Cgapter 19
It wasn't until the wee hours of the morning when Lynn was reviewing the
last video tape from MTV. Her notepad was empty, with the exception of
little sketches in the corners of the pages, illustrating her boredom and
frustration. Also scrawled were that a few people were spotted by the water
cooler, but no activity was being made. She continued to gaze at the video,
although her eyes were drooping rapidly. The quiet trickling of rain lulled
her closer to sleep.
The last and final video was no different than the first five, or though
she thought, all showing employees going about their routine business, Lynn
realized, as she proceeded to get up off the couch and turn off the VCR.
Seeing as though she hadn't been paying much attention to the last tape at
all, she reached out to press the STOP button on the VCR. Watching another
tape at this hour wouldn't do any good. However, just before hitting the
stop button, the cartoon "South Park" started playing.
"You killed Kenny, you bastard!!!" the character said.
"Huh?" Lynn questioned, puzzled at what she was seeing. She quickly
checked the vcr to see what was going on. The tape was still in, and the
machine was still lit up and the PLAY mode was still running.
"I can't belive Joyce just up and went like this," Katy said.
"Yeah, I know what you mean," Chels agreed. "But I guess I can
understand. I think that I'd be pretty much scared to death right now if I
were her."
"We're all scared," Kim chimed in. "But yeah, this must be even more so
crazy for her. After all, we're used to it, she wasn't."
"Well, what's next?" Chels asked. "Do we find a new PA, or just wing it
for the time being? It's not like we can go find a new one right away.
Besides, there's not that many people right now at this point in time that we
can trust."
"I guess you're right," Katy agreed. "But I can't help but seem partly
responsible. I mean, I should have warned her about this before."
Cheryl thought for a minute. "No, Katy, it's not your fault at all. How
were you supposed to know that this was going to start up again? You didn't,
and that's why you shouldn't feel responsible for Joyce leaving."
Katy felt a sense of uneasiness deep down inside. She headed towards her
room and yawned.
"I can't sleep," Cheryl said. "There's just too much going on. My
cousin is in the hospital, we just lost our PA, not to mention that we have
to do some filming tomorrow, and a little stalker mystery on our shoulders.
How much more shit can we pile on to the top of this endless serenade of
frustration? Is it possible?!?!?"
No one answered.
The girls had to get up early that morning to start the filming of their
new video. James, the cameraman was giving them specific instructions.
"Now," he started. "Until Brandi comes back, we can only shoot the
indiviual parts. Are we ok with that?"
The girls all nodded. Did they really have a choice?
"Ok, here's the deal..." James said, telling them the ideas he had about
their video. "It's all up to you girls. Whatever you want to do is fine
with me. Just let me know, ok?"
All the girls nodded. After hearing all their options, Chelsea, Katy,
Kim, and Cheryl all got on the phone with Brandi to talk it all over.
"Yeah, we have a lot of options. When do you think you'll be out of the
hospital?" Kimber asked Brandi.
Brandi thought for a moment. "Well, I was talking to the doctor earlier
this morning, and he said I was fine. He wants me to stay another night,
just to make sure all the poison or whatever that was in my system is flushed
out. I'll be coming home first thing tomorrow morning!"
"What's she saying?" Katy asked.
"Omigod girls, she'll be home first thing tomorrow morning!" Kim relayed
the message.
"Great! Can I talk to her?" Cheryl asked. Kim handed the phone over to
Cheryl. "Hey Cuz, how's it going? Do you need a ride home tomorrow morning?"
"Yeah, but keep this kind of low-key, alright?" Brandi asked. "Can you
call Justin tonight and ask him if he'll pick me up? They needed an extra
phone in the other room, and lucky me, they borrowed mine. So could you?"
"Of course I will! Afterall, what are cousins for?" Cheryl asked.
"Alright, we'll, we're gonna go start the shooting now. See you tomorrow!"
With that, she hung up the phone, and walked over to the recording area.
Things were so much easier having a camera man as nice as James was. He
made them feel comfortable with decisions, and always made them feel welcome.
He seemed to be a very carefree, outgoing man- a person easy to start a
conversation with. Almost like a big brother, a very big brother. None
the less, when it came to getting things done, James was your man. He was
good to the girls, and gave them his undivided attention.
"Ok, first thing's first," Lynn went over in her mind. "Why was there a
cartoon in the middle of the survailance camera?" she thought. "Some
smart-ass must have tinkered with the video to hide something."
Lynn took a deep breath. She let her mind drift away from the tape.
"Motives," she thought. Whoever was out to get the girls, why are they doing
it? So far, or as far as Lynn knew it, no motives had been established nor
had anything been obvious.
The girls were scheduled to have their taping session all day today,
including a few breaks at different times during the day. Lynn would call
them during one of their breaks. Until then, there was nothing she could do,
but just go over the little bit of facts that she had.
The guys were enjoying their week off in style out by the pool. Lance,
who had just came outside, settled in under a palm tree while slowly sipping
his glass of cold lemonade. He watched the other four in the pool splashing
around, making idiots out of themselves as the sun began to set in their very
spacious back yard. Lance had offered to take care of Katy's dog while she
was gone all day at the studio. He patted Roarie for a few minutes, thinking
of Katy.
Joey, who was trying to show his madd skills jumping off the diving
board, somehow managed to flip and land on his stomach- hard. "Ouch!" Joey
screamed as he resurfaced to the top. The rest of the guys laughed and
pointed. "Hey, that's not funny!" It really was.
JC was playing it cool, sitting on the ladder of the pool. He stared
blankly up at the sky, noticing all of it's many different colors. "Hey
Lance?" JC asked as he turned around to face Lance.
"What?" Lance answered.
"Can you flip the light switch? It's getting kinda dark out here."
"Sure thing," said Lance, getting up out of his very comfy position to
walk over to the fuse box. With one flip of the switch, the entire pool area
was lit up like day time again.
Yup, you could say that JC was a happy man again. He and Kim were back
together again, and that's all that mattered. After a long day of recording,
JC had planned to take Kim back to his place for a nice quiet evening alone.
"Cannon ball!!!!!" Justin yelled just before splashing everyone within
reasonable distance, including Cheryl's cat who was contently purring on one
of the lounge chairs. Chris was watching Gidget for the day as well. "Ah
gots da madd cannon ball skills!!! Ah gots no challengers!"
"Um, ok Justin, whatever," Joey said, looking at Justin as if he were
someone he'd never met before.
"Great, just great Justin!" Chris taunted. "Just look what you did! You
scared the poor kitten away! Now I gotta go looking for it. Thanks a lot!
Here kitty kitty kitty..."
"Oh geez, the door's open, it ran in the house," Lance commented as he
followed the cat inside.
"Ok, good. Hey, do you think Cheryl will notice me with my new haircut?"
Chris asked. He had gotten the braids out and his hair cut short like
before. His sideburns were growing out again like he had once had them a few
years ago.
"Oh yes Chris, you're so sexy," Joey noted in a very feminine voice.
Chris couldn't help but giggle. "Why thanks Joey, I did it just for you!"
It was soon pitch black out, and the girls would be getting back shortly.
"Alright girls, you worked hard today," James said, praising the girls.
Katy looked at the clock on the wall. "Gosh, it's already 9 o'clock! We
told the guys we'd go to their place after we were done. Besides, I have to
pick up Roarie and Cheryl has to pick up Gidget."
"Sounds good to me," Chels chimed in.
"Ok, you girls go," Kim said. "I have to discuss some things with James.
Ya know, about the video."
"Alright," Chels said. "In that case, how are you getting to the guy's?"
"Good question. Ummm..."
"This shouldn't take long," James stated. "If you want, I could give you
a ride over once we're done. It'll only take 15-20 minutes."
"OK, I'll be there a little later," Kim answered.
With that, Katy, Cheryl, and Chelsea all left to go to the guy's house
for a little while.
Five minutes later they arrived that the house. The three girls entered
the house, as Justin was there go greet them.
"Hey Justin!" they all said.
"Yo, what up?" He asked them.
"Not much. Hey, I gotta talk to you," Cheryl said, as she took Justin by
the arm and led him to the side. "We talked to Brandi today. She's getting
out of the hospital first thing tomorrow morning, and she wants you to pick
her up. Could you do that?"
"Yeah, I guess so. If that's what she wants."
"Yep, that's definately what she wants."
"Laaaaance! Omigod baby, I missed you!" Katy said as she ran up to Lance
and gave him a soft short, but sweet kiss on the lips. "Where's my puppy
dog?"
Before Lance had a chance to answer, they all heard a quiet little whine
as Rorie started licking Katy's hand. "There you are!" she said as she knelt
down to pat her pup.
Gidget suddenly became jealous and jumped up onto the kitchen counter.
Cheryl walked over to the counter to pick up her kitten. "Did you have fun
today with daddy?"
"Oh my God," JC said as he shook his head. "Daddy?"
"Well... yeah," Cheryl answered. "Afterall..."
"Ok, we don't need to hear the story!" Chels said before Cheryl could
explain any further. "Right Joey?"
"Huh? You talking to me?" Joey asked, as he stuffed a whole meatball in
his mouth.
"Nevermind. Why do I even bother?" Chels questioned sarcastically.
"Aww, come here and gimme a hug!" Joey said, opening his arms. Of
course, Chels ran into them like a magnet. She was happy she did. Joey gave
the best hugs, and then some!
JC stood there for a moment. "Where's Kim?"
"Oh, she wanted to talk somethings over with James before we start
filming the bulk of the video. She'll be here in less than a half hour."
"Oh," JC said. "Well I'm going to bed right now, so when she gets here
tell her to come up, or whatever." JC slowly made his way upstairs.
"Speaking of people not being here, where's Chris? I'm not seeing him
here anywhere," Cheryl asked.
Just as she got finnished saying that, in came someone from outside.
"Hey darlin', what's shakin'?"
"Chris?" Cheryl asked.
"Yeah? Who did you think it was?"
"Ohmigod, you cut your hair!!! It looks so, so... WOW!!!!" Cheryl said.
Chris looked so unbelievalby hot with his hair the way it was. She reached
out to hold his face. "What's this?"
"Those are my sideburns! The guys dared me to cut my hair and grow my
burns back. And I even shaved. You like?"
"Hell yeah! Damn, you are looking good!" Cheryl exclaimed.
Not long after that, they were all settled in on the living room couch
talking while Justin was on the phone with Brandi. He had already made his
plans to pick her up that next morning.
A half an hour slowly came, but then quickly went, however Kim had not
yet arrived.
"Gee, I wonder where Kim is," Katy looked at her watch and yawned. It
was nearly 10 o'clock. "They're probably just disgussing business matters."
"Yeah, give her some more time," Lance said. "I'm sure she'll be here
any minute now."
Lance turned the tv on and began channel surfing. He finally stopped at
the channel that was playin reruns of "I Love Lucy". Everyone seemed to like
that show, so they watched it.
Ten thirty came, still no Kim.
Chapter 20
