Playing With Fire

"So where are we going?" Ashley asked, moving to adjust the radio station.

Kelly swatted her hand away and sent a death glare her way.

"Sorry," Ashley laughed, putting her hands up in surrender. "I forgot the number one rule of riding with Kelly Clarkson: do not touch the radio."

Kelly rolled her eyes, "Not the whole name. You know I hate it when you use my whole name. It's like I'm some unbelievably famous person."

"Ugh Kel...you kinda are," Ashley reminded her.

"Oh yea," a smile grew on Kelly's face.

"So where are we going?" she asked again.

"Would you just relax?" Kelly sighed. "We have the day off. We're in Los Angeles. We're single. What do you think we're going to do?"

"Shop?"

"We're going shopping," Kelly said excitedly, turning up the radio in her range rover, singing along at the top of her lungs.

+++++++++++

Carrie sighed, rummaging through her closet.

"Great!" she exclaimed to herself, seeing she was at her apartment alone for the time being. She was in Los Angeles for the week because she had several important meetings to attend to. She was supposed to be having dinner that night with several important record execs to discuss the direction of her new album, but she couldn't find a single thing that she even remotely wanted to wear. She sighed frustratedly, running a hand through her long, curly blonde hair.

"That's it," she said to herself, grabbing her keys. "I'm going shopping."

++++++++++

"Kelly, come on. We can't go here," Ashley fussed, sinking down in her seat, as Kelly put the vehicle in park.

"And why not?"

"Because it's one of the most snobby places in L.A. You know how much you hate these places. I mean, these are the type of people we always make fun of," Ashley pointed out.

"Which is exactly why this is going to be so much fun," Kelly smiled.

Ashley looked at her doubtfully.

"Oh, come on. You know you want to. You do this, and I'll pay for lunch."

"Oh, you are paying even if I don't do this," Ashley grumbled, but climbed out of the vehicle.

Kelly cheered in excitement. She had always wanted to go to one of these stores, even though she knew she'd probably never where anything in them.

"Kelly, I think we may be underdressed," Ashley said, looking at Kelly who was wearing jeans and a t-shirt and then at the people walking into and out of the store who were wearing nothing less than Chanel.

"Hey, I have make up and shoes on; I'm doing pretty good," Kelly laughed.

"Yea, flip flops," Ashley pointed to Kelly's feet, and she wiggled her toes cutely.

"Dude, they gotta breathe too."

Ashley rolled her eyes, linking her arm through her best friend's. She pulled her dark sunglasses down over her face, "Let's go."

"Shouldn't I be the one going incognito?" Kelly asked.

"No. Coming from you, people think this is cute. From me? I'll be lucky if I don't get arrested."

"Hey, I'll bail you out," Kelly assured her, bumping her hip with her own.

"Thanks Kel."

"Anytime Ash."

+++++++++++++

Carrie pulled her car up next to a black range rover. She sighed, hoping this wasn't one of those snobby stores where there was like a list to get in, and even the workers look at you like you're dirt. But...one of her friends had recommended it to her when she had told them she was desperate, so she thought she'd give it a shot.

++++++++++++

Kelly laughed at the sight of a line of people waiting to get into the store. There was even a guard up front, only allowing certain people in.

"This is crazy," she laughed.

"Slightly."

"Come on," Kelly smiled giddily, tugging on Ashley's arm, cutting the entire line.

"This is so not gonna end well."

A big hand came out to stop Kelly as she was about to enter the store.

"Excuse me?" she said, feeling the hand on her stomach. She looked up at the owner of the hand. He was a foot taller than her and at least double her weight.

"Hi," she smiled sweetly.

"Where are you going?" The security guard asked.

"Shopping," Kelly replied excitedly.

"I don't think so," the man replied, giving Kelly the once over. Ashley had to hold in her laughter. Kelly was barely 5'3", just over 120, and the guy didn't stand a chance.

"May I ask why not?"

"Because ma'am, this here isn't your average rodeo. You see, only a certain class of people are allowed in here."

Kelly frowned, realizing that the man was patronizing her.

"Well now," she said, allowing her twang to come into full use. "I thought this here was a store, not some fancy Studio 64 or anything."

"This is a store," the guard replied, growing tired of the tiny simpleton that was wasting his time.

"And when you say a certain class of people...you mean like celebrities right?" her eyes were glowing like a little kid's at a candy shop.

"Yes."

"Oh, so, like Cameron Diaz and Paris Hilton and Orlando Bloom oh, and maybe," her eyes turned serious, her voice loss the excess twang, "Kelly Clarkson?"

"Ye--" the guard froze as he eyed Kelly carefully. "Miss Clarkson?" he croaked.

"Yes?" she asked, smiling once again.

"I am so sorry Miss Clarkson. I didn't know--"

Kelly laughed, her anger long faded. "It's ok hun," she patted the large man's arm. "My mom doesn't even recognize me sometimes."

The guard laughed uneasily, hoping he wasn't going to lose his job today.

"You may go inside Miss Clarkson," he said, stepping inside.

"Thanks, and don't worry," she winked. "We'll keep this between you and me."

"Thank you," he whispered as she and Ashley passed to go into the store.

++++++++++

Carrie sighed as she walked up to the long line. She stood behind it for nearly fifteen minutes without it so much as moving an inch, before she decided to try her luck at the front. She got out of line and made her way to the front of the line. Her heels clicking on the pavement.

Carrie smiled at the guard, "Hi, I'm--"

"Miss Underwood," the guard smiled. "Someone called to inform us that you were coming. Please...come in."

The guard stepped aside, letting a shocked Carrie pass into the store.

"Two American Idols in one day?" a girl in the front of the line asked her friend that was next to her. "What are the odds?"

++++++++++++

"Are you lost?" a fake French accent asked as Kelly and Ashley were skimming through some dresses. The two had to stifle their giggles before they could turn around.

"Um, no sir," Kelly replied sweetly to the man standing before her. He was thin and only a few inches taller than her. He wore a black pin-stripe suit with a lime green button down shirt. His black hair and goatee were both fixed perfectly.

'Metro much?' Kelly asked herself. 'Whatever happened to a good man's man? Where have all the lumber jacks gone?'

The man gave Kelly a funny look as she started to giggle.

"Well, can I help you then?" the faux frenchman asked.

"No thank you; we're just browsing," Kelly replied politely.

"Browsing?" the man asked.

"Yes."

"Hm," the worker turned his nose in the air and walked away as Kelly and Ashley burst into a fit of giggles.

"See," Kelly laughed. "I told you this would be fun."

"Yea, yea," Ashley laughed.

++++++++++++

"It's nice to find a sense of normality in here," Carrie confided in the worker, Shontell, that was helping her.

The older woman smiled, "Don't worry hunny. I know what it's like in this city sometimes. I, myself, am from Mississippi, and this is like another world compared to that."

"Amen," Carrie laughed. She held out a nice black dress. "I think I actually like this."

Shontell smiled, "I agree. But let's get a couple more for you to try on just in case."

++++++++++

"Oh my gawd," Kelly smiled. "Ashley, you have to try this on."

"What?" Ashley turned to find Kelly holding up a skimpy little skirt and top that would cover...well, nothing. "No way."

"Oh come on. You'd look so hot," Kelly insisted.

"Why don't you try it on?"

"Have you seen my butt? That skirt doesn't stand a chance." Kelly replied honestly.

+++++++++++

Ashley grumbled as Kelly shoved her into a dressing room. Kelly jumped at the sound of another door closing. She looked around, closing Ashley's door behind her, but decided it was just another changing room door.

++++++++

"Kelly, I'm not coming out in this!"

"Yea, you are!"

"Make me!"

"I'll start singing!"

Kelly heard Ashley's laughter, "Yea, cause that's torture!"

"And dancing, and I'll embarass the crap out of you!"

"Try that when I'm locked in here!"

A soft smile came over Carrie's face at the sound of the two friends arguing. It made her a bit homesick. She didn't really have that much true friends in LA. She pulled on the black dress and smiled. This was it.

Kelly started to sing the song that was stuck in her head.

"Standing at the back door, she tried to make it fast.
One tear hit the hardwood, it fell like broken glass.
She said sometimes love slips away
And you just can't get it back, let's face it."

Carrie's ears perked up at the lyrics to her song. A smile grew on her face. She always loved hearing her fans sing her songs. Especially when they could actually sing--and this girl could sing.

"For one split second, she almost turned around.
But that would be like pouring rain drops back into a cloud.
So she took another step, said I see my way out.
And I'm gonna take it."

Ashley sighed when she heard Kelly's voice stop. The girl had an amazing voice which was a problem, seeing as it always attracted attention. However, Kelly wasn't finished. She was looking around for a microphone. When she couldn't find one, she slipped off one of her own flip flops and decided to use that.

"I don't wanna spend my life jaded, waiting"

Carrie peaked her head out of her dressing room to see a short brunette, dancing around cutely, belting out her song. She had one flip flop on, and the other in her hand like a microphone. With her back to her, Carrie thought it was okay to giggle. Especially since the girl was singing the song better than herself.

"To wake up one day and find--"

Carrie shivered at the perfect note.

"That I let all these years go by...wasted."

Kelly smiled, bowing to her 'audience'.

"Thank you, thank you," she laughed.

"That was really good," Carrie said honestly, stepping out of the dressing room. Kelly jumped at the voice. "Ever thought about trying out for American Idol?"

"Been there, done that," Kelly smiled before turning around to face her real audience.