As she was finishing the touchups on her make-up it occurred to her - what if they're arrogant pricks? What if they act like they're better than her? What if they won't work? What if.......well, SHE would be in charge. She would treat them like she had the high school kids who had volunteered earlier in the summer: Try to have fun, yet make it clear that everyone was going to do their fair share. Practical jokes -- okay. Horsing around -- okay. So long as the job is done at the end of the day. Gawd, she never asked Sandra how old they were, either. Probably 18, 19.....Backstreet BOYS. Boy is the key word......yeah, probably about 18 or 19. Still young enough to intimidate with age....with that thought, she laughed out loud. It made her feel 'old' at 24.
Downstairs at the breakfast table, Kenneth was as nervous as she'd ever seen him. He was shifting through papers and mumbling to himself. "Where's Ann?," she asked (her foster mom, Kenneth's wife).
"Oh, she had to leave for work early today. She told me to tell you to have a great time and to take lots of pictures for her."
"Pictures? I'm not taking a camera. We're gonna be working."
"Well, there will be cameras there for all of you to take pictures with. Disposable ones. They were donated."
"What? I don't want to take pictures. That's stupid. I certainly don't want MY picture taken."
"It's not stupid, it's ingenious. They'll be published later in a special-edition magazine to show their efforts, as well as promote the Peace House."
"Geeeeeeez.....it sounds cheesy to me. I don't want to be in some teen magazine." Angela still couldn't believe it was really THE Backstreet Boys, so she decided to ask Kenneth one more time. "Kenneth, is it REALLY the Backstreet Boys? The ones on the radio and MTV, right?"
"Yes, Angela, why would I tell you that if it weren't true?"
"I don't know. I just don't see how you possibly got such a big-name group to come to BFE, Edgell, Indiana to work on a homeless shelter. It doesn't make sense."
"Well, I have friends in the right places. Besides, no-one will even know they're here until Friday. We're going to start having it announced Friday morning on radio stations in the area that the open house will have the Backstreet Boys and donations to help out are being accepted."
"And you really think that people will come on such short notice?"
Kenneth looked up from his paper in sheer disbelief. "Do you even know how big they really are? This is BIG, Angela. I'm more concerned about what to do with all of the people that DO show up, than what to do if no-one shows up. Christ, they sold out 50-some concerts in a matter of hours."
She winced at his language. She wasn't a goody-goody, but she'd rather hear the F-word any day than to hear the Lord's name in vain. "So am I still going to be in charge of the work and stuff?"
"Yes, young lady, it's going to be you and the boys. I know you'll work hard and that you'll be professional about it. That's why I didn't bring in outsiders. I don't want the word to get out and there to be a mad rush to the house before it's finished. That would be horrible. We'd never get it finished, then."
Angela liked how he said 'we', when his lazy ass had never lifted a finger to do anything at the shelter, but she let it go. "Do you think anyone would really believe it if they heard they were there? I mean, seriously? I don't think they would believe it. I don't believe it. I won't believe it until I see them." (Which sounded odd to her since she couldn't even picture them in her mind. She'd seen them before, but hell, she didn't really pay attention. Even Sandra's descriptions didn't jog her memory).
"I don't know. What's with all the questions? Are you nervous? Just treat 'em like anyone else. You'll be fine. They're a nice bunch of guys."
"How old are they?"
"The youngest one is probably about 19 or 20 and the oldest one is about 27 or 28, I think."
"27 or 28???!!! I thought they were younger than that! You mean, they're OLDER than me?!"
"Not all of 'em. But you'll probably have more in common with Nick, the young one."
She thought and thought and still couldn't remember which one that was, so she pulled out her notes....'Nick/Adorable'. "What's he look like?" she asked, when what she really wanted to know was what Kenneth's version of "adorable" was.
"He's tall, blond.....he's a good lookin' kid. His whole family's good-looking."
"What about the other guys.....what do they look like?" The more details the better, she thought.
"Look, Angela, you'll see them soon enough. I'm not going to sit here and describe them to you." He changed the conversation quickly. "Are you ready to go?" His discomfort on discussing the other four guys led her to believe that he didn't know what the rest of them looked like either.
"What about AJ? What does he look like?" She wasn't going to let him off the hook that easily......if he'd seen "AJ/Funky-Tatto" he would mention it because he hated tattoo's.
"AJ? Ummmmm, I'm not sure. I get them mixed up."
"So YOU don't know what they look like?"
"I told you what Nick looked like. That's the only one I really remember. He stands out the most. Kind of a wholesome, all-American kid."
"I DOUBT he's wholesome. How can someone be that popular and be wholesome. He's probably a dickhead." Nick was obviously his favorite, which made her think he WOULDN'T be her type as Sandra had indicated.
"ANGELA! I don't want to hear you talk about him like that. He's a good kid. And his mother is a wonderful person. It would break her heart to hear you say that."
"Oh puhleeeze....I was just joking." A-ha! She thought. His mother? How did Kenneth know a Backstreet Boy's mother? "So how do you know his mother?"
"I just do....Now get your things and let's get going. I want to be there before they arrive."
The finality of it all hit her. Oh my God, she thought. I'm going to meet the Backstreet Boys. He's not lying. It's really true. What do I say? Oh my God. "Kenneth, I feel sick."
He laughed and patted her arm reassuringly (which was highly unusual for his un-supportive ass). "You'll be all right. That'll wear off once you start working."
"Whatever...."
He did notice she looked a little pale, so he tried to make her laugh. "Yeah, whatever." No such luck. Maybe she would be a little starstruck.....he'd been counting on her not to be.
Chapter Four
Chapter Two
Story Index