Chapter Seventy Four

"Hey guys!" Their manager said, walking into the rooms one by one. "It's five AM. Get up, get showered and get dressed. We have to be out of here by five thirty, so we can get down to Toronto and to the airport. We have to be on the plane by seven thirty. Get your asses out of bed!"

Justin, Lance, Joey and JC groggily walked out of their rooms, and one by one showered and got dressed. The manager helped Chris get up.

"Let's load into the bus, you can sleep more in there. Come on! I called Eryn and Sasha last night, and I said we would be at the condo at seven o'clock. They live ten minutes from the airport. Let's go!"

By five thirty, everything was loaded into the bus. Chris went back to sleep, and so did JC. Justin and Joey went into the back room and played Mortal Kombat. Lance read a magazine and ate cookies in his bunk.

***

"Come on, Er," Sasha said. "They are going to be here in like twenty minutes."

"I'm all ready," Eryn said, walking out of her room, holding two suitcases.

"Great," she said. "Let's go make sure doors and windows are locked. Did you call your mom to tell her we were coming down to Florida?"

"Yeah, I called her yesterday, but she lives in Orlando. We are going to some deserted city or something. I don't know. We probably won't see her."

There was a knock on the door and Sasha ran over to open it. "JC!" she said hugging him. "Hey!"

"Hey," he said. Joey walked up behind him.

"Hey Sasha," he said.

"Hey Joey," she answered. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her. "How are you?"

"Great," he said. "I'm so happy to see you."

"So am I," she said. "I mean, I am happy to see you, not happy to see me."

"I get it," he said, laughing. He picked up her suitcases, and JC got one of Eryn's. "Let's jet."

***

"Thanks," Justin said to the lady at the desk, taking seven tickets. "Okay," he said, reading his ticket. "There are two seats, then an isle, then three seats, then an isle then two seats. Who is sitting where?"

"I'll take beside a window, so I can lay on it," Chris said.

"Okay," Justin said. "I'll sit beside you."

"I'll sit in the three," Sasha said. "I don't care with who."

"I'll sit with you," JC offered.

Sasha smiled. "Okay."

"And I will too, Joey said.

"Great," Sasha said, slipping her hand in his.

Lance looked at Eryn then back at the group. "I don't like this arrangement."

"Why not?" Justin asked. He looked at Eryn, whose face went red. "Oh."

"Sorry," he said, "but, I just..."

"It's a three hour ride," Justin said. "But if you really don't want to, Chris and me and you and Eryn can work something out."

"This is retarded," Eryn blurted out. "Why the hell won't you sit beside me? You don't have to talk to me or anything."

"Sorry," Lance said embarrassed. "These arrangements are fine."

Eryn shot him a dirty look and took her ticket from Justin. "I'm going to my seat." She walked down the hall to the plane.

Justin handed the rest of the group their tickets, and the six of them went to their seats on the plane.

***

The stewardess smiled at Justin and Chris. "Hey, I'm Angela, and I will be your stewardess for this flight. Did you pay attention to what would happen in case something happened?"

"No," Justin said.

"That's okay," she said. "I never do. Can I get you anything?"

"No thanks," Justin said. "But how long till we take off?"

"About two minutes," she answered. She looked at Chris. "Do you need anything?"

"A pillow, please," Chris said sleepily.

"Okay," she said, smiling. "Be right back."

***

Sasha watched at a pretty blonde stewardess handed Chris a pillow, then turned to them. She asked if they needed anything, and then they all shook their heads. She moved on to Eryn and Lance.

Sasha looked to her left at JC, who was listening to the built in radio and his eyes closed. She looked at Joey. "I can't believe we are going to have two weeks... me, you and the beach."

Joey smiled and took her hand. "I'm really happy."

"So am I," she said.

"Can I ask you something?" Joey said.

"Sure," she answered.

"What's with you and JC lately? Talking on the phone and stuff... you guys are getting pretty close again?" Joey asked.

"Are you jealous?" she teased.

"No!" he answered quickly. "Just wondering."

"We're good friends, and that's it," she said. "Don't worry, Joey." She leaned over and kissed him. "I'm with you, not him."

Joey smiled, and leaned back in his seat. He wanted to trust her, but couldn't shake away the bad feeling that was in the pit of his stomach.

***

Eryn stared straight ahead and grabbed the arms on her seat so hard that her knuckles turned white.

"One minute until take off," the pilot said over the speakers. "Please fasten your belts in you haven't already."

"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit," Eryn muttered, closing her eyes. She began to pray.

"Um, Eryn?" Lance asked.

"What?!" she said quickly, facing him.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Have you ever flown?" she asked back.

"Yeah, lots," he said. "Have you?"

"Once, when we went to that concert a long time ago," she said. "But the other day, I was watching a documentary, and since that thing with JFK Jr., I am not a good flyer. I'm scared shitless."

"Well, if we were friends, I would help you out, but we aren't, so have a nice flight," he said, putting on the head phones.

The plane picked up speed and Eryn closed her eyes and tried to steady her breathing.

Lance looked over in concern and took of his headphones. "Okay," he said. "I'll help you through the fight under one condition."

"Anything," she said desperately.

"We can be friends again," Lance said.

"Sure," she said.

"No, not because you are scared, but because I want to be friends with you," he said.

"No seriously, so do I," she said. "But right now, the plane is about to take off. When we are in the air, we can talk about it, but please, Lance, help me."

He looked at the fright in her eyes. "Okay." He said. He held out his hand. Eryn took it and smiled

"Breathe slowly," he said. "And close your eyes."

Eryn did as Lance said, and seconds later, they were in the air.

"Is it better now?" Lance asked.

"Yeah," she said. "I just don't like taking off and landing."

"I'll be prepared for the landing," Lance answered. "So how have you been?"

"Good," she said. "And you?"

"Great," he answered. "Well, not great. Okay."

"That's okay, then," she said. "So..."

"So..." he said. He looked down at their hands, still entwined between the seats. Eryn noticed him looking and took hers away.

"Sorry," he muttered.

"Lance, I still like you," she blurted out.

"What?" he asked. "I mean, I heard you and everything but..."

"Yeah, I still like you. The same as always, and I wish that sometimes, me and you could be together," she said quietly.

Lance shook his head. "I can't believe you are saying this."

"I can't believe it either," she said.

"What about Justin? How do you feel about him?" he asked.

"The same as with you," she answered.

"Oh," Lance frowned. "Well, I'm glad you told me how you feel."

"Do you want to know something?" Eryn asked. "I really wish I could have you and Justin at the same time... like before."

"Too bad you were cheating on him," Lance said.

"Too bad," Eryn agreed. "Listen, remember back in the day, when we were really good friends?"

"I remember," Lance said.

"Do you think we will ever get like that again?" Eryn asked.

"I think we have right now," Lance said, smiling.

***

"Please put on your seat belts," the pilot's voice came over the speakers. "We are landing in thirty seconds."

Eryn put on her seatbelt with trembling hands.

"You'll be okay," Lance whispered.

She flashed him a nervous smile and looked strait ahead at the seat infront of her. He took her hand in both of his, and closed her eyes. Seconds later, they were landed.

"Thanks," she said, still holding his hand.

"What are friends for?" he said.

Eryn smiled, and when the plane stopped, Lance, Justin, JC, Chris, Joey, Sasha and herself walked off the plane and went to get their luggage.

***

Justin picked up his suitcase and looked over at Eryn and Lance who were deep in conversation. He felt a twinge of jealousy, then dropped his bag when he saw that they were holding hands.

End Of Chapter Seventy-Four