Meet the Band: Song For You

Two days passed with me hiding in my apartment watching the news and looking up any and all sites that followed Just 4 U. Within the first hour of being home, I'd nearly had a heart attack. It was easy enough to find a website following them (there were even more fan-sites to choose from, too), and it was just as easy to find the place they uploaded and updated pictures.
It was in that particular section where I found me. Nearly all of the pictures the band had taken on our expedition into town were on the web. That meant that my face was everywhere. Most of the shots were of the random moments where they had squeezed me into a photo or grabbed me for a shot, so almost all of my expressions had been of surprise or unwant. There were a few, however, where I had given an uncharacteristic smile. There were comments all over each shot, asking who I was, guessing at why I was with them. There was slander, envy and compliments, but no picture had more comments than the candid shot taken by Song.
It wasn't anything particularly outstanding, I guess, but it was the only full-body picture of me on there. It was actually a really good photo, too. Just me as the focus, leaning over to examine some piece of jewelry I'd thought of buying for Tammy. There were people walking behind me and through the shot in particular areas, but it was obvious I was the focus of the picture.
It had been the comments on that photograph that had made me draw the curtains and lock my doors. A group of fans had taken it upon themselves to find out who I was through Internet searches and other things.
"Tammy," I said with a shaky voice. I had wasted no time calling Tammy. She had called me back today and had sat with me on the phone, listening patiently. "What am I going to do?"
"Calm down, Meri," she told me a little nervously. "It will be okay."
"My face is all over the news," I complained. "How is that okay?!"
I heard her sigh. Tammy sighing was not good. "Honestly? It doesn't see, to be dying down. Maybe you should go back to the hotel and ask the compa--"
"I'm not going back there!" I exclaimed. "That would just cause more problems. There are news' crews and reporters and. . and. ."
"Woah!" Tammy exclaimed. "Calm down, Merideth. I get your point." She paused, obviously thinking. "You have your cell, don't you? Have you checked it? They might have called you."
I rubbed my forehead. "My cell died yesterday. I've been freaking out ever since."
"Idiot!" she yelled, making me pull the phone away for a minute. "Go charge your phone! I'm coming over right now." She mumbled insults, calling me names as she hung up.
I unfolded myself from my couch and picked up my cellphone from the table by the door. It was completely dead. I headed into my bedroom and plugged it into the charger. I would have to wait a while before I could even turn it on, let alone check my messages. Until then, I needed tea and food. Eating wasn't the greatest or healthiest stress-reliever, but it gave me something to do since I'd already cleaned the whole apartment out of stress. Normally, I would have painted to relieve myself, but not even that could help right now. But I had a subject due by the end of the semester.
As I watched the muted news, looking for any sign of my growing infamy, I waited for my kettle to heat up. It seemed I'd lost my appetite as soon as I'd walked into the kitchen.
I glanced at the clock. It was four-thirty-six in the afternoon. The sun would be high right now, but you couldn't tell in my living room. My heavy green curtains prevented any light at all from coming in. Because of that, I was glad I'd called in sick from work for a few days. Though it was just part-time at a flower shop three days a week, the sun would make the shop almost muggy and unbearable. That was not ideal right now and I couldn't stand the thought of someone walking into the store and recognizing me. The consequences might be disastrous.
My doorbell rang and I frowned, standing. Tammy had gotten here quickly, but she had a key. Why hadn't she just come in? Then again, she may have forgotten it if she had rushed over.
The bell rang again.
"Yes, yes," I called, unlocking the door. "Tammy you need to remember your ke--" I froze as I saw who was on my balcony. There, standing around nervously with hats pulled low over their heads and sunglasses, was Just 4 U. "You! What are you doing here?!"
Laurel--the only normal-looking person among them--pushed through the boys to stand in front of me. "Ms. Ells," she said in a business-like voice. Once again, she had a binder in hand, held over the chest of her clue pantsuit. "We're unsure if we were followed--"
"Unlikely," Min muttered.
"--but," Laurel continued, "it would be best if we didn't linger outside for too long."
I clutched my doorknob. "How did you find my apartment?" If they could find it, anybody could. I was in a shit-load of trouble.
Her brows scrunched together. "That's not important. We have business to discuss. Please, may we come in?"
I swallowed, weighing my options. I didn't want to get involved with them anymore than I already had, but I didn't want them standing outside my door or possibly coming again. Gritting my teeth, I pushed open my door and stepped aside, deciding on the lesser of the two evils.
Just as I closed my door behind Jinho, my kettle screeched.
"Have a seat in the living room, please," I told them. "I was just making tea. Anyone want some?" I got three confirmations before I headed into my kitchen and turned off my stove, taking the kettle off the burner.
"Merideth?" the soft, low inquiry made me jump and spin to see a nervous, worried Juil standing there. He'd taken his hat off and ditched the glasses and now his dark eyes pleaded with me. "Are you angry?"
I sighed, turning to get down four mugs as I waited for the tea to steep. "No, Juil. I'm not angry. Upset, worried, freaking out, but not angry." I picked up the pot and poured the tea into mugs. "Come help my carry these cups back to the living room." Juil eagerly picked up the two mugs and followed me into the living room.
My main couch and my two chairs were occupied, leaving Juil and me my love-seat to sit on. Laurel had already used my coffee table to spread about the pictures of our escapade, but her binder had other documentation as well. I couldn't read it, considering it was too far away and upside down.
I sat holding my mug between my hands, my elbows on my knees and waited. When they said nothing, sitting there shifting in tense silence, I spoke. "Well? What is it that you need from me?"
Laurel let out a quiet breath. "You're picture with the boys had become the talk of the music industry. "
"Why do you think I'm holed up here?" I frowned. "I never wanted my face plastered all over the news or their website." I gave Laurel a serious look. "Popularity and I have never gotten along well."
Laurel nodded. "In negative doses, I'm sure popularity doesn't mesh with anyone well. I'm here to apologize on behalf of the company." She gave the men around us a look. "And they're here to apologize for themselves. Their cellphones have a function required by the company that uploads any saved pictures onto their profile in the website. That's how your photos got leaked."
Well, that saved one mystery.
"Okay," I allowed. "So, how are we going to make this go away? I read what some of the fans put on there. They were not happy."
"We can't make it go away," Laurel told me and my stomach dropped. "That's why we're here." She turned the binder towards me and slid it across the table so it sat in front of me. "This is a contract. For you. The company saw your pictures, obviously, and instead of sweeping it under the rug, they believe your popularity is amazing."
"So?" God, why was this happening again? "I don't want popularity. I want peace and quiet."
"Too late," Laurel said bluntly. She sat back, crossing her arms. "I'm sorry to say, but the public has reacted to you in a more positive light than negative. Even if we tried covering this up, the fans will be asking for months about your existence and who you are to the band. That's what this is for." She motioned to the papers in the binder. "This is a modeling contract for Fan. E."
Fan. E. stood for Fantasy Entertainment. It was the company Just 4 U was signed under. They were famous all over the world. Even I knew who they were. For them to offer a contract was major, but I didn't want it at all. I wanted a contract that said they would never bother me again, not permanently bother me under contractual obligation.
I pushed the binder away. "No." I shook my head forcefully. "No, no, no. I want peace and quiet. Modeling would never get me that at all." I gestured at myself. "And what in hell is your company seeing in me? There's nothing 'model' about me."
Laurel's brows rose in surprise and shock. "Not model material? Have you looked in the mirror?"
"You're beautiful!" Song added earnestly.
"Very," Jinho agreed.
"You even rival my looks," Min allowed.
Juil laid a hand on my forearm and I looked at him. "You're really pretty."
"See?" Laurel said with a smile. "Model material. With your looks and magnetism, you'll make it to the top in no-time."
"Magnetism?" I asked, taken aback. What in hell were they talking about?
Laurel sighed. "You have an air about you that makes people stop and stare." She leaned forward. "Merideth, this isn't going to go away. The company has already made an official statement hinting at the fact that you are a model in Just 4 U's next photo shoot. If you are a model and not a random fan the band suddenly got close to, the negativity surrounding you will go away."
"Why?" I asked, skeptical. "Why would becoming a model change the public's reaction towards me?"
"Because then you wouldn't be ordinary," Min explained.
"You would be in our world," Shin continued, agreeing, "not theirs. You would be another unreachable star."
"Stars are meant to be around other stars," Jinho went on. "That's what people think."
"That's stupid," I grumbled. I was being driven into a corner. I knew I was and there was only one way out. I didn't want to be famous, but it had already happened. Now, I had to decide to be famous with the blessing of the public or without. And without seemed worse--much worse--than with.
I pulled the contract back my way, starting to read it. "How long?" I asked quietly. I looked up at Laurel. "How long would I have to model?"
"Considering your age," Laurel mused, "the contract is for five years. However, the first year is the most difficult. You'll have to get used to the work, the schedules, the people and the demands."
My hands were starting to shake in fear. "F-Five years. . . And what about my schooling? I'm taking an art course for my degree. I can't just give that up." There was no way I'd give up painting under any circumstances. My skills would get rusty and then all my dreams would go out the window.
"Art?" Song asked. "What kind?"
I didn't bat an eye. "Painting."
"I want to see your painting," he said.
"Me, too," Jinho smiled.
"Yeah!" Juil exclaimed.
I snorted out a smile, waving a hand at the giant painting of the green and blue flowers above my couch. "That's one of mine. One of the only good ones, actually. The rest were all uninspired."
"Wow . . ." they breathed. Min whistled low in appreciation.
"You're very talented," Laurel complimented as she turned back from examining the painting. Her smile was genuine and I appreciated that. "Your schooling would be taken over by the company when you can no longer study here."
I narrowed my eyes at her. "What do you mean 'no longer'?"
"Of course," she explained, "when the company goes back to Korea, you'll be going too."
I felt the color drain from my face. "M-Move? To Korea? B-But I-- I have a life here!"
"Your life is about to become increasingly less of a life here and more of a life everywhere by the time we leave." Laurel finally took a drink of her tea. "You're lucky enough to have an offer right off the bat. This job will shoot off your career. You have a look and grace people long for. You'll explode."
I put my face in my hands, trying to stay calm and think. To model, to move, to push painting to the back of my mind and make modeling the forefront for five years. . . I wasn't sure I could do that.
"Merideth," Song said quietly and I looked up to meet his concerned eyes. "I'll protect you."
My heart thumped as I stared in his eyes. He was sincere, honest. . And his English had gotten better already. I noticed absently. Maybe he could protect me. But for how long? He was in music, I would be in modeling. Even under the same company, we couldn't always stay together. There was no guarantee that he could do anything, but, somehow, I found myself believing him.
"We'll all help," Juil agreed.
"It's for the best," Shin put in, his voice comforting. "We'll help you."
Laurel placed a pen on the table near me. "It will be all right, Merideth. I will personally see to it that you have the best manager--someone trustworthy." She gave me a sad sort of understanding smile. "Join our world so that the people from yours can't reach you."
Though I thought her words were a little melodramatic, they hit home. As they sunk in, I found it hard to believe that this was all really happening, but a glance at the t.v. to see my face there yet again made it all too real. So even as I closed my eyes against my present, I found myself reaching for the pen--and my new future.