�Better Than Best� Chapter 3: Meeting With Lou

Groaning we all headed to the SUVs once again. We pulled up in front of Trans Con fifteen minutes later. Lou greeted us at the door as if nothing was wrong. We all smiled and shook his hand but I knew we were all faking the smiles and hiding our anger.

We were led down a hall to Lou�s office. We all took a seat on his two couches. Lou tried to make conversation, but Jacob got right to the point.

�Why doesn�t my cell phone work?� he asked Lou.

�A few things happened while I was gone, but they�ll be fixed and up and running very soon,� Lou smiled at us.

Disgusted, I said, �Why did it happen?�

�Jenna, I had no control over this. It happened without my knowledge, but I promise that everything will work out,� Lou�s smile was starting to turn fake, just like the rest of ours already were.

�Lou, I really don�t want to talk about this so can you just turn our cell phones back on, reinstate our credit cards, and let us go back to normal?� Trevor asked.

�I�ll take care of it tomorrow. If you need to make a call tonight, you may use my cell phone.�

No one took it. We all got up, shook hands with him again, and filed out of the room. �Wait a minute, Dan and Jenna. The rest of you may go,� Lou said.

Dan and I stayed back while everyone else left the room. �Yeah, Lou?� Dan asked.

�Your relationship is going to hurt the band�s popularity,� he said.

�What?� I said, shocked that he was even saying this.

�You guys are too into each other and all over each other in public. There have already been too many pictures of you two taken together. If you continue this, the other guys and the fans are going to get fed up with you.�

I looked at his face, trying to decide if he was kidding. His face was stone cold. He wasn�t kidding. I took a deep breath and let it out. Dan spoke next.

�Lou, I really don�t know what to say. I love Jenna and I can�t just not be with her. It would kill me if I had to let her go,� Dan took my hand.

I was amazed. �I love you too, Dan.�

Dan turned around and left the room with me trailing not too far behind. When we got to the SUV, all the guys had questions.

�What did he want?� Ashley asked.

�He said that if Jenna and I were together that it would hurt the band�s popularity,� Dan looked as if he were going to cry.

I leaned on his shoulder. �Don�t worry, Dan. I�m not leaving. He can�t make us break up.�

Trevor spoke up. �We don�t care if you guys are a couple or not. We�re all in this together. We�re always here for each other.�

�I second that!� Jacob said from the driver�s seat.

�I agree, too,� Ashley said.

Dan seemed to accept this and I realized that I loved him more than anything. He was the only person that I wanted to be with. Jacob drove us back to our house. I was glad to be back home after such a hectic day.

The rest of the guys went to the kitchen to find something to eat for dinner, but Dan and I went upstairs. We went into his room and I laid down on the bed. I sighed.

�Gosh, this just pisses me off. First he shuts off our money flow then he tells us that we can�t be together,� I started crying.

Dan sat on the bed and held me. I cried into his shoulder. �Jenna, we are not going to break up just because they said something stupid. You and I are right for each other. There is no one else I�d rather look at each morning when I wake up and each night before I fall asleep.�

I cried harder. �Dan, I love you so much, I can�t even begin to describe my feelings for you.�

Dan hugged me and lifted up my chin. With tears still falling from my eyes, he kissed me. For a split second, I didn�t think of anything else but him. Everything seemed right in the world. Dan took of his shirt. I put my hands behind his head and pulled his lips back against mine.

We fell back against the bed and made out until the sun came up. I woke up the next morning with Dan�s arms wrapped around me. I turned and he woke up. I sat up.

�Oh, ouch,� I said, lifting my hand to my right ear.

�What�s wrong, baby?� Dan asked.

�My ear hurts really badly,� I told him.

�I�m sorry. Is it throbbing? Can you hear me, ok?�

�No it�s not throbbing and yes I can hear you fine.�

�OK, that�s good. I�m going to take a shower.�

�I�m going to go to my room and get ready. I�ll see you in a little while,� I went down the hall to take a shower and get dressed.

After my shower I went into my walk-in closet to find an outfit for the day. I decided on dark blue jeans, a green tank top, and black heels. I did my hair and make-up and grabbed my cell phone.

I turned it on, hoping to hear a dial tone. I did. I jumped up and down, excited that we wouldn�t have to worry about Trans Con and Lou today. I dialed Ashley�s cell number. It rang twice.

�Hello?� Ashley asked excitedly.

�Ash, our phones work again! Let�s go spend some money and see if the credit cards work,� I said.

�I�ll call Mike and see if he�ll go get us some breakfast. I just got dressed,� Ash said.

�OK. Are Jake and Trev up?�

�Yeah, I just heard them go downstairs. I�ll be down in a bit.�

�OK, later,� I said and hung up.

I threw the phone in my purse and went downstairs. Dan, Jacob, and Trevor were sitting at the dining room table.

�Have you guys tried to use your cell phone lately?� I asked.

�Do they work again?� Trevor asked hopefully.

�They sure do,� I said. �Ash called Mike and told them to bring us breakfast to see if the credit cards work.�

�They better work,� Jacob said.

I went to the kitchen cabinets to look for some medicine for my ear. I couldn�t find anything so I went and sat with the guys at the table. Soon after, Ashley came down, smiling.

�Mike and Mike are on their way with breakfast. Apparently they had the same idea as us and were at the Krispe Kreme when I called. The credit cards work!� Ash finished with a flourish.

We cheered. We talked about �All or Nothing� until Trevor asked a good question, �Does anyone know what we�re doing today?�

We all looked at each other dumbly. Then it hit me. �Oh my gosh, we have a concert tonight!�

�Oh yeah. We do,� Dan said.

�Well at least we have the songs and choreography down,� Jacob said.

Just then, Mike and Mike came through the door carrying two large boxes of donuts.

�You guys have a concert tonight,� Cronin said.

�We just remembered it,� Ashley said.

�Good. So all we�re doing today is the sound check and a wardrobe change,� Morin said.

We all took a donut and nodded our heads. We ate then decided to head over and do an early sound check. We were performing tonight at the Staples Center in Orlando, where we live. The stage manager was happy to see us. The name on his shirt read Cory. He led us up onto the stage. We picked up our microphones and earpieces. I tried to put mine in my right ear, but it hurt way too much. I pointed this out to Mike Morin.

�Hey, Mike. My ear hurts really badly and I can�t put the earpiece in it,� I said.

�You can put it in your left ear, but it will be a little different for you tonight to perform. I�m worried that the noise tonight will hurt your ear further,� Mike helped me put the earpiece in my left ear. �Cory, turn on the music to earpiece 3.�

Cory pushed a few buttons and I heard �Liquid Dreams� playing in my left ear. �It sounds ok,� I said. �I think I�ll be able to handle it. Should I find an ear plug or something to protect my other ear?�

Mike motioned for the music to be turned off and said, �Anything that doesn�t hurt your ear but blocks out noise is good. Just try and take it easy. We need you to perform tonight.�

�Don�t worry, I want to perform tonight. I�ll go to wardrobe now and find something,� I went in back to the wardrobe area. �Do you guys have any ear plugs?� I asked the lady.

�No, we don�t,� she replied.

�OK, thanks,� I said and walked back around to the stage. I found Mike. �They don�t have anything.�

�Do you want me to go pick something up?� he asked me.

�No, I think I�ll be OK if the only noise I have to hear is tonight,� I said.

�OK, just be careful. We�ll do our sound check for �All or Nothing� now,� Mike waved the rest of the guys over and handed them microphones. �All or Nothing in 3� 2� 1.�

The music started. Dan was the first one singing. Then my part came up.

�You know I�d fight for you, but how can I fight someone who isn�t even there? I�ve had the rest of you, now I want the best of you, I don�t care if that�s not fair,� I sang, and then the chorus started.

The rest of �All or Nothing� went smoothly. We all sounded great. We went through just the singing a couple of other songs then moved on to the choreography of �Take Me Under�, which is our intro, �Every 6 Seconds�, and �All For Love.�

We looked and sounded so good that Mike, Mike, and Cory gave us an early lunch break and let us have the rest of the day off. We would be back to perform in front of 20,000 screaming fans later that night.

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