| "I'll Be There" Part One �Oh Nicole! You�ll love them!� gushed 19-year-old Janay. �Besides! Jeremy said we can hang out next time they�re here! I just talked to him today!� �Janay, you know how much I hate that kind of music. It�s so�� �So what?� �It�s so BLAH!� Nicole replied. �Nikki! You haven�t even heard them! I�ll be over in a minute� �Ok, bye.� Janay grabbed her Plus One CD and raced out the door, down to blocks to Nikki�s house. �Hey Mrs. Seten!� Janay greeted. �Hey hun! Nikki�s upstairs.� �Hey! Nikki! I brought a CD! They�re called�� �Plus One, I know, yea, yea, yea, get on with it.� Janay put in the CD to her favorite song �The Promise� �This is my favorite song!� �You call this music? You call that singing? Haven�t they got anything better to sing about?� �Nikki, don�t you get it? Don�t� you see why I always bring over CD�s? Don�t you understand at all?� �What are you trying to do? Brainwash me?!?� �Nikki, I want you to see Jesus! Why don�t you listen?!� �Janay, I don�t know why you just don�t give up! It�s not working! I can do find without some big God helping me!� Nikki shouted. �Whatever Nikki, see you tomorrow.� Janay said leaving the room. She flew down the stairs and opened the door only to find it pouring rain. �Janay? You want a ride home?� asked Mrs. Seten. �That would be nice!� Janay replied. ******************************* Ten Minutes later a women knocked on the door. �Hi. Is Nikki Seten home?� the woman asked. �Yea, that�s me. Who are you?� �My name�s Gina. I�m from Franklin�s Assembly of God Church.� �Yea, that�s where mom and Janay go to church. Janay�s dad is the pastor right?� �Yea that�s right. Well I�m afraid I don�t have good news. Janay Middlesbrooks and uhh your mother ummm Janie Seten were in a car accident. They are at the Franklin Hospital.� �Oh God--- I mean gosh� sorry I�m working on that one. Please take me there.� She said as she burst into tears remembering what her mother told her about saying the Lord�s name in vain. Gina drover her to the hospital and she ran in in hysterics. �Where are they?!� She asked trying to remain calm. �I�m sorry hunny�� a nurse replied. �WHRE ARE THEY?!� she screamed. �Dear, they arrived DOA.� She replied. �DOA?� she screamed. �Dead on arrival� no, this can�t be true.� �We�re sorry sweetheart, we tried, there was nothing we could do.� The nurse replied. �That�s what they all say! No� NO� NO!!!!!� she screamed running out onto the balcony. �Excuse me.� A soft deep voice said. �What do you want?� Nikki asked caustically. �I�m Jeremy. Uh, Jeremy Mhire. You must be Nikki Seten. Janay told us all about you. Said you were real good friends.� �How do you know Janay?� �Well, to make a long story short, she and her mother stayed with my family when they visited Missouri, you know her dad is a pastor, and he came to speak at our church, so they stayed with us.� �Oh, hi. I can�t believe she�s--- she�s� she�s gone. NO! She can�t be! NO!� Nikki screamed. �Don�t cry, it�s ok, she�s going to be in heaven.� Jeremy said as he wrapped a comforting arm around her. �You believe in that stuff too?� she asked falling into his arms. �Yup.� �Well she�s still gone, nothings helping that. I can�t be true� Just then, she blacked out and didn�t remember anything from that point on. Jeremy picked her up and carried her into the lobby where the rest of the Plus One members and Janay�s family were sitting. �Pastor Jake, we�ll take care of her till the tour starts. Then we�ll figure it out from there.� Jeremy explained. �They you boys. This means a lot to us. We had the funeral music delivered to your apartment. Thank you again. I�m sure Janie would be glad her daughter�s in good hands, if she were with us.� �No problem.� Nate replied. Nikki awoke the next morning to the sound of singing. It was Janay�s favorite song. �You guys sound just like the CD!� she said. �Yea, umm that�s cause we are Plus One.� �O yea, right, yup sure� uh huh� I believe you! Yup, Plus One standing right here� Mhmmm�� �No really,� Jeremy explained, �I�m Jeremy, and this is Nate, Nathan, Gabe, and Jason. You�re gonna stay with us for a few month�s until the spring tour starts.� �Gee that�s awful nice, but I have to go home� mom�s waiting, so is Janay I�m sure. I really need to apologize to her.� �Uhh� sweetie, don�t you remember what happened last night?� Jason asked. �Nope, what happened?� �You�ve gotta be kidding. Don�t you remember, the accident? Janay�your mom�� Gabe said. �No� No� No� it was just a dream� they�re at home� right? Jeremy, can�t you take me home?� �Nikki, hun, come here. Now sit down here. Last night, Janay and your mother went out to take Janay home, and the car was wrecked and they died.� Jeremy explained. Horrible images rushed through her head of the body�s at the hospital. The fight she had with Janay, the image of her mom and Janay leaving the house in the pouring rain. �NO�� she trailed off with a silent tear trailing down her cheek. �It�s real, I�m an orphan. No.� Jeremy wrapped a comforting arm around her. �You�re not an orphan as long you�re with us!� �Thank you. So much. When�s the funeral?� �It�s next Monday.� Nate replied. �You�ve been asked to speak at the funeral, ya know, tell about Janay and your mom.� �Ok, I guess� but first�� �Yea?� Nathan asked. �Well, Janay was bugging me about becoming a Christian, I didn�t want to. But now it�s all so clear. What if I died? I wouldn�t be in heaven. Can you help me?� she asked. �Wow. Of course we can! Janay would have been so proud of you!� Jeremy said. �She prayed about this all the time!� They prayed together and soon Nikki had accepted Jesus. Tears ran down her cheeks as each of the guys said a prayer for and with her. ******************************* The day of the funeral arrived and they drove to the viewing. �Jeremy I can�t go in. I just can�t.� Nikki pleaded for him to let her stay in the car. �Hey guys, why don�t you go in, Nikki and I will be in in a few minutes. Look Nik, do you mind me calling you that?� �No, not at all.� �Ok, well look, let�s go in there and get this over with!! You�re a strong girl! You�re gonna make it!� �But Jeremy I�m gonna lose it.� �No you�re not, and if you do, I�ll be right there next to you. If you need to cry it�s ok. I�ll be there next to you the whole time.� �Thanks Jeremy.� �Sure! Now let�s go.� Jeremy and Nikki walked into the funeral home, Nikki clinging to his arm, they walked up to the caskets and Nikki slowly walked towards her mother�s body. Sure enough, Jeremy stayed right beside her just as he promised. Nikki bent over and kissed her mother and best friend�s forehead, and knelt to say a quick prayer. But she couldn�t control herself and started sobbing uncontrollably. Just as she was about to collapse she felt two strong arms from behind pull her up. �It�s ok, don�t cry. They�re in heaven. We�ll see them someday! Don�t cry.� �Hey, is everything all right?� Nathan asked giving Nikki a quick hug. �Yea, I�ll be fine.� �Good!� Nate said giving her that one of a kind smile. �Let�s get to the car.� Gabe said. They arrived at the church and soon it was time for Nikki to speak. �Hello, my name is Nicole Seten, Janie was my mother and Janay, my best friend in the whole world. Friday night Janay came over and tried to get me to become a Christian. I argued and fought with her, but allowed her to play a song called �The Promise�. We fought over that too. My mother took her home, we never knew it would be the last time we saw each other. A lady from this church came and told me about the accident. I couldn�t believe it. I never told them I loved them or anything. Then I met the guys of Plus One. I�m staying with them and they prayed with me. Even though Janay isn�t here today, she is in heaven watching us, and standing in front of God.� Everyone clapped. �My mother and I weren�t exactly best friends, but we were close. Just before she left we had fought about church. I never apologized or said I love you.� A silent tear rolled down her cheek. �My mother showed me how to live as a loving daughter and how to be a loving mother when my time comes.� With her voice trembling, she finished her story. �Even though they aren�t here today, their spirit lives on and we will seem them again when we pass into the next world. Thank you.� She couldn�t hold it in anymore; she burst into tears, returning to her seat. �Look, we�re going to go song. You�ll be ok, right?� Jeremy asked. �Yea, I�ll be ok.� �My daughter Janay absolutely loved Plus One.� Pastor Jake began, �When they first became a band she totally fell in love with them. Then we went to Missouri and because I was talking at Jeremy Mhire�s home church, Janay became good friends with and his sister and got together every time they came here to Tennessee. Here favorite song was called �The Promise� and Plus One has decided to sing it for us. Thank you boys.� Nate began singing �I know that lately things have been so hard�� when they finished they returned to the pew with Nikki, as the funeral came to a close. They returned to their apartment and decided to spend the rest of the after noon relaxing. Jeremy decided to pop into Nikki�s room to see how she was doing. �Hey, how ya doing?� he asked. �Hanging in there!� she said with a smile. �Wow, the first time I�ve seen you smile a real smile. It�s very pretty.� He said smiling, �wanna chat?� �Sure. Hey, can we go to the store sometimes? I have this list of CD�s that Janay wanted me to check out. It�d be cool to get some.� �Ok� how bout� NOW?!� he asked throwing a pillow at her. �For real?� �Sure! Let�s go!� he said grabbing the car keys. �Hey Nate wanna come? We�re going to get some CD�s!� �Ok!� Nate said with a grin. �The other guys went to the gym.� �Alrighty!� Jeremy squealed grabbing Nikki by the arm, who then grabbed Nate�s arm. �Uh-Oh! No one fall, Chain reaction!� Nate laughed. �That was SO much fun!!� Nikki shouted. �Hey! Where were you all?� Nathan asked, �Looks like you had fun!� �We went out and bought some CD�s!� Nikki said. ********************************** Months passed and it was almost time for Plus One�s spring tour. "Nikki, we need to talk.� Jeremy said, sitting on the edge of her bed where she was reading a magazine. �Sure!� she said putting it down. �We have had SO much fun with you these past months! But now it�s time for our spring tour, unfortunately we can�t bring you along.� He explained, �But Janay�s parents have agreed to take you in while we�re on tour.� �But there is a loophole,� Gabe explained as he and the rest of the guys entered the room sitting on the floor. �OoOoOoOo!!! I love loop holes!� Nikki said with a smile. �If you�d rather tour with us as a security guard, we can do that.� He explained. �Guys, as much as I hate to say this, I think I�ll stay with the Middlebrook�s. But I�ll miss you!� �You made a really good decision,� Nathan said with a grin. �I�ll miss you all so much!� �We will too!� �I love you all, thank you for all you�ve taught me!� �You�re welcome Nik!� Jeremy said smiling. They all exchanged hugs and good byes. �Jeremy could I talk to you?� �Sure Nik!� he said grabbing her hand and pulling her away from the other guys. �Thanks Jer.� �For what?� �Remember the day of the viewing, you told me you�d stay by me? You promised.� �I remember.� �Thank you. I love you Jeremy. Thank you for showing me the truth!� �I love you too Nikki. Here�� he said handing her VIP passes and front row seats to the Tennessee concert. �Thanks Jer!� �Anything.� He said giving her a hug and a quick kiss. �I love you.� �I love you too.� �Bye Jeremy, see you� call me please!� �I will! God bless you Nikki!� �Bye everyone!! Love you all!!� The van then pulled away and a quick tear slid down Nikki�s cheek. �I love you all.� She whispered and turned away. PART 2 |