Chapter Three: ** Bawitdaba **

 Debelah arrived at the venue at eight the next morning, going into the room that the guys were in backstage.  They looked over when the door opened and saw her shuffle in, her eyes shut tiredly. 

Nick and Brian were playing a video game, Kevin was reading a novel that had plenty of dog-eared pages, Howie sat on the floor, lost in thought, and AJ was sitting at one end of a couch, his head leaned back, his eyes shut, trying to sleep.  His eyes opened when she came in. 

 Debelah, in her leopard p.j. pants, black tank, slippers, her hair in a messy ponytail and carrying a duffle bag on one shoulder and clutching a pillow in the other, made an interesting sight.  The guys started to laugh at her bedraggled sight as she trudged across the room.

“Whoa, long night?” Nick asked, pausing the game.

Debelah groaned, tossing the pillow on the couch, dropping the bag, and plopping down on top of the pillow, her head resting right next to AJ’s leg. 

“I kind of…went out...last night…to celebrate going on tour,” she muttered, not opening her eyes or moving at all. She moaned, turning on her side and curling up, the side of her head now resting on AJ’s leg,” I need sleep.”

“You didn’t get any sleep?!  How do you expect to have any energy for the concert tonight?” Kevin asked.  He was mad that she would seemingly ruin her first concert by partying all night.

Debelah opened her eyes and looked at Kevin with a surprised look,” Whoa, slow down, Pops,” she said.  Brian started to laugh, but stopped quickly after a quick look from Kevin. “I did get some sleep after Keith dropped me off at five-I mean three this morning.”

“Keith?  Is he your boyfriend?” AJ asked, thinking all the while *Great.  Of course she has a boyfriend. It’s just the way it goes.  First I make an idiot of myself, and then she has a boyfriend.  Just-freakin’- perfect.*

Debelah tilted her head back to look up at him, seeing him for the first time. She smiled sleepily at him,” Hi, AJ.” 

He couldn’t resist smiling back, staring into her eyes.  “Hey, babe,” he said, putting one of his hands on the top on her head, gently playing with her ponytail, stroking the top of her head. 

She seemed to   remember the question and settled back into place,” Keith? My boyfriend?  Uh-uh.  I just met him last night. Wait, THAT didn’t come out right. What I mean is, I met him and a bunch of his friends at a club last night and we all just hung out all night, driving around.”

“So you just met Keith last night?” AJ asked.

“Yeah.”

“And he’s not your boyfriend?’

“Nope.”

“Do you have a boyfriend?”

The guys all stopped what they were doing and slowly turned to AJ, knowing he was up to something.  Something flashed over Debelah’s eyes for a second and then it was gone. 

“No, not for almost a month now,” she said in a soft voice.  She looked over at all of the other guys. “ Actually, you guys are the reason we broke up.”

“How’s that?” Howie asked.

“Wait, I know! I know!” Brian exclaimed, turning around from the TV.  He wiggled his eyebrows, striking a muscle man pose,” You were in love with our man-li-ness and he was intimidated by our-“ an extra eyebrow wiggle-“ masc-u-lin-ity.”

Debelah started to laugh,” You’re full of it, Littrell.” She sobered up,” No, he wasn’t that…nice...to me, and I was listening to your song “Get Another Boyfriend” and I realized I needed to leave. So I left.”

“What do you mean, he wasn’t that nice to you?” Nick asked.  All of the guys were wondering the same thing.

Debelah yawned, closing her eyes again, and snuggling back into the couch, “That’s a hard question, Nick.  Why don’t I get back to you on that one later?  I’m gonna go to sleep now.  ‘Night.”

Kevin went back to his book, Nick and Brian to their video game, Howie back to daydreaming, and AJ….well, AJ just sat there, Debelah’s head resting on his leg, her sleeping form curled up next to him. His hand playing mindlessly with her hair, as he wondered what he was getting himself into.

                         *                      *                      *

Later that day…

 “No, it’s one step to the right and then spin.  Now, let’s start from the top.”  Fatima said, standing in front of them. The guys were up on stage, practicing the steps for the concert that night.  They settled into their spots as the music started.

 But the music wasn’t theirs.  They listened, confused, as Kid Rock’s ‘Bawitdaba’ started on the speakers at high volume.  They looked at each other and then noticed Brian, whose mouth was open in shock, his eyes wide. 

“Brian, what is it?” Kevin asked, starting to walk over towards his cousin. Brain simply pointed out into the empty seats.  The guys all turned to look where Brian’s attention was fixed one and all of their mouths dropped open.

 Debelah stood at the very top of the middle steep set of stairs that ran up one of the aisles, one hand on her hips and the other holding a circular object.  She had on dark blue flares, black boots, a black tank, a black cowboy hat pulled low on her face, her long black hair loose.

“Debelah, don’t you DARE-“AJ shouted, knowing what was she was going to do, and afraid she was going to get hurt.  But she wasn’t going to listen.

*Bawitdaba da bang da dang diggy diggy diggy said the boogie said up jump the boogie*

With a jump, she flipped the circular sled underneath it and came down on it expertly and smoothly, with her feet resting on it and she was turned to the side, her knees bent a little with her arms out to the side.

*Bawitdaba da bang da dang diggy diggy diggy said the boogie said up jump the boogie*

“Debelah!” the guys all screamed at once as she came zooming down the stairs, miraculously not falling. Fatima, though, laughed and clapped her hands, going,” Yeeeaaah.  You go, girl!”

The music continued on and Debelah took one of her hands and punched it triumphantly in the air.  She quickly then bent down all the way, grabbing the sides of the sled and then popping into the air with it, doing a high spin in the air and then landing in the exact same position.  She continued going down the stairs with the sled, a devious smile on her lips, standing up from her crouched down position.

AJ’s lips curled at the sight of her doing the spin in the air and at the smile on her face.  Him and this girl definitely had to get together.  She had left him speechless the fist day she’d met him and today he was getting majorly turned on with her wild and crazy attitude.

*Bawitdaba da bang da dang diggy diggy diggy said the boogie said up jump the boogie*

The guys, through their panicked minds were beginning to wonder what she was going to do when she came to the bottom.  But when she came to the bottom of the set of stairs, the sled went up a make shift ramp of a slanted card table she’d put there and flew through the air towards the guys. 

*My name is Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii-*

They moved out of the way as the sled hit the stage with her crouched all the way down, her palm hitting the stage as it hit. 

*KID ROCK!!! *

 The sled went about five more feet before she jumped up and turned around in the air, the sled still sliding.  She landed on the stage on her feet and looked at the guys, her eyes wide and a big smile on her face.

“That was so much FUN! AGAIN!” she exclaimed, going to retrieve the sled.

“NO!!” the guys all exclaimed, jumping towards her.

“C’mon, it’ll be fun!” she insisted, grabbing the sled in her hand and staring at the guys.

 “Yeah, real fun.  I’ve always wanted to go down a tall- VERY tall flight of stairs on a little plastic disc, go careening down only to fall off a break my leg or my neck or BOTH,” Brian said dryly.

“Well, see, Brian.  Don’t you feel better now that you’ve admitted it?” she teased and then turned back to the rest of the guys,” C’mon, guys, you KNOW you wanna try it.”

 “I’ll do it,” AJ said with a smile, wanting the adrenaline of it in him. Nick was quiet for a second and then popped up,” I wanna, too.  That looked SWEET!”

 “Count me out,” Howie said with a smile. Kevin shook his head, also,” I’m not going to do it, either. “He turned to AJ and Nick,” And you two could get seriously hurt.”

 “I didn’t,” Debelah piped up.

 Kevin slowly turned to her.  “That is because you are insane.” He turned back to AJ and Nick to further berate them on the dangers of sled riding standing up down a long, steep set of stairs into a stage.

 “Old man probably afraid his arthritis will get in the way,” Debelah muttered loud enough to be heard.  Kevin slowly turned to her again. “I am not old.”

 Debelah raised one eyebrow, quirking the side of her mouth and nodded,” Suuuuure, you’re not.”

 “I’m not,” he insisted.

 The quirk turned into a full out smirk and she looked at him challengingly,” Prove it.”

 “Fine, I will,” he said, grabbed the sled out of her outstretched arm and turned towards the stairs.  The guys watched him, shocked she had actually been able to talk him into it.  He was just to the edge of the stage when Michael’s voice rang out.

 “Debelah, get over here! You need to rehearse NOW!!” he yelled from backstage.

 “God,” she muttered, rolling her eyes. “Coming!!”  She walked to the side of the stage, muttering about stupid rules as Brian talked Kevin out of doing it. AJ and Nick, though, grabbed the sled and rushed towards the stairs.