The next week seemed to drag on endlessly for Christel. Oh sure the Boys kept busy with their interviews, studio time and etc. that it didn't seem so long to them. But for Christel, who spent most of her time in the hotel room or just tagging along with Kevin, it couldn't have come quicker.
AJ, on the other hand, felt completely torn. One part of him wanted to go home as soon as possible, while one part wanted to stay as far away from Florida as humanly possible and another part was just confused. He knew he had feelings for Chinita but he didn't know what he was going to do about it. Christel told him some time ago that he should tell her about his feelings but he didn't know if he could do that. Chinita did call him, once, since she got back home which resulted in nothing but an argument. Since then AJ had become almost unbearable to live with. When he wasn't biting one of the guys' heads off he was completely to himself which, was wearing thin on all of their patience. Even Howie had the sudden urge to strangle him at one point. The only person he wasn't pissing off on a regular basis was Christel and that was only because she didn't have to see him as often as the other guys.
One day Christel had the misfortune of accompanying Kevin to the studio. No matter how much Kevin warned her that it wouldn't be pretty she insisted on going. Not only wasn't it pretty it was completely boring. Christel sat herself in the most comfortable seat in the room, which really wasn't all that comfortable at all, and drank two Cokes to keep herself from nodding off. Eventually they took a break, not that Christel would notice, since the caffeine in her Cokes had wore off quite sometime ago and she had in fact nodded off.
Kevin stood, stretched and stepped out of the booth heading to where Christel was seated at the back of the room. Kevin had a splitting headache and hopped that Christel or someone had some aspirin otherwise he might be moved to violence. AJ was being an ass and it was affecting everyone else's mood, which wasn't making working with any of them fun or even tolerable. Nick had become whiny, Howie was just disapproving of EVERYTHING, Brian wasn't focused at all, and Kevin was just irritated with all of them. They hadn't gotten anything accomplished and decided that they needed a break from one another to clear their heads and hopefully come back and get something done. As he got closer to where Christel sat it was clear that she was sleeping.
"Hey Christel wake up," he said shaking her gently. Christel stirred, blinked a few times and look right up into Kevin's eyes.
"What? What is it?" she asked groggily.
"Well we're taking a break and I was going to get something to eat. Do you want anything?" he asked.
"Uuum yeah sure but no more Coke for me please some fruit juice or water or something," she replied with a lopsided smile.
"Yeah I noticed you knocking back the Cokes. Did you leave any for anyone else?" he remarked returning the smile.
"Yeah I think there may be one left," she said stretching and laughing slightly.
"Well you wouldn't happen to have some aspirin would you? I've got a splitting headache and if I go back in there with it. . . five Backstreet Boys may go in but five won't come out. . . not alive anyway," he replied grimly.
"That bad huh?" she asked as she retrieved her bag from the floor.
"I don't think bad is the word to describe it. I love the guys and all but I am not above killing one of them right now." Christel couldn't help but laugh as she dug through her bag looking for some aspirin. "I mean no one is acting like themselves. I know it's partly because AJ is bitting everyone's head off at the littlest thing," he went on.
"Hey, I have some Midol if you wanna pass that on to AJ," she said giving him a mischievous smile.
"I don't think that'll solve his problem. Just the aspirin for me please," he replied.
"Ok, here's the aspirin," she said as she handed it to him.
"Thanks sweetie, I'll be back in a minute," he said dropping a kiss on her forehead. "What do you want to eat?"
"Uumm it doesn't matter whatever you're having is fine," she replied.
"Just no Coke right?" he asked with a smile.
"Yeah no Coke." Kevin left her alone in the room. Christel pulled out her book and began reading. Just as she finished a chapter AJ walked in.
"Oh I didn't know someone was still in here," he muttered making a hasty retreat.
I'm never going to finish this book, Christel thought to herself setting her book down. "AJ wait a minute," she replied stopping him in his tracks. "Can I talk to you, please?"
"I don't feel like talking," he replied.
"Well I do, come on in here." AJ stood in the doorway for a minute and looked to be struggling with himself. After much debate he closed the door behind him and sat in the chair farthest from Christel. Christel looked at him and rolled her eyes. I think I'm about to experience what the others have been for the past couple of days, she thought with a heavy sigh.
"So what's up with you?" she asked.
"What's up with me? You can't be serious," he retorted.
"Yeah I am serious. I wanna know what's going on." AJ just looked at her.
"I thought you wanted to become a writer not a psychologist," he said mockingly.
"Very funny. I am serious you asshole. . . I want to know why you're acting so unlike yourself," she told him. "I remember not too long ago you asked for my help or maybe you just have to be drunk to need my help."
"Look I'm sorry about that. I shouldn't have done that but I-" Christel interrupted him.
"-was drunk. I know, I know, spare me the details. I got all the info I needed from Nick, who didn't leave you down there. You, in a drunken rage, made him leave. Just thought you should know that. So are you going to tell me what the hell is wrong with you or do I have to drag it out of you?" AJ stared at her for a moment going over his options which, at the moment, seemed few and far between. He could refuse to tell her anything and let her try to drag it out of him which, would only make them both upset and more than likely she would succeed. Or he could tell her everything that he's thinking and feeling and hope to get some good advice.
"Tell me when you're ready," she said picking up her booking and finding her page.
"Ok ok I get the hint. You're not going anywhere till I tell you what you want to know right?"
"Yeah pretty much, but you can always get up and leave," she said turning a page. AJ looked at her thoughtfully.
"Alright. . . I give," he said with a sigh.
"You do?" Christel asked incredulously.
"Yeah, I'll talk to you," he replied. Christel instantly put her book away and turned her attention on AJ.
"Ok so what's your issue?"
"This thing between me and Chinita. . . I know I like her but I can't bring myself to tell her. She called me last week when she got home but we just got into an argument," he said.
"WHOA!! Stop the presses!! AJ "the ladies man" McLean doesn't know how to tell a girl how he feels about her. What's next. . . flying pigs??" she said jokingly.
"Very funny Christel but I'm serious." he said.
"Ok, what was the argument about?" she asked him.
"I told her how rotten she was to just up and leave like that and she got mad," he retorted.
"You didn't actually call her rotten did you?" she asked.
"Well. . . not in so many words," he replied.
"You idiot! You don't call the girl you like rotten! What are you in grade school?"
"I know it was a stupid move but I was mad. Then she asked me if I was drunk and I said no and she wouldn't believe me."
"Well were you drunk?"
"No I actually wasn't. When she called I was asleep so I sounded a little hung over but I wasn't."
"Ok just asking. So is there anything else."
"No that's pretty much it."
"Well you know what I think, AJ. I told you to just tell her how you feel about her. When we get home just call her up and ask her if she wants to come over to your place and TELL HER," Christel said.
"Chrissy it's not that easy. I can't-" he started saying her nickname mockingly.
"Hey, hey, hey I told you about calling me Chrissy. The only person who's allowed to call me that is my mother," she stopped him.
"Ok sorry. But I can't just call her up and say, �Hey Chinita I like you do you like me.' That sounds stupid," he replied.
"No of course not. I wasn't suggesting that you do that but you could send her a letter that says �I like you. Do you like me? Yes, No, Maybe so.'." by the look on AJ's face she could tell he was not amused. "Ok maybe not. . . but you can call her and talk to her, AJ. I don't understand why it's so easy for you to tell me everything about how you feel about Chinita and you can't tell Chinita about how you feel about CHINITA. Or how you can hit on half the women in the state of Florida and beyond and you can't tell one girl that you've known for about a year how you really feel about her."
"I don't know, Christel, it's different."
"Different how? Explain to me how it's different."
"I don't know."
"Well that explains a lot," she mumbled to herself.
"I'm not the only one who needs to talk to Chinita," AJ muttered loud enough for her to hear.
"We're not talking about me here. We're talking about you." A long uncomfortable pause stretched between them until Kevin came back with Brian and food in tow.
"Oh were we interrupting something?" Brian asked.
"No," Christel and AJ mumbled simultaneously. Kevin and Brian looked at each other skeptically.
"Well here's your food," Kevin said.
"Thanks honey," she replied. All the while she was eating she couldn't help but figure out how she was going to get AJ to talk to Chinita.
******
"There must be something you can do," Kevin said.
"Me? What can I do? AJ is going to do what AJ wants to do. I told him to talk to her but you know how stubborn he is," Christel shot back at him.
"I blame some of this on Chinita. I mean, did she really have to leave when she did? She could have waited an extra week or so. We'll be home, hopefully, by the end of this week. She could have held out for one more week."
"First, she doesn't know AJ has feelings for her. Second, she might not have feelings for him in return. Third, she had to go back she has a new. . . Shit! What day is it? Oh no, she has a new store opening soon, that's why she had to go back."
"New store?"
"Yes. You know. . . her clothing store Blue Ice apparel and accessories. Kevin I know you've heard of it. . . I mean you've only known us for a little over a year."
"Oh yeah that clothing store," he said. Christel and Kevin were talking in the elevator on their way up to their room from the day they spent at the studio. Fortunately, all Backstreet Boys made it out of the studio alive and well. They did get something done that day much to Kevin's pleasure who was really close to picking one of them up and tossing them out a window, preferably AJ. They continued to talk as they walked down the hall toward their room.
"Wait a minute. . . What did you mean by �We'll be home, hopefully, by the end of this week.'? We are going home on Friday, right?" Christel asked as they reached their door.
"Well. . . yes and no. Yes we plan on going home Friday but if we keep performing the way we have been in the studio we may have to stay a little longer," he said opening the door. Christel felt like banging her head against a wall.
"I wanna go home, Kevin," she said.
"So do I. If someone could just get through to AJ to get himself together then we will be going home on Friday," he declared.
"Are you trying to tell me something Kevin?" she asked.
"Something like what?" he asked innocently.
"That I should be the one to try to get through to him," she said arching an eyebrow at him.
"Well you got him to talk to you today. From my point of view you're the only one who he'll talk to," he said.
"Oh my gosh you're serious. I thought you were just talking. What about his best buddy Howie? They aren't talking at all?" she asked.
"No they're not. Howie is about at the end of his rope where AJ is concerned as much as the rest of us. . . with the exception of you that is," he retorted.
"You can't possibly expect me to be able to make AJ focus and be himself. I can tell him to and I can talk to him till I'm blue in the face but it doesn't mean he'll listen to me," she replied.
"It's still worth a shot," he said. Easy for you to say, she thought. Christel sat on the edge of the bed and thought. There was no way possible for her to get AJ completely back to his senses until they got back to Florida where he could talk to Chinita.
"He has feelings for Chinita and he can't bring himself to tell her that. I don't think he'll get himself completely together till he talks to her and I don't think that'll happen till he gets home. So now tell me, what can I possibly say that'll get AJ back on track?"
"Tell him to call her."
"She called him and they got into an argument. He basically called her rotten and she accused him of being drunk."
"Ok, in that case then I guess he wouldn't be the first person she wants to talk to."
"Yeah I'll say! In fact he'll be mighty lucky if she talks to him when we get back home."
"What about you?" Kevin asked.
"What about me?" Christel questioned.
"Well when are you going to talk to her?"
"When she calls me besides, we're not talking about me we're talking about AJ here." Kevin didn't bring up the subject anymore. He knew that Christel and Chinita REALLY needed to talk but he wasn't going to press the issue.
After that the days went by quicker than expected. AJ pulled himself together enough in time for them to be able to leave by Friday. Everyone was pleased at this turn of events, especially Christel, who couldn't be more than happy to go home. Although she couldn't take complete credit for AJ acting more like himself since she hadn't really had a heart to heart with him since that day in the studio. She assumed that one of the guys straightened him up or he took what she told him to heart. In any case they were heading home on Friday and she was just grateful for that.
******
"Hey Niecey, it's Nick. We'll be leaving here tomorrow morning," he said into his cell phone.
"Really? Oh I can't wait to see you baby," she replied.
"I know. I can't wait to see you either," he retorted. Nick had been packing most of the day trying to make sure he didn't forget anything, the way he usually did. He had left the door sitting open when Christel swept into the room and caught Nick lounging in one of the arm chairs.
"Who are you talking to?" she asked him.
"I don't have to tell you," he said sticking out his tongue.
"Ok fine. I'll find out eventually. . . you know I will," she said plopping down in the chair opposite him. Christel sat watching Nick for awhile waiting for him to let his guard down. She gathered from the conversation that he was talking to Ohniece. Since he was obviously too involved in his conversation with Ohniece he didn't see her coming. He was just about to say, "I love you Niecey." when Christel snatched the phone out of his hand before he could get the words out of his mouth.
"HEY!!" he fairly screamed as he lunged from his chair.
"Why Nick I thought Howie sang falsetto," she replied jumping up and putting the chair between them.
"Give that back," he replied.
"Be a good boy, sit down and let me talk to her for a minute and I will give it back to you when I'm done. Ok?" Nick eyed her for a moment.
"Why don't you go bother someone else?" he asked taking his seat again.
"Well, Kevin is kinda in a mood. . . he can't find a shirt or some underwear or something. And my little brother is in DC so I guess you're the only one around, Nick my boy," she said plopping down in her seat.
"Why don't you go bother Brian, Howie or AJ?"
"I think we both know that Brian can match us when it comes to bothering someone. Howie would just sit there and take whatever I do to him which, is no fun at all. As for AJ, you think I'm stepping into that lion's den? Hell no, he's kinda in a mood, too. Even more severe than Kevin's. Besides, Nicky you're so much more fun to annoy than anyone else." Nick glared at her before picking up his Gameboy.
"So what's up Niecey?" she asked.
"I'll get to that in a minute. Why are you terrorizing my boyfriend?"
"Well I don't have anything better to do. So why not mess with him? Lord knows he messes with everyone else. Ok so tell me what's going on, on your end. I'll be home soon and I need to know what I'm walking into."
"Well your cat is doing pretty well. You need to name her. I don't know what to call her when I need to call her," she started.
"Ohniece you know that's not what I meant. I know you talked to Chinita at some point you're too nosey not to have at least called her for some dish," she said.
"Oh nice, call me nosey while trying to get information out of me. Actually, I didn't call her she called me and asked me to come over to her place. . ." she trailed off.
"For what? She trying to get you on her side?" Christel asked louder than she meant to. Nick shot a look in her direction but said nothing.
"She wanted to tell me her side of the story, so to speak. I'm not actually on anyone's side here. I'm like Switzerland, neutral territory." she retorted.
"Ok, ok, so what did she tell you?" she asked.
"She told me everything that's been going on there from her point of view. She told me that her and AJ didn't sleep together the whole time she was there, contrary to your belief," Ohniece stated.
"I know that, I talked to AJ and I believe him. Is that all she said to you?" Christel asked.
"No, she told me something else but I don't think I'm at liberty to tell you. It's kinda confidential between me and her."
"Ok you gotta tell me now."
"No. You know what I think? I think you need to talk to her," Ohniece declared.
"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Christel asked more to herself than to Ohniece.
"Because everyone is right. You two have been mad at each other long enough. You even talked to AJ before you talked to her. If it were me and Nick I would have damn near killed that boy for the stuff AJ pulled on you. Chinita didn't even do anything but be a friend for one of her friends and she's getting the cold shoulder while you and AJ are bosom buddies."
"Wait a minute, did you just totally turn on me? You should hear her Nick she's threatening your life, man." Nick didn't even look away from his Gameboy as he replied,
"I doubt it."
"Look Christel, I know you're upset with Chinita but you were also upset. . . no. . . enraged by what AJ did to you but you still saw it in your heart to talk to him. Why can't you do that with Chinita, too? God, you're both so damn stubborn."
"You're stubborn too, besides, I didn't really start talking to AJ he started talking to me and I told you that I wouldn't talk to her first she has to come to me."
"Yeah and she's saying the same thing. One of you has to talk to the other one. Don't make me force you two to talk to each other," she said anger rising slightly in her voice.
"Is that a threat? Huh Ohniece? Look, I'm not the one who flew half way across the world to comfort her friend's ex-boyfriend. You should have saw them here, they were disgusting. She didn't even see fit to tell me she was coming here. She just-"
"Christel you weren't answering your phone. How was she supposed to tell you." she interrupted her.
"I do have an answering machine, not to mention, e-mail, cell phone, voice mail. . . she could have contacted me if she wanted to. Did she tell you Ohniece that she was coming here? No?" she asserted.
"No, she didn't tell me," she replied in a small voice.
"I didn't think so. If she really wanted me to know she could have found a way to let me know. Let me know SOMETHING. I mean did she think I wouldn't ever find out?" as she continued she only got silence from Ohniece's end. "See you have no answer for that one, do you Niecey? Well I do. She didn't try to tell me, she didn't tell you because she didn't want anyone to know. She was being sneaky and deceitful, Niecey."
"She has feelings for him," Ohniece blurted out. Christel stopped her tirade long enough to hear what Ohniece said.
"Excuse me?"
"She likes him. Chinita has feelings for AJ. That's what she told me. I wasn't going to tell you. . . I wasn't supposed to tell you but I thought it was the only thing that would shut you up." Christel was shocked. No, shocked, would be putting it mildly. Whatever was way beyond shocked that's what Christel was. She fell completely silent.
"Christel? Hello? You still with me?"
"Yeah I'm still here, Niecey. Look I gotta go. I still got some packing to finish. I'll see you when we get back to the good ole US of A, ok?"
"Yeah bye Chris. Put Nick back on please."
"Sure," she said. Then to Nick, "Here Nick, she wants to talk to you." Before Nick could respond she had handed him the phone and was out the door.
******
Friday, it had finally come. Everyone seemed to be in high spirits, even AJ had lifted out of his gloomy mood enough to be pleasant on the long flight back. Christel was the only one who didn't seem ready to go dancing in the streets like everyone else. No one really noticed except Kevin. She sat in the terminal nervously chewing her thumbnail as so many thoughts raced through her mind. She likes him. Chinita has feelings for AJ, she kept hearing Ohniece say. She could not believe it. Talk about a �turn of events', she thought. How could I have been so fucking blind. Their friendship was pretty much like me and Kev's. But everyone isn't the same. They could remain friends for all I know.
"Hey, that's our flight," Kevin said to Christel. She didn't move, just continued to sit in her seat nervously chewing on her nail and staring at her feet.
"Christel our flight. . . . Christel your hair's on fire!!!" Kevin still didn't get a reaction out of her. He leaned down to her and nudged her arm enough to dislodge her nail from her mouth.
"I'm sorry Kevin did you say something?" she asked looking up at him.
"Yes, our flight was just called," he said looking at her intently.
"Oh," Christel said grabbing her bags.
"Hey where did you go there? You seemed a million miles away from here," he asked.
"I was thinking. . .," she stated.
"About?" he asked as they boarded the plan.
"Me. . . AJ. . . and Chinita," she muttered.
"Oh," Kevin said and left it at that. He knew that he wasn't going to get much out of her for the rest of the flight.
On the plane Nick sat next to Brian as was expected. No one really dared sit next to them on planes since they both got extremely edgy. Annoying the hell out of anyone who risked sitting next to them so it was agreed that they would both sit together. Howie and AJ had apparently made up and were sitting together. Leaving two empty seats for Christel and Kevin to sit together. While the body guards sat around them or somewhere close by.
"I call window seat," Christel said as they made their way to their seat.
"Ok no problem," Kevin replied.
"Oh I know. I did call first so it's automatically mine."
"Says who?"
"Well it's well known that whenever you want to sit by the window or in the front seat of the car you gotta call the seat, man," Brian replied as they passed his seat.
"It's true," Nick chimed in. Christel nodded. Kevin looked at all three and rolled his eyes.
"Of course there's the girlfriend rule. Where if your girlfriend ask for anything she'll usually get it," Brian replied prompting Kevin to throw his magazine over his shoulder at him.
Just as the plane took off Kevin leaned over to Christel and murmured,
"Would you like to join the Mile High Club?" Christel couldn't help but smile.
"As much fun as that sounds I'll have to pass," she replied with the smile still playing on her lips.
"Ok, can't say I didn't try. . . and I got you to smile," he said with a sly grin.
The plane had got into the air when Brian and Nick quietly burst into song.
"Na Na Naa Na, Na Na Naa Na, Hey Hey Hey goodbye," Nick started.
"Na Na Naa Na, Na Na Naa Na, Hey Hey Hey goodbye," Brian joined in.
"Na Na Naa Na, Na Na Naa Na, Hey Hey Hey goodbye," they sang together. Kevin looked at Christel and rolled his eyes.
"I hope they fall asleep soon," he said eliciting another smile and a slight giggle from Christel. Nick and Brian hearing Kevin decided to get louder.
"Knock it off," Kevin said using his best disciplinarian voice. Brian and Nick looked at each other before getting louder.
"Let me try," she whispered to him. Turning around in her seat and in her sweetest voice she replied, "Would you guys stop that please I'm not feeling well."
"Oh ok, we're sorry Christel. We thought Kevin was just being himself again," Brian said.
"It's ok. I still love ya," she replied.
"We'll keep it down," Nick assured her.
"Thank you, guys," she replied facing forward. Kevin looked at her in awe.
"You know what?" he asked.
"No, but I know who and why," she replied.
"Very funny. I was gonna say that, that was the most sickening display I have ever seen. You were being so fake."
"You just have to know how to talk to people," she replied sweetly.
"Wave goodbye to Sweden, kiddies," she heard Brian say.
Goodbye, she thought to herself.
******
Many hours later. . .
"Christel wake up we're home," Kevin said.
"I don't wanna," she mumbled.
"Come on sweetie we're home. We've landed." Christel cracked one eye open.
"We are?"
"Yes. Come on let's go." Christel looked around. The other guys were getting their things together.
"He's not lying. We're back," Brian said leaning over the seat to look her in the eye.
"We're home," Christel said excitedly. She jumped out of her seat and almost ran past everyone else to get off the plane.
When Kevin finally caught up with her she was taking her bag off the carousal at baggage claim.
"Someone's happy to be home," he said coming to stand next to her.
"Yes I am. I think I'll lock myself up in my house and not talk to anyone for a week," she replied.
"Not even me?" he pouted.
"Maybe just you. . . if you're a good boy," she winked at him.