. But he was now. Justin had definitely been able if Rachel had been willing. She wasn't. Not then. But now...

Twenty minutes later JC was pulling into Lance's drive. He had no idea what he was doing. Why did he care who Rachel had sex with? It didn't matter to him. But he couldn't let it go. Couldn't let go of the fact that Rachel was getting ready to ask Chris to teach her how to have sex. Chris. He heard plenty of Chris's exploits. Sometimes even the play by play. Justin was no better. He may have been one of his best friends but he was cocky. Arrogant.  He couldn't imagine Justin actually taking the time to teach anyone how to have sex. He'd be more apt to take what he wanted under the guise of teaching.

"JC!" Rachel's eyes widened seeing JC on the door step. His face was flushed. His t-shirt clung to him. His hair in disarray. From rehearsals. From running his hands through it. She wasn't sure.

JC hadn't remembered getting out of his car or ringing the doorbell. He stared at Rachel. Her hair in a messy bun. A flowy tank top. Short shorts. Long legs. Bare feet. He swallowed roughly.

"Lance is in the shower. You can come in and wait." Rachel was slightly embarrassed remembering the conversation she had with JC yesterday. She had to get over it. He turned her down. He wasn't someone she was never going to see again. He would be a part of her life for a long time being her brother's band mate.

"I didn't come here to see Lance."

"Oh!" Rachel's eyes widened. "Okay. What's up?"

"I'll do it." JC forced the words out.

"What?" Rachel whispered, freezing.

"I said I'll do it," JC repeated. "I'll teach you."

"You'll teach me?" Rachel repeated dumbly.

"Yes." JC nodded roughly. "Come over later after Lance leaves."

JC turned and walked away not sure what the hell he had just done.

*~*

Rachel had no idea what to wear. What did one wear to a sex lesson? Should she wear the sexiest thing she had? Sexy lingerie? She had neither of those. For the trip she had tossed outfits in a suit case. A couple maxi dresses. Shorts. A denim skirt. Tanks. T-shirts. Blouses. She didn't even own lingerie. When exactly would she wear it in a dorm room she shared? And why would she wear it? The whole purpose of this trip was to eventually be able to wear it for someone. A trip to the mall would solve the issue. She could find lingerie she could... what? Wear to JC's? Toss a trench coat on over and show up at his door? Bring it and change in to it?

Lingerie was out. This wasn't that type of visit. They weren't dating. What she wore had no bearing on JC's ability to teach her how to have sex. Lacy see through baby doll or a trash bag. Eventually both would end up on the floor.

But what would she wear? The white shorts and tank she had on when she answered the door? Should she dress it up? Do her hair? So far she had only showered because of course. Even though she had showered that morning. She showered again taking extra care on shaving her legs and bikini line. Had the nick on her knee to prove it. The tiny slice had only just now stopped burning.

This was like a date. The extra care getting ready. The spazzing on what to wear. How she should do her hair. The nerves sitting in her belly. But it wasn't a date. Not even close. This wasn't a knock at the door. Dinner. Movies. This was knock at the door. Bedroom. Naked. There were no guidelines. If there were, she didn't know where they were. Could she go to the library and check out a book? What would a book on this subject even be called? What section would it be located in?

Rachel needed to stop stalling. Lance had already left. JC told her to come over after he left. What was she gonna wear? She groaned and let the towel fall from her body. She pulled on clean underwear and a bra. Then grabbed a pair of cut off shorts and a worn threadbare t-shirt with a faded Pepsi logo on it. Casual. Blow drying her hair, she pulled it back into a messy bun. With a final look in the mirror she left.

Lance didn't live that far from JC. Maybe a 20 minute drive. Traffic was the usual Friday night mess. Rush hour was over and it was now people heading out to enjoy the night. She wasn't sure where her brother was off too. A club eventually she knew. Not this early in the night. He offered to bring her along, but turned him down even if she didn't already have plans. She wasn't in the mood for loud dancing and drunk people. Drunk people trying to get in her brother's pants. That wasn't her idea of a Friday night. That's even if Lance could get her into the club. A lot of the Orlando clubs were 21 and over. She still had a year before she didn't need her older brother to sweet talk a doorman. Sometimes it worked. Most times it didn't. When it didn't, it was highly embarrassing. Especially when Justin, who was the same age, got waved through. Of course she wasn't a popular pop singer. Just the sister of one. And not the main ones either.

It wasn't a secret that Lance wasn't as popular as Justin or JC. Living on a college campus told her as much. People constantly asked her about them, less about Lance, Joey, or Chris. Though she heard plenty of sexual confessions on all of them she wished she could erase from her mind. A lot wanted to know if she had sex with any of them. Of course once the rumors started, that question was curbed. Some wanted to know if they were single and handed their phone numbers to her to pass along. Others wanted their AOL messenger screen names. A few wanted to know if she'd seen them naked and how they compared.

Plenty of times she wished she was older. Like her sister Stacy. Stacy made it through college before Lance became a member of a wildly popular boyband. Stacy didn't have to deal with fake friends using her to get closer to the group. Stacy's friends from elementary through high school were still her friends. She on the other hand had lost some because they couldn't deal with Lance. Before he was her older dorky brother. Now he just graced Teen People, Teen Beat, and the likes and was on MTV a lot. Still dorky. At least in her opinion.

College hadn't gotten better in that area. The girls were more sex crazed. More experienced and voiced their sexual innuendoes without care. Personally she didn't want to hear about her brother's dick and what someone wanted to do with it or could do with it. The guys had gotten crasser with their jokes about five guys spending all their time on a tour bus. She had simply stopped responding especially when her football locker room retorts failed to resonate.

The nerves were worse sitting in JC's driveway today than they were yesterday. Yesterday it was just getting the nerve to ask. Now it was actually going to happen. JC was going to teach her how to have sex. Show her everything she needed to know to please a man so she could eliminate the rumors once and for all. She wanted to enjoy college. She wanted to go out. She wanted to date. Do exactly what she thought she'd do when she started school. The rumors curtailed her efforts. No one wanted to date a girl with a reputation for being awful in bed.

‘Kisses like a Saint Bernard.'

That rumor was a straight up lie. No way there was any possibility of an ounce of truth to it. She didn't know what it was like to kiss herself. It couldn't be like kissing a Saint Bernard. She'd seen Beethoven. Just no.  But it didn't matter. It fueled the ‘flops around like a dead fish' rumor. ‘Gives head like a beaver.' ‘Gives hand jobs like she's milking a cow.' Which then led to nicknames.

Fish. One might assume that had something to do with her last name. Nope. Bernie. Bernard. Those were usually accompanied by barking. Betsy. Milkmaid Bass. Drawings showed up on her door. Her milking a cow. A beaver chomping a tree log.

Those paired with a few others killed her socially. Not to mention her self-esteem. The whispers entering the room where more than likely about her. The giggles from the rows behind her in her classes where probably about her. Her looks didn't matter. She didn't think she was ugly. She wasn't a knockout either. She was tallish. Five seven. It was about normal for her family. Her legs were long. She was average weight. Slim. If she worked out, she'd probably tone up more. Fill out better. One day her metabolism would catch up she was sure. Her breasts fit her body. Genetics. No girl on her mother's side were blessed in that department. Her eyes were standard green - a gift from her father. Her hair was blonde - dyed a lighter complexion that what it normally would be. Naturally her hair was a shade of blonde that could almost be considered brown. Thanks to a fantastic salon in Jackson her hair was now ‘sunflower'. Thanks to a couple thousands dollars during junior high, her teeth were straight.

Rachel was sure she couldn't take another two years at school. An option would be to transfer. Her parents had already poured so much money into her tuition paired with her scholarships. In the back of her mind, she knew Lance would help if she asked. The only problem with asking Lance would be having to explain why she wanted to transfer from the only school she wanted to go to. That was a conversation she never wanted to have.

Her only other option was to learn how to have sex. If she learned how, she could go back to school and lay the rumors to rest. All she needed to do was talk someone into having sex with her. Giving her a chance. (She hoped her mother never found out.) Someone who could then spread the rumors of how great she was in bed. Cigarette worthy even.

Rachel sighed and leaned back against the seat. Maybe it was a lost cause. Maybe JC couldn't teach her. She prided herself in being smart. Being able to pick things up quickly. What if tonight was a bust? What if she went in there and proved all those rumors true? What if she couldn't even get him turned on? How embarrassing would that be? Maybe she should have gone with the sexy lingerie covered with a trench coat bit. That picture was sure to get a man excited and in the mood.

What would happen to her friendship with JC after tonight? Could they go back to their easy going friendship? She never became friends with any of the guys she had sex with. None of them. After the relationships ended they went their separate ways. No matter what the outcome was tonight - success or failure - could she still be JC's friend?

Would he look at her differently? Would his opinion of her change? Would he hate her? Would he be able to look her in the eye again after she kissed him? Gave him a hand job. Had sex with him? Was it worth it?

Opening the car door she climbed out. She had to do this. It was the only option. It was only sex. She could do it and still look JC in the eye tomorrow. She can separate what was about to happen. She was a girl who needed help. Just like going to a professor's office hours. She was the student. JC was the teacher.