Chp 4
Kat awoke, and blinked sleepily. She looked around the room. 'Where the hell am I?' she asked herself. She got up, and looked outside, and saw Michelle sitting by a pool. She then remembered she was at Nicks house. She looked around, realizing there was no clock in the room. She then heard angry voices from downstairs. She left the room, and walked towards the stairway, when she heard her name. She went to the stairway to listen more.
"I said yesterday I wasn't going to!" came Howie’s voice, uncharacteristically anger filled.
"Howie, man, its just like, 3 days! Don't be a dick about it." Nicks just as angry reply made her hold her breath.
"You just don't understand!" Howie huffed. "I'm going to check on her." Kat heard a chair squeak, and she sprung up and ran to the room as quietly as possible. She jumped into the bed, and lay down, to pretend to be asleep. She heard his soft footsteps come down the hall, and the click of the door shutting. He came and slowly sat beside her on the bed. He picked up her hand, and kissed it, then slowly made circles on the back of it with his finger. She slowly opened her eyes. Her rouse was met by Howie’s smile. She smiled back, hoping he wouldn't know she had been awake for a while.
"Are you feeling any better?" Howie asked.
"Yes, I think the sleep helped." Kat remarked. She sat up and put her arms around him.
"I have something to tell you" Howie said. He rubbed her back as she continued to hug him. Kat shook her head as to say go ahead.
"Well,.....there’s been an unexpected change in my schedule. I kind of have to leave tonight. Management planned an appearance in Brazil tomorrow. and we won’t be back till Sunday." Kat sighed, tears starting to well up in her eyes. She was leaving to go back to LA on Saturday.
"OK." Kat said, not sure how to respond.
"Come on, sweetie" Howie said. "It wasn't my decision!"
"No, of course it wasn't! I mean, I bribe my way into getting a few days off to spend with you, and you have to work."
"Shit, Kat, you know about my schedule! I though you'd understand." Howie said. He pulled away from her and stood up. "Nick says you can stay here. I am not going to tell you you have to stay here, cause you're too stubborn to be told what to do. I have to leave in a couple hours..." With that, he left, slamming the door after him. She sat there, too stunned at his outburst to cry. She turned on the TV, hoping that would take her mind off everything. After about 4 shows, Howie came up to say good-bye.
"Well, I guess I'll call you. Have a nice trip back to LA" Howie said, not even entering the room. With that, he left, hoping in to the car with Nick. They drove to the airport silently. Howie got onto the plane, and sank into his seat.
"D! What's up bro?" AJ hit his arm as he plopped down next to him.
Howie looked over and kind of grumped a hello.
"Dude, what's wrong?" AJ asked.
"Nothing" Howie snapped.
"Whoa......something's up. You practically bit my head off." AJ responded
"AJ, its nothing" Howie responded, annoyed. Kevin came and sat next to AJ.
"Something’s up with D." AJ said to Kevin.
"What? What’s up Howie?" Kevin asked looking over at him.
"Nothing! God!!!! Leave me alone!" Howie practically shouted. He grimaced when he realized half of the plane turned in his direction.
"Shit, something is wrong" Kevin mumbled. "J, let me switch places.' AJ got up and they switched.
"Come on Howie. I know something is up." Kevin coaxed.
"No.."
"Is it about a certain girl? I bet it is. I can tell."
"Well, lets see, I didn’t want to go on this trip. Kat is pissed at me cause of this. And to top it off, all of a sudden, it seems like she’s moving away from me. We’ve had 2 fights in the past 3 days. She doesn’t want to talk. Its like we keep pushing all of each others buttons. I love her too damn much, and maybe it was better when she didn’t know my feelings for her." Howie sighed sadly. Kevin sighed too.
"D, she’s pulling away cause she’s scared. I mean, the last man she gave her heart to, beat her and cheated on her. She loves you, and when she thinks you’re getting too close, she pulls away. She’s scared you’ll hurt her too. We’ve talked about it." Kevin explained.
"But, she has nothing to be scared of! I'll never hurt her."
"You know she’s scared, You have to let her do this. She realize you won’t hurt her." Kevin said. Howie sighed sadly.
Kat pulled the covers over her head. She had been in bed all day, especially not wanting to leave it after Howie left. She stayed in Nicks house, for a lack of another place to crash. The crying she'd done today had left her exhausted, and she fell to sleep again. She awoke the next afternoon feeling very sick. Her stomach and her head ached. Things were just getting too confusing with Howie. She knew she loved him, but was scared he’d hurt her. He seemed to say mean things to her recently, just to make her mad. She decided to not spend another day in bed, and got up. She called a cab, which took her to Orlando. She went to her apartment first, and made the cab driver sit there while she got her mail. She went up to her door when she noticed a horrible surprise. On her doorstep where a dozen dead roses and a note.
Kat,
I'll always love you.
You can’t run from me. I'll find you.
Love,
Jose
Kat felt her knees go out from under her, and she fell. She started crying, and felt the all too familiar ache in her body, because she realized no one was there to comfort her. Howie wasn’t going to come hold her. She went back to the cab, and called the police from her cell phone. Kat tried to calm down as they went to the radio station she worked at. She asked one of the girls if she could spend the night at their house, and cried herself to sleep.
"Man, stop being so grumpy! Look at all these beautiful women!" Nick said. He had a little much alcohol, and was being loud and bothersone. Howie looked at the party and shurgged his shoulders. A woman came and placed her arm around Nick waist, and he went off with her.Howie sighed,and decided to get piss drunk. AJ came up and handed him a drink.
"D,those lovely ladies over there are eyeing us." AJ said, once both he and Howie were nice and toasted. Howie didnt remember what happened next. He slightly remembered drinking more, and resisting the womans advances. But, he woke up the next morning in a strange hotel room, naked with the woman. He left the room quickly, cursing himself and hoping Kat would never find out.
“I’m so glad you’re back! Everyone out here is so boring!” Gabby started talking about the days Kat had missed. Kat smiled; she was hoping she'd be less sad once she threw herself into her acting.
“Kat.....Hello??? Kat!!!” Gabby waved her hand in front of Kats face.
“”Um, sorry” Kat snapped back to reality.
“Something’s up. I asked about your man.”
“We're fighting...” Kat responded.
“Oh, that explains the mood. But, hey, if you guys break up, I’m sure Omar will help mend your heart!” Gabby laughed. Kat smiled, but cringed inside. Kat spaced out, thinking about nothing, when a familiar sound snapped her back to reality.
“What is this?” Kat asked.
“It’s my new CD.....Millenium, by the Backstreet Boys.” Gabby said, turning up the music. “This is my favorite song!!! I love the way this guy sings!” Kat smiled as she heard the beginning notes of Spanish Eyes come through the speakers. She sighed as Howie’s voice came on.
“You must think I’m a total nerd for liking them! See, I was bored last week, and went shopping. I saw a big display, and bought the CD cause these guys are hot! But they’re good singers too! I think the tall dark hair one is hot, and the Latino one. The girl told me their names.......She liked the tall blond one.” Gabby pulled out the CD cover and pointed to the guys she was talking about, in order; Kevin, Howie, then Nick. Kat took the CD cover from her.
“This is AJ, Brian, Nick, Kevin, and Howie” Kat explained pointing to the guys.
‘You know their names?”
“I was in their last video. That’s how I met Hype. I’m kinda friends with them”
“Omigod, can you introduce me to dark and studly, Kevin. And um, Howie, too” Gabby said, trying to remember the names. Kat laughed and agreed.
Wake up call seemed extremely early the next morning. Gabby and Kat made their way groggily to the set. After an hour of makeup and hair, they were ready to film a scene where Kats character lured Omars character into bed. The scene was one of the raucnchier of the movie, with nudity(Kat had a body double)and lots of kissing. Omar seemed almost happy when he got to strip to practically nothing. After the takes, Kat went to her trailer to cry. For the next few days, all of her down time was spent crying. She would shoot her scenes, then go cry. Howie hadn’t called her in practically 2 weeks. Omar hadn’t bothered her as much, and Gabby realized she didn’t want to talk. One day, Omar followed her to her trailer after a take.
“Kat, what’s wrong” he asked softly. He came and stood in front of her.
“Nothing” Kat replied. She always felt ashamed when she was caught crying.
“Kat, I’m a good listener. I’ve had problems too, and it’s best to talk about it.” Omar said.
“Why do you care?”
“Kat, you know I like you.”
Kat scowled at him.
“...But I know you have a man. But, we could be friends” Omar said. Kat looked at him skeptically. He smiled reassuringly.
“Ok...I guess. I just don’t want you to laugh at me.”
“I promise, I wont”
Kat began to tell him the problem she and Howie had had recently. Omar listened patiently. After she was done, he reached over and hugged her tightly. “If you ever need someone to talk to, a hug, anything, I’m here.” Omar said. Kat smiled a little, glad she had someone to talk to now.
Chp 5
Chp 3
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