Chp 20
~Chapter 20~
They didn't emerge until the next night. Toni and AJ came out of his room laughing hand in hand. Denise smiled as she passed by.
"What are you two so happy about?"
AJ looked at Toni and winked at her.
"Nothing. Just that I had the most wonderful day of my life!"
"Really? That's so sweet!"
"Mom, I spent the whole day with her!"
"That's great!"
"You don't understand! I was with her the WHOLE day! It's the equivalent of spending the night in her room, if I were human and if it was HER room!"
"I don't get it."
"He slept with me," Toni said calmly.
They both looked at her shocked. They weren't expecting that. Especially from her.
"What?!"
She started laughing.
"No, he slept with me! Literally! As in the both of us slept in the same bed the whole day! You know 'zzzzzzzzz'?!"
"Oh."
Denise was relieved. AJ was grinning. Toni was dying of laughter.
"My gosh! You have a dirty mind!" she wheezed.
Denise blushed, which made AJ start cracking up.
"I-I-I think I'll go now, excuse me," Denise stated then went downstairs.
"Oh, I'm sorry, AJ! I didn't mean to embarrass your mother like that!"
"No, Toni, that was great!"
"No, I think I should go apologize to her."
"Don't worry about it," he said as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "You have more important things to do."
"Really? Like what?"
"Like me."
"AJ! You're the raunchiest man alive, you know that?!" she laughed.
"I'm not alive, baby. I'm dead."
"Whatever. Listen, I have to go freshen up, ok?"
"Ok."
"AJ, I can't do that unless you let go of me!"
"Aw, come on, Toni! You look fine!"
"Well, I don't feel fine! Now, excuse me." She removed his hands from her waist and locked herself in the bathroom. AJ snickered to himself and went downstairs. His mom was watching TV in the living room.
" *sigh* Women. Can't live with them. Can't live without them," AJ commented as he entered the living room.
"What was that, Alexander?" Denise said in a mock warning tone.
"Nothing, mommy," he replied meekly as he plopped down beside her. "Watcha watchin?"
"Jenny Jones…makeovers for freaks. I think we should call."
"Really? I didn't know you knew any freaks."
She looked at him and smirked.
"Wait a second. You mean me, don't you."
" *lol* I was just kidding. I wouldn't change you for all the money in the world!" she said then gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"Oh, Mom, please! Aren't you supposed to be in bed or something?"
"I'm not tired. Oh, by the way, Jane called."
"Jane called?! Really?! How's Nick?! How's the group going?!"
"They're doing fine. Really well, actually! They're going to perform at Grad Night in Sea World! They even came up with a name!"
"No way! That is SO cool! What's their name?!"
"Something street boys---back---backstreet---the Backstreet Boys? Yeah, the Backstreet Boys. That's their name."
"Backstreet Boys? How did they come up with that?"
"They named themselves after the Orlando Backstreet Market. You know that place where all the kids used to hang out that's not there anymore?"
"Oh yeah! Cool!"
"Yeah. Jane invited me to go see them, but I refused."
"You refused?! Why?!"
Denise looked at the ground.
"Well, I-I know how much the group meant to you and I didn't think it would be right if I went to see them when you weren't in it."
"Mom! Go! Go see them! Don't worry about me, I'm fine with it!"
"Are you sure?"
"Totally! If I could go I would!"
"Well, why can't you?"
"Mom, in case you didn't know, everyone thinks I'm dead. If I show up at the performance, they'll all have a heart attack!"
"Well, they don't have to know! You fly, don't you? You can watch from up in the beams! No one will see you! No one would know you were there!"
"Hey, you're right! I'm going! Yay! It's going to be great to see my buds again! Even if they don't see me."
"Of course, dear."
AJ thought for a moment. He grew somber.
"Mom?" he asked quietly. "Did they find a new guy? You know, to replace me?"
Denise put her arm around him and nodded her head.
"No. It's just Nick, Kevin, Brian, and Howie. They decided to keep it a quartet. They told me no one can or will ever take your place. You've got tough shoes to fill, kid."
"Three tenors and a bass…that's quite an arrangement they've got there! Can't wait to hear how it sounds!" laughed AJ as he perked up relieved to know that his 'brothers' didn't betray him.
"I'm sure they'll work something out."
"Yeah, Howie will probably do the falsettos, while Nick takes tenor 1 and Brian leads as tenor 2. Kevin, no doubt, will be bass. It'll all work out. Is this their first major gig?"
"I don't know."
"When is it?"
"Next week. Wednesday night."
"Alright. Count me in. Wow! I'm like so happy for them! My buds might actually become famous and I'll get to say I knew them when! Even though I won't get a piece of the pie, I really hope they make it. I really do. They deserve it."
Denise was so proud of him. He was taking it all so maturely and well. She was afraid to tell him before and almost didn't because she didn't want to break his heart. But now she was glad she did.
"It's going to be a great show, I'm sure. They've worked really hard. I mean, it would've been better if you were in the group, too…"
"Mom, there's no need to suck up. I'm fine. And maybe I can still make it! Entertain the vamps! Become the world's first pop star of the undead! I'll make all the little vampirettes swoon! Hehe."
" *lol* "
"Anyway, have you seen Val? I've been meaning to talk to her for a while now."
"Actually, she left the second the sun went down in a hurry."
"Again?! And she didn't tell me anything?! Grrrrrrrr!"
"Relax, AJ, don't take it personally. I'm sure it's nothing."
"Well, I'm going to stay up all night and day if that's what it takes to talk to her. That woman is unreachable!"
"Don't wear yourself out. Good night, hon."
"Nighty night, Mom. Don't let the bed bugs bite!"
"The only biting I have to worry about being done here is yours!" she laughed as she got up. AJ looked at her with a fake offended expression.
"Mom, I'm shocked! You don't trust me?!"
"I'm just kidding."
She went upstairs to get ready for bed. AJ switched off the TV and just sat there, thinking. Gentle steps were coming from the stairs. It was Toni. She walked behind AJ and wrapped her arms around his neck, whispering into his ear.
"What are you doing?"
"Just thinking---Toni, stop! You're tickling me!" he laughed. She chuckled and jumped onto his lap.
"Really? About what?"
"About stuff. How would you like to visit your clan for a week?"
"What?"
"Well, you've been away from them for a long time and I know how important you are to them. Especially your brother. I don't want them to think you've left them for me. Go back. Spend time with them. Only for a week. I'll pay for your air plane trip there and back."
She got off his lap and looked at him with her hands on her hips.
"Wait a second! Just a few minutes ago you couldn't keep your hands off me and whined about me going to the bathroom! And now you're offering to pay for me to go half way around the world?! Why are you trying to get rid of me all of a sudden?!"
"Toni, I'm not trying to get rid of you! I'm just suggesting a relaxing week back at your home for spending quality time with your family who's loved and cared for you for over two centuries! I'm not forcing you, I mean it's up to you. You wanna go? Go. You wanna stay? Stay."
She eyed him suspiciously.
"AJ, what are you up to?"
He laughed. "I'm not up to anything! What? I can't be nice and generous without being suspected of being up to something?!"
Toni thought about it.
"Well, I do miss them…a lot. And I am a little homesick…"
"Yeah, that's what I'm saying! Go!"
"Are you sure?"
"It's up to you, babe."
"I wanna go, but…"
"What?"
"I'll feel bad about making you pay for it! I can sneak onto an air plane!"
"Toni, don't worry about it! Think of it as a gift from me to you."
"A gift for what?"
"For always being there for me during the hard times and for giving me the loving I thought I'd never have."
"Aww, AJ." She hugged him. "You are TOO perfect, you know that?"
"I try."
"I'm gonna miss you!" she whined.
"Toni! It's going to be only for a week! Unless you want to stay longer or something…"
"No, a week's fine. Thank you, sweetie." She gave him a tender peck on the lips.
"No problem. And just so you don't get to lonely for me, I'll let you take some pictures of me," he said grinning.
"That'd be great!"
"But only on one condition," he added.
"What?"
"That I get to have some pictures of you."
"Oh, AJ, I'm sorry. That's impossible."
"Why?"
"You know how we don't have reflections? Well, we don't show up on film either."
"Are you serious? That sucks!"
"I'm afraid so. Sorry."
"Doh! Oh well, I guess I'll just have to do without you for a week then."
"I guess I'll have to do without you for a week, too."
"No, you don't. You can still take my pics. I'll give you the most recent ones before my change. I was human once, you know."
"Oh yeah. I keep forgetting that you're ONLY twenty-one. Whoa! Talk about me robbing the cradle!" she laughed.
"That's alright, darling. I looove older women," he snickered.
"Hehehe. When am I leaving?"
"Tomorrow night ok with you?"
"That's fine. I'll go pack."
She started walking away but then she turned around, jumped on him, and gave him another big wet kiss.
"Thank you thank you thank you thank you! *kiss* I love you! *kiss* You're the best boyfriend in the world! I love you so much!"
" *lol* I love you, too, Toni Tone! Now go pack already!"
She giggled and bounded up the stairs happily. Seeing her happy made AJ happy. But AJ didn't feel that happy. He had lied to her. He didn't suggest that trip just out of the goodness of his heart. There was another reason he wanted her out of here. One that she definitely wouldn't like. A reason that he didn't want to tell her and probably wouldn't ever have the chance to.
Chp 20
Chp 19
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