_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[the next day]

        Chin grabbed the ball from Nick and took off.
        "HA! WE’RE GONNA WIN!" she laughed.
        "NO YOU’RE  NOT!" Just before Chin reached the goal, AJ grabbed her and swung her back, tackling her to the ground.
        "AHHH! CATHY!" Chin tossed the ball up at Cathy, who caught it as she flew by.
        "WHO WON?" Cathy yelled jumping up and down as she made a touchdown.
        "THE GIRLS WON!" Julie and Hannah screamed. Sarah laughed from her spot on the hammock while all the guys pouted.
        "How does it feel to be beaten by a bunch of girls huh? As USUAL?" Chin flashed AJ a playful evil grin.
        "How does it feel to be easily tackled?" AJ retorted, still lying on top of her. Chin made an I-am-not-amused face.
        "Yeah well...we’ll see. I could totally get you!" Chin stuck out her tongue.
        "Aren’t we mature?" AJ scrunched up his nose, leaning a little closer.
        "Give me a break!" Chin exclaimed, "You aren’t exactly one to be talking here!"
        AJ stuck his tongue out at Chin. She laughed lightly and smiled at him. Her eyes twinkled and softened while she gazed up him... He missed that. He missed it all. How her eyes softened every time he walked into the room. Her smell. Her energy. Her creativity. He missed how she laughed at all his jokes, no matter how stupid they were. How she cringed at every tattoo he got. The pouts and puppy dog eyes she would give that would make him do anything for her. And her sweet smile was still as pretty as the day he fell for it. Her voice--the same as their first meeting, over the phone...though he had never admitted it to himself, he had fallen the moment they spoke...
        "AJ?" Chin spoke softly, reaching up to rest her hand on his cheek. "You okay, hon?"
        "Yeah...I’m fine," he choked a smile. He even missed her calling him 'Alex'...
        "You sure?"
        "Yes."
        "Good," Chin hugged him, "Can you let me up now?"
        "Yeah," he smiled, getting up, lending her a hand.
        "Thanks," she grinned, before running off to help the other girls. AJ watched her tackle Brian, who had been chasing Jenny. He thought about how Brian and Jenny had finally settled their differences and gotten back together...what was it that kept him and Chin from doing the same?

        "The backyard was too small," Nick whined.
        "Excuses, excuses." Jenny shook her head and sat down.
        "Well, if we had a real field--" Brian began.
        "We'd still beat you!" Hannah laughed. She ducked Lance's arms and plopped down next to Jenny.
        "If you say so..." AJ wrinkled up his nose.
        "We do say so," Cathy stated, sitting by Hannah.
        "I'm tired, " Chin complained and flopped down on Sarah's lap, who had sat down on the other side of Jenny.
        "Me too." Julie laid across the girls, using Chin's lap as a pillow.
        "Kodak moment," Howie chuckled.
        "Please, she finally put her camera down," Lance wailed, eyeing Hannah. "Don't get her started." He ducked as a pillow flew by his head. Kevin grinned and grabbed his nearby camcorder to capture the moment.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[2 days later]
        Chin looked out the window and noticed Jenny and Brian curled up in the hammock. A small smile crept to her lips--true, the news that the two had finally gotten back together was a few days old, but the thought still made her smile. They belonged together.
        She sighed and looked down at her book, not really reading the pages. Tomorrow everyone was shipping off again...a week hadn't been enough time...it had gone by so fast...but that had been all the time everybody could afford. Julie would return to her job, as would Cathy. Nick was planning to stay about a week after the others left. Hannah and Lance had to fly to New York for a Promo, but with a break in their schedule, planned to quickly drop back by the house in a few days...Kevin would return to Paris...Brian and Howie went back to LA, the latter visiting Florida...Jenny back to the east coast for medical school...and AJ would resume his tour.
        Chin shook her head--he had been Johnny No-Name forever, it seemed...but, he loved the stage, and since the Boys were still on their break...Their break. Chin stopped trying to read altogether. Summer would bring two years since the Boys had decided to press the "pause" button on the group. Would "play" ever be hit again?
        Chin's thoughts were interrupted by sounds of movement from behind her. Her intuition told her it was AJ, rummaging through the fridge for a beer. Her heart felt heavy and she thought she heard him begin to leave the kitchen...She had had this feeling that something was supposed to happen between then...but he was to be leaving with everyone else...and their friendship remained the same--
        "So...that interesting?" He asked, his eyes directing to the book in her hands. She practically jumped with shock when he sat down next to her.
        '"Oh...yeah...very," Chin mumbled. She couldn’t even remember where she left off.
        "On a good part?" he asked, taking a drink of his beer. Chin shrugged, unsure if she could answer. AJ grinned and tipped his glasses down with his free hand. "Don't worry. I was watching them too...from the hallway," he admitted. Chin smiled, her gaze briefly shifting to the content couple outside. "So..." he tried to jumpstart a conversation. "Should I resort to sending you an email while I'm at the house? I mean, we seem to talk so much more when we type," he laughed, seeing her eyes twinkle.
        "It's up to you, AJ," Chin shook her head, smirking.
        "OH! Forgot to tell you...the tour doesn't start back up again till the end of April...so...after I go run around the record company for awhile, and visit the mother...I'm gonna come back before heading off to be my British Alter-Ego," he grinned.
Was it just him, or did he see Chin's eyes light up?

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[4 days later]
        Nick puttered around the yard, trying to find Kezia's pull-toy. With no success, and noting that the big dog had fallen asleep by the tree, he gave up and headed inside. His girlfriend was at work, as were Cathy, and Chin. Lance and Hannah's flight had arrived in the morning and they had decided to stay downtown for the day. Besides the lazy animals, the only other soul in the house was Sarah...but she had spent the morning watching TV silently, practically ignoring Nick when he left to take the three dogs on a walk. When he had returned, he found some lunch left out for him, but Sarah was nowhere to be found--a note informed him that she had left to go sit on the beach. He had then resorted to trying to play with the cats, but no longer being kittens, it took too much effort for him to get Sprite and Coke interested in any string.
Nick looked back at Kezia, who lay fast asleep. Darwin and Roky were on the patio, sunbathing. With nothing much else to do--he had wanted to spend the day with Julie, even at her work, but she had said today would be too busy--he borrowed Sarah's car (she had walked) and drove down to the beach where he assumed he'd find her. As if sent on a scavenger hunt, he went searching for her on the beach, but to no availl. He tried two others that were within walking distance...still no Sarah. Though his mind told him not to, he began to worry a bit, wondering where and why she had practically vanished into thin air. Upon returning to the house, he shuffled about the house, not really expecting tofind her. To his surprise, she was sitting on the balcony.
        "Where have you BEEN?" he yelped. Her back was to the house; she turned her head.
        "I was at the beach...just like the note said," she quietly replied.
        "I guess I was just a few seconds too late...sorry," he muttered, his voice softening. "I kinda went on a search for you...I got worried when I couldn't find you." He sat beside her. She smiled a bit, as if thanking him for thinking of her.
        "Well, you found me, mister blond hunter," she replied calmly. He gaze shifted to the lawn, where the three dogs were running around.
        "Oh, they decide to be active NOW," Nick chuckled, looking at the canines.
        "Dogs have mood swings like that...kinda like people," Sarah mumbled, as if Nick wasn't supposed to be able to hear her words.
        Nick raised his eyebrows. Mood swings? Granted, everyone had noticed Sarah's slow descent into what they hoped was a time of considerable recovery--and not depression...But his worries slowly came back. Was Sarah having mood swings?

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[2 days later]
        "Hannah, seriously! GET THAT THING AWAY FROM ME!!"
        Everyone in the house, no matter from their location, would have been able to hear Lance yelling from upstairs. However 'everyone,' besides Hannah and Lance, only consisted of one person.
        Sarah was sitting on the couch in the living room, trying to read, wincing at every reply that was screamed or yelled from the top floor of the house. As usual, Julie, Chin, and Cathy were working. Nick had gone to the store to buy some things to restock the food supply in the house.
        Sarah closed her eyes. Why did they have to fight? They weren't supposed to fight. Not now. Not ever.
        "I'm sorry! I'm just TRYING TO DO MY JOB!"
        Nick stepped in from the door to the garage, arms laden with groceries. Sarah got up to help him and noticed his raised eyebrow at the noise. Sarah's eyes pointed upstairs as she shook her head and took some of the bags.
        "Well can't your job be PUT ASIDE FOR ONCE?"
        Nick made a small whistling sound in reaction to the yells both he and Sarah could hear.
        "What are you going to do? BREAK THE CAMERA!?"
        Nick sighed and followed her to the kitchen when he noticed she was trying to ignore the battle that was going on upstairs. Sarah sat the bags on the counter and began to put away the groceries.
        Nick's eyes looked at the ceiling. He had been attempting to piece together what was going on, and didn't notice that Sarah had finished putting her share of the food away until she began to make her way back to the living room.
        "WHY CAN'T WE JUST HAVE A NORMAL RELATIONSHIP? WHY DOES THAT DAMN CAMERA HAVE TO BE EVERYWHERE!?"
        Nick left the remaining bags and did a quick jog to catch up to Sarah; she seemed to be speed-walking. He gently grabbed her by the arm. "You wanna leave?" he asked as he tried to look her straight in the eye. Her gaze fell to the floor. She shook her head and shrugged her arm away from his grasp.
        "NORMAL? YOU WANT NORMAL? TRY DITCHING THAT GROUP OF YOURS! THEY'RE THE REASON FOR ALL OF THIS!"
        Sarah picked up her book from the couch, dog-eared a page, and closed it. "Nothing seems to matter anymore," he heard her whisper as she brushed passed him to go upstairs and put her book away in her room.
        "SO NOW YOU'RE BLAMING THEM?"
        Nick followed her, and stopped behind Sarah as she stood almost at the stop of the staircase, unnoticed by the bickering couple.
        "WHO ELSE IS THERE?" Both Hannah and Lance stood in the hallway. Hannah was holding onto her camera by its leash, the contraption hanging inches from the floor, swaying with her movements.
        "BLAME ME, THEN! LEAVE THEM OUT OF THIS! LEAVE EVERYONE OUT OF THIS! THIS IS ABOUT US, HANNAH!"
        Hannah's distressed and angered features softened. Her eyes looked down at the camera dangling beside her, and she slowly set it on the floor. "I could never blame you."
        Lance's face had turned towards the balcony in disgust after his previous statement, but now it jerked back to look at her.
        "Why not? I'm half of this relationship."
        "I could never be mad enough to blame you...especially for something that's my fault," she replied softly, averting her eyes to the ground. "I'll throw the thing out if you want, Lance. I will. I'll give up the job. You can have peace...It used to seem perfect, you know? Me, loving to take pictures--why not be your photographer? It worked for the tour--why not keep it up?" she laughed uneasily. "Well, at least I got to actually spend a good amount of time with you. That was the good thing..." She turned to retreat into her room. Lance followed her.
        Sarah took the last few remaining steps, reached the second floor, and silently headed to her room. Nick decided to continue to follow her. He passed Hannah's room and saw her sitting on the bed, Lance kneeling in front of her, hands on her arms, trying to catch her eye.
        "I'm sorry. This is hard, I know," Lance spoke softly. "You being photographer made me forget what we used to go through with separation...I want to be with you. Don't give up the job, Hannah. Please...I can't imagine enduring the storm of publicity and whatnot, would be without you," he voice turning into a whisper,"...what every day would be like without you...what my life would be without you."
        Hannah slid off the bed to meet him at his level and threw her arms around his neck. His arms wrapped around her waist and rubbed her back as she buried her head into his shoulder.
        "I'm sorry for yelling at you," she whispered.
        "I'm the one who blew up. I should apologize."
        Nick had made it to Sarah's room. She was sitting on her bed, staring vacantly at nothing in particular. He noticed the bathroom door was open on both sides; Sarah could hear everything from Hannah's room.
        "Let's just forget it," Lance said. "When the others hit the rocks, we made it. They're piecing things back together, patching everything up, trying to start again..."
        "... and we've kept what we had," Hannah finished for him.
        "I don't wanna lose you, Hannah."
        "You won't. Ever."
        Sarah got up to silently close her door to the shared bathroom. She turned and finally noticed Nick standing in the doorway. The two could now hear only murmurs of the couple's conversation. She headed for her desk, not saying a word.
        Nick brought his right arm up and scratched the back of his neck with his hand, unsure of what to say or do. Sarah sat at her desk and hit the power button to her indigo iMac, as if further ignoring his presence or giving him silent permission to worry about himself.
        "Sarah?"
        "Yeah?"
        "You okay?"
        "Am I ever?"
        Silence settled. Nick watched her as she checked email and searched for some disks.
        "I wouldn't know anymore." He shoved his hands in his pockets.
        "Nobody ever did." Another nonchalant answer met Nick's worried heart. There sat his friend, when everything was starting to look up for everyone else, still sitting in almost the same mental position she had had a month earlier. Had she had it even before the accident? Had everyone been too busy to notice?
        "You used to be okay. I knew that...I know that."
        "You didn't and still don't." She still wasn't looking at him, only at her computer screen. Her mouse icon darted about, trying to find something to click on. She opened random files, then closed them, as pretending to search for something, if she just needed something to do.
        "What is it that you want us to do, Sarah?" Nick asked after more silence had threatened to end the conversation yet again. Did she hear his voice crack?
        She sighed and turned in her swivel chair.
        "You can't do anything, Nick."
        "Why not?"
        "There's no magic wand for this, Blondie. No spell, no single wish, no one material thing, or distinct dream. It's an accumulation, different factors affecting different things. Don't try to understand just as I can't try to truly explain it. Just don't. So stop worrying. That's easier to do." She turned back to her computer screen, as if implying an end to the conversation. Nick struggled to say something right.
        "What is one thing that you want, Sarah?"
        "Nick--" She turned her head.
        "One thing." Nick stood his ground, having moved from the doorway. He was now five feet away from her. Sarah closed her eyes and shook her head.
        "Don't. Just don't," she repeated, turning around again. She couldn't cry. Not now. Why the hell did she feel like crying? She had been able to keep it from Brian...now Nick would see. Stupid tears. Why was she crying? There was nothing wrong...
        Nick turned slowly and headed for the door.
        He had tried. He really did. Numerous times since that day she had mentioned mood swings and he had come across her time after time, seemingly upset...But he didn't know what to do anymore.
        "Nick?" Sarah's voice was small.
        "Yeah?" He stopped immediately and partially turned.
        Was she finally opening up?
        "One thing?" she asked softly. Nick nodded incredulously. "I want..." she whispered, her throat caught. Nick turned fully and walked towards her. "... what they have."
        In one swift movement, he walked back over sat on the bed corner that was closest to her.
        "Who?"
        "Hannah and Lance...Howie and Kat, just to name a few." Sarah motioned towards the door in the direction of the couple who had just ended their fight. "They have someone," Sarah sighed. "...I don't."
        "You have all of us."
        "Nick..." Sarah shook her head. She knew he was trying. It just wasn't working.
        "I know, I know." Nick clasped his hands together, resting his elbows on his knees. A moment later he looked up at her, finally catching her gaze. "I know of someone who wants the exact same thing."
        Sarah looked at him oddly. "But you and Julie are back together...You have someone again."
        Sarah shut her eyes. Damn tears.
        Nick shook his head and smiled a bit. Where was Kevin when she needed him? In denial in Paris...
        "I wasn't talking about me."
 

>>Chapter Eight...