Chapter Thirteen: I've.Got.Something.That's.On.My.Mind

(first week of December, 1999)

    "Coke is just fine, Alex...don't worry about him," Chin smiled, as she played with the two kittens on her lap.
    "You're taking lotsa pictures, right?" AJ asked, over the phone.
    "You sound like a father separated from his children!" she laughed. "Yes, I'm taking a billion pictures. The quantity is rivaling that of Roky, Kezia, and Darwin's puppy albums combined. Happy?"
    "Of course...But now I must break some horrible news: remember how I told you my opening sequence costume got ripped? I gotta go fit it right now...we only have a few concerts left, but, oh well...here's Blondie," AJ handed the phone to his friend, before running off for costume check.
    "Hey, Nickers."
    "I resent that."
    "What?"
    "'Nickers'...and 'Blondie', for that matter."
    "Sorry, Blondie, but I think it's gonna stick, then," Chin laughed.
    "You know what?" Nick tried to change the subject.
    "What..."
    "We're gonna extend the U.S. tour- "
    "WHAT!?"
    "Breathe, Chin...it won't get in the way of the video shoot or anything-"Nick laughed.
    "I'm not THAT shallow," Chin pouted.
    "Kidding...kidding...Look, we're just gonna add a new leg of the tour...it'll be from mid February to mid March...to make up for all the main places that got left out in this short leg."
    "How sweet of you..."
    "Isn't it? Oh, by the way...has AJ told you his news yet?"
    "Told me wha?"
    "Okay, that's my answer...here, I'm gonna take the cell and bother him in the costume room," Nick laughed, as he searched for his bandmate. "Ohhhh Ay-Jay!"
    Chin heard an annoyed, "What? I'm trying on stuff here, man!"
    "Hello?" AJ got the phone.
    "Are you supposed to tell me something?" Chin inquired. AJ looked at Nick oddly, who mouthed something.
    "Wha...? OH, yeah! I'm gonna have a sorta solo tour after our spring leg Nick prolly told you about-"
    "WHAT!?"
    "You know, Johnny No Name? Well he's got his own tour, hon."
    "You are so insane..."

~*~*~*~
(a few days later)

    "Dude, where's Rok?" AJ asked, sipping his soda. Four of the five Boys were sprawled around the entertainment area in the back of the tour bus.
    "In the bunks," Kevin informed him.
    "Talking to Lindsey on his cell," Howie added.
    "What girlfriend is this, again?" AJ pretended to look confused.
    "Funny, Age...the girl from bowling, remember?" Nick sighed.
    "Yeah, yeah..."
    "But he's breaking it off with her," Kevin said.
    "Are you serious? Geeze, he's faster that AJ is!" Nick joked. "Or, used to be, that is..." he hesitated. AJ ignored him.
    "But the guy never sleeps, and works his butt off...how do you expect him to keep a girl? Especially with his track record over the past 6 months?" Howie munched on some chips.
    "That sleeping thing is bothering me. He's a zombie in the morning, and bumps around at night. It's insane," Kevin commented, getting up to turn off the TV
    "Well, no one compares to how Nick was a zombie for the Billboard Music Awards...Afro Man," AJ snickered.
    "Shut up," Nick chucked a pillow at him. "Who let me take that nap and forgot to wake me up in time!?"
    "Sorry if you've been becoming worse and worse without Julie," AJ said under his breath so no one could hear.
    "But it's not like Brian's constantly not sleeping well..." Howie realized.
    "What do you mean?" Nick asked.
    "He was fine when we visited the girls..." Kevin muttered, stumbling upon the realization as well.
    "When he gets a hug from...Jenny..." Howie continued.
    "...he sleeps well," Nick finished. "Remember when they came to our concert? We all hugged goodbye...and Brian fell sound asleep soon after."
    "This is ridiculous," AJ muttered. "Not being able to sleep from deprivation of Jenny's hugs?"
    "YES!" the other three concluded.

    Brian hung up the phone. It hadn't been that hard...Lindsey had understood that he was a wreck and couldn't handle a relationship. She was busy too, with her high-profile job in New York...it had been for the best.

~*~*~*~
(a week later)

    "I am sooo picking Alex's wardrobe this time," Chin resolved as we waited for the plane to take off.
    "And what if he refuses?" I laughed as I applied some chapstick to my parched lips. My seat was in the middle of the row, right beside her.
    "He's not allowed too; he knows that," she grinned and grabbed my BonneBelle before it could actually return to my pocket. "Mm, watermellon LipSmaker," she said as she smacked her lips after using it.
    "What are we gonna do this time - shopping again? I feel like a stereotypical bop or something," Jenny said, from her seat next to me, by the window, grabbing the mini cylinder before I could get it back from Chin.
    "We can stick around the shoot all three days, if you want," Julie replied, from the row across the aisle. "But Kevin said it's gonna be a bit dreary...Guys, give Sarah back her chapstick," she smiled, as Jenny handed it to Hannah's outstretched hand.
    "Oh, my...dreary you say?!" Hannah laughed, flailing her arms, almost hitting Cathy and Julie. "Oops...there I go, gracefully and accidentally abusing my fellow friends." Julie grabbed my BonneBelle and tossed it back to me, but not before using some herself.
    "At least they won't be flying around in starships or whatever," Cathy giggled, looking out the window.
    "Maybe Brian will find another girl to cheer him up..." Jenny muttered, as she looked out onto the runway. I poked her. "What was that for?"
    "Don't talk like that," I scolded her. "So he broke it off with Lindsey...big deal."
    "Big deal? Should I count and see what number she was?"
    "Jen...calm down. Maybe it's a sign, you know?" Chin joined the conversation.
    "Whatever," Jenny gave a huff.
    "No, listen to me...there must be a reason why he's had so many girlfriends. He's searching for something in someone that he hasn't found yet...maybe he'll find it in you."
    "But he already knows me, Chin. He's had all the time in the world to FIND me...Ever think of that?" Jenny wouldn't look away from the window.
    "You're so...ARGH! I give up right now. I'm gonna try and sleep." Chin rested her head on the seat and closed her eyes.
    "Jenny...just...I dunno. Don't be so decisive off the bat, please?" I asked, before getting out my book to read.
    Jenny didn't reply, and continued her gaze out of the window. She slowly drifted off to sleep...the dream came, as usual. She woke up with a jolt, and noticed the cabin lights were off, and most everyone in the plane was sleeping. She pulled out her wallet and looked at a copy of the picture the Boys had given us for Halloween. She traced her finger around Brian's grinning face.
    "Why?" she whispered.

~*~*~*~
(at the "Show Me The Meaning Of Being Lonely" video shoot)

    "We haven't started shooting yet...we're missing some of the actresses," Brian explained as he showed us the sets. Some of it was outside in an alleyway, and others were set up in the buildings. The guys would point out little things here and there as we walked along, hinting on what their scenes were going to be about.
    Just as we returned to the main set-up, the director came running up to the Boys.
    "The studio called and said the girls we're waiting for got food poisoning and can't make it...but we can't postpone the shoot any longer!" he exclaimed. "We need some girls to take their places, and we've gotta find them soon, or this video is history..." He turned and followed the guys' silent motions and looked at us. "Perfect! Why didn't you tell me you brought back-ups?!"
    We looked at each other. We looked at the smiling Boys and the director, who seemed to have already made his decision.
    "Um...no..." Julie, Jenny, and I backed off.
    "We're gonna be on TV!!!!!"  Hannah, Cathy, and Chin danced around. That was that.
    We were going to help with the video.
 

Chapter Fourteen: Tell.Me.That.I'm.Dreaming
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