Chrissy came in her apartment to see AJ sleeping on her couch with Sally Jessy Raphael playing loudly on the television.  She smiled a little and turned the television off, causing AJ to jump quickly off the couch.

    “What?!” he said excitedly.  AJ shook his head and saw it was only Chrissy.  She gave him a strange look.

     “How long have you been asleep?”

     “What time is it?”  Chrissy looked at the clock.

     “It’s about, uhh, seven.  How long have you been asleep?”  She walked towards AJ and wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him lightly on the lips.  He wrapped his arms around her waist and returned the kiss just as sweetly as it was given.

     “Wow, that’s a nice way to wake up,” he said.  “Did you have a nice day?”

     “Yeah, especially the part where this sexy customer came in,” Chrissy said with a smile playing at the front of her lips.  AJ’s eyebrow arched.

     “Oh really?  He was sexy huh?”

     “Dead sexy,” she said as she planted a kiss on AJ’s chin and all the way down his neck.

     “Well, I’m glad he made your day a little brighter.”

     “So am I,” Chrissy said in mid-kiss on AJ’s collarbone.  He laughed and Chrissy gave him one last kiss on his lips and then unwrapped her arms from around his neck and sat down on the couch and threw her feet up on the coffee table.  AJ sat down next to her and started rubbing her upper thigh a little. Chrissy smiled.

     “What’d you do after you left the diner today?”

     “Not much.  Went by the theater to see about any auditions that might come up.  That was about it,” he said softly.

     “Anything good comin’ up?”

     “We’ll see.  I don’t know,” AJ said with a shrug.  They both sat silently for a few minutes.  Chrissy closed her eyes and was just about to fall asleep when she remembered the party Josh had asked her about. Her eyes shot open.

     “Oh, hey, do you wanna go to a party tonight?”  AJ looked at Chrissy and shrugged.

     “Whose party?”

     “A friend of Josh’s.  His name, is, uhhh…Bruce, I think.”  AJ twiddled his thumbs and thought about it.  He didn’t really know Josh all that well, but he seemed kind of whiny to him.  But, he knew Chrissy and Josh were really good friends, so he knew he’d probably be seeing him a lot if he and Chrissy were going to be together.  He shrugged.

     “Do we have to stay long?”  Chrissy sat up and nodded her head no.  “Okay, yeah, let’s go for a little while,” he said.  Chrissy got up off the couch and walked back to her room.  AJ followed.

     “I appreciate this Alex.  Josh seems to be in some sort of funk lately, and he’s been wanting to spend a little more time with me lately.  Thanks for doing this,” she said as she hurriedly found something to wear.  AJ sat down on the bed as he watched Chrissy fumble for something to wear.  She threw something on the bed and then glanced over at the phone.

     “Oh shit, I gotta tell Josh we’re coming,” she said as she walked over to the phone and plopped down on the bed, or rather, AJ’s stomach.  Chrissy made her call and hung up.  “Okay, I said we’d be there in like an hour and a half, so I know you probably need to go home and get some clothes, right?”

     “Yeah, I do,” AJ said as he got up off the bed.  “I’ll be back in like an hour,” he said as he lightly kissed Chrissy.  They said their goodbyes and AJ left to go get some clothes. About forty minutes later, there was a knock at Chrissy’s door.  She opened it.

     “You are early,” she said with a smile.

     “I’m early, and you look beautiful,” AJ said as he walked in and wrapped his arms around her waist.  They kissed for a second and then AJ broke away.  “Go get ready,” he whispered.  Chrissy scurried off and grabbed her jacket and walked back out to the living room.

     “All set,” she said as slid her arms in the sleeves.  AJ opened the door and they walked out of the apartment.

     “How long do we have to stay?”  Chrissy walked out and locked the door behind her.

     “Until we’re bored.  If that’s fifteen minutes, we’ll leave.  If it’s five hours, then we’ll leave.  Sound okay?”  AJ nodded his head and reached his hand out and grabbed Chrissy’s.  They walked hand-in-hand down to AJ’s car.
 

     They both walked into the extremely crowded house and could feel the bass from the sound system pulsating their internal organs.  “We’re goin’ down, down baby, yo' street in a Range-Rover…”  thumped through the speakers and the people in the house couldn’t help but either bob their heads or just dance with whoever they were standing next to.  Chrissy looked at AJ and smiled.  He was scanning the crowd and bobbing his head along to Nelly, just like Chrissy was.  They both scanned the room and Chrissy’s eyes fell upon Josh, who was over in the corner talking to some random girl.

     “Hey, I see Josh.  I’m gonna go say hi.  Wanna come?”

     “Nah, I’m gonna go get a beer.  I’ll find you in a little while.”  Chrissy shrugged and began to make her way through the crowd.  She finally got to the spot where Josh was.

     “Hey dude!”  Josh’s eyes brightened up.

     “Hey lady!” he said as he gave Chrissy a hug.  “How long have you been here?” Josh asked over the music.

     “Oh, we just got here.  I found you and thought I’d come say hi,” Chrissy said as she began to look for AJ in the room.  She couldn’t see him.  “How long you been here?”

     “A while,” Josh said.  He finished the beer he had in his hand.  “Hey, I’m gonna get another one, do you want?” he asked as he held up his plastic cup.  Chrissy nodded yes and waited for Josh to come back.
 

         AJ wondered around the party aimlessly.  He didn’t see anyone he knew. ‘Dude, why would you see anyone you know? You don’t know the people throwing the party.’  He aimlessly made his way through the crowd and found a wall he could stand by and drink his beer.  ‘I hope she gets bored fast,’ he thought.  AJ quietly sipped his beer and listened to Usher’s ‘Nice ‘N Slow’ ooze out of the speakers.  He eyed people in the crowd, hoping for maybe at least one familiar face.  AJ scanned and scanned until his eyes landed on someone he used to see nightly in his dreams.  Her raven hair slinked down her back, a back he knew very well.  AJ’s stomach tightened and he nearly dropped his drink.  He could not believe his eyes.  All of the sudden he started moving toward her.  He wasn’t even aware he was going towards her, but all of the sudden, there he was, standing before the one person who had hurt him the most in his life.  AJ took in a sharp breath and tapped her on the shoulder.  She turned around and stared at him in shock and disbelief.

     “Alexander!” she said.

     “Hello Maria.”
 

 Chrissy and Josh were in Bruce’s kitchen doing tequila shots.  She hadn’t wanted to drink so much, but Josh was always very persuasive.

     “Alright, but this is my last one,” Chrissy slurred slightly.  The crowd counted and they both downed their shots.  She shook her foggy head and began to walk out of the kitchen.

     “Where are you going?” Josh asked as he grabbed her by the arm.

     “I’m going to find the person I came with.  Come with me,” Chrissy said as she linked her arm through Josh’s.  They made their way slowly through the crowd.  Both were more than a little buzzed and they were definitely feeling no pain.  Chrissy tried to find AJ through her somewhat hazy vision and finally her eyes fell upon him.  Her stomach did a flip.

     “Who the fuck is he talking to?” she muttered.

     “What?” Josh yelled.  Chrissy began pulling Josh through the crowd quickly until they reached AJ.  She tapped him on the shoulder.  He turned around with a look of surprise washing over him.

     “Hey Chris,” he said yelling over the music.

     “Hi,” she said.  She shot an eyebrow up and glanced over at Maria.  “Wanna introduce me to your friend?”  She crossed her arms.  AJ stared at her and then back at Maria.  He pulled Maria up to Chrissy a little.

     “Maria, this is Chrissy.  She’s a friend of mine,” he said.  Chrissy’s face fell when he said this.  Maria extended her hand and Chrissy shook it politely.

     “I’ve heard a lot about you,” Chrissy said.  Maria smiled.

     “That’s Alexander for you,” Maria said.  Chrissy clenched her jaw and stood there looking at AJ and Maria.  She couldn’t believe what she was seeing.  Granted, she was seeing two of everything, but she understood what was going on.  AJ stood in the middle and basically was quiet.  He was definitely just not going to say anything.  Josh stood by Chrissy with a slight smile on his face.  He kept staring at Maria and back at Chrissy, and he just shook his head.  Chrissy finally got tired of silence and grabbed Josh and they both walked away, into the crowd.  AJ stood there and watched Chrissy walk away.  Maria tapped AJ on the shoulder.

     “Hey now, don’t ignore me.  Why don’t we go somewhere else and talk?”  AJ nodded his head and followed Maria outside.
 

     Chrissy walked up the stairs with Josh in tow behind her and began to try and find an empty place to sit down.  Her heart was practically sitting at her feet, and she didn’t feel like being around a bunch of drunk people she didn’t know.  She began knocking on doors and pulling doorknobs until she found a room that was unoccupied.  Chrissy opened the door and drug Josh inside and closed the door.

     “Did you just fuckin’ hear what he said?”  Josh sat down on the bed.

     “Yeah, I heard him.   And, who was that girl?”

     “That’s Maria.  That’s that fucking bitch Maria,” she said exasperated.  “I can’t even fucking believe what he said.  Did you hear what he said?”  Chrissy was slurring her words a little.  Josh sat up on the bed.

     “Yeah, I heard what he said.  But, umm, who’s Maria?”

     “His ex-fucking-girlfriend.  She broke his heart.  Stomped all over it.  And now he’s making goo-goo eyes at her.  Oh Jesus, did you see how skanky she looked?  And, JOSH, did you hear what he said to her about me?”  Josh gave her a funny look.

     “Yeah, he said you were his friend.  What’s wrong with that?”  He was smiling inside, but keeping it cool on the outside.  Chrissy became livid.

     “What’s wrong with that? What’s wrong with that?  If I’m just his “friend”, I’d LOVE to see how good he fucks his girlfriend!” Chrissy threw herself on the bed.  “God, I could just strangle her! Did you see the way she was looking at me?”  Josh laid down next to her.

     “Yeah, I saw it,” he lied.

     “Did you see how Alex was so into her?”

     “Yeah, I did.”  Chrissy could feel tears welling up behind her eyes.

     “Stupid bitch!”

     “What’s name calling gonna get you Chrissy?” Josh asked as he rolled over on his side so he could see her face.

     “Probably nothing, but it sure beats punching a hole through that wall.”
 
 

 AJ sat on the stairs out in front of the house as he listened to Maria drone on and on about what had been going on in her life since they broke up.

     “Really Alexander, things are just going so well.  I’m moving to New York in a few weeks,” she said giddily.  AJ’s ears perked up.

     “New York? What for?” There was anger in his tone.

     “For my job, silly.”

     “That’s funny.  When we could have moved to New York for MY job, you wouldn’t do it,” he said.  Maria rolled her eyes at him.

     “Honestly Alexander, I was only looking out for your better interests.  You wouldn’t have faired well on Broadway.”

     “How would you know?  Not like I got any support from you anyway.”

     “You are so dramatic.  That was in the past.  Anyway, you seem to be doing well here.  And, who is this Chrissy girl?”

     “Why is she any of your business?”

     “Is she your girlfriend?”  AJ stared at her and pondered that question.
 
 

     “God Josh!  How could he just say I was his “friend”?  I really thought we were more than that,” Chrissy said.  She was sitting cross-legged on the bed.  Josh was lying down and had his hand on her knee.

     “I don’t know hon.  Maybe that’s all he sees for you two.”  Chrissy shuddered at the thought.

     “Josh, I mean, we’ve spent so much time together.  We’ve done things a couple would do.  At least I thought we did.”  Josh shrugged and rubbed her knee.

     “Honey, I don’t know what to tell you.  Didn’t I tell you not to trust him?  I told you could do better.”

     “Josh, please.  I don’t need a fucking lecture.  Just be my friend,” Chrissy said.  She positioned herself with Josh and he gave her a hug and they both laid on the bed together.
 
 

     “Well, is she your girlfriend or not?”  Maria was sort of skipping happily in front of AJ, waiting for his answer.

     “It’s none of your business.”

     “It’s just a question Alexander.”

     “Could you fucking stop calling me that? I hate that name.”

     “You never complained before.”

     “Yeah well, there’s a lot of things I should have said when we were  together, but I never did.”  Maria stopped in front of him.

     “Like what?”

     “Like the fact that….nevermind,” he said as he shook his head.  Maria crossed her arms.

     “Just say it Alex,” she said.

     “Don’t call me that either.”

     “Well, then, what should I call you?”

     “By my name.  Remember, the name that you thought was too common?”

     “Fine.  AJ, what should you have said to me?”

     “Don’t you even know?  Do you even know what you did to me?  Do you know how badly you hurt me?”

     “I think you’re exaggerating.”  AJ heard this and clenched his hands into fists.

     “Goddamnit, I’m not exaggerating,” he said as he stood up.  Maria sighed loudly.

     “Look, I didn’t come here to fight.  I came her with some friends to have a good time.  I’m sorry I seemed to have ruined both of our nights,” Maria said as she tried to walk away.  AJ grabbed her arm.

     “Not this time Maria.  I’ve got stuff to say to you, and you will listen to me,” AJ said.
 
 

 Chrissy laid in Josh’s arms and began to cry a little.  Josh felt a tear drip onto his arm and looked over at Chrissy.

     “Hey, are you crying?”

     “No,” she said as she stifled a sob.  Josh rolled Chrissy onto her back and wiped her tears away.

     “What are you crying for?”

     “He said I was his “friend”, Josh.  How could he say that when I was standing right there?” she cried.

     “Chrissy, don’t you get it?  He doesn’t love you.  It’s obvious this Maria girl is the one he still loves.  Did you see the way he was looking at her?”  Chrissy really couldn’t remember, but Josh wouldn’t lie to her.  She began to sob loudly now.  Chrissy sat up on the bed and sobbed.  Josh wiped her tears away.

     “Josh, I feel so stupid.  I’m such an idiot,” she sobbed.

     “Shh, no you’re not.  He’s the idiot.”

     “I thought the way I felt about him was the way he felt about me,” she sobbed.

     “Chris, you said it before: Guys Suck!”  It was Josh’s attempt to make Chrissy laugh, but it only made her cry more.

     “Josh,” she sobbed.  “I love him.”
 
 

     “AJ, let me go,” Maria demanded.

     “No, not until you hear what I have to say.”  Maria let out an exasperated sigh.

     “Fine.”

     “You know Maria,” AJ said as he began pacing in front of her.  “I would have given you everything.  I would have done anything for you, and up until a few months ago, had you come back to me saying you wanted us to get back together, I would have said yes.  You hung shit over my head all the time.  We always did what you wanted to do, but that was okay with me.  Why? Because I was in love with you.  For a long time, I didn't think I’d ever stop being in love with you.”  Maria sighed again.

     “AJ, please,” she begged.

     “No, I’m not finished.”  Maria rolled her eyes.  “Don’t roll your eyes at me.  I deserve to be heard.  Anyway, as I was saying, I would have done anything for you.  You fucking said you didn’t want to go to New York, so we didn’t go.  You didn’t wanna hang out with my friends, so we didn’t.  I did everything for you and you gave me shit in return.  Did you ever stop and think about how much of a bitch you actually were, Maria?”  AJ felt like all of these words were coming from some other place.  He didn’t know where, but he knew he couldn’t stop now.  Maria began to walk away.

     “This is bullshit, I don’t need to hear this,” she said.  AJ grabbed her arm.

     “I said, I’m not finished,” he said through gritted teeth.  Maria stopped where she was and continued listening to him.
“Did you ever think that maybe the things that you said and the things you did were actually hurting me?  No wait, how could you?  Your head was stuck so far up your own ass you couldn’t possibly see what was going on around you, could you?  I can’t believe I put up with your shit as long as I did,” AJ said, practically yelling.

     “AJ, you’re causing a scene.”

     “I don’t know anyone here, so fuck them!”

     “Keep your voice down.  People are looking at us.”

     “Let them fucking look,” he said.  AJ took a quick breath and continued on, “You asked me if Chrissy was my girlfriend.  Yes, she’s my girlfriend.  She treats me a hell of a lot better than you ever did and loves me for me.  She doesn’t love me for Alexander.  She loves me as Alex or AJ.  Get that?  She loves ME.  You NEVER loved me.  I was a great fuck for you, and that was it.  I love Chrissy, and she loves me.  We’re fucking happy together,” he said.
 
 

 Chrissy sobbed on Josh’s shoulder.  He held her in his arms and tried to calm her down a little.

     “Chrissy, he’s not worth this.”

     “Yes he is Josh.  You don’t know him,” she sobbed.  Josh looked at her and smiled.

     “Looks like you don’t either.”  Chrissy felt hot tears stream down her face.

     “Shit, I’m so mad I could just break something,” she said as she jumped off the bed.   Josh jumped up after her.

     “I don’t think that’d be such a good idea.  C’mere,” he said as he pulled her into a hug.  Chrissy sniffled a bit.

     “Thanks Josh.”

     “For what?”

     “For bein’ here for me.”

     “I’ll always be here.  You can always count on me, okay?” He said as he kissed some of her tears away.  Chrissy pulled away quickly.  “Shhh, Chrissy, it’s just me.  I’d never hurt you,” Josh whispered.  Tears streamed down her face as she felt Josh’s lips on her cheek.  “I won’t hurt you Chrissy,” he whispered between kisses.
 
 

Lyrics Taken From:
"Baby Did a Bad Bad thing" Chris Issak
Written by: Issak
© 1995 WEA/Warner Brothers