The next morning I peeked into Sandee's room. She was dressed and was packing her books into her bookbag. "Give Me Your Heart" was on her CD player. Timidly, I knocked on the door; I wasn't sure if she was mad at me or not. She looked up and gave me a half-smile.
"Good morning," I began. I walked into the room. "I wanted to apologize for last night. It's just that a lot of strange things have been happening to me lately."
Sandee stopped packing and sat down on her bed. She turned off the CD player and her smile broadened into a full smile. She then gestured for me to sit down next to her. I did so, and she draped her arm around me.
"Heather, you don't have to apologize. I've been noticing a lot of strange things about you lately, and I'm really worried. I mean, there have been a lot of calls to Florida on the phone bill, and, well, you've just been acting weird lately," she said. Apparently she didn't quite know how she wanted to phrase her thoughts because it all came out very broken.
"I know. It's just been a strange month and a half," I said.
"You want to know my theory?" She moved her arm and turned to face me. "I think that there's something going on, and you're not telling us."
I looked down. "I'm not sure what you mean."
"Heather, look at me. What's going on?"
I looked at her again. "I'm not even sure," I said. I looked at the clock and noticed that it was time to catch the bus to campus. I stood up and turned back to face her. "But when I get everything figured out, you guys will be the first ones to know."
Sandee just sighed, picked up her bookbag, and stood up. We walked into the kitchen, and I grabbed my bag. Then we headed out the door to catch the bus.
It was three in the afternoon, and I was the first to get home. I threw my bag down on the kitchen table and crashed on the living room couch. I stared up at the ceiling and thought about last night.
I needed to do something to shake Heather up. If she felt that she could just strip in my body while on national television, then she had another thing coming. What could I do to get her back?
I absentmindedly played with a lock of long hair that had fallen into my eyes. Then I stopped; I had an idea. I stared at the strand of hair and smiled. I had a very good idea.
I got up and walked into Heather's bedroom. I found her checkbook and flipped through the register. She had enough money to do this. I promised myself that I would repay her once I got my body back. I grabbed the keys to her truck (I remembered which ones they were from when Sandee drove us to McDonald's one day) and left the apartment.
Heather's grey truck really was one of the prettiest vehicles I had ever seen. She had told me that she had paid for it all on her own, and it showed. It was neat and clean and hardly had any trash in it. I climbed in and cranked her up.
I drove around town until I found the place I was looking for. It was a very nice little hair salon which took walk-ins. I parked the truck and strolled inside.
A pretty lady of about thirty was behind the counter giving a customer change. She looked up and smiled when I came in. When the customer she had been helping left, she turned to me.
"Do you have the time to take a walk-in?" I asked. "Why, sure, honey. I have about an hour until my next appointment arrives. Just step this way, please," she smiled.
I followed her to a free chair and sat down. She tied the apron-like thing around me and turned me towards the mirror. Heather's smiling face greeted me. The lady looked at me in the mirror.
"What can I do for you today, honey?" she asked.
"Well, I was thinking about going for a change. Can you put bright red streaks in my hair?" I asked.
"Wow! You really are going for a big change, aren't you? Sure, I can do that. Now, you're positive you want to do this?" I saw her lift up the long strands of Heather's brown hair in the mirror.
I'm absolutely positive. It's a surprise for a friend," I smiled.
"Alright." She found the red color that would look right in Heather's hair and set to work.
"Oh...my...God. Heather, what in the world did you do to your hair?" Amy asked, stunned. Her mouth had dropped open, and her eyes had grown wide when she saw my new hairstyle. She invited me into her apartment, and I sat down on the couch.
As she sat down next to me, I took in her small one-person apartment. In the living room there was a small TV, a stereo, her couch and chair, and the hallway which led to the other rooms. Her walls were covered in paintings, such as "The Lady of Shalott" and other Arthurian characters , and pictures of Brian and us.
Amy's voice caught my attention. "You look like you've never been here before," she observed.
I looked at her. "oh, it's just...well...it's been a while."
"Boy, that bump really did do something funny to your memory alright," she said. Then, she changed the subject. "To what do I owe this visit?"
"Well, I was wondering if I could get EmmE's number from you," I said, getting straight to the point.
Amy gave me a puzzled look. "What do you need EmmE's number for?" she asked.
"Well, I need to talk to her. I've got a question to ask her."
"What do you need to ask?"
"Just something."
"Can't you tell me?"
I considered this, then decided against telling her. I didn't want to tell anyone, except EmmE, the truth until I could find some way to unswitch Heather and me. "I can't tell you right now," I said after a pause. "I can probably tell you and everyone else after I talk to EmmE. It's very important that I talk to her."
"Does it have something to do with the new 'do?" she asked.
I smiled. "Kind of." Man, she really reminded me of Brian.
She sighed. "Okay." She leaned over to her coffee table and dug through the collection of books sitting on it. She found one with a flowered cover and sat back on the couch. She opened it, then showed me EmmE's number.
"There you go. Let me get you a piece of paper and a pen," Amy said. She ran into her study and returned with the two objects. I jotted EmmE's number down and handed the address book back to Amy.
"Thanks," I said as I stood up. "Well, I'd better get back and show off my red streaks. You coming over tonight?"
"As always," she answered. "You promise to tell me what's going on?"
I walked to the door and opened it. "Eventually," I smiled, then left.
"You did what?!" I screamed into the phone when AJ told me about the red streaks in my hair. I couldn't believe that he would just go out and do that...with my money!
"I got red streaks put in your hair. It's payback for the strip show you did on Leno," AJ explained.
"I wasn't going to strip all the way," I said. "I swear. You and the other four can be such stiffs."
"Excuse me, but that was my body. I might not have been in it, but everybody in the world was seeing me!" AJ's voice rose with every word.
"Okay, look, I'm sorry. I had no idea it would affect you this much. I guess I got a little carried away. Is there anyway you could get rid of the red streaks?"
"Nope, they're permanent." I could hear him grin. "But I think everyone has gotten used to them. Oh, they were rather shocked at first, but I think everyone likes them now."
I groaned. I couldn't believe this; I just couldn't believe this. How could he?!
"Well, I've gotta go. I'm going to call EmmE and see if there's anything she can do to help us." AJ's voice broke into my thoughts.
"Alright," I answered. "Talk to you later."
"Bye."
"Bye." He hung up, then I hung up. I sat there and stared at the phone. Ooh, that jerk! Red streaks!
I stood up and began to walk around the house. When I got to the kitchen, I stopped. I spotted the key holder hanging on the wall across the room. Hanging from the holder and catching the light from the sun streaming in through the window were the keys to AJ's grey Expedition. My lips slowly parted into a smile. I knew that he had told me not to touch the truck, but he wasn't there. How was he going to know? Plus, I was still mad over the red streaks.
I grabbed the keys off the holder and ran into the living room. I picked up the cordless and dialed Nick's number.
"Hello?" a voice answered.
"Is Nick there?" I never thought that I would ever get to say that.
"Speaking. AJ, have you forgotten what my voice sounds like over the phone?" Nick asked. I could hear the beeping of his video game in the background.
"I was wondering if you would like to go cruising with me in the Expedition," I suggested.
"Ah, man, come on! Just one more coin! No! Ah, you..." Nick continued to argue with his video game for a few minutes, then answered me. "Sure."
"Great! You live three houses down from me, right? On the right?"
"The left."
"Okay, I'll be there in a few minutes." We hung up. I stood up, grabbed a hat, and left.
I stood outside the garage and stared at the door. I took a deep breath and pressed the garage remote. Slowly, the door opened to reveal a beautiful, almost immaculate, grey Expedition. I smiled; Sandee would have loved it.
I walked into the garage and ran my hand over the large truck. I reached the driver's side door, unlocked and opened it, and climbed in. As I made myself comfortable, I noticed that it still had its "new car" smell.
I put the key in the ignition and started her up. TLC's "No Scrubs" came blaring out of AJ's speakers. I turned down the volume and took the CD out of the player. I fiddled with the radio until I found a station I liked, then I backed out of the garage. This was going to be fun!
Nick's house was also huge. It was white and dark green with the same kind of columns as AJ's house, but without the tacky fountain. Nick's beloved Tampa Bay was right behind the house, and I bet he had a boat out back.
I pulled into the driveway, got out, and walked to the front door. As I rang the doorbell, I expected something fancy, but all I got was a nice normal ring. Nick, dressed in a T-shirt and jeans, answered the door. I took in a sharp breath. He looked so good in green.
"Hey! Ready to go?" I asked, regaining my composure.
"Sure, let me grab my hat," he said as he ran back into the house. I was absolutely terrified that he would come back wearing the white hat that he always wore and that I hated so much. Instead, he came back wearing his blue Kaos cap. "Ready," he announced. He shut and locked the door, and we walked to the truck.
He climbed into the passenger seat, and climbed into the driver's seat. I cranked up the Expedition. Nick settled back into his seat and adjusted his cap.
"So, where are we going?" he asked.
"Nowhere in particular. Just driving around, checking out the scenery. Haven't you ever been cruising before?" I questioned. Nick shook his head. I smiled. "Boy, are you in for a treat."
Worry reflected in his soft blue eyes. "What about the crowds? Don't you think your Expedition will be spotted?"
"Just pull down your cap and act like you don't have a care in the world. Most fans won't believe that it's us," I explained. I took in a sharp breath and raised the pitch of my voice. "AJ McLean and Nick Carter cruising around town? Never!"
Nick laughed and pulled his cap down. "Okay."
I drove up to the gate and smiled at the security guard. He waved back, and we drove off. We were on our way.
I was fine driving down by the waterfront. There wasn't that much traffic, and AJ's truck was handling beautifully. It was when I pulled onto the highway that everything changed. I had forgotten about my road rage.
I merged off the ramp and onto the highway as Nick leaned back into his seat. He looked like he was about to go to sleep, so I decided to start a conversation.
"So, how's your break going?" I asked.
Nick lifted up his cap. "Alright, I guess. My family came down to see me a little while ago. Mom is so excited because Aaron is touring with the All-That Tour this summer. BJ, Leslie, and Angel are doing good as well. BJ and Leslie are breaking into the business while Angel is finishing up her fifth-grade year. She'll be in middle school next year. She's more excited about that than she is anything else."
I smiled. "That's great." Then I decided to ask about his girlfriend. "How's Missy?"
Nick's eyes grew a little darker. "She's begun to nag me about my weight more and more."
"She really shouldn't tell you stuff like that."
"Yeah, I know. But she can be nice, and she's the first girl that's never wanted money or fame."
"Are you sure? What about your name and the prestige that goes with it?" I turned to look at him as I spoke. At the same time, Nick's eyes widened.
"AJ!" he yelled. I whipped my head around to see a white minivan pull out a few inches in front of us.
I slammed on the brake, and, without thinking, let a string of cuss words fly. "Watch where you're going, Dumbass!" I screamed.
That's when I really lost it. I stamped on the gas and we went flying after the minivan. The Expedition dodged in and out of the traffic as it chased down its prey. I eventually had the van in my sights. I got on its bumper and wouldn't leave. It honked its horn and I honked mine. I turned to look at Nick. He was gripping the door handle and absolute fear resided in his eyes. I turned back to the object of my anger and let off the gas a little. The minivan drove on in front of us. All around us, people were honking their horns and calling me every name in the book. I finally turned off at an exit and stopped at a gas station.
Nick loosened his grip from the door handle and placed a hand on my shoulder. "AJ, calm down. It's okay; you don't have to get upset."
I looked into his blue eyes and calmed down a bit. I sighed and started up the car again. We pulled out of the gas station and headed on down the road.
We continued in silence. Finally, I started up the conversation again. "Sorry about that. I had forgotten that I get road rage pretty easily."
Nick smiled at me. "It's alright. I think I've gotten over my initial shock, and it was an adventure. Besides, that minivan shouldn't have pulled out in front of you."
I made a right turn, and we started down the road towards home. I was doing real well. No one else had made me mad, and I had taken care of the Expedition.
There in front of me loomed the gate. I smiled when I saw it, but the smile quickly faded when a red BMW cut right in front of me. Once again, the cuss words flew from my lips. I was so enthralled in my one-sided conversation with the BMW that I almost didn't hear Nick yell.
"AJ! Look out! Watch the road!" I looked over to see him once again gripping the door handle, his blue eyes wide. I looked back at the road to see a telephone pole heading straight for us. I hit the brake. CRASH! My seatbelt held onto me as we stopped.
I looked over at Nick to see him still gripping the door handle. He, too, was locked in his seatbelt. "You okay?" I asked.
He nodded. "Yeah, just a little shaken."
I unhooked my seatbelt and tried to open the door. It wouldn't budge. I rolled down the window and climbed out of it. I jumped down to the grass and walked around to the front. My jaw dropped.
The front end of the truck was crushed into the pole and smoke was coming up from underneath the hood. My stomach sank.
I turned to Nick, who was now standing beside me. His blue eyes were wide, his jaw had also dropped.
"Mr. McLean, Mr. Carter, are you alright?" I looked up to see the guard coming towards us.
"Yeah, I think we're alright. Just a little shaken, that's all. I think the pole got the worst of it," Nick explained. I just stood there, dumbfounded.
"Is there anyone I can call for you? Anything I can do?" the guard asked.
"No, I think we'll be alright. Oh, you can call Howie Dorough for us, though. He can probably give us a lift home. Oh, and a tow truck, too, if you don't mind," Nick answered.
The guard agreed and walked back to his post. Nick draped his arm around me.
"Well, it doesn't look like it'll cost that much, but it's official. You are not allowed to ever drive my Prowler," he grinned.
"Oh, my god. He's gonna kill me," I whispered so low that Nick couldn't hear. I was in trouble; I was in serious trouble.