Forty-four

After the Entertainment Tonight appearance things actually seemed to calm down a bit. AJ and I received a great deal of support from the more mature fans who were able to understand that he was happy with me and that’s all that really mattered in the grand scheme of things. There, of course, were that expected group of fans who hated me simply because they knew that I wasn’t just AJ’s friend anymore. I tried not to waste much time on them though. On top of those fans, there was another small group of fans who didn’t like me because they were able to see that my friendship extended past AJ and was with all of the guys. To see a girl hanging out with "their Boys" and having fun touring with them and goofing off with them was too much for some of the more possessive fans to handle. In all though, the backlash from the Chicago incident died down within a few days.

The biggest difference that I could see was that I went from being known to the more dedicated fans as "AJ’s Friend" to Kel. It was weird to go out into the venue to take pictures of the fans before the concert began and have girls calling my name. Before they’d yell, "Hey… aren’t you AJ’s Friend?" After the ET appearance though that all ended. I even had girls asking me to pose for pictures with them, and requests for autographs.

"Kel’s turning into a superstar…" Howie teased as we sat around eating lunch at the venue one afternoon.

"Oh please…" I groaned.

"Haven’t you heard them yelling your name?" Brian asked.

I ignored him and took a bite of my sandwich while AJ chirped in, "Yeah and I’m not exactly enjoying the ever growing group of male fans that are hanging around asking for you…"

I smiled and patted his cheek, "I like them…"

"You would…" Nick laughed.

"Mmm… young boys…" I laughed with a wiggle of my eyebrows and lick of my lips.

"Kel!" AJ groaned.

"Sweetie, you fall into that young boy category you know? Stop whining."

"I’m not whining…"

"Then stop pouting…" I laughed. "I’m yours, baby…"

"And mine on Wednesday mornings…" Nick smiled.

I nodded, "Yeah and Nick’s on Wednesday mornings."

"And mine on Thursdays…" Kevin added.

"Howie and I get her on Mondays…" Brian laughed.

I giggled, "My Short Boy Sandwich day…"

We all laughed and kept teasing one another until one of the tour interns came in with two packages for me. I recognized one as another box of photos coming back from being processed, but the other one looked like a personal package. I looked at the padded envelope in confusion and read the return address. "Why does this name look so familiar?"

AJ leaned over and looked at the envelope and shrugged, "Doesn’t ring a bell for me. New York though…"

"Yeah…" I mumbled as I opened the package and pulled out a book with a note tied to the front with a ribbon. I untied the ribbon and unfolded the note. AJ reached out for the book and I slapped his hand away and shot him a look. The guys all giggled at him and waited patiently to find out what it was I’d received. I read the note silently with my hand resting on the book and then smiled, "Wow…" I opened the book and flipped through a few pages before looking up at the guys.

"What is it?" Kevin asked.

I read from the note.

Dear Kellie,

I’m not sure if you’ll remember me or not. It’s actually been about five years since we met, and even then we didn’t spend much time together. My older sister Meredith got married four years ago and you took the pictures at her wedding. It was then when I walked around following you and watching you take pictures that I realized that photography might be something that I wanted to do with my life. Since then I’ve graduated from high school and college majoring in Photography and I’m currently doing freelance work here in the City. After I picked up a camera I found my purpose in life and realized that I couldn’t put it down. I’ve wanted to thank you for opening up my eyes so many years ago but never really knew where to find you since you no longer work for the same company that you did when you photographed my sister’s wedding. When I saw you recently though on Entertainment Tonight I realized that I was being given a second chance to find you and thank you for bringing the gift of photography into my life. I searched high and low trying to find you since that show was broadcast and even now as I write this, I’m not sure if this will reach you but I still feel like I need to try. Enclosed are a collection of some of my favorite of pictures that I’ve taken as well as a picture that I recently found in my mother’s home of me trailing behind you as you took pictures of the chapel that the wedding was held at. I tend to call that picture, ‘Life’s Path Realized.’ I hope you enjoy the pictures, and by all means if you want to respond and tell me what you think about my work, I’d love to hear from you. Even if you can’t contact me though, please know how much I thank you for showing me the path to take in my life. I’ll forever be grateful for the kindness that you showed for a quiet sixteen-year-old who at the time was lost in the world.

Sincerely,

Faith Harper

I flipped open the book again and looked at the photographs that she’d sent me. AJ leaned in and looked at them too and Nick got up and moved to our side of our table to get a better look. "She’s good…" Nick said quietly.

"Yeah she is…" I agreed as I turned another page.

"Oh wow… that one is cool…" Nick said as he pointed to a black and white picture of a body of water and a sailboat.

AJ pointed to one, "I like this one…"

I smiled, "She’s really good." When we finally got to the end of the book we found the photo that her mother had taken of Faith following me at the chapel. I smiled as I remembered her trailing me asking me about photography. I was never one to walk away from a conversation about photography, but especially when someone seemed as interested in it as Faith had. She’d soaked up the information and clearly used it to her advantage as she homed in on her talent. Knowing that I’d affected her life in such a positive way seemed to overflow my heart with good feelings and I sat there grinning like a fool.

The guys passed the album around the table taking a moment to look through it themselves and AJ looked at me, "What no tears?"

I smacked his arm, "No tears smart ass… just goose bumps"

Kevin smiled his proud big brother smile, "You’ve got your first real fan…"

~~~~~

"Hey, Kel?"

"Hmm?" I mumbled as I dug through my bag on a mission for a piece of paper that I couldn't find.

"What the hell are you looking for?" Nick chuckled as he stood in the doorway of my suite leaning against the doorframe watching me.

I stopped my search and plopped down on the couch and sighed looking up at Nick, "I wrote down a phone number on a piece of paper and I can't find it now."

"What did it look like?" he asked as he walked in the room.

"It was on a post-it, red ink..." I got up and started searching again by pulling the couch cushions up and looking under them. "I swear I had it like two minutes ago and now it's just fucking gone... I'd lose my damn head if it weren't attached to my body..."

Nick tapped me on the shoulder, "Kel?"

"What?" I asked turning around to face him.

"This what you're looking for?" he smiled as he held up a piece of paper.

I groaned and pulled it from his hand, "Where?"

"Stuck to your butt..." he laughed.

I rolled my eyes and sat down on the couch and put the post-it in my planner before I lost it again. "Today sucks..."

"Why?" he asked as he sat down next to me.

"Everything I've done today has just gone to shit. I dumped shampoo all over AJ's last clean shirt this morning, I tripped over his shoes in the bedroom and jammed my finger when I hit the ground..." I held up my hand for him to see my swollen and bruised finger. He took my hand gently and looked at the bruises while I spoke. "Then I accidentally ruined a whole roll a film by opening the camera before the film was rolled back up into its canister. I burnt my tongue on my coffee, and apparently for the past twenty minutes I've been searching for a post-it note that was stuck to my ass..."

Nick chuckled and opened his arms, "Come here..." He hugged me and I sighed and hugged him back. "Better?"

I nodded with a pout, "A little... but my hand hurts..."

"Did you ice it?"

"No..."

"Why not?"

"Because I like to whine..." I smiled. "And I was too pissed at myself when I did it that I wanted the punishment."

Nick shook his head, "You are crazy..." He got up to look in our fridge, "No ice... come on..." He grabbed my hand and dragged me across the hall to his room where he pulled ice out of his fridge and put it into a washcloth then carefully placed it on the top of my hand. He made a face as I flinched at the pain, "Sorry..."

"It's okay..." I smiled. "Thanks, kiddo..."

"No prob..." he shrugged. "So... whose phone number were you searching for so frantically?"

"Oh... that girl Faith."

"The one who sent you the book?"

"Yeah... I wanted to talk to her and thank her for the letter and the pictures..."

"That's cool..."

"I thought maybe if we get along over the phone that I'll have her fly out and join us for a few dates do that she can get a look into the life of a 'Tour Photographer.'"

"Oh yeah? That would be cool... How old is she?"

"She's your age I think... She was sixteen when I met her so that would make her twenty-one now cause she said that it's been five years."

"Cool..."

"Maybe she's single..." I smiled and winked at him.

"Don't even think about it, Kel..."

I laughed, "Okay we'll make a deal... I won't play matchmaker unless you see her and you ask me to. How's that?"

"Deal..." Nick smiled.

"Cool..."

"So... when you gunna call her?" Nick grinned.

I laughed and stood up, "Come on, Blondie... I'll call her now, but her number is in my suite."

"You sure it's not on your ass?" Nick giggled.

I glared at him over my shoulder and stuck my tongue out at him, "Bite me, Carter..."

"Nah... I think your day is already going bad enough..."