Monday morning could easily have been deemed ‘earthquake weather.’ The air was too still, the sky was too clear and the temperature was just too perfect. Earthquake weather has been deemed a myth, an old wives tale, but an earthquake doesn’t have to be a physical manifestation.

It would be hard to tell the jolt that the world got from the Comet’s front-page cover story that morning, but for four lives the shakes and tremors were stronger and more frequent than any earthquake yet felt on this earth.

It was with great trepidation, angst, fear and doubt that four people stood in four checkout lines in four different supermarkets each with copies of the Comet clutched tightly in their hot, sweating hands.

And so, centered in Orlando Florida, the earthquake began, the aftershocks spreading to the farthest reaches of the United States…

Cassie knocked on a hotel room door. She had a paper clutched tightly in her hand. Her knuckles were white.

The door opened slowly. A tall man with dark brown hair peered out. When his eyes saw the woman standing in front of him a small amount of relief passed over his face. It was quickly followed by worry.

"How bad is it?" He asked. His voice was dry and hoarse.

Cassie shrugged and passed JC, entering the hotel room.

"Cassie," JC repeated. "How bad is it? What does it say?"

"Basically what we thought it would," Cassie said. She pushed the paper towards JC. "Here."

JC took the paper in his hands and gingerly unfolded it. He was acting as if it would bite him. More than likely it would.

Brad stared at the paper that was lying at the other end of his dining room table. He’d bought it that morning but he hadn’t had enough courage to look past the cover. That was bad enough.

There were three pictures boldly spread across the front of the paper.

The main one was of a girl who looked like Abby embracing a man who looked like JC. His head had been buried in her shoulder and she’d been facing away from the camera. Brad would have said that it wasn’t them, but he recognized the bar and he saw himself in the background.

The next picture was a shot of JC with a shorter blond woman. They had their arms around each other and they were obviously a couple.

The last picture was of himself and Abby. It was the picture that was making him feel sick. It was the reason he hadn’t had enough courage to open the paper. He didn’t want to read about the girl he’d so recently fallen for with another man. He didn’t want to read about any supposed relationship.

As much as he didn’t want to he found himself reaching across the table and he could feel his fingers drag the paper across the tabletop. The closer it got to him, the sicker he felt. Finally it was resting in front of him. Slowly his fingers began to flip through the pages of the paper.

"This is too classic," the man laughed. His eyes were filled with amusement as they rested on Tammy. "Tell me, is JC really this much of a sucker?"

"He’s not a sucker," Tammy said quietly. She knew the man wouldn’t hear her. He only heard what he wanted to now.

"Babe," the man continued. "You need to issue a statement about how JC broke your heart. It’ll do wonders for you. Maybe I’ll call this Wilkins. Give him the rest of the story."

"I don’t want to," Tammy said. Her voice remained quiet.

"What?" the man asked. "Why?"

"This is going to hurt Josh enough," Tammy said. For the first time she looked towards the man and the paper. Her eyes were drawn to the picture on the cover of her and Josh.

The man leaned forward and his eyes glinted angrily. "When has this ever been about JC?" he asked. His voice was filled with spite. "It’s always been about you. It’s always been about US."

"It’s about Josh now," Tammy said. "It’s always been about Josh. I just didn’t realize it."

"I didn’t set this up so you could turn into a whimp on me babe," the man said. His voice was slick, evil.

"You set this up?" Tammy asked sitting forward. "You leaked this story?"

"No," the man said. His face had an evil grin plastered across it. "I leaked that JC broke your heart. It was the perfect opportunity for you to make a name for yourself doll."

"I want to make a name for myself," Tammy spat. "I want to make that name. I don’t want to be the girl that JC dumped."

"Well," the man said leaning back in his chair. Tammy could tell he wasn’t happy with her. "You still came across pretty well. The innocent victim and all that shit."

Tammy didn’t respond.

"Here," the man said. "Since you don’t want to read it for yourself I’ll read it to you."

Tammy continued to ignore him. She wanted to put her fingers in her ears. She wanted to scream at him to shut up. She wanted to run away.

She didn’t though. She tried to ignore his voice. The words seeped into her consciousness anyway.

Abby’s face was red and raw from the number of tears that had run down her cheeks in the last twelve hours. She stared at the paper in her hands. When she’d heard JC say that she would come off looking pretty bad she hadn’t thought he meant this bad. She had come out looking like the devil incarnate.

 Only one thing had been said in her defense. "Ms. Monroe could not be reached for comment at the time of publication."

She’d managed to push herself into the shower, but she hadn’t been able to force herself to dry her hair or put on makeup. A drop of water fell from her sopping wet hair onto the paper in her hands. The wetness spread out covering Tammy’s picture. Another drop of water fell to the paper. This time it was a tear.

She threw the paper down onto the table in front of her. It made a satisfying slap on the wood, but not nearly satisfying enough.

"AHHHHHHHH!" Abby screamed in frustration into the empty room. "Why me? Why me?"

She looked at the clock on her wall. It read eight. Brad should be up by now. She had to go talk to him. She had to know if he knew.

She rubbed her sleeves across her wet eyes. The skin was so irritated she cringed in pain. Pushing herself off of the couch she walked toward the front door. She didn’t even care what she looked like anymore. She just had to talk to Brad. He’d seen her at her best last night. Now it was time for him to see her at her worst.

"I don’t want to hear it anymore!" Tammy said as she stood up. Her hands instinctively covered her ears. "Just shut up, okay. Just shut up."

He looked up at her in surprise. "I thought you’d be happy with the way you came out in this story."

"I am," Tammy started to say. "It’s just— no, I’m not happy. I’m the bitch. I’m the one who hurt him, not her. I’m the reason he’s been so sad."

The man smirked. "Maybe he wasn’t as in love with you as we both thought."

"He was!" Tammy yelled. "He loved me. He told me he did."

"Babe, you told him you loved him. You love me though."

"Fuck you," Tammy spat.

A look of anger appeared on his face. "What was that?"

"I said ‘Fuck you’," Tammy repeated. "How do you know I didn’t love him? How do you know that I don’t love him?"

"You know," the man said as he got up from his seat. "I used to think that you had potential."

Tammy raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"I mean, that’s why I did all of this," he said. "That’s why I started dating you, that’s why I got you and JC hooked up and why I set this all up so that you could have a sterling image."

Tammy’s brain was still caught on his first comment. "You started dating me because you thought I had… potential?"

The tall man nodded. "I need to be someone Tammy. I thought you wanted the same thing. Whatever the cost."

"I do want to be someone," Tammy said. "I will be someone."

The man shook his head sadly. He didn’t look sad though. "No Tammy, you won’t. You don’t have what it takes."

"What do you mean?" Tammy asked. "I have what it takes. My schedule is booked nearly solid."

"Because of who?" he asked.

Tammy was silent.

"Because of me. I’ve talked you to the top. You did a little for yourself when you and JC became an item, but you don’t have what it takes to go that extra mile. You aren’t harsh enough babe. Face it, you’re just another pretty face in a crowd."

"That’s not TRUE!" Tammy yelled. "I am somebody. I’m Tammy Butler."

"And no one knows who that is," he said softly. "You’re just the girl who was maybe dating JC. That’s all you’ll ever be known for."

"Stop!" Tammy continued yelling. Tears were streaming down her face running her mascara in long black lines. "I don’t have to listen to this. I don’t need you."

"Who do you need?" the man asked. "Lover boy?"

Tammy was silent.

"He doesn’t want you anymore Tammy. And it looks like maybe you’ve got a problem because neither do I."

The man walked past Tammy and to the door of the apartment. He paused for a moment.

"Bye Babe. It’s been fun."

With that, he was gone. He didn’t even have the decency to slam the door on his way out.

"Well," JC said. He looked up from the paper for the first time in the half-hour since Cassie had entered the room. "What do we do?"

Cassie shrugged. "It is a tabloid so it’s possible it doesn’t even need to be addressed."

"Do you believe that?" JC asked.

Cassie shook her head. "If it were an entire fabrication then I wouldn’t have a problem with it, but in the basic facts it’s true. You did go out with Tammy. You are living with Abby. She’s apparently dating this Brad fellow."

"So what do we do?" JC asked again.

"What I’m thinking is that we get Abby and Brad to say they’ve been going out for longer than they have. At least a few months or something."

"But that’s a lie," JC began.

"Do you want the world to think she’s a lying manipulative bitch?"

"No!" JC said. "I just want to forget this ever happened."

"It’s not going to happen JC," Cassie said. "Have you talked to her this morning?"

JC shook his head.

"Think maybe you should call her?" Cassie prodded.

JC nodded. "You want me to tell her you’re working on a statement?"

"Sure," Cassie said. "Do you want me to stay or leave?"

"Stay," JC said. "I think I might need some moral support from this side."

Cassie walked over to the table by the headboard of JC’s bed and picked up his cell-phone. She handed it to him.

"Call her."

JC slowly dialed the number. For the first time ever he didn’t want to talk to Abby. The phone rang four times and the answering machine picked up.

"Hey Absters," JC said. "It’s me. I was just calling to see… well, to see how you were doing. I’ll talk to you later, okay?"

"She’s not there," he said to Cassie as he clicked off the phone. "Of course, that was probably sort of obvious."

Cassie giggled. "Just slightly."

For the first time in 24 hours JC laughed.

Abby knocked hesitantly on the dark wood of the door in front of her. When there was no response she knocked again.

"Yeah?" a tired voice came from inside.

"Brad," Abby said. "It’s me. I think we need to talk."

There was the sound of feet coming towards the door. It opened a few seconds later.

"So talk," Brad said.

"Can I come in?" Abby asked.

Brad sighed and let her into the room. The first thing that Abby saw when she entered the room was the Comet sitting on the table.

"So you saw," Abby said.

"They quoted me," Brad said. "You think they made my comments up?"

"I didn’t know," Abby said. She felt her eyes begin to water slightly. They’d almost stopped tearing on the way over. "They made the rest of the story up."

"Did they?" Brad asked.

"Of course they did!" Abby’s voice rose in volume. "You don’t think that Josh and I—"

"What am I supposed to think Abby!" Brad shouted. "I mean it’s always Josh this and Josh that. And you should see your face when you talk about him. You positively glow."

"I do not! And he’s my best friend!" Abby said. "I’ve liked you forever Brad. I don’t like Josh like that. He’s just my friend."

Brad nodded in a sarcastic manner. "Yeah sure. Come on Abby. What do you think I am?"

"Why are you doing this Brad?" Abby asked. "Why are you believing some tabloid over me? Last night you said you wanted to try to make something work between us."

Brad shrugged. "Maybe I was wrong."

"Don’t say that Brad," Abby pleaded. "Please don’t say that."

"I’m allowed to change my mind aren’t I?"

"But Brad," Abby began. The tears were starting down her cheeks again. "It’s a tabloid. It’s trash."

"Maybe I don’t want my life spread across the newsstand!" Brad yelled suddenly. "Maybe I want to live a normal life."

"What do you think I want?" Abby asked. She sniffed.

"I don’t know," Brad said. "You’re the one living with the famous music star." Brad sneered as he said the last three words.

Abby narrowed her eyes. "You really think that there was something between us don’t you?"

"I don’t know," Brad said again. "I mean the way you guys look at each other and there’s the fact that you talk every night on the phone until all odd hours of the morning. And don’t forget him running to you in the bar that night."

"His ex broke his heart Brad," Abby said.

"But wouldn’t he turn to one of his group mates? He turned to you Abby."

"He’s my friend."

Brad shrugged again. He stared at Abby silently.

"So is this it?" Abby asked. "You aren’t even going to give us a chance?"

"I guess not," Brad said.

Abby looked around awkwardly. "Well, goodbye, I guess."

"Yeah," Brad said. He turned his eyes to the ground so he wouldn’t have to see Abby’s eyes pleading with him.

Abby turned back towards the door. She walked slowly waiting for Brad to call out to her. To stop her. He didn’t.  She opened the door and walked out, closing it softly behind her.

The phone was ringing when Abby walked into her apartment. She walked over to it and waited for the answering machine to pick up.

"Bee," a male voice said. "You are in the dog house right at the moment I want you to know."

Abby picked up the phone. "Carl?"

"So you were there," Carl said. It was obvious from his voice that he was smiling. "You’ll never guess what I have in front of me."

"Won’t I?" Abby said. "I’m guessing it’s the thing that has singularly ruined my life."

"Oh come on," Carl said. "It can’t be that bad."

Abby laughed bitterly. "So why am I in the dog house?"

"You’ve been living with a celebrity and you didn’t tell me? That’s not nice Abby."

"I didn’t think it was important okay?"

"Abby it’s JC Chasez. You are living with a GOD."

"He’s just Josh," Abby said.

"So is it true?" Carl asked. "I mean about you and JC?"

"No," Abby said. The tears began again. All she was doing now was crying. Carl didn’t pick up on it immediately.

"Well why not?" Carl asked. "He’s hot. You’re female. What’s the problem?"

"We aren’t like that," Abby said. "He’s like my best friend."

"And I’m what?" Carl asked. His voice was indignant.

"Carl…" Abby began crying noticeably.

"Abby? Babe? I was kidding. Really."

Abby didn’t answer. She only sobbed harder.

"Babe? It’s just a tabloid story."

"Did you read the article?" Abby asked through her chest wracking sobs. "I’m a bitch, a whore, the devil incarnate."

"It’s just a story Abby," Carl said soothingly. "Anyone who knows you knows that’s not who you are."

"But what about the people who don’t know who I am? What about them? I mean, Brad knows me and HE believed the story."

"Brad?"

"The guy I was cheating on Josh with," Abby said without thinking.

"So that was true?" Carl asked. "You finally found someone, huh?"

"It’s over," Abby said. "He thinks that I have this thing for Josh."

"Do you?" Carl asked.

"NO!" Abby yelled. "He’s just a friend. I mean last night he said everything would be okay, but how am I supposed to face him? How am I supposed to…"

"He’s a star Abby. He’s used to this."

"But I’m not!" Abby wailed. "I can’t deal with this. I can’t deal with him."

Carl was silent on the other end of the phone as he listened to Abby sniffle.

"Do you want me to come down?" he asked. "I will. It sounds like you need me there."

"No," Abby said. "Can I go up there? I need to get away from Brad, this apartment…"

"Of course honey," Carl said. "You know you’re always welcome here."

Abby smiled grimly. "Thanks. I’ll try to fly out tonight, okay? I need to get out of here, but there are some things I need to take care of."

"Give me a call when you know your flight okay? I’ll come pick you up."

"Thanks Carl. I’ll see you tonight."

"Bye Absters," Carl said as he hung up the phone.

Abby had begun to calm down, but the nickname set her tears off again.

Abby walked into the bar. As much as she’d tried to make the redness of her face leave her eyes and cheeks seemed to be permanently that color.

She saw Brad behind the bar pouring drinks for the few customers that were there so early in the afternoon. She noticed him look towards her but she walked right past him, her expression akin to stone.

She walked up to the door hidden in the dark corner of the bar. She knocked twice but didn’t wait for any response before entering the office.

"Abby," Tony began. "Where have you been? Your shift started an hour ago. Brad’s been covering it all alone."

"I’m sorry Tony," Abby said. She felt her eyes begin to water again, but for the first time all day she gamely held the tears back. "I’m quitting."

Tony leaned forward. "You’re what? You’re giving your notice?"

"No," Abby shook her head. "I’m quitting. As of now. Some things have been going on in my life and—"

"You can’t quit Abby," Tony said. "We need you."

"I’ve got to get away. I can’t be here anymore. I’m sorry I didn’t give you notice, but this was sort of a… shock. I didn’t know I was leaving until today."

"Tell me what’s going on," Tony said. "I can probably give you some time off. A few days."

"No Tony. I’m sorry to leave you in such a pinch, but I’m flying to New York and I’m not coming back."

Tony looked shocked. "Okay," he said finally. "Have a good life Abby."

Abby felt a knife slice into her heart. She was leaving the job that she loved.

Abby got up from the chair. "Thanks Tony," she said quietly.

He nodded harshly.

Abby left the office and walked back out through the bar. Again she ignored Brad.

She should have felt relieved to be leaving. But she felt strangely sad. As the door to the bar closed, the door to the happiest times of her life closed with it.