I wish I never joined the Backstreet Boys.

A breeze kicked up suddenly, the a/c had kicked on. Nick suddenly felt foolish. He coughed low, smiled at a stagehand that passed by him, and turned to go backstage.

Far overhead and unnoticed, the catwalk trembled.

"Nick, I'm tellin' ya, it's just nothing to be worried about!" Brian said to Nick as he suited up. Nick looked away and wondered for a moment what he was doing. Was he doing what was right in his life? Did he want the fame, the fortune?

"C'mon, Nick, we only get the stage for a half hour." A.J. said as he sauntered towards the stage.

"Coming," Nick said as he followed.

The music that flowed through the speakers throughout the music hall was pre-recorded for time and convenience. It was the opening strains for Show Me The Meaning. They were all sitting on black chairs, which they'd use for All I Have To Give and then they'd swing into Larger Than Life. It was just about to be his turn when there was a commotion right above him.

"LOOK OUT BELOW!" Someone yelled out.

Nick looked up quickly only to see something large and dark falling right for him. He only had time to scream as it crashed into him.

Huh? School? Me? Nick pried open one eye to see a darkened bedroom and a blond woman leaning over him. "Mom? What are you doing here? Where's the rest of the guys?"

"Nickolas Gene Carter, I don't know what you're talking about, but if you're late to school again you will be grounded." His mother opened up the vertical blinds on his windows and left the room, calling out to his little brother.

Nick rolled out of bed. Where am I? Everything in the room was familiar and unknown at the same time. He padded into his bathroom, brushed his teeth. The reflection in the mirror was the same as always, but something was different. He looked closer, the small scar just above his left eyebrow was gone! He'd gotten it when A.J. had...had...Who was A.J.?

He walked back into his bedroom, dressed, trying to remember the strange dream he'd had. He had been on stage with four other guys, they were singing a song, so sad, so full of acknowledgements to people who'd left their lives. Try as he could, he couldn't remember what the guys looked like.

Suddenly, his mother yelled up to him, "Dress warmly Nick, the weatherman said it would be cold today."

Nick dressed, his movements automatic, he was still trying to shake the feeling of dread, that he was forgetting something very important.

He made it downstairs, smiled at his brother, got some orange juice. He grabbed his bookbag and walked to the front door as a car horn honked. "Bye Mom, that's...." Wait a second, who was that? How did he know it was for him?

"Yes, Nick I know. Jamie always picks you up and that's why you're always late right?" His mom kissed his forehead. "Just try to do good on your exams today, okay baby?"

Nick winced, "Okay, okay." He ran out the door and into the cool fall air. He almost stopped, but ran towards the silver Saturn in front of him. He climbed into the passengers side, feeling the heat from the blowers on full speed.

"Hiya Nicky, ready for mid-terms?" The voice belonged to the driver, who took no notice of his confused look. She was of average height with brown hair and brown eyes. And she drove very, very fast.

Trying to get a grip on where he was as they drove on a parkway, Nick saw a large green sign that said, Wexford, exit 19. Saw the Pennsylvania license plates on the cars around them.

How did I get to Wexford, PA? This has got to be a dream, gotta be. Beneath the sound of the blowers, he could barely catch the song that was on the radio, it had sounded like Nsync. Suddenly, a name came to him.

"Hey, Jamie, do you have any Backstreet Boys songs?"

Jamie took a second to stare at him as she got off on an exit. "Nick, what are you talking about? Do you know of another boy band?"

"You've never heard of them?"

"No, should I have?"

Wierder and wierder.

Ten minutes later, Jamie pulled her car into a spot infront of a large brick building. They walked towards it, a plaque on the front said, Wexford Private Acadamey. There were kids everywhere, dressed in jeans and sweatshirts. A lot of them were wearing Penguins and Steelers jerseys. He passed by groups of girls who gave him a once over, but not one of them asked for an autograph or a date. Nothing.

Just what am I expecting to happen? That I get mobbed by dozens of girls? Suddenly, someone shoved Nick from behind and a huge wave of nausea overwhelmed him.

Instantly he found himself on a hospital bed, his head wrapped in gauze, IV's in his arm, breeping of machines all around him. Brian gazed down at him, but didn't say anything, he didn't see Nick looking at him. But he heard the doctor talking to Kevin and someone else...his mom?

We don't know why he isn't responding to any of our stimulus. For all intents, he appears to be in some sort of coma.

Will he be okay?

I don't know Mr. Richardson

A quiet sob. It was his mom.

My poor baby, my little Nicky....Nicky...Nick...NICK

"Nick? Are you okay?" It was Jamie, "You look a little dazed. We have to hurry, you're gonna be late for your chorus mid-term!"

Nick gazed down at his watch and almost stumbled as they ran through the thinning hallways. It was nearly 1:30 p.m., he'd been "a little dazed" for nearly 6 hours!

Jamie pulled him through a door and into a classroom. Fifteen pairs of eyes stared at them, including a short, rotund man with a beard. The man raised an eyebrow at them. "You just made it. Please take your seats."

"Yes, thank you, Mr. Warner." Jamie said, dragging Nick to a couple of empty seats. There were no desks, only wooden stools.

For the next twenty minutes, Nick sat through almost ten soloists, their songs had been a mix of origional material and already known songs. Jamie had been one of them, performing a breathtaking rendition of Jessica Simpson and Mandy Moores collaboration called "I Wanna Be With You Forever".

"Nickolas Carter?" Mr. Warner called from the front desk. "Your four minutes of fame are at hand."

Anticipation and sheer terror coursed through him. What am I gonna do? I'm so not ready for this. But he took his stool with him to the front of the class and sat down. The shades had been pulled down since the first performance and it relaxed him a little. Nick thought hard and suddenly he felt another wave of nausea.

Four worried faces stare down at him

"Mr. Carter, are you allright?"

Backstreet's Back ALLRIGHT!

"Yah, Mr. Warner, I just need a drink of water." Nick was excused and after a quick sip from the fountain in the hall, Nick was back in the limelight. He sat down and saw the eyes of his classmates staring at him, waiting. But he also saw something else, something...huge...

A sea of people are staring at him, enraptured by his presence. A piano plays an intro piece and he starts singing in a needy tone....

"Open up, your heart to me. And say what's on your mind..." The words, so familiar and unknown, the melody seemed to be imptinted on his mind. He sang the song to them, seeing both his classmates and an overlay of an enraptured audience, hundreds of girls...fans...screaming for him. Nick saw Jamie staring at him, smiling her encouragement for him and he let his voice become a powerful instrument. The song finished on a high note and he suddenly felt the urge to call out, "Orlaaandoo..." in a singsong tone.

Mr. Warner came up to him, "Very nice Nick! What do you think people, will this have Mr. Carter graduating?"

His stunned classmates cheered and applauded him.

"Nice going, Nick!" Was repeated over and over to him as he made his way back to his "spot". Jamie leaned over to him and whispered, "Nice song, Nick. You did it much better than Nsync did it and they're the ones that released it!"

Nick blinked. But...this is not right.

The day ended after that class and Nick and Jamie were walking towards the car when suddenly they heard someone yell out, "LOOK OUT!"

There was no time to react as something hard hit Nick in the head and he passed out.

Breep...breep...breep

The steady beeping of machines was the first thing Nick heard when he came to. The second thing was seeing someone sitting in a chair next to his bed. The guy saw Nick was awake and ran out of the room, bringing back three others.

"Nick, you're awake!" Brian exclaimed.

"We were so worried about you!" Howie said.

Kevin and A.J. just looked at him, waiting for a response.

Nick stared at them, almost afraid to talk, "You guys, I've had the strangest dream." And he told it to them in detail. "And there's this girl, Jamie, and she..." Nick saw a girl walk past the open, yet heavily guarded door. "There she is! Jamie!" He tried sitting up, but a wave of nausea washed over him and he fainted.

Nick opened his eyes and saw a heavy set nurse walk away from him. He looked around, he was on a small bed, there were white cabinets all around. He was in the nurses office.

Jamie walked into the room. "Is it okay to take him home now?"

The nurse smiled at Jamie, "Oh yes, dear, please be careful though. He took a bad hit with that football."

Nick sat back in the Saturn as Jamie drove them towards his house. Heavy grey clouds seemed to be frozen in place even though a chill wind gusted every now and then. He rubbed his cold hands together, wishing the Saturn was warmer. Jamie made a turn and stopped at a red light.

"Do you mind if we stop at Toot N' Scoot? I need to get some milk for mom."

"Nah, I'll be okay."

Jamie pulled the sleek car into a spot and she and Nick stepped into the convenience store. "I'll get the milk. You want anything, pick it up, my treat!" She walked towards the back of the store and Nick spied a magazine rack.

J-14, Teen People, Sugar, and so many other teen magazines that were so familiar to him. Not one said anything about the Backstreet Boys. Just Nsync, 98*'s, Britney Spears and other celebrities.

"You ready?" Jamie held a gallon of milk in her hands.

"Are you sure you haven't heard about the Backstreet Boys?"

"No, Nick. Not a thing, but if you have a boy band in the making and haven't told me, I'll be the next to hit ya! Let's get you home."

Nick lay in bed later that night, staring at the ceiling.

The Backstreet Boys don't exist. Why? Was it that wish I made?

I wish I never joined the Backstreet Boys.

Nick felt sick at heart suddenly and closed his eyes.

"Nick," A male voice softly called out. "Nick come back to us."

Back to your heart..

Nick woke up, opened his eyes to see the hospital room again and felt frustrated. What was real and what wasn't? Was Jamie real or were the Backstreet Boys?

Nick looked over and saw someone, A.J., standing near his bed. He grabbed A.J.'s arm, "Please, tell me I'm not dreaming!"

A.J. looked surprised, "Gee Nick, usually only girls ask me that."

Nick let go of A.J.'s arm. "No, not like that." He sighed. "I..I don't know where these dreams are coming from. I'm scared, A.J."

A.J. took off his sunglasses, stared down at Nick. "Don't worry, okay? You got hit in the head with a very heavy stage light. It took the surgeons hours just to get your head sewed up. They almost lost you twice and they don't think you'll be performing again for at least a month." A.J. picked up an IV line, showing it to Nick. "This is steadily passing Morphine into your system, to dull the pain. The doctors said it would cause hallucinations, Nick. That's what's causing those dreams, as soon as you're better you won't have those dreams anymore."

"What about the VMA's? Aren't they tonight?"

"Yeah, they are, but we won't go on without you. I think they said they'd get Eminem up instead of us."

Nick chuckled. "Yeah, well..." Nick sighed again. "I don't want to fall asleep again. Everytime I faint or fall asleep, I wind up waking up in that other world. I feel like I'm going crazy."

"Nick, I don't think you should..."

"NO! A.J., you don't know what it's like. We don't even EXIST as a band in that world. Nsync wrote and released 'I Need You Tonight' and I live in frickin' Wexford. That's Aguilera's place, not mine!" Softly. "There's no Ocean in Wexford and it's cold there."

"Do you want me to call someone in? Howie or Brian?" A.J. looked down at Nick, concern in his brown eyes.

"No. I wished that I never joined the Backstreet Boys and I'm scared that I may have gotten my wish!" He looked up at A.J. with tears in his eyes, "Don't let me fall asleep! Please A.J.!"

A.J. sat down next to Nick, took his hand, and was about to say something when a heavy set nurse walked in with a syringe in hand.

A.J. stepped aside, powerless against the nurse and stared sadly at Nick.

"What's she doing here? Get out!" Nick yelled.

She smiled at A.J. "The doctor sent me in to put Mr. Carter to sleep. It seems that something is troubling him and the Doctor wants Mr. Carter to get a good nights rest." Her eyes narrowed. "You may go, Mr. McLean." She stood over Nick and grabbed his arm, injecting the fast acting tranquilizer.

"No, A.J., don't go, don't let her..don't.."

Nick fell asleep, a lone tear tracking down his face, his fabulous blue eyes closed to the world he now feared.

The camera pans in on the television that is mounted high in the corner of the hospital room. It is on and we see Nsync is performing live on the 2000 VMA's. We get closer and closer to the tv, Nsync is dancing to a fast, crazy remix of "It's Gonna Be Me" and the closer we get, the fuzzier they get.

The camera pulls back to reveal a darkened girls bedroom at night. The room is dark, not one light is lit, but through the magic of television, we see her pink walls are covered in Backstreet Boys posters, photos, and drawings. She is a total BSB fanatic and we hear 'I Need You Tonight' playing softly on repeat in the background.

She is watching live coverage of the VMA's on MTV.

"Time for bed, Jamie!"

The girl, all of fifteen, sighs. "K, one minute! I have to walk A.J. before I go to bed!" She gets up, but the camera remains fixed on a tiny figure in front of the TV. Nsync has finished and a commercial is airing.

"I wish she wouldn't have given that dog a human name," her mother grumbles as she walks into the room to turn off the TV. In the sudden darkness, she stumbles over the tiny figure. She curses, but doesn't bother to fix what she tripped over.

The hallway light illuminates the girls' room to the TV, and it's momentarily blocked as Jamie's mom leaves the room and goes downstairs. The light reveals an Nsync marionette Lance doll, dressed up in homemade jeans and a homemeade Tampa Bay Buccaneers jersey, number 56. It lays half in and half out of a cut up Kleenex box.

Jamie walks back into her room, sees the doll and rushes to it. She picks it up and says, "I'm sorry you weren't nominated for anything on the VMA's, Nick. Say hi to the rest of the BSB for me."

Camera pans back as we watch Jamie put "Nick" back in his Kleenex bed and we fade out.

The end.

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