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Oct. 15th, 2003 10:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
amfiguree[Het] [N'sync] [PG-13]
Steal My Heart
The guys, Naomi and Alyssa (original characters). Two childhood playmates, who found the meaning of friendship. Four adults, who have yet to find true love. Some call it destiny, others fate. Most say it's just following the heart.
Her breathing was calm and even. Her eyes were closed peacefully. She looked beautiful in the soft light spilling from the lamp. He reached up and switched off the lamp. The back of his hand gently caressed her cheek. He leaned down over her and pressed his lips forcefully against hers. His breath smelled of liquor and she stirred. Her eyelids lightly fluttered open and she grasped the situation she was caught in. His mouth covered hers and stifled her scream for help. Her hands beat wildly against his chest and she struggled even harder when he began to rip her clothes off her body. Tears were running down her cheeks and when she just couldn’t fight anymore, her hands dropped uselessly to her side. He pulled her closer and his tongue left a trail of saliva down her neck. She tried to scream again but her voice stuck in her throat. She struggled pointlessly against his strong body and fought to remain conscious. The smell of liquor was attacking her senses and suddenly all she saw was black...
“No!” she screamed. Her eyes jerked open and suddenly, she was wide awake. Beads of perspiration trickled down her face and neck and she was trembling uncontrollably. “Not again... please... not again...” she mumbled, burying her head in her hands.
Her brother burst into the room, switched on the lights, went over to her bedside and wrapped his arms protectively around his younger sister. “What’s wrong? Did you have another nightmare of...?”
She nodded and suddenly burst into tears. She was visibly shaken and that worried him. She was one of the strongest people he knew... and it broke his heart to see her that way. “Oh James! I can’t... can’t take it... anymore... please... help me...”
Her voice broke and she dissolved into a shower of tears yet again. James held her comfortingly in his arms. “Shh...” he whispered, rocking her gently to and fro, just like their mother used to do. “Shh... it’s all right now... everything will be okay... it’s all over now... hush...”
When she finally calmed down, he wiped her sweat off of her forehead and lay her gently back into her bed. He pulled up the covers and kissed her cheek tenderly. “I’ll be next door if you need me,” he told her, giving her a last, worried glance over his shoulder as he switched off the lights and left the room. He sighed as he closed the door and swallowed painfully. Ever since that... incident the last year, nothing had ever been the same for her... or for him.
She’s all I’ve got, he thought, ruefully. And I’d die for her. Now that Mom and Dad are gone... I’m the only one she can count on. She’s bright, she’s gotten through college and now she just needs a little help getting over this and starting anew. She needs to start working... that will get her mind off of this. James managed a grim smile as he shuffled back to his room, and fell into an exhausted, dreamless sleep.
As soon as she heard her brother close the door to his room, she crept out of bed and put the lights back on. She leaned against her wall and slid down it. Tucking her feet under her, she put her head in her hands and relieved the nightmare over and over in her head. It had been going on for days now. Every night she would live in the same fear and helplessness that she had felt over a year ago. She was breaking into a cold sweat again and she realized that if she didn’t do something about it, the fear she had concealed in her heart would soon swallow her alive.
She closed her eyes and leaned her head against her arms as her tears spilled down her lashes and cooled her hot cheeks. James has been working so hard... he put me through college and he’s the only living relation I have in this world. We’re quite wealthy now thanks to his lucky break in the stock market... but I want to do something to contribute. I can’t live my life in... in fear forever. I have to face it.
She clambered back into bed after turning out the light with only one thing clear in her mind - she would go out and find a job to keep herself occupied... but she would never trust another man again.
(Thursday Morning, two days later.)
“Alyssa, I’m going to... look for a job.”
“What?! Really? That’s great! Mayo, I haven’t seen this side out of you in a long while. Where’s that fighting spirit of yours gone, girl?”
Naomi looked Alyssa in the eye. “Ever since that... ever since last year... I haven’t been quite the same, have I?”
Alyssa looked curiously at her best friend for a few moments before reaching for her cold cup of coffee and waving it threateningly over Naomi’s head. “What do you... oh no... you couldn’t... not when it’s freezing... you wouldn’t...”
Naomi’s nervous rambling was cut off when Alyssa giggled. A shrill scream pierced the air in the next second. James ran into the backyard where Alyssa and Naomi had been talking a minute ago only to find his little sister chasing her best friend with a look of mock anger on her face. Naomi was also dripping from head to toe in coffee. James bit his lip to stop his laughter. You are so dead for that, Alyssa Carter! I am going to murder you, do you hear me? MURDER!”
James leaned back against the pillar and surveyed the scene. He grinned. It was good to see some of the old humor back in Naomi. He grinned even wider when Naomi flung a cup of freezing cold coffee onto Alyssa, who squealed her protests. Then his eyes widened in terror and he backed nervously away from the two girls, dripping with coffee, who were advancing menacingly towards him. Both of them wore an identical evil grin on their faces and both of them were holding an identical cup of chilly coffee in their hands. James licked his lips tensely and managed a weak smile. “Please?”
The next thing that was heard was that of James yelling and the sound of a liquid being poured onto something... someone.
Naomi wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes. Alyssa and her were freshly bathed and changed. They could still hear James muttering angrily about cold coffee, crazy sisters and mad women. Alyssa started laughing again when James grumbled, “It’s nine in the morning, I’m in the shower, my sister’s crazy best friend has just dumped coffee over me and they’re laughing about it! Women!”
“That was priceless!” Naomi giggled and Alyssa nodded in agreement. The image of James’ amazed face was too much. Alyssa sighed in contentment and sipped her coffee. They had freshly brewed coffee in front of them and it was steaming hot. Naomi set her mug back on the wooden table and looked at Alyssa.
Alyssa was what James called a ‘pretty woman’. She had clear green eyes, auburn hair, a petite figure and an aura around her that just screamed ‘look at me’. Her confidant, almost arrogant, walk could drag any and every man’s eyes to her legs. She was attractive and she was talented. She and Naomi had both completed college way before their time. Alyssa was already working as a teacher in a college and Naomi had worked alongside her for three years before that... incident had taken place. Naomi had quit soon after. Then she had wasted one year lazing around and crying over a worthless man at home.
Now a matured woman of age twenty-one, Naomi had gained some experience of her own. She was an attractive woman and in no way inferior to her companion. She had a long, slender figure, twinkling blue eyes, hazel-brown hair and her mouth was curled into a soft smile at the moment. She had been like Alyssa a few years back, but the incident with her ex-boyfriend had changed her outlook on people and she didn’t trust as readily as she would have in the past.
When the pair went out together, they attracted about as much attention as a girl walking around with the sign ‘I am beautiful’ planted in huge blinking lights above her head. Needless to say, they had a line of suitors as long as the Great Wall of China. But the one guy who had gotten a chance... the one guy Naomi had given her heart and soul to... he had betrayed her. And Alyssa knew, just by looking into her eyes, that it would be next to impossible for Naomi to ever trust another man with her heart, her soul, her love, again.
As if she could read Naomi’s thoughts, Alyssa reached out and placed her hand on Naomi’s arm. “Are you okay?” she asked softly. Naomi broke out of her thoughts, forced a painful smile and took another sip of coffee before nodding slowly. Alyssa smiled sadly, “You know I can tell what you’re thinking, Mayo. It’s no use telling me you’re okay when your face is saying otherwise.”
Naomi had to giggle at Alyssa’s last statement. “Ally, you know I’m not the most expressive person. My face never says anything. Only you and James can read me. I’d say it’s virtually impossible for a stranger to even try.”
Alyssa grinned. “That’s true,” she agreed, nodding slowly and sipping more coffee. “How long has it been since we last sat here and talked, Mayo? It feels like forever.”
“It has been a long time. Ally...”
Alyssa’s eyebrows shot up when Naomi didn’t continue. “Spit it out, girl. I’ve known you for practically forever and you’ve never been at a loss for words.”
Now it was Naomi’s turn to raise her eyebrows. “I’m never at a loss for words? Oh right, Ally. I always know what to say, don’t I?”
“Okay... so you got a bit tongue-tied when we got sent to the principal’s office in the third grade for throwing Tommy Wellson into the garbage can at the back of school... and the time we got detention for a week, you didn’t know what to say to your mom... and...”
“Okay! I get the point!” Naomi shook her head at Alyssa. “Some best friend you are! And here I thought I was the one with something to say! Sheesh Alyssa!”
Alyssa grinned sheepishly. “Come on, Mayo. You know I don’t mean it.” Then Alyssa’s expression turned deadly serious. “Now, enough with the jokes. Tell me... everything.”
Naomi sighed and looked away from her best friend. Sometimes she felt that Alyssa knew her even better than Naomi knew herself. “Well... I... I’m applying for a job at Jive... N’sync was advertising for a chaperone of some kind and I... I’m going for an interview this afternoon.” Naomi bit her lip and looked up at Alyssa. “Go on!” Naomi started to wail, mistaking Alyssa’s dazed look as one of confusion. “Go on! Tell me I’m crazy and that it’ll never work out! Go on, tell me! I mean, what was I thinking? I... I can’t go for the-”
“OH MY GOD!” Alyssa’s eyes were huge. Naomi resisted the urge to put both hands over Alyssa’s eyes in case they popped out of her eye sockets. They looked dangerously on the edge of doing just that. “Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!” Alyssa grabbed Naomi’s hands and squeezed them. The word ‘amazement’ was written all over her face. Naomi bit her lip to stop herself from laughing. “Naomi! Why didn’t you tell me? Oh... my... god! This is just way too cool! I mean, it’s just too cool! It’s incredible! It’s... oh my god!”
Naomi patted Alyssa’s hand soothingly as she quickly slotted an N’sync CD into her CD player. She changed tracks to listen to ‘For the girl who has everything’ and sighed contentedly when JC’s voice played over the speakers. Alyssa was breathing noisily and she was acting as though she had just been elected president of the world. “Oh, come on, Ally! It’s not the biggest thing in the world! I may not even get the job!”
Alyssa’s eyes widened indignantly. “Oh yeah? You are so getting that job, sister!” Alyssa smiled and rested her chin on the table when she heard Lance’s rich, deep voice. “Man, that guy’s got one hell of a voice! I must be the happiest woman alive.” Naomi dropped her hold on Alyssa’s hand and picked up the CD cover. “A billion other people are probably listening to him sing right now, so don’t get your hopes up.” Naomi stared at Lance, smiling dreamily. “He’s cute.” Alyssa snatched the cover away from Naomi and ran her thumb gently over Justin’s face. “Mmhmm... but Justin’s cuter.” Naomi looked at Alyssa and Alyssa slowly raised her eyes from the CD cover to look back at Naomi.
“Definitely... not,” Naomi’s eyes narrowed playfully and she smiled in satisfaction when Alyssa’s eyes bulged in horror.
“He is cuter!”
“No, he’s not!”
“Is too!”
“Not!”
“Is!”
“I thought you girls used to say JC was the cutest...?” James said, as he emerged from his bedroom. He had a pair of bermudas on and a towel was wrapped around his neck. He looked from Alyssa to Naomi, a look of confusion on his face.
Both girls turned to look at him. And the expressions on their faces did not look good. “Okaaaayyyy... so I guess you guys changed your minds, huh?” Their expressions didn’t change. James gulped, “I guess I should shut up now, right? Okay, enjoy your chat. I’m going to, uh, get some breakfast.” He smiled brightly and hurried into the kitchen, sighing thankfully for his escape from near death.
The girls turned back to each other. Alyssa raised an eyebrow and Naomi followed suit. Then their deadly expressions turned into grins and they started giggling. They laughed even harder when they heard James curse in the kitchen and throw his hands in the air in despair. “Give it up, bro!” Naomi called. “You’ll never understand women!”
The next minute had both Naomi and Alyssa doubling over with laughter as pots and pans clattered in the kitchen, hinting that James had flung his hands in the air again - and flung the cookery along with it.
(Later that afternoon.)
“Ally... Ally! ALLY! Help me!”
Alyssa charged into Naomi’s bedroom just as Naomi flung the door open. It resulted in both girls toppling over one another and landing on the floor in a tangled heap. Naomi stifled a giggle as she pouted and threw Alyssa a dirty look. “Great. I ask you to come in here and help me and what do you do? You ram me down when I help you to open the door. Jeez, get some common courtesy, Ally. Do you even understand the meaning of walking?”
“Oh right, Mayo,” Alyssa’s mouth was set in a straight line but there was a twinkle of amusement in her blue eyes. “I know nothing about courtesy... but who was the one screaming for me like Queen Jane of the forest? Oh, and since you’re so wrapped up in getting your animal calling done properly, let me borrow Tarzan for a few minutes and I’ll show you getting wrapped up in something!”
“Ouch!” Naomi pretended to wince.
“Good, the only reason I said that was so it would hurt you bad.” Alyssa countered as she pushed herself off of the floor - with a little help from Naomi’s shoulder. “Now what was it you wanted me to help you with, O great one? Would you like me to pour you a cup of tea? Or maybe you want to start taking piano lessons? Oh please, I am throwing myself at your feet. Allow me to help you in some way, any way.”
Naomi rolled her eyes, grabbed onto Alyssa’s arm and pulled herself up. “Well, nothing like that, I’m afraid. But I know that you have a nice long break now since the college just decided to send you all off and start renovations so... I was hoping... can you-”
“Go to the interview with you?” Alyssa grinned when Naomi nodded shyly. “I can-”
“I know... you can read me like a book.”
“Glad to hear it from you,” Alyssa grinned evilly. “But what happened to that all-spunk Naomi that I used to know? That fearless, courageous, gallant one?”
“Oh, she’s in there somewhere all right,” Naomi assured Alyssa. “It’s just that... I mean... they’re N’sync! I’ve been dying to meet them! I mean, let’s face it... they’re one of the hottest bands I’ve heard in a long time... I know, I’m sounding like an excited thirteen-year-old teenager or something but... N’sync! They’re such big hits and... well, I really admire their music... they have such great and beautiful voices... Damn! How am I going to do this? Oh man, I’m going to blow everything... I just know it... I can feel it. What if I start rambling like now? What if I get so nervous I can’t speak? What if-”
“What if they like you and you get the job? Did you ever consider that, Miss. Pessimistic?” Alyssa shook her head and clucked her tongue. “Why did you even call for back-up? You didn’t need my help to get all nervous. Look, the first thing you have to do now is to zip up that gorgeous red dress of yours, put on your make-up and let me do the rest. Take long steadying breaths and calm yourself.”
Naomi nodded and gulped in mouthfuls of air. Alyssa rolled her eyes and steered her best friend to the dressing table. She zipped the back of Naomi’s dress and hooked it at the top. “You look beautiful,” she assured Naomi, who simply nodded in reply and kept gulping in more air. Alyssa saw how badly Naomi’s hands were shaking and she sighed. “I’ll do the make-up for you... just calm down.”
After about fifteen minutes, they were finally ready to go. “Are you ready to roar, you pretty thing?”
Naomi shook her head. “No!” she wailed. “I’m never going to be ready. Oh, come on, Alyssa... we both know I can’t do it... don’t make me do it!”
“I’m not making you do anything, you twit! How are you going to get through hanging around them all the time if you’re already freaking out with the mere thought of meeting them? Get a grip, girl! You’re going to do this! You can do it!”
Naomi took a step back from Alyssa and bumped into her big brother’s chest. “Ow,” he cried in mock pain. “What’s all this I hear about my little sister being afraid of some boy band?” He tilted his head and looked down at Naomi, almost smiling at her nervousness. “Aww... poor girl... are you afraid they’re going to swallow you whole?”
Alyssa did laugh when Naomi nodded her head. James suddenly dissolved into a violent coughing fit to hide his laughter and even Naomi couldn’t help smiling at her own silliness. “Well, from what I’ve heard so far, the guys of N’sync are not cannibals... they’re not going to chew your bones, suck your blood or feed on your meat.” James grinned when Naomi’s eyes widened at his gruesome descriptions. “Look,” he reassured her, “You’re going to be fine. Just be yourself and it’ll work out. Don’t worry about anything right now. You’re twenty-one, girl! You can do it! Everything will go your way. The guys will love you - I mean, seriously, what’s there not to love? - you’ll be hired, and you’ll finally get your mind off of this stupid thing that happened with Marcus and on to more important things.”
James knew he shouldn’t have mentioned the name Marcus because Naomi turned pale immediately and a hint of fear crept into her eyes. He saw her swallow painfully and he licked his lips. “You’re going to have to get over it, Naomi. You can’t let Marcus hold you back forever. He’s gone now. He can’t do anything to you. You need to start afresh.” He shook her shoulders as if to wake her from a trance. “Wake up, girl! You can do this! This job will be perfect for you. I can feel it.”
Alyssa had crept behind James and whispered, “Thanks James. I think she needed that. She’ll be okay now, trust me. I’ll handle things from here.”
James kissed Naomi tenderly on the forehead and embraced her tightly. He nuzzled his face in her hair and felt comforted when her arms went around his waist. He pulled her tighter to him one last time before releasing her. Then he turned to Alyssa. “Letting you handle things is exactly what I’m afraid of,” he whispered in her ear on the pretense of hugging her. He cringed when she delivered a well-aimed kick to his stomach. “Ow.”
Alyssa was chuckling when James set her down and straightened himself.
“You’re right, James.” Naomi whispered and both James and Alyssa looked at her in shock and gladness. “I’m going to get over Mar...Marcus.” She said the name with some difficulty but took in a deep shuddering breath before continuing. “I’m not going to let him hold me back anymore. I know he’s probably going to be a shadow over me forever, but I’m going to go out there and do my best.”
“Atta girl!” James smiled in satisfaction and respect. He knew his younger sister and he knew that she would probably find it very hard to trust another person again. But he also knew that she would do her best - just like she promised. All the same, he felt that it would be a very long time before Naomi would be able to work up the courage to accept another man into her life again. His soft sigh went unheard as he thought of what Naomi was missing out on. There were only a handful of people as cruel as Marcus, and unfortunately, Naomi had been one of his victims. James wanted to scream at the unfairness of it all. Naomi was one of the best girls in the world and he wished there was something he could do to help her regain that trust in others. And in herself. Thanks to what Marcus had done to her, Naomi sometimes felt that she wasn’t as good as most others.
James pushed his troublesome and worrying thoughts aside long enough to smile fondly at both Alyssa and Naomi. Then, with a considerably loud sigh, he handed Alyssa the keys to his Jaguar. “You are dead meat if I see a single scratch on my car,” he warned, knowing that his Jaguar would probably be returned in perfect condition and yet worrying about Alyssa’s reckless driving. “And if Naomi loses even one strand of hair thanks to your driving, you can kiss your pretty ass goodbye.”
Naomi covered her mouth as she giggled. Alyssa gulped before smiling brightly. “Yes sir!” she saluted James and then practically dragged Naomi out of the room. “Guess we’ll see you tonight!”
“What?!”
“Oh, didn’t Naomi say?” Alyssa turned around to face James, a sickly sweet smile on her face. “I’m staying with you all till the school reopens. You know I can’t possibly fly all the way to Canada to stay with my parents!” Alyssa sighed ruefully but James could see the mischievous twinkle in her eyes. “And you can’t expect me to stay at home day after day with nothing to do, can you? So kind-hearted Naomi here offered to take me in... it’s just for the time being, James! You don’t have to act like the world is ending!”
Alyssa pouted and tapped her foot threateningly against the floor as James began to moan. “Naomi...” he groaned.
Naomi only smiled sheepishly. “Sorry James. It’ll only be for a little while! Come on, Alyssa, we’re going to be late. Um, bye James!” Naomi tugged on Alyssa’s arm and pulled her quickly away.
James heaved a sigh as the two girls hurried out of the door. He couldn’t resist smiling, though, when Alyssa waved at him from the driver’s seat in the car. He waved back and Naomi called good-bye. “Good luck!” he shouted after them, as Alyssa gunned the engine. He winced when the Jaguar sped forward, screeched and pulled a sharp right turn out of the driveway. “Why am I already regretting lending Alyssa my car?”
(Alyssa and Naomi in the Jaguar.)
Naomi pressed the ‘play’ button on the radio and relaxed considerably when JC’s voice blasted out from the speakers. She had never mentioned it to Alyssa or James before, but JC seemed to be an old friend of hers. It was as though they had been very close at one time, but Naomi just couldn’t put her finger on it. Where have I met him before? I’m almost certain we know each other. Or maybe I saw him at a shopping mall before he got famous and we had a talk, and I’m just being stupid. Or maybe... maybe I really do know him but...
Naomi’s thoughts were rudely interrupted when she finally noticed a hand waving frantically in front of her face. “Hey! Hello? Anybody in there?” Naomi exclaimed in pain when Alyssa’s hard knuckles rapped sharply against her temple. “Well finally! It’s about time I got a response out of you, Mayo. What were you thinking about?”
“Keep your eyes on the road Ally and just shut up.”
Alyssa turned to face the road, a smirk on her face. “Oh come on, Mayo. Do you think I’m gonna fall for that ‘I’m a bad, bad dog so watch out for my bite’ routine? Come on, tell me tell me tell me!”
“Okay, okay,” Naomi shook her long hair out of the bandana she was wearing in frustration. “The truth is... well, Ally, don’t laugh at me, but... well, I keep feeling like I’ve known JC forever. And the fact that I’m so in love with his voice doesn’t help things much. I mean, I’ve been in the choir and I know a good voice when I hear one... you must think I’m crazy... I mean, why don’t I just say I knew Justin since we were babies, huh? Yeah, he’s cute and one look from those eyes could make a woman sink to any level just to get a lick of his toes, but... I don’t know... I swear it’s true! I just keep getting that feeling that I’ve known JC since a long time back.” Naomi turned to Alyssa, a pleading look on her face. “Please say you believe me, Ally. Please say you know I’m not kidding.”
“I believe you, Mayo. I believe you’re not kidding. But you’re asking me to believe that you’ve known JC since almost forever?” Alyssa purposely ignored the comment about Justin but she definitely agreed with Naomi. Damn, one look from those eyes and I’d be contented to die right there and then, Alyssa couldn’t resist licking her lips and grinning.
“Well, yeah, sort of. I know it doesn’t make sense... but it’s true! I just get this feeling that I’ve seen him somewhere before. Dammit, why can’t I remember?”
Alyssa couldn’t hold back a giggle at Naomi’s vexed expression. “Take it slow, Mayo. I don’t want to have to make a detour and send you to the nuthouse or the hospital any time soon. I mean, not before you get that N’sync job! You’d be missing out on a once in a lifetime chance! And I really mean it when I say it’s ‘once in a lifetime’.”
Naomi looked at Alyssa disbelievingly. “Most people wouldn’t even get to see N’sync once in their lifetime and you’re telling me that a job like this is a ‘once in a lifetime’ chance? Right Ally. I so believe that.”
“Okay, so it’s even better than a once in a lifetime chance! But that’s why you’ve got to get a grip on yourself. Stop thinking about all this useless stuff and concentrate on what you’re going to say at the interview. I mean, you can’t go in there and stay dumbstruck staring at those five cuties for ten minutes!” Naomi raised her eyebrows and Alyssa raised her hands in mock surrender before quickly swerving to miss a green Mustang coming from the opposite direction. “Oops! Okay, so you can stand ogling at them for ten minutes, maybe even more, but that’s not the point! If you want that job, you’re going to have to make sure you impress them! Just do whatever it is that you do that make the men cry at your feet.”
Naomi burst out laughing at Alyssa’s last comment. “Yeah right, Ally. The day men cry at my feet will be the day pigs fly. Green pigs at that.”
Alyssa rolled her eyes and Naomi stifled a scream when they almost collided into a tree. “Puh-leeze, Mayo. Get real. You’re pretty, you’re talented, you’ve got character, you’re a great girl... what more could men want?”
“You.”
Alyssa laughed loudly and shook her head, the breeze flirting with her hair. “That’s true, I have to admit, but you can’t blame them. Oh, and by the way, that’s a nice necklace. Where’d you get it?”
“Ally, haven’t you noticed? I’ve been wearing this for practically forever.” Naomi fingered her necklace and smiled. It was a picture of a bear hugging half a heart to in its arms. There were a few letters in the heart. They were ‘Lo’, ‘Y’, ‘For’. Naomi couldn’t exactly remember what it was that was written on the other half of the heart but she remembered clearly who had given it to her and why.
“Oh, you have? Sorry, but you know I’m an idiot and real blind sometimes.”
Naomi laughed at her friend and relaxed against the seat, thankful that the JC topic had been dropped. I was stupid to have brought it up in the first place, she thought, closing her eyes wearily. I was so stupid to even believe I could have known JC. Wake up and face reality, Naomi Taylor!
Naomi sighed and opened her eyes. Alyssa was bobbing along to the music and Naomi couldn’t help but smile. I can do this, she told herself. I know I can.
(In the N’sync dressing room.)
“Lance, you don’t really think this is such a good idea, do you?”
Lance rolled his eyes and stretched lazily on the couch. “Look JC, if there’s any girl who can deal with us in this situation without screaming her head off, dropping her eyes out of her sockets, or looking like she’s just died and gone to heaven, she’s the one.”
“Yeah man!” Justin laughed. He was lying on a carpet and wrestling playfully with Chris. “And she’s gotta be a babe too. My eyes need a vigorous workout after so long. Come on Joey, you agree with me, don’t you?”
“Oh yeah, baby!” Joey grinned evilly. He was sitting comfortably on the table top with his eyes glued to the television screen. “Definitely a good time to call in the girl army. Time for some EYE CANDY, baby! Justin, this must be the only ingenious idea you’ve come up with in your nineteen years of life.”
“Shut up Joey! I’m trying to be kind here! I get all the eye candy I need going out with Britney.” Justin’s expression turned dreamy. “Man, I can’t stop thinking about her! But I figured we can’t meet all the time... so we need some entertainment here as well, don’t we? I’m sick of just talking to you guys... I need some girl attention... you know, a regular girl’s attention. Like, a girl pal. Yeah...” Justin narrowed his eyes and flexed his arms menacingly in Joey’s face when Joey smirked at him, but Chris pulled him down, chuckling.
“Watcha trying to show off, huh, small fry?” Chris giggled, pinning Justin’s arms to the floor and making a face. “Showing Joey your puny muscles? Well, I’ve got the moves, I’ve got the grooves, I am power, baby!”
“Power this, sissy Chris-y!” Justin rolled Chris over and slammed his full weight onto Chris’ body. “That’s gotta hurt!”
Chris smirked. “Did you just call me sissy? And that’s the best you can do, Mr. Macho?” he gripped Justin’s curls and giggled mischievously when Justin howled. “Then your best just stinks in my book.”
“Let go off my hair!” Justin wailed in misery as Chris rolled him over, got to his feet and yanked Justin to his feet by his curls. “Dammit Chris! Could you get any worse?” His eyes widened when Chris’ evil grin grew even bigger. “Okay, uh, I want you to forget I ever - DAMMIT CHRIS! LET GO OF MY HAIR!”
Joey and Lance were giggling hysterically as Chris practically dragged Justin across the room by his curls. Justin was howling with pain and his hands were furiously trying to pry Chris’ hands off his precious head. But he was only succeeding in making it hell for himself. “Lemme go! Come on Chris! Get off! JC, Chris is hurting me! OW! JC!”
JC sighed and stood up, brushing lint off of his jeans. He was sick of watching the guys goofing around when they could be doing work. “Chris, I’m gonna go get a drink. You’d better have fried Curly’s ass by the time I get back, or you’re gonna have to let him go. Either way, I want it done before I get back. Anyone else want a drink?”
When no response was given besides Justin’s yelling, JC shrugged and went to the vending machine just outside the room. He could hear the fans screaming from the lobby but he was immune to it. It had been happening for too long for him to feel anything about it any longer. JC reached into his pocket and felt around it for some change. When his fingers tightened around something he lifted it out of his pocket. He frowned when he saw what it was. I wonder what’s happened to her. She hasn’t written to me for a year or so... I hope she’s okay. He dropped the object back in his pocket and leaned against the vending machine with a soft sigh that only he could hear.
Please... please God... just please let Catch be okay.
(At Jive’s parking lot.)
“You go ahead. I’ll be right with you, girl.”
“Okay. And Ally? Don’t destroy the car, got it?”
“Mmhmm,” Alyssa lifted her sunglasses an inch or so from her nose. “Now get out of my sight.”
Naomi gave Alyssa a thumbs-up sign before turning and running towards Jive’s main entrance. She pulled the doors open and gasped. There was a line of girls longer than she had ever seen in the lobby. Yeah, she’d expected quite a few people but this was too much! There were no reporters or photographers, though, which Naomi found surprising, but the chatter of the excited girls drowned out her thoughts. She looked around curiously and found a stack of cardboard with numbers scribbled on them. She pulled a piece of the cardboard off the string and looked at the number. Her eyes widened in dismay when she realized just how long the queue was. “Three hundred and forty-six. What luck.”
Just then someone pushed past her and Naomi dropped her piece of cardboard. “I’m sorry,” she heard a girl say. Naomi didn’t even bother to look up. She bent down and tried to pick up the precious piece of cardboard but a herd of girls ran past at that moment and trampled all over her fingers. Still, Naomi picked up the cardboard piece before rubbing her sore hand. “This job, hell, this interview, better be worth all this,” she muttered to herself.
Alyssa caught sight of Naomi squatting down and rushed to her side. “Mayo? What’s wrong with your hand?” Alyssa gasped when she saw the purple bruises covering Naomi’s right hand. “What... why... who did this to you?”
“I don’t know,” Naomi answered truthfully. “I was just trying to pick my queue number from the floor and then - wham! - some girls come along and step all over my hands. Man, those high heels hurt!”
“Naturally, they should,” Alyssa still looked shocked. “But it’s a relief and a surprise no bones were broken. Some of those heels are sharp. Come on, Naomi. This shouldn’t take very long.”
“Oh yeah?” Naomi handed Alyssa the queue number. “Three hundred and forty-six? This shouldn’t take more than a few hundred years should it, Ally? Nope, this is going to be over real quick. And it’s gonna be my turn in no time at all, isn’t it?”
“Oh hell no! I’m not taking this crap from you, Mayo. Your turn’s gonna come quick, just trust me on this one okay?” Alyssa sat down on the floor like most of the other girls and pulled Naomi down next to her.
“Sorry I snapped. I’m feeling jittery and excited all over. I didn’t know that girls our age would listen to their music, or that they would act this stupid either!”
The two ladies in front of them turned and glared at Naomi, who gave them an apologetic grin. “Uh... sorry?”
“You’re getting into trouble a bit early this morning, Mayo.”
“I know, I know...” Naomi gripped Alyssa’s hand so tightly that Alyssa exclaimed in pain. Naomi quickly released Alyssa’s hand and began chewing nervously on her own lips. “Sorry, sorry...” She knew she was beginning to sound like a broken record, but honestly, she didn’t care. She was too nervous to even think, much less worry about Alyssa’s feelings. Worry and anxiety were swirling around in her head until the feelings became so mixed up that they were only a swirl of colors to Naomi’s dizzy mind.
The room was buzzing with laughter, chatter and noise. The girls were laughing and whistling N’sync songs to themselves. It was a perfect scene of chaos. Not for the first time, Naomi wondered what it would be like to have to deal with a mob larger and wilder than the crowd in the lobby every single day.
After a while, a batch of about fifteen ladies was called for the interview. Naomi’s concentration was focused entirely on the first few ‘lucky’ ladies to enter the lift and her heart pounded in her chest when all she saw were a few tear-streaked, laughing faces as the doors slid close. A few moments later, Naomi’s heartbeat began to accelerate when she heard screaming. The yelling grew louder and more frequent, until finally the same few ladies stepped out of the lifts again, pale, frightened and clearly shaken. Naomi gulped and her eyes widened when she saw one of the women fainting into the security guard’s arms.
The next few batches were pretty much the same scenario, except for a few girls who came out bright-eyed and looking totally amazed and happy. Their reactions are so extreme, thought Naomi. They either faint away, look pale and disheveled, or otherwise it’s as if they’ve died and gone to heaven. Just what is going on there?
I don’t really want to know. Yes, I do! I’m dead curious about all this. I’m curious about them! I want to know everything about them! Not just the stupid everyday information I can get from the Internet... I... I... I want to... I want to know them... I want to know what it’s like to live a life like theirs. I want to know so much. There’s just so much I can learn from them, so much I want to learn.
I want to learn about the real world instead of living in my own little shell from day to day. I want to see this side of me that’s been missing forever. I want to show the world that I can still be strong after what Marcus did to me. I want to prove that I can still be me. I’m not inferior to any of them in any way. I want to prove that to them. All of them. But most importantly, I want to prove it to me.
Naomi broke out of her trance long enough to glance at her watch. She almost screamed when she saw it had only been forty-five minutes since she had stepped into Jive and already they were past the first hundred or so girls. But I’m not ready for this, she wanted to scream. She wanted to run out of Jive right there and then but her pride wouldn’t let her. I’m just not ready! I want to go home and hide under the covers and lock myself away from the rest of the world for about another ten hundred years! I shouldn’t be here at Jive! I should be applying for a normal job! I... I should... I should go in there and show them I’m the one they should hire. I... I want to be hired for this. I... want... this... job.
Alyssa was enjoying herself immensely. One minute a frown would crease Naomi’s forehead, the next a look of worry and fear and then surprise. Alyssa had almost laughed out loud when she caught sight of Naomi’s surprised look after glancing at her watch. “I was right after all, wasn’t I?” she laughed quietly to herself. Then she saw a look of fear and confusion cross over Naomi’s face and for a minute she thought Naomi was going to run for it. She looked like a scared bunny who wanted to hide itself in a hole far, far away from the rest of the world and stay there forever.
Alyssa was just about to shake Naomi and scream at her until she penetrated that thick fog of fear surrounding and clouding Naomi’s judgment and building a wall against her courage when a look of determination masked Naomi’s face. Alyssa looked satisfied and relaxed again. There’s no way I’m letting her back out of this one, Alyssa thought with a surge of resolution. No way in hell.
TBC
Steal My Heart
The guys, Naomi and Alyssa (original characters). Two childhood playmates, who found the meaning of friendship. Four adults, who have yet to find true love. Some call it destiny, others fate. Most say it's just following the heart.
Her breathing was calm and even. Her eyes were closed peacefully. She looked beautiful in the soft light spilling from the lamp. He reached up and switched off the lamp. The back of his hand gently caressed her cheek. He leaned down over her and pressed his lips forcefully against hers. His breath smelled of liquor and she stirred. Her eyelids lightly fluttered open and she grasped the situation she was caught in. His mouth covered hers and stifled her scream for help. Her hands beat wildly against his chest and she struggled even harder when he began to rip her clothes off her body. Tears were running down her cheeks and when she just couldn’t fight anymore, her hands dropped uselessly to her side. He pulled her closer and his tongue left a trail of saliva down her neck. She tried to scream again but her voice stuck in her throat. She struggled pointlessly against his strong body and fought to remain conscious. The smell of liquor was attacking her senses and suddenly all she saw was black...
“No!” she screamed. Her eyes jerked open and suddenly, she was wide awake. Beads of perspiration trickled down her face and neck and she was trembling uncontrollably. “Not again... please... not again...” she mumbled, burying her head in her hands.
Her brother burst into the room, switched on the lights, went over to her bedside and wrapped his arms protectively around his younger sister. “What’s wrong? Did you have another nightmare of...?”
She nodded and suddenly burst into tears. She was visibly shaken and that worried him. She was one of the strongest people he knew... and it broke his heart to see her that way. “Oh James! I can’t... can’t take it... anymore... please... help me...”
Her voice broke and she dissolved into a shower of tears yet again. James held her comfortingly in his arms. “Shh...” he whispered, rocking her gently to and fro, just like their mother used to do. “Shh... it’s all right now... everything will be okay... it’s all over now... hush...”
When she finally calmed down, he wiped her sweat off of her forehead and lay her gently back into her bed. He pulled up the covers and kissed her cheek tenderly. “I’ll be next door if you need me,” he told her, giving her a last, worried glance over his shoulder as he switched off the lights and left the room. He sighed as he closed the door and swallowed painfully. Ever since that... incident the last year, nothing had ever been the same for her... or for him.
She’s all I’ve got, he thought, ruefully. And I’d die for her. Now that Mom and Dad are gone... I’m the only one she can count on. She’s bright, she’s gotten through college and now she just needs a little help getting over this and starting anew. She needs to start working... that will get her mind off of this. James managed a grim smile as he shuffled back to his room, and fell into an exhausted, dreamless sleep.
As soon as she heard her brother close the door to his room, she crept out of bed and put the lights back on. She leaned against her wall and slid down it. Tucking her feet under her, she put her head in her hands and relieved the nightmare over and over in her head. It had been going on for days now. Every night she would live in the same fear and helplessness that she had felt over a year ago. She was breaking into a cold sweat again and she realized that if she didn’t do something about it, the fear she had concealed in her heart would soon swallow her alive.
She closed her eyes and leaned her head against her arms as her tears spilled down her lashes and cooled her hot cheeks. James has been working so hard... he put me through college and he’s the only living relation I have in this world. We’re quite wealthy now thanks to his lucky break in the stock market... but I want to do something to contribute. I can’t live my life in... in fear forever. I have to face it.
She clambered back into bed after turning out the light with only one thing clear in her mind - she would go out and find a job to keep herself occupied... but she would never trust another man again.
(Thursday Morning, two days later.)
“Alyssa, I’m going to... look for a job.”
“What?! Really? That’s great! Mayo, I haven’t seen this side out of you in a long while. Where’s that fighting spirit of yours gone, girl?”
Naomi looked Alyssa in the eye. “Ever since that... ever since last year... I haven’t been quite the same, have I?”
Alyssa looked curiously at her best friend for a few moments before reaching for her cold cup of coffee and waving it threateningly over Naomi’s head. “What do you... oh no... you couldn’t... not when it’s freezing... you wouldn’t...”
Naomi’s nervous rambling was cut off when Alyssa giggled. A shrill scream pierced the air in the next second. James ran into the backyard where Alyssa and Naomi had been talking a minute ago only to find his little sister chasing her best friend with a look of mock anger on her face. Naomi was also dripping from head to toe in coffee. James bit his lip to stop his laughter. You are so dead for that, Alyssa Carter! I am going to murder you, do you hear me? MURDER!”
James leaned back against the pillar and surveyed the scene. He grinned. It was good to see some of the old humor back in Naomi. He grinned even wider when Naomi flung a cup of freezing cold coffee onto Alyssa, who squealed her protests. Then his eyes widened in terror and he backed nervously away from the two girls, dripping with coffee, who were advancing menacingly towards him. Both of them wore an identical evil grin on their faces and both of them were holding an identical cup of chilly coffee in their hands. James licked his lips tensely and managed a weak smile. “Please?”
The next thing that was heard was that of James yelling and the sound of a liquid being poured onto something... someone.
Naomi wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes. Alyssa and her were freshly bathed and changed. They could still hear James muttering angrily about cold coffee, crazy sisters and mad women. Alyssa started laughing again when James grumbled, “It’s nine in the morning, I’m in the shower, my sister’s crazy best friend has just dumped coffee over me and they’re laughing about it! Women!”
“That was priceless!” Naomi giggled and Alyssa nodded in agreement. The image of James’ amazed face was too much. Alyssa sighed in contentment and sipped her coffee. They had freshly brewed coffee in front of them and it was steaming hot. Naomi set her mug back on the wooden table and looked at Alyssa.
Alyssa was what James called a ‘pretty woman’. She had clear green eyes, auburn hair, a petite figure and an aura around her that just screamed ‘look at me’. Her confidant, almost arrogant, walk could drag any and every man’s eyes to her legs. She was attractive and she was talented. She and Naomi had both completed college way before their time. Alyssa was already working as a teacher in a college and Naomi had worked alongside her for three years before that... incident had taken place. Naomi had quit soon after. Then she had wasted one year lazing around and crying over a worthless man at home.
Now a matured woman of age twenty-one, Naomi had gained some experience of her own. She was an attractive woman and in no way inferior to her companion. She had a long, slender figure, twinkling blue eyes, hazel-brown hair and her mouth was curled into a soft smile at the moment. She had been like Alyssa a few years back, but the incident with her ex-boyfriend had changed her outlook on people and she didn’t trust as readily as she would have in the past.
When the pair went out together, they attracted about as much attention as a girl walking around with the sign ‘I am beautiful’ planted in huge blinking lights above her head. Needless to say, they had a line of suitors as long as the Great Wall of China. But the one guy who had gotten a chance... the one guy Naomi had given her heart and soul to... he had betrayed her. And Alyssa knew, just by looking into her eyes, that it would be next to impossible for Naomi to ever trust another man with her heart, her soul, her love, again.
As if she could read Naomi’s thoughts, Alyssa reached out and placed her hand on Naomi’s arm. “Are you okay?” she asked softly. Naomi broke out of her thoughts, forced a painful smile and took another sip of coffee before nodding slowly. Alyssa smiled sadly, “You know I can tell what you’re thinking, Mayo. It’s no use telling me you’re okay when your face is saying otherwise.”
Naomi had to giggle at Alyssa’s last statement. “Ally, you know I’m not the most expressive person. My face never says anything. Only you and James can read me. I’d say it’s virtually impossible for a stranger to even try.”
Alyssa grinned. “That’s true,” she agreed, nodding slowly and sipping more coffee. “How long has it been since we last sat here and talked, Mayo? It feels like forever.”
“It has been a long time. Ally...”
Alyssa’s eyebrows shot up when Naomi didn’t continue. “Spit it out, girl. I’ve known you for practically forever and you’ve never been at a loss for words.”
Now it was Naomi’s turn to raise her eyebrows. “I’m never at a loss for words? Oh right, Ally. I always know what to say, don’t I?”
“Okay... so you got a bit tongue-tied when we got sent to the principal’s office in the third grade for throwing Tommy Wellson into the garbage can at the back of school... and the time we got detention for a week, you didn’t know what to say to your mom... and...”
“Okay! I get the point!” Naomi shook her head at Alyssa. “Some best friend you are! And here I thought I was the one with something to say! Sheesh Alyssa!”
Alyssa grinned sheepishly. “Come on, Mayo. You know I don’t mean it.” Then Alyssa’s expression turned deadly serious. “Now, enough with the jokes. Tell me... everything.”
Naomi sighed and looked away from her best friend. Sometimes she felt that Alyssa knew her even better than Naomi knew herself. “Well... I... I’m applying for a job at Jive... N’sync was advertising for a chaperone of some kind and I... I’m going for an interview this afternoon.” Naomi bit her lip and looked up at Alyssa. “Go on!” Naomi started to wail, mistaking Alyssa’s dazed look as one of confusion. “Go on! Tell me I’m crazy and that it’ll never work out! Go on, tell me! I mean, what was I thinking? I... I can’t go for the-”
“OH MY GOD!” Alyssa’s eyes were huge. Naomi resisted the urge to put both hands over Alyssa’s eyes in case they popped out of her eye sockets. They looked dangerously on the edge of doing just that. “Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!” Alyssa grabbed Naomi’s hands and squeezed them. The word ‘amazement’ was written all over her face. Naomi bit her lip to stop herself from laughing. “Naomi! Why didn’t you tell me? Oh... my... god! This is just way too cool! I mean, it’s just too cool! It’s incredible! It’s... oh my god!”
Naomi patted Alyssa’s hand soothingly as she quickly slotted an N’sync CD into her CD player. She changed tracks to listen to ‘For the girl who has everything’ and sighed contentedly when JC’s voice played over the speakers. Alyssa was breathing noisily and she was acting as though she had just been elected president of the world. “Oh, come on, Ally! It’s not the biggest thing in the world! I may not even get the job!”
Alyssa’s eyes widened indignantly. “Oh yeah? You are so getting that job, sister!” Alyssa smiled and rested her chin on the table when she heard Lance’s rich, deep voice. “Man, that guy’s got one hell of a voice! I must be the happiest woman alive.” Naomi dropped her hold on Alyssa’s hand and picked up the CD cover. “A billion other people are probably listening to him sing right now, so don’t get your hopes up.” Naomi stared at Lance, smiling dreamily. “He’s cute.” Alyssa snatched the cover away from Naomi and ran her thumb gently over Justin’s face. “Mmhmm... but Justin’s cuter.” Naomi looked at Alyssa and Alyssa slowly raised her eyes from the CD cover to look back at Naomi.
“Definitely... not,” Naomi’s eyes narrowed playfully and she smiled in satisfaction when Alyssa’s eyes bulged in horror.
“He is cuter!”
“No, he’s not!”
“Is too!”
“Not!”
“Is!”
“I thought you girls used to say JC was the cutest...?” James said, as he emerged from his bedroom. He had a pair of bermudas on and a towel was wrapped around his neck. He looked from Alyssa to Naomi, a look of confusion on his face.
Both girls turned to look at him. And the expressions on their faces did not look good. “Okaaaayyyy... so I guess you guys changed your minds, huh?” Their expressions didn’t change. James gulped, “I guess I should shut up now, right? Okay, enjoy your chat. I’m going to, uh, get some breakfast.” He smiled brightly and hurried into the kitchen, sighing thankfully for his escape from near death.
The girls turned back to each other. Alyssa raised an eyebrow and Naomi followed suit. Then their deadly expressions turned into grins and they started giggling. They laughed even harder when they heard James curse in the kitchen and throw his hands in the air in despair. “Give it up, bro!” Naomi called. “You’ll never understand women!”
The next minute had both Naomi and Alyssa doubling over with laughter as pots and pans clattered in the kitchen, hinting that James had flung his hands in the air again - and flung the cookery along with it.
(Later that afternoon.)
“Ally... Ally! ALLY! Help me!”
Alyssa charged into Naomi’s bedroom just as Naomi flung the door open. It resulted in both girls toppling over one another and landing on the floor in a tangled heap. Naomi stifled a giggle as she pouted and threw Alyssa a dirty look. “Great. I ask you to come in here and help me and what do you do? You ram me down when I help you to open the door. Jeez, get some common courtesy, Ally. Do you even understand the meaning of walking?”
“Oh right, Mayo,” Alyssa’s mouth was set in a straight line but there was a twinkle of amusement in her blue eyes. “I know nothing about courtesy... but who was the one screaming for me like Queen Jane of the forest? Oh, and since you’re so wrapped up in getting your animal calling done properly, let me borrow Tarzan for a few minutes and I’ll show you getting wrapped up in something!”
“Ouch!” Naomi pretended to wince.
“Good, the only reason I said that was so it would hurt you bad.” Alyssa countered as she pushed herself off of the floor - with a little help from Naomi’s shoulder. “Now what was it you wanted me to help you with, O great one? Would you like me to pour you a cup of tea? Or maybe you want to start taking piano lessons? Oh please, I am throwing myself at your feet. Allow me to help you in some way, any way.”
Naomi rolled her eyes, grabbed onto Alyssa’s arm and pulled herself up. “Well, nothing like that, I’m afraid. But I know that you have a nice long break now since the college just decided to send you all off and start renovations so... I was hoping... can you-”
“Go to the interview with you?” Alyssa grinned when Naomi nodded shyly. “I can-”
“I know... you can read me like a book.”
“Glad to hear it from you,” Alyssa grinned evilly. “But what happened to that all-spunk Naomi that I used to know? That fearless, courageous, gallant one?”
“Oh, she’s in there somewhere all right,” Naomi assured Alyssa. “It’s just that... I mean... they’re N’sync! I’ve been dying to meet them! I mean, let’s face it... they’re one of the hottest bands I’ve heard in a long time... I know, I’m sounding like an excited thirteen-year-old teenager or something but... N’sync! They’re such big hits and... well, I really admire their music... they have such great and beautiful voices... Damn! How am I going to do this? Oh man, I’m going to blow everything... I just know it... I can feel it. What if I start rambling like now? What if I get so nervous I can’t speak? What if-”
“What if they like you and you get the job? Did you ever consider that, Miss. Pessimistic?” Alyssa shook her head and clucked her tongue. “Why did you even call for back-up? You didn’t need my help to get all nervous. Look, the first thing you have to do now is to zip up that gorgeous red dress of yours, put on your make-up and let me do the rest. Take long steadying breaths and calm yourself.”
Naomi nodded and gulped in mouthfuls of air. Alyssa rolled her eyes and steered her best friend to the dressing table. She zipped the back of Naomi’s dress and hooked it at the top. “You look beautiful,” she assured Naomi, who simply nodded in reply and kept gulping in more air. Alyssa saw how badly Naomi’s hands were shaking and she sighed. “I’ll do the make-up for you... just calm down.”
After about fifteen minutes, they were finally ready to go. “Are you ready to roar, you pretty thing?”
Naomi shook her head. “No!” she wailed. “I’m never going to be ready. Oh, come on, Alyssa... we both know I can’t do it... don’t make me do it!”
“I’m not making you do anything, you twit! How are you going to get through hanging around them all the time if you’re already freaking out with the mere thought of meeting them? Get a grip, girl! You’re going to do this! You can do it!”
Naomi took a step back from Alyssa and bumped into her big brother’s chest. “Ow,” he cried in mock pain. “What’s all this I hear about my little sister being afraid of some boy band?” He tilted his head and looked down at Naomi, almost smiling at her nervousness. “Aww... poor girl... are you afraid they’re going to swallow you whole?”
Alyssa did laugh when Naomi nodded her head. James suddenly dissolved into a violent coughing fit to hide his laughter and even Naomi couldn’t help smiling at her own silliness. “Well, from what I’ve heard so far, the guys of N’sync are not cannibals... they’re not going to chew your bones, suck your blood or feed on your meat.” James grinned when Naomi’s eyes widened at his gruesome descriptions. “Look,” he reassured her, “You’re going to be fine. Just be yourself and it’ll work out. Don’t worry about anything right now. You’re twenty-one, girl! You can do it! Everything will go your way. The guys will love you - I mean, seriously, what’s there not to love? - you’ll be hired, and you’ll finally get your mind off of this stupid thing that happened with Marcus and on to more important things.”
James knew he shouldn’t have mentioned the name Marcus because Naomi turned pale immediately and a hint of fear crept into her eyes. He saw her swallow painfully and he licked his lips. “You’re going to have to get over it, Naomi. You can’t let Marcus hold you back forever. He’s gone now. He can’t do anything to you. You need to start afresh.” He shook her shoulders as if to wake her from a trance. “Wake up, girl! You can do this! This job will be perfect for you. I can feel it.”
Alyssa had crept behind James and whispered, “Thanks James. I think she needed that. She’ll be okay now, trust me. I’ll handle things from here.”
James kissed Naomi tenderly on the forehead and embraced her tightly. He nuzzled his face in her hair and felt comforted when her arms went around his waist. He pulled her tighter to him one last time before releasing her. Then he turned to Alyssa. “Letting you handle things is exactly what I’m afraid of,” he whispered in her ear on the pretense of hugging her. He cringed when she delivered a well-aimed kick to his stomach. “Ow.”
Alyssa was chuckling when James set her down and straightened himself.
“You’re right, James.” Naomi whispered and both James and Alyssa looked at her in shock and gladness. “I’m going to get over Mar...Marcus.” She said the name with some difficulty but took in a deep shuddering breath before continuing. “I’m not going to let him hold me back anymore. I know he’s probably going to be a shadow over me forever, but I’m going to go out there and do my best.”
“Atta girl!” James smiled in satisfaction and respect. He knew his younger sister and he knew that she would probably find it very hard to trust another person again. But he also knew that she would do her best - just like she promised. All the same, he felt that it would be a very long time before Naomi would be able to work up the courage to accept another man into her life again. His soft sigh went unheard as he thought of what Naomi was missing out on. There were only a handful of people as cruel as Marcus, and unfortunately, Naomi had been one of his victims. James wanted to scream at the unfairness of it all. Naomi was one of the best girls in the world and he wished there was something he could do to help her regain that trust in others. And in herself. Thanks to what Marcus had done to her, Naomi sometimes felt that she wasn’t as good as most others.
James pushed his troublesome and worrying thoughts aside long enough to smile fondly at both Alyssa and Naomi. Then, with a considerably loud sigh, he handed Alyssa the keys to his Jaguar. “You are dead meat if I see a single scratch on my car,” he warned, knowing that his Jaguar would probably be returned in perfect condition and yet worrying about Alyssa’s reckless driving. “And if Naomi loses even one strand of hair thanks to your driving, you can kiss your pretty ass goodbye.”
Naomi covered her mouth as she giggled. Alyssa gulped before smiling brightly. “Yes sir!” she saluted James and then practically dragged Naomi out of the room. “Guess we’ll see you tonight!”
“What?!”
“Oh, didn’t Naomi say?” Alyssa turned around to face James, a sickly sweet smile on her face. “I’m staying with you all till the school reopens. You know I can’t possibly fly all the way to Canada to stay with my parents!” Alyssa sighed ruefully but James could see the mischievous twinkle in her eyes. “And you can’t expect me to stay at home day after day with nothing to do, can you? So kind-hearted Naomi here offered to take me in... it’s just for the time being, James! You don’t have to act like the world is ending!”
Alyssa pouted and tapped her foot threateningly against the floor as James began to moan. “Naomi...” he groaned.
Naomi only smiled sheepishly. “Sorry James. It’ll only be for a little while! Come on, Alyssa, we’re going to be late. Um, bye James!” Naomi tugged on Alyssa’s arm and pulled her quickly away.
James heaved a sigh as the two girls hurried out of the door. He couldn’t resist smiling, though, when Alyssa waved at him from the driver’s seat in the car. He waved back and Naomi called good-bye. “Good luck!” he shouted after them, as Alyssa gunned the engine. He winced when the Jaguar sped forward, screeched and pulled a sharp right turn out of the driveway. “Why am I already regretting lending Alyssa my car?”
(Alyssa and Naomi in the Jaguar.)
Naomi pressed the ‘play’ button on the radio and relaxed considerably when JC’s voice blasted out from the speakers. She had never mentioned it to Alyssa or James before, but JC seemed to be an old friend of hers. It was as though they had been very close at one time, but Naomi just couldn’t put her finger on it. Where have I met him before? I’m almost certain we know each other. Or maybe I saw him at a shopping mall before he got famous and we had a talk, and I’m just being stupid. Or maybe... maybe I really do know him but...
Naomi’s thoughts were rudely interrupted when she finally noticed a hand waving frantically in front of her face. “Hey! Hello? Anybody in there?” Naomi exclaimed in pain when Alyssa’s hard knuckles rapped sharply against her temple. “Well finally! It’s about time I got a response out of you, Mayo. What were you thinking about?”
“Keep your eyes on the road Ally and just shut up.”
Alyssa turned to face the road, a smirk on her face. “Oh come on, Mayo. Do you think I’m gonna fall for that ‘I’m a bad, bad dog so watch out for my bite’ routine? Come on, tell me tell me tell me!”
“Okay, okay,” Naomi shook her long hair out of the bandana she was wearing in frustration. “The truth is... well, Ally, don’t laugh at me, but... well, I keep feeling like I’ve known JC forever. And the fact that I’m so in love with his voice doesn’t help things much. I mean, I’ve been in the choir and I know a good voice when I hear one... you must think I’m crazy... I mean, why don’t I just say I knew Justin since we were babies, huh? Yeah, he’s cute and one look from those eyes could make a woman sink to any level just to get a lick of his toes, but... I don’t know... I swear it’s true! I just keep getting that feeling that I’ve known JC since a long time back.” Naomi turned to Alyssa, a pleading look on her face. “Please say you believe me, Ally. Please say you know I’m not kidding.”
“I believe you, Mayo. I believe you’re not kidding. But you’re asking me to believe that you’ve known JC since almost forever?” Alyssa purposely ignored the comment about Justin but she definitely agreed with Naomi. Damn, one look from those eyes and I’d be contented to die right there and then, Alyssa couldn’t resist licking her lips and grinning.
“Well, yeah, sort of. I know it doesn’t make sense... but it’s true! I just get this feeling that I’ve seen him somewhere before. Dammit, why can’t I remember?”
Alyssa couldn’t hold back a giggle at Naomi’s vexed expression. “Take it slow, Mayo. I don’t want to have to make a detour and send you to the nuthouse or the hospital any time soon. I mean, not before you get that N’sync job! You’d be missing out on a once in a lifetime chance! And I really mean it when I say it’s ‘once in a lifetime’.”
Naomi looked at Alyssa disbelievingly. “Most people wouldn’t even get to see N’sync once in their lifetime and you’re telling me that a job like this is a ‘once in a lifetime’ chance? Right Ally. I so believe that.”
“Okay, so it’s even better than a once in a lifetime chance! But that’s why you’ve got to get a grip on yourself. Stop thinking about all this useless stuff and concentrate on what you’re going to say at the interview. I mean, you can’t go in there and stay dumbstruck staring at those five cuties for ten minutes!” Naomi raised her eyebrows and Alyssa raised her hands in mock surrender before quickly swerving to miss a green Mustang coming from the opposite direction. “Oops! Okay, so you can stand ogling at them for ten minutes, maybe even more, but that’s not the point! If you want that job, you’re going to have to make sure you impress them! Just do whatever it is that you do that make the men cry at your feet.”
Naomi burst out laughing at Alyssa’s last comment. “Yeah right, Ally. The day men cry at my feet will be the day pigs fly. Green pigs at that.”
Alyssa rolled her eyes and Naomi stifled a scream when they almost collided into a tree. “Puh-leeze, Mayo. Get real. You’re pretty, you’re talented, you’ve got character, you’re a great girl... what more could men want?”
“You.”
Alyssa laughed loudly and shook her head, the breeze flirting with her hair. “That’s true, I have to admit, but you can’t blame them. Oh, and by the way, that’s a nice necklace. Where’d you get it?”
“Ally, haven’t you noticed? I’ve been wearing this for practically forever.” Naomi fingered her necklace and smiled. It was a picture of a bear hugging half a heart to in its arms. There were a few letters in the heart. They were ‘Lo’, ‘Y’, ‘For’. Naomi couldn’t exactly remember what it was that was written on the other half of the heart but she remembered clearly who had given it to her and why.
“Oh, you have? Sorry, but you know I’m an idiot and real blind sometimes.”
Naomi laughed at her friend and relaxed against the seat, thankful that the JC topic had been dropped. I was stupid to have brought it up in the first place, she thought, closing her eyes wearily. I was so stupid to even believe I could have known JC. Wake up and face reality, Naomi Taylor!
Naomi sighed and opened her eyes. Alyssa was bobbing along to the music and Naomi couldn’t help but smile. I can do this, she told herself. I know I can.
(In the N’sync dressing room.)
“Lance, you don’t really think this is such a good idea, do you?”
Lance rolled his eyes and stretched lazily on the couch. “Look JC, if there’s any girl who can deal with us in this situation without screaming her head off, dropping her eyes out of her sockets, or looking like she’s just died and gone to heaven, she’s the one.”
“Yeah man!” Justin laughed. He was lying on a carpet and wrestling playfully with Chris. “And she’s gotta be a babe too. My eyes need a vigorous workout after so long. Come on Joey, you agree with me, don’t you?”
“Oh yeah, baby!” Joey grinned evilly. He was sitting comfortably on the table top with his eyes glued to the television screen. “Definitely a good time to call in the girl army. Time for some EYE CANDY, baby! Justin, this must be the only ingenious idea you’ve come up with in your nineteen years of life.”
“Shut up Joey! I’m trying to be kind here! I get all the eye candy I need going out with Britney.” Justin’s expression turned dreamy. “Man, I can’t stop thinking about her! But I figured we can’t meet all the time... so we need some entertainment here as well, don’t we? I’m sick of just talking to you guys... I need some girl attention... you know, a regular girl’s attention. Like, a girl pal. Yeah...” Justin narrowed his eyes and flexed his arms menacingly in Joey’s face when Joey smirked at him, but Chris pulled him down, chuckling.
“Watcha trying to show off, huh, small fry?” Chris giggled, pinning Justin’s arms to the floor and making a face. “Showing Joey your puny muscles? Well, I’ve got the moves, I’ve got the grooves, I am power, baby!”
“Power this, sissy Chris-y!” Justin rolled Chris over and slammed his full weight onto Chris’ body. “That’s gotta hurt!”
Chris smirked. “Did you just call me sissy? And that’s the best you can do, Mr. Macho?” he gripped Justin’s curls and giggled mischievously when Justin howled. “Then your best just stinks in my book.”
“Let go off my hair!” Justin wailed in misery as Chris rolled him over, got to his feet and yanked Justin to his feet by his curls. “Dammit Chris! Could you get any worse?” His eyes widened when Chris’ evil grin grew even bigger. “Okay, uh, I want you to forget I ever - DAMMIT CHRIS! LET GO OF MY HAIR!”
Joey and Lance were giggling hysterically as Chris practically dragged Justin across the room by his curls. Justin was howling with pain and his hands were furiously trying to pry Chris’ hands off his precious head. But he was only succeeding in making it hell for himself. “Lemme go! Come on Chris! Get off! JC, Chris is hurting me! OW! JC!”
JC sighed and stood up, brushing lint off of his jeans. He was sick of watching the guys goofing around when they could be doing work. “Chris, I’m gonna go get a drink. You’d better have fried Curly’s ass by the time I get back, or you’re gonna have to let him go. Either way, I want it done before I get back. Anyone else want a drink?”
When no response was given besides Justin’s yelling, JC shrugged and went to the vending machine just outside the room. He could hear the fans screaming from the lobby but he was immune to it. It had been happening for too long for him to feel anything about it any longer. JC reached into his pocket and felt around it for some change. When his fingers tightened around something he lifted it out of his pocket. He frowned when he saw what it was. I wonder what’s happened to her. She hasn’t written to me for a year or so... I hope she’s okay. He dropped the object back in his pocket and leaned against the vending machine with a soft sigh that only he could hear.
Please... please God... just please let Catch be okay.
(At Jive’s parking lot.)
“You go ahead. I’ll be right with you, girl.”
“Okay. And Ally? Don’t destroy the car, got it?”
“Mmhmm,” Alyssa lifted her sunglasses an inch or so from her nose. “Now get out of my sight.”
Naomi gave Alyssa a thumbs-up sign before turning and running towards Jive’s main entrance. She pulled the doors open and gasped. There was a line of girls longer than she had ever seen in the lobby. Yeah, she’d expected quite a few people but this was too much! There were no reporters or photographers, though, which Naomi found surprising, but the chatter of the excited girls drowned out her thoughts. She looked around curiously and found a stack of cardboard with numbers scribbled on them. She pulled a piece of the cardboard off the string and looked at the number. Her eyes widened in dismay when she realized just how long the queue was. “Three hundred and forty-six. What luck.”
Just then someone pushed past her and Naomi dropped her piece of cardboard. “I’m sorry,” she heard a girl say. Naomi didn’t even bother to look up. She bent down and tried to pick up the precious piece of cardboard but a herd of girls ran past at that moment and trampled all over her fingers. Still, Naomi picked up the cardboard piece before rubbing her sore hand. “This job, hell, this interview, better be worth all this,” she muttered to herself.
Alyssa caught sight of Naomi squatting down and rushed to her side. “Mayo? What’s wrong with your hand?” Alyssa gasped when she saw the purple bruises covering Naomi’s right hand. “What... why... who did this to you?”
“I don’t know,” Naomi answered truthfully. “I was just trying to pick my queue number from the floor and then - wham! - some girls come along and step all over my hands. Man, those high heels hurt!”
“Naturally, they should,” Alyssa still looked shocked. “But it’s a relief and a surprise no bones were broken. Some of those heels are sharp. Come on, Naomi. This shouldn’t take very long.”
“Oh yeah?” Naomi handed Alyssa the queue number. “Three hundred and forty-six? This shouldn’t take more than a few hundred years should it, Ally? Nope, this is going to be over real quick. And it’s gonna be my turn in no time at all, isn’t it?”
“Oh hell no! I’m not taking this crap from you, Mayo. Your turn’s gonna come quick, just trust me on this one okay?” Alyssa sat down on the floor like most of the other girls and pulled Naomi down next to her.
“Sorry I snapped. I’m feeling jittery and excited all over. I didn’t know that girls our age would listen to their music, or that they would act this stupid either!”
The two ladies in front of them turned and glared at Naomi, who gave them an apologetic grin. “Uh... sorry?”
“You’re getting into trouble a bit early this morning, Mayo.”
“I know, I know...” Naomi gripped Alyssa’s hand so tightly that Alyssa exclaimed in pain. Naomi quickly released Alyssa’s hand and began chewing nervously on her own lips. “Sorry, sorry...” She knew she was beginning to sound like a broken record, but honestly, she didn’t care. She was too nervous to even think, much less worry about Alyssa’s feelings. Worry and anxiety were swirling around in her head until the feelings became so mixed up that they were only a swirl of colors to Naomi’s dizzy mind.
The room was buzzing with laughter, chatter and noise. The girls were laughing and whistling N’sync songs to themselves. It was a perfect scene of chaos. Not for the first time, Naomi wondered what it would be like to have to deal with a mob larger and wilder than the crowd in the lobby every single day.
After a while, a batch of about fifteen ladies was called for the interview. Naomi’s concentration was focused entirely on the first few ‘lucky’ ladies to enter the lift and her heart pounded in her chest when all she saw were a few tear-streaked, laughing faces as the doors slid close. A few moments later, Naomi’s heartbeat began to accelerate when she heard screaming. The yelling grew louder and more frequent, until finally the same few ladies stepped out of the lifts again, pale, frightened and clearly shaken. Naomi gulped and her eyes widened when she saw one of the women fainting into the security guard’s arms.
The next few batches were pretty much the same scenario, except for a few girls who came out bright-eyed and looking totally amazed and happy. Their reactions are so extreme, thought Naomi. They either faint away, look pale and disheveled, or otherwise it’s as if they’ve died and gone to heaven. Just what is going on there?
I don’t really want to know. Yes, I do! I’m dead curious about all this. I’m curious about them! I want to know everything about them! Not just the stupid everyday information I can get from the Internet... I... I... I want to... I want to know them... I want to know what it’s like to live a life like theirs. I want to know so much. There’s just so much I can learn from them, so much I want to learn.
I want to learn about the real world instead of living in my own little shell from day to day. I want to see this side of me that’s been missing forever. I want to show the world that I can still be strong after what Marcus did to me. I want to prove that I can still be me. I’m not inferior to any of them in any way. I want to prove that to them. All of them. But most importantly, I want to prove it to me.
Naomi broke out of her trance long enough to glance at her watch. She almost screamed when she saw it had only been forty-five minutes since she had stepped into Jive and already they were past the first hundred or so girls. But I’m not ready for this, she wanted to scream. She wanted to run out of Jive right there and then but her pride wouldn’t let her. I’m just not ready! I want to go home and hide under the covers and lock myself away from the rest of the world for about another ten hundred years! I shouldn’t be here at Jive! I should be applying for a normal job! I... I should... I should go in there and show them I’m the one they should hire. I... I want to be hired for this. I... want... this... job.
Alyssa was enjoying herself immensely. One minute a frown would crease Naomi’s forehead, the next a look of worry and fear and then surprise. Alyssa had almost laughed out loud when she caught sight of Naomi’s surprised look after glancing at her watch. “I was right after all, wasn’t I?” she laughed quietly to herself. Then she saw a look of fear and confusion cross over Naomi’s face and for a minute she thought Naomi was going to run for it. She looked like a scared bunny who wanted to hide itself in a hole far, far away from the rest of the world and stay there forever.
Alyssa was just about to shake Naomi and scream at her until she penetrated that thick fog of fear surrounding and clouding Naomi’s judgment and building a wall against her courage when a look of determination masked Naomi’s face. Alyssa looked satisfied and relaxed again. There’s no way I’m letting her back out of this one, Alyssa thought with a surge of resolution. No way in hell.
TBC
