“Yeah, Nick. This is so much fun, we should definitely do this again.” I smile, as he leans in to kiss me. It’s soft, yet passionate, the perfect kiss. The only thing is, it’s not Nick. It’s now Brian. “Brian?!” I yell, waking up in a cold sweat. “Dammit!” I grab my head in my hands to stop the wild pounding. “Having a hangover’s a bitch,” I remind myself, as I go to the bathroom. Brushing my teeth as slowly as possible without moving my head, I wash my face and then try to find something to wear for the photo shoot. My friend Whitney, from Teen People, had called and said she’d need a photographer, so I gladly took the job. I was completely ecstatic about it, until I found out whom exactly it was I would be shooting. I’m shooting Britney Spears. Is that my luck or what? There is nothing in the world I want to do less than be in the same room with her, but I need the extra cash and practice, so I might as well. I put on my most professional outfit and scribble a quick note telling Jade where I am. Climbing in my car, I speed off to the photo shoot, barely making it on time.
“Ali! Long time, no see babe! What’s going on?” Whitney makes her way over through the crowds of people to give me a hug.
I hug her back, smiling. “Hey! Not much. I just, more or less, got fired from my old job! But this looks like fun, I do get paid right?” I ask jokingly.
“Oh, of course. You should get paid double for taking on both of them!” I must look confused, because she adds quickly, “Ghetto Timberlake is here. We didn’t know he was coming, too. I’m sorry.”
I roll my eyes, and pretend to gag. “Well, might as well make the most of it.”
Half an hour later I am in wardrobe helping Britney select from the racks and racks of clothes. She has been surprisingly easy to get along with. Until I throw my suggestions her way.
“I was thinking something, a little less pink,” I grimace, looking at her selection.
A tight pink dress, with a silver belt and diamond studs. With that, she chose a pair of tacky black boots. She rolls her eyes, smacking on her bubble gum.
“How about this?” I choose a pair of tight blue jeans. They have silver sparkles down the sides, with frayed ends and the waist cut off. With that, I choose a light blue top with ribbons tying it together on the sides, and a slit in the top for enough cleavage to show.
Reluctantly, she grabs it from me and stomps off toward the changing room. Shrugging off her sudden change in attitude, I stride into the stylist room.
“Whatever you do, don’t do that little crimp thing again. That’s getting old, and for once I’m going to try to get her some respect. She really needs to lose the “slut/trash” image she’s got going on.”
The stylists nod and follow my orders. Walking onto the set, I check out the backdrop. The backdrop is of an old warehouse, and she will be modelling on a giant Pepsi bottle cap.
“Okay, people! Are we ready?” I shout.
Britney comes out as Justin applauds wildly from the corner I have relegated him to.
“Can I have some music please? Now Brit, be as natural as possible. Okay, first I want you over there. Just dance around like you did in the commercial. Then, I’m going to set you up on top of this, then the last part you’ll be over here, got it?”
She nods, and gets into place.
The persistent ringing of the phone wakes me up. I groan loudly and try to block out the sound with my pillow. It just keeps ringing. I glare at it.
“Just hang up DAMNIT!” It keeps ringing so I answer it. “Uh?”
“Mornin’ alkie!”
I groan. “AJ, it’s way too early for you bein’ cheerful.”
He laughs. “Jade, it’s 1pm.”
“It is?” I check my clock. “Oh.”
“So how you feelin’?”
“No idea.”
“Sat up yet?”
“Nup.”
“Do it.”
I obey him and groan again as the hangover kicks in. It feels like a brass band has taken up residence in my head. “Oh God…”
AJ chuckles. “Hungover much?”
“BIG time.”
“You deserve it sweets.”
“Oh THANKS.” I lie back down and pull the sheets over my head and the phone in an attempt to block out both the sunlight and the memory of last night which has just come rushing back. “Why can’t I forget the things I do when I’m trashed?”
“Oh but that’d be NO fun.”
“Hm. How’re Nick and Brian doin’?”
“Walking around in dark shades and groaning every time Kevin starts talking. Plus, Nick’s pissed with you. He thinks you’re a slutty bitch…”
“Geez, AJ, water it down for me why dontcha?!”
“Hey, he doesn’t mean it. He just kinda thought you and him might…”
“As if.”
“And Brian’s a little confused. He wants to TALK.”
I groan. “Oh great.”
“So?”
I sigh. “I don’t know AJ.”
“And I’m pissed cos I didn’t get a slice of the tonguing action…”
I burst into giggles and then groan. “Man, never make a hungover girl laugh.”
He chuckles. “Revenge.”
“Why are you buggin’ me?”
He laughs. “I’m bored. And I’m goin’ shopping – come with me.”
“Nah.”
“Aww, go on. What else you got planned?”
“Well, I gotta rip this phone out of the wall cos it just seems to ring whenever I’m tryin’ to sleep…”
“Oh that’ll take 3 seconds MAX. Oh come on Jady, I’ll buy ya the darkest shades in the mall.”
I pull back the sheets and wince in the sunlight. “Tempting. Very tempting. Anyways, why are you not whimpering away in some dark room?”
He chuckles. “I don’t DO hangovers. Come on Jady…”
“Hmm…”
“I’ve got no-one else…”
I laugh. “I can just see you workin’ that pout right now.”
He chuckles. “Is that a yes?” I don’t say anything. “Pick you up in an hour.”
He hangs up and I groan. Shopping with AJ was one adventure I didn’t think I could cope with in my present state. I drag myself into the shower.
An hour later and I’m dressed and sat in the kitchen with a black coffee. Ali has left me a message.
Dear Jade, hope the hangover isn’t TOO bad… Just a little bad! ;) I feel like death but gotta do a photo thing for Teen Girl – Britney of all people – ugh! How am I gonna make HER beautiful?! Back about 6 with takeaway so chill. Ali XX
I finish my coffee and decide to be a little healthy with a glass of water. Why are healthy things so much harder to down than alcohol? I finish my glass as there’s a knock on the door. I grab my bag and head out.
“Hey.”
“Hey yourself,” AJ kisses my cheek with a grin and holds up a pair of dark shades. “These should do you ‘til we get to the mall.”
“Thanks,” I put them on as we head to his car. They’re incredibly dark and I manage to fall over a pot and hit a fence post. “Damn, how d’you NOT do this AJ?”
He shrugs and offers me his arm. “Practice.”
We climb into the car and he takes off.
“What’s the big emergency?” I ask sarcastically as I grip onto the armrest. AJ takes corners at ridiculous speeds. He should really come with a ‘Not For People Of A Nervous Disposition’ warning.
“The sales are on!” he yells excitedly.
I laugh. “AJ, nobody buys your stuff except you. I think you’re safe.”
“Hm yeah. I’m just an original.”
I glance at his newly dyed red hair, his dark shades, his yellow shirt and the pants two sizes too big for him. “Oh, is THAT what they’re calling you nowadays?”
He sticks his tongue out at me and turns the radio on full-blast. Shaggy’s It Wasn’t Me blares out and we both hum along until we park at the mall.
“Shaggy rocks,” I climb out of the car and slip my arm through his.
“Sure does.” We saunter into the mall looking like Mafia rejects in our dark shades. “Where to?”
I shrug. “It’s your trip.”
And boy did I regret saying that! The guy dragged me around countless shops. He found me some even darker shades in shop number two, which I wore gratefully as he modelled a selection of increasingly luridly coloured shirts. In shop number eight, I got bamboozled into buying a bright pink halter-neck which AJ claimed would make me look damn princessy. Since when did I wanna look like a princess?! But resistance is futile in the face of the AJ shopping frenzy. We finally end up in a dark corner of McDonalds.
“Man, this was a success,” AJ looks happily at his collection of bags and sighs. We eat in silence for a while. “So, ‘bout last night…”
I groan. “I’d rather not.”
“C’mon Jade… Which one are you into to? I wanna know.”
“Huh?”
“Don’t play dumb. You kissed ‘em both.”
“I was kinda drunk.”
He raises an eyebrow. “Kinda?”
“Ok, a LOT,” I rub my head tiredly. “I just wanna stay away from both of them and forget.”
“Both?” I nod. “Ok,” he grins.
“I mean, I was totally NOT me. So I really don’t want to remember it. Plus they think I’m a slut.”
AJ nods. “Yeah.”
“Oh THANKS AJ. Way to make me feel better.”
He shrugs. “Well you were acting kinda slutty.” I open my mouth to protest and he pops a French fry inside it. “Chill. I still love ya.”