Chapter 3: I have a pen in my pocket
As AJ hurried to the elevators he looked at his watch. He had about 15 minutes left to pick up Jessica. She hated when he was late for anything and he knew if he was late picking her up he�d never hear the end of it. He became closer to the elevator doors and he saw that they were starting to close. �Wait AJ yelled rushing to the doors. He put his hand out stopping the doors as he walked inside. �Almost didn�t make it.�He heard a female voice say. He was looking down catching his breath as he started to look up slowly. She was medium height with long, thick, dark, straight hair. She wore a plain t-shirt with dark jeans and boots. The thing that stuck out to him the most about her was her nose ring and her gum chewing. �Yeah, well I said wait.� He said to the girl as his attention turned from her to the elevator doors in front of him. �Didn�t hear you.� She said rolling her eyes. He didn�t acknowledge the girl as his attention stayed on the doors. The lights inside the elevator then began to flicker. The elevator shook and then the lights went off completely. �What�s happening? Oh my God! What�s wrong with the elevator?� The girl said in a startled voice. �I think we've stopped.� He said looking up into the darkness. �Why did we stop? What�s wrong?�
�I don�t know, maybe the power went out or something. It'll be okay, we'll start up again.�
�I�m not liking this whole lets be in the dark thing.�
�Are you afraid of the dark?�
�No I just don�t like the dark.� Just then the lights came on. �Well let there be light.� He said looking up at the ceiling. �Oh this elevator is so ghetto.� The girl said rolling her eyes. �Were still not moving.�
�So?�
�So some of us need to be somewhere.� He said looking at his watch. �Well it'll probably start again in about an hour. I�m sure they know were down here.
�An hour, no not an hour. More like 5 seconds.�
�Well if something happened I�m sure it�s going to take them a while to fix it.� She said as she flicked her hair over her shoulder while she sat down on the floor.
�Great, Just great.� AJ said as he shook his head in disbelief. Well, where did you have to be?� She asked him as she looked at her nails.� I�m suppose to pick my girlfriend up.� He said looking at the floor then at the girl fiddling with her nails.
�Well she'll just have to find another way home then.�
�I can�t believe this, today has been the worse day ever.�
�Well, I was going to ask you for...�
�Oh I know, it�s okay, you can have one. I�m never to troubled to give an autograph. Just tell me your name. I have a pen in my pocket.� AJ said pulling a pen out. �Actually I was just going to ask you if you had a fingernail file, but never mind.� The girl said rolling her eyes again and turning her attention back to her nails. �Oh, well, no, don�t have one.� He said feeling a little dumb putting his pen back in his pocket. �You know, you shouldn�t keep pens in your pocket, they can leak.�
�I do it all the time and nothing has ever happened. You sound like my mother, she always says that.�
�So are you suppose to be someone famous or something?�
�Do you...I mean, you don�t know who I am?� AJ asked her. �Now that you mention it, you kind of look like that weird guy from the car commercials.�
� No, actually I�m from the group the Backstreet Boys.�
�Oh that boy band, yeah I've heard of you guys. That�s nice.� She said sounding uninterested and turning her attention to her purse. AJ turned from the girl shaking his head again. �I can�t believe this, I can�t believe this.� He said quietly to himself. As time passed by he stood in the corner of the elevator with his arms crossed. For some reason he was irritated by the girl and now her loud gum chewing was irritating him more. He watched her as she pulled a Game boy from her purse and started playing it. He took in a deep breath and looked back down at his watch. �Want some gum?� She offered him as she held the package up. �No thanks.� He said giving half of a smile. He looked at the wall shaking his head again. �You know, getting frustrated over things you can�t control doesn�t help anything.� The girl said looking down at her Game boy. �Well, you know hearing your voice right now doesn�t really help either.� He said turning to give her a fake smile then looking at the wall again. � Flattery will get you no where. I know your upset that I didn�t recognize you from your lame boy band that is kind of out dated, and got pushed out by N�SYNC, but it�s okay.�
�I can�t believe you. You honestly think that I care about what you think about me? Believe me; I've had worse critics then you.�
�Yeah and a lot of them have probably said something close to what I've just said.� She said with a little giggle. �Who do you think you are?� AJ said turning to her. �Oh, save the who do you think you are, you can�t talk to me that way I�m so and so speech. I've heard it way to many times. More times then I�d like to tell.�
�What a Brat.� The suited man said under his breath. �Oh, so now I�m a brat for telling a rich boy who thinks everyone should kiss the ground he walks on just because he�s in a lame boy band off. Excuse me, Mr. I�m cooler then you because I�m rich and drive a Mercedes. I�m sorry to notify you but the world does not revolve around you or your teeny boy band; some of us actually have lives that don�t evolve teenage girls harassing us.�
�What is your problem? I ask you to hold the elevator and you ignore me. I try to be polite and you yell at me. Your one weird chick, you know that.�
�Well, I just don�t like being pushed around that�s all.�
�Believe me, wasn't trying to push you around. My day has been bad enough without your chewing me out.�
�I�m sure it has with your super model girlfriend, expensive cars, and millions of dollars. You just have it so bad. Sorry I can�t feel your pain. What? Did you get a parking ticket, break a nail or something?� The girl asked sarcastically with her attention still on her game. �You�re just in for the kill aren�t you? You�re just not going to let up. Contrary to what you think, I don�t have millions of dollars okay. I don�t need to defend myself against you anyway. What am I doing? I have nothing to prove to you.� The girl went on playing her game, shaking her head and rolling her eyes. AJ turned back around to face the wall across from him again. He slid down the wall he was leaning against and sat on the floor. As he sat thinking, he closed his eyes and began to doze off. As the elevator began to shake he woke up quickly. He noticed that the girl was lying on the floor while her Game boy lay by her head. She had fallen asleep also. �Hey, hey! Wake up, something is happening.� He yelled to her. She didn�t move, so he went over and shook her.
�What?!� She said as she awoke. �You fell asleep, we both did. Look, the lights are flickering again.� He told her. She stood up and put her Game boy back in her purse. The elevator then began to shake again and they could then feel it start to move downward. �Finally The girl said running her hands through her long thick hair. �It�s almost 4:00 we've been in here for two hours!� AJ exclaimed. �This is just great, great.� He said as he waited for the doors to open as the elevator reached the bottom floor. �Wow you sure are Mr. Positive.� The girl said sarcastically as she looked at AJ. �You know what, just shut-up, I really don�t need your input now. I don�t want to hear your annoying voice anymore today.�
�Well Mr. Backstreet Boy is that anyway to treat a fan?�
� Your not a fan. Fans I like. You are the most annoying person I have ever met.�
�Guess what you are too.� She said looking at his back. When the elevator doors opened a technician was there to greet them. I�m sorry, you people okay? We had some problems with the elevator�s power and functioning systems.�
�Yeah, I�m fine. Were both okay. I really have to go now though, so chat later.� AJ said passing the guy by and walking in a hurry. When he entered the parking lot he noticed a stain on his pants. His pen had leaked. He pulled it out and mumbled some things to himself. As he got in his car he drove straight home, hoping that Jessica would some how feel some sympathy towards his story. He really didn�t feel like hearing another women yell at him about stuff he had no control over today.