“You so cheat at this game!” Salem shouted.

“I do not cheat!” Joey shouted back. The two were playing Monopoly, a game Salem was never allowed to play with Joey and Ryan when they were younger.

“I can’t help it if I am a Monopoly champ. You should see my friend Lance, he can beat anyone at any board game” Joey said placing the money back in the box.

“Is he in the group with you?” Salem asked taking the box back to the closet.

“Yeah, and there’s Justin, JC and Chris too. Our album came out in the states a few months ago” Joey explained.

”Sorry haven’t heard of ya” Salem said just as the phone rang.

”Hello”

”Sale, it’s me. Hey what’s the name of that group Joey’s in?”

”Hold on let me ask, Fatone what’s the name of the group you’re in?”

” “N SYNC, why?”

”His group’s called ‘N SYNC, why Nia?”

”Well some girl just came in and bought that CD and his face is on the cover. I didn’t know this group was so popular”

”It was a fluke, they can’t be that popular”

”Hey now!” Joey said defensively.

”Well I gotta run Sale, you doing ok?”

”Yeah I’m surviving”

”Ok good, bye”

”C-ya chica”

What was that all about?”

“Some girl came in and bought you’re CD that’s all. Hey at least someone knows you here besides me!”

”Ha ha very funny Salem. As a matter of fact we’ve sold pretty many CDs here in the states”

”Big whoppe de doo!”

”So what should we do now?”

”I don’t know. I didn’t plan on being your entertainment for the day”

”Well I’m sorry for being an inconvenience”

”You’re not an invenience. It’s not like I had any other plans.”

”You’re still unpopular, even here in Cincinnati.”

Shut up Fatone and for your info, I am not unpopular”

”Oh really, do you have a boyfriend?”

“I don’t know why you would judge my popularity by wether or not I have a boyfriend, but yes I do have a boyfriend.”

”Oh really, does this boy have a name?”

”Yes his name is Mike Anderson and he’s a seinor”

”In high school?”

”No as in Seinor citizen. I go for the old guys, when they die they leave their money to me, it’s better than having a job. Yes of course a Seinor in high school”

”Wow a Seinor in high school, that’s pretty good Sale”

”Gee thanks Fatone. So where are the rest of these group members?”

”Off doing other things around the city. I’m supposed to meet them for dinner at the hotel later, you can come if you want”

“Sure why not”

”Ok, we have to meet them at 7 and it’s 3 now. So what should we do?” Joey asked.

”Well you’ve got a car, so we could go somewhere like the mall or something”

”Sounds good to me”

Salem went and got her purse and left a note for her parents telling them where she would be and when she planned to be back. She knew they could trust Joey to bring her back before curfew.

”So how do we get to the mall?”

”Pull out of the driveway and turn right. Go to the end of the road and turn right again.” Just then Joey’s cell phone rang.

”Could you get that Salem?”

”If I can find it in this mess you call a car.”

”Hello”

”Well hello, I wasn’t interupting anything was I?” the voice asked.

”No not a thing. Who is this?”

”This is the one and only Chris Kirkpatrick and who might I be speaking with?”

”This is Salem”

”Oh is this the Salem the one and only Salem my pal Joey has told me so much about?”

”That would be me. What exactly has he told you about me?”

”Well he said you have red hair, blue eyes, you’re very fiesty and very attractive, but I don’t think he would admit the last thing to your face.”

”Who you talking to?” Joey asked.

”Chris. Turn left at the light.”

”So where are you two off to?”

”Just the mall”

“Oh I see, not to a moie by chance.” Chris asked.

”No why?”

”Oh nothing it’s just that he told me that’s where he’s going to make a move on you”

”What?! You better be joking or else you’ll be looking for a new group member”

”Nah, I’m just joking, please don’t hurt Joey, there’s only one of him and we need him.” Chris pleaded.

”Thank God there’s only one, this world couldn’t handle anymore.”

”Well I hope to meet you before we leave this wonderful city”

”Well how about tonight at 7, I’m coming with Joey to dinner with you guys, if that’s all right”

“That would be great, see ya then!”

”Bye” Salem said turning off the phone.

”Whatever he said that I said is totally untrue” Joey said.

”Oh so I’m not attractive?”

”What?!”

”Chris said that you said that I was very attractive”

”Well maybe I said that”Joey said blushing a little. “What a difference 10 years makes”