Chapter 72
A few days had passed and Kristen was still staying with Howie and she still wasn't talking to Toni or AJ. Nick had called her a few times for Toni to see how she was doing but Kristen wouldn't really talk to him either. Kristen was in the guest room she was staying in getting ready when Howie came in to talk to her. "Hey, rehearsals for the VMA's are going on today, you going?" he asked.
"Yeah, TJ called me about an hour ago to tell me. We get the stage for rehearsals right after you guys. I don't know why I'm doing it. I should just leave them hanging since they fired me."
"They haven't fired you yet," Howie pointed out.
"That's because they need me for this stupid performance."
"You didn't use to think it was stupid, you used to be excited about it just like everything else."
"What do you mean by that?" Kristen asked turning from the mirror she was using to put on her make-up to face Howie.
"I mean, ever since Christmas you've changed. It's like you don't care about anything any more."
"Do we have to talk about this?" Kristen asked.
"Yes, I think we should. You're probably going to run into AJ today at rehearsals so I think you should talk to him."
"And I think I shouldn't," Kristen said grabbing her purse and walking out of the room.
"Where are you going? You have rehearsals in a few hours."
"TJ and I are going to the mall first."
"You and him aren't going out are you?"
"We're just friends. And what would it matter, I'm single so I can date who ever I want."
"No, you can't. You're still in love with AJ, you belong with him."
"How do you figure that I'm still in love with him. If I was I would never have broken up with him."
"I'm not that stupid. You keep a framed picture of him and you kissing next to your bed. I've walked by your room the past few nights and your door was open and I saw you sitting on the bed looking at the picture crying. Explain that if you don't love him," Howie said when the door bell rang.
"I have to go," Kristen said opening the door to see TJ and closing it behind her.
"You don't look too happy," TJ commented as they got in the car.
"I'm not, can we just go?" TJ looked at her confused then pulled out of Howie's drive way. They drove to the mall and TJ didn't bother to talk to Kristen the way there cause he could tell she was thinking of something that was really bothering her. He had a good guess that it had something to do with AJ. The past few days him and Kristen would go out and do various things together but no matter how happy she seemed he could always tell that she wasn't really there. Her mind was always somewhere else and it began to worry him. They hit a few stores and then went to the food court and grabbed something to eat and found a table to sit at before they had to leave for rehearsals. Kristen wasn't saying anything so he figured he would strike up a conversation to try and get something out of her.
"Do you have a date for the awards yet?" he asked and Kristen looked at him for a second before answering.
"Is this your way of finding out if I'm going with AJ because if it is..."
"Hey, I was just asking you a question," TJ said interuppting her. "You haven't said much so I figured I would ask you and get you talking."
"Oh, sorry. No, I don't have a date. Acutally I'm not really in the dating mood. I figured I would just go stag."
"Well, they are going to make Britney and all the dancers sit together since we're performing so how about we go together? Just as friends, nothing more. So what do you say?" TJ asked.
"That sounds good to me, I'd like that," Kristen said with a smile when some guy pulled a chair up to their table.
"Mind if I sit with you two?" he asked sitting down staring right at Kristen. Kristen immediately recognized who it was. TJ looked at Kristen confused and saw her tense up but she wasn't saying anything.
"Um, actually we do mind. We were sort of having a private conversation here," TJ said since he could tell Kristen didn't want him sitting with them.
"Shouldn't you only be having private conversations with your boyfriend............AJ, isn't it?" he asked still not taking his eyes off of Kristen. "Oh wait, I forgot you two broke up. So is this your new boyfriend?" he asked with a smile.
"I don't have time to talk, I have somewhere to be," Kristen said grabbing her bags and walking away really fast. TJ looked at the guy again who was sitting there watching her walk away with a smile then he got up and left too.
"Who was that?" TJ asked when he caught up to Kristen.
"I haven't the brightest fucking clue," Kristen said walking really fast.
"Whoa, hold up stop for a sec," TJ said getting in front of Kristen and grabbing her shoulders so she would stop walking. "If you don't know who he is why did you tense up when he sat down and how does he know about you and AJ?"
"TJ, I don't know who he is and I don't know how he knows about AJ. This is the third time he's come up to me and it's starting to freak me out."
"What do you mean the third time? When were the other two times?"
"The first time was at the House of Blues concert. He came up to me and started hitting on me and Toni got all pissed off at him and blew up on him and he left. Then I was at Pacific Wave purchasing a swim suit and he came up to me and told me how sexy he thought I would look in it. I don't know how he knew me and AJ were dating or that we broke up," Kristen said really fast.
"Whoa calm down," TJ said wrapping his arms around Kristen and giving her a hug. "Let's just get to rehearsals," he said as Kristen nodded in agreement and started walking away. TJ turned around and looked at the food court and saw that the guy was still sitting there with a smile on his face. TJ turned back around and caught up with Kristen at his car. They got to rehearsals a couple minutes before the Backstreet Boys were done rehearsing.
"I'm going to go change," Kristen said leaving towards the bathroom. TJ went walking towards the stage when they were finished and AJ hopped off the stage and went up to him.
"What's up TJ?" he asked.
"Kristen is what's up," TJ replied.
"What, why, what's wrong with her?" AJ asked worriedly looking around for her.
"First off it's like she's lost her mind. She seems to always be in some kind of a trance or something and I think she's thinking about you all the time. She's not her normal self."
"I'm going to go talk to her. Where is she?"
"Man, that isn't what should worry you."
"Then what is?" AJ asked confused.
"I think she's being stalked by some guy we ran into at the mall earlier. She said that he's come up to her two other times before and it's starting to freak her out. He knew about you and her going out and how you broke up."
"Why would someone stalk her? Who would it be?"
"I don't know, I just think you should watch out for her or talk to her or something."
"Yeah I will. Thanks man. I'm going to go change and I think I'll stay around and watch you guys rehearse," AJ said walking away. Kristen came out of the bathroom a few mintues later wearing her tear-a-way- pants, sneakers, and a sports bra with her hair up in high pony tail. She was the last one to get on stage to rehearse. The choreographer came out and paired everyone up and Kristen was thankful that she was paired with TJ even though Britney wasn't too fond of it.
"Don't you think I should dance with TJ? I mean, we've always used to dance well together before," she complained.
"No, you're with Jerry. TJ is the closest one to Kristen's height.
"Fine," she said glaring at Kristen which Kristen took notice of.
"She just hates me so much doesn't she?" Kristen whispered to TJ.
"Don't take it personally. If I was dancing with her all the time she probably wouldn't hate you so much."
"Boy, that makes me feel special," Kristen said as the choreographer silenced everyone and began teaching them the dance moves. After about ten minutes Kristen saw AJ walk in and sit down in the front row watching her. Kristen began screwing up the simple dance moves since she felt awkward because she didn't want AJ watching her.
"Just ignore that he's here," TJ whispered in her ear since he knew why she was messing up. AJ just sat there watching Kristen and began getting more and more depressed as he watched her move around letting his eyes wonder over her bare skin since she was only wearing a sports bra and pants. Finally AJ got up and left because he thought if he watched her anymore knowing that he couldn't have her that he would cry and he couldn't let anyone see him crying. He walked out of the building where he ran into Nick who seemed to be waiting for him.
"Stayed after to watch Kristen, didn't you?" Nick asked.
"Can't help it," AJ said leaning against the building wall and pulling out a cigarette and lighting it.
"What the hell is up with that. I thought you quit," Nick lectured.
"Once again, I can't help it."
"What the hell do you mean you can't help it?"
"I mean this is driving me insane Nick. No girl has ever gotten to me the way she does. I feel like I could die any second now without her by my side."
"So make up with her. Sing her a song, give her flowers, the usual deal. I'm sure she'll go back with you."
"Nicky, a good voice and good looks will only get you so far in life. Haven't you learned that by now?"
"No because it sure as hell gotten us a long way in our careers."
"Yeah, well, too bad it doesn't do anything for us in the real world," AJ said putting his cigarette out and walking away to his car to leave still depressed and worried more than ever about Kristen.
Chapter 73
