CHAPTER 10
An hour later Miranda came down the stairs. "I’m gonna get you so bad Kirkpatrick!" she said.
"Yeah, uh huh! I’m sure you are Miss. McKellah." She plopped herself on the couch next to Chris and JC.
"So what’s on the agenda for today?" Miranda asked.
Everyone directed their attention towards Lance. "Why do you guys do that? All I know is as of right now we have nothing planned for today."
"I promised Jon and Austin I would take them to the park later."
"I’ll come with you and help you out." Justin replied. Miranda smiled at him warmly. Justin was a really sweet guy. She loved having him as a friend. Even though he was two years older, he realized more then anyone where she was really coming from. Sometimes she got vibes from him, that he might have a slight thing for her, by the way he would look at her or always being the first to offer to do something with her, but she would just shrug it off and continue with whatever she happened to be doing at the time.
"Yeah and what are we going to do while you two are there?" JC questioned.
"Who said you can’t come with us?" Miranda spat playfully.
"No one. I just thought you’d want some alone time." the remark was greeted with "oooo’s" from both Chris and Joey.
"Me and Justin! Sorry sweetie! Nu Uh!" she laughed. "Okay well everyone else got to wake someone up today! I feel so left out! I’m gonna wake Jon and Austin!" the guys laughed lightly as she hurried up the stairs.
"Austin! Jon!" she said as she went into Jon’s room where Austin had slept as well. "Come on, guys gotta get up of you want to go the park!"
"I don’t want to get up I’m sleepy," Austin whined.
"Okay, fine, no park then." Miranda said, as she turned to walk out of the room.
"I’m up Randy!" Jon shouted gleefully.
"Okay! I’m coming Randy!"
"All right you two. Hurry up and get dressed. Me and the guys will wait downstairs for you."
Austin ran into his room while Jon started to go through the drawers in his room. Miranda happily skipped downstairs where the guys were. "They’re getting dressed." she said placing herself next to Justin. He placed his arm around her loosely and she leaned into him. Lance cringed.
"Miranda?" JC asked.
"Yeah hun?"
"When’s your birthday?"
"October 16th."
"That’s a day before my birthday!" Chris shouted. "I feel so special now!" "Well, you should." Miranda laughed.
"Randy! We’re ready!" Jon shouted coming down the stairs. Miranda stood up.
Justin came up behind her and said, "Yeah, Randy, we’re ready to go!"
"Shut up! You’re not allowed to call me Randy!"
Justin put on a sad face, "Why not?"
"Because you’re older then me." she giggled.
"Hey no fair!"
"Of course it’s fair!" she said slapping his arm lightly. She picked Jon up and threw him over her shoulder. "Whatcha gonna do now shorty?" she taunted him.
"Let me down Randy!" he said, as she quickly ran out the door with him. She put him down on the grass and let him tackle her to the ground. Austin helped Jon by jumping on his sister.
"Here I come!" Justin said.
"Noooo!" Miranda screamed. She was laughing hysterically. "Let me up you guys!" The boys slowly got off of her.
They all started walking to the park only talking occasionally. "Lance!" she yelled.
"What?" he asked turning around.
"Can I have a piggy back ride?"
"I guess." She ran over to him and hopped on his back. He carried her all the way to the park.
"Thanks," she said as she hopped off.
"Your welcome," Lance said blushing. When he felt the heat coming to his face he quickly looked away.
"Hey Tin! Jon! You can’t catch me!" she started to run. Chris, JC, Justin, and Joey headed off to play basketball, while Lance sat on a bench across from the swings. After running for about 15 minutes the boys collapsed on the ground. "Get up you two."
"Will you push us on the swings Randy?" Austin asked.
"Of course my loves." She said. She pushed them each for a few minutes and then walked over to the bench Lance had been seated at while watching the whole scene unfold.
She sat down and he replied, "You are really great with those two. And Stephen too."
"Thank you," she responded, smiling warmly.
"Welcome," he said, not making eye contact with her. "So you’re sixteen."
"Yeah, well, I’ll be turning 17 in October like I told you guys before. You guys are going on tour in 2 months right?"
"Yeah, I can’t wait. I mean, I know we just ended a tour and they are busy, busy, busy, and extremely tiring, but the rush is awesome." This time he looked at her.
"I bet it is. I always loved performing."
"You performed?"
"No not really. I was 12. I used to sing at coffee houses and stuff, but then my mom died. That’s when all this stuff with my dad got really bad." She wanted to cry, but she didn’t want to cry in front of Lance.
"I’m so sorry." he said, he really didn’t know what else to say except sorry. He changed the subject, "What do you like to do for fun?"
"I love playing softball, taking pictures, and as you know, singing."
"Cool. Do you think I could hear you sing some time?"
"Me? Nuh uh!"
"Why not?" Lance liked how they were getting along after what happened the night prior.
"Because I can’t sing in front of you."
"And you can’t because?"
"Because it would be weird singing in front of you!"
"Fine! If that’s what you want he laughed."
"Yup."
"Wanna take a walk on the trails?" Miranda was startled with the sudden question and hesitated with her answer.
"Umm, yeah sure. Hold on a second." She said, as she ran over to Jon and Austin. "You two go over with Justin and everybody else. If they ask where me and Lance are tell them we went on a walk okay?"
They nodded and Miranda strode over to Lance. "Ready?"
"Yes."
They didn’t say anything for awhile until Lance spoke, "Miranda,…"
"Lance,…"
"About the other night…" he paused.
"It was my fault and I’m sorry," she replied, taking advantage of his pause.
He turned to face her. "No it’s not. It was all my fault. I shouldn’t have kissed you but I have trouble not doing what my heart tells me to."
"That may be so, but if I wasn’t here, you would all know me as JC’s friend from AOL. I got in the way of your relationship with Marie and that is absolutely the last thing I wanted to have happen." She said.
"Please don’t blame this on yourself. I was the one who kissed you remember."
"I know…but."
"No buts. Besides, I want to apologize because I know you like Justin. I shouldn’t have interfered."
"Wait a second! Who the hell told you I like Justin?"
"No one, I just assumed by the way you two act around each other."
"No, no, no. I do not like Justin. He is my friend. That’s how it is now and forever will be."
"For real?"
"For real." She answered. Lance leaned down to kiss her but she turned around and started walking. She turned back quickly and said, "They’re probably waiting for us, let’s go." he just nodded and realized he had screwed up once again.
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