| Chapter One: The Very Beginning |

“I don’t know, the blue is a gorgeous color but I don’t feel comfortable at all,” said Malia as she pivoted in a dressing room mirror. Clad in a swingy blue dress with crisscross back straps and a plunging neckline she turned back around to her best friend, Megan and struck a pose. “Well?”

“Malia you know you’re pretty. I think it’s an adorable little slip dress but if you’re not comfy . . . well don’t wear it!” Megan decided, studying her friend’s curvy 5’ 7” figure.

“It is cute,” Malia sighed. She pretended to blow up imaginary bangs in frustration. “This is hopeless. I never should have said yes.”

“Don’t go there girlfriend!” Megan mimicked a popular teen expression.

Laughing, Malia sat on the dressing room bench and remembered what had caused this sudden mall trip.

It had started with a phone call from a friend. Malia privately smiled as she thought about her ‘stork dance’ to the phone. Injuring her right leg on a sudden dive to grab the phone in time she had banged her shin right on a corner table, causing her to hop to the phone, which had lain on the floor the entire time. After a breathless hello the real fun started.

“Malia? How’d you like to be an extra in a music video?” her friend Leighanne asked. “Brian’s group, Backstreet Boys, are shooting for As Long As You Love Me and I’ll Never Break Your Heart and we need some level headed girls here. Brian said to ring ya up so here it goes again: How’d you like to be an extra?” Leighanne’s voice fairly oozed happiness and fun. In the background Malia could here some people laughing and talking, in contrast to her empty apartment.

“What do you think Leighanne? I love them to death, without being hysterical mind you, and you’re offering me a chance to be in a music video. Ummmmm, YES!” Malia had answered sarcastically while twirling the phone cord. She picked up her Backstreet Boys’ album, which she had gotten on a trip to Europe after getting backstage passes to a show. Through Leighanne of course. No one in the US knew they existed but that didn’t stop her and her friends from loving them and their music. Leighanne, who had met Brian Littrell a little before their big break in Europe, was currently dating him, and he happened to be Malia’s personal favorite. They had been going out for nearly a year and as happy as could be. It pays to have a best friend with connections, decided Malia.

“Cut out the sarcasm Malia, this is a real job. We’re shooting here, in Kentucky, thank the heavens, so you won’t have to travel far or anything. You’ve met Bri right? Oh, never mind you didn’t. Anyway, how soon can you be down here?”

After a few more basic questions and answers it was official: Malia was an extra and off to meet the Backstreet Boys. Uh oh.

“Malia? Malia?” Megan jolted her back to reality.

“Hmmm? Oh yeah, I'm here,” she said, shaking off the fuzz of memories.

“This dress question doesn’t require going though a physics problem. You’ve been staring straight ahead, dead center at the wall, for the past few minutes!”

“I'm sorry. I'm trying to remember how I got into this.”

“Lord knows there are about a million girls who would love to have YOUR ‘problem,’ myself included, although I am past the jealous phase.” Megan replied, showing no sympathy.

“Yeah, I know. And thanks for supporting me. Mom’s not wild about me taking off for a week to go meet my idols and such but she’s slowly warming up to this. You know how she doesn’t like Leighanne . . .”

“I don’t get that. Leigh’s must be the sweetest girl ever. And she’s just a blast.” Megan declared. Her words were tinged with just the tiniest bit of resentment. No one would have noticed but Megan herself. “But oh well. We have clothing to figure out for you!” she continued.

“Yep. Well since this place doesn’t seem to have the elusive ‘it’ shall we try Gap?”

“Ok. Let me buy this, though.” Walking towards the cashier line Malia stopped to admire a pair of earrings. Checking the price tag she sighed and put them back on the rack. Twirling it around she saw and rejected several other pairs.

“You are the only person I know, who with thousands of dollars, and several hundred on you, won’t buy a fifteen dollar pair of earrings!” Megan cried turning towards her.

“Guilty as charged!” Malia admitted, laughing and throwing up her hands. “But I need to save that money and the few hundred on me is supposed to only go towards perfect clothing for the video shoot.”

“You know they’ll dress you in other stuff,” Megan reasoned.

“Yeah, I know, but before the shoot and for when I first get there. Even though I won’t be around the boys it can’t hurt to look good.”

“Nope. And Leighanne always looks like a fashion plate,” said Megan, again with that tiny edge of malice. “How is she lately? I meant to ask earlier.”

“Well she and Brian are still together, obviously. So far her career is doing well. I think she starts shooting for her movie in a few months. What can I say? That girl has some great luck!” Although all three girls had attended the same high school Leighanne had postponed college for her career, while Malia and Megan were both starting their freshman year in a few weeks. Megan had an apartment close to the center of campus, and Malia had already moved into her off-campus apartment. They had been a trio of friends, although Malia was closer to Megan and Leighanne separately than they were as a group. For some reason Leighanne and Megan didn’t ‘click.’ However, Megan, Malia, and a girl named Clara were all close friends-almost inseparable. When the four of them got together, as well as Julie, another friend of Malia’s, they created havoc and fun that lasted for hours.

Handing over a khaki wrap skirt Megan dug out her wallet. “Yeah, she has hasn’t she? Who would have thought that good ‘ole Annie Leigh would end up attached to a Backstreet Boy and a soon-to-be movie star?”

“Annie Leigh. We haven’t called her that since the pre-Backstreet Boy and career era. Boy, time flies.”

“Excuse me did you say Backstreet Boys?” broke in cashier.

“Yes, why?” Megan and Malia asked in unison.

“No reason. Just another obsessed fan. I can’t believe almost no one knows about them yet! I totally cannot wait until they release a video for As Long As You Love Me! That’s my favorite song off the album. They are just so cute,” the cashier gushed as she tore off a receipt. “Thank you for shopping here!”

Malia and Megan exchanged a look. Ohmigod what have a gotten myself into? Malia panicked silently.

“I think a video should come out soon . . . “ Megan’s sentence trailed off as they left the store. Malia slowly exhaled.

“Let’s go to Gap.” Malia tried to be perky.

“Look, Malia, fans are gonna want a video. It’s a fact of life. And you and I both know how We’ve Got It Goin’ On did. Bad. That never happened OK? No one has to know you’re doing this. You didn’t tell anyone right?”

“Nope. It’s no big deal. I'm just being my usual tense self.” Malia cracked a smile. “My nerves . . . I'm just wound up, that’s all. I’ll get over it though, let’s just have some fun!” Malia was making a genuine effort as they strolled into Gap.

Fingering a white cotton dress with embroidery she grabbed it off the rack, along with a few other items. A pair of loose black stretch pants caught her eye, along with a knee length black skirt, and ankle length khaki one. The khaki had zippers up both sides to the knees and a cargo pocket. It was just the sort of thing Malia would wear. Grabbing some shirts and a few items on the sale racks she and Megan crammed into a dressing room with their findings.

After a half-an-hour of furious changing the clothes were sorted. Three-fourths were not going to work, and the rest were left to try on again. Malia slipped into the white cotton dress once more and stood facing the mirror. She tried to control her long, almost black hair, which fell in soft, mature waves. Now it looked like something out of The Bride Of Frankenstein with the fuzz created from pulling shirts over her head. It rested a few inches past her shoulders, just at the embroidery of the dress: delicate patterns across the empire waist. The spaghetti straps were slightly revealing, making the dress an undecided.

“Ok, Megan I can’t choose. It looks pretty but is it too, ummm, revealing? I kinda feel like I'm showing everything.” Malia turned to Megan who had already made up her mind.

“I think it’s gorgeous. Much, much, better than that blue one. I say get it. You have that cute little black cardigan to throw over it, need be.” Megan said, while polishing her nails.

“Good point. Ok, so this, the black pants, denim dress, blue button down shirt, black skirt, khaki skirt, the dark denim shirt, the longer denim shirt, and the tees. Whew! I feel like I'm buying out Les Wexner!” Malia kidded. Les Wexner was the owner of such popular stores as Abercrombie and Fitch, Limited, Express, Bath and Body Works, and countless others.

“You have enough money to,” Megan retorted. “Come on, I’ll get this outfit and you can buy your wardrobe for the year.”

Over the speakers the opening chords of Quit Playin’ Games (With My Heart) began to play. Grabbing her purse Malia pretended to croon into it. Giggling, Megan shoved her up against the mirror where she proceeded to make fish faces, leaving lip prints everywhere. She started to apply lip-gloss when Megan accidentally knocked her arm and it went across her cheek. Wiping it off, they became full out hysterical as they stumbled out of the dressing room. A salesperson shot them a nasty look.

“Now . . . I know . . . why . . . they don’t want . . . teens in . . . upscale stores.” Malia choked out breathless. After stumbling to the cashier line the girls pulled out their wallets and paid.

“Any other stores you want to hit?” Malia asked as they stood in the center of the mall, with the large window over them. Gazing up she saw the sun become blocked by a stray cloud.

“Not that I can think of. You ready to go out now?” Megan told her.

“Psyched. Do you want to grab a Coke Icee though?

“Sure. Then we can go and have a night on the town!”

“How about we stop back at my place and toss our bags in first though?” Malia suggested.

“Perfect. That way I can drop off my overnight stuff too.” Swinging by the food court on their way out they then walked out into the 66-degree day that seemed to have been made for them. Sunlight streamed down and cotton candy like clouds puffed across the hazy blue sky. I wonder what tonight is going to hold, thought Malia. Slurp!

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| Chapter Two |