“I had a really great Night” Kevin announced walking Serena to her doorstep
“So did I” she replied without a thought of consequences
“Can we do this again?”
He heart sank, looking into his green eyes she knew she’d have to say no, she couldn’t get attached to him, it wasn’t worth it.
“Kevin, I’m sorry but I don’t think that would be a good idea” she casually replied
She could see his eyes plummet to the ground like a scolded child.
“Why?” he inquires
“I just don’t think it would be wise”
“Is it because of last night? Can’t we put that behind us start again?”
“I don’t think so. Thank you Kevin, for one night you made me forget things, live a dream, but it’s time to wake up”
She leaned out the doorway and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek, smiled thankfully and closed the door.
“I don’t get it man” Kevin huffs
Brian rubbed his eyes tiredly, Kevin had showed up on his door step and it was obvious he needed to talk, whether or not Brian was fast asleep.
“Maybe she’s married” Brian laughed slightly between a deep yawn
Kevin shot him annoyed look shutting Brian up immediately.
“She’s probably just shy” Tamar responds handing Kevin a cup of coffee
“She seemed to have fun. And after what happened last night I highly doubt it’s shyness” Kevin announces
“You know what Kev, fight for her, don’t give up. Do you know how many times I had to call Tamar before she’d even agree to go out with me”
“I only ended up going because you were just so damn annoying” she laughed
“You don’t regret it though aye?”
Tamar just smiled in response as she sat down on the arm of the chair where Brian was, Kevin could sense he was interrupting something.
“Yeah you’re right man, anyway thanks for the coffee, sorry to wake you up”
He stood up and placed the cup in the kitchen.
“Come around anytime” Tamar offered
“Anytime?” Brian sarcastically says
~ A WEEK LATER – 7th FEBRUARY 2001 ~
Serena deleted yet another message on her answer machine. Kevin had run a total of about 3 times everyday, she couldn’t understand why he even cared so much. She kept telling herself it was only because he was interested in what they shared the first night, nothing more, nothing less, thinking of him as a sex-obsessed stalker had it’s benefits – she could disguise, perhaps rid herself of the ongoing feeling of love she felt for him.
She plonked herself down on the pale blue lounge suite and drunk back the orange juice she’d poured herself. She decided one thing she hadn’t done for a while was a “Soap Opera Marathon” so she’d stay in front of the TV watch back to back soap opera’s occasionally stopping for a good ol’ blast of “Rikki Lake”. She knew it was an excuse not to leave the house, but it was a good one, or so she thought.
Kevin sighed loudly in the spacious hall area of his new house. Another answering message destined for deletion, he was sure of it. He could sense she was there, at the house, just listening to him pour his heart out to a mechanical device, how shallow and pointless it all seemed, he didn’t even know why he was doing it now. For a solid week, he’d refused to go anywhere or do anything, “She may call back” he told himself, but to no avail, she never called back. He hadn’t visited the studio the entire week, it once was his sanctuary, where he could create music, but it all just seemed so remedial and pointless now. He had one idea left, it probably wouldn’t work, but what did it matter? He stood up and grabbed his keys from the hanger - it was time to pay her a visit.
Serena dragged herself off the couch to answer the knocking on the door. She pulled the door open and offered a half hearted,
“Hello?”
“Serena” the voice replied
She looked up immediately it was Kevin.
“Um Kevin, What are you doing here?”
“Coming to see whether your answer machine is broken, I’ve left a ton of message, and I guess you never heard them right?”
“Um, Kevin, I told you, this – us, won’t work, please just forget about it”
“Is that what you want?”
She knew she needed to say ‘Yes’ she had to say ‘Yes’ she was going to say ‘Yes’.
“No”
“I didn’t think so” he smiled
Leaning in his lips pursed in the perfect position, she knew he was going to kiss her, her mind was a flutter, how could she let this happen? But how could she NOT let it happen? She leaned in too, their lips meeting in perfect unison in midair. The kiss was deep and passionate, as his lips carefully glided over hers, he slipped his tongue in and began to softly trace the inside of her mouth. The feeling was indescribable, as they moved together exploring each ones mouth with pure untainted delight.
They pull away simultaneously and smile, any words would ruin the moment.
“Go out with me tonight?” he questions taking her hand
All she can do is slowly nod.
~ THAT NIGHT ~
They arrived at the cinema with plenty of time to spare. Kevin hurriedly bought the ticket and pulled Serena into one of the distant corners.
“The Movie doesn’t start for half an hour, why don’t we go to the café across the road?” she inquires
Kevin knew that the café across the road was a popular hangout for mostly teenagers, he also could see from his advantage point that it was swarming with the people he was trying to avoid tonight, anyone that could possibly recognize him. It wasn’t that he didn’t love the fans as such, he did, he owed pretty much everything he had to those people that supported them, buying the CD’s and so on, but tonight of all nights he simply wished he was invisible. He never lied to Serena as such, just never told her the whole truth, and this been the unstable, barely getting-going relationship it was, he certainly didn’t want any sort of upset, and been mobbed, may just be an upset.
“Na, we should go in” he directs pointing to the cinema doors
“So we can go watch the ad’s?” she laughed
He smiled slightly, but proceeded to walk through the doors. He stopped at the back row and skived along to the end, and there he sat by the wall, with Serena next to him. There was a few people in the cinema, not many, an older couple, a guy with what seemed to be his girlfriend, and about 6 teenage girls near the front of the cinema.
The radio could be heard playing softly in the background, and as the first few bars played Kevin cringed in annoyance – “Larger Than Life” was playing.
He looked over to Serena who happened to be paying no attention what-so-ever, which meant he could sigh a sigh of relief.
“I love this song” one of the girls up the front declared
“All you people cant you see cant you see, how you’re loves affecting out reality” another one began to sing.
Kevin shrunk further down in his seat.
“God Nick is such a babe” one of the girls screamed, causing the others to laugh
“Brian is my love god” another one announced.
Serena couldn’t help but laugh, she’d been like that once, but over Jordan Knight. She laughed at herself slowly remembering the fact she had owned a pillow case with New Kids On The Block on it.
“I’m with Mel, Nick is such a honey” another one of the girls replied
“That’s odd” Serena said turning to Kevin “There must be 2 guys in that band called Nick and Brian, and you have two friends called Brian and Nick” she smiled.
Kevin slightly managed a smile in response.
“You are all wrong, Kevin is the spunk of that group” one girl screamed
“Kevin?” Serena said turning to face him again
“That’s my name” he quietly replied
“Now that is odd” she continued, looking at him questionably
“Coincidence I guess” he responded
“Really?”
“Yeah, it’s not me, I swear”
He immediately regretted what he’d said, but for some reason he’d said it.
Serena stood up and walked along the row of chairs, and down to the front of the cinema, she sat down in the row behind where the girls were.
“Excuse me, I couldn’t but help overhear your discussion, and I was wondering if maybe I could be the judge?”
She smiled sweetly and waited for their answer.
“Okay which one do you think is the hottest?” one of the girls questions handing Serena a magazine turn to a picture of the Backstreet Boys.
She studied it for a moment, it was defiantly him, and she recognized the others too. She smiled and handed them the magazine back.
“Hard choice, their all nice looking, but if I had to choose, the tall dark haired one” she replied pointing at the picture of Kevin.
“Well what about the blond one?” one of the girls inquires
“Very nice” Serena smiled.
She stood up and smiled thankfully at the girls, then walked back up to her seat.
“How strangely odd, he even looks like you” she remarks smartly
“Uh – coincidence?”
She looked at him directly in the eyes, asking for the truth.
“Okay so yeah, it’s me, I’m in a band, a boy band. Does that change anything?”
“No. Why should it?” she replies satisfied
“You don’t care? You’re not angry I lied?”
“You never really lied, and it’s not like we’re married you don’t have to tell me everything it doesn’t matter at all, if you think you’re going to get special treatment you’ve got the wrong sucker, but if you just want to be treated like any normal person then you’ve come to the right place”
The lights began to dim, as the previews began to roll.