“Who’s the idiot who left these bags in front of the door?”
Angelina asked as she woke me up. She
was picking herself off the floor so I supposed she must have tripped over
them. “Why didn’t you just take them to
the bus.”
“Woops…sorry,” I said sitting up on the bed. “The idiot would be me. I didn’t think anyone would be coming
through that door anytime soon. The
tour bus isn’t here yet. Yvonne said
they’d be here around two-thirty to three.”
I lifted my wrist to look at my watch.
“Aren’t you back a bit early?” I asked her. I had slept for two hours.
It was only a little pass lunchtime.
“Yeah, I am.” She said.
. “Since it was only my set, I nailed
it the first time, and we did it once more after that and I was free to enjoy
the rest of my day.”
“Cool,” I said. “Don’t bother, its empty.” I told her as she made her way to our little
refrigerator.
“Ugh! I’m starving. C’mon,
lets go downstairs and get some lunch.”
She said to me.
“Ok,” I said getting up from the bed and walking over to the small
dresser with the mirror and tying up my hair in a ponytail. “Lets go.”
This time, Angelina’s lunch was much lighter than yesterday. She had a chicken salad, with Italian dressing,
while I had a chicken wrap with french fries.
She was telling me about how after their press conference, AJ went over
and met Lina at the venue and stayed with her while she rehearsed.
“Awwe.” I said. “That’s so
sweet of him.”
“Yeah, isn’t it?” She said
with a kool-aid smile.
“Ok Lina, so what’s up between you two?” I asked her.
“You mean with AJ?” She
asked, pretending to be subliminal to what I was saying.
“Duh AJ.” I said with a huge smile too. “Lina look at you. You are blushing at the mere mention of his
name.” I teased her. “Since when does a guys get to you like
that?”
“Since his name is AJ McLean.”
She said blushing even redder.
“Oh my God, you’re right. I
can’t get him out of my head. Today
while we were getting back to the hotel, he told me he really likes me, and he
thought I was hott!”
I smiled. “What did you
say?” I asked her.
She shrugged. “I don’t
know, I told him I liked him too, and he was pretty hott.”
I laughed.
“What?!?” she asked.
“He’s really gotten to you, girl.
You don’t usually trip over yourself like this.” I said to her.
“I told you he isn’t just another guy. He’s different. I don’t
know, more mature or…”
“Experienced.” I said
cutting in. He was. All five of them were in fact.
“Yeah.” She said agreeing
with me. “Anyways, I always thought AJ
was the hottie of the group. He’s
always been my fave.”
A staggered smile spread across my face. “What are you talking about?
You always use to like Brian.”
“Um, no I didn’t.”
“Uh, yes you did.”
“Noooo, it’s always been AJ.”
She said.
“Yessss, remember, you almost got that tattoo ring on your ankle
saying B-rok- 4-eva.”
“Well I didn’t.”
“Well that’s just cause your stepmom found out, and went down to
the tattoo parlor in her robe and hair curlers.” I said laughing.
“Oh God! Don’t remind me.
That’s was so embarrassing. I
got grounded for like a month.” She
said starting to laugh.
“I know, my dad wanted to kill me just for going with you.” I told her.
“Yeah well, that was just a teenage craze thing for Brian.” She
sighed. “I feel something completely
different for AJ.”
“Yeah, I know.” I assured
her.
I was about to ask her if she was feeling better about tonight’s
performance, when I saw Lina smile, and a pair of hands went over my eyes
making everything go black.
“Guess who?” The familiar
voice said.
“Um…let me see,” I said playfully. “Is it Howie?”
“Nope its not Howie. Try
again.”
“Kevin?” I guessed.
“No, but you’re getting warmer.”
“Oh I know, Madd Dogg.” I
joked. I heard Angelina giggle, and someone else laugh.
“No, let me give you a clue.”
He brought on one of his impersonations, and began, “I’m cute, loveable,
and I don’t wear pants. Who am I?”
“A dork.” I heard the
distinct voice of Nick say. It made
Angelina and I laugh.
“Hush up blonde boy.”
Brian continued in his Donald Duck impression. “Let the beautiful girl concentrate.”
“Oh wait, I know who it is.”
I said. “Is it Donald?”
He immediately uncovered my eyes, and placed a small, quick kiss
on my cheek leaving a red mark on them from my blushing. “Yup, that’s me.” He continued in his Duck voice. “ I knew you could do it.” Then he turned to Angelina and extended his
hand. “Hi, the names Duck. Donald Duck. Nice to meet you toots.”
She took his hand, but couldn’t utter a word from how hard she was
laughing.
“Brian you’re and idiot. I
swear, you should have been a clown or something.” Nick said a bit too seriously making Angelina and I stop laughing.
She took a sip of her coke, while giving me the same bewildered look I was
giving her.
“Don’t mind him.” Brian
said whispering in my ear, loud enough for Lina and Nick to hear. “He just got rejected by the pretty redhead
out in the lobby.”
“Shut up, Brian.” Was all
Nick could counter, making Brian laugh.
Lina and I were just not following where this was going, but Brian
took a seat next to me, and Nick sat suspiciously next to Lina.
“Oh look,” Nick said indicating towards Kevin, Howie and AJ who
entered the Café.
“Hey what’s up?” Howie
asked when they reached our table.
“Nothing.” Nick said. “Just hanging out.”
“Cool…” Kevin said. Then they all took a seat. “Guess they didn’t keep you long at the
venue.”
“Nope. We did it twice,
and then they were like ok you’re ready you can leave now.” Lina told us.
“Do you think you’re ready?”
Kevin asked her.
“Yes, I do. I swear, I
won’t be puking over anyone anymore.”
She looked over apologetically at AJ.
“Don’t worry about it.” He
mouthed back to her.
She smiled at AJ, as Kevin began to tell us how one time he almost
puked right on stage. He had the flu
and wasn’t feeling very well. While he was telling us this, Angelina took a
drink of her coke, then made a disgusted face, making us turn our attention
towards her, as she sprayed it back out, and all over me.
“Ugh, LINA!” I yelled as I
shot up from my seat.
“Well, someone spoke to soon.”
Brian quipped, and he and Nick started to laugh hysterically.
“Well, at least this time it wasn’t me.” AJ said, joining in their laughter.
“My soda is fucking hot!”
She yelled back at me.
“What are you talking about?”
I asked as I took a napkin wiping the soda off my sweater.
“Not hot as in boiling, hot as in scorching.” She said. Taking a drink of my water. This made Nick and Brian laugh even harder.
Kevin and Howie looked at each other and Kevin took Lina’s coke
cup, and held it up to his nose. “No
wonder, someone put hot sauce in your coke.
I wonder who could be that stupid?”
He asked sarcastically looking over at Nick and Brian.
“We’re sorry Angelina.”
Nick began, trying to hold a straight face. We were just kidding around.”
But his apology didn’t last very long when Brian looked over at him with
the same straight face, bringing on the laughter again.
“Ha, ha, ha. You two are
just so funny.” Angelina said.
“Naw, for real.” Brian
said calming down. “We’re sorry. Now you are officially initiated Into
the Millennium tour.”
“Yeah,” Nick said. “No
hard feelings?”
Lina rolled her eyes.
“C’mon be nice.” Nick
said. “I’ll even go get you another coke.”
He extended his hand as a peace offering.”
“Fine,” Angelina said pretending she had to force it out, but
instead of taking his hand, she placed her cup in it. “Make it a Sprite this time ok.”
We all laughed as Nick reluctantly got up and went to the counter.
“So…” Angelina said trying to change the subject. “How did your press conference go?”
“Same old thing.” Howie
said. “Bunch of reporters in one room
asking the same question over and over.”
“Well, I’m kinda nervous about my first conference. Yvonne said it would be once we get to New
York. I was suppose to have one before
I began the tour, but it never happened.”
“Don’t worry, it’s not a big deal.” AJ said.
“Yeah,” Nick said coming from behind, and placing the cup next to
Lina.
“Thanks.” She said.
“I owed you.” He said and sat down, then restarted the
conversation. “Press conferences are
not so bad, and they are way much better than interviews, I think.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Cuz, ok. Like in a press conference they ask you a whole bunch of
questions, but anyone of us can answer it.
And the questions are usually about your career, and where it’s headed
and where do you want it to go. On an
interview, they ask you some stupid ass questions, like what’s your favorite
color, or of course…” he said rolling his eyes. “Do you have a girlfriend?
And they usually direct these questions to me.”
“Awwe…” Brian said reaching over to pinch Nick’s cheek. “That’s just cuz you’re so cute.
Nick playfully smacked his hand away. “Cut it out, man.”
RING…went a cell phone.
All five guys looked for theirs to see if it was them.
“It’s mine. Hello?” AJ said.
“Yo...how’d you get my number…What?!?…Now you want a favor?…Do I look
like a paging service to you?” Brian
chuckled and Nick laughed as he mumbled paging service to himself. “You can’t just be calling me up to ask me
for things…This is a private number…First of all you shouldn’t be having it…So
what, if I gave it to you myself” he said laughing. “It should only be used for emergencies….Next time you call I
ain’t picking up…Oh really, and what you plan to do about it…No, no, no, no. Don’t do that….Ok fine, I’ll tell them, just don’t tell my
mommy.” He turned to Lina and me as the
guys all laughed. “Hey. Yvonne said to meet her out back. The bus is here.”
“Does she want us to get our stuff from upstairs” I asked.
“No, she already had someone do that. Just meet her behind the hotel.”
Then he turned back to his phone.
“See, happy now, they know. Now
go away….Yeah, yeah. You know you love
me…bye.” And he closed his phone.
“You know, she’s going to kill you when she sees you.” Howie said.
“Naw, she loves me.” AJ
said. Then laughed.
“Ok. So I guess I’ll see
you guys tonight. Later.” Angelina
said.
“Bye.” I said as we walked
away. We heard a few byes and later
come from the table.
When we were past the Café doors, and half way down the lobby,
Brian came running from behind.
“Isabelle!” He
yelled. “Wait up.”
We stopped and waited for him.
“Hey,” I said when he caught up.
“Hey.” He said and smiled.
I smiled back and waited for him to say something. “Well?”
I finally said when he wouldn’t begin.
“Oh um, you’re going to be there tonight. Right?” He looked over at Lina, who was impatiently
waiting.
“Yeah,” I said. “Remember,
I promised.”
He smiled. “Yeah, you
did.” He was looking directly into my
eyes, his intensity beginning to alarm me.
Then he whispered. “I promised too, Belle.”
“Alright. I’ll see you
tonight then.” I said beginning to back
away. “Later Brian.”
“Later.” He said and
turned around going back to his friends.
“What was that about?”
Lina asked me.
“I have no idea.” I half
lied.
“Well anyways, you gotta help me.” She said.
“With what?”
“Getting those two idiots back.”
“What two idiots.” I
asked. “Brian and Nick?”
“No the other two idiots.”
She said sarcastically. “Yeah
them, Isa.”
“Oh, what did you have in mind?”
I asked knowing how Lina’s mind worked.
“You’ll see…”
she said. “I’ll tell you after we’re
done with Yvonne.