Alanna groaned as she rolled over. Her head was pounding and her whole body ached. "Oh God I think I'm dying."
Somebody knocked on the door. "Go away," she growled.
"Alanna it's me, Lance, can I come in?"
Alanna sighed as she threw back the bed covers. Dragging her feet she made her way towards the door and winced as the light from the hallway blinded her momentarily.
"Man you don't look so good."
"Gee thanks Lance. That made me feel SO much better."
Alanna headed back to her waiting bed. She crawled on her hands and knees making her way to the head of the bed where she crawled under the covers once again returning to the warmth they provided. She pulled the covers over her head as Lance entered the room.
"I came to ask you if you if you wanted to come out with us. I'm not so sure you should be leaving your bed though."
Peeking out from beneath the covers Alanna looked at Lance. "I think you may be right there."
"Do you need anything?"
"No I'll be okay. You go have fun with the others."
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
"Okay you look after yourself. Hopefully we'll have you better for tomorrow's show."
"Yeah, good thing today is a day off," she muttered.
"I'll leave you to rest now. Anything you need, Alex will be here okay?"
"Mmhmm," she mumbled sleepily.
Lance quietly left the room and Alanna drifted off to sleep.
~*~
Alanna woke again to someone pounding on the door. "Who is it now?" she said to herself.
She had to admit; she now felt a little better.
"JC!" Standing there in pyjama bottoms and a wifebeater was the man himself, blanket draped around his shoulders. If he hadn't looked so ill and she had been 100%, him standing there dressed like that would probably have affected her greatly.
"Hey Al," he smiled lazily. "I couldn't sleep and Lance said you stayed back too. How are you?"
"I'm doing a little better. You wanna come in?"
"I was hoping you'd ask. Being ill with nobody to fuss over you is no fun at all."
JC walked over to the bed and flopped down onto it and closed his eyes. When Alanna remained standing by the door he opened one eye and looked up at her. Alanna suddenly felt very uncomfortable. What should she do now?
"You gonna sit down or what?"
"Erm yeah." Alanna walked over to the bed and perched on the edge.
JC chuckled. "Alanna. Get in the bed. I'm not gonna pounce on you. I don't have the energy."
She carefully slid into the bed next to JC.
"So seeing as we are stuck here dying we may as well get to know each other a little better. Let's play 20 questions."
"Okay then."
"Alright I'll go first," said JC as he rolled over onto his back. Alanna followed suit. "Okay question one. How old are you?"
Alanna laughed. "You don't know that already? I'm 20."
"Okay your turn."
"Hmm let me see...do you have any brothers or sisters?"
"I can tell you weren't a fan."
"I liked your music but I just wasn't into probing into backgrounds."
"Fair enough. I have a brother, Tyler, and a sister, Heather. Next question. What have you been doing since you left high school?"
"I was at college taking a lot of classes, most of which I had no interest in. I was basically trying to figure out what to do with my life. Then this gig came along and I blessed all your lives," Alanna joked. JC laughed. "No seriously, it wasn't something I could pass up. I can always go back to college; this chance wouldn't be here waiting for me though. Now what shall I ask you?"
Alanna asked a question she normally wouldn't have asked had she been feeling herself. "Have you ever lied to the fans about having a girlfriend?"
JC visibly flinched. He was silent for a moment. Alanna was about to tell him that he didn't have to answer when he turned to look at her and answered her question. "Yeah in the beginning we all did. We never really had anyone serious so we didn't see the need in upsetting the fans. Also it kept our old management happy as well as giving us a bit of a private life."
JC took a deep breath and turned to lay on his back again, once again returning his gaze to the ceiling. Alanna thought he had finished when all of a sudden he roughly pulled his fingers through his hair and exhaled loudly. "That all changed with Taylor though."
Alanna immediately remembered JC calling the girl from the club that.
JC continued. "I finally decided that she was important enough to share with the world. What an idiot I was," JC laughed bitterly.
Alanna didn't know what to say so she just sat there as JC bared his soul.
"She left me, left everything we had together just so she could get a few movie deals. Nice to know I meant so much to her huh?"
JC turned his head to look at Alanna. "That day at the club was the first time I'd seen her in 3 months. You know I thought I'd go running back to her. When I saw her though all I felt was hatred. I've never hated anyone in my life Allie but when I saw her eyes...every bit of love I ever felt for her just disappeared before my eyes. I'm not hurt anymore. I'm just so damn angry...angry at myself." JC slammed his fists down onto the mattress either side of his body.
Alanna jumped slightly. She cleared her throat. "Why?" she whispered.
"I'm angry cos I fell hook, line and sinker. I'm angry because of the games I let her play, angry for letting her hurt me that way, angry for letting her jeopardize the relationship with my friends and family, angry for letting myself love her," JC finished.
Alanna placed her hand on the top of JC's. "I'm sorry JC."
The corners of his mouth lifted slightly resembling a small smile. "It's okay, it's over with now. I do believe it's my turn," said JC sitting up. "What I want to know is why you won't show anyone the songs you write?"
Alanna shut her eyes. No he didn't just ask that. Of all the things he didn't ask that.
"Oh come on Alanna. I just spilled my guts to you, it can't be that bad."
Alanna could feel the tears threatening to spill from beneath her closed eyelids.
Chapter 11
Chapter Index
Main Page