�Come on Miranda�this is your new babysitter.� My mother said as I hid behind her. �Hi, my name is Denise.� She said reaching her hand out to me. I turned away. My mother pulled me out from behind her and Denise smiled at me. The smile was so warm and it made me feel comfortable. My mother kissed me goodbye as Denise took my hand and brought me inside her apartment.
She began to fix me breakfast as she sat down at the kitchen table. It was the first day of summer vacation and my mom hired a babysitter to watch me for the entire summer. I was five years old at the time and a little shy around new people.
When Denise finished making the French toast she called out, �Alex breakfast!� I looked at her confused. �Oh Alex is my son�he�s seven.� She said as a young boy walked into the kitchen. �Mom, can�t we go to McDonald�s for breakfast?� he whined. �We had that yesterday�now I made this, so eat it!� Denise yelled as Alex groaned and sat down across from me. Denise put two plates in front of us. �Alex this is Miranda.� Denise introduced us. I smiled shyly at him. �Hi.� He said looking at me then down at his plate. Denise washed the pots and pans as we ate. Alex scarfed down his food and put his plate in the sink. �I�m going out to play mom.� He said kissing her cheek and quickly walking away. �Hold it!� Denise yelled. �Why don�t you take Miranda with you?� she asked as he looked at me and I looked down. �Alright, come on.� He said motioning to me annoyed. I got up and followed him. He walked ahead of me as we walked downstairs to the housing complex�s pool.
Alex took off his socks, shoes, and shirt and jumped into the pool. �Aren�t you coming in?� he asked after he surfaced. I shook my head. �I don�t have a bathing suit with me.� I said. He got out of the pool and sat down next to me. �I know you don�t want to stay with me. You can go play with your friends.� I said. �I don�t have any friends.� He said looking down. �Why not?� I asked. �Because I�m different.� He said. �You don�t seem any different.� I said as he smiled. �All of my friends moved away�I�ll be your friend.� I said smiling. �Great, my only friend is a girl!� he said laughing. �What�s wrong with that? Isn�t your dad friends with your mom?� I asked. �No!� he snapped. �Well if they�re married, they must be friends.� I said laughing. �It�s not funny! They�re not friends and are not married! I don�t even know my dad!� he yelled getting up and walking over by the showers.
I got up and went over to him. He was looking at the wall. �Alex, I�m sorry. I didn�t know.� I said as he turned around and wiped away a tear. �Do you still want to be my friend Miranda?� he asked. I nodded and we both smiled. �Hey Miranda is kind of a long name�do you have a nickname?� he asked. I shook my head no. �Then I�ll make one�how about Randi?� he asked. �I like it!� I said smiling. �Now I need to make you one�hmm�Alex�what�s your middle name?� I asked. �James�Alexander James McLean.� He said. �How about AJ?� I asked. �That�s cool!� he said. We walked off and played air hockey together in the game room. We played up until lunch and then we went right back to playing after lunch.
�I�m so nervous.� AJ said to me backstage at a talent show. �Don�t worry. You�ll do great.� I said. Denise walked over to us. �Okay, are you almost ready?� she asked AJ. He gulped and nodded. �Good luck.� I said as he hugged me. �Good luck baby.� Denise said kissing AJ�s cheek. AJ ran up onstage. �And now let�s hear it for thirteen year old AJ McLean!� the announcer said.
Denise put her arm around me as we watched AJ from the side of the stage. He was so multi-talented. He practically performed a one-man show! He did a song and dance number as well as a ventriloquist act. I thought it was incredible. AJ still didn�t have many friends. In our junior high school, everyone thought AJ was strange because he loved to dance and do theater. We were best friends and I enjoyed watching him do whatever he loved. We kept each other sane.
AJ got off the stage and ran over to us. �That was amazing!� I said giving him a high five. Denise hugged him tightly and told him how proud she was.
We watched the next act. �And now from Orlando�here�s Howie D.!� the announcer said as a young man got onstage. I thought he was a really good singer. AJ seemed to be impressed too, which I think worried him because it might ruin his chances of winning.
After the young man finished he came off stage walking past us. �Hi.� He said looking at us. �My name�s Howie.� He said holding out his hand. AJ shook it. �Hi, I�m AJ. You did great.� He said. �Thanks�so were you.� Howie was seven years older than AJ but they started talking and got along instantly.
�And now the runner up is�Howie D. Dorough!� the announcer yelled as Howie hugged us all and ran onstage. �And the first place winner is�AJ McLean!� the announcer shouted. Denise and I looked at AJ and he was a little shocked. We hugged him tightly as he ran onstage and hugged Howie. I was so proud of him and the fact that he made a new guy friend. I knew AJ would make it big someday.
�Hey A�what�s going on?� I asked as he sat down on the steps to his house looking down. �Nothing.� He said sadly. I sat down next to him. He turned away from me. It looked like he was crying.
�AJ, talk to me.� I begged.
�I met my father today.� He said stuttering.
�What? Where?� I asked.
�He showed up at the house this morning�I didn�t know who he was and mom just put her hand on my shoulder and said, �that�s your father�.� He said as I sat there shocked.
�What did he say?� I asked.
�Nothing really. He just wanted to meet me.� He said clenching his fists. He stood up and started punching the wall.
�Why�d he have to show up now!?� he said as he punched. I walked over to him and pulled his fist back. He wrapped his arms around me and cried on my shoulder.
�Everything was fine until now�I don�t need him, he�ll just make it worse!� he yelled as I cradled him.
�AJ, it�ll be okay�don�t let him get to you like I let my father get to me�he isn�t worth it, okay?� I asked. AJ nodded.
�You have a great mom and your dad is the one who left�he should be feeling horrible not you.� I added and he wiped his tears.
�You�re right�my mom�s the best and so are you.� He said kissing my lips and hugging me.
�Promise me we�ll always be there for each other?� he asked.
�I promise you�to death do us part.� I said with a laugh.
�We�re not getting married here!� he laughed back.
�I can�t believe it AJ�this is it! You�re going to be a star!� I said smiling. �I wish you could come with me.� AJ said. �I know�maybe next time. I don�t know what I�m going to do without you.� I said. �Yeah, I don�t know what you�re going to do either!� he said as I lightly smacked his arm. �You�re so lucky though�you get to spend all your time with four very cute guys!� I said as AJ rolled his eyes. �Um, that�s not really going to be the highlight for me.� He said. �Oh I keep forgetting�you�re not gay!� I said joking around with him. He lightly pushed me and then hugged me. �I�ll miss you.� He said. �I�ll miss you too.� I said. �If you ever need to talk about your dad, guys, anything�I'll still be there. As soon as I get a cell phone I�ll give you the number.� He said. �Okay thanks�and don�t go crazy with all those girls over there!� I laughed and so did he. �I have something for you.� He said taking out a small box. �AJ, you�re the one going away�shouldn�t I have gotten you something?� I asked.
�Well, you�ve been there for me for the past ten years so just to make sure you know I�ll always be here for you, I got you this.� He said handing me the box. I opened the box and saw the most beautiful silver angel pendant. �Do you like it?� he asked. �I love it.� I said as he slipped it around my neck. �It�s not real silver or anything, but-� he said as I cut him off. �I don�t care about that�thank you,� I said kissing his cheek and hugging him tightly.
�AJ it�s time to leave.� Denise said. I hugged her goodbye and they both left to travel the world with the rest of the Backstreet Boys.
I stood around a crowded airport looking for a familiar face. When all at once I heard someone calling my name through a crowd and a bunch of screaming girls running after. �Randi!� AJ yelled running to me and hugging me. �I have one thing to say right now�run!� he said as I looked at the screaming teenage girls following him. He pulled my arm and we ran onto a big tour bus where all the rest of the guys were. I hugged them all hello and hugged AJ once again.
�I didn�t know you guys were this popular over here.� I said stunned. AJ smiled at me as we went to the back of the bus to talk. We sat down on a couch.
�So how are you doing?� I asked. �Great. I mean I miss you and home, but I�m having a lot of fun and now that you�re here, it�s even better. I�m really proud of the success we�re having, even if it�s not in America�yet. Oh and I never got a chance to tell you. I have a girlfriend now. Her name is Marisa. She�s the manager�s daughter so I better watch my step.� AJ laughed as I started to cry. He moved closer to me. �What�s wrong?� he asked.
�Well, you know about my dad and everything�it�s just really hard on me. You know how he is, and I really don�t want anything to do with him anymore.� I said crying harder. AJ put my head on his shoulder. �Shh�it�ll be okay�we�re going to have fun together, right? Like old times?� he asked and I nodded.
The bus stopped and we went into the hotel. I unpacked and walked over to AJ�s room. We talked some more as AJ unpacked. �So how�s things with that guy you were seeing?� AJ asked. �I�m not seeing him anymore.� I said. �Why?� he asked. �He�s a jerk.� I said simply. �Come on, what did he do?� �He was pressuring me.� I said in a low voice. AJ stopped what he was doing. �About sex?� he asked. �No about drugs�of course sex.� I laughed. �No, you�re too young. You should definitely wait.� He said. �Alex, I�m older than you were when you did it for the first time.� I said. �Yeah, I know�but I think you should wait.� AJ said. �And who are you?� I asked, as he looked hurt. �But I do plan on waiting until I�m ready and not because of anyone else.� I said as AJ smiled. �That�s my girl.�
Suddenly, a girl walked into the room and started kissing AJ. They parted and the girl looked at me strangely. �Randi, this is Marisa.� He said as I smiled and held my hand out. She didn�t take it right away. She looked at AJ. �This is Miranda. My best friend, remember she was arriving today?� he asked. �Oh right. Well aren�t you adorable?� Marisa said with a patronizing tone as she shook my hand. �Well I�m off shopping.� She said and whispered something to AJ so I could hear. �Meet me in my room tonight after midnight.� Marisa said kissing AJ and walking out of the room.
�You don�t like her, do you?� AJ asked. I laughed. �Is it that obvious?� I asked sarcastically. �How do you manage to find these bitchy, yet easy girls?� I asked. �What are you talking about?� he asked knowing exactly what I meant. �How long have you been going out?� �Two weeks.� AJ replied. �Oh and �meet me in my room after midnight� already I see?� AJ laughed. �Why does that automatically mean we�re having sex?� he asked. �Well aren�t you?� �Well yeah.� He said as I started laughing. �You�re too much.� I said.
I had a lot of fun that tour with AJ. Marisa got in the way once or twice, but she didn�t stay the whole tour luckily. AJ helped me so much during that time in my life.