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Chapter Twelve
After an eighteen hour drive from Maryland to Illinois, the bus finally pulled into the hotel parking lot of where Donna and the crew where staying. The guys grabbed their luggage and piled into Colleen’s Jeep, a tight squeeze but not that unpleasant for Brian since Ryan was sitting on his lap. They said bye to Donna and started for Rose cottage.
“So Colleen, are you going to tell us why you guys call it Rose cottage?” asked Nick as they started down a long road that lead back into a forest area. Colleen shook her head.
“Nope, you guys will have to wait and see why in the morning because you can’t see the reason in the dark. I’ll give you guys a grand tour after breakfast.”
“Well, I’m more excited about the fact that we get to meet the rest of your gang,” said Howie with a smile.
“So Colleen, what do Shannon, Morgan, and Kendall do?” asked A.J.
“Well, Shannon and Morgan own a really popular coffee shop in Chicago. They are both awesome chefs,” she said with a grin.
“Wait a minute, more of your family in the restaurant business,” said Brian with a goofy look. Ryan giggled.
“Hey, I think it’s cool that they are in the food business,” said Nick enthusiastically.
“You would, Nick. Anything with food is cool to you,” A.J. said dryly. Everyone laughed.
“So what does Kendall do?” asked Nick, trying to get the attention off of his constant state of hunger.
“Well, Kendall does special effects,” answered Ryan. “You know all the computer effects in Jurassic Park?” Ryan asked. The boys nodded. “She does stuff like that. She is really good. She also designs light shows and pyrotechnics for concerts,” Ryan continued.
“Really?” A.J. said. “How old are they?”
“Well, Shannon is nineteen, Morgan is eighteen, and Kendall is eighteen,” Colleen said matter of factly.
“Wait a minute, you’re telling me a couple of teenagers own a coffee shop and are chefs. Where did they get the money to start their own business?” Kevin asked, speaking for the first time in over eight hours. Colleen looked at him for a minute before replying.
“Well, I told you that my older sister Gillian married a stock broker. I invested money into the stock market and Alec handled my stock portfolio. I have a nice nest egg and I gave them the starting money,” Colleen said.
“A very, very, very nice nest egg,” Ryan said under her breath. Colleen heard her but ignored her.
“Anyway, Shannon and Morgan both went to the culinary academy in France when they were about fifteen and sixteen. They got their GEDs because they wanted to start their culinary career,” she continued.
“Well, what about Kendall? She is really young to already have a career in special effects,” A.J. asked.
“Well, Kendall home schooled and finished early. Our parents had friends and contacts in the field and Kendall immediately started with an apprenticeship to some of the top people in the computer business. She also took what classes she needed from the University of Maryland. But mostly she learned from hands on experience,” Ryan explained. The guys nodded and then stopped talking as they noticed that Colleen was pulling into a long driveway. They could see that they were surrounded by trees on all sides and that they pulled up to a large house but not much more. Colleen pulled the Jeep into one of the garages and got out. Everyone piled out, grabbing luggage and trudged up to the front door. They were all exhausted from the long trip.
“Welcome to Rose cottage,” Colleen said as she opened the door and they all walked into the entryway. “You guys can set down your luggage right here. Why don’t we all just sit down for a while,” she suggested as she lead them down a darkened hallway to a sunken living room. She turned on one lamp and they looked around, noticing a complete white sunken living room. A big marble fireplace stood on one wall. There was a huge U shaped black couch in the middle of the room, filled with colorful throw pillows on which they all just flopped down. Two huge white chairs stood off to the left and white fainting couch to the right. A glass end table stood between the two chairs and a glass coffee table stood in the middle of the couch. Candles were everywhere, in different colors and shapes, freestanding and in candelabras. Two huge windows flanked the fireplace and original paintings by Colleen and Shannon's grandmother hung on the walls.
“Cool room,” said Nick, while yawning. Ryan nodded and they all just stretched out of the couch, quickly dozing off in their comfortable positions.
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“That was an awesome party!” said Shannon as she unlocked the French doors opening into the huge kitchen at the back of the house.
“Yeah, Shaun throws crazy shindigs!” stated Morgan as Kendall and her followed Shannon into the house. Shannon turned the kitchen lights on and they all set their coats and purses on the kitchen counter.
“Even though it is three in the morning, I’m not tired,” Kendall said. The other two nodded.
“Why don’t I make some popcorn?” Kendall continued. “We can sit down in the family room and watch a movie or something.”
“You know, let’s pop in the Korn CD in the stereo,” Shannon said. “I want to dance some more.”
“Okay, I’ll get it from the stacks,” Morgan replied. She walked into the family room turning on the lights. She scanned down the many rows of CDs that stood in the entertainment center, finding Korn CD and popped it into the total stereo. The stereo was connected to speakers in every room in the house, so that a CD could be heard anywhere they were. She put the CD on Got the Life and cranked the volume, silence the only thing coming through the speakers as she waited for the machine to start.
“Did you find it?” asked Shannon as she stood next to Morgan.
“Yeah, it will start in a second,” Morgan replied.
“Hey guys, where is the lighter for the stove?” Kendall said, walking to stand beside them.
“I think I left it in the living room, I was lighting candles yesterday,” Shannon replied. Kendall nodded. Right as she turned on the lights to the living room, the loud pounding bass of Korn blared out of the speakers throughout the house. Nick was sleeping peacefully when the room was suddenly filled with loud noise and light.
“What the hell?” he said as he shot straight up from where he was lying on the couch.
“What?’ asked A.J. as he jumped up from where he had fallen asleep on the couch as he was awakened by loud music.
“Holy cow!” Brian said as he woke suddenly from his sleep also. Howie and Kevin sat up also, having suddenly been scared awake.
At the same time, Kendall turned to go in the living room.
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!” she screamed as she saw strange men in her house. “Who the hell are you?” she yelled.
Morgan and Shannon turned at the sound of Kendall’s scream, shocked to see five guys sitting and standing in their living room.
Morgan immediately fell back into a kickboxing stance while Shannon grabbed an umbrella from the umbrella stand by the wall. Kendall grabbed a lamp and held it over her head.
“Okay, who the hell are you and what are you doing in our house?” Shannon yelled, pointing the umbrella at them. She shook the umbrella at them threateningly, when suddenly it opened up.
“S***! she said.
The guys just couldn’t take it anymore and started laughing at the sight of these three girls. One was threatening them with a lamp and the other with an umbrella. The one who looked like she was about to go kung fu on them went and shut off the music.
“Who are you, Mary Poppins?” asked Nick to Shannon, laughing. Shannon’s face grew angrier. “Listen, you little twerp...“
She stopped in midsentence as she saw Ryan and Colleen, who had been hidden from sight because they were still laying down on the couch, wake up and slowly sit up.
“What is going on?” asked Colleen as she sat up, rubbing her eyes sleepily.
“Colleen!” yelled Shannon she recognized her sister and her cousin. Colleen turned around and stared at the sight of her sister holding an open umbrella and her cousin holding a lamp.
“Okay, what did I miss?” she asked, not comprehending the strange scene in front of her.
“Well, us getting the crap scared out of us by seeing five strange guys in our living room,” Morgan stated angrily.
“Well, we didn’t exactly appreciate you three coming in and blaring music in the middle of the night,” stated A.J.
“Um, excuse me, Mr. Multi-colored haired, tattooed, still wearing sunglasses even though it’s the middle of the night and you’re inside, pirate earring freak, whose house is this?” Morgan replied.
A.J. started to reply but Colleen interrupted him.
“Okay, everyone just hold it,” she said as she got up and walked over to her sister. “You guys can put down the weapons. They’re friends of mine. They’ll be staying with us for a week,” she said. Satisfied, Kendall set down her lamp and Shannon put the umbrella back in the umbrella stand.
“Guys, this is Kendall, Shannon, and Morgan. You guys,this is the Backstreet Boys,” Colleen said making introductions.
The guys stared at the three girls standing in the doorway. Nick stared at Kendall, taking in the black chunky knee high boots, black leather skirt and black velvet shirt with mesh back. Her long blonde hair was piled onto her head in curls, her eyes lined with heavy black eyeliner and colored by black eyeshadow with silver glitter, and her lips dark with black lipstick. Howie stared at Shannon, taking in the tight black leather pants, red velvet tube top, sparkling with silver glitter, the heavy black eyeliner, rose eyeshadow, and blood red lipstick and short blonde hair. A.J stared at Morgan, taking in similar black leather pants, a black one sleeve lycra shirt, heavy black eyeliner, lips that were just pure red glitter, rose eyeshadow, and brown hair falling in waves down her back with the hair at either side of her face pulled into two braids both dyed red, revealing multiple piercings along her ear. Then they turned to look at Ryan and Colleen standing there, looking completely wholesome in Ryan’s black dress and Colleen’s pigtails, wondering how the three girls who looked like they were ready to rock with the best of them can be related to the two girls they knew.
“Hey Pirate, how can you be friends with someone so freaky looking?” A.J. asked while gesturing towards Morgan. He was still smarting from her previous crack.
Morgan looked at him in disbelief. “Do you even know Colleen?” she asked wondering, thinking of how Colleen could get freaky with the best of them. Then she stopped as something Colleen said registered in her mind. She turned towards her roommate.
“Excuse me, did you say the Backstreet Boys?” she asked with utter derision on her face. A.J. glared at her.
“Yeah, do you have a problem with us being the Backstreet Boys?” he asked angrily, utterly disliking this girl.
“Um, I don’t but how do you personally feel about belonging to a pathetic, soon to be gone, boy band who doesn’t even have fans that can legally drive?” Morgan replied, not believing this guy’s attitude.
“Okay, that’s enough!” yelled Colleen, stepping in between the two of them. “Okay, we are all tired and sleepy, so let’s go to bed. Guys, Ryan will show you to the guest bedrooms. Kendall, Shannon, and Morgan, stay here. I want to talk to you.”
The guys went and grabbed their luggage, Morgan tripping A.J. as he pushed past her towards the entryway. He turned and glared at her then walked towards the northeast corner of the house, where the staircase was, leading to the second floor. Morgan, Shannon, and Kendall sat down on the couch waiting for Colleen to start what was probably going to be a lecture. They were right.
“Guys, these are our guests for about a week. So you have to make an effort to get along or it will drive me insane.” Colleen sighed. “I’m not trying to be some parent or whatever, but Ryan is very interested in Brian and,” she looked down at her hands, “I really like Kevin. I don’t want my closest friends hating the guys we like.”
Morgan rolled her eyes. “I’m sure that we will like the guys you like. But that A.J., I already hate him,” she said angrily.
Colleen smiled. “Oh, I’m so sure you hate him, Morgan. You practically set the furniture on fire with the sexual tension between you two,” Colleen said, laughing.
Morgan glared at her. “Um, no. Anyway, you know that I have an understanding with Shaun,” she said with a smile.
Colleen snorted. “Yeah, you also have an understanding with Rick and Hunter and Steven and tons of other guys,” Colleen stated.
Kendall and Shannon laughed.
“She’s got you there, Gimpy,” Shannon said with a smile. Morgan’s reply was to pick up one of the throw pillows and throw it at her roommate.
Colleen sighed. “Guys, just go to bed,” she said as she stood up. She walked to the back of the house towards the stairs and walked up to the second level. She walked down the hallway, stopping at the first room on the right of the hallway and knocked on the door.
“Guys?” She heard footsteps and the door opened, revealing a sleepy looking Nick.
“Hey, Colleen. What’s up?” he asked as he stepped aside to let her in. She looked around the room. Brian was on one of the twin beds that were in the room, asleep. Kevin was on the couch.
“Do you guys have everything you need?” she asked as she looked around. The guys had already unpacked from the look of the clothes hanging in the open closet and the half way closed drawers in the bureau. Nick nodded.
“Yeah, we’re great.”
“Do you like the room?” she asked.
Nick nodded again. “Yeah, it’s cool. It reminds me of some of the hotels in England.”
The room was done in shades of blues and creams with huge windows on the west wall. There were two twin beds with blue sheets on the north wall and a cream colored couch on the south wall, which Kevin was sleeping on. Paintings depicting the English countryside hung on the walls. Blue brocade drapes hung on the windows. To her left was a big oak bureau with an attached mirror and a set of antique silver hairbrush and comb and a vase filled with fresh cut roses laying upon it. To her right was a walk in closet. The room had a very English feel to it.
“Okay, you know that door is to the bathroom which connects to A.J and Howie’s room,” she said pointing to the door that was inbetween the bureau and the couch. Nick nodded again.
“Okay, well goodnight,” she said, giving Nick a kiss on the cheek. He smiled. She turned to walk out of the room.
“Hey Colleen,” Nick called. Colleen stopped and turned.
“Thanks for letting us stay here, I’m really glad that we’re friends,” he continued. Colleen smiled.
“So am I, Nick. Night,” and with that she closed the door. She walked down the hall and knocked on Howie’s room. She heard someone say come in and she opened the door.
“Hey guys, just wondering if you need anything,” Colleen said as she saw Ryan helping A.J. unpack and Howie hanging up his clothes.
Howie shook his head. “Nope, we are A-okay,” he said with a grin as he finished unpacking and flopped down on his bed. Colleen smiled. She looked around the room. The room was done in an East Indian motif, with elephants carved in the maghony chest of drawers and green comforters on the beds, embroidered with flowers and birds. On the walls were blownup color photos of India, one with the Taj Mahal, another with a busy marketplace and various other ones. The couch was a dark spice brown with red embroidered throw pillows, with scenes matching the comforters on the beds. Gauzy drapes hung over the western windows. A gold Indian cowbell sat on the dresser beside a vase filled with fresh cut roses. Brass milk measures stood in the corner.
“Okay, well I’m hitting the sack,” Colleen said, seeing that everything was okay. “Ryan, are you coming?” she asked since Ryan would be sleeping in her room because of the guys sleeping in the guest bedrooms. Ryan nodded. They said goodnight and walked out, closing the door behind them.
A.J. turned to Howie. “So Howie, what do you think of this house?” he asked. Howie looked at him.
“Well, we’ve only really seen the living room and this room, but I am wondering how they can afford such a huge house,” Howie replied.
“I’m wondering the same thing,” A.J. said as he put away his suitcase. “What do you think of Kendall, Shannon, and Morgan?” he asked, lips curling in disgust whiling saying the last name.
Howie laughed at A.J’s expression. “Well, Kendall and Shannon didn’t talk much,” he said.
“Yeah, that Morgan chick couldn’t shut up long enough,” A.J. replied angrily, interrupting Howie.
Howie shook his head. “Oh, come on A.J. The heat between you too would keep a polar bear warm,” he said, rolling his eyes. A.J. glared at him.
“Whatever. Kendall and Shannon are pretty, though don’t you think?” A.J. asked Howie.
Howie smiled. “Yeah, Shannon’s gorgeous. Do you think she’s single?” he wondered, with a sappy smile on his face. A.J. snorted.
“Gee, Howie. I wonder if you might like her?” he said, sarcastically. “It’s weird though. Shannon’s not tall like Colleen is,” A.J. observed.
Howie nodded. “Yeah, well, that’s good for me,” he said, talking about his short stature. “Anyway, Morgan is pretty too. In fact, she’s usually the type you go for,” he said with a smile.
A.J. was silent.
Morgan is pretty gorgeous, A.J. thought. She has really pretty eyes and she looked really hot in those leather pants. He shook his head. Yeah, well she may be goodlooking but her personality doesn’t match the wrapping.
“A.J.?” Howie said, smiling as if he knew what A.J. was thinking.
“Yeah, whatever, let’s go to sleep,” A.J. said as he turned off the halogen lamp standing in the corner and got into to bed.
Howie just laid back and grinned.
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