“Wow, we did a lot. Got your truck in no time. It was a good deal. Not that you need a good deal with all that money you have,” Kelly said laughing. Madison punched her friend in the arm. Kelly kept bugging her, “The checkout guy was drooling over you. He probably would have given the car free to you. Maybe he saw your new billboard over there on 96th and he was imagining you in your underwear!!!!!!” Madison socked her again and laughed, “Yeah, maybe you’re right. But at least I got a car now and won’t have to take the bus. Let’s go to breakfast.” “All right. Let’s go.” Madison got into her rented Toyota 4 runner and Kelly got back into her Jeep. She opened her window as Madison rolled down hers, “Let’s head over to Sally’s. Just follow me.” The girls pulled out of the car rental store and back onto the highway. Ten minutes later they pulled into Sally’s diner. They sat down at a booth in the corner. For a while nobody said anything. Madison spoke up first, “Kelly, what’s up girl? You’re so quiet. Did you sleep in and forget to run?” Madison said jokingly. Kelly didn’t answer. Madison tried again, “I’m sorry Ri. Really is something wrong?” “No, no I’m fine. Just tired. My run went fine.” Madison knew it wasn’t, but dropped the subject. Just then their waitress came. “What can I get you two lovely ladies?” At the same time both girls answered, “PANCAKES!!” The waitress smiled and wrote down the order and left. While they waited they chatted. Kelly asked Madison what the show was going to be like on Wednesday. Madison answered, “Oh you know. The normal. Lots of skinny women and flashy clothes. Lots of hoidy toidy people watching. It’s a lot of fun though. I love it and I can’t complain. Although…” Madison stopped. “What?” Kelly asked. “Oh, it’s just that I guess I am kind of lonely. My parents and I still don’t get on well. I get tired of hanging out with all the models. I just kind of miss a man’s set of arms around me, ya know?” Kelly smiled and said, “I know what you mean. I haven’t even gone a date, except with Austin and nothing happens there.” Madison interrupted her, “Oh God. I forgot about him. I haven’t talked to him for like three months. Last I did he was dating that snotty Natalie chick. How is Austin? Cocky as ever I bet.” Kelly answered, “He’s great. He’s turning out to be a wonderful doctor. Natalie is way gone. He dates around, but nothing ever comes out of it. We’ll definitely have to go out with him while we’re all three in town together.” “Definitely,” Madison answered. Their waitress came around with hot steaming plates of pancakes and warm syrup. The girls ate hungrily. Kelly brought up a new subject, “Well, I know you have great plans to get me a new life, but we can’t go out clubbing and partying every night. We have to do something more. Maybe the opera or the ballet? Hmm?” Madison looked up from her plate and rolled her big blue eyes, “Yeah right. Okay, maybe one of those, but definitely not both of them in the same week.” Both girls laughed and finished up their plates. As they were getting ready to leave Kelly looked out of the café’s window. “Look Madison. Look how much it’s snowing. Do you think we should still go look for that dress? God, it’s snowing hard!!” Madison turned and looked, but not before noticing Kelly’s plate. She had left almost half of the pancakes. She decided to not say anything. “Give up shopping for snow. No way. Let’s go.” They paid their bill and left. The girls went to the cars and both of them unlocked their doors and shivered as they got into the cold vehicles. Kelly got back out with her brush and began brushing all the windows off. Madison rolled down her window and looked at Kelly oddly, “What are you doing girl? You’ll freeze to death.” Kelly looked at her friend, “Hey lazy ass. I don’t want to die. I can’t even see out of the windows.” Madison looked out of her front window of the 4 runner. “You’re right. Could you do mine?” Just then Kelly rolled up a handful of snow and chucked at Madison. Madison rolled up her window. Kelly gave up and wiped all of her friend’s windows clean. She shook of her brush and got back into her car. Madison rolled down her window. Kelly had her’s down already waiting to see where they were going to look for a dress. Madison spoke first. “Hey. I may be a visitor here now, but I still remember all the good places to find clothes. Follow me.” They rolled up their windows and drove off towards downtown.
An hour later…
“Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I thought you said you knew where to get clothes still. What am I going to wear?” Kelly asked worriedly. “There’s only a couple days and I won’t have time to find one. God, we looked all over the place.” Madison reassured her, “All the stores are cheap here. Why don’t they have anything fancy?” Both girls got quite and sat down on one of the stores benches. After a few minutes Madison spoke up, “I know what we’ll do!! After rehearsals today I’ll ask the costume designer if I can borrow one of the dresses for the show. We never display them all and I’m sure they would let you borrow one. It’s good for publicity to see other people wear the clothes. It’s perfect. I’ll ask her right after rehearsals.” Kelly jumped up and hugged her friend. “Thank you so much. You’re the best.” Kelly calmed down and looked at her watch. “Man, I have got to go or else I’ll be really late to the hospital. I won’t be home until 9 or so tonight. So if you’re hungry don’t wait up for me. Oh, and be thinking of some stuff that we can do this month,” Kelly said. Madison answered, “Rehearsals aren’t done till eight, so we’ll be home right after each other. See you tonight.” The girls walked out of the mall arm in arm. They brushed their cars off again and Madison got in her Four Runner and headed into the city for her rehearsals.
Kelly shut the door in her Jeep and rested her head on the headrest. “I should have told Madison about this morning. If she’s home alone I don’t want someone harassing her. It’s bad enough someone is doing it to me. What if someone comes back thinking its me? O well. I can’t do anything now.” Kelly started the car and drove back onto the highway. She turned on the radio and the DJ came on “Well, well, well all you lovely ladies. Are you ready? Yes, they are finally here. The BSB are in town. You got it. The Backstreet Boys. Be on the lookout for them. Their soldout concerts begin next week on Monday. That’s right. SOLDOUT!!! But we have two tickets for…” Kelly changed the station. “Man, first this morning on ESPN and now all over the radio. Who are these guys? That would have been fun to go to maybe, but then why would two grown women want to hang out with a bunch of screaming teeny boppers. I wouldn’t know their music or them from John Bob. Oh well.” Kelly hummed along with Elton John’s The Way You Look Tonight, but the song ended and a new one came on. It was the Backstreet Boys song, “Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely.” Kelly didn’t change the station this time and listened to the song and continued on to the hospital. “I wonder who sings this? I like this.” The song completed and the DJ came on. “That was the Backstreet Boy’s new song. You know they’re here next week for their concert…” “I can’t believe this. Backstreet,Backstreet, Backstreet. Maybe the big man upstairs is trying to tell me something. That or fate,” Kelly said shaking her head.