Old Friends (Janet and Toni Fanfic)

Chapter 37

Janet

"Okay, look this way, let me check your makeup again," Preston stood in front of my chair with a brush, while Janet was behind me fixing my hair.
 
It was almost time for me to go on stage for my very first show back in Manchester. I was excited beyond measure; the crowd was already getting rowdy and I could hear them from my dressing room. It was time.

  "Alright, you're all set, honey," Preston looked at me through the mirror. "Go get it."

  "Thank you." I smiled.

I met with the dancers to pray, and before I knew it, it was time to hit the stage. The adrenaline was all through my body as the energetic introduction sequence got everyone on their feet, screaming my name.  But as much as I loved the crowd, and this music, and this dancing, I couldn't help but to gaze out into that front row and search for her. I knew she was thousands of miles away, across oceans, but it was this very show that introduced me to the best times of my life. So I had to.

  It wasn't  so much disappointing to come up short in seeing her eyes light up and dance with the vibrant spotlights, because I knew where she was, but it was a sort of sentimental value that I would always hold to a stage, this music, and this crew. It was okay. One show closer to being back with her.

The performance was over, and as I stepped backstage to catch my breath, something else caught my eye, standing next to the door of my dressing room, seeming to be waiting for someone.

Wissam.

My stomach tied itself up into complete knots as our eyes locked. How did he get back here? Soon my gaze was fixed to the lanyard around his neck, and then it occurred to me that we had left so many things unfinished. I wasn't afraid of him anymore. Not with all these people around.

  "Hey, stranger." He waved at me and cleared his throat. I took the monitors out of my ears slowly, just looking at him.

  "How.... how did you get back here?"

  "Hey," he shrugged, holding up hid lanyard. "I'm just a fan."

I took a deep breath. "Is there an issue?" Joey whispered behind me, sending a dirty look at Wissam.

  "N-no, thank you, okay, Wissam. Why are you here?" I went into my room and he followed close behind me, making sure to leave my door ajar, but not completely open. It was a small, yet responsible gesture that I appreciated. I started to take my jewelry off first and lay it on the vanity, looking at my sweaty, fatigued face through the mirror.

  "Janet, you and I both know the way this ended wasn't exactly, um, ideal, to say the least."

  "Who's fault was that, honey?" I cut in immediately.

  "Okay, can we not do this, I'm trying to-"

  "No, really, Wissam. Think about what really happened that afternoon. Who was hostile? Who choked who against a wall? Who threatened to murder who? So don't gloss over that part. This is all your fault." My tone remained calm and collected, because I felt we did need to talk in a productive manner, but I was just so thrown off guard to be having the conversation right now in the first place.

  "See, you can keep throwing that in my face, and I'll apologize for hurting you a million times over, but how long did you think it would be before I found out you and Toni were seeing each other? And how crazily ironic was it that so shortly after I went away, here you were, on every magazine, looking at her the way I swore you used to look at me."

I looked at him through the mirror, and he was staring at his shoes, playing with the zipper on his jacket. I don't know why I ever thought he'd just never find out. That I'd never have to face him again.