She stared out the window. She was so completely lost in all that was passing her that she barely even noticed when the bus pulled into a 7-11 for a quick stop. Her gaze fled one side of the bus, and moved to the other. She shouted back to the girls in the back of the bus, "You guys want a slurpee or something?"

Trisha nodded, looking up from her game of cards that she concentrating so hard on, "Yeah, if they have coke and cherry-or even cherry coke-get me one." She barely even looked up from her game of solitaire like it was going to go somewhere.

"What about Allison?" she question, she didn't see her, but she knew she was back there.

"Asleep," she answered in a monotone voice. "Big surprise."

Melissa filed off the bus, following behind Chris, Dave and Mike. All three wanted to rummage around the store and see what they could entertain themselves with. They had only been on the bus for 2 hours, and already they were bored out of their mind. She smiled when her gaze fell over to Justin looking through some magazines. She took note of 'Maxim' under his arm. "It's that lonely on the bus?" she questioned nodding to his choice of reading material.

"It was either this or penthouse-and this actually has some funny articles," he smiled, a little embarrassed that she caught him in the act.

"Yeah, I know. I actually like that magazine," She grabbed 'Stuff' off the display and handed it to him. "This one's even funnier."

"You read this stuff?" he looked at her weird.

"Yeah, it's funny. It's not like I sit there and stare at the half naked woman. The stuff they write up in the magazine is really amusing. It's funny to see what horny men will write up when they're paid to do so," she walked away from him and headed over to the slurpee machine. She filled a small slurpee cup with 'Wild Wildberry' and another half with coke and half with cherry. Justin grabbed one out of her hand, "A little thirsty?"

"One's for Trisha. She would've come in but she's involved in a very tough game of solitaire," Melissa laughed as Justin took a sip of her slurpee. "Hey! Didn't your mother teach you any manners?"

"Yeah, and that's why now I'm going to pay for it," he smiled slyly and Melissa followed him to the counter, "well in that case, I'm gonna get a bigger one."

"You're such a funny girl," he replied scrunching up his nose as he continued to make fun of her. JC joined the two, and Chris soon followed, they noticed Justin whipping out his wallet. "Awww how nice of you to pay for all of us," JC said placing his magazines and multiple sodas on the counter.

"You're such a sweetheart Justy," Chris added placing his stuff on the counter as well. He threw down a stack of car magazines. "Awww, you're the best."

Justin rolled his eyes and placed a credit card down on the counter. "That's it...no more. And this is the last time I'm paying. How do I always get stuck paying for it?"

"You're always trying to charm a pretty girl by buying her slurpee, so you get screwed over," JC said matter-of-factly. JC looked over to Melissa and shot her an innocent smile, she couldn't help but laugh. They always gave him such a hard time.

"So what are you all doing on your bus?" Chris asked innocently.

"Absolutely nothing. I've spent the past 2 hours starring out the window. Everyone else is entertaining themselves," she said nodding over to her three dancers who were playfully putting ice down eachothers backs.

"I bet you're having a lot of fun," Justin said whispering softly into her ear.

"Oh, don't you know it," she smiled. She really was slowly going insane.

"Well, why don't you come on our bus," JC suggested. "We could play a game or something. Get to know each other better."

"Really? I'd have to ask James, I don't know if he'd be too cool about it," she answered.

"He's in the third bus with Johnny, they wouldn't even know the difference," Justin said pushing her off in the right direction and following behind her. Justin jumped on the bus first, "James... I'm kidnapping her."

James looked up from his discussion with Johhny, "Sure. Just don't hurt her, or I'll hurt you."

"If anyone hurts her, it'll be Joey," he laughed getting off the bus and throwing an arm around Melissa's shoulders. "It'll be fun I promise."

"All right, all right. As long as he agreed. Lemme go give Trisha her slurpee," she smiled getting on her own bus.

"OK, hurry up," he said heading to his own bus.

Melissa placed the slurpee down on the table and quickly made an about-face. "Where do you think you're going?" Trisha inquired.

Melissa was about to answer but was interrupted by Mikey reentering the bus, "She's going to party with lover boy."

Dave elbowed him in the stomach, and covered his friend with an overly sticky sweet good-bye, "Have fun sweetheart."

As Melissa was off the bus, Dave looked at the remaining people on the bus, "This is going to create a lot of controversy."

Melissa climbed the stairs to the tour bus, and was alarmed by how quiet it was. She pushed open the curtain to the dining area and living room. She saw JC contentedly sipping his slurping looking through 'Stuff.'

"Hey girl," he said looking up at her surprised form. She looked over at him and quickly joined him on the plush couch.

"What ya readin?" she questioned innocently, looking over the page.

"Not doing much reading," he said half-joking.

"OK, What are you drooling over?" she said still trying to get a good glance at the page.

"Now you've got it," he smiled lifting up the page. "I have two words for you, Kim Smith."

She nodded taking in the young girl. The paragraph said she was only 16, but she looked as if she was in her twenties, at least. She laughed at the goofy smile that was plastered across his face. She returned to her own slurpee and started to blow bubbles in it. As the strange noise filled the bus, Justin burst out of the bathroom, "What the hell are you doing?"

"I was just looking at it, dude calm down," JC said turning the page.

"No, not you. This one," Justin said pointing to Melissa. The bubbles she continued to blow in her cup abruptly came to a stop when he pointed his finger. She looked up at him and batted her eyelashes, "Just blowin bubbles."

Justin rolled his eyes, and covered his ears as she continued to blow bubbles, "Oh God. Someone take it away from her! Wait a second."

Everyone stopped what they're doing and looked up at Justin as he grabbed the magazine away from JC, "That's mine you little thief."

"I was just looking," JC said innocently. Justin folded up the magazine and threw it into his bunk. Melissa and JC both looked at each other. 'What's gotten into him?'

"Guys come out here," he said knocking on the small door that led to the back room equipped with a state of the art entertainment center. Her bus didn't have that-otherwise she wouldn't have been so bored.

"What the hell do you want?" Joey said entering the living room area. "Well, Hello there," he said taking hold of Melissa's hand and kissing the back of it.

"Back off dude, she's the opening act. Not some groupie," Chris said slapping Joey upside the head.

"Hey there again Beautiful," he said giving her a tight hug. "That goofball right there is Joey, and the quiet one is Lance."

"Joey, Lance this is Bubbl~ Melissa," Justin said taking the cup away from her while it was out of her grip. She shot him an evil look, but put her attention back to the strangers in front of her.

"Nice to meet you boys, glad you don't fit the stereotypes everyone gives you or anything," she smiled slyly winking at Joey.

He laughed embarrassed, and sat down next to JC. "So why are we out here Justin. The 'Price Is Right' is on and I was rather entertained," Joey inquired looking up at Justin.

"Well, we're going to play a game. It was JC's idea," he said looking at JC to take over.

"Oh right. Well, the other day I was watching road rules reruns, ya know, the one where they put a whole bunch of weird questions in a hat, and everyone answers them. Well, the rules are that they can directed to one person, or everyone," he instructed as he handed out large pieces of paper and pens to everyone.

"When you're done writing your questions, pull them apart and fold them up. Then toss em in here, and I'll go first," JC said. Five sets of eyes looked up at him, "Dude it was my idea."

The group hurried to scramble down all sorts of questions. They had them all done and in the hat before the bus had even returned to the turnpike. JC picked out the first question, "All right. Well, this is directed towards no one in particular. So we'll just go around the circle. I wonder who wrote this one," he started laughing.

"What? What is it?" Chris asked.

"Boxers or briefs?" JC said, while all the guys looked directly at Melissa.

"I was at a loss, I had no idea what to ask."

"Boxers," Justin answered quickly, JC nodding at his answer.

"Boxer briefs," Lance answered, and Chris looked at him like he had three heads.

"I hate those things, they ride up, and ugh-" he continued going on dramatically. "I just don't wear underwear," he finished.

"Me neither," Joey answered. Everyone but Melissa started to laugh, because they all knew the only difference was Chris was joking, and Joey wasn't. When they finally let Melissa in on that part, her face scrunched up, "Ewww... Joeeeey."

Justin picked a question out of the hat, "Favorite band, of all time."

All five boys answered simultaneously, "NSYNC!"

Melissa just smiled lightly, "Well, you guys are all gonna laugh at me...but New Kids On the Block."

Justin looked over at her, "Are you serious?"

She nodded her answer and gave a sly smile. "Well, that's cool, I guess," Chris answered. He drew the next question, and smiled when he read it over once in his head, "Well, it doesn't have a name on it, but I'm guessing it's for you," he said looking over at Justin. "Did you ever date Britney Spears?" Chris inquired pretending to twirl his hair around his finger and giggle like a ditz.

Justin looked dead into Melissa's eyes, "When I was younger yes. But I haven't talked to her in a very long time."

It was Melissa's turn to pick out a question, and she reached into the bucket hat and pulled one out, "Biggest Celebrity Crush."

"I guess it's for everyone," she answered. She look inquisitively at JC, and he knew exactly who wrote that question. Everyone in the room did.

JC spoke up first, "Probably Janet Jackson was my biggest celebrity crush."

Chris answered right after, "Oh oh... uhhh Gwen Steffani." He grabbed his heart and fell back into the couch. Melissa laughed at his dramatization.

Joey was racking his brain, "Umm... Kim Smith." The guys started to laugh, as Lance spoke up, "I have to words for you Joseph... Jail Bait. And secondly, ummm my celebrity crush would have to be Daisy Duke."

Everyone looked at him confused until he confessed, "Dukes of Hazard."

All the guys rolled their eyes, and it was Justin's turn. "Well, my first celebrity crush was Janet Jackson. I was a huge fan of hers, am a huge fan of hers," he looked over at Melissa, "but I don't really know who is my biggest celebrity crush now."

The way he was looking at her was enough to make her get up and scream with happiness, that stare looked right through her. Her cheeks began to flush, and everyone noticed, Chris starting pinching her cheeks, "Aww look-you embarrassed her."

She couldn't help but laugh, "Um... lemme think. My first real bad celebrity crush had to be Joey McIntyre. I was in like second grade when they came out. So that was as pure as a crush could get."

"Man, you really had it bad for the New Kids, didn't you?" JC said nudging her shoulder.

"Oh, like you wouldn't believe. I totally feel for your obsesse~ devoted fans," she smiled.

Lance reached into the hat and pulled out a question, "Favorite movie."

JC answered first, "Indiana Jones-Anything with Harrison Ford."

Joey, "Southpark."

"Now there's a quality movie," Melissa said sarcastically.

"Well, then, what's yours big shot?" he shot back.

"Ghost," she answered letting out a deep sigh.

"I've never seen that," Justin spoke up.

"You've never seen it? Well, I'm not really surprised-it takes a real man to see it," she smiled hitting his arm softly, "I'm just kidding. First chance we get we'll watch it together."

"Sounds like a plan, and then I can earn my title of being a 'real man,'" he shot back sarcastically.

"Really? You've never seen that?" JC was unbelievable surprised. Justin just shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. "And all this time I thought you were a real man," JC joked.

Lance opened his mouth to answer, but before he got a chance all the guys interrupted him in unison, "Clue."

"Usual Suspects," Justin spit out, a smile came across his face just thinking about it. "It's such a good movie," everyone nodded in agreement. Everyone looked onto Chris for his enlightening answer, "Great Expectations."

He caught the confused glances, "It was a good movie."

Joey looked at the next question, "Thing you bought with your first paycheck."

"My Mercedes," Justin said clasping his hands behind his head and reclining on the couch. "By myself," He said shooting Melissa a sarcastic grin.

"I just bought a keyboard, I'm a little tight with my money," JC answered.

"I think cheap was the word you were looking for," Chris answered sarcastically. "I bought a few turn tables and stuff."

"I bought a car," Joey answered. Lance nodded in agreement, and they looked onto Melissa for her answer.

"I haven't gotten my first paycheck yet," she smiled. "But, I want to get a miniature Yorkie puppy," she gushed just thinking of it.

"Awww," they all said in unison. The game continued and the last question was drawn right before they reached the venue. JC reached into the bag, and pulled out the last question, "Doesn't look like I have much of a choice here."

He continued as he read it over once to himself, "Oooh, I like this question. Describe your perfect day."

Joey was the first to answer-unbelievably excited with just the thought, "I have two words for you my friends... Girls...and condoms. Lots and Lots of condoms."

All the guys mentally bashed Joey for being so barbaric. Lance was the next to volunteer his answer, "Well... I think I would probably just go back home, to the countryside, and just relax. Not have to worry about the album or anything."

Melissa smiled at him, as the group nodded in agreement. She felt bad for these guys-they were always so stressed out and never got any down time. Chris was the next to answer, "I think I would just want to spend the day with Dani."

Justin smiled at him, and took in Melissa's confusion. It wasn't a well known fact that Chris and Dani were together, but she would soon find out. Dani was a great girl, and the guys knew how much she meant to him. JC came out of a deep thought as he began to answer, "I'd probably spend the day with Joanna. Make it up to her for all the times I couldn't be there for her. Ya know, take her to the beach, dinner, just quality time together and-just relax. I miss her so much..."

The guys couldn't look him straight in the eyes. They all knew how much she meant to him, and watching him be pulled away from her because of the tour was heartbreaking. Melissa looked up at him and gave him a heartwarming smile, he smiled back-but she knew this was a tough subject.

"Well, on a lighter subject," Melissa began trying to get everyone's mind off of JC's misfortune. "First, I would have breakfast in bed. And I'm not talking toast. I'm talking the whole nine yards-pancakes, bacon, sausage, eggs, hashbrowns, fresh squeezed orange juice-absolutely everything. Then I get a full body massage-by um...some hot guy. Oooh- that'd be nice," she laughed as she realized she was thinking out loud. She realized everyone was watching her, so she continued, "Well, as we're on the subject of food. For my lunch I'd get to go for a walk in the park, and a picnic perfectly placed under a tree and surrounded by wild flowers," she sighed happily. "Then, I'd go ice skating... I just want to thank whoever came up with this question cuz this is a lot of fun. Then I'd go out to dinner- a quiet dinner in a small cafe. Then I'd go home, and watch a good movie and curl up with bag of popcorn. And finally to end off my wonderful day in heaven I would go to the beach, and watch the sun rise," she smiled, everyone looked at her astonished. She had taken this question a little too far, but the one who wanted to know made mental notes on everything she said.

"Well, I don't think I can really compare to that, but I'll try. First I would take out my little special someone to a nice restaurant. Have some good conversation, and good food while I'm at it. Then I'd take her back to my house and just study the way she smiled, the way she laughed, and even down to the way she sighed so that I could have it permanently imbedded in my head, that way every day after that when I thought of all those things-it would be my perfect day over and over," he said, as he looked dead on at Melissa. She had realized he was talking about her when he said 'bring her back to my house.' She thought the day was special but there was no way she would've ever thought it meant that much to him. He flashed her a confident smile.

Melissa felt the temperature in the room rise and was thankful as all hell when Bruce, Boots and Tony came onto the bus letting her know she had to get going. "Well, thanks for letting me stay on your bus guys-but I better hurry up," she said flashing an irresistible smile, and lightly touching Justin's hand on her way out.

The guys soon followed suit, finding their way into the venue. JC walked up next to Justin, "Melissa has one hell of an imagination, wouldn't you say?"

"Why do you say that?" he questioned stopping before their dressing room.

"Oh, I mean coming up with that question and all," JC said leaving Justin at his room.

"No, I asked that question."

"Why's that?" JC asked interested in his friend's motives.

"Future reference," he smiled devilishly and slipped into his dressing room, slamming the door behind him.

"How DOES he do it?" JC said making his way to his room.