Stacy's Stalker (Chapter 1)
"You go off to college and things change around here." Ryan said as he took in the updated surroundings of the P*lace. There were still a few weeks left of summer, his college schedule was set and his classes started in a few weeks. Until then he was going to be working with Riley to boost the entertainment factor of the P*lace, bringing new and varied musical acts and other entertainers.
Once school began he was going to be the Event Coordinator at least part time to help bring in new revenue. It would help alleviate some stress on Riley, who had his hands full running the P*lace and making the food and holding events.
He appreciated the upgrades of the lighting and sound systems as well as a new stage that had changed since the last time he was here. It was the perfect set up for many reasons: 1. He needed an internship 2. It was a paid internship and 3. He could see his old friends. The P*lace was where he fell in love with music after all. Growing up in suburban Michigan he didn't quite fit into the music stylings of either Motown or Rap.
As much as he loved college, the whole college scene of parties and drinking weren't his thing. So he kept himself busy to give himself an excuse as to why he never went to any of the parties. And since, he moved out with a buddy from his music class at the beginning of sophomore year to an apartment, not missing the loud raucous nights in the dorms and having the room and quiet to focus on his music.
'It was probably my graduation party, 'he thought with a fond smile at that memory of the last time he had been there.
He had been accepted to the Fine Arts program at Julliard with an emphasis on guitar and vocal music and he was taking some summer intensives to kick off his college career. He had been thrilled that some former bandmates had been able to make it to his party and it soon became a spontaneous reunion with Gloria, Kid, and Renee all in attendance, not to mention the rest of the band.
It was also the last time had seen another bandmate, one that he had shared the stage with for five years, Stacy.
He could still picture her walking into the P*lace. She wore a short, red summer dress with white polka dots, showing off her blossoming figure, long legs and the smooth skin of her back and shoulders. Shiny pink lips and her long blonde hair curled softly made his heart stop in his chest. Though there were many people in the room that night, she was the only one he was looking at.
She was no longer the cute kid that he met when he joined their band, she had grown into a beautiful teenager.
They had become such close friends after Renee and Kid left, to the point where he had almost told her about his feelings for her that winter of his senior year. But he had felt guilty confessing to her when he was leaving in a few months. She had two years to forget him, he figured. Doesn't mean he didn't regret it every second after though.
Walking onto the formerly blue, now black stage, he ran his fingers over the new microphones and keyboard and drums, memories of his years performing on the stage flooding his brain. 'How many hours exactly had he spent on this stage anyway?' he wondered with a smile. Those years were some of the best years of his life- finally staying in one place long enough to make friends, performing, and his first crush.
Suddenly, a burst of energy and voices came through the doors and Ryan smiled at the familiarity of it all. He had been pleased when Stacy had told him that Kenny, Richie, Connie, and Devyn were still part of the band. He had written to her that he was coming back part time, and she said it would be a nice surprise for the rest of the band if she let them find out for themselves.
Speaking of Stacy, where was she? He had a myriad of emotions upon returning to the P*lace, mostly excited with a small amount of nerves and trepidation. Seeing her would make it all worthwhile, he hoped. Although now Stacy was in position that he had been two years ago, making plans for her future and growing up and possibly leaving The P*lace, Kids Inc., and the city for good.
But before he could wonder about that further, the group of kids he had known were upon him, and no longer kids. "Ryan!" Devyn was the first one to reach him and flung her arms around him, surprising him when she was almost a foot taller than the last time he saw her. "Hey Dev. Hey guys." He couldn't believe how much they had changed, couldn't wait to catch up with them.
The five of them were deep in conversation, when another person slipped in the doors, a smile on her face just observing the scene in front of her.
She had been thrilled when Ryan said he was going to be helping Riley out at the P*lace. He had told her once during a late night phone call that he was taking a paid internship at the P*lace and she hoped maybe that meant he could take some stuff off of her plate just as she had done for him two years prior.
Almost as if he could sense her, Ryan looked up and felt the breath leave his lungs, same as the last time he had seen her.. There was the missing blonde he hadn't seen in two years, despite the numerous calls and texts and letters sent between the two friends, they had never managed a visit.
Like a mirage, she appeared wearing a beautiful pink and yellow maxi dress that showed off her golden tan. Her feet with a white pedicure and gold sandals and gold hoop earrings on her ears. Her long blonde hair was straight, and her whole body had grown into almost adulthood. He couldn't believe this was the same girl he had known for most of his childhood. He had expected them to all change, as he himself had changed over the years, but this, her change was the most stunning.
He wasn't the only one staring at the image of the friend they had known, replaced by an older, more mature human.
Stacy couldn't help but notice that college had been good to him. His brown hair was shorter, his black shirt tighter emphasizing his new muscles, his body leaner, and his jeans were newer, fresher. But much to her relief, the signature converse sneakers were still on his feet. She had been afraid that maybe he wasn't the same Ryan, worried that he might have changed too much. But one look disproved that fear.
"Stace." He managed to speak after what felt like an eternity, a slight blush rising up his neck which he tried subconsciously to rub away nervously.
"Ry." She teased gently, using the nickname she had given him years ago. She felt his gaze and felt a warm blush on her cheeks as she pushed her long hair off her neck, thankful for the cover of her sun tan.
Neither noticed the smiles between their younger bandmates as they watched the scene unfold before them. 'Some things never change.' Richie thought to himself, remembering how Stacy and Ryan used to be.
Trying not to appear to be overly eager, he jumped lightly off the end of the stage to get to her more quickly. Her easy smile drew him to her as he enveloped her in a warm embrace that might have lasted a hair too long for friends.
She wrapped her arms around him happily, missing her old friend. "Nice sneakers." She gently toed the worn black shoes with her delicate sandals. He smirked as he replied, "Didn't want to change too much."
"You look good." He murmured softly, feeling the soft blonde hair brush across his face and the sweet smell of a vibrant orange scent danced between them as her arms wrapped around his neck, his hands loosely settled on her waist.
Neither minded that they were still in each other's arms, and Ryan took the chance to say, "I missed you." She blushed at the intense scrutiny of his warm green eyes not to mention the familiar scent of his cologne. Reluctantly they both pulled away to rejoin the group and enjoy their reunion.
With the younger kids gathered wholly focused on Ryan and his college stories, Stacy got behind the counter and made up six sodas and went to join the group, letting them enjoy their time with their bandmate they had all looked up to.
The younger kids were filled with questions one after another, plying Ryan for information about his exciting life in the city.
"Are you in a band?" Richie wanted to know eagerly.
"Is college hard?" Devyn worried thoughtfully,
Connie joined in, "Where are you living?" She asked curiously.
"Are you really working at the P*lace?" Kenny demanded hopefully. Ryan laughed at the eagerness of their questions but answered them nonetheless.
"Yes, yes, in an apartment, and yes." He responded with a laugh to all their questions at once.
There was another question they all wanted to ask but no one really had the courage to, they figured they would find out soon enough if he had a girlfriend or not. But judging by the way he had looked at Stacy, at how he's always looked at her, Kenny decided the answer was a resounding No. Ryan did not have a girlfriend.
He had his own share of questions for them too. "So Richie, what classes are you taking?" He asked the oldest boy in the band,who was now a sophomore in high school. The same age Stacy had been when he left, he couldn't believe it.
And he really couldn't believe that Stacy was a senior. He remembered what it had been like, the excitement of senior year but also the stress too and he made a note to ask her personally what she was up to.
He was doing a terrible job of having his thoughts constantly invaded by her. It wasn't his fault really, when she had looked that gorgeous just entering a room.
"Music theory, Intro to Business, plus all the boring regular classes." The light haired boy answered with a laugh. They all had a good laugh remembering when Richie had ordered all those band jackets. "Boy did that take a long time to pay Riley back." Kenny teased fondly. Richie shook his head in disbelief, it will still hard to live down. But in the two years he had matured into a responsible, hard working young man. Ryan had been surprised to hear that he had become more serious about music when Stacy had mentioned that he was in her music theory class.
"At least we still wear those jackets." Connie joined in the teasing.
"And you and Devyn are freshmen?" Ryan asked incredulously, happy to see the dynamic duo still as close as they had always been. The two best friends sitting next to each other happily sipping on their sodas. The two of them launched into every little detail about going into high school.
"And can you believe Connie is in 8th grade?" Stacy added, throwing an arm around the youngest member affectionately as she joined the group. "Or that Stacy drives us home after rehearsals now?" Connie teased the older girl in admiration.
Stacy blushed slightly remembering all the times Ryan had driven her home after rehearsals. They had spent many nights driving around, talking, singing of course, and entertaining each other in a way that they couldn't always do when they were with the younger kids.
"Well I am glad that you are all still together." Ryan declared happily, looking at the group sitting around him.
"I guess we should get started huh,guys?" Stacy prodded and got the group moving to the stage. "Everyone got their own music?" She confirmed before she joined them. Ryan settled into the familiar stool at the counter and watched them work seamlessly through a series of warm ups and songs.
First they started with an upbeat group number from New Kids on the Block, "Step by Step" with Richie and Kenny sharing lead vocals on the verses. Kenny had always been a smooth vocalist, but he was most impressed with Richie's confidence and willingness to lead. He had a feeling that his confidence had been boosted by the person currently leading the group. She was smiling at them, encouraging them, and giving tips to Devyn and Connie for when the chorus came.
"Step 1- We can have lots of fun." Connie suggested playfully, her voice ringing out.
"Step 2-There's so much we can do." Kenny added with a quick dance move.
"Step 3- It's just you and me." Devyn voiced soulfully as she stepped in front of the group for her line.
"Step 4- I can give you more." Stacy's strong voice promised just that as he felt chills just hearing her sing again.
"Step 5- Don't you know the time has arrived?" Richie's voice had developed deeper and stronger. He couldn't keep from clapping along nor the smile that appeared on his face.
"Step by Step, Oh baby,gonna get to you girl. Step by Step, oh baby, I really want you in my world." Five voices joined as one as they sang the chorus, their dance moves,choreographed by Devyn, in sync with their voices.
They kept up the energy as Devyn and Kenny delivered an entertaining performance of "Opposites Attract". He was impressed at how Stacy weaved instruments and dance through their performances, ranging from upbeat to emotional. And how the rest of the team were invested in all areas of the performance, lights, sound, choreography and costumes.
Richie turned the spotlight on the stool sitting center stage as Connie started playing the piano, while Kenny monitored the sound levels on the sound board. Stacy sat still, her eyes closed,allowing the piano and its melody to wash over her.
"You and I must make a pact
We must bring salvation back
Where there is love, I'll be there (I'll be there)
I'll reach out my hand to you
I'll have faith in all you do
Just call my name and I'll be there (I'll be there)"
She sang out the first verse with a restraint that was more powerful than just belting out the Mariah Carey hit. The group joined in with background vocals and Ryan thought it was the best they had ever sounded.
Stacy stopped the song suddenly to offen an idea. "I was thinking of asking the Glee club to join us for this song. What do you think?" She asked the group for their input.
"That's a great idea. " Kenny agreed eagerly, seeing as he was one of the members of the Glee Club along with Stacy.
"I'll ask them tomorrow and we can go over the other 3 songs for Saturday." Stacy decided, wrapping up rehearsal. "Let's make sure everything is put away nice and neat." She set everybody to tasks to make closing up easier and more efficient.
'The band ran like a well oiled machine, ' he mused thoughtfully, all five members all helped set up and clean up and brought new, interesting ideas to their planning. He was very much looking forward to their first concert of the new school year.
"Going home?" Stacy wondered as she locked up the P*lace for the night. The rest of the kids had already been picked up by their parents. He had been waiting by the double doors, casually leaning and watching her.
"Actually, " He began a bit embarrassed, "Can you give me a ride home?" He asked sweetly, having taken the train this morning and the closest train stop was a good 12 blocks away from his apartment. He raised his green eyes to hers with a soft intensity and hopefulness. She couldn't resist him when he looked at her like that.
"Are you sure you want to drive with me?" Stacy teased as she walked Ryan to her white Jeep wrangler. "How bad can you be?" he joked with a giant grin. "After all, I taught you how to drive." He reminded her, hopping into the passenger seat and closing the door before she could playfully hit him.
"You still have this?" He asked incredulously, as he gently plucked a plush pink unicorn off the passenger seat before he crushed it.
"Of course. It's good luck." She reminded him with a grin. As much as she had always insisted that she needed luck, whether it be a ring or a unicorn, he knew that she didn't. She had enough talent, enough drive to succeed on her own. He was very curious as to what she had planned for her future.
"I have to say Stace, I'm really impressed with the band. You guys sound great, and everyone is pitching in." he complimented her. His words of encouragement really meant a lot to her. She had worked hard the last two years to take Kids Inc. to the next level.
He took the time to look at her as she focused on the road. She had taken a lot of responsibility on but she wore it well. Rehearsals were always exhausting, and she had piled her long hair into a bun on top of her head. It was more casual than he had ever seen her. That wasn't the only change he noticed, her manicured hands rested lightly on the steering wheel as she carefully guided her car on the route he dictated for her, much more confident as a driver than she had been two years ago. Just more evidence of how she had matured.
She seemed relaxed even after a rehearsal, proof that all their hard work was paying off.
"Thanks, we've worked really hard. And we've even played some gigs outside of the P*lace too." She remarked, proud of how far they had come and pleased that he had noticed.
It had taken a lot of hard work, long rehearsals, and a lot of communication but their friendship had strengthened over these years which made the band work better too.
She was surprised when they arrived at his apartment merely fifteen minutes later. They hadn't stopped talking the entire time, it was like they had picked up from where they left off, only now they were two years older and many things had changed in their lives.
She eased her Jeep next to the curb but Ryan didn't make a move to get out. "Nice place." She complimented, proud of the person he was becoming and how he had matured in two years.
"Thanks. My friend Eddie lives here too, he's a music major in piano. Neither of us loved living in dorms." He mentioned with a roll of his eyes. Stacy could understand why he felt that way, he tended to get overwhelmed in large groups of people.
She could understand him better now though, because although she was very outgoing and loved socializing, she could appreciate the peace and quiet he had always sought out in the library or music rooms. She however found that same solace in the fashion lab, sitting and drawing, sometimes with music in her headphones and sometimes in silence.
"Are you excited for senior year?" He asked, pleased when she turned off the car. He wasn't quite ready to let her leave. He had heard all about the other kids summers and lives, now he wanted to hear about hers.
She paused, not sure how to respond. On one hand it was exciting, her classes were now tailored to her interests and her future, and her school activities kept her busy and fulfilled. On the flip side, there were deadlines and decisions that kept her up at night.
"Stace?" His voice broke through her thoughts as he touched her arm to get her to look at him. She was startled at the warmth that covered her arm, his touch gentle, his eyes dark and intense.
"Sorry," she replied sheepishly after a long quiet moment. "I'm excited for my classes and activities. I'm taking GLEE, fashion design, photography, ELA, music theory, and Psychology. Plus cheerleading, glee club, student council…" She listed off her busy schedule. He was surprised at the load she was going to be carrying, hoping she could handle it. But seeing her at rehearsal proved she was more than capable.
"But I'm nervous about things changing." She confessed anxiously. " I mean I've been at the same school district my whole life, the same house, even the same band for nine years." She finally said aloud.
"Not all change is bad, you know." Ryan encouraged her wisely. "I was nervous for sure when I moved to Brooklyn, when I applied to Julliard, when I moved into the dorms." He explained. "I wouldn't be chasing my dreams if I didn't take those risks." She nodded, settling into her seat more comfortably as their conversation deepened.
"And I don't regret any of those changes." He admitted, his green eyes sparkling with happiness, thinking about the good memories he had in all of those experiences. 'Especially the ones with you.' he thought smiling.
"How did you deal with applying to college?" She wanted his advice, she felt like she could relate to what he went through compared to how Renee dealt with college. "Was it hard to finally pick?" Conversation flowed as if they hadn't been apart for two years. He patiently explained what colleges looked for in applications, and what made a college a good fit and she kept asking more questions.
"I know you are going to find the best school for you, Stace." He encouraged her, enjoying their conversation. Stacy yawned, tired after a long day of cheerleading practice and rehearsal, surprised when the clock on her dashboard said 10:00.
"I should be going, It was so good to see you Ryan." She reached over the console to give him a quick hug. He couldn't help but feel disappointed to leave her, but excited knowing that he would be seeing her more often now. His body tensed at the feeling of her arms around his neck, her warm breath tickling his neck before he gently rubbed her back and then regretfully pulling away and opening his door.
She hadn't moved when he turned at his front door to give a little wave, hoping she couldn't see the giant grin on his face. He also didn't see the giant grin on her face either when she finally pulled away.
He hadn't realized how much he had missed her until this moment.