Elena and Howie were seeing each other for over two months now. You could say they were officially dating. Maybe it would blossom into a really serious relationship. Elena secretly hoped so. She thinks she's falling in love with Howie but afraid to say anything because in four months, he'd be off again. He would meet hundreds of beautiful women who would do anything to be in her shoes. Besides, admitting you have a girlfriend can bring unfavorable responses from fans. She didn't even know if he felt the same way. It was best to keep those feelings to herself, although she felt like she was being torn apart inside. A.J. and her had become the best of friends, also. They talked about almost everything. Almost. She hadn't mentioned a word to him about Howie. Howie had gone to a family reunion type of thing and would be gone for the weekend so Elena spent most of her spare time hanging out with A.J. That afternoon, they decided on a nice stroll in the park.
"So, A.J., are you enjoying your vacation time?" Elena inquired.
"Yup. It feels good sleeping as long as you want, and being a lazy ass. Now I have time to shop and figure out new ways to do my hair. Oh, I just bought a pair of green furry army pants a few days ago. You think I should dye my hair the same color? That'd be cool!"
"Furry pants?! A.J., you are too cool for me," joked Elena.
"I hope not! I really enjoy hanging out with you and you're a very good friend, even though you're like a million years older than me."
" Hey! I'm only seven years older!"
"Oh, sure now you're ONLY seven years older! The first time we met, you made it seem like you were the same age as my grandma!"
"Well that's cuz I wanted to let you down easy."
"Gee, thanks."
"You're welcome."
A.J. quietly continued strolling down the path beside her. Then a question popped into his mind
"So…how are things between you and Howie?"
Elena felt a lump in her throat. She didn't really know how to answer his question. "Heart-wrenching" was the correct answer, but she didn't want to seem like a lovesick schoolgirl.
"Great. Things are really good between us."
"Oh." A.J. felt kind of sad hearing that news. Sure, he was happy for his best friends, but he really liked Elena. A lot. "That's good."
"Yeah."
They continued walking, not saying anything to each other. They didn't even look at each other. They were afraid that if they did, their faces would reveal the hidden truth. It was painful hiding what they really felt. On the outside, everything was fine and dandy! Meanwhile, inside, their very hearts and souls were being twisted and torn apart.
Elena was having inner conflicts. Finally, after debating whether to listen to her brain or follow her heart, Elena decided she couldn't take it anymore! She needed to get it off her chest! She needed advice! She needed…A.J.
She turned to him and looked into his beautiful, sincere brown eyes.
"A.J.?"
"Yeah?"
"Can I ask you a very strange question?"
"Sure. What's on your mind?"
"Well, you've known Howie for nearly half your life. You guys are like brothers right?"
"Yup." "Since you guys are so close, I'm wondering if you can tell what he's feeling and vice versa."
"Sometimes. He'll have a certain look in his eyes when he's feeling sad, or happy, or angry. And I've been told the same."
"Can you tell when he's in love?"
A.J. stopped dead in his tracks. 'Love? Are they that serious?!'
"Well, I-I-I…that's a little harder to tell. I don't know."
Elena's heart sank. Howie was obviously not acting like he was in love. Maybe he wasn't. That really hurt her. Now she was certain…she loved him.
A.J. looked at her. Her head hung in sorrow and her eyes were glistening. He was afraid she'd start crying any minute.
"B-but that doesn't mean anything! He could very well be in love with you and I just haven't noticed!"
She looked up and smiled sadly at him.
"Thanks, A.J, but I need to know for sure. I'm going to tell him how I feel when he comes back."
"That's good…you know you could talk to me about anything. No matter what happens with you two, I'll always be there for you. For both of you."
Elena hugged him. Her soft cheek brushed against his. Her sweet scent intoxicated A.J. He felt like he could hold her like this forever. But he knew he couldn't. She loved Howie.
"Thank you," she softly whispered into A.J.'s ear.
After a few more seconds of comforting embracing, they separated. Elena gave a nervous laugh.
"We better get off the bike path or they'll knock our asses down!"
A.J. looked around. "Whoa! I didn't even notice we were on it! Come on. We can go back to my place and…" he said smirking.
Elena's eyes widened and she smacked him on his arm. "A.J.!"
"Hey! You didn't let me finish!"
"I didn't have to hear the rest! I knew what you were thinking, you little hormonal adolescent!"
"Well, for your information, I was gonna ask you if you wanted to watch MOVIES at my place! And I'm NOT a hormonal adolescent! I am a man with needs!"
"Ha! 'A man with needs'?! You're a Backstreet BOY!"
"I knew that was coming!"
"I'm just kidding. Sure, let's go to your place and watch MOVIES!"
"Alllllrighty then! Oh jeez, I've been hanging around Brian too long!" he laughed.
"Hey! Don't diss Brian! Brian's cute!"
"Oh please!"
"And Nick is adorable! Kevin's hot! And Howie's fine and all mine!"
"What about me?!"
"You're ok."
A.J. gave her the sad puppy face, complete with a pout.
"Stop that! You know I can't resist it!"
He started whimpering.
"Ahhh! Oh, fine! You're a cutie patootie, too! Happy?!" she said pulling his cheeks and laughing.
"Ow! Let go! Let go! Jeez, you've got quite a grip there!"
She laughed. "Let's go, Bone!"
"Right with ya, Eelie!"
"Eelie?! What the hell is that?!"
"It's your new nickname! If you wanna be in the club, you gotta have a nickname! Ya know, Train, Chaos, B-Rok, D, Bone…and Eelie!"
"Eelie? Hmm, Eelie! Yeah, I like it! Eelie it is!"
They hopped into A.J.'s black Lexus.
"Hey, can I turn on the radio?" asked a no longer depressed Elena.
"Sure. Put what ever you want."
"Thanks." She switched on the radio and tuned into Z100 just in time.
"And now a song by the 'fab five'! This is 'All I Have To Give,' Backstreet Boys," announced Kit Kelly.
Elena broke into a big grin. "YES!" She pumped up the volume. Nick's voice filled the car.
A.J. laughed. "I didn't know you were THAT BIG of a fan!"
She turned to him wide-eyed. "Are you kidding?! I got all three of your albums and every video, remix, and single I could get my hands on! I even bought a T-shirt that says 'BSB Freak Alert!!!'! Everyone in the store started looking at me funny, so I had to lie and say that it was for my niece! Can you imagine?! A 28 year old obsessing over a group of teen heartthrobs?!"
"Hey, why not?! There's a 27 year old IN the group of teen heartthrobs!"
"Yeah, but that's different! I would be society's outcast!"
Just then Howie's part came on. Elena's heart skipped a beat. She closed her eyes and imagined Howie singing it to her.
"When you talk
Does it seem like he's not
Even listening to a word you say
That's ok, baby
Just tell me your problems
I'll try my best to kiss them all away…"
A.J. had to bring her back to reality. "Hello? Eelie? Earth to Elena!"
She snapped out of it.
"Huh? What?"
"If you get any further out, you're gonna need a spacesuit!"
She blushed. "Sorry. My God, I'm acting like such a teenybopper!"
"Nah…you're just head over heels in love with the boy!"
"Yeah, and don't say a word of this to him or anyone else for that matter! I wanna be the one to tell him!"
"Hey, calm down! I won't tell anyone."
"You better not because I'll wring your neck! Yes, A.J., I've heard that you can't keep a secret!"
"Oh, but this is important! I promise, I won't say a word."
"Good."
They finally got to A.J.'s house and went inside. Denise greeted them at the door.
"Well, Alex, it's a good thing you finally decided to come home! Oh hi, Elena!" she said as her stern face turned into a smile.
"Hello, Mrs. McLean. I brought A.J. back for you," she laughed.
"Oh, you can call me Denise."
"Can I?" asked A.J.
"No."
"Damn."
"Elena, want something to drink? Or do you want something to eat? Or do you want to look at A.J.'s baby pictures?" Denise asked with a smirk.
"Mom! Please, no!"
"Awwwe! Baby A.J.! I'd love to! It's not everyday, I get to see a BSB's tushy!" Elena answered laughing.
"You would if only you'd tell Howie the truth," A.J. mumbled under his breath. "B-b-but you said you wanted to watch a movie!"
"Yeah, but…there will be time for both! Come on Mrs. Mc-err- Denise!"
"Ok. Oh, by the way, Lou called."
"Lou? Lou Pearlman? What did he want?"
"I don't know. He wouldn't tell me. Are you gonna call him back?"
"I guess. Dammit. What now?!"
A.J. ran up to his room. He picked up the phone and dialed Lou's office number. Johnny answered it.
"This is Trans-Continental, you have reached Lou Pearlman's office, how may I help you?"
A.J. had not talked to Johnny in a while. It felt kind of weird. He took a deep breath.
"Is Lou there?"
"No he's not. Who's this?"
"A.J. McLean."
There was a long pause.
"A.J. Long time no speak, eh?"
"It's, uh, been a while. So Lou's not there?"
"No."
"All right. He called me before, but I wasn't around."
"I did not know that. Would you like me to take a message?"
"No, thanks, bye."
"Bye, A.J."
After A.J. hung up the phone, he ran back downstairs. He just stood in the doorway leading to the kitchen just in case Elena and his mom were still looking at his humiliating pictures.
"And this was in his second year of high school just before he joined the group," Denise pointed out.
"Wow! A.J.'s changed a lot!" exclaimed Elena.
"Yeah. Oh look! When he had his dreadlocks!"
A.J. decided NOW was a good time to interrupt.
"Ahem!"
"Oh, A.J.!" laughed Elena as she looked at him in dreadlocks, "what in the world were you thinking?!"
"Hey, I looked good! Everyone's doing it now! Just look at Chris Kirkpatrick!"
"Oookaaaay. Well, I gotta say he doesn't look much better, either!
Although I have to say that Justin is pretty cute."
"Ha ha."
"No seriously! He is! Although he should do something about those jheri curls!"
"Well, Howie had jheri curls, too, you know!"
"Yeah, in the "Everybody" video, right? Ooh, he looked so cute! And JC---"
"Ok! Can we lay off the 'N Syncers, please?! You are in the presence of a BSB here!"
"What?! You two are 'brother bands'!"
"So?! We are two completely different bands! We should be free of comparison!"
"Ok! Fine! I won't talk about 'N Sync anymore! You know 5ive…"
"Eelie!"
"Just kidding! Chill, Bone!"
"Do you want to watch the movie or don't you?"
"I do! Let's go! Denise, you wanna come?"
"Hmm, what movie?"
"Face Off."
"No thanks. You kids enjoy yourselves."
"Hehe, 'kids'! I'm almost 29!"
"You're still a kid compared to me!" chuckled Denise.
"Let's go, Elena!"
"Alright! I'm coming!"
She sat down on the couch, while A.J. put the movie in. Then he sat beside her. They were totally engrossed in the movie, when suddenly the phone rang. They both jumped out of their skins.
"Oh jeez, it's only the phone!" said A.J after his heart jumped back into his chest. "Hello?"
"Hey, Bone! It's Howie."
"Howie? How ya doing? How was the reunion or what not?"
"I really love my family and all, but I haven't seen them in so long that I totally forgot how boring they were! So I left a little early. But they understood."
"Oh, cool."
"Yeah. Umm, I called Elena's house, but she wasn't there. Do you know where she might be?"
"Yeah, actually, she's right here. We were watching 'Face Off'. The part where they remove their faces and switch them is really nasty!"
"So I've heard."
"You wanna talk to Eelie?"
"Eelie?"
"Yeah, that's her new nickname. So what do you think will sound better, Eelie D. or Elena Dorough?" he snickered.
"Shut up, A.J.!" came from both Elena and Howie at the same time.
"Okey dokey. Hey, Elena, it's Howie."
She quickly snatched the phone from A.J. before he could open his big mouth again.
"Hi!"
"Hi. How have you been? Miss me?"
"Well…not that much. A.J. kept me company."
"Thanks."
"You're welcome. So what's up?"
"Are you busy tonight?"
"Nope."
"Good because I'm going to take you somewhere special."
Elena couldn't help but smile.
"Where?"
"It's a surprise. I know I've been a little distant…"
"Really? I haven't noticed," she lied.
"Yes, you have. I--- listen, I'll explain everything tonight…at eight."
"Ok. Should I dress up?"
"Umm, well, yeah. I'll get all spiffy for you, too."
"Can't wait. See you at eight, then. Bye."
"Bye."
She hung up the phone, smiling from ear to ear. A.J. noticed her extra-happiness.
"So, what are you so happy about?"
"Howie's taking me out to somewhere special tonight," she giggled.
"Ah, you know what that means, right?"
"What?"
"You said you'd tell him after he got back. Well…"
Elena's eyes widened at the realization. Her heart started thumping in her chest.
"Oh, no! It's too soon! I-I-I can't…"
A.J. grabbed her shoulders and looked her in the eye.
"Elena, this is perfect. A special place, a special moment…the special words will come naturally."
"But…"
"No, buts, Elena. You have to tell him. It'll make you feel much better if you get it off your chest. Believe me."
Elena looked deeply in his eyes and knew she could trust him. She gave a sigh and then kissed A.J. on the cheek.
"Thanks, A.J. I don't know what I would do without you."
She got up and jauntily sauntered to the front door. Then she
looked
back at A.J. "Hey, great movie!" Seconds later, she disappeared out
the
door to get ready for her BIG date with Howie.
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