Chapter5: Serenity and the mental disorder
As AJ stumbled out of bed the next morning he noticed that Jessica had already left. She had a photo shoot to do early that morning and she had left him a small little note on the night stand. The dark haired guy looked at the clock next to the note, it read 11:00. �Gees, I slept in.� He said in a grumbled low morning voice. He hadn't been getting very much sleep at night, for some reason it had just become difficult for him to sleep. He went thought his morning routine as he took a shower, fed his dogs, fed Jessica�s cat, and made a bowl of Fruit Loops for himself. He then remembered Barry�s daughter.
Today was the first day he was to spend with the girl. As he finished his cereal his face got crinkly thinking about it. The last thing he felt like doing was watching some girl. But it wouldn�t be that hard, to think about it, it would probably be the easiest job he�d ever do. It didn�t involve any practicing, rehearsing, or attorneys. All he would have to do is be nice and try to have fun. He then brushed his teeth and fixed his hair. After he had finished getting ready he started for Barry�s office. As he approached the elevators this time he took the one to the left instead of the one to the right. He walked in the office and found the same secretary there. This time she wore a bright lime green shirt that almost hurt the eyes to look at.
�Hi, I�m suppose to be meeting with Barry again.� AJ said with a warm smile. �Oh, yes Mr. McLean he�s been waiting for you. You can go right in.� She told him. When he entered he noticed Barry was on the phone. �Just sit down I'll be done in a minute.� Barry whispered to him as he noticed his presence. AJ sat in the big leather chair and made himself comfortable. He looked around the office noticing the nature pictures on the walls and the clutter on Barry�s desk. �Okay, that�s fine Margaret but I need some kind of direction for the project, understand. So tell Mr. Heard that unless he gives me time, I can�t really do anything about it okay. Okay, un hu, yeah, thanks, bye.� Barry said as he hung up the phone. �Hey what�s happening?� Barry asked him as he shook his hand.
�Nothing much man, so what�s up?� The smaller man asked adjusting himself in his seat. �Well she should be here any minute now. Today will be pretty simple. I have to attend this party at a partner�s house today and then do some business stuff, you know. So you take her to the party and then after, take her to dinner and a movie or something.� Barry said starting to fumble with some files on his desk. �I don�t understand, why do you need me to take her to the party, I mean your going.�
�Yeah, well I don�t have time to watch her. You know make sure she doesn�t...do anything.�
�Do anything? Barry, you make her sound like she�s 5 or something. Is there something about her that you�re not telling me?�
�Alex please, no, I mean I wouldn�t ask you to do this unless I thought you could. Just make sure she keeps a low profile at the party. Nothing to worry about. Just stick with her and just...just be her friend.�
The older man said as he answered his ringing phone. �She is? Oh great send her in.� Barry said hanging the phone up. �Well she�s here so you can finally meet her. And like I said, don�t worry about anything, everything will be fine. I know how you can be a worrier AJ and I�m tell you everything will be okay. Right as rain.� Barry said as the door slowly opened. �Ah, hello honey.� He said as he addressed attention to the front of the room. AJ turned around in his chair slowly to face the girl. When he caught sight of the person in front of him his jaw dropped and he almost lost his seating.
�AJ I would like you to meet my daughter Serenity. Serenity, this is AJ McLean, he's apart of the group the Backstreet Boys.� Barry said smiling. AJ couldn�t believe it, it just couldn�t be. The girl that stood before him was the same girl from the elevator. The same little rude, annoying, bitchy little brat. There she was, standing there right in front of him. Only this time she wore a short sun dress without her nose ring. Her hair was in a ponytail and it was curled in big ringlets that reached down her back. She had less eyeliner on and light pink eye shadow. Her lip gloss shimmered as her warm smile turned into a cricked smile as she caught eye of AJ in the chair.
�Well don�t be shy, say hi.� The short man said looking at both of them. AJ stood up and extended his arm. �Hi, nice to meet you Serenity.� He said barley getting the words out. �Nice to meet you too, AJ.� She said shaking his hand and closing her mouth to make somewhat of a smile as much as she could. Her olive skin had turned to a much paler color as she pulled her arm back. �You okay hun, you look kind of pale?� Her father asked her. �I�m fine, just didn�t get much sleep last night.� She said with her eyes still fixed on the dark eyed man. �Well AJ�s going to be accompanying us to the Fuller�s party today. You know the weirdest thing happened yesterday AJ. Serenity got stuck in the elevator here. She said the guy inside the elevator was yelling at her and acting strangely. He had a mental disorder. As if being stuck in an elevator isn't enough without being stuck in it with someone who has mental problems. You could have seriously gotten hurt.� Barry said looking at Serenity.
�Yeah , well it wasn't really that bad. I mean I was okay, it was fine.� Serenity said kind of stumbling over her words. �Yeah, well let�s get going, shall we.� Barry pronounced as he lead the way. As they reached the front of the building a black limo waited for them. �So who�s party is this again?� AJ asked as he entered the limo.
�The Fuller�s are close friends of mine, they like to throw little business parties. They can be a little extravagant but they have the money.�Barry said as the limo drove off. When they reached the Fuller�s house AJ noticed all the expensive cars that scattered the front of it. The house it�s self looked like a castle. The front yard reached across far, and the back yard reached as far as the eye could see. As they entered the backyard balloons scattered the area along with tents that covered picnic tables. A huge pool stretched wide in the far back end of the yard. �So who is this Fuller guy again?� AJ asked as they walked through the grass. �He�s a close friend of mine. He�s a lawyer also but he also likes to invest his money in stocks and things like that. Besides that he got a pretty big inheritance about 6 years ago.� Barry told him. �A.K.A. he's now a rich snob.� Serenity snapped out. �Serenity don't start.� Barry said as he started toward a tall man. �Hey Barry, glad you could make it. I know the invitation was on short notice.� The tall gentleman said as he shook Barry�s hand. �I had to come, wouldn�t have missed it. Paul I would like to introduce you to my daughter Serenity and a friend of mine, AJ McLean.� Barry said moving to the side. �Ahh, so you�re Serenity, getting ready for your brother�s wedding hu?� Paul said smiling at her. �Yeah.� She said with a smile. �Hey I�m going to go with Paul, I'll catch up with you guys later okay, have fun.�
�You guys make yourselves at home. There�s plenty of food and everything else.� Barry and Paul said as they walked up to the house. �Oh great, stuck at another lame party again.� Serenity said as she watched her father go into the house. She then started walking towards one of the tents. �I can�t believe this, I can�t believe you. Why didn't you tell me yesterday that Barry was your dad?� AJ asked her as he caught up to her. �Umm, sorry but I don�t usually tell strangers I don�t know in elevators about my life or my relatives.�
�And what was the whole, there was a weird guy in the elevator that tried to attack me thing about?�
�That�s not what I said. Your trying to make it sound worse then what it was.�
�Mental disorder?�
�Um, well I said I thought you might have been schizophrenic.�
�What?!�
�Well, I was mad at you at the moment. You really pissed me off.�
�I didn�t even do anything to you. I can�t believe this.�
�You were rude yesterday.�
�Okay, yeah, whatever. I just, I...why do you look so different?� He asked her not really knowing what else to say.
�Because, when I go to a boring party like this my dad usually likes me to dress boring, so I just do.�
�Oh.�
�Look, you don�t have to follow me around or pretend to be my friend. I know you rather be doing something other then being here with me. So just go and enjoy yourself and when my dad comes back I'll tell him you were with me the whole time okay.�
�Oh no, I�m suppose to watch you, and I�m going to. Besides, it�s not like I really know anyone here.� This was exactly the kind of party Jessica would be interested in, AJ thought to himself.
�These parties always suck. I can�t believe your friends with my dad. How do you know him anyway?� She asked him taking a seat in one of the chairs next to a picnic table. �He�s my attorney, well our attorney. The Backstreet Boys I mean. He also knows my uncle.�
�I should have known the Backstreet Boys would pop into the conversation sooner or later.�
�Do you have a problem with my group or something?�
�No, never mind. I�m sorry about yesterday and the whole mental disorder thing to. I was already irritated when I got in the elevator and I guess I kind of just lashed at you.�
�That�s okay, I was already irritated too. So I guess we have the same excuse.� AJ said looking around at all the people and noticing that he and Serenity were probably the youngest there. �What does your dad really do at these parties anyway?� He asked. �They just give him a chance to do business with his buddies while having a little time off at the same time. I don�t really know what he gets out of them. There just a bunch of rich people who have nothing else to do with their money but spend it on parties.�
�You know, your father isn't exactly the poorest man either?�
�You noticed that hu?�
�Well I have known the man for some time now. The way you spoke to me yesterday I figured your dad might be a janitor or something, not one of the highest paid lawyers in LA.�
�Hello dear, you must be Serenity your father has told me so much about you. Why, you were just a little tiny thing the last time I saw you.� An elderly woman said to Serenity as she came up to her. �Oh� Serenity said looking a little surprised. �Yes dear, I was friends with your father and mother when they lived in Florida.� �Oh, that�s nice.� Serenity said smiling. �Well, I'll speak with you later.� The women said walking in the opposite direction. �Weird.� Serenity said as she watched the women walk away. �You know her?� AJ asked. �Nope, I have no idea who she was.� The tanned man sat thinking about all the many things he could be doing with his time at the moment, instead of sitting in a chair in the middle of someone�s yard at a boring party watching. Fifteen minutes had passed and still there was no sight of Barry. I�m going to go get some punch, from over there okay. I'll be back.� Serenity said standing up. �Okay.�AJ said as he started to feel tired all of a sudden. As he yawned he eyes started to slowly close.