Chapter 44: Together Again

            “Come on you guys! We’re gonna be late!” Chance yelled as she hobbled down the hall of the Plaza Hotel on her crutches. She, Darren, Dan, and Shiri were all going to MTV Studios today to premier the video for “Another Dream.” Darren and Chance were going to be the two on stage with Dan and Shiri there for moral support and help for Chance.

            “Okay, let me find my key!” Darren replied. He was the last one out of the room. Dan and Shiri were already right beside Chance at the elevator.

            “Good thing the limo’s waiting at the door,” Shiri said as she pressed the down button for the elevator. It came up a few seconds later. The four of them piled in and then were off.

            Minutes later they arrived at MTV where a mob of people had already gathered. Chance thought back to the day she was out there waiting to see Savage Garden. The whole experience was still fresh in her mind. It brought back those strange warm feelings that she used to feel for the band before she got to know the members so well.

            “I can see you remember the last time we were here,” Darren said as he helped to carry her out of the car and through the doors towards the safety of the building.

            “It brings back a lot of stuff. Doesn’t it for you?” Chance asked.

            “Yeah, quite a lot,” he answered, setting her down on a chair. Dan handed her the crutches and she stood up again. They were shuffled to the backstage area of TRL, which wasn’t starting for another half hour.

            A producer walked up to them and said, “You’re all here together?”

            “Yeah, but only Chance and Darren are appearing on the show,” Shiri replied as she set down her bag beside her feet.

            “Why don’t you all go out there? It would be a much better show if you all were on stage,” he tried to convince her.

            “Guys, what do you think? Should we all go out there?” she asked the other three.

            “Yeah, why not? I’d love for you and Dan to be out there with Darren and me,” Chance said.

            “Alright. I’d better go make some changes in the control room,” the producer replied then scurried off. The half hour passed by quick, and Chance could easily tell that they were going to be up soon when Carson stepped on stage and began to talk to the audience.

            “Today on TRL, Chance Malone, Darren Hayes, Daniel Jones, and Shiri Appleby all stopping by to premier the video for ‘Another Dream,’” he said as the crowd went wild in the background of the small studio in Times Square.

            Chance was more than thrilled to be back at the place where all her dreams had come true. If it weren’t for MTV, she wouldn’t be the star she turned out to be. Even with a broken leg, she’d still come from backstage and meet her fans. They were expecting something great from her, and she was going to give it to them.

            Darren patted her shoulder and she looked up at him. “Can you believe this?” Chance asked him.

            “No,” he simply replied. “Who would have thought this would be how everything turned out for us?”

            “I sure wasn’t expecting it, and now that it’s all happened, I’m still reeling from the experience,” she said.

            Darren smiled down at Chance. “I’m so glad it was you who won that contest. I don’t think I would have ever found anyone better for the album than you.”

            “I’m glad you picked me.” Chance pulled him to her lips and gave him a sweet kiss.

            “Aw! Look at those two. They are so cute together,” Dan said in the background.

            Chance and Darren parted lips. She turned and glared at him. “Oh, shut up! Couldn’t you see we were having a moment?”

            “Yeah, that’s why I interrupted you. We’re gonna be on in a few seconds, so get ready,” he answered.

            “Oh, then thanks,” she replied. Chance took a hold of Darren’s arm and pulled herself out of her chair. He handed her the crutches and they waited for Carson’s signal for them to come out.

            “Welcome to the show, Chance, Darren, Dan, and Shiri,” Carson called out for them to come onto the stage. Chance was the first one in the order to come hobbling out careful not to hit any wires as she found her way down the hall. Darren followed and quickly found her a chair to sit on.

            Looking out across the audience and out the window, Chance saw a sea of people frantically waving and screaming for her attention. She was the star of the show today, and she knew she was going to enjoy it.

            “Welcome back to TRL,” Carson said as he shook hands with the four of them.

            “Thanks for having us,” Darren replied when he was handed the mic.

            “It seems like just yesterday we were sitting here doing that contest. It’s almost a fairy tale ending for you guys,” Carson added as he gave the mic to Chance.

            “Believe me, it has not been a fairy tale,” she said. “I went through hell to get where I am now. It wasn’t as easy as some might think.”

            “We know,” Dan, Darren, and Shiri answered in unison.

            “I guess they’ve heard that before,” Carson observed.

            “We all went through it together,” Shiri said. “But I think it turned out for the better.”

            “Why would you say that?”

            “Because I found my sister and my soul mate, and Chance found the love of her life. It’s amazing how fate works in mysterious ways.”

            “Wow, that’s great,” Carson replied. “What else has been going on in your lives? Care to give any details?”

            “Um… If you haven’t heard, Darren and I are getting married.” The crowd exploded into cheers when Chance made her announcement. “The wedding is going to be in December at a really big church in Brisbane.”

            “That’s so great! Congratulations!” Carson said. “What about you?” he asked Dan and Shiri.

            “Well, I’m going to be producing a band in Australia and Shiri is still going to play Liz Parker on ‘Roswell,’” Dan answered.

            “I heard some rumors that you two were married in Vegas a while back. Do you wanna dispel the rumors right now and tell us what’s really going on between you two?” Carson asked.

            Dan and Shiri stared at each other for a few moments and nodded their heads as if they knew exactly what the other was thinking.

            “Yeah, why not?” Shiri replied. She stood up from her seat and slowly made her way towards Dan. She grabbed the collar of his shirt and gave him a deep kiss. The crowd went wild as it had with Chance’s announcement. When their lips parted, Shiri added, “Does that answer your question?”

            “You go girl!” Chance hollered from her seat.

            “I’m taking that as a yes,” Carson said when he managed to close his mouth after his jaw dropped to the floor.

            “We’re happily married,” Dan told the world. “We’ve just been waiting for the right time to tell everyone.”

            “TRL seemed the best way to reach the world,” Shiri added.

            “A TRL first, folks,” Carson said. He turned to Chance, still reeling from the announcement. “Onto the video. What’s it about?”

            “Well, it’s about a girl who has just lost her significant other in a car accident and she’s reflecting on her past with him. The video stays very true with the song,” she answered.

            “I heard that you had a little trouble shooting the video.”

            “Yeah, the second day was the day that I broke my leg. It was all caught on tape by the MTV cameras that were on the scene shooting ‘Making The Video.’ I look back at it right now and I think it’s really funny. But it wasn’t when it happened. I was in a tremendous amount of pain.”

            “That really must have been one of the hardest days of your life.”

            “It was, especially since there was only one English speaking doctor in the whole hospital out there in Switzerland. It was horrible. And to return the next day and keep filming, it was really tough. I must have been on ten medications to keep me from feeling the pain in my leg. I’m so thankful it’s over and I’m home to rest.”

            “Why don’t we check out the video now and we’ll have you tell us everything afterwards?”

            “Sure.”

            “Alright,” Carson said. “Now, the world premier of ‘Another Dream’ by Chance Malone and Darren Hayes, only on TRL.”