Pulling one of the large pillows over her head, Alyssa attempted to drown out
the incessant ring that was so sadistically disturbing her sleep. In spite of her effort, the
phone persistently went on carrying its merry tune. "A.J" her muffled voice called out.
No response. "Ajjjjj" she whined again, her swollen eyes now painfully open to a slit.
Rolling to her side, all she could make out through the haze was an empty spot where he
should have been laying. Slightly daunted by his absence, she paused a moment to
examine her surrounding; he was no where to be found. Vexed, she stretched her hand
out to the night stand and fumbled for her mobile. As her hand clasped over the object,
she felt a sheet crumple between her fingers. Disregarding the phone, she cocked up on
the mattress; flipped back her chestnut locks and casually opened the letter.
Hey princess, it read
I trust you slept well. Sorry I couldn't be here in person to bid you good
morning, but Kevin needed to discuss some stuff, so us and a couple of others are already
at the venue. I'll see you there.
Love always,
Me
PS: You were amazing.
Smiling fondly to herself, she carefully folded the paper and slid it in her
knapsack as a keep-sake. Despite his many flaws, A.J certainly knew how to make a gal
feel special.
Realizing that the telephone was still ringing away, Alyssa rapidly grabbed it
and held it to her ear.
"Yes, hello?" she answered, now fully alert.
"Sheesh, take your time why don't ya? I don't have all day sweetheart"
"Sorry J-Bear" she chuckled lightly, covering her nude frame in the ivory
sheets
Grinning like the Cheshire cat, J.C felt a ticklish pang in the pit of his
stomach when she spoke. "I'm guessing you and McLean were a lil' too preoccupied" he
said, nearly gagging at the thought of anyone but himself being with her.
"No, no, you naughty boy" she laughed "I was just reading the note Aje left
me"
"Oooh" remarked J.C "Loves ya, and leaves ya, eh?"
Lyss frowned at his crass choice of words. "That wasn't funny, J.C" she
scoffed.
Shaking his head remorseful, he breathed out apologetically "My bad"
"Ok." he heard her accept rather meekly.
He could almost feel her frustration seeping through the receiver. "Lyssers,
look-"
"I gotta go" she interrupted, too upset with him to listen "I'll talk to you soon.
Bye"
J.C winced as she hung up on him. Letting out a rueful sigh, he shut his
mobile off in turn.
"So, how did it go?"
"Lousy" he snarled, roughly chucking his cell across the room.
Britney yelped as the object smashed angrily against the wall mere
centimeters from her head.
"Hey!" she shouted, shoddily punching him in the arm "Don't get all pissy with me.
I was only trying to help."
"Well next time, why don't you do me a favor and keep your fat ass outta my
business" he shot back snidely, pushing passed her and frustratedly stomping down the
staircase.
"Oops, looks like you did it again" Justin commented daftly, as he continued
to nonchalantly browse through the pages of his Cosmogirl.
Coming up over him, Britney smacked Justin upside the head and pulled
back the curtain to peep out the window "Poor guy" she sighed, watching as J.C's Jaguar
wildly backed out of the driveway "He's really got it bad"
Knowing full well that he wouldn't be left alone, Justin closed his magazine
and sat up on the daybed "Brit, I've got it all worked out, so just butt out like J asked ya
too, cuz you're only fucking things up worse than they already are"
Feeling something vibrated, he tilted to his side and glanced down at his pager.
"Gotta jet babe" he said, getting to his feet and heading towards the door.
"Who was it?" Britney demanded, placing her hands over her hips
suspiciously.
"No one" he hollered back as he kept on walking.
**Later Back At The Hotel**
Laurel, Brian and Alyssa were all assembled in the hotel lobby waiting
for security to clear up the front entrance. Some incompetent radio host had leaked out
where the Boys were staying, and within hours of the announcement, the hotel was
swarming with estrogen crazed teenagers. The two girls were gossiping away about the
events of last night, whereas Brian slouched morosely in his chair reminiscing on the
same evening.
Hearing the elevator hit their floor, he turned to see Kristy walking out with
an arm draped around a crying Naila. Brian's brow furrowed as they took a seat next to
him. He looked across at Kristy with an inquisiting eye. "Kevin broke up with her" she
explained plainly.
At those words, Naila began to sob all over again, causing everyone's
attention to shift towards her.
"It's Ok, honey" Kristy soothed, letting her friend's head rest on her shoulder as she
smoothed her hair.
"Oh sweetie" Alyssa cooed as she and Laurel swarmed around her.
Kristy stood from her chair and allowed Lyss to take her place so that she
could comfort their comrade. She and Brian exchanged looks, and then indicated for him
to follow.
"What's up?" he asked, sensing that something was wrong.
Crossing her arms over her chest, she glanced over his shoulder to insure
their privacy. "I'm really getting worried Bri" she confessed in a low whisper. "Naila
came to me in tears early this morning, completely devastated by what had happened.
She told me the story, but I just couldn't help feeling that her recount of it was a bit
bias..."
She stopped talking a second as the three girls wizzed by them on their way
to the washroom.
Once they were out of sight, Brian spoke up again "What did she tell you?"
he inquired.
"Gosh, I don't know" Kristy sighed, massaging her throbbing sinuses "I mean,
it was so obviously a cover-up from the get-go... Something about Kevin thinking she
was pregnant, and lying to him and all this stuff. It just didn't make any sense! All her
allegations were so preposterous, and totally unlike anything Kev would do. I didn't want
to say anything because she was just so- gone!"
"Maybe she just didn't feel like talking about it yet?" he suggested.
Kristy shook her head "Hmm, no, I don't think so" she exhaled "I've been
noticing changes in her behavior lately. I haven't paid much attention to it, cuz we've
been so damn busy, not to mention how self-involved we've all been."
Confused, Brian slid his hands into his baggy pockets "So what do you want
me to do?"
"Do you think that you could possibly talk to Kev about this?" she asked
"Hear what he has to say 'bout it all ?"
"Sure thing" he nodded.
Just then, they heard the elevator doors slide open again and watched as an
extremely battered looking Nick emerge from it.
Grabbing a fisherman's hat out from his under arm and tugging it over his
head, Nick squinted hard as he scanned the bright area. It felt as though someone were
spearing an ice-pick through his retina.
"Well good morning sunshine"
Grumbling, Nick sluggishly made his way over to Kristy and Brian. "I don't
do sarcasm before breakfast", he retorted. His face then scrunched "Where's Eli?"
"Beats me!" she shrugged "I'm not in charge of keeping tabs on your
girlfriend"
His brow hooked "You don't know where she is?"
"No. Why would I?" she answered, eyeing him oddly.
Nick, who'd woken up on the right side of the bed for a change, suddenly felt
his good humor fade. "She told me that she'd be spending the night with you" he muttered
through gritted teeth.
Swallowing hard, Kristy was panic stricken at the realization of what was
happening. "I-uh, well, she-uh was- well, she was supposed to-but"
"But what?" Nick pressed.
"But she was with me instead"
All three heads turned to face Alyssa. Neither of them had noticed her come
out of the washroom. She had been eavesdropping on the last bit of their conversation,
and figured that now was a good a time as any to intrude.
Nick eyed her skeptically "She was with you?"
Stepping in to their triangle, she casually pulled a scrunchy off her wrist as
she tied her hair into a messy bun "Yup, she was with me" she affirmed aloofly "I
bumped in to her right after she left your room, and I begged her to help me with
something" looking over at Kristy, she gave her a inkling wink "Sorry Kris, I hope it
wasn't a problem"
"Oh, no Lyss" Kristy played along "Not a problem at all"
Still appearing rather unconvinced, Nick crossed his arms domineeringly and
glared down at her. "So where's Eli now?" he urged, analyzing her body language for any
sign of deceit.
Alyssa giggled lightly "Why, where else would she be?" she said as cool as a
cucumber "She's at the venue with the others."
Before either could elaborate further, their body guards came charging back
through the entrance and signaled for them to prepare. "Ok, here's the drill" Tyrese
instructed "Littrell, Farida and Morgan with JJ and Bob in van 1; Brun, you're with me-
van 2; Carter and Morse, you're with Tim- van 2"
Stretching her neck so that she could see outside, Laurel gulped "Kinda mad
out there, ain't it?" she blurted, feeling a bit uneasy at the sight of all the frantic fans
fenced back by only a half-dozen member's of security. Watching attentively as her
companions were escorted passed the hordes of delirious teenagers, she patiently awaited
her turn.
"Morse" called Tim, "Stay close behind Carter"
Doing as she was ordered, Laurel was quick on Nick's tail as they exited the
hotel. The screams were so intense that she thought she'd go deaf. Raising her hands to
cover her ears, she inadvertently dropped a Teddy-bear that had been handed to her.
"Crap" she mumbled. Stopping in her tracks, she turned back and bent over to retrieve it.
As her hand brushed against the soft object, the crowd suddenly burst through the
barricades and propelled Laurel to the ground. Frantically trying to stand upright, she let
out a shriek of distress as she became more and more immersed in the sea of fanatical
young girls. As they pulled her hair, tugged her coat and clawed on what little flesh she
had exposed, Laurel felt tears weld in her eyes thinking that they wouldn't release her
until they'd severed her limb by limb. A swift hand suddenly swooped around her forearm
and yanked her up. Pushing and shoving passed the masses, she was hauled all the way to
the van.
"GET IN!!!" she heard someone yell. Looking back over her shoulder, all she
saw was Nick with his palms pressed firmly against each side of the door as he held the
crowd back. "HURRY!!"
Laurel jumped in to the vehicle; Nick pouncing in right after her.
Breathing heavily, the two stared at each other- Laurel, still in complete
shock.
"What happened out there?" came Kristy's voice.
Still shaking, it took a while before she could reply. "I tried picking up
something" she finally stammered.
Looking back to face her savior, Laurel was overcome by an immense feeling of
gratitude. "Thank you"
Nick's features hardened "You're a stupid, stupid girl"
Turning a blind eye to the incredulous looks which encircled him, he glared
spitefully at the young blonde. Seeing her being nearly trampled out there gave him the
scare of a life time. But that fright quickly turned in to rage, and before he knew what he
was doing, he was chewing her apart like a pitbull to a ragdoll. "Do you have any idea
how stupid what you just did was?" he bellowed furiously; veins bulging from his neck
and forehead "I put my ass on the line for you! You! You could have suffocated!
What the hell were you thinking? You don't fucking stop in the middle of a shoving
crowd of maniacs!!"
"Nick, that's enough!" Kristy exclaimed.
Nick shot her an steely glare, then looked back at Laurel. Her lips were
quivering, and her blue eyes were glazed with tears. But he didn't care! She should
feel bad! "You know what?" he snarled "Cry! Cry! That's what baby's like you do
anyway! So go ahead and bawl your fucking eyes out, because I couldn't fucking care
less. I've had it with you!"
Hooking his hand around the door handle, Nick violently slid the car door
open and dove out.
**A Few Moments Prior**
Watching intently as Brian gazed out the tinted window of their van,
Alyssa waited for Naila to put on her headphones before sliding down a few seats to him.
"Aren't ya going to thank me?" she badgered, elbowing him playfully in the rib cage.
Startled, Brian looked her up and down before fixing his eyes in hers "What
are you talking about?"
Rolling her eyes, Lyss shook her head at him "Brian" she spoke softly,
placing a sympathetic hand on his knee "You had that deer in the headlight look when
Nick mentioned Eli. She was with you last night, wasn't she?"
Her query totally caught him off guard. "No" he denied. Seeing her stern
expression, he sighed "Yes. Sort of. Not for long though. She didn't spend the night or
anything, if that's what you're implying" He paused to raise a brow "Wait, how come
you're not ragging on me? Didn't she tell you what happened?"
"I didn't actually see Eli, I was only covering for her" she admitted, a little
baffled "Something bad happen between the two of you?"
Just as Brian was about to open his mouth, their door was thrown open and
in bounded Nick. Tyrese and Tim were scolding him loudly, but he merely hurled the
door shut in their chastening faces.
"Uh, are you Ok?" Alyssa inquired, observing the bullets of sweat streaming
down his forehead.
Nick's nails dug into his armrest "I don't wanna talk about it" he spewed.
**At The Venue**
"Aww, you're kidding me? That's so cute!"
Beaming from ear to ear, Rick lightly nudged Eli as they sat on the floor
"Shut up" he chuckled. Something about women using the word 'cute' in reference to his
actions always managed to belittle is manhood. "It was just a kiss. No biggie"
"Well I think it's adorable" I teased, amused by his flushing cheeks.
Sticking his tongue out at her, they both laughed heartily before carrying on
with their conversation.
Since his deadline was fast approaching, Rick had gotten up at the crack of dawn to
get ahead on some new material.
But after a while, he was getting too groggy and had to get some caffeine in his system.
Upon exiting his quarters, he stumbled over a very glum looking Eli. She refuted
anything being wrong, but he could easily see passed her facade. After some coaxing, he
was finally able to convince her to join him for an early breakfast. He figured that maybe
in a more pleasant atmosphere he'd be able to get her to open up. But alas, no such luck.
The two bumped in to Howie, and as it turned out, Kevin was off fetching A.J so that
they could sort out a few technical mishaps at the arena. So Eli and Rick tagged along.
And now, here they were- hours later, enjoying each others company and bandying away
like old college chums.
"So" I giggled, tousling my hand in his perfectly trimmed coif "Are you and
Laur going on a date any time soon?"
It felt so good to be around someone cheerful for a change. Rick had succeeded in
putting the first sincere smile on my face this week.
He swatted her arm playfully "Quit it- not the hair!"
"Pretty boy" I burst out in laughing.
Grabbing her around the neck, Rick took Eli in a headlock "What's that?" he
asked, pulling her to the floor with him and placing his hand over her mouth to keep her
from responding. "Did you just call me a sex-machine? Why thank you Felicity! That is
most sweet of you, but I thoroughly doubt that Nick would be pleased to hear you say
such things." Chuckling, he let go of her and reclined comfortably on his back
Sighing, I plopped down at his side and stared up at the ceiling. Nick. Now
there was a name I had been avoiding.
Cocking his head up, Rick rested his chin on his fist and glanced down at Eli.
It had come to his attention that whenever he mentioned either Nick or Brian, she'd turn
mute. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing" I replied a little too quickly. "It's nothing"
I looked up at him and saw the resolution in his eyes. It was getting increasingly
difficult to dodge the matter, but I just wasn't ready yet. Forcing a giggle, I pressed my
hand over his face and shoved him aside "So about you and Laur..."
Rick was reluctant. She was so tightlipped, and it just aroused his suspicion
to no end. What could possibly be troubling her so? "About me and Laur..." he breathed,
mentally kicking himself for letting himself get shrouded in her web of deception "Well,
seeing as how we're both from Philadelphia, we'll be staying with some family there
during the break. It's all good cuz that's where I'll be filming my Pepsi commercial. Who
knows, maybe she'll get a walk-on role" he bragged.
"Sounds good" I grinned.
As we both lay there on the cold hardwood floor, I couldn't help but meditate about
the coming month. The tour was going on hiatus, and then we were off to Canada before
heading overseas. Ordinarily, being on break would be reason enough to celebrate. But
not this time...
**Meanwhile Back In Florida**
Pacing anxiously around the multi-million dollar furnished living area
she was now residing in, Sheridan fanned herself to keep from hyperventilating. 'He's not
missing' she assured herself over and over as she repeatedly glanced up at the antique
grandfather clock. She suddenly jumped five feet in the air as the sound of chimes
echoed throughout the barren mansion.
Spinning on her heals, she sprung for the door and unlocked each bolt frenziedly.
"Oh, thank GOD you're hom-" she cut herself off mid-sentence; her hasty grin
receding. "Oh" she murmured, incapable of masking her chagrin "Hey"
J.C raised an eyebrow at her disgruntled welcome "Expecting someone
else?"
Bashfully biting down on her lip, Sheridan took a step back and allowed him
to enter "I thought you were Justin" she explained in a tremulous voice.
"Aww, wonderful!" he growled, throwing his arms in the air and tossing
himself down on one of the leather sofas -nearly knocking over the Tiffany lamp with his
shoe. "I drove all the way over here for nothing!"
Sheridan was on the verge of tears. She hadn't received word from Justin in
three days! She just woke up one morning and he had vanished without a trace. What if
something awful happened to him? He wasn't even returning her pages! Until J.C's
arrival, she figured that perhaps he had neglected to inform her about a last minute trip.
But if J.C was in town, then surely the band couldn't have gone anywhere without their
second most valuable member. A lump built in her throat, and she braced herself before
breaking the tragic news to her visitor.
"J.C" she breathed awkwardly.
"Yeah?" he replied mindlessly, already engrossed in his favorite soap opera:
Passions.
Before she could answer, a loud clatter resonated through the entrance, and a
few seconds later, in barged Justin. "Sup?" he hailed heedlessly, gliding past them to the
kitchen.
"Yo Jus" J.C hollered, following him as a dumbfounded Sheridan ushered by
his side "Where've you been?"
"That's what I would like to know!!" Sheridan demanded, almost
fuming. "You haven't been home in 3 days!!"
"I haven't?" Justin said with half a banana in his mouth. He saw J.C shake his
head, and he suddenly realized how long he'd stayed over at Britney's. "Woops. My bad"
he snickered, reaching in to the refrigerator to grab a pint of milk.
Furious, Sheridan let out a grunt and stalked out of the room.
Shrugging, Justin wiped his face with the brim of his shirt and left the empty
carton out on the counter top. "Wassa deal, J?" he asked, rummaging through the cabinets
for something edible.
J.C rolled his eyes at his denseness "Idiot!" he snapped "You're the
one that left me a message on my machine, remember?"
"Right" Justin exclaimed, distracted by the can of Sour cream & Onion
Pringles he had just found "Who eats this shit?" he huffed, making a disgusted face
before popping a handful in his mouth anyway. He offered some to his guest, and after he
refused, squatted on one of the stools "I wanted to make sure you'd clear your calendar
for the 22 Nd" he told him.
"What's on the 22 Nd?" J.C queried, a sneaky hunch telling him that
whatever it was, it would be in his favor.
Most proud of his charitable deed, a cocky grin smeared across his perfectly
chiseled features as he delayed the announcement until the anticipation reached its
boiling point. "Because" he squealed "That's the date you and Alyssa are gonna hook up!"
Justin observed his baffled expression and went on "I'm having a party, and she'll be our
'guest of honor', so to speak. You'll have the night to get it on"
"But she's seeing A.J" J.C protested before Justin could convince him any
further of his immaculate fantasy "She won't just profess her undying love for me because
you planned it that way ..."
"MY GOD!!" Justin groaned abruptly, slamming his hand down on the
counter and startling the snot out of J.C "Grow some freakin' balls, J! You want her, so
fucking take her! This is McLean we're dealing with here. He's no threat! Just fucking
take her already!" he bellowed turning a bright shade of crimson from all the balled up
frustration he was finally venting at his friend.
J.C just stood there- stunned by his reaction. After a while, he cracked up
"Okaaay" he agreed "Ok, Ok, I got it man, just chill" he laughed.
Justin let out an exasperated sigh "Great! When you call her, make sure to
bring up Felicity, Angel, or whatever that fine piece of ass wants to be called. Banging
her will be my reward..."
**~~**
"Eli?" Sheridan mouthed having overheard their conversation. What
did Eli have to do with any of this? She frowned. 'Bitch'. Quietly, she made her way
upstairs to the master bedroom. 'Eli' she thought again. The name alone made her
stomach churn. 'Eli'... What did Justin want with her? 'Eli'... Blast her. 'Eli'... Always
foiling her life. 'Eli'... She stared down at the plain gold ring banded to her pinkie finger.
A gift from Nick. He'd offered it to her upon returning from his very first promotional
tour as a Backstreet Boy. Along with the ring came the promise of eternal friendship.
Along with the ring came her devotion for him. And along with the ring, came the hordes
of groupies, flakes and bimboes that have been bounded to his hip ever since. Eli was no
different in her mind! Sheridan had stuck by Nick thick and thin, and just as she expected
to finally win him over, in waltzed her arch menaces. How she loathed her! But Sheridan
had moved on. She had Justin, and more importantly, she was away from her former
bestfriend and his latest lay. Now... what could Justin possibly want to do with Felicity?...
**Earlier That Day**
Hearing some commotion emit from the hall, Rick's ears tweaked
"Ooh, I think the others are here" he remarked.
Knowing precisely what he wanted, I giggled and gave him the go-ahead.
"Great!" he said, jumping to his feet and dashing to the exit "I'll be back in a
bit"
Peaking his head through every door, Rick eagerly made his way down the corridor
in search of Laurel. He was dying to showcase the song he just wrote. His best work in
ages, he had to admit. "Nick!!" he exclaimed, catching a tall blonde head moving in his
direction "Nick, do you kn-"
"Where's Eli?"
Judging by his tone, Rick thought it would be wise for him to answer
immediately "Over there" he indicated.
Rick watched him scurry away and immediately shrugged off his peculiar behavior
at the sound of four distinct female voices.
"Laurel!!!" he yelled, turning the corner and entering their dressing room
"Laur, I got something to show yo-" his voice caught in his throat. "Laurel?" he spoke
softy, approaching the weeping girl "Why are you crying?"
Kristy put a hand over Alyssa's shoulder to restrain her from saying anything
crude and walked over to Rick. "Nick said-" she paused to lower her tone "Nick said
some pretty awful things to her. Really mean things. He probably didn't mean any of it..."
she trailed off when Rick walked away from her and out of the room.
Furious, Rick stormed back down to where he knew he'd find him. If there
was one thing he could not tolerate was having someone he cared for
disrespected. 'I'll teach him how to treat a lady' he fumed.
"Nick!" he shouted, a few steps away from the closed door "Nick, I would like to
speak to you a minute" he said loudly, bursting in their room. But what he saw stopped
him dead in his tracks.
**A Bit Earlier**
With a forced smile, Howie placed a warm hand over Dayna's as she
sat across from him sipping her tea. The woman had been stuck to him like crazy glue
ever since he'd accepted to meet up with her that other day. He appreciated her company,
and really, she was the nicest person but--- she drove him nuts! She kept yapping his ear
off, and he really started to regret telling her about Dawn. Or telling her anything, for that
matter. Thankfully, this was good-bye.
"Dayna?"
"Yes Howie?"
"Dayna" he said again, sweetly squeezing her hand "I've really enjoyed the
time we've spent together"
"Me too, Howie" she beamed.
He kept a refined disposition "But unfortunately" he began, his soft chocolate
eyes gleaming affectionately "Tomorrow we head back to Orlando for a month..."
Dayna lowered her gaze "Oh" she muttered.
"So as much as fun as this has been..."
"It's all right Howie" she interrupted, shaking her head with a partial smile "I
understand completely"
He sighed with relief "Good" he said, reclining in his chair. He was happy to
see that she took the news so well.
"So" Dayna exclaimed "What time is our flight?"
**After The Concert**
Flashing him a toothy grin, Kristy unlocked her door and walked in
hand-in-hand with Brice. As planned, he had attended the show that night, and after
having rendezvoused backstage, Kristy had taken the initiative of inviting him back to the
Ritz so that they could spend some "quality" time together before leaving. She hated to
admit it, but every cliché in the book seemed to apply perfectly to the way she felt around
Brice: sparks flew; doves soared majestically through the sky, and to top it all off, she'd
get inhibited by goosebumps the instant their flesh would brush. Until they'd met, she'd
discarded love at first sight as pure rubbish. A myth told by old grannies rocking away on
their porches as they falsely reminisced on their youth But now, even a femme as set in
her ways as Kristy could see past her own misconceived dogma.
"This is terrible" she breathed brokenly, still lost in the warmth of his blue
eyes. "I don't want to leave you"
Brice smiled weakly before embracing her. The emotions inside him dueled
barbarically as he bravely fought back the urge to cry. Kristy was exactly how he'd
envisioned her, and so much more. No words were needed to communicate her feelings,
for he knew that he felt the same. "I don't want to leave you either" he said tenderly
caressing her cheek.
"This is so silly" she said angrily, yet too caught up in the moment to budge.
"We're getting along so marvelously, but because of my retarded career, we can't make
anything of it. It sucks! It really, really does"
Holding her closer to him, Brice tried changing topics "How long will you be
home for?" he queried.
"Like, 4, 5 weeks? Something like that" she pouted. "It's going to be such a
pain! We're not even going to rest, I wager. Our schedules are so unbelievably hectic
since we'll be in the studio putting finishing touches on some vocals, and prepping for the
album launch on TRL..."
Brice quickly did the math in his head "So, that means you'll still be in
Orlando at the end of the month, right?"
"Right..." she affirmed, a little curious as to what he was insinuating.
"Well, that's the week after mid terms! I'll be off school"
Kristy's face lit up, and with a giddy squeal, she threw her arms around his
neck "Aaah! That's SO awesome!!" she giggled "Oh my God, that is just so--"
A few seconds elapsed before Brice realized that Kristy was more than just at
a loss for words. Puzzled, he drew himself away from her and saw that her face had
drained of all color. "Hey. Are you Ok?" he queried.
Kristy's head shook feebly as her eyes remained locked in front of her.
Brice rotated his neck to see whatever she was staring at, only to have her
slip out from his hands and stomp to the door.
"Kristy, what's the- "
"GEORGE!!"
Flinching, Brice felt a pang of worry strike him as he heard her deafening
cries echo down the empty corridor. Surely he wasn't the reason she was going haywire...
He hadn't done anything wrong, had he?
In what must have been record sprinting time, a large, threatening, potato-
like figure emerged through the door. Eclipsing an extremely alarmed looking Brice,
George waddled over to Kristy and towered over her protectively. "What is it, Brun?" he
pressed, casting a ravenous glare at the young boy.
Kristy's arm erected itself at a 170 degree angle "Flowers!!" she exclaimed, in
near panic.
"Uuuh" Brice sputtered in a daze.
George seemed to be one step ahead of him "Did either of you touch them?"
his voice trumpeted, as he approached the king sized bed to inspect the bouquet of
Carnations that were neatly lying flat across the center. "There's a note!"
"There's always a note" Kristy said in a sickened tone. "This isn't the first
time, George-"
"Uh, excuse me" Brice interrupted nervously "What's the problem?"
"Why didn't you say anything sooner?" the body guard scolded, not bothering
to take the young man's question in to account. Shaking his head disapprovingly, he
reached down for his walky-talky and spoke in to it discreetly "I need some back-up in
Brun's quarter's..."
More confused than ever, Brice glanced over at Kristy, who was staring
absentmindedly in to space and cracked his throat in order to catch her attention. "What's
going on?" he mouthed.
Kristy's features twitched as she exchanged the same puzzled look as he "I- I
think I have a stalker" she answered in near disbelief.
**Before The Show**
Rooted at the spot, Rick could scarcely believe what he was seeing. All
he could make out through the bedlam was the sight of Nick's arm raised dangerously
above Eli's head as his hand held a strong grip around her delicate wrist. Her cheek was
turned away from him and her eyes were tightly clenched in fearful anticipation.
Immediately noticing the intruder, Nick's arm dropped "Get out!" he shouted
furiously.
"What the hell is going on here?" Rick demanded, probing Eli's now wide-
open eyes.
Eli couldn't bare to look at him "This doesn't concern you" she told him
shamefully.
"The hell it doesn't!" Rick retorted, the tips of his ears now crimson with
rage. It sickened his stomach to think of what he was about to witness.
"Get the fuck out!!!" Nick's voice rose angrily, his rage inadvertently causing
his grip on Eli to tighten like a vice. She let out a whimper of pain, but Nick didn't
exhibit the slightest sign of bother "I told you once boy, get out!"
Rick's knuckles were quickly turning white as he held his fists clenched like
iron balls. Had Nick been anyone else, he most certainly would have had his lights
knocked out by now. But still, Rick held his ground.
"Didn't you hear me?" yelled Nick, practically foaming at the mouth "This is
between me and Felicity, so get out"
"Eli?" he spat, surprising himself with his own words. "You don't even
deserve her!"
Nick's already stern features suddenly became steely. Rick had pressed
exactly the wrong button. "I'd shut my trap if I were you, kid. That is of course if a sell-
out like yourself wants to keep his career afloat."
That was all it took for Rick to lose what little cool he had left, and before he
knew what he was doing, Rick lunged at Nick and tackled him to the ground.
Grabbing him by the collar, Nick dodged one of Rick's fists and used all his
might to shove him off. The two scurried to their feet and were about to exchange blows
when they were restrained.
"What's going on?" Brian managed, all of his energy being spent at keeping
the two of them apart. They were both pretty strong and he was only a little guy…he
didn’t know how much more exertion he could take if one of them lost control again.
Rick stared into the blue eyes of his enemy with hatred. Suddenly he heard a
faint voice that was very familiar getting louder as it approached the door. Laurel...at
once he remembered why he had come to find Nick in the first place. With renewed
energy, he gave a snarl and lunged at Nick once more. "Bastard!" he spat.
He slammed Nick onto the floor, just as he heard Laurel exclaim, "Here they
are!"
Once more a pair of hands grabbed onto Nicks shoulders. Except this time
they felt different…he turned around and met a pair of blazing green eyes.
Brian yanked Rick across to the other side of the room and pushed him fast
first against the wall. "Calm down, man!" He yelled into his ear. "It's not worth it!"
Rick turned round and shook Brian's hands off him. "It is." He told him
calmly, and Brian was unnerved by the conviction in his voice. Rick met Laurels eyes
over Brian's shoulder.
"Rick…" she wailed, wringing her hands.
He fixed Brian once more with his steady gaze. "It's worth it. And if you
knew the full story, I know you'd agree with me." Without pausing so that Brian could
ask him what that meant, he moved towards Laur.
"Are you ok?" She whispered, touching his face. "Why did you do that?"
Rick sighed. "I meant to in the first place. But when I got here…"
Remembering Brian and Eli were both nearby, he stopped. "It's complicated. I can't tell
you here."
"Then lets go somewhere you can tell me," Laurel pleaded, worry
evident in her blue eyes.
Rick nodded. "I don't want to be here anymore, or I'll do something I'll
regret."
"So let's go." Laurel gabbled, wanting to get him out of the room before he
erupted. Grabbing his hand, she pulled him out of the door as quickly as she could. Rick
shot a backward glance at Eli as he left, still unable to believe what he'd seen.
Oblivious of Rick, Eli was watching Kevin. She'd never seen him so angry
before.
"…just like a child!" He roared, his green eyes blazing whirlpools of fury.
All of sudden he punched his fist into the wall. "GOD! Why do I always have to do this?
Ever since I've known you I've had to put a stop to your shit. You still act like a goddamn
kid Nick!"
"Yeah but I'm not one," Nick retorted. "You can't tell me what to do. It makes
me fucking sick the way you try and act like my dad when we're both adults now. We're
even the same fucking height!"
Nick swallowed hard, his act of bravado lost when Kevin moved towards
him menacingly. "I know you're older now, but don't EVER think 'cause you're as tall as
me that that's gonna stop me from throwing you over my shoulder and dumping your ass
in a cold shower until you cool off! If you can't grow up, then by God, I'll drag you up!"
Without further ado, he grabbed Nick by the scruff of the neck and hauled him out
of the room. Such was the force of his anger that Nick did not even try and struggle,
knowing Kevin could pound him into the ground any day.
Brian watched them go, the sound of their footsteps retreating down the hall
reverberating in his head, along with Rick's voice saying: "If you knew the full story,
I know you'd agree with me". Over and over the cryptic message played, until Brian
was entranced and gazing at a spot on the wall. What could it mean? Why would Brian
agree with someone whaling on his best friend? Brian had been through a lot with Nick,
and granted, it would be hard for their friendship to ever be the same. But he still cared
about him more than anything. Well, more than anything. Obviously there was his love
for music and then…well…there was Eli…His eyes widened. Eli? Was she something to
do with their argument? Rick didn’t know too much about him but one thing he could be
guaranteed to know was the depth of Brian's feelings for Eli. Brian made no secret of it.
The stillness descending upon the room suddenly hit him, and at that moment he realized
that he was alone- with Eli. After the horrors of the previous night, the last thing he
wanted was to face her again. The pieces of his broken heart still lay mercifully in her
hands, and it had now become painfully clear to him that she would never be his again.
And yet, he couldn't stop loving. Couldn't stop caring... If according to Rick, Brian would
agree to having Nick pulverized, then it no doubt it concerned Eli. But Eli wanted
nothing to do with him... Taking one reluctant step forward, he was about to exit when
his subconscious led him to turn on his heal instead. Suddenly his eyes fixed on the very
person who could put his mind at ease and answer his questions. There she stood, the
faint outline of her back visible through the dark as she stood motionlessly in the corner
of the room. At once, Brian didn't want to ask her. His heart lurched and began an
agonizing battle with his head about the best course of action to take. Ask her…don't ask
her…ask her…don't ask her…ask her…don't- "What happened?" He blurted, the words
finding their way from his confused brain and forcing themselves out of his mouth before
he knew what was happening. They pierced the silence and seemed to hang in the air,
awkwardly for a second. Brian wished he could take them back. The tension was so thick
in the room you could have cut it with a knife. Fortunately for him, she didn't seem to
hear. Breathing in deeply, he was about to leave again when a soft voice finally spoke.
"I don't know what's gotten in to him"
Not wishing to sound eager, he kept his words brief "Who? Rick?"
She shook her head grimly. "He wasn't supposed to see. I- I don't know what's
gotten in to him" she repeated solemnly.
Her head hanging low, she slowly turned towards him. Everything cheerful
that ever was in her had vanished, and Brian had to blink twice to make sure he was
seeing the right person. Her listless eyes locked in his, making him feel as though his
soul was being drained from his body. "He gets so- angry. So violent"
Brian was speechless. It was as though a light switched on in his head and all
the pieces suddenly fell in to place. He understood. "Did Nick hit- Did Nick hurt you?" he
demanded shortly, rage now surging through his veins.
Trapped in his gaze, Eli felt all her defenses give way as tears began to
glisten in her eyes. "He would never- He would never hurt..." But at that moment, all the
torment and agonizing pain she had been suppressing came crashing over her like a tidal
wave as a tremendous sob escaped her trembling lips.
She tried to speak, but her words only found themselves lost in her cries.
Outraged, Brian stepped up to her with outstretched arms just as her knees gave way.
Buckling under her weight, he gently lowered her to the ground as he fought to keep her
from collapsing.
Burying my face in the crook of his neck, I wrapped my arms tightly around
Brian's shoulders as the heaps of bundled up emotion continued to pour out of me. I just
couldn't take it any more. The lying-- the deceit-- the confusion-- It had all finally taken
its toll, and all I could do was wail incoherent words as torrent sobs racked through my
body.
"I'll kill him" Brian muttered bitterly.
Prompted back to reality, I quickly pulled away from him and stared in to his
eyes. They were teaming with rage. "Please" I begged "Please, Brian. Please just- Nick
loves me" I reasoned.
"WHAT?" Brian snapped, not believing what he was hearing "The son of a
bitch hit you, Eli! The fucking bastard hit you!" he bellowed, his ears turning red with
fury. "How can you even think of defending him?"
I shook my head vigorously "Brian" I pleaded, "Listen to me. Nick would
never hurt me. You don't understand..."
Brian looked as though he was about to blow "Don't understand?" he spat
venomously "What the hell is there to understand?"
"Nick would never hurt me" I assured him.
Still seething with anger and confusion, Brian glared at her wearily "Felicity,
what happened?" he asked shortly.
My mouth opened, then shut as the words caught in my throat. Suppressing
my tears, I attempted to keep my composure. Finally, I was able to speak "I was here-
writing" I bit my lip and looked away "Writing a letter to my family" I explained
shamefully. The thought alone filled my heart with remorse "Then Nick burst in..."
Wiping away a stray tear from my chin, I went on "...and he was angry. So angry. Yelling
about me lying to him, and then- then he saw what I was doing." Shutting my eyes, I saw
the scene replay eerily in my memory "That's when he lost it." I said softly "He tore the
paper apart and..." My eyes opened and locked in his "He would never hurt me, Brian" I
told him plainly "He loves me, Brian. He loves me"
Brian stared at Eli with stony resolution; uncertain as to whether he should
believe her or not. Perhaps Rick had just... jumped to conclusions? But his instinct told
him otherwise. Something was definitely wrong, and his gut was pointing an accusing
finger directly in Nick's direction.
I saw the look of cynicism smeared across Brian's face, and knew that I had
more convincing left to do if ever I wanted him to believe me. I had no choice but to lie
to him. He could never understand, and he already knew too much. I had to deal with
Nick on my own. How? Well that I had yet to discover, but if there was one thing I knew
for certain, it was that Nick needed me. The man had done so much for me already, there
was just no way I could turn my back on him now. By this time, my entire body had
become a bundle of nerves, and I couldn't bring myself to utter a single syllable.
Breaking down again, I let myself sink in to the safety of Brian's arms.
Brian held her protectively as he gently rocked her back and forth. It broke
his hear to see her like this.
"I just wish I could make it better" he whispered sympathetically in her ear.
Hearing his words, I slowly pulled away from him and looked in to his eyes.
"Oh Brian" I whimpered, my mouth curling in to a Monalisa smile "You have no
idea how much this means to me. How much-- How much you mean to me"
With their eyes mesmerized in one another, Brian cupped her trembling face
in his hands. Staring yearningly in to the depth of her blood-shot eyes, his thumb
delicately brushed away a tear from her flushed cheek. His finger continued to trail down
her jawbone until reaching her quivering lips. Moistening his own, his thumb nervously
grazed over hers as they both remained entranced in the moment.
Eli could hear or feel nothing but the deafening sound of her pulse drumming
in her ears combined with Brian's soft touch. She wondered how it could be possible for
something to feel so right, yet be so wrong.
"I love you" Brian murmured.
Without a second thought, Eli found herself leaning forward before pressing
her lips to his.
Tears sprung to Brian's eyes as he eagerly returned the embrace. Nothing
asides the pure bliss of the moment was registering in his brain.
The two kissed with more passion and resolution than ever, as their tongues
tenderly roamed each others mouths for what seemed like forever. Time held no
relevance, and the fact that they could be discovered at any second was insignificant.
Right then, nothing else in the world mattered- they had each other.
"... Maybe they're still in the room..."
Hearing a voice rapidly making its way towards them, Brian and Eli slowly
tore apart.
"There you are!" exclaimed Alyssa as she barged in to the room, completely
unaware of the scene that had just unfolded "Hun, you have to be on stage in 10."
Seeing as how the lights were off, all Alyssa could make out through the dimness
was the unmistakable outlines of Brian and Felicity's silhouettes.
Her sensible side assured her that Brian was surely only comforting Eli after that
little spat with Nick. However, her gut had a sneaky suspicion that she had just trespassed
in to very unstable waters.
"Uh, I'll see you in a minute then, all right?" she said quickly, just as soon
retreating from the room.
Still mute, I summoned up all my strength and got to my feet. I was shaking
like a leaf, but knew that I had to get out of there or else I would never forgive myself.
"Eli, wait"
Not baring to face him again, I kept my focus on the door ahead.
Brian's voice was shaky "Eli, I..."
Suppressing the lump building in her throat, she spoke "Brian..." she said
firmly, "This never happened"
Feeling as though the wind had been knocked out of he, he watched in
dismay as she strode out of the room, not once looking back.
A very special THANK YOU goes out to the
multi-talented Alyssa
Morgan, without whom's help I would never have been able to finish this chapter.
Luv ya loads ;)
