Yes, I know Michelle and Ashley are dating people in real life, but in my story they’re not. Also for the sake of this story: Vanessa, Rachel, Michelle and Ashley all went to the same high school, but Ashley didn’t get to know Rachel as well as the other girls; Dan is JC’s cousin and is one year older than he is in real life. =) Okay onto the story.
songs featured:
“Shy Girl”— O-Town
“Dreamy Eyes”— Christina Aguilera
“All You Wanted”— Michelle Branch
“Falling”— ‘N Sync
Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Happiness
Chapter 1: Instant Attraction
“Hey guys, check this out,” Trevor Penick called out to his fellow bandmates.
“What is it?” Ashley Angel queried, coming around the corner and looking over Trevor’s shoulder to see what he was holding.
“Is it a hot girl?” Erik-Michael Estrada, walking into the room, asked. Trevor and Ashley rolled their eyes.
“No, it’s probably an invitation to some top notch party,” Jacob Underwood commented, nonchalantly walking into the living room and crashing on the couch.
Trevor’s eyes twinkled. “How’d you know?”
Jacob shrugged. “I just did.”
“Well, where is it? Who’s coming?” Dan Miller joined in, crashing next to Jacob on the couch.
“’You have been cordially invited to the twentieth birthday party of Rachel Chasez, on the seventeenth of July, two thousand and two,’” Ashley read. “Rachel Chasez, huh? Who the heck is she?”
“Oh, Jace’s little cousin,” Dan told them. He and JC Chasez of ‘N Sync were cousins and talked a lot, especially since they ran into each other at functions. This one was no different. “Yeah, she’s throwing a huge bash at her new house… everyone’s going to be there.”
“See, it is a hot girl!” Everyone groaned. “So… are we going?” Erik asked, vocalizing the question that hung in the air.
“Sure, why not? I don’t think we’re doing anything that day,” Jacob confirmed.
“Well, then, let’s call and tell them we’re coming,” Ashley said, reaching for the phone.
“Wait, Ash, I don’t think we really have a choice.” Trevor held up a small piece of paper that had been inserted in the invitation. “I think we’re performing.”
Everyone groaned again. “We don’t even know this girl, and she wants us to PERFORM for her???” Jacob exclaimed.
“Hey, Jake, calm down,” Dan soothed. “From what I hear, Rachel’s pretty cool. And guys… she’s single.”
Erik’s eyes lit up as the five of them nodded knowingly. “Okay, call.”
~*~
Lost in the realms of composing another song, Vanessa Carlton was at her piano, humming a tune to herself and scribbling down notes, chords and words when her phone rang. “I’ll let the machine pick up,” she thought to herself as she continued. After four or five rings—
“Hi, you’ve reached Vanessa’s place, but I’m not here, so leave me a message, and I’ll get back to you as soon as I’m done with this song.”
BEEP!
“Hi… Vanessa, it’s Rachel Chasez, from high school? I just wanted to invite you to my party… since we haven’t seen each other in a while.”
At the sound of her old friend’s voice, Vanessa hastily picked up the phone. “Rachel? Hi, sorry, I was writing another song.”
On the other end, Vanessa could hear a nostalgic smile on Rachel’s face. “That’s okay, Ness. You haven’t changed much, have you?”
“Not really… so, you’re throwing a party, huh? Exciting.”
Rachel sighed, noting the sarcasm in her friend’s voice. “Ness, I know how much you hate parties, but you HAVE to come. Please? For me? I’m turning twenty, you know, finally coming out of my teen years and I want my best friends to be there. That means you.”
“Well…” Vanessa hesitated. “I’ll think about it. When is it?”
“July seventeen.”
Mentally noting the date, Vanessa replied, “I’ll see what I can do. I won’t make any promises though, okay?”
“That’s good enough for me. Please, though, I really want to see you.”
“Me too, Rach, me too.”
~*~
Rachel dialed another number and waited for the person on the other end to pick up.
“Hello?”
“Shelle, it’s me.”
“Hey, Rach! How are you? I haven’t talked to you in the longest time and I was just thinking about calling you! This is SO weird.”
Rachel laughed. Michelle Branch was always like this. “I’m good. Listen, are you busy July seventeen?”
“Um… not that I know of, why?”
“I’m officially inviting you to my birthday party. And if I pull enough, will you perform?”
“What? Oh, I’d love to! Who else is coming?”
“A lot of people. My cousin JC—you know, the one from ‘N Sync—is trying to get all these really big people to come… his group, Justin’s girlfriend, and…” Suddenly she was cut off by the annoying signal of call waiting. “Hey, Shelle, hold on, I have another call.” She clicked over and answered. “Hello?”
“Um… is this Rachel?” a hesitant voice asked.
“Yes, who is this?”
“This is Ashley Angel, from O-Town. I’m just calling to tell you we’re coming.”
“Really? Thank you so much. I’m anxious to meet you guys and have you perform.”
Ashley laughed softly. “Thanks. Oh and happy birthday in advance, Rachel.”
“Thanks.”
~*~
As he hung up the phone, four pairs of eyes stared at Ashley. “What?”
“Someone’s smitten,” Erik teased, but slightly annoyed.
“’I’m really looking forward to meeting you,’” Trevor quoted in a deep, seductive voice. “Dude, are you that desperate?”
“No! I just wanted to be nice, you know? And I am not smitten.”
Jacob rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Now I KNOW why you’re the favorite. You charm without even realizing it.”
Ashley just laughed and walked out of the room.
~*~
(July 17)
“So is Vanessa coming?” Michelle asked over the din of the party. She, Rachel and Vanessa had been best friends in their performing arts high school and Michelle was anxious to see Vanessa… they had always shared a strange, unexplainable bond.
“WHAT?” Rachel replied, not being able to hear over the ruckus.
“IS VANESSA COMING?” she repeated.
Rachel shrugged. “We’ll see.”
All of a sudden JC came up onto the makeshift “stage” in the living room and announced, “Hey everyone, I wannasay thanks for coming, and happy birthday to my favorite cousin.”
Rachel looked up and smiled. “Thanks, Jace.”
“Now, without further ado, here’s one of our performances. Give it up for O-Town!”
Vanessa leaned her head against the wall and sighed. She was hoping it’d be a small, intimate party, but Rachel had gone all out. Or, judging from the announcement JC was making, Vanessa guessed that JC had gone all out for his favorite cousin—Rachel was more like a little sister to JC. Vanessa didn’t want to let Rachel down, but she really hated large parties. And as she scanned the room, she couldn’t find anyone she knew. She couldn’t even find Rachel.
As the entertainment began, Vanessa vaguely glanced up at the “stage” and found five guys there. “The typical boy band,” she whispered, rolling her eyes. She was NOT a big fan of those groups. But as the music began and the guys began to sing, Vanessa found herself intently watching them. One, in particular.
Standing with the wallflowers, wishing you’d had stayed at home
You kick yourself for coming when you’re standing there all alone
The centers of attention are busy making all their moves, oh girl,
but while the guys are looking at them, I got my eye on you, only you
As Erik began to take over, he couldn’t help but notice the birthday girl. She really was pretty… she was watching them intently, but he could swear there was something there in her eyes… sadness? Insecurity? He decided to help that out by aiming his attention on her.
You might think you’re nothing special, you might be losing heart
but baby, don’t you realize how beautiful you really are?
The chorus began, with all the guys pitching in. That was the last thing on Dan’s mind though… a small figure in the back of the room was what he was focused on. There was nothing spectacular about her… she had simple, long straight brown hair and beautiful brown eyes… but her simplicity was got him. He could sense her discomfort, but wished she wouldn’t leave… he had to talk to her before the end of the night.
Shy girl, it’s written on your face
A mermaid out of water, feeling out of place
As Ashley sang melody, his attention was focused on Michelle. He wasn’t sure, but thought that she might be the same girl that stole his heart back in freshman year of high school… he never told her though. Now, as he glanced at her, he saw the pink spread across her cheeks and the short glances she gave him. That same feeling he’d encountered with her came back, and he knew for certain that it was her.
Shy girl, trying to hide a blush
Caught you looking for a second, felt my heart rush
Dan knew he was up next, so as the chorus ended, he slowly walked off the stage and into the audience, inconspicuously trying to make his way to the back of the room before that girl left. It was hard for him though—he couldn’t see her bright, twinkling eyes anymore.
Don’t run away, don’t be afraid
Don’t be shy, girl
So beautiful
(shy shy girl)
I’m moving in closer, slowly trying to break the ice,
but it’s hard to get a lock on your downward glancing eyes, oh, yeah
Vanessa looked to her shoes in disbelief. She was actually smitten with one of the guys from a boy band??? She was disappointed in herself, but at the same time, she could sense something less superficial about him… and that he would be important to her somehow. As she looked up again, he saw him looking right at her, and her heart skipped a beat.
You might think you’re nothing special, but I’m about to lose my heart
Oh, baby, don’t you realize how beautiful you really are?
Rachel sighed as she watched them perform. She wished JC hadn’t gone ALL out… she felt a bit uncomfortable. She was the only one there, it seemed, without a record and without a record label—even Vanessa and Michelle’s singles were climbing up the charts. As she looked to the guys again, she could swear that Erik was staring at her. Or something.
Shy girl, it’s written on your face
A mermaid out of water, feeling out of place
As Dan made his way to the back, he found Vanessa’s eyes for a moment, and could swear there was a bit of pink in her cheeks. She looked down again and Dan smiled to himself. He was getting to her.
Shy girl, trying to hide a blush
Caught you looking for a second, felt my heart rush
Don’t run away, don’t be afraid
Don’t be shy, girl
The guys were now dispersed throughout the crowd, and standing in front of one girl each. Dan had finally found Vanessa; Ashley was just at the edge of the “stage,” singing to Michelle; and Erik stayed onstage, instead calling up Rachel and singing to her—his birthday gift to her.
Now I’m standing right in front of you
I confess I’m nervous too
Girl, you know there’s something going on
and not to give it a chance would be so wrong
Shy girl, it’s written on your face
A mermaid out of water, feeling out of place
Shy girl, trying to hide a blush,
pretending that there’s nothing between the two of us
This was Dan’s cue to get back onstage, and since he was at the back of the room, he was the farthest away. He winked at her before he turned to go back, and she snidely turned her head away, but Dan knew the attraction was mutual… she just pretended that there was nothing there.
Don’t run away, don’t be afraid
Don’t be shy, girl
The song ended and the partygoers clapped in appreciation. It was then that Vanessa finally found the courage to filter through the crowd, and once she reached the front of the room—right in front of the stage—it was there that she found Rachel, and…
“Vanessa!!!!!!” Michelle squealed, running towards her and nearly tackling her in a hug. When she saw her “assailant,” Vanessa nearly screamed as loud as Michelle had. “Shelle! OMG, it’s been forever since I’ve seen you! How are you?”
“Oh, I’m doing just fine. Ness, did you just get here or did you see that last performance?”
“Oh, I saw it, alright.” Vanessa looked up to the stage where the guys had just performed, remembering the deep brown eyes and million watt smile of that guy.
Rachel raised an eyebrow. “I thought you weren’t a big fan of boy bands.”
“I’m not. But… there’s something different about this one.”
“Something? Or someone?” Michelle asked, a glint in her eye.
Vanessa blushed slightly and Rachel prodded, “Who? Who?”
“Do you think I’m going to tell you when they’re right there?” she retorted.
“Okay, okay, just point.” Instead, Vanessa whispered in Michelle’s and Rachel’s ears and they nodded knowingly. “Ohh. That one.”
After some time, when there was a lull in the party, Rachel asked, "Hey, Michelle, do you want to perform?"
Michelle nodded enthusiastically. "Yes. It'll be my birthday gift to you since you've never really heard me sing before."
Vanessa turned to Rachel. "You can't be serious."
Rachel remained poker-faced. "Does this look serious enough for you?"
"Okay, I guess you are." Vanessa smiled. "I can't believe you haven't heard Michelle sing before. She's awesome."
"I bet you are," Rachel replied, eyeing Michelle.
"While you two continue praising me," Michelle commented with false modesty, "I have to go get my guitar upstairs. Excuse me."
Leaving the two girls, Michelle headed to the elevator and pressed the button going up. As the doors opened, she stepped in and was about to let them close behind her when she heard a "Wait!" Michelle quickly pushed the "door open" button and let a handsome blond guy enter. "Thanks," he said, smiling gratefully. She smiled back and the recognition hit them both at the same time.
"Hey, you're that guy that performed with your group earlier! Great job," Michelle complimented. But it took the guy a lot longer to speak.
Ashley, who was nearly smashed by a set of elevator doors, did a double take when he saw the single occupant of the elevator. She had caught his eye back when he was performing. But it wasn't just her expressive, soft brown eyes that captured him--rather it was the recognition of those same eyes from visions and dreams that had haunted him for years. He was so stunned that it took him a couple of seconds before he could speak.
(Oh, your dreamy eyes
They just won't say goodbye
Well, it must be my fate 'cause I just can't escape
and the passion never dies
Oh, dreamy eyes
No matter how I cry
I just can't reach you, dreamy eyes
You're a vision of tomorrow and a ghost from yesterday
And I've been trying not to let you take my breath away)
"Michelle?" he finally asked, hoping she would recognize him.
"How did you..." she began, but her face broke out into a smile when she realized who she was talking to. "Ashley? Oh, my gosh!"
They hugged each other and Michelle bombarded him with a barrage of questions. "How are you? I didn't even recognize you! How long have you been with this band? How do you know Rachel? Wow, you've really grown up since high school!"
"Whoa, whoa, slow--" Ashley was cut off by the elevator lights flickering and the car rumbling to a stop. Suddenly they were in total darkness, with the exception of a spotlight.
"Great." Groaning, Michelle slumped against the back of the elevator and slowly sank to a sitting position. "We're stuck. I knew I should have taken the stairs."
Ashley chuckled and sat down next to Michelle. "At least it gets us away from all those people. That's why I took the elevator...too many people around."
Michelle smiled softly. "Some things never change, do they?"
"I guess not." Ashley smiled back and then said, "Well, now I have some time to answer your million and one questions."
Blushing, Michelle replied, "I'm sorry. I'm just so excited to see you here, after all these years, you know? What brings you here to this party, anyhow?"
"Well, one of the guys in my band--Dan--is cousins with JC, so he invited us to perform for the birthday girl… Rachel, was it?"
"Yeah. Rach is one of my best friends."
"Really? What a small world. You know, Erik--another guy in the band--thinks she's pretty cute," Ashley added with a wink.
Michelle replied, "Tell Erik that Rach has her eye on one of the guys in your band and that today just might be his lucky day."
Ashley laughed. "Okay, I will." As an afterthought, he added, "What about you? Anyone special?"
Michelle shook her head no.
"Well then, anyone you're interested in?"
For a moment, she didn't know what to say. Michelle was re-discovering the reason why she had had such a major crush on Ashley during high school. She wasn't about to tell him that. Instead, she turned the tables on him and asked him about his love life.
"No, but what about you? Do you have anyone special?" she asked, innocently.
Ashley looked down sadly. "I did, but..."
"I'm sorry," Michelle said. "I didn't know."
"It's okay... it's just that I've been through a lot of stuff, ever since I got out of high school and went through all those auditions to make O-Town--that's my group--and being thrust into the spotlight really took a toll on my love life," he explained.
"What about you and Shelli?" Michelle wondered. Shelli, Ashley's longtime girlfriend, had been in some classes with Michelle, and although Michelle wasn't the best of friends with her, she made Ashley happy, so Michelle was fine with her. Or at least, that's what she thought.
"We broke up because of the whole fame thing, you know? Ever since I was on Making the Band, fangirls started chasing me around, and Shelli just couldn't take that, coupled with the fact that I was never there because I was touring and stuff. It was hard. So then after that, I'd had a couple of girlfriends, and my last one was getting really serious, but after promising me that she'd never break my heart like all the other ones did..." Ashley trailed off.
Michelle put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Ashley. But you know what? Those girls, they're not worth being sad over if they're going to treat you like that. Personally, you deserve someone much better. Someone who will treat you right and keep promises." Like me, she thought.
"Thanks, Shell," he said, using his old nickname for her. It got kind of confusing when his girlfriend had the same name, but Ashley never, ever called Shelli the same name he used for Michelle. After a brief silence, and a silent thought that none of his relationships really worked out because... well... it was never with the one girl he had always wanted... Ashley asked, "So what are you doing here?"
"Here as in sitting in this elevator car talking to you? Or here as in at the party?"
"Both."
Michelle smiled. "I was venturing upstairs to get my guitar. As for the party, I'm here for Rachel, one of my best friends, and I'm going to be performing soon."
"Performing? Wow, I thought that was only restricted to people with radio hits."
Michelle glanced at him pointedly. "You know that song, the one that goes something like this?"
If you want to, I can save you
I can take you away from here
So lonely inside, so busy out there
and all you wanted was somebody who cared
Ashley's eyes lit up. "That song... I've always dreamed that the girl who will really be there for me and not break my heart... she'd say that to me."
Michelle blushed a bit before saying, "That's my song."
"What?"
She nodded. "I guess we've both been so busy that we haven't realized that we're both at the top of the music charts."
"I always knew you'd make it big, Michelle," Ashley said softly. "Your voice is beautiful... just like the rest of you." Their eyes locked and almost in a trance-like state, Michelle sang to him...
I wanted to be like you
I wanted everything
So I tried to be like you
and I got swept away
I didn't know that it was so cold
and you needed someone to show you the way
So I took your hand and we figured out
that when the tide comes, I'd take you away
"You have taken me away," Ashley told her, still looking into her eyes. He leaned in closer to her, closer, until Michelle could feel his breath on her lips, closing her eyes slowly, and just before their lips brushed...
"Whoa!" Michelle exclaimed, as she was thrown to the front of the elevator. It was fully operational again and the two of them got to their feet, avoiding eye contact. After a few seconds, the doors opened again and Ashley said, "I'll see you around, okay?"
"Okay," Michelle replied, looking after him as he disappeared into the crowd.
When Michelle finally got back to the stage, Rachel was waiting there. “What took you so long?” she demanded.
“The elevator got stuck,” Michelle replied flatly.
“Oh. We were starting to get worried about you… we thought you might have escaped to make out with some guy or something.”
Michelle felt the heat of blush spread across her cheeks and said, “Now why would I do that?”
Rachel shrugged. “It was just a thought. As soon as Ness comes back, you can go.”
“Where is she, anyway?” Michelle wondered.
“She said she was going to the bathroom, but I think she’s looking for someone.”
“I wonder who’s so important that she has to find…”
“Hey, man, we were wondering what happened to you,” Trevor remarked as Ashley approached the table where all the guys were sitting.
“I… uh, I got stuck in the elevator.”
“Really.” Erik raised an eyebrow.
Ashley nodded. “With an old friend of mine. Her name’s Michelle.”
“When you say friend, do you mean she’s your friend or she’s your friend?” Jacob teased.
“Stop it, guys,” Ashley protested. “We went to high school together, that’s all.”
Trevor nodded knowingly. “High school, the good old days, when hormones run wild. You’re sure she was just a friend, correct?”
Rolling his eyes and sighing, Ashley asked, “Why are you making such a big deal about this?”
“The look in your eyes gives you away,” Erik explained. “It looks just like lover boy’s over here.”
The four of them looked over at Dan, who had not absorbed any of the preceding conversation. He looked up and it just barely registered that Ashley had reappeared. “Oh, hey, Ash.”
“What happened to him?” Ashley wondered.
“Oh, when we were performing Shy Girl, he found this girl in the crowd and instantly fell for her. He hasn’t seen her since,” Jacob told Ashley.
“I will, though, before this night is over,” Dan vowed.
“Well, then, why don’t you go looking for her?” Ashley suggested.
“She has to find me,” Dan objected.
“What is it some sort of test, that if you ‘accidentally’ bump into her it’s fate and the you two are meant to be?” Trevor mocked.
“Exactly!” Dan exclaimed, his eyes lighting up.
The other four burst out laughing. “Oh, Lord, he’s really lost it now,” Erik gasped, in between fits of laughter.
Before Dan could reply with a comeback, Rachel’s voice came over the microphone, directing everyone’s attention to her. “Hey guys, thanks so much for being here. It really means a lot to me. Hope you guys are having fun, and for your listening pleasure, here’s another performance, this time by my dear friend Michelle Branch! Give it up!”
“Yeah!!! Go Michelle!” Ashley yelled from the crowd.
But Michelle barely heard him. Her mind was on other things… like the fact that her drummer was nowhere to be found. “Rachel, I need a drummer!” she whispered, panicked.
An equally panicked look crossed Rachel’s face, but it soon brightened. “I’ll do it.”
“You sure?” Michelle asked uneasily.
“Yeah. I practice to this song all the time.”
Michelle smiled gratefully. “Rach, you’re a lifesaver. I owe you one!”
“Consider singing in front of me your payback,” Rachel offered.
“You got it,” Michelle agreed as Rachel took her place at the drums. Then she turned to her audience and told them, “I want to dedicate this performance to a dear friend of mine, and let him know that I’ll always be there if he needs me.” She glanced in Ashley’s direction and he waved to her. In return, she winked at him right before she began the song.
I wanted to be like you
I wanted everything
So I tried to be like you
and I got swept away
I didn’t know that it was so cold and
you needed someone to show you the way
So I took your hand and we figured out that
when the tide comes, I’d take you away
If you want to, I can save you
I can take you away from here
So lonely inside, so busy out there
and all you wanted was somebody who cares
“Hey, Ash, she’s pretty hot,” Jacob declared, as they watched Michelle sing. Ashley gave him a look of death in reply and Jacob said, “Okay, okay, I’m sorry. Geez, you’re possessive, and she’s not even yours!”
“Yet,” he mumbled underneath his breath. Then he turned his attention back to the performance. One of the reasons why he loved this song so much was that he felt he could relate to it, especially the part Michelle was about to sing now.
I’m sinking slowly, so hurry, hold me
Your hand is all I have to keep me hanging on
Please, can you tell me,
so I can finally see,
where you go when you’re gone?
Michelle, who was very impressed by the way Rachel was drumming—not that it came as a surprise to her, Rachel had taken it up when they were in high school—was really singing this song from the heart, hoping that Ashley would know that if ever he needed her… as a friend… or otherwise… she would be there.
If you want to, I can save you
I can take you away from here
So lonely inside, so busy out there
and all you wanted was somebody who cares
All you wanted was somebody who cares
If you need me, you know I’ll be there, oh, yeah
If you want to, I can save you
I can take you away from here
So lonely inside, so busy out there
and all you wanted was somebody who cares
Michelle finished off her song with the question Ashley had always asked…
Please, can you tell me, so I can finally see,
where you go when you’re gone?
“Thank you.” Michelle stood up, took a bow, then made Rachel take one, too. The applause was very appreciative, which Michelle loved. But she was focused on finding Ashley and seeing how she liked the performance. However, he beat her to it.
“Shell, that was awesome!” he praised, giving her a big hug. She smiled and as he pulled away, it was his turn to ramble on. “I didn’t know your voice was that good! And the guitar playing… wow. I thought you were awesome back in high school, but now… you’re ten times better!”
Michelle smiled. “Thanks… I think.”
“No problem.” They gazed at each other for a bit until a voice broke into their reverie.
“So, are we ever going to get to meet her?” the unmistakable voice of Trevor piped up.
“Oh yeah! Shell, this is my group. This is Erik, Trevor, Jacob, and Dan. Guys, this is Michelle.”
“Hey,” all of them greeted her.
“That was awesome,” Jacob told her. “You have a wonderful voice, and your guitar playing rocks too. You’re better than me!”
Ashley’s eyes widened. “From the way he talks about how well he plays the guitar, consider that a compliment.”
Michelle laughed, and Ashley noticed her sparkling eyes and how beautiful they were. Then she remembered…
“Hey, Ash, do you remember Vanessa?”
“Wait… the awesome piano player Vanessa?”
“Who else?” Vanessa walked up next to Michelle and said, “Hey, Ashley. Nice seeing you after all this time.”
“You too.” He hugged her and said, “So, since I apparently don’t know any of the top artists anymore, are you one of them?”
“As a matter of fact… I am.” Vanessa shrugged sheepishly. Ashley just shook his head. “Hey, I want you to meet my group. This is Jacob, Trevor, Erik, and… hey! Where’d D—”
“He went to help JC and his group set up,” Trevor told Ashley, referring to Dan.
“Oh, well. You’ll meet him later, Vanessa.” As the two friends caught up with each other, ‘N Sync’s band began warming up and soon they were ready to sing. They had opted for a slow song and as the opening strains were heard, Ashley asked Michelle, “Would you like to dance?”
“Certainly.” Michelle smiled and took his hand, and they began slow dancing on the dance floor.
I don’t know how, I don’t know why,
but girl, it seems you’ve touched my life
You’re in my dreams,you’re in my heart,
I’m by myself when we’re apart
Something strange has come over me,
a raging wind across my seas
And girl, you know that your eyes are to blame
What am I supposed to do
if I can’t get over you
and come to find out you don’t feel the same?
Ashley had to credit ‘N Sync… they always set the mood perfectly with their songs. He hoped Michelle would realize what he was trying to tell her through this song.
Meanwhile, Vanessa was left alone on the sidelines while the other members of O-Town had dispersed… except for Erik. “Who’s the guy Rachel’s dancing with?” Erik asked Vanessa.
“That’s her boyfriend. They’ve been together for a couple of months now, and Rachel always talks about him,” she filled him in.
“Oh.” Erik was disappointed, and he stalked away. “What was up with that?” Vanessa wondered. As she looked after him, someone bumped into her, and he quickly apologized. “I’m so sor…ry.” They both gasped and Vanessa whispered, “It’s you.”
The guy smiled at her and asked, “May I have this dance, please?”
“Of course. I’ve been looking for you all night,” she confessed.
“Me, too.” He led her out to the dance floor and they began getting lost in a world of their own.
‘Cause I’m falling, falling
Girl, I’m falling for you
and I pray you’re falling, too
I’ve been falling, falling
ever since the moment I laid eyes on you
(falling, falling, falling
when I laid eyes on you
falling, falling, falling)
I lose my step, I lose my ground
I lose myself when you’re around
I’m holding on for my life
to keep from drowning in your eyes
Girl, what have you done to me
to make me fall so desperately?
To think that I don’t even know your name
How am I supposed to live
if I can’t get over this
and come to find out you don’t feel the same?
He had finally found her. Sighing, Dan pulled her closer towards him, and was amazed at how perfectly she fit into his arms. He didn’t know what it was, but something had just overcome him, especially now that she was here with him. It didn’t occur to him that he didn’t know her name, because all that mattered was that she was here with him.
He felt her shift in his arms and looked down at her. She was looking intently back up at him and she asked, “Do you believe in love at first sight?”
Dan rested his forehead on hers. “I do now.”
(falling) Will you stay, or will you go?
(Heaven) Heaven knows what my future holds
(Questions) Questions linger on my mind
(daybreak) from daybreak to dark of night
(I’m falling) I don’t know what’s come over me
Can’t you see that I’m falling, falling
Girl, I’m falling for you
and I pray your falling, too
Falling, falling
ever since the moment I laid eyes on you
I’m falling
As Ashley and Michelle continued to dance, there was some sort of bonding chemistry that was occurring. He didn’t know where all these feelings were taking him… would it be possible to have a relationship with her without losing her friendship? What if they could never see each other? Insecure fears like that bothered him incessantly, but at the moment all he could think of was being with Michelle… it felt like magic.
Michelle, meanwhile, was getting lost in her real-life daydream, feeling safe and loved in Ashley’s arms, inhaling his cologne… a nearly intoxicating scent, listening to the beat of the music… she was losing the front she had worked so hard to put up. But while they were dancing, Ashley interrupted her reverie by saying, “Look over there.” He pointed to a couple just barely ten feet away, and he asked, “Isn’t that…”
“It’s Vanessa! But who is she dancing with? She seems to be deliriously in love with him… and he appears to be feeling the same way.”
Ashley, still holding Michelle close, watched as the other couple danced closely and even kissed a couple of times. “Well she didn’t tell me about that,” Michelle complained. “I’m going to have to talk to her about sneaking off with guys. And to think she thought I was doing that!” Then she realized what she had said, and to whom she had said it to, and decided to shut up. Michelle was grateful for the low light; that way, Ashley couldn’t see her blushing.
“I think that’s… it is! It’s Dan!”
“Dan? Like in your group Dan?”
Ashley nodded. “Yeah. Earlier he was going on about this girl that he had seen during our performance and how he had to find her because they were meant to be or something… he was acting really weird.”
“Oh…” The theoretical lightbulb went off over Michelle’s head. “That’s what she was up to!”
“What?” Ashley said, looking down at her, just realizing how close they were and pulled back a bit.
“Never mind.” All of a sudden, the song was over and the lights went back on. “Hey, all you O-Town guys,” Lance Bass, an ‘N Syncer, announced, “youguys gotta jet.”
A collective groan was heard from the guys. “Why did they schedule us so late?” Erik whined.
“Does that mean you have to go?” Michelle asked. Ashley nodded. He looked at his watch and exclaimed, “Crap, we’re already late! Come on, guys!” he called. “We only have ten minutes to get there!”
“Okay, we’re going!” Dan replied, but not before turning to Vanessa and saying, “I’ll see you soon.”
She could only nod before a hand pulled her away. “Ness, we have to go, too. Come on.”
Vanessa looked longingly back at Dan, and then realized something. “Michelle, I didn’t even get his name!” She looked panicked.
But Michelle was too busy trying to get herself and Vanessa out of the house to hear her. “Shelle, why are we leaving so fast anyway?”
“You’ll see. But we have to get out of the house.” Sure enough, once the two of them had escaped, a familiar voice exclaimed, “Hey? What’s going on here?” The girl scanned the crowd and then looked up onstage, and averted her eyes. “I can’t believe he did this…” she growled.
Michelle and Vanessa’s eyes widened when they saw who the voice belonged to. “I can’t believe it either,” Vanessa commented.
JC had thrown the party at Justin’s ex-girlfriend’s house, believing Britney was on vacation far, far away. But apparently not…
“You are SO going to pay for this, Justin Randall!” Britney was on a rampage now, and Vanessa could see Rachel at the stage, now yelling at JC. “We better get out of here,” Michelle suggested. Vanessa agreed and the two of them slipped off into the night.
back to Prologue: Dreamy Eyes | on to Chapter 2: Disappointment and Hope
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