Who would call me at…aw man ,it's 7:30!? thought Liz glancing at her alarm clock on Saturday morning. I'll let the machine take it, thought Liz as she rolled over and covered her head with her pillow.
"Hey Lizzy, it's Brian. You're probably covering your head with you pillow right now 'cause you don't wanna take this call, so I'll talk to ya later. Bubye."
Brian and Liz were pretty much best friends. They had lived next door to each other their whole lives. When they were young they had been enemies. Liz and her friends Riley and Laney (who lived around the corner from her) were always playing pranks on Brian and his friends Zach and Darren. Whether one day they were throwing water balloons at each other, or the girls were beating the guy's butts at neighborhood softball games, there was not a civil moment between the two groups.
In ninth grade, Liz and Brian were put in the same home education class. They were "husband and wife" for a project. As a part of the project they got a computerized baby doll (it would cry if it hadn't been fed in a while, etc.) that they had to take care of. One time they found themselves both singing the baby to sleep, and from then on they had been best friends.
They and their friends all get along great nowadays. Liz, Riley, and Laney loved to design fashion in high school, and now they own their own company. Riley and Liz had originally started the company and named it. Laney, after returning from a college study program, decided to join, and now they were all equal partners in Riley Elizabeth, Inc.
Liz shares a house with Laney and Riley. Five years ago they all decided to move to Tampa, Florida. When Brian entered the Backstreet Boys, he moved into the house right next door to them. Although Zach and Mike still live back in Kentucky, they often visit and stay at Brian's huge house.
At 10:30 Liz dialed Brian's number. Ring…ring…
"Hello?" he answered.
"Frick. How's it goin'?"
"Lizzy, where have you been? I called you this morning."
"It was fricken 7:30, you moron. What do you expect? I know you called me just to wake me up. Did you really think I would pick up the phone? I was exausted!"
"I love waking you up early in the morning! Plus, I just wanted to hear your angelic voice first thing in the morning," Brian replied in a sarcastic tone.
"How long are you gonna be around this time?"
"I have four weeks here in beautiful Florida, then I'm goin' up to good old Kentucky to visit 'Ma and Pa Littrell.'"
The moment after he answered Liz heard the phrase "Yummy" over the phone from the movie "The Mask."
"No, B-Rok, don't tell me your watching it again! Please! I don't want to hear it. For the last seven years I have had Jim Carry pouring out of my ears. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!" she said in a mocking tone.
"A person can never have too many laughs."
"Laughs are one thing, Jim Carry is another!"
"Are you doubting the power of Jim?"
"Ok, I'm changing the subject. How are the guys? What are they up to for the next few weeks?"
"They're good. Lets see…hmm…Kev is visiting Aunt and Uncle Richardson. Um, Nick is visiting his parents for a few days, then he's gonna come stay with me for a few weeks. I'm sure Megan will appreciate that!"
"Ha ha. Yeah, she will, I just wonder if she'll be at home. Mom said she might be traveling with a few of her friends." Megan is Liz's sister. She goes to NYU, and in the fall will be in her sophmore year. Megan is a total Backstreet Boys fan. She is friends with Nick, but un-be-knownst to Nick, she has a huge crush on him. "I don't think she's home right now. What about AJ and Howie?"
"Howie is in California recording some songs with Missy Elliott. He's gonna hang around there for about two weeks. After that I think he's coming back to Florida."
"That's cool."
"So, are you up for a game of b-ball today?"
"Um, I don't think so."
"Why not?"
"Brian, I CAN'T PLAY. I am the worst basket ball player there is. I'm worse than you are!"
"Oh funny, I can play well!"
"I know you can. I'm just trying to sike you out so that I have even a microscopic chance of winning."
"How 'bout at two?"
"Oh, you mean the time when the sun is the hottest? Yeah, I stocked up on sun block the last time I went shopping! I have to drop some things off at my office first. Oh yeah, I have a surprise for you. I have to pick it up at the airport at 1:00. So I'll be there at 2:00. I'll see ya then."
"Oh goody goody gum drops! A surprise!" said Brian in a five-year old girl's voice.
"Ha ha. I'll see ya then, B-Rok. You're goin' DOWN!"
"Oh, you only wish."
"So what, I'm still trying to sike you out. I have to find a good one."
"That might take a while, so I'm gonna let you go. See ya at two."
"Bubye, Frick." They both hung up. Liz realized that it was now 11:30. She quickly went into the bathroom to shower and got dressed. She grabbed her briefcase and ran out the door to her office.
Lauren M. Elizabeth "Littrell" © 1999
