After all the drama that had happened during their short brake, all were looking forward to returning to the road. Life on a tour bus was something they had all grown accustom to, and it was high time to get back to the norm.
"Oh ya, this is definitely our bus" Brian said as he walked in, immediately pinching his nose "This place reeks! Haven't y'all heard of aerating?"
"Hey, you have no right to complain" Kevin pointed out, bending over to pick something up. He lifted it and dangled it infront of his cousins' face "You're the one that left his dirty socks on board"
Brian chuckled and went to deposit his suitcase in his bunk. He let out a heavy sigh and vigorously rubbed his tired face with his hands. He'd spent his last few days and nights thinking about Kristy, and sorting out his feelings for her. Gathering himself, he decided it would be best if he went to talk to her.
Slowly, he began to make his way towards the exit to go and find her.
Just as he reached the living area, the door flew open and Kristy came barging in.
"Hey Kris..."
"We need to talk" she interrupted, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him back to the bunks.
Letting him go, she immediately pulled the curtains closed to the section and turned back to face him.
"We need to talk" she said again, this time a little less fiercely.
Brian licked his bottom lip and answered, "I know"
There was a short pause where neither knew who should speak first. Finally, they both opened their mouths at the same time.
"I know that..."
"It's just that..."
Brian's lips curled into a small grin "You first" he said sweetly.
Taking a deep breath , Kristy began reciting the lecture she had spent hours rehearsing before the mirror
"Brian, do you think I'm stupid?" she put up her hand to keep him from butting in "Because you really must think I am if you think that I'd ever believe you like me. For god sakes, I helped you through your brake up with your girlfriend... I saw how heartbroken you were! So if you'd ever think that I would be dumb enough to believe that you actually kissed me because you care for me, and not just to get back at Eli in some twisted way... You've got another thing coming"
Inhaling sharply, she ended her speech "Because the last thing I need right now is another broken heart"
Shamefully, Brian looked down to the floor, secretly hoping he could dig a hole in it to burry himself in. His hands slipped into his pockets and he shut his eyes. "I'm sorry" he whispered.
Kristy nodded; her tongue placed between her lip and her front teeth to keep herself from shedding any tears. "So you did just use me". Although she had just made it clear that she was aware of it, it still hurt to acknowledge it. After all, no one likes to be told they had been used.
She started to turn away, when she heard him speak.
"I'm sorry I made you feel that way" Brian said, looking up to fix her in the eye "But I'm not sorry I kissed you"
Kristy shook her head, not understanding what he was getting at.
Brian sighed and sat down on the tip of his bunk and gestured her to do the same. Hesitantly, Kristy took a seat infront of him.
"I love Felicity" Brian said honestly. "But she isn't in love with me any more. And as much as I would like to change that, there's absolutely nothing I can do about it. All that's left for me now is to move on with my life. Eventually, I will get over her! And I think I've already started the process because I have accepted the fact that I will never be with her again.
I never thought you were stupid Kristy, nor would I ever purposely harm you. You're a wonderful human being and you have helped me cope with one of the most difficult experiences of my life. So when I kissed you that night, it wasn't on a rebound... It was because I wanted to"
Kristy swallowed and felt her face flush.
"I do care for you Kris- a lot" he added, taking her trembling hands in his; giving them a small squeeze.
Again, the room fell silent. What was meant to say was said. The question was what would be done about it?
**Meanwhile**
"I promise I'm never, ever, ever gonna leave you again."
Alyssa came up behind Laurel and smacked her over the head "Stop being stupid"
Laurel simply stuck out her tongue and continued hugging the giant screen T.V in the entertainment room "I love you" she squealed.
"You're such a twit" Alyssa laughed, limping as she made her way to the kitchenette to take a well-deserved glass of water. The girls had spent the early morning unpacking and sharing gossip. Of course, all the really juicy stuff would be kept for later. They were all impatiently waiting Eli's arrival- most of all Alyssa. She just couldn't wait to tell her friend about A.J
"Naila, where should I put these?" she queried, holding a box of stationary up so her friend could see.
Naila turned around; her arms packed with various objects- her chin firmly pressed on the peek of the pile. "Who cares?" she snarled.
"Geez" Alyssa mumbled as her friend walked away "What crawled up her ass?"
Ignoring her thirst, and instead succumbing to her fatigue, Alyssa threw the box on the table and plopped down in the couch.
Right as she sighed, she heard some voices making their way towards her. Looking up, a huge grin spread across her face.
"Eli...ah... shit!" She screeched, jumping to her feet, then cussing when the pain from her ankle jolted through her body.
Smiling from ear to ear, I dropped my bags and threw my arms around my best friend "I missed you girl" I said cheerfully. Letting go of her neck, I backed up and looked down at her bandaged foot. "Oh my god, what happened? Are you Ok?"
"Ya-ya, it's just a sprained ankle" Lyss answered, waving her hands anxiously in front of her face; other thoughts taking priority in her mind "I've got something to tell you..."
My brow narrowed as she pulled me down to the couch. She had an unusually happy grin on her face and I wondered what she was so eager to tell me.
Her eyes twinkled "A.J and I are going out!" she yipped, trying to keep her cool as best she could.
"Oh my god" I shouted as I hugged her "That's wonderful! Congratulations!"
"What's wonderful?"
Hearing an unexpected voice add itself to our conversation, I looked up and instantly smiled
"Hey baby" I greeted, throwing my arms around Nick and kissing him.
Alyssa stared at the two wide eyed until their embrace came to an end
"Did I miss something?" she queried; confusion evident on her face.
Linking my fingers in his, I turned to Alyssa and inhaled. "Well, Nick and I are... together"
Before she could so much as say a word, I continued "But please don't tell anyone just yet! We kinda decided it would be best to wait before breaking the news. Especially Brian..."
Nodding, she pretended to zip her mouth "Not one word" she assured before congratulating us on our new found love.
"It's about time" she added with a giggle.
**~~**
After Dawn and Howie finally arrived; we were on our way to our next concert. It must have been quite a few dangerous days off, because Howie came back with his arm in a sling! He claimed he fell down a flight of stairs and injured it. Other then us getting re-acquainted, the rest of the day was more or less uneventful. A.J came to join us on our bus, and Nick returned to his to keep from arousing suspicion. I worried that we might not be able to keep our little secret safe for very long- but I was going to try my very best. Although my heart now belonged to Nick, I still wanted to avoid causing Brian any more pain. I just had to wait for the perfect moment to tell him.
But right now that was the furthest thing from my mind! I had a small surprised in store for Nick, and I simply could not wait till we reached the arena to show it to him.
**That Evening**
Joyfully, Laurel skipped down the hall of the concert hall, already in her costume. It would still be a while before they got on stage, but she was too bubbly to stay still for more than 5 seconds. After the girls had kicked her out of the dressing room, she pondered on what to do. And then she remembered; she had some very important information to share with Nick.
So there she was, happy as a happy as a school girl, on her way to the Backstreet Boys' dressing room.
As she raised her fist to knock, the door opened.
"Nick" she beamed "Just the man I was looking for"
"Hey, what's up?" he asked kindly.
Quickly, Laurel grabbed him by the hand and lead him to the most secluded corner she could find.
"I have something very important to tell you" she said quietly.
Nick put up a cautious face, and crossed his arms over his chest. "What is it?"
"I..." Her heart skipped a beat when she looked into those mesmerizing oceanic blue eyes of his. She had realized, after he left the dance that she still had a major crush on him. And now that they were 'friends', she saw no sense in hiding it. In fact, she was so confident that her heart was leading her in the right direction, that she even called it quits with Michael yesterday. Garbage is meant to be thrown out anyway...
"Hello?" Nick said, interrupting her thoughts.
She shook herself "Yeah. Um, sorry. Anyways, as I was saying..." she inhaled and bit her lip; playing with her rings nervously as she searched for just the right words "I meant to tell you this a while ago. But under the circumstances, I well..."
Nick was beginning to lose patience. If there was anything he hated was when people couldn't just get to the point. "Alright- spit it out"
"Eli and you never slept together"
Nick's brow arched "What?!" he said in a loud whisper.
"Well you see..." Laurel began; redirecting her view to escape his peering gaze "After the whole article thing surfaced, I remembered that Michael was there with you that night. So I asked him about it... He told me that he was in the room with you guys; and nothing happened. You just fell asleep"
Nick was still confounded about what she was talking about "What are you getting at?"
"Oh gawd!" Laurel groaned hopelessly "You never had sex with Eli!... Do I have to draw you a map?"
"Oh shit" Nick mouthed, smacking himself in the forehead. No wonder he didn't remember anything from that night. There was nothing to remember. His initial reaction was a smile. Wider and broader than ever before. They hadn't done anything wrong after all! Then reality struck, and his grin faded. The main reason Eli and him ever got together was because of that article. And now, he just learned that it was a lie. The concept was almost too much for him to grasp all at once and he began to feel faint
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier but..."
Extending his index finger, Nick signaled her not to say anything else. Placing his other hand on his knee to keep the room from spinning, he bent his head and closed his eyes.
Laurel looked at him oddly "Are you Ok?" she queried, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"I'm fine" he lied, exhaling sharply as he gathered himself. He looked at her and forced a smile "Thanks for letting me know."
Laurel grinned back "Yeah. Well should I tell Eli are do y...."
"No!" Nick snapped, grabbing her firmly by the wrist "You're not gonna tell her, or anyone, got it?"
"Okay, I won't" Laurel said angrily, yanking herself from his grip.
Nick gave her a stern glare before storming off. There was no way in hell he was gonna tell Eli about this and risk losing her already. Besides, just because Eli hadn't cheated on Brian didn't erase the fact that Brian cheated on her! Right?
**30 Minutes Later**
"I'll be there in a sec!" Naila hollered from the bathroom. She didn't have much time left before the performance. But there were more important issues at hand. For instance, how disgusted she was with herself. She sneered at her reflection as she poked at the skin on her tummy. She regretted agreeing to where a mid-rift! 'I'm in horrible shape' she thought, pulling at her skin in horror. After examining her thighs, and their enormous size, she had no regrets for choosing to put herself on a diet. Frowning, she heard pounding at the door. It was Lyss.
"Girl, get your fat ass out of there! We're on in 5..."
Naila let out a grave sigh. Taking one final abhorrent look at herself in the mirror, she gently unlocked the door and hurried out. The show must go on.
**During The BSB's Performance**
Peeping out the small crack in the curtains, my eyes enthusiastically wandered the arena in search of my 'surprise' for Nick. I still hadn't spotted it, and I presumed Nick hadn't either. I kept my fingers crossed; hoping it would all pull through. The roaring of the crowd increased and I knew it was time for the first wardrobe change.
Before I knew it, The Boys were all around me stripping and pulling on their next costume.
"Nick!" I shouted, maneuvering my way towards him. He was too engrossed in fiddling with his unruly Velcro pants to look up, but I knew he heard me. "Nick", I shouted as they were all being whisked off again "Keep your eyes pealed!"
Within moments, Nick and the rest of the guys were back on stage, getting their groove on for the next number.
As he pranced around stage; making thousands of girls scream out his name in orgasm type frenzies, he wondered what Eli was trying to tell him. Something about keeping his eyes open... Gliding passed Kevin, his mind quickly returned to his performance. He waved at the audience and made his way to the corner of the stage to complete the chorography when he saw it. Or rather- saw her.
**After The Concert**
Nick stormed of stage and went in search of Eli. Never had he been so furious in all his life!
He grabbed a towel from the rack and threw it over his shoulder to help dry the sweat. Finally, he found her sitting in the hallway.
"Nick" I smiled, standing so that I could hug him. Surprisingly, he stepped away. I looked at him oddly and asked him what the matter was.
His eyes were flaming "Is this your idea of a joke?" he yelled.
"Excuse me?" I asked with large eyes.
"Inviting Sheridan to the show! I saw her in the audience..." He scram angrily.
I shook my head "I thought it would be a nice surprise..." I pandered meekly "I thought you would be happy"
"Yeah, well, I'm not!" he shot back "What part of 'I don't ever want to see her again' did you not understand?"
His words were bitter and cruel, and they felt like hot pokers jabbing at her heart.
"I just wanted to surprise you" I said, as tears began to weld in my eyes.
Nick just looked at her in disbelief. How could she do something so stupid? But when the first tear rolled down her cheek, his heart melted and he pulled her into his arms.
"I'm so sorry for yelling at you" he murmured regretfully into her ears as he held her tightly against his chest. "I love you".
He then kissed me on the top of my head and pulled away.
"But I don't appreciate you doing something like this without consulting me first. Now what are we going to do?"
I proceded to explain to Nick that Sheridan could stay on my bus until our next stop. After that, she'd be sent home.
At least that's what I told him. My real plan was to try and get the two talking again. The last thing I needed on my conscious right now was knowing that a perfectly good friendship was ruined because of me...
**That Evening**
We all sat silently on the bus as we were driven to our next location. It had become clear to me that inviting Sheridan to come along was a bad idea after all! She was still giving me attitude; and even fell asleep in *my* bunk without giving me so much as a 'thank you' for offering it to her.
"Well I think she's a bitch" Alyssa said bluntly after making sure that Sheridan was in fact sleeping.
"Big time!" Laurel agreed, reaching into the bowl and pulling out a handful of popcorn "I hope she leaves soon" she said shoving the cornels in her mouth.
Naila was also already in bed, so the only other person left among us was Kristy. She had this vacant look on her face for a while now, and she'd been quiet ever since we got back.
"Anything the matter Kris?" I inquired, placing my hand on her leg.
Startled, she jumped slightly. When she saw Eli eying her, she forced a smile on her lips "Sorry" she apologized "Um, what did you say?"
Before I could ask again, Lyss butted in "We were just saying that that Sheridan girl is a menace. What ya think?"
Kristy pretended to think "Oh, um, yeah. She is"
Laurel, Lyss and Eli all exchanged glances in regards to her strange behavior.
The reason why Kristy had been acting so aloof was because of her talk with Brian. They had decided it would be best if the two stayed friends- and nothing more. But the truth was that she began to doubt she had made the right decision! Brian was a great guy and she liked him a lot. Most girls would give their right arm to be with someone as sweet as him! The only person she trusted to discuss the situation with was Naila. But even she'd been acting distant for a while. All that was left for her was to sort things out for herself; which was gonna be one hell of a feat considering all the overwhelming emotions she was going through.
Alyssa looked at the time and gasped "Yikes! I'd better check my messages" she announced, standing up and leaving the entertainment room "I'll see you all in the morning"
She sat down on the kitchen counter and reached for the phone and dialed her voice-mail number.
"You have 1 new message"
She pouted. 'Only 1?!'
She entered her PIN number and waited.
"Hey Lyssa, it's J.C. I didn't hear from ya since the party, and so I was wondering what you've been up to. Well I guess that's it... Call me if you can. I-I.... I miss you... bye"
BEEP
Right away, Alyssa hung up and dialed his cell number.
"Yellow?" A very groggy J.C answered.
"Hey!!" Alyssa greeted cheerfully "I just got your message..."
The two talked up a storm that night! They really bonded over such a short period of time and became quite good friends. Alyssa even told her about A.J, and how thrilled she was about being in a relationship with him. 'I think I love him' he remembered her saying.
After they said their goodbyes, J.C began to make his way to his own bunk when he was interfered.
"So...." Britney squealed jumping up and down infront of him like a toad "What did she say?"
"I didn't ask her out"
Britney's hopping came to a halt and her jaw fell to the floor "What?!"
"I couldn't ask her out because she told me she's dating McLean". J.C shuddered at the thought of being beaten to the punch. And to make it worse, by a Backstreet Boy. How low could you get?
Britney patted him sweetly on the back "There-there J-Bear" she comforted "It's Ok"
J.C rolled his eyes and plopped down on his bed.
"It's McLean" an ease dropping Justin commented from across "It won't be hard to show her a good time if she's dating that dick! Take her out, and bang her! She'll come crawling to you after that"
J.C thought about what Justin advised. It wasn't such a bad idea... Maybe all he had to do was sweep her off her feet... Or at least, into his bed. Yes! It was the perfect plan! And he wasn't going to let it fail.
"You better watch out though" Britney cautioned, "From what I hear, A.J is quite possessive of his girlfriends. If you fuck her, and he finds out..."
J.C laughed heartily as he closed his curtains for some shut eye "Right, like I'm scared of that tattoo-on-a-stick."
