"Good morning," Kendall said dully sliding into the limo next to Jo and kissing her on the cheek. He yawned after kissing her. Six AM was too early for anyone to get up, he decided, which is what time he woke up to be able to catch her limo at seven.
"Not use to the early mornings, are we?" Jo joked.
"We have to do them every now and then, but honestly, no."
"I thought you were on that break or whatever it is," Jett spoke revealing himself on the other side of Jo.
"Came back to visit me," Jo replied.
"Didn't you just return from visiting him?"
"You have a problem with that?" Jo asked.
"No problem." Jett leaned back against the seat putting his hands up. He pulled a handkerchief out of his jean pocket and rubbed his nose.
"So glad we got the kissing scenes out of the way," Jo remarked in a whisper.
Kendall groaned at the thought of Jo and Jett kissing.
The limo pulling into Colossal Studios made Kendall's heart race. He had been to the studios many times before and he wasn't some star-struck teenager seeing all the behind-the-scenes Hollywood stuff for the first time, but he had to admit, there was excitement rushing through his veins. He loved seeing his girlfriend at work.
When the limo parked, Jett made for one trailer while Jo headed toward another.
"He likes to go to hair and makeup first, last, and in between." Jo rolled her eyes. "I like stopping by my trailer first thing." She opened the door. "Jett and I are the only ones with our own private trailers." She winked at Kendall sending tingles down his spine.
Kendall really enjoyed spending time with Jo on the set of her TV movie. He followed her from her trailer to wardrobe to hair and makeup to the outdoor scene she would be filming. He hadn't seen her in action since the day he was kicked off the New Town High set.
This was the scene where Erin, Jo's character, meets David, Jett's character, for the first time. The set in front of them was a street in a neighborhood in a town in the USA. David would be walking down the street while Jo was busy on her front lawn. Kendall wanted to pay attention but the second the director said "Action!" his mind drifted to a scene of himself, Jo, and a little toddler playing together on that front lawn.
"Mommy's going to get you!" Jo exclaimed running after the kid. Kendall got there first scooping the kid up and tickling her tummy causing the girl to laugh. "OK, Mommy's going to get Daddy!" She ran to Kendall and began tickling him.
"I get Mommy!" The little girl said reaching out to tickle Jo. Little kids aren't very good ticklers so Jo pretended it worked and laughed like everyone else. The three of them fell to the grass laughing and tickling each other.
"Earth to Kendall!" Jo waved her hands in front of his face. "I asked what did you think of the scene?"
"Nice. Nice. You did a good job," Kendall responded returning from his daydream.
"Nice? Jett completely tripped over the crack in the sidewalk! I flubbed a line and when we redid the scene he tripped. Are you in there?" Giving him a smile, she lightly tapped his forehead.
"Sorry, just thinking about something."
"OK." She gave him a look as she took the water bottle she was handed and sat down in the chair labeled "Jo Taylor" next to the one Kendall sat in which had no name attached to it. "We're almost done with this scene."
"And then you're done for the day?"
"Well, no. This afternoon they want us to redo the scene where Erin breaks up with David. Here's something I know you'll like. I get to make Jett cry."
"Looking forward to that."
"And then after that, we're all done filming, unless they decide there's something else they want us to reshoot, but that probably won't happen."
"You'll be done for the rest of the week?"
"Didn't say that. I'll just be done filming."
"You are one busy girl. What do you have left this week?"
"Some press stuff for the movie, photo shoots and what not, and a couple of auditions. All the free time I have I want to spend with you. I missed you."
"You're the reason I'm here." He leaned over and pecked her lips.
"I gotta get back. Break's over."
The rest of the day Kendall couldn't shake the image of him and Jo playing with the little girl. He felt so much emotion when he saw the little girl's face. She looked a lot like Jo but also like his sister, Katie. She was a good mixture, a pretty mixture, of the both of them.
"That's what I want my daughter to look like," he said out loud.
"What?" Jo asked. They were in the limo with Jett on their way back to the Palm Woods.
"Are you pregnant?" Jett asked.
"What? No. No. Kendall and I never—no. No! Kendall?"
"Sorry," Kendall laughed at Jo's response earning a punch on the arm. "I've just had this scene play in my head all day. It involves a little girl who looks like you combined with my sister. If I ever have a daughter I want her to look like that. I wish you could see inside my head to see how beautiful she is."
~..~
Clutching the Bible and the ID James rode the elevator to the 7th floor of K. Frost Hall. He stepped off and headed for room 707. He knew he was in the right place because the door had two paper balloons taped to it with the names Alicia McMillian and Fallon Maholm written in black marker. James took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
"Hey," the girl stopped short at the sight of him but quickly regained her composure, "you're the one who found my ID?"
"I'm James Diamond." He stuck his hand out for a shake which she accepted.
"I thought you were joking when you gave that name over the phone," she said with a slight laugh.
"Nope, no joke. It's really me." He handed her the Bible with the ID sticking out in the book of John. "I'm hoping you can answer some questions for me." He pointed to the book.
"Um, well…I can try my best." She grabbed her purse which allowed James an opportunity to look inside the room.
"Dorm rooms sure are small," he commented.
"You have no idea. Are you able to go to lunch? I can try to answer your questions there."
James agreed and the two of them headed towards the Student Activity Center. After getting their food they found a small table near the back corner where they felt they could privately have their conversation and perhaps James wouldn't be spotted.
James had many questions. He didn't know where to begin. Was what his parents believed true or was this new stuff true? Was any of it true? Maybe it's all a story.
"How do I know any of this is true?" He asked.
Fallon began to explain her beliefs giving James her testimony. For most of her life she'd grown up in the church, but during her middle school years her family stopped attending. Her mom and dad fought a lot and during those years they divorced. The divorce led her to depression due to the stress of being torn between her parents. Fallon was an only child so she didn't have anyone to share this with. In high school a friend invited her to First Priority, a group of Christians meeting in the morning before school once a week. Fallon hadn't turned away from God or Christianity, but she hadn't felt particularly led to it. Meeting with these students helped relieve her of her stress and understand what was happening. Another girl invited her to church and about a month later she gave her heart to God.
"But, how do you know any of this is true?" James repeated once she was done.
"Because it says so in the Bible." She tapped the book as she spoke.
"OK, I get that. It says so in there. But, what makes there the truth?"
"What do you believe?"
"I don't know. I was raised in a non-religious home with a Jewish father. My grandmother is the only one in my family who I know actually went to Temple. My mom divorced my dad because he was cheating on her with a woman 15 years younger. That doesn't lead me to put much stock in Judaism."
"Would you call yourself agnostic?"
"Agnostic?"
"It's kind of like atheism, except instead of not believing in God you don't know if there is one."
"Can I be agnostic about being agnostic? I don't know what I believe."
"I'd say you're agnostic with a background in Judaism if that makes sense. I can't really answer your question on why I believe the Bible. It's a feeling. It's faith. I'm not a theologian. I don't have the answers. I'm sorry. You should read John."
"I did. That's why I have these questions."
"Well, that's a start." She looked at his confused face. "Why don't you join me for church on Sunday? I go to the little church down the street from the university. We have service at 10:30. I can come pick you up?"
"You'd be going so far out of your way."
"It's not a problem."
"How about I come by your dorm room at 10?"
"Are you sure?"
"Positive."
"Great, I'll see you Sunday morning at 10."
Finally watched season 3, so except for the Christmas episode, I'm all caught up. I could download it from Amazon or something, but I'm going to wait until they show it on TeenNick. It allows me to have one last "new" BTR episode for a while longer. I do think they'll show it in December. I watched this show unconventionally: season 1, season 2, season 4, and then season 3. But, I'm all caught up and have all the answers.
November 2 1990: Thanks for your review.
Oh, yes, I've been meaning to mention this but I keep forgetting. In July I took a trip to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Two weeks ago I went back. On the way into Gatlinburg from Pigeon Forge there is a convenience store named KenJo. I know Scott Fellows wanted Kendall to choose Lucy, but I swear this is just one more sign that he was wrong and the fates were right (was it fate that Malese Jow had another project she wanted to work on so she left the show and Katelyn Tarver stayed?). [Déjà vu or did I write something like this before after my trip in July?]