Chapter 6: Of hissy fits and accidental meetings..

Music by: Frankie J- We Still

Kai Bu Liao Kou (Can't Open Mouth) - Jay Chou

Want to sing the songs?

"Where is everybody??? Kirsten, where's Angela??? Can someone remind that lady that we're in Taiwan and not in New York... she doesn't know the place for pete's sake! I don't want to have a casualty on the first day of my tour..."

P.Diddy having a fit?
Hell no!
That's Blade, the rap princess throwing a hissy fit.

Unfortunately, I was the only one around to listen to all her gripes.

We had just arrived at the hotel and everyone was off doing something for the tour.

Angela, on the other hand, got sidetracked by Edward and Nicky at the hotel lobby.
Actually it was the two of us, but I decided to accompany Jill to the hotel room instead.

Her first encounter with Kenny after years of being separated wasn't exactly fairy tale material. Both on-cam and off cam.
Of course she couldn't take out his frustrations on him or vent out in full view of her fans, so she controlled all surge of emotions on the way home, and now, here she is, ranting like a mad woman.

"Hey!!! Would you calm down? Angela's just in the convenience store across the hotel!"
Okay, thats a lie, but do you think it will make her feel better if I told her Angela was with Kenny's crew.
"She's a grown up Jill, I'm sure she can manage herself," I followed up.

"Well can you blame me? It's all our first time here! Of course I'm going to be worried."
"Jill...will you look outside, everywhere we go, were surrounded by big burly bodyguards... you think someone would even think of doing something bad to us?" I reminded her, "Calm down Jill! Everything's going to be fine!"
"How is it going to be fine??? Did you see how Kenny winked at me earlier? Did you notice the cockiness in him while you guys were making small talk at the parking lot? That's not Kenny!That's a walking bloated ego!"
I looked away and shook my head while wearing a silly grin.
It finally came out.
This wasn't about one of us getting lost, it was about Kenny!
"Hey why are you looking away? I know you're laughing at me! This isn't a laughing matter Kirsten! He's changed!" she ranted.
I turned towards her, "He isn't the only one Jill, he isn't the only one."
Her mouth dropped as if I said that her fly was open since this morning, "Excuse me!!!"
"It's been a long time Jill, of course things would change, you weren't around to see all the changes in him. Stop looking at him as the 15 year old kid you fell in love with. It's Andrew who you gotta hang out with if you're looking for the Kenny you used to know!"
She fell quiet.
I think I got her there.
Someone's got to take this person out of 1995.

"Besides, don't you like the spunk and tinge of conceitedness in him? That's what made you like him right?"
"Yiiieeeahhhhhhhhhh..." That was a long affirmation, "But years ago it was cute, now it irritates me."
"Jill, it's been years!!! It's your first meeting after so many years of being away, you just got to get used to it again."

I was expecting some more verbal lashing, but it was all quiet.

She yawned. The type of yawn that you force to come out, "Jetlag settling in," she said.
"Go take a nap first! You need all the energy for tomorrow," I said.

She went off to her room without a word.

The suite door opened.
It was Angela.
"Pssttt...where's our little princess?" she hissed.
"Sleeping...according to her," I hissed, "What took you guys so long?S he's been ranting like a maniac since we arrived."
"Coffee shop! Wanted to catch up. They actually remembered," she beamed.
I smiled, "Thats good to know!"
"How is she though?" she asked, referring to Blade.
"I honestly don't know. I don't think she took the first meeting lightly. Too many things on her head, too many expectations."
"Too many resentments?" Angela asked.
"Probably," I said, "Did they say how Kenny took it?"
"They didn't, but Ed said they needed to get away from him right now, so I guess it wasn't good too."
We both sighed.
"Oh yeah... they asked permission if they could go up here later?"
"What did you say?"
"Uhhh...sure!"
"Ange!!! We made an agreement on the plane! We're not going to meddle anymore. Let them work this out remember?"
"Cool it!" she said, "This isn't just about Kenny and Jill, this is all about the lost years of friendship."

She had a point.

"Oh okay...whatever you say..."

We both turned toward Jill's room when we heard the door open.
She was dressed to go out.
"What the heck?" Angela said.
"I thought you were going to sleep!"

She didn't speak, she just walked out of the suite.

We ran after her, and saw her bargaining with Sean's security staff.

"Jill where are you going? Are you crazy?"
"Hey! Whats' with the bargaining? I thought you were worried about us getting lost."

We saw the security nod their heads and let het her go.

I turned to one of Sean's security. "What the heck??? Why did you let her go?"

"She said she needed to be alone, she was just going to walk around the hotel," he simply said.
"Ay diosko! Where did Sean get his staff? Timbuktu??? Ang lalake naintimidate kay Jill" (My god! Where did Sean get his staff? Timbuktu??? They're so big and yet they get intimidated at Jill")
I giggled. When one of us starts to talk in Tagalog, you know something strange had just happened.
Angela took me by the hand and urged me to be quick.
"Come on! We gotta get there to see things unfold."
"What!?!?!"
"Nicky just messaged me."
I cant believe this person. She should be Jill's PR person. Less than 12 hours in Taiwan, she reconnected already with Nicky.
"Kenny's downstairs!!! Jeff has a meeting with Sean at the restaurant!"
"Kenny with them at the meeting?"
Angela shook her head, "They refused to take him home, so he's down there sulking."

"Oh my gosh!!!"
***
We knew we were in trouble when we ran into Jeff and Kenny at the lobby.

Jeff knew what we were up to, but Kenny's eyebrows were raised up to his temples when he saw us.
We didn't dare explain to him, we knew he wasn't in a good mood to listen.
Thank heavens we went out of there in separate cars.
With Jeff as his only companion in the car, we knew he wouldn't dare throw a hissy fit.

But what scared us more was when Jeff told us he would leave Kenny with us while he went off to a meeting with P.Diddy.
Edward suggested we stay in the lobby, to avoid Kenny lashing out at us in public.
"Thats too public! Fans would see him! And he damn looks like he isn't in the mood to mingle with fans! Coffee shop?" I suggested.

We weren't trying to make small talk.
We didn't know what to say to him.

"Are you guys okay?"he asked.
Both of us looked up, "Huh?"
He smirked, "Dont worry guys, I'm not the least bit pissed off with what happened."
We sighed in relief.
"I guess the mix of emotions just got to me. I was anxious that she was arriving, hoping that we would run into each other, surprised that she actually was Aziatix newest artist...
Someone tapped us from behind, "Talking about me?"
"Gabe!!!" three of us said.
"Where the heck did you come from?" I asked, "Whats with the bags?"
"Airport! Jae told me to meet up with you guys here..." He turned to Kenny, "So how did the meeting with your childhood sweetheart go?"
"You knew about that?" Kenny asked.
"Why do you think I agreed to commute from the airport to here. It's because of her! They said you guys were going to be busy that you wouldn't have enough time to pick me up," he said as he settled himself on the couch.
"Sorry about that man..." Kenny said.
"Its all good dude! So...what happened?" he asked.
"Both of them got into each others nerves!" Edward said.
Gabe laughed, "Just like old times huh! Getting into each others nerves, but can't manage to be away from each other."
"Not this time around!" Kenny said softly, "We just got into each others nerves, and didn't manage to have a decent welcome-back-to-each-others-lives conversation."
"That sucks!" Gabe said.
"I know!" Kenny said, then sighed, "Fame has changed her, became a snob, aloof... she's not the same Jill I used to know."
"But isn't that the same traits that made you like her?" Edward asked.
"Kenny...it's been almost a decade since you last saw each other... what do you expect? She wasn't even past puberty when you left!" I pointed out, "And excuse me for saying this, she's the bigger star... all eyes are on her... you can't just expect her to run to you and hug you and be all chummy with you. As if you didn't know this kind of set up... it's just like being with Vickie..."
He glared at me.
"You talk too much!" he said.
"Ohhh...struck a chord there!" I teased.
Edward and Gabe glared at me.
I was really talking too much.
"Shut it Nicky, you might not make it to your album launch a complete human being if you don't shut up!" Edward mumbled.
Kenny stood up, "I think I need some fresh air. You guys are suffocating me!"
"Where you goin?"
"Pool side!" he mumbled as he walked away.
"Lets just let him be." Gabe said.
"Gabe!!!"
We looked towards the door and saw Kirsten and Angela running to Gabe and giving him a hug.
"Hey, why didn't I get a hug like that earlier?" I complained.
Gabe just stuck his tongue out at me.

"Where's Kenny? I thought he was with you?" Kirsten asked.
"Went off to the poolside! Clearing his head," Edward said.
"Oh...my...God!" Angela said.
"Why?" Edward asked.
"Jill went there!" the two girls exclaimed.

Wow!!!

***
So much for solitude... someone had just walked in the pool area.
Oh well this is a public area anyway, if I wanted privacy, I should have gone to the penthouse swimming pool.
I looked at the person who had just entered.

"Kenny!"

Oh wow!Perfect!The place is almost empty.
Except for that lone figure near the cabanas.
I took a second glance at her to see if she recognized me.
I'm not in the mood to make small talk with fans right now.

"Jill!"

And there we were.
As if time stood still.
Kenny and I a few feet away from each other, making eye contact.

I felt like I was in some sappy love story movie.
We were just focused on each other.
As if we weren't hostile with each other at the presscon.

"What are you doing here?"
Man, that was cold.

I smirked."That was cold! You turning into the ice queen now?"

She raised an eyebrow, "What was cold about that? I was just asking you what are you doing here? Don't you have some appointment? Or probably a date with that Vickie girl?"

"Wow! You actually researched about me huh? That's flattering!" I smiled conceitedly.

Someone's getting conceited.

"Not that I wanted to, I just had to," I said. That would put his feet back on the ground.

"Oh yeah... I know...you dont have time for catch up with old friends and find out how their lives had been. You just want to hang-out with your posse!"

"Oh yeah! I'm too busy with my posse to think about my past. But who got busy first? Who was the one busy street dancing and stuff huh?"

"I went off to college and finished a degree in case you didn't know."

"Oh yeah I know, Mr Hotshot! I actually know! What about you? Didn't you even bother to ask about me? I bet I just came back into your brain when I made it big?"

We both stopped.
This was getting nowhere.
We were just voicing out our resentments at each other.

He got something from his pocket.

She fished out something from her purse

It was our picture!
Our last picture together.

I couldnt believe it. The rap princess still kept our picture.

I was touched. He still had it with him.

"I always had it Jill! I didn't forget about you," I said.
She looked up at me.
Her eyes were brimming with tears.

"Me too Kenny. Me too!"she said softly.

We looked at each other and finally, we were looking at each other without any resentment.
It felt like being transported back to 1995.

I wasnt looking at Blade. I was looking at Jill. My bestfriend. The one I loved.

I wasn't looking at Kenny Chou the Rapper. I was looking at my baby boie. My protector. My best friend.

I stepped forward, wanting to envelope her in my arms and welcome her back in my life.

I wanted to step forward, longing for his hug again.

She looked around. Someone was calling her.

His phone rang.

"Wei? Hey Vickie!"

"Blade! Interview! Your room!"

She waved goodbye to me, signalling that she had to go up.

He still had his phone stuck to his ears, he waved back at me.

I looked at her as she walked away.

I didnt dare look back, I was so overwhelmed with emotions that I felt like I was going to burst any minute.
He was watching me walk away, and he wasnt doing anything about it.
Just like before, only this time, I was the one leaving him behind

She was walking away, and I wasn't making a move.
Wasn't it this way ten years ago?
Only the roles were reversed.

Ten years ago we walked away from each other without saying a word.
Without making each other know how they feel.
I had my opportunity to change that now.
I dont know when I'll have my chance again.
It will be a week full of work after this.

"Vickie, I'll call you back. I just need to do something. Aight? Bye!!!" I immediately said as I turned off my phone and called her, "Jill!!!"

He called me. I was afraid to turn.
But I did
"Yeah?" I asked.

I was speechless.
I called her back but then I didn't know what to say.
All I wanted to do was to stop her from walking away.
But I wasn't really sure what I wanted to say.
"Ummm...nothing...it's just good to see you again."

I smiled at him.
"The feeling is mutual!"
***