Chapter 4
I sighed as I watched Clay leave for rehearsal. Man, I don’t know what is wrong with me, but I can’t stop thinking about him.....I smiled and knocked myself out of a trance. I can’t believe that I am in the Idol mansion. I guess Dani was right.....I did find Clay again.....I think it’s time that I did a little exploring. But first, I have to call Dani to tell her what happened! She is not going to believe this! I skipped over to the phone and dialed her number.
“Hello?”
“Oh, hey J.C. How are you? It’s me, Becca.”
“Hey! I’m good, thanks for asking. How are you?”he asked.
“I’m fantastic! Could you get Dani? I need to tell her something.”I replied.
“Sure. Hunny! Phone!”he yelled to Dani.
“Hello?”
“Hey! It’s me, Becca.”
“Hey, girl! What’s up?”
“Oh, only the most exciting thing that could ever happen! You won’t believe what happened to me!” I then told her the story of last night before.
“Oh my gosh! So, you landed right on top of Clay? I’m so jealous!”
“Yup. He caught me and we sort of stared into each others’ eyes.”
“Wow....How romantic.....”
“Yeah, then I fainted while I was still lying on top of him. The next thing I knew, I was in his bed with him comforting me.”
“You bad girl!”teased Dani.
“No! It’s not what you think! Geez, you have a dirty mind!”I laughed back.
“Yeah, sure, okay. What ever you say.....So, how did you end up in HIS bed anyway?”
“Well, when I woke up, I didn’t know where I was. I had just had a nightmare and I screamed. Clay came running in and he told me that everything would be alright. He then told me how I passed out and how he carried me to the van and brought me to the Idol mansion with the others. He said he’d feel better if he was there when I woke up.”
“Ooooo, girl! I think he likes you!”
“Dani! He barely knows me!” But then, why can’t I stop thinking about him? Does he feel the same way?
“Well, I’m happy that you finally met again.”
“Thanks, hun. I think it is time that I do a little exploring while Clay and the others are out at rehearsal......”I said sneakily.
“Sounds like fun! Call me if, ya know, you and Clay hook up, if ya know what I mean?”
“Dani! Alright, talk to ya later!”
“Bye!”
That’s Danielle for you, as I hung up the phone.
~~~meanwhile, at rehearsal~~~
“Clay......Clay......Yo, Aiken!”yelled Ruben.
“Wha....Oh, sorry Ruben.”said Clay.
“Cut the music! Clay, what’s the problem? Get with it! Okay, 10 minute break!”yelled the music director.
“Sorry.”Clay apologized, and went to go sit down.
“Yo, Clay, man. What’s wrong? Is something bothering you?”asked Ruben.
“No, I’m fine, Rube.”
“C’mon, man. Something’s on your mind. Or should I say, someone?”asked Ruben, eyeing Clay.
“What are you talking about?”asked Clay, trying to look innocent.
“Look, we all know that you and Becca have some sort of connection. You couldn’t keep your eyes off of each other this morning.”
“Okay, okay! You got me! I’ve only just met her, but I feel really attracted to her. Is that wrong? I mean, she seems so different, you know. I just really would like to get to know her better, that’s all.”replied Clay, smiling.
“Oh, I see....Is that all? I mean, between you and me, do you see her as more than a friend?”asked Ruben, who already knew the answer.
Clay looked up at Ruben, and blushed. “Well....I....” he stammered, turning red. Ruben started to laugh. “Rube! It’s not funny!”Clay said, frantically looking around to make sure no one had heard them. “Okay, okay! I like her!......I can’t stop thinking about her. I don’t know what it is, but once she stepped into our lives, or should I say, fell into mine, I feel like I should be with her, you know? To protect her.”finished Clay.
“Awww, dawg!! That’s so sweet! Well, you should take this opportunity to get to know her. You never know what tomorrow will bring.”said Ruben.
Clay smiled, “Thanks. You’re a great friend.”
“Anytime, man. Anytime.”
“Okay! Let’s take it from the top!”yelled the music director.
~~~back at the mansion~~~
This place is huge! There are so many rooms! I wondered around for a little bit, until I noticed a pool in the back yard. “Oh, wow! A pool!” I ran over to the french doors and pulled them open. It was a beautiful day. A perfect day for a swim. It’s too bad that I didn’t have my bathing suit with me. But the water looks so nice.....I suppose I could jump in with my bra and panties as a replacement bathing suit. Why not? Nobody was home. So, I quickly slipped out off Clay’s t-shirt and pants. I was wearing a cute lacy, pink bra with matching boy short bottoms. Hmmm...This could pass as a bathing suit, as I looked down at my “outfit”.
I then stepped out into the warm sun. That fells so good....As I stretched my arms over my head. I then made my way over to the steps of the shallow end, and dipped my toes in to feel it. Not too bad....So, I slowly made my way in. This is so relaxing......I could stay in here all day.....
After about 30 minutes of a relaxing swim, I decided that I better get out so I could dry off. I didn’t have a towel, so I just laid down on a lawn chair to let the sun dry me. Before I knew it, I was fast asleep.
~~~dream sequence~~~
“Nooo! You can’t do this!” I yelled.
“And why not? I told you before, if I can’t have you, no one can.”Mark replied with an evil glint in his eye. “Jason! Get her out of the way. Say goodbye to your little boyfriend.” Then he raised his gun, one last time.......
~~~~~
~~~meanwhile, back with the idols~~~
They were just getting home from a long day of rehearsing. All of the girls were in a heated debate over who was better, Justin Timberlake or Usher. “Women.”said Josh, as he headed upstairs to call his wife. The girls took their discussion to the living room, in the front of the mansion. Ruben smiled and shook his head, as he headed towards the kitchen.
Clay walked in the hall, to the back of the mansion. Why can’t I stop thinking about her? Sighing, he took a seat beside the french doors, leading to the pool. He shuddered when he looked out the window at the water. Then he heard someone scream. “Hey! That sounded like Becca!” He quickly turned around, jumped out of the chair, and looked around outside.
“Stop! Don’t! Clay!”I screamed.
Seeing me laying out by the pool, he ran over to me and shook me awake, with a hand on each shoulder. “Becca! Wake up! I’m here!”he yelled.
My eyes shot open to a worried expression an Clay’s face. Tears were already streaming down my face. “C’mere.” said Clay, as he pulled me close and wrapped his arms around me. I put my arms around his neck, sobbing into his chest.
“I had.....another.....nightmare.....”I managed to say in between sobs.
“It’s okay, I’m here now. Don’t worry, hunny.”as he held me tight.
I never wanted to let go. I felt like I belonged in his arms. I felt safe. We stayed like that for a few minutes, until I realized that we were being watched. “Ummm...”I started. Clay slowly pulled away and turned to face the mansion. Everyone was standing by the doorway, watching. Apparently, the girls couldn’t sit during their argument, so they walked around until they heard me scream. They came running to the back of the mansion, and then stopped when they saw Clay hugging me. Josh nearly fell down the stairs, coming to see why I screamed, and Ruben nearly choked on a piece of pizza.
“Hey guys....”Clay finally spoke up.
“What’s going on?” asked Carmen.
“Well.....you see.....I......” started Clay, turning red.
“Well? What’s going on here, Clay? What happened? Why did Becca scream?”asked Kim C.
“Ummmm.....”
“I just fell asleep by the pool. I had another nightmare, and Clay came to see if I was okay.”I said, rescuing Clay. He let out a deep breath. After all, what would you think happened? I rest my case.....
“Oh, well, as long as you’re okay.....”said Kim C.
“Yes, thanks.” I replied.
“So, anyway, Justin is way cuter....”
“No way!”
“I beg to differ....”
“I have to go call my wife back to tell her everyone’s okay...”said Josh, as he went back to his room.
Clay gave Ruben a-don’t you start- look. Ruben just smiled and gave him the thumbs up.
“Oh man.....”Clay sighed, turning red, while putting his head in his hands. I smiled and took one of his hands. He lifted his head and looked at me.
“Thank you.”I whispered, as I leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. He blushed and smiled. “Well, I’d better go get dressed.....”I started, while slowly getting up.
“Oh.....Oh! I’m sorry! Go ahead.”said Clay, rather reluctantly.
I could tell that he didn’t want me to leave just yet, so I played with him a little. I got up slowly, and walked to the house, trying to be as sexy as possible. I turned my head back to see his staring, so I blew him a kiss. He caught it, and turned even redder. Then I started to laugh. He laughed with me, and I waved. Then I turned back into the house, grabbed Clay’s t-shirt and pants I was wearing before and went back upstairs, smiling from ear to ear.
Chapter 5
As I made my way back through the mansion and up the stairs, I couldn’t stop smiling. After what happened, I now knew that Clay was interested in me. At least now I how he feels, like I feel for him. I started humming to myself, while making my way back upstairs. Hmmmm.....this time, I think I will take up Kim C.’s offer and borrow some clothes.
As I walked up the stairs, towards Kim C.’s room, I noticed Carmen poking her head out of her room. She looked at me funny, like I was evil or something, and then closed the door. Hmmm...she doesn’t like me very much....I wonder why? I’ll have to ask later. After all, I didn’t want these people to hate me, especially Clay.
When I reached the landing, I turned to go to Kim C.’s room. I opened the door to find Kim laying on her back, listening to her cd player, and flipping through a fashion magazine. As I walked in, she looked up and smiled. She then took her head phones off and said, “What’s up? Need anything?”
“Well, I was hoping to borrow some clothes like you offered, if that’s okay.”I replied.
“Sure! Help yourself!”she said standing up and walking over to her closet, opening it.
“Wow. You sure have a lot of clothes...”I said, surprised.
“Yeah, well, I’m sort of a fashion fanatic. So, you just pick out what you like. I’m gonna head downstairs and get a soda. “She said, while heading to go downstairs.
“Okay, thanks a lot!”I said, after her.
I had a feeling that she knew that I really like Clay, and that I wanted to look good to impress him. ‘Now, what to wear?’ I pondered, looking through the closet. After some searching, I found a pair of hip hugging jeans and a light blue, tight fitting lacy tank top. I then went to the bathroom, took a shower, and put on my new outfit. It was a good thing that Kim and I are the same size. The pants and the top fit me perfectly. It really looked good on me, as I looked at my reflection in the mirror. The jeans were low enough to show a little of my stomach, and the tank top really showed off my figure.
I smiled as I pulled my hair into a ponytail. I then quickly applied some lip gloss. With a nod of approval, I stepped out of the bathroom and headed back downstairs, hoping to run into Clay. Now would be a good a time as any to get to know each other, especially since I looked pretty good, thanks to Kim C.
I started to wonder around, not looking to obvious. Hmmmm....if I were Clay, where would I be? I then heard the television coming from the living room. I walked over and poked my head in the doorway. No Clay. It was only Josh, Trenyce, and Kim L. Watching the news. Disappointed, I turned around and started to head towards the kitchen. Maybe he’s making himself a snack?
I made my way over and stepped in the doorway. Looking over at the table, I found Ruben, reading a magazine and sipping a soda. He looked up as I entered, frustrated that I couldn’t find Clay.
“Hey girl! What’s up?”he greeted me with a smile.
“Hey Ruben. Nothing much. I was just......never mind.....”as I turned to go.
“Wait! Come back here.....”he stopped me. I walked over and sat down next to him.
“You sure look very beautiful today.”
“Ummm...thanks.” I smiled him a quick smie.
“Were you looking for something, or should I say, someone in particular?”he asked, smiling.
“Well, actually......I was just....”I started.
“.....Looking for Clay?”he finished for me.
I blushed, then nodded. “How did you know?”
“Girl, I can see it in your eyes. I’ll tell you right now that I believe that Clay has developed a little crush on you.”
“Yeah?”I asked, intrigued.
“Oh, yeah. He was completely out of it today at rehearsal. I could tell that he was thinking about you. I mean, after this morning, everyone could see the sparks fly between you two.”
“Really?”
“Yup. I sure wasn’t the only one who noticed it.”
“Um, Ruben? Can I ask you something?”
“Sure. What’s up?”
“Does Carmen hate me? What did I ever do to her? She is always giving me dirty looks.” I asked.
“Oh, well, that is probably because she now has competition.”
“What do you mean?”
“Ever since the beginning of the show, Carmen has developed a little- well, ok, -a big crush on Clay. She is always trying to be the one who sits next to him, or who has to dance with during group numbers. I guess now that you’re here, she feel threatened. Like you’re gonna take Clay away from her or something. Of course, Clay isn’t interested in her romantically, mostly because she is only 18, and because he thinks of her as his little sister. This still doesn’t stop her from trying to flirt with him, though. He has told her that he is not interested, but she refuses to listen. So, I wouldn’t be surprised if she was a little jealous of you because Clay likes you instead of her.”finished Ruben, taking a sip of soda.
“I guess that explains it. Thanks Rube.”I said to him, getting up from the table.
“No problem.”
“Oh, and Ruben? You wouldn’t happen to know where Clay is, would you?”I asked, starting to blush.
“Ummm... I’m not really sure. My guess is that he is in his room. He spends a lot of time up there, mostly just to get some sleep.”replied Ruben, smiling.
“Thanks.”I smiled back, and headed out of the kitchen, and to the stairs to find Clay. On my way up, I met Kim C.
“Hey girl! That outfit looks so good on you!”she greeted me.
“Thanks for letting me borrow it.”I replied.
“It’s no problem. Oh, and if you were wondering, Clay is in his room.”she said smiling and winking at me.
“Thanks.”
I then headed over to his room. I turned my head and looked back to find Kim C. still watching me. I smiled and she gave me the thumbs up. I then turned to face his room. The door was closed, so I knocked. “Clay? Are you in there?” There was no reply, so I reached for the handle. It wasn’t locked, so I turned the knob and opened the door.
Chapter 6
I opened the door, to find the lights off. “Clay?”I whispered. Still no reply, I walked inside. I then noticed a door leading out to a balcony. It was open. Hmmm..... I never noticed that before..... Taking a deep breath, I slowly made my way over to the balcony. Quietly, I stepped into the doorway, only to find the person whom I have been searching for. Clay. He was leaning with his back to me, with his arms folded over the railing. It looked like he was in deep thought. I supposed that’s why he didn’t hear me knock. He looks so good standing there......Part of me didn’t want to disturb him, but another part of me wanted to hold him close. I sighed, and at the same time, he sighed. He looked up, then turned his head around to see me watching him. I guess I startled him, because he jumped when he noticed me standing there.
“Oh, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you.” I said.
Putting a hand over his heart, he replied, “Oh, no, it’s okay. Whew! I guess I was in such deep thought that I didn’t even hear you come in.”
“Do you want me to leave? Cause I’d hate to be bothering you.....” I said, turning to go. I then felt a hand on my shoulder.
“No, please don’t go.”Clay said, almost in a whisper.
I turned back around and found myself face to face with him. He was smiling and his eyes were sparkling. Those beautiful eyes get me every time. We started to gaze into each others’ eyes, falling into another world. Then, a shout from downstairs made me turn my head away.
“But that show is so stupid! It’s a bunch of trash! Let’s watch something else!”protested Josh.
“C’mon! It’s our turn to decide what to watch! We are so incredibly sick of the news!”yelled Trenyce.
In an effort to drown out their bickering, Clay walked over to the door and closed it. “That’s better.” he said, coming back over to me. I smiled and he smiled back. “Ummm...so, you wanna sit down?”he asked politely.
“Sure.”
He then took my hand and lead me over to the little couch he had in his room, across from his bed, next to his desk.
“After you.”he said, and I sat down.
He then sat down next to me. “So....ummm....you sure look nice.”he said, looking at me nervously.
“Thanks.”I replied, blushing, looking at the floor.
He then gently placed his hand under my chin and lifted my head to look at him. “What I meant to say is, you look beautiful.”he said, looking in my eyes. I looked into his. He then lowered his hand and looked away, turning red. “Sorry, I....never mind....So, was there something you needed?”he asked.
Yeah, I need you, Clay. “Well, I thought this would be the perfect time to get to know each other. You know, to talk. Since we are alone and all.....”I answered nervously.
“What a great idea! You know, I was thinking of asking you the same thing.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“So, I guess I will go first.”I started. “I’m 23 years old, as you know. I live, or should I say, lived in an apartment in downtown L.A. I absolutely love my job as a photographer. It is such an amazing job. I get to meet so many people. Ummm.....I haven’t had that much luck on the dating scene, and believe me, I’ve tried. I would always end up hurt in the end.”
“What? I can’t believe you.....You are a beautiful, smart, and funny girl. I just can’t believe that any one would want to hurt you in any way.” Clay said. I blushed. “Actually, I haven’t had that much luck either. The longest relationship I have ever been in lasted 6 months, and that was five years ago.”
“Wow, really? You’re lying! How could girls not be falling at your feet? You’re smart, funny, sweet, extremely talented, and not to mention you’re pretty darn cute.”I said to him.
Blushing, he said, “Well, girls didn’t think I was cute before this whole make over thing. Honestly, I’m nothing special.”
“But you’re wrong. You are special, to me at least.”I then looked at my hands. I then thought back to five months ago. I remembered Clay saving my life. I thought he was attractive then. Now, he looks even better. Of course, I liked him before American Idol, so it’s not the make over I’m interested in.
“So, any way,” I continued, looking up, “My last relationship ended five months ago, and well, you know what happened. I’m lucky to alive today.”tears starting to form in my eyes. “I’m lucky to be here, with you.”
He then pulled me into a big hug, wrapping his arms around me. I put my arms around his neck and rested my head on his chest. Again, I never wanted to leave those arms. I felt safe. It was where I belonged. He then slowly pulled away with a big smile on his face. I smiled back. “I’m sorry,”I started to laugh, “I’m usually not like this. I mean, crying all the time.”
“It’s okay, you can cry all you want. I’m here for you.”he replied.
“Thank you so much, Clay. That means a lot to me.” I smiled.
“It’s no problem, hunny. So, I guess it’s my turn?”Clay started. “Well, let’s see, I’m 24 years old and I’m from Raleigh, North Carolina.”
‘So that’s where he gets his sexy southern accent.’I thought.
“Before trying out for American Idol, I was finishing up my last semester at college. My major is Special Education, and I was planning on becoming a teacher for special needs children. Before I decided on a major, I worked at my local YMCA for a year before I went back to school. I discovered that my heart is set on teaching children with autism. While working there, I worked with a young man, Mike, who has autism. It was his mother, Diane Bubel, who pushed me to audition for American Idol.”
“Remind me to thank her later.” I said with a smile.
He smiled back and continued, “Hmmm....what else? Let’s see.....I’m allergic to chocolate, coffee, mint, mushrooms, and shellfish.....I’m aquaphobic, so I stay away from the pool.......I have a younger half brother, an older step brother, and an older step sister.”
“Wow.”I replied.
“Yeah. My step father died last year. As far as I’m concerned, he was my real father.”
“Why? What about your biological father?”I asked, concerned.
“Let’s just say that the world would be a better place without him. He used to physically beat my mother and I. He was an alcoholic and as a result, he was very abusive. My mom had to constantly move me around to keep me away from him. His is just a horrible person. That’s why I changed my last name. I dropped his, Grissom, and adopted my mother’s maiden name, Aiken.”
“Oh, honey, I can relate to the abuse you must have went through.”I said as I took one of his hands and held it. He looked at me and smiled. To lighten up the mood, I said, “So, I guess there’s no chance of you joining me for a swim in the pool, huh?”
“No way! No offense, but I’m terrified of the water. I can sit on the side and watch you, though....”he said with an evil grin. I playfully punched him in the arm and smiled. “Maybe you could.......So, any way, phobias? Hmmm.....I’m scared of spiders, snakes, and.....”For a moment, I thought about saying Mark, but I thought against it. I didn’t want to worry Clay.
“What?”
“Nothing.”I replied. “So, is there anything else I should know about you? A person can’t be to careful.....”I asked him, smiling.
“That is basically it. I am also very strong in my faith. I believe that God has a plan for me in this world, and I trust Him.”
“That is beautiful. I am also very strong in my faith. Everything happens for a reason, or because God wants it to.”I replied. He smiled and nodded.
“You’re so easy to talk to.”he said.
“Yeah, I feel the same way about you. I feel like I can tell you anything.”
“Me, too.”
Then, for some reason, I felt the need to scoot closer to him. I laid my head back on his chest. He then put his arms around my waist. We sat cuddling for a few minutes, just relaxing. I was listening to his heart beat. I was so comfortable, that I never wanted to get up. My eyes began to droop, as he started to run his fingers through my hair. I guess he was in a play ful mood, because soon after that, he began to tickle my side. I started to giggle and he started to laugh. I couldn’t take it anymore!
“That’s it!”I said, as I got up, “This is war!”
I then tackled him and started my tickling spree. He was laughing as he was still trying to tickle me back.
“Reinforcements!”I yelled, as I got up and brought over two pillows. “Pillow fight!”
We chased each other all over the room, feathers flying everywhere. Neither of us could stop laughing. He then hit me in the head with the pillow when I wasn’t looking. “Hey! Alright mister! That’s it!”I yelled playfully.
I threw my pillow to the floor and then I ran right into him, tackling him to the floor. We started to roll around, play wrestling each other until we were out of breath. We ended up on the other side of the room, Clay on top of me. When we finally stopped laughing, we looked into each others’ eyes. He then tucked some of my hair behind my ear. That’s it! I can’t take it any more! As if he read my mind, he leaned in as I put my arms around his neck, and he kissed me.
It was amazing. It was slow and soft. It was like nothing I had ever experienced before. He slowly pulled away, just enough to look into my eyes. I then leaned up and kissed him, pulling him back down. This time, the kiss lasted longer. If there was a definition for the perfect kiss, this would be it. While we were kissing, the door suddenly burst open. We suddenly broke the kiss and looked to see who it was. It was Carmen.
“Clay! Let’s go! We’re gonna be late! What are you......”she stopped when she noticed him lying on top of me. “Clay, what’s going on?”she asked, starting to tear up.
He quickly looked at me and then back to Carmen. Then he slowly got up off of me, and then helped me up. “Carmen, listen......”he started.
“No! I can’t believe you! I thought you liked me!”she squealed.
“I do! It’s just that I’m not interested in you romantically. How many times do I have to tell you?”he said, trying to stay calm. She was really getting on his nerves.
“But....but....I don’t understand!”she yelled.
“Carmen.....”Clay started, walking towards her.
“Stay away from me! I hate you!”with that, she turned around and ran down the stairs and out to the van.
Clay sighed, and then turned around to face me. “Don’t worry, hun. She’ll come around. She just needs to get used to idea of you and I. She’ll get over it.”I said, walking up to him and giving him a hug.
“I hope so. I love her like a little sister. I don’t like the idea of her being upset with me.”he said as he hugged me back.
Just then, Ruben called from downstairs, “Clay! C’mon man! We’re gonna be late!”
“I have to go tape the show for tonight. Think you’ll be alright by yourself? I don’t want you to fall asleep until I get back, alright? No nightmares. I’ll call you from time to time to check up on things.”he said, pulling away from me.
“I’ll be fine. Go. I’ll be watching for you tonight.”I replied. He smiled, gave me a wink, and turned to go. “Oh! Wait a minute! If you don’t mind me asking, what were you thinking about out on the balcony?”I asked, curious to know the answer.
He turned around, smiled, and said, “You.” I smiled back, and then he turned and left to go to the show.