"Move it! Move it! Mall Security coming through!" I yelled, trying to push my way through the crowds of screaming girls. My radio buzzed, and Jordan's voice came through.
"Hey! I'm on my way, give me some info!" I grabbed the radio and held it up.
"Jord, outside FL, crowd of 20 girls, young man stuck in the middle! Get here!" I signed off and again tried to push my way through. When I finally got to the center of the bunch, I grabbed the man by his upper arm and yelled into his ear. "Hang onto me, we'll take cover!" I noticed Summer standing, worried, outside of her store, and beckoned to her to close her security bars. By the time we had reached Foot Locker, Summer closed the bars behind us. The crowd was still screaming, pushed up against the bars.
I radioed Jord to let him know that he just had to disperse the crowd, and Summer, the man and I headed to the back of the store. We decided to wait in the shipping hall until we got Jord's call. I looked the young man up and down, but for the life of me could not figure out why the girls had been chasing him. He was looking ashamed at having caused such a difficulty, and held his head down. Now, when I got a look at him, I could tell that he was about 5 feet and 10 inches, with baggy blue jeans and a dark grey sweater on. He wore a navy ball cap pulled down over his eyes and I couldn't see his face. I crossed my arms and began to ask the many questions that were running through my head.
"Who are you? Why on Earth were dozens of girls screaming and swarming you? I think we deserve an explanation!" I tapped my foot and looked at him. Summer stared at him, and I could tell she was thinking the same things. He looked up then, showing that he had a goatee and wore blue sunglasses. He looked around, almost as if he was trying to decide what to say. I was getting impatient. This was the weirdest thing I'd seen in the mall in a long time. "Well?" I asked.
He then looked me straight in the eye, taking off his sunglasses. "Uh," he spoke slowly. "This may seem weird to you, but this kind of thing actually happens to me all the time." I just looked at him. That was not an explanation. "Well, uh, I'm AJ McLean... and uh... have you heard of the Backstreet Boys?" He asked, almost as if everyone had, and if I hadn't known him I would be insane .
I had, of course, because they were in Toronto for a show at the Skydome, and were hogging the radio air time. I really didn't listen to much music myself though. "Well, yeah," I answered, "Don't tell me you are one?" That would be just my luck, having to sneak a Backstreet Boy out of the mall.
He nodded. " I am, and...uh, I know that they..." he pointed in the direction that the gates and the crowd was, "will not go away any time soon. I've delt with this a lot." I looked at him. Was I supposed to be impressed?
"Oh, well then you might just have to share your infinite wisdom with us Mr. McLean, because we at the mall do not get mobs of teenyboppers much. If you come with me, I think we can get you out the shipping bays." I turned and walked out the door. Summer just stared at me and AJ, amazed at what had just happened.