Wow, I am slow this time! Anyway it already number 13. I don't think I will be writing so much anymore. School started and I am up to my neck with assignments.
All mails to melsleepy@hotmail.com @ JaDe.=) All shoutouts to my friends who had supported me. Among them, my kor kor DDP and kor kor Jon, zak, dayse, strat, wesley (who let me dunk him in the pool), angel (who had been one of my nicest friends) and etc...thanks a lot to Ray for giving me some ideas on where to take my story..you are rapidly becoming my co-author with all the ideas you are giving me
Mirror Mirror 13 ---------------- Previously:
"Where is my payment?" demanded Greg at the blonde in front of him. The girl flipped her bleached blond hair and smiled at him flirtatiously.
"HELLO WASHINGTON! How are you all? I am feeling like a...genie in a bottle.." and she launched into the smash hit song. As she danced and sings to the song, she thought to herself. 'That guy will keep on extorting me for money. He has to go,'
"Let it known that when you were gone, he was sharing his bed with ME" Spencer snarled out. Ann sat there, not saying a word. "Every night that you were gone, he was in bed, moaning not for you but for me," he continued viciously. JC pulled him away. Spencer started screaming curses at Ann while Kev and Ray helped pulling Spencer away from Ann.
AnD nOw gEt ReaDy to gO on a RiDe..
Ray drove Spencer back to the hotel and returned to Lance's house. JC looked at Ann silently. She smiled at him. "You're mad at me?" he asked carefully. "At that time, we weren't together. I wasn't expecting you to stay celibate and wait for me," she choose her words carefully. JC nodded.
"Like what we said earlier. We have to let go of the past and live our future," Ann continued. "So I am not mad," JC thanked the heavens that Ann didn't rant or shunned him. Ann had felt a stab of pain in her heart when she heard Spencer said what he said but she knew that no matter what, it had happened and couldn't be undone.
The tension in the atmosphere lifted and the boom box was on. They all changed into their suits and jumped into the swimming pool. They played pool tag and chicken. After lot of shouting and laughter, Hope and Ann finally pulled out of the pool. They sat next to each other on the lounge chairs, making idle chat.
"Ann, are you happier now?" After a moment of silence, Ann spoke up.
"Yes, I am,"
"What will happen when they all go back on tour? You know that it is inevitable,"
"I will take things as it comes. I am establishing my life here now, with..or without them," Hope nodded.
"Yuck! Get your wet hands off," Hope squealed when she felt someone grabbing her from behind. It was Kevin who was smiling devilishly. He carried her and dumped her into the pool, sputtering. Ann laughed with the others. "Oh no you don't," she jumped up from the chair and backed away from Nick and Justin. She bumped into JC. "Help me," she hid behind him. JC turned around and then pushed her into the pool. Ann swam up, indignant. "You are supposed to be on my side," she pouted. JC held his hand to pull her up.
Ann took it, heaving herself up from the water. Then she turned to face JC. Standing close to JC, she backed him slowly. JC's heart almost stopped. She was close enough for him to kiss. At the last moment, she gave him a slight shove and he fell into the water, with Nick pointing and laughing at him.
Ann smirked down and walked towards the diving board. As she jumped up and down the board, she remembered of the time she won the silver trophy for diving. She was only ten then. Justin had won bronze. As she did a few complicated twist and turns in the air before slicing into the water, the others look on amazed. "What the..." Geri broke off.
Justin then walked up to the side where Ann was swimming. "Show off. I can do better," he boasted. "Do your stuff then," she dared. Justin walked towards the diving board, trying to remember the most complicated moves that he can do. "Okay, beat this," he said to Ann before doing the same things as she had done before. The only difference was when Ann had sliced through the water Justin splashed into it.
Everyone clapped loudly, laughing. "Okay, okay. I am out of practice," he defended himself. Lance swam towards Justin, hugging his cold skin close. "My little merman," Lance muttered, kissing Justin's cold lips. Sarah and Chris who splashed water all over them interrupted them. "This means war!" declared Justin.
Airport terminal in Orlando, Florida
Christina flipped her blond hair behind as she walked down the terminal. Her cellular phone rang a few times before she picks it up.
"Yeah?"
"Miss Aguilera?" someone on the other side said.
"Who else would it be you dumb head," she snapped nastily. She is not having a good day. In the airplane, some stupid kid was crying all the time and then had vomited over her new knee length boots. The voice on the other side silenced.
"So? What are you calling for?"
"Just to inform you that the money in the account is not sufficient,"
"What do you mean not sufficient? There was more than ten thousand dollars,"
"I think killing two someone for you would surely cost more than that. Maybe a million? I am sure that you could afford it with all the money you are making,"
Christina bit her lower lip. She could afford it but she didn't want that guy to get the upper hand. "We'll discuss it when I get back to New York. Just get the job done," she hung up the phone. "It's so hard to get good help nowadays," she muttered as she entered the waiting cab.
Final Concert
"Hello, ORLANDO! How are you guys?" yelled out Justin through his head set. The crowd screamed louder if that was possible. JC grinned at Joey as they waited for the cue from Justin to start 'Tearing up my heart'. Nick was sitting patiently for Katy, the make-up artist to finish up with him. Sarah sat there talking to AJ and Howie while Britney was arguing on some last minute changes in her dance routines with Fatima and Darren.
"Where are Ann and the rest?" Nick mumbled out, careful not to move too many facial muscles. "She is in university while the rest are out in the audience," Brian answered. "College? Whatever for?" Nick asked, astonished.
"She received a call from her lecturer about some painting," Brian explained, combing through his hair with his fingers. Nick just nodded slightly before being reprimanded by Katy.
Washington D.C
A young man bent over the bed, clearing away the belongings of his past roommate. It's so tragic. His roommate is barely in his middle twenties before someone did him in. Jeremy spied on something under the bed. It was a small blue journal. 'Should I read it? Why not, Greg is dead anyway,' Jeremy's nosiness gets the best of him.
As he sat curled up on the couch, every page that was read brought an onslaught of emotions on him. 'What a bastard! Thank God someone killed him,' was one of the reactions that went through Jeremy. As the story unfolds in front of him, Jeremy wondered who was Ann and Lance. Then he remembered about the rape suit that was filed against Greg. 'So he did do it' Jeremy's eyes widen as he read of how Greg spotted someone whom he recognized as one of the boyband's bodyguard peeking in.
~I thought I was done for but surprisingly, nothing happened. That man just walked away as if he hadn't seen anything.~
~Just got off the phone with that blond bitch. She doesn't seem to be paying me anytime soon. Wonder what will the press say when they know about the hot shot up and coming star being apprehended by the police for planning a murder~
Jeremy closed the book with the snap at that entry. He drove to the police station and handed over the book, explaining how he found it. Inspector Daniels stared long and hard at the young man in front of him. "Stay in town for the time being," he gruffly said. Jeremy nodded and went home to throw the belongings of Greg into the dumpster.
University of Florida
Ann walked into a room filled with the familiar smell of paints, oils and turpentine. 'Where is that lecturer? What did she want at this time?'
She caught sight of the painting she did of JC a week earlier. She walked up to it and slowly caressed the painting's cheek. Suddenly she heard something crashed. She whirled around and saw nothing. "Hello? Miss Williams?" she called out, not receiving any answer.
"Hello there," someone said in front of her. She turned and saw a person cloaked in black. "Who are you?" she asked, backing of slightly. The person pulled back the hood and she gasped. "YOU!" The person smiled. "I am Perry," She looked at the guy in front of her. He is the same guy whom she had bumped into in a hotel in Illinois. The one who kept staring at her when she was swimming.
"What are you doing here?" slowly backing until she bumped into the table.
"To finish my job. I never expected that you look like this though until that day you bumped into me,"
"What do you mean finish your job?"
"I was hired to kill you because my employer didn't think that Greg could do that job. On the roof top, hotel and now,"
"Why would you want to kill me? I didn't do anything to you,"
"It is nothing personal. Only that I was paid to do my job,"
"NOTHING PERSONAL? This is my life you are talking about," Ann yelled at him. He winced and continued smiling before proceeding towards her.
"At lease let me know who hired you," she bargained.
"Someone who hates you for stealing her boyfriend,"
"Stealing JC? From who?" she demanded.
"JC? No no, your other boyfriend, Lance," he corrected her.
"Lance?" she disbelievingly said.
"Yes,"
"He isn't my boyfriend,"
"People would say anything to escape being murdered. You wouldn't beg for your life now, would you? I hate it when people do that," he said whimsically.
"I wouldn't beg a monster like you even if it means I will die. I am not afraid of death. Everyone dies, sooner or later," Ann declared with fire in her eyes. "Good,"
"One more thing! Where is Miss Williams? You haven't hurt her, have you?" He let out a laugh.
"How did you think we found out that you are here? She is my aunt. I just casually asked her to keep an eye on someone with your features. And when you drew that picture, she remembered of me and called me up,"
He walked towards her and Ann turned around and ran. She ran like she had never run before. She didn't bother to turn and see whether is he following her or not because she knew that he wouldn't give up so easily.
Backstage
"Great job," Britney hugged Lance as Lance walked past. They were all too hyper to go back and sleep yet even with all the jumping and dancing. "Where is Ann?" asked JC. Hope shrugged. "It is so late already. Do you suppose that she went home?" asked Lisa. "No, she said that she would come here straight away after meeting Miss Williams," answered Kev. All of them looked around before getting a bad premonition.
"Get your people and I will get mine," said Kev to JC. Soon they were all gathered in the dressing room. "What's wrong?" asked Howie. "I think we better go to the university to check on Ann," said Kev. "Why?" now asked Chris. "Something is not right," Karyna said. "Let's go to the university now," and with that one word, all of them are off.
*An apartment in *
Christina blew a bubble from the foam in front of her. As she was enjoying her bubble bath, she thought of Perry. 'Better make sure he is doing his job,' She picked up the cordless phone and dialed his cellular phone. "Yeah?" he breathlessly answered.
"What's going on?"
"That bloody bitch just kicked me in the shins! When I get my hands on her.."
"Don't tell me that a mere girl is getting the best out of you," giggled Christina.
"This is not funny,"
"Forget about that. So how are you going to do it? A classic suicide with the rope or slitted wrists?"
"A bullet through the brain," he answered curtly, pissed off. "Ooh," Christina sat up in the bathtub. "Anyway, just make sure that nothing can be traced back to you or me," she continued. "I am not an amateur," he hung up.
"Touchy touchy," she tsked at the phone before lying back in the foam.
University of Florida
"Come back here you bitch! There is no way out. The security guards are out cold and the only way in and out is locked. The key is with me," Perry yelled into the empty auditorium. He saw Ann running into it earlier. In the dark, he couldn't see Ann between the chairs. "I promise it wouldn't hurt too much. It will be quick," said Perry again. Ann held her breath and waited. She heard a patter of footsteps nearby and she lay low.
"Shit, where is she now?" Perry cursed softly, not knowing that he is right beside the crouching Ann. He cursed some more before leaving the auditorium, searching for Ann. 'What can I do? Shit! Why do I have to leave my cellular phone in the art room?'
"It's locked," Kevin pushed against the doors. Karyna peered into the dark halls. "Something is not right. Why would it be locked in chains from the inside?" she pondered aloud. They exchanged a worried look. A sudden smash of the glass door on their right startled them. They turn to see AJ holding a large rock in his hand. "What?" he asked them innocently.
They stood there looking at AJ. "I'll pay for it. Let's look for Ann," he beckoned them inside. JC tried calling Ann's cellular phone but received no reply. "Damn!" he explained to Kev about the phone. They decided to split up and look for Ann. JC, Nick, Britney and Karyna will go to the art class while Kev, Justin, Lance and Lisa will go to the north wing. Howie, Joey, Chris, Brian, AJ and Hope will go to the south wing. They will call each other's cellular phone upon finding Ann.
JC entered the art room warily. He saw Ann's stuff on the table and rushed over there. He saw her phone and other stuff there. His forehead wrinkled with worry while he beckoned the others over.
"Hey JC, come here," called out Nick, staring at the portrait of JC. JC and Karyna gasped with amazement at the detailed work. From the portrait, one could almost feel what the person in the picture felt or what the artist had felt. "Drawn by Ann?" Karyna glanced at the tag on it. JC stared back at his own face and walked away, head down.
"We have to find Ann,"
The others agreed and they walked out of the room.
"AJ, stop pushing Chris around. We have to find for Ann," growled out Hope at their childish antics. AJ stuck his tongue out at Hope and was about to retort when a scream startled them. They looked at each other once before running to the source of the scream.
"You bloody bitch. That hurts!" Perry grabbed his balls in pain. Ann stood there motionless with the gun pointing at her chest. At that moment, her life flashed before her eyes. She remembered of the happy times she had with her parents, JC, Justin and the rest of the gang, and even with Greg. However all the hurt and pains threatened to overshadow the good ones.
"Are you going to beg? I mean I will shoot you but wouldn't you want to prolong your life, even for another minute?"
Perry finally straightens up and look at Ann.
"Why would I want to beg for another minute of living? I am not afraid to die.In fact I WELCOME IT," Ann barked back.
Perry was taken aback by that statement and just stared at the girl in front of him. He looked into her eyes and could only see coldness. He shivered momentarily. He pulled back the safety catch. Ann stared straight into his eyes without fear.
"Well, I wished that you weren't my assignment because I feel that we two are alike," said Perry whimsically.
"We are NOTHING alike,"
As he pulled the trigger, something caught his attention at the corner of his eye. The gun went off and Ann cried out. She knelt down beside the fallen body on the floor. JC groaned with pain, clasping his side, which was bleeding profusely.
"You dummy, why do you do that for?" she scolded him gently. "You should be saying 'Are you hurt my love'," JC joked. JC looked up at Ann who was smiling a little.
"Ann, I would do anything if I could just see you smile at me. Even death,"
"Shush, JC. Save your strength,"
"I really love you," he whispered.
"I love you too," she murmured. JC heard it and closed his eyes, smiling. Ann glanced up and saw Perry on the floor. Lance, Kevin, Howie and AJ beating him up. JC was losing consciousness fast. At that moment, Ann could feel in her heart that the reason for her to stay living is right in front of her all the time and she was too blind to see it.
"JC, stay with me," Ann shooked JC. Hope and Lisa stood there, helpless.
Brian dialed for help while Nick knelt there, helping Ann to stop the bleeding. Ann stood up, body covered in blood, fire blazing in her wet eyes. "Stop beating him," she ordered them. They looked at the intensity in her eyes and did what she said.
She knelt down and asked Perry with steel in her voice, "Who hired you?" Perry looked up, spitting the blood from his mouth onto the floor. "Wouldn't you all like to know?" he said sarcastically. Ann boxed Perry as hard as she could. She had knocked Perry out. She returned to JC's side, rubbing her aching fist. Joey and Chris smiled at each other wryly. "I wouldn't want to get in her bad side," whispered Chris to Joey who nodded.
"JC! Ohh..What happened to you?" squealed Christina, running to JC's bedside. Britney walked out of the room in disgust while Brian followed her. Brian glanced around a few times to make sure the coast is clear and grabbed Britney's hand. When JC had been hospitalized, Britney and Brian both had confessed their feelings for one another. They are taking things slow, getting to know each other. All the other guys started streaming out of the room, leaving JC with Christina. JC tried to signal Ann to stay but Ann stuck her tongue at him and walked out.
Washington D.C
Inspector Daniels read and re-read the case that had been closed. It was the charge of rape against Greg by Ann. 'Someone hired him. But who?' he thought to himself.
"Inspector? We have the whereabouts of the girl you are looking for. She is in Orlando, Florida" a sergeant announced, breaking into Insp. Daniel's thoughts. "Book for me and Insp. Pollack tickets to Orlando. We want to settle this case once and for all. Maybe she will have an idea who is out to get her,"
Orlando, Florida
Perry is in jail, he had refused to talk much less ask for a lawyer. They are charging him with the attempted murder of Ann and shooting of JC. Christina was getting on everyone's nerves, especially JC, Lance and Justin. JC because Christina keeps on fussing over him, Lance because she is trying to seduce him. Justin is mad with jealousy whenever Christina caressed Lance's cheek with one long red painted fingernail.
"If she does it ONE more time, I am gonna.." he muttered to himself. Ann hugged him from behind, startling Justin. "You are gonna what?" she teased him. "Kick genie ass back to her bottle," he growled. Ann laughed and pecked Justin on his nose. She pulled him to the hospital's cafeteria to get something to eat. Lance was sitting in JC's room, trying to read his paper while Christina sat nearby, staring at him and JC with a gleam in her eyes.
Ann and Justin saw Kev and Nick in the cafeteria. The cafeteria is packed with nurses of all ages. It must be a nurse's convention or something like that on. Nearby is a group of candy strippers, looking and pointing at them. Ann looked at the cafeteria line, which was very long. Her stomach rumbled in hunger and she tried to think of a way to buy her food faster. Ann giggled and sneaked up behind Kev.
"Oh, Kevin. You are my favorite among all the BSB with your drool-worthy body. Can I please please have your autograph?" she squealed in a very high pitch. Kev groaned slightly before turning around. "Yes, you can," he looked up and saw Ann giggling away. Nick and Justin started laughing while Kev poked Ann in the stomach.
"Excuse me, you are Kevin Richardson from the BSB right? We heard that gal call you that," one of the bolder candy strippers came out to them. Ann giggled somemore while Kev flashed her an evil eye. The whole group of nurses came to them and started asking Nick and Justin and Kev for autographs.
Soon almost all the nurses are crowded around Nick, Just and Kev for autographs. Ann took the opportunity to buy some sandwiches for Lance, AJ, Howie and Chris. She bought some fried chicken for herself and extras for Nick and Justin who would surely want some.
After she finished buying her food, the crowd is thickening by the minute.
"Hey guys! Brian and AJ from the Backstreet Boys just walked past into the elevator. I think 98 Degrees are also there," she yelled out. The group of nurses started rushing to the elevators. What was left was a half-ravaged Nick with his clothes torn, Justin who miraculously survived with his clothes intact and Kev was smothered with lipstick.
"Common, I am hungry. Let's go back to JC's ward," she said, skipping away.
The three boy band members looked at each other, shaking their heads.
"After what she did to us, all she can say is that she is hungry?" Nick said disbelieving. Kev smiled softly. "She is getting better," he said softly. The three nodded at each other and slowly walked to JC's ward in the restricted area.
Ann entered JC's ward with bags of food in her hands. Chris, Joey, AJ and Howie had arrived earlier when she was out buying the food. Luckily JC's room is really big because there were over 10 people in the room. Christina had settled comfortably on Lance's chair's armrest with an arm looped around Lance's neck. Lance rolled his eyes and ignored Christina. "FOOD!!" yelled out Chris before he tackled Ann. Ann warded him off by throwing him the bag with sandwiches inside.
The four of them started eating the sandwiches like there is no tomorrow. Lance looked at them hungrily but the sandwiches are finished in no time. Ann smiled and walked up to Lance, producing an egg sandwich in front of him. "Thanks, babe," he said, eating it slowly.
Christina is simmering in anger. 'Why she! If that Perry was more competent, she will be dead and Lance is mine,' Kev and the other two soon joined the group. JC burst out laughing upon looking at them. "What happened to you guys? Ouch, my side hurts from laughing," JC laughed and groaned at the same time. Justin directed a stare at Ann. "Ask her!"
At that moment, Ann's mouth is filled with chicken. She raised her eyebrows and pointed to herself which says Who? Me?
"Don't act innocent," Nick descended towards her.
Ann hid behind Lance who had stood up. "No you don't. I am sure what they say is correct," Lance pulled Ann from his back. Ann offered Nick and Justin some fried chicken as a peace offering. They settled down comfortably in the ward. Christina had kept her mouth shut all the time when Ann was in the room.