"Amanda Jean, I'm back! And I come bearing food!" I shouted, entering my apartment. I opted against poisoning AJ with my cooking, and picked up some bagels from the shop down the street. That place is ALWAYS open, regardless of the weather.
It's been two days since the big storm hit. For the most part, the streets were cleaned and life was returning to Tulsa. And I was probably the only one upset about that. Clean streets with life in them could only mean one thing, AJ will be leaving... again.
For two days I racked my brain for something to do or say that would prevent her from leaving. But I knew that wasn't fair of me. AJ loves her job, and she's great at it. Plus, New York is her home. I had no business asking her to give that up. That's what broke up Susan and I. She couldn't handle my constant traveling, and I wasn't willing to give it up. Ironic the way things turn out sometimes.
"FOOD!" AJ dove for the bag in my hand. "Food, food, FOOD!" She snatched the bag from me and began to examine its contents.
"Hope you like taylor ham and cheese," I said.
"Love it. Right now, I'm so hungry I could eat just about anything, even your cooking."
"Think about what you just said. I doubt you're THAT hungry."
She laughed. "You're probably right."
We sat down in front of the TV with our breakfast. AJ began to flip through the channels. "Do you get the Cartoon Network?"
"Yeah, channel fifty-three," I answered.
AJ punched fifty-three into the remote. The closing credits of "Space Ghost" flickered across the screen. "Stay tuned for 'Josie and the Pussycats,' next on the Cartoon Network," said the announcer.
"EEEE!!!" She let out a girlish squeal. "I LOVE 'Josie and the Pussycats'! Nikki and I watched this together. Probably the only thing we agreed on."
"You and Nikki really didn't get along, did you?"
"That's kinda hard to answer. We're sisters. We always loved one another. But... we also resented one another, too. My parents were always telling Nikki that she should put more into her schoolwork, like me. And I... well... I think I was more jealous of her than resentful. She was always Mom and Daddy's princess, their delicate flower, the pretty one. Guys just always flocked to Nikki likes bees to honey. And once, JUST ONCE, I wanted someone to look at me that way, like I was more than the key player on the team." AJ let out a sigh. "Thank God for Laura. She helped me so much. She really is like a big sister to me. You know, it was she who encouraged me to go into writing."
"Really?"
"Yeah. She caught a glimpse of a short story I wrote when I was twelve. In fact, she's the only one whoever read it, or any of my works, minus the published ones, of course. But I began to run out of ideas, so Laura fed me hers." With that statement, AJ burst out laughing.
"What? Come on, Amanda. Tell me, please," I pleaded for her to share her secret with me.
She cleared her throat. "Well, I wrote stories for Laura."
"What kind of stories?"
"Well, they were fiction..."
"Yeah."
"...but the characters were based on real people..."
"Uh-huh."
"Hanson fanfiction. Okay? I wrote Hanson fanfiction for Laura. They were never posted or anything. Just for my writing and her reading pleasure."
It all began to make sense. AJ's laughter, her comments, the looks Laura kept shooting her. "Taylor doesn't know about this, does he?"
"Nope. This is my one trump card, and I'm saving it for a rainy day," she stated proudly.
"You're too much!"
"DO NOT tell me you've never done the same with any of your brothers or sisters."
I laughed, thinking of Mom's favorite picture of Tay, the three-year-old stark naked just before his bath. And only I knew its location: under the mattress in my room. It keeps older brother number two in check. "Okay. You're right."
"Of course I am." AJ's smile faded. "Zac, I have a favor to ask." She took a deep breath. "I called the airport. The first flight to New York takes off tonight at five. Could you please take me to the airport?"
"Of course I'll take you. You don't have to ask." I felt a lump rising in my throat. I knew this was coming, but I wasn't prepared for it. How could I have been?
"There's one more thing."
I nodded my head.
"I have to say goodbye to Maddy."
"Sure. We'll go as soon as you're ready." And even though my heart was breaking, I knew I was doing the right thing.