Meet the Band: Song For You

"She's nice," I reassured them as we pulled into the apartment complex where Tammy and her brother lived. "She's a little air-headed and completely clumsy, but she's a sweetheart." I smiled at them as I shut off the ignition. "You don't find girls better than she is. Oh," I added as a thought popped into my head. "I have to warn you, though, she'll probably scream when she sees you and she talks a mile a minute when she's excited, so just let her get it out of her system, okay? Tammy goes back to normal pretty quickly." Though I wasn't exactly sure how meeting her favorite band was going to affect her.
Juil grabbed my sleeve as we started to climb up the steps. He gave me a worried look.
I smiled gently, taking his hand in mine in comfort. "Don't worry. She's not crazy." It was obvious that Juil was not good with civilians. He must have had a bad experience with one--or many. Either way, he showed signs of distrust caused by a traumatic incident. Maybe a fan had become a little too enthusiastic. . . .
He seemed a little bit more relieved, but he didn't let go of my hand, to my surprise. Pushing that aside to think on later (it wasn't my business anyway), I continued up the stairs and down the balconied hallway to room 210. I hesitated before knocking, but decided that I'd given the boys enough of a warning. I'd buffer anything else they couldn't handle.
I knocked and within seconds, Danny opened the door, his shirt half open and his hair damp from an obviously rushed shower. He really looked nothing like his sister, which surprised me even to this day. Where Tammy was tiny and cute, Danny was tall and handsome in a boy-next-door kind of way. he had what I was guessing was Tammy's natural hair color--a dark auburn that was so obviously sun-kissed blonde at the ends that yo could tell that it didn't come from a bottle. He was rather tan for this time of year, but his construction job didn't offer a lot of shade. It did, however, let me peek at a deliciously muscled body when I decided to visit.
"You're early," he said with a flash of straight, white teeth. He flicked a curl out of his light-brown eyes (the only thing he had in common with Tammy) and glanced at my newly acquired friends. He straightened, a polite smile forming over his wide mouth. "I didn't think you'd be bringing over so many people, especially boys. It's unlike you to hang around a crowd."
I smacked his shoulder with familiarity, regretting it instantly. His muscles were hard as rocks. Completely different from the way Song's had felt. . .
"Daniel," I began, ignoring his comment and my own thoughts. "This is Shin, Juil, Min, Jinho and Song. They're visiting the country on . . business." His lack of recognition as he looked them up and down told me that he never paid attention to Tammy's rants about them. "Guys, this is my best friend's older and over-protective brother, Daniel. Don't let his looks fool you, he's a softy on the inside."
As they shook hands in turn and we finally followed Danny into his living room, I watched Danny button up the rest of his shirt. Though he had obvious muscle, he was still rather skinny, not overly buff and bulky like the rest of his crew. It was, I noticed, time for him to get larger shirts. His arms were stretching the fabric a bit too far.
While Min, Shin and Juil sat on the couch, leaving Song and Jinho to sit on the floor in front of it, I went to go find Tammy. Those boys were really close. There was another couch entirely, but, no, they had to stay together. It made me want to laugh almost as much as it made me want to roll my eyes.
But Tammy was top priority right now. She was going to flip.



Song wasn't exactly nervous. Not really. He was more intent on finding out what this man--this Daniel was to Merideth. He could tell that there was more there than just friendship. That sent his insides into somersaults, but he couldn't help it. The while day he'd been watching her, drinking in her elegant movements and the way she stood out from the crowd. He had never seen anything like it before. Though he knew he stood out from the rest of the crowd, this was different. She didn't have an idol's aura, but something more regal. As if she was royalty. It suited her, he had to admit. Even her personality was otherworldly. And the way she had turned heads was shocking. He'd never seen so many eyes follow any one person before. Not like that.
"So. . ." Daniel stared. he had an arm draped over the back of his chair and his legs crossed. The fact that he was much bigger than Song sort of ticked him off. "how is it that you know Meri?"
Meri. He called her Meri. It set his teeth on edge.
Before he could stop himself, he said, "We met yesterday. Spent day together today." He really wished he knew better English. He had been to ashamed to even say more than a few words to Merideth all day. "How you know her?"
Daniel's brows rose. "I've known Meri since she and Tammy were in diapers. We're practically family."
"She's very different," Jinho said easily. "I've never met anyone like her."
Song watched Daniel's lips turn up in a smile too soft for his liking. "Neither have I," he said. "She's definitely one of a kind." He shrugged and smiled widely, then, and Song felt a twinge of worry. Though he was ordinary when he was silent, even Song was aware that his smiled turned him into a lady-killer. "You guys must be something special to have gotten her attention."
Song shared a bland look with his friends. Oh, yeah. They were "special", all right. A little more than normal, he must admit, but sometimes that was a good thing. And, then, sometimes it was bad.
"Actually," Min put in. "She got our attention. Like we said, we have not met anyone like her."
"You've only known her for a day and you like her so much already?" Daniel asked. "That's not exactly normal." He narrowed his eyes on them.
"Well," Jinho put in, "We're not exactly normal."
Daniel's eyes narrowed more. "Just who are you?"
"We want to know her more," Song interjected. "Is there problem?"
Daniel's eyes had flicked to his and Song stared back, holding his ground. "It depends on your intentions."
Tension sparked between them and Song was just about to tell him it was none of his business, when Min laid a hand on his shoulder, speaking softly in Korean. "Let it go, man. Don't get so tense. You barely even know her. It's not worth causing a fight over."
Song glared at Daniel for a few more minutes before nodding slowly and averting his eyes.
What was wrong with him? Min was right. He didn't even know Merideth. How could he like her so much already? It was so frustrating. He wanted so badly to monopolize her time. He wanted to know everything about her; what made her smile, what made her laugh and cry and what she liked. It was almost as if he had taken some sort of drug and become instantly addicted.
He sighed. He had to get it together. This was pathetic. She was a fan. An interesting and completely unique fan, but a fan. And that's the way it had to stay. Besides, it wasn't as if they would see much of each other after today anyway. It would be better to just forget.
So, that's what he would do. He would gather his resolve and forget Merideth.



"For the love of-" I exclaimed as I came into Tammy's room, nearly leaving instantly. "Tammy, your hair!"
Tammy looked at me through the reflection in her floor-length mirror. She was buttoning up a cute little tee I had bought her some years back. She actually almost looked her age when she wore it. "What about my hair?"
"I-It's blue!" I said in shock. I really shouldn't have been, but every time it was crazier. The purple was completely gone and replaced by an ice-blue that glinted darker near the roots and silver where the light hit it right. "It's all going to fall out if you keep dying it like that."
She glanced up at her bangs, void of my surprise. "Oh. Right. I dyed it two days ago. I like this. I think I'll keep it for a while."
I smirked. "That's so like you." I sighed. "Well, are you ready? I've got a surprise for you."
Tammy scoffed. "Ha! Don't think you're getting off that easy. Tell me what happened at the concert."
I shook my head, smiling at my secret as I grabbed her wrist. "That can wait. You've got to see what's in your living room. Just don't scream."
She protested as I dragged her down the hall and towards the living room. "Scream? Why would I? Wait! That's not important." We rounded a corner and I pushed her forward in front of me with my hands on her shoulders. She looked behind her at me. "Tell me what happened at the concert."
I smiled broadly as we came to a stop, and nodded at the crowd of boys quietly watching us in various degrees of caution. "Why don't you ask them?"
Tammy humphed, facing forward as she spoke. "What could they tell me that you--Oh my God!" she exclaimed, jumping back in surprise. "This is-- You are--" She looked back and forth between me and the band as she tentatively walked into the room. "Just 4 U's in my living room! My living room!"
My smile never faded as I followed her in. She was bouncing with excitement even as Daniel asked what was going on. We ignored him, of course.
"Guys," I started, indicating my friend, "this is Tamera Lurner. You can just call her Tammy." I dropped my hand. "Tammy, you obviously know their names, so I won't even bother."
Ready to enjoy the show, I sat on the empty couch. To my surprise and slight delight, Song and Jinho picked themselves off the floor and sat on either side of me. I could have sworn I saw Daniel glare at Song, too, but I let it pass. Daniel never glared.
Ignoring the oddity happening between those two, I tuned into Tammy and the questions that were no doubt bubbling up behind her quiet, trembling lips.
Tammy was like a tornado. Not the destructive kind that decides to land in the middle of a town, but the really interesting kind that makes you wonder what in poop it was up to. She bombarded them with questions, barely waiting for them to finish answering before she asked the next. It was insanity, really, but the boys handled it wit so much ease that it was obvious they had had plenty of overly-excited fans. At one point, though, I though Tammy was going to faint and--surprisingly--she kept a respectful distance. She didn't force them to shake her hand or hug her, she didn't jump them and she didn't scream excessively. Instead, she had sat on the arm of Danny's chair (even though there was more than enough room on the couch I was sharing with Jin and Song) and easily tucked away information about the whys of their writing, singing and dancing.
"Your songs are all so wonderful," Tammy complimented. She had calmed down drastically, but her eyes still sparkled with delight. "And I swore to myself that if I ever got close enough to where you might hear me, I would tell you 'thank you'." She smiled brightly, genuinely. "So, thank you so much for the music. It really helped me through a lot. I appreciate all of your hard work."
I smiled proudly. That was the Tammy I was expecting. I glanced at the boys, who all wore varying degrees of surprise on their faces.
"She's just different as you are," Jinho pointed out.
"Jin," Shin chided.
"I like being different," Tammy said easily with a smile.
"Your hair clearly shouts that to the world," Min teased, making me raise a brow. Where was the flirting and smiles?
I shoved that aside, mentally shrugging. I barely knew him, so I really shouldn't make assumptions about the way he treats women. that, and I was sort of relieved he wasn't flirting with my best friend.
"Min!" Shin reprimanded sharply. He turned to Tammy. "I'm so sorry. He's not normally like this."
Tammy's brows were high. "Uh, yeah. I'm kind of surprised, I guess. I mean, although your stage-name is Snow, I though you'd be a lot nicer in person."
Min crossed his arms. "Looks can be deceiving."
"No kidding," Tammy said dryly with a wrinkle of her nose, nearly making me snort in laughter. It was rare that someone got under her skin. "Anyway. How did you meet Meri? It's not like you just ran into each other during the concert." She gave me a once-over in suspicion. "And those are so not your clothes."
I couldn't help it, I laughed. Man, I loved Tammy. She always knew how to get to the bottom of things. Which was probably one of many reasons she wanted to be a reporter.
I placed my chin in my hand, propping my arm on my knee, and glanced at the guys. "Do you want to explain, or shall I? However, I'll warn you: If I tell it, it won't make you look good at all."
Shin spoke up quickly. "She had one of the tickets chosen to meet us backstage."
"And Song wouldn't let her leave," Juil said with an innocent smile that wasn't so innocent. He had finally relaxed fifteen minutes in and it was nice to see him sitting comfortably and enjoying himself.
"You didn't want her to go, either," Jinho pointed out, making Juil's face go red.
"Neither did you," Min shot back.
Shin rolled his eyes. "None of us wanted her to leave so we . . uh. . . "He rubbed the back of his head, his cheeks flushing in embarrassment.
"You kidnapped me," I said bluntly with a sly smile. "They had a huge bouncer take me back to their suite."
"Which you cleaned," Jinho interrupted with a laugh.
Song put his face in his hands and so did Juil. "She saw our underwear."
"And fell right asleep on our bed," Min said with a grin.
Tammy was laughing so hard, I thought she was going to fall off her perch. "And the clothes?" she asked around giggles.
"Their manager stole them from some disliked idol's wardrobe," I told her easily.
It sent her into more fits of laughter and, right then, I realized how ridiculous the whole ordeal I seemed and started laughing, too. It wasn't long before the rest of the room caught on and was laughing with us.
"And now you're here," Tammy said delightfully with a giant smile after the laughter died down.
"Yes," Shine said with an equally big smile. "We're here."
"Do you mind if we stay?" I asked. "We have several hours to kill before I have to take them back and I'm afraid to take them out again."
She gave me a quizzical look. "Why's that?"
I gave Song a sarcastic smile. "Because Song, here, nearly bought out several stores today. He probably has more clothes than Macy's now."
His face turned bright red as everyone snickered or laughed. "I don't shop so much!"
"Do, too," Jinho argued.
"No!" Song protested again.
"Yes," Min confirmed, scoffing.
Song turned desperate eyes on Juil and Shin. Solemnly, they both nodded, obviously apologetic at selling out their friend. Both Tammy and I giggled.
And that was pretty much how we spent the next two or so hours, laughing and teasing. They all easily warmed up and accepted Tammy quickly--a fact I was grateful for--and it was almost as if we had known each other for years instead of hours or days. In fact, I was somewhat shocked at how we all got along. I never warmed up to people. Definitely not five and definitely in one day. It was insane, but they were incredibly likable. Although, I had to admit, I was worried about Tammy and Min a little. He was pretty sharp with his words where she was concerned and I almost thought she would kill him once, but she was just as bad as he was! They had bickered to the point where the rest of us had silently agreed to ignore them. I had to admit, though, it had been extremely amusing when Min had said something nasty in Korean, thinking Tammy wouldn't understand, and she had countered him with something equally snippy in the same language. His eyes had nearly popped out of his head and he'd sputtered while the rest of us nearly died with laughter.
"Are you guys ready for dinner?" Tammy asked, standing and stretching.
Juil's stomach, her mothering instinct flipped on. "I'll take that as a 'yes'."
I wiped my hands on my jeans and made to stand. "I'll help, Tammy." I smiled at my new friends. "You guys relax. You've got to be exhausted. I'll bring you something to drink, okay?"
As we made our way to the kitchen, leaving the guys to their own mischief, Tammy muttered, "It's no wonder you didn't send any pictures."
I laughed and followed her into the kitchen.



"Her friend is nice, too," Juil said in Korean to break the silence that had fallen over the living room since the girls had gone into the kitchen.
They all looked at him in surprise.
"What?" he asked innocently.
"It's just unexpected for you to like a fan so quickly," Shin pointed out.
"Well," Juil admitted," she scared me at first." He smiled happily, pleased. "But I like her. She's nice and cute."
"Different, too," Jin put in.
Shin rolled his eyes. "You've been saying that everyone is different since yesterday."
"Nope," Jin argued happily. "Just Merideth and Tammy."
"I guess it sort of makes sense for Merideth to have friends just as unique as she is," Song pondered out aloud.
"Do you like Tammy, too?" Jin teased with a smirk.
Song felt his face turn red. "Of course not," he said primly. "They're completely different."
Yes, Tammy was just as strange as Merideth, but Merideth was a different kind of . . . well, different. He didn't really know what it was, but he was drawn to Merideth in a way that Tammy could never replicate and, as the minutes ticked by, he found himself wishing time would slow so they didn't have to say goodbye.
"She's older than you," Juil said quietly.
"I know that," Song humphed. "She's older than you, too, but you cling to her like a puppy."
"I can get away with it," Juil rubbed in, turning his head away and pouting. "I'm cute."
Song rolled his eyes.
"It's odd for you, too, to get attached to anyone at all, now that I think about it," Shin risked, watching Song with curious eyes. "What exactly is going on?"
"Yeah," Jin agreed, crossing his arms. "It's like some kind of spell."
They were all quiet for a minute before Min muttered grumpily, "I don't like her."
For a second time, they all turned shocked eyes to a band mate, but it was Min this time.
"Who? Merideth?" Juil asked, a little worried.
"Tammy," Min grimaced.
They all shared a look, staring at the pouting Min for a brief moment before bursting into laughter.
Juil patted his knee. "You're just mad because she hasn't fallen for your face."
"She's annoying," Min insisted.
"But smart," Shin smiled.
"She gave you a run for your money," Song put in gleefully.
"Shut up," Min gritted, embarrassed.
"You're just upset because she got your panties in a twist and you couldn't untwist them," Jin teased.
"And she doesn't like your face," Juil enforced again.
"She never said that!" Min shouted, his face flaming. God, he'd never been so humiliated in all his life and all because of some midget with crazy hair and giant eyes. It was ridiculous! He completely detested her.
"Boys," Daniel interjected, finally tired of listening to them speak in gibberish. "Keep it English, please." He narrowed his eyes on Min. "What were you saying about my sister?"
Min sniffed, indignant, switching to English, "I was wondering what was wrong with her hair. If you're going to dye it, at least keep it a natural color."
"Yeah," Jinho agreed dryly. "But yours won't be a natural color very much longer, either."
Juil jumped in. "That's right. Aren't the stylists dying your hair silver?"
"Everyones hair turns silver eventually," Min defended.
"I completely agree," Daniel put in, surprising them all. "I really wish her hair wasn't so crazy. It was purple just a few days ago. Before that, it was bright pink--like cotton candy." He made a disgusted face. "I just don't get it."
"Pink?" Jinho asked, interested. "Cool."
"We all know you don't have problems with weird hair," Shin pointed out, glancing at Jin's tri-colored spikes peeking out from under the cap he'd bought earlier.
Jin just grinned. "She is cute, though."
"And you have a girlfriend," Shin reminded him.
"You don't talk much," Daniel said to Song, switching the conversation over.
"My English not good," Song explained. "I try, but words never sound right."
Daniel nodded. "I see. You should read English books, then. It really helps."
"How you know?" Song asked.
"Because that's how Tammy passed her Korean language class," Daniel said easily. "She listened to your music, watched your dramas and read books in your language."
Song let that roll over in his mind. Reading would help? Would he be able to communicate with Merideth better? Would he be able to get his feelings across? It was worth a try.
"Thank you," Song said, smiling brightly. As soon as he got back to the hotel, he was having Laurel buy him books in English.
"So. . . " Daniel started. "You guys are a famous band, or something?"
"Yes," they all nodded.
"Do you normally visit your fans' houses?" he asked dryly.
"No," Shin answered easily. "This is the first time in a long time that we have relaxed like today."
"We'll have to kidnap Merideth again," Jinho laughed.
"Tammy, too!" Juil agreed happily.
"Isssh," Min hissed under his breath.
"Just don't get Meri into trouble," Daniel warned. "She's a private person and doesn't like that privacy impeached upon. Having her face plastered in magazines will freak her out."
"Why?" Song asked quickly.
Daniel looked at him sharply, not liking how eagerly the boy jumped on that information. "She was really popular with boys in high school," he started slowly, "but the girls isolated her. Tammy was her only friend. She was bullied and harassed on the street but talent scouts that were legitimate and not. The girls didn't make it easier on her, either, what with giving out her address and phone number. She was a regular celebrity, but she didn't want any of the attention. So now she's reclusive and rarely does anything to stand out."
"Stands out anyway," Song said before he could stop himself.
Daniel gave him another odd look. "Yes, she does. But she doesn't know that. Id' like to keep it that way."



"Well," I said as I turned off the car. "That was an exciting day, wasn't it?" I popped the trunk and got out. It was obvious they couldn't carry in all these bags by themselves. The least I could do was help. I lightened Song's load significantly by carrying four bags and two boxes. The rest seemed to be getting along fine without our help so I swiftly walked to the hotel door with Song at my side and demanded to be led up to their room without any fuss.
"Y-Yes, ma'am," the giant said, bowing. "I'll take you myself."
"No," I stopped him. I gestured behind us. "Go help them. First, give us the card-key." The card was easily placed in my palm and I spun on my heel, marching through the doors as if I owned the place. "You know where you're going, right, Song?" I whispered as we took a left.
"I hope," he answered before he stopped in the middle of the hall. He looked about, made a small exclamation of "Ah" and turned into the right hall a few yards away.
When I joined him, he was smiling. "Elevators."
"Yes," I said, relieved. "Elevators." Knowing this was going to be a long ride to the top, I leaned and squeezed myself into the back corner, unwilling to put my bags down as Song had. And I was immediately relieved I had been smart when we hit the third floor and girls scrambled in, forcing Song to become my barricade, lest I be trampled. He scooted our bags closer and braced his hands on the wall by my head. Still more girls were climbing in pushing the elevator to its full capacity before the door finally shut. And shutting it really did make it worse. The girls chatted like hens, passing things back and forth and rocking the elevator dangerously.
"Sara!" one girl said to someone across the way. "You've got to see this picture of him! He's with a girl. They're all with this girl."
The whole elevator shifted and Song got pushed closer to me as they all tried to rearranged themselves to see what was on that girl's phone. It better have been one hell of a pic.
"This is ridiculous," I finally said, sighing over how a simple picture could freak out so many people. A key element i seem to be missing in my paintings, as my professor likes to remind me. "I hope they get off soon." I looked up to Song and had meant to say something, but the closeness of his face startled me into silence.
"Sorry," he said, obviously embarrassed by our proximity. "I can't move."
I frowned. "I though so. It's okay. Just get comfortable. We seem to have a few more floors before they get off."
"I wonder if she's Jin's new girlfriend," one of the girl's shouted.
"He hasn't even broken up with his last one. So stupid. It's not Jin," another said.
"Do you think it's Juil?" a third put in.
"Juil won't go for a commoner," the second said.
"She doesn't look common," the third defended. "She could totally get Juil with those looks."
"She looks too old for him," another voice put in. "What about Shin? They look good together."
There was a pause of silence before the majority started shaking their heads and flipping through more pictures. They shifted again and forced Song even closer to me, resulting in the dropping of several boxes.
"Sorry," he said, slightly panicked. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," I told him. "We're good. I didn't drop them on your feet, did I? They were pretty heavy."
Song smiled warmly, flicking his hair out of his eyes. "No. I okay."
I turned my head to the side, uncomfortably with his proximity. He was literally shoved against my body. The only things separating us were my hands on his chest and the crushed bags on my arms. Somehow, the girls had placed themselves in such a way that we couldn't move until they got odd. And I wasn't sure what was making my heart beat faster: the awkwardness of being this close to a guy. Song's cheek caressing mine in absent brushes as the elevator rocked, or Song's lips hovering mere inches above the skin of my shoulder and neck. I could feel the heat off his breath and it unnerved me, sending my body tingling. "What about Snow and Song?" the girls enthusiasm brought me back to my senses. I was really interested in what they were talking about. It couldn't be me. There was no way. I would freak out if it was. Besides, where would they have gotten them from so fast? It only happened a couple of hours ago.
"She seems like an Ice Queen herself, doesn't she?" one of the girls said. "But Snow is sweet and soft. It kind of doesn't fit right."
"Don't you think she seems more wild than anything? I mean, what kind of girl cuts her hair that short and wears crazy clothes like that?" Looks like the Queen Bee was back to talking, but I'd heard all I needed to.
It was definitely me they were discussing. That meant that were weren't going to get out of here easily if they found who was in the elevator with them. But how could I make them ignore us long enough for them to get away?
"Song definitely," a couple girls said and I saw Song's face go red. "He's the wild one of the group. So dark and handsome. They would definitely look good together. I bet she's his girlfriend."
I rolled my eyes at the active minds of the celebrities brainwashed and bit back a sigh.
"Don't let them get to you," I whispered to Song. "They're just fantasizing." Of course, considering how fast Song's heart was beating against the back of my hand, it would be easy to believe that he was fantasizing, too.
I heard Song's breathing go ragged as the girls started going on about how perfect we fit each other, but I was so focused on the girls that I didn't realize Song had started to sweat until he dropped his head on my shoulder.
"Song!" I whispered fiercely. "What's wrong?"
"Clau--" he tried. "Clau-- What is word? Small spaces bad."
"You're claustrophobic?" I squeaked. I glanced up at the lights on the floor. We were far from the suite, but we also couldn't wait until the bimbo brigade got off seven doors up.
"Excuse me," I asked one of the girls. "Could you press the next floor's button. I need to get him off of here."
Thankfully, they didn't argue or whine, but that girl suddenly found an intense interest in my face as I gathered everything I could in my arms, looped the rest on Song's (he could drag them, for all I cared), and supported most of his weight.
"It is you!" the girl exclaimed as I started pushing us through the throng and to the door, hoping it would open soon. "I knew it was you! You're the girl from the pictures. Why were you so close with Just 4 U? Are you dating one of them? Are they really like how they seem on stage?"
The questions went on and in, but I ignored them, focusing more on keeping Song's face hidden. That didn't last long, either, when he straightened up a little wobbly as we came to the floor. I could hear the clicks and see the flashes of the cameras going off behind me as the girls exclaimed in delight and surprise. Song wrapped an arm around my shoulders for support as we waited for the doors to open. I readjusted the boxes I was carrying to free up an arm and wrapped it around his waist to help him further. He was not looking well.
The girls' squeals turned to shrieks of "I told you so!" and "They are going out!" as the doors finally opened. I smacked the "close" button on the elevator, glaring at them. We used the distraction of their shock to slip away and into another open elevator, where Song sank to the floor and took in great heaps of air before pulling out his cell and making a call. He pressed the button for the sixth floor and sat back down in relief.
"What was that about?" I asked, rubbing his back in an effort to calm him. "If you're claustrophobic, you should have so. And why did we go directly to another elevator?"
"It's just crowds," he answered, his voice calmer. "Not spaces. Spaces filled with people."
I nodded. "Okay. So no small spaces filled with people. Works for me, but where are we going now?"
"Girls know room we stay," he tried to explain. "I call Laurel to stop Shin, Min, Juil and Jin. Tell not go up there. She book us another floor."
I nodded slowly, taking in the information and translating it. The sixth floor was theirs now because those star-struck girls were probably going to take that elevator all the way up in hopes to see the band. That would freak me Juil out, definitely. It was a good ideal to move them immediately.
"That's really smart," I told him. "And you handled it very well." I smiled at his surprised expression. "Next time, warn me before something like this happens again, okay? That way I can actually help instead of panic and worry."
He stared at me for a minute and then smiled brightly, making my heart thump. "Okay."
The elevator dinged our floor and I stood first, then helped him up because he was still a little shaky. After collecting our bags and boxes and stepping off the elevator, a man greeted us in uniform. He handed us a new key-card, and told us our room number then went back to his post. Song and I lumbered our way down the halls until we found the door we needed. I maneuvered around to use the card and kicked the door open with my foot and stepped inside.
I let out a sigh of relief when I dropped his packages in the closet. "Next time you have this much stuff, hire a couple people to carry it for you. This was a little much."
My contempt for the shopping bags turned to worry when I looked over and saw Song fumbling to get his shoes off with bags strapped to his wrists.
"Stop," I ordered softly. "There's no need for you to do that. Just come in." I pulled him to his feet and dragged him into the room, sitting him on the bed. "Just stay there, okay?"
I undid one bag from his wrist and he flicked on the TV. The News popped on. Music news. The other bag went just as easily as the first and then I went and got him a glass of water.
"Thank you," he said, gratefully gulping it down as I bent to untie his shoes. "No. No. No do, Merideth. I can do myself."
I stared at his embarrassed face for a moment before giving in. I stood again. "Okay. Make sure to call the guys and get each others room numbers. And don't buy so much cr--" My attention was taken immediately when I saw my picture up on the screen. My picture with the band.
Panic struck me like a knife. I knew I shouldn't have gotten involved. I knew it. The questions were already starting. The invasion of my privacy would come immediately and it wouldn't stop. I knew that already. This scoop wouldn't die down for months because these guys were known all over the world. My peaceful life was once again destroyed so easily.
"Merideth?" Song asked, touching my wrist.
I recoiled, the fear and panic making me erratic. I had to get home. I had to hide. Now.
Song stood, worry all over his face. "Merideth?"
I shook my head and them bolted out the door, speeding down the halls. I didn't bother with the elevators, taking the stairs down to the lobby. I quickly traded the company's van keys for my own and ran into the parking lot towards my car.
As I cranked the engine and sped down the roads towards my house, I knew that I wasn't going to feel safe until I was in my room again with my door locked. God, how could i have been so stupid? My whole life had finally been the way I wanted: quiet, peaceful and predictable. Now I had no control, I didn't know what was going to happen. I just knew that I did not want to take another trip down memory lane and be back in the spotlight. Not for any reason.