The Survivors of Fate
He stared blankly out the window to the streets below; he was living the life of a dream. Everything anyone would ever want but it was times like this: 2 in the morning without sleep and know one to talk to when you would give anything to just lead a normal life. For his life was anything but normal, filled with photographers, interviews, hotels and screaming teenage girls. He was a Backstreet Boy both blessing and a curse and right now it was a curse.
He had arrived in yet another city, LA to be exact, 5 hours ago and management had given strict rules to him and his fellow band mates to stay in there rooms and if for any reason they had to leave they were to be escorted but least two bodyguards. Yeah like that won’t look obvious he had thought at the time, now looking down at the empty streets he wondered if it would be completely necessary. If for once he could just leave without having to worry about being mauled by a 12 year old, if for once he could act like a regular 23 year old guy who can’t sleep.
Now dwelling on the thoughts of freedom a small smile spread across his face and he got up. He walked over to the mirror and ran a hand through his now red tipped hair. Grabbing a wallet and his signature sunglasses he slowly unlocked the door and walked out causally. After dodging the few security guards that littered the floor he breezed out into the cool night and stopped. Now being in a strange city without a car could have been a sight problem for the average being, but he lived for this, and at once all his problems seemed far away.
Walking down the street he was greeted with a pang of hunger and scanned the horizon for the friendly golden arches that he had become so accustom to. Frowning at the fact that there was none in sight he got slightly discouraged, but then remembered a small convince store that he had passed on the way to the hotel and the thought of a Tasty Cake was enough to make anyone smile. So off he went never thinking what hand fate would toss him.
Rosaline sped down the road turning up the volume of her radio in an attempt to block out the memories of what happened a few hours back. She belted out the lyrics but her mind was elsewhere. She pulled into a lot of a convince store and got out. Walking into the dim lit building she walked over to a magazine rack and flipped through the latest issue of Teen People. A few moments later a man walked in, tattooed and pierced and her first instinct was hope that he didn’t rob the place but after the day she had that was the least of her worries. In fact she actually hoped that this stranger would indeed hold the store up and maybe just happen to have a gun and kill her. A gruesome thought but then again with the way she was feeling anything was better.
Her parents told her not to go, that her school was important. After all she would be completing collage and then she could see her long distance boyfriend, Jason. Well after one fateful fight with her parents she got in her car and headed cross-country into Jason’s waiting arms. Or she thought, instead she couldn’t get in touch with her “beloved” boyfriend and arrived to get dumped and watch as Jason left arm in with some blonde, bimbo exotic dancer named Sparkle.
She was brought back to life as the “robber” winked at her and then proceeded to head towards the Tasty Cakes display. I guess he can’t be that bad. She thought as she picked up the magazine and a box of Strawberry Pop Tarts. Walking up to the counter she waited next to the man who had about a dozen Tasty Cakes and a container of Pringles she laughed slightly at the thought of him trying to take over the store by throwing Pringles at the cashier.
He turned at the sound of laughter, “What’s so funny?” his voice sounded rough but the twinkle in his eyes told otherwise.
“Oh, nothing, sorry.”
“No need to apologize, it’s good to see someone smile. You have a beautiful smile…” he flirted causing her to blush and giggle slightly, “Meanwhile where is this cashier, I must have ring this bell a dozen times.”
“I don’t know…maybe he went to restock the Tasty Cakes.” She said pointing towards his purchases.
He laughed, “So…I’m AJ, and you must be Rose.”
She looked at him in confusion and he pointed to her neck, she reached up and fingered with her necklace. Jason had sent it to her for Christmas; she made a mental note to burn it once she got home.
“Actually its Rosaline…”
“As in Romeo and Juliet?”
She smiled “You know Shakespeare?”
He nodded and then turned away and rang the little bell by the counter again, “Uhhh….all I want is my Tasty Cakes!”
She laughed but then something unexpected happened everything around them began to violently shake. The lights blinked feverishly and items began to spill from the places on the shelves.
“Oh my gosh! An earthquake!” she screamed out in horror
AJ however was quick to react, he grabbed her hand and pulled her into the backroom in an attempt to shield her he pushed her in front of him and shoved them both into a large walk in storage closet. However the ceilings began to collapse and the shelving tumbled down on top of them. The whole ordeal lasted about 60 seconds but the results were devastating.
The dust cleared and AJ saw little life, the whole back wall had caved in and he was lucky to be standing with little damage. But then his mind triggered and his ‘Manly instincts’ kicked in. “ROSE?” he called out making his way to the far end of the closet. “Rose? Can you hear me? Are you ok?” He shoved sheet rock and debris out of his way before seeing a small figure buried in the corner.
“Aj?” the muffle voice sounded frantic and he rushed towards her side. Throwing off the shelving the first thing he noticed was blood, a lot of blood. He hesitated; blood was never his thing, “Are you ok?” Stupid question, “I mean, where does it hurt?”
“My…my arm I can’t feel my arm.”
He moved her slightly and she winced it was then when he saw the beginning of the blood, a large cut on the slide of her head. He cursed under his breath and looked for something, anything to stop the bleeding. “Hun, I’m gunna have to take off you over shirt, thingy. Is that ok?” she nodded and he gently sat her up and tried his best to get the shirt off her without moving her arm too much. She whimpered slightly but bit her lip from screaming. He took the shirt and ripped the arm off with ease. “This is gunna stop the bleeding, I was it on ER once.” He attempted to make her laugh
She smiled as he wrapped it around her forehead, then the heard something sirens, lots of sirens and smelled something burning.
“Shoot we got to get you out of hear.” He lifter her tenderly as if picking up a puppy and made his way to the door. Once opened he saw the whole front of the store was engulfed in flames, “Don’t worry, Rosie Girl, there has to be another way out of here.” His voice was light, calm, but inside he could just burst. Looking around for a back entrance he saw a window. “Ok, ok,” he thought fast trying to outsmart the advancing flames. He placed the girl down, “Cover your eyes,” he instructed over the roaring of the fire.
“Hurry! It’s getting closer.” She cried out in terror at the advancing blaze
He backed up, grabbed a chair and threw it through the window, “Ok let’s go, and be careful.” He picked her up once again and began to fit her out the window, “Ok put your feet out first, then hop on out. It’s not that high, you can do it.” She closed her eyes and jumped out, it was then as the back of her shirt lifted slightly that Aj saw her own tattoo: Survivor
He laughed and jumped out himself.
A devastation at the time it was one of the major earthquakes met by the LA area. A broken gas pipe caused an explosion which burnt the convince store to the ground along with two neighboring businesses. It was a good time after when Aj learned the news of the rest of Backstreet. The half of hotel Aj was staying on, including his room was leveled. If not for him leaving he would have been dead. In fact seeing he wasn’t found it was told to the media that he was. Nick suffered a broken arm and hip; Howie was placed in intensive care but has now recovered. The rest of the band was fine with the exception of 2 security guards who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Jason was killed when his apartment collapsed no one knows what happened to the infamous Sparkle. Aj and Rosaline remained in touch; neither have been to California since. Needless to say without the few events leading up to the quake some people might not be here. It just goes to show: Never Underestimate Fate.