Everyone was complimenting the guys on their performance and thanking them for making their graduation extra special.
Lance was lost in thought. When did she grow up? When did she become, did he dare say it, a WOMAN? He had probably spent more time with this girl in the last five or six years than he had with all the different girls he had dated off and on over that period of time. He remembered her always being there to lend support, even though sometimes he felt her heart really was not in it. He figured it was because she had an insight as to what was going to happen and usually it was a disaster. In 1999, when he was dating Danielle Fistula, she tried to tell him not to get too wrapped up in her. She had been right, Danielle had hurt him bad and so did some others.
But, when his world had crashed around him, Elaine was there comforting him and lending him support. Sometimes she would vent his frustrations for him and other times, she was just there. They spent many an evening just watching movies and not even talking, but, she was there for him if he wanted to talk. And the times he wanted to talk, she listened to every single word and she had been known to brush a tear or two away and just hold him when he was really hurting. It was as though she had hurt for him and she wanted to take his hurt away.
But, he had to be careful. It was so easy to care about Elaine. She was so innocent in some ways and yet seemed worldly in others for her tender years. She was eight years his junior and he wished he could find someone his age that was as mature as she was at her age.
She would be eighteen this summer. The thought slipped into his mind, she would be "legal" this year. Enough Lance, get real. Then, "there she comes," he thought.
Elaine, Rickii and Lynne were walking towards them. As they neared the table, the guys all stood up and got chairs for Rickii and Lynne so they could join them for a few minutes.
"These are my bestest friends in the world, Rickii and Lynne," Elaine said proudly.
"We thought WE were your bestest friends," Chris pouted.
"Oh Chris, you are my bestest boy friends, these are my bestest home girls," she cooed into his ear as she hugged him.
"Well, in that case, I'll forgive ya."
Lynne managed to get a seat next to Justin and Rickii was next to JC. The girls shared their plans with the guys and told them they were really jealous of Elaine for her future endeavors of traveling with them for a career.
"I'll bet it is great out on the road, seeing the country and all types of people," remarked Lynne and Rickii seconded that.
"The traveling is one of the things we really enjoy. There are things we have seen and done that we would probably never have seen or done were we not together as *NSYNC," commented Justin.
"Being on the road, in a bus, is an education in itself," said Elaine. "The countryside is amazing, seen from a bus. There are lands that you would never think existed."
Rickii popped up and proclaimed she was thoroughly jealous that Elaine had the best view in the world all to herself, THEM. Everyone looked and then laughed heartily.
