Justin and I sat down at a table almost across the room from Nick and everyone else, but we were still close enough so I could watch him. We sat over by the window and I gazed out at the now busy streets.
"How's Lala Land?" Justin asked looking at me with a lopsided grin.
"Great, I'll send you a postcard." I smiled back at him as the waitress ordered our drinks. After she left we started a question game.
"Okay, what's your fav color?" He asked me.
"Green. Dog or cat?"
"Umm...... dog. Favorite car?"
"Forest green 99' Camaro. What's your fav color?"
"Baby blue. Fav Ice cream?"
"Mint Chocolate Chip. Britney or Christina?"
"Christina. Korn or Limp?"
"Limp, defiantly. Fav Beanie Baby?"
"Well from Lance's collection, I'd have to say Kicks. Mandy Moore or Jessica Simpson?"
"Hmmm..... I haven't heard Jessica, so I'll have to get back to you on that one. B-day?"
"January 31,1981. What about yours?"
"May 4, 1981."
"We might have a problem on our hands."
"Why?"
"You have the same birthday as Lance."
"Who's lance?"
"I'll introduce him to you later."
"Moving right along. Fav song?"
"Eminem and Jay-Z are pretty much at my top list right now. I wouldn't be able to pick a song. Nick names?"
"Babydoll, Tigger, Rissa, Rizel (if you don't know how to pronounce that, think Rizo from Grease without the 'O' but add the 'L'), Hammy. Not many more. What do you collect?"
"Anything involving basketball." It pretty much went on like this for about a half an hour. We were laughing at a joke he had made when Nick came over.
"Hey Babydoll. Mind if I join you for a few minutes?" He kissed me cheek and sat down after I nodded. "What's up, Justin?"
"Not too much. Ya know, your girl here is real cool. I'd keep a hold of her for a while bud." He took a bite out of his toast and put it back down on the plate.
"I'm planning on it." He gave me another kiss and I smiled.
"Soooo.....what's up?" I asked Nick, taking a bite of my eggs.
"What? I can't come over and visit you and my friend? Humph."
"No, you're just coming over here like you needed slash wanted something." He stuck his tongue out. "Oh, your mature."
"I know it. You know it. Justin knows it. We all know it."
"Hey, keep me out of this." He laughed.
"Okay, well that man over there knows it."
"Umm.... yea. Okay, whatever."
"Boy I tell ya, we get no respect around here anymore." Justin interrupted.
"Yea, I know. It's pitiful."
"Oh please! You can't tell me having millions of girls around the world who would do anything from biting your toe nails to fixing your breakfast every morning isn't enough respect for you!" I crossed my arms and got ready for the fight to begin.
"No, you see that's not respect. Those girls hate our girlfriends, don't respect our privacy, pull grass out of our yards, cough cough, Nick, cough, cough. And alot of other things." Justin, I had to admit, had a point. I turned around and suddenly got interested in my fork playing with my eggs. I felt Nick put his arm around me and I could feel his breathing on my neck since my hair was pulled up.
"But we still love you even though you were wrong." I couldn't help the corners of my mouth to curl and I lifted my head up.
"I wasn't wrong, I just..... misunderstood. That's all."
"You never can admit when your wrong, can you?" Nick laughed. I stuck my tongue out at him.
"Now who's the mature one?" Justin chuckled at our funny antics.
"Brew haha." I turned away from him and looked out the window. I think Justin saw the slight smile on my face though.
"I have to go now. Can I have a kiss?" No answer. "A hug?" No answer. He rested his chin on my shoulder and waited.
"Why should I give you a kiss or a hug?" I asked looking at him. He still had his chin rested comfortably on my shoulder.
"Cause I was right and because your not going to see me for another 9 hours."
"Nine hours???" I jumped around to get an explanation out of him.
"Yea, we have a sound check at 8, an interview at 11 and 12, a press conference at 1 and then we have rehearsal at 2. Then I'll see you at 4 for about an hour. The concert starts at 6:30."
"Gurg. Growl. Oh alright." I gave him a quick kiss on the lips and turned back to my food. He looked over at Justin and he just shrugged and smiled.
"That's it?" He squealed.
"Uh-huh." I said and stuffed another bite of eggs in my mouth to avoid anymore questions. I looked over at Justin and I saw him giggling. Then I turned over at Nick and he had this look on his face that almost made the eggs come out my nose.
"Oh, no. Your not getting away that easy." He kissed me, tongue and all, while I still had eggs in my mouth. He pulled away and I saw his mouth chewing something.
"I think they did something different to your eggs!" He laughed.
"EWWW!" Justin groaned. "That's just plain sick, man!"
"Don't give me that crap! You've done worse."
"Oh, don't even bring that up!"
"Why not?"
"Cause the more I think about it, the more I want to have a time machine in handy. Along with a garbage bag."
"Tell me, tell me, tell me!" I jumped out of my seat wanting to know the gossip.
"He on-"
"No! Don't tell her, please!" Justin jumped up and covered Nick's mouth with his hand.
"Why?" He laughed.
"Cause I'll tell her later. You, I know, are going to over exaggerate it." He took his hand away from his mouth and wiped it with his napkin.
"All, well. I'll here both versions later." I shrugged.
"Well, I really need to go now," Nick said. I gave him another kiss and he got about 2 feet away before coming back for another one.
"Last one." He said before kissing me again. He got another 8 feet away and got another.
"That's it." I laughed. He finally walked away and I didn't pay attention when he tried to turn back around. Brian grabbed him to keep him from coming back.
"So what's the horrible story you two were discussing?" I asked grinning.
"Oh geez!"
*~*~*later that day*~*~*
"Hello?" I sang into my cell phone.
"Long time no talk, huh?"
"Nick, I thought you weren't going to have time to call! Where are you?"
"I'm at the press conference. There's still 5 minutes until it starts so I thought I'd call my baby doll. So how ya hangin without me?"
"I'm..... fine. I guess."
"You sound hesitant. Any reason?"
"Oh, no. No reason. Just tired I guess." I said softly.
"Your sure?"
"Yea, I promise." I stuck my crossed fingers underneath the pillow and sighed. "Like I said, I'm just tired."
"Okay, well I gotta go now. Kevin's making me get off." I smiled.
"Tell everyone I said 'Hi'."
"Will do. I'll see you tonight."
"Bye."
"Bye baby." I hung up my phone and let the rest of my tears fall down my face.
*~*~*Eleven-thirty that night*~*~*
I sat downstairs on the edge of the pool in the back of the hotel with my feet stuck in the water. I looked at my reflection and watched all the parts of my face move. How I blinked, the way my mouth moved, the way I looked when I sighed and the way I looked when I breathed.
"Is there something wrong with me? Why did my real parents leave me behind? Was there something wrong with me when I was little?" I whisped each question as a tear rolled down my face and into the water each time. I didn't understand any of this. The second I found out I was adopted was the second I knew it was going to get more confusing. And...... I was right. It just didn't make sense. Why would my real parents leave me? Why would my adopted father and mother try to kill me? Why did he hide that I was adopted? Who were my real parents? Why was I an only child? If they adopted me, wouldn't they have or adopt more children? The questions clouded my mind, each finding it's own path to my heart that was breaking every second of the day.
"I can't stand this!" I splashed my feet in the water and laid back on the concreat. "It makes no sense at all what so ever!"
"I'm helping you, I think it's about time you told me your story." I jumped up and nearly slipped into the pool. "I know something's up. I can see it in your eyes. Your tring to hide it from Nick and everyone else, but that kind of stuff doesn't work with me."
"I-I I didn't hear you come over here. How long have you been standing there, Justin?" I asked nervously.
"Um just a couple minutes. So, are you going to tell me or what?"
"There's nothing to tell."
"Don't lie to me Marrisa. I'm not going to shout it to the press. You should be able to trust me by now, concidering you're only missing one secret to tell me." He stepped closer to me and looked him dead in the eye. He was trust worthy. I could do this.
"I'm adopted." I blurted out.
"Okay, I know that can be emotionally tramatizing for some people, but-"
"That's not all. Here's how it goes..."
