Sitting at home, packing everything I owned, at least I felt like that, I couldn't help but stop to think about the people I was about to be surrounded by for the next few months. The Backstreet Boys were one of the biggest groups in the world still, no matter if the success of NSYNC and other performers seemed to shine brighter than their star. They weren't larger than life and untouchable like they were when I Want It That Way was the song of the moment but millions of performers would give anything to trade places with them in order to have the success they have right now, so I definitely don't feel bad for them or completely undertand the media's portrayl of their current career status. Besides, I have a younger brother that would give his "left ear to get the amount of ass a Backstreet Boy gets." Scott was a freshman at UCLA, he wasn't there because he wanted to be there or because he is the best student, thank goodness it was a state school, so our parents were only shelling out about $14,000 since he was still living at home. He had nothing else to do after high school and our parents were not going to let him lounge around the house continuing to collect a weekly allowance. So, it was the closest thing to a free ride he could get. The boy had absolutely no goals or ambition, no drive or desire. He wasn't stupid, far from it. If you could actually engage him in a conversation about anything he would go on and on all the while spitting out words my college degree brain had to look up in the dictionary. He just wasn't for structured learning environments and felt dissecting frogs and chemistry were not going to help him unless he wanted to be a doctor and knowing about Socrates, Plato and Aristotle was of no use to anyone. I looked over at the clock to see that it was eight o'clock, Tish should be here any minute.
There was a knock on the door and I open it to see Tish with a food supply in her hand,
"Who loves to eat at Waffle House?" She laughed,
"I do, it's better than McDonalds." She placed the food on the coffee table and I went into the kitchen and took a couple of glasses out of the cupboard,
"I was beginning to get worried. You had ten more minutes before I called the National Guard." When I heard no response I looked over to see her giving me a 'shut the hell up' look,
"Whatever." She looked around the apartment,
"So you've been busy. How much more do you have to do?" I sigh heavily just thinking of what I needed to do,
"Not much, I packed all my clothes and shoes that I think I'll need. I just left out a couple of outfits for work. If I need more I'll always be near a store I'm sure." She nodded,
"Got your undies? Deodorant, tampons, razors, Nair, perfume, lotion, nail polish?" I nodded as I sat down next to her,
"Honey, I went out and bought just about all new stuff like that. And they are packed in bags in case they leak. I am the Queen of List making remember? I wrote all that stuff down in a list at work." She nodded as she chewed on her hashbrowns,
"What are you going to do about your apartment and stuff?" I was definitely not going to break my lease for a few months on the road, besides I loved it, loved the price and hated packing and unpacking,
"I'm keeping my apartment. I'm giving my brother a key so he can check the mail and water my plants but he's going to end up moving in." My parents weren't that thrilled about it but really how much could they say no? Scott is a college student, I pay my own way and he wouldn't be under their roof, it was temporary. Part of the reason he was staying at home was because it was about six thousand dollars cheaper than living on campus. I think he would have much preferred staying in the dorms but he isn't insensitive to the fact that our parents aren't rich so he acted like it was his idea to stay at home. I really sold it by telling them they would get some time alone for the first time in twenty three years.
"Your place is going to be a wreck, college parties, frat boys going through your underwear drawer, pizza stains on the ceiling." I groan,
"He'd better not. I already had that talk with him. I don't mind two or three friends over at the most but that's it. And I told him he'll never know when I would show up off the road. And he doesn't know my mom and I already discussed her coming over every now and then for surprise inspections. Wish I could be here for the first one of those." She laughed as she shook her head,
"Poor kid." She cleared her throat as she wiped her mouth,
"Mitch called me while I was on the road." I groan, Mitch is the worst and best thing that ever happened to me. He was a married man that I was stupid enough to get involved with during the last semester of my junior year at UCLA. He was the guest lecturer in my Ethical Issues in Entertainment and Communication course. I later became an intern at his company, not really his company but he was a senior executive; one of those guys that got the almost illegal end of year multi-million dollar bonuses. Working lunches turned into late evenings at the office into working dinners and it all finally culminated with him working me over every Tuesday and Thursday night in a queen size bed in a fancy hotel suite. I was fool enough to believe he actually was unhappy in his marriage, that his wife was only in it for the money and not love and that soon as he could make it right for his son he was leaving and coming to me. A year and a half went by before I stopped and thought, 'He's not leaving.' At one point during the relationship I was living in a fancy high rise and became a kept woman. He paid for it all, down to the cable bill, all I had to do was live there and make love to him.
"What did he want?" I ask as I look around my new and compared to my Mitch-financed condo, humble abode.
"Well, since you got rid of the cell phone he bought you, he called me. He wanted to know how you were doing?" I grunt,
"Tell him I found religion and moved to Tibet next time." Three months ago I was smart enough to end the whole sham of a relationship. Not being able to date, to go out in public, to talk about my man, it was all so suppressive and depressing. I couldn't even have friends over, Tish was the only one who had even been to my swanky little condo. Mitch was the worse thing that ever happened to me because he made me see myself as stupid, worthless and immoral, Tish said I finally stepped of that high pedestal of expectation I made for myself and saw myself as human. Particularly when I missed having a $1,000 a month allowance to shop with. A luxurious free place, a thousand bucks to play with, what more could a college girl on scholarship need? He was the best because he made me see exactly why I had been a hardass my entire life up until the time I met him. Going after what I wanted and doing what I wanted. My mother called me pigheaded, overly demanding and stubborn, said I would push people out of my life, that the only ones who wouldn't run from the frustration I caused them were those who had to stay, family. My dad called me independent, headstrong and determined. My father's vocabulary is so much better than my mother's, at least I think so.
"Tibet? Ok, I'll do that." She giggled,
"I think he was fishing to see if you had a new man. I'm surprised he hasn't hired a private detective." We both look at each other, that's not beyond Mitch's way of thinking.
"You'll be on tour with the Backdoor Boys so there's nothing to worry about." I smiled and nod, knowing she was right. Mitch was possessive, he wasn't psychotic.
Chapter 4
Total Control
Home