Some people couldn't figure out how those two were best friends.  In more ways than one were they complete opposite of each other.  Kara was loud, told you how it was and didn't care.  She was blunt, as for Nicole she was the more conservative and quiet one.  Nicole was labeled as the classy sweetheart while Kara would get labeled as the loud bitch.  Countless times Nicole was there to sweet talk Kara out of trouble with her parents, people Kara would tick off when they were out, and even the police.  Nicole had the sweet talking down as a professional.

Even though they were more than half of the opposite of each other, they had a bond like no other.  Kara always knew how to bring out the crazy side of Nicole.  Their parents and teachers called them double trouble when they were together.  They had similarities and differences, but it was what made their bond strong.

"All you people can't you see, can't you see how your love's affecting our reality?  Every time we're down, you can make it right, and that makes you larger than life!"  Kara and Nicole sang loudly.  Once the song was over both girls looked at each other before busting out in laughter.  Kara leaned over and turned the radio down.

"And this is why Taylor won't join us when we go out for dinner."  Kara said between laughter before checking that the lane beside her was clear.

"Oh my god, Chris and the guys would not be happy with me if they knew about this."  Nicole said after wiping a small tear that escaped her eye.  Both girls let out another small giggle.

"Speaking of Chris," Kara glanced at Nicole before looking back on the road.  "You two were very close at the club last Friday."

Nicole rolled her eyes and crossed her legs.  "When you dance with someone you kind of got to get close to them."  She said stubbornly.

"What?"  Nicole asked Kara when she saw the gaze her friend was giving her.  Nicole sat up in her seat.  "It's true!"

"You are such a brat."  Kara rolled her eyes at her friend and looked back on the road.  "Whatever helps you sleep at night.  All I was saying is that you two looked really close.  You're the one who started to get all defensive over it."

Groaning, Nicole leaned her head against the car's head rest and sighed.  Closing her eyes, she ignored the snickering she could hear coming from Kara.  Instantly an image of Chris appeared in her head and she tried to control the smile that crept on her lips.  The way his adorable smile could make her melt, the way his brown eyes looked into hers, causing butterflies to flutter in her stomach.  Every time she was around him it felt like she was hit with amnesia.

Maybe it was the way she could easily be herself in front of him and he didn't care a care in the world.  There were numerous times they both sang at the top of their voices and danced around with people all around them, or if it was just them.  He could make her heart beat fast and slow at the same time.  No one has ever made her feel this way before.  No one.

"I think he was going to kiss me in the club."  Nicole admitted.  Swiftly, Nicole shoved her hands in front of her when her friend slammed on the break.  "What the hell Kara!"  Nicole coughed after getting choked by her seatbelt.  Nicole rubbed her shoulder and neck while glaring at her friend.  "The light isn't red and nothing is on the street in front of us.  You almost killed me!"

Kara twisted in her seat and looked at Nicole.  "He was going to kiss you!?"

"Yes?  No?  Maybe?"  Nicole rubbed her shoulder.  "What the hell was that smack for?!"  She asked after hitting smacked by Kara on the arm.

"Is there a reason you were withholding this information from me?"  Kara crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes at Nicole.

Nicole looked at the cars behind them when she heard them honking.  "Drive Kara."

Kara glanced at Nicole with narrowed eyes before starting the car again.  "I'm pissed at you right now."

"Yeah and I should be pissed at you for almost breaking my neck back there.  What the hell were you thinking?!"

Kara rolled her eyes over her friend dramatic response.  "What else do you expect me to do when I hear that?"

"Not that."  Nicole hissed and leaned back in her seat.  "I'm telling Taylor."

"You could tell Taylor that I had a sex dream that involved with JC for all I care.  You," Kara pointed her finger at Nicole, "And I are having a talk when we get to your apartment."

"If you don't kill me with your driving."  Nicole mumbled under her breath.

"I heard that."

Nicole turned her neck, giving Kara a enormous smile while batting her eyelashes.  Looking over, Kara rolled her eyes and shoved Nicole's shoulder.  "I'm going to smack that smile off your face if you pull this crap with me again."

Nicole sighed and sat back in her seat with her arms crossed.  Couple minutes later she heard Kara snicker.  Not understanding what was so funny; Nicole raised a brow at the same time as she looked over at her friend.  "Um, what is so funny?"

Kara looked over at Nicole before turning into Nicole's apartment complex.  "I can't believe you actually said you were going to tell Taylor."  Kara let out a laugh.  "What the hell are you, five years old?"

Realizing how stupid it was, Nicole started laughing and undid her seatbelt after Kara parked the car.  "I'm around little kids to much.  I'm starting to tattle like them."

Kara continued to laugh and leaned her forehead against the steering wheel.  "If you actually went to Taylor and told him that,"

"He would just roll his eyes and walk out of the room."  Nicole finished Kara's sentence and got out of Kara's Blue Jetta Volkswagen, both girls still giggling.

"He already thinks we are crazy.  We don't need to give him any more proof."

Kara giggled while linking her arm with Nicole's and started making their way to Nicole's apartment.  "Hurry up."  Kara said impatiently while Nicole was digging in her purse to find her keys.  "I want to know what happen.  It's eating me up inside."

After glancing up at Kara, Nicole rolled her eyes and opened the front door once finding her keys.  "Chill.  There isn't much to say...Ow-Ow-Ow, stop pulling on my arm!"  Nicole exclaimed while Kara pulled on her arm toward the couch. 

Pushing Nicole on her couch, Kara plopped down next to her friend, sitting Indian style and folding her hands in her lap. "Okay, go."

Out of all the people I became friends with, it had to be her.  Nicole said to herself.  Setting her purse on the coffee table in front of her, Nicole slouched down on her couch and rubbed her face with her hands.  "I don't know what to think anymore, Kara."  Taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly and rubbed her forehead with her fingers.  "One minute everything is fine then," Nicole outstretched her arms.  "We're on the dance floor and I can't think, like everything become cloudy."

Kara leaned forward, pressing her elbow against her own knee.  Setting her chin on her palm, she motioned with her head to continue.  Nicole stood up and started to pace back and forth in her living room.

"I don't know Kara.  The way he was looking at me while we were dancing."  Nicole pinched the bridge of her nose while continuing pacing, "It wasn't like how he was looking at me just minutes before.  We couldn't stop staring at each other.  For a couple minutes, I totally forgot about everyone else in the room."  Nicole looked over at Kara after hearing her make a noise on interest.

"Then," Nicole continued and sighed softly while the whole event played in her head.  "I thought he was going to kiss me."

"Thought?"  Kara asked.

Nicole nodded her head.  "That's why I said maybe in the car."  Nicole shrugged her shoulders.  "He closed his eyes and moved his head down but then Joey appeared."

"Damnit Joey."  Kara cursed.  "Ruining everything."

"I'm so confused."  Nicole confessed and dropped back down on her couch.  "I'm so conflicted over all of this...Ugh!"  Nicole bounced her head a couple of times against the back of her couch.  "Why me?  Why me?  Why me?  Why do I have to fall for someone famous?  Why can't it be so easy on figuring out what is between Chris and I?"

"What is there between the two of you?"  Kara inquired.

"Nothing.  Just a really good friendship."

"Hm."  Kara hummed.  Kara moved around so she was sitting next to Nicole.  "By the way he looks at you; I think he has a thing for you also."

"What do you mean?"  Nicole asked.

"He doesn't look at you the same way how Taylor or the other guys look at you."  Kara looked at Nicole while she sat there looking straight ahead; listening to what Kara was telling her.  "It's really cute actually."  Kara laughed softly and patted Nicole's knee.  "I still say you need to talk to him about this.  You two are adults, not middle schoolers."

Kara was right; she was being like a middle schooler over it.  I'm twenty-six for crying out loud.  She couldn't think of the last time she felt like this over a guy.  Tom.  That name gave her a bitter taste in her mouth.  After everything she went through with him, she didn't know if it was worth it again. 

Nicole couldn't figure out why he would like her.  He could have anyone in the world.  She was just a Pre-K teacher at a day-care.  His last ex, Karen, was a model.  The pieces of the puzzle didn't seem to fit correctly to her.   I wish you were here to help me mommy.  I could really use your daughter-mother tips right now.  Nicole sighed and laid her head on Kara's shoulder, remembering the dream she had the night before with her mom.

Kara wrapped her arm around her friend.  "What you thinking about, Nic?"

"I had a dream last night.  My mom was in it."

Kara nodded her head and continued to give Nicole her full attention.

"It was the last day I was with my mom, in the hospital, before she passed away."  Nicole looked down at her fingers and started to pick at her nails.  "When I promised her I would marry that guy she always wanted me to and to everything.  I couldn't go back to sleep because that was all I could think of."  Nicole looked at Kara.  "Every time I had a dream about my mom since she passed it always seemed like it was her giving me a sign."

Kara nodded her head, squeezing Nicole's shoulder lightly.  She remembered the many talks they had over the dreams Nicole would have that her mother was in.  Every dream had a reason it to it, like it was her mother giving Nicole a sign since she couldn't talk to her.

"You think maybe it is another sign?"  Kara asked quietly.  She knew how painfully it was for Nicole to talk about her mom still.  It was a healing process she was still going though.  Just give her time. Nicole's therapist told her when she went to talk to her on what she could do to help her friend.  It's a healing process.  Each person is different.  Some heal faster than others.  It could be months, even years.  Just be there in every step of the way and one day, it will happen.

"Maybe?  I dunno what about though."  Nicole whispered; bring Kara out of her thoughts.

"Maybe," Kara declared after a minute of silence.  "She is telling you to talk to Chris about this."  She rubbed Nicole's arm and looked at her when she didn't get a reaction.  "What you thinking about?"

Nicole blew out a frustrated breath.  "How do I tell one of the biggest popstars in the world that I'm falling for them?"

~~~

Chris threw his keys on the kitchen counter and jogged toward the house phone as it rang after entering his house.

"Hello?"  Chris answered.  Instantaneously he smiled when he heard his mom's voice over the phone.  "I'm good mom.  How are you?"

Chris moved around in his kitchen while talking to his mom.  Putting food into Busta's dog bowl, Chris continued to tell his mother about the talks and plans of him and the guys going back into the studio to finish the CD they started months ago after the mini break they just had.

Chris hopped up onto the counter while continual to talk to his mother for another thirty minutes before saying he loved her and hanging up the phone.  He glanced at the clock, seeing it was already five o'clock in the afternoon.

"Ready to go outside, Busta?"  Chris asked his dog.  After hearing a bark, he pushed himself off the counter and walked to the back door, opening it and letting Busta run out before him.  He shut the door behind him and saw the basketball out of the corner of his eye.  He picked up the orange ball and started dribbling it toward the small basketball court he had on the side with Busta running around in the grass beside it.

Chris dribbled the orange basketball on the court before lifting his arms up and shooting it towards the hoop, smiling when it fell through the net.  Picking up the ball again, he dribbled it to another spot and took another shot, watching it bounce off the edge of the red rim and into the grass.

"Damnit."  Chris mumbled after the missed shot and jogged towards the ball.  Grabbing the ball, he jogged back onto the court, passing it between his legs before taking a jump shot.  He pumped his fist to himself after watching it swish through the net again.

Basketball was something he would do when he had a lot on his mind.  Not only him, but the other guys also.  He couldn't count how many times while on tour him and the guys would just toss the ball around and play a game, with or without a hoop involved.  Sometimes they were just harmless games; sometimes they would throw out bets on the table and play like it was the NBA championship game.

Chris took a breath, feeling the crisp cool air fill his lungs.  He moved the basketball in his hands, feeling the little bumps of rubber against her skin.  It was late November and the weather finally started to cool down a bit.  Well, cool as it would get in Florida.  Chris chuckled, images of people he saw on the side of the road that where wearing sweatshirts and pants looking cold.  Here he was, standing in the middle of his court in just a t-shirt and basketball shorts.  Sure it would get cool enough he would put on a sweatshirt, but not to the point of putting on a winter jacket, which he would see sometimes during the Florida winter.  If people here think this is cold, they should try a winter in Pennsylvania.

Holding the rubber ball in his hands, he shot the ball again, getting a blank shot.  He watched it bounced off the backboard at an angle and dropped into the basket.  Chris jogged out to where the foul line would be, cross dribbling the ball along the way from hand to hand.  Once getting there he bent his legs and his arms slightly.  Swiftly he jumped up, straightening his arms, flicked his wrist and watched the ball sore in the air and into the hoop.

"Nice shot."

Startled, Chris twisted his body around.  "Jesus."  Chris breathed out in relief when he saw Nicole standing there.  "You scared the hell out of me."

"Sorry."  Nicole apologized.  "Thought you heard me pull up."

Chris shook his head and picked up the basketball once more.  He tossed the ball in the air a couple of times while walking towards where she was standing.  Slowly a smile appeared on his face while he took in her appearance.  She had a small smile on her face while she stood there in jean pants and a blue sweatshirt, the world ‘PINK' and ‘Victoria Secret' on the front.  He positioned the ball under his arm and gave her a one arm hug.

"Didn't know you were coming over."

Nicole shrugged her shoulders and smiled.  "I was on this side of town and thought I would drop by."

"Coping my ways, hm?"  Chris teased.  A couple of times, either he was by where she worked around her lunch time or by her place at night or weekend, he would stop by.  "Come play."  He motioned with his head toward the hoop.  Nicole's eyes followed his movement before letting out a soft chuckle.

"Uh no thanks.  You go knock yourself out."

"Come on."  He nudged her.  "It doesn't bite."

"I can't play."  Nicole told him.

Chris rolled his eyes and let out a snort.  "Anyone can play basketball.  It's either your good or bad at it."

"And I would be in the bad category.  I've never played before."

"There are always first times for everything."  Chris took her hand and pulled her towards the hoop.  "It's not hard.  I'll teach you."

Nicole sighed, giving up the argument and went with him.  Her eyes looked at the ball in his hands than in the direction of the hoop.  "It looks much shorter farther away."

Chris chuckled and passed the ball lightly her way.  Nicole promptly positioned her hands in front of her and caught the ball, holding it between her hands.  She wiggled her fingers along the bumpy rubber and glanced over at Chris.  "Okay, now what?"

"You shoot the ball."  He plainly told her, crossing his arms over his chest.  He looked at her with a smile and motioned with his head toward the hoop.  "At the hoop."

Nicole looked down at the ball than back at the hoop.  "This is ridiculous.  I'm not going to make it in that hoop"

"Just try."  He nudged her with his elbow and took a step to the side.

Nicole let out a hearty sigh.  With both hands on the sides of the ball, she chucked it in the air, her right leg kicking out slightly up in the air behind her.  She watched it as it fell short of the hoop.  Nicole dropped her hands to her sides and gazed over at Chris.

Chris looked at her with amusement before letting out a laugh.  "Cute little leg thing you did there."

"I told you I wouldn't make it."

Chuckling, he jogged toward the ball and passed it to her.  "Alright, bend your legs a little."  He told her once he stood in front of her.  Nicole looked at him before bending her legs a tad and looked back up at him.

"Now put your arms up in a ninety degree angle.  Position your right hand on the back of the ball and your left hand other on the side."

Nicole looked down at the orange ball, uncertainty written on her face while she moved her hands around, trying to hold the ball the way he told her.  Grinning, Chris slipped behind her and positioned his hands over hers.  "Like this."  He moved her right hand behind the ball and shifted her left hand in a better arrangement on the side of the ball.  He bent his knees slightly behind her as to do the movements with her.  His grin became a little wider when her sweet aroma filled his nose.

"Okay," Chris started once he remembered what they were doing.  He moved one of his feet between hers and shifted her right foot so that they were shoulder-width apart.  "Keep your feet shoulder-width apart and parallel to one another."

"Now on the count of three, shoot in one fluid motion, straightening your knees and release the ball from your hands, flick your wrist, and aim for the hoop."  Chris replaced his hands over hers and looked at her.  His face inches from hers.  "Ready?"

"As ready as I will ever be."  Nicole replied; struggling to her eyes focused on the hoop in front of her and not the man behind her.

"Alright."  Chris moved his head beside her and Nicole felt his breath against her ear, sending shivers down her spin.  "One, two..."  Nicole bit on her bottom lip as she continued to concentrate on the hoop.  "Three."

Chris's arms mimicked with hers, watching the ball bounce off the rim and into the grass.

"Damnit!"

"Better than your first try."  Chris told her, looking over his shoulder while jogging toward where the ball laid.  "But do you comprehend what I was explaining to you?"

"Yeah."  Nicole caught the ball when he tossed it to her and she got back into the position.

"Raise your arms a little higher."  Chris told her and stood beside her.

Nicole nodded her head, moving her arms a bit high.  Taking a breath, she licked her lips and shot the ball again.  Her eyes traveled along with the soaring ball, breaking out into a big smile when it bounced on the rim and fell into the hoop.  "Yes!"  She looked over to Chris who had an identical smile as hers.  "I did it!"

"I told you that you could do it."  Chris picked up the rolling ball. "Watch out Orlando Magic."

Nicole rolled her eyes.  "Oh yeah, here I am Orlando Magic.  Making you lose one game at a time."

"Nah."  Chris cross dribbled the ball between his legs.  "You would just distract the team with that little leg kick you do."

"Shut up."  Nicole crossed her arms, a smirk printed on her lips.  "Leave it alone."

Chris stood in front of her as he dribbled the ball.  "Alright, now try and get past me."

"What?"  Nicole asked in skepticism after being handed the ball.  Chris smiled while spreading his legs and arms out, getting in a defense position.

"I said try and get around me and score."

"You're going to get the ball before it touches the ground!  This isn't fair."

"Life isn't fair, darling."  Chris winked at her.  "I'll give you some slack, how about that?"

"Fine."  Nicole dribbled the ball and looked around Chris.  She moved to the left and let out a groan when Chris followed her.  She groaned again when he did the same thing when she took a step to the right.  "I thought you were giving me slack!"

"I am."  Chris laughed.  "I can easily just take the ball right now, but I'm not."

"Wiseass."  Nicole mumbled under her breath.  Chris let out a chuckle, watching the wheels turn in her head on what to do.  Quickly, she moved to her right and Chris tried his best not to laugh when she doubled dribbled.  He watched as she tried her best to get around him.

Giving up, Nicole chucked the ball in the air.  Chris let out a laugh as the ball soared over the hoop.  He looked at her with an eyebrow raised, curious over her actions.  "Gave up?"

"Yes."  Nicole nodded her head, happy with her answer.

"Joey would finally win a game if he played against you."  Chris told her while picking up the ball.

"A five year old could probably beat me."  Nicole replied.

Chris tossed the ball in the air, caching it in his hands and stood in front of her.   "Don't they have miniature hoops for the kids?"

"Yeah.  We have one at my daycare outside."  Nicole leaned forward and swiftly snatched the basketball out of Chris's hands and threw it toward the hoop, missing it entirely once more.  "Damnit!"

Chris laughed as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.  "I think you should just stick with your day job."

"How are you not cold?"  Nicole asked while pay no heed to his jab.  She wrapped her arm around his waist.  "You're just running around in a shirt and shorts while I'm here in a sweatshirt and pants, cold."

"It's not cold at all you wimp."  Chris looked over his shoulders and whistled.  "Come on Busta.  It's time to go inside."  He ran his hand up and down her arm while walking toward the glass door; Busta running in front of them.

"How was work?"  Chris asked while opening the glass door, letting her walk in before him.  After seeing Busta run in, he followed in suit and closed the door behind him.  "Good day?"

"Decent."  Nicole replied.  She slipped off her shoes and sat down on his couch, pulling one of her legs underneath her.  "How did the meeting go?"

"Good."  Chris picked up a blanket and tossed it her way.  "We are going back to the studio next week."

"Thanks."  Nicole unfolded the blanket and covered herself with it.  "That is what you guys wanted, right?"

Chris nodded his head than rolled his eyes after watching Busta jump up onto the couch and stationing himself on Nicole's lap.  Nicole giggled and started to rub the pugs head.

"Seriously, dog?  It's like you are in love with her or something."  Chris raised a brow when the dog rolled onto his back for Nicole to rub his stomach.  "Yep.  He is.  He thinks you are his girlfriend."

"Oh yeah because I'm so for bestiality."  She said sarcastically with a roll of her eyes.  "You're sick in the head."

"I'm not the one who has a dog that is in love with them."  Chris joked while taking a spot on the couch.  A smile grew on his face while he watched the two interact with each other.  He couldn't help the way he felt when he was around her.  The way she always smelt good, faint smell of vanilla mixed with her perfume or how her smile and laugh could light up the room instantaneous; and his favorite part of her, her eyes.  Her green eyes always sparkled like they had specks of gold in them.

She wasn't aware of the things she did to him.  Oh the things she did to him!  He couldn't breathe when her eyes would hold his, making his heart either to skip a beat or pound like he just ran a marathon.  How her skin was always soft, distribution shots of electricity throughout his body every time she touched him.  How she fit perfectly in his arms every time they hugged, comfortably tucked under his chin.  The way she always had a faint smell of vanilla no matter what she did; made his senses calm the instant it hit his nose.  Her hair was always soft and his fingers itched to run through them.

Out of the blue the talk he had with JC after the meeting flooded his mind.

**

"I think I'm falling for Nicole."  Chris confessed, mumbled the words together without taking a breath.  He rubbed his hand over the back of his neck and closed his eyes, afraid to see the reaction from friend.

"I know."

Chris's head jerked up and he looked over at JC.  JC sat there with a knowing smile on his face.

"What?  What do you mean that you knew?"

"We all know, Chris."  JC told him with a nod of his head.  "None of us were born yesterday.  Well, it took Joey a bit longer to figure it out but yeah."

Chris stared his friend in disbelief.  They knew but didn't say anything to him?

"From the way you look at her and talk about her, there is no way we couldn't put the pieces together.  You light up like a Christmas tree."  JC continued with a smirk tugging on his lips.  "We knew if we brought it up you would just shoot it down so we've been waiting for the day that you finally would confess about your feelings.  It's about damn time too."

Chris let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.  He leaned his head against the couch and rubbed his hands over his face.  "I don't know what to do, man."

"Well, what do you want?"

"What do you mean?"

JC looked over at Chris.  "Do you want to just stay as friends or do you want to be more?"

Chris started to pick at the imaginary string on his shorts.  "You make it sound so easy to do."

"Well it's up to you now." JC told him with a nod.  "I didn't say it was easy to do, but," JC shrugged his shoulders.  "Either you just push it to the side and have it drive you crazy or grow some balls and talk to her about it."

**

Chris looked at Nicole.  It's either now or never.  He wiped the palms of his hands on his basketball shorts.  Here goes nothing.

"What," Chris cleared his throat and licked his lips.  "What are you doing tomorrow night?"

"Nothing, why?"  Nicole asked.  She glanced up at him before looking back down at Busta.

"Would you like to go out to dinner with me?"

Nicole stopped rubbing the top of Busta's head and looked up at Chris.  Did he just..?  "Sure."

Chris looked up at her.  Slowly a smile appeared on his face.  "What is a good time to pick you up?"

"Seven?"

He winked at her as a boost of confidence hit him.  "It's a date."

You are always on my mind
You are always on my mind
Always on my mind

I always thought I could make it
Alone but you make it so hard to leave