CHAPTER TEN

~ FORGIVABLE ~

AJ walked past the rehearsal room to get to his dressing room. He stopped dead in his tracks, when he heard a voice singing "Amazing Grace. It sounded like Toni Braxton, Christina Aguilera, and Mariah Carey wrapped in one.

He stepped inside the room, and saw me dancing, on the hardwood floors, in front of the full wall mirror. "No way." he muttered, as the music stopped.

I heard him, and turned around.  'You think he'd learned his lesson about sneaking up on me.'  Without a word I walked over to the CD player, took my CD out, and walked to the door.

"Who's that?" he asked me, indicating the singer of the CD.

"Me." I answered, flinging my hair over my shoulder, as I walked down the hallway, without looking back.

"I swear to God, if I didn't love her I'd kill her." AJ told himself, not believing what he has just said. 'Mags is the one person who has done nothing but totally and utterly get on his last nerve, but....but....but...it's true.' he thought.

******
 

20 minutes later, as we walked to the bus and Kylie's Miata, I heard my name being called.

"Mags! Maggie-bear!"

"No way." I said slowly, repeating the phrase AJ had used earlier. I looked at Kylie before turning around to face the person who had called my name.

"Maggie-bear?" scoffed AJ, behind me. I was about to turn around and relive the incident that happened in the bus two weeks ago, but I heard someone slap him lightly.

"Mags?" asked my caller from across the parking lot.

"Jake?" I returned, stunned.

"And Ryan and Adam." supplied Kylie. We were referring to my ex-boyfriend Jake Ariel, and his best friends Ryan Yancheck, and Adam Deering.

"What are you doing at a Backstreet Boys concert?" I asked as I hugged Jake quickly.

"Adam's little sister said that Mandy Moore was the opening act." Ryan informed me as he hugged me, smiling deviously.

"She's 15!" I protested as Adam hugged me.

"So?" Adam replied nonchalantly.

"Statutory rape, guys." I reminded them.

"What are YOU with Backstreet Boys?" Jake asked changing the subject.

"Going back to Kylie's. Wanna come?" I responded without thinking. I looked sideways at Kylie, who nodded. She had had a major crush on Adam since 7th grade.

"Sure." replied Ryan, as Jake and Adam nodded.

"Okay," Kylie began, taking charge. "Adam and Ryan can come with me in the Miata. Mags and Jake can take Jake's truck. Everyone else can go in the bus.

"Aye aye sir -" AJ teased, "Ma'am. I meant Ma'am." His face reddened as he followed everyone on the bus.

Mandy noticed Kevin looked a little downcast. "You and Mags weren't...serious, were you?" she inquired.

"No." replied Kevin.

"Than what's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just really liked her."

"And?"

"She has a boyfriend."

"Who? That Jake kid?"

"Yeah."

"No way. They broke up like a couple weeks before she came to Florida. Mags said he was pressuring her to do things she didn't want to do."

"How do you know?"

"We talked about it when we went shopping. By the way, don't let me forget to tell AJ, Mags could kick his ass in a shopping contest." Mandy stated.

**Meanwhile in Jake's truck**

"I missed you Maggie-bear." Jake told me, putting his arm around my shoulders.

"It's Mags." I informed him, taking his arm off my shoulders. It reminded me of when I had first met AJ. The way they both thought they could invade my personal space without an invitation, which neither would have gotten.

"What's wrong? Didn't you miss me?" he teased.

'Not really.' I almost responded.  Instead I just sighed and said "Jake ... we aren't dating anymore. You can't act like we are."

"I'd like to fix that."

"I wouldn't."

"Mags, I have changed. I really have. Please, lets try again."

"We'll see." I told him, as we pulled into Kylie's driveway.

******
 

Two hours later, we all sat in Kylie's home theater watching the Sixth Sense.  Jake and I were making out. We weren't even aware the movie had ended and everyone was staring at us.

Once we had finally noticed, Jake whispered "Let's go somewhere a little more private."

I smiled, took his hand and let him lead me to the nearest guest room for a reason I was unsure of. We made out a couple more minutes before he tried to unbutton my shirt.

"No." I whispered. He smiled at me and we resumed in making out. About 5 minutes later he tried to unbutton my shirt again.

"Jake, when I said no, I meant it." I stated.

"Okay, baby, I'm sorry." he responded, kissing my neck. Within a few minutes he was fumbling with the buttons of my shirt.

I pushed him away, wondering why I had even let him kiss me. "Get out." I told him quietly.

"But the fun was just beginning to start." Jake whined, walking toward me again.

"Since you won't I will." I replied, leaving the room. Kylie's butler passed me. "John? Would you see to it that Mr.Ariel and his friends are escorted off the property?"

"Sure, Mags." John answered, looking at me strangely, as he pulled Jake away. I looked out the window, and realized it was raining.

Back the theater, AJ felt a twinge of jealousy. He saw me as I walked by the open door of the theater. He got up and walked out of the door to follow me.

When he came out, I was hurrying out the door, into the downpour, out of the double French doors. He followed me farther. When he caught up with me, I was slipping my shoes, so I could run around Kylie's 1/2 mile track, next to the Olympic sized pool and in front of the tennis and basketball courts.

"Mags?" he called, running to catch up to me.

"What." I asked. I slowed down, letting him catch up to me. I was already soaking wet, my hair and clothes clinging to my body. AJ was just about as wet.

"Can we talk now?" AJ questioned softly, placing his hand on my hand on my shoulder, stopping me, When I didn't answer him, he swallowed his pride and said once again "I'm sorry."

"Oh." I responded dully, still reeling, from what Jake had done.

"Mags, please forgive me. I want to be friends." AJ pleaded.

"Friends?" I scoffed "Friends! AJ we are beyond being friends! What you did was unforgivable!"

"Mags, if you try hard enough, anything is forgivable." he told me softly.

My eyes filled with tears, hearing that.

"What? I'm sorry." he said panicking.

"That was something Brad would have said." I whispered, tears falling from my eyes and mixing with the rain.

I permitted AJ to hug me. "It's all right. I'm sorry." he whispered back.

"It's so hard to go one without him." I told AJ, clinging to him as if my life depended on it, sobbing.

"I know, I know." AJ consoled me, patting my back.

"No. No you don't." I responded, pulling away and pushing my drenched hair out of my eyes as I sat down on the wet track, putting my head in my hands, "No one does."

He took my head in his hands and wiped my tears away with his thumb even though there was no point. Even if I stopped crying, the rain would still run down my face. The next thing I knew we were kissing. He, then, pulled back and whispered "I love you."

I jumped to my feet, turned back and ran to the house, nearly slipping in mud, but managed to stay upright.

AJ laid back against the track, and covered his face with his hands.  "What have I done now?"