***
"Um..Rachel?" Joey asked as he approached the blonde cautiously.
Rachel turned around to see the tall Italian standing behind her. "What do you want Joey?" she sighed, rolling her eyes.
"Do ya..wanna dance?" he asked, tentatively.
"Don't make me laugh...Rocky." she said, giggling and pointing to his shiner. Joey frowned slightly, reaching up to touch his bruised cheekbone as Rachel turned away from him to talk to a fan.
"Fine..." he muttered, frustrated, as he walked away from her, making his way through the crowded dance floor.
***
Tressa stalked through the crowd, making eye contact with Ashlee as she approached her and Tyler. 'What a hooch, I totally cannot believe her! I am sick of her flaunting her shit for every hot guy within a ten mile radius. It makes me want to puke!' she thought angrily as she about ran right into a familiar figure. "Joey, would you MOVE your big fat ass?" she shouted at him.
"Get over your attitude, 'Diva's Live' is NEXT week, and I believe you WEREN'T invited." Joey stated, his voice dripping with newfound sarcasm.
Tressa stopped short, dumbfounded by Joey's sudden burst of wit. "What did you just say to me?" she smiled slightly, impressed by his quick thinking.
"You heard me." Joey muttered.
"What the hell got into you? I mean, you, well..aren't usually known for your quick comebacks. And that was a damn creative one too." Tressa stood looking up at Joey, forgetting about Ashlee and Tyler for the time being. Ashlee noticed Tressa's distracted look and grabbed Tyler's hand, leading him off of the dance floor away from Tressa.
"Well thanks...I guess. Hey..you wanna dance? Rachel turned me down like I was last week's leftovers. I guess she's still pissed about what happened earlier." Joey shrugged.
"Um..yeah I guess I'll dance with ya. Poor Joey, rejected by Rachel..imagine that." Tressa said as the two began dancing to the beat of the blaring music.
***
"So...are ya having fun tonight Tyler?" Jordan asked the young man as he sat down at the secluded table in the VIP room of the Key Club.
"We're having a great time!" He smiled, looking at Ashlee, who had sat down close beside him.
Flipping her long hair over her shoulder, Ashlee grinned back at Tyler, before leaning in close and whispering in his ear. "Well..I'm glad...cuz I'm having quite the good time myself"
Jordan looked at Justin and rolled her eyes as Ashlee flirted with Tyler. Justin grinned and cupped Jordan's small hands in his as he leaned in and gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek. "So..I saw your dad at the show.." he mentioned casually, staring intently into Jordan's large hazel eyes.
Looking away from his gaze, Jordan frowned slightly. "Yeah..that makes two of us." she said casually.
"I'm sure he's heard we're sticking around Los Angeles
for another day...you can't hide from him Jordan. I know it's hard for you, and if you want I'll go with you, but you need to talk to him...get things out in the open." Justin said calmly, brushing Jordan's hair out of her face.
Jordan sighed, "Yeah...I know. I know.."
***
"Hey..I'm sorry Joey, I gotta go find Ashlee. I'll...talk to you later. I'm sorry." Tressa apologized as she realized Ashlee and Tyler had disappeared from the dance floor. She walked away from Joey quickly as she made her way through the crowd.
Joey stood dejectedly on the floor alone for a moment before walking toward the stage where JC and Chris stood talking with a few fans. "Hey guys, what's up?" Joey asked his groupmates.
"Just kinda chillin buddy, what's up with you? Where's the object of your obsession...uh..I mean affection?" Chris grinned.
"She wouldn't dance with me..." Joey said, still slightly embarassed about being rejected.
"Imagine that!" JC laughed. "I'm just kiddin man.." he said, patting Joey on the back after receiving a look of hurt from his friend.
"Where'd Lance run off to?" Chris asked, scanning the dance floor for him.
"Awwwww yeah...dude, check that out!" JC said, pointing wildly to Lance and Leigh dancing close out on the floor.
"Man, this sucks. Everyone's all happy and shit...and all I get is a punch in the face." Joey said, a hint of anger in his voice.
"True...true.." JC pondered thoughtfully. "But...hey, maybe it was a LOVING punch in the face. Look on the bright side!" he, along with Chris burst into laughter.
"Yeah..sure, laugh..ha ha." Joey said, getting pissed. "I mean, first it's Justin and Jordan being all like...'ooohhh I care about you sooo much, let me be there for you', then it's Ashlee all over Tyler like a fly on shit. Now Lance and Leigh are falling asleep in each other's arms..what's next?"
"Sleeping in each other's arms eh?" Chris said, mildly interested in the Lance and Leigh situation. "Honestly...they have it so bad for each other...they might as well just admit it. Wouldn't that just give Johnny and Lou a heart attack? The two responsible ones, having a relationship. Naughty, naughty." he laughed.
JC frowned at the mention of Justin and Jordan's budding relationship. "Justin and Jordan are going to have some major issues with Johnny and Lou soon, I can tell you that. It's not healthy for either one of their career's to get involved like that." he said firmly. The other two men just shrugged at JC's comments.
"Dude, if Justin's happy, let him be...he's a big boy and can take care of himself." Chris muttered, annoyed by JC's negativity. Refocusing his attention on the dance floor, he tried to catch Lance's eye.
Feeling three pairs of eyes on him, Lance glanced over at the stage where Chris, JC, and Joey stood watching them. Lance sighed as his gaze landed on Chris. Braids bobbing, he was crossing his eyes and making fish lips at Lance and Leigh. Noticing that he had caught Lance's eye, Chris laughed and pretended to kiss his hand.
Rolling his green eyes, Lance pulled away from Leigh suddenly. 'Sooo mature..my friends are unbelievably mature.' he thought to himself as he walked away from Leigh, who was left standing alone on the dance floor.
Leigh stood confused for a moment, watching Lance walk toward the stage. 'Ok, that was abrupt. What's HIS deal?' she wondered, a bit upset by Lance's semi rude behavior. Debating for a moment on whether she should follow him to see what his problem was, she finally decided to go after him. Making her way toward the stage, she caught up with him as he was a few feet away from Chris, JC, and Joey.
"They're so cute togther..I think I might have to do something to help this relationship along.." Chris said, as Lance and Leigh were nearing the stage.
"Oh yeah...now THAT will be interesting.." Joey laughed as the two approached.