Happy Anniversary, Ethan. ((Closed)) [PG-13]

[Esmeralda Mendez]

((This post takes place during the summer holidays. Also, this thread is PG-13. All readers under thirteen are advised not to read passed this point.))

She couldn’t believe this was happening to her. She was in the beautiful city of Paris, France. It was the city of romance and the city of lights. She had already done more shows than she could count and the tour was going great so far. They were all getting along, (all except for London of course) pulling pranks, and basically having an all around great time. But then something always has to happen to ruin the happiness. This time, it was Carson’s shocking realization that Eden Sweden really was his lovely girlfriend Casey Allen. He would barely even speak to Casey about anything that wasn’t work related. All the tension was driving Ezzie crazy. Not to mention no one seemed to notice (not that anyone other than Ezzie would) that today was the exact anniversary of the day Ezzie and Ethan met. It was the one day that changed Ezzie’s life forever. Exactly one year ago, Ezzie was an orphan with nothing much to do than to work as hard as she possibly could. She sighed. She didn’t want to think such depressing thoughts, or even about the immense impact Ethan had on her life. Even though Ezzie wouldn’t be in this beautiful city if she’d never met him, she still sometimes wished she was still that simple little girl who sang on the streets and worked as a maid. Ezzie never forgot that side of her. She knew what it was like to have nothing. She knew what it was like to truly work hard for the little money she made. It was this simple fact that kept Ezzie humble.

Ezzie glanced out the window. Casey was in her room packing her clothes up and getting ready for the last concert, which was the next night. Ezzie was simply lying on Eden Sweden’s bed staring at the ceiling…or rather, staring off into space. London’s sickening music was blaring from the room next door, but Ezzie had learned to simply ignore it by now. She would get London back later. Ezzie still had the lovely image of the sun setting over the horizon as Ezzie played her music in her mind. She could still see Ethan’s silhouette approaching her as she played her song with a guitar case half full of money open in front of her. She could still hear his words, smell the faint scent of the cologne on his shirt. She could feel those butterflies appear in her stomach all over again as he walked closer to her, asking her name. She felt so special that day, that someone that amazing could ever have any interest in her. Ezzie could still hear the crickets chirping and the leaves rustling and….her cell phone ringtone? Ezzie was suddenly and forcefully forced out of her little reverie by the sound of her cell phone ringing. She picked it up from the bedside table and answered the phone. Not many people knew Ezzie’s personal phone number, so chances were the call was from someone important.

“Hello?” She spoke into the small device, wondering whose voice was to respond. Although, taking a glance at the arm where TJ’s number used to be (the number disappeared the second Ezzie finished dialing his number) Ezzie had a feeling she already knew who was on the other end of the phone. “Hey beautiful.” Ezzie would recognize that slow, charming tone anywhere. She was right. It was TJ. Ezzie smiled brightly and the sound of his voice, and Casey walked out of her closet with an armful of possible options for outfits. “Is that TJ again?” Casey asked with a raised eyebrow. Ezzie nodded her head and Casey rolled her eyes and walked away. “Hey, TJ. What’s up?” Ezzie asked, trying to act casual. She could feel that ever so familiar feeling of her heart beating out of her chest. “Oh, I was just wondering. You’re tour is in France right now, right?” Ezzie swallowed and sat up excitedly. She was so nervous she barely found enough voice to speak. “Yeah. Yeah it is.” She whispered. She was surprised TJ could even hear her. “Great. Mine too. How about we meet at that little bakery right outside the Eiffel tower in say….about an hour?” Ezzie smiled again. “I think I could manage that.” Ezzie spoke flirtatiously. TJ laughed. “Great. It’s a date. Can’t wait to see you. Who knows, maybe we can pick up where we left off?” Ezzie giggled. “We’ll see.” And with that, Ezzie hung up the phone and walked into her room. In an attempt to get back at London, Ezzie blasted her heavy metal rock music and started looking through her closet for something to wear.

She finally found the perfect outfit. A small black halter top that stopped just above her navel and her favorite pair of tight ripped jeans. She wore her long dark brown hair down and wild, though it didn’t look a mess. She wore large gold earrings and dark smoky make-up with glossed lips. She looked perfect when she turned to the door and saw none other than London Star leaning on Ezzie’s open door. Ezzie grabbed her remote and paused the music to glare at the young girl. “What do you want, London?” Ezzie asked impatiently, making London laugh falsely. “Well, I just came over here to tell you to shut off that sorry excuse for music, but seeing you get all dolled up just to be around the bus makes me curious. what’s the occasion?” She asked innocently, eying Ezzie with a confident and seemingly all-knowing smile. Ezzie crossed her arms. “None of your business, Star.” Ezzie said coldly, her voice dipped in bitterness. “Ah, so I guess that means you’re going to see that Turner kid, huh?” She said with a small chuckle. Ezzie walked up to London so she was standing only inches from her face. “So what if I am? Everyone knows you’re just jealous because you’re too much of a little witch to get anyone with half a brain. So yeah, I am seeing TJ. So why don‘t you go retreat to your room now and contemplate what it is you‘re going to do to salvage your pathetic life. Maybe on the way you can fix your crap music, too?” Ezzie smiled triumphantly before she slipped on a pair of black heels and walked out of the bus. The tower wasn’t too far away anyway. However, just moments after she slammed her bedroom door closed London whipped out her cell phone and started dialing a number. “You want something to brighten my day? Well, only since you asked.” London spoke wickedly as she dialed a strange number. “Hey Holly. It’s London. I’ve just heard word that Ezzie’s headed to the Eiffel tower to go see Turner. You better be paying me a LOT of money for this, Sinclair.”

[Esmeralda Mendez]

Ezzie looked around hopefully, now wearing a large gray hoodie over her outfit that covered most of her face, so hopefully she wouldn’t be noticed by far too many people. She didn’t see him anywhere in the sitting area outside the little bakery, so she decided to have a look inside. The place was absolutely deserted…..well, all except for one table. It seemed that the area had been closed off to the public, because there was only one person sitting in the center of the room with every staff member catering to their every need. The moment she walked in she unzipped her sweatshirt and gave it to one of the waiters. Normally she would have been polite and said thank you afterwards but her mind was pre-occupied with other things. Ezzie’s face lit up with delight at the sight of him. As always, TJ was as relaxed as ever, leaning back in an expensive little chair that looked simply out of place with someone as cool as TJ sitting in it. He was already smoking a cigarette and he had that same cocky smile on his smug face. Ezzie didn’t hesitate one more second.

“TJ!” She squealed excitedly as she ran up to him and landed gracefully on his lap, making him let out an amused little chuckle. She didn’t really know where she and TJ stood, whether they were officially a couple or if they were just two friends having a good time together. But what she did know that she seriously liked this guy. A LOT. She smiled brightly at him. The last time she saw TJ was quite a long time ago, and even though they spoke on the phone every so often, she still missed him dearly. She giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled up at him. “I missed you, Turner.” TJ chuckled. Somehow, Ezzie’s crazy ways always seemed to amuse him, and she rarely ever had to try.

“Really? You missed little ol’ me? I refuse to believe it. Why don’t you prove it?” He said confidently as he arched his eyebrow, his smart brown eyes daring her to move closer to him. If she moved any closer their noses would touch, and once happened there was really no stopping them. Ezzie laughed as the waiters placed an ice cold bottle of champagne on the table and poured a glass for each of them. Ezzie knew she probably wasn’t allowed to drink at this age, but it didn’t matter much to her. Not anymore. It wasn’t like she hadn’t done it before. In fact, even though she couldn’t remember most of the details, she distinctly remembered meeting some kid named Oscar in the park where Ethan died a few weeks ago. Ezzie took a sip, letting the effects of the liquor sink in. “Well, you can believe what you want. All I know is this tour is starting to stress me out, so I need a break and one hell of a day today if I’m going to go back on that bus without you.” Ezzie smiled innocently and nibbled on her bottle lip excitedly. She knew TJ was going to show Ezzie a good time. She also knew his idea of a good time probably wasn’t the most conventional idea of a good time. TJ’s amusement came out of breaking rules and doing things that were often frowned upon by the general public. Things that Ezzie normally would have frowned upon herself, but was now kind of numbed and just didn’t care anymore.

“Well you know I’m always the guy to come to for a good time. And who says I can’t come back to the tour bus with you? I don’t have a show until tomorrow night, so I’m free for today and all of tomorrow.” He said with a wink. Ezzie shifted a little, realizing she was still sitting on TJ’s lap with her arms around his neck. The waiters were starting to give the two amused looks, making Ezzie just a bit uncomfortable. She cleared her throat awkwardly and looked away from TJ’s eyes for a moment. “Um, I think I should probably get my own seat. I don’t think this little chair was built for two.” Ezzie said before getting up and moving to the seat across from him. He looked disappointed, but didn’t say anything in response. “So how have you been, since um…our last meeting?” Ezzie said, trying to break the awkward silence but not really sure what to say. TJ laughed and took a sip of his champagne as a tray of bread was brought to the table. Ezzie followed suit and laughed a bit as well. “I’ve been fine I guess. Very lonely, not to mention quite bored. You do tend to make things exciting, if you know what I mean.” TJ said with a wink, grabbing a piece of bread from the center of the table. Ezzie smiled cutely and blushed slightly.

“Well, you gave me drugs, TJ. Of course I was fun. I wasn’t in my right mind the day we met.” TJ rolled his eyes playfully and pushed his chair into the table a bit more. They did have a table separating them this time, so there was less chance of them doing what they did last time. “Well what about last time? I’m pretty sure last time had nothing to do with me, you know…unless you used some before you went to go see me that is. And if that’s what you do because of that stuff, I wonder what’s going to happen when you have a bit more of this champagne?” TJ challenged, making Ezzie laugh a bit more as he poured her some more champagne. She did tend to get really giggly when she was around him. “No, last time I was clean, thank you very much. And thanks.” She said, raising the glass and taking another sip. “Well, I wouldn’t describe our actions as very clean, but okay, if you say so.” TJ teased. And so they talked and laughed until their lunch was over and there was nothing else to do but leave and go do something else. “Hey, let’s get out of here. I have a surprise for you.” TJ spoke with a mysterious grin, making Ezzie’s breath catch as he took her hand to help her up. TJ was such a gentleman.

[Esmeralda Mendez]

Ezzie smiled up at TJ, wondering where TJ was going to take her next. Ezzie really couldn’t tell anymore. TJ was almost as unpredictable as Ezzie was, never giving Ezzie any hints as to what he was up to next or what was on his mind. Ezzie had always been slightly gifted with reading body language, and she normally had some sort of idea of what was going on around her. But TJ left her clueless. Not only did he leave her clueless, but he also left her in a perpetual state of unawareness. When she was with him, she just didn’t know which way was up, which was down or even what her own name was sometimes. She didn’t know what it was about him, or even what odd sort of charm he had over her. She knew it definitely wasn’t a magical gift…it was just….TJ’s gift. She didn’t really have a way of explaining it. She knew TJ was probably the worst thing for Ezzie right now. He introduced her to the world of drugs, alcohol, and pure lust. It just wasn’t good for the ‘reformed Ezzie” image. But somehow she simply couldn’t stay away from him. Like, right now…TJ had his arm around her, almost protectively. Ezzie could just feel her body grow warm as he walked with her down the streets of Paris, France.

Heads were turning and people were whispering behind the couple’s back. But Ezzie didn’t care. Hell, she didn’t care if Holly Sinclair showed up behind a bush and started taking pictures. Of course, she didn’t really mean that, for Holly Sinclair was not a welcome party guest; but Ezzie still felt like she was on top of the world. She was actually eating again, she was on tour with her best friends who; even though they were fighting, she loved dearly, and she had TJ Turner right at her side. Life just didn’t get better than this. Watch it, Ez. Don’t you dare even think that. You know how these things happen. Ezzie repressed the urge to roll her eyes. There was that little voice again. That mini Ezzie inside her head always ruined things for her. Before now, that pessimistic little voice ruled. If that voice said something was going to go wrong, Ezzie would stress out for days about it until the problem eventually vanished. But now Ezzie had managed to keep that voice repressed. Even though the voice was repressed though, it still came out and ruined things for Ezzie’s happiness. ”Shuttup.” Ezzie spoke up to the voice in her head. Although she didn’t say it out loud, because that would have been embarrassing to explain.

”What? You know what I’m talking about, don’t you Ezzie? You can never admit that your life is starting to get normal or even happy. Because everyone knows that the second you do that everything goes out of control. That’s all I’m saying.” The voice spoke again. But this time Ezzie ignored it. She just started to admire the beauty that was Paris before looking back up at TJ, who was about an inch and a half taller than her. “So what’s this big surprise you’re going to…..holy crap!” Ezzie ducked and hid TJ in the nearest alleyway she could find, accidentally pushing herself up against the dingy wall facing TJ, who followed by landing right on top of her….literally. He was in the same position he was two weeks ago. “Hey, Ezzie, does this position feel somewhat familiar to you?” TJ teased as his confident grin returned. Ezzie smiled and bit her lip. And there goes your common sense…Said the voice again. Ezzie ignored it once more, hoping it wouldn’t return. “I don’t know, why don’t you remind me?” TJ chuckled and leaned in to kiss her. Ezzie gladly accepted the kiss, for she had been waiting to do this again ever since the last time she’d seen him. Although, she didn’t think it would be in an alley again.

Ezzie finally pulled away, hating the feeling of being pressed against an alleyway wall amongst what must have been dozens of garbage cans and rodents. “You know, I hope this wasn’t the surprise you had in mind.” Ezzie said with a smile, completely forgetting for a moment why she’d even pulled TJ in there in the first place. “You’re right. It’s not all that far away, but I guess you couldn’t wait to kiss me again, eh?” TJ said with a wink as he led her out of the alley. But then both their eyes were blinded by a bright camera flash and the terrifying voice of none other than Holly Sinclair. “So, you’re really just friends then, right Ez? So when he dumps you, you think you’re gonna kill this one as well? Tell us about that little scene in the alley then. Can we get a quote?”

[Esmeralda Mendez]

Ezzie knew she probably shouldn’t have even thought about the presence of Holly Sinclair, because sure enough, here she was. No doubt she’d caught many pictures of Ezzie in the alleyway with him and even a few coming out. Ezzie was screwed. She’d only just finished telling the media that she wasn’t interested in this trouble maker at all, and already she was being caught in the city of lights and romance with none other than the master lady romancer of them all. TJ Turner was known for the undeniable charm that seemed to attract all the ladies. Ezzie always remembered looking down upon girls and even women who threw themselves at men who everyone knew were very ‘popular’ with the ladies. Why even try to involve yourself in a relationship where the guy has more girls on his list of ex girlfriends than he did in his last year’s Potions class and the horrible dating record of a heartless player? But of course, Ezzie had fallen for one of those same kind of men; twice. Ethan had been first. Everyone knew of his wild partying habits and his knack for charming anything with breasts. Even Ezzie, who barely knew him knew that. He had skill, he knew what he was doing. That fact alone should have made Ezzie uneasy, but it made her all the more comfortable.

Then there was TJ Turner. If anything, TJ was somehow worse then Ethan in every way possible. He partied a lot harder, he got into a lot more trouble, and sadly enough, he could get a new girlfriend every hour if he pleased. Not to mention he had talent and a hell of a lot of money. What wasn’t there to like about guys like TJ Turner and Ethan Jacobs? There was absolutely nothing that wasn’t unpleasant to Ezzie about these boys, and Ezzie found herself unable to get enough of them. She glared at Holly Sinclair, hating her with every fiber of her being. She always managed to ruin even the best of moments. In fact, if Ezzie hadn’t forgotten her wand on the bus, Ezzie would have cursed that woman until she finally got the message that Ezzie wanted to be left alone for once. But Ezzie seriously doubted that even most forms of torture would get someone like Holly Sinclair (and possibly even her bratty daughter Aimee) to change.

“Holly Sinclair, you go too far! Can’t you take a hint?” Ezzie was seriously about to thrust herself at Sinclair and beat her to the ground had TJ not been holding her back protectively. Ezzie had developed one hell of an attitude over the past year, and lately if Ezzie had something on her mind, she wouldn’t hesitate in saying it. She was naturally a brutally honest person and if she had something to say, it would surely be spoken. Not to mention it was easy to push her buttons. She had a very short temper and found it hard controlling her anger at times. It was all part of being a Gryffindor, Ezzie supposed. She was brave and fearless enough to stand up to little witches like Holly and Aimee Sinclair but not having been put in Ravenclaw house, she wasn’t exactly smart enough to know which battles to fight and also when or even how to cool down. Her motto was basically “ready, fire, aim,” which got her into a lot of trouble throughout the fifteen years of her life.

“Ah, so I see you don’t care to tell our readers about your secret romance with rocker boy, then huh? So how long has this been going on? Oh, has he gotten you in the sack yet, huh Ez? Oh you must tell Witch Weekly all about your scandalous affair. And less than six months after your beloved man’s death. I knew you didn’t care for him…but then again, you wouldn’t have killed him if you actually cared for the poor boy..” Ezzie was ready to knock this woman out with a good punch in the face before TJ stepped in front of her. He grabbed the camera and smashed it on the ground. “Back off, witch. The lady told you to go away, so you run. Fast. Before I make you run. You don’t mess with Ezzie again, you understand? Otherwise, we are going to have some problems.” TJ growled, stepping forward and pushing Sinclair back. She merely laughed wickedly in response. “Oh, this is going to make for one hell of a story. Thank you for that Turner. You sure have done an excellent job of screwing up this girl’s life. It makes for great publicity.” She said with a wink before grabbing the broken camera pieces and walking away. Ezzie threw her the nastiest glare she could muster and growled silently. “Oh, she’ll be back.” Ezzie snarled. TJ turned back to Ezzie and smirked. “Doesn’t matter. As long as I’m around, you don’t have to worry about Sinclair. I’ll protect you whenever you need me. Now let’s go. I still have that surprise waiting for you.” He said with a wink as he held out her hand to grab. Ezzie took his hand all too willingly, feeling like the most protected teenager in the world. She smiled warmly up at him as they walked out of the dingy alley, thoughts of the horrible scene with Sinclair drifting from her thoughts completely.

[Esmeralda Mendez]

TJ led her right back to that small bakery where they had first met. Outside it, there was a long black stretch limo with flames etched along the sides. Smiling, Ezzie glanced up at TJ, who was smirking confidently. “My personal limo. You like?” TJ asked, leading her into the car. Ezzie smiled a bit herself, stepping into the lush limousine. The thing was absolutely beautiful, with mirrored ceilings, soft leather seats, a television, a telephone, and even a mini-fridge stuffed with every frozen snack and drink Ezzie could ever imagine. “Wow…so this is how the other half lives, huh?” Ezzie said jokingly as TJ helped her into her seat. He then sat down next to her and laughed. He went to hold Ezzie’s hand. Why was he being so sweet? TJ wasn’t a sweet guy. He was wild, he was crazy, he was the definitition of lust. This new romantic version of TJ was odd, but she could get used to this. Whenever she thought about TJ, she always thought alleyways and drugs and anything that was the complete opposite of Ethan.

But this new TJ, this romantic French bakery going, limo riding, surprise giving TJ was different. Whether it was a good different or a bad one Ezzie couldn’t tell. But she supposed it was good. The kind of TJ she thought she knew was the one who was not only a lot of fun to be around, but a womanizer and a player. Ezzie had never liked that part of him. Part of Ezzie always knew that if they were to get into a fight or if something were to happen with them, TJ could have someone else in less than a heartbeat. There were litterally thousands of very ‘willing’ girls who would kill to be in Ezzie’s position right now. She had always hated that TJ had the option of just up and leaving her whenever he wanted. But then again, Ezzie wasn’t even sure if TJ and Ezzie were even dating to begin with. They had gone on a few dates and they had definitely passed a few bases so to speak, so that technically made them a couple, right? That’s what couples did. They went on dates and they did things together. And that’s basically what TJ and Ezzie did, so they must have been a couple. They just haven’t declared themselves a couple as of yet. But they would soon, Ezzie was sure of it. TJ wouldn’t be doing all this for Ezzie had he not intended this relationship to go places. Maybe Ezzie could do what no other woman had done before. Maybe she could make an innocent man out of TJ Turner. Now that would be something record worthy.

“Oh, c’mon Ezzie. You can’t tell me you’re not used to the lifestyles of the rich and the famous. I bought your CD when it first came out. You have to be making some really good money off of that piece of art. You really wrote all those songs?” TJ asked, truly and genuinely looking interested. TJ’s odd attitude was starting to confuse her. Why was he being so sweet? He must be up to something. There had to be something big they were headed to. There was no other explanation for Turner’s odd behavior. Ezzie smiled at his compliments. She wasn’t going to lie. Ezzie worked her rear end off for that album. It was great to hear some good reviews from people she cared about. It was a good feeling. “Thanks. That’s really great to hear. I poured my heart and soul into that album. I wrote every song on there.” Ezzie responded proudly, hoping she didn’t sound too overconfident or cocky when she said this. Apparently not though, because TJ responded by shifting his body closer to her and whispering in her ear. “You are so hot when you talk about your career, you know that?” He spoke fondly before kissing her deeply soon after.

Ezzie was surprised but not at all disappointed with TJ’s random act. She loved that he was so spontaneous. Spantanouity was one of Ezzie’s favorite traits in a man and TJ Turner happened to have plenty of it. Take this whole little surprise for instance. Ezzie had no idea where TJ was taking her, and she loved the suspense. But it looked like Ezzie wasn’t going to be kept in suspense for long, for the car had stopped right in front of a large, handsome looking building. However, before Ezzie could really get a good look at what building it was, TJ’s hands covered her eyes and he wrapped a black blindfold over her eyes. “Ah, don’t think it’s going to be that easy. No peeking, hot stuff. Now c’mon. You’re going to love this.” He said with a boyish grin that was now hidden from the now blindfolded Ezzie. He led her through what seemed to be a very busy and crowded room with tiles that were so smooth that the click of her heels could be heard throughout the entire room. Ezzie allowed TJ to help her into the elevator of the strange French building. Finally, after what seemed like years, TJ opened a door and removed the blindfold. Ezzie gasped, unable to believe her eyes.

[Esmeralda Mendez]

TJ had led her into a beautiful hotel room. The place was absolutely stunning. There were fresh rose petals strewn about everywhere and the room itself was bathed in different tones of gold, white, and various shades of beige. The sheets seemed to be made of the softest silk and cottons Ezzie could ever imagine. There were exquisite portraits hung up on the walls and the carpet looked soft enough to sleep on. The room was dimly lit, with the only real light in the room coming from the dozens of wonderful smelling candles which made the place smell like French vanilla. Because of the bold pink hue of the candles, the white and gold room was bathed in soft magenta light, giving the room a very romantic feel. She inhaled the sweet aroma of the room and walked past the bed, running her hand across the surface and enjoying its softness. She was still caught in that strange awed silence. The place was indescribably beautiful. Ezzie remembered preparing rooms like this back when she worked as a maid. People paid big money for suites like this. Mostly only celeberaties could afford these thousands of pounds a night rooms, and it only made young Ezzie extremely jealous and bitter that she had to work for these shallow and heartless people who were able to enjoy (and take advantage of) luxuries like this simply by doing what seemed like absolutely nothing in her opinion. Though then again, creating an album had proved to be almost as difficult, if not more difficult than working as a maid in a hotel. Though to be honest, they were difficult in two very different ways.

Ezzie then looked toward the master bath, which was obviously made for two. The bath was large and already filled with warm bubbles, the floors were sparkling clean tiles, and every surface glittered with beauty. Even the bathroom looked like a work of art. Someone had obviously slaved for hours trying to make this room look perfect, and they had succeeded. Ezzie was amazed. Although, her astonishment of the beautiful setting died down when she realized why TJ had taken her here. This entire place had been especially prepared for a romantic night alone, and Ezzie wasn’t stupid. There was only one reason he had taken her here tonight, and this was probably even the only reason TJ had been so sweet to her all day. But it was just that fact that intrigued her, the fact that the TJ Turner had even bothered to spend all this time, energy, and money to make her day perfect. Why did he even bother? Both TJ and Ezzie knew full well the amount of influence TJ had on her. If he really wanted to, he could probably have his way with her in that small room at Three Broomsticks. But the fact that TJ had bothered to do all this was what had astonished Ezzie the most. The crazy, slightly drunken side of Ezzie would have jumped under those sheets about thirty seconds ago. However, the smart, caring part that was still in love with Ethan and true to her religion and the way she was raised told her to hold herself back. It was that part of Ezzie that felt guilty even being here with TJ because it was an insult to Ethan’s memory.

“You know, Ez, I’ve always thought myself to be a decently good reader of body language. But somehow I just can’t read you like I can other people. What do you think?” TJ said in a slightly confused tone, snapping a finger in front of Ezzie. Ezzie’s mind seemed to be wandering again, leaving her face to lay blank as she stared off into space contemplating on what she was going to say. Finally, Ezzie was awoken by her trance to look TJ straight in the eye. “I dunno, TJ. I mean, this place is amazing, it really is. I’ve never seen anything more beautiful in my life. But I don’t think I’m ready for this, you know, spending the night with you thing. I know you may be seventeen or whatever, but I’m just heading into my fifth year. I don’t think I’m ready just yet. I mean, just think. After this summer, I’ll have to go back away to school. I’d only be able to see you on Hogsmeade visits. This just doesn’t seem right to me. I really hope you’re okay with that.

She looked up at TJ with the most apologetic look she could come up with. Part of her felt like she was letting TJ down, that she was leading him on all this time just to let him down. But what she had said really did get her thinking. What was the point of taking this any further? It wasn’t like TJ was going to follow her back into the school or anything. She would only see him once a week at most. And then who knew what he did during the week while Ezzie was at school? He could secretly be with a few other girls at once while he was out of her sight. And then there was the whole issue with the media and such, how it would affect Ezzie’s new image to be dating the infamous rock and roll bad-boy. The paparazzi would be everywhere…not to mention Aimee Sinclair would once again be on her back again, begging Ezzie for details. She wasn’t sure if she was ready to deal with all of that. “You know, I’d better go. It’s getting late. Eden and Carson are probably really worried.” Ezzie said solemnly, unable to meet TJ’s eyes.

“Wait. Don’t go.” TJ grabbed her by the forearm softly, pulling her close to him. Ezzie, taken aback by TJ’s sudden act, looked up at TJ with a certain amount of confusion. “It’s fine that you don’t want to ‘spend the night.’ I get it.” He said calmly, and even though he looked thoroughly disappointed that Ezzie had said no to his offer, he still seemed very sincere. “But I do still would love your company. Things get kinda boring around here. We can just chill tonight. Watch a few movies, smoke a few, and just chill. Kind of like a sleepover with your friends only…can we skip the makeovers?” He said jokingly. Ezzie laughed. It didn’t seem like too much of a bad idea. She trusted TJ. He wouldn’t do anything she wouldn’t want him to do. After a stretched-out period of silence that existed while Ezzie was thinking, the silence was broken with Ezzie’s simple one-word answer. “Okay.” She said with a smile, playing around with the collar of his shirt. “I’ll stay. And are you sure about the makeover thing? Because I think you would look totally hot in lipstick.”

[Esmeralda Mendez]

TJ merely laughed at Ezzie’s cheeky remark. Ezzie had always been one with a way with words. She was happy that TJ didn’t try and pressure her into sleeping with him. She wasn’t ready, and she was glad he understood that. But part of Ezzie still felt a bit uneasy about staying here all night with him, reguardless of what they did or not. What would people think when they saw Ezzie leaving his hotel room the next morning? She could just see Sinclair’s story now. Not to mention what Casey and Carson would say. Even though they weren’t talking to each other now, Ezzie was still very much close to the both of them. What would Carson or even Casey think when she came back the next morning alone in the same clothes as the night before? Everyone on the bus knew Ezzie had gone to see TJ today, so even if she told them all that she hadn’t done anything with him, who would even believe her in the end of it all? Sighing, Ezzie sat down on the soft bed and stared at a nearby candle. TJ moved next to her and placed his arm around her. Ezzie cleared her throat to try and break the silence as she shifted in her seat uncomfortably. Maybe this whole sleeping at TJ’s wasn’t such a good idea after all. The consequences of this one night with TJ seemed to be endless. But Ezzie had to think of the positive side. She had to do something to keep TJ around, but she didn’t want to give it all up otherwise she wouldn’t leave him wanting more. The art of dating…it was complicated. After this night, Ezzie wasn’t going to see TJ again for weeks.

She was going to miss him of course, but she couldn’t really help it. It wasn’t like he was going to go and follow her to Hogwarts or anything, so she had to make this one a night to remember. They wouldn’t get an opportunity like this for a very, very long time. So what was the harm in just spending some time with him? This whole little summer adventure could be over after she left anyway. Sighing, Ezzie smiled awkwardly up at TJ who looked like he was waiting on a kiss. So without any further hesitation, Ezzie looked up and kissed him slowly. Ezzie was half drunk from all the champagne, but it didn’t matter. It seemed that Ezzie would always be under the influence of something when meeting up with TJ Turner. She pulled away suddenly as his hands started to wander, remembering suddenly that they weren’t in a dingy alleyway anymore, but a soft, comfortable, and rather tempting hotel bed. “TJ…” She started to say, her voice weakened to a low whisper by the passion in their kisses.

“You’re right. We’re just going to chill out tonight. We go no further than we’ve gone before.” He said simply with a smile, making Ezzie blush a bit. She laughed a bit, glancing at the large television sitting on top of a handsome table just near the door. “Exactly. So, do you wanna watch a movie? I love movies.” Ezzie said, suddenly cheering up a bit. She really wanted to have fun tonight, but she didn’t want things to get out of control or out of hand. She didn’t want the consequences of her actions to outweigh the positives of staying with him tonight. It was a big decision to make, and part of Ezzie thought that no matter what she chose, the other choice would have been smarter than the choice to make. TJ smiled, getting up to find the remote. He turned the tv on, and reached under his bed to remove a small bag of what looked like grass, but what Ezzie knew to be TJ’s secret stash of drugs. She looked away from his eyes for a moment, knowing what those things could often do to her intuitions and brain power. She flipped through the channels mindlessly, trying to avoid seeing TJ rolling up the paper with the odd grass inside. She finally settled on some stupid horror movie parody called Scary Movie. Somehow Ezzie had a feeling that she wasn’t going to be paying too much attention to the movie anyway. TJ removed a lighter from his back pocket and lit his, inhaling deeply. He then sat back and patted the spot next to him for Ezzie to lay down next to him. She smiled and laid down beside him, taking the small rolled up piece of paper. TJ lit it for her and she handled with care, making sure the smoke didn’t settle on her clothes by blowing it away from her face. She’d hate to come home smelling like pot. Casey would butcher her if she knew what Ezzie had been doing. Sure, this would mean more secrets, but when Ezzie had the chance she’d make sure to tell Casey all about the world TJ had introduced her to.

Ezzie giggled the second that bittersweet smoke entered her lungs and eventually into her mind. It was already corrupting her ability to think. The sad part was that Ezzie knew this. She had known the consequences of her actions, and she decided to go through with all of this anyway. She never really understood her own attraction to things that were bad for her. She always seemed to be unable to stay away from things and people that were sure to harm her in the long run. Sure, people like Carson and Casey were the only exception. But in situations like TJ’s, Ezzie knew what she was getting herself into and she knew TJ Turner was nothing but trouble. But that didn’t stop her from coming to see him whenever she got the chance. Some part of Ezzie had always hoped she would eventually be able to change TJ and make him a better man for her. Sighing happily, Ezzie rested her head on his chest as she inhaled again. TJ smiled smugly down at her. There was some sort of mysterious shimmer in his eye, something about his expression that made Ezzie wonder what he was thinking, what he was planning. He said he wasn’t going to force her to do anything she normally wouldn’t want to do, but who knows? Maybe after a few joints and just a few more sips of TJ’s ever so tempting champagne, who knows what Ezzie would and wouldn’t do?

[Esmeralda Mendez]

Ezzie didn’t know why she was doing this. All she knew was that she was here, with TJ doing the exact opposite of what she told herself was acceptable. TJ knew how to seduce his women, or maybe Ezzie was just stupid enough to fall for his tricks and charms. Ezzie just wasn’t sure of anything right now. She didn’t know up from down, left from right, hell she wouldn’t be surprised if in a few moments she didn’t even remember her own name. TJ did tend to have that effect on her. She smiled up at TJ, who had the wickedest of grins on his perfect face. She couldn’t imagine what things would be like after this night. There would surely be headlines and pictures everywhere. TJ and Ezzie would officially be an item tomorrow morning, whether they discussed it now or not. Sinclair already had those alley-way photos and they would surely be posted everywhere by the time Ezzie got back on her tour bus the next morning. Right now, she didn’t mind. In fact, she was kind of looking forward to it. Tomorrow morning, she would surely start freaking out. But right now, Ezzie had a right to be happy. If only for a moment.

“You know, Ez. You’re really confusing.” TJ finally said, breaking the silence with a calm comment, which sounded a lot more like an observation rather than a statement. Ezzie’s romance-weakened smile turned into a small frown of confusion. “What do you mean?” She took another drag before dropping it into the ashtray on the bedside table. She was pretty much done with it anyway. “Well one minute you act like you’d like being with me would be the best thing that’s ever happened to you. But then whenever we’re in public or when you’re doing one of your interviews you act like I’m some kind of bad publicity stunt. And you space out constantly and don’t come back down to earth until someone says something to break the silence.” TJ sounded confused, which was odd for Ezzie since TJ always seemed to be the one that was always in control. He was the smooth talker that knew all the answers. But now he was asking questions. Serious questions. Not to mention most of these questions were subjects that had been on her mind ever since she met TJ Turner.

“Well I do want to be with you, TJ. I really truly do. But all this time I was wondering if you felt the same way. Kinda funny, huh? And to be honest, my manager says you’re the worst thing for ‘my new image’. They want me to be like Eden Sweden’s best friend. And I really don’t mind that to be honest, because she’s a pretty cool person believe it or not. But they want me to go all pop princess teen idol kind of stuff. And for awhile, I really wanted to be that way. I wanted to be the kind of girl kids looked up to. But now I’m not so sure. And I don’t wanna give up a great guy just because my manager and my people don’t agree with my taste in guys. And for a long time there, I really wondered whether or not I was even ready to start dating again, after the whole Ethan thing. But now I feel like he wants me to move on and get on with my life.” She said with a sigh, stealing his joint for a second to take a quick drag. She giggled slightly as she gave it back to him. He smiled back at her. “Well if you want my opinion, I don’t think you should be trying to change yourself for your label or anything. My people tried doing the same thing. But the badass thing worked a lot better for me, and from that last album of yours, I think your current image works just fine.”

Ezzie sighed. TJ was perfect. He was absolutely positively perfect. He completely understood her. His advice didn’t seem empty and stupid like all the others. They just didn’t get it. At this point, TJ seemed to be the only one that did. She smiled and giggled lightheartedly as he continued. “And I think Ethan would want you to get on with your life. That’s supposed to be what all departed souls want. He wouldn’t want you to mourn him forever, now would he?” He said with a simple smile, flicking the last of his joint onto the ashtray beside him as well. “Well I’m feeling some more champagne. What say you?” He suggested, sitting up a bit. Ezzie sat up as well and nodded fondly as she bit her lip. It was odd how she was always up for anything TJ suggested. It was all part of his charm. No matter what he said or did, Ezzie couldn’t find it in her heart to reject him. “Great. I’ll be right back.”

When TJ returned, he came back with two large fancy glasses filled almost to the top with fizzy yellow-ish liquid. She gladly accepted the first one and she was about to take a sip when TJ lowered the glass from her lips with his free hand. “Not yet. We have to make a toast first. Ezzie giggled and smiled before nodding and holding up her glass. “To us.” TJ said with a confident smirk. Ezzie smiled back. “To us.” She repeated. They were now officially a couple. Casey and Carson were going to flip. Carson especially. He obviously didn’t approve of TJ and made absolutely no effort to hide it. Casey was a bit iffy about whether or not Ezzie’s relations with TJ were even a good idea, but Casey would soon warm up to him, whether she liked it or not. TJ and Ezzie would be around for awhile, so whoever had a problem with them would just have to deal. Ezzie drained the entire glass in one long gulp before she dropped it on the ground carelessly and turned her body so she was pressed against his body, lying on top of him kissing him. She didn’t know what had eventually led her to change her mind about spending the night with TJ, but if she just sat here with all that temptation this whole time, she was going to go mad. She was drunk, high, and in a beautiful hotel room suite with the guy she’d long since fallen for. She’d set herself up for this. Now there was no going back.

[Esmeralda Mendez]

Everything was happening so fast. The last thing Ezzie remembered was walking into the café to meet TJ. She lowered the hood of her large gray hoodie and the next thing she knew, there was a dim light shining in her eyes through the crack in the bedroom window. Ezzie yawned quietly and rubbed the sleepiness off her eyes. She looked around and sat up. Where was she? Ezzie looked around, squinting her eyes and crinkling her nose. The place smelled all too familiar. Like…smoke. She turned to her side and jumped, but remembered to keep her voice down. TJ Turner was fast asleep right beside her, the blanket only covering the lower half of his body. Ezzie looked down, slightly petrified. What had she done? Alyssa, Casey, Carson; they’d all be so disappointed. She smelled horrible. She needed to get some clothes on. She needed to get out of here. She needed to get her head together. She couldn’t stay here, not now.

Ezzie grabbed TJ’s button-down shirt, which was rather large on her and put it on to keep herself warm while she got dressed. She looked around for her clothes, they were all scattered around the room. There were a zillion and one thoughts running rapidly through Ezzie’s head as she searched under pillows and in the bathroom for her pants and t-shirt. how could I be so stupid? Were we even safe? I can’t remember a thing…damnit Ezzie, you idiot! You should have just left like you wanted to. Wait…. I did want to leave, right? No, there had to have been some kind of a fight, right? I mean I know TJ’s good, but he’s not that good. I mean, you wouldn’t just fall onto his bed willingly, would you? Did you? Urghh I wish this head of mine would stop throbbing so much! How much champagne did I freaking have? Ezzie blinked a few times as she tried to make her throbbing headache disappear. She dropped TJ’s shirt and slipped on her own. It was barely on when she heard a soft chuckle from behind her. Ezzie jumped and turned around. Her eyes widened slightly.

“Not planning on walking out on me, were you? And I had this amazing morning planned out too…tut tut, Ezzie. You should be ashamed.” TJ said jokingly, his voice scratchy from the morning. His hair was ruffled only slightly and that same magnetic smirk was upon his seductive features. Ezzie couldn’t help but pout cutely. “TJ, what happened last night? I can’t remember a thing!” She said, biting her lower lip cutely. What was wrong with her? Wasn’t she just planning on leaving without a trace? No, Ezzie couldn’t. Not now that TJ was awake. Ezzie went to sit back onto the ruffled sheets and sat with her legs crossed on the bed, now wearing the very small pair of shorts that she had worn under her jeans yesterday. “Well, we had the most amazing night ever. That’s all that matters. Now, I dunno about you, but I could go for a shower. Whatcha think?” He said, cradling her face in his warm hands. How could Ezzie say no to that?

It was less than five minutes later and Ezzie and TJ were both in the lush two person shower, feeling the warmth of the water upon their skin. Ezzie sighed. She hadn’t felt this relaxed in ages. “TJ, I dunno about this. I feel horrible about what happened. I knew I should have just gone home.” Ezzie said as her voice echoed around her. “Ezzie, it’s perfectly normal. People have sex. It’s not a crime. We were safe about it and we were somewhat responsible. I’m only sorry you can’t remember how much fun we had.” TJ told her reassuringly. Ezzie looked up at him and smiled almost sadly. TJ’s reassuring words still made her feel a bit uneasy. She walked closer to him and leaned her head on his chest and sighed. “TJ, I really think I should go. I really wish I didn’t have to, but I do. Call me later, okay?” TJ looked disappointed, but he nodded. Ezzie sighed and walked out, closing the door lightly behind her. She wanted this to feel right, but for some reason all Ezzie felt was guilt. She just needed to go home and get things straightened out. As she dressed, TJ walked out barely dressed at all. He was wearing dark jeans and a leather jacket over his bare chest. Ezzie turned around and gave him a questioning look as she slipped on her jacket and fixed up her hair. “Let me take you home. I don’t want you facing all the media alone, because after those pictures yesterday, the media is sure to be uncontrollable.” Ezzie sighed and agreed as she slipped on her shoes and walked hand in hand with TJ toward the door.

There were camera flashes and media all over the place the second they entered the main lobby. Thankfully, TJ’s security team were able to get the both of them out of there safely and get them to TJ’s small expensive looking black sports car. “You know, I do believe we caused a bit of an uproar, don’t you think?” TJ said in his usual joking manner as he maneuvered the car expertly through the crowded highway. Ezzie didn’t look at him. She was too busy staring out the window. She wasn’t sure what to make of this whole experience. But TJ had her under his spell. No matter how nervous or uneasy she felt about all this, she’d continue to come back for more. It was inevitable. But that didn’t mean she had to answer him now. “Ez? Are you alright?” TJ asked in a worried expression, moving his hand comfortingly onto her knee and looking her in the eyes. That one touch, that one small act of caring got Ezzie thinking. Wasn’t this what Ezzie had always dreamed of in a guy? TJ was sweet and sensitive and actually cared for her feelings. This was what she had always wanted, right? So what did it matter what the world thought of her? Ezzie smiled as they approached the lot where the tour bus was still parked. She grinned widely and leaned over to kiss him long and hard. When she pulled away, she smiled even wider. “It is now. Don’t forget to call me loser.” She said jokingly as she giggled and walked back onto the bus. Casey looked up immediately and raised her eyebrow, practically begging for details. “Spill. NOW. You have no choice."

((END. Finally. ))