"So that's it? It's over just like that?"

Chris watched JC's lawyer, Todd, carefully looking for any sign he was holding something back. Todd met his gaze head on and nodded firmly.

"They were using Ms. Morton's testimony to give weight to their evidence. Since she revoked her statement, that pocket knife is just circumstantial. It doesn't prove JC killed Marc."

JC hadn't said a single word to them about the case, but they'd managed to get Todd to tell them at least enough to assure them that JC wasn't in danger of going to jail for life. They'd believed he would get JC off, certain of their friend's innocence. But Chris had never thought it come about like this.

"But it also doesn't prove his innocence either," Chris pointed out.

Joey elbowed him. "Dude, do you want JC to be a murderer?"

"Of course not," Chris said quickly. "I just don't understand how the police are dropping this so quickly, like nothing happened. And all because that girl changed her story?"

"She was the one who set him up to begin with," Justin mumbled.

"Yeah, but why?"

"Do the details really matter?" Lance asked. Chris stared at him in surprise. Lance was the most anal person he knew - details mattered a great deal to him and for him to say otherwise was just wrong. Lance caught his look and added, "I'm with Joey. This gets JC out of jail, and that's all I really care about at this point."

"Her retracting her statement didn't change the outcome anyway. JC was going to be released no matter what because there was no real proof that he killed Marc. This just allowed us to get there faster," Todd said.

Chris nodded. He did believe that the lawyer would've gotten the charges dropped regardless, but he wasn't as willing as the guy were to believe it was over. "But what if there's more to this?" he asked.

"I'll stick around for a couple of days just in case," Todd said. "If anything else comes up, all you have to do is call me."

"And this is completely over? I understand they dropped the murder charges, but can't the police charge him for knowing about a crime and not reporting it?"

"Dude!" Joey said again, this time exasperated. "Are you trying to make sure JC stays in jail?"

Chris sighed, frustrated that his concern wasn't coming across correctly. "No," he said with an edge, beginning to get irritated at the accusation he didn't want JC out of jail. "I just don't want us to go back to Orlando thinking everything is fine and then something else pops up. I want to make sure this is truly resolved."

For the first time since Todd had sat down with them, he hesitated. "The police didn't mention anything about charging him for failing to report it. But you're right, technically they can."

"So why are they releasing him then?"

It was Lance's turn to object. "Chris!"

"What?" Chris snapped, tired of them all questioning him. "This isn't adding up. Something fishy is going on, and I just want to make sure we don't end up getting burned for it."

"She probably paid off the cops."

Chris turned his head to Justin in surprise. This wasn't the first comment Justin had made about this girl being more than just a little dishonest about what'd happened to her husband. The things he said almost made the whole thing sound like some kind of conspiracy, which on the surface sounded ridiculous. But at the same time, Chris wasn't sure the idea could be dismissed.

"You really think she could do that?" Joey asked.

Justin opened his mouth to respond, but Lance beat him to it. "No," Lance said. "To do any of things you all are suggesting - like interfering with a police investigation - she'd have to have some major pull. Something I doubt she has."

"Why? Because she dated JC?" Justin asked. "She could be a local politician or something. This whole thing has already proved we know nothing about what happened when he was out here after MMC."

Chris raised an eyebrow at Lance. The last part of what Justin said had been said with a hint of bitterness, and he'd been in a miserable mood since he and Lance had returned from visiting JC a couple hours ago. He could understand Justin feeling put out that his best friend hadn't shared all of this with him, but he'd expected the mood to lift when they'd gotten the call from Todd saying the charges were dropped and he was on his way over to explain everything to them. Lance just shook his head, seeming to say he didn't know how to deal with Justin's attitude. The only person that could fix it was JC, and considering how mum JC had been on the whole thing, he couldn't see that happening.

"I doubt she's a politician," Lance said to Justin, frowning. "I mean, she wasn't exactly dressed like it."

Justin sighed a little, but Lance seemed to have made a valid point. "Okay, fine. But there could be something more to her. Something that puts her in a position where she can get whatever she wants and force people to do things for her."

"Who cares," Joey said. Chris looked over at him surprised to find him irritated, and he was about to ask what his problem was when Joey cut him off. "We don't need to know the reason. All that matters is JC is getting out of jail. If they want to charge him with something else later then we'll deal with it then. But can't we all just be happy he's out?"

A knock on the door interrupted them. They all glanced at each other wondering if that was JC because when Todd arrived he'd told them that when he'd left the police station JC's release was being processed. So it stood to reason that he'd be arriving here at the hotel any minute.

Chris was closest to the door so he got to his feet. He glanced back at the guys and saw they all looked anxious. This was especially true of Justin who was leaning forward in his seat, like he was ready to spring from it in a moment's notice. It seemed his earlier irritation towards JC didn't stop him from being excited to have him finally return to them.

The only problem was when Chris opened the door, JC wasn't on the other side.

Instead it was a girl he'd never seen before. She was only a couple inches shorter than Chris with black hair that fell in soft waves over her shoulders. For a second he thought she was a fan, but her lack of giddiness and closed lipped smile made him rethink that. And in a way, that was even more concerning. Who was she and what did she want?

"Can I help you?" he asked. He knew without looking that the guys were watching him, wondering what was going on.

"I'm Sabrina." Chris's lips turned down into a frown, and she seemed to realize her name hadn't registered so she provided him with her full name. "Sabrina Morton. I'm here to see JC."

As she said the last part, she took a step forward. Chris was forced to take a step backwards in order to keep some space between them, which also caused him to step further in the room leaving the door wide enough for her to come in. He watched her slip by him, feeling surprise that the very woman they'd been talking about had shown up at their hotel and knew exactly what room they were in.

"You," Justin said, getting to his feet. "Get out. JC has no interest in seeing you."

She raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure about that? Because I have it on good authority that he does. Me and him have some...catching up to do."

Todd clear his throat, drawing attention to himself. He then got to his feet and looked Sabrina in the eyes. "I feel the need to remind you that blackmailing someone is illegal, especially if it impacts a criminal investigation."

She gave him a wicked smile. "I'll keep that in mind."

Todd eyed her for a moment longer before he turned to the four of them. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to call," he said.

Lance nodded and thanked him. Todd glanced at Sabrina one last time before he left the hotel room, the door automatically closing behind him. Almost as soon as he was gone, Justin started on Sabrina again.

"Whatever you think you're going to get from JC, you won't. He's a much better person than you, and he won't stoop to your level."

"Is that so?" she asked, almost sounding bored. "Perhaps you don't know him as well as you think you do."

"I know him better than anyone," Justin said. "And I know he's no murderer."

She nodded. "True. But he's not as innocent as you think he is. We did all kinds of things together - things that weren't exactly legal."

Chris couldn't say he was exactly surprised. Something had to have gone down between JC and this girl, especially since he had never mentioned her or talked about his time in LA to any of them. At the same time though, it was hard to picture him doing anything illegal. JC had such a guilty conscience, and Chris couldn't see him taking part in anything that would harm someone else because he would be wracked with the guilt of it.

"Like what?"

The question came from Joey, not Justin. He was looking at Sabrina with disbelief but also curiosity like he wanted to know her story while Justin just glared at her with a deep frown on his face.

Sabrina glanced at each of them as she spoke. "I read somewhere that you tease him for being a klepto. Well, let's just say you don't know the half of it."

"And why should we believe you?" Lance asked, not meanly but as a genuine question. "We don't even know you."

She gave a little shrug. "You shouldn't. But go ahead, ask him for yourself. You'll see I'm right."

There was a knock at the door again. This time Chris was sure it was JC, and sure enough, the door opened after that quick, single knock. Lonnie declared loudly, "Look who's finally broken out of the big house" and gently shoved JC into the suite.

JC stumbled a little bit, looking dead on his feet but Chris couldn't deny he looked in better spirits. No doubt happy to finally be out of jail. Though, any relief or joy on JC's face disappeared the instant he saw Sabrina. At once, his posture straightened and his face hardened.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, staring at her coldly. Chris's eyebrows shot up and he exchanged a surprised look with the others. Hardly had he ever heard JC speak like that to anyone.

"I came here to see you and instead I've been having a little chat with your friends. It seems they don't really know who you really are," she said. She took a step closer to him, a smirk playing around her lips. "Funny how you're not as honest with them as you were with me."

JC glared at her. "I'm not doing this with you."

She sighed, all hints of amusement leaving her face. "We still need to talk."

"Not here. I'll call you when I'm ready to meet," JC said.

She reached out, looping her arms around his neck as she stared up at him. "Why don't you just come by the apartment? I'll be there all night."

JC grabbed onto her arms, forcefully removing them from around his neck. "Fine," he said flatly. "See you later."

She stepped away from JC, but she didn't seem put off in the slightest. In fact, Chris would say she seemed highly amused at JC's lack of tolerance for her flirty behavior. JC crossed his arms over his chest and continued to glare at her, making it even more obvious she wasn't welcome and needed to leave.

She raised an eyebrow at him, but she didn't protest. It was when she reached the door that she stopped. She turned around to look back at the rest of them, and she said a syrupy sweet voice, "See you boys around."

Chris frowned, getting the sense she wasn't just saying that. But given how adamant JC seemed in keeping them away from her, he couldn't see it happening. Regardless though, she finally walked out the door, and it was only when the door shut locking automatically behind her that JC relaxed.

It was an almost instantaneous reaction. JC's shoulders slumped forward, his spine curving. Somehow he looked even more exhausted and run down than he had when he'd first walked in the door. And to top it off, his gaze was fixed on the floor as he avoided even glancing in their direction.

They stood there awkwardly for a moment. Chris had questions, and he could tell the others did too. Though, they seemed unsure how to bring it up. Or, in Chris's case, the state JC was in gave him pause. As much as he wanted answers, it didn't seem like the right time to press it.

JC jumped on their hesitation by mumbling, "I'm gonna take a shower."

He hadn't so much as taken a step when Lance stopped him. "Aren't we going to talk about this, JC?"

JC sighed heavily and slowly raised his head so he could look each of them in the eyes. "I know you guys have questions about Sabrina and...stuff. But can't this wait until I at least take a shower?"

JC sounded a little exasperated, but more than anything there was a pleading note to his voice. It wasn't Chris's style to back down, especially when he seemed on the verge of getting something out of JC who was so closed off - even from the four of them. But considering how bad JC looked, he knew this would be the thing to send him over the edge. The shower would be therapeutic for JC, allowing him to not only rid himself of smells from jail but also get his thoughts in order.

"Yeah, of course," Chris said on behalf of all of them. "But we will talk after."

Chris held JC's gaze, making sure the message came through loud and clear. He was curious about Sabrina and the past JC had with her yes, but he also wanted to make sure JC wasn't too emotionally scarred from this whole experience.

JC gave him a small nod, and Joey pointed out which room held JC's stuff. None of them moved until JC disappeared into the room, shutting the door behind him.

******************

JC was technically clean, having already thoroughly washed himself and his hair, but he was having a hard time forcing himself out of the shower. Partly because he was reveling in the feel of the hot water erasing all the grime from spending the last couple days in jail. But also because he knew he would have to talk to the guys once he got out.

He had no idea what Sabrina might have said to them, but he suspected she hadn't actually said anything specific. Because if she had, they likely would've jumped all over him to answer their questions and not allowed him the time to shower and collect himself. There was also the way she looked at him when she said his friends didn't seem to know him so well. That single look had told him that she was getting pleasure at forcing the issue, putting him in a position where he had to explain what she meant and reveal more than he'd ever intended.

JC bowed his head, letting the hot water beat against his neck in attempt to loosen the tense muscles there. Though, he had a feeling no amount of hot water would do it - it was entirely dependent on the guys and how they responded to what he told them. Their reaction terrified him more than he could say, but he knew he likely wouldn't be able to brush off their questions either. He'd have to offer some kind of an explanation to what Sabrina had said.

He rubbed at his neck and felt the cord of his Leo necklace beneath his fingers. It was something he had picked up while they were in Europe. Normally he'd never had much interest in astrology or his Zodiac sign, but in a small shop they'd had various Zodiac necklaces with a little write up for each. Being born in August made him a Leo, and the write up said that the necklace would harness a Leo's strength and courage as those traits were common in most Leos. And given he'd been silently dealing with everything that'd happened months ago in LA, he'd bought it with the idea that he wanted to be that person - someone strong and brave. Certainly more than he had been when he was in LA with Sabrina.

The necklace didn't magically change anything, but it helped to serve as a reminder that he was stronger than he thought. That he had it in himself to stand up for what was right - something he had finally done in LA after weakly letting Sabrina force him into things he hadn't agreed with. And as much as he didn't want to lay everything that had happened in LA on the table, he knew he would make it through it regardless of how the guys reacted. It didn't make him any less nervous, but it reminded him he was only as weak as he allowed himself to be.

With a heavy sigh, JC finally turned around and shut off the water. With the steam quickly dissipating, it kept him from lingering and stalling getting dressed. Though, he allowed himself the time to actually dry his hair when normally he would just run the towel through it a couple times. Every little excuse he could come up with to delay the inevitable, he was more than willing to use to his advantage.

As he walked out of the bathroom into the connecting bedroom, he was sure at least one of the guys would be waiting for him. Surprisingly, the room was empty. He certainly wasn't going to complain though as it allowed him at least a couple extra minutes to think about just how he was going to word things and exactly how much he would truly tell them about the time he spent with Sabrina.

JC sat on the bed closest to the bathroom to pull on his socks, his mind spinning all the while. Memories and thoughts ran through his head before he finally locked on one particular memory. He wasn't sure what it was about this one, why it was the one that had been pushed to the forefront of his brain, but it left him feeling even more exhausted than he already was.

It wasn't the first thing Sabrina had goaded him into doing, but it was the one that'd come closest to him ending up in jail under a grand theft auto charge. Thankfully it hadn't come to that, but it was still one of the many memories that haunted him.

JC couldn't believe his bad luck. The Jeep was in the shop again being repaired for God knew what. All he knew was that it was no doubt going to cost him more than he could spare, even with Sabrina's friend cutting him a deal. And to top it all off, he was going to miss out on an audition.

He'd gotten wind of a TV audition where they needed someone who could sing to act as one of background musicians on the show. It didn't sound like much, but JC knew there was so much opportunity with that role. If he got the part and ended up on TV, it would be easier for someone to take notice of his talent and hopefully hire him for more. At least this was the scenario he'd dreamed up in his head since he'd circled the audition in the paper.

But it wasn't going to happen now that his Jeep had died on him again. Public transportation wasn't an option either because taking into consideration the schedule and number of stops a bus generally made, it would take much longer than the extended lunch he'd gotten permission from his boss to take. It was disappointing though because it was the most promising an audition had sounded lately.

JC sighed, swiping at the sweat that had built up on his forehead. Just like his job at the restaurant, being a valet required being in slacks and a long sleeved dress shirt. What made the valet uniform worse though was that it also included a vest, and summer was well under way in LA, which meant the constant sunshine was even more intense.

"No one is going to tip you if you slouch like that."

JC didn't even look up at the sound of Sabrina's voice. If anything, he leaned forward more so he was practically sprawled out atop the valet podium. "No one tips me anyway," he muttered.

"Not if this is how you look when people approach," she countered as she stepped closer to him. She put a hand on his shoulder and pushed him until his back was perfectly straight with his shoulders back. While he used to have good posture, lately it had been pretty awful so such a position was actually painful.

"No one's even here," he complained. He was on the verge of whining - something Sabrina absolutely hated - but he couldn't help it. It wasn't turning out to be a very good day considering his Jeep was in the garage again, he was missing out on an audition for a decent gig, and LA seemed to be experiencing its hottest day of the year which just made his job that much more miserable.

And the sudden presence of his girlfriend didn't even lift his spirits. In fact, her nagging was just souring his mood faster. So much so that he turned on her and, unable to keep the annoyance out of his voice, asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I came to check up on you and see if you were in a better mood than this morning. Obviously not."

JC sighed, rolling his eyes. Why on earth would he be in a better mood? When he'd left that morning it had been in a rush to catch the bus he needed to get to his first job of the day. He'd spent the night at Sabrina's apartment, and she'd turned off his alarm allowing him to oversleep. So needless to say he'd literally run out the door in order to catch the bus on time, which he did but without eating breakfast or getting a shower. Things he normally depended on to get him through the day.

Suddenly, it clicked in his head what her being there meant. He turned to look at her as he asked hopefully, "Can I borrow the car?"

She normally had an aerobics class this time three times a week, but if she was here then that meant her car was somewhere nearby. If he left right now, he could probably still make it to the audition in time. But she shook her head and he instantly deflated.

"Callie just dropped me off. She needed my car to run up to Malibu to check on her grandmother."

JC looked at her, trying to conceal his surprise. Sabrina was a good friend, but she normally didn't miss those aerobics classes for anything. So it must really be time sensitive. He frowned, worry creasing his brow as he thought about Callie. She was a sweet girl, and he hoped nothing was seriously wrong with her grandmother.

"There's a bus stop around here that goes to Universal City, right?" She didn't wait for him to answer as she said, "Why don't you catch that?"

JC's earlier annoyance returned, and he barely refrained from gritting his teeth. She hated when he got snippy with her, and he didn't really want to fight. His bad mood just had him primed and ready to fire off a nasty retort, and it took everything in him to hold back on saying something hurtful. It didn't keep the annoyance out of his tone though.

"I already told you. If I take the bus, I'll be gone twice as long as what my boss and I agreed on."

Sabrina gave a little shrug. "So what?"

"So she'll fire me," JC snapped. "And considering how much you like to spend my money, I'd think you'd prefer if I actually held down a couple of my jobs."

She narrowed her eyes, and JC sighed, knowing she was about to go off on him. But to his surprise, the next words out of her mouth weren't ones of anger meant to ignite their disagreement into a full blown argument. Instead she said, "Well, you do have another option."

He stared at her, not knowing where she was going with this. Though he caught on quickly as she gestured with her head in the direction where the valet parking lot was. His eyes widened as he stared at her in disbelief. "Are you nuts?" he hissed. "You want me to steal a car? Forget being fired, I'll be arrested."

Sabrina rolled her eyes. "You're not stealing. You're just borrowing it." She leaned on the podium, moving into his personal space and staring into his eyes. "These yuppy rich people are going to be inside for at least a couple hours, and you'll be back in one, right? So there's plenty of time."

JC bit his lip, and he cursed himself for even considering it. Though, he couldn't help agreeing with her. That he would be back before the show that was occurring in the theatre behind him let out, and in all likelihood no one would even know. He looked at Sabrina and saw her lips begin to curl into a smile like she could tell he was about to give in and agree with her, and just like that, his moral compass snapped back into place.

"I can't," he said, shaking his head. It was wrong to take something that didn't belong to you - even if you were going to give it back, and his parents had raised him better than that.

"C'mon, JC, live a little," she replied. She straightened from the podium and took a step back, fixing him with a serious gaze. "What's the worst that could happen? They catch you?" She shook her head. "That's not going to happen, and even if it does, so what? You might get fired from this job, but it would be worth it if you got that audition, right?"

JC knew what she was doing appealing to the fact that he hated this job. Hell, he hated all the odd jobs that he worked in order to pay all his bills. He spent so much time working just to get by that he barely had time for music anymore. Something that would change if he got this part, and no doubt it would open all kinds of doors for him in the music business. And given that he would return before the show inside let out, the whole thing seemed to be low risk with a high payoff.

"Okay," he agreed at last. There was still a part of him that felt guilty for what he was about to do, but he forced those feelings deep down burying them under the knowledge that getting this part was the opportunity he had been waiting for. It held too much promise for him to miss the audition. He would just be super careful and return as quick as he could.

When JC had returned from the audition, the owners of the car were waiting for him along with his boss. As it turned out, the couple had decided to leave the show early and was livid when they'd discovered their car wasn't in the valet parking lot. JC had panicked, begging for their forgiveness as he crafted a story about his girlfriend's dad being in the hospital and he'd had to drive her there immediately. The lie had come so easily, and it'd left him feeling sick to his stomach, especially when the couple bought it and said they wouldn't press charges.

In the end, it hadn't even been worth it as he hadn't gotten the part. All JC had gotten was fired from his job as a valet, but he'd known he'd gotten off relatively easy. Something that happened quite a bit after he'd let Sabrina talk him into doing something he'd known wasn't right. It hadn't occurred to him at the time, but once he'd left LA he'd realized she'd been using the fact that he was underage to her advantage. Every scam they pulled, every petty theft she talked him into, it was all because he was under eighteen and the cops had a tendency to be more lenient with kids. While Sabrina, who was three years old than him, would've been arrested and who knows what else if she'd been the one caught doing any of the things he'd done. Not that they'd got caught often, but when they did, he was the one to feel the fallout from it - even if it hadn't been nearly as bad as what it could've been.

And that was why JC had kept the year in LA a secret. There wasn't a single person he'd told about the things he'd done because he was ashamed of what he'd done and couldn't stand the thought of disappointing the people that cared about him. His parents would've been horrified to hear how he'd let Sabrina lead him astray, and Justin...he was supposed to be a good role model for him, acting like the big brother he'd never had. He'd felt bad about lying to them all, but it'd been better than the alternative. Only now the guys would force him to reveal his history with Sabrina, and the thought made his heart rate quicken.

There was a soft knock on the door before the door opened. JC sighed, hanging his head as he lowered his foot to the floor. It looked like his time was up.

"JC?" JC didn't so much as lift his head at Chris's gentle probing. "You alright?"

JC shot him a quick look out of the corner of his eye, but otherwise didn't react to the question. He'd hoped that Chris would take the hint and leave him alone even though he knew that wouldn't happen. He was right, but he looked up as Chris sat on the bed next to him continuing to speak to him in a soft voice.

"Sorry. Dumb question." Chris looked him in the eye and said, "It gets easier, you know. From everything Lonnie told us you weren't put with anyone else so that had to make it easier. Though I know the crushing feeling of being behind bars."

JC's eyes widened. "You do?"

Chris gave a little shrug. "I got picked up for stealing some video game when I was fifteen, wishing like hell I could afford the same stuff as the other kids. You know, trying to be cool." He looked away from JC, his eyes becoming unfocused like he was replaying that particular memory. "The cops had me spend a night in jail to teach me a lesson."

JC couldn't help watching Chris, unable to believe what he was hearing. Chris wasn't a paragon of virtue in any way, but he seemed to have a moral compass that drove him the same as the rest of them. Though, that hadn't kept JC from doing things with Sabrina that he'd known was wrong. And knowing that Chris had spent a night in jail as a teenager just left him feeling sad.

"Chris, I-"

Chris interrupted him, "I didn't tell you that so you'd feel bad or pity me. I told you so you know you can talk to me about it, and I'll understand. You've been so insistent on dealing with all of this on your own, but you don't have to."

JC stared at Chris, feeling like he was in an alternate universe. It wasn't natural for Chris to be so soft spoken and sincere like this. That wasn't to say he didn't ever do it, but if he wanted to make you talked about something he would wear you down until you got it all off your chest. It made JC feel like he must really look like crap if Chris was being so gentle with him.

Chris seemed to sense his unease and opened his mouth to say more, but before he could get a word out, the door opened further and the others came in. His mouth snapped shut, and he looked more than a little annoyed that they'd been interrupted. But he didn't do or say anything to prevent the others from sitting on the other bed and making themselves comfortable for their impending talk.

"Can we talk about Sabrina now?" Justin asked once they were all settled.

Joey gave Justin's arm a backhanded smack, and Chris glared at him. "Justin," Chris said, his voice having that warning tone that they'd all heard at one time or another.

"It's okay," JC said. He looked down at his hands in his lap, knowing he couldn't do this if he was looking at any of them. "I do owe you guys an explanation."

"You don't have to tell us everything," Lance said. "Just as much as you want to tell us."

If JC had his way, he wouldn't tell them anything. That moment had long since passed, and it was time to fess up to what he'd done - even if they ended up hating him for it.

"I don't know what Sabrina told you, but we weren't exactly the best people when we were together," JC started. He could feel the weight of their curious gazes, and he knew they were hanging onto his every word. But he kept his eyes down, speaking quietly into his lap. "I regret every bit of it, but the thing I regret most was the stealing."

JC wondered if they were staring at him appalled, but he couldn't bring himself to raise his head and find out for himself. If they were, it would be so much harder to continue and give them the explanation they deserved.

"What did you steal?" Joey asked, quietly.

JC squeezed his eyes shut, trying to keep the tears at bay. He couldn't hear any disappointment in Joey's voice, but he was sure it was written all over his face. On all their faces. He took a shaky breath and forced himself to answer the question.

"We stole money, food, almost anything we could get away with." JC bit his lip as memories flashed through his mind. "At first I was in shock at what she did, but it got easier the more we did it. She always was justifying it in such a way that even though I knew it was wrong, it didn't seem all that bad."

"She was manipulating you," Justin said.

JC shook his head, his eyes still closed. "I could've gone against her at any time, but I chose not to. And I never turned her in. Hell, after a while I started to agree with her."

She'd always been a very opinionated person, and she'd projected all of her feelings and thoughts onto him. There was a way she talked that JC had always found himself agreeing with her even he'd always thought differently. In her eyes the world owed her a lot, and she often was just taking things that people were too careless with or just plain didn't think about.

"There was one time we were walking around and we were drawn into a bakery from the smell of fresh baked bread," JC recounted, drawing upon the memory. "On the counter was a loaf of a bread that was meant for free samples. Sabrina told me to take the bread - that it was there for people to eat and there was no written rule a sample was only limited to one slice per person. I tried to argue, but she said that we needed the bread more than they did. And it was true - we'd paid so much on our bills that month that we hardly had anything for food. So when the shop owner was helping another customer, I took the loaf and ran out of the shop."

JC swiped at his eyes, wiping away any moisture that'd built up under his eyelids before it could pool enough to run down his face. He nearly jumped out of his skin when a hand rested on his shoulder. Turning his head, he saw Chris looking at him with a concerned frown.

"We're not judging you for what you did," he said.

"You're not?" JC replied, his disbelief clear. It made him suspicious because he'd never imagined another scenario.

"It's obvious you're still beating yourself up over it. We're not here to make you feel worse. It was a mistake. One that you've been killing yourself to make up for since then."

JC shook his head, unable to believe what Chris was saying. "You don't know about the things I've done. What I told you is just a small part of it."

"And our opinion isn't going to change when you tell us the rest," Joey said. "We know who you are, and a year of bad judgment doesn't change that."

Lance leaned forward on the opposite bed and ducked his head in attempt to catch JC's eyes. "Joey's right. There's nothing you can say that will change our opinion of you. You're our best friend, and we know you're not perfect. None of us are."

"Which is why you should just tell us everything and get it all out in the open," Justin jumped in, looking at JC earnestly. "It'll take the weight off your shoulders and make you feel better."

JC shuddered at the thought of telling them every single thing he and Sabrina had done together. He'd said they deserved to know the truth, but that didn't mean he was going to tell them everything. This was hard enough; he wouldn't be able to survive giving them a full rundown of his entire time with Sabrina.

"How about you tell us more about Sabrina? Like what's up with the murder charge and how she got it all to go away?" Chris said.

JC looked at him in surprise. He didn't understand why Chris wasn't pushing him to talk about everything and being less brash than usual, but he was grateful for it just the same.

"She's the one that told the cops I murdered Marc. She's the reason they have the pocket knife and think it's the murder weapon," JC said.

Lance frowned. "I thought that was submitted to the police anonymously."

Justin rolled his eyes. "C'mon, Lance. She obviously was the one behind that."

"So that isn't the murder weapon?" Joey asked.

JC shook his head, rubbing at the back of his neck. He maybe should've kept them more in the loop because there was so much he didn't tell them. It would take forever to explain it all, so he was just going to focus on the basics.

"Marc was poisoned. Or at least I think so. I didn't actually see her do anything, but that was the impression I got when I walked in on them."

Justin's eyes widened. "Your ex-girlfriend is a murderer?" He made a face before looking at JC with understanding. "No wonder you have relationship issues."

Beside JC, Chris snorted and JC himself couldn't help an eye roll as the corners of his lips twitched upward. Lance and Joey looked amused too, and JC could swear the knot that had been permanently between his shoulders for the last couple days loosened just a bit.

"That was when I got the hell out of LA," JC said. "I had done some crappy things with her to people, but I draw the line at murder."

"So why did she set you up then? What does she want?" Lance asked.

"And why didn't she do this sooner?" Chris added.

JC glanced at Chris briefly before he looked away, lowering his gaze once again. He didn't want to admit this, but he'd known it would probably come to him revealing what'd been going on since the Disney concert. "Because I was paying her to keep quiet."

"So you've been bribing her this entire time?" Chris shook his head, like that idea was in direct violation of everything he knew about JC. Then his face lit up with sudden realization. "She was blackmailing you, wasn't she?"

JC nodded. "She approached me after the Disney concert, and I've been sending her money every month because she threatened to talk about what happened with Marc."

"So what does she want now then? If you've been paying her, why would she basically go against her blackmail scheme?" Joey asked.

JC shrugged. "I don't know. She says she needs something. I figure it has to be more money, but she won't tell me until we meet." He glanced at the alarm clock on the bedside table, noting the time. It wasn't late, but he knew the longer he waited the harder it would be. "Which I should probably do now."

JC started to push himself up from the bed, but Justin stopped him. "Now? Really? This can't wait?"

"I'd rather not wait. I want to figure out what she wants and deal with it, then get back to Orlando where I can put this whole damn thing behind me."

"How about I go with you?" Chris suggested.

JC shook his head. "No," he said. "I don't want you guys involved with her. It was bad enough she showed up here."

"JC, I don't know if I'm okay with you going alone. Not with everything you just told us about her," Chris persisted.

JC managed a half smile. "I can handle her." At least he hoped he could. "And anyway, Lonnie will be with me. You know he's not going to let me out of his sight."

Chris still seemed apprehensive, but the others looked reassured, feeling secure in the knowledge that Lonnie would never let anything happen to him. Before Chris could say anything though, Lance spoke.

"Just be careful, okay?"

JC nodded and agreed to Joey's idea that he meet up with them for dinner after he was done. As much as he wanted to fall backwards on the bed and sleep for days, he knew he wouldn't be able to. Not until he got whatever Sabrina wanted out of the way.

So he left the hotel suite, heading for Sabrina's apartment. One place he'd never thought he'd see again, and he could only imagine what waited him there.