Summer Darkness
Summer Darkness
Stephanie entered the lobby of the Hotel room. She walked quickly over to the service counter hoping no one would notice her.
"May I help you Ma'm?" the clerk asked without looking up from her magazine.
"Yeah," said Stephanie in an exasperated voice, "I need to know the room that Jonathan Davis is staying in."
"Oh," said the clerk, "we cant do that, I'm sorry."
"He's expecting me" she said,"My name is Stephanie."
"OK, let me check." the clerk said as if she were very annoyed that this messed up girl had interrupted her reading.
Stephanie looked around nervously as the clerk shuffled through some papers laying on her desk.
"Ok, he's in room 507." said the clerk and quickly went back to reading her magazine, hoping the girl would just leave her alone.
"Thanks" said Stephanie as she all but ran to the elevator.
She pushed the button for floor number five and nervously tried fiddled with her dress and tried to fix the strap that had broken. When the elevator stopped she hurried out and down the hall. At room 507 she stopped.
"Oh God" she thought,"please answer, someone please answer." as she gently knocked on the door. She glanced around nervously and was about to try again when the handle slowly turned and the door opened to reveal a very stunned Fieldy.
"Steph? Is that you?" he asked surprised.
"Yeah...I really need to talk to Jonathan." she blurted out, crying.
"What the fuck happened to you?" Fieldy asked, concerned. She had obviously been crying fo hours, there was dirt on her legs and feet. Her dress was ripped and she was missing a strap as well as her shoes.
He put an arm around her to try and comfort her but she tensed up and he immeadiately withdrew his arm. She didn't move.
"Hold on, I'll get him." he said and wlked back into the room. He returned a moment later with Jonathan and David.
"Steph, where've you been? We were...Steph, Oh my God, what happened to you?! Jonathan exclaimed. He attempted to put a hand on her shoulder but she backed away from him with a look of panicked terror in her eyes. He recoiled instantly.
"What the Hell" he thought "she's not like this. She won't even let me touche her."
"I need a place to stay for a while..." she said "...I didn't know where to go..."
"I've got an extra bed in my room, someone can board with me and you can have their room." David said helpfully.
"That sounds good to me" said Jon "Steph, you can have my room and I'll stay with David."
Stephanie said quietly, "I don't how to thank you..."
"Well, we'll talk about it later, do whatever you need to do and I'll clear my stuff out. After that you can tell us what happened." Said Jon as he wiped away one of her tears.
*********************************************
Stephanie stepped out of the shower 20 minutes later, still feeling like she was going to be sick.
When she had gotten into the clothes Jon had left for her (a KoRn T-Shirt and a pair of his pants he never wore) she went over to David's room and walked inside. They were all sitting on a huge circular couch.
"Sit down, hun, tell us what happened." Said Munky supportively.
She walked over and sat down in between Jon and Fieldy, but carefully avoided touching either of them.
"I'm not sure where to start," she said "but I'll try to start form the beginning. This morning, a guy I know from school called me and asked if I wanted to go see a movie with him. I said sure, we'd been out before with some friends.
When I got into his car this afternoon, he was really nice, opened the door for me, You know, that kind of thing. Anyway, we went to see the movie and he was a perfect gentleman the whole time. When we left he said he needed to stop at his house to get something before he took me home."
They guys all looked at each other knowingly, this was a tactic used by many guys (including themselves) that was meant to get a girl into your house, which often led to other things...
"When we got to his house," she continued,"he told me to come in and sit down and have a drink. After we had talk for a while, he slid closer to me. He put his hand on my leg and started kissing me and telling me how much he had been attracted to me since the first time we met.
He started to unbutton my dress and I thought 'Wha the hell am I doing? I don't want my first time to be with someone I hardly know.' I pusehd himn away but he kept trying to kiss me and touch me. Finally I told him I had to leave and I would just take a cab.
When I got up, he grabbed my arm and told me that I wasn't going anywhere. His eyes looked like the eyes of a wild animal...I barely recognized him. He threw me back down onto the couch and started punching and hitting me in the face. Then he ripped my dress off. I was almost unconsious but I managed to kick him in the balls. He doubled over in pain so I grabbed my dress and stumbled out of his house and down the street. Somehow I managed to get back into my dress.
I kept walking until I got home but when I got there his car was parked outside so I ran here, to the hotel you said you'd be staying at. And I just...I can't...I don't know what to do!!!" she cried as she buried her face in her hands. She was sobbing uncontrollably by this time.
The guys just stared at her and each other and back at her again, disbelievingly.
"Holy shit." said David quietly.
"She's been through Hell and back." thought Jon. He thought about putting his arm around her to comfort her but then thought "No wonder she won't let us touch her."
So instead he said, "Come on, let me take you back to your room, you're going to need a lot of sleep."
"All right" she said as she stood up. Her face was tear streaked and pale. She said good night to all the guys and followed Jon back to her room.
He watched silently as she slid back the covers and slipped silently into the bed. He slowly walked over to her and covered her with the heavy blankets. He touched her arm, experimentally. She froze but she didn't pull away.
"Are you going to be OK?" he asked in a whisper. She thought about it and then replied, "In time, probably I will, but right now i just don't want to be alone. Jon, I'm scared, I've never been this scared in my entire life." She was crying again and he looked at her intently.
"You don't have to be, let me stay with you tonight." he said.
"What do you mean?" she asked, looking as if she were ready to bolt at any second.
"Let me sleep with you." he said quietly. Her eyes shot open and she tried to pull away from him but he held onto her.
"What the Hell?" she yelled at him and struggled to get away.
"No," he said firmly,"really, JUST sleep. I won't touch you, I promise. You just shouldn't be alone right now."
She relaxed visibly and hesitantly slid over so he would have room to sleep. He slid into the bed and kissed her on the hand.
"Goodnight, hun" he whispered "remember, I'm right here, next to you, loving you, protecting you." With that thought in her mind she drifted peacefully off to sleep.
__________________________________________Chapter 2________________________________
When Stephanie awoke the next morning, Jon was still next to her. She didn't want to open her eyes, she could feel him looking at her.
"Good morning," he said softly, "you may as well open your eyes, I know you're awake."
She opened her eyes and involuntarily jumped. She had not expected to see his face so close to hers. His nose was almost touching hers. She looked into his eyes and couldn't bring herself to look away.
Finally, he said, "How did you sleep?"
She looked away as if embarrassed.
"OK, I guess, no nightmares anyway. What time is it?" she asked.
"Eleven O' clock." he said as he looked at the clock. "We should probably get up."
She got out of bed an walked into the bathroom. He watched her go about her daily routine. She had a quiet beauty about her. Her whole demeanor was soft and graceful. So innocent, so pure. Something drew him to her.
She wasn't the type he usually went after. He couldn't remember when or where he met her. She'd been a friend of the band for as long as he could remember, even before they'd started playing in those little nightclubs. She had always helped out the band and advised him on some personal issues. She was one of his closest friends.
When she was ready, they walked down the hall to David's room. All the guys were there and they all looked stunned as Jon walked in with his arm around her shoulder.
Fieldy was the first to speak. "Are you OK?" he asked, concerned.
"I'm getting there." she said as he hugged her. She was still tense but she wasn't objecting to them touching her anymore. She knew she was safe with them.
Head was next. "Did you sleep well?" he asked after he'd hugged her. His question was halfway directed at Jonathan. He stressed the word sleep.
"I slept fine, and, no. I didn't fuck Jon if that's what you're wondering she said smiling. "God, what a bunch of horny dogs." she thought as she hugged Munky.
"If there's anything I can do, just name it, anything." he said as he tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
"I will. Thank you." she whispered into his ear. David walked over and just hugged her. She buried her face in his shoulder and hugged him back. "Thank you." she said quietly. Some times actions spoke louder than words.
Everyone settled back onto the couch.
"So, what are the plans for today?" asked Head.
"Well," sighed Jonathan, "I think Steph should stay with us for the rest of the tour. We've only had three shows so far, so it would give her time to recover and be with people she feels safe with." He looked at her to see if she had any objections.
"Sounds OK, but, I need to go to my house and pack." she said with a look of anxiety.
"Don't worry, we'll all go with you." David said as he gently squeezed her shoulder.
"What if he's still there?" she asked David. The panicked look was returning to her eyes as she thought of his angry face all over again.
"I doubt he'd still be there, unless he's just plain stupid." Head said, trying to get back into her good graces. She looked at him with tears in her eyes.
"But, we're ALL going back with you so you'll have nothing to worry about."
They left the hotel in the bands van. On the way over, Stephanie was silent...she seemed to be in deep thought. She kept looking out the window to see if anyone was following them. When they pulled up to her house, his car was still there.
"Oh God!" she whimpered as she clung to Jon. She was shaking uncontrollably and had an iron grip on Jon's arm. He hugged her and caressed her hair and face until she calmed down enough to let him get out of the van.
Head, Fieldy, David and Munky followed him to the front door. Jon flung the door open and waited, not knowing exactly what to expect. Finally, they all walked in.
It was pitch black, all the lights were out and all the curtains were drawn. Head tried to walk across the room, but tripped on something and fell face first into an Oak coffee table.
"God damn it! Fuckin' piece of shit!" Head swore at the table as Munky helped him up. He was bleeding profusely from a gash on his forehead. At that moment, Stephanie appeared in the doorway, looking very frightened.
"What happened?!" she asked frantically.
"Head's big ass head got in the way of your coffee table." Said David, trying not to laugh. Stephanie ran over to Head and tried to look at the cut on his forehead. "Someone please turn the lights on?" she asked impatiently.
Fieldy flicked the switch on the wall and everyone gasped in amazement.
"Jesus fuckin' Christ!" Exclaimed Munky as he looked around at the damage that someone had caused."What the hell happened here? It looks like a fucking tornado hit your house!"
Everything in the room was either broken or tipped over or both. The TV lay on the floor with the screen busted out and there were papers everywhere. Written on the wall in huge red letters were the words "I'll get you, Bitch!"
__________________________________________Chapter 3________________________________
Stephanie stumbled backwards and almost tripped over Head. Everyone just stood there and stared at the writing.
"Ummm, I think we should get your stuff and leave as soon as possible," said Munky, "There's no tellin' where this psycho is now."
"Yeah, where's your room?" asked Jon.
"Down the hall, on the left." Steph replied weakly. Jon and David walked down the hall and slowly opened the door. Cautiously, they walked in and flicked on the lights.
Her room looked virtually untouched except for a pair of jeans laying in the middle of the floor. Jon picked them up and headed back to the front room.
Head was sitting on the couch with Stephanie treating the wound on his forehead. He couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealosy as he watched her gentle hands wash the cut.
Her face was full of concern as she rubbed some in some ointment and placed a bandage on his forehead. Jon couldn't stand it any longer. He walked over and touched her shoulder.
"I doubt these are yours?" he asked, holding up the pair of jeans
She jumped at his touch, startled she looked at the jeans.
"Uh...N-no." she stammered and then looked away, embarrassed.
"Well, come on, I'll help you pack." he said, taking her hand in his and gently pulling her in the direction of her room. She followed willingly, stepping over broken glass from the TV.
"David," Jon said, "You chck the other rooms on this floor. Fieldy, you check the basement. Munky and Head, stay here and keep an eye on that car outside."
When they got to her room, Stephanie stopped short.
"Whats wrong?" Jon asked, concerned.
"My closet," she said faintly, "I didn't leave the door open and the light inside should be on."
Jon slowly walked over to the closet. It was the big walk in kind. He tried the switch next to the door.
Nothing happened. "The bulb must be out.", he thought. He walked into the closet and reached for the bulb. It wasn't there.
"Well that explains it." he thought as he turned to walk out of the closet. As he turned, something flashed in the back of the closet, and as he turned to see what it was, he felt something brush past him.
Involuntarily he reached out and grabbed the object that had brushed against him. As he did so, he felt a sharp pain shoot throough his hand and up his arm.
He stumbled out of the closet, still holding on to the thing, which he now recognized as a person.
They tumbled across the room, running head on into Stephanie. When they hit her, the man broke free and swung at her with his knife. She tried to scurry out of the way but she wasn't fast enough.
The knife tore a gash in her arm, about an inch and a half long. She cried out in agony as the man leapt up and ran down the hallway, Jon following one step behind.
Jon launched himself at the man and landed squarely on his back. They both fell over in a great heap, Jon landing on top.
He quickly grabbed the knife and held it up against the mans throat.
"One wrong move and I slit you're fucking throat, you sick bastard." Jon yelled, breathing heavily.
"Munky, find me something to tie him up with." Munky rushed out of the room and returned with a bundle of rope. He tied the man's hands and feet while Jon held him down.
"You peice of shit!" Jon yelled, "Don't move, don't talk, don't even breathe wrong unless you want me to slit your fuckin' throat!!"
At that point, Fieldy and David both came running back into the front room and saw Jon sitting on someone. Jon got up and rolled the man over onto his back.
"Don't move." Jon said to the man as he walked away. "Someone call the police, I'll go talk to Steph."
"What happened?" Head asked in an incredulous voice.
"He was hiding in the closet. When I turned to go out of it, I saw something flash, I'm guessing it was his knife. He ran by me and I grabbed him, when I did he cut my hand and Steph's arm." Jon said as he wrapped a peice of cloth around his injured hand.
"Keep an eye on him, and find him some pants?"
He walked back down the hallway in into Steph's room. She was curled up in a ball in the corner, rocking gently as she cradled her bleeding arm. He walked over and sat down on the floor in front of her. She didn't move.
"Steph?" he asked gently, "Steph, look at me."
She just kept rocking and looking down at the floor. He put a finger on her chin and gently tilted her head up, so she was facing him. She shut her eyes, but she stopped rocking ans seemed to be listening to him.
"Steph, open your eyes. It's only me. You know me. You trust me. I got him. He's not going to hurt you anymore, never again....I promise." he whispered as he caressed her face and smoothed back her hair. He leaned forward and kissed her pale cheek. She responded by slowly opening her eyes and looking at him as if she were expecting something bad to happen nay moment.
"It's Ok." he whispered "He can't hurt you anymore. I wont let him."
She looked into his eyes, as if searching for some unseen danger behind what he said. She found only his loving gaze and she collapsed into his arms. He hugged her tightly against him as she buried her face in his shoulder.
She wept as he rubbed her back and shoulders and massaged her neck. They just sat there, holding each other, reassuring each other that it was over. They sat like that for aobut 10 minutes. Then they heard a noise at the bedroom door and turned to see Head standing there.
"Ahem...Umm, sorry to interrupt, but the uh, the police are here." he said, trying not to look at them. Jon got up and helped Stephanie up off the floor.
"Head, stay here with her and comfort her while I talk to the police" he said as he guided her over to the bed and made her sit down. Head came over and sat next to her on the bed. He put an arm around her shoulder as Jon left the room.
"Hey," he said in a comforting voice as she started to cry again, "I'm here, don't worry. The police have got him in the car. He can't hurt you." He hugged her tightly and kissed her forehead.
"Are you ready to go talk to them?" he asked after she'd stopped crying. She nodded her head and stood up. He put his arm around her and she leaned against him as they walked slowly down the hallway.
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__________________________________________Chapter4______________________
After the police had left and the paramedics had sewn up Steph's arm, everyone helped her pack. She brought only her clothes and a stuffed moose named Manny that she'd had since she was two years old. When they had packed all of her clothes, they loaded them into the van and drove back to the hotel. By the time they got back it was 5:00. They took all of her stuff up to David's room. Jon and David had decided it would be best if David took Jon's room so Jon could sleep in the same room as Stephanie. She wouldn't be alone and there were two beds there so Jon could be near her but could also give her some space if she needed it.
When they finally unloaded everything Steph walked out of her room. "I think I need a drink, I'm going to the bar. You guys coming?" she asked as she headed towards the elevator.
"I'll join you later. There's some stuff I need to take care of." Jon said as he walked down the hall.
"We'll come with you." said Fieldy
They all went down to the bar and sat down, two guys on either side, protecting her.
"What'll ya have?" asked the bartender, eyeing them suspiciously.
"Bourbon and Pepsi." Steph said as the guys looked at her like she were out of her mind.
"Umm, don't you think thats a little strong?" asked Munky
Stephanie glared at him with the anger and rage and all the other emotions that had been building up since the ride home.
"Whoa!" he said, laughing, "I get the point, no need to burn a hole in my forehead with that look. Four silver bullets for us, please." he said turning back to the bartender.
They sat and talked about the rest of the tour, what cities they'd be visiting, what friends they'd see again. Just about anything to keep off the subject of what had happened today. After Steph's fourth drink, Jon rejoined them at the bar. Munky and David moved over so he could sit next to Steph.
"Sorry." he said as he put an arm around her shoulder,"I had some things to straighten out, since you'll be staying with us for the rest of the tour."
"I love you." she said in a drunken slur.
"Thats it. She's plastered." said Head, laughing.
"What the hell did she drink?" asked Jon in an concerned voice
"Umm, let me think." said Head, "First she had a Bourbon and Pepsi, then she had a Jack and Coke. After that she had some Vodka and orange juice and she just finished something called a White Lion. I think she's pretty much done for the night."
"God, let's get her upstairs." Jon sighed and lifted her out of her seat. Head got on the other side of her and put her arm around his shoulder for support. They all but drug her to the elevator. She was laughing and hiccuping and telling everything in sight that she loved it, including the elevator buttons which she continually pressed on the way up causing the elevator to stop at every floor.
When they finally got her to her room, she seemed to sober up a bit.
"I'm fine, really." she said as she hugged each one goodnight.
When they had left, Jon laid out some clothes for her to sleep in and sat on his own bed, expecting her to change in the bathroom. To his amazement, she didn't go to the bathroom to change. Instead, she stripped down to her underwear and proceeded to fling her bra across the room, not even acknowledging his presence. He couldn't help but watch her as she changed into the other set of clothing(a pair of boxers and a button down flannel shirt).
"Damn." he thought as he watched her, "She's beautiful."
At last, she got into her clothes and flopped down on her own bed. He got up and went to cover her up with the warm blankets. He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, and then on the lips. She looked at him with such longing that he couldn't stand it. He leaned over again and kissed her forcefully with all his pent up emotions finally finding some kind of release. She didn't resist his powerful kiss, instead he actually found her returning it willingly. After what seemed like an eternity, they finally broke apart. They were breathing heavily as she pulled of his shirt. He began to unbutton the flannel one she was wearing, when all of a sudden he thought "What am I doing? She's drunk, this will just hurt her even more. She doesn't need this, not right now."
He stood up again and as he did, she looked at him like a bully had just taken away her favorite toy.
"You're drunk." he said as he covered her up, "You need to rest."
"I'm sorry. I love you." she mumbled as she drifted off to sleep
Jon walked over to one of the bags she'd brought and searched trhough it until he came upon her moose. He took it over to her and laid it down next to her face. She opened her eyes and smiled when she realized what it was. Hugging it tightly, her eyes fluttered and then closed. Soon she began to snore softly and Jon turned out all the lights.
He was about to fall asleep himself whe she sat bolt upright in bed and screamed in terror.
"Jon, where are you?!" she screamed in gut wrenching agony, "Don't leave me alone!!"
He jumped out of bed and ran over to her.
"I'm right here." he whispered as she grabbed him and hugged him tightly, not daring to let go for the fear of losing him.
"Don't ever leave me." she whispered as he gently rocked her. After a short time, she fell back to sleep and he laid her back down on the bed and climbed in with her. Jon draped his arm over her and buried his face in her shoulder.
"I won't leave you. I promise." he whispered as he drifted off to sleep.
______________________________________Chapter 5__________________________
Stephanie's first thought the next morning was: "God, my head hurts!" She didn't want to get up, any movement might make the queasiness in her stomach to move upwards. So she drifted back to sleep, unaware that Jon was looking at her.
She was snuggled up against him with the moose laying squashed between them. He pulled it out and laid it on her pillow. He scooted closer to her, watching her steady breathing. It was almost too much for him to be so near to her. He would be happy just to watch her sleep all day. God, how he wanted her. Contenting himself at being this close, he also drifted back to sleep.
They were awakened by a knock on the door.
"Come in." Jon yelled sleepily. Stephanie flinched at the sound of his voice. She still felt like someone had placed a clamp on her head.
"Uh, Jon?" Head asked, walking into the room and looking for him.
"I'm here." he said from under the covers, then peeked out long enough to look at the clock. "What do you want? It's only 8:00."
"We have to play tonight, remember?" he asked in an awkward voice.
"Holy shit!" Jon yelled, flinging back the covers and thus exposing Stephanie to the light. She groaned and covered her head again with the pillow.
Head breathed a little sigh of relief when he saw that they were both wearing their clothes. He walked over to Steph as Jon hurried around the room, trying to get ready.
"I brought you some coffee." he said, sitting next to her.
"Black?" came her muffled reply.
"You know it." he said with a smile. Slowly, she removed the pillow from her head and sat up, taking the coffee.
"Thanks. You know me too well." she said sipping the coffee and wincing at the strength. She looked at him and thought she noticed something different. Looking at him again, she realized what it was.
"What happened to your hair?" she asked in amazement. The normally twisted dreads were gone, replaced by long wet strands that reached most of the way down his back.
"I got little carried away last night. I'm not sure what I did but I know it involved a can of beer and a curling iron. I just got out of the shower 5 minutes ago and I was wondering if you could redo my hair? He asked in a plaintive voice.
"I guess, since I have nothing better to do." she said smiling. She loved messing with his hair. "Got any hair ties?"
He pulled about 50 ring sized rubber bands from his pocket. As she was twisting all the little pieces, Jon watched from across the room. When she was done, she got up and went into the bathroom.
"You guys go eat, I'll catch up later."
They shrugged their shoulders and walked down to the lobby where breakfast was being served.
**************************************************************
When Stephanie appeared 30 minutes later, they all stared at her. She had braided her hair into 15 little braids and then pulled them back into a ponytail. Her normally black hair was now streaked with red highlights.
"Wow." was all anyone could say. She pulled up a chair and sat down between Jon and David.
"Hey." David said, admiring her hair, "How are you feelin' this morning?"
"Like I've been through a mosh pit about 20 times." she stated blandly as she scanned the menu.
"I hate pancakes. I'll have a coffee, black, and a bagel please." She told the waiter who was staring at her hair.
When he returned, they started eating
"Explain to me again why we have to be up so early?" she asked taking a bite of her bagel.
"We have to set up. It takes a long time to get everything ready." said David as he stabbed one of his eggs with his fork. The yolk came pouring out and covered his whole plate. He looked at it with disgust.
"Maybe I'm not so hungry." he said remembering what he'd had to drink the night before.
Jon was the only one with any kind of appetite. He ate one pancake and had a glass of water. When they'd eaten all they could, they paid the waiter and went out to the van.
On the way to the amphitheater, Jon was oddly silent. Everyone seemed to be anticipating something that Stephanie couldn't comprehend.
"Sheesh, what's with everyone this morning?" she asked, breaking the silence.
"We're gonna try to play ???Daddy' tonight." David said solemnly.
"Oh Jon!" she exclaimed, "Are you sure you want to do that?"
"I gotta at least try it once." he said quietly
Stephanie had been at the studio when they'd recorded that song. It had completely ripped Jon apart. Was he insane?
When they got to the amphitheater, they were bombarded by fans, media and press. They finally got through and went backstage. Everyone was running around trying to get everything in order for the show in 5 hours.
"Ok, we've got 2 hours to go out and talk to the fans. Then we have to come back here and set up. Steph, you can come with us or hang out back here." Jon said.
"I'll stay back here." she said, "I'll help with some of the backstage setup." She wandered off to find someone to help.
"All right guys," Jon sighed, "let's mingle."
**************************************************************
At 4:00 everyone met backstage again.
"Ok, lets get set up." Jon said enthusiastically.
Everyone was testing their instruments. Jon was messing with his bagpipes when Steph came over and sat down next to him on a speaker.
"Hey." he said, concentrating on the bagpipes.
"Hi." she said shyly.
"What's wrong?" he asked noticing her strange behavior.
"I just wanted to tell you something." she said avoiding eye contact with him. "Actually, I wanted to thank you."
"What for?" he asked. He couldn't imagine what he'd done to make her act this way.
"Last night." she said looking up at him.
"You could've taken advantage of me, but you didn't. I just wanted to let you know how much that means to me." she said looking back down at her feet.
He stepped closer to her and touched her shoulder. When she looked up at him, he bent down and kissed her. Her mind reeled. She'd been kissed before, but never with such passion. She found herself not wanting him to let go. When he finally did, he whispered into her ear.
"I hope sometime in the future, I won't have to restrain myself."
She smiled and looked at him. "We'll see." she whispered back. "Good luck."
He lovingly caressed her delicate cheek and when he made no move to rejoin the band, she licked him on the nose and ran off.
"Good luck!" she repeated as she wandered off to find a seat.
_________________________________________Chapter 6_______________________
Stephanie wandered around for a while, listening to the band get everything in tune and searching for where she was supposed to sit. Somewhere backstage was what she was told.
People were starting to filter inside and sit down up front. This was going to be a huge show. The band hadn't toured for a while and people were ecstatic to see them again. The guys absolutely loved it. Girls would follow them everywhere. One time, a girl hid in the guys bathroom and waited 3 hours for a band member to use it. When Munky opened the stall, she jumped out and onto him. And keeping with his good nature, he signed her autographs and let her get pictures of them together in the bathroom, but for a while he wouldn't use the bathrooms at the concerts.
Stephanie finally found where she was supposed to be. She sat down and looked at her watch. Only one hour left until the show.
The guys had finished setting up and came to where she was sitting. Everyone looked a little nervous, but Jon looked unusually calm.
"How's everything back here?" Munky asked.
"Good." she said then looked at Jon. "You OK?"
"I'll be fine." he said looking at her. The corner of his mouth twitched into a little half smile. "I could use a little good luck, though." His eyes danced with mischief.
She looked at him and laughed. "Is that all you ever think about?" she asked standing up and hugging each guy in turn. When she got to Jonathan, he hugged her and then bit her shoulder hard.
"Jon!" she yelped and then recovered her dignity.
"You shouldn't bite unless you want to get bitten back!" she said examining her shoulder.
"That's what I was going for." he said in a low voice.
He grabbed her around the waist and before she knew it, had thrown her over his shoulder. He started to walk towards the stage with her feet kicking the air and trying to tell him to put her down. She was laughing so hard, she could hardly say anything, so all that came out was: "Jon! Let go - Put me down!" between fits of laughter.
Finally, he deposited her behind a speaker towards the front of the stage. By this time she could hardly breathe.
"What was all that about?" she asked gasping for air.
"Sit here during the concert. You can see us and we can see you but the fans can't see you." he said.
"Umm, OK, but -" she didn't get to finish her sentence because he was kissing her again. This time, she bit his tongue gently and caused him to jump back, surprised.
"I warned you." she said laughing at the surprised look on his face.
He finally recovered. "Just wait..." he said grinning at her, "Just wait until I get a hold of you in private." He laughed and returned to the other band members who were going over some last minute stuff.
She watched him. Every now and then, he would look over at her and wink. She was pretending not to notice him. In reality though, all she was thinking about was him. They had been friends a long time. This crisis seemed to close the gap that had always kept them from being more than friends. She'd never thought of him as more than a friend. It was kind of scary. She'd never really had a serious relationship either. After all, she was still a virgin, and most guys just wanted sex. She wasn't about to do that with a guy she couldn't trust. She knew she could trust Jon. He'd never harmed her in any way. Even when she was drunk, he had restrained himself for her sake. No one had ever cared that much for her. Now that it looked like their relationship was about to jump to the next level, she was a little frightened. She'd heard the guys brag about technique and who had the most experience. It was just something all guys she'd ever been around did and she never thought about it until now. Jon was way out of her league. She was trying to think of some way to tell Jon this when he came over.
"We're about to start." he said excitedly.
"Well, like I said, Good Luck." she said, "And don't push yourself, you don't have to do that song."
"I'm gonna try. It's the last one so if anything happens..." he trailed off looking down at his hands.
"Oh Jon!" she cried and hugged him. "I hope you know what you're doing."
"I'll be fine." he said hugging her back and kissing her on the cheek.
He hurried back to his place and the concert started.
Stephanie sat and listened and watched Jon as they played through all the songs. Finally, the big moment came. He got through the first verse and the chorus all right but by the time he got to the second verse he was beginning to waver a bit. By the second chorus, he was sobbing uncontrollably and could hardly sing at all. Finally, he just sat down on the stage, not singing, not crying, just rocking back and forth, tugging at his hair.
The band, realizing that he couldn't go on, stopped playing and tried to give him some time to recover. He didn't and they closed the curtain at last. As soon as they did, everyone ran over to him. Stephanie knelt down in front of him and touched his hand. He ignored her and just kept rocking.
"Jon." she sobbed "Please look at me!"
He didn't respond.
"Jon!" she yelled giving him a violent shake.
He still didn't move. Finally she just put her arms around his neck and cried into his shoulder, as she had so many times before.
"I love you." she repeated over and over. "I love you."
After a while she realized that he was hugging her back, also sobbing into her shoulder.
They sat like that for a long time, just letting the tears flow. When they got up and looked around, they were surprised to see that the stage was almost empty and the guys were sitting on the edge of the stage, talking quietly.
They walked over and sat down with them.
"You Ok man?" Fieldy asked.
"I'll be fine now." he said looking at Steph.
She was looking at him with concern in her eyes.
"Are you sure?" She asked. Her question held more than just the obvious meaning.
"Absolutely." He said and to confirm this he leaned over and kissed her.
"So we're OK?" she asked.
"I think we'll be just fine." he said resting his head on her shoulder.
On the way home, everyone seemed to be in better spirits. David and Munky were arguing about a part in one of the songs. Fieldy and Head were talking about their next stop. Only Jon and Steph seemed to be untalkative. They just sat there, his arm around her shoulder and her arm around his waist, gazing into each others eyes.
"Ooh, look at them, aren't they just so cute?" Munky said laughing.
"Oh, you're laughing now, but at least I've got a good chance at gettin' some tonight. Yeah, who's laughing now? That's what I thought." Jon said playfully.
Stephanie just kept getting redder but she was laughing into Jon's shoulder so hard she was having trouble breathing. She looked at Munky who had also turned red. She winked at him and then turned to Jon.
"If that's the way you're going to be, then I just might have to pay Munky a little visit after you go to sleep." she joked. She unwrapped herself from Jon's arm and hopped over to Munky and sat on his lap, playing with his hair.
"If you do that, I might just have to go visit my friend." he said with mischief returning to his eyes.
"Oh? Who would that be?" she asked fondling one of Munky's dreadlocks.
Jon looked over at Head and then jumped onto his lap and started kissing him on his cheek.
"Head seems to like me a lot." he said licking his face.
"Oh, get off." Head said trying to push Jon off onto the floor. He succeeded and Jon sat on the floor looking up at him with a tear in hi eye.
"You don't love me?" He said faking a sob.
Head just looked at him and busted up laughing.
"All right, All right, I think we've embarrassed them enough for now." Jon said returning to his seat.
Munky and Head had indeed turned beet red. Stephanie bit Munky's nose and returned to her seat next to Jon.
They arrived at the hotel and got out. Head, Stephanie, Fieldy, David and Munky headed straight for the bar. Jon followed and sat down next to Steph.
"Don't get drunk." he said to her only.
"Why?" she asked puzzled.
"Not tonight. I don't think I can restrain myself one more night if you're going to be anywhere in the vicinity." he said hungrily.
"Oooh," she said, "someone not used to not getting what they want all the time?"
He laughed and tried to drag her off of her chair.
"Just one drink...I promise. Can I have a small glass of Red Wine?" she asked the bartender.
He brought her drink. She finished it in a few minutes and then got up and hugged the guys good night.
"Sleep well." David said as he hugged her, emphasizing the word sleep.
"Sleep?" she asked playfully.
"Oh, never mind!" he said flatly.
Head watched Jon lead Stephanie to the elevators and pin her up against the wall and kiss her while they waited for the elevator.
"Get a room!" he yelled across the lobby. Stephanie looked at him like she was going to rip his head off but then smiled as she realized the humor in his comment. The elevator arrived and they left.
"Beer!" he yelled to the bartender.
________________________________Chapter 7 _______________________________
Stephanie awoke the next morning feeling like she had never felt before. She felt loved and cared for. Jon had been gentle with her...the first time. As always he had awakened and was watching her. She opened her eyes to find him grinning at her.
"You're beautiful." he said running his fingers through her hair.
She smiled at him and then licked the tip of his nose.
"Don't start anything you can't finish." he said with an evil glint in his eye. She covered her face with her pillow but her whole body shook with laughter. This gave Jon an idea. He reached over and pulled the pillow off of her face and flung back the covers. She hadn't bothered to put her clothes back on and she gasped and tried to get the covers back from him. She tackled him and they rolled off the bed together. He landed on top of her and pinned her down. Suddenly, they both turned serious. He was sitting on top of her, naked and they just seemed to realize their position. He leaned down and kissed her passionately.
At this moment, Head happened to open their door and peek in to see if they were asleep. He saw them on the floor together and quickly closed the door. He leaned against the wall next to their room and sighed heavily. It just wasn't fair. He loved her. He would be able to stay with her, everyone knew Jon's reputation with women. Not that it was wrong, it was just the way he worked. Jon was going to hurt Stephanie. Head cared to much about her to let that happen. He would have to talk to Jon.
Head walked back to David's room. Everyone was eating, room service had brought breakfast up to them.
"Are they up yet?" Fieldy asked chewing on a piece of toast.
"Jon's definitely ???up'. " Head growled sourly.
David, Munky, and Fieldy all looked at each other.
"Oh brother!" exclaimed David, "At 6:00 in the morning??"
Munky snorted and almost choked on an egg.
"Gives new meaning to the term early riser." he said laughing at his own joke.
"Oh, give ???em a break." said Fieldy, "Though I do feel sorry for her, having Jon her first time. Someone like Munky would probably be better."
Munky glared at Fieldy. "What are you tryin' to say?" he asked Fieldy who was laughing at him.
"Oh, nothin." He said returning his attention to his food.
**************************************************************
An hour later there was a knock on David's door.
"We don't want any, go away!" Yelled David.
Jon opened the door and walked in, Steph following with his arm around her waist. Her hair was still wet from the shower he had insisted on helping her with.
Stephanie seemed embarrassed around the guys. She sat down on the couch next to Jon. He kept his arm around her as if protecting her.
"How did you sleep?" Munky asked with mock innocense.
"Fine, thank you." she said looking lovingly up at Jon and smiling.
"We leave today, right?" Jon asked obviously changing the subject.
"Yeah, next stop, Cleveland." Head told him with a hint of bitterness in his voice. "We play tomorrow night."
Jon looked at him funny, he couldn't understand the tone in his voice.
Stephanie looked at him also. "Are you OK?" she asked him.
"Fine." he said smiling at her.
"Oh, so that's it, he's jealous." Jon thought to himself.
"Well, we better start packing." David stated.
Everyone went back to their rooms and got all their stuff together. Stephanie couldn't find her moose, last night it had been stuffed in a drawer by Jonathan at some point. She finally found it in the night table drawer next to the Gideon's Bible and packed it away. They took everything out to the van. Steph wanted to stop by her house one more time before they left.
They drove to her house and everyone got out. Stephanie told the guys to wait in the living room while she packed her stuff. When she had left the room, everyone turned to Jonathan.
"Jon, I think we all need to talk to you about Stephanie." Head stated. The rest of the guys nodded in agreement.
"Sure. What is it?" Jon asked.
"Are you sure that you're making the right decision, about your relationship with Stephanie and all?" David asked.
"What do you mean?" Jon asked confused.
"You know how you are with women. It's just the way you are. But think about Stephanie, how will she feel when you sleep with someone else? What's that gonna do to her? Did you think about that?" Head asked.
"I did." Jon said. "There's something different about her. I guess us being friends for so long has made this relationship different. I love her and she knows it. She also knows my lifestyle. If it worried her she wouldn't have gotten into a relationship with me. Besides, as long as she's with us, I doubt I'll need anyone else."
"Look, I'm just saying "what if." What if one night you happen to sleep with someone else? She's bound to find out. Just think of what that would do to her!" David said trying to get Jon to see his point.
"It's not gonna happen. I wouldn't hurt Stephanie. Not like that." Jon said looking down.
"Hurt me like what?" Stephanie had returned without anyone noticing her and was standing in the doorway. She looked like she was about to burst into tears at any moment.
Everyone jumped, surprised.
"Umm...Er, nothin', I mean..." Jon stammered walking over and putting his arm around her waist.
"What do you think, that I'm stupid? I know what you're talking about." she said with a tear running down her face.
"I think we'll leave you two alone for a while, we'll be in the van." Munky said.
Once everyone had left, Steph went over to the couch and sat down. Jon sat next to her, just looking at her.
"You know I wouldn't hurt you." he said.
She didn't say anything.
"And you know my reputation, but you still didn't do anything to stop this relationship. Why?"
"Because I love you Jon, I always have. Maybe not as much as now but I have always loved you. Yes, I know your reputation but I thought, maybe it will be different with me. Maybe if I can get him to love me it will be different, but now I don't know."
He looked at her. "Stephanie, I do love you. I wont hurt you like that. I promise." he said taking her hand.
"You really mean that?" She asked, her voice wavering.
"I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it." he said leaning over and kissing her. Before they got too involved, Steph pulled away laughing.
"You're going to make us late." She said accusingly. "You can at least wait until we get to Cleveland, cant you?"
"I don't know, but I'll try. It's a six hour drive you know." he said grinning and tugging at her shirt.
"Consider it a test." she said pulling her shirt back into place.
They picked up her bags and walked out to the van together. They guys were waiting patiently, talking over some new songs they were considering putting on their next release. They seemed a little surprised at Jon and Steph's attitudes.
Everything OK?" Feildy asked.
"Fine, thanks." Steph said as if nothing had happened.
"Everything loaded?" asked David.
"Everything but Stephanie." Jon said, "What are ya doin'?"
"Just taking one last look at my house." she said and then jumped into the van next to Jon. He put an arm around her and then yelled.
"Let's Roll!"
______________________________C_H_A_P_T_E_R_8_________________________
They left Stephanie's house and headed towards Cleveland. Everyone was psyched that they were on their way, but the ride there was usually boring. Stephanie fell asleep about 30 miles down the road. Apparently, she and Jon hadn't gotten much sleep the night before. Jon was watching her with a tender expression on her face. He seemed oblivious to everything else.
"Jon?" Munky said to try and get his attention.
"Hmmm?" Jon said still looking at Steph.
"What happened in there?" Munky asked.
"What?" Jon said turning his attention to Munky finally.
"She looked about ready to explode when we left you two alone in there. What happened?"
"We came to an understanding, I guess." he said looking back at her. "She knows I won't hurt her, and I mean it. I'm not going to."
They rode in silence for a while and then Fieldy asked, "So, how was it?"
They all groaned.
"I knew that question was coming." David said shaking his head.
"What?" Fieldy asked innocently, "It's a plausable question. If I didn't ask, someone else would."
"He's got a point." Munky said. "Don't hold out on us Jon."
"Oh, come on. You don't want to know. You'll just be jealous of me." Jon said smiling.
"No, really Jon, was she a virgin like she said?"
Fieldy asked looking doubtfully at the peacefully sleeping Stephanie.
"Yes, she is, I mean was." Jon said looking at her with pride.
"How old is she? 22?" David asked.
"Yeah. Kinda hard to believe anyone that age could be a virgin. Especially her." Jon told him. "Which reminds me, her birthday is in a couple of weeks. August 10th. That will put us in Kansas City, which happens to be her home town. It's gonna wotk out perfectly."
"Don't change the subject!" Fieldy said getting his attention. "How was she?" The last sentence came out as a whisper.
"Fine. Since I can tell you aren't going to leave me alone until I do tell you, I'll get it over with now." he said lwaning closer to them. "She was a little scared at first, but once we got goin'...Wow! Thats all I can say."
"Details Jon, Details!" Munky cried.
"No. It was great, that's all I'm gonna tell you." he said "I don't know how she'd react if I told you everything...she might flip."
David tought for a minute and then said, "You really care about her, don't you?"
"Yeah." he said tenderly. He looked back at her and brushed back a strand of hair that had fallen in her face. "Yeah, I do."
She opened her eyes and looked at him. He looked at his watch and then back at her again.
"5 hours." he said nuzzling at her neck.
"Mmm...You gonna make it?" she asked trying to stay awake.
"I'll try...you just sleep." he said.
"Can't. I'm cramped up in this corner."
"Here," he said moving to the other side of the seat. "Lie down. I make a great pillow."
She laughed and stretched out, laying her head in his lap.
"Thanks, I know" she said closing her eyes again.
He ran his fingers through her hair. Everyone was watching her. She looked like a little angel. So innocent. The slash on her arm was healing well. She'd have a scar there though. Jon's hand was helaing well also. His cut hadn't required stitches and he felt bad that he hadn't been able to prtect her. She'd told him there was nothing he could of done and she felt it was her fault that he had been cut.
Everyone else fell asleep after about 20 minutes. Head was the only one still awake. He was brooding. Jon obviously cared a lot about her. He had decided that he wouldn't interfere as long as they were together, but if Jon did hurt her, he would be there for her.
Until then he was just going to stay out of it. He'd also decided that he could get along with Jon...they couldn't be fighting during a tour.
They all slept for about two hours and then Fieldy woke up and accidentally kicked Munky. He fell out of his seat and onto Steph.
"What are you doing?!" she shouted.
"Fieldy kicked me. I'm sorry." he said turning red and looking down.
"Oh, it's Ok. I wasn't yelling at you...I was having a bad dream. I'm sorry." she said also turning red.
"What was your dream about?" Jon asked having woken up.
"I...I don't remember." she stammered. Jon looked at her with concern. She was obviously lying. He's have to ask her about it later.
At that moment, a bee flew in one of the open windows. Stephanie squeaked and hid her face in Jon's lap. This must have cought the bee's attention because it flew straight towards her and managed to fly inside of her shirt. She sat bolt upright and squirmed, trying to get rid of it.
"Take your shirt off!" Munky yelled helpfully.
"It's trying to sting me!!" she whined trying to get it out. Finally she flung her shirt off and threw it. The wind happened to catch it and drag it out of the window.
"Uhh!" she whined, trying to cover herself. "Jon, get me a shirt!"
She sat whinpering while he searched through her suitcase. He found a white shirt and gave it to her. Quickly, she threw it on.
Everyone was silent for a while but all the guys were smiling.
"It's not funny." she said sulking in her seat.
They all snickered and then busted up laughing. She turned red and hid her face from them.
"I'm sorry." Jon said finally calming down. He hugged her and brushed away a tear. "Why are you so embarrassed? You have a beautiful body. Better than mine anyway."
She looked up at him with an odd expression on her face.
"See?" he said flinging his shirt onto the floor.
"Yeah, me too!" Fieldy said taking his shirt off.
"Just look at my fucked up body." Munky said throwing his shirt off.
"Ooh! Ooh! Me too!" David yelled and did the same.
"Come on Head! Show her your Man Boobs!" Munky yelled laughing hysterically.
Head looked at them and then at her. "Fine." he said as he pulled off his shirt.
Stephanie was laughing so hard she had tears in her eyes.
"You all are too much!" she said between hysterical outbursts.
"I can't take it anymore!" Jon yelled. "Man Boobs everwhere!" and with that he jumped onto Munky's lap and started licking his face.
"Jon, You're going to make me jealous!" Stephanie laughed.
Jon looked at her and then jumped into her lap. He was grinning maniacally.
"I love you." he said looking longingly into her blue eyes.
"No! 3 more hours. You can make it." she said squirming out from underneath him. He sat for a while looking out the window and thinking about her. He loved her. That's all that mattered right now. Last night had been so different than his past experiences. His only fear was losing her. Sometimes he hardly wanted to touch her because he was afraid she might break, she was so emotionally fragile. If he ever lost her...No, he wasn't going to think like that. She wasn't going to leave him She siad it herself. She loved him.
The driver pulled over to a rest stop and got out, motioning for the others to do the same. They all had to put their shirts back on so they waved him ahead. Inside the store was a drnik machine and snacks so they bought as many as they thought they could eat and went back to the van. Jon was sitting on the sidewalk talking to the guys about Cleveland. Everyone was just enjoying not being cooped up in the van. After a while they got back in and drove to a little wooded picninc area on the highway. There they got out and ate.
Fieldy walked to the edge of the woods and turned back.
"Steph! Come for a walk with me." he yelled back at her.
She got up from Jon's lap and ran over to Fieldy. They walked through the woods together and finally he spoke to her.
"You heard us talking about you in the van, didn't you?" he asked not looking at her.
"Yeah." she sighed.
"God, I'm sorry. We're not used to having a girl on tour with us. It's a little weird." Stephanie walked over to a fallen tree and sat down. She motioned for Fieldy to sit next to her.
"Reggie...It's Ok...It doesn't bother me. What bothers me is that you didn't believe that I was a virgin. What made you think that?" she said looking up at him.
"I don't know..." he sighed "...you're just...it's just that...I thought...I mean you're really pretty and i just coudn't see how anyone like you could be a virgin."
"You think I'm pretty?" she asked moved by his words.
"Yeah! I mean, do you think Jon would be with someone ugly?" he said and then shook his head. "I'm sorry, that came out wrong."
"It's Ok, I get what you're trying to say." she hugged him.
He looked into her eyes and then pulled her closer and kissed her. She seemed to realize what was going on but she didn't pull away. She just let him kiss her. Finally he stopped and looked down.
"God, I'm sorry...I didn't mean to, well, I did but...I just had to get that out before you and Jon got too involved. I had to kiss you, just once. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that."
She looked at him with confusion in her face. "Reggie. Don't be embarrassed. We all have...urges. But, just to let you know, I think I'm in love with Jon and I don't want to hurt him, so..." she trailed off hoping he would get her meaning.
"It won't happen again...promise." he said smiling.
"You're so sweet." she said and gave him a peck on the cheek. "We better get back to the others though, before they start getting any ideas."
They walked back and Steph ran over to Jon.
"What was all that about?" he asked in a confused tone.
"I needed to talk to Fieldy." she said and then kissed him.
"I love you." she said as she laid her head on his shoulder.
"I know." came his laughing reply.
_____________________Chapter 9_____________________
The rest of the ride was as boring as the first. Everyone slept the rest of the way. When they got to the hotel they would be staying at, Jon went and checked in. The rest of them went upstairs while he was straightening out the reservations. Someone hadn't remembered there would be another person on the trip so Head and Fieldy had to share a room while Munky and David shared.
They let Jon and Steph have their own room together. As soon as Jon got the rooms, they unpacked their stuff and got settled in. Jon persuaded Steph away from the others and into their own room. Fieldy watched as Jon drug Steph out the door and then carry her down the hall to their room.
"God, they're like rabbits or something!" Fieldy said to no one in particular.
"Let ???em have their fun." David sighed. "No tellin' how long it'll last. I mean, I hope it does but the chances are slim."
"I hope they make it, I really doubt that they will but I hope they do." Munky said shaking his head.
Fieldy shifted position in his chair and seemed to be thinking a lot.
"What's on you're mind?" Head asked.
"I kissed her." he blurted out.
"You did what?" Head asked, astonished.
"Oh fuck...you shouldn't have done that." David said.
"I know, but she just looked so beautiful. We were sitting on a fallen tree and the light was shining on her and then she turned those gorgeous blue eyes to me...I couldn't resist." He looked blissfully at the wall, remembering.
David groaned. "Don't tell me you're in love with her?!"
"No. I just had to do that, just once. Oh well, come on, let's go drown our sorrows. I'm payin'." They got up and walked down the hallway.
In order to get to the elevator, they had to walk past Jon and Steph's room. As they did there was a low growl and a high pitched squeak. Fieldy stopped and looked at the door. An odd smile crossed his face and he knocked loudly.
"Room Service!" He yelled.
There was a pause and then the sound of the door unlocking. Stephanie peeked her head out the door but kept her body hidden...a good sign that she was naked. Fieldy laughed at her and she gasped.
"Bastard !" she yelled and slammed the door. Jon opened the door again and Jon came out in his boxers.
"What?" He asked impatiently.
"Just seein' if you needed any help." he snickered.
"I think I can handle her by myself..." he sighed and rolled his eyes. "You need a woman, bad!" and with that he shut the door.
There was the sound of someone running and then hitting the bed...From the sounds of things, Steph had been on the bed, but not anymore.
"Come on, leave ???em alone." David said as he pulled Fieldy towards the elevators.
"I'm comin'." he sighed.
They sat drinking at the bar and about 45 minutes later Steph and Jon reappeared. Steph's hair was wet and so was Jon's. Showers seemed to be an integral part of their sex life.
Steph sat down and ordered a glass of red wine. "So. What are the plans for tonight?"
"There's a party we were thinking of going to...you guys gonna join us?" Fieldy asked.
"Party?" Stephanie perked up. "Where?"
"There's lots of people we know in Cleveland. It's a big secret though. Very hush hush." David laughed.
"What's so funny?" Stephanie asked, confused.
"If I'm right...everyone we know will be there...it's gonna be huge!"
"So what're we waiting for? Let's go!"
They paid the bartender and left. The drive there took 30 minutes because Fieldy couldn't remember the directions. They finally got there and piled out of the van. Everyone flocked to them. Jon kept his arm around Stephanie, partly protecting her and partly to show he was with her and her alone.
They all sat down at a table in the back yard by the pool. Steph was sitting on Jon's lap, sipping vodka and orange juice. There were a lot of people that came over and talked to the band members.
"Well, what do we have here?" a voice floated across the backyard. "Stephanie and Jon, together at last."
"Fred!" Stephanie yelled and ran over to the lead singer of Limp Bizkit. She hugged him and he picked her up and swung her around in a circle.
"How ya been girl?" he asked giving her a kiss on the cheek.
"Don't ask..." she said laughing. She liked Fred. They'd been friends for a long time.
They walked back over to Jon and she took a seat next to him so he could talk easier.
"What's up, Fred?" Jon asked.
"Not much, just heard that you were in town and decided to crash the party you'd undoubtedly be at. But I didn't expect this..." he said glancing at Stephanie. "When did this happen?"
"About three days ago..." Jon said and looked longingly at her.
Together they told Fred all that had happened in the past couple days. He just looked at Steph with astonishment.
"God, I'm sorry..." he looked at her and he could tell she was trying not to cry. He hugged her and then said, "If you ever wanna talk just tell me."
She nodded her head.
Another voice came in their direction.
"Jon! Oh my God, is that you?" A young woman with fuchsia colored hair ran over and kissed his cheek.
"Hey Candi." Jon said as he ruffled her hair playfully.
"Well well, who's this little thing?" She asked as she noticed Stephanie. She seemed to be examining her and comparing her to herself.
"This is Steph...she's with me."
"Nice to meet you, Steph." she said in a condescending tone.
"Hi." she said shyly.
"Modest little thing, ain't she?" Candi ran one of her fingers down Jon's face, tracing his cheekbone and seemingly disregarding Steph.
"I need to talk to you...in private." Candi said as she drug Jon from his chair and into the house. Stephanie watched them go.
"Who was that?" She asked Fred
"Candi? One of Jon's old flames." he said as he looked at Steph who had an awful expression on her face.
"Oh shit, I shouldn't have told you that, I'm sorry. Well, you don't have anything to worry about, Jon obviously cares a lot about you. I'm sure he won't do anything but talk to her."
Stephanie got up from the table and ran towards a large garden in the back yard.
"Oh shit, Fred! Look what you've done now." Head said and ran after her.
**************************************************************
When Jon and Candi got inside the house, she pulled him into a large bedroom and shut the door.
"What do ya say, Jon...one more go, for old time's sake?" she asked, kissing him and pulling him towards the bed.
He let her pull him but then stopped before she reached the bed.
"I can't, Candi."
"Why not?"
"I just can't, I promised Steph I wouldn't hurt her."
"What she doesn't know can't hurt her." she giggled and pulled him down to the bed. She kissed him and started to take his shirt off.
"No!" he yelled and pushed her off again. He got up and paced around the room, pulling on his hair and trying to figure out what to do.
"You'd chose that little slut over me?" She yelled. He stopped pacing and turned to her with disgust in his face.
"Don't you EVER call her that! You have no fucking right to say that! She's so much better than you ever were, you fucking bitch!" he yelled and stomped out of the room. He slammed the door on a very surprised Candi.
**************************************************************
"Steph?"
Stephanie turned to see Head standing behind her. She was sitting near a fountain, watching the water flow. She was holding her head in her hands, trying to hide her tears. He came over and sat next to her.
"Do you want to talk?" he asked.
"Why?" She asked bitterly, "We know what they're doing in there."
"We don't know that, they could just be talking..." he trailed off.
She looked at him angrily. "Yeah right. I mean, look at her! I don't blame him, who could resist her?" she cried.
"Oh Steph, you should be asking the same thing about yourself." he said putting an arm around her and placing his hand on her knee.
For a long time, she just sat there crying into his shoulder. When she looked up at him, she found him gazing longingly into her eyes. She just kept looking at him, expecting him to say something.
"Don't do that!" he said, wrenching his eyes away from hers.
"Do what?" she asked with confusion and hurt welling up in her eyes.
"God, you have to clue how beautiful you are, do you? That look, you have no idea what that does to a man!" he said looking back at her again. She looked away this time. It was like she was watching herself from outside of her body. She saw him bend closer, and then kiss her, and felt him pull her closer. He put his arms around her waist and gently forced her to lean backwards.
"I want you, Stephanie. You really have no idea how much I want you." he said as he nuzzled her neck and gently bit her earlobe. She felt her body respond, but her mind resisted.
"Brian, I don't know..." she said as he unbuttoned her shirt.
"Shhh..." he said, "Don't worry about it right now." She had one last thought of regret but then gave in completely to him and let herself be lowered gently to the soft grass.
By:Chiura; From the KoRn Board
