Unworthy Of Love (BXB)

22. Close Contact

"Raven," I say. "Listen, regarding the...regarding what happened..."

"What happened?" He frowns at me; then understanding dawns in his eyes. "Ah, that? It's no big deal." He turns away and continues to peer at the closed doors to the backstage area. Apart from us, there's only a couple dozen people waiting by the barriers along the path from the back exit to the parked minivan with tinted windows.

"No, I...I don't know what's gotten into me," I say close to his ear so that others wouldn't hear. "It was...I don't know...loud and hot and I got... I don't know...I got..."

"Horny," he offers helpfully. "It's called horny."

A couple of girls waiting next to us glance at each other and burst into giggles, covering their faces with the magazines they hold ready for autographs. I look away, my face hot.

"Sorry about that," I say quietly. "I didn't mean to...take advantage of you like that."

"Oh, come on, that's what friends are for." He pats my hair distractedly, his eyes still glued to the back door.

"You have a strange concept of friendship."

"Friendship has many facets." He glances at me. "Helping a friend to get off is just one of them." He looks away again and hits the barrier nervously with his fist. "I can just sense they have gone through another exit, damn it! This car is just to distract attention, I'm sure. They do it all the time. Is your phone ready?"

"Yeah," I say, giving up all attempts at a discussion.

"If they go this way, and Jared will be on this side, and if he's going to sign my cap, then take a picture. When we both look in the camera, okay?"

"That's a lot of 'ifs' and 'whens'."

"Make sure I don't blink."

"You make sure you don't blink."

He shakes his head. "I will kill myself if I blink. I have to have a picture with him."

A noise from the metallic door cuts him short. Some of the girls squeal with excitement. The door opens, and the members of the band appear, herded by the security guards along the path between the barriers towards the waiting car. Multiple voices scream their names, and hands reach out to touch them, but they keep to the center of the path, out of reach.

"They're not signing," Raven moans. "Jared! Over here! I love you! I have all your records!"

"Everybody here has all their records," snaps one of the girls next to us. "They're just such assholes sometimes! Why can't they sign a few autographs?"

"Jared, please!" Raven shouts as the man in leather pants hurries past us, his knitted black hat pulled low over his eyes. "Look at me!"

The urgency in his voice gets to me, somehow. I look around, eager for a solution. Then, surprising myself, I bow and clasp my hands together at his knee level, offering my palms as a step.

"Come on!" I say.

He glances down with confusion; then, he gets it. Hastily, he steps on my hands and hurls himself over the barrier and onto the path, landing on his hands and knees. The onlookers squeal their approval. The security people turn to him, ready to lash out, but then pause, probably mistaking him for a girl and hence hesitant to apply force.

The commotion draws the attention of the band members who have already reached the car. Jared looks back, his hand on the car's handle.

"No, no, don't," he calls out to one of the guards who grabs Raven by the arm. "Don't touch him." He lets go of the door and starts walking back to where Raven, pale and wide eyed, is struggling shakily to his feet. "Insistent little scoundrel, aren't you? I saw you in the front row."

The cheers of the small crowd rise even higher as the man approaches Raven, who stumbles towards him, blabbering something I can't hear behind all the noise. The two stop and exchange a few words, Raven staring up at his idol with such an expression I fear he's about to collapse. Then, Jared smiles and shakes Raven's hand, while Raven stares blankly first at him, then down at their clasped hands, then up at him again, his jaw slack with shock.

Jared turns away, waving at the rest of the crowd, and strides towards the car in which his bandmates have already disappeared. Raven remains on the path, gaping at the retreating man, his outstretched hand still frozen in the air. One of the security guys puts an arm over his shoulder and urges him rather gently towards the side of the passage. In the meanwhile, the doors of the car snap shut and it begins to roll away, followed by cheers and disappointed exclamations from the crowd.

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