Chapter 10

At the beach, they all set up their blankets. Theresa took off her tank top and skirt and placed them in her bag. Nick looked over his eyes just glued to Theresa's figure, 'Wow, she looks good in that bikini,' he thought to himself.

"Hey anyone want to help me put on some suntan lotion?" Theresa asked. Nick got up immediately, "I will!!!"

"Thanks," she smiled.

Dawn and Aaron, being the two youngest, ran off to play in the water. A.J. and Amanda were in their own little world. Kevin and Howie were playing beach volleyball with some girls they met. And Brian? Well, he just laid in the sun. Ever since A.J. asked about Leigh Anne, he has been very quiet.

"So how do you like Florida so far?" Nick asked Theresa.

"Well, I've only been here a week and I'm having a blast!" Theresa replied happily. "I'm in a sunny, yet very beautiful city. I went sight-seeing with my family and Dawn's and it truly is a lovely place. And who would've thought that I'd meet the Backstreet Boys and hang out with them. I couldn't ask for anything better." Her eyes sparkled as she spoke.

"Well, I'm glad your enjoying your time. I also hope that you guys will spend the rest of your vacation in Florida with us, you guys are very cool and fun to be around. I'm sorry about the past week, but we had some business to deal with for our upcoming tour." he explained looking straight into her eyes.

"It's okay!" Theresa could see it in his eyes that he really meant it. Theresa blushed. 'Ya I'd love too! I wish I could be with you forever.'

Meanwhile, in the water, Dawn and Aaron were having the time of their life. Aaron picked up Dawn and threw her back in. Dawn was squealing and laughing non-stop. 'Man Aaron is so cute. God I think I'm dreaming right now, I'm hanging with Aaron Carter, brother of Nick Carter and I'm having the best time ever. I couldn't ask for more'

"Come back here Aaron, I'm going to get you back!!" yelled Dawn.

"I don't think so." Aaron laughed slyly.

Dawn went after Aaron and grabbed him. She jumped onto him causing him to go underwater, pretending that she was drowning him. He got back up and flipped Dawn over.

"Now your dead," he grinned.

"Your going to have to catch me first," Dawn laughed, trying to move away as fast as she could.

Theresa was looking at Dawn and Aaron having so much fun in the water. Nick looked over at Theresa and realized what she was looking at. "They look like their having a great time over there."

"Yeah, it's great to be young, isn't it?" Theresa said.

"Yeah, we're only young once." he agreed.

"They look so cute together. I wish...." Theresa speaking her thoughts, not knowing she said it out loud.

"What'd you say?" Nick said curiously interrupting her thoughts.

"Oh nothing." she said embarrassed. 'Luckily he didn't hear me.' She then spoke up to make some conversation, "So you have a girlfriend?"

"Nah, my schedule's too hectic. I'm looking for someone who can put up with that. and someone who'll love me for me, not my money or career." he replied. "What about you? Got a boyfriend?"

"No.."

"Why not?"

"Well, because I'm waiting for the right person, I guess..."

"Who isn't? Waiting for the right person I mean."

"Yeah I just don't want to get hurt, ya know."

"I totally agree."

"So what's it like being screamed at by so many girls?" Theresa asked. "Isn't it a guy's fantasy to have girls crawling all over him?"

Nick laughed. "Yeah I guess you can say that. It's pretty cool at times, just seeing their happy faces. Full filling their fantasies." Nick said. " But what sucks is that we can't meet them all. The lucky ones who do get to meet us just have plain luck. I just wish we could meet all our fans and to thank each one of them personally. But I think we're the luckiest of all to receive such attention."

"So you like the attention?"

"I guess so. Not all the time though because you never know whose real and whose not anymore. I don't know who my real friends are either, except for the boys in the group and family. Sometimes I feel like people use me and judge me because I am famous, so I don't know what to believe. Since I joined the Backstreet Boys, I've never exactly got the chance to make many friends and I feel I've lost that from my childhood."

"So you don't consider me a friend??" Theresa said sadly.

"Yeah I do..it's just that I hardly know you enough to trust you fully..you know?" he tried to explain. "As long as you judge me for me and treat me like a regular kid rather than a Backstreet Boy, then I'll consider trusting you or not." he smiled weakly hoping she would understand.

"I do understand." she said depressed. Then she thought it over 'I guess he's right, you can't trust a complete stranger until you know who they really are. And to him I'm a stranger.' Theresa smiled, "Yeah I do understand, I guess I'll have to make you TRUST me then," she joked. "I'll do everything I can to FORCE you to trust me."

"Heh. Well, I guess we'll have to see about that one," he said laughing, "Just as long as you don't turn psycho on me."

Theresa smiled feeling better now. She wanted so badly to ask about Karen. After a long debate she finally built enough courage to ask, "So have you talked to Karen yet? You know the girl you ran over the other day."

"No," he said sadly. "I guess I'm never going to see her again."

Theresa looked at him. 'He really cares about her. Damn her for being in the way.'

"I've been thinking about her a lot."

"You have?" Theresa responded surprised.

"Yeah, she didn't look like she was in good shape, you know what I mean?" he asked. "I just hope she's alright."

'I'm sorry I even brought it up! Now I'm not going to hear the end of it.' Theresa regretted. She had a sad look in her face and Nick saw this immediately and decided to stop talking.

"So.... you want to go join them?" Nick suggested looking at Dawn and Aaron. "Let's go have some fun."

Theresa grinned, "Yeah let's go!"

Nick looked over at Brian, who seemed awfully quiet, 'What's up with Brian? He's never this quiet.' He looked over at Theresa. "I'll catch up with you in a bit. I'm going to ask Brian if he wants to come."

"Alright."

During that time, Brian laid still on his blanket with his eyes closed and there were many thoughts running through his head. 'Why did A.J. have to bring up Leigh Anne? God! I can't blame A.J., he was only wondering, right?' He was now feeling more depressed. 'Leigh Anne is too occupied to even notice me anymore. She doesn't even call anymore and when I try to call, she's always too busy to talk to me. She has family things to do and she has her crazy schedule to deal with as well. What's happening between us? Hopefully, she'll have enough time to talk to me about this or...or...I don't even know what's going to happen...I love her too much to break up with her. But she'll have to "fit me in" so we can deal with this. God, why am I worrying about this so much, it's nothing, this can't ruin my fun, right?' he asked himself. Brian had a lot on his mind with this whole Leigh Anne situation. He felt that he couldn't tell anyone about it just yet until he has this solved or at least until he talks to Leigh Anne about it. 'I can't bring anyone down with me.' Then he thought it over, 'Maybe I'll just tell Nick, he is my best friend after all. Oh I don't know.'