Ooh, she’s out of my life.
I don’t know whether to laugh, or cry.
I don’t know whether to live or die.
And it cuts like a knife; she’s out of my life.
–98degrees,
She’s Out of My Life
Brian pulled away immediately, and let go of her hands. Cat gasped in horror as she saw her father looming in the hallway. Brian stood up.
“Mr. Patterson, I didn’t do anything, I swear!” Cat’s father reached out and took him by his collar and practically dragged him back to the front door.
“Bet you didn’t! What was my daughter crying about??! I have never trusted you boy, not since you started making eyes at my Catherine!!”
“Please, don’t hurt him!” Cat cried, looking concernedly at Brian, who seemed shaken by the roughness of her father.
“But Sir, I didn’t do anything... I..” But before he finished his sentence, he was thrown out of the house. Stalking towards Cat, he delivered a hard slap across her cheeks.
“I thought I forbade you to mix around with him!! Come up here!!” he bellowed, pulling Cat along by her hair.
Crying, Cat staggered along, knowing what was coming in for her. Tears ran down her cheeks as her father pushed her into her room, and onto her bed, and locked himself in with her.
“You shouldn’t have done that girl…” he whispered fiercely, as he advanced towards her. Cat curled up on her bed, crying, wailing for Brian. For the millionth time, she wished that she had never been born into this cruel world.
Brian paced the floor feverishly, getting worried that Cat was not there to see him off. There were only a few minutes left before he needed to board the plane to Orlando.
“Hey Brian, we have got to go. We wouldn’t want to keep Nick and the rest of the guys waiting.” Kevin Richardson, his cousin, told him. He gave Brian an encouraging pat on the back. Brian looked back at the gates for one last time. “You’d see her when we get back all right? She’s still going to be here, Bri.”
Looking at Kevin, Brian realized that he was right. He could see the urgency in Kevin’s eyes, and he knew that the record deal meant a lot to him. It meant a lot to him too. Picking up his bag, he wore his blue jacket and forced a smile. “Let’s go,” he whispered, and walked away, without a backward glance.
She looked at the two guys leaving the waiting area. Tears spilled slowly down her cheeks, and she looked longingly at the one with the blue jacket, the one who had given her the silver necklace, which she wore proudly around her neck. Subconsciously, she reached up and caressed the locket, which felt cool against her warm skin. Moving away from the pillar that hid her from view, she bent down and picked up the duffel bag at her feet.
“I love you,” she whispered at the retreating blue back. Turning around, she walked briskly out of the airport, walking away from her cold harsh world, walking away from the one she love. Forever.
*Three days later*
Brian drove up to the familiar house, Nick Carter, his best friend at his side. Everything in Orlando had gone according to schedule. The record deal was signed, and in a weeks’ time, they were leaving for Orlando again. Now, they were officially known as the Backstreet Boys. Brian had decided to bring Cat with him to Orlando. They were going to be there for a few months, and now that he had acknowledged his feelings for her, he felt that he could not leave her for even a day. He looked at Nick, smiling sheepishly at his side.
“I never knew one could love a girl so deeply like this. Come on now, I want to meet her too!” he said, climbing out of Brian’s jeep. Brian raced up to the doorstep, Nick right behind him. Brian gave a loud knock on her door.
“Cat! I’m back!” he shouted out, feeling enormous joy in his heart. He knocked once again and waited for a few minutes, but no one answered the door. He looked up, expecting a golden head to look down on him, but there was none. For the first time, he realized that the curtains were drawn tight and the windows were shut. Nick looked at him, confused.
“You think she’s home?” Brian continued knocking, all the time yelling her name. He felt fear for Cat.
“Stop, you’re making quite a racket! Catherine and her father are not there, they moved out!!” The neighbor next door shouted. Brian stopped knocking.
“When??” he asked. Cat would not keep something like this from him.
“In the afternoon, about three days ago.” Nick looked down.
“That should be the day when we left for Orlando,” he mumbled.
“Do you know where they moved to?” Nick could sense the tremor in his voice. Brian looked pale, and his eyes were watering.
“How would I know? Such an arrogant family, I don’t see why your family lets you mix with hers… you shouldn’t..” But Brian couldn’t hear her talking. Nick looked concernedly at him.
“Brian…”
“No, Nick, she wouldn’t leave without telling me. I’ll find her, I swear.” But he didn’t.
