'BACKSTREET BOYS TURN INTO SUPERHEROES AND KILL EVIL ALIENS', Josephine read from the cover of a tabloid while waiting in line at the grocery store checkout. There was an obviously doctored picture and the subtitle, 'Las Vegas witness tells all!'
She snorted and started putting her items on the conveyor belt.
*** *** *** *** ***
"Mmm," Nick grunted the next morning while looking in the bathroom mirror. The left side of his face was purple and bruised all along his cheekbone. It must have happened when he fell, although he didn't remember any pain in his face. But how would he explain it?
"Ran into a door" was the first thing to cross his mind.
He grunted again.
After he appeared in a Detroit concert with the bruise, which couldn't be covered by makeup, a persistent rumour that he'd been in a drunken brawl started. Jay Leno asked him how it had really happened.
"I actually managed to run into a door," he said, and then grinned. "But really, I got it fighting those evil aliens in Las Vegas. Almost died," he added gravely.
The talk show audience dissolved into laughter.
*** *** *** *** ***
"Jo?"
"Yeah?"
She was outside on break with Stuart. It was 7:15 in the morning and cold.
"How come I never hear about your friends? Or your family, or a boyfriend?"
She didn't let herself say 'I don't have any'. That would win her his sympathy and when she had to leave without warning, he'd get hurt, although she was sure he'd be hurt now. She wasn't going to do that to anyone. And it would make him ask too many questions.
"You mean I haven't said anything about them?" She forced a convincing laugh. She had become far too good at lying, but only out of necessity. "I don't get along too well with my parents, so that's why I moved out. My best friend is Jessica, and my boyfriend is"- she paused almost imperceptibly- "Nick. He's really nice." I'm sorry, Stuart, I really am. You'll never know how sorry.
"Are you guys serious?"
"You mean like gonna' get married?"
"Yeah."
She furrowed her brow. "I don't know. We've never talked about that."
"How long have you been seeing him?"
"Feels like I've known him for a thousand years."
*** *** *** *** ***
"Kevin," Nick whispered.
"What?" Kevin responded, sounding irritated. They were backstage with fans that had won radio station contests.
"Don't you think that girl over there looks kind of weird?" He pointed when he thought no one was looking.
"That is so rude- oh, you mean weird like that." She was not entirely transparent like the Las Vegas woman, and blended in much better, but every now and then her body seemed to shimmer like a hologram. Her nervous smile was a perfect match to those around her.
"We can't do anything," Nick said. "Not here. Not with everyone around."
Kevin frowned.
"Oh my God," a thirteen year-old said to her friend. "Kevin's so dark and brooding and... AAHHH!"
The boys were rather uneasy while talking to their fans, their eyes flicking back to the strange girl.
"Ugh," one girl said. "Look at them drooling over that slutty girl over there."
"Those are so not possibly real."
Brian saw the girl approach him, eyes shining with joy. And it was all fake.
I wonder how many of our fans are aliens. He grinned. Maybe hardly any humans actually like us.
Whatever their fan base, he knew he couldn't do anything about her prescence there, and he let her hug him enthusiastically, nearly breaking his ribs.
"Omigod, omigod, omigod! Hi! You are so fine! How are you?"
"I'm. . . fine. How are you?"
"Oh God, I am incredible. It is so great to meet you. Could you sign this?"
"Sure. What's your name?"
"Umm...Alina!"
"That's a pretty name." He scrawled a personalized signature on the poster she'd handed him.
"Oh, you're so sweet! How's your girlfriend?" she asked, referring to Leighanne.
"Good, thanks." Actually, he wasn't sure how things were between them. Leighanne had been so quiet lately. He couldn't think of anything he'd done wrong.
"You have the absolutely bestest voice I have ever heard!"
Brian blushed. "Well, thank you-"
"And you're so modest... eek!" She threw her arms around him again before kissing his cheek, exclaiming "Bye! I love you!", and bouncing off to find the next available Backstreet Boy.
Maybe some of them were trying to fit in and not take over. Either way, this was not the time or the place to do anything about it.
*** *** *** *** ***
Alina's question had prompted Brian to think about Leighanne. After their concert he made a point of visiting her hotel room. He was afraid that she had someone else, but when she opened the door she was alone, in a nightgown.
"Hi." She hugged him close. He hugged her back and smelled her blond hair. The shampoo she used made it smell like kiwi. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to talk to you."
Her face darkened. Those weren't usually promising words.
"May I come in?"
"Oh, yes, of course! I'm sorry."
He stepped inside, walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge. She followed him and sat down a foot (a thousand miles) away from him.
"You've been quiet lately and... I don't know... withdrawn? Yeah, that's the word, withdrawn. Is anything wrong? Did I do anything wrong?"
She smiled and to him, it was like the sun rising. "No, you didn't. No one did. I've just felt a little distracted lately, although I'm not sure by what."
"So everything's okay?"
"Yeah."
He hugged her, then kissed her softly on the mouth before he stood. "I have to go. Goodnight."
"'Night. I love you."
He smiled at her. "I love you too, Leighanne." Then he was gone.
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