"Are you Ok?" Nick asked as we made our way up the path, to his gate. "You don't seem
all there"
"I'm fine" I said mindlessly, still replaying what had happened in the plane. Why did
Brian have to be so sweet? It only made it increasingly difficult to get over him. But the
question was: did I want to get over him?
Nick snuck a peek at Eli through the corner of his eye. Her silence worried him. 'oh god, I
hope Brian didn't say nothin' to her' he prayed. His thoughts soon returned to reality when
he heard the buzzer let them in.
As we walked up the flowered path, I marveled at the grandness of his home; or rather,
mansion! It was breathtaking. Celebrities really had it made...
As we approached the house, a thin blond woman appeared at the front door waving her
arms ecstatically. Before I could even ask Nick who the person was, he spad up, ran up to
her and flung his arms around her, making sure to drop his luggage’s at her feet before he
did so.
She laughed joyfully "Nick, you're suffocating your poor mother"
'Ahh. It was his mom' I smiled as I walked up behind them.
"Mom" he said, turning around to face me with his arm still around her neck "This is
Felicity. She'll be staying with us while we're off"
The woman grinned broadly at me "It's nice to meet you Felicity. I'm Jane, Nick's mom"
I returned the greeting, and then was brought into the house. The place was spotless and
cosy. You could tell that it belonged to a large family, because despite it's cleanliness,
there were children’s toys laying on the floor. After being introduced to the rest of the
family (3 sisters, 1 brother. His father was supposedly out of town on business) Nick lead
me into the backyard.
My jaw dropped "Oh my god, I love your pool!" I gasped at the lagoon-like form which
shimmered from the sunlight.
"Thanks" he said contouring it "This is our pool house" he announced, pointing at a very
glamorous looking 1 floorer. "This is my part of the house. Ours for now, actually"
Sliding the glass door open, we both stepped in, depositing our belongings on the wooden
floor. I walked around, observing my surroundings. The walls were painted white,
covered with posters and postcards. There was a small kitchen, a bedroom (with a
washroom), a sofa bed and a love seat with a coffee table, stereo and T.V making up the
living room.
"The bachelor pad" I joked, punching him playfully on the arm.
Nick told her to make herself at home, insisting for her to take his room.
"Naw, it's alright. I'll sleep on the couch" I insisted, taking the liberty of curling up on it's
fluffy gray cushions "It was nice enough for you to let me stay here with you"
Nick felt himself go numb at her smile. God, how he loved her! He'd do anything to let
her know how he longed to be with her, but sadly knew in his heart that was the last thing
she ever wanted to hear.
"Nick?"
At the call of his name, he spun around "Yes mom?" he asked, walking up to meet her as
she stood in the doorframe.
She signaled him to fallow her "We'll only be a minute" Jane said to me as they walked
back to the house.
"Ya mom?" Nick asked, hopping onto the kitchen counter the same way he did since he'd
tall enough to reach.
Mrs. Carter tapped her foot angrily, her arms crossed over her chest "Young man, would
you mind telling me what that girl is doing here?"
"Our opening act... Angel. I told you, she had no place else to go..."
"Nickolas, how can you be so ignorant? Do you know what the tabloids would do if they
found out she was staying here with us after what happened with that-that article?"
He looked at her painfully "But mom..."
"Don't 'but mom' me!" she interrupted loudly, her blood boiling from her sons stupidity "I
don't approve of this. Or her."
**~~**
I swallowed hard as I heard the screaming argument persist. I understood his mother.
Heck, I would have most likely done worse had our situations been inverse. How I
wished I could turn back time and undo all the harm I had caused. Hearing the door slam,
I ran back and sat down on the couch.
He stormed in and violently slid the glass closed. His eyes were teaming with rage, a
slight hue of redness lingering with the oceanic blue. "She, um, just wanted to know what
we wanted for supper" he lied, staring bitterly at the ground.
"You know what, I'm very tired. Would it be Ok if I hit the sac early?" I excused,
knowing it would be best for me to stay away from Mrs. Carter for the time being.
Nick didn't even bother persuading me; only helped me unfold the couch. He bid me
goodnight, and returned to the house.
I soon fell asleep from exhaust and confusion.
**The Next Morning**
Having forgotten to shut the blinds the previous night, Alyssa had woken up to the early
morning rays. Well, maybe not that early, but for a late sleeper, getting up at 9:00 AM
was an annoyance. Rolling off the mattress, she got on to her feet and went to wash up in
the bathroom. Thank god A.J had an extra tooth brush. After spitting out the minty paste,
she checked herself out in the mirror. Her face was still tear stained. Grimacing at her
own reflection, she pulled the pink elastic off her wrist and tied her long hair into a messy
pony tail.
As she stepped out the door, Panda lead the way, racing down the long staircase.
As she reached the living room, she scanned the area to see if A.J was there. Nope.
Supposing he was still in bed, she made her way to the kitchen to get herself some juice.
'Hum' she thought, spotting the paper held by a magnet on the frig 'A note'. She yanked it
off and read it:
"Lyss,
Gone to the hospital to visit Amanda.
Make yourself at home. I'll call in later.
Ciao,
Bone"
"Great" she grumbled, forgetting about her thirst and dropping to the stool. "Now what?".
Her eyes twinkled when she caught a glimpse of the portable laying on the table.
Taking the small stub out of her jean pocket, she dialed the number.
"If this is a fan, then fuck off and let me sleep..."
"Well good morning to you too!" she giggled
J.C sat up abruptly in his bed "Oh, sorry Lyss. So, what's up?"
"Nothing much" she sighed, flicking the bread crumbs of the counter and onto the floor
"Aje just ditched me and I remembered that I had to call you. So here I am"
Standing up, he went to make himself some cereal "Can you still make it for Halloween?"
he questioned hopefully.
"Yeah, Of course. Hey, by the way, is it a costume party?"
J.C snorted "Pya. Justin's great plan. He thinks he can hook up with more chicks this
way..."
Alyssa didn't even bother asking why; only laughed. It was good to have someone to talk
to.
"Oh ya, and bring friends. The more people, the better" J.C said, recalling his friends
request.
"Ok" Lyss agreed, taking a pen and writing the reminder on the back of her hand "I'll ask
the rest of my girls"
"Great" BEEP. J.C rolled his eyes "Shit, I've gotta go. There's another line. Call me back
for the directions, k?!"
"Alright" Lyss smiled "See ya" and hung up. At least she had something to look forward
too. All she had to do now was find a costume...
**Meanwhile**
"Mmmmm, that smells wonderful" Dawn moaned, enveloping her arms around Howie's waste
as he flipped the home made pancakes.
"Take a seat baby, breakfast is ready" Howie said, walking to the kitchen table with the
pan, sliding the pancake onto the rest of the stash.
Dawn giggled at how her boyfriend looked. "Did anyone ever tell you how sexy you are
in an apron?" she teased, slapping him playfully on the ass.
"As a matter of fact..." he joked, sitting down across from her. "So, are we still on for the
chalet?" he asked, taking a sip from his steaming black coffee.
"Uh huh" Dawn nodded "I can't wait".
At least maybe then she'd be able to get away from those terrorizing phone calls she'd
been receiving. The last one occurred last night, right after taking her shower. He asked
her if she was refreshed... "You should try Zest; it's better for your skin" the voice still
echoed horrifically in her mind.
Clueless as to what the matter was, Howie could still tell there was a problem Dawn
wasn't telling him about. She'd often drift off, as she did now, and deny it's relevance
afterwards. She also refused to tell him what all those mysterious phone calls were
about... He just kept on convincing himself he was blowing the situation out of
proportion. Or at least, he hoped so.
**A Bit Later**
"Ok man, so I'll speak to ya later" Kevin said, getting of the phone with Brian.
"How's he holding up?" Naila asked, taking a seat in his lap, blowing into her mug, before
taking a sip from her tea.
Kevin had asked her to move in with him, and without a second thought, had accepted.
The only thing left was to pick up the rest of her stuff from her place.
"Coping. He's a strong person, he'll pull through. I've just never seen him this in love
before"
Naila shook her head "Poor him. But I do understand Eli for doing what she did after all
those horrible things he said"
"Unfortunately, I do to." Kevin confessed, feeling as tough he was betraying his cousin
"She's such a sweet girl; it's still hard to believe all this happened"
Naila was about to speak, when the phone rang "I'll get it" she declared, reaching over and
picking up the receiver
"Hello?... Oh, hey Lyssa, how's A.J?..."
Kevin watched as the conversation progressed.
"So she's alright?... Good for him... Why don't you,... Ok, okay, fine, I won't ask anything
else... Party?... Halloween?... Oh ya, sure. That's sounds like a lot of fun, I'll ask the
others... Already? Ok, bye-bye"
Kevin's brow arched "Is A.J Ok?"
"She said she didn't want to talk about it" Naila shrugged "But she did say he was fine,
and so was Amanda"
Kevin let out a breath of relief.
"She also asked us to come to a Halloween party with her. J.C invited her, and Justin told
him to invite us"
"I'm sure by 'us' he meant Reflection, not The Backstreet Boys" Kevin laughed at the
concept "We're not exactly best buddy's, but I'll come. Just as long as the fellas do..."
Naila handed him the phone "Then you better get dialing" she smiled.
**That Evening**
Scratching the back of his head, Nick stood dumbfounded infront of the dairy section at
the supper market.
"She said milk" he said to himself, "She could have specified".
For most people, produce variety is good; but not for a 20 year old supper star who only
goes grocery shopping once in a blue moon. In such a case, choosing between 1%, 2%,
3%, whole and skimmed becomes a mind-boggling experience.
Finally, he gave up, and randomly selected a carton. He made the right choice: 2%. But
of course, he didn't know that.
Whistling, he trotted down the empty isle till he came across a familiar blond head. "Oh
shit, not now. Not her" he grumbled.
Removing the can from the shelf, Laurel placed it in her cart and looked up, horrified. "Oh
shit, not now. Not him" she thought.
"Wow, aren't we the big girl?" Nick bugged, (After all, this was his favorite pass time)
"Grocery shopping. You're independence surprises me. So, tell me: where's your pacifier?"
Laurel huffed "I was just about to ask you the same thing Carter" she said snottily,
walking away from him.
"Then again" he continued, following her footsteps as she continued placing items in her
cart "These days you never cease to surprise me!"
"What are you talking about?" she said, not paying full attention to him.
Nick smirked "Well with that whole Michael thing, I mean, I would have never thought
you'd have the guts to fuck him"
Hearing his words, Laurel came to a screeching halt
"Excuse me?"
"Aww, don't feel bad" Nick said, patting her on the back "It's our little secret"
"Get off of me" laurel said in disgust, jerking her shoulder away from him.
"Hey, don't need to get all defensive with me..."
Laurel's eyes filled with rage "Listen you son of a bitch, I never did anything to hurt you!
You don't know me, or my life, nor do I want you to. You're a spoiled assed selfish jerk
that doesn't care about anything but his own ass." she spat " This is your fault!"
"How is this my fault?" Nick asked angrily. Where did she come off talking to him like that?
"Just fuck off and get the hell out of my life!" Laurel yelled on the verge of tears "I hate
you!!! Burn in hell!!!"
And stormed away.
Nick watched her fade away with confusion. Maybe he pushed her a little too far this
time...
**Meanwhile**
After what seemed like forever, I got bored waiting for Nick's return and decided to check
out if maybe he was in the main house. I slipped the patio door open and saw Jane stirring
something vigorously in the kitchen.
"Nick, is that you?" she asked, wiping the sweat from her forehead.
"Uh, no, Mrs. Carter, it's only me" I said shyly.
She looked back and smiled tensely "Oh"
"Do you need any help?" I asked politely.
She thought a bit. "Actually, I'd appreciate if you could dice those onions for me"
"Sure" I grinned, taking a place at her side, taking the knife in my hand and beginning to
chop away.
Jane felt quite uncomfortable around the young woman. She hoped Eli didn't hear them
arguing last night.
"My, if only Nick could cut as well as you" she smiled, trying to get a conversation going.
"My mom taught me. I've had a lot of practice" I said, feeling the vegetable already
stinging my very sensitive eyes.
"Speaking of your mother" Jane began, "Does she know you're here? It seems to me you'd
want to spend time with your family after touring with the boys for so long"
I bit my lip "I-um... My parents were killed. I have no family" Oh boy, now came the
reaction.
Mrs. Carter stared at the petite brunette remorsefully. She had completely miss judged
her. "Oh honey, I'm so sorry" she said caressing Felicity's long silky hair "I had no idea"
"It's Ok; really." I murmured, depositing the long knife on the cutting table "I'm done. Is
there anything else I can help with?"
"No. It's alright. You can go wait in the living room with Leslie and Angel. Supper is
almost ready"
I nodded and went to join the children.
Moments later, Nick returned and placed the milk on the counter, still refusing to speak to
his mother.
"Nick" she called, before he left the room.
He closed his eyes desperately "What now?" he spat.
"I was wrong" she said, turning to face him "She can stay".
Nick nodded and walked away to join his guest.
**Meanwhile**
"Coming!!" shouted Alyssa as she ran to the front door, Panda already scratching at the
frame. She had no clue who it could be; but what did it matter? At least it would mean
company. Unlocking the door, her smile soon faded "What do you want?" she asked
angrily, keeping her foot against the door as for him not to enter.
Right away Brian knew that she still had not forgiven him for what had occurred between
Eli and him. He tried not to let it bother him "Is A.J here? I wanted to barrow his
Vandross C.D" he then chuckled "Well actually, to get mine back."
"He's not home. I'll tell him to post it to you..." she said as she closed the door.
Brian blocked her "Please. I know where he keeps it... Just let me go get it"
After all, he didn't come all the way here for nothing.
Rolling her eyes, she let him in.
"Thanks" he mumbled. Not wasting any time, he bolted up the stairs.
Waiting for his return, Alyssa sat down on the couch and frowned. She knew very well
that Brian was as sweet as they came, but after what he did to one of her best friends...
Before she could formulate any more thoughts, the phone rang.
"Hello?" she answered sitting more comfortably on her right leg.
"Heya Lyss. I got your message. What's up?" Kristy said happily while she removed her
folded clothes from her suitcase.
Alyssa grinned. It was good to hear an upbeat voice for a change "Nothing much. Listen,
do you have any plans for tomorrow.?"
"Not really. Wanted to spend some time with Rick though. Why?"
She proceeded to tell her about J.C and the party and failed to notice Brian had come
back downstairs.
"Can I come too?" he asked goofily, tapping her on the shoulder.
Alyssa jumped and glared at him "Do you mind?" she said through gritted teeth,
covering the receiver with her hand.
Brian lifted his arms over his head and sat down on the arm of the couch waiting for her to get off the
phone.
"Ya sorry" she said getting back to her conversation. "Brian... He just came to get
something from Aje... No I didn't... Maybe, I dunno... But... Ok, fine" Alyssa turned and
looked at him.
"Do you wanna come?" she asked very unenthusiastically.
He smiled "I would love to".
Alyssa nodded "He's coming. Ya, Rick can come too if he wants..."
'Rick? Who's Rick?' Brian questioned himself. 'Is it her boyfriend?' He didn't even know
that Kristy was in a relationship...
Standing up, he waved the C.D at Lyss "Well I got what I came here for" he said moving
closer and closer to the exit "So I'm leaving"
"Ok" Alyssa answered too caught up in her phone call to even care.
Brian walked out and got into his car. He threw back his C.D and was about to turn on
the engine when he realized something was eating away at his nerves. What was it? He
was enable to put his finger on it. He licked his lip in confusion. All he knew was that for
once, Eli wasn't the source.
**Same Time**
"So" A.J began as he wheeled Amanda out of her room to get some fresh air "I was
thinking, since you're going to be dismissed tomorrow, we can go up to the cottage"
She hesitated a bit "We'll see, Ok babe?"
"See what? Why don't you wanna come?" he asked, peeking through the open doors and
checking out the patience. It was all quite gloomy.
Amanda bit her lip "I just... I don't think I'm up to it yet." she paused a short while
"Maybe you should ask Alyssa instead"
As soon as those words left her mouth, A.J froze and looked down. "Baby?!" he said with
confusion "Why are you saying that? You know there's not one else I'd rather go with
than you."
She looked into his chocolate brown eyes and felt her heart sink. She knew she didn't
deserve him. Or anyone...
"That's sweet" she smiled fraudly, caressing his cheek with her hand as he nuzzled into it
"But I honestly think it's too early for me. Alyssa's a nice girl; I trust you."
"I love you baby girl" he grinned leaning in to give her the first real kiss the two had
shared in what seemed like eternity. It was passionate, but above all, filled with pure
absolute love.
**Shortly After**
Stepping through the door, the first thing his ears picked up was the sound of Alyssa's
roaring laughter.
"Ok-ok, stop...stop. Omigod, I think I just wet myself" she howled holding her stomach
"Oh it hurts"
Intrigued, A.J tried to keep quiet so that he could ease drop. Unfortunately for him, Panda
smelled her owner and pounced onto him as she happily wagged her tail.
Alyssa spun around, the phone still in hand and grinned "Oh hey Aje. Didn't hear you
come in..."
"I..."
She put her hand up "What?... It's only... haha J.C, very funny" Alyssa giggled
sarcastically.
A.J frowned. What was she talking to that pompas ass for?
"I'm looking forward to it..." she said flirtatiously as the conversation neared its end "See
ya." And hung up.
She smiled ignorantly at him. Oh she knew how he felt about J.C. She knew the more
she'd befriended him, the more A.J would be annoyed. And did she ever enjoy it...
"I was just talking to J.C"
"I kinda got that" he huffed, making his way to the kitchen.
"Do you have a problem with that?" she asked cockily, following his footsteps.
He open the Tropicana container and chugged it down.
"Nope" he lied, cleaning the residue off with his shirt, exposing his 69 tattoo to Lyss's
prying eyes "I have no problem with the dick what so ever."
Alyssa eyed him mischievously "Oh really?"
"Yep!" he exclaimed, moving out of the kitchen and plopping down on the couch, turning
on the T.V "You two could do it doggie style live on MTV during TRL on Christmas eve
as the little drummer boy gawks, getting his first hard on while my grandma watches baking
her famous choco-chocolat cake and I still wouldn't give a flying fuck"
Alyssa glared at him. He bent his head back and returned the same cocky smile and stuck
out his tongue.
"Hum" she huffed, sitting down at his side.
He chuckled to himself. It was so much fun to annoy her. "Oh ya" he exclaimed,
smacking himself on the forehead "I almost forgot. You're coming to my cottage
tomorrow"
"Excuse me?" Alyssa said angrily standing up "*I* already have plans for tomorrow. And
where do you think you come off talking to me like that?"
"Suite yourself" he answered indifferently, continuing his channel surfing.
Alyssa had just about enough. Storming out of the room, she heard him call back.
"Where are you going?"
"Upstairs!" she hollored.
"I mean tomorrow."
She stopped as she reached the first step "Justin's having a Halloween party. I'm going
with J.C"
The last part wasn't exactly true, but what did she care?
"I'll come with. Sounds like fun. Then after we can go to the cottage"
Alyssa screeched and marched up the stairs, slamming the door behind herself. Little
annoying shit! Always so sure of himself... 'Well' she thought, 'Two could play at this'.
