Nine Times Blue

“ARE YOU SERIOUS?!” Amber screamed after she heard about Athena and Joey’s hot night. “Shhh. Would you quiet down? This is an in-door mall. People can hear you when you scream!” Athena said, checking around them to see how people in the mall were staring at them. “I can’t believe this! So, he just barged right in, pulled you into his arms, and had his way with you?! Wow, that sounds like a really good romance films, or one of those detailed romantic novels!” She said, still shocked over what she had just heard. “It felt so……unreal, ya know? It was like I was dreaming or something.” Athena was also still blown away over what had happened to her the night before. Amber stared at her, watching her smile grow, and what looked like day dreaming. “So, I guess this means that you’ve come to your senses?” Amber asked, taking a sip of her coffee. “What?” Athena questioned, as she had interrupted during her daydreams. “You took Joey back, and actually listened to me when I told you to open up your eyes and see what you had laid in front of you.” Athena never thought of that. She never thought of what she had actually done with Joey. Well, she did think about it, a lot, just not what it ‘really’ meant, or what it meant to Joey. “No, me and Joey aren’t together. And I’m still afraid to give into him.” She said, while Amber’s eyes filled with anger. “Athena, what does he have to do to convince you he loves you? You just had sex with the man. You let him have sex with you. You wanted it, just as much as he did. Didn’t it change the way you look at this whole situation?!” Amber was screaming again, but this time with anger. Athena once again looked around them to see if anyone was looking. And sure enough they were. “Amber, please, I don’t expect you to understand, because I don’t even really understand. It’s just, this feeling, ya know? The feeling you get in your stomach, like butterflies, but they kinda make you feel as if you shouldn’t do something, ya know?” Amber just gave her a very confused look. “No, I don’t know. Athena, do you realize what you’ve done to Joey? You had sex with him, and you made him get his hopes up. Wait, you did tell him this, didn’t you?” Athena didn’t say a word. “ATHENA?! HE DOESN’T KNOW?!” She screamed, yet again. “Well…….not exactly.” She said, sipping her iced mocha. “I can’t believe you ‘thena. He must be with the guys right now, tellin’ them how he finally won you back. Being happy for once! And yet, it’s not even true.” Amber couldn’t even believe what her friend did. Amber and Joey were also good friends, and she knew Joey well enough to know that by now he must have told JC, Chris, Lance, and Justin. “You have to tell him ‘thena. You have to tell him the next time you see him.” Amber ordered. “Great, all I have to do is avoid him for the rest of my life!” Athena didn’t want to tell Joey the truth, even though she knew she had to. She couldn’t stand to see Joey’s heart being broken yet again! “Well then, your life must be coming to an end, ‘cause here he comes now!” Amber pointed in the direction behind Athena. Athena turned aroound, and her face turned to pure terror. She immediately grabbed Amber’s arm, and pulled her into a freaky gothic store called “Hot Topic”, which they were standing right in front of. She ran with Amber all the way to the back of the store. It was a small store, very cramped up and dark, So, there weren’t many places to hide. “ ‘then, what the hell do you think you’re doin’?” Amber protested and tried to get her arm back. “What does it look like I’m doing? I’m trying to hide!” “No, I’m not gonna let you do that!” Amber ripped her arm out of Athena’s grip. As she walked towards the entrance of the store, the guys had walked in. Once Athena saw this, she ducked down behind the selves, “shit shit shit shit shit!” She said out loud. “Oh my god! I have to get out of here before they see me!” As Athena got up and turned around to make her escape, she felt herself bump into someone. She was about to say sorry, but when she looked at the person’s face, she saw that it was JC. “What are you doin’ back here?” he asked. “Oh…..um…..nothing.” She doubted that he would let her go with that answer. “Why were you tryin’ to hide from us?” He questioned. “I wasn’t trying to hide from you. I was just looking at…..um…..this!” She said, picking up something off the closest shelf. JC took it away from her, and then looked back at her with a questioning face. “A voodoo doll?!” he said, holding up the doll to show her what she had, been looking at. Athena had nothing to say to that, and she knew she wouldn’t be able to escape, ‘cause there was no way JC was gonna let her go. Just then, she could see Chris, Joey and Lance walking towards them. “Listen, JC, ya gotta get me outta here.” She said, pleading with him. “Why?” Just before she could explain herself, she felt someone pull her towards them. “Hey, what ya guys talkin’ about?” Joey asked. “I have no clue, but she was about to explain to me why she had to get outta here when you guys interrupted!” Jc said, feeling disappointed. “oh, gee, we’re sooo sorry!” Chris said, being his usual humorous self. “um…….will you explain why you have to get out of here?” Joey questioned. “yeah ‘thena, why don’t you tell him, along with everything else?!” Amber hinted, as her and Justin joined the group, holding hands. “You know what Amber? Some times, I REALLY hate you!!!” Athena said, wanting to kill her. “Hey, you’ll thank me for it in the morning.” “Ok, what the hell are you guys talkin’ about?” Joey asked, getting irritable. Athena looked up at him, and saw that he was staring straight at her. She then took his hand, and led him out of the store. “Can someone PLEASE, tell us what’s goin’ on here?!?!?” Chris screamed out loud, getting the attention of everyone in the store. “Don’t worry ‘bout it. You’ll find out soon enough.” Amber said, trying to calm Chris down.

Once Athena had led Joey out of the mall completely, and made sure no one was around, she let go of his hand. “’thena, what’s goin’ on? Why are we out here?” Joey asked. Athena closed her eyes, and knew she was going to hate telling him the truth. “We’re out here because we need to talk. About what happened last night……..” “Yeah, I know. It was kinda…….random. I mean, I practically broke down your door! I guess, my determination got the best of me!” He interrupted. “Yeah, you could say that. I’ve never seen you so……..Determined.” She said, with a smile. “Yeah, well, maybe I should be that way more often. That was honestly the best I’ve ever had!” he said, as he leaned in closer to kiss her. “Joey, there’s more.” She said, pushing him away. “More?” he questioned. “Listen, even though we had sex last night, I’m still afraid to be with you.” With that, Joey went crazy. “Athena, what don’t you understand? I love you. Now, I thought that what happened last night meant something? Because it sure as hell meant something to me!” “And it meant something to me too. But, I just don’t understand. You can have any girl you want, and I’m sure you’ve had many girls after me, but, why do you want me, now?!” After she asked that question, she was afraid to hear the answer. “I’m not gonna lie to you. After we broke up, I did sleep with like, two girls that I had met in a club, but that’s it. And, the reason why I stopped at two, was because I knew, that the only girl I want to be with, is you.” He said, taking her hands into his. “Oh, well gee, that sure made me feel SO much better!” She said sarcastically. “Well, at least I’m being honest here.” Joey really couldn’t understand what he was doing wrong. Then again, guys can never understand!

*Back at *Nsync’s hotel room *

“So, is someone FINALLY gonna tell me what happened today?!” Chris screamed out. “Yeah Joe, what happened?” Justin asked, talking a seat next to Lance on the edge of the bed. “It’s, kind of a long story.” Joey tried to escape in the bathroom to keep from telling it to his friends. “Well, do you see us goin’ anywhere? I mean, I’ve had to wait almost three hours to hear this, and if you keep me waitin’ any longer, I’m gonna have to be forced to kill you!!!!!” Chris screamed, yet again. As you can tell, Chris had no patience what so ever! “Damn Chris, what kinda drugs have you been takin’?!” Justin asked, referring to the fact that everytime he screamed about it, he would have like, a convulsion from anger. “Just the stuff I found in your suite case!” he snapped back. “Listen guys, it’s kind of a soar subject, ok.” Joey said, trying to make his way to the bathroom once more. “Hey, man, ya gotta tell us here, or else Chris is gonna explode!” Lance pointed out. “Last night, after thinkin’ for a long long time, I got really, let’s say, sure of myself.” Joey started, as they all listened with anticipation. “and, I decided that I was just goin’ to do what I’ve been wanting to do for, let’s say, a while!” They all looked at him wondering what he was trying to say. “What the hell are you talkin’ about?!” Chris screamed. “I slept with Athena! Ok? Are you happy now that you know?!” Joey screamed back, as he finally made his way to the bathroom. The four of them looked at eachother, wondering what had just happened. A few silent seconds later, JC got up from the chair he was sitting in, and walked towards the bathroom. He stood there, watching his friend looking down at his toothbrush, that he was holding in his hand. “Joe, I thought that’s what you wanted? To be with her?” JC said, in a sweet yet confused tone. “I do, that’s why it hurts right now.” He said, still playing with his toothbrush. “I don’t get it Joe. What happened afterwards? What happened today for that matter?” JC asked. “Well, after we, had sex, I thought everything would be different, ya know? I thought she would take me back. But, she still says she can’t. And that she still needs more convincing.” With that, JC patted his friend on the shoulder. “Listen, what you need to do, is give her time. I mean, we’ve only been here for three days. And she’s only seen you for two. In those two days, a lot, and I mean A LOT has been thrown at her. What do you expect her to say and feel when you just come out of nowhere, and confess your undying love for her?” JC said with a laugh and smile. “Yeah, maybe you’re right. But, we’re only gonna be here for another week and a half. How am I gonna get her to realize I’ve changed?” He asked. “Joey, you don’t want her to see how much you’ve changed. You forget that you’re even more of Mr. Flirt than you were a year and a half ago!” They both laughed at that, because they both knew how right JC really was. “Why don’t you invite her to the club with us tomorrow night? Maybe then she can actually get use to you being back without you being all over her?” Once JC said that, he could see a smile begin to form on Joey’s face. “That’s a really good idea. Damn JC, with all this good advice on love, it’s really surprising that you don’t have a girlfriend!” Joey said, regaining his humor and patting his friend on the back. As Joey left the bathroom, they both laughed a little at that statement. But JC just watched Joey walk away from him. “Yeah, well, that might just change very soon.” JC said to himself, turning off the light and closing the bathroom door.