started to panic, fear climbing up my chest because of this strange shadow looming over me, but at the sound of Tristan’s voice, washing over me soothingly, all of my fears disappeared as quickly as they came.
“Hey, sorry to wake you, Buttons. How are you feeling?” he asked. The room was dark. Was it night-time already?
“I’m fine. Hmm … How long I have been sleeping?” I asked groggily.
“A few hours.” He cupped my face in his hands and gave me a soft kiss. “I’m waking you up because Becca just arrived with some news about what happened at the bookstore. I thought you might like to hear it.”
“Yeah, I want to know. Thanks,” I said grabbing his hand, letting him help me stand up.
Everybody was waiting in the living room. Becca was instructing Big Johnson and his cousin to put the gifts they’d managed to recover from the signing on the dinner table. Tiffany was also there, but Jackie was nowhere to be found, which meant she had already left,
thank the gods
.
“Hey, Joey,” Becca greeted me with a concerned expression. She checked me from head to toe, to certify that I was really okay before speaking again. “You cango through the gift pile when you feel like it; I know how much it cheers you up, reading the fan letters,” she said with a comforting smile.
I sat at the end of the couch; Tristan hunched down on the floor, sitting between my legs, and Becca started telling us the news.
“So, the kid that attacked Joey today has a mental health problem and had been without medication for a while,” she began. “The kid was in a catatonic state so his mom was brought to the police station to answer some questions. She said he sometimes fakes taking his pills, which aggravates his condition.
“Usually when he’s not on his medication, he starts to harbour some crazy conspiracy theories, and she said that he had been fixated on the band for a while now, listening to your albums all the time. But she thought he just enjoyed the music; she never imagined he had something like this planned. The kid was diagnosed with early-onset schizophrenia when he was just twelve. It’s very sad.
“He’s back on his medication now,” Becca said to calm everybody down. “He won’t be bothering you guys again.” Then she smiled a big smile. “On the bright side, all your fans are all right; no one was seriously hurt in the commotion.”
“Yeah, the TV has been broadcasting the incident non-stop today,” Seth said.
Apparently, someone had recorded the exact moment when Josh had picked me up, bridal style, and rushed to the elevators with me in his arms, and now the scene was being replayed all over the internet with
The Bodyguard
theme song in the background. Funny.
Sam started to sing “I Will Always Love You” to Josh,with a hand over his heart; at his side, Seth tried to French kiss him.
“And, Joey, call your mother,” Becca shouted over the ruckus of the boys. “She’s been freaking out all afternoon trying to reach you.”
Later, as I made my way to the phone, I walked past the pile of gifts on the dining-room table. A white flower amongst the wrappings caught my eye. I walked closer, curiosity getting the best of me.
It was a white lily. With the same black ribbon as before, and another little note tied to it.
Chapter Seven
Perfect Day to be Okay
I spent that night tossing and turning, thinking about that damned note on the flower. I hadn’t told anyone about it, especially not my mother earlier on the phone. She was already worrying enough over the news coverage of the bookstore incident. But I knew the boys would say I was overreacting or being silly, so I kept it to myself, at least for a while.
The message was like the first; another creepy love declaration:
Lovely Gray
,
I hope you liked my other token of affection.
I wonder what it would feel like to have you all to myself.
You’re always surrounded by your boys. It is hard not to feel jealous.
It pains me so much
“Hey, sorry to wake you, Buttons. How are you feeling?” he asked. The room was dark. Was it night-time already?
“I’m fine. Hmm … How long I have been sleeping?” I asked groggily.
“A few hours.” He cupped my face in his hands and gave me a soft kiss. “I’m waking you up because Becca just arrived with some news about what happened at the bookstore. I thought you might like to hear it.”
“Yeah, I want to know. Thanks,” I said grabbing his hand, letting him help me stand up.
Everybody was waiting in the living room. Becca was instructing Big Johnson and his cousin to put the gifts they’d managed to recover from the signing on the dinner table. Tiffany was also there, but Jackie was nowhere to be found, which meant she had already left,
thank the gods
.
“Hey, Joey,” Becca greeted me with a concerned expression. She checked me from head to toe, to certify that I was really okay before speaking again. “You cango through the gift pile when you feel like it; I know how much it cheers you up, reading the fan letters,” she said with a comforting smile.
I sat at the end of the couch; Tristan hunched down on the floor, sitting between my legs, and Becca started telling us the news.
“So, the kid that attacked Joey today has a mental health problem and had been without medication for a while,” she began. “The kid was in a catatonic state so his mom was brought to the police station to answer some questions. She said he sometimes fakes taking his pills, which aggravates his condition.
“Usually when he’s not on his medication, he starts to harbour some crazy conspiracy theories, and she said that he had been fixated on the band for a while now, listening to your albums all the time. But she thought he just enjoyed the music; she never imagined he had something like this planned. The kid was diagnosed with early-onset schizophrenia when he was just twelve. It’s very sad.
“He’s back on his medication now,” Becca said to calm everybody down. “He won’t be bothering you guys again.” Then she smiled a big smile. “On the bright side, all your fans are all right; no one was seriously hurt in the commotion.”
“Yeah, the TV has been broadcasting the incident non-stop today,” Seth said.
Apparently, someone had recorded the exact moment when Josh had picked me up, bridal style, and rushed to the elevators with me in his arms, and now the scene was being replayed all over the internet with
The Bodyguard
theme song in the background. Funny.
Sam started to sing “I Will Always Love You” to Josh,with a hand over his heart; at his side, Seth tried to French kiss him.
“And, Joey, call your mother,” Becca shouted over the ruckus of the boys. “She’s been freaking out all afternoon trying to reach you.”
Later, as I made my way to the phone, I walked past the pile of gifts on the dining-room table. A white flower amongst the wrappings caught my eye. I walked closer, curiosity getting the best of me.
It was a white lily. With the same black ribbon as before, and another little note tied to it.
Chapter Seven
Perfect Day to be Okay
I spent that night tossing and turning, thinking about that damned note on the flower. I hadn’t told anyone about it, especially not my mother earlier on the phone. She was already worrying enough over the news coverage of the bookstore incident. But I knew the boys would say I was overreacting or being silly, so I kept it to myself, at least for a while.
The message was like the first; another creepy love declaration:
Lovely Gray
,
I hope you liked my other token of affection.
I wonder what it would feel like to have you all to myself.
You’re always surrounded by your boys. It is hard not to feel jealous.
It pains me so much
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