The day went on without any major problems. Liz was able to catch up on her sleep and had even woken up late so she had to hurry to the venue for the show. She was very impressed by the way things were run when she got there. Security seemed to be in full that night, having every potential situation mapped out and planned for in the event of an emergency.
She found her way backstage with Lynn and had briefly spoken to the guys before excusing herself to go to her seat. An area where friends and family members sat was towards the back of the arena on the floor. She quickly made her way there so she could get a better view of the mayhem that was coming.
Everywhere she looked, through the sea of young faces, she saw happiness…pure happiness. From the middle aged mother holding her small child, to the group of preteens that giggled and tried to get closer to the family area, they all had the same glow about them. They were all about to experience a magical night and they knew it. The age gap was bridged, mothers, daughters, fathers, even sons, attended the show to just have fun.
Fun…
That was something Liz hadn't had in a long time. She was still young, maybe not compared to 80% of the audience that night, but none the less, still young. She just didn't feel that way. Most of her time was spent trying to figure out how to reach her target, obtain her goals, and she didn't have time to just be herself. If she did, would she even recognize who she was?
She looked at the smiling faces and wondered if things had been different, if she had done things the way her father did, would she be here with the same smiling face as those around her? She didn't know the answer to that question. She could only hope that once her goals were reached, she would be happy. That's all she knew. That's all she lived for. That's all she wanted…but was there something else that sparked her interest?
She pushed that thought away, deep inside her brain when she heard her name called. She turned around and saw yet another smiling face approach her. "Hi Lynn. Are you calmed down now?"
Lynn could only nervously laugh. "Are you kidding me, I'm more nervous than ever. Tonight is going to be awesome but I'm worried because Justin's worried and when he gets worried, well, I get worried and then we're both just worried and miserable."
Liz's head was spinning when she tried to understand what in the world Lynn was rambling off about. "Um, okay." She finally got out then motioned to the seat beside her to let Lynn know to sit down before she fell over.
"Dear, I'm sorry. I just can't help myself. Those boys have worked their butts off and they are finally getting all the rewards from it tonight. I just hope everything will go smoothly for them." She said as she sat beside Liz but was shaking her leg so uncontrollably that Liz had to physically put her hand on Lynn's leg to make it stop.
"Lynn, everything will go just fine. Please, just sit back and enjoy the show okay?" She said smiling at her boss but felt a tug at her heart. She wasn't sitting beside the same woman she met a few weeks ago. She was now sitting beside someone she considered a friend. She felt her stomach turn at the thought. Having friends wasn't part of the plan. She let go of Lynn's leg and brought both of her hands to her stomach.
"Are you getting nervous too?" Lynn asked as she noticed Liz's face begin to lose all its color.
Liz looked over at her and could only muster a small smile. "Um, yeah. I think I'm going to get something to drink." She said as she stood to go to the concession area.
Lynn tuned her head to see several of the guys' mothers approaching. She took this opportunity to talk to them before the lights went down and the first opening act started.
"Oh my God! Daddy, you wouldn't believe tonight. I mean, the singing alone was…and the dancing…floor humping…and the pyrotechnics…the lights…lasers…the screams…my God."
Liz lay flat out on the floor of her hotel room relaying the nights' events to her father. He was the only person she felt comfortable enough to let loose around and be a young girl again. She was babbling on and on about the show. In the beginning, when the black curtain fell to the floor, Liz strained to see the guys but didn't notice them until they were slowly lowered to the stage. From that moment on, Liz was hooked.
She tried to hide her excitement from the others that sat nearby. She didn't want them thinking she was a raving lunatic as some of the fans were that night.
She was able to hold most of her exuberance inside until part of the stage rose and moved above the crowd and straight towards the family and friends section. When the guys stopped right in front of the area, Liz's face was on fire. She felt so giddy at that moment and wanted to stand up in her chair and reach out to the guys like the fans were doing. Just a touch by them would send any of the females in the crowd skyrocketing to the moon and Liz wanted to join in.
She held her ground and in fact, turned her head so she wouldn't look at any of them until the stage began to move back to it original place. She felt bad about not looking at them but didn't want to be responsible for her actions if she did.
She was now relaying all the info to her father and when she went to catch her breath, he was able to get a word in. "Jelly bean, you have to calm down or you'll have a coronary." He said as he heard her giggle over the phone and he continued. "Lizzy, I'm glad you had a good time at the concert. I've heard about those boys from the girls in my school. If they only knew that MY daughter was friends with them, then…"
He was cut off immediately when Liz heard him say 'friends'. "Daddy, I'm not friends with them. I just work for one of their mothers and she wanted to see them tonight so I came along to get some work done and…"
"Lizzy, cut the crap…" That got her attention. Her father sounded a little upset and she pulled her legs up to her chest and slid onto her side to prop her body up on her elbows. She was going to get a lecture for sure now.
"You and I both know that you never get this excited for ANYTHING unless you like it. Do you remember last summer when I took you to see Bruce Springsteen in concert?"
She knew where this was leading and only replied with a low 'yes'.
"Well, now THAT was a show and you enjoyed yourself but that was nothing compared to the way you're acting about those boys. I've heard you all night talk about how JC sings like an angel, Joey works the crowd, Lance charms the pants off the audience, Chris was absolutely adorable and Justin was amazing. Dear, I feel like I know them personally from just hearing you talk about them. Now that tells me something."
Liz just shook her head, as if her father were standing in front of her so he could see her expression on her face. "Daddy, I liked the show that's all. They aren't really friends of mine. I hardly even…"
"Elizabeth…" Her father started. She knew she had to fess up but just saying the words were hard enough for her.
She took a deep breath and stared hard at the thin dirty carpet beneath her body. Her fingers began picking at a spot, probably left over gum or something, to try to avoid what she knew she had to admit.
"Daddy, I just…I don't know. I…I um, well."
"Lizzy, just admit it and you'll feel so much better, I promise."
"Fine, daddy, I'll admit it. I…I like them okay? And I guess you could say that I'm friends with them…but I can't be don't you see that?" She pulled harder at the carpet until the object she was working on came flying up towards her face. She moved out of the way but then picked it up and examined it. Yep, gum. She stood to throw it in the garbage when her father began to speak again.
"There, now don't you feel better? And don't tell me you can't be their friends because they are famous. Liz, don't do that to yourself. You are a sweet and wonderful person and anyone would feel lucky to have you as a friend and…"
"Daddy, it's not that. I just can't get too involved with them because I have to leave soon. You know I'm only doing this for the summer and then its back to school for me. I don't have time for friends now. I have to concentrate on the job and then…"
"Elizabeth Louise Matthews…" Her father began.
Liz could only sigh. She knew she was about to get it. "Daddy, don't start with the full name bit. I'm 21 years old and…"
"I will take any tone I want to with you young lady. I may not be the top executive of some law firm or even a paralegal but I am HAPPY with what I do. Now, I love your mother and your sisters but THAT is what they chose to do. They wanted that out of their lives and for that, they have no real friends outside of work. They bust their butts twenty-four hours a day just to make sure that men, like myself know that they are capable of beating us in the job market. Well, you know what?" He stopped long enough to hear Liz say 'what' but she never did.
He sighed and took a deep breath before continuing. "You were always different than the others. You were the one who cared about people. You strove to help those around you. You give your heart to those that needed it and never asked for anything in return. Then you go off and listen to your mother and have your sisters tell you that you have to follow their example. Well, I don't buy that. I may not have said anything to Rachel or Jacquelyn or even Stace but I'm saying this to you: Decide for yourself what YOU want and don't do what your mother wants you to do. Like you said, you are 21 years old and you have your own mind. What makes you happy is what I want for you, not working all your life and never being happy. Find what interests you, go after that, and be…"
"Daddy, I can't believe you're saying this. You always told us to do as mom said. Set goals for ourselves and follow that. And besides, I AM happy. I want to be an accountant and…"
"Elizabeth, I'm not saying that an accountant isn't a wonderful job. It will bring you financial stability and social status but is that what you really want. I hear you speak about the girls you work with and the guys you are becoming friends with and wonder if maybe there's something else you really want."
Liz was getting very frustrated at this point. All her life, her father had never stood up and said anything about the way her mother raised her and her sisters. It was always mom's way or no way and Liz was fine with that. Now her father was going behind her mother's back and telling her to change what she knew to be the gospel and do what SHE wanted to do. Liz wouldn't even know where to begin on that one. She only knew what she was taught so long ago.
"Dad, I know what you're saying but it's too late. I have made my mind up and I can't back down now. I'm good at what I do. I even turned the bitch-from-hell Marie St. John into mush the other day and it felt great. I have a knack for this and want to push myself to see how far I can go."
She knew that she was telling her father a little lie in that she liked the way she felt by putting someone like Marie in her place. All she wanted was to get her opinions across but ended up fighting tooth and nail until Marie yielded. She didn't really like how she went about doing it but that was part of who she had to be when she finally made it out into the world. She would have to fight with many more Marie's, most of them dressing in expensive business suits and smug looks to their faces, and she had to be ready. But something inside told her that she wouldn't be happy when she went home. She pushed down the feeling for now. She was going to win this battle with her father if it was the last thing she did…or maybe not.
"Lizzy, I don't want to tell you what you should do with your life. You've had too many people do that already. What I do want to say is that I love you and whatever choice you make, I will ALWAYS stand by you. Now, I have to get going. I have summer camp tomorrow. New trainees…fun, fun. But I do want to leave you with one piece of advice: You only have to please yourself in life. Everyday you wake up, you don't have to look your mother or sisters or even me in the face but you do have to see yourself. Do what it takes for you to be able to look in the mirror and like what you see. Only you can decide that…only you. I love you, JellyBean. Talk to you soon, bye."
With that, her father hung up and left Liz holding the phone in her hand, listening to the dial tone. She was thinking about what her dad was talking about when a shrilling sound came from the receiver. Liz jumped off the floor and slammed the phone back on its stand. She slumped onto the bed and assumed the same position she had earlier in the day when Justin had come by to see her.
She had a lot to think about and talking to her father only made things more difficult. He was always the one she felt free with. She could express any emotion, any feelings about ANYTHING and he would just listen and never question it but tonight he had. He was making her chose her path in life, and whether she cared to admit it or not, she was slowly falling in love with the people around her.
Lynn was becoming the type of mother figure she wished she had growing up. Her own mother wasn't caring the way Lynn was towards her. Liz's mom thought only of work, work, work and always put her children last. She said that she had to work extra hard to provide for her family but deep inside, Liz only wanted the type of mother that would call up and say she wouldn't be coming in that day because Liz was sick. She knew Lynn would do that in a heartbeat if something happened to Justin. She put her son first and Liz was a little jealous of that. Maybe that was why she enjoyed just hanging out with Lynn and talking about absolutely nothing.
She tried so hard to be up front and professional all the time but the way Lynn and the girls were, they made that impossible. The girls always asked Liz to out with them to grab a bit to eat, catch a movie, whatever. They wanted a friend and Liz fought it not to be but knew that that was what she wanted. She wanted girl friends and guy friends to just hang out with and be young.
The girls spoke a lot of their guy problems and asked Liz for her advice on those subjects. Liz couldn't really help in that department. Boys where definitely NOT part of her plans so she hadn't had much in the way of contributing to those conversations. Oh, she had a few boyfriends that were real 'winners' but she chose to not discuss them. She didn't want to open up THAT much to the girls. She wasn't ready to do that just yet.
But was she with the guys?
She didn't really know the rest of them well, but she did know Justin. He was like the brother she never had…an extremely attractive brother, but a brother nonetheless. He tried his hardest to get her to open up, let loose, be young but she fought him as well. She knew that if she spent too much time with him, she would lose it all. He was just too much of the type of person Liz longed for to not fall for his charms and that was a definite NO NO. Not only would she be crossing the line between professionalism and friendship but going after Lynn's son would be disastrous. He would never fall for her so she wouldn't allow herself to fall for him.
"Only a week with them and then I won't see him for the summer. I can do this. I can do this. He can't be part of my life after I leave. He can't…" Liz was trying to give herself a pep talk when she heard a knock at the door.
"Oh, please don't let it be Justin." She said aloud. She slowly got off the bed, smoothed out her hair and adjusted her pajama top to begin the short trek to the door. She peeped through the hole and smiled when she saw the person standing on the other side.
She slide the door open slowly and took in the handsome young man in front of her. "Why, Mr. Bass, what brings you here at midnight? I thought you'd be out partying all night." She said as she saw a smile of his own spread across his mouth.
He stepped closer to her and at first, Liz thought he'd keep going and knock her over. Before she could ask him again why he was there, a large hand reached around Lance's body and grabbed her arm. She tried to jump back but the hand held onto her tight. She looked at Lance who only shrugged. He held up both of his hands to show her he wasn't holding onto her.
From around the door, came the person for whom the hand belonged to and Liz groaned inward at the sight of him: Justin.
She tried to plaster a convincing smile on her face but both him and Lance noticed the strained look. "Damn girl, I thought you'd be happy to see us but I guess I couldn't expect anything since you turned your nose up to us at the concert tonight." He let go of her arm and they both looked at her.
Liz's face grew red with embarrassment. She hadn't meant to be mean but she didn't want to go 'teeny' on them at the show. "Guys, it's not that I turned my nose up, it's just that…"
She stopped when she saw them both fold their arms across their chests and lean on either side of the doorway to give her a bored look.
Liz just rolled her eyes at the pair. "Fine, to tell you the truth, I didn't want you guys to see how excited I was to be there. I thought you guys did an awesome job. I never knew you performed that well." She said as their demeanors lightened.
Justin was the first to speak to her. "You really liked the show?"
"Are you kidding me. I about jumped up in my chair and screamed 'I love you Justin' along with everyone else at that show." She was laughing along with Lance but Justin didn't seem to find that all too funny.
"You what?"
Liz realized what she said and went to correct herself. "Um, you know what I mean. The crowd goes bonkers for you ALL." She said, emphasizing the word ALL so he wouldn't pick up on any mixed signals.
Justin merely said 'oh' and returned the smile to his face. "So, whatcha doin'?" He asked with a grin the could make the Cheshire cat jealous.
Liz knew something was up by the way they both were looking at her. "What am I doing? The better question is what are YOU TWO doing and how am I involved?" She returned the same gesture they had only moments ago when she crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the doorframe.
Lance's face showed that they were indeed hiding something but Justin quickly spoke so he wouldn't blurt anything out. It wasn't any big deal but unless asked the appropriate way, Liz would turn them down in a heartbeat.
"My dear Ebby, we really have nothing up our sleeves. Only that we wanted to know if you'd like to come down to our room and watch a movie, that's all." Justin said with that ever-present smile of his.
Liz's eyebrows merged when she saw the way his eyes were sparkling and knew he was leaving something out of this equation. It just didn't add up. "Well, guys I'd really like to but I do have to catch a plane tomorrow and head back to Orlando to make sure everything is still on for when we join your tour soon." She said returning her own sweet smile.
"Besides, I thought you were throwing a party tonight. That's what your mother said, Justin."
Both their faces showed that they had gotten caught. They knew she wouldn't go near a party because that meant she would have to socialize and have fun and she was not about fun at all…or at least they thought so.
Right before Lance opened his mouth to spill the beans, Joey came up to the group. "Hey, did you get her to come with us or not?" He asked, looking at Liz a second, standing in her pajamas. "You know, Ms. E, that we like you and all but you aren't going to one of our parties wearing those pjs."
Liz had no idea what he was talking about until she noticed the look in Lance's eyes that said that was the reason they had come down to get her. She immediately shook her head no to the men in front of her. "Oh no, I'm not going to any…"
Before she could get anymore information out, Joey stepped through Lance and Justin, slung Liz's left arm up and pulled her body over his shoulder. He heard her yell his name but chose to ignore it. "You're coming so I don't want to hear another word. All you had to do was say okay and I would have let you change clothes but we're running out of time here so shut up and put on a happy face. Let's go." He ordered Liz and the others as he spun himself around to head down the hallway.
As he did, he slammed Liz's head into the doorframe and heard her yelp in pain. She smacked Joey in the butt and said a few choice words that neither Lance nor Justin knew that she knew. Joey simply laughed down the hall as they made their way closer to the private party they were throwing.
(Back in Orlando the following afternoon)
"I can't believe they did that to you." The young woman said as she plopped down in the seat in front of Liz's desk.
"Well they did. I swear if it's the last thing I do, I will get Chris and Joey back for last night." Liz said as she grabbed a stack of papers off her desk and carried them to the file cabinet to begin putting them into their new homes.
The young woman in Liz's office watched her slide across the room trying to look upset but could see the hint of a small smile cross her face in the remembrance of the past evening's events.
"Yeah, but you know that you loved every minute of it."
Liz's head shot up but never turned to face her friend. A slight chuckle escaped her mouth before she answered. "Yeah, I did."
The young woman started laughing at that and stood to join Liz. She placed an arm around her shoulder and leaned her head on it. "Liz, girl, you've been accepted into the world of Princes of Pop…God help you."
Liz turned to face her friend and laughed with her. "Is it too late to run away?" Her friend shook her head 'no' and merely gave her a grin. "Great, now what do I do, Nikki?"
Liz placed the files on top of the opened drawer and returned to her desk. Nikki followed but stood behind her, looking out the window at the people passing by. "Babe, I hate to break it to you but once they let you in, no matter how much you beg and plead, you can't get out." She said, trying to be funny but then her voice took on a serious tone. She kept her eyes on the people below her but spoke straight to Liz. "Be glad they let you in. Those five guys will reach out and grab your heart without you even knowing it. Be careful because it's so easy to fall."
Liz heard that and began thinking about what it meant. She had come to the conclusion that she didn't want to distance herself from the guys. She would take her father's advice and do what made her happy…well, as long as it didn't interfere in her plans that is. She wanted to be friends with both groups but would keep some of herself blocked off to not get too close. But it would be harder than she thought.
She stood and approached Nikki who was oblivious to her presence. "Hey…" she started as she tapped her on the shoulder. Nikki spun around and her eyes met those of Liz's. She smiled at her then asked the question that plagued Liz since finding out that the guys and girls KNEW each other. "Does this have anything to do with JC?" She knew she had no right in knowing the goings on of them but she could see the far off look Nikki had right now and only assumed it was because of her failed relationship with him.
Nikki crackle a slight smile and sighed heavily before giving Liz a quick hug. "I just wanted to warn you, that's all. Those guys are amazing but getting too close could destroy your friendship with them. Just watch yourself, okay?" That was all she said. She walked around Liz and headed for the door.
Liz watched her leave and felt a tug at her heart. It was getting harder to be around the guys and not care for them…but romantically, that was another story. She had NO time for friendships but was trying to, but a relationship was so far in the future she didn't worry about that. But she saw the sad look of her new friend and wished she could take it away.
As Nikki's form passed through the doorway, Liz thought of something that might cheer her up. "Oh, Nikki…" She started as Nikki turned around and appeared to have a blank look on her face. Liz didn't say anything at first then snapped out of it. "Um, I forgot to tell you that JEREMY asked about you." She said with a sly grin, knowing Nikki's secret obsession with Justin's friend.
Nikki's face turned three shades of red before she giggled like a schoolgirl. "He did?" Liz nodded her head and Nikki walked back into her office. She sat down in the seat she had just warmed up moments ago. "Tell me EVERYTHING!"
Liz chuckled to herself and sat in her own seat to reel off the events of her talking to Jeremy in Mississippi.