“It was crazy, baby. I can’t do anything.” Nick heard AJ telling his girlfriend about what happened at the airport earlier. They were already at the hotel and the press conference is due in the next hour and everyone is preparing them for that, most especially AJ.

The media was interested about the concern he showed for Faye, who happened to be the daughter of an influential senator in the country. She died at the car explosion and AJ’s bodyguards found a hard time in keeping him calm after what happened. “It’s horrible to watch a friend die like that.” AJ wipes his tears. “I just knew her at the flight. She reminded me a lot of my cousin. You know, Julia.” He continued. “Yeah, I love you too. I’ll see you in a few days and we’ll go to the beach. I need you here.” He paused as his girlfriend talks on the other line. “Okay. Please come here. It’s hard. I’ll be in a conference later and surely they’ll ask me about Faye.”

Nick drew a deep breath. It’s wrong to eavesdrop but he couldn’t help it. They were all in shock. AJ introduced Faye to them last night after dinner and she seemed nice, albeit a little shy. But they never knew that she’s pregnant and that shocked them the most. They all saw the car exploded twice. They were in the news upon their arrival, mostly about Faye’s acquaintance with AJ and his revelation about her condition. Kyle, their road manager, informed that Faye’s remains were in her family now and at a vigil in an exclusive chapel somewhere in the city. Senator John Gomez, Faye’s father, also sent the group their gratitude for making her happy even during the last hours of her life.

Still, AJ felt restless. Nick could see that. His friend keeps on pacing around while talking with his girlfriend. He stood up and went to the adjacent room where the other guys are. Kevin looked up when he comes in. “He’s still upset?”

Nick nodded. “It’s really a shock,” he drew a deep breath. “She was a sweet person last night. Who could have plotted it?”

“I heard that her father, the senator, had a controversial expose a few weeks back and he received several death threats ever since.” Drew, one of their bodyguards, said. “No one expected that they would turn to his daughter for revenge.”

“Are we safe in this country?” Nick asked, once again feeling nonchalant about this whole idea of promoting their new project in Asia.

“As long as we’re here, you’re safe,” Marcus told the young blonde. They all turned when AJ came in to the room.

“Aren’t we supposed to be ready for the conference now?” He asks them. “Man, I’m hungry.”

“We’re due in an hour,” Brian replied, looking at his watch. “How are you, J?”

“I feel weak. I want to rest.” AJ closed his eyes but opened it when the main door opened and their PR staff came in, along with some unknown faces. He didn’t move while the rest of the guys came to introduce them. When Kevin gave him a look, he stood up to meet them. They were the two representatives of the Philippine official fan community and two record executives from the recording company. The Boys were briefed for their entire schedule on the next few days including their side-trip in an exclusive resort island at the south of the country. Nick looked very excited as the travel coordinator, who’s also one of the fan club coordinators, told them the itinerary. He completely forgot about his anxiety over their safety.

AJ wished he could feel the same excitement but Faye still occupies his mind. Her untimely, and unjustifiable, death keeps on repeating in his memory. He shakes his head as if trying to erase it. He can’t do anything about it now.

The newcomers never left. They were also the ones who coordinated with the media that’s why they have to stay. At about twenty minutes before the conference, Nancy pulled the five of them altogether for another briefing. AJ sighed heavily. Their PR looked at him and she understood. Nancy gave him a comforting smile and a pat on the shoulder.

“We already expect that the press will bombard us with what happened at the airport. I’ve already issued a statement that, in respect to the deceased and her family, we will only entertain questions pertaining to the objective of our visit in the country.” Nancy said while looking at AJ. “I understand what you’re going through right now. Even though I haven’t talked to her last night, it was really horrible to witness what happened earlier. I share the same sentiments.”

“Thank you very much, Nancy.” AJ hugged her. “Now, I feel more comfortable after hearing that. I don’t really want to talk about it actually and I don’t want anyone pressing me about it later.”

Nancy smiled. “Alright,” she smiled. “So, on with the job. I got here some news clippings that have been collected prior to your arrival. I want you to take a look on these so that you’ll be prepared later.” She casts a glance to Nick and Howie. Both just had a controversial breakup with their own girlfriends. A year after he dated Paris, Nick went out with a woman of her kind while Howie got involved with a woman who revealed herself in Oprah that she only used him for fame and fortune. That was an unusual declaration which surprised everyone in the Backstreet camp. Nick and Howie’s relationship ended but still everyone still keeps on talking about it.

Nick saw Howie’s jaw clenched as the quiet one took the moment to read what was told of him. He knew how his friend has been so angry about what happened with him and Kimberly. Nick believed that the woman loved his friend so much and it was really a surprise that she’d expose herself like that in Oprah, even making it appear like she’s in a personal psychological dilemma that not even Howie could do about it. As for him, everyone was mocking him for not learning a lesson from his past episode with Paris when he dated an unknown Greek heiress who, in the end, was just like his ex-girlfriend after all – a media-hungry socialite who wanted an easy ticket to fame.

“We had enough of the news in the US,” Kevin said, taking the news clippings from Howie’s hold and giving it back to Nancy. Howie didn’t say anything as the papers looked as though it disappeared in his hands.

“We know what to answer,” Brian seconded his cousin.

Nancy felt intimidated as the five looked down on her small frame. “Oh, alright. I just thought you need this. Don’t look at me like that. You know that it scares me.” With that being said, the guys laughed. Their publicist was like a little sister to them. Being a professional in the tender age of twenty-three, Nancy is already a successful publicist who handled them very efficiently. The Boys liked her so much, they don’t want to let go of her.

They turned when the door opened and revealed their manager, Kyle, announcing they should proceed towards the ballroom of the hotel where the conference will be held.



~~~



Almost everyone turned when a woman in red came to the wake of Faye Gomez, the daughter of Senator John Gomez, who died after the car exploded at the airport earlier that day. The newcomer is wearing dark shades which almost hide the assets on her face. Her long dark hair flowed freely as she walks, making one think if she’s a devil incarnate beneath the angelic visage. She stopped in front of Faye’s closed coffin and looked down on it.

Her sister.

“Amazing,” Anna tells the other woman lying dead in it. “You’ve been the center of attention all your life and up until your last breathe, you’re still the talk of everyone.” She quietly tells Faye. Her hard countenance could tell how her experiences in the past made her become the strong woman that she is now.

“Anna…”

Anna did not turn around. It was her mother who called. For sure, just like what they enjoyed doing for years, they will ask her to leave again. She’s the unwanted child, unlike Faye. Maybe because she has a mind of her own and wanted to do things her way. Faye was the submissive child. She followed every thing that their parents told her to do, even send her to the best school in the US to study, while Anna stayed in the country and studied in some state university. It wasn’t that she’s complaining but between them, Faye always had the good life. She was always the favored one. And through all of these, Anna became rebellious. She also wanted the same attention that her parents were giving her sister but wasn’t successful. They even threw her out of the house just because she only came home late after a group study session with some classmates. Since then, she never came back and lived with her aunt instead. She finished school on her own, through the help of her aunt and her part-time jobs. She never asked for anything from her parents. She now works as a travel journalist for a women’s magazine. Faye, on the other hand, still struggled to finish college in the US and hasn’t graduated yet. It was everyone’s surprise that she came home in the middle of the school year and found out that she’s pregnant and unwed.

Anna felt her mother’s presence beside her. “How does it feel learning that your favorite child came home pregnant and died? It must have really hurt.” She said.

“How dare you?”

Anna turned to her mother. “You’re asking me? How dare you?” She looked around and saw her father’s bodyguards at the entrance. Senator John Gomez has arrived. “Excuse me. I feel unwanted here. I have to go since that’s what you’d ask me anyway.” She walked towards the main door and met her father. Without any word to him, she walked past him and left her sister’s wake. As soon as she got into her aunt’s old car, she cried.