Later that morning, the boys took Nicole to the local venue they were performing at tomorrow night. After they rehearsed, Chris ran up to Nicole. “Did you see what he’s doing?” he asked.
She looked over to Justin who was laying on the moving walkways. She laughed & he smiled up at her.
“Bounce, man, you did that last year when we filmed the making of NSA,” JC said, coming up to them.
“I know but it’s fun,” Justin answered innocently.
“He’s almost as big of a kid as you & Chris,” Lance told Joey.
“Hey! Should I resent that?” Justin asked.
“No,” Nicole told him. “You guys are responsible so it’s ok to have a little fun.”
“Speaking of which, you need fun too.” Justin hopped up & took her hands.
When JC set down her crutches, Justin led her over to the moving sidewalk. “Ok, just step on.”
“I don't know...,” she hesitated.
“Don’t worry. I’ll hold you up.” He gripped her hands tightly as it started moving.
Chris turned on ‘Space Cowboy’ & everyone cheered. Justin started moving his body, dancing with Nicole as she held onto him.
“This is fun!” she laughed as the guys started singing. The others joined them, each jumping off after a few steps to switch places. “Ok, now I’m getting dizzy from them jumping.”
“Guys, I think that’s enough,” Justin laughed.
They all plopped down, laying on the floor. Arms & legs of the 6 people were criss-crossed. “What should we do now?” Lance asked.
They thought for a minute & the guys all shouted out, “PAINTBALL!”
----
The rules of the game were really simple and it sounded like so much fun. The six players divided into two groups. Nicole, Justin and Lance were on one team while JC, Joey, and Chris were on the other team. They all decided that they should play in an arena to make it easier than playing outside. Nicole was also in her wheelchair.
First off, they had to wear different colored shirts depending on their team. Nicole’s team all wore blue shirts while JC and the gang wore red shirts. Once the game started, things started to get real crazy. “I’M gonna get you, Justin!!” shouted Chris like a maniac. Nicole watched as Justin ran away from Chris and laughed out loud at the same time.
While she had her back turned she felt a splat of paint on the back of her seat. She turned around with her mouth hanging open. “JOEY!” she yelled. Joey was laughing so hard next to her. With that opportunity, Nicole quickly shot at him a couple of times.
“Hey stop it, Nic!” he cried, laughing and running from Nicole. Nicole was just laughing right back enjoying herself.
Justin looked over at her and smiled to himself. He was so glad to see her have fun.
---
AFTER PAINTBALL, the group decided to throw a barbeque in Nicole’s yard.
As the were setting up, Lance asked, “hey, where’d Nic go?”
“She was just here,” JC answered.
“I’ll go look,” Justin told them.
Justin jogged down the sidewalk, slowing down next to Nicole. She hadn’t gone far but she needed the distance.
“Where you runnin’, pretty girl?”
“I’m not running,” she told him, not looking at him. She then added in a voice he barely heard, “I’m not pretty.”
Justin looked at her, still walking along side of her. "What'd you just say?"
She had her head bowed and quietly replied. "I'm not pretty!" she repeated.
As he stopped in front of her, he said, "Nicole, you are! You are one of the most beautiful girls inside and out that I have ever laid eyes on."
Nicole looked at Justin disbelieving.
“Come here.” He pulled her to sit on the curb. “Look, I know what you're going through. Heartbreak is the worst & I wish you never felt it.”
Her eyes were tearing up. “It just hurts that I wasn't enough.”
“You are. Any guy who doesn’t realize that isn't good enough for [i]you[/i]. You are 1 of the most wonderful people I’ve known. You can't keep things inside because people make you feel like you're less than you are.”
“But it feels like no matter what I do, no guy will ever love me!”
“Look at me.” He stroked her cheek. “You know what I see when I look in your eyes?”
She tried to look away but he wouldn’t let her. “Justin, just drop it. It’s not worth it.”
“You're worth it. I see someone fun & energetic. I see someone who can kick butt with 1 punch.” He chuckled at that & continued. “I see someone so full of life but also someone who just wants to be loved.”
“I don’t think that’ll happen.”
“Stop saying that. It will. One day, you'll turn around & find someone who sees exactly what I see. The pain will last awhile, yes, but it will lessen. The guy you find will see the beautiful soul inside you & see the beauty you have outside.”
Deep down, Justin loved Nicole but knew she was hurting & that it was too soon to tell her. For now, all he could do was keep her spirits up.
She leaned into him, listening to him breathe. He always knew the right thing to say. “I don’t want to wait though.”
“I know but you can't rush it. When you find that perfect love, you'll know. And we all know that love is painful, but it’s the good things outweighing the bad that make it the 1 that lasts. You'll find it, girl. I promise.”
“Are you going to break into a song?” she joked, leaning back up.
“Maybe with the guys but only because you know you like it.”
He wrapped an arm around her, helping her up & they walked back to her house. She knew it’d take time but at least now she felt love instead of only giving love.
THE END!
Author's Chapter Notes:
AN: im movin justin up to age 21 so he has the buzz cut. i didnt want his hair messed up by what they decide 2 do that day. hopefully you'll understand what i mean when u read the paint scene lol.
Chapter End Notes:
AN: was the fic good?
Completed
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