The Way You Said Hello ~ Chapter Six

"Hello?" I asked breathlessly.

After what seemed like an eternity of silence on the other end, I heard someone clear their throat. I felt a bolt of electric shock tingle from my ear to every cell in my body as -

"Becky?" a deep, raspy voice practically whispered.

I jerked the phone away from my ear and held it in front of my face. I stared at it like some foreign object I had never seen before. My jaw hung open as I continued to stare at it. I heard a low voice ask, unsurely, "Hello?"

I quickly brought the phone back to my ear. "Yes, sorry," I stammered. I would know that voice anywhere. I would know that voice even if I were deaf. I couldn't believe it.

"Do you believe me now?" he said more confidently.

I paused and sighed. "Sing for me," I murmured. It was the only way I could be absolutely sure. My head rolled back against my neck and I listened with my eyes closed.

He sang, slowly at first but increasingly steadily, a song I recognized from one of their import CD's. "Every time I close my eyes, I see your face and I wonder, when you close your eyes, do you think about me? Now I realize, I want you girl and no other. Every time I close my eyes, you're all that I see." His voice faded and he fell into silence. I could sense his eagerness to discover my reaction, but he patiently waited for me to process this attack on my reality.

I couldn't speak. My throat was constricted - I couldn't breathe. My mind went reeling and I felt dizzy. I fell from my chair and slid down onto the floor. I managed to squeeze out:

"Oh…my…God," I slowly said.

I could hear him chuckle on the other end of the line. "Are you going to be all right?"

"I think I'll live." I fought to keep my voice steady as I struggled for air. "I just fell out of my chair, that's all." I inwardly groaned. That was slick, Becky. Way to go for sounding like a retard.

"Becky…" his voice trailed off.

"Yes?"

"Thank you for trusting me." Relief and thankfulness were evident in his voice. "I didn't want to miss this chance."

I smiled and mouthed a silent Thank You in the direction of the sky. I then settled back in my chair and prepared myself for a long conversation with the one, the only, Alexander James McLean.

~

About an hour had passed. We'd been talking about small things: our plans for the next few weeks, our friends, our favorite movies, music, TV shows. After a moment of comfortable silence, I wanted to ask him something. "Tell me about what it's like to be you," I inquired.

"No!" he replied strongly. I made a confused face and waited for him to continue. "I don't want to talk about me. All day, every day, people expect me to talk about myself. I'm sure you know all about me, anyway. Right now I want to talk about you. I want contact with a real person."

"Well," I said, sounding shocked, "I think that's the first time a man has ever said that to me!"

He sounded confused. "Said what?"

"Number one, that he'd rather talk about me than himself, and number two, that I'm a real person!"

We both laughed, and for once I felt truly appreciated. We talked about my interests for a while-and he actually listened to me-and seemed interested! He asked a lot of questions and expressed curiosity when I told him certain facts about myself, such as that I played the cello, or that I was nominated for valedictorian. Sometimes, after he would ask me a question, I would be so caught up in simply listening to his voice that I would forget to answer. His voice was raspy, almost grating, but in a way that was very pleasant to listen to. It was very soothing…and sincere. After about forty-five more minutes of conversation, I fell into silence for a moment.

"What are you thinking about?" AJ asked me gently.

"I just can't believe this is happening," I said pensively. "I mean, I have tried so hard to convince myself that you were never really who you said you were. It's not that I didn't believe you - I just didn't believe in myself. I was trying to prepare myself for disappointment. Whenever I believe in something, it seems it always turns out to be a lie. I've been hurt so many times I just didn't want to be hurt again."

He seemed to think for a few moments. "I understand. There are so many people out there who have no regard for the feelings of others. It scares me sometimes…" He paused. "But I would never do anything like that. It's been done to me too, and I never want to make somebody else feel like that."

I tried desperately to believe him, but my heart just wouldn't let me. Long ago I had lost my ability to trust, and one telephone conversation was not enough to bring it back.

Okay, I thought…time to lighten the mood. I stood up, stretched, and lay down on my bed, my feet hanging lazily off the side. Changing the subject, I asked casually, "So, AJ - why *do* they call you Bone?" I felt an evil grin spread across my face and knew that he was doing the same.

"Would you like to find out?" he teased.

I laughed, "Oh, you wicked, wicked man!"

"I try," he declared with mock modesty.

"And you succeed," I said sarcastically. I stuck my tongue out at the phone and smirked.

"Don't you stick your tongue out at me, woman!" he joked.

My jaw dropped. "How did you know that?"

In a mysterious tone, he whispered, "I know all, my lady." I involuntarily shivered and crossed my arms. The way he said that…

I decided to have some fun. "So, Mr. Know It All," I said smugly, "What am I thinking right now?"

A.J. made a humming, meditating noise, and said with a heavy accent, "Well, let's see…The lady is happy…"

"Correct," I affirmed.

"She is thinking…that the gentleman is…"

"A nutcase?" I laughed. I sat up and ran my fingers through my hair.

"No!" he said indignantly. "Well, yes. But…the lady is thinking…that she likes the gentleman very much."

I sighed. Please don't do this to me, AJ, I thought. I'm not sure I can take it. "The lady doesn't even know the gentleman," I gently chided him. "And the gentleman knows the lady even less."

I could almost hear him trying to get together the courage to say whatever he was thinking. He said slowly, "But…the gentleman would like to get to know the lady. Very much." His voice caught, rasping more than usual, and he paused expectantly.

My eyes fluttered shut and I placed my hand over my forehead. I kneaded my temples and said, "AJ …That's impossible, and you know it."

I heard him slam his hand against something. A table or desk, maybe. "No!" he exclaimed. "It's not impossible. Becky, I know this is the first time I've ever talked to you, but I have been talking to you over the computer, even if you didn't know I was really me, and I feel like I know you. Give me a chance, girl. It's all I ask."

I sighed and leaned back against the headboard of my bed. "I don't know, AJ. We'll see how things go." I glanced at my clock, and was shocked to find that it read 1:12. "Oh my god! AJ!" I yelled.

"What?" he said, startled.

"It's one o'clock in the morning!" I said. "I have to go! I have school tomorrow! I have to be up in four and a half hours! I am gonna be so tired tomorrow…" I jumped up and started to change into boxers and a tank top while still on the phone.

"I didn't even realize we were talking so long," he said. "Three hours! That's the longest I've talked to someone in a long time. I really enjoyed it."

I paused from my changing. "Not as much as I did," I said sincerely.

I heard his sharp intake of breath and guessed he was about to say something, so I sat down and waited. Finally, he said, "I want to talk to you again. Soon. This has meant a lot to me. Would that be all right with you?"

"AJ," I said warmly, "if you have to ask that question, you're crazier than I thought you were. Of course I'd love to talk to you again."

He chuckled with relief, I suppose, and said enthusiastically, "Wonderful! I knew my lady would choose wisely. Can I call you again tomorrow night?"

I walked down the hallway and ducked into the bathroom to take out my contact lenses. Before I did, I stopped in front of the mirror and studied myself. I looked different, somehow. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but a change was occurring beneath the surface that no one could see. "I suppose so," I said, pretending to act nonchalantly, and then laughed softly. "How about nine o'clock? Or did you have plans?"

"Well," he said thoughtfully. "Tomorrow is Friday, and I think the guys and I were going to go out."

I stopped dead in my tracks in the middle of the hallway. I carefully asked, "Oh, really? Where are you going?"

"The guys and I were gonna go out to dinner and then go out to Pleasure Island. You know what that is, right?"

I sighed impatiently. "Yes, AJ, I live in Tampa, not Antarctica. I go there all the time." An idea was forming gradually in my head. It involved a risk - a great one - but one I was willing to take. "So, can you call me when you get back?"

"It'll be late," he warned.

"It doesn't matter," I reassured him.

He chuckled. "Don't go crazy waiting by the phone, now."

"Boy, if you think I'm going to wait by the phone, you are seriously delusional," I laughed along with him. I added to myself: I'll be a lot closer to you tomorrow night than sitting by my phone.

His voice grew soft. "I'll talk to you tomorrow night, then," he said seriously.

"Definitely."

"Bye," he said reluctantly.

I softly said, "Bye, AJ," and hung up the phone. I collapsed backward onto my bed and resisted the urge to pinch myself. This is real, I told myself. This is happening.

Tomorrow night, it was all going to come down. I knew what I had to do. And I was ready.

~

Continue to chapter seven

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