Post by snmphotography on Jun 1, 2007 17:23:52 GMT -5
WARNING: alcohol consumption and censored cussing in this chapter. I'm not sure on the policy about cussing, so I just censored it to be safe. I do not condone promotion of underage drinking and am in no way taking responsibility for anyone's actions should they ever decide to drink underage. So if you're underage, don't drink. I just had to have a moment of morality thrown in.
PS: Semi Precious Weapons is indeed a NYC-based glam rock band. They're amazing and Justin is gorgeous, but I have a thing for men in high heels so of course I'd think that. If you are intrigued, check them out here (Myspace; where I got the photos from)
www.myspace.com/semipreciousweapons
5-24-07 The long weeks had finally come to this. The night before Joey was voted out of the finals and now it came down to Apolo & Julianne or Soledad & Maksim. As everyone waited in anticipation for the announcement, the room was so silent you could hear a pin drop.
"Apolo & Julianne!"
The audience went crazy, and Julianne jumped into her partner's arms in celebration. Sol and Maks clapped for their competitors and friends.
After the show, the usual celebration was planned. Soledad was still the life of any party and she liked being at parties. No one knew how she did it. Going out all night, waking up early, rehearsing and or taping, working on her music, and doing it all over again the next day. Every time someone was voted off she threw a "We Love You" party, usually at her favorite club SPA (a vegan-run club where people weren't permitted inside if they were wearing leather, fur, suede, or anything else having to do with the killing of animals).
Tonight, it was a celebratory party she'd pre-planned with the club. A special area was sectioned off and the managers were suppose to be watching the show to see who won so they could make the required arrangements for the wording on the cake.
"To Julianne and Apolo!" Sol cheered backstage where everyone was holding glasses of champagne.
As everyone mingled, Sol stopped by to tell her friends congratulations. She hugged Julianne and when Apolo turned around he gave her a big hug, saying, "Now maybe you can tell me what it feels like to have your butt kicked."
They laughed together at the remark implying the first night of the show two months prior. Over the two months, Apolo had not only found his comfort zone and been the most-improved star on the show, but he'd quickly come to realize Sol's teasing about kicking his butt was not only a competitive threat, but hidden encouragement so he would strive to do better. She was a very smart girl and he soon figured out that she knew Apolo would be her biggest competition, and she wanted it to be a challenge all the way.
In the interviews following the win, Apolo had heard Sol tell many people, "They did really well. Apolo and I liked to tease each other about kicking the other one's butt, but the way I saw it in the first night. He was my biggest competition. If I was going to win, I wanted to really earn it so he had to step up and make me fight for it. If I was going to lose, I wanted to lose to someone who made me earn second place. We did earn second place and I'm really ok with second place because I fought to get here. We would have wanted first, but to be second to Apolo & Julianne is not a bad thing at all."
At SPA the group did their usual thing. Sol headed to the bar for a couple of quick shots with friends before heading to the back with everyone else. Apolo didn't typically get drunk, it wasn't in his diet program to allow that, but tonight he wanted to really celebrate and if that meant drinking a bit more than usual, than he would do it.
As usual, Apolo's eyes were glued to the restless, energetic Sol. She spoke rapidly to her friends before being tapped on the shoulder by actor Joaquin Phoenix whom she knew from various run in's at SPA and animal rights projects with PETA. She spoke to him for a long time and Apolo could tell that with him she was really flirting. Ian soon joined Sol and Joaquin where he handed a shot to Sol. Joaquin, who'd visited rehab in 2006, refrained from drinking these days.
Soon Joaquin left and Ian and Sol stood at the bar, taking down their shots like medicine. It wasn't long before the two were up to what had become their drinking routine: making out.
Apolo felt jealousy whenever he saw the two together. He was certain they were a couple and just denied it, but he never said anything to anyone. As he watched them, he felt a hand slide onto his knee and knew it was Julianne. She leaned in close and said, "Why don't you tell her you like her?"
"What?" he asked.
"Come on," she remarked. "You like her. Tell her. She's not with anyone."
"What about Ian?"
"That's just how their friendship works. They're the two friends who make out when they drink, but never acknowledge it later on. Just go tell her. You need a new drink anyway."
"No, I don't." Apolo said looking down at the full glass. Julianne hit the glass from the bottom and spilt the drink all over the floor, and partially on Apolo.
"Now you do." she said, standing up to go dance with everyone else.
A little bit irritated, Apolo stood up and went to the bar for napkins and a refill. He slid in behind Sol who was now talking to Ian instead of kissing him. Ian noticed Apolo first, but Sol noticed his pants.
"Oh my God, what happened? Did someone throw their drink on you? I'll fight 'em." Sol threatened, looking around the club for a likely victim.
"Calm down, Latin Temper." Ian said. "What happened, man?"
"Just an accident. Someone ... bumped my glass."
"Do you want another one?" Sol asked.
"I need napkins, but yeah, another drink." Sol propped herself up on top of the bar with her arms and called down to the bartender by his name. Immediately the bartender left his conversation with some other girls for Sol and asked, "What's up, doll?"
"Can I get some napkins and another ... What'd you have? Oh well, just bring me three Saki bombs."
"I don't think I can handle another shot." Ian said. "I'm an old man."
"You can do one more. Three Saki bombs, babe."
The bartender refilled the napkins as she spoke and left to fill the order. Apolo grabbed some napkins and started wiping himself off.
"No," Sol said. "Pat it, don't wipe. That just makes it worse. Stains it."
"You're such a bossy b***h!" a voice behind her said. She slightly recognized it, but being in L.A. it threw her off. When she turned around she saw one of her best friends, Justin "Precious" Tranter from Semi Precious Weapons, a New York City-based glam rock band. Justin was the lead singer and his look definitely got him noticed. He was another fella Sol made out with from time to time.
She greeted him with her usual kiss and they spoke their news updates very rapidly. It was truly their own language as far as Apolo could tell.
The bartender set down the three Saki bombs added onto Sol's tab. Ian graciously declined the drink, passing it off to Justin. Ian walked back to the group to dance it up a little while.
"What are we toasting to?" Justin asked. "I hope it's to how f*bleep*ing gorgeous we all are."
"To that and to Apolo's win tonight. I f*bleep*ing love this Japanese guy!" Sol cheered. That made Apolo smile a little bit and they dropped their shots of Jägermeister into the glasses of Saki and drank them down. Justin finished first, Sol and Apolo finished a close second.
"So is your plan to get him drunk and do with him as you wish?" Justin asked Sol. She gave Apolo a sly look and bit her bottom lip with a cunning smile crossing her smile.
"I would never trick him into loving me." she finally replied. "What are you doing here, though? Since when do you come to L.A.?"
"I wanted to visit you, b***h! But we're going to play for you tonight. Join me onstage?"
"Of course." Sol said.
"I've got to go. Nice meeting you. You're so sexy. Maybe you'll come onstage, too."
"Leave this one to me," Sol said, pushing Justin along.
"So ... " Sol asked Apolo in a tone that from party girl to a girl wanting a serious conversation. "Are you in a better mood yet?"
"Why would you think I'm not in a good mood?" he asked.
"You get these silent moods where you look like you're brooding over something. I see it a lot, but tonight I'm thrown off. You won, and I'm celebrating more than you."
"You always celebrate more than me."
"I hope you're not calling me an alcoholic, Mr. Ohno."
"Not at all, Miss Marquez."
She smiled and said, "Listen, I make out with my best guy friends all the time. It's what I do when I drink with them."
"Ok,"
She paused and then said, "I just get a weird a feeling from you whenever we're out with everyone. Usually people are weirded out by how many guys I make out with. I don't make out with strangers, and I don't sleep around. Lots of people think that, too."
"I'm not one of those people."
She smiled and cleared her throat, looking down the bar. She wanted an actual drink now that the numerous shots were taking their toll on her. She was going to feel horrible in the morning and it was high time she stuck to one type of liquor for the rest of the night.
"Sol," Apolo said, taking her attention away from the bartender at the other end.
"Yeah?" she replied when his silence was borderline too long.
"Nothing,"
Apolo hesitated and then said he'd see her with the group. As he walked away she looked over her shoulder for only a moment before the bartender was setting down her typical Washington Apple. She thanked him and took the drink in hand as she headed back to the group. Standing between Ian and Apolo to watch the band play, she was more quiet and reserved now. Something about that night, and she told herself it was too much alcohol, had changed. When she saw Apolo watching her with Ian or some other friend she knew, she shrugged it off, but tonight she felt the overwhelming need to explain herself and get rid of the guilty feeling she was having.
She knew Apolo liked her, but she'd never been one to be in a relationship. Not a steady one anyway. She loved being single, but around him there was a part of her that wanted to just be a girl in a relationship for once. She didn't believe it would be possible. He would be traveling everywhere to, at first, promote his victory on DWTS and then for his career as a speed skater. She would be traveling a lot as well. Her album was due to be released in a month, and like always she was going to be holed away in her NYC studio fixing and remastering and editing the album up until the week before it was to be released.
"I want my girlfriend, Soledad. Get on this stage." Justin said into the microphone. It was her cue. She was helped onto the stage where Justin was quick to wrap her up and kiss her. It was a familiar scenario, but she was feeling the guilt again. She was actually feeling as if she were cheating on Apolo somehow.
All she could think was, "I need just one more drink and I won't remember any of this tomorrow."
PS: Semi Precious Weapons is indeed a NYC-based glam rock band. They're amazing and Justin is gorgeous, but I have a thing for men in high heels so of course I'd think that. If you are intrigued, check them out here (Myspace; where I got the photos from)
www.myspace.com/semipreciousweapons
5-24-07 The long weeks had finally come to this. The night before Joey was voted out of the finals and now it came down to Apolo & Julianne or Soledad & Maksim. As everyone waited in anticipation for the announcement, the room was so silent you could hear a pin drop.
"Apolo & Julianne!"
The audience went crazy, and Julianne jumped into her partner's arms in celebration. Sol and Maks clapped for their competitors and friends.
After the show, the usual celebration was planned. Soledad was still the life of any party and she liked being at parties. No one knew how she did it. Going out all night, waking up early, rehearsing and or taping, working on her music, and doing it all over again the next day. Every time someone was voted off she threw a "We Love You" party, usually at her favorite club SPA (a vegan-run club where people weren't permitted inside if they were wearing leather, fur, suede, or anything else having to do with the killing of animals).
Tonight, it was a celebratory party she'd pre-planned with the club. A special area was sectioned off and the managers were suppose to be watching the show to see who won so they could make the required arrangements for the wording on the cake.
"To Julianne and Apolo!" Sol cheered backstage where everyone was holding glasses of champagne.
As everyone mingled, Sol stopped by to tell her friends congratulations. She hugged Julianne and when Apolo turned around he gave her a big hug, saying, "Now maybe you can tell me what it feels like to have your butt kicked."
They laughed together at the remark implying the first night of the show two months prior. Over the two months, Apolo had not only found his comfort zone and been the most-improved star on the show, but he'd quickly come to realize Sol's teasing about kicking his butt was not only a competitive threat, but hidden encouragement so he would strive to do better. She was a very smart girl and he soon figured out that she knew Apolo would be her biggest competition, and she wanted it to be a challenge all the way.
In the interviews following the win, Apolo had heard Sol tell many people, "They did really well. Apolo and I liked to tease each other about kicking the other one's butt, but the way I saw it in the first night. He was my biggest competition. If I was going to win, I wanted to really earn it so he had to step up and make me fight for it. If I was going to lose, I wanted to lose to someone who made me earn second place. We did earn second place and I'm really ok with second place because I fought to get here. We would have wanted first, but to be second to Apolo & Julianne is not a bad thing at all."
At SPA the group did their usual thing. Sol headed to the bar for a couple of quick shots with friends before heading to the back with everyone else. Apolo didn't typically get drunk, it wasn't in his diet program to allow that, but tonight he wanted to really celebrate and if that meant drinking a bit more than usual, than he would do it.
As usual, Apolo's eyes were glued to the restless, energetic Sol. She spoke rapidly to her friends before being tapped on the shoulder by actor Joaquin Phoenix whom she knew from various run in's at SPA and animal rights projects with PETA. She spoke to him for a long time and Apolo could tell that with him she was really flirting. Ian soon joined Sol and Joaquin where he handed a shot to Sol. Joaquin, who'd visited rehab in 2006, refrained from drinking these days.
Soon Joaquin left and Ian and Sol stood at the bar, taking down their shots like medicine. It wasn't long before the two were up to what had become their drinking routine: making out.
Apolo felt jealousy whenever he saw the two together. He was certain they were a couple and just denied it, but he never said anything to anyone. As he watched them, he felt a hand slide onto his knee and knew it was Julianne. She leaned in close and said, "Why don't you tell her you like her?"
"What?" he asked.
"Come on," she remarked. "You like her. Tell her. She's not with anyone."
"What about Ian?"
"That's just how their friendship works. They're the two friends who make out when they drink, but never acknowledge it later on. Just go tell her. You need a new drink anyway."
"No, I don't." Apolo said looking down at the full glass. Julianne hit the glass from the bottom and spilt the drink all over the floor, and partially on Apolo.
"Now you do." she said, standing up to go dance with everyone else.
A little bit irritated, Apolo stood up and went to the bar for napkins and a refill. He slid in behind Sol who was now talking to Ian instead of kissing him. Ian noticed Apolo first, but Sol noticed his pants.
"Oh my God, what happened? Did someone throw their drink on you? I'll fight 'em." Sol threatened, looking around the club for a likely victim.
"Calm down, Latin Temper." Ian said. "What happened, man?"
"Just an accident. Someone ... bumped my glass."
"Do you want another one?" Sol asked.
"I need napkins, but yeah, another drink." Sol propped herself up on top of the bar with her arms and called down to the bartender by his name. Immediately the bartender left his conversation with some other girls for Sol and asked, "What's up, doll?"
"Can I get some napkins and another ... What'd you have? Oh well, just bring me three Saki bombs."
"I don't think I can handle another shot." Ian said. "I'm an old man."
"You can do one more. Three Saki bombs, babe."
The bartender refilled the napkins as she spoke and left to fill the order. Apolo grabbed some napkins and started wiping himself off.
"No," Sol said. "Pat it, don't wipe. That just makes it worse. Stains it."
"You're such a bossy b***h!" a voice behind her said. She slightly recognized it, but being in L.A. it threw her off. When she turned around she saw one of her best friends, Justin "Precious" Tranter from Semi Precious Weapons, a New York City-based glam rock band. Justin was the lead singer and his look definitely got him noticed. He was another fella Sol made out with from time to time.
She greeted him with her usual kiss and they spoke their news updates very rapidly. It was truly their own language as far as Apolo could tell.
The bartender set down the three Saki bombs added onto Sol's tab. Ian graciously declined the drink, passing it off to Justin. Ian walked back to the group to dance it up a little while.
"What are we toasting to?" Justin asked. "I hope it's to how f*bleep*ing gorgeous we all are."
"To that and to Apolo's win tonight. I f*bleep*ing love this Japanese guy!" Sol cheered. That made Apolo smile a little bit and they dropped their shots of Jägermeister into the glasses of Saki and drank them down. Justin finished first, Sol and Apolo finished a close second.
"So is your plan to get him drunk and do with him as you wish?" Justin asked Sol. She gave Apolo a sly look and bit her bottom lip with a cunning smile crossing her smile.
"I would never trick him into loving me." she finally replied. "What are you doing here, though? Since when do you come to L.A.?"
"I wanted to visit you, b***h! But we're going to play for you tonight. Join me onstage?"
"Of course." Sol said.
"I've got to go. Nice meeting you. You're so sexy. Maybe you'll come onstage, too."
"Leave this one to me," Sol said, pushing Justin along.
"So ... " Sol asked Apolo in a tone that from party girl to a girl wanting a serious conversation. "Are you in a better mood yet?"
"Why would you think I'm not in a good mood?" he asked.
"You get these silent moods where you look like you're brooding over something. I see it a lot, but tonight I'm thrown off. You won, and I'm celebrating more than you."
"You always celebrate more than me."
"I hope you're not calling me an alcoholic, Mr. Ohno."
"Not at all, Miss Marquez."
She smiled and said, "Listen, I make out with my best guy friends all the time. It's what I do when I drink with them."
"Ok,"
She paused and then said, "I just get a weird a feeling from you whenever we're out with everyone. Usually people are weirded out by how many guys I make out with. I don't make out with strangers, and I don't sleep around. Lots of people think that, too."
"I'm not one of those people."
She smiled and cleared her throat, looking down the bar. She wanted an actual drink now that the numerous shots were taking their toll on her. She was going to feel horrible in the morning and it was high time she stuck to one type of liquor for the rest of the night.
"Sol," Apolo said, taking her attention away from the bartender at the other end.
"Yeah?" she replied when his silence was borderline too long.
"Nothing,"
Apolo hesitated and then said he'd see her with the group. As he walked away she looked over her shoulder for only a moment before the bartender was setting down her typical Washington Apple. She thanked him and took the drink in hand as she headed back to the group. Standing between Ian and Apolo to watch the band play, she was more quiet and reserved now. Something about that night, and she told herself it was too much alcohol, had changed. When she saw Apolo watching her with Ian or some other friend she knew, she shrugged it off, but tonight she felt the overwhelming need to explain herself and get rid of the guilty feeling she was having.
She knew Apolo liked her, but she'd never been one to be in a relationship. Not a steady one anyway. She loved being single, but around him there was a part of her that wanted to just be a girl in a relationship for once. She didn't believe it would be possible. He would be traveling everywhere to, at first, promote his victory on DWTS and then for his career as a speed skater. She would be traveling a lot as well. Her album was due to be released in a month, and like always she was going to be holed away in her NYC studio fixing and remastering and editing the album up until the week before it was to be released.
"I want my girlfriend, Soledad. Get on this stage." Justin said into the microphone. It was her cue. She was helped onto the stage where Justin was quick to wrap her up and kiss her. It was a familiar scenario, but she was feeling the guilt again. She was actually feeling as if she were cheating on Apolo somehow.
All she could think was, "I need just one more drink and I won't remember any of this tomorrow."
I can't wait for chapter 3. ;D 
