"Is she dead?" "No, you moron. She's still breathing. Right?" "Of course." "Why's she so pale?" "Should we call an ambulance?" "No, a doctor's looking at her now." "Oooh, a doctor and a reporter. I wonder if he's single."
The first three voices were the only one's I recognized, even though I wouldn't have been able to tell you who the were, I knew I knew them. It was dark and I wanted to run but I couldn't move. All of a sudden there was a pinpoint of light at the other end of the black. It got bigger and bigger until there was no more black and only white. Everything was a harsh and almost sterile looking white. Then colors and shapes started to come into focus. I blinked a few times wondering if I had been kidnapped the night before and if I was about to be expiramented on. But no such luck.
The horrible realization dawned on me as I saw Angie kneeling by my hip and holding her nose as she swallowed an obviously strong alcholic beverage. "Oh no...." I moaned aloud. I tried to bring my hands to my face, hoping that if I touched myself the picture would fade and I would wake up. It really wasn't my lucky day though, because I didn't even have the strength to lift my arms. Instead I had to settle to turning my face to the left and sqeezing my eyes shut tightly. Dear God, why do you hate me?
"I told you she wasn't dead." I heard above me. "I wish I was." I mumbled under my breath and opened my eyes. A man I didn't know had grabbed my wrist and was reading my pulse. A few seconds later I felt a wet towel drip and fall onto my forehead. "She's probably just dehyderated and will be fine in a minute." The man said. "Not unless you know hypnosis." I said under my breath again. Everything came out a mumble but he heard and smiled down at me.
"But no. I'm fine really." I said a little louder. I tried to push myself up, using every ounce of strength I dug to find. Halfway up my arm gave way and I fell back to the floor. "Just stay put for another minute. Okay, I think we should all go back to our seats now and keep this thing going." The doctor guy said. There was various nodding and most everyone left. There were a few people who lingered behind. Angie stayed by me and sighed down.
"Way to steal the spotlight." I heard Taylor's voice say. I looked straight up to see two dirty blonde heads towering above me. I groaned aloud before commenting. "You can have it back. I don't want it." "No way. This is great. You see, I thought I was gonna be known as the young one that knocked over the podium as he went on stage. Now everyone's gonna be talking about the new girl that fell flat on her back and almost died as she walked into the room." Zac said. "Your still the young one that knocked over the podium and I think you both have to go answer more question's." Angie said, saving me from attacking them. They both left and I heard the talking start up again as I looked over at Angie.
"I'm sorry." I whispered to her. She smiled down and shook her head. "Don't apologize. I shouldn't have made you run." she said. I took another deep breath before pushing myself back up.
"So, you almost died this morning?" Alexa asked beaming. I shot Isaac a look that let him know he was so dead before looking back to Alexa. "No, I did die. In fact I'm dead right now as we speak. I came back to haunt you. Boo." I said sarcastically. "Who says 'Boo' anymore?" I bit the inside of my cheek and looked back at Isaac who had a triumphant smile on, though I'm not quite sure of what exactly it was he was trying to prove. "Would you like me to hurt you now? Or in front of tonights crowd?" I asked before turning back to my right and beating on the door to the bathroom.
Megan woke up literally a minute before Angie and I got back to the hotel and was still in the shower. "...I will survive....As long as I know how to love I know I'll stay alive..." Megan shouted even louder in an off key rendition of Aretha Franklin, letting me know that she wasn't going any faster. I groaned loudly before walking back out of the small corridor and into the main room and throwing myself on my bed. "So did you just come back after you passed out or did you explain anything?" Alexa asked getting back on the subject as she flipped a pencil up and down. "Angie just told everyone I didn't get enough sleep but I would be fine for tonights show and I could answer question's after it." I mumbled into the tangled sheets. "COME ON MEGAN! I smell!" I yelled in the general direction of the bathroom.
"Yeah your right. You do. You can use ours if you really want to. Just make sure there isn't any green stuff on the floor of the tub before you get in." Isaac said over. I looked over to glare at him but he didn't even notice, he was too busy watching Alexa flip the pencil. I pushed myself off the bed and grabbed the stuff laying on the floor next to me. "Fine." I said, as if I were doing him a great favor, and then turned and walked out to the hallway.
A few big guys stood at the other end and I saluted them as I tapped on the door that was a few doors down and on the other side of the hallway. As I stood there, I thought about how I must look like death run over a few times and wondered if the big bodyguard guys were contemplating coming over and kicking my butt out of the hallway for stalking. Before anything could happen the door slowly opened and there stood an excited looking Taylor. He was on the phone with someone and arched his eyebrow at me. "Megan's in my shower. Isaac said I could use yours?" I asked. He nodded and pointed at a door that was in the same place as the bathroom in mine had been. "Hey mom, could you hang on one second?" Taylor asked into the phone and covered the mouthpiece. "I'm leaving a sec and Zac went out to lunch so no one'll bother you. Oh yeah, and if there's any..." "Yeah, I know. Green stuff in the shower rinse it off."
He nodded and went back to his conversation and I shut the door to the bathroom and put all my stuff on the floor, under the counter next to me. Everything was pretty much identical except for a few things that were in different places and there wasn't make-up stuff covering their counter (which I would be pretty disturbed if there was). I was somewhat scared of what I would find in the shower and slowly pushed the dark blue curtain to the side. It looked pretty much normal and I didn't even want to know what the green stuff everyone was talking about was and much less why it was supposed to be in the shower. I took off my clothes and threw them on the floor next to my things and also grabbed my shampoo and soap and stuff before jumping into the shower and turning the water on as I hot as I could bare it. The light above me was dimming and the dark blue curtain made the shower very closed in feeling. 'Why didn't they just stay at their house?' I wondered.
Thoughts of this morning ran in and out of my head for a while and I knew I would have to turn up the charm tonight after the concert. 'Actually, because this is their hometown, maybe I'll just go and actually watch it.' I was in the middle of my thoughts (and putting soap on my soap-puff-ball-thinger, name?) when I heard someone hitting the door. I had just been about to open my mouth to shout that I was in here when I heard the door open. Why, for the love of god, I didn't say anything and just stared in the general direction of where the door was, I'll never know. I was just glad that the curtain wasn't only transparent glass.
"Hey Taylor, I gotta use the bathroom and brush my teeth, just don't walk out here." A male voice called into the bathroom and I heard the door shut again. I squinted forward through the water falling in my eyes trying to figure out who the voice was. Knowing that only 3 people were staying in this room, 2 of which knew I was here, I figured it was Zac and covered my face to keep from laughing. 'I could have a lot of fun with this. Right after I was finished being grossed out by hearing him...well, do his buisness. I wonder how many girls would die to be in my position right now...' I was thinking all this as suddenly I heard the toilet flush, and the water got cold. Very cold! I had to jump around and try not to cry out. "Ooops, sorry bout that. Forgot about the water thing." He said, sounding as if he actually thought it was funny. Then the sink started running. "Yeah, so did mom tell you 'bout the picnic thing she's having today? Grandma's comin. I guess we go after the soundcheck, Dad'lll take us. And then, I guess we can spend the night home. She also said she called Mike, Angel, Chris and Gina. And Aunt Lily's gonna come over with everyone. You could invite Andrea if you wanted." I figured that was my cue and stuck my head out the back of the curtain but held the curtain so not even my shoulders stuck out.
"Aww, thanks Zac! I'd love to go." Immediatley Zac threw his head up from rinsing his mouth out and, seeing me in the mirror, screamed (litterally, screamed) and spun around to look at me. "What the...? How the...?" He stuttered and looked around the bathroom, the color drained out of his face and his hands clenching the counter. I threw my head back and laughed. I need a camera.
"Megan was in my shower. Your brother's said I could use yours. I guess they didn't think you'd come back so soon." His cheeks were now a flaming red as he looked back at me. "Yeah, well, umm I gotta go." He said and hurried out the door. I kept laughing even after he shut the door. As a matter of fact I was laughing even when I walked back to my room.
"You sure you don't just want us to give you a ride?" Taylor asked...again, motioning at the red mini-van parked behind him. A few people were already in there and I saw paper-made fans going around. "No, really, it's all right. Besides, the top goes down in the car Angie rented." I replied, arching my eyebrow. It was so hot out here that it really looked like everything was steaming.
Honestly, the only reason I wanted to drive was so I could leave early. Not that a picnic didn't sound like...fun. But I really needed to get back and deal with the media and putting on a good show tonight to make up for this morning. "Go, go, go. I'll just follow you guys." I said and lightly pushed Taylor towards the car. He looked back at me and shook his head before climbing into the back-seat. I sighed and looked around, my dark tinted sunglasses falling even lower onto my nose. Any minute now, I was expecting a tumbleweed to roll by. "Looks like Alabama..." I mumbled to myself before turning around to look at civilazation.
Once I got back to where the buses were I searched for Angie and hounded her into giving me the keys (saying she "owed me"). Inside the silver Sebring, the first thing done was put the top down and turn the radio on (Nelly Fertado remix of 'Get Your Freak On'). I shuffled through the tiny red back-pack I had thrown in the car until the my hands circled my phone and I pulled it out.
"Yeah, okay, Taylor, where are you?" I asked into the phone. The car was driving smoothly enough and it moved quickly around the left side of the hotel. "We're already in the front, by the exit waiting for your slow ass..." In the background I heard someone yelling about language and I looked around lost.
"I have no clue where you are." I yelled into the dying phone. I pushed down harder on the gas pedal to speed up, not really wanting to be the reason everyone was late. The car flew around the corner and I was headed straight for a large red block. I threw my foot hard onto the brake and grasped the wheel tighter and came to a screeching halt a few feet from the side of the van. "Found you." I said flinching and pushing back into my chair. The people sitting on the left side of the van had seen me coming and some were returning to their seats after trying to save their lives. I reversed a little way before putting my head on the wheel and tossing the off phone back into my back-pack. I wonder what my horoscope for today must look like...
"This is where the food is. No matter what you do, don't get the blue macaroni salad. I don't know who makes it, but it's always here. Don't get it." Taylor warned me. I nodded and looked around the spacious yard. Some oldies cd was playing in the background but you couldn't really hear it over the scream of little kids playing tag. It seemed almost strange to walk into a huge crowd even just near these guys, and not watch at least half of them attack the guys. In fact, they almost seemed ignored. Almost.
"Let's go visit Uncle Taylor!" I heard a womans voice call out and looked to my side. A girl, not much older than I was, walked right up to Taylor and thrust a baby, maybe 6 months old, into Taylors arms. His china blue eyes grew wide and he held the baby a foot away from him with the tips of his fingers. "Don't give it to me." he cried out, and turned and tossed it to me like he was playing hot potatoe. Luckily I caught the flying baby and pulled him close, thinking of the trauma this poor kid must have gone through if he had to be around Taylor a lot.
"Please be careful! I wouldn't mind having her back in one piece." The woman yelled at Taylor. Then her face softend and she leaned over and pulled him into a tight hug. "How have you been?" I heard him whisper to her. I figured this may be personal and turned and started to walk away, but stopped remembering I was carrying her little sister. When I turned around, they had pulled away and Taylor was introducing me to this girl named Gina. I gave her sister back laughing and she threw her curly blonde hair over her shoulder. "Is everyone else here?" She asked hopefully. "Yeah, sure. They might still be inside, but they'll be out here any minute." He told her and she walked off.
"Who was that?" I asked turning back to Taylor. "That was Gina. She's a friend." He said and covered his face to sheild his eyes from the sun. "Her little sister is adorable." I said and cracked my fingers. Taylor looked back at me amused. "That's not her little sister." My mouth dropped open. "You mean....that's her.." Before I even asked Taylor was nodding. "But she looks, so...." I searched for the words, but came up empty handed. "Yeah, I know. She's my age, 18. Let's walk." He started walking slowly in the direction of the other corner of the fenced in yard.
"Is she yours?" I asked, suddenly. He snorted and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Nope. For a while, she thought it was Ike's though." My mouth dropped again, and this time I caught a fly. After gagging it out of my throat I continued on. "Well, was it?" I asked. Okay, so maybe some people would say I was nosey. But you can't just leave something like that hanging. He shook his head. "Nope. But it scared the shit outta him." I could only imagine.
Taylor had leaned on a tall oak tree and was playing with his nails. His hair had that untamed look again and he looked a lot happier today. I was glad that he got to be home now. A bluebird in the tree above Taylor caught my eye (and my ear) and for a while I just stood there watching it. When I looked back down I saw Zac walking by with another guy friend of his. "Hey Zac." I called out. When he looked over he turned bright pink and threw in a wave before jogging away.
I couldn't help it and threw my head back laughing. "What was that all about?" Taylor asked. He kept his head down but looked up at me and I could tell he was smiling. After I finished telling him about what had happened earlier he was also laughing. I wiped the tears from under my eyes and put my hair up again. When I looked back up I saw something. It was a girl, running in our direction. She didn't stop when she reached us, in fact, she plowed right into Taylor, throwing him further into the tree.
For a minute, I was so sure that a fan had somehow gotten here, but then they started kissing. 'Okay, maybe they're cousins. I mean, this is the south.' That idea kind of flew out the window when they didn't resurface for air for a few more minutes. Taylor looked back at the girl and smiled. When he turned his head he was faced with where he was and who was there. He pushed himself off the tree, sending the girl stumbling back a little ways, and straightned his shirt. "Andrea. Hi, umm, I don't know if you've met....umm, " He cleared his throat and ran his hands through his hair a few times before looking to the girl for answers. I just crossed my hands over my chest and leaned back. This one outta be good.
"Katie." The girl finished off and leaned forward to shake my hand which I did so, kind of wanting to turn it over and spit in it...but that wouldn't be very lady-like. "Yes. Of course. Katie, my umm.." "Girlfriend." Katie finished him and turned to give him a strange look. I just raised my eyebrows. "Oh! Girlfriend, hi Katie." I said and smiled sweetly at her. "Who are you?" she asked and pushed her auburn hair behind her ears. "Andrea. This is Andrea." Taylor said shaking his head. Katie looked back to him then back to me. "I'm, umm. Just the opening act. Taylor just invited me out here because I needed some fresh air. I think I've had enough so I'm gonna head back to the buses. Later." I said and whirled around grinding my teeth.
"Andrea, wait. I, uh, Katie hang on. Andrea!" I head Taylor call after me but I was already heading out the side gate. I felt the tears stinging my eyes but I was not going to be seen like this, not here, not now. I made it halfway across the lawn when I felt myself be turned around. It took everything I had in me to not throw my hand up and swing at his face. "This isn't how it looks. I can explain." Taylor said, his face desperate for a moment. "Of course, it's never as it looks. And there's nothing to explain. What did you think? That I was gonna be your little slut on the side?" I said my voice getting louder but breaking at the end.
"No, I just. I was gonna break up with her but I didn't know she was gonna be here today. I was gonna tonight. Things have been dead anyw-" "You know, I really don't wanna hear it. Just leave me alone. " I said. I turned back to head to my car. When I got in I saw Taylor had followed me and jumped in the passenger seat.
"No, leave me alone!" I screamed at him. By now, there were some tears streaming down my cheeks. I felt so stupid. "No. I need to talk to you." He said back. 'Oh yeah. Watch this.' I thought. I got up and sprinted out of the car and ran back onto the yard. Taylor had had to jump over the door and I had a running start. I jumped into the nearest place, which happened to be the red van I saw earlier. It was un-locked and once I got in I locked all three door. Taylor pounded on each one and yelled at me to let him in. I threw myself back on the middle seat and put my head in my hands. 'Great. What am I gonna do now?'
