Leaning forward and peering intently in the camera, AJ began at answering the reporter’s question. “ What are my goals in establishing this program? Well, I hope to raise awareness amongst the teen population of eating disorders, mainly, and kinda to..reassure them that there is help in their neighborhood. Growing up, nobody ever really talked about the grimmer aspects of life and sadly enough, much of today’s society is plagued with eating disorders and drug abuse and yet there seems so little funding for clinics so hopefully..this’ll just get people to donate money and help out.” The reporter nodded sympathetically and offered a smile. “ Well, do you think that maybe people won’t take you seriously because of your career? I know that recently, Kevin Richardson appeared in court for his Just Within Reach foundation and his words were taken lightly and not used officially?” AJ forced an indifferent chuckle and considered. “ I’m hoping that people’s social status won’t come into play when it comes to goodwill. It doesn’t matter whether or not I’m taken seriously, I think everyone is affected by this one way or another. I mean, these kids are somebody’s kids, somebody’s grandchildren, someone’s older brother and sister, everyone’s affected.” He emphasised. “ People should have it in their hearts to try and give back a little to the community, be it through Today’s Youth or with anything else.” “ Well, thank you for your time, AJ, and the bst of luck to you and your foundation.” She turned to the camera and broke to commercial before turning back to him. “ Thanks again,” Her artificial smile flashed itself again and AJ forced one in return, hoping the segment would appear on national soon. Looking up as the reporter and her camera crew left and his publicist entered, he was reminded of his empty stomach. “ Good job on that one...Let me see...Ok, well, you have two more interviews here, and then we’re off to tape Rosie...” Nina said, perusing his schedule before looking up at him and giving him a grin. “ Shouldn’t take long, hang in there.” “ Yeah, yeah.” He mock grumbled, looking at his watch. “ Well, I haven’t eaten in a long time and this coffee is making my head spin, are we in for a lunch break before Rosie?” “ Yes, we are. Ok, I’ll send the next set in, allright?” She trooped off and another group of people crowded the tiny promo room, filled with a loveseat on which he was seated and a Lazy Boy in front of it. In between sat a coffee table supplied with what other than now-stale coffee and cups and creamer with a various assortment of artificial sweetner. He had been here for the better of six hours and had long since been stiff-legged and starting to feel the ache in his tensed neck. It was now 3:30 pm and the two awaiting interviews would take maybe forty-five minutes or so, letting him leave by 4:30 to get to the Rosie O’Donnell summer set downtown for the taping of an upcoming episode. Snapping back to attention as the reporter fielded off a question, he couldn’t help but steal another look at his watch. He needed the press’s eye on him for this yet six consecutive hours of interviews had worn him horribly down; all he wanted now was a bowl of Cheerios in his hotel room in front of the tv. Despite his concentrated focus on the interview, he felt an irrational sense of irritation at April. Jesus, what did it take to honestly get through to people and make them listen? The hours upons hours of fierce planning had taken him into a situation well-expected yet horribly pointless; dozens of interviews and not one had left without inquiring of his love life. Here he was, trying to get the world to re-intensify their attention to the problems going on in their communities and still they were involved in his private life. And where did April tie in through all of this? Of course she hadn’t listened, she had barely tried; that was to be expected but she was one of numerous who had assumed what he was and who he was and shit on the whole situation before realizing that he had greater intentions than creating havoc in other’s lives and being the biggest dipshit in the world. Geez, he could just imagine how long it must have took her to change her mind about him and to call and apologize? That girl had more nerve than he gave her credit for. “ Now, the sum of money raised...Will it be going to specific organizations or...?”...
*****
“ Is it really that big a deal?” Nick asked, looking up from the television when April came back downstairs and sat on the loveseat for the hundreth time, fidgeting. “ What do you mean?” “ So you were wrong about him. Listen, just because he’s doing this whole- thing- doesn’t make him a saint, April,” Nick replied, staring at her. “ Are you talking about AJ?” He sighed and rolled his eyes. “ Yes, I’m talking about AJ. I’m assuming you haven’t called him?” She cleared her throat uncomfortably. “ Actually, I did.” “ Did you? And?” “ And he bit my head off for thinking of him as such an asshole.” “ That’s AJ for you.” “ You know Nick, it really would have made things a lot easier if you had told me he was going to be going towards this whole compaign.” “ I didn’t think you’d be intrested. Besides, what difference would it have made?” “ Well, for one, I wouldn’t think of him as a shallow and callous person which would lead me to being at least decent to him!” “ That would have been fake, April. You can’t pretend to like someone for what their reputation states about them. So what if you didn’t know-” “ But Nick, he was trying to give me a chance to ask!” “ You mean with dinner?” She nodded, recalling his words. “ There’s always next-” “ Nope, not in this case. He’s washed his hands of me, he wants nothing to do with me...” Nick stifled another sigh and looked back at the show on. “ The thing about AJ is, he tries to get every imaginable view of what people think is in his mind and so...he puts up this air around him; elusiveness to make people guess at what he’s really about. The irony of the situation is that he hates assumptions made of him but thats all people can get, you see what I’m saying? What AJ said or did ten minutes ago doesn’t matter because that was all for a reaction, for your reaction in this instance, it wasn’t real, he doesn’t mean half the things he says...He tends to be calculating when it comes to things like that...” He branched, eyes intent on the movie. “ Or on the other hand...I could have it all wrong and he’s just really moody...”...
****
”The person you are trying to contact is not available to take your call. Wait for the tone to leave your message or press six to display a short message on the phone of the person you are trying to call-BEEP-” “ *Sighing*...April called me today...and yes, I did snap at her in case she hasn’t told you yet. No, Nick, it’s not because you’re right and because the only reason why I wanted to take her to dinner was to fuck her and leave her; I had greater intent and you fucked it up, this is all your fault. I snapped because she heard of the wonderful-piece-of-shit-McLean doing a charity campaign for causes that fire directly at her and decided to call me up and tell me I’m a saint. She was going to apologize for something she doesn’t see, doesn’t get-...I am not about who stands behind me on this, thus I don’t want someone who doesn’t get it backing me up on anything. It wasn’t about me being how I am, who I am, it was about her unknowingly placing me under a category and making a show of hating me then suddenly turning right around when she hears something on tv. She still doesn’t know who I am yet thinks she does... I don’t think you get it...I cannot stand people like that.BEEP”
