Chapter 5:
Lunch,
Arguments, and Brotherly Advice
*The
Next Morning: The Girls' Room*
"Bean,
get up," Brianna said as she walked out of the bathroom fully dressed.
"I let you sleep an extra hour."
"Thanks,
mom," Bianca said sarcastically looking at the clock. 7:45 a.m. "Why
did you get up so early if we don't have to be at the studio until 9:30."
"I
couldn't sleep," Brianna replied, looking her best friend over.
"Damn, Bean, you look like you had a rough night."
"Thanks,
that's great to know," she replied dryly. "Too bad we all can't look
as good as you!"
"Yeah,
I know I'm gorgeous!" Brianna said grinning. "Move that slow ass,
girl. Get dressed. I wanna go get some breakfast because we need to talk,
anyway."
"Okay,
I'll be ready in a little while," Bianca replied heading to the bathroom.
As
Bianca stood looking in the mirror, she thought about what Brianna said. It was
true, she had had a rough night. She had only gotten about three hours of
sleep. The entire time she tossed and turned in her bed she had been thinking
about A.J.
'I
don't know what he thinks, but I'm not rushing into things. I think we have a
misunderstanding.' Getting her toothbrush out, she continued thinking. 'He's
really nice, but I don't know...'
"Bean,
did you fall asleep in there? I'm hungry and I want to actually be able to sit
down and enjoy my breakfast," Brianna said, breaking Bianca's thoughts.
"I'm
almost done. What are you wearing today? I don't want us to go looking like the
Bobbsy twins."
"My
khaki skirt, plaid shirt, and white platforms."
"Alright.
Then, I'll wear my khaki shorts with that cute little dragonfly tank-top and my
platform sandals." She grabbed her bag and closed the bathroom door to get
ready.
*Brian
and Nick's Room*
"Brian,
I was listening to the advice you gave Kevin last night and I think it would
work for me, too, " Nick said, tying his shoe.
"Huh,"
Brian asked sleepily, rubbing his head with both hands. "What advice? Man,
what are you talking about?"
"The
advice you gave him about Brianna!"
"Why
would that help you? Did you meet a girl at the mall? You don't have a crush on
Brianna, do you?"
"NO!
Man, are you completely dense?" he asked as he began to get annoyed.
"Bianca. Doesn't that name ring a bell?"
"Nick,
man, stop worrying about that. You're gonna make yourself sick. Besides, you
said yourself, she doesn't seem like the quick type. You said she was really
uncomfortable when A.J. kissed her last night. Right?"
"Yeah,
so..."
"Well,
tell me. How do you think she would feel if she heard you say that you KNOW
she's gonna be with you? You're being a hypocrite."
"Fine.
I won't talk about it anymore."
"O.K."
"But
you're my best friend! You're supposed to give me advice about these
things!" Nick continued to plead with Brian until he spoke again.
"I
knew you couldn't last more than two minutes," Brian said with a smile.
"I'll be thinking about how to help you, but until then, stop worrying and
have fun."
Brian
knew exactly what to do. As soon as he had the chance, he was going to talk to
Brianna. If he didn't do something soon, he would never hear the end of it.
"Come
on, man. We've gotta go get the others."
*Kevin's
Room*
Kevin
opened his eyes and looked over at the clock on the night stand. 8:00. He
rolled over onto his back, staring at the ceiling. Brianna's face drifted into
his mind. Kevin was looking forward to seeing her at the studio that day.
Thinking of seeing her flash that sweet smile at him brightened his whole
morning. Deciding it was time to get up, he glanced at the clock again.
"Damn,
it's 8:30," he said out loud. He didn't know he had been lost in his
thoughts for so long. "I wonder if the other guys are up."
After
his talk with Brian he had been able to slip into a peaceful sleep. Just then,
another thought struck him. 'What if she only drops Bianca off?' he thought. He
answered himself quickly, 'she wouldn't do that.'
Slipping
his wallet into the back pocked of his jeans, he decided that if she didn't
want to stay there they could go have lunch. Just the two of them. He was sure
that the rest of the guys could help Bianca while he was gone. 'Why not,' he
continued thinking. 'I can't do everything.' With that, he grabbed his
sunglasses and his keys and walked out the door.'
*At
The Restaurant*
"Will
they please hurry up with our food! I'm starving out here!" That was an
exaggeration, but Brianna really was hungry.
"What
did you need to talk about that was so majorly important, anyway," Bianca
asked her best friend.
"Well,
it's about Kevin...I don't know how I should act around him."
"What
do you mean 'how you should act' "
"I
mean, last night was really nice, and I REALLY enjoyed it, but..."
Bianca
broke in. "You don't know what to expect now, right?"
"Exactly."
Bianca always knew what Brianna was trying to say, and what she meant when it
came out the wrong way. And Brianna appreciated their bond. There was no one else
she could talk to as easily as her best friend.
"I
think," Bianca said, interrupting Brianna's thoughts "that he
wouldn't have hit on you at all last night if he really didn't want to, and if
he thought you were gonna be scared off by the idea. And I know you, and I know
you weren't scared off by the idea of anything he could do to you." Bianca
laughed as she said this last thought, but she was being honest. Brianna didn't
scare easy.
"I
just hope he doesn't act all weird today. Like, avoid me and stuff."
"Since
we're on the subject of the guys, I have some things to tell you, too,"
Bianca shared. "Last night, while you and Kevin were too busy telling each
other bye, A.J. gave me a little good-bye of his own."
"What!?"
Brianna asked rather loudly. The elderly couple in the booth behind her turned
around to look.
"Could
you kindly SHUT THE HELL UP?" Bianca whispered through clenched teeth.
"I didn't want all of Orlando to know. But, yeah, he kissed me. Nothing
like the tongue-twisting experience you had. More like butterfly kisses. But
still, I was shocked. You know I like to be friends with someone for a while
before anything happens between us."
"I
know." Brianna answered. "All I know to tell you is to see how he
acts around you today. You can judge a lot from that. And if he does anything
else that you don't feel comfortable with, then tell him."
"Maybe
you're right. I'll just see how things go today." As Bianca finished her
sentence their pancakes arrived.
"Let's
eat, finally." Brianna said hungrily. "This stuff smells
delicious..."
"And
you can't sing on an empty stomach," Bianca finished her thoughts for her
again. Both girls laughed as they dug into their breakfast.
***