“Wake up. Class starts in an hour.” A.J. tapped on Starrs’ shoulder. She groggily opened her eyes and immediately freaked out as she looked up at AJ.
“Omigosh!” She franticly searched around her. “What happened?”
“Calm down!” He sat down next to her and spoke softly. “You couldn’t get into your room last night, so you slept on my coach.” He laughed and got up. She took a deep breath of relief and remembered it all. She laughed at herself and got off the coach.
“Sorry.” She searched for her bag.
“It’s ok. Do you want some breakfast?” He clicked the stove on and took a pot out from a cabinet. She opened her mouth to refuse, but sighed and agreed.
“Just make yourself at home. I’ll be done in no time.” He signaled to a chair. She sat down. While he went back and forth from the frig to the stove, Starr glanced around at his house. It was big, with a high ceiling and white walls. The couch was beige leather and there were glass end tables on either side. She noticed strange art forms in the corners and on the walls. It was actually pretty interesting.
“Do you mind if I use your restroom?” She stood up and picked up her bag.
“Not at all. Go down the hall past three doors, and turn on the right.” He worked his hands with slimy eggs and raw bacon. She walked slowly down the glowing tunnel. A shaggy rug padded the hard wood floor in a room she peeked at. It’s obviously AJ’s. She thought provocatively to herself. She practically gasped at the clean, pricey look of the model of the room and furniture. She giggled to herself as she noticed a bed sized ceiling mirror over his sleek white comforter. In the corner was a marble, three-person hot tub. She quickly pushed out the thought of her and AJ in it, bubbles surrounding them. She continued to the bathroom, flicking on the light switch of the dark room. Instantly, bright white light flooded every inch of the king size bathroom. The shower and toilet were so white, that the light almost made them seem invisible. She walked in and turned to look in the mirror. Something dark behind her caught her eyes attention. She turned and gasped as she saw an angelic girl in a white gown floating in a dark pound scene. She had her hand resting on her stomach and the other lying freely on the top of the water beside her. There was a light up yellow halo hovering over her face. Starr ran her hand over the smooth glass.
“It’s an original.” A voice from behind her startled her observing. She turned around and looked at him with gleaming eyes.
“I love this picture...every since I saw it 5 years ago in an art store.” She faced the art piece again and studied it closely. She believed there was a story or a meaning behind every painting. In this one, she imagined the girl angel drowning...so she floated between the bottom of a deadly pound, being hell, and the halo, being heaven because she was confused and God had given her the chance to choose where she should go. That’s what she thought God does to everyone who dies, makes them look back at their past and choose if they should go somewhere better and glow in the glory or burn in hell. That’s what she believed was the hardest disisson someone ever had to make.
“I got it while we were on our second tour, at some vintage store in Maine. I fell in love with it the minute I saw it.” He leaned against the gentle door frame. AJ looked at the side of her head till she returned her gaze. “Breakfast is ready.”
“Ok.” She followed him down the hall. They sat down at the steal table and began eating.
“Why did you guys break up?” She set down her glass of orange juice.
“A lot of reasons. Nick’s mom came down with cancer, so he wanted to go home and take care of her. Brian and Kevin had gotten married and they were ready to settle down and start a family. Howie’s so mellow, so he was up for anything...whether we quit or not. And I just felt I had played my part, and I was ready to move on...retire.”
“That’s so sad about Nick’s mom. Is she ok now?” Starr sympathized. AJ stopped poking at his food and stared at his plate. “She doesn’t hurt anymore.”
“That’s good.”
“Yeah, God’s taking good care of her.” AJ closed his eyes and remembered the call he got from Howie last year.
“Oh...” She caught what he was saying and her heart fell to her stomach.
“We sang ‘The Perfect Fan’ at her funeral. That kind of ruined it for us. Cause from then on, whenever we would perform it, we would think of her.” AJ set down his fork and looked up at Starr. “If I ever lost my mom...suicide would be my only answer.”
Suicide. Starr hated that word...that meaning...that action.
“Me and my mom were never really that close...but I would definitely miss her. I would never be able to get over it.” She rubbed his hand when she saw his emotional features. She decided to change the subject for his connivance. “What about Brian and Kevin?”
“Brain and Leighanne have two kids, four and six.” AJ smiled. “They are the cutest kids. Kevin and Kristine have one, he’s four and a half.”
“That’s sweet. What do they do?”
“Brian is solo. He takes his family on tour with them.”
“I knew he would go solo with that voice.” She grinned. “How many CD’s does he have?”
“Three. And Kevin sells real estate in Kentucky.”
“I sing a little. Not that much though.”
“Really! Sing me something.”
“No!” She laughed and got up to take hers and AJ’s plate to the sink.
“Oh, come on. I won’t tell anyone. I promise I won’t laugh!” He put his hands in the air as if surrendering.
“No! We have to go anyways.”
“Ok...meanie. But I will hear you sing.” They washed the dishes together, then got in the car to drive to the campus.
“Do you still talk to each other?” She rolled down her window and let her hand drift in the blowing wind.
“Not that much. Howie’s coming out from Orlando in two months to visit the class though.”
“Is he in acting?” She looked at him, cocking her head to the side.
“Yeah. He helps out young actresses and actors. Kind of like an agent.” Starr nodded her head. They rode in silence for a couple miles.
“You have no idea how weird I feel right now.” She rolled her window up and crossed her legs.
“Why do you feel weird?”
“Because…just seven years ago, I was reading articles about the famous band the Backstreet Boys, and now ones teaching me.” She laughed. They drove into the parking lot. Starr noticed people staring at her as she got out of the car. She glanced over to AJ with helpless eyes. AJ saw it too and immediately shamed himself. Starr was wearing the same clothes as yesterday and getting out of his car, which only added to the situation. They began walking in different directions.
“My dorms this way.” She paused to hear whispers and see fingers pointing.
“Ok. See you soon.” He quickly walked to the classroom building. Starr stood and stared at him go. She almost didn’t want him to go. She turned around and walked primitively towards her room She went to open her door, but it was locked again.
“Sai!” She yelled through the thick, rusty white door. Starr pressed her ear up to the door, listening for movement or music.
“Starr? Did you forget your key?” Jamie asked. Starr turned around and saw only her head peeking out from a door four rooms down.
‘Yes!” She ran over to her. “Do you think I can borrow some clothes?” Jamie looked down and saw what she was wearing.
“Oh…I see. Thought he was more than cute, huh?”
“No! I’ll explain on the way to Drama. But we’re gonna be late.” She walked into the stuffy living room that Jamie let her into.
“Sorry about the mess. My room mate is a guy.” She half smiled and half acknowledged it. Starr followed Jamie through piles of clothes and bags of trash to a little room. She sat down on the bed and watched Starr rumage through her closet eagerly. “So…” She folded her arms and looked at Starr with accusing eyes.
“Last night,” she began to explain while picking out a pair of pants, “me and AJ were talking. I started getting really tired. So he walked me to my room, but Sai wasn’t there and I didn’t have my key, so he offered me to stay with him…ON THE COUCH…and he would drive me to school in the morning.”
“Uh huh.” She smirked and watched Starr brush her hair in the mirror. She turned around, dressed in a pink tube top and faded flare pants.
“You look so cute!” Jamie smiled. She checked the clock on her dresser and jumped up. As they walked out of the room, Starr felt her legs stiffen when she saw a gorgeous, shirtless, guy standing in front of the frig. She stuttered out hi as Jamie pulled her arm towards the door.
“Hi.” He greeted in a deep sexy voice.
“Bye Jeff.” Jamie called and shut the door.
“He was FINE!” Starr gawked as they ran down the hall, then the staircase.
“He’s ok.” Jamie scrunched her nose and ran across the lawn of the college campus. Starr just shook her head.
“Ok M’s, it’s your turn.” AJ sat down. Starr got up and walked over to his desk. She was just about to ask him a question when some guy whistled and another yelled “Keep your pants on, Mr. B!” Starr rolled her eyes and strained to ignore it, shifting her weight.
“I-“
“Hey, when did you change your clothes?”
Starr turned around and was about to yell at the jerks in the room till she felt AJ’s hand on her shoulder.
“We didn’t do anything last night guys.” He took his hand off her shoulder and picked something up off his desk.
“Sure...” They murmured and laughed.
“We’re just friends!” She yelled, getting frustrated. The guys started saying something, but Jamie stood up and told them to shut up. “Mind your own business you dicks.” She had a way to get people speechless. She sat down and smiled at Starr. She turned around and glared up at AJ. He just kind of shrugged.
“Hey Starr.” Jason, Jamie’s friend, sat down at the computer next to her.
“Hey...” She poked at the keys and stared at the screen.
“Where ya been lately?”
“I’ve been really busy.” She turned and looked at him with blank eyes. “Do you have ANY idea how to work the crappy thing?”
“Yeah.” He got up and leaned in front of her. “We’re hanging out at Jamie’s room tonight. Why don’t you show up?” He grinned.
She just laughed and shook her head. “Sorry. I have a script to study tonight. Don’t you too?”
“Yeah. We were actually gonna do that. Just come. You need to take a break.”
Starr hesitated, but nodded her head. “Ok, ok. I’ll come.” She tapped his shoulder.
“Good, it starts at 6. Ok, you click here, then drag...that.” he took the mouse and demonstrated. “And put it...here.”
“Omigosh! Thank you soooo much!” She kissed him on the cheek and clapped her hands together.
“No prob.” He sat back down beside her and started his work.
“Hi Mr. McLean.” Jamie sweetly smiled and leaned back on her heals.
“Hey Jamie. You can call me AJ if you want...We’ve known each other two weeks now.” He smiled back and laughed softly to himself.
“Ok...AJ, I was wondering if you wanted to come over to my room tonight. Me, Starr, Jason, Bobby and Trinity are practicing that skit you gave us.” She could see his eyes brighten up when she mentioned Starrs’ attendance.
“Sure. I don’t have anything planned. What time?”
“About 6:00.”
“Ok, I’ll be there.”
“Great! See ya.” She turned to walk away.
“Hey Jamie. Is something wrong with Starr? She hasn’t been talking to me.” He invisibly frowned and walked up behind her.
“No. She’s been really busy. She hasn’t even been talking to me much. Why?”
“Just wondering...”
Jamie had a huge smirk on her face as she disappeared out the door into the busy rush of students. He strolled over to the stage and sat lazily on the edge. After a couple minutes of blurry space outs, he came to realize he was staring straight at Starrs’ empty seat. That’s all he had been thinking about the past two weeks...Starr. He loved everything about her...which wasn’t much. But he loved her style, her laugh, her playfulness, hard working attitude, mellow mood, her acting. Crazy as it sounds, he found it sexy how she stuck her pencil in her ponytail. He loved her silliness...especially her name. What kind of person would name their daughter Starr? It was such a unique name. He thought it was funny that she didn’t want to be an astronomer or something. He just loved her...
“Found a cute one yet?” He heard a voice sound from the door. AJ looked up and saw Allen standing tall in the doorway.
“Yeah.” He laughed and got up to shake his hand. “What’s up?”
“Nothing. Just checking on my B Man. What were you thinking about?” He sat down harshly in the front seat.
“Just thinking. About everything I guess.” He sat down at his desk, putting his feet up on the neat top.
“Right...” Allen grinned and leaned forward. “I heard about that Starr chick.”
“What did you hear?”
“That she got out of the car with you two weeks ago wearing the same thing as the night before.” He folded his hands and grinned sickeningly devilish that AJ cringed. “Knockin’ up the freshman’s already...”
“No. I didn’t “knock” her up, Allen. She couldn’t get into her room so I said she could stay with me. I was only being considerate and all this shit started.”
“You know these kids. They don’t look at what’s the truth. They look at what they wanna hear, something to make fun of and talk about for a month, then they’ll forget about it.” He shrugged and opened a folder he had brought with him. “Wanna go out tonight?”
“Naw, got plans.” He threw a baseball up in the air, catching it.
“With Starr?”
“Well kinda. It’s a hang out with her and some of her friends. I’m just goning to help them with a play thing.”
“Ok, well I guess we can go out another night. Better get back to my room before the guys find the naked pictures I took of there suarity girls.” Allen laughed loudly and shut the door. AJ shook his head to himself. Allen did it every year to the seniors in his photography class. He would treat his 5 partiers in the class to an all night dinner and clubbing get-away and have his 6th guy get nude pics of their girlfriends, then joke or black mail the guys with them. AJ did it with him one year, but stopped when one girl was so upset, she left the college and never talked to her boyfriend again. AJ got up and headed to his house to get ready for tonight.