Meanwhile, Karen woke up, seeing that Nick was still fast asleep she slowly slipped out for under his arms and went to brush her teeth. She changed into a pair of shorts and a tank top. She felt like bumming around for the day. She decided to let Nick sleep for a little while longer. So she went down to get some breakfast.
'I don't know what I feel for her. I obviously care for her but do I love her?' Brian thought to himself. 'Maybe the break up between Leigh Anne and I was fate to let Karen and me get together. What am I talking about? My mind is obviously playing games with me.' Brain got up to get some coffee singing 'As Long As You Love Me'. It reminded him of the day he met Leigh Anne, the beautiful girl that he thought was love at first sight. "I've tried to hide it so that no one knows, but I guess it shows, when you look into my eyes, what you did and where your coming from, I don't care....."
"Wow, you have a beautiful voice, how come you never sang to me before..." Karen interrupted. "Have you ever tried singing professionally?"
"Karen? How long were you standing there?" he blushed.
"Long enough to here your beautiful voice." she said. 'Wait a minute, that framed CD I saw at Nick's house..'
"Oh, I didn't know you were standing there.."
"Brian, whose the Backstreet Boys?" Karen asked curiously.
"Backstreet Boys? Their a famous pop group." he said surprised trying to explain.
"Oh..." she drifted. 'Could they be in this group? Is that why Brian bought me all that stuff? He didn't care how much money I spent.. Is he a famous musician?'
"Why?" he asked.
"Brian, I saw a framed CD at Nick's house yesterday. It contained a CD that said Backstreet Boys and there was a picture of you, Nick, Kevin, Howie and A.J.?"
"You did?" Brian said acting surprised.
"Yeah."
"No you must be dreaming." he said hiding the truth.
"Yeah, I must be." she said as she grabbed a bowl and some cereal, she went into the family room to watch some TV.
'Oh no, she knows?' Brian said. 'Should I tell her the truth? It'd be wrong of me to tell her that we weren't.'
He went into the family room and saw what she was watching. It was the video "As Long As You Love Me", she turned around to look at Brian. "What's going on here?" she asked with a serious look on her face. "Look there's you, Nick, Kevin, Howie and A.J. and there's Leigh Anne." She recieved no response. "You are in that group, aren't you?" she looked at him with questioning eyes. "Oh my God, how stupid am I? Big house, you bought me all those clothes, the diamond earrings Howie gave me... why didn't you tell me?"
'Busted...' Brian thought to himself. "We thought that you'd treat us differently, and we wanted to see if you liked us for who we really were and not musicians. And Kevin was afraid you'd use us but you haven't and I guess I should explain."
"You better explain? And I'd never use you guys, I love you all." she said offended.
"I know that Karen, we realized that now that we know you better, we were going to tell you soon..." Brian said. "Well, we've been together for almost 7 years now. We are in a group called the Backstreet Boys, we hit it big in Europe and then in Canada and now the U.S. You've never heard of us?"
"No, I haven't I was deprived from music when I was a kid." she explained. "My stepdad never liked listening to music, he said it was annoying."
"Wow, you had it all, eh?" he joked.
"Yeah, everything." she said sarcastically. "Wow, I didn't know that.. How come you guys aren't performing right now?"
"We are on vacation." he said.
"Oh, duh!" Karen said. She thought about the video. "Hey, is that when you met Leigh Anne?"
Brian's face saddened, "Yes. When I first saw her, I thought we were meant to be..."
"I'm sorry I asked."
"No it's okay, I trust you." he smiled.
"Thanks." she said. "Well, so when am I going to get to hear you guys sing?" she joked.
"Hopefully soon enough. We have a tour in a few weeks. Why don't you come with us?"
"Nah, I shouldn't intrude in your busy lives."
"C'mon, Nick's going to ask you anyways. It'll be fun. You can live our life and see what we have to go through. It's a continuous party."
"I'll think about it."
"Karen...Please?" Brian said with puppy dog eyes.
'Hey, he said that in his sleep last night. He must have been dreaming about this. It makes sense now.' she thought. "I'll think about it I said."
"C'mon it'll be fun!!! Plus you can't be here all by yourself for 6 months can you?"
"I have to stay here by myself?"
"Yeah... please?"
"I don't know.." she said unsure.
"I'll make you come..." he joked.
"How? You can't force me." she laughed.
Brian started to tickle her and Nick walked in. "I wouldn't do that, B."
"Why not?" he laughed, surprised to see him here.
"Last night I tried to tickle her and she kicked me in the crotch." Nick explained. "Damn, she sure has a strong kick I don't know if I'll ever be able to make babies now.." he joked.
"Thanks for the warning," Brian said as he stopped. "I don't want to be sterile." he laughed at Karen.
"It was an accident," she said.
"Sure it was," Brian said. "Hey, Nick what are you doing here?"
"I spent the night." Nick said as he went to sit down by Karen. He put his arm around her and gave her a peck on the cheek.
"Oh, you move fast don't you?" Brian joked.
"No, it wasn't anything like that." Karen quickly said.
"Alright if you say so." Brian laughed.
"Shut up." she said as she threw a pillow at him. She looked at Nick, "And you? Thanks for telling me your a famous singer."
Nick looked at Brian shocked. "You told her?"
"No, I found out by myself. I saw your framed CD and then I heard Brian singing this morning and I asked. But he lied to me and I saw you guys on TV. Then I asked Brian again and he explained it to me. I busted you guys huh?" Karen explained.
"You're not an easy girl to fool." Brian smiled. "Now I'll leave you two alone. I don't want to intrude."
"Intrude on what? No, stay watch some TV, there's plenty of room." Karen said. "Plus I'd love to spend an afternoon with the two guys I love the most, even though you kept a secret from me since the beginning."
"No, I don't--"
"B.. just stay. It'll be fun!" Nick assured him.
"Alright? But when you want to be alone just let me know and I'll leave." he said.
"Will do.." Nick said.
"Let's watch some more music videos." she said turning back to the television. 'N Sync came on. "Hey who are these guys? Those two are cute," she said pointing at Justin and JC.
"Hey, you're mine! You shouldn't be looking at other guys..." Nick teased.
"You don't own me." Karen joked.
"Actually, their friends of ours. Their managed by Lou Pearlman as well." Brian explained.
"Yeah, they're on tour right now, that's why we haven't seen them all summer." Nick said. "But we're better." he laughed.
"Yeah right." Karen joked.
Brian looked at Nick. "I say we get her."
Nick grinned and the two tickled her crazily, watching out for where she kicked.
"Stop, please stop!!!" Karen begged. They continued to tickle her until their fingers grew tired. Karen got up and threw pillows at them both as they sat there laughing.
"Alright, B. We make a great team." Nick laughed.
They calmed down and continued to watch television. 'She's fun to be around.' Brian thought.
At the hotel, Dawn woke up and looked over at Theresa's bed, 'Where is that girl? She never came back last night? She must be with Travis...' Someone knocked on her door. She got up to answer it and to her surprise there was Travis standing there with puffy eyes. "Travis? What's wrong?"
"Is Theresa here?" he asked.
"No, she didn't come back last night and I thought she'd be with you. What happened?" she asked.
"She wasn't with me last night. She broke up with me."
"She did? What? When? How?" Dawn's mind was filling up with unanswered questions.
"I don't know, we were kissing and stuff and then that Backstreet Boys video came on, 'I'll Never Break Your Heart' and she said that she couldn't see me anymore because she didn't want to hurt me, she didn't love me truly, she loved someone else and she ran out."
'What's gotten into her?' Dawn thought. "Travis, I'm sorry, she's been acting kind of strange lately. If she comes back I'll tell her you were here." She shut the door and sat down on her bed. 'What?'
All of a sudden the phone rang. "Hello?" she answered.
"Hi, Dawn, it's me Aaron. Are we going to do something today?"
"Aaron, I don't think I should do anything today, I really need to talk to Theresa. She just broke up with Travis and I want some answers."
"Okay, I understand. I'll call you later."
"Okay, love ya."
"Love you too! Bye and good luck!" Aaron said.
"Thanks bye." she said as she hung up the phone.
She continued to sit on her bed waiting for Theresa to return back to their hotel room.
Meanwhile, in the park, Theresa sat up on the bench, wondering where she was. Then she remembered what had happened last night. The barbeque, her yelling at Karen and making a fool of herself, the football game, Nick asking Karen out and breaking up with Travis. 'How do I mess up my life like that?' she thought to herself. 'This all wouldn't have happened if Karen didn't show up. I'd be with Nick and I'd be having a blast, what a vacation I've had. I can't wait to get home.' she blamed. 'Right now I just need time to straighten everything out. I know it's the Backstreet Boys I'm giving up, but I can't hurt anyone else even more especially myself. Seeing Nick with that whore tears me apart.' she started to cry. 'I just wish I hadn't hurt Travis like that. He deserves better, I feel bad for using him like that, but I didn't know until last night when that video came on... I don't know what came over me...' she kept pondering. She decided to get up and head back to the hotel. She knew that Dawn would be worried and let her parents know that she didn't come back last night and then a whole thing would errupt. 'I only wish things would get better.... I can't wait to get back to my life in Wisconsin...'
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