Jesykah was in her room reading a magazine with the Backstreet Boys in it. She thought it was possibly the closest she could get to him right now. Juliana and Rebekah were out watching TV in the living room. There was a soft knock on the door. Rebekah answered it.
"Ummm, hey, I saw the light on. I was wondering is Jesykah here."
Rebekah gasped slightly to herself and wasn’t sure if her mouth would work so she nodded her head slightly.
"Can I talk to her?"
"Umm, sure let me go get her."
Rebekah opened the door more so he could enter the house. Juliana’s mouth dropped when she saw who it was.
Rebekah knocked on Jesykah’s door. "Jes, there’s someone here to see you."
Jesykah opened the door to her room and screamed when she saw AJ. "Alex!"
"Jesykah!" he said as he picked her up and spun her around, inhaling the scent of her perfume. It smelled like fresh lilacs on a spring day. Before he set her down he whispered softly in her ear, "I go by AJ now, not Alex anymore."
"Oh yeah, right I'm sorry. I forgot, but I shouldn’t be saying sorry for just that."
"Why? You didn’t do anything to me."
"I left 9 years ago and you had no idea where or why I had left you and never came back to camp."
"That’s okay! You know I could never be mad at you for long."
"Well, yeah I know. Remember when I stole your toy and you were like 'Jesykah! You is such a meanie head!' Then I gave you the puppy dog look and you said, that’s what I call no fair!"
"Shut up! We were five."
Juliana and Rebekah sat there in awe as their best friend interacted with AJ. They acted as if there was not a time period of 11 years separating their friendship.
"Oh, Alex.." she stopped herself. "AJ, there are my friends Juliana and Rebekah."
"Nice to meet you ladies, you wanna meet the rest of the guys?"
"Sure!" The two girls jumped up at the chance of finally getting to meet the Backstreet Boys.
"I guess so." Jesykah said.
AJ took her hand and led them to the camp next door. When they walked in, no one was in sight.
"They’re all unpacking." AJ remarked. "I’m procrastinating." He said, still not letting go of Jesykah’s hand. AJ heard Brian singing and called him into the room. "Hey Bri!" he shouted.
Juliana and Rebekah looked at each other. "Brian!" they squealed.
"I guess we know who their favorite Backstreet Boy is!" AJ said.
"I know who my favorite Backstreet Boy is." Jesykah said, quietly, as not to let the others hear. AJ smiled widely at her.
AJ remembered he had called Brian in the room for a reason. "Bri, this is Jesykah, and her two friends Rebekah and Juliana."
"Nice to meet you," he said, politely.
Soon there after Howie, Kevin, and Nick joined the 5 in the room.
"Guys, this is Jesykah and her two friends Rebekah and Juliana."
There was a murmur of "hi’s" and "hello’s" and then everyone found a seat.
"So, Jesykah you’ve know AJ for a while?" Kevin asked.
"Well, I guess you could say that. But really, I haven’t seen him all that much in the past 11 years."
"Whoa!" Nick said, staring at Rebekah, but still listening to the conversation.
"But at least we’re here now," AJ commented, putting his arm around Jesykah’s shoulders, and squeezing her slightly.
"Yep," she said, as she flashed him a smile.
"Do you guys wanna go out tonight?" Nick asked. "We could go dancing."
"Don’t you have to unpack?" Juliana said throwing the question out to anyone who would answer.
"Yeah but that should only take about 15 minutes more." Kevin answered.
"Not me! I have to unpack everything." AJ replied.
"Well, I’ll stay here with AJ until he’s done and you guys can go. Then we will meet you there."
"All right. We will come pick up you girls when we’re done packing." Howie stated.
"Okay, bye-bye." They said, as they left the house.
All the guys went back to their rooms. Jesykah followed AJ into his.
"I was hoping you would be here," AJ said. "I really missed you all those years after you stopped coming here."
Jesykah smiled slightly. "Well, AJ, believe it or not, just today I was crying over you."
"You were? Why?"
"I guess after my parents died, and then my grandmother, I felt like you were the only person still living who really knew me. I mean, Bekah and Jules are great but I just met them two years ago."
"Well, now that we are together again," AJ hesitated with the words. "I promise you, no matter where I am in the world I will be there for you." Jesykah leaned over and gently kissed AJ on the lips.
"Thank you ," she said.