Everyone was dancing wildly to the music in the little ballroom the Boys had reserved for the night. Everyone, except Gaby and Lylian who were talking at a table in the corner of the room. They haven't seen each other for almost 3 weeks now and they had a lot of things to tell each other.
As Nick danced with Ally, he glanced a few times at their table. He saw tears falling slowly on Gaby's cheeks and he wondered what could upset her so much. He remembered the way she was looking at the floor when both Kevin and Lylian had asked why she didn't wait to be in San Diego to meet the tour... like she was ashame and running of something...
Brian too was staring at her but not for the same reason. He knew her and remembered now. She was looking so much like her mother... he wondered if she remembered him too... he didn't think so because she was so young at that time... But she had the same curly dark hair and those big sparkling eyes...she wasn't very different than she used to. He couldn't believe she was there... they had left so fast... back then he was sure he wouldn't see this sweet face again but with years, he had forgotten... but now it was different. He knew he had to talk to her but he for not apparent reason, he was scared.
"You okay baby?" Mary asked with a worried look.
"Huh? Yeah sure! I'm alright!" he smiled weakly.
"This girl has quite an impression on you huh?" she giggled.
"Who?"
"Lylian's friend... "
"Gabriela... Gabriela Abernathy..." Brian replied, his eyes not leaving the table.
"... Brian?? Hello?!?" Mary frowned, waving an hand in front of his face.
"Oh sorry!" he apologized, getting back to earth.
"Why are you staring at her like that??"
"I'm not staring.."
"Oh come on Bri!" she laughed. "Since she stepped in the room, your eyes didn't leave her... "
"I'm sorry! She just..remind me of someone I know!" he replied.
"Someone you know huh?" she asked.
"Not the way you think!" he defended.
"I didn't say anything!" she chuckled.
"But your eyes speak for yourself... I'm not sure if she's the one I think she is.." he said, looking back at Lylian and Gaby's table. Gaby looked up and stared back at him with a puzzle look.
"Go talk to her! Damn Brian stop staring at her, she'll think your some sort of psycho!" Mary laughed.
"I don't know... "
"Do you want me to come with you??" she took his hand.
"Yeah... alright let's go!" he sighed.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
*** Meanwhile ***
"I didn't know what to do...he was just... scaring me so much!" Gaby sighed, shaking her head and wiping the tears away from her face.
"Why did you stay with him for God's sake!?! You were suppose to leave him!!" Lylian replied, not believing her ears.
"I ... I had to...I had no other place to go!"
"Yeah and what do you think I am, some ghost?" Lylian asked.
"I'm so sorry Lily... I guess I felt safe with him..even..what he was doing..." Gaby whispered, looking at her glass.
"Yeah! Let's talk about what he was doing damnit!!!" Lylian started with anger but she cut her off.
"But you were so stressed with your studies and the contract!!! I didn't want to be another weight on your shoulders!!" Gaby cried.
"You've never been a weight and you'll never be ... you know I'll always be by your side... you are going through some really rough times and you have to work things out! And you know I'm here to help you!" Lylian replied with a soft tone.
"I know.... " Gaby started and looked up from the glass but stopped when she saw two person walking toward the table. She wiped away the tears fastly and tried her best to put a smile on her face.
"Hey Bri! Hey Mary! What's up?" Lylian smiled as the two sat at the table.
"Hey! Sorry to interrupt your conversation..." Brian said.
"It's okay...we can continue this later..." Gaby replied, glancing at Lylian. "Hi, I'm Gaby!" she added, extanding her hand to Mary.
"Hey! I'm Mary!"
"Nice to meet you! You two are a couple?"
"Yes we are!" Mary smiled.
"That's cool!"
"So, my boyfriend here says that he knows you and well, not that I'm the jealous type but he was staring at you a lot and I thought maybe you'd like to know why..." Mary explained with a grin. Brian sighed and rolled his eyes. That was not really the way he wanted to explain things...but he had no choice now.
"Oh so that's why..." Gaby grinned. "We know each other?"
"Well... maybe..." Brian simply responded, playing with his fingers. The three girls stared at him, hoping he would keep on. "Are you from Argentina?"
"Yes I am... I was born there..." she replied. "But I moved to USA when I was like... 5 years old.."
"You moved to Lexington...And you stayed there like...2 years..." Brian finished.
"That's what I know...But I don't remember anything about that time..." Gaby frowned. "Can you explain to me how come you know so much things about my life?"
"Yeah, what's going on??" Lylian added.
"You were my neighbor... I babysat you.." he finally admit.
"What??" the three girls said at the same time. Mary couldn't help but giggle.
"That's why you were looking so upset about?" she laughed.
"No wait! You babysat me? I was 5 years old...it was 13 years ago and you remember me?? You reconized me??" Gaby asked, wide eyes.
"At first I wasn't sure... I knew I had seen you somewhere but I couldn't remember... but then I don't know... I got some sort of flashback... " he said with a little smile. "You're not that different then you were... you just ... grew up a lot!" he giggled shyly.
"That's not some joke is it?? You really babysat me?" she asked again with a little laugh after an moment of silence.
"I swear... I'm not kidding! I'm not expecting you to remember because you were so young... but I remember it pretty well..." he said, his eyes stinging. "I was the one babysitting you almost every nights... when your mother was working."
Gaby stared at him for a moment, not really realizing what he was saying.
"My mother?" she asked, frowning again.
"Yeah.. she was working until late in the evening... and you were staying at my house until she was coming back home.."
Gaby stayed silent and just gazed at him like he was some sort of freak but he continued.
"You were such a little entertainer at that time... you were really funny to see.." he smiled, thinking about this time. "You were always singing and dancing around... and I was teaching some songs and you were singing them to your mother when she was coming back... " he added with a bright smile. "You were always so proud!"
She didn't reply anything, she just gazed into space. She couldn't remember that time... her mother? She didn't have a mother...
"You look so much like your mom...I think that's what hit me the most..." Brian said, breaking her thoughts.
She looked up at him, her eyes now filled up with tears.
"I think I'm not the one you think I am...Excuse me..." she rapidely said before to walk fastly to the bathrooms. Lylian sighed sadly and shook her head.
"What? What did I say???" Brian asked with a worried look.
"You need to know something Brian..."
"What???"
"For what we know, Gaby's mother abandonned her... she left her in the stairs of an orphanage of Sacramento at the age of 7... she can't remember anything and never really thought she had a mother..." Lylian explained.
"Oh..God..." he whispered in shock.
"She doesn't even want to find her... I've always told her to try and find her but she doesn't want... She had all sort of problems during the last years..." Lylian said, feeling tears coming up to her eyes but she shook her head.
"I'm so sorry...tell her I'm sorry...please..." he replied, feeling guilty.
"Sure... I'll be right back.." she smiled weakly before to made her way to the bathrooms.
"Damn..I feel so bad.." Brian said.
"Don't worry sweetie!" Mary said, wrapping her arms around him. "You didn't know..."
"Yeah that's right.." he sighed. "I can't believe it because...her mother was such a sweet person..."
Mary took his face in her hands and kissed him softly.
"So you were a babysitter when you were a teenager?" she smirked.
"With Gaby...it was not babysitting..she was like my young sister... I couldn't explain... she was 8 years younger than me but ... it was like we were buds! I was playing with her and we were doing pranks together... she was smart and an excellent musician at that age!"
"Really? That seems like a pretty special bond you two had!" Mary remarked.
"Yeah... well... it's weird...she was like another child in my family for those 2 years...she was living with us most of the time because her mother was working at night... my mother loved her... she was like the daughter she never had..." Brian said, gazing into space.
"Too bad she doesn't seem to remember... " Mary replied sadly. Brian turned to her and smiled.
"How come you are so comprehensive? Most girl would have done a jealousy crisis after hearing this!" Brian chuckled.
"Well...I don't! She's just the little sister you never had... I don't think I should be jealous... or should I?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Of course not!!" Brian exclaimed, wrapping his arms aroung her waist. "I love you!"
"I love you too baby!" Mary smiled before they kissed.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
*** Meanwhile ***
Lylian walked in the bathrooms slowly. She thought she'd hear some sobs but instead, she saw her friend staring at her reflection in the mirrow.
"You okay Gaby?" she asked.
"Yes..." she whispered back, her eyes glued to the mirror. "Do you think I really look like her?" she asked with sadness after a moment of silence.
"Yes...Yes, I'm sure you do..." Lylian answered with a little smile as she approached her friend.
"It can't be true...." Gaby sobbed, looking down.
"Why not? ... "
"Because... I never had a mother!"
"You never wanted to learn anything about her, that's why! ... But of course you have one!!! And now you have maybe the chance to know everything that happened since you are born! I'm sure Brian can tell you so much stuff about your mom...and yourself..."
"This story is pretty weird.. "
"You don't believe him?" Lylian asked.
"I want to...I want so much to believe him and ask him everything about this time but..."
"But you are scared..." Lylian finished for her.
"I guess so..."
"Well, take the time you need... but I'm pretty sure he was sincere. I don't understand why he would make this story up..."
"But even if this story is true.. he just babysat me...it's not like he knows everything that happened..." Gaby said.
"He seemed so upset to see you here... I'm sure he knows more than you think...or maybe he was more than you think... just try... you could be surprised. Who knows?"
"Yeah you're right... but not tonight...I just...want to like realize everything.. " Gaby shook her head.
"Sure, I understand. And by the way, Brian said he was really sorry... " Lylian smiled. "Why don't we go back there and just dance t'ill we faint?" she jocked.
The two girls walked out of the bathrooms and made their way to the dance floor that was less packed then earlier. They started dancing on the music, trying to forget about some parts of their lifes and they just let themselves go. Mary joined them but didn't talk about what had been said earlier.
Nick, Brian, Howie and Michelle were sitting at a table together, chatting and drinking.
"I think Nick has an eye on Lylian.." Michelle chukled, seeing Nick's eyes glued to the dance floor.
"Or Lylian's friend..." Howie added with a laugh.
"Or both..." Brian grinned, pushing Nick with his elbow.
"Huh??" Nick mumbled, his eyes not leaving the two girls dancing.
"Man... earth calling Nick...earth calling Nick...stop staring Nick..." Brian jocked. Nick's eyes than turned to his friends with a puzzle look.
"Hellooo...you back here with us Nicky?" Michelle laughed.
"Sorry..." he apologized, taking a sip from his drink.
"You're so funny!" she replied.
"Why don't you go dance with them?" Howie asked.
"Because I'll get killed by Kevin if I do this..." Nick answered.
"Nick, it's not because you dance with them that you'll end up in bed with them..." Michelle said.
"I know..." he sighed.
"End up in bed with both... isn't it what you are dreaming about Nicky?" Howie laughed.
"Shut up.." Nick snapped.
"Anyways, Kevin is busy making out with Vickie right now.." Howie shrugged, seeing Kevin and Vickie in a corner of the room.
"Come on Nick, let's go dance!" Brian grinned, pulling him by the shirt as he stood up.
"Alright..." he said and followed his friend on the dance floor.
The two boys joined the three girls plus Aj and Katya that were all having fun on the dance floor.
"Mind if we join you?" Brian asked in Mary's ear.
"Of course not!" she brightly answered, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Hi!" Nick told the two other girls.
"Hey!!" they replied at the same time. At this moment, the song 'Stutter' by Joe, featuring Mystical started playing.
"Oh yeahhhh!!!" Lylian cheered. That was one of her favourite songs and she couldn't help but get her groove on everytime she heard it. She played with Nick as they both sang the words of the song together.
"My dear, my dear, me dear, you do not know but I know you very well now let me tell you that I caught caught caught caught you..." Nick sang, pointing at Lylian with a sly smile.
"I can tell you're lying, 'cause when you're replying, you stutter, stutter, stutter, stutter...I can tell you lying, 'cause when you're replying, you stutter, stutter, stutter, stutter..." Lylian replied, moving her hips at ever 'stutter' what made Nick smiled.
"Wow girl...you really improve since you're on this tour... you even sing better.." Gaby jocked.
"Shut up!" Lylian laughed.
The song finally ended and Lylian decided to go sit for a little while.
"Mind if I stay?" Gaby asked.
"Of course not! Enjoy yourself girl!" Lylian grinned and joined Michelle and Howie. As she sat down, a ballad came out. She thought Gaby would come back but to her surprise, she saw her friend wrapping her arms around Nick's shoulders. She felt a hint of jealousy but pushed it away easily. She had to be happy for Gaby. For once, she was smilling and it wasn't a fake smile hiding so much dark thoughts and feelings like she was so used to see for the last years.
Nick closed his eyes and smelled the flower scent of Gaby's hair. He gently stroke her back up and down as they danced slowly to the slow song. He didn't know why but he felt something for this girl he barely knew. There was something in her eyes... something sad... something mysterious... and he wanted to know what could hurt her so badly. A soft and very weak sound of sob broke his thoughts and he opened his eyes, trying to know where it was coming from. He soon realized those sobs were from Gaby so he pulled away and looked at her in the eyes.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Yes...yes sorry.." she apologized with a weak smile. "I'm just a little too emotional these days..."
"What for?" he demanded.
"No reason..." she lied, shrugging. Nick made a sorry smile and wiped away the tears on her cheeks.
"Girls are a lot more beautiful when they smile.." he whispered in her ear, what made Gaby chuckled.
"Thanks for the dance.." she thanked him gracefully, as another song came on.
"It was all my pleasure!" Nick said, flashing one of those killer smiles.
"Um..I think I'll go sit back there... " she replied, not really wanting to go. But she was feeling stupid now that he had seen her cry. To cry was now a huge part of her days but she defenitely wasn't gonna show them how weak she could be.
