7 Curtain Call

Mark

I stood at the very edge of catwalk 3, waving at the Geends screaming my name. After around 5 seconds, I noted that I was by myself on that platform; LJ and Jamie had already walked back up the catwalk and were probably headed for catwalk 2.

I turned around and found seven beautiful angels in denim shorts that probably stopped 3 quarters down their butts smiling dazzlingly at me. I stepped back a bit, caught off guard by so much pink glitter. "Hello, Mark!" they chorused like angels from heaven.

It was Peach Fuzz. "Hello, ladies!" I smiled sweetly at them. They separated so that I could walk past them and giggled as they encircled me and formed their clump again soon as they were behind me. I know this because I kept facing at least half of them, turning on my heel as they passed around me. They stood together at the platform I had just vacated and bounced as they waved at the screaming stadium. Yep, 3 quarters down their butts.

I don't know why everyone bitches about curtain call. Curtain call is easily my favourite part of Popvaganza.

At that interview with GTV Tonight earlier, they asked me who my ideal type was. I think they wanted me to say Lauren, but hell no. This was the most cliché of all clichéd questions, and when it's a Boy Next Door interview, we would give stupid answers for fun. Usually if I do a movie, I would indeed say my co-star was my ideal type, but to piss Lauren off, I said, "My ideal type changes every time the music label debuts a new girlband. So right now, it's Peach Fuzz."

I grinned at Peach Fuzz happily waving at their fans. Yes, they're so my type.

I turned again to go back up the catwalk and this time nearly bumped into ...

"Kate," I stammered.

Kate stood before me, tall and statuesque like the goddess she is, her hands on her hips, and one eyebrow lifted higher than the other. "Hello Mark," she said, her voice pitched higher than normal, obviously mocking the Peach Fuzz girls.

I gave her my best smile. She started forward, and walked around me as well. I didn't dare follow her with my gaze.

"We saw that," giggled Missy, whom I didn't see was beside her. They both walked towards the Peach Fuzz girls. I made a quick prayer that Kate doesn't kick their quarter-exposed butts and dashed after Jamie and LJ. Thankfully, they stopped to say hi to Rob of Code Red and it slowed them down a little. I slapped Rob's hand as I passed him and finally caught up with the two losers.

I clamped my hands down on their necks soon as I reached them. "Why'd you leave me back there, mother fuck."

Jamie struggled out of my grip and elbowed me hard in the ribs. I held back a yelp from the pain from Jamie's bony elbow and snorted in reply, instead. We arrived at the edge of catwalk 2 and waved at our screaming fans.

"Kate was behind us a bit," I said to them, waving my arm off.

"Oh she is?" I could feel LJ's grin widen even if I wasn't looking at his face. "Is that why you were falling behind?"

"No, but..." I started, but Jamie cut me off.

"I don't feel like moving anymore, let's just stay here for a while..." Jamie said, suddenly waving at every direction like giving out individual waves at everyone in that section.

"Oh you guys, we can't be obvious, you gotta help me out," I ranted, forgetting about waving to the crowd.

"MAAAARK!! LOOK HERE, MAAAAARKKKK!!!! I LOVE YOUUUU!!!"

"Obvious about what?" Jamie asked with a straight face while LJ chuckled and pointed into the stadium, "Mark, she said to look there and she loves you."

I pulled them backward so that we could get going, but they planted their feet into the floor like dead weights and just kept waving at the screaming fans. I'm going to kill them when we get backstage.

"Hello again, Mark! Hello, Boys Next Door!" It was Peach Fuzz again, we were surrounded.

"Hello, girls!" LJ and Jamie chorused, a little too happy to be enclosed by so much pink.

"Sorry girls, we have to go," I smiled and yanked LJ and Jamie backwards so that we could get the hell out of there.

"But they smell so nice," LJ whined as I whirled him around to start walking with me.

"This is a life and death situation, okay," I snarled. I was further irked by Jamie laughing beside me. And then suddenly, I heard him say,

"Oh hi, Kate! Hi again, Rob."

I thought he was playing me and was about to deck him, when I saw that it was indeed Kate and Rob walking together, their heads together as if one of them had something really interesting to say. I glowered.

They barely glanced at us as they walked past.

"Oh look, there's Burt," Jamie said and kept walking. He and LJ had their arms around each other's shoulders again and walked amicably to the center of the stage.

But I can't let this go.

Leo of Tech Mech walked by me, and I grabbed his arm as if we were brothers and walked with him down catwalk 2. "Hey bro," Leo was apparently happy to see me.

"Yeah, what's up," I managed a grin. Not a very happy one. Luckily, Leo was oblivious to my mood and started talking about getting together for League of Legends or something. I nodded at him non-commitally until we got to where Kate and Rob were. I stood beside Rob and just looked at him, pointedly.

And of course, when Rob realised I was there, "Oh crap, Marko, bro, what's up?" He held out his arm for a handshake, and I gripped his hand tightly. We smiled at each other a bit forcefully and let go. He slapped my back for good measure.

What the hell does that mean, bro? Is that an I'm sorry I'm hitting on your woman kind of slap?

Meanwhile, Kate turned around, joined by Missy again, and they just walked away. I don't think she even looked at us once.

"So, we're good, bro?"

"Yeah, bro," I grunted. Whatever.

Gah, I hate curtain call.