Irreconcilable Differences

+++++++++



Kelly had barely put both feet on the ground as she stepped out of the car, before she was knocked down to the ground, a wet tongue licking her face.



"Sam," she giggled, carefully pushing the dog off so she could at least sit up.



"Have fun?" Jason laughed, offering her a hand up.



Kelly sighed, "Not exactly." This was supposed to be her time to relax before she started promotion for her new single and started setting up for the tour in Australia.



"What he wanted?" he asked as they walked into the house.



"Carrie was there."



"Cat fight," Jason said, forming claws with his fingers.



"You know it's not like that," Kelly replied. "Or at least I thought it wasn't. She really seems to hate me, and I have no idea why."



"Well, you can't exactly blame her."



"I didn't say any of those things," Kelly argued.



"I know that, but she doesn't. Besides you did say--"



"I still don't see how that was a big deal," she fussed.



"I don't think that was the big deal as much as were the rumors that started flying around about you and Tony afterwards," Jason replied.



"But I would never go for a guy like that."



"Sadly," Jason shook his head, earning a playful slap from his sister.



"You already have season tickets, what more could you want?"



"To be on the field with the team?" he offered hopefully.



Kelly laughed, "I'll see what I can do."



Jason did a silent fist pump of excitement before settling onto the recliner as Kelly sat on the sofa, Sam at her feet.



"Is she like your body guard?"



"Maybe," Kelly laughed, leaning down to scratch her ears.



"Bout time you got one," Jason slid in casually.



"Anyway, back to Clive," Kelly said, ignoring Jason's comment. They had argued about that particular matter before. She knew Jason was just trying to protect her, but she had been doing this for nearly 6 years now and hadn't had any problems yet, so why worry?



"What'd he want?"



"For me and Carrie to be friends," Kelly smiled sarcastically.



"Yea, like that's gonna happen. That girl has it out for you," Jason laughed, thinking she was joking.



Kelly looked at him solemnly.



"Kelly, you can't be serious. The girl hates you. How could you two be friends when I'm sure she'd rather see your career go down in flames?"



"Well, we just have to act like friends. You know, hang out, play nice."



"Why?"



"It's what Clive wants," Kelly explained, rubbing her eyes tiredly. "He thinks it'll be the best thing for our careers."



"Yea, like you'd ever go along with that."



Kelly looked at him again.



"What? Why?"



"He offered me my own album. Everything completely mine."



"So? Ever heard of a beautiful little thing called My December?"



"And he offered to promote it fully with no hassle," Kelly added.



"Oh," Jason frowned. "You gotta admit, he's good."



+++++++++



Carrie sat on the sofa of her Nashville home, sighing deeply. How could he do this? How could Clive make her do this when he knew, he knew how much Carrie loathed that girl? In fact, he was the one that had always encouraged the argument. That's what made this whole thing so surreal. So many times she would be in a meeting with him and have him show her article after article, telling her it was all true, telling her how Kelly had never liked her and had been jealous of her since the moment she had won. And now he wanted the two of them to be friends? Was he crazy?



Although, she had to admit that Kelly had looked pretty sincere when she claimed that she hadn't done any of those things. But then again, it wasn't too hard to lie. Carrie knew that. She had been lying to herself for a couple of years now, pretending to be happy.



+++++++++



"You can't be serious," Kelly frowned at the phone.



"Yes, I can. This is perfect," Clive smiled from the other end.



"No, it's not. That day isn't about me or my career or you, despite the fact that you think everything is about you. It's about celebrating the drivers and promoting their charities."



"Why is everything about charity with you?"



"Can you even hear yourself?"



"Look, it's no big deal. You have an extra ticket. You two show up together. You sit together. No harm done."



"Yes. Yes harm done," Kelly replied. "It'll draw the media's attention to the event for all the wrong reasons. They don't deserve that, especially after all the good they've been doing."



"My word's final," Clive said firmly. "You agreed to this, so now we do it my way."



"Prick."



"I heard that."



"Good."



"You will go to the NASCAR banquet with her. You will smile and pretend to have fun, and people will love it."



"I promised my brother that ticket."



"Fine," he rolled his eyes. "I'll get you another one. Happy now?"



"Not as long as you're involved."



"Really, with that beautiful mouth of yours, you wonder why you're single?"



"Ok, you have no business talking about my personal life."



"In case you haven't realized it yet, I now own your personal life."



Kelly had to put a hand out to steady herself, knowing that he was right, "Just spare me the torture and don't call me with the details. Email will work fine."



"Gladly," he replied before hanging up.



"Damn it!" Kelly exclaimed, feeling the sudden urge to throw her phone against the wall, but stopped herself.



"What's up?" Jason asked, walking into her makeshift office.



"Carrie's coming to the banquet with me."



"The NASCAR banquet?" he questioned, his face falling in disappointment.



"Yea, but don't worry, I'm getting an extra ticket, so you're good."



"Whew," he smiled.



"Is this ok with you? I mean, I know you wanted to spend some time together because we haven't gotten the chance since I've been back."



"Kelly, you know me, I will be so zoned out with all the riders you could be making out with the girl, and I wouldn't care."



Kelly rolled her eyes, "You are so twelve."



+++++++++



"Just please, play nice," Ashley said, putting the finishing touches on her make-up.



"I always play nice," Kelly responded, squirming in the chair.



"Would you sit still?"



"Haven't I been tortured enough lately?"



"Just one more minute."



"You said that ten minutes ago.”



"If you keep talking it will be another ten."



Kelly pouted, crossing her arms, but giving in.



There was a knocking on the hotel room door.



"Jay! Could you get that?" Kelly called out.



"What did I say?" Ashley asked.



"Sorry," she mumbled, going back to her statuesque state.



Jason got up from his seat in the suite's living room, straightening his tie as he opened the door. He froze at the site of the blonde before him.



"Oh," she frowned. "I think I have the wrong room."



"No, you have the right room," he replied, caught between getting protective of his baby sister and listening to his hormones which he swore were worse now than when he was a teenager. "I'm Jason, Kelly's brother," he said, holding out his hand.



"Oh, yea, sorry," she replied shaking it before walking into the suite impatiently. "Is she ready?"



"We still have time before we have to leave," Jason said, sitting back on the couch, deciding to take the protective role.



"We?"



"Yea, we."



"Oh."



Jason raised an eyebrow. Kelly was definitely gonna have fun with this girl, he thought laughing inwardly.



"Where is she?"



"In the bathroom, getting ready."



Carrie nodded, turning towards the bathroom.



"Whoa," Jason stood up. "I didn't say you could go in there."



Carrie gave him the once over, before turning back around and continuing to the bathroom. Jason frowned, sitting back down. This was definitely gonna be a long night.



"There," Ashley smiled, stepping out of the way of the mirror so Kelly could see herself. "Perfect."



Kelly rolled her eyes.



"You know," Ashley said, packing up all the stuff. "I've always had a problem with your low ass self-esteem, but I've learned to deal. But when you do that, you're knocking my work, and I'm not cool with that."



Kelly smiled, "Sorry Ash. You know I think you're the best."



"Damn straight," Ashley replied, accepting the hug that Kelly offered as she stood.



Carrie watched the two of them curiously. As far as she could tell, the two of them were genuine friends. She frowned, trying to remember the last time she, herself, had one of those.



"Excuse me," she interrupted.



Kelly's eyes darted her way, frowning slightly, "Hey, you found it ok?"



Carrie just nodded, feeling uncomfortable under Ashley's hard gaze.



"Can we talk?" she asked. "Alone?"



"No," Ashley answered, standing in front of Kelly.



Kelly laughed, "Ash, it's fine. I promise. Go hang out with Jason for a bit. He's anxious enough as it is without having to wait by himself."



"You sure?"



Kelly nodded, giving her another hug. Ashley walked out of the bathroom, eyeing Carrie down the whole time, before closing the door behind her.



"Sorry bout that," Kelly said, hopping up onto the counter, her feet dangling over the edge. "She tends to forget that she's my make-up artist, not my body guard."



"Make-up artist?'



"Yea, well, part-time fashion guru, full-time best friend, really."



Carrie nodded, watching her carefully.



"You look amazing, by the way," Kelly commented honestly.



Carrie looked at her confusedly. Why in the world would she say that? Of course, she thought the short girl sitting before her looked gorgeous, but she would never admit that, especially to someone she despised.



So, she just nodded again, looking around the room. Kelly followed her gaze, trying to figure out what was going on in her head.



"You know, if you're here to kill me, you should know that I put up one hell of a fight."



Carrie looked at her blankly. Kelly frowned; apparently, among other things, the girl had lost her sense of humor as well.



"I'm not here to make jokes," Carrie said, her voice growing cold.



"Why do you keep doing that?" Kelly asked.



"Doing what?"



"Getting all bitchy on me. We always start off having a decent conversation, and then it's as if you have to remind yourself that you hate me. I'm sorry, but if you have to remind yourself to hate me, then I don't think you really do."



"You think I give a damn what you think?" Carrie asked. "I'm not here to make friends."



"And I am? All I want is an album that people will hear. Which should have happened with my last one, but they hardly even got the chance. If hanging out with you is the only way for that to happen, then so be it. It's not like I wanted you here anyway. My brother and I were going to have a great time until you showed up."



"Yea, big fun, hanging out with your thirty something brother."



"Oh, you wouldn't know fun if it bit you on the ass."



Carrie could feel her blood boiling, "I think we should lay out a few ground rules."



"Gladly. I'll go first. You say anything about any one of my friends or family members, or you be rude to them in any way, you're dead."



"Let me rephrase that, I'm gonna lay out a few ground rules."



"Um yea, no," Kelly replied. "Rule number two, you touch me in anyway shape or form, you're dead. I don't like negative people in my bubble."



"Your bubble?"



"My bubble," Kelly said, waving her arms in the space around her.



"Fine, and I'll answer all the questions about this new 'friendship'."



Kelly looked at her, amused, "You know this isn't some huge red carpet event, right?"



Carrie frowned, "Then why are we going to it?"



"Because NASCAR has been great to me over the past year, and they've done a lot of good with all of their charities."



"Ok, let me rephrase that. Why am I going to it?"



"Clive thought we should start out small," Kelly explained. "Make it somewhat believable. Besides, there are gonna be a few reporters there, but they'll just probably be for sports magazines and stuff."



Carrie sighed, looking at the clock on the wall.



"Why do you make yourself hate me?" Kelly asked curiously.



"Do you have to say everything you think?"



"I was born without a filter," she shrugged.



Carrie frowned, "We should go. The limo was out front when I got here."



"Why didn't you tell me?" Kelly asked, hopping down, frantically looking for her shoes. "I would have sent someone down to see if he wanted something to eat or drink."



Carrie looked at her questioningly. What the hell was with this girl? She spotted the heels under the sink and carefully bent down to pick them up. Carrie raised her arm, showing her the shoes.



"Thanks," Kelly smiled, taking them from her. She slipped one heel on, then reached out, holding Carrie's arm for balance while slipping on the other. Carrie wasn't sure how to react to the touch. The girl in front of her, apparently hated her, but trusted her enough for support? She just got weirder and weirder by the second.



"You ready?" Kelly asked.



"Do I have a choice?"



"No," she smiled, leading the way out of the bathroom. Jason quickly rushed to her side.



"You ok?"



"Yea," Kelly laughed. "Did you think she was gonna jump me or something?"



"Knowing you, it probably would've been the other way around," Jason replied, then lowered his voice, eyeing Carrie cautiously, "Have you talked to this girl? I mean, is she for real?"



Kelly just laughed again, linking her arm with his, "Come on. We have some food that is calling our name."