Chapter Two
As I headed for the dancers tour bus Nick began waving me over. I strolled to him, curious as to what he wanted now.
“Chelley, why don’t you come on my bus with me? I just got Nintendo Game Cube!”
I agreed and stepped onto his bus. Besides, it’s not like any of the other guys would be on the bus and I loved to mess with the compact studio in the back of the bus. The moment I entered the living room sector of the bus I realized I spoke way too soon. There sat AJ McLean and Howie Dorough on the sofa, AJ obviously re-telling a story Howie had heard millions of times. I couldn’t help feeling that Nick had set me up.
“Hey guys!” I forced a smile anyway.
“Hey, Michelle! Are you riding with us?” inquired AJ turning his attention from Howie to me. I noticed Howie looked extremely relieved to see my presence-- could it be because now he wouldn’t have to listen to another one of AJ’s over exaggerated stories or simply to see me? Wait a second! What was I thinking? It doesn’t really matter what made his face instantly light up since I wasn’t interested in Howie.
“Yeah, she’s staying with us,” Nick answered for me. Remembering Nick was there, I swiftly turned and shot him a deathly stare before taking a seat beside AJ.
“What were you guys chatting about?” I asked.
“I was just telling Howie about the time when--”
“You mean, you just finished telling me about the time when--”
“OK, I get the point,” I laughed.
“Chelley, ready for me to crush you at Nintendo?”
“Goodness Nick, we have six hours! Do you mind if I chill for a bit first?”
“Nick, I’ll play with you,” said AJ as he stood and followed Nick to the entertainment room. I swear the two of them are pure evil. They left me alone in this huge living room with Howie! Things couldn’t get any more uncomfortable.
And once again I was lost in my sea of thoughts.
“What did you say Howie?”
“I asked if you wanted to watch Pearl Harbor with me?”
“Oh, sure! I didn’t go to see it in the movies since it’s so long. At least this way if I fall asleep, I won’t waste my money,” I babbled, as if he really cared.
“Those were my thoughts exactly,” he replied.
Was he trying to humor me are did we truly share the same thought? Eleven months on tour and all of a sudden, now that we’re heading home in two weeks, I starting feeling an attraction to this man? Is there something wrong with the universe?
The movie wasn’t as long as I was expecting. I turned to the clock and estimated we still had three and a half hours left. Shockingly, Nick hadn’t come in at all to bug me, check up on us, nothing. Maybe he was content competing against AJ...I’d give him another half hour. Now here comes the big test-- could Howie and I maintain a decent conversation?
“You know we’ve been on tour for so long and I know nothing about you,” stated Howie.
“Don’t feel bad, I don’t know much about you either,” I replied.
“When’s your birthday?”
“August 12,”
“So, you’re a Leo like me?”
“Yeah...” silence began to take over so I had to think quick. “You’re going home for Christmas?”
Of course he is, everyone is!
“I am for lack of anything better to do,”
“What do you mean?”
“Going home to your family every holiday gets kind of routine, you know?”
And just like that a conversation was born.