Thanks to Rissa for the help on this chapter!!! *Muahs* girlie!

~~~~~~~~~~» AJ «~~~~~~~~~~

After driving in silence for a few minutes from the mall, we pulled up in front of my house. Liz pulled the car to an abrupt stop in my driveway. I looked over at her and saw that she was staring straight ahead with her hands still gripping the steering wheel. I debated on whether or not to say something, and decided not to. Instead, I leaned over a little and gave her a kiss on her cheek. When she didn’t say anything or even move at all, I got out with my bags and shut the door. Before I even had the door shut all the way, she already had the car in reverse and had started to pull away. I reached my hand out and let my fingers graze the hood of the car as she pulled away. My hand dropped to my side as she got further and further away.

Sometimes I feel like I am drunk behind the wheel
The wheel of possibility however it may roll
Give it a spin see if you can somehow factor in
You know there’s always more than one way to say exactly what you mean
You say:

Was I out of my head was I out of my mind?
How could I have ever been so blind?
I was waitin’ for an indication
It was hard to find
Don’t matter what I say, only what I do
I’d never mean to do bad things to you
So quiet but I finally woke up
If you’re sad then it’s time you spoke up too

Was I out of my head was I out of my mind?
How could I have ever been so blind?
I was waitin’ for an indication
It was hard to find
Don’t matter what I say, only what I do
I’d never mean to do bad things to you
So quiet but I finally woke up
If you’re sad then it’s time you spoke up too

~~~~~~~~~~» The Next Day «~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~» Nick «~~~~~~~~~~

"Are you sure your place is big enough for this party thing?"

"Yes, it’s fine...besides, I know exactly how many people are coming, unless you and Bri are bringing dates," Liz replied over the phone. "And even then, it would only be two more people...not a huge deal."

"Well you don’t have to worry about me...I’m not bringing a date."

"Nick? Can I call you back? Someone’s beeping me."

"Sure..." I replied. "I’ll talk to you later today anyway...ok?"

"Yeah. Later!"

I hung up the phone in its cradle on the end table that sat beside the couch. The TV was on, so I picked up the remote and flipped through channels looking for something to watch.

~~~~~~~~~~» Liz «~~~~~~~~~~

I reached down to my cell phone when it began playing ‘Fur Elise’ like it did whenever anyone sent me a text message and pulled it off my belt loop. I held it up to see whose number would appear. After a few seconds, AJ’s number showed up followed by three numbers...111, meaning that he wanted to talk. I sighed and put the phone back on my belt loop where it was before. I knew he’d try again, as he always did, so I didn’t bother to call him back. Sure enough, the phone rang a few seconds later. I glanced at the caller ID before I reached out to pick up the phone.

"I hope this is good..."

"Hi to you too," he replied in a disappointed voice.

"I’m really busy...did you need something?"

"How ‘bout a nice conversation with my girlfriend...is that reason enough to call?"

Even though I couldn’t see his face, I could tell that he wasn’t very happy.

"I’m sorry Aje. It’s just that I have so much to do before tonight...I don’t even know what I’m gonna be wearing yet, that’s how prepared I am," I replied after a few seconds.

"Why don’t you wear that purple dress that you picked out yesterday?"

"I don’t have a purple dress AJ...remember? You have a purple dress." I paused for a second. "Ya know what? Nevermind...I’ll find something out of my closet to wear...I’ve got to go now Aje."

"Fine. I’ll see you tonight then?"

"Yeah. Tonight."

He said good bye before I hung up the phone and slowly got off the couch. I looked up in time to see Nikki walk into the room.

"Who was that?" she asked.

"AJ," I replied with a shrug while I headed for the stairs.

"Don’t sound so excited...geez," she teased.

"Oh yeah," I said sarcastically.

I heard the doorbell ring, but let Nikki get it while I continued up the stairs to clean up my room in case anyone wanted to explore the house while they were all here. Once I had some music blaring from my stereo in my room, I went around the room and picked up a few pieces of clothes that were on the floor. There weren’t too many, so it didn’t take me very long. I made sure that my room was presentable before I stretched out on my back on my comfortable Queen sized bed and closed my eyes, thinking about what I still needed to do with my remaining time to get ready. I was laying kind of diagonal across the bed with my feet on the pillows at the head and my head at the very edge of the bed. The bed didn’t have a headboard at the end, so my head was almost hanging over the edge. I sat there with my eyes closed and listened to the music that played from my CD player. I dozed off, but I could still subconsciously hear the music that was playing while my mind was reeling with all sorts of thoughts.

I thought I heard the door open a little, but ignored it, moving a little to a more comfortable position. ‘I love this song’ I thought to myself as it continued playing. I didn’t notice that it started playing again until a few seconds into it a second time. My mind became more and more awake as the seconds went by. I was about ready to open my eyes and roll off the bed to finish doing what I needed to when I felt a hand on my cheek and after a few seconds, someone’s lips against mine in a gentle kiss. I smiled when I realized who it was. When he pulled back a little bit, I opened my eyes and reached up to touch his cheek. I playfully traced his goatee with my fingertips with a sly smile and then watched him as he climbed onto the bed and sat down next to me. He had a hand hidden behind his back, and when I wasn’t expecting it, he brought it around and handed me a daisy. I laughed a little as I took it from his hand and smelled it.

"I love you," he whispered as the end of the song played.

"I know you do." I smiled when I saw him smile. "And I love you too."

I sat up.

"I love you more."

"Doubt it..." I replied.

He leaned over and cut me off with a kiss. He wrapped his arms around my waist and carefully pulled me closer to him. I laughed against his lips when I heard what song started playing next.

He laughed a little too, but quickly got over it before he continued with the kissing. He finally broke away from kissing my lips, but started kissing my neck instead. I giggled because his goatee was tickling my neck. He stopped kissing me, but just sat there with his face buried in my neck, purposely tickling me with his fuzzy chin. I pulled back a little. He looked up at me with his innocent face and a cute smile while I stretched out my legs over the edge of the bed. I tried to stand up, but slipped on the blanket on the edge of the bed and went crashing to the floor.

"Are you ok?" he asked as he bent down next to me on the hardwood floor.

He picked up my hand, examining the outside of my arm that hit the edge of the bed on the way down. I was laughing and crying at the same time. It was rather funny, but it hurt...a lot.

"Owie," was all I said in reply before I tried to settle down.

He helped me stand up, and then he lifted my arm, turned it a little, and then kissed the red area that had a big scratch on it. I watched his every move as he did it, and when he looked up and caught my gaze, he gently put my arm down, and leaned in to give me a real kiss once again. It was a quick one, but I didn’t care. When he pulled away a little, I hugged him and let him put his arms around me in return.

"I’m sorry about yesterday Alex...I don’t know why I acted like that," I said after standing there with him for a few minutes in silence.

"We all have those days Liz. Don’t worry about it."

I smiled against his shirt as he gave me a gentle squeeze. We stood there in the comfort of each other’s arms for a few more minutes. The silence wasn’t bothering either of us one bit.

"Say it again," he whispered suddenly.

"Say what again?"

"My name."

"AJ."

"No...my real name."

"Alex?"

He nodded with a smile.

"I love the way you say it. Liz, everyone else calls me AJ, and I don’t mind, but I love to hear you call me by my real name," he explained with a small, slightly embarrassed smile.

"And I love it when you’re happy Alexander," I said with a sly smile while I slowly pulled away.

"I’ll always be happy when you’re around, Elizabeth Ann..." he replied with the same teasing smile.

"Oh...is that so, Alexander James?"

He nodded like a little kid, happy that everything was like it had been before. I sat down on the bed and looked at the old faded T-shirt and faded pair of cloud patterned pajama pants that I was wearing with a pair of baby blue slipper socks.

"120..." I said out of nowhere after a small moment of silence.

"What?"

"120," I repeated.

I glanced up at him in his crisp designer jeans and crème colored Armani knitted sweater that he was wearing, underneath one of his many black leather coats that he owned.

"120 what?"

His eyes met mine and I looked away, a little embarrassed.

"That’s my score."

"You got a 120?!?" he asked, almost totally dumbfounded. "Wow!!! I’m in love with a genius!"

"I’m not a genius, Alex," I replied. "You want to see a genius? Look at Einstein...he got a 180...now that’s a genius."

"Your last statement just proves my point babes. You’re a lot smarter than you give yourself credit for," he said as he walked over to me and crouched down in front of where I was sitting. He lifted my chin with his finger so I was forced to look him in the eye. "You’re smart...and sensitive...and beautiful...and giving...that’s why I love you," he said sincerely as he looked at me. "I love everything about you."

I took his hand in mine and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Thanks."

"That’s what I’m here for," he replied with a silly smile.

I laughed a little at the face he was making at me. I reached up and touched his cheek. I instantly pulled it back and looked at my watch after the light reflected off the glass, reminding me of the tasks that I still had to do. Once I saw what time it was, I jumped up off the bed, startling AJ in the process.

"I’ve got so much to do!" I said in a hurry while I threw open the door to my closet and rushed in to pick out some clothes to wear.

After settling on a pair of shorts and one of AJ’s old T-shirts, I shut the door behind me, quickly changed, and then came back into the room to see AJ still sitting on my bed.

"That’s what you’re wearing?" he asked, trying to stifle a laugh.

"Hey...I still have to cook a three course meal, so bear with me!" I replied as I pulled off the blue slipper socks from my feet and went over to my dresser to put them in the top drawer that was full of all sorts of slipper socks, among other things. "I’ll change as soon as I’m done cooking YOUR dinner."

"Ok...fine, fine," he replied from his spot on the bed. "What else do you have to do? Do you need any help?"

"Actually, do you think you can roam the house and make sure everything’s picked up and put where it belongs?" I asked sweetly with a cute smile while he stood up and started to walk over to where I was now standing by the door.

"Anything for my girl," he replied before he pulled me closer to him. "Only because she’s so cute in her ‘house clothes’..."

I poked him in the stomach. "I’d watch it or I’ll just have to put extra salt on your food..." I warned him, followed by a laugh.

"You wouldn’t..." he said dramatically, complete with a gasp and him biting his nails in horror.

I gave him a playful smile before I walked out of the room and headed downstairs towards the kitchen. Nikki was already in the kitchen waiting for me, washing potatoes at the sink.

"I owe you big-time for this Nikki," I told her as I walked over to the sink and joined in scrubbing potatoes clean.

"No you don’t...it was partly my idea remember?"

"But still. You could be doing far more important things tonight than helping me scrub and peel potatoes," I replied, slipping a clean potato into the clean side of the sink that was half-full of cold water.

AJ busied himself with making sure the rest of the house was looking presentable while Nikki and I worked on getting dinner cooked and ready. After a couple hours of talking, cooking, laughing, and a little cleaning on the side, Nikki and I ventured into the front room only to find AJ asleep on the couch with one of my blankets spread out across him. His head was propped up on the arm of the couch with a pillow under his head.

"Awww..." Nikki whispered with a laugh. "He looks so innocent when he’s sleeping...too bad he’s not the same when he’s awake."

She laughed when I smacked her lightly on the arm.

"Come on...let’s go get ready. We only have a little while before people start showing up," I said before we went upstairs to change.

We went separate ways once we reached the top of the stairs. I walked into my room and quietly shut the door behind me, trying not to wake AJ, being that my room was closest to the stairs. After I had the door shut and turned some soft music on, I slowly turned around towards the middle of the room. I smiled happily when I saw something sitting on my bed. I sat on the bed next to the shirt box and carefully pulled the top off. Once I lifted the purple leather dress out of the box and set it on the bed next to the box, I saw a note in the bottom of the box.

Liz – Put this dress on...when you’re ready, go to the top of the stairs.

‘Wonder what he’s up to’ I pondered as I set the note back in the box and started to change. I put the dress on, followed by my make-up, and then did my hair. After I put on the shoes that I’d bought to go with the dress, I turned the stereo off and walked out into the hallway. I giggled a little when I could hear Nikki singing softly with her radio as she primped for the party. I instantly stopped laughing when I saw a rose and another note sitting on the very top step. I picked them both up.

There’s something about the way you look tonight! Go to the living room.

After I smelled the gorgeous large red rose, I went down the stairs and went into the living room. AJ wasn’t there on the couch anymore...the blanket was folded neatly and sat on the arm of the couch where it was sitting before. At first I didn’t see anything, but when I turned around, I saw another red rose sitting on top of the TV with a note. I smiled again as I picked them up and opened the note.

I’m amazed by you. Proceed to the kitchen.

I entered the kitchen and quickly found the next rose on the dining room table. I added the rose to the two others in my hand from before and opened the next note.

I’ll never find someone like you. Go to the garage.

I did as the note said. My Eclipse was parked closest to the door, as I always had it, but I quickly noticed that the driver’s side window was rolled down. I walked over to the driver’s side door, looked in, and found a rose and note on the seat.

I wanna be with you. Visit the front porch.

On the top step of the front porch, I found another red rose with a note. I giggled at his use of song titles in each note.

Let me be your loverboy! Come inside.

I quickly went up the steps and stopped momentarily at the front door. My hand sat on the door handle for a few seconds before I turned it and slowly pushed the door open. The house was dark as I walked in the door into the entryway. I shut the door behind me and then walked through the entryway to the living room. When I entered the room, the lights were off and soft music was playing from the stereo, with lit candles sitting in several different places around the room. And there, in the middle of the room, stood AJ with a huge bouquet of red and pink roses, waiting for me with a cute smile. When I started walking over to him, he extended his arms out and let me hug him with all my strength. He hugged me back and then started gently swaying with the music that was playing.

"By the way, these roses are for you," he whispered in my ear before he pulled back a little and handed them to me.

"They’re beautiful. Thank you!"

He let me go so I could them in a vase in the kitchen. When I returned, I smiled at him as he wrapped his arms around me and gave me a kiss.

"Where have you been all my life?" he asked as we began dancing to the music again.

"Where have you been for all of mine?" I asked in return.

He pulled back and kissed me again, but this time he was reluctant to pull away so quickly. We were too occupied in our own little world that we didn’t notice people coming in the front door. I pulled away from AJ slightly when I heard giggling coming from somewhere. I looked over AJ’s shoulder and saw Kev, Arti, Meg, and Howie standing in the entryway at the doorway of the living room, waiting to make sure it was ok to come in.

"Sorry...we’re a few minutes early," Meg said after AJ and I pulled apart.

"It’s ok. Come on in. My home is your home," I replied happily as I walked over to them and shooed them into the room to have a seat.

The doorbell rang, so I went to answer the door while they got comfortable. I opened the door and found Chrystal standing there, and Lindsey, my other back-up singer, was walking up the walkway to the door.

"Hey Chrys! You’re right on time!"

"Well I thought I’d be a little bit early, but that’s ok," she replied with a smile.

"Go ahead and go on in...the coat closet is right inside the door on the right so you can hang your jacket up," I said as I moved aside to let the both of them in. "Everyone’s in the living room...straight ahead."

"This is a nice house Liz," Lindsey said with a smile as she took her jacket off to hang up.

"Thanks! It’s not mine...record label’s...I only live here," I replied with a smile before I turned around to see if anyone else was outside.

I looked out in time to see Nick pull into the driveway, followed by another couple of cars. I just waited at the door until everyone outside came in and joined the growing crowd of people.

Once mostly everyone was there, I went back in and found everyone laughing and talking in little groups in the living room.

"Ok...well, almost everyone is here, so I guess I’ll introduce everyone," I said once I had everyone’s attention.

I started at the closest side of the room and said the name of each person and who they were. I knew that the dancers knew each other from rehearsals, and my back-up singers already knew each other for the same reason, but the guys didn’t know any of them. Everyone waved a little at the mention of his or her name.

"Ok...We’ll start here with Katrina. Then it’s Dalone, Kyle, Marissa, Kayla, and Trent. They’re all dancers. Then Chrystal, who’s one of my singers, and Destiny, another dancer," I pointed out to the guys, Arti, and Meg. "Lyndsey and Julie are singers...and Kyleigh, the last one, is a dancer."

Everyone that was introduced so far was all smiles.

"These are the guys...Kevin, Howie, Nick, and AJ," I told my new singing and dance crew. "And that’s Arti, Kevin’s girlfriend and my close friend. Next to Howie is Meg...they’re engaged and she’s also a very close friend of mine. And of course, we can’t forget my lovely manager, even if you all know her already..."

"Hi everyone!" Nikki called from the kitchen, where she was putting a few finishing touches on some of the food.

"Hey...where’s Rok at?" Nick asked in curiosity.

I scratched my head a little. "I don’t know where he is... Anyway, I guess we’ll wait until he gets here to start with dinner, so y’all can talk or whatever until then."

Everyone slowly started up conversations here and there. Meg and Arti broke apart from their guys and mingled with a few of the dancers and the guys did the same. Chrystal walked up to where I was standing and smiled.

"There’s a lot of people here..." she said with a laugh.

"Yeah...I hope we’ve got enough food," I joked.

She laughed a little with a smile.

"Naw...I’m kidding. I know we’ll have enough," I said.

We continued talking for about ten minutes and then I heard the door open behind me from where I stood in the doorway that led from the entryway into the living room.

"Sooooooo nice of you to FINALLY join us Frick," I said rather loudly and dramatically ...loud enough so everyone in the room quieted down and stared in my direction to see who had come. "Where ya been? Shooting hoops? Chasing girls? Playing Nintendo?"

"Playing Nintendo? Why would I be playing Nintendo?" he asked in return as he hung his jacket in the closet.

"Oh...I got it! You WERE chasing girls again," I said before I started laughing, along with everyone else in the room. "Go Rok!!!"

"Shut up! I was not!!! Leave me alone Els..." he whined loudly. "You’re so mean to me!"

I laughed at his whining.

"For your information, I was talking to my mom on the phone..."

I was still facing the living room and Chrystal, but I knew it was Brian, with out a doubt. I could hear his footsteps coming up behind me, and I also caught Chrystal look over my shoulder a little, trying to catch a glimpse of the mystery man who’d finally come. I became interested when I noticed Chrystal’s cheeks turn a subtle shade of pink...not enough to really show much, but I noticed.

"Oh...hey Rok...this is Chrys," I said before I turned around halfway so he could see her as he walked up to us.

He stopped short a few steps with a look of slight shock on his face. "Chrystal? Uh...Hi!" He gave her a small timid smile that in turn made them both blush.

"Hi Brian," she replied with a smile.

"So..." I said with a knowing smile as I linked arms with Brian on my right arm and Chrys on the other. "Let’s go eat before the food gets cold."

© Liz Holder 2000