Nick and Calista were silent for the next few seconds. She looked up at him. He was still looking sown at the floor and he looked deep in thought.

�Nick, I need to ask you a question.�

He looked up and stared into her eyes. �Okay.�

�How exactly do you feel about Michelle?�

He thought for a moment. �I really like her. I feel good around her and she makes me feel all warm inside. I know it sounds silly, but�I don�t know. I can�t describe it.�

She looked down at the floor. �I have to go. Is everything okay between us?�

He smiled. �Sure.�

�Okay, great. I need to ask you a question. Can you give me a ride?�

He laughed. �Okay. But you need to get your own car!�

They both laughed together.

�Thanks. I need to go to AJ�s house really quickly and then go to gym.�

�Why do you need to go to AJ�s house?�

�He left one of his rings and his necklace here last night. He had taken them off after we went swimming.�

�Oh.�

She looked up at him and a serious expression came across her face.

�Nick. AJ and I�we didn�t do what you think we did�I mean�Nothing serious happened.�

�I know.�

Calista went upstairs to change.

~~~~~~ At AJ�s house ~~~~~~

He opened the front door. �Mom? Are you home?�

As he walked in he found a note on a table. It read:

�AJ. I had some business to take care of with Donna concerning your tour coming up in a few weeks. I�ll be home in time for lunch. Love, Mom.�

�I guess it�s just you and me. Come on. Why don�t you lie down in my room and I�ll get you some medicine for the pain.�

�Okay. AJ, I really appreciate this.�

�It�s no problem. You can�t stay in that house alone with him. Who knows what would have happened if I wasn�t there. I�m just glad you�re okay.�

�I can�t thank you enough. Ahhhh!� All of a sudden, a pain ripped through her ribs and Michelle fell to her knees. AJ caught her before she hit the ground.

�Come on. Let�s get you some medicine now and then I�ll take you up so you can get some rest.� He put his arm around her and helped her into the kitchen where her poured her a glass of cold water and looked for some aspirin. He found some and took out a couple of pills and she swallowed them with the water. She slowly started to drink the rest of the water, leaning on AJ for support.

AJ stared at her the whole time. She was so fragile and weak. He was so glad that he had been at her house that morning or something serious might have happened. He smiled as he watched her drink her water. He couldn�t help all the thoughts that ran through his mind. How soft her stomach was when he caressed it earlier. How her hair smelled, the smell of her perfume, and how good it felt to hold her in his arms. When she was finished with her water she noticed him staring at her. She looked back at him. Thoughts ran through her mind. How nice he smelled, the feeling of his strong arms wrapped around her. She felt totally and completely safe with him. It was a different feeling than the one she got from Nick. Then suddenly, Michelle just couldn�t hold back anymore. She brought her hands up to AJ�s face and brought it down to hers. Then, with a passion that she didn�t know had ever been in her, she kissed him. Not just any kiss either. This kiss could not be described in words, yet it spoke volumes to the two of them. It was definitely not a kiss between friends.

~~~~~ Nick pulled up right in front of AJ�s house and parked the car.

�Do you want me to come in with you?�

�No, I�m just going to give him his stuff, a quick kiss and then leave. I�ll be right back.� She got out of the car and walked up to the door. She noticed that it was slightly open so she opened it even wider.

�Hello? AJ, are you here?� She heard a little noise from some room that appeared to be the kitchen. She walked in and saw Michelle and AJ, together, kissing passionately.

Calista gasped. �Oh my God!� AJ and Michelle must have heard this because all of a sudden they stopped and turned around to see Calista.

�AJ, what are you doing?� Calista could feel tears starting to form in her eyes. �On second thought, forget it. I don�t even want to know. In fact, IU never want to see you again. Do you know what I went through to realize that I felt something for you? So you have any idea what it feels like walk in on you like this?� Calista was yelling now. She became frantic.

�I have to go now. I just�I have to go.� She looked at Michelle. How could Michelle do this to Nick. How could AJ do this to her? And why wasn�t AJ saying anything. The ring and necklace that belonged to AJ fell out of her hand and she ran out of the house. AJ started to chase after her, but she was a few good feet in front of him. As soon as he got outside he saw her climbing into Nick�s car.

�Nick, drive!�

�What happened?�

�I�ll tell you once we�re gone just go!� Nick pulled out of the drive way and drove off to the gym.

�No! Calista wait!� But AJ was too late. She had already left with Nick.

Oh God! What have I done now? I can�t let Calista leave I care too much about her! But�I also care about Michelle. Shit! Dammit! Why did I have to mess things up. He cursed to himself and them went back into the house.

~~~~~ �So are you going to tell me what happened or not?�

�Not. Just please�I need some time to think to myself. I don�t understand anything that�s going on. I thought that AJ cared for me. I mean, I ignored all my feelings for you so I could be with AJ and I cared about him so much! How could he do this? And especially with Michelle?� Tears were streaming down her face and she had said it all so fast that Nick had barely understood a single word she said.

�What about Michelle?�

�She and AJ were kissing in the kitchen. I walked in on them! God! I am such a fool for having feelings for two men the way I did!�

By now, they had reached the parking lot of the gym and before Nick had any time to question anything she just said, she ran out of the car and into the gym.

~~~~~~ A while later, still at the gym. ~~~~~

�Come on Calista! You need to concentrate! I know you can do this release. I know it�s hard but you�ve done it before! Come on and try it again!�

Calista had been distracted all during practice. All she could feel was all the hurt, turmoil, confusion and frustration that was rushing through her body all at the same time. She had been practicing her uneven bars routine the entire morning and trying to complete the release from the low bar to the high bar. She finally got that down after falling nine times and landing on her hands and knees. She was now working on a release from the high bar. She was supposed to do two giants and then release from the bar into a full twist and then catch the high bar again. It was a move she had done a hundred times before but it was also extremely dangerous and she knew that if she didn�t get her mind off of AJ then she could possibly have an accident. She went through the routine again. She had cleared her mind and tried to focus on the bars. But during the routine, the image of AJ and Michelle kissing popped up into her head. She did the two giants and went for the release. Then the next thing she know there was screaming and a sharp pain all over her body and then darkness.

~~~~~~ AJ walked back into the house. He went to the kitchen but he saw that Michelle wasn�t in there. He went up the stairs to his room and saw her sleeping like a baby on his bed. There were still fresh tears on her face and her face was a little bit pink. He wiped the tears away from her face and just watched her sleep.

He didn�t realize how long he had been watching Michelle sleep until the phone rang forty-five minutes later. He picked up the portable phone in his room.

�Hello?�

�AJ? It�s Nick.� Nick sounded like he was crying and like he was in a lot of pain.

�Nick, are you alright? What�s the matter?�

�I�m at the hospital.�

�Oh my God! Are you okay? What happened?�

�It�s not me. It�s Callie. She�s�AJ she�s in a comma!�