�Come on Nick. Get up!�
�No.�
�Nick�please.�
�No.�
�Get your butt out of bed,� ordered Abe, pulling a pillow from under his head.
�What did you say,� ask Nick, turning over to look at her.
�I said get your butt out of bed. Come on Nick. You�re going to be late again!�
Without another word, he headed for the bathroom. He showered. She paced while she and Mike waited for him.
It was her second week with him and the second day of rehearsals, but he was not getting with the program. He went out every night with Mike. Abe had been holding back on busting him for his behavior, but she was reaching her limit.
Nick emerged from the bedroom. She was prepared for the phone when it came flying her way. He had developed this annoying habit of tossing things to her. She was reluctantly waiting for the day she wasn�t prepared and got clocked by something. He walked out of the suite, leaving the other two to scramble after him.
�So nice of you to join us today.� Sarcasm dripped from Kevin�s voice as he watched the younger man stroll into the rehearsal room.
�Don�t start,� warned Roger.
�Not starting.�
�Good.�
�We�ve done warm ups,� directed Beth Petty, the groups new vocal coach.
�I�m good to go,� he said.
�No you�re not. Take this tape down to Room C and warm up.�
�What?�
�You heard me.�
Abe stepped in. �Come on, Nick.�
She picked up the tape and literally pulled the boy from the room. They could hear laughter even after the door closed. Locating Room C, Nick sulked for a minute, but warmed up. He quietly slipped back into the main room and Beth treated him like he had been there the whole time.
*********
While the group was rehearsing, Roger pulled Abe outside.
"AB, Nick was late again."
"Yes sir. I'm sorry."
"How are things going with him?"
"We're still working things out."
"Well I need you to work it out faster."
Her cheeks flushed as her eyes dropped to the floor. "Yes sir."
"He will run over you if you let him."
"Yes sir," she said in a smaller voice.
"AB, look at me. I'm not firing you. However, I'm counting on you to keep Nick in line. Do you understand?"
"Yes sir."
"So he will be here on time tomorrow?"
"Yes sir."
"Good. Shall we head back in?"
"May I have a moment?"
"Sure. See you in there."
Roger had to fight the urge to hug her like he would one of his nieces. She looked like the world had just come crashing down on her. She was a good kid and he knew she was trying. Unfortunately, trying wasn't cutting it. He needed her to take control of Nick and thought she had at the photo shoot. He really hoped he hadn't made a mistake in hiring her.
********
She held it together until she reached the restroom. Huge tears slid down her cheeks as she hid in a stall and dialed her best friend�s work number.
"This is Michele. May I help you?"
Abe managed to squeak out, "Chel."
"Abe?"
Silence.
"What's wrong Anna," she asked and heard a shaky breath on the other end. "Take your time. Calm down."
"Okay."
Chely waited and listened to her best friend cry.
"They're going to fire me."
"What? Why?"
"Because I suck," stated Abe, trying to swallow a sob.
"Did they say that?"
"Yes!"
"Those exact words?"
"No."
A sniffle came through the phone. "Tell me exactly what happened."
Abe told her everything.
"Well, I didn't hear a you suck in there. What I did hear was it's time to do your job."
"I don't know if I can."
"If you decide you can't then you can't. You know what I'm going to say next."
"Yeah. If I decide I can then I can."
"Exactly. Now why are you backing away from this?"
"Because�"
"Because?"
"I'm scared."
"So get over it. I know it's hard, because this is all new, but you can do this. It's just a stupid boy band."
"Yeah," agreed Abe with some conviction in her voice.
"How would you treat your little brother if he acted this way?"
"I kick Allen's butt."
Chely laughed, "and big bro Andrew?"
"The same."
"Finally, how would your treat Stapp?"
"I'd kick his ass," declared Abe then dissolved into laughter.
"Sounds like you might be ready to kick a little boy band butt."
"I just might be or at the very least stop taking their crap."
"Good! Now go back to work."
"You too."
"Later bestest friend!"
"Later bestest friend!"
Abe blew her nose and washed her face. Looking in the mirror, she noted the redness around her eyes, too late to do anything about that now. She'd hidden in the bathroom long enough. Straightening her clothes, she squared her shoulders and headed for the rehearsal hall.
"Where the hell have you been," demanded Nick, meeting her in the hallway.
"Did you need something?"
"Yeah. My damn phone!"
"Here," replied Abe throwing it at him.
He scrambled to catch it. Scowling, he dialed then waited for someone to answer.
Roger had started to follow Nick into the hall, but decided to see how Abe would handle it.
Nick hung up the phone and without warning threw it to her. She caught it without missing a beat.
Walking up to him, she said, "Nick."
"What?"
"Throw it again and I'm letting it hit the ground."
"What?"
"I said, throw it again and I'm letting it hit the ground."
"What's your problem?"
"No problem. Honeymoon's over. I'm going to start doing my job better and you will stop treating me like crap. Starting with, you will hand not throw your phone. Don't test me on this, because you really don�t want the hassle of getting a new one."
"I can do whatever the fuck I want. We agreed. You stay out of my way and everything's fine."
"Things are changing."
Before Nick could argue, Roger interrupted, "AB, I need you for a minute."
Nick muttered, "bitch!"
Walking away, Abe replied, "damn boy band."
