Two Weeks Later
Glyn and Marian had gotten back to their apartment a few hours ago.
"Wearing the same clothes for two weeks really sucks," Glyn stated.
"You didn't wear the exact same clothes for two weeks," Marian contradicted. "There were those flannel PJs."
"Those don't count. I'm going to miss Chester…" Glyn sighed. "And Jason and Cara, of course. I'll always remember them as the happy couple. Until Matt. But I'll remember Matt too! And the baby." She hesitated to say its name.
"Nick," Marian said numbly.
"So I guess good old Audrey's gonna pull through. Albeit one-handed. One-armed, actually…" Marian blanched. "Sorry Mari. I'll shut up."
"Don't shut up. Ya know, they think Nick was dead before the car even crashed from a drug overdose." Glyn was quiet for a few moments, wondering whether that was a good or a bad thing. The phone rang.
"Damnit. I don't want to get the phone. I need a shower!" Glyn declared, leaving the room. Marian watched the phone as it rang five times.
"Hey Glyn, hey Marian. Um... This is AJ. I was wondering if you guys were back yet. Um... Call me sometime, if you want to," AJ's voice said to the answering machine. Marian heard a click.
"That's nice AJ." AJ and Brian had left on the morning of the 26th. She went to change clothes.
….In a Hospital
"I'm so glad you're here, Brian. I don't think I could do this without you." Audrey whispered, tears glistening on her pale cheeks. Brian squeezed her hand and smiled.
"I'm glad I'm here too. I never should have left you. This never would have happened if.."
"Brian, you can't blame yourself. I love you."
"I love you too Audrey." (gasp! BRIAN! How COULD you?!?!)
…… In a big expensive apartment….
"It's over, guys." Kevin said dully.
"Yeah." AJ croaked.
"I still think Aaron could take Nick's place.." Howie said pitifully. He looked around hopefully. "I really don't want this to end."
"It's over," Brian repeated. "Sorry D."
Back at Marian and Glyn's…
"Hi AJ." Glyn said into the phone.
"Hey Glyn."
"I got your message." Glyn informed him needlessly.
"Yeah." AJ grunted.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah."
"No you aren't!" Glyn bit her lip.
"No, I'm fine. Really." AJ lied obviously.
"How's Brian?"
"He's.. with Audrey."
"What?! They aren't.."
"Yeah, they are."
"Oh no." Glyn whispered sadly. "Mari.."
"Are you busy today?"
"No.."
"Good. I'll be over in a bit."
"Okay. Seeya."
"Bye." Glyn hung up the phone and looked around nervously.
"Hey, Mari?" She went to the door of Marian's bedroom. "Mari are you in there?"
"Yeah. Come in." Marian was on her bed.
"Marian, Brian's… back with Audrey. I just thought you might like to know." Glyn looked at her apologetically.
"Oh. Well." Marian looked away. "My life sucks. Can you leave me alone?"
"Yeah, sorry. I'm sorry Marian." Glyn shut the door and went back to her room. She sat on the floor between her bed and the wall and wondered how Audrey was doing. Someone knocked on her bedroom door. "What?"
"Can I come in?" Marian had let AJ into the apartment, then left.
"Yeah." Glyn heard the door open and shut again.
"Where are you?" AJ couldn't see her because the bed as in the way.
"Over here." Glyn waved one arm in the air.
"Why are you intentionally smashing yourself?" AJ wondered as he sat on her bed.
"I'm not. It's cozy in here." Glyn smiled and looked at the wall.
"Let's go somewhere." AJ suggested.
"Where?"
"I don't know. Anywhere."
"Okay." Glyn crawled under the bed and out the other side.
"You're so weird." AJ commented, smiling.
"Mmhmm." Glyn grinned and they left.
"Marian! Hey, what's up? How was Vermont?" Zach smiled. Marian had called him a little while before and they were meeting for coffee or something.
"Hi Zach. Vermont was… okay." Marian shrugged. It had actually been rather dreary since Brian and AJ left on the day after Christmas, leaving Glyn and Marian to coerce some neighbors into driving them to a bus station a week or so later. "Remember that guy Brian? He went back to his old girlfriend."
"Aww, Mari, I'm sorry. " Zach hugged her.
"It's okay." Marian smiled. 'Of course it is.'
GLYN AND AJ
"Nononono! I'm not going to let you buy me a camera!" Glyn insisted.
"Yes you are." AJ said smugly.
"No! I'M going to buy me a camera so you can't." AJ had told Glyn that he would get her a new camera because the van burned the other one.
"But you don't have any money." AJ grabbed her purse and held it above his head.
"Damn you!" Glyn glared at him.
"Hey!! It's AJ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" A little blonde girl who looked like she was about ten screamed. "OHMYGOD!!!!!!" She passed out on the floor.
"Oh no. This can't be good." Glyn looked sort of scared.
"Um, run." AJ grabbed her wrist and started going quickly to the door.
"AJ!!!!!!" Another little blonde girl had heard the other's cries and had come to investigate. "WAIT!" She started running at them.
"Aren't you supposed to stop and sign their heads or something?" Glyn wondered as they ran down the sidewalk outside.
"Well, yeah. But that's okay." AJ shrugged. "Look! A cab!" They got in.
"Hmm.." Glyn looked out the window as a mob of ten year olds ran past.
"Oh no. I don't drive for celebrities. Get out!" The driver said gruffly.
"No! You can't make us go back out there! Can't you just, like, drive us two blocks away or something?" AJ pleaded.
"That would depend on how much you pay me." The driver smiled evilly.
"Um.." AJ fished a wad of money out of his pocket. "Here. Go to central park?"
"Sure." The driver revved the engine and moved out into traffic.
"He's going to hit one of the teenies!" Glyn said worriedly.
"It's okay. There are so many already.." AJ said, only half joking. Glyn winced as the cab nearly mowed down a pedestrian.
"Oh yeah. My daughter's a fan…" The driver informed them. "I'll be needing an autograph."
"You are such an extortionist!" Glyn said indignantly.
"It's okay." AJ smiled and found some paper. He scrawled his signature on it and gave it to the driver. The cab squealed to a stop and they got out. Glyn watched the cab drive away and wondered if the guy really was just going to sell the autograph on e-bay to some rabid fan.
"Now what?" Glyn wondered.
"We should hide somewhere." AJ said wisely. He looked paranoidly around at the other people. Was that girl staring at them? Why was that person looking a them?
"That's probably a good idea.." Glyn agreed and they started walking. "Your fans are terrifying."
"Not all of them are like that. Just the vast majority." AJ shrugged. They sat on a bench and Glyn noticed someone looking at them interestedly.
"Uh oh, there's someone walking purposefully in our direction." She stated.
"Where?" AJ looked around.
"They just took a picture." Glyn wished she had HER camera.
"That's bad. Very bad." AJ started to stand up when a tall woman stopped in front of them, smiling fakely.
"Hello! My name is Maggie Robinson and I'm a reporter for the-"
"Go away! I don't want to talk to you." AJ frowned.
"Is this your girlfriend?" Maggie Robinson looked intently at Glyn like she was a bug under a magnifying glass. "We always thought you preferred the glamorous-model type."
"Glyn, let's go." AJ took her hand and started to walk away.
"Glyn is it? That's an interesting name. Did you know Nick very well, Glyn?" Maggie Robinson persisted. "You know, the dead Backstreet Boy. We always though AJ was the druggie but apparently he's not the only one."
"Just ignore her Glyn." AJ muttered. "They get savage when refused interviews." He started walking faster, Glyn in tow. "I said leave us alone, damnit." He called over his shoulder. They saw a cab and got into it quickly.
"Well hello again." The extortionist driver said happily. "Who are you fleeing from now?"
"Godzilla. Drive, damnit." Glyn looked nervously out the window at Maggie Robinson, who was marching down the sidewalk looking dangerous.
"Pay up." AJ threw some money into the front seat and the driver accelerated abruptly, again nearly mowing down a pedestrian. "Where to?" AJ told him the address of his apartment. They got there mostly without incident, save a few more scared pedestrians.
"Well that was fun." AJ muttered as he and Glyn passed Britni in the lobby.
"You didn't say hi to Britni." Glyn pointed out. "HI BRITNI! You're my best friend!" Britni made an ugly face at her and turned away. "I don't think she likes me."
"Her loss." AJ smiled and they got in the elevator. They rode in silence to AJ's floor. Glyn scowled when she heard the familiar voice demand that the passcode be entered. As the doors opened and they walked out, Glyn realized something.
"Hey, AJ?"
"Yeah?"
"Why didn't you tell old Maggie Robinson that I'm not your girlfriend?" Glyn tugged at one of her sleeves.
"Um." AJ said articulately. "Because."
"Because?" Glyn bit her lip nervously. "Um, forget it. I didn't ask."
"No. Because..." AJ walked into his living room and surveyed it thoughtfully. It was extremely messy. Glyn didn't seem to mind. Glyn bit the inside of her cheek apprehensively. AJ decided to be direct. "Um... Well, I don't really have a girlfriend but I've been waiting for the right time to ask if you could fill that spot."
"Oh." Glyn had guessed it would be something to that extent. "For how long?"
"Kind of since I met you." AJ was worried. Glyn didn't seem to be responding well to this. "Oh," she said again. "So ... if I.. thought maybe ... we're better as friends then you ... umm... wouldn't want to see me anymore?" She looked and felt miserable. Of course she liked AJ. She liked him a lot, but she was enjoying the freedom of being young and single. 'It must mean a lot if he can open up to someone this soon after Nick died, but ... but what??' she asked herself. 'Miss Maggie Robinson thought he preferred the glamorous-model type. Can he possibly really have a thing for me? I'm a nobody!'
"No!! I'd want to keep seeing you whatever you decide."
"Really?" Glyn asked meekly. She dropped down on a couch and AJ sat beside her. "Um. Can we talk?"
"Sure," AJ said comfortingly.
"Well...uhm. For my whole life people have owned me, ya know? I like my mom better a few hours away because she tries to control everything I do. Everything about my life before I moved was the same way... It was mostly okay, but I was just ...kind of... Ugh." She couldn't find the right word and slumped back against the couch dejectedly.
"Strangled?" AJ offered.
"Yes! That's it. And... um... It isn't that I think I'd be strangled by you but I just... need some time to think. Or something like that. You don't have to try to understand... I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry! You're young and single and having fun. I understand," AJ lied. He had been sure Glyn liked him, too. "Have all the time you need." His niceness made Glyn feel even worse.
"I'm sorry. I really am. I need to think." Glyn stood up and looked at AJ sadly. "I'll call you, okay?"
"Sure. Don't be sorry, Glyn. I'm sorry I brought it up." So she was leaving?
"I'm glad you did. It was going to come up some time." Glyn half-smiled and left. "Bye God." AJ sighed as she closed the door quietly. He considered breaking something but he didn't think it would make him feel any better, so he just sat on the couch staring confusedly at the ceiling, waiting for Glyn to think about it and call him.
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