CHAPTER 2 OF MY STILL UNTITLED BABY.... -- Fictional Getdown

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Date Posted: 00:04:58 10/31/02 Thu
Author: Sonali
Subject: CHAPTER 2 OF MY STILL UNTITLED BABY....

CHAPTER 2

�I still can�t believe I let you guys convince me to come with you,� Justin said for the millionth time. Zahra looked at JC and rolled her eyes. The three of them were on a plane headed from LA to Chicago.

�Dude, J, you have something like 10 interviews scheduled while you�re up in Chicago anyways, so it�s not just all fun and games,� JC reasoned.

�True. And I guess I very well could have said no, but I did agree so I�ll shut up with my bitching,� Justin said grinning.
�FINALLY! The boy says something reasonable,� Zahra said dramatically, causing all of them to start laughing.

�Hey now, I haven�t been THAT bad,� Justin said defensively.

�Yes you have,� JC said.

�Well I�m sorry,� Justin said.

�Oh shut up. We know that you�re stressed and reasonably so, so don�t even think of apologizing. Just try to relax a little and enjoy your mini-vacation,� Zahra said.

�So what�s the deal with Sonali? I mean, if you�re as close as you say you are, how come you haven�t gotten together for months,� JC asked.

�Well because I was busy with my work schedule as well as taking time off to be a bum with you. And she�s been so busy with her work that we just haven�t had time. I am so excited for her,� Zahra said.

�Yeah I can tell,� Justin said.

�Well she is really talented and her boutique is right in the heart of downtown, actually across the street from the Prada boutique so she gets a lot of business. This fashion show, though, this will be her opportunity to make a splash. There�s going to be hella press there and even a few celebrities,� Zahra said.

�Well duh, we�re gonna be there,� JC said.

�Haha, no, I mean aside from you boys. Don�t know who, but she said her assistant heard from other people. She�s so excited, but I can tell she�s nervous too.�

�Well if she�s as talented as you say, then she has nothing to worry about,� Justin said.

�Hmmm, someone very wise must have said that very same thing to you,� JC said looking right at Justin, who just grinned. JC had said those very words to Justin all along, as he worked on his solo album.

�Nah, just some random fruity boy who at times looks as if he got dressed in the dark,� Justin joked.

�Don�t make me get up out of my seat and beat your ass,� JC warned.

�And besides, when was the last time he looked so bad,� Zahra added.

�Thank god you came along otherwise who knows what this boy would be wearing today,� Justin joked.

�Oh need I remind you of some of your fashion disasters? Let�s see, the hair, we could talk about the �fro for an hour, but we�ll stick to the clothes�I do remember a certain black silk shirt that was sheer enough to get you some nipple action,� JC said.

�Alright, alright, enough. Please don�t remind me,� Justin begged, holding his hands up in defeat.

�Well maybe Sonali can help revive both of your styles so that you don�t have to depend on me all the time,� Zahra said.

�Maybe,� Justin said, pondering what else Sonali might be able to do.

�ACK! LOOK AT YOU,� Zahra exclaimed as she hugged me after getting off the plane.

�What? What do you mean? I mean, I know I look like shit now, since I�ve been up for, oh, the last 48 hours straight,� I said.

�No, you look so good! I mean, your hair, it�s gotten so long!�

�Yeah well I�m about this close to cutting it. Enough about that! I am SO HAPPY you�re here!�

�Me too! I�m here for you. Whatever you need help with, let me know,� Zahra said.

�Don�t make offers like that. You�ll regret it, I know it.�

�Oh shut up! Oh, where are my manners? Sonali, this is my boy toy, JC and his friend Justin,� Zahra joked.

�I see I�ve taught you well, though I would have made both of them my boy toys,� I said.

�Haha. I�m JC, her BOYFRIEND,� JC said, giving himself a proper introduction.

�It�s nice to meet both of you, but I kinda have to let you know that I already knew your names,� I said smiling. They both started laughing.

�Yeah well, we still have manners so we�ll always introduce ourselves,� Justin said.

�That would be the southern gentleman coming out in him,� Zahra joked. I started laughing.

�It�s nice to put a face with a name now,� JC said.

�Yeah no kidding. The way she can go on about you for hours on end�but don�t worry, it�s all been good,� I said.

�Ditto. It�s always, Sonali this and Sonali that,� JC said.

�Alright, enough picking on me,� Zahra said.

�Yeah, we can do that in the car too. We better get you boys outta here before your rabid fans attack,� I joked.

�Thanks. Our hats and sunglasses aren�t too good of a disguise,� Justin said, pulling his hat down a little more.

�Alright well let�s get a move on then,� I said. We made our way to baggage claim and then to the parking lot with no hassle, which I�m sure the guys were happy about.

�Wow, I like,� Justin said as I opened the trunk to my red Lexus SC430 convertible. Zahra rolled her eyes. She often had to endure mind-numbing hour-long conversations about cars when she was around the guys.

�Thanks. I have to say it�s not that fun to drive anymore since it�s too cold to put the top down. I hope you guys won�t be too cramped, but it�s not that long of a drive,� I said.

�Well I�ll be nice and let Justin take shotgun since he�s the tallest,� Zahra said. Yeah, her and JC had agreed that their ONLY job was to introduce us, but she was a girl after all and figured any unobvious nudges would be okay. JC knew exactly what his girlfriend was up to and cast her a quick warning glance. She just smiled sweetly and batted her long lashes. JC grinned and shook his head. All of this went unnoticed by Justin and me since we were getting into the car.

�So Sonali, give us an update on the show,� Zahra said.

�Oh god, the show! I am so NERVOUS! I really need things to go alright. The models are set and once I drop you guys off, I�ll be making the final decisions about who wears what. And then after that, I�ll be helping with the actual set, making sure everything�s in place. Then in the evening is the practice run and tomorrow is d-day,� I said.

�Don�t drop us off. We wanna help out and get a sneak peek,� Zahra said.

�What? I mean, aren�t you guys tired? You should relax. Besides, I�ll be running around like a chicken with its head cut off,� I said.

�No, we�d really like to be there, unless we�ll be in the way,� JC said.

�Oh gosh no. Alright, but you have to let me know when you wanna leave because I don�t want you to get bored,� I said.

�Deal,� Justin said. Inside, I was happy they wanted to be there because I really wanted Zahra�s help and opinion on things. We continued to talk until I pulled into the parking lot and turned the car off.

�Alright, we�re here,� I said.

�This looks like an old warehouse,� JC said slowly.

�Indeed it is. On the outside anyways. Don�t worry, it�s safe. C�mon,� I said, as I got out of the car. Once we went in, it was like an entirely different world than outside. I was SO proud of the work that had been put into it. Granted, I just kind of designed it and didn�t do so much of the actual physical work, but I tried where I could.

�Oh wow, Sonali this is amazing,� Zahra exclaimed.

�You think? It�s not too much, is it,� I asked.

�Not at all. It�s very eclectic but you can tell it�s not being forced,� JC commented. The stage was in the usual T-shape like most runways. I had Indian saris hanging diagonally from each side to act as a backdrop. I decided to stick with just black ones with gold borders because I didn�t want any additional color to take away from the clothes, but to add a little emphasis on color, I had turquoise and fuchsia track lights to add a bit of tint which wouldn�t be distracting. The actual stage was the most expensive part because it was made of plexy-glass which was sturdy and not as fragile as actual glass. What made it expensive was the fact that I had this special paint added to it. It was a flat gold color that picked up the gold from the mock-curtains in the background and because it was flat, it wasn�t shiny, yet again, making sure not to take away from the clothes. The paint was done on the undersides of the stage so it wouldn�t scratch when the models walked on it. Then all along the sides of the runway, I had these little Indian lamps, called deehas instead of regular lights. They were really tiny, able to fit in the palm of your hand. Traditionally, you�re supposed to put a little oil in it and light them, but of course that wasn�t an option since there was too much of a risk of clothes catching on fire so I had little lights put into them.
That was the actual runway, which then had chairs lined up on either side and by the stage as well, for everyone. That area was set apart from everywhere else and as for the rest of the area, that�s where I got to play with colors which is one of my favorite things to do. There were pillars that served as mock dividers which I had decided to wrap dark red saris around to spice things up. Then there were about 15 or so high tables set up in various areas that could seat 5 people each. Then further back was the bar and entrance area.

For the tables, I used the same gold paint as I did on the runway and then painted borders in different colors around each one, definitely going with the whole Indian theme and using typical Indian designs. Then I put about 3 or 4 deehas on them, using oil instead of lamps. At least there was no risk of MY clothes catching on fire.

�Thanks guys. It�s pretty much done with the exception of minor details. I wanted to personally set up the tables around the bar area. I have to put some things on them. There will be a little pre-party before the show starts and then the actual show, and hopefully I�ll be able to make it to the after-party that�s at a club down the street,� I explained.

�Very cool. I�m excited to see this now,� Justin said.

�Well I�m glad. I�m gonna check on the models backstage, make yourselves comfortable, front row center,� I said, pointing to a few seats by the runway.

�Maybe I should come back there with you to see how those models are doing, if they need anything,� Justin joked.

�Yeah, J, you might need some help, let me come with you,� JC chimed in. Immediately Zahra slapped him upside the head.

�I�m going to pretend I didn�t hear that,� she said sternly. JC laughed and attempted to hug her but she pushed him away.

�I think the models are fine on their own. Besides, I need their full attention, not having them worry about Justin Timberlake and JC Chasez checking them out,� I said playfully.

�Besides, I�m more than content staying here by my baby,� JC said.

�That�s more like it. You�re slowly redeeming yourself. Keep it coming,� she joked.

�Now I know I really did teach you well,� I said, causing us all to start laughing. I headed backstage and felt more at ease knowing Zahra was here. Granted, I didn�t need her to do anything physically, but I knew she�d be the one to keep me calm and collected which was more help than anything. It was like she was my security blanket.
�Sonali, here�s your walkie,� Craig said. Craig was the technical director and next to Zahra, my savior.

�Oh, thanks. I can�t believe I forgot to pick it up when I came in. It�s like it�s a part of me, we have this connection,� I said as I clipped it to the waist of my jeans and then put the headset on.

�Yeah well when you�re busy flirting with Justin Timberlake��

�WHAT? I don�t think so buddy.�

�Oh I saw you laughing and making eyes, tossing your hair around,� he said.

�Craig, I was talking to my best friend, her boyfriend, and his best friend, okay? I was NOT flirting at all. And hello, my hair is up in a bun,� I said.

�Yeah well I�ll give you that one, but I think you were flirting.�

�I just met the boy an hour ago. Give me some credit here,� I said.

�Okay, but don�t expect me to be surprised when in a day you come to me saying you have a crush on him.�

�Would you like me to fire you now or after I kick your ass?�

�Very funny. We�re on channel 3,� he said in reference to the walkie. As he walked away I stood there in disbelief. I was NOT flirting. I had more important things to think about, I decided as I saw the models in the back.

�Alright ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for showing up on time. You�ve made my life a bit easier. You all know your order and I hope you all know the beats to walk to, right,� I asked. I heard yes�s and saw heads nodding. I went on.

�Okay, now does anyone have any questions before we do a final practice?�

�Is that really 2/5ths of NSYNC out there,� Nina asked. I started laughing.

�Maybe. Yes, it is. I�m glad they�re here so I can see how FOCUSED you all will be, right? Because come tomorrow, there are gonna be a whole lot more people out there besides those two.�

�Yeah but not as cute as them,� Shelly said. Everyone started laughing.

�No, what if Vin Diesel were to show up,� Nina asked.

�If Vin Diesel were to show up, I�d tell all of you to back the fuck away and claim him as mine. Anymore questions,� I said, before me and everyone else cracked up.

�Alright Sonali, ready when you are,� I heard Craig through my headset. I gave him a nod and he cued the music.

�Okay people, let�s go,� I said, as I rushed to the front of the stage, over by Zahra and the guys. I silently was counting the beats as the models walked down the runway and realized that some were off. I looked at Craig and he stopped the music.

�What happened,� Zahra asked.

�Half the models are off,� Justin said before I had a chance to respond.

�What he said. I guess all that dancing paid off,� I joked.

�Yup,� he said smugly.

�Alright boys and girls, some of you are doing fine with the counts but some of you need some help. Who�s gonna help you, I have no idea since I have a million and one things to do,� I said frustrated.

�Well I don�t mind at all,� Justin said.

�What?�

�I said I don�t mind helping out with the models,� Justin said.

�Justin, I can�t believe you and your hormones,� Zahra said in a chiding manner.

�No, he knows what he�s talking about and he offered. I can�t refuse that since I need to go through the racks and still work on the tables,� I said.

�Thank you. And I promise not to flirt. Too much,� he said with a grin. I smiled and left the models in Justin�s hands. JC stayed back to help since he was a little nifty dancer as well while Zahra came backstage with me to help me go through the racks.

�Sonali, I�m afraid to touch them because I might ruin them,� she said jokingly.

�Oh whatever. Zahra, I don�t know if I told you, but THANK YOU SO MUCH for coming. I have no idea what I would do without you,� I said.

�Sonali, I�ve done jack shit since I�ve been here.�

�Yes you have. You being here is like a sedative for my nerves. I feel much more at ease because I know you�ll be there to calm me down when I�m freaking out,� I said.

�Awww, well if that�s how you feel, I can�t argue with that. So I know this is off the subject and probably the least of your worries, but what are you wearing tomorrow?� I started laughing.

�That�s a surprise, but I picked it out a month ago. You know how I am,� I said.

�You�re too much, you know that?�

�Yeah well you love me all the more for it,� I said.

�Of course.�

�So what are you gonna wear?�

�Have no clue.�

�Good. I was hoping for an answer along those lines. I kept something aside for you, keeping your taste and style in mind,� I said with a smile. Her eyes lit up and I smiled even more.

�Where is it? I wanna see it!�

�It�s at home in my closet. Actually, if you guys are bored, please let me know and you can have the keys to my car and head home.�

�I am a little tired and I figured that if we leave soon, that will give me a chance to cook a little something for us all,� Zahra said.

�Oh don�t do that! Relax!�

�Cooking is sort of relaxing for me.�

�Okay well I won�t argue with that. Me and Taco Bell are tight,� I said. Zahra started laughing.

�Long live the 7-layer burrito.�

�No doubt.�

�Okay, let�s get through these racks and then I�ll collect the boys and head home,� she said.

�Sounds like a plan,� I said as we continued to catch up and go through the clothes as well.

�Alright Sonali, I think we may have gotten it,� Justin said, coming backstage after about a half hour. Zahra and I were just finishing up.

�Really? Thank you so much!�

�Not a problem. It�s nice to be the teacher rather than the student,� Justin said.

�I can imagine. Alright, let�s check it out. Craig, cue the music once I come out front,� I said through my headset.

�Got it,� he said. I walked out front with Justin and Zahra in tow and joined JC up front. I gave him a little hug before I cued the models and heard the music go on. The final practice run couldn�t have gone any better. I was amazed and grateful to the guys.

�Well by george we�ve got it,� I said once it was over. Everyone started clapping and cheering.

�Okay boys, now that you�ve made your mark, ready to go,� Zahra asked.

�We�re all ready to go,� JC asked, looking at me.

�You all are, but I have a few things to do. I should be home in a few hours, in time for dinner,� I said.

�Are you sure? We can wait,� JC said.

�No, go to my place, relax. Zahra�s cookin�,� I said with a smile.

�Okay, but don�t hesitate to call if you need help,� she offered.

�I won�t. Here are my keys and you remember where my apartment is, right,� I said.

�Yup. I promise to drive carefully,� she said.

�I know. I�ll see you all in a while.�

�Wait, how are you getting home,� Justin asked.

�Craig, my driver and personal slave,� I joked.

�Okay. We�ll see you in a bit. Don�t work too hard,� Justin said.

�There�s no such thing,� I joked. After they left, I worked with the models for about an hour making sure they knew what outfits were theirs and where they were gonna be placed. After that, I finished up my last task of the tables and by 7, Craig and I were in the car.

�You know, I was giving you shit about Justin earlier,� Craig said.

�I know. I really wasn�t flirting,� I said.

�I know. Like I said, I was giving you shit.�

�I barely even know him. I�m surprised he even came. I�m surprised JC came but I don�t mind one bit.�

�Yeah, it�ll be good since the press will be there.�

�Ugh, don�t remind me.�

�You that nervous?�

�Hell yeah. Do you know how much money I�ve invested in this baby? I mean, if it doesn�t go off the way I hope, fine, I go back to the boutique, but I really hope this will give me the opportunity to spread my wings.�

�Of course it will. You really underestimate your talent sometimes.�

�Shut up. I don�t want to go into THAT conversation. I don�t have the energy.�

�Alright. Practice what you�re gonna say tomorrow?�

�Hell no. All I�m going to do is go home and relax with my friends. Care to join us?�

�I�ve got a dinner date with Natalie,� Craig said.

�Ooooh. Good for you,� I said.

�Thanks. But I�m not putting all my hopes into this. I�m just gonna let things take their course.�

�That�s always wise.�

�Yeah. Alright madame, we�re here,� he said as we pulled up to my condo townhouse.

�Thanks baby. I�ll see you tomorrow,� I said, giving him a peck on the cheek.

�Yes you will. Just try to get some sleep tonight. I know you�re nervous, but you need a few hours of sleep.�

�Yes doctor.�

�Haha. Bye sweetie.�

�Bye,� I said as I closed the door. I sighed and made my way inside, ready to enjoy the evening. I opened the door to the aroma of home cooking, which brought a smile to my face.

�Welcome home,� Zahra said.

�Thanks. It smells fabulous,� I said.

�Why thank you. Nothing fancy, just chicken, mashed potatoes, bread, and I bought desert.�

�If it�s what I think it is, I love you,� I said.

�It is. You know me too well. Snickers cheesecake from the Cheesecake factory. A classic.�

�You know it,� I joked.

�Okay, let�s eat,� she said.

�Hey boys,� I said as I made my way to the kitchen. We decided to eat at the counter to keep the mood informal.

�Hola,� JC said. I laughed and shook my head.

�Get everything done,� Justin asked.

�Yup,� I said, taking a bite of my bread. Just then, the phone rang and I groaned as I headed over to pick it up.

�Hello,� I said.

�Sonali, dear, it�s your mom,� I heard my mom said on the other line.

�Hey mom, how are you?�

�Okay, I guess. Look, I have some bad news.�

�You can�t come?�

�I�m so sorry honey. Your dad wanted to come as well but we�re meeting with some clients.�

�That�s okay. I�m recording it. And maybe you can catch some glimpses of it on TV if the press likes what they see,� I said.

�Of course they will. I really am sorry. But we�ll call again tomorrow and your sisters are still coming,� my mom said.

�Mom, it�s okay, really. And yes, they�re still coming. Just focus on the meeting and call me tomorrow,� I said.

�Alright. I love you.�

�Love you too. Bye.� I hung up the phone and sat down again.

�They�re really not coming,� Zahra asked.

�You know how they�re focused on business,� I said.

�But still��

�Zahra, I was expecting it. You�re here. My sisters will be here. That�s all that matters. I know they wanted to be there.�

�Wow, you�re a lot stronger than me,� she said.

�Whatever. Anyways, so when did you become such a good cook,� I said, changing the subject. We ended up talking and joking until I forced myself upstairs and off to bed. I was hoping I�d get a few hours of sleep, but I was so nervous I didn�t know if that would be possible.

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Replies:

Oh crap, I read this before the weekend and forgot to respond so here goes..... -- Z, 23:31:26 11/03/02 Sun
Wow...I just got caught up. This is great, you know it, so post more will ya? (NT) -- Tiffany, 15:47:03 11/11/02 Mon