Chapter Five

"I can do this. I can do this," I told myself as I walked up to Laney's front door. We had been home a week from Hawaii and I was determined to find Laney Jane a boyfriend. I had spent the last week trying to figure out exactly how to do that. I had considered all of the guys that I knew and none of them were really right for Laney. The girl was so picky about her food; I could only imagine what she was like with potential love interests.

It wasn't helping that Britney kept asking me if I was sure I wanted to do this. All of our conversations turned into heated debates about whether I could handle setting Laney up and Britney kept pointing out that Laney might never forgive me for it. Women always said stuff like, "Never forgive you." They rarely meant it.

"J, don't get mad at me. I'm trying to help you here," Britney's voice echoed through my cellphone.

"Then help me by thinking of some guys for Laney."

"Justin, love isn't something you can force."

"I'm not forcing. I'm giving her a push," I rubbed the bridge of my nose and tried to concentrate on not driving into a telephone poll. "I want her to be as happy as we are."

"Yeah...That's very admirable of you."

"Are you pissed?"

"J, I don't really--"

"Why are you mad about this? Brit, I thought you agreed to go along with me?"

"I can't help but wonder why you are harping on this. You've been weird all damn week."

"I have not," I decided it was best to stop this talk dead in its tracks. It would only end up causing problems. I made my voice softer, "I don't want to argue with you. Ya know I love you."

"I know," she was breathing irregularly and finally she went on quietly, "I have to get back into the studio, J. Try not to overwhelm Laney with this. Play it cool."

"I'm always cool."

She giggled, "If you say so, sweetie."

I tried to block Britney's doubts from my mind as I knocked on the front door to Laney Jane's house. "I can do this," I repeated. I was sure that it was possible. I just had to find the perfect guy for her. Two weeks--I had two weeks before she left for school and my life became crazy. I was sure that two weeks was plenty of time to build a foundation, or at least to find the guy for her. The trick was going to be doing it without Laney knowing. The girl was too stubborn and, if she found out what I was attempting, she would dig her heels into the ground and pass on perfectly good possibilities.

And there you have it--the problem I was experiencing. Not only was I going to have trouble finding acceptable guys to set Laney up with, but I also had to prepare for her curiosity. I had a terrible poker face where she was concerned and I had never been good about keeping secrets from her.

"Talking to yourself, Justin? Are you sure you won't let me give you my advisor's card? He might be able to help you."

I was pulled from my mental checklist to see Dana eyeing me over with a dubious stare. I half-smiled, "Hey Dana!"

"Did you know there are pictures of her on the Internet?" Dana responded, her arms crossed sternly over her chest. She was never one for small talk.

"Huh?"

"Pictures of Laney on the internet. Did you know?"

"I don't really surf the web, Dana. Can I come in?"

Dana moved away from the door and I entered the house. I looked around for a rescue, but Laney wasn't downstairs. I asked, "Is Laney here?"

"Yeah, she's upstairs."

I started to move to the steps, but Dana called out, "Not so fast, Justin."

"Dammit," I muttered. I spun on my heels and smiled at Dana, "Yes?"

Dana didn't seem impressed with my dazzling smile (At least I think that's how Seventeen magazine referred to my smile...dazzling.) She moved over towards me and took a seat on the steps. She patted a space next to her and I obediently sat down. She ran her fingers through her hair, something Laney was infamous for, and I observed that Dana and Laney had the same dark locks of hair and expressive eyes.

"Dammit," I muttered again. I was doing it again. I was fixated on Laney's stupid eyes. I had managed to get my act together the morning after the club incident and Laney seemed to forget that I had acted like an ass. I was even able to go back to not noticing the color in her eyes that was much more...

"Justin, are you okay?" Dana asked.

"I'm fine. So, what is this about pictures?"

Dana shook her head disapprovingly, "Laney doesn't need this, Justin. She wants her own life. She deserves a regular life away from you."

"What the hell did I do?"

"It's not your fault, but you aren't normal."

"Neither is Laney," I pointed out.

"Well, fine. You don't have a regular lifestyle, Justin, and it makes it hard for anyone associated with you to have one either," Dana crumpled her hands against her lap. She sighed, "Laney is really upset about this predicament and I hope you agree to honor any decisions that she makes."

I shrugged. Probably not the best line of defense with Dana, but I wasn't sure what else to do. I didn't know what decisions Laney was contemplating, but I had already come up with a plan. This wasn't something I had to explain to Dana though. "It's not a big deal, Dana. No one takes that stuff seriously and most of Laney's friends don't pay attention--"

"Justin, do you hear yourself?"

"Dana, I promise not to let Laney get hurt."

"Albeit noble, I don't think that's realistic at all," Dana stared at me for what felt like forever and finally stood up.

"Laney is important to me."

"It's one thing to maintain a friendship, Justin. It's another thing to keep Laney around when Britney isn't available."

"This has nothing to do with Britney. Britney is fine with my relationship with Laney. Britney knows that I care about her without me being all about her..." I paused and felt my face redden. I asked myself aloud, "...and why am I talking about this with you?"

Dana smirked--another thing I guessed Laney had learned from her or was passed down for generations in the Stanton family--and brushed her hands over her jeans. She had that look on her face that was vaguely similar to when my mother was about to impart wisdom like "Don't forget your keys" or "I suggest you clean this room right NOW, young man." Instead, Dana motioned up the stairs and said, "Laney and Steph are in her room plotting the demise of Nsync webmistresses everywhere. Think about what I said--and really consider therapy."

I stood up and ran up the stairs. Dana had always terrified me. It wasn't that she was some big ogre, but rather that she seemed to be certain that Laney and I needed to go our separate ways. I didn't really get why. It probably went back to two years ago. I don't think she ever forgave me for accidentally dropping her scanner on the ground. I replaced it, but Dana had a strange attachment to her computer.

I knew I was in trouble when I approached the door and heard Jim Morrison's voice filtering into the hallway. Laney was a mood music person. I could always figure out her emotional state by the music she was playing. When she and Alan broke up, I had to put up with Sarah McLachlin's "I Will Remember You" for a month straight (even though she broke up with him and he proceeded to stalk her for the next two weeks). When she was excited about something, she always pulled out Fuel and blasted "Ozone" and the Doors was saved for when she was particularly moody or pissed with me. She might as well have referred to it as the Justin-is-a-pain-in-my-ass tunes.

I knew I hadn't done anything wrong, but every time something happened involving Nsync, I was held responsible. I wasn't the one posting her picture on the Internet, but I might as well have been. I knocked on Laney's door and yelled, "Laney Jane, I brought the men in the white coats with me."

The door opened, the throaty sounds of "Light My Fire" hitting me full-force, and Steph peered at me. She looked around the corner and asked, "Any chance that there is a Lance close behind you?"

I scowled and entered the room. I muttered, "Get over it, Steph."

"He wants me. He's playing hard to get," Steph fell back on Laney's bed and sighed, "I can't believe you spent a whole evening with Lance, Laney. That boy is enough to make me like pop music. Wait. Allow me to rephrase. That man is enough to make me like pop music."

Laney rolled her eyes and glanced at me without a word. She went back to typing and finally said, "Do you think, 'I will find where you live and hunt you down like the dog that you are' is over-the-top?"

"Nah, but I still say you should go with your first idea," Steph responded.

"What the hell are you two doing?" I asked, pushing Steph over and stretching out on the bed.

Laney continued typing and Steph explained, "She was going to record Christopher Walken's voice from Suicide Kings and send it in an evil email to some of your 'biggest fans'."

"Way to make friends and influence people, Laney Jane."

"I was hoping to scare them...as Lucas in Empire Records says, 'Always mess with their minds'," Laney spoke up but her eyes were transfixed on the computer monitor.

"I love that movie. I need an AJ in my life," Steph sighed.

"What about a Roger? Won't he do?" Laney asked. I always loved when Laney pretended I wasn't even in the room. It got me right here. (Visualize me pointing at my heart, people.)

"Over an AJ? Never."

I hated to feel left out. I piped in, "Girls, you're missing the point. AJ was a big loser. He spent half the movie too scared to tell Cory he was in love with her. They were supposedly best friends and he couldn't bring himself to tell her how he felt. Then what does he do? Rather than fighting for what is rightfully his, AJ spends the second half of the movie dealing with the fact that she preferred Sexy Rexy."

"Justin, I don't know what's more appalling--the fact that you've spent time thinking about this at all or that you referred to Cory as 'what is rightfully his.' Did you ever think that maybe AJ knew that Cory needed to figure things out on her own?"

"No. I didn't. And do you want to know why? Girls need help in that area, Laney. It's a well known fact that girls like to be swept off their feet. They love romance. They love being told that they belong to the man of their dreams," I countered.

Steph's eyes wandered back and forth between me and Laney. She folded her arms and interrupted, "Ya know, you remind me of Rex Manning, Justin. I bet that movie is probably very hard for you--seeing what you have to look forward to in ten years."

I pushed Steph further off the bed and reversed my direction so I was right next to Laney. I demanded, "Let me see this email."

Laney clicked the send button on her computer and leaned back, "No need."

"I'm sticking with my belief that Christopher Walken's voice blasting from the girls' computer speakers would have been a fun sight to see," Steph said.

Laney shrugged, "He scares me."

Girls never did seem to appreciate Christopher Walken or Sylvester Stallone. I argued, "I think he's cool and Suicide Kings was a good choice. He definitely had a don't-fuck-with-me-or-I'll-bash-your-head-in-with-my-shoe attitude in that movie. I want to be that feared in Hollywood."

"Don't worry, Justin. You already are...I have two words for you," Laney paused. She held up two fingers and said, "Model Behavior."

I searched the night table for something to throw at Laney, but nothing was available. I replied, "Your ability to lift my spirits is like no one else's, Laney."

"Do you have any idea what I've been dealing with all morning?"

I looked to Steph for help, but she was busy reading TALK magazine with a picture of Joaquin Phoenix on the cover. Stupid women. They all stuck together. I took a deep breath and answered, "Your sister already told me...or reprimanded me. I always feel like I'm five when she's around."

Laney giggled, "She's only like that with the people she loves. She's fighting good feelings towards you, Justin. It's simple."

"Oh really? She must be fighting them really hard then," I said. I groaned when Steph's foot him me on the back of the head, "Watch it!"

"Sorry, I was thinking about Lance."

"So you kicked me?"

"I'm sure you steal his potential solos on purpose and it makes me angry. My foot had a mind of its own."

"I thought you didn't like our music."

"I don't, but Laney is obsessed with Giddy Up...tell me, Justin. Who were you guys thinking of when you wrote that song?" Steph asked.

I smirked, "Only you, Steph. We wrote it the day after I met you and thought wow--"

"Oh for God's sake!" Laney moaned, covering her ears.

I looked from Laney to Steph and asked, "Do you think we're upsetting her?"

Steph shrugged, "Better question is do I care. The Judas is thinking about registering for summer school and ruining our plans for summer fun."

"What?" I glared at Laney and shook my head, "Oh no you aren't."

Laney shot Steph a scathing look and focused on me, "Justin, I'm trying to avoid needing to take--"

"We're touring this summer."

"I'm happy for you."

I was going to have to put my plan into motion quickly and I was going to need to find someone from our tour or in the Orlando vicinity who'd understand that Laney would spend time with me on the road. If I left things up to Laney Jane, I wouldn't see her. She was pulling away and that was not acceptable. Not at all. I asked, "Is this about the internet stuff?"

"No."

"You're a big liar, Laney Jane."

"It's not. Not everything I do is about you."

"Then why the sudden interest in summer school? School is not meant to be attended in the summer. It's unconstitutional."

Steph laughed loudly and quieted when she noticed my perplexed look. I had a feeling she was making fun of me and she confirmed it when she spoke up, "Unconstitutional? I think I missed that lesson back in the third grade. Good thing you have those boyish looks to fall back on, Justin."

"You want me. Admit it."

"I'm so transparent," Steph stood up, "On that note. I need to get out of here. I'm supposed to pick Roger up at Disney. I get to hear all the sordid gossip about Tigger's affair with Aladdin and deal with his repressed anger toward stupid tourists."

Laney nodded, "You know you love it. Nothing like listening to a grown man gripe about Winnie The Pooh."

Steph grinned, "But of course. It's sexy." Steph picked up a few books and said, "I'll be sure to return these books and I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"K"

Steph placed her sunglasses on her face and added, "Please reconsider summer school. We're only freshmen. Summer school can wait until at least sophomore year."

"Later."

Steph left and I practically hollered, "You aren't going to summer school."

"Justin, this is not about those stupid pictures on the internet--"

"You're lying."

"I am not."

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Are too..." I repeated. Laney turned the music up louder and I practically had to scream, "Laney, running away won't solve anything."

"You are so wise, Justin, if not completely insane."

I crossed my arms and glared at her, "Sometimes you can be a real bitch, Laney Jane."

"Sometimes you can be an conceited jackass, Justin."

I leaned back on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. Yeah, things were going well so far. She was pissed with me and I wasn't exactly happy with her at the moment either. The problem with Laney was that I never could stay mad at her. I didn't get it. She made me so mad one minute and the next minute I had to laugh. I pointed up at the ceiling and tried to steer the conversation somewhere else, "Where are the stars you used to have up there?"

"I took them down three years ago, Mr. Observant."

"I remember when I'd get back late at night from Germany, I would see the stars on your ceiling from my room. It took me a good month to get used to the fluorescent light that shined through my window and, by the time I finally did, I ended up moving anyhow."

"Ever hear of closing the blinds?"

"And miss waking up to the sight of you with your hair in every direction? No way," I joked with a huge grin.

She punched me in the arm, "Loser."

I fixed my gaze on her. I made it one of those gazes that photographers always begged me to share with the camera. It was the make-it-like-you're-looking-into-their-soul-blah-blah-blah stare that I often saved for Teen People. I asked, "Laney, what's with summer school?"

"I need the classes. It's impossible to get into the Communist and Socialist Ideologies class during the regular term."

"Since when?" I asked, even though I had no idea what she was talking about. Ide-what?

"Since always," she responded shortly.

"There are better ways to spend your summer then learning about political theories that don't really affect us at all."

Laney pretended to be going through her CDs on the desk, "I know you're smarter than you let on to most people, but let me tell you. You sound especially stupid at the moment."

"Why? I'm not the one throwing my summer away over nothing."

"Justin, let it go."

"No," I paused when Laney mumbled something under her breath. I resisted the urge to ask her to repeat it and went on, "I want you around this summer. I'm going to be bored without your periodic visits. Britney is touring all summer and us guys will be trying to avoid squabbles and lots of alone time together. I need you. I need you, Laney Jane. You can't desert me."

"Hell I can't."

I snapped, "You have to get over this. You shouldn't care what girls on the internet think of you. It's nothing."

"I know."

"Then I'll ask again. What is with the sudden interest in spending your summer in New York?"

"Something to do. I hate Orlando in the summer. It's all tourists."

"How about Seattle? Or Toronto? Or--"

"I'm not going to be an Nsync groupie."

"Well, Joey will be devastated, but--" I ducked when she threw a magazine at me. I smiled, "You throw like a girl."

"I am a girl, moron."

My head was suddenly somewhere else and I coughed, "I know."

"And my life doesn't revolve around you, contrary to what this web page says."

"Well, obviously these girls are wise beyond their years. Everything revolves around me."

"And people say you're arrogant."

I shrugged playfully, "I know. Lies, I tell you."

She shook her head, "Word has it that Britney and I got into a catfight over you...and the evening ended with you making very public displays of affection for the pop princess to calm her down. If this stuff wasn't about me, I would actually find it entertaining."

"No one believes that stuff."

"Now who's the liar?"

"Well, okay, some people believe this shit, but isn't it enough for you to know it's not true?"

Laney fell on the bed next to me and threw her pillow over her face. She moaned, "No."

"Laney Jane, it will go away in a few days."

Laney partially moved the pillow away from her face, "It's only going to get worse. Steph and I spent all morning searching the Internet. People are planning to buy FIVE of your albums a piece, Justin. You guys are about to get bigger and, if you have any anonymity left, it will be gone in a few months."

I laid down next to Laney and replied self-deprecatingly, "Can I help it if I'm the hottest thing since sliced bread?"

Laney looked at me for a second before pushing me off the bed. My face broke the fall and I rubbed my chin, "You're in a wonderful mood."

"Didn't the Doors tip you off?"

"Among other things--like my face hitting the hardwood floor," I countered, rubbing my chin again for emphasis.

"There aren't pictures of you up all over the internet with stupid captions."

"Do I need to remind you of the humiliating picture of me from a show that you printed out and shared with everyone associated with Transcon?"

Laney grinned and replied, "People are supposed to humiliate you. It was what you were put on this earth for, Justin."

"Thanks."

"Anytime, my friend," Laney said. She grabbed her stereo remote and switched CDs. The sounds of "Argue" by Matchbox Twenty filled the room. She sang along with the music and I sat there, watching her with a bemused smile. The girl was insane.

She went back to her computer and announced, "Did you know that people think we have sexual tension?"

I looked at her blankly. This was not something I wanted to think about. It would only get me started on her eyes again and it was wrong. Very, very wrong. I tried to play it off, "Well, that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. We're buds."

"Yes, apparently, you and I were sharing very heated looks at the club that night in Hawaii--this was right before the cat fight I had with Britney, of course."

"Of course."

"It must have been the Dirty Dancing soundtrack. It just melted my heart."

I grabbed a pillow and bonked Laney over the head with it. Her hair splattered across her face and she lunged for another pillow. I held mine up as protection from her blows. I swung the pillow and knocked her down. I was about to declare myself King of the World when Laney kicked the rug out from under my feet and I fell to the ground next to her. I groaned, "Jesus. I have a video to shoot in two weeks and I'm going to be black and blue. You've got domestic violence issues, Laney Jane."

For further effect, she whacked me in the face with her pillow. She stood up and did the cabbage patch. She smirked, "I won. I won."

"Hell you did, cheater."

"Admit it, Justin. You are inferior to me."

"If that helps you sleep at night, believe what you want," I scoffed. I stood myself up. Laney was breathing heavily and fixing her hair. Her shoulders were shaking as she laughed. I said, "A bunch of people are at Johnny's house for an afternoon of fun."

"Throwing a party at his place again?" Laney surmised.

"No, Joey and Chris decided we needed to have a gathering of close friends."

"A gathering?" Laney repeated disbelievingly.

I nodded, "Yes, definitely not a party. Definitely not something Johnny said not to do." I turned off Laney's stereo with the flick of a button and added, "You and I are going."

Laney's head shot up and then she stunned me, "Fine."

"Fine?" I looked at her. I was baffled by this sudden agreeable nature.

"Well, I've got nothing else to do and we need to talk about some stuff."

"We need to talk?"

"Hawaii made me realize some things, J, and I think we should talk about it."

"Hawaii made you--" I paused. I was pretty sure the color had drained from my face. I had walked into the twilight zone. I cleared my throat, "I'm not sure a conversation of any importance should be had in front of all of WEG and the guys."

Laney rummaged through her drawers. She pulled out her sunglasses and her denim jacket. She stared at me strangely, "Are you okay? I didn't mean to freak you out. It's..."

"We need to talk," I finished her sentence.

"Yeah. Not a big deal. I promise I'm not carrying Lance's baby after our wild night in Hawaii nor am I marrying Matt Damon--unfortunately."

I helped Laney into her jacket and replied, "Well that's good to know on both counts."

"You don't think I could make Matt Damon happy?"

"Nah. He's in the public eye. God knows how you freak out about that stuff."

"Valid point," Laney eyed me over. It was one of those appraising glances, the kind that convinces you she knows your every secret. She usually does. I turned away, unprepared for the nauseous feeling that had developed in my stomach. Laney sighed and suggested, "Maybe we can talk on the way to the party?"

"It's not a party. It's a gathering."

"Because a party would be wrong."

"Exactly," I wrapped my arm over Laney's shoulder and led her out of her room. I continued, "A gathering is harmless and Johnny said nothing about having no gatherings while he was in New York on business."

"You are all very manipulative with the subtext."

I winked before putting my sunglasses on and commented, "You love it, Laney Jane."

"Whatever."

I couldn't help but wonder what Laney wanted to talk about. She said it had to do with Hawaii and I wasn't sure that was a conversation we really needed to have. It was a momentary thing after all. It wasn't like I sat around thinking about Laney all the time. I was a very busy man. Besides, I was subtle about my awkwardness that last night. Laney had no clue and there was no way she was feeling anything. Right?

Right.

But I still didn't want to have this talk that Laney was hinting at. If I didn't know her any better, I would've thought she was doing it to freak me out. She was trying to keep me from solving our problems and finding her a boyfriend. Well, it wasn't going to work. I wasn't going to be swayed. I was a man on a mission.

Laney Jane was going to have a boyfriend if it killed me.

I managed to keep the conversation from shifting to anything serious. I blasted music. I pulled her into a fight about my driving (which for the record is amazing. I've only had one ticket.) I discussed the group's new video concept. I bitched about having to see American Beauty again. I did anything and everything to avoid Laney's important "talk".

I know you're all wondering why I would do that. Why would a perfectly sane guy avoid having a talk with one of his good friends? It may sound unbelievable, but I'm not really sure that I have an answer. I think it goes back to Hawaii--as does everything. I'm babbling again. Maybe I should leave it at I'm not sure what I was doing and that I was only more certain that Britney was right. Laney needed a boyfriend and I was the guy to find one for her.

Do you see why Justin is the bane of my existence?

He drives me crazy. He talks about my skills at Avoidance 101, but Justin is much more talented at evading necessary discussions. His secret weapon is that he doesn't utilize his ability of circumvention very often, but when he does it's nearly impossible to get around it. Instead, Justin prattles on about the most minute things like his record for Taco Bell chaluppas without regurgitation. Impressive? I think not.

After our trip to Hawaii, I made a few decisions. I managed to disregard Justin's sudden oafishness in my presence and the conspiring looks on his and Britney's face when we landed in Los Angeles (for the record, neither of them are known for their subtlety). My decision had nothing to do with his extremely odd behavior.

Where was I? Right...I had fun with Justin. He made me laugh. I felt at complete ease when he was around. I had no qualms about arguing or sharing the overabundance of useless knowledge swimming around in my head. As doltish as it sounds, my shyness was never a factor around Justin. I could be myself and there weren't many people I was able to act silly and unrestricted around.

But...and it's a big but...

I was not comfortable in the eye of the public. I didn't like being bombarded with questions about my friends. I didn't like the attention directed at me because of who I was seen laughing with at a store or a movie. And I definitely did not enjoy being woken up by Steph's voice warning me about an Internet picture frenzy.

If I had been uncertain about my future friendship with Justin, the web pages with pictures of me in a bathing suit and stupid little comments sealed the deal. Justin and I needed space. Justin and I needed time apart from each other. School would make that transition much easier. He would be busy with the new album and I would be swamped with work. And to make things simpler, I was going to stay away for the summer. Problem solved. It wasn't like I planned to end our friendship. I knew that was near impossible and it wasn't something I really wanted either. Justin and I could be pen pals or share an occasional chat on the phone. No one plastered the World Wide Web with pictures and unfounded innuendos over two people exchanging an email.

I knew Justin was going to argue and complain about my decision. He never understood where I was coming from when it came to our relationship. He always spouted out things like, "You know you love me, Laney" and "I don't want to lose you." He made absurd presumptions about why I was pulling away and never really dealt with the fact that he was living a very different lifestyle than I was.

I used to read celebrity interviews where they would say things like "I'm a normal guy." I never believed it. Normal people weren't chased down the streets with cameras. Normal people didn't have to invest in wigs and hats to go out to Hagan Das for an ice cream cone. Maybe it wasn't right for normal people, like myself, to draw the proverbial line in the sand, but at the moment, it was all I could think of.

And Justin was going on and on about the concepts behind "Bye, Bye, Bye." I was going to kill him. Not to mention, every time I approached him at the party, he would give me this scared look and push some random stranger in my face.

I walked over to the volleyball court and took a seat next to Justin. I handed him a can of Coke and opened my drink. I stretched out, blinking into the fading sun, "Who's winning?"

"I think JC's team has the lead, but Joey recruited Bobby."

I noticed Justin biting at the stubs he called nails and asked, "Is that a good thing?"

Justin shrugged, "Joey seems to think so. He keeps saying, 'We're going to massacre you, Chasez'."

I laughed and took a fortifying breath. I glanced up at the loud hoots and cheers as Joey nailed Chris in the chest with the ball. I turned and noticed Justin staring at me. He had been doing that a lot lately and it made me wonder if maybe he knew what I was planning to discuss with him. It would explain a lot--like his sudden hurry to pass me off on the first person he saw. I said, "Do I have something on me? You left me over there with Lance. He's still complaining that I humiliated him in Hawaii. And now you're staring at me like I'm the Elephant Man."

Justin smiled and shook his head as he fiddled with his bandana, "Not that I've noticed." His eyes diverted back to the game as another set of cheers erupted and everyone high-fived Bobby. Justin nudged my side, "The secret weapon seems to be paying off."

"Looks like it," I said, watching the tall blonde receive pats on the back from his fellow teammates, "He's cute."

"You think?"

"Oh definitely. He reminds me of Paul Walker--too bad he's probably dumber than a telephone pole."

"That's nice. How do you know he's stupid?"

"Overly beautiful people are usually stupid. Our God is a fair god."

"You're too judgmental sometimes, Laney Jane. You'll never find a boyfriend--" Justin stopped midsentence. He stared at me again, making me highly uncomfortable and slightly fed up, and yelled, "Hey Bobby? Can you come here for a second?"

Joey bellowed, "Justin, we're in the middle of a game."

Justin removed his shirt, tossed it on my head with a wink in my direction, and ran out on to the sand. He said, "I'm in the mood to kick some butt."

Chris clutched his stomach and started laughing from the other side of the net, "Curly, you're forgetting. We've all seen you play. My four year old cousin could beat you."

"Watch it, old man, or I'll be serving this volleyball up your ass," Justin countered. He looked at me and mouthed, "Say hi."

At first I didn't know what he was talking about. Who the hell was I supposed to say "hi" too? Then Bobby sprawled out on the grass next to me, clapping as JC's brother went to serve the ball. I rolled my eyes and chugged on the last of my soda.

"Stupid," I muttered under my breath.

"What was that?"

I blushed when I met Bobby's gaze. He had really blue eyes. I pointed to Justin and said, "He's stupid...and...yeah, he sucks." I groaned inwardly and tried to hide my discomfort with a smile.

Bobby nodded in understanding. He extended his hand, "Bobby Armstrong."

"Laney Stanton."

Yes, this was terrible. I sat there like a deer caught in headlights. I was infamous for my ability to butcher the English language and I silently awaited the mortification that would ensue. I was a rather articulate person, but I got around good-looking guys or most people in general and became an idiot savant. I mentally prepared to get Justin alone and kick the crap out of him. I wasn't sure what he was up to, but I would find out...and help his mother mourn the loss of her scheming son.

Bobby ran his fingers through his hair and asked, "How long have you and Justin been together? I always thought--"

"What? He has a girlfriend and it's not me."

"Oh, sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry for. I've known Justin since we were eleven."

"He was a smart guy to pick out a pretty girl like you."

"Um...sure," I looked away and caught Justin staring at me. He gave me a thumb's up like I should stick my tongue down Bobby's throat right there on the volleyball court, and I felt my face turn bright red. I played with my sunglasses, mentally wondering if I should leave them on or take them off. I finally settled on the latter option and asked, "So, how do you know the guys?"

"I work for Jive. I'm a distributor."

"Okay," I managed.

Bobby leaned in, "I'm not really sure what the title means either."

"Okay," I repeated. I swear, sometimes it was like my vocabulary was limited to about twenty words.

"And what about you?"

"I know what a distributor is," I said mindlessly. I closed my eyes and added, "I think I need a drink."

"What's that in your hand?"

I turned the can over and the last few drops fell on the ground, "An empty drink. All gone and I'm suddenly--nice meeting you, Bobby."

Bobby hooted really loud when Joey spiked the ball over the net and waved in my general direction, "Bye."

I made my way over to an empty table and put my head down. I couldn't help but wonder if there would ever be a time when I didn't get completely tongue-tied around attractive guys. I mean, I didn't want to grow up and be a pervert ogling men from a far.

I heard heavy breathing and the chair squeak as he sat down. I didn't look up and his voice was eerily soft, "Laney Jane, everything okay?"

"No," I answered curtly, fighting the urge to harm him.

"You and Bobby seemed to be hitting it off--"

I lifted my head up slowly, "Huh?"

"You and Bobby..." Justin raised his hand to his mouth and coughed. He added, "I think he likes you."

"I think you're a moron."

"Laney Jane, I'm simply pointing--"

"You're simply an idiot."

"Hey, what is your problem?"

"My problem? I came with you so that we could hang out and all you've been doing is leaving me with strange men named Bobby and Ryan and--what was the other guy's name?"

"Charlie."

"Yeah...you left me alone with a guy obsessed with Elvis memorabilia. Thanks a lot," I paused, mentally thinking of a way to extract information from his head. I decided to go the direct route, "What is going on with you?"

Justin leaned back, using his shirt to wipe the sweat off his forehead, and sighed, "Nothing is going on with me, Laney. I'm worried about you."

"Worried about me? Why?"

"Because you have this absurd ideal that no one can live up to and because--forget it."

I sat there, staring down at the splintery edges of the table and trying to understand what Justin was talking about. It was vaguely familiar to the first Mission Impossible movie. I wasn't sure I grasped what the hell had happened and therefore had no idea how to approach the subject. My hands instinctively roamed through my hair as if I could pull out the vagueness by the roots.

Justin reached at the table behind us for a bottle of water. He tossed one to me and said, "No one is using the basketball court."

"Yeah?"

"We could play a game of HORSE...hey, if you're feeling daring, we could even go for a game of ELEPHANT."

He had the puppy dog look in his eyes. Normally, I was unmoved, but I think I was feeling guilty about my upcoming summer plans. I shrugged, "I guess so."

"I'm sorry, Laney, okay. I thought you were interested in Bobby."

"Whatever."

"Laney Jane, don't be mad. I'm trying to help you here."

"I don't need--I'm going to use the bathroom. I'll meet you down at the basketball court," I replied.

Justin stood up. His hand fell on my shoulder and he squeezed it like he was suddenly some patriarch trying to help me along with life. He jogged down towards the basketball court and all I could do was sit and watch in confusion.

I knew he was up to something and I wasn't sure I understood his sudden Laney-needs-to-be-more-flexible-with-people attitude. I had been the same way since the day we met. You'd think he would've accepted it by now. Not to mention, Justin was such the "whatever" guy. He never tried to change people or really point out flaws unless it was a severe problem. He would always shake his head and reply, "Whatever."

"Penny for your thoughts." I looked over next to me. A guy I had never seen before was looking at me with an intense stare and a grin on his face. It was one of those looks where the person appears to know everything about you even though you've never met them before in your life. He was towering over me and sipping on a drink. His hair--almost black and spikey--seemed to blend in with the darkening sky and his face was hirsute which only managed to bring out the blue in his eyes. I tried to act indifferent to his proximity. I was obviously a great actress, or else he pretended not to notice my discomfort. He held up his arms as if to embrace the patio and said, "I must say one day I'd like to have a house like this."

He had an accent. I wracked my brain to figure out what type of accent it was. I replied, "Wouldn't that be nice."

"I think there is something mysterious about owning a compound."

I folded my arms, "Or slightly crazy. David Koresh owned a compound."

"Well, I'm originally from Texas..." his voice trailed off and he extended his hand, "Spencer O'Grady."

I smiled. Texas accent. His dialect was a bit convoluted, but there was a definitely an accent. I shook his hand, "Nice to meet you Spencer O'Grady of Texas. I'm Laney Stanton." I groaned when I realized what I had said. I wished there was a rock I could slither under and die.

Spencer stepped closer to me. From a different angle his eyes were almost brown with flecks of blue. I didn't know something like that existed. Spencer whispered, "Actually, I moved to a suburb of Boston when I was eight. I've always had a fascination with compounds and that seems to appease people. I get the oh-he's-from-Texas look like it's suddenly logical."

I laughed. This was too good to be true. A Boston accent intermixed with a Texas accent. A girl could fall for a guy like that. I was pretty sure my face was flushed as I replied, "Whatever logic keeps people from locking you up is my motto."

Yes, I was suddenly that girl--the giggling nitwit that I never could bring myself to root for in romantic comedies.

"Tell me, Laney, why would anyone be at a place like this and look like they are about to kill?"

I glanced over my shoulder, half-expecting to find Justin prodding the guy with a pitch fork. After the events that had happened earlier, it wouldn't have surprised me. Spencer followed my vision and asked, "What are we looking for?"

"No--I'm supposed to meet my friend at the basketball courts."

"Well, I shouldn't keep you then."

"I guess not."

Spencer took my hand and shook it, "It was nice to meet you, Laney."

"Same here," I replied, unsure of what else to say. I started to walk off, but something told me to look back. I tried to make it look subtle, like maybe I had forgotten my sunglasses on the table, but I was pretty sure I failed. I had never been very good at subtle. Spencer waved to me and I bolted for the basketball court. I was running so fast I didn't see Justin on the path in front of me. I practically tackled him.

"Fuck," Justin moaned, bending over like he had the wind knocked out of him.

I rubbed my equally sore forehead, "Sorry."

"I was just coming to look for you. I thought maybe you fell in the toilet."

I smiled and punched him in the shoulder. I couldn't help but look back towards the patio again. The guy was no longer standing there and I whispered, "Spencer O'Grady" under my breath. I caught Justin studying me with a baffled expression. I grabbed the ball out of his hand and threw it at the backboard. It made a clanging sound and slowly rounded itself through the net. I smacked my hands together and bragged, "Damn I'm good."

"Okay, what the hell happened in the bathroom?" Justin questioned chasing after the basketball.

He did a lay-up with ease and continued, "You're not experimenting with drugs, are you?"

"No."

"Did the lead singer of Incubus call and declare his love?"

"I wish," I took the ball and did a lay-up of my own. The ball went right over the net and into the grass. I shook my head and said, "Did you know that originally the backboard was used--"

"It was used to keep spectators from interfering in the game," Justin repeated from memory. He chuckled, "How long have we been playing basketball together and you still say the same thing. Some things never change."

"Everything changes, Justin. It's inevitable."

"Always the pessimist, Laney Jane. Not everything has to change. Take you and I for instance."

"I'm glad you brought that up because we need to--"

"...talk," Justin propped the ball under his arm and asked, "What's up?"

"Well, after our trip to Hawaii I realized that..." I noticed his face pale. He started to dribble the ball and I tried to talk over it, "...well, that night at the club everything--"

"Laney Jane, it's getting late and I need to be at the studio early tomorrow morning."

"I thought you wanted to play some basketball?" I asked. I knew he was avoiding the conversation yet again.

"I'm tired."

"It's only six thirty, J."

"Yeah, well, I haven't been getting a lot of sleep lately."

"I really wanted to--fine."

"Are we still on for movie night tomorrow?"

"You, me, and Cider House Rules."

Justin nodded, "Charlize is a babe and a half."

"Well, I know that's why I'm seeing the movie. Forget storyline and plot. It's all about Charlize."

Justin tossed the ball to me, "Such the hypocrite, Laney."

I feigned ignorance, "I don't know what you mean."

"Let me spell it out for you. We saw the Talented Mr. Ripley three times because of Matt Damon and Jude Law--even though I saw your eyes glazing over five different times during the movie."

"This coming from A.D.D boy at anything longer than ninety minutes."

"Some of the best movies are only ninety minutes long--quantity does not necessarily equal quality."

"You're so smart, Justin. You should be a film critic," I placed the basketball on the picnic table and my eyes wandered around looking to see if Spencer was still there. I figured he left when I didn't see him in the immediate area. It was hard to miss tall, dark, and handsome men. I felt my face redden as my mind wandered right along with my eyes. This was ridiculous. It was absurd. I coughed and tried to stay focused, "Although in fairness to most film critics, their favorite movies don't usually consist of My Best Friend's Wedding and While You Were Sleeping."

Justin patted his pockets and replied, "As much as I would love to continue this argument with you, I need to go grab my wallet and keys. I'll meet you at the car, okay?" Justin started to walk off and then turned around. He threw me off when he hugged me. He smiled, "I really am sorry about earlier with Bobby."

"It's done with."

"He's not your type."

"All brawn no brains."

"I'll remember that," he said with a wink.

I watched him go. If this was a new improved Justin Timberlake for the millennium, I was going to have to put him out of his misery. He had been weird all afternoon and this Bobby thing had come completely out of the blue. Justin had never concerned himself with my love life and I never bothered with his. We weren't given to bouts of matchmaking or blind dates from hell. Love was completely separate from us and that was part of the reason we had always worked. I liked it that way.

Sure, we made jokes about the boyfriends and girlfriends in each other's lives. Let's not forget that I was usually supplied with much more material in that department. Justin was always falling in love or meeting his soulmate over croutons at the salad bar. Before Britney all his girlfriends were...interesting...to put it mildly. Can I help it if he always managed to date some of the stupidest girls that roamed the planet? His relationships always went the same way too. He would declare his love and spend the next few weeks trying not to be proven wrong. He was always proven wrong. Girls hated sharing him with the world and he never really loved any of the girls to begin with.

Hold on a minute! Just because the only other girl to remain in my life as long as Laney Jane is my mother does not mean that she should assume to know my feelings for all the girls that I've dated. I was fourteen when I had my first real girlfriend. Maybe I was known to over emphasize my feelings, but only because I thought that was what they needed to hear.

And what about Laney? If we're going to discuss my romantic past, I feel the need to point out a few things about her. Her boyfriends (well, there was only one that lasted more than one date) were laughable at best. Laney Jane requires a worthy opponent, a challenge, and Alan Briar was neither of those things. I knew the guy was all wrong for Laney the minute I met him. He had the sweatiest palms ever (I shake a lot of hands in a day and his are still the worst I've encountered.) and he would get upset whenever Laney made a "not-so-nice" comment. If he had known Laney Jane at all, he would've realized that trying to get her to stop being sarcastic and cynical was like trying to keep Michael Jordan from playing basketball--damn near impossible. You see, Laney had always purposefully picked guys that were all wrong for her.

I love when Justin interrupts me so that he can go on and on and on about the inner-workings of my mind. Yes, the world is a sorry place indeed. Crime is rampant. Children can't read. Teenagers are going on shooting sprees at their high schools. It's enough to make any compassionate person weep for days. But, while these things are terrible, it is much worse that I dated a man with sweaty palms. We better make sure that one gets put into the history books so future girls with critical best friends know not to date the Alan Briars of the world.

I interrupt her? Is she kidding me with this stuff? I'm sure everyone else would have to agree that it's my turn. I don't know why I'm surprised. No matter what we're talking about, no matter how much time I allow her to speak, she has to cut me off. Wait your turn, Laney Jane. One of these days I'll drop dead from shock when she actually lets me finish a thought.

I'm the first to admit that things weren't going as well as I had planned with project-find-Laney-a-boyfriend. I think knowing the girl as well as I did was messing me up. But in fairness, the thing with Bobby? She said he was cute. When a guy thinks a girl is cute, he wants her phone number. Women and their need for "layers" in potential loves. It was bullshit and all it managed to do was give me an ulcer.

"C'mon, we're going to be late for the movie," I said, tugging at her sweater. It was a move similar to those I used to try on my mother to get her out of department stores.

"Justin, what is the big hurry? If we miss the movie, we'll go to a later showing," Laney complained.

I wasn't about to tell her why we had to make this movie. I pulled her along the parking lot, trying not to draw attention to myself. When we reached the ticket booth, I looked around and glanced at my watch, "Okay, we're cool."

Laney rubbed her arm, "I think you pulled my arm out of its socket."

I turned to look at her, "I'm sorry."

"I'll go get our tickets. You wait here and then we can try to sneak in."

"Okay."

Laney looked at me doubtfully as if she knew I was up to something before getting in line. I glanced at my watch again, looking around the movie theater. I heard my name and groaned. The last thing I needed was a mob to eat me alive.

"Hey, did you hear me calling you?"

I rolled my eyes, "Travis, I can't exactly answer you in a crowded place when I don't have security."

"Oh...cool. I get it," he said. He shoved his hands into his pockets and asked, "What movie are we seeing anyway? I was going to get my ticket, but I didn't know what we were seeing."

"Cider House Rules. Laney is getting my ticket."

Travis bent down to fix his shoelace and asked, "Is that the new Steven Segal movie?"

"Travis, don't be stupid, man," I noticed Laney approaching and I kicked Travis in the shin, "Okay, remember what I told you about Laney?"

"Yeah, yeah."

"You think you can handle it?"

Travis smiled, "Dude, Laney will be in very capable hands--but I'm not sure you're right about her, man. She's never paid me the time of day before."

"That's not true. Last summer she talked about how great of a roadie you were," I lied. I knew I was going to hell and all that crap, but at least Laney would be dating a guy involved with my tour. It also didn't hurt that I was Travis' boss. If he tried to monopolize too much of Laney's time, I could threaten to have him fired--not that I would.

"Justin, I got our ti--" Laney's voice cut off and she eyed Travis.

I rocked. She was totally in awe of Travis. I had asked Britney's opinion and, after once again pointing out the flaws in this plan, she had finally admitted that Travis was good looking and had "killer green eyes." Travis also read occasionally. I once saw him reading the newest John Grisham before a show. Literate. Good-looking and literate. Laney couldn't complain.

"Justin, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Don't be rude, Laney."

"It's alright. I have to get my ticket. I'll meet you guys inside," Travis started to walk off. He turned around and touched Laney's arm. She seemed freaked out and he asked, "Do you want anything from the snack bar?"

"No thank you."

"Okay. See you guys inside," Travis replied. When Laney turned around, Travis shrugged at me.

I shrugged back and walked inside as discreetly as possible. Once we were seated, Laney smacked me in the arm.

"Dare I ask why you're beating me?"

"Because you deserve it."

"Must I remind you that you're the one who persuaded me to see Cider House Rules. I was more than willing to see the new Freddie Prinze Junior movie."

"I see you're looking to get hit again," Laney snapped. She folded her arms and directed her gaze at the movie ads on the screen. She sighed, "We never bring friends along to movie night."

I knew she was right. It was an unwritten law that we had made up a long time ago. It was our time to act like the insane pair that we could be. We didn't have to worry about neglecting people or upsetting them with our constant verbal squabbles (Yes, we were those damn people who talked during movies.) I refused to feel guilty though. I mean, what good was an unwritten law if your best friend ended your relationship anyhow? I leaned in next to her, "I'm sorry, okay?"

Laney didn't move--she barely breathed--and I tried a different route, "Did you hear the new joke about me that's going--ahh...I see the start of a smile. I knew the idea of hearing about people mocking me would do the trick."

Laney stood up, "I'm going to get a soda. Do you want anything?"

I pulled a twenty out of my wallet, "My usual please."

She grabbed the money. "I'll be right back."

"Laney?" I called out. I hadn't realized how loud I had gotten until everyone in the theater turned to look at me. I pulled my baseball cap further down on my face and muttered, "Never mind."

I watched her walk away and smiled in the direction of a few movie goers who were still staring at me. It always happened. No matter where I went. Most people would leave me alone, but it never stopped the long glances and whispers.

Travis fell into the seat next to me. I pointed to the other side, "You should sit next to Laney, Trav."

"J, are you sure about this? I don't think she's too happy I'm here, man."

"She just finished telling me how cute you were," I lied. Ever have one of those moments where you start a lie and can't stop it? Yeah. That was me. I kept telling myself about the greater good in all of this.

"Really?"

"Yeah. Just...Laney comes across shy, but she's really not. You have to ease a conversation out of her."

"Like what?"

I groaned, "Haven't you ever talked to a girl before?"

"J, I don't usually date smart girls like Laney. I don't know what to say."

"Well, I'd refrain from telling her that you've never dated a smart girl."

"Why are you doing this again?"

"I told you. Laney likes you and I want Laney happy."

Travis shrugged, "You two have a really good friendship, man. I envy that. I mean, the girls in my life always get so possessive and I'm the same way."

I shook my head, "It's different with me and Laney. It's like she's not even a girl to me." Ha. Once again, Laney wasn't a girl to me. That wasn't a lie. Most of the time, I didn't even remember that she had legs.

Travis' eyes widened, "You're kidding me, right? Justin, are you telling me you've never noticed that killer smile she has?"

"What? No. It's Laney."

Travis asked, "If you say so, man. What is this movie about anyway?"

"I have no idea. It was Laney's turn to pick."

"Is this a chick flick?"

I went to reply, but Laney beat me to it, "No, it's not a chick flick." She hovered over the both of us. She shot me a dirty look before glancing in distaste at the empty seat next to Travis for her.

I smiled meekly and said a silent prayer for Travis. I was seriously starting to wonder about Laney's taste in men. The guys I had picked out the past two days were perfectly fine. Why couldn't she help me out here? Was it asking so much for her to take the bait and couple up already?

I glanced over at Laney several times during the movie. Her hands were practically squeezing the life out of her soda as Travis whispered something in her ear. Her mouth twitched upwards in what I thought was a smile--she really did have a great smile. No, Travis was right. It was killer, especially when it was one of those rare smiles--without a trace of smirk and plenty of dimples. It was smiles like those that made her Laney Jane in my eyes.

And I know what you're all about to assume. But don't. I was not infatuated with Melanie Jane Stanton. I may have been made aware of a few things I took for granted, but I was not infatuated. I wanted things to get back to normal for us. I missed the friendship without the hostility and awkwardness and unease.

I'm still the first to admit that my first few days of matchmaking were a learning experience. I know that I was probably picking guys that Laney Jane had nothing in common with, but they were all linked to me somehow. The thing is, instead of making things simpler for me, all I seemed to do was push Laney further away and piss off my girlfriend.

It suddenly dawned on me that the next two weeks were going to prove to be harder than I thought.

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chapter 6

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