~~~A week and a half later~~~
The girls had rehearsed with Fatima for 2 more days, then they had the choreography down to an art. they had recorded 2 more songs and together with the managers and producers they had decided to do 5 songs on the tour; They’d start with Do You Know?! Then Walk On The Wildside then the ballads I Won’t Forget You and Dreams Do Come True which kinda symbolized their dreams, who were coming true, and than ending it with was gonna be their first single History (That’s What You Are). Kate was hired as their stylist, so were more people who would arrange everything, Ross and Angela would travel along with them, being their managers. More photo shoots for advertisements were taken, along with much more things to complete everything before the real work started.
Now they were having coffee with the guys in some lunchroom.
“So, we haven’t seen you guys in 2 days.. what happened in the meanwhile?” Alyssa asked.
“Not much, just relaxing and enjoying the last few days off”
“Oh”
“Are you nervous for the touring yet?”
“No, I’m not”
“Well, I am.. when I think of it,... what if we suck? What if the audience will boo us out?”
“That won’t happen, you’re way talented.. besides.. most girls coming to our concerts like Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera too.. and you make the same music”
“Well, maybe they will start with boo-ing and calling you names.. but that usually changes after a few minutes” Brian added to what Howie said.
“I can imagine, they’re coming to see you guys, and instead, they get some ditzes to look at for 25 minutes!”
“You’re exaggerating”
“OK”
“Well, us girls discussed something.. and even though SOME of us don’t get along with SOME of you” Summer looked at Michelle and AJ angrily “You are welcome to stay at our house for the 3 days we have rest.. I wouldn’t want you to have to spend 3 days in a hotel, while you can stay at our house also”
“That’s very kind of you to offer, but I believe we’re already staying at the Carter house”
“Well, uhm..fella’s?” Nick said.
“You see, my dad is renovating the house and there’s a possibility that there won’t be enough spare rooms for us”
“Oh, well, in that case.. we will gladly take your offer girls!”
“OK, our house is small though.. I think you might have to share rooms”
“That’s OK”
Summer nodded “Great, that’s settled then”
~~~A few days later, in the plane back to LA~~
They were boarding the plane...
“Hey, I have seat 13A!”
“So?” Morgan asked Michelle.
“Well, I thought I had the seat next to you”
“Well, obviously not, I have 15A and I’m sitting with Alyssa, Brian and Nick”
“Weird..” Michelle murmured. She sat down, all alone.. Ross and Angela were sitting somewhere way up front, Summer, Kevin, Becky and Howie were sitting behind her.. who was gonna sit next to her?.. “Ah, no!” she said, as she realized something..
“Hello” it was him.. the dreaded AJ... in the days they had spent in Orlando, Michelle had only formed more hatred against him.. he totally disgusted her.. the way he talked, smiled, walked, made his oh-so-funny-jokes.. NOT!! Ugh.. and now she had to sit next to him for the entire way to Los Angeles.. this was gonna be dull..
She forced herself to smile friendly.. well, she tried.. it came out a bit wierd..
“Hey”
“So, seems like we’re stuck together”
“Yea”
“Listen Michelle, before you start bitching at me again, I don’t like this either, but my guess is, the guys planned it this way, so we would be stuck, and would have to talk.. now, I suggest we try to stay polite and not piss each other off, it’s just a few hours..”
Her face formed a scowl and she shrugged her shoulders “Whatever, I’m gonna ask if we can change seats with someone”
AJ sighed and sat back in his seat.. “She’s such a pain in the ass!!!” he said out loud.
“What’d ya say Bone?” Brian poked his head above his seat and looked at AJ questioning.
“I SAID... MICHELLE IS SUCH A PAIN IN THE ASS!!”
“Likewise” Michelle sat down again.
“There’s no way we can change seats.. seems like we’re really stuck together” she crossed her arms and moped.
“Well, thanks very much guys, if you really think this will make us like each other all of a sudden..THEN YOU’RE WRONG!!”
“Geez, sorry Bone, sorry Mimi” Brian startled and sat down again.
***
“Oh boy, this is going to be a fun-filled tour..” Alyssa sighed.
“Ya know what I think? I think she has a crush on him” Morgan thought out loud.
“Really?
“Yea,.. C’mon Lyss.. Michelle is never downright bitchy to a guy... I think she’s just finally realizing that she can’t go on like this.. but she doesn’t know how to act around him.. I guess she’s too scared.. and why do we call her Mitch Tha Bitch?? Cuz she’s best at playing a bitchy role!!”
“Wow” Alyssa said, totally baffled at Morgan’s analyze of Michelle.
“I think she might have a point..” Nick said.. “I mean, when have we ever seen AJ act this barbaric to a woman?? NEVER!! He’s always flirtatious and sweet and interested.. I think they’re both just unaware of their feelings for each other”
“Yea, but how are we gonna make them see?”
“Oh, just wait, time will do it’s work” Morgan smiled mischievously.
“I hope.. their behavior is getting REALLY annoying!!”
~~~LAX airport~~~
“We’re here!!!” Becky stepped out of the plane and into the arrival hall.
“Let’s go get our bags”
“Yea, you have so many luggage!”
“Well, uhm.. we won’t see home in 4 months, so we need a lot of luggage..” AJ snapped at Michelle.
The others rolled their eyes, so their plan didn’t work..
They had to wait 20 minutes before everybody had all their luggage.. but then they could go to the van which was waiting to pick them up..
“MORGAN!!!”
“Marc?!!?” Morgan startled when she saw who the van driver was.. Marc.
“Hey baby!”
“Hi” she hugged him uneasily and broke free quickly.
“How are you doing? I missed you so much!”
“I’m fine, fine.. you?”
“Well, I’m OK now you’re here!”
She smiled slightly.. “Uhm, Marc, this are Brian, Kevin, Howie, AJ and this is Nick, she pulled Nick closer.
“Oh, hi” Marc shook hands, he looked at Nick as a possible enemy.
“Well, we know which one of us has your heart, but can’t you say hi to us anymore?!”
Michelle joked.
“OH, uh, hi girls!” he blushed, and hugged the others.
“I thought Luke was coming to pick us up?”
“Oh, I offered to do it instead..”
“Oh”
***
“Who is he? Her boyfriend?” Nick whispered to Alyssa.
“No, no! Marc has the biggest crush on Morgan, but she’s not interested in him that way.. nothing to worry about Nick” she smiled at the last 5 words.
He nodded, blushed and sniggered.
***
“Oh, and Dawn is coming over tomorrow, she’s dying to see the guys.. it’s ALL she talks about.. ever since she heard that you were their support-act.. she’s talking about the Backstreet Boys non-stop.. no kidding, she’s driving poor Katinka crazy! Layla, Diane and Clarice are trying to avoid her the best they can!” Marc chuckled and looked at Morgan longingly.
“You look good Candy”
“Right” she rolled with her eyes and frowned her eyebrows.
“Uhm, I think we need to have a serious talk when we’re home Marc”
“Oh, what about?”
“You’ll see”
“OH, OK”
“So, what did you do in Orlando?”
That’s all Marc had to ask.. Becky poked her head between the two front seats and started blabbing on and on about the 2 weeks in Florida.. by the time they reached the girls’ house, she was still busy..
“Oh, so Michelle is being a bad-girl?” he said, after hearing everything that had happened between Michelle and AJ.
“Shut up Marc” Michelle walked in the house.
“Ohhhh! Someone’s in a bad mood!”
“FUCK YOU!!!” they heard her shout from inside.
***
Morgan was helping Nick get his bags out the trunk..
“I heard that Marc is after you”
“Yea.. I know.. I feel really bad having to tell him to give up”
“I understand..”
“Yea, it’s what you do daily!”
“Well, not daily..” they laughed.
“Morgan.. good luck” he kissed her cheek and walked away.
She sighed.
~~~30 minutes later~~~
“Uhm, so, I kinda get the idea that you want to become more than friends”
Morgan wanted to get it over with as quick as possible, so after they had unpacked and all, she had asked Marc to follow her, so they could talk in private..
“The girls told you?”
“Yea, but I figured out myself too”
“Well, it’s true.. I have a crush on you” wow, he was SO honest.
“Marc, I... I.. God, this is hard... I don’t think it’ll work”
“I thought you’d say that... you’re in love with Nick huh?”
She looked up at him, startled and confused “No, I’m not..”
“Yes, Morgan, you are.. I can see... It’s OK”
“WELL IT’S NOT TRUE!!”
“Oh, please! Don’t lie!” he ran away, went outside and drove off as fast as he could.
***
“WHOA!! I think he didn’t take it too well!” Michelle said as Marc ran through the living room, outside, driving off.
“MARC!!!” Morgan ran in. She sighed, when she noticed he had already left.
“So.. what’d he say?”
“He took it amazingly well”
“Really? Then why did he drove off like an idiot?” Alyssa tried to hide her laughter.
“He said... he said.. I’m in love with Nick” Morgan was still standing in the middle of the living room, not knowing who where in there at all..
Then she turned around and looked right into his eyes.
“OH God! I didn’t know you were here!”
“Obviously” Michelle murmured.
“Uhh... we’ll leave you two alone..” the others exited the room.
They stared at each other while Alyssa, Summer, Michelle, Becky, Kevin, Howie, Brian and AJ left the room.
“I feel so stupid.. I always make a fool out of myself”
“So do I.... Morgan?”
“Yes”
“Is Marc right?”
“I...uhhh... I... Nick, I don’t know”
“OK, I see..”
She walked closer to him and cupped his head in her hands “Nick, I don’t know what to think right now, there’s so much going through my mind..”
“But?”
“But... I do care about you a lot” she kissed him on the lips gently, before leaving upstairs.
He stood there, swept off his feet.
***
“Do you think they’re gonna be an item now?”
“I dunno, I hope so”
“Yea.. oh! Shhh! I hear someone coming upstairs!!”
***
Morgan opened Alyssa’s bedroom door.. she cracked up in laughing when she saw 8 grown-ups sitting on the bed, totally startled as she entered the room..
“What?! What happened?”
“Can I talk to the girls?”
“Sure..” the guys headed downstairs.
“SO?!!!” 4 excited girls asked.
“I told him that I don’t know yet”
“YOU DID WHAT?!!!”
“Well, it’s the truth, I dunno what to do, what I want, I don’t even know what I’m thinking!”
“Oh Morgan, you’re so dumb!”
“Why?! Just because I’m being honest??”
“YOU KNOW YOU LOVE HIM!!!”
“NO I DON’T!”
“Whatever!” Michelle walked out.
“Hey, I think it was very brave!” Alyssa hugged her.
***
“SO?!!!” the guys asked while they swirled around Nick.
“She told me that she cares about me a lot... but she doesn’t know what she wants yet.. or what she feels”
“Oh”
“The lousy way of telling a guy you’re not interested” AJ said.
“AJ!!!! I doubt it Morgan would do such a thing!” Howie said back.
Nick thought of what AJ said.. maybe he was right... what was he gonna do about her?
he decided avoiding might be the best solution, for the time being.
Michelle stormed down the stairs and into the living room.
“What’s wrong Michelle?” Brian asked.
“UGH!!! That girl is such a stupid COW!!!! She doesn’t even KNOW she’s in love with him!! UGH!!!” she brushed past AJ and onto the patio.
Brian, Nick, Kevin and Howie started laughing, AJ just looked at them “What’s so funny?”
“Oh Bone, don’t you know?!?”
“Michelle and you are nuts for each other!”
AJ shrugged “UGH!!!! I HATE THAT BITCH!!!” he didn’t know where to run off to, so he ran onto the patio too..
In the meanwhile the 4 girls went downstairs, just in time to see AJ ran off to the patio..where Michelle was also...
***
“My family is SO stupid!! I can’t believe Morgan!!”
“I can’t believe Nick for buying the shit she tells!”
“WHAT?!” Michelle said to AJ.
“Well, telling that she doesn’t know what she feels yet, but she cares about him a lot... that’s like.. a cliché way of telling a guy that you’re NOT interested!”
“How dare you talk about my cousin like that?!!!”
“Oh, you’re family, that explains”
“Explains what?!!”
“Well, Bitchiness must run in the family then”
“WHAT?!! YOU STUPID SON OF A BITCH!!!”
“WHOA!! Don’t you dare get my mother involved!!”
“You are such a sarcastic bastard, I HATE YOU!!!”
“LIKEWISE!!!”
“I’m not gonna be your stupid support-act, I’m outta here!!!”
She tried to ran away, but he blocked her way and grabbed her back “I know I’ll feel sorry for doing this tomorrow”
“Doing wh-“ she didn’t have time to finish her sentence as he crushed her lips with a passionate kiss. Michelle resisted, but only for 2 seconds, then she gave in and kissed him back.
***
“Haha!! Great!!” Alyssa clapped her hands.
They all watched AJ and Michelle kiss for minutes.. then suddenly they broke apart..
Michelle slapped him in the face, running off, half-crying.
“WHAT?!!!! WHOA!! WHAT HAPPENED?!!!!” Becky shouted.
“She slapped him.. the bitch slapped him” Alyssa mumbled, total shock.
“Shall we go after her?!”
“No, leave her be for an hour or so.. then we can go see if she’s OK”
***
He kissed her, he actually kissed her.. for a moment she felt relieve and passion.. but then she got scared.. a guy had the nerve to kiss her without permission.. she know that must sound stupid to others.. but she had always been the one to make the first move.. men were afraid of her, she was so powerful.. then this guy came along, he made her fall in love, but treated her like shit.. they treated each other like shit.. he kisses her, she kisses back.. then something snapped.. she loved him more than she ever loved anyone.. it was spooky.. there was so much she would do for him, it scared the living daylights out of her.. what if he didn’t love her back? She couldn’t take that risk.. she couldn’t just give him her heart, risking losing it forever.. so she pulled back.. and slapped him..
***
Oh, he felt so good kissing Michelle. From the moment he laid eyes on her, he knew she was that one girl that’d change everything forever... and to be honest.. he was scared of the power she, unknowingly, had over him. So he did what he had never done before, treat a woman without respect.. when they were arguing again, he had this now or never feeling, so he kissed her, knowing he would regret it in the morning.. for a moment he felt her passion too.. then she slapped him.. now he knew that it wasn’t mutual, just forget it AJ, the girl really does hate you.. feeling numb, of exposing his inner-self like that, he stood there staring off into space, for what seemed like ages.
***
“What are we supposed to do now?” Summer asked to no one in particular.
“Nothing..” Brian turned around and sat down on the couch.
“OK, does anyone else have something to add to today’s love-events?”
Kevin sat down, looking defeated.
“Well, guys.. I have something to confess..” Alyssa sniffed.
“Howie, I love you!” she ran to him and jumped on his lap, hugging him and pretending to shower him with wet kisses.
They all cracked up in laughing. Alyssa certainly knew how to loosen up a tense situation.
~~~20 minutes later~~~
AJ was still outside, he sat on the lawn. Michelle was still up in her room..
The others were sitting downstairs.
“Well, today was like your typical soap-opera!” Brian laughed.
“Hey, I dunno if you noticed, but our whole lives seem like a soap-opera.. something weird happens every day!”
“Yea, you’re right. After we met you guys, it’s only exceptional stuff happening!”
“Well, thanks a lot Summer”
“Take it as a compliment!” Howie and Summer joked.
“So, I’m looking forward to touring more and more everyday!”
“Ah, c’mon Becks, it’s just 2.. no 4 of us acting strange, you can have fun with the others!”
“Yea, I guess.. I love Mimi and Morgy very much, but them being in love is so complicating!”
“Hey, dunno if you noticed, but I’m sitting right here! I don’t like it if people talk about me and act as if I’m not in the room, while I AM!!”
“Sorry Candy”
“No, now I’m offended.. I won’t talk to you again!!” she joked.
“Boy, we really are way weird!!”
“Dûh!!! What took you so long to find out?!”
Once again they cracked up in laughing..
~~~Next day~~~
“Hello?” Becky answered the phone.
“Hello, it’s Ellen Farrow”
“Oh, hi Mrs. Farrow!”
“Rebecka, you’ve known me for 18 years, you can call me Ellen by now”
“OK”
“So, is my daughter around?”
“Well, let me go check, I dunno if she’s up yet”
“Oh, of course, totally forgot that she’s too lazy to get up before 11!”
“Yea, well, hold on a sec!” Becky left the kitchen and went up..
“Lyss?” she poked her head inside Alyssa’s bedroom.
“Yea?”
“Wow, I can’t believe you’re up already!”
“Ha ha! Very funny! What d’ya want?”
“Your mom is on the phone”
“Oh, OK, I’ll be down in a sec”
Becky went back down and picked up the phone again “Ellen? She’s coming”
“OK, thanks!.. how are you girls doing anyway?”
“Oh, we’re doing fine!” she said, not wanting to tell Alyssa’s mom about the friction between some of the people in the house.
“Great, great!”
Alyssa walked in “Oh, here she comes! Bye Mrs. Farrow!”
“Ellen”
“OK, bye Ellen!”
“Hello”
“Hello sweetie! How are you doing?”
“Fine!”
“Great! Listen, your father and I were thinking, maybe you’d like us to stop by, let’s say, this afternoon?”
“Sure, we’re home”
“Great.. then I’ll see you in a few hours!”
“OK, bye!” she hung up.
“They’re coming this afternoon” she took the paper that was laying on the counter and started flipping through the pages.
“Something wrong Lyssie?”
“Nope”
“Right, you tell that to yourself, I’ve known you for 18 years... something’s wrong”
“OK, fine, I don’t want my parents to come!”
“Whoa, no need to bite my head off!”
“Sorry.. it’s just that.. they’re probably gonna nag about the whole singing career again.. and the guys are here.. and well, I just hate it when they do that!”
“Lyss, relax.. it’ll go fine.. we’ll warn the guys!”
Alyssa chuckled “We’d better warn the entire neighborhood!”
“Yea”
Michelle barged into the kitchen, flinging the door open fiercely “Who called?? They’re dead.. they woke me up!!”
“My mom”
“Oh”
“bad mood?”
“No..”
“Well, my folks are coming this afternoon”
“Cool”
“Michelle, talk to AJ” Alyssa said, before leaving to get showered.
Michelle didn’t respond to what Alyssa said, but she was determined to stay moody all day.
“So, did ya sleep well Mimi?”
“No”
“Oh, sorry” Becky didn’t feel like being around Michelle’s mood any longer, so within seconds she was alone in the kitchen.
“Great, why don’t you just leave me all?! Who needs friends anyway?! Stupid bitches” she muttered out loud.
“Good morning”
“No, bad morning now I see you” Michelle said when she heard AJ.
“You know what Michelle? Bite me!” he said through clenched teeth.
“Fuck you”
if only she would do that.. AJ thought, but got mad at himself for even thinking of that.
“Well, as much as I’d love, and I mean LOVE, to be around you and your bitchy mood, I gotta go now, now promise me you won’t weep over it too much!”
“Don’t worry I won’t!”
“OK, see ya later babe” he whispered in her ear.
A shiver went done her spine, feeling his warm breath on her skin. No Michelle, don’t!!
she thought as she felt an urge to turn around and kiss him.
***
“Where’s Summer?” Alyssa asked Morgan.
“She’s in Kevin and Howie’s room”
“Oh, what’s she doing there?”
“How would I know.. maybe she has the hots for one of them!” it was meant as a joke, but the serious look on Alyssa’s face suppressed any laughter from Morgan.
“What? You mean to tell me she does?”
“Maybe.. with Mad you never know”
“Yea”
***
Becky walked past the room Nick and Brian were staying in, when she saw Nick staring outside, looking very desperate..
“Hey Nick, you OK?”
“Hmm? Yea, yea, I’m fine”
“Where’s Bri?”
“Shower I guess”
“Oh... you’re thinking ‘bout Morgy right?”
He nodded faintly.
“Listen, I’m sure she’ll come around and see that she’s throwing away a possibility of a wonderful relationship!”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.. she’s just always thinking so complicated.. she makes big problems out of nothing.. and we’re all certain she loves you”
“OK” he nodded.
~~~2 hours later~~~
“Uhm, guys, I gotta warn you, my folks are visiting this afternoon”
“And.. are they that bad?”
“Hey, they can’t be worse than Morgan’s dad!”
“Ha ha” Morgan scoffed at Nick.
“Well, they’re always nagging me about how I’ve thrown away my chance of a good, providing job.. that I should go to College, that shit..”
“Oh, well, we’ll see”
“I don’t even know if we’re gonna be here though, we have dance rehearsal with Fatima and Snoop and the other dancers in an hour”
“OK”
“Sorry Alyssa”
“No, don’t be! I’m not! I’m actually glad! They’d only embarrass me in front of you guys!”
“Don’t worry Lyss, you already do that yourself”
“Oh Michelle, take your mood for a walk or something! You’re annoying us all!” Summer shouted.
“Fine I know when I’m not wanted!” Michelle got up and left through the front door.
“Whew, Mitch Tha Bitch has left the building!” Becky sighed.
“You guys, we really have to come up with a plan to get them together, else we’ll have one very unpleasant tour coming up!”
“Yea, and in 2 DAYS!!!”
“Wow, time flies..”
The doorbell rang.
“Hey, that can’t be my parents already!”
“I’ll go see” Morgan got up and answered the door.
“CANDY!!!!”
“Dawn??!!”
Dawn hugged Morgan tightly “HI!!”
“Uhh,... Hi!”
“What? Marc told ya I was coming right?!”
“OH!! Yea, he did! It just totally slipped my mind!”
“Yea! You’ve got different things on your mind huh?!” Dawn winked at her.
“So, where are the others?”
“You mean; where are the Backstreet Boys?”
Dawn started giggling.
“DAWN, YOU’RE PATHETIC!! A 20 YEAR OLD WHO’S A BSB FAN!!!”
Summer shouted.
“Oh, shut up!” she replied.
Morgan took Dawn to the living room “Well, this are Kevin, Howie,-“
“I know their names”
“Sorry.. guys, this is Dawn”
“Hey Dawn” they greeted her.
“So, wassup with Michelle, I saw her sitting in the park... I mean, the idea of Michelle walking there.. is scary on itself, but she looked SO sad!”
“She looked sad??”
“Yea, believe it or not, I thought I saw tears!”
“whoa! That’s so not like her!”
“I know”
“Do we have to talk about Tha Bitch 24/7??” AJ walked in.
“Oh, Dawn, this is AJ, he’s in a very bad mood”
“As I noticed” she frowned her eyebrows.
“Oh, well, Michelle and AJ are like, in denial about their feelings for each other” Becky explained.
“Boy, you gals are out of the State for 2 weeks and you all come back in some sort of Love-Denial!”
“What are you talking about?” Alyssa asked.
“Marc called..”
“Oh, I see”
“Morgan, gurlie, why d’ ya always make everything so God damn complicated?!!”
“Yea, right, and now it’s suddenly all my fault?!”
“ Well, yea, it is.. I love ya, but it is!!”
“Don’t worry Dawn, we’re just all kinda jumpy.. probably for the tour and all!”
“OH, yea! 2 days huh?!”
“Yea”
“Hey, I’m going to the first show, downtown, so I can see my 2 favorite groups in the world perform live!”
“COOL!! We’ll make sure you’ll get backstage passes!”
“WOW, thanks!!”
“So, who are you going with?”
“Katinka, Clarice, Diane and Layla”
“Oh, well, we can get backstage passes for them right??” Becky asked Howie.
“Yea, of course!”
“My mom and Luke are going too”
“Yea, I heard, I ran into Luke the other day”
“You see my brother more than I do!”
“Hey, I can’t help it!”
“So, you have to tell me all about the last 2 weeks!”
“Uhh, that’s way too much to tell! But we did lots of photoshoots and dance rehearsal with Fatima Robinson!!”
“WOW!”
“Yea, I know!”
Becky filled Dawn in on all the cool stuff they had done, trust Becky to do the talking!
~~~15 minutes later~~~
“OK, girls, we better get going, if we don’t want Fatima to get angry!”
“Oh, OK, well you can take my truck, here are the keys” Summer threw the key at Kevin.
“Thanks Maddy, see ya later!”
They heard the front door closing and the truck driving off.
“Oh, girls, they’re so nice!”
“We know Dawn..”
“I can’t believe you fought with them in the beginning!”
“Well, Michelle and AJ are still fighting”
“Yea, where is she anyway? Shouldn’t she be back by now?”
***
Michelle was sitting on a bench in the park for a while now. She was watching people that walked by, thinking of AJ instead. She knew she was in love with him, she wasn’t in denial like the girls thought, on the contrary, she was pretty certain of her feelings for him.
She sighed deeply and decided to walk back to the house.
~~~An hour later~~~
Michelle had returned, but walked straight up to her room, not saying a word to any of the girls. Dawn had left, and so, they were all kinda waiting for the guys to return and for Alyssa’s parents to come...
“I’m worried..”
“Me too”
“Me 3”
“Me 4”
“I’m gonna go talk to Michelle” Alyssa got up.
“OK”
***
“Michelle?” Alyssa knocked on the locked bedroom door.
“Go away”
“Mimi, please open up!”
“NO!”
“Honey, you can’t keep us out forever!”
“Watch me!!”
“Fine, whatever!” Alyssa turned around and walked away.
~~~Somewhere else in town~~~
“OK, I guess we’re done here fella’s!”
“Really?”
“Yea, you’ve done all the changes well, you can go, see ya in 2 days!”
“Wow, thanks Fatima! See ya in 2 days!”
“Bye!”
***
The doorbell rang again..
“That’s probably the old folks!” Alyssa jumped up and ran to the door.
“Hey!!” she opened the door, expecting to see her parents “Oh, it’s you guys”
“Well, we’re glad to see you too Miss Lyssie!” Brian said, at Alyssa’s disappointed face.
“Oh, no, no, no.. OF COURSE I’m happy to see you guys! I just thought you were my parents!”
“Whoa! I’m not that old yet!”
“Oh, Brian! You’re way weird!” she giggled.
Just when she was closing the door.. “Alyssa! Honey!” Randy and Ellen Farrow honked the horn and parked their car.
“HI!.. guys, my folks are here” she turned around and rolled with her eyes.
“I’m sure they can’t be that bad” Brian stood next to her and waved at her parents. “Hi!”
“Brian!”
“What? I can’t wave hi anymore?” they smiled.
***
“Randy? Who is that young man waving at us?”
“I don’t know sweetie, maybe her boyfriend”
“Don’t be ridiculous! Alyssa would never have a boyfriend without telling us!... would she?”
They smiled and waved back, walking towards the door.
***
“Hello darling!” Ellen hugged her daughter.
“Hi mom”
“Hi mermaid!”
“Hey dad”
“Hello Mr. Farrow, Mrs. Farrow, I’m Brian Littrell!” he shook hands.
“Hello, nice to meet you”
“Alyssa has told me so much about you!”
“Really? She told us nothing about you”
“Mother!”
“Well, it’s true!”
“No, it’s not, this is Brian, he’s my employer”
“OH! Sorry! so you’re one of the band members?”
“Yes ma’am!”
“Forgive me for my rudeness!”
“It’s OK ma’am!”
“Call me Ellen, please!”
“OK”
“Come in, come in” Alyssa said nervously.
“Hello girls!”
“Hi Randy! Hi Ellen!”
“How are you doing? oh, Rebecka! Did you grew since last time we saw each other? You seem taller!”
“I’m wearing high heels”
“Oh! Of course!” Ellen said, looking down at Becky’s shoes.
“Hello Summer!”
“Hi Ellen”
“Morgan! You look great sweetie!”
“Thanks”
“Where’s the big mouth?”
“Oh, Michelle’s upstairs, she’s a bit sulky”
“Oh, I see”
“Oh, mom, dad, this are Kevin, Howie, AJ and Nick, they’re the other band members!”
“Hello” they all shook hands.
They sat down “Oh, can you get me an ice-tea dear? I’m so thirsty!”
“Sure, you want some too dad?”
“Yes mermaid”
“So, you girls look good! Are you nervous for the touring yet?”
“YEA!”
“How was Orlando? Did you do the sightseeing things?”
“Yea, we did some of that, but we were busy with planning everything most of the time”
“Of course!”
Alyssa came back in with the ice-tea “Here”
“Thanks sweetie, sit down, let me take a look at my beautiful daughter!”
“Mom!” Alyssa rolled with her eyes.
“What? It’s true!”
“No, it’s not!”
“Don’t argue with me, you are beautiful, right Brian?”
Brian started blushing a bit “Uhh, yes ma’am”
“Aww! Ain’t that sweet! But seriously, call me Ellen!”
“Oh, dear, you look tired though..” she shook her head.
“Are you sure you want to do this?”
“YES, mom, I am”
“I hope you know what you’re doing”
“I do”
“I always told you it was gonna be hard”
“Yes”
“You can always stop and go to College after all honey”
“I know, can we change the subject now?”
“OK, I was just trying to make sure..”
“Thanks, but it’s not necessary mom, I knew I wanted to do this since I was 7”
“Yes, I still think it’s crazy, but OK, it’s your choice” she took a sip of her ice-tea.
“Everyone makes mistakes” she mumbled.
“MOM!” Alyssa shouted.
“You just never stop do you?!!”
“Don’t shout at me dear”
“Can’t you just accept and respect my choice?!!”
“Don’t shout, it’s rude”
“You are rude”
“ALYSSA NATALIE FARROW!!! Don’t you dare raise your voice at me girl! And don’t you dare treat me disrespectfully!”
“Now look who’s shouting!”
“Right, that’s it, I thought maybe you’d like to see your parents, but if you are going to act this way, then we’re leaving now!”
“Fine, leave, all you do is embarrass me anyway”
Ellen gave her daughter a sharp look “OK, if that’s what you want, we’ll leave, but don’t expect us to come back!”
Alyssa looked the other way and shrugged.
“Randy, come on, we’re leaving”
“Why don’t you go to the car sweetie, I’ll be there in a sec”
Ellen marched out “It was a pleasure meeting you young men, good-bye girls, be good”
“Mermaid, I know your mother isn’t the easiest person.. but try coping with her please?”
her father kissed her forehead “Take care sweets”
“Bye dad” she swallowed hard as the car drove off. She wanted to say something, but the words couldn’t come out of her mouth, they were blocked by tears. She ran upstairs..
***
“Uh-oh”
“Man, and I thought Morgan’s dad was worse!” Morgan punched Nick in the stomach.
“OW!”
“Are all your parents like that??”
“No, Alyssa’s folks, especially her mother, expect so much of her, they have real high standards! They just can’t accept that all she really wants is to sing”
“Man, that sucks!”
Brian got up “I’m gonna go check on her”
“You do that B-rok”
“Be good!”
“Shut up AJ”
***
“Alyssa?”
“Yes” she said in a tear-filled voice.
“Can I come in?”
“Sure”
Brian opened the door and walked in slowly.
“Don’t cry Miss Lyssie”
“Sorry”
Brian chuckled “Baby, you’re too sweet”
He pulled her on his lap and caressed her long hair. Alyssa rested her head on his shoulder, crying.
“I told you they were like that”
“I know.. I listen when you speak darling”
“Why does she have to act like that? Why can’t she just be happy? why can’t she say ‘Gee Alyssa, I’m proud of you!’ instead of ‘Gee Alyssa, I expected more from you!”
“I dunno, I’m proud of you and I hardly know you”
“Brian, you’re so sweet, weird, but sweet” she snorted and wiped a tear away.
With his thumb he wiped the other tears away “Now, promise me you won’t cry anymore, you’re too pretty to be sad, and it makes me sad too” he smiled.
“OK”
“Now, I want a kiss”
She looked at him strangely “What?”
“I want this” he kissed her softly.
Alyssa blushed bright red when she looked into his eyes again.
“I think I’m in love with you” he whispered in her ear.
“Me too”
“Perfect” he kissed her again.
“Brian.. are... you.. sure.. this... is... the...right... thing?” she said between kisses.
“Nothing’s for sure... but it feels good, right?”
“Yea”
“Great, then let’s not think too much, listen to our hearts instead”
“You poet!”
“Yea, you wake up the wildest in me!” they started gigling.
“Wanna go back to the others?”
“Maybe”
“let’s go.. else they’ll be worried”
“I doubt it they will.. but if that’s what you want”
“Shut up” she kissed him.
***
“What’s keeping them so long?”
“I dunno”
Just then they heard giggling and Brian walked in, carrying Alyssa.
“I told you, you’re WAY weird!”
“Yea, and if I remember correctly.. way sweet too!”
“Don’t praise yourself too much, it will leave me empty-handed!”
Morgan, Becky and Summer glanced at each other and smiled.
Kevin, Howie, Nick and AJ did the same.
“Hey you guys, we decided to set the example! Look!” Brian put Alyssa down on her feet and he kissed her.
“Now, is that cute or what?” Summer said.
“Oh yea!”
~~~10 minutes later~~~
“Michelle?” Morgan stood in front of the locked door.
“Mimi? Honey, please open up! We’re worried sick!”
“Yea, right!!”
“Michelle, you can either open this door right now, or I’ll have AJ kick it open!!”
There was a muttering sound coming from Michelle’s side of the door, but then the lock was opened. Morgan let herself in.
“Michelle, what the fuck is wrong with you??”
Michelle shrugged.
“You’ve been acting bitchy to AJ from day 1, it seems to be increasing every day! Then you kiss, you hit him, you act even stranger, you act bitchier, then Dawn tells me she saw you crying!! You lock yourself in your room and you shout at everyone who comes near!!.. now correct me if I’m wrong, but this doesn’t sound like the Michelle Wendy Evans I know!”
Michelle had lost all energy to say something sarcastic back. She just shrugged and tears formed in her eyes.
“Mimi, are you in love with AJ?” Morgan asked much friendlier now.
She nodded, wiping away unwanted tears that run over her face.
“Then why are you acting so... weird? You’re always so confident and powerful!”
“I’m scared Morgan.. he makes me the weak little girl”
“Oh Mimi” she rubbed her back and handed her a tissue.
“You want me to talk to AJ?”
“NO! I want you all to butt out!”
“What? You’re gonna avoid him?”
“I haven’t made up my mind on what to do yet... but PROMISE you won’t tell anyone, what I just told you?!”
“Mimi-“
“PROMISE! Please?”
“OK” Morgan nodded.
“Thanks”
“Are you coming downstairs?”
“Maybe”
“Alyssa and Brian are acting like they’re drunk”
“Really?”
“Yea, they’re in love”
“I gotta see this!”
Michelle got up and wiped away the last tears.
***
“Lyss?? What’s this about you and Brian in love?? Why am I always the last to hear these things??”
Michelle smiled excitedly and plopped on the couch next to Alyssa and Brian.
“WHOA!! How did you do that?!” Alyssa asked Morgan.
“I threatened that AJ would kick the door open..”
“Good one!”
“SO.. what happened while I was upstairs feeling sorry for myself??”
“Ohhh, nothing.. Dawn came, my folks came.. they left.. my mom was pretty angry.. ohh.. and me and Brian are in love” a huge grin appeared on her face as she said those last 6 words.
“Oh boy.. you’ve got it bad girl!”
“Uh-huh!” she nodded.
“OK, why don’t we go swimming or something?”
“Hey, let’s go to Felicity and Jack’s! they have a pool!”
“COOL!” the girls said to Becky’s suggestion.
“Who’s Felicity and Jack?”
“OH, Felicity is my sister and Jack is her husband”
“OK, I’m in for a swim”
“Let’s go!”
“OH, they’re not home!”
“You have the key, you think they’d mind?”
“No, of course not! Let’s go!”
~~~10 minutes later~~~
“Is everybody ready??”
“YEA!”
The 10 of them gathered in front of Summer’s truck.
“Uhhh, d’ya guys think the same as I do?”
“Yea, the truck is too small for us 10”
“Well, we have to sit on each other laps, it’s just 15 minutes to Felicity”
“OK, I’ll drive” Michelle offered.
“NO! I mean.. Alyssa will sit with Brian, Morgy and Nick, Becka and Howie, Kevin will sit in the front seat, cuz he’s the biggest, I’ll drive, it’s my truck after all, and you and AJ will sit together.”
“Summer, I won’t hurt your car and there’s NO WAY I’m sitting with him..”
“But Michelle, you’re such a reckless driver!”
“SO?”
Summer looked at the others.
“I think Summer’s right, you’re the worst driver ever..”
“What? are you all conspiring against me or something?”
Morgan saw the situation slowly getting out of hand, she knew what the girls had planned, match-making between Michelle and AJ, but she knew that this would only make the 2 of them more reluctant..
“Let Mimi drive OK? I don’t feel like arguing about something as stupid as this for half an hour!”
They looked at her like she was in delusion.
“Morgan!” Becky hissed.
“No, I’m serious, this match-making isn’t working guys, just let her drive”
“OK” Alyssa pushed Brian in and jumped on his lap.
Howie got in too and pulled Becky onto his lap.
Michelle took place in the driver’s seat and AJ next to her.
Kevin made room for Summer and Nick and Morgan got in last.
“Ow, this is way uncomfortable” Morgan twirled around on Nick’s lap.
“Well, that’s the first time I heard a girl complain about sitting on my lap”
“You’re cocky Nick Carter”
“Oh, and I was an OK-guy just days ago” he started smiling his mischievous smile, which made Morgan laugh.
“Are we there yet??” Becky shouted.
“No”
“Michelle, please don’t drive so fast!”
“You call this fast?! I can’t even reach the speed-limit with all your fat asses in here!”
AJ chuckled. She looked at him, skeptical first, but smiling later on.
“Wow, you can smile” he whispered, but not in a sarcastic way.
~~~15 minutes later~~~
“YAY!! We’re here!!” Becky jumped out and ran up to the front door. She opened it quickly and stormed in.
“OK!! Guys, you can change in the study, it’s up the stairs and the first on your left”
“Girls?!!! You can use the bedroom, ya know where it is, I’ll go open up”
***
“Where’s the study??” Brian asked Alyssa.
“It’s behind you, you dork!”
“Well, thanks,... can’t I go change with you??” he pouted.
“Nah.. maybe another time” she kissed him quickly and shut the door, smiling.
***
“Hey Becky! Shouldn’t you go get changed?”
“Yea, I’m going now”
“OK, I’ll stay here!”
“Thanks Summy”
***
Becky made her way up.
“Hi”
“Oh, hey Howie!” she looked up and smiled.. whoa! He looked damn sexy! That 6 pack made her go jello
“SO, I’ll see ya later!”
“Yea, later” she said.
~~~15 minutes later~~~
Everyone was at the pool already. Michelle was relaxing on a deck chair, Summer and Kevin were talking in the shade, Becky was sitting on the edge of the pool with her feet dangling in the water, Alyssa and Brian were sitting in normal lawn chairs probably whispering all kind of sweet stuff in each others ears, AJ and Howie were discussing something (probably women) on the lawn and Nick and Morgan were the only ones actually swimming.
“NO!! Brian!! NO!!” Brian lifted Alyssa up from her chair and walked towards the pool, Alyssa struggling to break free..
“PLEASE BRIAN!! I’LL DO ANYTHING YOU WANT!!”
He paused and pretended to think of something she could do, but shook his head and walked on.
“BRIAN!!! BR-“ he threw her in and she came up, coughing and sneezing.
“YOU’RE DEAD!!!”
Everybody laughed.
Kevin suddenly lifted up Summer and motioned Howie and AJ to do the same with Becky and Michelle... they did...
“KEVIN!!!”
“HOWIE!!” Becky, who was already sitting by the pool, got in first.
Summer went next.. Michelle took a little longer..
“AJ!!!! NO!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!!!! LET GO OF ME!!!”
“Sorry babe”
“NO!!!!” when he wanted to throw her in, she refused to let go of him and so, they both went under..
“WHY DIDN’T YOU JUST LET GO OF ME?!!”
“I COULD ASK YOU THE SAME!!”
“OH COME ON MICHELLE, YOU’RE OVERREACTING! IT’S JUST A GAME!”
“Well, I don’t like it!!!”
The others started laughing again.
“WHAT?!!” they shouted.
“You 2 are pathetic!! But in a funny way”
“Really?!” Michelle snapped.
“Oh, just please stop! We’re having fun right?”
Michelle looked at AJ and they cracked up in laughing.
“They’re right, we ARE acting pitiful!!”
“YAY!!!!” Morgan started clapping.
“Let’s just have fun!” “YEA!!” they all shouted.
