He arrived just in time for rehearsal. He knew what was coming. Endless hours of labor. He wasn't up to it.

Nick raked a hand through his temple-length hair.

The whole routine was boring. Wake up at five in the morning, skip breakfast, six hours of rehearsing, a measly lunch break, three more hours and then home into bed. It was a vicious cycle, never yielding for anything or anyone.

Tour was starting up again in less than a week for its Europe portion. More time on stuffy buses, crowded planes and horrible trains.

Nick, as a young child, used to imagine traveling around the world. Now it was a reality that he faced too often.

Nothing was new. Screaming fans, empty hotel rooms...more screaming fans. An utterly annoying norm that, throughout the years, Nick got used to.

He wanted out. Even if it were for a week or two, to live a normal twenty-year-old's life. A simple wish, he thought.