“Girl, there are some FINE looking guys here.” Liz said taking a seat next to me and resting her back against the bar to scope out the crowd.
Without turning my head, I said, “I guess.”
Liz looked at me. “So I take it you’re not having fun?”
“Oh I’m a blast!” I said sarcastically as I drank my Pina Colada.
She chuckled softly and shook her head. “There are a lot of older people here,” Liz said changing the subject as a cute guy in his twenties caught her eye.
“Yeah,” I slurred slightly. “I’ve notice.”
Liz smiled seeing Allison dancing with her boyfriend Christian. “Where did your sister meet her boyfriend?”
“Who cares?”
“Oh come on, Adrienne.”
I cocked my head to the side. “Answer me on this. How old do you think Christian is?”
Liz shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. Eighteen?”
I laughed out loud. “Eighteen?! PUH-LEEZE! He’s twenty-one! TWENTY-ONE!” I gestured drunkenly across the bar. “I saw him order a drink!”
She looked at me wide-eyed. “He’s twenty-one? Really?”
“I know!” I took a sip of my drink and finished it, and then ordered another one.
“Adrienne,” Liz said, her voice a little worried “don’t you think you had enough?”
“No.” I titled my head to the side lazily. “Have I ever told you the REAL reason why I moved out of my parent’s house?”
Liz looked at me, confused. “I thought you moved out of your parent’s house and went to live with your aunt because you wanted to graduate friends.”
“That’s part of the truth.” I hiccupped. “The REAL reason why I left was because of JC Chasez.”
Liz raised an eyebrow. “Your sister’s boyfriend?”
I looked at my friend confused, but then remember picture of JC and Ashley sitting on Ashley’s desk. “Oh right.” I rolled my eyes and turned in front of me. “Some sister she turned out to be.”
“Wait, so you’re telling me you and JC had a thing?”
I nodded without turning. “For awhile until my Dad found us out. Oh, and there was other guy, but he had a girlfriend.”
A smile crept on Liz’s face and she nudged me. “GIRL, you have this whole other side of you that I know nothing about.”
I waved her off. “Yeah yeah yeah.” From the corner of my eye I watched Christian mingle with some friends. “What a hypocrite,” I mumble, thinking of my Dad. Suddenly from behind, I felt someone bump me and I whipped around. “Hey, watch it!” I shouted over the loud music.
“I’m so sorry, I-“JC stopped short of what he was saying when he recognize me. “Adrienne?”
Realizing who was standing directly in front of me, I froze for a moment knowing for a long time I had pictured myself running into JC again and running into his arms and kissing him while I hugged him tightly.
“Adrienne?” JC said, breaking me out of my reverie. “Are you okay?” He smiled at me.
“Huh? Oh, yeah, I’m fine. This is Liz.” I smiled nervously
and swung my arm to gesture to Liz, but accidentally knocking over my drink.
Liz pressed her lips together hard, trying not to laugh. She extended her
hand out to JC. “It’s nice meeting you.”
JC smiled. “You too.”
“So, uh,” I nervously tucked my hair back behind my ears “what are you doing here?”
JC chuckled softly and glanced around. “Well, I’m attending your sisters party.”
“Oh, right.” I laughed. “What I meant to say is how have you been doing? How’s work?”
He nodded and said, “Work is good. I’m on a break now. I’m just working in the studio helping your Dad produce your sisters album.”
“Oh that’s right.” I smiled. “You were in the studio with them earlier today.”
He nodded smiling. “How have you’ve been?”
“I’ve been good. I’ve been keeping busy with school during the year.”
“I bet you’re glad it’s summer then.”
“Oh yeah.” I laughed.
“Hey C,” Justin Timberlake said walking up to us “I’m going to go. I have to get up early in the morning.”
JC turned to his friend and nodded. “Okay.” He gestured to me. “Do you remember Adrienne?”
Justin looked at me and chuckled. “Oh yeah, aren’t you the girl who yelled at me?”
I chuckled uneasily remembering what I had done. “Oh yeah. Sorry about that.”
He waved it off. “Don’t worry about it.” He glanced over my shoulder and smiled at Liz. “Who’s your friend?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. This is Liz. Liz this is-”
She smiled and extended her hand out to Justin. “I know who he is. It’s nice meeting you.”
Justin gestured behind him to the dance floor. “Would you care to dance?”
Liz raised an eyebrow at him. “I thought you were leaving?”
Justin smiled and took Liz’s hand. “The plane can’t leave without me.” He pulled Liz to follow him.
I chuckled softly to myself and turned back to talk to JC, but he was gone. I looked around me and he was no where to be found. I shrugged it off and left the bar to find my sisters.