Chapter Thirteen: ** The Showdown **

“Deb, what’s going on?” Kevin asked, looking around. They were sitting in a large circled booth near the back to allow some privacy and Debelah had a large grin on her face. She’d taken them to a club/ karaoke bar. People would go up and sing occasionally and then the DJ would play songs and everyone would dance and the cycle went on. Starting at the edge of the booth, there was Debelah, AJ, Howie, Roselynn, Brian, Kevin, Kristen and then Nick.

“What?” she asked innocently. They all stared at her suspiciously. 

“Oh!” Deb exclaimed, remembering. Everyone jumped at that and watched as she grabbed her cell phone and quickly dialed a number.  She waited for the person to pick up as she examined her nails.  She perked up when the person answered.

“Hey, Dave!” she greeted him cheerfully. Everyone’s mouths dropped open.

Deb spoke in a sic kingly sweet voice” How are you?..that’s good…no, I’m fine…I sound different? Hmm that’s odd….listen, I wanted to call you to tell you that I’m at this karaoke bar on 6^th street called Molly’s and I REALLY want you to come….no, I really do…why? um…cuz I miss you...no, I really do, Dave…can you come…now?...k, good…can’t wait, bye!” She snapped the phone shut and laughed evilly for a second to herself before she noticed everyone’s shocked faces staring at her.

“What was that!?” AJ exclaimed, confused.

“Wait…Deb, I thought you DIDN'T like Dave!” Roz- Deb’s nickname for Roselynn- said angrily, confused.

“I don’t.” Deb said simply. She started to laugh at their faces,” Oh, come on. You don’t really think I MEANT any of that, do you? Jeesh…”she shook her head, still laughing.

“So, what DID you mean?” Howie asked.

“You’ll see.”

Someone went up to karaoke and everyone’s attention turned to them as the person did their own little ‘twist’ to ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’. They clapped for her and then the opening strands of N Sync’s ‘Pop’ came on and all the guys groaned loudly.

“Figures they would play THAT,” Kevin grumbled.

“Anyone got earplugs?” Nick asked, trying to cover his ears.

AJ was staring at Deb, eyes wide and, one by one, everyone turned to see Deb singing along to the song.

“Do you ever wonder why, this music make you high, it takes you on a ride, fills you-“she sang along as she danced in her seat to the beat. She stopped when she saw them looking at her. “What?” she asked stupidly and then it dawned on her,” Oh…right. Oops?”

“Oh my god,” Roz muttered, shaking her head at Brian. Brian looked at Roselynn, at Deb, then back at Roselynn and asked suspiciously,” Are you SURE you two are best friends?”

“Sadly, yes.”

“How?”

“I don’t know,” Roselynn shook her head. “She SUCKS you in and you can’t escape. Her little crazy world. I mean, look how she’s got AJ, one of the most publicized ‘players’, to be the sweetest guy in the world and just be totally in love with her.” They looked over to see Debelah sitting on AJ’s lap and the two making out, completely unaware of the other people in the booth.

“Well, aren’t I like that towards you?” Brian said defensively. Roselynn managed to hide her grin but instead opted for a sad look and looked away with a loud sigh. Brian’s eyes got wide and his mouth opened wide in shock.

“Rose, baby, what’s going on! You know I love you!! Don’t you? Come one…Rosey..” he leaned down and whispered in her ear and Rose’s face split into a large grin after a few seconds. At one of Brian’s suggestions, Rose’s mouth dropped open and she turned her head to look at Brian in shock “We can DO that?”

“Have I told you yet how hot you look tonight?” AJ whispered in Deb’s ear. She thought about it for a second and then shook her head. “Nope.”

“Well, you do,” he whispered and kissed the side of her neck, briefly remembering what had happened earlier with Dave that day after he had. He wondered what was going to happen when Dave showed up. And then concentrated back on Deb.Right now, he was just working on taking care of his baby. 

“They’re making me sick,” Nick muttered and then brightened. “Pizza!”

“They have pizza here?” Kristen asked.

“I dunno. I just wanted pizza,” Nick shrugged.

“Shut up, Nick,” Howie and Kevin both said.

Debelah glanced at the front door and then straightened all of a sudden. “I’ll be right back, guys.”

“Where you going?" AJ asked, pouting when she got off his lap to stand.

“You’ll see. Be back in a sec,” she leaned down to give him a kiss before she turned, straightening her jeans and walked towards the DJ’s booth. Everyone at the booth just looked at each other and shrugged. They were used to her acting like this.  Debelah handed the DJ the tape and then started, the everyone’s surprise, the stage. What she’d seen was Dave walk in through the front door and she knew it was time to start her plan.  Here was Dave’s going away present. She was gonna tell him off in the way she told her heart every night- through song. And, damn, this was gonna be good.

She strode onto the stage, grabbing the cordless mic, and took her place in the middle. She nodded for the DJ to turn on the music and then began to sing and dance, her attitude, voice, and facial expressions showing the song to its best as she looked at Dave.

Let me explain this to you
See I'm not gonna let you run me
How we're gonna do it is
I'm gonna run you

You, you've got a lot of nerve  *she pointed straight at Dave when she said that*
I guess you haven't heard
I'm doin' fine out here on my own
You, you think that you can come
Around here for some fun
But boy you've got a lot to learn

Don't shake your head from side to side * began to do a dance*
Saying that you've changed enough
That you see the light
Cuz you just say what you say
And want your way
And it's that game that you play
It's a little late

 As if  *she punched her fist in the air to the two words*

I'm ever gonna take you back *pointed at him*
As if *punched it again*

It's ever gonna come to that *smirked*
So see you 'round, wave goodbye
Be a bird pass me by
As if *punched her fist in the air*

I'm gonna let you break my heart again
As if I'm gonna let your love back in my life?
Not tonight, get a grip
Baby as if * smirked again*  

By now, everyone in the club had figured out WHO exactly was up there singing and started to cheer for her, all the while Dave sat there, first staring at her in shock and then growing increasingly angrier. Roz laughed, clapping her hands,” You GO, girl!” While the rest of the guys shouted,” Yeah! Go Deb!”

All of a sudden, the music abruptly changed to Britney Spears’ “Stronger”, and Debelah turned to the side quickly, raising her palm in the air facing the crowd, silent and not moving. And then the famous line came from her lips.

Hush, just stop *the crowd erupted*

There’s nothing you can do or say

Baby  *she even got the baby down right just the way Britney had done it*

I’ve had enough
I’m not your property as from today

Ba-by
You might think that I won't make it on my own

The music changed again to Janet Jackson’s “What About”. Debelah’s face and moves grew angrier and more defiant as she sang the song*

Just then I thought
What about the times you lied to me
What about the times you said no one would want me
What about all the shit you've done to me
What about that
What about that
What about times you yelled at me
What about the times I cried
You wouldn't even hold me
What about those things
What about that
What about that

Debelah’s eyes were practically on fire at the lines of the song and she marched towards Dave’s seat. Everyone could hear the raw emotion in her voice as she sang and every motion she made corresponded to the lyrics. Every hip move, every hair twist, every hand motion.

What about the times you hit my face
What about the times you kept on when I said
No more please
What about those things
What about that
What about that oh
What about the times you shamed me
What about the times you said you didn't fuck her *Deb stood in front of Dave now*
She only gave you head *she slapped him hard across the face*
What about that *Dave shot up out of his seat, angrily, his body tense*
What about that *Deb pointed to him as she sang the last line*

The song changed back. And Deb moved back to the stage to sing to the whole crowd which was now on its feet.

You seem to think that I (I)
Ain't got no sense of pride (Pride)
Well boy you got a weird perception now (Yo)
Of what it is to love (Love)
And I am sure because (Because)
You got the look of desperation

A little track remix she’d made popped up.

Str- Stronger

*the mix of the Britney Spears song caused the crowd to cheer again as they’d been in silence during “What Again” due to the raw emotion making them silent*

Str-Stronger

Stronger than yesterday

Now it’s nothing but MY WAY

My loneliness ain’t killin me no more

I’m stronger

Come on now

Oh, yeah

Don’t shake your head from left to right

As if

I’m ever gonna take you back

As if

It’s ever gonna come to that

What about the times you lied to me
What about the times you said no one would want me
What about all the shit you've done to me
What about that
What about that

Str-Stronger than yesterday

As if

I’m ever gonna take you back

It’s nothing but a mile away

My loneliness ain’t killing me no more

I am stronger

As if

it’s ever gonna come to that

What about that

What about that

Str-Stronger

Baby, as if…..

The last note of the song wasn’t even heard over the cheering of the crowd as everyone in the club was on their feet cheering. Deb smiled brightly at the whole crowd, completely happy and feeling whole. She’d done. Well, almost all of her plan. ALL of the people knew who she was and most of them had heard on the news or on tabloids ALREADY about everything Debelah had told at the press conference so they knew about Dave and they COMPLETELY supported her- being the loyal fans they were and already loving the BSB- in getting back at Dave. So, no one stopped her when she put the mic down, marched straight towards Dave who had already begun to stalk towards her. She saves him a couple of feet and met him halfway and pulled back her fist and punched him across the face.

Dave, recovering a little slow- hey, Deb had been working out since she’d left him-, tried to throw back one of his own but Deb duck down quickly and punched him in the gut.  He bent down in pain and she grabbed the back of his head and kneed him in the face. While he moaned in pain- Debelah was about a foot less then him and skinnier, too, by the way-, Debelah raised her hands and taunted him.

“Come on, Dave. Hit me! What, are so much of a COWARD that you can only hit me I’m not expecting it? Can you take it, Dave? Can you take it that I’m BETTER than you? That I’m BEATING you for a change?”

He growled at her words and leapt forward, pulling his fist back and punching her on the side of the face. Debelah fell back onto the floor from the blow and Dave grabbed a glass from a nearby table and threw it at her, the glass shattering as it hit her. Debelah blinked and then glared up at him.  

“Oh, no you did NOT!!” she exclaimed and then jumped up and launched herself at him. They struggled for control as they fought on the floor and Dave, having more muscle mass and body weight, finally gained the upper hand and kicked her in the side hard. Deb let out a loud cry of pain but managed to kick him back in the side and then stood up, getting in a fighting stance. Dave jumped up, angry, and immediately pulled back his fist. Deb, however, kicked her leg up towards his head in a clean hard kick but Dave surprisingly caught her foot just as it was to hit his head and held it there so Deb was balanced on one foot.

He smirked at her. “Now what are you gonna do?”

That smirk. For three months she’d put up with that smirk. With his constant threats and verbal abuse. With the physical abuse. With the jealousy, the irrationalism, the arrogance, the punches, the kicks, the slaps, the shoves, the pushes. Well, she was sick of being shoved around. He’d never cared about her. He’d always have that smirk on his face. She hated him.

“No,” she said lowly.

“What?”

“NO. The question is, what are you gonna do?”

Dave looked confused but Deb didn’t give him time to think. Taking a quick bounce on her foot, she jumped up in the air and kicked him with her free foot on the other side of the face as she spun up so that, when her foot hit him, her body was parallel to the floor turned to the side, her hair flying in an arc behind her, and her arms crossed across her chest. Dave’s head flew back and his entire body fell to the floor from the hard hit to the head.  He bounced once when he hit the floor and then fell back down.

Deb landed on both feet effortlessly and then took a step towards Dave, standing over him. He groaned and opened his eyes, squinting up at her.

“Oh, Dave,” she said in the same sweet voice she’d used on the phone,” Did I mention that I’ve been taking self defense classes ever since I left you?”

He let out a groan, closing his eyes.

Debelah turned her back to him and walked towards the booth where the guys were, all of a sudden feeling kind of light headed and unsteady. Barely aware of the cheers she was getting.  She couldn’t tell their expressions or make out their faces. All she could see was what had just happened.

“Deb, are you alright?” Howie asked, seeing her state.

“That was so SWEET!! OOH and you boom, and punched him. Damn Deb!” Nick exclaimed.

“Debelah?” she heard AJ’s voice and immediately moved towards it. She leaned against his arm.

“Can we leave?” she asked, blinking.

“Oh, shit, guys. She’s bleeding,” Kevin said with wide eyes.

She’s bleeding? Deb looked down to see little streams of a dark liquid going down her stomach and arms. She hesitantly touched it and held it up to see what it was. Oh. It was blood. She felt herself going lightheaded again and practically sagged against AJ who quickly picked her up by placing one arm behind her knees, the other around her back. Deb let her head lean against his chest and her eyes fell closed, emotionally and physically exhausted. The next time she opened her eyes, everyone was in the van and she was still in AJ’s arms. A tense silence filled the van.

“Alex?” she asked quietly, her head still against his chest. She felt him shift, probably to look at her better to see what the matter was.

“What’s wrong? What hurts?” he asked quietly, urgency creeping around the concern.

She raised her head and gave him a small smile. “I…did it. I stood up to him. I did.” She said in a daze.

“Yeah, you did, baby. I’m so proud of you,” he whispered, looking her in the eye.

“Do you think-“she started but then stopped, not having a lot of energy left after everything that had happened. In her mind, the three months with Dave, the month of hell and tears when she’d left him, and fear when he’d come back had just been stopped by her. And all the stress and fear had left her, leaving her drained. Not to mention, she was bleeding. She heard Kevin tell the driver to hurry.

“Ssh, baby, don’t talk,” he placed a finger to her lips. “Close your eyes and go to sleep. You need it.”

She obediently closed her eyes, leaning her head back against his chest, feeling entirely at peace for the first time in a long time.

And she slept.