Birds In Your Garden: Chapter 5
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She tried to get to her bed without making any noise, but as soon as she sat down, the light switched on and Shannon sat up, glancing to the clock. "Well, will you look at who's sneaking in?"

"I'm sorry, Shannon," Jana apologized. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"You didn't," she answered, sitting up and folding her legs beneath her. "I wanted to stay up and find out who it is you're sneaking around with." Jana suddenly felt panic and she blinked at Shannon, unable to say a word. "Oh, it is him, isn't it?"

"Him who?" Jana asked, trying to sound nonchalant as she went to change for bed. She could feel her heart pounding as her mind raced trying to come up with some plausible excuse.

Shannon came around the corner of the room and looked at Jana. "Honey, I'm not going to say anything," she said sincerely, placing a hand over her heart. "I love him like an older brother. My best friend. We spent a lot of time during the last leg together just hanging around talking, and I'm not going to betray that with him. Won't even let him know I know."

"He doesn't want anyone to know," Jana said, leaning her shoulder against the doorframe of the bathroom. "It's…"

"Oh, I know," Shannon smiled, "not good for the career or the fan base or the media. I'm not going to say a thing. I just wanted to know if it really was something or just people's mouths running off. Is it really something?"

"Honestly? I don't know what it is." Jana shook her head and shrugged helplessly.

"That old spark turning into a flame?"

"Brushfire, I think," Jana admitted helplessly. She liked Shannon and had seen her and Kevin together several times and knew they were friends. She had roomed with Shannon a few times now. She and Shannon had always ended up talking until late and when they went out; they were the two that had always gravitated towards each other. She knew Shannon wouldn't say anything.

"Oh!" Shannon grabbed her hand and pulled her back into the bedroom, pulling her to sit on the end of the bed. "Tell me!" Jana hesitated and Shannon sat back, lifting her hands up. "Only if you want," she added. "I know you and him probably decided not to say anything to anyone."

"There's not much to tell," Jana said. "I just keep thinking I'm having flashbacks only to realize that, no, this is really my reality. I never, ever expected to see him ever again outside of a TV screen, so my head is having a hard time putting the pieces together of who he is now with what I remember from then. Outside of his music taste changing…he's so much like who he used to be. But not."

"He's got a heart of gold," Shannon said sincerely. "That's why I respect him so much…as a person. He's so genuine when he talks to you. Remembers what you say and asks about things you might have mentioned. I don't think people like that change. I always thought he was like that all along."

"Yeah," she agreed, closing her eyes and nodding. "He's always been like that. At least, that's what I remember."

"I understand the attraction, honey," she told Jana with a nod. "I really do."

"I wish I did." Jana grinned with a sigh.

"Well, just so you know because no one is going to be saying anything directly to your face - or his, for that matter. There's a lot of talk and assumptions being made. I've been trying to get myself in there to take off some of that heat, so if you think I'm a little friendlier or something, that's why. I don't want Kevin to get any backlash, and now that I know it's you for sure - you shouldn't get any backlash either. I've been making a point to be seen with him just to show that he's close with all of us, which he is."

"I know he is," she agreed. "He's always mentioning things about everyone. And he's always checking up on people."

"Heart of gold," Shannon repeated with a shake of her head. "Body like a rock!"

"That's definitely different!" Jana laughed, pointing to Shannon directly with a single nod of her head. "That much I can tell you…it's definitely changed over the last few years."

"Isn't it great when boys finally grow into men?"

"Sometimes," Jana giggled. "Sometimes you have to wonder when the boy was eaten by the two hundred pound man surrounding him though."

"Amen!" Shannon laughed. She sunk back to rest on her palms comfortably. "So, I'm just going to ask, feel free not to answer."

"Uh oh," Jana said, physically cringing.

"Kristin?"

"What about her?"

"Do you think he might finally leave the flake?" Shannon asked.

"The flake?" Jana laughed in surprise.

Shannon sat up and rested her chin on top of her fingers, looking to the ceiling and fluttered her eyes. "Oh, Kevin…gush-gush-goon-goon… Isn't he just the best?" Shannon squealed in mockery. "That girl is so peaches and cream, I'm surprised there's no expiration date on her butt."

"I don't know what's happening with Kristin," Jana said after she finished laughing. "I can't say I was very impressed meeting her, but I'm not a guy. I'm leaving that decision up to him, and he'll tell me what he wants to do. I don't want to sway him either way."

"What do you think he might do?"

"Honestly?" Jana sighed and thought for a moment. I think he'll flake off again when it comes to making a decision, she wanted to say. "I have no idea. I don't know what's happening."

"Would you want him to leave her?"

"I want him to do what he wants to do," she answered sincerely.

Shannon smiled gently to her, placing her hand on Jana's forearm. "Look, I can respect that you need to keep things quiet and all that, but if you do wind up needing someone to talk to, don't be afraid to talk to me, okay? I'll help out as much as I can to get some heat off you so if you see me being particularly cozy with him, don't think I'm trying to hit on him. They like to gossip, this group, all I'm doing is taking some of the fuel from your fire. He's been a good friend to me these last few months."

"Thanks," Jana said, smiling tiredly.

"Now, tomorrow when we get up, we're going shopping. I love shopping in New York!"

~

Kevin made his way through the crowd in front of the hotel after signing a few autographs and posing for pictures. He trailed behind Brian and Howie and Carlos came through the revolving doors to move him along. They had spent most of the morning doing a radio show and went after lunch to choose their outfits for the VMA's. Now they were heading back to do a few more interviews and the evening would be free. He had hoped to go see Jana and maybe get into that discussion she wouldn't have last night. She seemed to have the oddest expression whenever Kristin was brought up or called and he knew she felt guilty. He did too, to a certain degree, but not enough to back away from Jana. Somehow he had to figure out a way to show that to Jana and show her he had grown up since high school and wasn't planning on letting her slip away from him.

"Sure, he's all famous now," he heard behind him. "Walks through the lobby, doesn't even say hello… I knew you when, buddy."

"Jesus, Mikey!" Kevin turned around and his face lit up. "What s'up-what s'up?" He asked, reaching his hand out to shake his best friend's hand and throw an arm around his shoulder in an embrace. "I didn't know you were here, man!"

"It's not too difficult to surprise you anymore, man," Mikey said, slapping Kevin's back in the embrace. "There's so damn many people around you!"

"Come on up," Kevin said, walking towards the elevators. "You remember Carlos, right?"

"Who do you think got us through the door, dude? He's the main man to know around here, isn't he?"

"Man, I can't believe you're here! What the hell are you doing here?" Kevin said as the doors closed.

"Figured it was time to get away for a break," Mikey said. "New York's cool. You'll be able to get me into the cool parties."

"Parties?" Kevin snorted. "What parties?"

"After that award thing, man!"

"We've got a show, dude," Kevin said.

"What the fuck is up with your hair, man?" Mikey asked, reaching back to slap the back of Kevin's head.

"You don't want to know," Kevin laughed, reaching out to punch Mikey in the stomach in return. "How long you staying?"

"Not sure yet," Mikey said. "I can crash with you, right?"

"Yeah, absolutely!" They arrived on their floor, and Mikey greeted Howie and Brian on his way to Kevin's room.

"So, what kind of parties are there, man?"

Kevin turned and looked at Mikey with a shrug. "I don't know," he answered. "As I said, we got a show in Jersey that night. Soon as we present the first award, we're outta there."

"You're shittin' me!" Mikey scowled. "You made the big time and they're not even gonna let you party?" He stood up and went over to the mini bar, tossing a beer to Kevin before taking one of his own. "That's fucked up, dude."

"That's show business," Kevin said with a shrug and opened the beer, taking a long sip as he put his feet up on the coffee table. "How's Lynn?"

"Oh," Mikey groaned, "whine, whine, whine, man. Had to get the hell outta there for a while. You know how it is." Mikey sat across from him and put his feet up, furrowing his eyebrows at Kevin. "What the fuck am I saying? No you don't. You only spend your vacations with your ball and chain."

"Isn't that enough?" Kevin asked, tossing more beer back. Did he really just say that? Who the hell was he kidding? It wasn't awful spending time with Kristin. They just fought about stupid shit once in awhile, but he didn't mind spending time with her for the most part. He watched Mikey drain the beer in his can and burp loudly. That's why he'd said it. It's Mikey. He always seemed to bring out the most obnoxious male ego in him - trying to be one of the boys when most of the boys had actually already grown up.

"Kevin?" Carlos stuck his head in the door. "They're waiting for you."

"Oh, shit, right," Kevin said, taking another quick sip of the beer. "I've got some stuff to do, man." He placed his hand on Mikey's shoulder. "Make yourself at home and keep my phone bill down, dude!"

"Where you going? I just got here!"

"I've got a few interviews down the hall. Shouldn't take long," Kevin said. "I wasn't expecting you or I would have worked something out."

~

"Dude!" Mikey looked over to Kevin as he came back a few hours later. "What the fuck is this crap? Elton John? Billy Joel? The Temptations? What the fuck is this crap? Where'd you stash the fuckin' music, man?"

"That is music," Kevin said with a smile. "Keep looking, I've got the other stuff in there."

"So, you done now?" Mikey asked, finding an ACDC cd and put it in, turning the volume up. "Can we go find something happening now?"

"Yeah," Kevin said with a laugh. "Just want to make a call."

"To the wifey-poo?" Mikey teased. "Fuckin' whipped."

"Not to Kristin, no," Kevin said, heading into the bedroom. He at least wanted to call Jana to let her know he was thinking about her. The phone rang four times before he got her voicemail. "Hey, baby, it's me. Just wanted to check in and see how your day went. A friend of mine…hell, you know him. Mikey showed up today. We're heading out. Just wanted to say hi. Talk to you later. Bye."

"And you said that wasn't Kristin?" Mikey asked from the doorway. "What're you up to you, dog?"

"Nothing like that," Kevin said calmly. Why was he friends with Mikey again? He reminded Kevin of Homer Simpson's drunk friend...Arnie?

"I know her?" Mikey asked curiously. "Who is it?"

"Doubt you'll remember her," Kevin said, trying to pass it off. That's all he needed was Mikey telling the world. "Where do you want to go?"

"Someplace with action, dude! And alcohol!"

Birds In Your Garden: Chapter 5
Page 17 | Page 18 | Page 19 | Page 20

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Read the companion story:
Oreos for Breakfast (Nick Fanfic)
by The Pumpkin Coach & Paperbag Princess

c. 2001, 2002 by Coriander
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