One of those buses was the crew bus which housed me. By then we had basically become friends. We were talking a lot more often and more so about our personal lives than the business one we shared.
�Hiding from someone?� I asked Nick as I boarded the bus. Cookie was sitting next to him and winked at me.
�Apparently, we haven�t seen him. We�re supposed to pretend like he�s not here,� she replied.
�Oh ok that should be easy,� I said and proceeded to squeeze into the small space between Cookie and Nick, shoving him to one side. �Cookie you wouldn�t believe the menstrual cramps I�m having this month.�
�Eeeewwww! I really didn�t need to hear that,� Nick replied.
�Who said that? Cookie did you hear something?�
�No, I didn�t hear a thing.�
�Oh ok well anyway. . . what were we talking about?�
�Your cramps, I believe.�
�Ah yes. Well anyway they�re really starting to get to me. I mean it�s like something is trying to crawl up out of my stomach and don�t get me started on the other stuff.�
�Oh please don�t start on the other stuff. Ok I give! Look I�m right here. I�m here ok!�
�Oh! Nick when did you get in here?� I asked looking over at him like he just appeared out of thin air.
�You�re an ass, you know that right,� he said.
�No but I know who has a big one. I�m always hearing Brie complaining about how she has to let your pants out to accommodate your uuhh�. extra baggage,� I replied. It was a lie of course. I couldn�t help but goad him. Brie was their costume designer and sometimes seamstress.
�She does not.�
�Ok that�s my cue to leave. The children are arguing,� Cookie said getting up to leave. We stuck out tongues out at her.
�So what you got planned this time?� I asked Nick. He usually bought one of his video game systems with him when he was on the run. He�d teach me how to play a game and then proceed to beat the pants off of me. Figuratively of course.
�I have the Playstation 2 and Tekken 3 with me today. Wanna play?�
�Sure why not I don�t have anything else to do for the next hour or so. What kind of game is it?�
�Combat. One on one though. Kinda like boxing but a little more complicated than that.�
�Ok well let�s go,� I said standing. He followed.
We were knee deep in the game and he had beaten me about four times. It looked like I was on my way to winning this game though.
�Get him!!! Get him!!!� I said. I was playing with some chick named Anna and Nick was Hwoarang. I picked Anna because I liked her style. She was kicking ass in heels and an Asian style dress. I liked that. Sadly, Nick had been kicking my ass with various others while I had stuck with Anna. Well he was kicking my ass.
�Oh damn!!� Nick exclaimed as I claimed my victory complete with a victory dance.
�I won!! I won!! I won!! Wooohoooo!!!� I squealed and danced around as Nick looked on.
�Ok I don�t want to play anymore,� he said.
�Oh come on I was just getting the hang of it.�
�Nah I�m done for now.�
�No, stop being a sore loser.�
�I�m not a sore loser.�
�Yes you are. The moment I win a game you�re ready to call it quits.�
�No really I�m just tired of playing.�
�Yeah ok� well what do you want to do now?�
�I don�t know.�
�You wanna talk?�
�Depends on what we talk about.�
�How about we talk about you and Ms. Jessica?�
�No, how about we don�t. Let�s talk about you.�
�Me?�
�Yeah you. So what made you want to become a makeup artist?�
�What made you want to become a Backstreet Boy?� I asked.
�The pay was good. Come on I�m serious. Answer the question.�
�Ok I�m sorry. I guess it was my mom. . . in a way,� I replied.
�How?�
�My aren�t we in a curious mood today?�
�Well since you know everything about me, I thought I�d learn a lil bit �bout you,� he said.
�Ok. . . well I paint and draw,� I said starting my story. I can�t remember ever telling this story to anyone not even my girlfriends. Of course Joshua knew because he was there at the time.
�Cool me too. I mostly draw, though.�
�Yes I know.�
�Oh right, you�re the huge fan.�
�Are you going to keep talking or do you want to hear the rest of my story?�
�Sorry go ahead.�
�Ok. . . anyway, my mom was a dancer. She was pretty accomplished, too. She did a couple of tours with Alvin Ailey for a few years before getting into Broadway where she met my dad. Anyway, usually they�d do their own makeup but she had sprained her wrist in rehearsal so she asked me to do it. I must have been about twelve or thirteen and I was so scared that I was going to mess everything up. She calmed me down and told me that she had complete faith in me. I never forgot that. I never forgot her next words either. She said, �Think of me as your canvas.� So after I managed to do a great job, she�d let me do her makeup sometimes, especially if she were running late or something. I�d do some of the other ladies� makeup too. After she died, her best friend, Madeline, (that�s Joshua�s mother), helped me become a makeup artist legitimately. She helped send me to school and got me some recognition with her connections.�
�Wow! So your mom was on Broadway. So she sang a little bit right?�
�Yeah she did. I can see where you�re going with this. I can not sing at all. Apparently I got my vocal chords from my dad.�
�Have you ever tried?� he asked.
�Yes and I was promptly told to �shut up�,� I replied. Nick laughed.
�What did your dad do? You said your mom met him on Broadway. Was he an actor or a dancer or something, too?� he asked eagerly.
�No, he was a stage director,� I replied.
�Uuuhh is he still alive?� Nick asked.
�As far as I know he is. I guess I might as well explain before you ask anymore questions. When my mother and father met he was married. . . very married and he still is,� I told him. It took a short minute for the meaning of my words to sink in. When they did Nick looked up at me in something like horror for his actions.
�Oh I�m sorry,� Nick said casting a glance at his feet.
�No need. It�s not like you had anything to do with it.�
�No, I mean I�m sorry I bought it up.�
�Oh. It�s still not your fault you didn�t know.�
�I feel like I�m always apologizing to you,� he said sheepishly.
�Then stop screwing up,� I smiled. Nick looked up and had to smile back.
�Psssh whatever.�
I almost forgot. Nick didn�t waste anytime running to the other guys and telling them that they had a fan in their midst. Fortunately, he didn�t tell them about what order they fell in and for that I am eternally grateful. I couldn�t even begin to imagine what it would be like to have Kevin knowing that he was my favorite as I applied face powder to that face of his. I was teased mercilessly about it though. AJ kept offering me his autograph. Brian would scream and make a fuss about me whenever I walked into the room like he was a teenybopper. Kevin got in a few wisecracks whenever he deemed it appropriate. Howie too got in on the fun by teasing me. As for the crew, Zeke, who didn�t know I was a fan, added his remarks whenever he could. Cookie already knew I was a fan so all she could do was stand by and laugh at my expense. I was beginning to see the tour I imagined when I applied for the job. I was really comfortable with just about everyone and the Boys were a lot of fun. Things were going great.
