“So, Brian’s been talking to his ex-girlfriend a lot lately?” Michelle’s friend, Payton Crane, asked.
“Yeah… it’s almost like every time I call, he’s on the other line with her.” Michelle sighed.
“But he doesn’t lie about it or try to hide it, right?” Payton asked.
“No, he doesn’t. I don’t know… He was really in love with her, you know? Majorly. I don’t want to be worried, but… can you blame me?” Michelle asked.
“No… look, Michelle, why don’t you just ask him what’s going on?”
“No!! I can’t do that.”
“Well, sitting there worrying about it isn’t going to do you any good,” Payton said.
“It’s just that… lately he’s been acting kind of weird… he always starts to say something, but then loses his nerve and goes off about something else. It’s like, maybe he wants to tell me that he wants to get back with Leighanne, but doesn’t know how,” Michelle said.
“Michelle, if you’re really that insecure about it, then you really need to talk to him. How important is this relationship to you?” Payton asked.
“It’s very important to me… God, Payton, I don’t know what love feels like, but this could be it! No one has ever been more supportive or understanding or caring towards me than him. I was raised so totally different from him, and he is so much milder than I am, but it’s like those things just bring us closer.”
“When is the next time you’re going to see him in person?” Payton asked.
“In a week, when I go to New York,” Michelle said.
“That’s when you should talk to him. Tell him how you feel, and ask him how he feels. I think the reason you’re worrying about this Leighanne chick is because you don’t know if Brian cares enough about you to choose you over her, if he had to make a choice. You HAVE to talk to him, Chelle,” Payton said.
“Thanks, Payton. You give the best advice,” Michelle said, hugging her friend. She and Payton had met at an audition for a part in a commercial several years earlier, and had stayed good friends. Payton had given up acting and was now a physical therapist. She lived close to Michelle in California.
“Don’t jump to conclusions until you talk to him. Until he says something to make you think otherwise, don’t get upset.”
Michelle started to calm down, and then her phone rang.
“Yes?”
“Michelle, this is Bette.” Bette Claiborne was Michelle’s new agent.
“Hey, Bette.”
“After your trip to New York next week to attend to premiere of your movie, there’s a reading that I think you would be interested in that will be taking place in Chicago. It’s for a movie that is going to be directed by this new director, and believe me, Michelle, this script is INCREDIBLE. I’ve already had it sent to your house by Federal Express, you should get it by morning.”
“Wow, Bette, uh, would I have to leave the morning after the premiere?”
“Yes, real early in the morning. You could sleep on the plane though, so you’ll have time after the premiere to party with your boyfriend or what-not.”
“OK, Bette, I’ll take a look at the script when it comes in and let you know.”
Michelle explained to Payton what Bette had said.
“Well, are you going to go to any parties after?” Payton asked.
“Actually, Brian and the rest of the guys are having a party that night, just because it happens to mark the halfway point in their tour, so Brian and I are going to that after the premiere. I guess, if I end up going to the reading, I’ll just have to force myself up in the morning and sleep on the plane.”
“So, is this party going to be big?”
“Yeah. It’s going to be huge.”
“I was…uh… you know our opening act, Kayla? She wanted some consulting about the new outfit to buy for the show, and so she asked me to go with her to the mall,” Kevin said over the phone.
“Oh.”
“Are you mad?”
“No, Kevin, not at all,” Lynnsey said, madly.
“You are mad. Lynn, I am SO SO sorry I forgot my cell phone at the hotel. I really want to be there for you, hon, I really do.”
“Yeah, but… you haven’t been lately.”
Kevin paused. “I’m sorry.”
“Kevin, saying you’re sorry is nice, but it doesn’t exactly make everything all better,” Lynnsey said.
“What do you want me to do, then?” he asked.
“I don’t know, Kevin. And I’m not very sure about this Kayla girl. I think she likes you.”
“Why? Why does everyone think she has a crush on me?”
“So it’s not just me?!”
“Well, Nick thought so too, but that doesn’t mean anything,” Kevin insisted.
“Look, Kevin, just keep an eye out for her, OK? I saw the way she was looking at you at the Grammys, and I just… I trust you. I don’t trust her.”
“OK, Lynnsey. Look, I promise that I’ll be available next time. I’ll be there for you, OK?”
“OK, Kevin,” Lynnsey said, softly. “I’m sorry for once again, blowing up at you.”
“It’s all right, Lynn. I understand.”
“You’re too good to me,” Lynnsey said.
“You deserve it.”
“What can I say? It’s still there,” Dr. Masters said, sighing. “I’m going to refer you to a doctor at the hospital. He’ll check up on you, and if he decides, you may need to have surgery done to make sure it’s not malignant. A cancerous cyst that is detected early can prevent the cancer from spreading.”
“OK,” Kara said, nervously. “Just tell me when and I’ll go.”
“This Friday, two days from now, at 8 AM. You will meet with Dr. Jacobs and he’ll take it from there.”
“Thank you for all your help, Dr. Masters,” Kara said.
After leaving the clinic, Kara tried to get in touch with Howie, but he wasn’t answering his phone. Next, she called her mom and told her what had happened.
“Oh, honey, do you want me to come up there and be with you when you go to the hospital?” Mrs. Kimball asked.
“No, mom. You don’t have to do that. Look, I’ll call you as soon as I get out, OK? Don’t worry, I’ll be OK.”
“I know you will, honey. You just have to be OK.”
“OK mom, I’m going to let you go now. Bye.”
Why was this happening to her? Women her age weren’t supposed to deal with things like this!
JC was the next person she talked to. He was really concerned about her.
“Kara, if me and the guys weren’t in the middle of recording, I’d come there and be with you when you went to this.”
“I know you would, JC. It’s OK, really. I’m going to be fine,” Kara said, weakly.
“I know you are, Kara. Look, just call me as soon as you find anything else out.”
“I will, Josh. See you later, OK?”
“OK. Bye.”
Kara sunk down in the loveseat in her living room, and stared at her reflection in the mirror across the room. She didn’t look like a person who had cancer… but neither did Linda McCartney, Paul McCartney’s wife, when she found out she had breast cancer. Ugh… it was hopeless.
Jen twirled a piece of her chestnut-colored hair around her finger as she watched one of the female dancers, Faith Bradley, practice her part with Nick. Jen was partners with Brian, Kevin was partners with a girl named Caitlin Brady, Howie with Chloe Nine, and AJ with Liz Johnson. Whenever the guys weren’t dancing with the girls was when the girls were dancing with the male dancers.
“OK, Jen and Brian, it’s your turn,” Fatima said. They were all practicing for their concert in New York the next week. It would be at Madison Square Garden, so extra hard work was required.
Jen and Brian performed their number, and Jen could feel AJ’s eyes on her, as well as Curtis’s. Brian was a good dancer, and he and Jen never had any trouble dancing well together.
“Very good you two!” Fatima praised.
Jen picked up her Ozarka water bottle and started to leave the room to go to the restroom. After freshening up, she left and was immediately face to face with Curtis.
“Curtis… what is it?”
“Look, Jen, I know I’m not the person you want to see right now, but --- .”
“Exactly,” Jen interrupted. “I’m tired of you following me around and asking me to take you back. If friendship isn’t good enough for you, then nothing will have to do.”
“Jen what does AJ have – personality wise – that I don’t?” Curtis asked.
“You know, that’s a good question. Do you want me to write you a list? Curtis, AJ doesn’t pressure me like you did when we were together. He doesn’t expect me to be perfect, and he doesn’t feel like I owe him anything. He’s honest with me, and I can trust him. He also gives me my space, which you obviously don’t.” Jen rolled her eyes, and tried to walk past him. He grabbed her arm, and she gasped, shocked at the tightness of his clutch.
“You may not think it’s true, Jen, but one day… one day soon, you will be back with me.”
“Get the hell away from her!!” a male voice shouted.
“AJ!” Jen said, relieved.
She ran over to him, and AJ’s eyes showed that he was furious.
Curtis raised up his hands as if in surrender.
“If I EVER see you touch her again, you are going to regret it. And that is a promise,” AJ said, his eyes blazing.
Curtis turned around and walked away in the other direction, and AJ put his arm around Jen. “Has he been bothering you?” AJ asked.
“Yeah…”
“Why didn’t you tell me? I’ll kick his ...” AJ trailed off, angrily. Jen thought fast. She didn’t want AJ’s temper to run away with him.
“It’s not a problem, AJ. Curtis and I are friends. There’s no need for you to kick anything.”
“You STILL want to be friends with that idiot? Jen, do you have feelings for him still?” AJ asked.
“No! Not at all! AJ, where is this insecurity coming from?”
“I don’t know. It’s making me crazy, it really is. My ex-girl, she was the first girl ever to leave me for someone else, and not the other way around, and I don’t know… it woke me up. Made me realize that I’ve got to be the heartbroken sometimes instead of the heartbreaker. I don’t want what happened with Amanda to happen with you.”
“It won’t, AJ. I’m not going to leave you AJ.”
“Is that a promise?” AJ asked.
“I would never leave someone I trusted as much as I trust you,” Jen said.
“Good.”
“I won’t be able to be there for the party. Schedule for shooting the video for my first single takes place that day and the day after. In Chicago. I’m sorry, babe,” Gretchen said.
“It’s okay,” Nick said. “You sure you’re not just going behind my back with another guy?” he laughed.
“Don’t even joke about that,” she said.
“Sorry. I just wish you could come. It’s not going to be a party for me if you’re gone,” he said. “You’ll manage somehow, Nickers. Just don’t go hooking up with some random girl only to have to hide it from me later,” Gretchen joked.
“Now you’re the one who needs to stop the comedy,” Nick said.
“Look, call me when the party is over. Chicago is an hour behind New York, maybe I’ll still be awake. You can give me all the details and tell me if anything interesting happens, OK?” Gretchen asked.
“Will do,” Nick replied. “So… how’s your friend, David?”
“Why do you ask?” Gretchen asked, surprised.
“I don’t know, I’m just asking.”
“He’s doing OK. He’s been dating a certain girl lately,” Gretchen said.
Nick grinned. “Really? Great! What’s her name?”
“Haley something-or-other. He met her at school.”
“Cool. How long have they been seeing each other?” Nick asked.
“2 weeks, maybe. Not that long. He talks about her a lot when we have conversations. It’s sort of like he wants to avoid any other type of discussion. I don’t know… it’s just weird.”
“What’s weird? Him having a girlfriend?” Nick asked.
“No… What’s weird is him having a girlfriend whom I have never met. We were like, best friends in high school, and I knew all of his girlfriends. I feel like I’m being left out of something. Besides, how can I protect him from getting hurt or dating the wrong kind of girl if I’m never there to meet the girls?” Gretchen said.
“Well, Gretchen, you can’t expect him to involve you in every aspect of his life. I know he’s one of the closest friends you have, but from how you’ve described him to me, he sounds like quite the individual. I’m sure he can take care of himself. So don’t worry yourself about it, OK? Instead, think about how we’re going to be together in three weeks when I come see you in Georgia. You’ll be at the concert we’re holding in Atlanta, right?” he asked.
“Of course. Backstage and everything,” Gretchen said.
“Good. Now stop thinking about David and concentrate on me for a sec. Your boyfriend.”
‘Right,’ Gretchen thought. ‘Concentrate on Nick. Just keep telling yourself that.’
“I guess you won’t be able to come to our party next week,” Kevin said, glumly.
“Of course not,” Lynnsey said. “I have classes now. I’m back in school. I can’t leave.”
“This SUCKS,” Kevin said. “What’s the point in me even going if you won’t be there with me?”
“Kevin, you can have fun without me. You’ve done it before,” she said.
“Yeah, but Brian and AJ and Howie will be there with their girls, and I’ll have no one.”
“What about Nick?”
“Gretchen can’t come either,” Kevin said.
“So you two can mingle with your guests. Keep each other company if you have to,” Lynnsey said.
“Lynn – he just turned 21. I’m 29. *(NOTE: The time right now in the story is March 2001. Those will be Nick and Kevin’s ages at that time.)* We don’t have that much in common.”
“Kevin, aren’t you over that yet? You’ve known him for like, 8 years, now.”
“Never mind, Lynnsey. You don’t understand. Um… so I’ll talk to you later?” Kevin said.
“Yeah… sure,” she said.
‘You don’t understand.’ The words stung to Lynnsey. They hurt. She wanted to understand.