Irreconcilable Differences

++++++++



"Good morning," Kelly smiled at Jason, giving him a warm hug as she walked into the kitchen.



"Hey," he smiled back. "Sorry it took me so long to get up here. I had some technical difficulties."



"Like what?" Kelly asked worriedly. "Everything ok?"



"Look who I found," Carrie laughed, walking into the kitchen with a black fur ball that had grown since the last time she had seen him, licking her face.



"Bear!" Kelly smiled, excitedly, rushing to Carrie's side, earning a wet kiss of her own from the puppy.



"Aw, what happened? I thought he was staying with Jessica," Kelly said, turning back to Jason as Bear nibbled on her finger playfully.



"He was," Jason laughed. "And just when I got off my flight over here, she called saying to come back. Apparently he hadn't stopped crying since I dropped him off. Honestly, he had been crying before that. I think someone spoiled him," he looked at her pointedly.



"Aw, he just missed me, that's all," Kelly beamed as Carrie handed him to her.



"So how'd the show go last night? Any souvenirs?"



"She got three," Carrie said excitedly, making Kelly laugh.



"And Carrie got one as well," Kelly added.



"Score for team Idol," Jason smiled, giving each of them a high five.



"So, that interview today?"



"Oh, yea. It's with E!," Jason said. "You have to be there at four. Sounds good?"



"Perfect," Kelly nodded. "I needed to catch up on some stuff anyway."



++++++++



"Tell me which you like better," Kelly said as she pressed play on her lap top as she sat on her bed with Carrie.



"I don't hear a difference," Carrie frowned.



"That's ok. Try again. There's a difference in the stress patterns," Kelly explained. "It's hard to catch if you're not listening for it."



She played it one more time, and this time Carrie could hear what she meant.



"That's cool," Carrie smiled. "Just the slightest change could make an entirely different song."



"Yea," Kelly smiled back, happy to finally have someone around that loved this as much as she did. "So which one?"



"The second one."



"Me too," Kelly nodded, going back and adding the vocals to it. "So what do you think?"



"I think it's great," Carrie replied, honestly. "And I think you're amazing."



"Thank you," Kelly smiled, kissing her cheek. "I like it too. It was so weird cause when I was first sent the backing track, I didn't like it, but then I changed one thing and I loved it, and if fit perfectly with the lyrics I already had but for some reason couldn't put a melody to. I mean, how cool is that?"



"Pretty cool," Carrie nodded, laughing at her enthusiasm.



+++++++++



"Knock knock," Ashley said, poking her head into the room.



"Hey, come on in," Kelly smiled, looking up from her lap top.



"What you got there?"



"Nothing," Kelly shrugged.



"Don't let her lie to you," Carrie said, lying down on the bed. "It's brilliant."



Ashley laughed, "Well, I figured you'd want to see this."



She tossed a magazine on the bed, and Carrie sat up to read it with Kelly. Kelly opened it up to the article, reading the headline out loud.



"Two superstars, one explosive night...together!"



The article and pictures told the story of how the two arrived at the show together and sat by each other. It showed Carrie kissing Kelly's cheek in thanks after the award, and it showed her jumping into Kelly's arms backstage. It went on to say how the two left together and went to the park for a romantic date. It had pictures of the two of them bowling and laying side by side. Then it reported how the two of them had stayed in the limo parked outside of Kelly's place for a substantial amount of time before going inside and staying there for the remainder of the night. They had pictures of them walking to the house as well, hand in hand.



Kelly suddenly felt sick, "Ash it's not what it looks like."



"I know," she nodded. "Let me tell you though, you two should seriously think about becoming actresses the way you got everybody out there fooled."



"Yea," she laughed nervously.



"Alright, I'll leave you to your music," Ashley said with a smile, walking out the room, closing the door behind her.



Kelly let herself fall back on to the bed. Carrie laid down on her side, propping herself up on her elbow so she could look at the Texan.



"You ok?"



"Yea, I'm sorry," Kelly frowned. "I don't want you to think I didn't have an amazing time last night, cause I did. It was perfect. But, I mean, they're right. We're supposed to be pretending to the paparazzi, and being honest with our families, but it's the other way around, isn't it?"



"Kell, if you don't want to..." Carrie's voice trailed off, the hurt evident in her eyes.



Kelly smiled up at her sadly. She ran a gentle hand over her cheek, "That's just it. I want to. I'm just a little scared. I mean, it's real now. Do you realize how hard this is gonna be? Acting one way when we're out there, another way when we're with family, and another when we're by ourselves."



"I know," Carrie nodded. "But um, I think we can do it. I at least want to give it a try, don't you?"



"I want to give it more than a try," Kelly replied.



"So, um, does this mean that we're, I mean, are we, or will you," Carrie stuttered nervously.



Kelly smiled, "Will I what?"



"Go out with me. I mean like as a, you know, officially, like..."



"Like a what?"



"You know you could help me out here," Carrie pouted.



"Ok," Kelly laughed, pulling her down for a kiss. "Yea, I'll be your girlfriend," she smiled, pulling away.



Carrie beamed in response, leaning in for another kiss.



++++++++



"So how do I look?" Kelly asked.



"Perfect," Ashley replied, taking a step back.



"Care?"



"Marvelous darling," she answered in a bad accent.



Kelly laughed as she rolled her eyes.



"So, you're dressed," Ashley nodded. "Make-up and hair done. You got shoes on. I think you're good to go."



"Cool beans," Kelly smiled.



"Dork," Carrie laughed.



"Hey now," she raised an eyebrow. "This is my dressing room. I reserve the right to kick you out."



"Yea, but your too nice to do it."



"True," Kelly nodded. "You're lucky."



"Don't I know it," Carrie beamed, making Kelly blush.



"So, um, yea," Kelly laughed nervously. "Interview time."



"Interview time," Ashley nodded, looking at the pair of them curiously.



++++++++



"So, Kelly," the interviewer smiled. They had already been at it for a good twenty minutes, and Kelly could feel her stomach start to grumble. "Last year started off on the rough side, with you having to fight for your album to be released, and then it doing poorly--"



"It was my highest debuting album," Kelly reminded her. "And by just having an album, that was so much a part of me, released...I see that as succeeding."



The reporter nodded, "Yes, but to certain standards..."



"Last year was a bit rocky, yea," Kelly nodded.



"But then this year, wow. Three people's choice awards right off the back. A number one single. A new love, perhaps?"



Kelly grinned, "This year is definitely off to a good start."



"So, tell me about you and Carrie. I mean, to have been so angry with each other only a few months ago, to now be as close as you are...I mean, that's amazing."



"Well, if you look back," Kelly said. "We weren't angry with each other. It was all a big misunderstanding that the media blew way out of proportion as they seemed to do with a lot of things last year. But we talked about it and realized that it was all lies and quotes taken out of context. So yea, it's good now. It's really good," she smiled.



"I wouldn't say it was all lies," the reporter commented slyly.



"I would," Kelly countered.



"Well, maybe on your part it was which is easy to believe. I mean, we've never heard anything negative of you before."



"But?" Kelly asked, trying not to grow defensive of her new girlfriend. She couldn't help but smile as the term ran through her mind--girlfriend.



"Well, we have an interview with Carrie from a couple months ago. You'll probably find it interesting," the reporter smiled.



Kelly looked at her confusedly as she turned to the monitor behind them. Kelly did the same and watched as a video of Carrie popped up. It was from an interview much like the one that Kelly was doing today.



"And what about the situation with you and Kelly?" the reporter asked Carrie.



It was the same lady that was interviewing Kelly now.



"Look, why waste our time talking about someone that obviously isn't worth our breath," Carrie replied.



"So then, there really is a feud?"



"Let's just say if I never have to see or hear about Kelly Clarkson ever again, it would be too soon," Carrie smirked.



The reporter clicked the monitor off and turned back to Kelly who was still looking at the blank screen, betrayal clearly etched across her face.



"But, she said..." Kelly's voice caught in her throat.



"I'm sorry to be the one to have to show you that," the reporter replied, unable to hide her grin. "It's never easy to find out we've been lied to.



"I'm sorry," Kelly shook her head. "Are we done here?"



"Yes, we have all we need. You can go sweetie," the reporter nodded.



Kelly gave a watery smile as she turned to return to her dressing room. She opened the door to find Carrie immediately on her feet, apologizing. Kelly looked to see a small monitor from where the country singer had been watching the interview.



Kelly nodded, "Is it true?"



"Kell, I'm sorry."



"So you lied to me."



"I--"



"No," Kelly frowned. "You know, if you just would have told me the truth. Told me that you said those things, I could've gotten over that. But you lied to me."



"I am so sorry," Carrie replied, her voice shaky.



"But what's worse. You treated me like crap for things I never said or did, and the whole time you were the one trashing me behind my back!" Kelly exclaimed. She felt as if her chest were tightening around her heart. She couldn't be here anymore. She couldn't be around her anymore.



"Kell," Carrie replied, her voice barely audible as the tears started to fall down her cheeks.



"I-I want you...out of here," Kelly said firmly as she tried to control her emotions. "If I never see or hear about you ever again, it would be too soon," she said, repeating Carrie's earlier sentiments.



"Please," Carrie said, taking a step towards her.



"What's going on here?" Ashley asked, walking into the room, a can of diet coke in her hand.



"Carrie was just leaving," Kelly answered, her eyes cold and her jaw set.



"Kell..." Carrie begged.



"Now."



Ashley looked between the two of them and noticed the pain hidden behind Kelly's icy glare. "Ok, I don't know what you did," she frowned, taking Carrie's arm, "but you have to go."



"I'm sorry. Kelly, I wanted to tell you. I tried to tell you," Carrie insisted as Ashley escorted her out the room.



Kelly heard the door close behind her. She bit her lip, not allowing the tears to fall. Carrie obviously wasn't worth them.