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Randi was having fun, by herself, minding her own business, immaturely seeing how long she could hold her breath by lying face down in the water. Suddenly, there was a large splash of water. Before she could pull herself upright, an arm was around her mid-section and she gasped, surprised. She began to struggle against the person holding her, but they only held her tighter. Was this idiot trying to drown her? She forced her head above water and took a deep breath incase she was shoved back under water before the water that had been forced into her wind pipe forced her to begin coughing harshly.
"Justin," she vaguely heard someone call. "I think she's okay. Let her go!" Justin? She didn't know a Justin. The arm around her unwrapped itself from her stomach. She forced herself to swim to the side, and continued to cough raggedly. She turned her head to look at the guys, and glared at each of them, except Lance who had wandered off in a delusion or something. She spotted Justin getting out of the pool.
"Are you okay?" Joey asked reluctantly, seeing the look in her eyes and realizing she hadn't been drowning in the first place.
"I was FINE BEFORE," Randi told him between coughs.
"We're really sorry," Chris apologized.
"We thought you were drowning," JC told her softly. Randi's featured softened a bit. She was about to tell them it was okay and she understood when Justin began to get defensive.
"Hey, we tried to save her life!" Justin exclaimed. "Why the hell are we apologizing to her?"
"Because she wasn't," JC told him. "And we weren't even supposed to be on her property in the first place."
"So, if she had been really drowning, we would have saved her life, and she would be grateful then, wouldn't she? What the hell were you doing, anyway?"
"That's none of you F*@#n business," Randi told him, angry. "This is my house, I can do what the hell I want. And let me give you a tip for the next time you try and 'save' someone, okay? If the person is DROWNING you keep their head ABOVE THE WATER. What kind of an idiot are you anyway?" The guys looked at Justin, who was blushing over his mistake. Just as they were about to say something to him, a girl walked up and interrupted them. She was small, had long, brown curly hair, and pretty hazel eyes.
"Excuse me," she said cheerily to them, pushing past. She saw Randi, and began to walk toward her. "I'm sorry I'm so e-" she began, then stopped when she noticed D (Randi) was coughing. "Are you okay?"
"Except for the fact that one of the members of *NSYNC just tried to drown me? I'm fine!" D exclaimed, throwing her hands up, and almost slipping off the side of the pool. "Oh, ya," she told them with a nod when she saw the looks on their faces. "I know who you are. But, as you can see, I'm a little busy choking right now, so I'll worry about it later." She threw them a quick smile, then went back to coughing up water.
"Are you sure you're okay?" the 20 year old asked her friend. D nodded.
"I'm fine. Hey Rae, what time is it?" D inquired, knowing her friend was early. Rae bit her lip.
"I was just going to say sorry for being so early. I had to get out of work now or they would never let me out."
"It's okay," D told her. "So, exactly how early are you?"
"Half an hour," Rae admitted reluctantly. "But at least I didn't try to drown ya." D grinned.
"Nice try, Rae," D told her. Rae cracked a smile back.
"I know. It was, wasn't it? Well, I'm gonna get changed. I am SO hot. Work was killing me." She smiled at the sweating guys and went into the house.
"Um," D began when Rae was gone. "Ain't there five of you guys?"
"Hey, where's Lance?" Joey suddenly clued in. The guys looked around quickly and couldn't find him.
"Shit, we lost him!" JC exclaimed.
"Lost who?" Lance asked, walking up.
"Never mind," JC mumbled.
"You're little brother doesn't talk very much, does he?" Lance asked D.
"I don't have a little brother," D informed him. He looked puzzled.
"Then who's that?" he asked, pointing at D's dog.
"That's my dog," she told him.
"Oh. No wonder he refused to get out of the costume. I told him it was awful hot to be in costumes and crawling around on all fours." D looked at him confused, then motioned for him to come over to her. He obeyed. "What?" he asked.
"Give me your hand," she ordered. He did. "Now, I'm going to brace my foot here," she told him, pointing as she braced her foot against the side of the pool. He nodded. "I'm going to pull you into the pool, so give me your other hand, close your eyes, and hold your breath." He took a deep breath after giving her his other hand, and closed his eyes obediently. She tugged his arms, pushing with her foot off the side, and ducked so he went flying over her head into the water. When he came back up he blinked at her and smiled.
"Thank you. I feel so much better," he exclaimed.
"You're welcome," she told him. "No more thinking my dog is human?" She liked this guy (in a purely plutonic way).
"No, I'm pretty sure I'm done with that," he said with a smile. He looked over at his friends. "Can they come in?" he inquired, then added politely, "please?" D glanced over at the guys, who looked really pitiful.
"Since you asked so nicely," D told him, "yes, they can."
"Even Justin, who tried to drown you?" Chris asked. The response was a blow to the gut. D nodded.
"Justin tried to drown you?" Lance asked, floating comfortably.
"I did not try to drown her!" Justin exclaimed.
"Justin, it's really not nice to attempt to drown the hostess," Lance told Justin, chastizingly.
"Ya, Justin," Chris said childishly. Rae walked out of the house in a two piece, showing off her thin, tanned body. She walked past Justin, and casually pushed him in.
"Rae! You know you're not supposed to push!!" D exclaimed.
"I know," Rae said, pretending to be regretful. "But it has always been a dream of mine to push Justin Timberlake into a pool!" She turned and looked at Justin when she spoke next. "He's lucky, I was gonna pants him." She smiled at the dripping Justin sweetly. "Well, who's going in?" With that said, she dove gracefully into the water.
Over the next 20 minutes or so, everyone got to know each other better, and they all got along quite well. D was in the middle of dunking Justin, shouting 'how does it feel!?!?!' when the rest of her friends began to show up. The first to show was Jen. D waved to her, but the girl was too hot to say anything. She was around 20, like most of them were, petite, brown eyes, and long golden brown hair. Justin's eyes widened as she walked through the gates. About the same time, Meagan came in. She was tall, tallest of all D's friends actually, and had brown hair and eyes.
"Hey everybody," Meagan called, walking in the gate.
"Hey," everybody chorused back.
"Whoa! Where'd everybody come from?" Meagan asked.
"They dropped in and tried to drown D," Rae shouted.
"I did NOT try and drown her!" Justin exclaimed.
"Holy, do you know who these guys are?" Jen asked, walking in the gates in her bathing suit.
"Who are we?" Lance asked.
"Lance, dunk yourself," D told him. He did. D ended up having to pull him back up though.
"Heh, I forgot to come back up," Lance said, embarrassed.
"Lance had a little too much sun," Rae told them.
"I REPEAT," Jen shouted. "Do you KNOW who these guys are that are in your pool?" Randi and Rae both nodded. "So then WHY ARE YOU SO CALM!! It's *NSYNC!"
"I choose to remain passive," Rae said, in a soft voice. She was joking of course.
"You didn't seem so passive when you shoved me in," Justin complained.
"I told you, that was a dream, and I couldn't pass up the chance to fulfill it, now could I? What if you had passed up the dream of singing professionally? There would be no *NSYNC. Sure, the rest may have gone on, and may have even been better, but your mom came up with the name, so there would be no *NSYNC." She smiled at him sweetly and he splashed her. The guys had quickly become accustomed to the sarcasm etc that came out of Rae's mouth. They had to, Randi was just as bad.
"Nobody's listening to me!" Jen exclaimed.
"Just get in the pool," Rae told her. Jen shrugged and jumped in. Meagan, who had gone into the house while Jen was demanding to know if the girls knew who the guys were, walked out and dove in as well.
"Hey, Peoples!" came another voice. Everybody looked over to see a tall woman with long strawberry blond hair tied back in a pony tail. "Wow, you have a music group in your pool." She frowned a little. "How the hell'd you manage that?" D smirked and shrugged.
"Well, it was really hot," one of the guys began.
"WAS really hot?" Rae asked. "It IS really hot. Speaking of which, get your butt into this pool, Alexandra."
"Ya, you must be absolutely dying out there!" Jen added.
"Not quite," Ali said. "Darn close though." She quickly stripped on the spot. Joey watched wide-eyed. She looked up and saw him staring. "May I help you?" she inquired. He smiled charmingly.
"Well, now that you ask," he began. He was splashed from a few different directions.
"Cool off Cassanova," Chris shouted.
"Ya, man," Lance added. "Quit hitting on D's friends." D smiled at Lance. He smiled right back. Ali dove in and spoke again when she surfaced.
"So, why are you guys here?" Ali questioned.
"Lance was delusional," Joey told her, swimming closer.
"Ya," Chris added. "He was like--drooling all over the bus because of the pool, then he was wandering all over, then he thought the DOG was Randi's little brother." Lance blushed.
"Chris, knock it off," Lance insisted.
"Aw, that's cute," Meagan intoned.
"Really, after Justin tried to drown her," Joey said, "Lance is the one who got us in."
"I didn't-" Justin began again.
"It's okay," Jen said. "They're just teasing you. Even Randi. She forgives you. Right, D?" D pretended to think about this, then cracked a smile and nodded. Justin seemed to accept this.
Half an hour later, D was looking around. Chris swam up to her.
"Something amiss?" he inquired in a weird voice. D smiled at him for a split second, then the expression on her face returned.
"Britney isn't hear yet," she told him.
"Who?" he asked.
"Hey, Britney!" D suddenly shouted, her face bright. A pretty asian girl stood in the gateway. She was short, with really dark brown eyes, and short, black hair. JC felt his breath escape him. "You are late!"
"Gee, really?" Britney asked, a mocking look on her face.
"YOU are HALF AN HOUR late!" D continued.
"D, shut up," Britney told her. JC stifled a laugh. She noticed all of the guys suddenly in one glance, especially JC, and shut her mouth. JC looked at her and smiled warmly. She blushed, but smiled back. D caught this. She turned to Chris and Lance, who just happened to be the two closest people and whispered.
"I can bet you that she won't talk any louder than a whisper for at least half an hour." Chris smiled.
"Ya right, you're on," he said. They shook on it.
Chapter 4
Sure enough, Britney didn't talk over a whisper for 45 minutes, until she was used to the new people. The first time she shouted something, everyone stared at her, especially since it was across the pool at Joey.
"Hey, Joey!" she yelled. "Who kicked you in the nuts to make you hit that high note in Crazy for You?" she asked out of the blue, or at least it seemed out of the blue to everyone else. It seems her and JC were discussing the group and the guys voices. The comment made JC laugh.
"It's been over half and hour," D told Chris.
"Okay, what do I owe ya?" Chris asked. D shrugged.
"I don't know. Hey, Rae! Chris owes me for a bet. What should I do?"
"Lap dance," Rae shot back. D laughed at this.
"I think he should sing to her," Meagan put in.
"Sing, I can do that," Chris said hopefully. D crinkled her nose and shook her head.
"Lap dance," Rae repeated.
"Rae, get your mind out of the gutter," Britney called.
"I thiiiiink," Jen began. "He should get all of us concert tickets."
"Hell no! They should GIVE us a concert," Ali shouted.
"Even better," Jen returned.
"Hey, how'd we get dragged into this?" Lance demanded.
"Are you saying we're not good enough to put on a show for?" Meagan asked, crossing her arms across her chest.
"No, I never said that," Lance defended himself.
"Ya," Justin added. "Just because Chris opened his big mouth--"
"That's not a very good thing to say about a friend," Jen exclaimed.
"Well then, he shouldn't have done it!" Justin shot back. Feuds erupted, no one knowing what side the other was on, although generally the guys WEREN'T on Chris' side. D watched the fights, finding it kinda funny, especially when she caught the occasional supporting point. JC & Britney continued talking amongst themselves. D turned to Chris.
"I think I'll think of one later and get back to ya," she informed him.
"Ya, that sounds good," he agreed, also watching with interest. Eventually the fight died down. No one won, but no one would admit they lost. Rae took a breath to say something. Ali pointed at her, stopping whatever she was about to say.
"You say lap dance one more time," she warned, "and I will rip your tongue." Rae smiled.
"I don't have to. You just said it for me."
Chapter 5
Britney was the first one to feel it; a cold drop of water on her shoulder. She figured it was just an extra cold drop of water splashed up from the pool. D, on the other hand, could tell the difference automatically.
"Oh, damn," was all she said. Meagan was the next to feel it and stopped what she was currently doing, having a splash war with Lance. She looked up at the sky.
"Is that rain?" she questioned, not really wanting to believe. There was a crack of thunder.
"Okay, everyone out," D ordered. There were groans from all of her friends.
"That's right," Chris called. "You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here." Pretty much only D laughed. Before everyone had made their way out, there was a flash of lightening and rain was pouring down with a harsh wind. Jen screamed, running onto the deck, covering her head with her arms. Everyone followed.
"Jen, you're already wet," Ali pointed out.
"I know," Jen said with a frown. "But it kinda hurts." Justin stuck his hand out from under the shelter of the deck roof.
"It is pretty hard," Justin told Ali. Jen smiled and stuck her tongue out at Ali. Ali returned the gesture. The wind blew harder, making Ali shiver and giving her goose bumps.
"You're cold," Joey said. He came up behind her an wrapped his arms around her. "Here, I'll help warm you up." Ali blushed slightly, but cuddled into his arms to warm up.
"Aw," Britney said. "Make me gag."
"I think it's sweet," Meagan told Britney. She spontaneously grabbed Lance's hand. "Come on. Let's go play in the rain."
"But didn't you hear Justin?" Lance asked. "That stuff hurts."
"Oh, it's okay, you big baby. I can protect you," she told him, running across the lawn, his hand still in her's.
"Is it okay if we go look around?" Justin asked, unconsciously holding Jen's hand. Jen smiled widely, obviously conscious of it. D shrugged in response to his question.
"Sure," she answered.
"You got anything to eat?" Joey asked.
"Ya," Ali added. "I haven't eaten lunch yet."
"Oh shit," Joey added, looking at his (water proof) watch. "I'm missing my soap!" They stared at him, no expression on their faces. "It was a joke." Chris suddenly burst out into fake laughter. He stoppedd, pretending to try and catch his breath.
"Oho, bust a gut on that one, Joey. Really got us there." He slapped his knee for effect.
"Ya, Joe. Really fooled us," JC told him, slapping his shoulder.
"I have to call my mom," Britney told him. "D, can I use your phone?"
"Is it long distance?" Chris asked in a authoritative voice.
"I-live down the road," Britney told him, pointing in the direction of her house. [side note. Britney, you now live down the road from me. I hope you don't mind the change of address ;o) end side note]
"And you still got here half an hour late," he commented, shaking his head.
"Hey, what can I say?" she said with a shrug. "I'm a procrastinator. I was supposed to call my mom as soon as I got here." She smiled and went into the house. JC, Joey, and Ali followed.
"Well," I guess that just leaves us three," Rae commented. "What should we do?"
"Black Jack," D shouted, showing off her Jack of Spades and King of Hearts. Rae smiled at Chris.
"And you say you're so good."
"Hey, I said I was gonna kick your ass...at poker. This is black jack. There is a difference. Besides," he added. "I'm out of practice."
"You wanna play poker?" Rae asked. "I'm good at that."
"N-no, that's okay," Chris told them. "Hey, look. It's stopped raining and the suns out." He ran from the deck and dove into the pool. "Whoa, is it ever warm in here," Chris told them. "Come on, get in!"
"Typical of a man," Rae began with a sigh.
"What is?" D asked, helping Rae pick up the cards.
"Just as it's starting to get good for ya, the guy stops short and leaves you to clean up his -- mess." D caught the hidden meaning and laughed.
"You would know," D exclaimed. Rae looked at her, insulted.
"And just what is that supposed to mean??"
"Nothing," D told her in an innocent voice. Rae just shrugged and continued with what she was doing. Suddenly, she looked up.
"D, are you expecting any more company?"
"No, why?" Rae pointed to the car coming down the lane way.
Chapter 6
D and Rae watched the white ford taurus pull up the lane slowly.
"Who the hell is that?" Rae asked, not recognizing the car. D shrugged.
"Never seen the car before in my life; and all my parent's friends know they're out of town for the week end."
"You're alone all weekend?" Chris shouted from the pool. "They allow that? Wait--you live with your parents?"
"Ya," D called back.
"Why?" he questioned.
"Umm, I go to college in the next city?" she said back. "There was no point to me moving out when I could just live here and--wait. Why the hell am I explaining to you?" Chris smiled.
"Is it because I'm just so damn easy to talk to or because you like to hear yourself talk?"
"She likes to hear herself talk," Rae called, knowing perfectly well that this was the first guy she had ever easily talked with without going all red and stuttery. D hit her. Rae pointed again to the car, then looked on, open mouthed, at the guy getting out of the car. "Who is THAT?" she asked. D shrugged again. The blond that had just got out of the car walked in their direction. He looked up and smiled shyly at them, his baby blues flashing with the sun. Rae felt her breath catch in her throat.
"Oh, hey," D suddenly said. "It's the man who never leaves the house!" Rae looked at her funny. The guy blushed, but laughed. "Man, I didn't even recognize you. I've never seen you in the light I don't think. I was seriously beginning to think you were a vampire. Hold on, I'll get Ali." He nodded, but didn't say anything. Rae's heart dropped a bit. Ali had all the luck. She had Joey wrapped around her pinky plus, she had this gorgeous guy for a boy friend. He smiled at Rae, and she smiled back, instantly falling in love with his dimples. D blinked. "Wow, Rae's not talking," D said, then turned to call Ali. "Ali!" D called into the house.
"What?" Ali called back.
"You're brother's here!" Rae suddenly saw a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. She tried not to show her excitement.
"Nate?" Ali asked.
"No," D told her sarcastically. "You're other brother that no one's ever met."
As if to prove this, Britney suddenly burst out, "you have a brother?? Why didn't you ever tell me that?"
"It never came up," Ali told her. Ali walked out of the house. "Ya?" she asked. "What is it Nate?"
"Um, you forgot this," he told her. "I thought you might want it." He held up a bag that contained a towel and extra clothing.
"Damn," Ali said. "Thanks. I totally forgot about that. OH, I should introduce you. Rae, this is my twin brother, Nate."
"Twin?" Britney exclaimed, charging out of the house. "You never bothered to tell us you have a TWIN??"
"You've never been to my house, and that's the only way you'd get to see him," Ali said. Now I know you're all going, how could no one know that Ali had a twin brother when they're all supposed to be like best friends and all that. Well, Randi had met Ali in college and so Randi was friends with Ali and intro'd Ali to all her friends. Ali lived in the same city as the college, while the rest of the girls lived in this nearby, smaller city. There you go, that makes sense, don't it. "As Randi said, he never comes out. He's really quiet."
"I'm not that quiet," Nate mumbled.
"Well, you're quieter than us," D told him.
"Ya, but everybody's quieter than you are," Nate told her. This made everybody laugh (I have a really loud voice).
"Will SOMEONE please get in the pool with me?" Chris begged. "It's so boring in here!!"
"Ya, we're coming," Rae called. "Keep your pants on!" She turned to Nate. "You comin in?" she asked him. He shook his head.
"Naw, I gotta be gettin back home," he told her.
"Aww, come on, Nate," Ali said. "You gotta be dying!"
"Nope, I've been in the AC all day."
"Dad put in the air-conditioner?" Ali demanded. "That's not fair." Nate just smiled at his sister mockingly. Ali walked down to get in the pool, a little frustrated. Nate followed on her heels.
"Oh, it's okay little sister," he told her.
"And quit shoving that in my face!" Ali exclaimed.
"I thought you were twins," Rae said, a bit confused.
"He was born 3 min ahead of me," Ali said between her teeth. "And he never let's me forget it." A sneaky smile crossed her lips. She suddenly turned on her heel and shoved her three minute older brother into the pool.
Chapter 7
"Oops," Ali said in an angelic voice. "Oh, might as well stay now."
"Ya," Rae put in, then shrunk away when everybody looked at her. Nate looked up and smiled at her, then looked back to his sister.
"Ya, I guess I might as well." He got out of the pool. By this time, Ali had completely dried. Seeing this Nate walked over to his sister, and gave her a big hug, squeezing extra tight so some of the water would be wrung out of his soaked shirt and ran down her front. "Thanks sis," Nate said with a huge smile. Ali pulled away from him with a shriek as soon as he let her go. She gave him a disgusted look.
"Thank Randi, it's her pool," Ali suggested. Nate took a step toward D.
"NO!" D shouted. "That's quite alright." Rae made a funny sound behind her.
"Look at those abs!" Rae exclaimed. Nate's shirt was stuck to his stomach from the water, and emphasized his six-pack. "Uh, I think I'm gonna faint," Rae said, grabbing D's arm for support. D just laughed. "OMG Nate's so hot!" she squeaked.
"I heard that!" Chris yelled from in the pool. Pretty much everybody had forgotten he was even there.
"B.S.," D yelled back.
"Oh ya? She said 'Nate is so hot,'" he repeated in a really feminine voice.
"Holy, Chris! I never knew!" JC exclaimed, walking out D's front door. Chris blushed red, as did Rae, because Chris had yelled what she said at the top of his lungs. "You could have told us man. We would have supported you."
"No, it wasn't me who said that!" Chris exclaimed.
"Well, it sure as heck sounded like your voice," JC pointed out.
"No, I mean it was Rae who said it first, I was just-"
"Agreeing," D put in. Chris looked at her, shocked. She turned to JC and whispered loudly, "he's still in denial. Give him time." JC smiled and nodded.
"Chris, it's okay. Lance hits for both teams!"
"EXCUSE ME??" came a deep voice from the side of the house. "You think I do what?" Lance exclaimed. He walked up to JC, Meagan by his side, and gave him a questioning look. JC put a finger to his lips.
"I didn't mean it. We're just trying to help Chris to accept what he is."
"Which is what? A runt with a high voice?" Lance asked.
"Hey," Chris exclaimed again. "I'm taller than you! And I am not gay!!! Not that there's anything wrong with it," Chris added. "It's just that I like girls way too much to be gay." Lance made an 'oh' sound and caught on.
"Chris, it's alright, we've known all along!" Lance told him.
"What, how could you?" Chris asked, getting frustrated. "I mean you couldn't know, because I'm no-"
"Oh, Chris, come on buddy."
"Ya, Chris. The first step is admitting it," JC informed.
"We'll support you the whole way," Lance promised.
"Us, too, Chris," D told him.
"Come out and be free!" Meagan exclaimed.
"Ya, we're there for ya man," Britney called. The girls burst out into a fit of giggles. A minute later, the conversation was cut short by a Mercedes pulling up the lane way. D's older sister Michelle got out of the car and walked toward them.
"Hello," Michelle greeted.
"Hi, Chelle," a few girls responded.
"Nate, you've come out of you're house, what happened, did it blow up? If it did, Ali can stay with us. You have to find somewhere else to live." Nate stuck his tongue out at her immaturely. "Real mature," Chelle told him.
"Why're you here?" D inquired.
"I live here," Chelle pointed out. "Britney, you're boyfriend's drooling." Britney glared over at JC, and his eyes widened before he closed his mouth. "Anyway, I came back for those earrings you said I could borrow. Then I have to go on that date with Jon. I really have to break up with him. I think he likes me too much. Oh I hate to do it. It may ruin his music career. What am I talking about? He doesn't have a music career. All he has is that grungy garage band." Chelle made a sound of disgust. "D, don't worry about the earrings, I'm just gonna phone him and cancel the relationship." D laughed.
"Okay," she called as her sister began to walk away. "Bye!!" Everyone watched Chelle zoom back down the lane in awe.
"That- was weird," Chris offered, open-mouthed.
"THAT was Chelle," D retorted, as if in explanation.
"I wish I could do that," Lance said.
"Do what?" Meagan asked him.
"Come in and just take over the whole room and conversation and captivate everybody, then just leave and have everybody watch me walk out in awe," Lance explained.
"You do that to me," Meagan told him. She snuggled closer to him and he smiled.
"Aw gross!" Chris exclaimed.
"You're just jealous," Meagan called.
"Ya, of Meagan," Britney cracked. Their previous conversation on Chris' sexual preferences began again.