God, this used to get me excited.
�Nick, just chill and get into the show.�
I nodded at Howie�s statement in my head set, despite knowing he couldn�t see me.
Gotta get back into this sooner or later. Might as well start now and get my mind off of her.
And then the show began.
*
Absolutely mesmerizing.
The only way to describe any Backstreet Boys show.
Between the music, the lighting, the dancers, the band�
The blonde boy in the tight leather pants and �pimp sunglasses�.
The show went by quickly, Xander some how managing to get me into it more than I thought I�d be capable after this afternoon.
That�s not the same guy I just spent all afternoon with. It can�t be.
But then there were moments when he�d come over to the side of the stage closest to us - after losing his sunglasses - and I�d notice a sad look in his eyes that made me die inside to fix. His eyes even looked a little blood-shot and run down. The plastered on fake smile wasn�t helping matters either.
I know when I�d gotten there I�d decided I wasn�t going to have anything to do with Marcus after the show, but� I�m progressively changing my mind.
But only if he does things my way.
I know I�m not using him and I couldn�t give a damn what Marcus thinks.
Towards the end of the show, he seemed to relax some, but after the finale, his smile slipped off his face way before the lights fell and they left the stage.
Where�s Marcus?
*
�See? That wasn�t so bad now, was it?�
Swallowing hard, I turned to Kevin, who�d been convinced by someone to let off my back.
�Kev� do you mind if I just take a shower on my bus and skip whatever meet and greet that�s been set up for us? Tell �em I got sick or something?�
To my surprise, Kevin nodded, patting my back.
�Yeah, sure. Go get some rest.�
I started to walk back to my dressing room to get my stuff when I was called back.
�Nick, you pulled off a good show. You know, considering��
�the girl of my dreams just walked out on me again?
�Just� if I were in the same position, I don�t think I would have done that well. Thanks.�
My turn to nod as I backed away, just needing to get out.
*
�So we are going backstage? I thought you didn�t want to run into him again��
I don�t.
Well, I do, but I can�t.
But I�m going to.
And I stopped making sense a long time ago.
�Something came up.�
�Oh really? Might that something be tall, blonde, and hot?�
Why did I bring him with me?
Trying to be inconspicuous, I frantically looked around, not wanting to run into any of the guys, especially Nick, without finding Marcus first.
�Kara?!�
Oh shit.
Recognizing the voice, I turned to Xander instead, who stood mouth gapping and eyes wide in shock at my side.
A.J.
Shit.
�What are you do� Wait a second! You�re here. That means��
�I know A.J.�
Squinting incredulously, A.J. hesitated.
�How long?�
I felt my cheeks flame as I continued to keep my eye out for a tall, sweaty blonde.
�I�ve been a fan for seven years.�
�Holy� does Nick know?�
Have I told Nick anything worth knowing?
�I�ll take that as a no.�
Panic overset me when I saw Brian walk by. A.J. noticed my agitation.
�He�s on his bus.�
What?!
�He�s not� gone, is he?�
�No, buses are all supposed to leave at the same time so the fans don�t have a chance to figure out where they came from and try to get in to bug everyone else. Plus, he can�t leave without Marcus, who� is over there.�
Spinning in the direction A.J. glanced at, I saw Marcus watching us carefully.
�A.J., please believe me when I say I didn�t mean any harm. To anybody, especially Nick. I just� wanted him to feel normal. I planned on telling him that first day, but you guys kept covering up whenever somebody slipped out with something. Made me think I wasn�t supposed to know or point out that you were pop stars.�
Nodding, A.J. smiled at me.
�Understandable. Just� Nick�s been panicking this entire time that you left because you thought he was weird after Kevin talked about riots if he went out into public.�
I felt the tears prick my eyes when I felt a fourth presence.
�Surprised you actually came.�
�Well, no thanks to you, you jerk. Where the fuck do you get off accusing her of using Nick for �popularity� purposes?�
Of course Xander would find his voice now.
�What?! You accused her of � what?!�
�Yeah, after you guys dragged Nick out, Kara was left with this jerk who immediately went into some uninformed diatribe about how she was just using him to feel popular or special or some other superficial shit like that.�
A.J. spun on Marcus.
�Does Nick know you did it?�
Marcus smirked.
�It got her to the show.�
What?!
He turned back to me, that annoying smirk still plastered to his face.
�I knew if I accused you, you�d think Nick was thinking along the same lines and then come to the show to set him straight. I know you�re not in it for the popularity or his money just because� well, for god�s sake, you bought the guy lunch and then tried to convince him not to buy you clothes� which by the way, I put on his bus to give to you if by chance you decided to make your way back here.�
What the hell?
�How� how do you know about�?�
�Do you honestly think I can let Nick run around unescorted through downtown Dallas? I followed you guys.�
I stared at him, completely confused.
�So wait a second��
�You where baiting her?!�
Obviously A.J. and Xander shared my sentiments.
�Kara, you�re a nice girl, and, strangely enough, you seem good for Nick. If you wouldn�t run away after each encounter.�
He frowned in frustration.
�I�ve known you�ve known what Nick does almost since the beginning. My theory was confirmed when I saw you pull him down side streets whenever fans were coming your way. And of course, when you were pretending to be asleep in the taxi so he wouldn�t have to make excuses for the fans.�
So someone who saw straight through me� the wrong one.
�I didn�t know what else to do Kara. I�m sorry. I just know that if you don�t at least say goodbye to the guy, none of us will be able to stand him anymore. It was the only idea I had.�
Smart guy.
Six
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