Chapter
37
Two weeks
later
The tour was in full swing, and it was going well, except
for one thing. Elyssa was still sick,
and she only seemed to be getting worse.
She still managed to perform with JADE at every concert, but it was
obvious that she was not up to standard.
One night, after cleaning up from the concert, the two
groups had a meet and greet scheduled with a group of lucky fans.
“Hey, Lyssa, we better get heading down to the meet and
greet,” Ashalyn said from the doorway of their dressing room, where Elyssa
still sat.
“Ash, I don’t feel very well,” Elyssa said, rubbing her
head wearily with one hand. “Can y’all
go ahead without me this time? I just
need a nap.”
Ashalyn smiled sympathetically. “Sure, Lyss.
You lie down, and we’ll be back later, kay?”
“Sure, Ash. Thanks,”
Elyssa replied gratefully, smiling weakly.
“No prob,” Ashalyn said, leaving the room, closing the door
quietly behind her.
“Where’s Elyssa?” Serena asked, coming down the hall.
“She’s not coming tonight,” Ashalyn said. “She’s too sick.”
“Oh. Okay,” Serena
said with a shrug. “Come on, let’s go.”
Ashalyn nodded, and they headed towards the meet and greet
room, where Jenna was already waiting.
***
Elyssa lay on the sofa in the dressing room for about ten
minutes, and finally pulled herself back up.
She ignored the sudden dizziness she felt and slowly stood up.
“I can’t hide out in here all night,” she told
herself. “I should go down to that meet
and greet.”
Her mind made up, she started out of the room and down the
hall to where the meet and greet was taking place.
When she entered the room, a few fans caught sight of her
and immediately surrounded her, asking for pictures and autographs.
Elyssa smiled, feeling better. The fans could always cheer her up.
As she scribbled autographs and posed for pictures, her
eyes surveyed the room. Suddenly, she
caught sight of AJ, who was standing on one corner, away from the others,
talking to a tall, pretty, dark-haired girl.
Elyssa’s eyes narrowed as the girl laughed cattily and draped an arm
around AJ’s neck. AJ laughed as well,
his hand resting on the girl’s shoulder.
Elyssa frowned. AJ
was flirting with that girl. And Elyssa
didn’t like it one bit.
Is this what he does every time he thinks I’m not around? she
wondered, glaring at her boyfriend.
“Hey, Elyssa?”
Elyssa looked down to see a starry-eyed boy that looked to
be about ten standing in front of her.
“Hi,” she said, forcing herself to smile.
“Hi,” he breathed.
“Can you sign this for me?” He
handed her a copy of the Jadeite CD.
“Sure,” she replied, glad to take her mind off of AJ for a
moment. She signed her name on the
inside cover of the CD and handed it back to him. “There ya go.”
“Thanks,” he cried, grinning.
“No problem,” she replied, and turned to the next child in
the line that was forming around her again.
***