I hate having to change THEM into Connect Three but it is necessary unfortunately. I may have changed their names but they have the same personality of their real selves. If I even say their name in here, it will probably get reported. Enjoy my first one-shot about my favorite boy, man, guy, whatever...
The Always Cliché Ending...
I was standing alone in a crowd of screaming girls. Most of them younger than me; only a small portion were older. The guys that were there were fathers, boyfriends, or players who wanted an easy chance with a girl.
In one hand I clutched a camera, the other: a home-made sign that dedicated itself to my favorite.
Although most girls, who wanted to impress them, wore dresses or nice clothes, I wore simple dark-washed skinny jeans, a vintage tee, and my favorite Nike shoes. No need to impress when I had no chance with any of them.
My friends that loved them couldn't join me due to conflicting plans; and my hater friends never dreamed of going to what one of my guy friends called "cookie cutter".
Though it is very closed-minded to get angry at anyone who hated them, I did. I had an urge to protect them- their image, their personalities, their views, looks, style- anything that made up who they were.
It is safe to say that the double ticket I bought for a companion went to eBay at a fair price. No sense of putting a ticket, who's concert was a day later, at a ridiculous amount. The ticket was bought within exactly 31.3 seconds. I timed it on a stopwatch.
So here I was, in the middle of screaming girls (alone if you forgot), waiting in line, them waiting not as patiently as you'd think, for their idols to come and step in front of that backdrop to begin the meet and greet.
I was aware of a little girl, no more than six, staring up at me. She had been since she got in behind me. Her mother was trying unsuccessfully to pry her daughters eyes off my back. I didn't say anything and chose to ignore it.
I don't know why she was so fascinated with me. I was a slightly normal chick. I say slightly because, yeah, I was tall for my seventeen years of age (5' 7"), played soccer, and ran track. My looks were pretty normal. I had wavy, unruly hair that I had straightened into reddish, brown, layered locks. The humidity was starting to curl the edges, I noticed in annoyance. My hazel eyes I had layered with a thin, black eyeliner and my thankfully blemish free face was toned down thanks to cover up. I was still getting break-outs at my age. I hated it. Probably my worst feature was the heavy circles under my eyes that were covered by under-eye concealer. I had insomnia but I had learned to function with little sleep these days. They always made my feel uncomfortable. Oh, the woes of every teenage girl.
If it was possible, the screams turned into bloody, excited murder. As gruesome as that sounds, it was true. If you have ever been to a meet and greet or concert for Connect Three, you would understand what I mean.
I snapped my eyes and peered, though it wasn't very hard, over the people in front of me to see Jason, Nate, and Shane walk in front of the backdrop covered by the Connect Three logo. Their bodyguard, Sam stepped next to the opening of the gate and allowed the first fans to see them.
It grew quieter after the first few minutes as the line started to move little by little. Us New Englanders were chill. We knew we wouldn't have enough voice for the concert if we kept screaming so the people around me opted for talking.
Oh, I was a talkative person, believe me or ask my friends, I was just quiet around people I didn't know. It's not like I'm going to walk up to some random person and discuss the weather with them. Connect Three are an exception though. They're always an exception.
Every step I took brought me closer to that gate and closer to my idols. They made me happy. Though they didn't know it. Jason inspired me to play guitar, Shane taught me to laugh in awkward situations I always seem to get myself into, Nate taught me to appreciate the little things, and even Nate's little brother Jake, who seemed to get famous once his older brother did, taught me to let go sometimes; to act like a little kid again. Probably the most important thing was that the whole Connect Three family showed me to love the family you have. I told my whole, though split apart, family I loved them everyday even if it meant multiple phone calls sometimes. I was happy with the results: my little, thirteen year old brother had started to tell me he loved me back.
I watched the three thirteen, maybe fourteen year old girls in front of me, with one of the girls' mother, walk through the gate with growing excitement, nervousness, and sadly, hyperness.
They did this to me all the time. Made me a talkative, hyper girl that made guys run. So now I was just going to turn into the person I didn't exactly welcome. One of any of the girls around me. Take your pick.
The little girl was still staring at me. Of course it annoyed me a little, but I was starting to wonder. I got my answer just as the gate closed behind me and I took my first few steps up to Jason, who was the closet.
"Um, miss!" a small voice called politely behind me over the racket of voices. I turned away from Jason's smiling, open expression with a confused look evident.
The people around the little girl grew quiet. To my embarrassment, as I knelt in front of the little girl behind the gate, it signaled for everyone to listen in.
"Yeah hun?" I asked with a friendly smile. Before her daughter could say anything, the mother interrupted her,
"I'm really sorry about Angel. She just really wanted to talk to you," she apologized. I waved my hand dismissively.
"That's all right. I don't mind." The mother smiled and I turned back to Angel.
"So, what did you want Angel?"
The uneasiness she seemed to have before vanished as she asked her first question.
"What does your sign say?" she asked with that innocent look. You know what I'm talking about.
I laughed nervously as I realized I'd have to say it in front of everyone who was now watching with intense curiosity. Example: some girl was recording this very ordeal.
I glanced behind me quickly to see Jason, Shane, and Nate watching the scene curiously. I glanced up at Sam who had been ushering people in before, didn't seem to mind the delay. No one seemed to mind actually. They were all too interested, like me, to care.
I sighed quietly and prayed that this wouldn't freak him out. I mean, I know he probably gets this everyday at concerts and public outings, but you'd think he'd get tired of it once in a while. I don't think I could handle his sketched out look he might give me.
"It says, 'I love you Jason'."
I heard some people laugh. I didn't consider this a laughing matter. The camera girl, I saw, focused on the band behind me. I shrugged it off mentally as the little girl opened her mouth to say something else,
"Why?" some of the girls "awww'd" at the naïve question while I mentally did a face plant. She was asking why I had the biggest crush imaginable to the man standing mere feet behind me? Oh God, help me now. This cannot end well now. I shrugged, hiding the fact that I was ready to flee the scene and hide in my car till the end of the concert, and replied,
"He's a beautiful person."
"Why?" I forced back an annoyed eye roll. Instead, I dug for patience I didn't know I had for little people, and put on a tolerant smile. How do you answer that?
"I don't think any words could really describe why." I winced at the sketchy sentence that just came out of my mouth. Wow, he's gonna totally love you now I thought bitterly to myself. I silently hoped that the Q & A was over so I could get the now dreaded meeting over with.
"OK!" I sighed mentally and just a little physically. "You are really pretty. I think you and Jason would make a great couple. I wanna grow up to be just like you," she said cheerfully and totally oblivious to my obvious discomfort.
My life is now complete. A six year old thinks I'm pretty, I would make a great match for Jason, and she wants to grow up to be just like me. As long as she doesn't stalk me, I'm fine with it.
Oh jeez, and everyone, and probably everyone on YouTube because of the video girl, now knows. 'Cause it's Mike's Super, Freaking Short Show. Never mind, you wouldn't get it. Inside joke, you understand.
"Thanks!" I said cheerfully. Seeing as this conversation was finished, I stood up and brushed my jeans off. "Bye Angel. It was nice meeting you," I said politely.
"It was nice meeting you too Cassidy!" she replied, still cheerful as ever. I faltered. How did she know my name? I shrugged it off. A six year old knowing my name isn't going to kill me. I smiled at her in parting and slowly turned around with a nervous smile.
Conversation had struck up again and most of it, as far as I could hear, was about the ordeal between Angel and I and how adorable it was.
I walked over slowly to, surprisingly, all smiling guys. Weird, I thought they would be sketched out. I felt myself relax a little. Maybe they get girls declaring themselves to them everyday.
"Hi, I'm Cassidy," I introduced myself. I was still just a little bit nervous but once I took Jason's hand to shake, it all, as all clichés go, melted away.
"We heard," Jason said with a joking smile. I chuckled with an eye roll and unwillingly dropped his hand once it was shaken.
"Yeah, I suppose you did. Sorry about that. I know it was really sketchy and I swear, I didn't plan it," I exclaimed waving my hands in the air in emphasis. Yeah, I talk with my hands a lot.
"It's ok, we believe you. No need to worry," Jason replied, chuckling.
Introductions were made and after Nate's, "It's nice to meet you", Shane butted in.
"Well in Jason's case, it's very nice to meet you." I laughed and turned my attention to Jason with a tilt of my head, questioning Shane's choice of words.
"Shane!" Jason scolded in what I think was embarrassment. Jason turned back to me with a small, apologetic smile. I saw his Adam's apple bob up and down as he swallowed nervously. I met Shane's laughing features as he spoke to me again.
"Don't mind Jason. He's not used to this yet." I cocked my head to the side in questioning.
"What do you mean 'not used to this yet'?" Nate smiled and replied,
"He's not used to acts of declaration by fans in front of him. And not to mention the other hundred or so girls and a video camera."
I made an "o" shape with my mouth and nodded, smiling. I glanced at Jason to see him standing with nervousness written all over.
Jason, nervous?! I'm the girl who made a fool of herself in front of him and I could already feel myself get a little more confident the longer I hung around these three guys.
I remembered vaguely, and randomly, from some teeny-bopper mag that I was forced to read in a doctor's office (I'm not a big fan of those magazines) that Jason said he got nervous and sweated around girls he liked. Did he like me? Or was it just my hopeful, active imagination? Impossible, it was too soon to figure something like that out.
"Well he's gonna have to get used to it eventually," I shrugged. "And us Jason fanatics are gonna have to make some room for the people who are finally starting to notice him and his awesomeness."
"Yo guys! Hurry it up!" Sam called to us.
I was alright with it, I thought as I handed one of the people working here my camera. I think he understood that I wasn't like other fans, mind the conceited voice of that thought, I pondered.
I felt Shane pull me in between Jason and himself instead of the usual spot between Nate and him. I smiled my widest smile as the camera flash went off. When I pulled away from them Shane was busy writing something on a piece of paper so I just waved to Nate and Jason.
"Bye guys. Good luck at the concert today! It was fantastic meeting you!"
I collected my poster and camera and was almost at the exit gate when Shane's voice called me back.
"Cassidy wait!" I turned and waited as Shane ran up to me. Nate and Jason were busy meeting Angel so Shane went unnoticed.
"Yeah?" I asked with a tilt of my head. He held out a piece of paper and said,
"I'm giving you my number and I think I can trust that you won't give it out to anyone but your own phone right? Please say yes. I've had to change my number like millions of times already," he said with an over-dramatic pout. I laughed and took it, placing it in my pocket.
"Yeah, I take pride at keeping rockstar secrets," I said with an eye roll.
"Good, I have to get back, but at five, text me with your seat so I can send someone to get you," he said glancing behind him as his best friends now waited for him with confused looks.
"To get me? What?" I asked, confused. Shane smirked again.
"Yeah, you're getting backstage for the show. I am so hooking you and Jason up," he said cockily. I stared, open-mouthed at him as he waved cheerily behind him. "Bye Cassidy! See you soon!"
I shook myself out of it and walked out the exit gate. Weaving in and out of excited fans, I made my way slowly over to my car to put my camera back. They didn't allow cameras at the Tsongas Arena.
It was ironic. For my sixteenth birthday last year, I wished to meet Connect Three. From a fortune cookie one day came the always cliché message, "Happiness shall find you sooner than you think" and some of my lucky numbers were sixteen, nineteen, and twenty- the ages of Nate, Shane, and Jason.
I flung open my car door and hid my camera in the glove compartment. Lowell, Massachusetts is a bad city to leave valuables in clear sight in your car. That and I was a huge worry wart when it came to stuff like this. My dad got his iPod and all its seven thousand plus songs stolen once in Boston. Well it is Boston…
I glanced at my cell and saw that it has just turned 4:20. Four being my favorite number and twenty being Jason's age. This was really starting to freak me out.
I opened the note Shane gave me to actually see all ten digits. Ten because they lived in a different state so he added the area code.
Exactly thirty-eight minutes later I was sitting in my seat texting Shane my coordinates. Which was way in the back. Nosebleed seats. I made sure to start off with my name so he knew who it was.
Shane: well look whos early :D
Me: can you blame me? come on… youre SHANE GRAY!
Shane: yes… yes I am. but u like Jason so I am just the littler friend
Me: o come on. theyre a LOT of girls who luv u 2 so stop it & stop feeling sorry 4 urself lol
Shane: lol watevr u say master of my older bffs heart. I just sent some1 2 get u… WAY up there. wat did u do? sleep through the sale?
Me: pft. u try getting tickets 2 1 of ur concerts just as they go on sale & ud stop poking fun real fast
Shane: probably lol
"Excuse me. Are you Cassidy?" A woman asked in front of me. I looked up to see a woman that looked like a stage hand smiling kindly at me.
"Yep, that's me! That was quick though. It took my forever to climb these stairs," I said with a smile and standing up.
"Well when you climb stairs this long everyday for these boys, you gain some leg muscle real fast," she said with a chuckle. I laughed along with her and followed her as we made our way down the extremely long staircase. I texted Shane, while walking down which was probably dumb, to update him on my current situation.
Me: your lady is here. im on my way :D
Shane: awesome. I sent my best fetcher lady. Shes my favorite :D
Me: lol
"Apparently you're Shane's favorite fetcher lady," I said to the woman. She rolled her eyes and handed me the backstage pass to wear around my neck.
"Shane is such a flirt. I think the long days on the road are doing something to his brain. He flirts with all the women now," she said, finally stepping down from the stairs and onto the stadium floor. She started to lead me toward the opposite end of the stadium where I saw some official looking people running back and forth behind a makeshift gate guarded by security. "Some of the younger roadies are fighting over him. It's very funny for us older, married women to watch. Of course we have to break it up before it gets too out of hand most of the time," she said as an afterthought. I laughed at how very true that probably was.
Once we got to security, they let us in, seeing our passes. That's when following her got difficult as she led me through and in between people and along a tunnel of hallways. We stopped in front of a door labeled: Connect Three Dressing Room.
"I was told to drop you off here. Have fun Cassidy!" she smiled cheerfully and waved as she turned the way we came.
I watched her disappear behind a corner before taking a deep breath and knocking on the door. I heard someone approach the door and then open it.
"Cassidy!" Shane exclaimed happily, pulling me into the room and then into an over-excited hug. I patted him awkwardly on the back as Nate chuckled and rolled his eyes behind him.
"Sorry, he's had a Red Bull already. He's like this all the time after," Nate said with a smile. Shane released me and ran over and sat next to Nate on one of the sofas. There was another one across from it and in the back of the room there was a table with food and drinks.
Nate was giving Shane a weird look because Shane was now bouncing up and down on the couch happily. I laughed and sat down on the couch opposite them.
"Where's Jason?" I asked Nate since Shane was too hyper to answer.
"He's putting the finishing touches to his 'look'," Nate said in finger quotes. "He's a perfectionist so this is also 'normal'," more finger quotes, "for him." I laughed and replied,
"Wow Nate. You must be the only normal one here." He gave me a sarcastic look and smiled,
"No really." I was in the middle of rolling my eyes when the door opened and Jason walked in looking even more perfect then when I first saw him not that long ago. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw me on the couch and I watched him gulp slowly. It looked like he snapped back to reality because he began walking again. He sat beside me on the couch, smiled in surprise, and said,
"Cassidy. Not to be rude or anything but how did you get back here?"
"Shane invited me," I said, smiling and pointing to a still bouncing Shane.
"Of course he did," he said giving Shane a look. He stared happily right back at Jason.
"Yeah, isn't it the most awesomest idea you've ever heard of? I wanna hook my favorite bff up with Cassidy!" Jason and I both groaned and slammed our hands to our faces at exactly the same time.
"Whoa, that was freaky," Nate said glancing back in forth between us. I glanced at Jason just as he was glancing at me and offered him a smile. He returned it right back.
ONE HOUR LATER… SIX O'CLOCK
"He didn't!" I yelled, shocked. I leaned forward in my seat on the sofa next to Jason.
"He did! Shane really did go out with a senior. But when the boyfriend came back from college… well let's just say he couldn't go back to school for a couple of days," Jason said with a chuckle. I joined in with a laugh.
"Oh jeez Shane. The things you get yourself into," I said while shaking my head.
"Well Jason and I gave that sucker a few good bruises too!" Shane replied from the Wii he was playing with Jake.
"Sure you did," I replied jokingly while rolling my eyes.
"We did!" Shane and Jason yelled indignantly. Nate and I chuckled.
"Did they Nate?" I asked the younger friend. He looked up from his guitar and shrugged.
"I don't know. I was in Broadway at the time and every time they tell the story, it changes." I turned my gaze from Nate to Jason's guilty looking face. I raised my eyebrows at Jason and crossed my arms. He hung his head in shame.
In an act of sudden hyperness, my eyes found the snack table. I got up quietly and made my way over. I saw some Dr. Pepper and popped the can of delicious soda. The noise made Jason's head snap up. His eyes widened in mock horror.
"You-are-drinking-my-Dr.-Pepper!" he yelled, pointing an accusing finger at me. I shrugged and took a long sip.
"Well the big doctor in the sky better prescribe Jason another one of these peppers." I swallowed another sip. "Ah, spicy goodness."
I have no idea why this was so funny but it got the whole room laughing and rolling on the floor. I too cracked up and stumbled over to the sofa, managing to somehow trip making the Dr. Pepper go flying. It hit the wall like ten feet away and spilled all over a random poster of Hannah Montana and her fugly face.
"Aw, my spicy goodness spilled all over Hannah Montana!" I whined over the still laughing room. That caused everyone to laugh even harder.
"That's what she said!" Shane yelled between laughs.
I couldn't handle it anymore. I moved my doubled over figure to collapse on the sofa next to Jason's sprawled out, laughing form. I somehow got my head in his lap at some point. Not like I noticed. I was laughing too hard.
"Oh… my… gosh! I can't breathe! Can't breathe!" Jason gasped in between breathless laughs.
"No!" I yelled bolting up. "Everyone stop laughing! If Jason stops breathing then I'd have to give him CPR!" I yelled sarcastically with my arms held in front of me as if to halt the laughing. It didn't and everyone continued to laugh even harder except for Jason who was now sitting up straight with a happy smile on his face. He took my hand and pulled me down beside him and when I met his gaze, his smile widened. He leaned closer to me until his breath was a whisper against mine. My breathing hitched at his next extremely cliché words,
"You can give me CPR anytime." His body so close to mine drove me mad. I took the initiative and pressed my lips against his. Damn, Kevin's a really good kisser.
"Cassidy it's time to wake-up! You'll be late for filming today again if you don't get up now!" a sing-song voice called from outside our bedroom. I groaned and turned over in our bed. Well that's one way to ruin a perfect dream about his best friend. I turned my head away from the pillow and cracked my eyes open to call out to my presently, early riser husband.
"OK Shane! I'll be down in a minute!"
I LOVED that ending, lol. Surprised? I am too. I figured this whole thing being a dream was more exciting :D