December 21, 2011

I cared about what she thought, because we’d been best friends since we were two.  So when she dared me, I knew I was in trouble.

I knew I couldn’t turn back without some serious repercussions.  She even said it could be my Christmas gift to her.  I usually get her a cute sweater or some perfume, but this year, I guess she wants to see me make a fool out of myself instead.

“Dara,” she hissed, motioning me to come down the dark hallway where she stood against the wall.  “Dara!”

I sighed, and looked back over my shoulder.  The venue was completely packed, and I knew I should have been at the top of the stairs, like Patrick had positioned me much earlier in the evening.  A dozen rabid girls had probably snuck down to the floor seats due to my absence, ducking behind chairs and standing along the railing at the sides of the floor, trying to blend in and not look like seat jumpers.  I could get fired for my little stunt...not that it mattered. Losing a minimum wage job didn’t matter, I wasn’t concerned about that.

But, I was concerned about getting arrested.

“Would you come on!”

When I looked back at my best friend, she was retreating further down the long hallway.  I looked around for any sign of our security comrades for several desperate seconds, wishing like hell that Eva wasn’t so good at paying people off and getting her way.  But, I guess that’s what rich daddies are for.  I told her she should have just persuaded him to get us backstage in a way that was legal.

Then she smiled and said that would take all the fun out of it.

It’s well known that I’ve had a crush on Justin Timberlake since I saw him dancing in shiny baby blue swish pants on the Disney Channel when I was fifteen. Eva thought I was lame as hell, as boy bands were never her thing, but she’s always said ‘that Chris dude is interesting’. She’s the total opposite of me.  Her favorite band has and always will be Green Day.  She’s met that guy...Billy Joe? About a hundred times.  It’s gotten to the point that whenever the band comes out to Los Angeles, there’s a pair of free tickets and backstage passes left for her at the box office.  She goes to their after parties, and he even treated her to the Grammy’s one year.  I envy her in a way.  She’s practically friends with the guy, while the only reason I’ve been able to get a front row view of Justin Timberlake, has been because I’ve groveled at the feet of my supervisor every time NSYNC or his own solo tour rolled into town.

But tonight, Eva said things are going to change.

Tonight...she’s getting me much closer to Justin Timberlake than the front row.

It’s not because I’ve begged her for it.  I didn’t even mention wanting to meet him tonight.  I only told her I was excited to see Justin perform again, since it had been a while.  But, because she knows nothing exciting ever happens to me, she concocted this little scheme to get him and I in the same room.  I told her I was okay with the way my life is, that I was too nervous to be that close to Justin.  Once Eva gets an idea in her head though, there’s no going back.

I follow along behind her slowly and really, really reluctantly.  What the fuck are we even doing? People could lose their jobs over this for fucks sake, and for what? So I can sneak up on Justin and proclaim my undying love for him?  First off, I’m way too timid for that shit, and secondly...why the fuck would he even give me a second glance when he’s dated the most beautiful women in Hollywood?

This isn’t going to work.  I’m turning back.

“That’s it.”

A hand has latched onto my arm, and I gasp as I’m yanked forward, nearly tripping over my own two feet in the dimly lit hallway.  “Eva!” I hiss at her.  “Did you ever stop and think...”  I pause so I can catch my breath as I’m pulled along even faster.  “That this is a bad, not to mention stalkerish, idea?”

“You need to live a little.  Your parents are in fucking Gaza, and they’ve been there almost five years.  You’re way past the legal age to do what you want, and you need to stop following whatever rules they try to make you abide by over the phone.”  She says it to me softly but firmly, placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder, before finally smiling at me again.  “He’s seen the world, and been surrounded by a million people all his life.  He’s used to this, and besides...I feel that you and I are very civilized women.  I’m telling you girl, we’ll blend right in.  Besides, we’re not exactly “sneaking backstage.”  I made arrangements.  We just have to be discreet, that’s all.”

I roll my eyes.  I’m not going to ask.

We’ve stopped right by the entrance to the backstage area.  There’s a door that reads ‘Authorized Staff Only’ to our left, and I know...I know once we get through that door we could run into anybody, including Justin himself.  “Eva...I dunno.”

“Look, I gave Christian and Geoffery six hundred bucks to make this work out.  I mean, come on Dara, you turned twenty six this year, and Christmas is in a few days.  You only live once, and who knows? What if you end up getting the ultimate Christmas gift? A merry Christmas fuck from Justin Timberlake?”

I roll my eyes again.  “Somehow I doubt that will happen, considering I’m me and he’s him...”

“Just shut up.”  She reaches into her purse, pulls out two lanyards with laminated passes attached to them, and presses one of them into my hand.  “Put this on.”

I look at it, being able to tell right away that it’s indeed authentic, and my mouth drops open. “All Access? Eva...how the fuck...what did you do?”

“Don’t ask me how,” she huffs.  “It wasn’t pretty, but it’s done now.”  She drapes her lanyard around her neck, flips her hair into place, and smiles.  “You ready to meet your hunk of burnin’ love?”

I just stare at her, my eyes wide, my mouth and throat quickly becoming dry like the Sahara.  “No,” I shake my head rapidly.  “No...”

“Take off your staff shirt!” She exclaims, only realizing I’m still in my work clothes now.  “I hope you wore something decent underneath.”

I sigh.  It was the hardest thing I think I’ve ever done, picking out a top to wear tonight.  I haven’t dressed up in years.  I think my prom might have been the last time, because in reality, I hate dressing excessively girly.  I think that’s because I lived differently than most children, growing up.  My parents are scientists, and I spent half of my childhood overseas with them while they worked.  My clothes were always simple, because I was outdoors so much, exploring my surroundings, so I wouldn’t get bored to death.  I pull off my red Staples Center Staff shirt, revealing the simple tunic underneath.  It’s pink with some flowers on it.  I pray to god that Eva doesn’t think it’s lame.

“Cleavage,” Eva raises and lowers her eyebrows as she grabs my wadded up shirt from me and throws it someplace into the darkness of the hallway.  “Very nice.”

I pull up on the shirt so my cleavage is a little less revealing, and whimper a little. “Eva, this is stupid.  I look like a fool and my hair isn’t cooperating.”

She shrugs and slowly turns the doorknob before smiling at me again.  “Well, it’s too late to change anything now.”

Before I can get another word out, she’s pulled the door open and pushed me through it.  I flinch harshly when I hear it slam behind us, and freeze when I find that we are directly behind the stage.

“Don’t act excited,” Eva warns me.  “Just pretend like you know exactly where you’re going, okay?”

“I hear his guards have tasered people before,” I mention, as I begin to walk off to the right with her.  “I really can’t afford to have my brains fried so close to Christmas.  What would my parents do?  They’re not even in the country, and you know how they hate it when I bother them.”

“You’re way too paranoid,” she says quietly, as we pass by a few stage hands who smile and say hello to us.  “What’s good guys!” She happily replies.  “Keep up the good work!”

I want to run and hide.  Run and hide right now.

We turn a corner, run into a dozen more people who simply smile at us and don’t question why we’re wandering around backstage, and I begin to wonder who in their right mind would have given Eva two all access passes on a whim.  I should probably ask her what she did, but...I really don’t think I want to know.  

We make our way down another long, empty hallway, and I have no idea how the hell she knows where she’s going.  But, knowing Eva, she probably got a map of this area last weekend, and studied it until she memorized it.  She’s crazy that way, but then I remember that she’s done this all for me.  She’s risked going to jail for trespassing simply so I can meet a man I’ve lusted after like a stupid kid for nearly twelve years.  I realize how important it is that I go with the flow right now, and so, I let out a long breath and simply continue to walk with her.

After rounding yet another corner, I realize we’ve hit a dead end.  There are a few dressing rooms scattered around this hallway, shrouded in privacy with thick black curtains, shielding their counterparts from the outside world.  I already know that this is where Justin has been designated, and I feel my stomach begin to turn.  “Eva...”

“Hold on,” she hisses, waving me away with her hand as she pulls out her cellphone and dials a number, smiling mischievously as she holds it up to her ear.  “Hey, it’s Eva from the other day. Yep, we found our way.  No, nobody said anything.  Okay, see you.”

I stare at her stupidly as she flips her phone closed.  “Would you mind telling me what the hell you’re doing?”

“Okay so...” Her eyes wander to the draped off rooms for several moments before she continues on.  “I was snooping around out back the other day, remember...when soundcheck was going on?”

I roll my eyes and cross my arms.  “Yeah, when you wanted me to run down and try to sneak into the dressing rooms?”

She giggles.  “It was a decent idea.”

“Clearly not.”

“Anyway,” she continues.  “I managed to persuade this security guard to let me hang around inside the venue, and he gave me these passes.”

r32;“Persuaded, Eva?”

She laughs.  “Look, I told you it wasn’t pretty.”

“You...you’re really terrible.”

“I know,” she accepts.  “Look, it was worth the effort, Dar.  I ended up meeting this guy, and we got to talking...”

“Is there a point to this?” I mutter.

“He’s Justin’s best friend.” Her eyes fill with excitement.  

“That Trace Ayala guy?”

She shrugs.  “I think that’s his name. We were kind of...too busy for all that getting to know you stuff.”

“Oh my God, Eva.  Tell me you didn’t.”

She laughs at me.

Jesus Christ.

“Hey there.”

We both turn around at the sound of the new voice, and sure enough, there he stands. It’s funny, he really is as short as everybody says he is, but he does look like Justin a little bit.  I’ve never really cared about Justin’s entourage, but I am a fan of the William Rast clothing line Trace and Justin designed together, even though I could never afford anything they make on my crappy salary.  My parents have money.  Lots of it, but asking them for a pair is out of the question too.  They don’t believe in commercial anything.  When I lived with them, we didn’t even have a TV.  I retained all of my pop culture knowledge through the internet, and by watching TV at Eva’s house.

Thank God for her family.  I’d be even more of a freak if they hadn’t taken me in my sophomore year of high school.

“Hey.”  Eva smiles at him casually, and he pulls her into a hug like he’s known her forever.  

“Thought you would get lost,” he chuckles.

“I have some Indian blood in me,” she tells him, once they pull back from one another.  “It’s kind of like a built in GPS or something, that’s what my grandfather tells me.”

“Good thing.  If you guys ran into security your asses woulda got tossed out of here.”

“Thank goodness for small miracles,” Eva whispers as I continue to stare.

“So...who’s your girl? Is this your friend you told me about?”  

Trace is staring at me now, seemingly trying to read me with his eyes, figure me out, and I’m not sure if I like it.

“Yeah, this is Dara, my ride or die bitch,” Eva says with a slight cackle, and nudges me a little.  

“Really?” Trace snickers.  “Sounds interesting.”

“Tell him how interesting you are, Dara,” Eva pushes.

“Um...” I run a shaking hand through my hair as the knot in my stomach grows even larger.  “I guess I’m...you know...”

“Trace where...oh...”

I’ve been saved from humiliation by the heavenly creature in the doorway, but I’m not able to feel any more relieved.  Justin Timberlake is staring at us like we’re aliens, and Trace seems slightly uncomfortable that he’s caught us like this.

“When did I invite people here?” Justin cocks his head to the side.  “I just kicked everybody out.  I’m going on soon.”

“You remember J...I said I had some friends coming in tonight,” Trace quickly explains.  “This is Eva,” he motions to her and smiles.  “And this is...um...”

“It’s Dara,” I say, the annoyance in my voice slipping out.

Justin glares at us a little.  “I’m not doing pictures.  I did charity meet and greet four hours ago.  Where were you then?”

The only thing I can think is, what an asshole.

“Would you get out of your own ass,” Trace grunts at him.  “It’s not like that.”

His eyes shift from us to Trace and then back again before he speaks up.  “You girls drink?”

“Sure,” Eva says with a smirk.

Justin disappears behind the curtain, like the Wizard of Oz.  My best friend begins to strike up a conversation with Trace, and I follow them blindly into the room, having no clue what I’m in store for, but having the oddest feeling that it’s going to be anything but pleasant.