Disclaimer: Dont own them. If I did, I'd be a happy, happy girl, but I dont. Oh well.
Onto the story:
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" Hey people, come on, we're going to be late! Check-in is at 11!!" Irene exclaimed, looking at the people around her who were busy lugging suitcases out of the cars onto the sidewalk of the Hilton Hotel.
" Mom, check in is 11 oclock and after. It's not like they're gonna turn us away." Clu laughed, trying to lug three suitcases towards the revolving door.
" Ugh, why don't they have door people?" Carey muttered.
" Bus-boys?" Kat laughed, taking her suitcase. " Maybe they heard you guys were bringing ten thousand suitcases and are hiding." She teased.
" Honestly guys, did you have to bring a suitcase just for hair supplies?" Fiona teased, pointing to the smaller suitcase Clu was carrying.
" With all the press here, you think we wanna have a bad hair day?" Clu retorted, grinning.
" Last one mom." Carey grinned, handing his mother her suitcase. " Thank the lord, now let's burn rubber people, Molly and Annie have tour shoots at 12, you kids have a fitting before that, and we've got a performance tonight, and we have to fit in a rehearsal!" Irene rattled off the details, smiling.
" Yes ma'am." Jack teased, saluting the woman. Annie giggled from behind him, smiling as she picked up two of her suitcases.
" Watch it mister." Irene scolded smiling as she went into the hotel, where Molly and Ned were patiently waiting on line to check in.
" Are you ready?" Fiona asked, looking behind her at Annie, who smiled nervously. " I mean in less then a day we're gonna be at the fanciest hotel in Jersey, kicking of the tour- I bet there'll be lots of press, lots of people there watching your every-" Fiona tried to continue, but Kat clamped a hand over her mouth, stopping her from speaking.
" Ignore her Annie." Jack smiled reassuringly at his friend. " Don't worry about the people."
" Worry about the people? Ha! What am I gonna wear! If there are gonna be reporters- I have to wear something perfect!" Annie teased, sitting on her suitcase.
" Oh thanks Fiona." Clu teased. " And to think, I thought you guys were going to make it without one of you three turning airhead on us."
" Hey, I resent that remark!" Fiona exclaimed. " We're not bimbos… we just get brain freezes once in a while." She added, laughing.
" That was bad Fi, really bad." Carey said, smiling a little.
" Hey, I'm under pressure here." Fiona retorted. " Seriously though, what are you gonna wear Annie?"
" I um… don't know."
" You don't know?!!? HELLO! Tomorrow could either make or break you, and you don't know what your wearing? Oh my god, I'm going to have a heart attack. Please tell me your joking! What if you have to get it fitted? Or what if the dress you like is too big or small?!?!" Fiona exclaimed. Annie's smile faded, and she began fidgeting with necklace.
" Don't worry Annie… Irene said the stylist would be waiting for us at the hotel to have a fitting for your dress." Kat said, smacking Fi in the head. " Honestly, do you think we'd let you go looking bad? C'mon Annie…"
" Thanks guys." Annie said smiling. She closed her eyes, leaning her head on Jack's shoulder. " This is not going to be the quietest weekend, eh?" She grinned, hearing Jack laugh quietly.
" Well kids, here are your keys." Molly said, handing Carey a key.
" Um, mom? We all can't have our own room." Jack said, looking at his mother as if she were crazy.
" Actually, you kids can." Molly laughed.
" Your label reserved the whole 15th floor." Irene explained.
" Oh dude, a whole floor to ourselves- we can run around and no one'll hear!!" Clu exclaimed happily.
" Now let's not get too overboard. You kids still have to behave." Ned said laughing as his son's face fell. " It's not the end of the world Clu. You can go to the park and act like a nut."
" Well what do you say we all go get into our rooms and then get down to business?" Annie suggested, standing.
" Good plan." Molly smiled.
" Oh god, Irene's rubbing off on you." Fiona exclaimed, teasing. Annie laughed, leading the way into the hotel.
" Hey, guys, um… a little help here?" Clu shouted, trying to catch up to the teens, his three suitcases making it a little hard.
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" Hey baby." Josh whispered, wrapping his arms around his girlfriend's waist.
" Hey." Annie smiled shyly and Gabe laughed.
" I think I'm just going to leave the two of you alone for a while- your making me more homesick then I already am." Gabe smiled, standing up.
" Thanks Gabe." Josh smiled gratefully at the girl, taking Annie's hand and leading her over to one of the chairs in front of the board.
" So, what brings you around right now? I thought you had work." Annie said, pressing play. Her latest song came through the speakers and she set to adjusting the balance, as well as the volume of certain instruments.
" I um… wanted to talk to you actually."
" What about?" Annie asked, not looking up from the mixer.
" Um… it's kind of hard for me to just blurt out… a few of us were thinking of going on this camping trip… just for a four day weekend… and well, it's gonna be a few of my buddies, and well, their girlfriends, and I wanted to know if you wanted to come with us." Josh said quickly, looking down.
" That's so sweet." Annie gushed, and Josh looked at her, smiling weakly. " But I… can't."
" It's ok- I just thought I'd give it a shot."
" I would, really, it's not that I don't want to, it's just that I have so much work- publicity shots for the album, radio interviews…"
" It's really ok Annie. I'm not into camping much myself. I'll just stick around here and hang out with you."
" I- Josh I'm going to Belgium for a few days." Annie said quietly.
" When? Maybe-"
" Josh. Really, if I could, I'd bring you and you know that. But my manager, she just doesn't think it'd help my career if I came around with my boyfriend-"
" Your ditching me just because your manager tells you it's bad publicity?"
" Josh- it's not like that, I just… I'm still new Josh, and if the fans found out I was taken-"
" Your still ditching me Annie. God, what happened to the girl I met when you first came here? The one who told her producer to go to hell when he try to kick me out of the studio? Annie, what happened to you?"
" Josh, you don't understand."
" So enlighten me Annie."
" I don't want to fight Josh. I just…"
" Annie, am I not rich enough? I know I'm not Nick Carter, or any of those famous American pop stars, but, I love you. Is image that important to you and your little producers? So important that you're embarrassed to be seen with me in public?"
" No. Josh you have it all wrong. We feel it's too early on in my career for me to be professing my love for you to the world."
" What is it with all of this 'we' stuff Annie? What do you want?? Or does that not matter anymore? God your like a puppet on a string for them. Never wanting to anger them, never doing anything but what they say. You're a human being Annie, what you want matters. Don't let them push you around." Josh said softly.
" I- Josh it's not that easy. These people could either make, or break me."
" So what? Annie, you've never let anyone rule your life before- why start now?" Josh exclaimed. Annie bit her lip, sighing.
" Your right… I'll talk to them."
" There's the Annie I know." Josh smiled, giving her a kiss.
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" Hey Annie?" Jack shook the girl once again and Annie opened her eyes, looking around. " Hey, you ok?"
" Yeah, fine, why?"
" You were crying in your sleep." Jack said quietly, brushing a few stray tears from Annie's face.
" I was?"
" Yeah… bad dream?"
" Bad memory." Annie corrected, sitting up.
" Oh… Josh?"
" Yeah." She said softly, drawing her knees to her chest.
" Want to go somewhere? I was gonna go to the park, I came here to ask you if you wanted to go." Jack said, standing.
" Um, sure, just let me grab a sweater." Annie said standing and walking to her suitcase. " Is it cold out?" She asked, holding up a heavy sweater and a lighter one.
" A bit cold, take the heavy one." Jack advised. " Wow, never thought I'd be helping a girl pick out clothes." He said laughing. Annie smiled and pulled the sweater over her head.
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