Chapter 5

“NO. CJ! DON’T LEAVE ME!” Nick screamed as he relived the night CJ had been stabbed in his dream. CJ woke up to him screaming. She carefully climbed out of bed, wincing at the pain she had while she walked.

          “Shh. Nick, I’m here. I’m right here.” She said when she finally reached him, stroking his face. His eyes opened and realized where he was. He sat up and pulled her into his arms. “Nick, I’ll never leave you.”

          He nodded and let go. He helped her walk carefully back to the bed. “CJ. I love you.”

          “Nicky, I love you too.”

          “When can you come home with me?”

          “I dunno Nick. Go ask. I’m not going anywhere.” She said, giggling. Nick smiled, kissed her forehead and went the door. He went to the nurse’s desk.

          “Can you please tell me when CJ in room 114 can go home?”

          “I need to know your relationship to the patient.” She responded.

          “I am her boyfriend.” Nick said after a few seconds. The nurse looked at him strangely but went to her charts.

          “She can go home tomorrow. But she needs someone to care for her.”

          “Thank you very much. I have to talk with her, but I think I will be taking care of her.” Nick smiled and walked away. He thought to himself, ‘Yes, she can go home! Yea! Wait.. did I say boyfriend? Yea, I did. I am going to ask her.’

          He walked in and saw her watching one of her favorite movies, Gone With The Wind. “Back so soon, Nicky boy? Good news?”

          “Yup, good news. You can go home tomorrow only if someone will care for you. And before you say anything, you better know that person will be me and no refusals from you.” She sat there, mouth open. “And..” He took her hands into his and stared into her eyes. “Will you be my girlfriend?”

          “Y..y.. yes Nick.”

          He smiled and hugged her. “Great. I had to tell the nurse I was your boyfriend to get information, that’s what made me think of asking you.”

          “Oh, so now we are a couple only for information?” She said, jokingly. He just grinned and leaned forward. Their lips met and they both felt another spark fly between them.

 

Chapter 6:

(Brian and Jess)

          Brian knocked on the door. “It’s open.” Jess screamed. He turned the doorknob. The door wouldn’t open.

          He chuckled and said, “No. It’s locked!”

          “Oops.” She said, noticing her mistake. She unlocked it and opened it. Brian stood there, staring. “It’s not polite to stare, lover boy.”

          “I’m sorry, but you are so beautiful.”

          She blushed at this comment and smiled shyly. “Thanks, Brian. You look handsome.”

          “That’s me, handsome stud.” He said flexing his muscles you couldn’t see them because of his shirt and jacket.

          “That’s my studmuffin you’re talking about, my Pillsbury Doughboy.” She said, poking him at his belly button area.

          “WOOHOO!” he said, making her laugh. “My lady, are you ready yet?”

          “Yes, my kind sir. I am.”

          “Shall we?”

          “We shall.” She said as she giggled.

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          “Nicky?”

          “CJ.”

          “Go to our house and sleep. God knows you need it.”

          “Nope. I leave when you leave.”

          “But..”

          “No buts. I am staying here.”

          “Fine. Don’t you wanna go home and shower and change, though?”

          “No.” He lied.

          “Of course you do. Go. I’ll be fine, seriously. I’ll see you in an hour or more. GO!”

          “But.”

          “No buts. If you love me, you’ll go.”

          “Fine, CJ. You win. I’ll go shower. If I stink that much. Love you.” He said as he kissed her forehead and left the room.

          CJ sat on the bed, trying to find something to watch. She landed on MTV, which was playing the Backstreet Boys’ new video. She remembered how much fun it was to stay in the back with Jess watching the boys make the video. The video was for a song that Jess and CJ had written and sung with the boys. Their best friends sang with the girls, so everyone had a girl or boy. Jess was with Brian (of course), CJ was with Nick, Jayme was with AJ, Anna was with Howie, and Julie was with Kevin. The director decided to tape some of the behind the scene parts where Brian and Jess couldn’t be separated. Where Nick and her had flirted, where Jayme and AJ goofed off, flirting. Where Anna and Howie had long discussions on their lives. Also, where Julie and Kevin were off singing together. Most of the video was acted out, but there was true romance behind the scene, too. They practiced the choreography many times before they all got it. She smiled at the sight of Nick messing up, falling and taking her down with him. She landed on the bottom and him on the top. He smiled like a schoolboy and blushed bright red. They laughed it off but she could see why it meant so much to him. That was one of the things that made her fall in love with him. She fell asleep thinking about the good times she had with all her friends on that shoot.

 

Chapter 7

Love Is Strong

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