Romance In France

Chapter 6 - Chapter 7

Chapter 6

"Get up everybody! We need to get going! It's almost 7!" Becky yelled into Jamy and Trisha's room the next morning. She walked to the table, placed the food the she received from the bellhop on it, and took off for Nikkie and Ashley's room. They had decided to bunk together since they were friends now, and so they wouldn't have to stay alone. Becky yelled at them through the wall, and went back to her suite. She was still wearing her bathrobe, and when she walked in, she saw Jamy and Trisha chowing down on the food she had set out for herself.

"Off my food! Back! Back, I say!" Becky exclaimed with false alarm as she tried to save the food from the vicious jaws of death.

The two girls stopped eating their friend's food took a box that wasn't claimed. "What the heck, Becky! Why did you wake us up at 7 in the morning?" Jamy asked as she tried to splash a glass of water on her faced but failed.

Becky started gesturing in the air melodramatically, but stopped when Jamy suddenly jerked around to face her. "We promised to meet the guys at the Riviera at ten. It's almost seven now, and it takes about two and a half hours to get there. I know how long you guys take to get ready, so I decided to wake you up early," Becky replied. She took a glass of coke and a piece of toast into her room so she could change. But before she went into her room, she grabbed a chair and tapped the ceiling sharply. She heard annoyed thumps in response. Becky figured the men weren't awake yet, and decided one of her personalized awakenings was in order. Also, the night before she had arranged to have wake-up calls be delivered to them every five minutes starting and five o'clock in the morning.

Becky decided to wear black rip-offs and a white tank top with her swimming suit (a green halter-top with shorts) underneath. She came out of her room carrying a bag with paper, pencils, a CD player, and her CD collection inside. Jamy was already out and wearing a pair of cut-offs and a pink baby-t. The bathing suit that she was toting was a baby blue striped bikini. Trisha was wearing her favorite swimming suit: a pink with orange stripes bikini. She was wearing a white tennis-style dress over it.

Suddenly, there was an abrupt knock at the door. Becky opened it and Nikkie was standing there in a blue dress over her blue one-piece suit and a happy smile on her face. Becky welcomed her in, and she immediately took over Becky's breakfast. The door sounded again, and this time it was Ashley, wearing a green string bikini under a pair of khaki shorts and a blue baby-t. When the door knocked for a third time, Becky was ready to rip the door off its hinges.

"What do you want?" Becky yelled infuriatedly as she flung open the door. She saw who was standing on the other side and a giggle escaped her lips. "Whoops!"

The five men were standing there in their pajamas. Their hair looked atrocious: sticking up at odd angels. Five pairs of blood-shot eyes with complimentary bags stared back at the woman as she stood there quietly laughing at them.

"Who woke me up?" JC said slowly and clearly, narrowing his eyes to slits. All of the friends pointed to Becky with serious faces. She stared at them in disbelief for betraying her. She then stuck out her tongue and faced JC as he continued, "What do you want?"

Becky gave one last laugh before answering. "Nothing now. But rise and shine you guys! It's a new day! Plus, you guys have fifteen minutes to get ready!" She replied with a valley-girl accent.

Chris rubbed his eyes and scratched his head. "Ready for what?" he asked.

"Ready to go to the Riviera, silly! Now you have ten minutes. See you there." Their eyes widened in panic, and they ran up to their rooms.

"Your welcome," Becky called as their backs retreated into the elevator. She went back into the room and sat down at the table. She opened up the box where she had left her food and found it empty. "Hey! Who ate my food?"

Ashley put her hand over her mouth in fake innocence. "Oops," She said. Becky just threw a pillow at her.

* * *

Becky had a feeling that the guys hadn't left the hotel on time, so when the girls were the first ones there, it was no surprise. The surprise was when the men showed up an two and a half hours late.

When the men pulled up, Chris rolled down his window and yelled to the world, "Ladies, we're here!" He spread his arms wide and almost fell out of the moving vehicle.

Ashley and Becky started laughing hysterically as Chris clambered to recover his composure. "What took you so long? Did you guys have to do your hair and your make-up?" Ashley whined as they parked.

Justin blushed as he shut his door, walked over to Jamy, and put his arm around her waist. "Shut up. Let's hit the beach!" he replied. The group of ten ran down to the beach for a day of fun in the sun.

The beach was a little crowded, but not enough to inhibit their space. They set up about 30-40 feet away from the water. After neatly laying out their beach towels and whatnot, Ashley, Jamy, Nikkie, and Trisha ran laughing and screaming into the cool saltwater. Justin, Chris, Joey, and JC just threw their belongings on top of their girlfriends' and jogged into the water after them. Lance lagged behind.

Becky really didn't want to go swimming quite yet, so she set her giant green beach umbrella up, and placed her purple and green folding chair underneath. She placed her black bag beside the chair, and took out a packet of papers. Becky thought everyone else had gone off to set something up, tan, eat, or go swimming, but James sneaked up behind her and covered her eyes.

"Guess who?" he asked in an unnaturally high (for him) voice.

Becky crossed her arms across her chest. "I don't know. Lance, maybe?" She said, removing his warm hands from my face. She held on to his hands for longer than she normally would have anyone else's. All the same, she quickly hid her papers from site. Lance saw this and commented on her actions.

"What are you hiding? Is it love notes to a secret lover in some exotic country? Or is it just a journal?" Lance asked as he pulled up a chair next to her.

Becky shrugged haughtily. "None of your business, Mr. Smarty-pants," She said as she faced him and pulled out the papers again. She made positive that he couldn't glimpse the papers. "If you must know, it's a song I'm writing. I have the score done, but I have to finish writing the words."

A look of interest flickered across his face as he struggled to see. "Can I see it?" he asked and moved his chair closer.

Becky covered the papers once again. "No way! It's not ready yet! Anyway, you probably can't even read my handwriting!" She reasoned stupidly. She reluctantly handed the papers over anyway: she needed and wanted some constructive criticism besides her own.

Lance looked over the papers slowly, reading the words and taking into account all possible meanings. The song tugged at his insides. He knew good music when he read it, and this was definitely good music. He looked it over again, to make sure he had the lines memorized for when he told the rest of the guys.

"Well, what do you think?" Becky asked, anxiously awaiting the words 'horrible' or even 'repulsive.'

Lance shrugged his shoulders as he handed the papers back to Becky. "Well, it's great. I don't think there's any other way to put it. If you don't mind me asking, but what is the inspiration?" Lance inquired. Becky thought the compliment was unfounded until he looked up. She saw the sincerity in his eyes, and knew he meant every word.

"I mind, but I'll answer anyway. It's for someone, but for whom is nobody's business," Becky replied as she took the papers back and uncapped the red pen again.

"Tell me please!" He begged, torn between tearing them away from her and begging on bended knee. She just shook her beautiful head. "Fine, then if you won't tell me, sing it for me." He blocked her only way of escaping into the water.

She thought it over. It was either telling him something that would be sure to tear her apart or doing a thing she loved to do. "Fine," She replied with great reluctance. Becky sang it. At first, she was scared. Somehow she knew he would tell her if she or the song sounded horrible. As she got farther into the song, though, she sang with more emotion, and grasped the deeper meaning for what the song stood for.

She finished and he applauded, genuinely pleased. Becky turned a shade of red that matched Lance's red trunks. He also had a picture of Taz on his right leg.

"Now that I have totally embarrassed myself twice in two days, let's go play!" Faith pushed him aside and ran awkwardly into the water. All of a sudden, she felt a pair of strong arms entrap her. She screamed playfully for Lance to let her go. Ashley and Chris came up behind them and pushed the pair into the water even farther.

* * *

They were all drying off on their towels under the hot sun. The water fight they had earlier had really exhausted them. Becky was feeling energized again, so she got up, grabbed poles and volleyball net from the nearest rental hut, and headed for the perfect spot to set up.

"Where are you going?" JC asked as he sat up and looked over at her behind his sunglasses.

"I don't know about you, but I want to play some volleyball!" Becky yelled back as she stuck one of the poles into the soft sand. It fell over, and she bent down, set it upright, and jumped numerous times to make it stand in the sand. It finally stood upright by itself, and she moved on to the other pole.

"I call girls against boys!" Jamy proclaimed as she picked up a volleyball and tossed it to Ashley.

"That's fine for me," Ashley said as she caught the flying volleyball. Trisha smirked. The girls had a secret weapon. Nikkie saw the smirk, and quietly asked Trisha in confidence what it was about. Trisha pulled Becky aside and made her explain to Nikkie. After the men set up the net, all ten of them took their positions on the improvised court.

"We gonna kick some major boyfriend butt!" Ashley yelled as she served. It hit the net, and it was Trisha's turn. It basically went like that till it was Becky's turn. The guys were winning with a score of ten to two.

"Go Becky! Go Becky! Go Becky!" her team chanted as she served. Becky scored them the next thirteen points in a row to secure the win for the ladies.

"Wow! I didn't know you were so good!" Lance exclaimed as the two shook hands under the net.

Becky shrugged her shoulders at the compliment. "Well there's a lot about me you don't know," She said as she pointed to Trish to tell the story. She sat down on a rock with a water bottle and just drank.

"Becky was an all-star volleyball, soccer, and softball player in high school and college. That's why she's so good," Trisha explained as she took the water bottle from her best friend and drank what was left.

"Yep. That's why they call me BB Gun," Becky added as she brushed the sand off my swimming suit.

Justin gave her a quizzical look. "Why do they call you BB Gun? You don't shoot people or something when you lose...do you?" He asked, dreading the answer. Chris backed about ten paces away from where he was standing, and Becky laughed.

"Well, for one thing, I don't lose. And no, I don't shoot people. But let's just say the nickname is a long story," She explained, sharing a look with her friends. Becky started to take the volleyball net down but Lance took over.

"Thank God! Just in case you do lose sometime, I still don't want to be there," Chris stated, carefully walking forward five paces. Ashley laughed and tackled her boyfriend in the sand.

Suddenly, Becky felt something on her arm. She looked up into the sky and saw dark, ominous clouds overhead. They were gray, turning a pure black. There was a flash of lightening far out over the water, followed by the boom of thunder. The wind had picked up slightly, blowing grains of sand every which way. Everywhere she looked, people were gathering up their stuff and leaving in hurried gaits.

"Come on! A storm's blowing in! We better go before it catches us!" Becky yelled over the now gusts of hollering wind. They hurriedly gathered up their belongings, packed it into their cars, and drove off for the hotel.

They all loaded into the separate cars as it started to rain. It rained lightly at first then started to pour buckets. Becky tried to keep her eyes on the road, but almost crashed several times due to the severity of the rain. They arrived at the hotel much later, delayed by the many people trying to get home before the full force of the storm hit. All ten of them got out of their separate cars at the same time. Becky had to yell to her big group of friends to be heard over the gailing storm.

"You guys grab your own stuff. I'll look and see if anyone left anything," She screamed with her hands around her mouth. All but one nodded their heads and proceeded into the hotel.

"I'll stay and help you," Lance yelled over the thunder echoed throughout the land. The two climbed back into Becky's Explorer and started searching.

Trisha fled with JC and the others into the building. They stopped and shook themselves off just inside the lobby entrance. The group decided to take the stairs, in case the power went out on their way up. Trisha was visibly fearful: shaking, sweating, and a white face plagued her. She was never good with handling storms, or any severe weather of any sort. JC noticed, and took her hand and squeezed it.

Trisha and the rest made it to her room's level, and decided to go into Trisha, Jamy, and Becky's room instead of risking going to the guys' rooms. The power was libel to be cut at any second, and none of them wanted to be stuck in a dark hallway for any amount of time. Trisha unlocked the door and let them all in. They pealed off their soggy coats and flung them on the floor by the door. All eight searched for candles in Becky's room, and scattered the majority of them around the main room. But somehow Trisha had a feeling in the pit of her stomach that something was going to go wrong.

* * *

"Ah ha!" Becky said as she sat back on my knees and held up Nikkie's pink bag. "I knew someone had left something in here!"

Lance poked his head up from behind the back bench and smiled. "Come on, let's go. They're probably already in the room," he said as the pair climbed awkwardly out of the car. It was still black as night and the rain was pouring out of the sky in torrents. Becky and Lance ran to the old building. As Lance stepped through the automatic door, the lights flickered off then on again. The two looked about in muted shock. In light of the recent event, Lance decided they should take the elevator, rather than risk it on the stairs.

"I don't know. I have a bad feeling about this," Becky said as they stepped into the elevator. She was wringing her hands nervously.

Lance pressed the button to the fourth floor, and the pair waited in silence. All of a sudden, the lights in the elevator shut off, they felt a lurch, and the elevator came to a sudden halt. It was pitch black for a few seconds before the dim emergency lights flickered to life.

"Oh, great. I knew something was going to happen. That feeling I have is always right. Now we're gonna die here. How long does it take for two people to use up the air in a confined space? Good going, Lance. Just great. I was supposed to have fun on this trip, not die because of lack of oxygen," Becky murmured to herself as she started pacing in the confined space. James grabbed her slender shoulders and shook her.

"We are not going to die here. The power just went off. It will be on soon. We just have to call them with the emergency phone," Lance tried to convince her as he reached for the red phone on his right. After staring at the directions for a few minutes, he sighed. "Do you still know how to read French?" He asked hopefully with a sidelong glance at his companion.

Becky gasped falsely. "No, I forgot in the last two minutes," She replied sarcastically. "Of course." Becky pushed him aside to get close enough to the small panel to read it. "This is not enough light. I can't see! Move your big head. Maybe that's the problem." He moved, but no more light was shone on the little piece of white paneling. "Oh, no," Becky said as she stepped away.

"What do you mean 'oh no'? There are no 'oh no's in this situation! What, can't you read it?" Lance asked associate, looking into her eyes.

"No. One, there isn't enough light. B, even if there was enough light, I probably couldn't read it. The print's too damn small," Becky replied sheepishly.

Lance sighed heavily and slid down the cool metal side till he rested upon the floor. "That's ok. Any excuse to spend time with you." Becky blushed at this. She slumped up against the wall of the elevator, pulled her bag toward her, and hugged it tightly with no intention of letting go.

* * *

"Where are they? They should be here by now," Trisha exclaimed as she paced in front of the off TV. There was uneasiness creeping into her consciousness by then. Just as she had convinced herself that Becky and Lance were ok, the power flickered and died.

"Ah!" someone screamed. She ran, stumbling, for the matches and lit the candles. Trisha looked to see who screamed. It was Ashley. They had been becoming quite acquainted with each other's tonsils.

Trisha threw her hands in the air as the pair slid off the bed and to their feet. "Excuse me! What are you doing in here?" she asked as she pushed them into the main room. The others were gathered there, and they all looked worried as well. The feeling was back again.

"Do you guys know where Becky and Lance are? I'm really worried," Trisha confessed as she proceeded to light all the candles on the premises.

Chris shrugged as he glanced towards the door. "Maybe they finally confessed their feelings, and are making out side the door," He suggested as he jumped up to look. He opened the door to the dark hallway and saw no evidence of two lovesick young people. He closed the door behind him, walked over, and plopped down next to Ashley. "Shoot. There goes my theory. What about you guys? Do you think they got stuck in the elevator?"

"Maybe," Trisha said. Something inside of her clicked. She nodded her head vigorously. "Yes. Definitely."

* * *

It had been about 3 hours, and Becky was totally bored. She had revised her song about a million times, re-written it in better handwriting about a hundred, and sang it to herself in her head about ten. At last, she snapped.

"When are we going to get out of here?" Becky yelled. Lance, who was sleeping, jumped up.

"What? Who? Huh?" he asked confusedly, rubbing the sleep from his tired eyes.

Becky threw her pen at his head. "I said, 'When are we going to get out of here?'" She snapped back, kicking him in the foot.

He blinked twice at her and snarled. "Hey, don't kick me. I didn't make the power go out and get us stuck here," He replied, getting up.

Becky stared at him blankly, rage building up inside of her. "Um, actually, you did. You suggested that we go in the elevator. You said 'Oh, it's no problem. The power won't go out. It's totally safe!' Oh, yeah, safe my ass!" She yelled into his face.

Lance hesitated before saying anything. Her face was inches away from his own, and it was driving him crazy. "You know, you're cute when you yell," He commented. This caught her off guard. For once she didn't know what to say. He pulled the woman closer, took her head in his hands, and kissed her passionately. Becky was surprised at first, then succumbed to her trapped feelings; she kissed back. Suddenly, then the doors slid open, and Becky broke off the kiss.

There was a man standing on the other side of the door. He was wearing a dirty yellow bodysuit and a black fireman's hat. He was holding a red wrench in his left hand, and was slightly sweat from the task he just performed. "Hello. Sorry it took us so long to get you. If you had called us it wouldn't have taken us that long," The man who had rescued them said.

"Is the power back on?" Becky asked as she hastily wiped her mouth. Lance looked extremely confused.

The man shook his head. "No, not yet. But we still managed to get you out. The cage stopped right above your floor," He said.

Becky stood up, grabbed her bag, and shook the man's gloved hand. "Thanks. We really appreciate it." She started jogging down the hall, and Lance followed at a slow pace. The two got to her door, and Becky took her key out, and let them in.

The door opened to reveal the group of eight was sitting in a circle on the floor with candles surrounding them. They looked tired and cramped. They were also soaked to the bone, not having thought about changing clothes since the disappearance of Becky and Lance.

"Honey, I'm home!" Becky exclaimed as she threw her arms into the air. She flung her bag into the open door of her room and went to join the group. Lance stood by the doorway, looking extremely uncomfortable.

"Oh, my gosh! Where were you? We were so worried!" Trisha scolded as she hugged her best friend.

Becky made a sad face. "Gosh. I was just gone for an hour!" She replied. Trisha finally looked behind her and saw Lance. His discomfort was showing on his face.

Trisha overlooked it, planning to ask him about it later. "Actually, it's been three," Trisha said preoccupidely, and let them in. "Come on. Change out of those clothes. We're gonna play a game!"

It was almost to the scorching point, since the air conditioning was off-line and the humidity was so high. Becky came out of her room wearing a white spaghetti strap shirt and a pair of soccer shorts. The guys then decided to go up to their room and change. Before Lance left, though, Trisha asked him a question.

"What happened in the elevator?"

Lance sighed heavily and looked down upon his hands. "Well, she was yelling at me for getting us stuck in the elevator when I kissed her. I thought it wouldn't hurt, and she just looked so fine then. And guess what? She kissed back. They chose that exact moment to come and rescue us and she pushed me away. I don't get what's wrong with your friend. Please find out, cause I really like her," Lance replied as he slid out the door. Trisha stood there dumb-founded. She couldn't believe Becky would actually act that rudely towards one of their newfound friends. She knew she had to talk to her about it, but didn't know when the appropriate time would be.

After the guys and Lance changed, they went back down to the girls' room. Lance was still smarting about what Becky had done to his testosterone-y pride, but as soon as he looked into her eyes again, he knew he couldn't stay mad or hurt for long. She had that affect on people.

The ten were sitting in a circle again, and Lance had a perfect view of everyone. Across from him was Becky, and next to her were her friends. Lance couldn't realize why he was attracted to her. Was it because of her eyes? She had the weirdest, most beautiful eyes. They were soft blue when she was laughing, and ice blue when mad. Now that he had seen both, he preferred the happy color. Maybe it was her talent. He still didn't know all of her talents, but he did know she could sing and play sports. Not many people had her talent or anything close to it. Or maybe, just maybe, it was because he couldn't have her. Nah, that can't be it, he thought to himself.

Just then, he noticed a hand waving in front of his face. "Lance? Lance? EARTH TO LANCE!" Justin yelled at him. Lance was jolted from his pleasant thoughts. Justin sighed at his best friend exasperatedly. "We're playing Truth or Dare. Pick."

"Truth."

"Were you ever in love?" Becky asked abruptly. He looked at her with amazement. Her blue eyes sparkled in the candlelight. She looked almost magical. He didn't have to think long to come up with an answer.

"Yes," Lance replied, and there was a chorus of 'oh's. "Oh, shut up! Now it's my turn," He continued. He looked around the circle for a formidable target. "Becky, truth or dare?"

She thought for a second. It's too hot for a dare, so... "Truth."

Becky smiled inwardly at her choice. It was exactly what he hoped she would choose. "I turn the question on you. Have you ever been in love?" He asked, hoping for the reply 'Yes, right now.'

Becky's eyes started to automatically tear up at the question. Her heart started the familiar ache, but she fought it for the sake of her reputation. "Um, yes," She replied quietly. She was fighting a losing battle, so she made up an excuse to get away from everyone. "Um, would you excuse me? I think I have something in my eye." She got up and practically flew from the room. Lance sighed. There was just no way to get her to open up.

JC turned to his friend and whispered in his ear, "Don't worry. You'll get her to open up sometime. Sooner or later she has to spill her guts."

Lance sighed again and stared at the ceiling. "I hope it's sooner rather than later."

It took Becky awhile to get over what Lance had asked her. But after she did, she entered the room again, and was asked 'truth or dare' by Ashley. This time she said dare.

"I dare you to sing a song you make up along the way and make up the dance moves as well. On the couch."

Becky stuck her tongue. "Fine," She replied haughtily as she climbed onto the couch. She started and the group started whooping, hollering, and positively crying with laughter. Becky moved with the beat inside her head. Whenever she sang, it gave me true peace and happiness inside. Beck forgot about what had happened in the past, and let herself go.

When she finished, she saw Lance staring dreamily up at her. Becky pretended like she didn't notice, and looked out the window. Then it was her turn to ask someone.

Trisha poked Becky in the arm and quietly whispered a name. Becky frowned sharply, but complied. "Lance, truth or dare?"

Not wanting another truth Lance replied, "Dare!" Becky gathered her friends together in a huddle and decided on an excellent, though adolescent dare.

"I dare you to give yourself a swirley!" She exclaimed as she pointed to the bathroom. He moaned, but he got up and walked to the bathroom. JC went and spotted him, figuring all of them in the small bathroom wouldn't do, and they came back after five minutes. Lance had a fluffy green towel rapped around his head, and JC was about to die with laughter.

"He forgot how to do it! Then when he figured out how, he got his head stuck in the bowl!" JC gasped through strenuous laughter. The rest of the friends broke out into fits of laughter, but Lance just stood there, the towel still around his wet head, frowning down upon everyone.

Becky happened to look out the window when she was rolling about on the floor. "Hey, guys. It stopped raining!" She noted as she pointed out the window. The sun was scheduled to set in about an hour. Becky went to her room and found bags of junk food: everything ranging from chips and popcorn to candy and pop. When they finished the junk food feast, they just basically broke it off. The guys and their girlfriends went their own separate ways, and James went back up to his room.

Becky walked out onto the balcony, and stared at the sunset. The colors mixed together. She almost couldn't tell where one color ended and another began. There were pinks, reds, and oranges blending into blues, purples, and blacks. It was so exquisitely beautiful. The sun was on the horizon, and it was a glowing hot orange sliver above the rooftops of Paris. The next thing Becky knew she was standing next to him.

"Oh, my God! It's you!" She whispered in amazement. He put a hand on her shoulder, and turned her body to face own muscular one. He had on white pants with a long white coat and shirt. His hair was black and his eyes were the warmest brown anyone had ever seen. His skin was still tan, and he smiled down upon the woman.

"Yes, it's me. I have been guiding you since you've been in France, and I'm worried. Why don't you go for him?"

Becky opened her mouth wide as she spoke. "Because I thought I'd be like I was cheating on you! Oh my God, I miss you so much, Chris!" She replied. She flung her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately.

His smile widened. "I know. I've missed you too. But you need to move on. I have been dead for a year and you haven't even gone on one official date. You have to move on; it isn't healthy for you not to," Chris replied.

Becky let out a guttural cry of frustration. "But I don't want to move on. I want to be with you. And our baby," Becky cried. She plunked down onto a hard plastic chair, and he sat next to her.

Chris sighed at her stubbornness. "Our baby is fine. She is with me in heaven. She is in a special place for babies. She is literally a ball of energy," He laughed. When Becky didn't laugh, he continued. "But seriously, I give you my permission to go for Lance. I want you to go for him. He has all the qualities you liked in me. He is tall, has a deep voice, listens well, and can sing. He likes you so much. He is also rich, so he can provide for you. Oops…"

Becky ignored the singing and rich part and responded to his last comment. "I can provide for myself!" Chris gave her a look, and she smiled at him sadly. "But I still would feel like I was betraying you."

Chris sighed, visibly frustrated. "You can't suppress your feelings for him any longer. I know you love him, and you should go for him." He placed his large one over her small one and smiled again. Just then, Becky heard an indistinct whispering noise and heard a faint cry of a small child.

Becky looked at Chris with tears in her blue eyes. "Was that my baby?" She asked, her hopeful voice no more than a whisper.

Chris nodded proudly. "Yes. I have to go now. Go for Chris. He deserves it, and you deserve it. Promise me you will," Chris demanded. A blurry ring of white light was appearing around his form and he started to glow with an unearthly light.

Becky shook her head vigorously. "I can't! I won't!"

"But you will. Just stop being so stubborn. You'll see." The light was growing brighter steadily and was turning into a blinding white light.

Becky reached out for his arm, but felt only air. She was starting to sob and her voice was shaky and uneven. "Don't leave me! Don't go! We still have so much more to talk about!"

Chris smiled at the woman with the deepest affection. "I have to. And remember. I'll always be watching," He whispered lovingly. There was a final burst of white light, and when it disappeared, so had Chris. Becky sobbed into her hands before she noticed a head poking down from the balcony above her own.

Becky stared at it in anger. "What the hell?!"

Chapter 7

"What the hell are you doing Lance? You could have killed yourself!" Becky yelled as Lance slid off his balcony onto hers. His face was flushed from hanging upside down for a long period of time. Becky didn't care. He had been spying on her. "Were you spying on me?"

"Well, I just thought I'd drop in!" He smiled at his small joke, and Becky instantly forgave him, against her better judgement. How can I resist that smile? Lance turned back to the reason he dropped in. "Who were you talking to?"

"Um, no one," She lied. He needn't become involved in her personal life. Anyways, it was none of his business. "Sometimes I just talk to myself when I get lonely." Becky tried to go inside, but Lance barred her way. Becky gave him a Look and tried to push past him, but he was as sturdy as a brick wall.

Lance peered down at the small object of his affection. "Come on. Let's talk. I want to know why you've been brushing me off. Do you have a boyfriend? I know you're not married because you don't have a ring on you're finger," He deduced, pointing to where the ring would be if she was married. Becky unconsciously pulled at her finger, remembering when there was something there.

"No. I don't have a boyfriend. Now please move out of the way. I promised my mom I would call her." Again she lied. Becky was lying so much to him now. She didn't want to do it any more, but it had to be done. She looked down at her hands, and he lifted her head so their eyes met.

"That is the lamest excuse I have ever heard! I am not letting you go until I hear the truth from you. Why are you brushing me off?" Lance advanced toward her, and she backed off in instinct.

Becky started to leave through the gap he had created between himself and the sliding door, but he grabbed her lower arm in a tight grip. She stopped and stared from the tip of his fingertips to his eyes. A fire blazed in her eyes at his daring.

"How dare you lay a hand on me?" Becky slapped him upside the head and ran into the room crying in both rage and despair. She flew into her room while Chris and Ashley stared after her on the couch, and Joey, Nikkie, Justin, and Jamy leered after her sitting the chairs. They were in awe, and had no clue of what had just happened out on the balcony. Jamy had heard raised voices, but thought nothing of it. Lance strode in after her and headed for her room.

Chris squinted at his friend as he searched the room for Becky in vain. "Lance, man, what did you do to her?" Chris asked. Lance finally peered into Becky's room, but didn't notice her sitting in the recliner in the corner.

Lance turned his attention back to his friends. "I was up on my balcony and I heard her voice talking to someone. So I decided to poke my head down and see who it was. When I saw it was no one, I dropped down and decided to confront her. I wanted to know why she didn't...like me...like I liked her. She wouldn't talk, though. She I moved towards her, she tried to leave, and I grabbed her arm—" Lance was interrupted by someone.

"Oh, well, there's you're problem right there," Ashley said, getting up from her seat next to Chris.

"No. Don't. This is my problem, and I have to deal with it," Lance commanded as he put a hand up. He walked to Becky's door, and pushed it open again. He saw her there, now sitting on the bed, holding a picture frame to her chest.

Becky looked up from the floor with red, puffy eyes. "Go away Lance. You are not wanted here," She whispered unconvincingly.

Lance shook his head and folded his arms across his chest. "I know that's a lie. Now tell me the truth. Why are you pushing me away?"

Becky placed the picture frame facedown on the nightstand. "I don't have to tell you anything! It's none of your business! Stay away from me!" She added as he advanced towards her. He stopped walking and put his hands up in defense.

"All I want is the truth. You were sending me mixed signals. When I kissed you in the elevator, you kissed back. Then you acted as if I wasn't even there when we got back to the room. What's up?" He started striding again, and Becky leapt to her feet and raced to one side of the bed.

"It's none of your business! Now leave me alone! I don't like you!" She yelled as Lance strode to the opposite side of the bed. The bed was now in between the two feuding people. Faith knew she was trying to convince herself as much as Lance.

Just then the rest of the friends came running into the small room. They had heard Becky's unintelligible cries of protest and thought they were fighting physically. Becky's friends saw her crying, and all thought the exact same thing. They knew why she wasn't telling him; why she was sending mixed signals; why she was pushing him away.

"I never said anything about you liking me! But I know that you do. I saw it in your eyes at the house and in the elevator. Why don't you just admit it? You like me!" Lance exclaimed as he reached across the bed to grab her arms and she slapped them away.

"No! I can't! I can't!" Becky collapsed onto the floor, finally breaking down from the stress because of the nights' event. Trish, Jamy, Ashley, and Nikkie rushed to her side. They tried to comfort her, but it just wouldn't work. The guys got into a semi-huddle formation and discussed.

Becky whispered into Trisha's ear, "I saw him tonight. He came to me in a dream." She pointed to the man in the picture on the nightstand.

Trisha closed her eyes and sighed in exasperation and pity. "Oh, honey. Is that why you're all upset?" She whispered back.

Becky shook her head and looked at her best friend through tears. "No. He said I should go for Lance." She felt her stomach churn in the most revolting way. There was a battle going on inside her. The pieces of her broken heart were starting to come together, but some were too stubborn to heal.

Trisha cocked her head to one side in confusion. "That's great. Why aren't you?" She didn't understand her best friend. If he had 'come to her in a dream', then why wasn't she taking the opportunity? Or has she just lost it and gone mad?

Becky closed her eyes in an attempt to stem the flow of tears, but the attempt was in vain. They wouldn't stop till they had their run. "Because it doesn't feel right. It still feels like I'm betraying him."

Trisha nodded, still not understanding. Then she voiced the opinion that she had held since they had met the men. "I think you should tell him about Chris."

Becky opened her red eyes suddenly in surprise. "You think?"

Trisha nodded, grateful that her friend was taking her advice. "Yes. Definitely."

Becky struggled to get up, went over to James, and shoved him gently onto the bed. If she didn't do this fast, she was going to lose her nerve.

"Do you want to know why I can't like you?" She paused and he nodded his head. "Because as soon as I do, you'll disappear. Gone from the face of the earth forever. Do you want that to happen?" Lance nodded again. "It happened to the last person I loved. His name was Chris. That's whom the picture is of. We had known each other since we were born. We were always best friends. In eighth grade, he started dating a girl named Bridget. Then she dumped him because he was 'too boring'. I remember him telling me those exact words. He was heart-broken. I comforted him, and he 'opened his eyes to the world at last'. He liked me all along.

"We started dating then. The dating lasted through high school, and into college. We went to the same college: Harvard. In our first year, he asked me to marry him. Of course I accepted. I would have been a fool not to. We married in our sophomore year. I don't think anyone could have loved a person more than I loved him and he loved me. I loved him more than even my own life. I would have died for him.

"But remember Bridget? She was jealous of all we had. She had him and let him slip away. She wanted him back, but couldn't have him.

"So, one day, Chris and I had just gotten out of a doctor's appointment. A few months earlier, we had found out I was pregnant. It was impossible not to be ecstatic: we were married and starting a family. We had just been told the due date for the baby, and it was supposed to be on Chris' birthday. Bridget somehow knew that I was going to have his baby, and finally snapped. She decided that if she couldn't have him, no one could. She stole a 4x4, and as we were walking across the street, she ran us over. Justin tried to push me out of the way, but it didn't work. We both got ran over. He died the next day in the hospital, and so did my unborn baby." She paused, her heart a large obstruction in her throat. She finally choked it back down and continued.

"You what his last words were? He took my hand and said, 'Don't ever forget; I will always love you. I'll be watching. See you in heaven.' Then he flat-lined. I don't want that to happen to you. You are too good of a friend." Becky finished telling the story, and everyone who had a heart in that room had a tear in their eye.

"But Becky, that won't happen to me. I can pretty much guarantee that Bridget doesn't know that we even know each other. If you like me, who cares? Now just admit that you like me. Let it out," Lance demanded as he took her hands in his.

Becky shook her head vigorously, tears flying through the air. "I can't. She'll kill me. If not, she'll kill you. And I don't want that to happen."

Lance smiled sadly at the little compliment embedded in a warning. "I bet that Chris wants you to love me. You can't hold the world at arms length forever. You need someone. Just say it." He was getting fed up with her game. He liked her, and he knew she liked him. Why won't she say it?

Becky kept shaking her head, now frustrated with her mind and heart. Their contradictions were tearing her apart. "No! I can't like you. I won't like you!" She clapped her hands over her ears to block out any other persuasion that might fly her way.

Lance took her hands away with almost no effort and looked into her blotched and streaked face. Even after about a half-hour of crying, she still looked as beautiful as a Greek goddess to him. "Yes, you will. Just open up and let yourself go!"

Becky looked up into his eyes. His warm and loving green eyes swallowed her up, held her captive, and wouldn't let her go. She couldn't put up with the charade anymore. The walls around her broke down. Her heart connected with her mouth, and she finally spoke what she felt.

"I really like you."

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