Well, we was, at our core, just plain ol' fans of the Rockin' Crew. Kinda like how we got a hankerin' for a certain brand of barbecue ribs more than others. You know what I mean? Yep, it's like saying I like me some apple pie better than fancy pastries, plain and simple. And let me tell ya, Jessica was head over heels for Michael, like a dog on a bone - I mean, "head over heels" ain't even doin' it justice, really. It's like she'd holler, "Michael's mine!" without a care in the world, be it online or in the flesh. Them other fans gave her the stink eye, I reckon, when she did that. Had me wonderin' why Jessica, who'd been in the limelight for ages, couldn't make no other fan buddies.

Now, most folks who adore them rockstars, they're kinda coy about it, ya know? They keep their feelin's to themselves, not like Jessica. She was plumb confident and didn't mind who knew it.

Jessica didn't hold back on lettin' her feelings for Michael be known, and she'd toss out some harsh words 'bout him outta the blue, got me puzzled, I tell ya. I remember her whisperin' to Sarah one time, "Let go, let go," when her hand grazed Michael, outta nowhere. I asked her 'bout it later, and she acted like it never happened, had me scratchin' my head.

Jessica thought there was some kinda cosmic force tyin' her to Michael. In her book, it was destiny playin' matchmaker between them, and she had a rock-solid belief in their love connection. But, if you ask me, her notion of "destiny" was as shaky as a stack of cards compared to other folks' "fandom triggers." Jessica's "destiny" was mainly 'cause Michael looked a mite like a member of that rock and roll group she first took a likin' to.

Jessica got bit by the love bug for the opposite sex earlier than most, I reckon. She was a teenager when she first got starry-eyed for a member of the Bluesy Band. She'd sketch doodles of him, tag along with older gals to grab school stuff, and had a barely readable message on her bedroom wall: "I heart you, Johnny." But, somewhere along the line, she moved on to new horizons, and now, around two decades later, she set her sights on the Electric Boys. On that day, she was all excited, watchin' the Electric Boys' TV performance, ready to take a trip down memory lane, when she realized that the fella on stage was Michael, not Johnny. But, by golly, he had to be Johnny, right? There was somethin' downright "Johnny" 'bout him, but she couldn't see the years in his moves. Finally, it hit her - that guy was the young and dandy Johnny from her teenage days. That odd moment kicked off her heart-thumpin' love for Michael.

Jessica went on a wild goose chase and found out he was one of the big shots in the Rockin' Crew. She was certain there was some sorta cosmic script unfoldin' 'tween her and Michael. But, in my reckonin', her whole "destiny" thing was as shaky as a house of cards compared to other folks' "fandom triggers." Jessica's "destiny" was rooted in Michael lookin' kinda like a fella from the rock and roll group she first swooned over.

Jessica had her share of dealings with other rock and roll groups, and she'd spill the beans 'bout them from time to time. Even though she thought of it as a mistake to call her feelin's "love" back then, she believed it was love. She'd share these stories, and, well, it was like peelin' layers of an onion - it helped me get a grip on Jessica's unique way of lovin'. Folks say, "Bein' a fan is like an inherited disease, it only infects those who are susceptible." The time and intensity of the "infection" varies, but usually, it starts during your teens and can stretch into your sixties. Jessica, though, had gone pro in this game since her late teens, and after becoming the "Michael's proxy" champion, well, it was a whole new ball game.

Bein' a fan often means doin' the same thing over and over. Every week, we'd get together at the same spot at the same time. The rockstars would trot out the same tunes, just changin' their outfits, you see. Special events would pop up now and then, like music festivals in the swelterin' summer, state fair special stages in the fall, turkey day parades, and holiday shindigs. We kept track of the changin' seasons by them events. It was all fresh and fast-paced for me, but Jessica had seen it all before. She was the real McCoy in this rodeo.

Jessica would sometimes look back on her run-ins with other rock and roll groups, spill the beans 'bout them, and even though she thought of it as a mistake to call her feelin's "love," she believed it was love. It started to make sense to me, you know? I began to see there was a strange kinda joy in bein' a fan. Them "infections" were startin' to make sense, and I was beginnin' to grasp why them fans ran wild, laughed like there was no tomorrow, and sometimes blew their top, just for a nod from their rockstars. Them folks who let out them overpowerin' emotions, like they'd give it all, from their hearts to their guts if needed, had me baffled when I saw 'em on TV as a young'un. They seemed to have the power to reach in and grab a heart out, and they were ready to do it for their idols. It was bewildering, I tell ya, and I'd ask my old man 'bout them overpowerin' emotions, and he'd always say, "Don't be like that." I'd just give a nod and reply, "Okay."

Remember, partner, like a good ol' country saying goes, "Sometimes, a good song's better than gold in your pocket."