Piece 14: Don't Play That Song
It said...
Darlin', I love you (you know that you lied) Darlin', I love you (boy, you know that you lied) Darlin', I love you (you know that you lied, you lied, you lied...)
I remember on our first date, you kissed me, then you walked away I was only seventeen, I never dreamed that he could be so mean
Oh darlin', don't you play it no more Don't you dare play that song You lied, you lied
-Don't Play That Song; Kelly Clarkson
(American Idol)
It was amazing how fast time flew. And Kelly was glad ... very glad. There was no way she could stay on the tour much longer. It was a true blessing from God that before she knew it there were only two more days left. Two more concerts and she was free. She could hardly believe it.
She was relieved ... and yet, at the same time, was dreading it. Was it possible to want to flee from another's presence and stay at the same time?
"Kel, you're on in five."
Kelly sighed as she put her magazine down, let her make-up artist fuss over her for a few minutes, before making her way from her dressing room. As she walked the long corridor to the stage, she remembered what it had felt like the first couple of concerts. "Walking the corridor" had been paralleled to "walking the plank." Now she was completely relaxed. Sure, she still got a little nervous before going on, but nothing like before.
After Kelly finished her set, she made her way backstage and straight to her dressing room. She hadn't stayed in the wings and watched Nick's performance since he'd broken up with her. It was just too painful. It was hard enough that she could usually hear his set from her dressing rooms anyway.
She took a quick shower and then sat in the room, eating fruit and flipping through cheesy magazines. She was halfway through the "Is he really interested in you, or just a flirt?" column when she heard a familiar piano piece playing from the stage.
"He wouldn't," she whispered to herself as she reached for the remote control and turned her room's monitor on. Nick's face popped up on the screen immediately and Kelly jumped in surprise. And then her mouth grew dry and her jaw dropped. He really was. He was singing Mariah Carey's "Music Box".
"That jerk," Kelly mumbled to herself as she watched in complete shock. How could he do that? He'd dedicated that song to her when they had gotten together. And she knew this wasn't his apology. There was no way he'd turned 180 degrees from the last time they'd seen each other, when he'd glanced at her passing in a hallway and simply looked away, as though he didn't know her.
Kelly turned the television off halfway through the song, disgusted.
And if she'd had even an inkling of a wish that Nick was once again singing to her, she was put in her place as they saw each other while jumping onto their separate buses later that night. Once again, he glanced at her and quickly looked away. He was too good for her now.
"Two can play at this game," Kelly grumbled to herself as she got onto her bus.
And the next night, at the last concert, Kelly sang "To Make You Feel My Love". Eat that, Nick Carter.
