Date: Sun, 08 Apr 2001 08:08:03 +0200
From: Aaron . <loveactivist@hotmail.com>
Subject: "Watching You Without Me" Ch. 1 (Boybands)

Ok, so I know you're probably thinking "Oh christ not ANOTHER boyband
story!" Well, this one is different.  It's a lot darker than most of the
other stories here; AND it's about A.J.!  WOOHOO! *snaps teeth* :) There
wasn't enough of him here, so I figured I'd contribute something of my
own......

I must disclaim: None of this happened; it is all a figment of my poor,
poor deranged psyche. This story is not meant to imply anything about
anyone, and it is for entertainment purposes only. This story is
copywritten by moi.

I'd like to thank the Academy *bows gracefully* oh, and Nimm too! You rock
girlfriend!


"Watching You Without Me"

Aaron DeLorean

Chapter One

___________________________________

"Can't let you know
What's been happening.
There's a ghost in our home,
Just watching you without me.
I'm not here." -Kate Bush
___________________________________


I opened my eyes and focused on his form standing above the bed.
	"Where were you last night?" He demanded, his voice full of
exasperation.  I answered plainly,
	"I went out." He closed his eyes and sighed.
	"If you are going to cheat on me you could at least think up a
convincing excuse. I lay back on the bed, still exhausted despite a long
nights sleep.
	"I am not cheating on you Brad, we've had this discussion before
and I refuse to have it again this week." I got up and stomped into the
bathroom angrily. I scrutinized my tousled hair in the mirror. If only I
could tell him where I had really been, and why I had been there.

	I decided to skip breakfast. With the nausea I was feeling, and the
sense of impending doom, any food I consumed would not remain in my stomach
for long. I retrieved my bag from the kitchen table, stuffed my patchwork
denim jacket into it, and went out into the garage. I shoehorned my long
legs into my little sports-coupe, and raced out with Brad narrowly glaring
at me from the doorway. My heart ached to tell him everything; every little
detail of where I went at night, but I could not. He would not
understand. He would not understand that there are things one must do to
live.

	I pulled into my parking space at the design firm where I worked,
and went on inside. Tori, the receptionist, waved to me.
	"Hey Aaron, Sophie is on the warpath, she's after you for
low-balling that last client." I squinched up my eyes and mumbled under my
breath
	"I am not here, I am NOT here..." Tori looked at me and laughed,
	"That doesn't work, believe me, I've tried it before." We both
laughed and I raced into my office; closing the door before Sophie had a
chance to corner me. I picked up the phone and started my morning routine
of checking my voicemail and looking through my e-mail. I started the
computer as I listened to the first message.
	The fourth message in floored me. It was my agent.
	"Hey Aaron, listen, there is a producer down in Orlando who liked
you're demo and wants to meet with you. He'll pay to fly you down and all
other accommodations if you say yes. Call me back quick, this may be it." I
hung up and sat back in my chair. I closed my eyes and couldn't deny the
tingle of excitement that was growing in the pit of my stomach. I picked up
the phone and dialed the long-since memorized number of my agent.


I pulled the car into the garage and prayed that Brad would be gone. Ever
since the day he thought I was cheating on him he had decided to start
cheating on me as well. He thought I didn't know, but I'm not stupid. I
smelled cheap cologne on his clothes that certainly wasn't mine. I sighed
and resigned myself to the fact that I was going to have to end the
relationship soon-preferable tonight. I walked in the door and sure enough
there he stood, his brow furrowed into some strange expression of anger and
annoyance.
	"What the FUCK is this Aaron?" He demanded, holding up a small
plastic bag with a hint of white powder stuck to the sides. I scowled at
him,
	"Don't you dare start in on me Brad, I've had a shitty day and I am
not in the mood!" He came a few steps closer,
	"You had better not be fucking snorting that shit again!" I slammed
my bag down on the table by the door and stalked into the bedroom. Brad
followed me.
	"Fucking answer me Aaron!" That was it, I snapped, I had had enough
of being treated like shit. I whirled around,
	"Back the FUCK off Brad! I've got news for you! This relationship
is over!  I want you out-right now! My name is on the lease so pack up your
shit and fucking LEAVE!" His expression suddenly changed to one of stoic
resignation.  He sighed.
	"You're just throwing it all away Aaron." He turned and walked out
of the bedroom. I could hear the engine of his vintage Volante revving as I
flung myself down onto the bed crying. I felt the undeniable urge to bump a
few lines consume my body as the tears fell. I went back out to the
entryway and retrieved my bag. I dug out my compact and carried it back to
the bedroom. I laid out two long, white lines on the top of the bathroom
counter. I felt the burning in my nose and remembered what Tori had said
about the ease of coke in capsules; but that was quickly forgotten as I
felt the warmth and feeling of absolute ecstasy invading and possessing my
body. Brad, my boring job, Sophie, my agent, and even the possibility of a
new career were all left behind as I collapsed back onto the bed and felt
myself floating away into the numb nothingness that allowed me to handle
life so much more easily.

I awoke to the sound of the phone ringing next my head. According to the
digital clock beside the bed it was 10:54 AM. I groaned and picked up the
phone.
	"Hullo?" I slurred out.
	"Aaron where the hell are you? Sophie is totally pissed off!" it
was Tori.  I closed my eyes.
	"Tell Sophie that I quit." I could hear Tori gasping at the other
end of the line.
	"You QUIT? Hun, I know how you like to shop, you need this job as
much as I do." She chuckled to herself. I decided this was as good of time
as any to tell Tori of my new almost-job.
	When I was done telling Tori all about the call from my agent, and
what would ensue, she was still gasping.
	"Tori hun, stop gasping or you're gonna hyperventilate." I laughed
to myself. Tori gasped once more,
	"Oh my god do you know what this means? You could very well be
famous!"
	"Yeah, I know but let's not hold our breath." I rolled my eyes.
	"Don't rolls your eyes at me." Tori said. I laughed out loud. Tori
and I had been friends since I had started working at the firm five years
ago. We had been best friends ever since. She knew when I was rolling my
eyes over the phone, and she could tell when I was smiling or frowning over
the phone. She could even tell when I was smoking.
	I hung up the phone after we had made plans for lunch, and I
decided to get up. I huffed at disgust as my eyes came to rest on the
compact that held my supply of coke. I angrily stuffed it into my bag as I
stripped and got into the shower.

	I Climbed out of my Acura as Tori waved me over to a table on the
terrace of a lovely little café named Bread, just off of the
boulevard. We had both become so enamored of the bistro that we hated to
eat anywhere else. I ordered vegetarian minestrone, and Tori ordered a
chicken salad. She bit into a piece of chicken, and I flinched. Tori looked
at me worried,
	"Should I have had them hold the chicken?" I shook my head,
	"No, I wouldn't dare foist my diet on anyone else, it just kind
of...bothers me." Tori nodded but started picking out the chicken anyway. I
smiled at her consideration. Tori kept eyeing me oddly as I slurped my
soup.
	"Tor dear, what is it?"
	"Oh, I was just thinking about what could happen if you end up
getting a contract." I grinned a pained smile. Tori frowned.
	"Aaron what's wrong? You've had that look on your face since you
got here-spill it boyfriend." I sighed,
	"I broke up with brad." She gasped,
	"Oh my fucking god! Why?" I looked down at my now-cold minestrone
and I immediately felt the tears welling up in my eyelids.
	"Well, he found out I had a white-lady friend that was more
important than him," I sneered out, "And other things..." I trailed
off. Tori took my hand in hers as I watched a small tear plop into my soup
with a small splash.
	"Oh sweetie I am so sorry!"
	I felt the all too familiar urge creeping into my being as Tori
paid the check and we left the restaurant.


My cell phone rang as I stuffed the rest of my wardrobe into my
imitation-leather Pullman and zipped it closed.
	"Aaron's House Of Pain..." I said into the phone. "Oh hi Tor...yeah
I'm just getting ready to leave for the airport now...uh huh...ok I'll call
you from the plane...ok babe...I love you too...bye." I pressed END as I
hoisted the last of my luggage into the trunk and slammed the hatch.

	I closed my eyes as I felt my body pressing into the first-class
seat as the flying metal tube lifted off of the tarmac. I prayed to
whatever god was listening that with the promise of a new career also came
the promise of a new life. I nodded off as the Ativan pulsed through my
veins.


To Be Continued...


Mail me or I'll have to punish you severely! *gets out the whip* ;)

See my site: www.aarondelorean.com