"What was that all about?" AJ asked as he watched Kyndall's retreating figure.
"Umm…she…shit," Catlyn sighed. AJ followed her over to the bar ordering them drinks as Catlyn stared at the door. "Dammit," she said softly.
"Why did she act that way?" AJ asked looking at Catlyn.
"Well, she is or rather was a HUGE Backstreet Boys fan -"
"So you know how I am?" AJ interrupted surprised.
She looked at him funny. "Umm…yeah." AJ shrugged. "Anyway," she said shaking her head. "She kind of took a vacation from liking ya'll."
Blinking he asked, "A vacation? Why?"
Catlyn sighed. "Because you were affecting her life in negative ways."
"The Backstreet Boys were affecting her life in negative ways?" AJ asked laughing. "That's a new one."
"It's not funny. And not the whole group. Just," she looked at him. "Just you."
"Me?" His eyes opened wide in surprise. "What did I do?"
"You were you," Catlyn shrugged. "I don't know. I never did understand the whole obsession she had with you. But obsessed she was. Thinking of you constantly, talking about you non-stop. She stopped eating, sleeping," She shook her head sadly. "She kind of locked herself off from the world. She wanted to meet you so badly. She wanted to be the one you were going to spend your life with."
"But she didn't even know me," he said, still reeling that he could have that profound of an effect on someone he'd never seen.
"She knew enough," Catlyn said. "Do you remember the rumor going around about you and Miranda being engaged? That was when it got REALLY bad. She felt like someone had kicked her in the stomach. Her world came crashing down around her. I tried to console her. Telling her it wasn't true. She didn't want to listen to me-"
"How did you know for certain it wasn't true?" AJ interrupted again.
"I didn't. Just a feeling I had," Catlyn shrugged. "Anyway, she calmed down some when she found out that it WAS a rumor. Then a couple of weeks later, we were talking again and she told me that she couldn't take it anymore. She was quitting. Giving up. Turning her back on ya'll. It wasn't worth. She was never going to meet you. She was never going to do any of the things she dreamed of. And by sitting around doing nothing BUT dreaming, her life was passing her by. That was when she decided to visit me and I promised we'd have nothing to do with ya'll while she was here. That week went great. Nothing was mentioned about the Backstreet Boys until she wanted to talk about them. Then, a couple of weeks ago, she moved down here." Catlyn looked at him. "This is my fault ya know. I talked her into coming tonite. If it wasn't for me, she wouldn't be here, seeing you, opening up old wounds."
"Maybe I should talk to her," he offered.
"Unless you're going to leave Miranda to run away with Kyndall, then I don't think that would be a very good thing," Catlyn said sadly.
"Why?" Kyndall sniffled sitting on the curb outside the club. "This is cruel. How could she?"
"How could who do what?" a soft voice asked from behind her.
Jumping up, Kyndall peered into the shadows. "Who are you? And do you always interrupt private conversations?"
Looking around he smirked. "I'm sorry for interrupting your soliloquy to the world." Shaking his head, he smiled. "Sorry. I just figured you seen me. Howie," he said holding out his hand.
Recognizing him, Kyndall sighed. "Oh GOD. Another one," she complained turning away from him.
"Another what?" he asked.
"Backstreet Boy. Can't you guys disappear for a while?" she said softly, wiping the tears from her eyes. Crossing her arms over her chest, she bowed her head.
"Now, that isn't a very nice thing to say. But I'll forgive you if you'll tell me what is wrong," Howie said, walking over to stand beside her.
"I don't care if you forgive me or not. It's not as if I matter any to any of you. You have a million fans in the world. A million girls willing to love you unconditionally. Why must he torment me?" Kyndall cried walking back towards the club.
Howie hurried over to her grabbing her arm. "What are you talking about? Who's tormenting you? What does this have to do with us?"
"HIM!" she exclaimed waving her hand towards the club. "He makes my life hell," she mumbled, closing her eyes and looking away.
Howie chuckled. "AJ? You know him?"
Kyndall looked up at him. "No, and that's part of the problem," she whispered. Her eyes conveying to him all the pain that had returned to her upon seeing him.
