THE NEXT DAY (actually... about four and half hours later.. heh heh heh)
"Eww, stop it! Go away. You stupid rat!" Glyn shoved blindly at the stupid rat/dog hybrid that was yipping happily and licking her face. She looked up at an unfamiliar table and wondered where the hell she was. "Oh yeah. AJ's house... I went to jail..." she mused quietly. It didn't seem like anyone else was awake yet... it was rather silent, except for the sounds that damn rat was making. She saw Marian sleeping in a chair and that weird guy Brian on the floor by the door. AJ was probably in his room, and Nick was in his cage. Rather, that room he'd gone into last night. Glyn thought Nick should have a cage. Maybe he really did, to protect innocent bystanders from him.
"Glyn." Nick said flatly, looking at her. He'd been in the kitchen and had come out when he heard Miffie yapping, half hoping that Glyn and Marian had been trying to kidnap her or something. Maybe they were the type that ate small dogs, hmm...
"Nick." Glyn looked away from him and stared at the carpet instead. It was a nice carpet. Glyn wondered exactly how famous AJ and his singing friends were. The people in the cell yesterday had been rather hysterical when they saw him... She heard something crack and looked at the window just in time to see a bird go slack and start falling. There was a small scratch on the glass. "You killed it."
"Killed what?" he asked stupidly.
"The bird! You idiot. It saw you and it died."
"It did NOT!"
"Did too!" Glyn taunted. Nick wasn't very hard to provoke.
"Did NOT!!" He threw a glass of orange juice in her general direction. It shattered on the tabletop. She started laughing hysterically.
"What the FUCK?!" AJ appeared in a doorway. "Nick! You bastard! What did you do?"
"Ummm..."
"He threw something at me."
"Well you said I killed that damn bird! And I DIDN'T! It wasn't my fault it flew at the window!" Glyn laughed softly.
"Nick, clean up the orange juice and the broken glass," AJ ordered.
"What happened?" Marian asked. "Did we fall asleep here?"
"No, stupid," Glyn said.
"What broke?"
"Genius over there threw orange juice at me." Glyn nodded at Nick.
"I am not a genius!" Nick heard in her tone of voice that she meant 'genius' as an insult.
"Oh, I know." Glyn smiled happily. AJ and Marian laughed. Nick looked confused. Was something funny? Glyn started to crawl out from under the table.
"Wait a minute... It's not safe. There are glass shards everywhere." AJ observed.
"That's okay." Glyn crawled over a piece of glass. "SHIT!" She glared at the glass piece embedded in her palm. "Ow. Ow, DAMNIT."
"Haha! You're a genius, Glyn," Nick smirked.
"Yes, I am." Glyn stood up and tried not to step on any glass. Her hand was kind of bleeding everywhere now. "Crap! I'm going to mess up the carpet!"
"What?" AJ hadn't really figured out that she'd gotten glass in her hand. "Glyn! Your hand is bleeding!!!"
"Yes, I know that. I'm really sorry if I get blood on anything..." she frowned.
"Nick!!" Marian looked at him furiously. "It's your fault. You genius."
"It's not my fault!!!!" Nick glared back at her.
"Don't throw the orange juice, Nick," AJ instructed, noting that he had another glass of it.
"FUCK!" Glyn had pulled the piece of glass out of her hand. She pressed her hand against her jeans. "Do you have a bathroom or something?"
"Oh! Yeah! Over here.." AJ ran across the living room and opened the bathroom door for her. Glyn held her hand over a sink, trying not to look at it.
"It's not bleeding that much..." Glyn said even though it obviously wasn't true. AJ tried to give her a towel. "No! I'm not going to mess up your stuff." She turned the water on and held her hand under it, wincing.
"Glyn, are you okay?" Marian stuck her head through the doorway. "God Glyn, you killed yourself!" Glyn shrugged. "That's the third time you've done that since last March."
"What?!" AJ looked at Marian, horrified.
"WHY did you have to bring that up? It wasn't like I picked up the glass and shoved it into my hand or anything." Glyn smiled at her hand. "Actually, it's the fifth time. So there, you can't count."
"Yeah, you only did that twice. So twice intentionally and three times accidental..." Marian sighed. "Do you have gauze or something?" she looked at AJ.
"Um.. yeah. I think." AJ rummaged around in a drawer for a minute and found a box of 'Sterile Gauze Pads,' which he held up triumphantly. "Here"
"Thanks..." Glyn opened the box with one hand. "Both of you get out. You're staring at me." Marian shrugged and left, AJ following somewhat hesitantly. Glyn came out a few minutes later, her hand wrapped in gauze.
"There's blood all over your jeans, Glynnie." Marian informed her.
"Yeah, yeah.. we should probably go. You have that interview at.. two, isn't it?" Glyn remembered.
"Oh shit." Marian smacked her forehead. "What time is it?"
"1:45," Nick replied gleefully.
"Shut up!" Glyn ordered. "Umm... It's 1:45. He's right. Shit!"
"Should we leave? Wait. Yes, definitely." Marian was a little tired. "AJ, I'm sorry I fell asleep on your chair. Thanks for saving Glyn from jail."
"How much do I owe you for that, anyway?" Glyn wasn't sure she really wanted to know.
"What?" AJ hadn't even thought of making Glyn pay him back. "You don't owe me anything.
"Yes, I do." Glyn frowned.
"Well. Umm. No. Because I broke the camera lens! And I wouldn't let you pay for that anyway, seeing as it was Nick's fault you were in jail. And mine and Barnaby's."
"It's okay. I wasn't there for very long." Glyn shrugged. "You're going to be late, Mari. AJ, send me a bill or something." She went through the door and waited for Marian.
"Umm.. bye, then, Thanks..." Marian said shyly and followed Glyn, glancing curiously at the sleeping person by the door.
A Few Days Later
Glyn fidgeted on her bed in her room. Marian had a job, and she felt entirely useless. She got up and wandered around her room, kicking clothes and other crap out of her way. The phone rang and she ignored it. It rang two more times then stopped. She looked over some of her photographs. Ten minutes later the phone rang again.
"Hello?" 'Why do people always call me?!'
"Glyn!" That was AJ.
"Hello, AJ," she said, not very surprised.
"How've you been?" he asked cheerfully.
"I'm fine. You?"
"Great. Um... Are you sure you won't do a photo shoot?"
"What?"
"We... umm.. The management people are looking for a photographer, kind of, and I thought maybe you wouldn't mind if I gave them your number-"
"I really don't think that's a good idea-"
"I kind of did already. Sorry." He didn't sound very sorry. "They might call you soon."
"I don't take pictures of made-up posing people." Glyn informed him.
"You could though.." AJ said hopefully. "We could try no make-up."
"That might not go over so well with Nick. He probably likes that pink lipstick. Umm... Isn't there a, um.. person in your group I haven't met?"
"Well... There's Howie," AJ said hesitantly. If anyone liked pink lipstick...
"I thought there were five of you! Your management people wouldn't have called about ten minutes ago, would they?"
"No. That was me."
"Sorry. I don't usually get the phone unless I'm bored."
"Jee, thanks. I'll remember that and if no one gets the phone when I call I'll be sure to call a few more times to make sure there's really no one there." AJ smiled.
"I'll just never answer the phone ever again." Glyn sighed. "I won't let Marian either."
"So you'll do the photo shoot?" AJ said casually.
"No." Glyn replied.
"Fine then. Are you busy today?"
"Yes, very. I have loads of stuff to do." Glyn lied.
"Ha! You do not." AJ SAID.
"Yes I do! You wouldn't know anyway."
"Maybe I would..." AJ said stalkerishly. "Open your door."
"WHAT?!" Glyn was scared. "Oh yeah. You know where I live. I'll have to move." AJ laughed. Someone knocked on the door. "AJ, is Barnaby with you? Or anyone?"
"Na. Just me. Will you go out to lunch?" Lunch and a photo shoot. AJ hoped she wouldn't mind.
"Can I bring my camera? Is that offensive? Like... you can't let Barnaby try to put me in jail for having a camera." Glyn wasn't opening the door until she knew for sure that Barnaby was not a threat.
"Barnaby's not here and he can't come to lunch." AJ hoped he wouldn't be there. "He's not invited." He knocked on the door again, then tried the knob. It wasn't locked and he opened the door. Glyn heard the door open.
"Don't you know it's exceedingly impolite to just break into people's houses!?" she yelled. Glyn hung up the phone but didn't leave her room.
"Where are you?" AJ called.
"I'm in here!" she said helpfully and heard footsteps behind her. "Hello, AJ. How are Muffie and Miffie?"
"They're fine. How are you?"
"I already told you, I'm fine." She turned around to face him.
"We get a normal car today. It's mine." AJ informed her.
"Oh, joy." Glyn thought that AJ looked decidedly mischievous and maybe going somewhere with him wasn't a good idea. "You're plotting something."
"No I'm not!" he looked very offended. Glyn followed him to a shiny red Z3. "I have a nice car, don't I?" AJ opened the door for her.
"No. I hate it a lot," Glyn said as she sat in the passenger seat.
"You can't hate this car! This is a nice car." Glyn shrugged.
"Where are we going?"
"To lunch," AJ replied. "That's what I said, I think."
"Lunch where?"
"Um.... I dunno," AJ said mysteriously.
"You're plotting something! Let me out." Glyn reached for the door.
"You can't open the door! The car's moving." AJ glanced at her nervously.
"Tell me where we're going." Glyn commanded.
"Uh... I don't know," AJ lied as he drove around a corner. He drove into a parking lot that looked rather exclusive to Glyn and parked. She looked at him with a highly suspicious expression.
"AJ, I want to know where you're taking me."
"Lunch!" he repeated mechanically. He got out of the car and quickly opened Glyn's door for her.
"Uhm. Thanks." She looked slightly scared.
"Follow me."
"I'd rather not but I will because if I don't you'll sic Barnaby on me."
"Barnaby is nowhere near- Oh damnit!!!" AJ saw Nick and Barnaby walking into the building. He covered Glyn's eyes. "Barnaby is nowhere near us."
"DAMNIT!!!" Glyn shrieked, quickly attracting Nick and Barnaby's attention. "Is Barnaby here?"
"No. Barnaby's not here," AJ assured her.
"Yes, he is!" Nick yelled happily.
"SHUT UP, NICK!!!" AJ yelled back. Nick laughed.
"You got her to come! Does she have her camera?"
"Shut UP Nick!" AJ repeated. Glyn started looking murderous.
"Lunch? I think not," she said quietly. "You foul fiend. I can't believe Barnaby's here.... Barnaby I HATE YOU!" she yelled. "I hate you too Nick!!!"
"Genius," he taunted as she and AJ approached him. "You don't hate AJ? He got you here you know." Nick looked smug.
"YOU brought Barnaby," she stated, ignoring his question. "AJ, who's that?" She pointed at someone she didn't know.
"That's Howie," AJ said uneasily. "Hi Howie!"
"Hi AJ! How are you?" Howie waved at him happily. "Long time no see."
"Yeah... I'm fine." AJ walked inside quickly, leading Glyn.
"This isn't fair! I want lunch." Glyn noticed Kevin and Brian and Audrey standing somewhere nearby. "I don't want to take pictures of guys wearing make-up and too much hairspray."
"You can have lunch afterwards." AJ said soothingly. "Look out. There's Audrey."
"Yes, I saw her," Glyn said, trying to look more polite than she had when she accidentally fell asleep on AJ's floor and was supremely offensive to Brian about Audrey. Audrey stiffened.
"Brian! Who is that?!" She recognized the girl accompanying AJ.
"Um. Glyn," he replied, thinking instantly of Marian.
"I don't like her." Audrey frowned prettily.
"I don't think she likes you either," he stated bluntly, remembering Miffie and Muffie.
"Are you the photographer?" A thin, leggy blonde woman in a business suit smiled fakely at Glyn.
"Um..." she glared at AJ. "I guess so."
"Great! Let me show you their wardrobes.." the lady took Glyn's arm and started steering her towards a door.
"Can't they pick their own clothes?" Glyn asked doubtfully.
"What a comedian!" The woman laughed humorlessly and looked rather distastefully at Glyn. "Right this way, please.."
"I am NOT going to pick out their clothes!" Glyn protested. "They're big boys, they can do it themselves." The woman frowned slightly and looked at AJ, who shrugged.
"Umm.. well.." the woman stuttered.
"I'm a photographer, not a fashion designer." Glyn glared at all of them.
"Obviously." Audrey said delicately.
"At least I don't have any plastic body parts, Audrey, dear." Glyn smiled sweetly at her. Audrey gasped and crossed her arms. AJ was reminded of Muffie.
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