-make it alright-
-chapter twenty-two-

Melissa was amazed at the hustle and bustle happening on all sides of her. Dozens of people rushed about, each heavily engrossed in their own checklist of things to do, not caring about anyone else. It�s like the After-Christmas sale at Sak�s, Melissa thought to herself.

Hoping to catch someone�s attention, Melissa threw her suitcases onto the ground. They made a heavy thud as they landed. But it wasn�t loud enough- the noise did nothing to stir the passerbys out of their comatose state. Unbelievable, Melissa shook her head. And all this fuss is just over dumb Nick.

A week ago, Melissa was back in Houston studying for finals. It was the end of her junior year- the most academically tough of all high school. Melissa was indeed stressed out beyond belief. But all that changed with a simple phone call.

�Liss? Is that you?�

�Nickers! Oh Lordy, you don�t know how good it is to hear your voice.� Melissa breathed a sigh of relief. She collapsed into the nearest chair, massaging her the bridge of her nose.

�Is something wrong, Lissie-Liss? You sound awful.� Nick�s voice was full of concern.

Melissa sighed once again. It seemed that was all she did these days. �I�m just stressed out. Its finals week and all. But I�ll live. School�s out this Friday.�

�I�m sorry to hear that you�ve been stressed,� Nick interjected. �But I think I know a way to help you out.�

�What�s that?� Melissa was curious to hear his suggestion.

�What are you doing next week?�

Melissa shrugged, before she realized Nick couldn�t see her. �I don�t leave for dance camp for two weeks. I figured I�d just kinda relax for awhile.�

�Well, I�ve got a better plan. How�d you like to fly out to L.A.? Me and the guys are going to be filming three videos here for the next album. It�s going to take about a week or so. My whole family�s going to be here too. You could hang out here for a while, maybe slip some time in at Disney or the beach. What do you think?�

Melissa was beaming from ear-to-ear. She hadn�t spent a lengthy period of time with Nick since Spring Break, over two years before. They talked on the phone as much as they could. Nick sent Melissa packages from Europe. His articles and CDs kept Melissa informed on the Boys� rise to fame. Melissa sent him videotapes of her dance recitals. But it just wasn�t the same as physically being around one another.

�Nickolas, that sounds amazing. I can�t think of a better way to start off my summer vacation.�

�Oh, I think I can.� Nick interrupted. Melissa could picture his face molding into a sneaky grin on the other side of the phone line. �I invited Brent to fly out here, too.�

That pre-Christmas kiss a year and a half ago had been extremely important to Melissa and Brent. Since that day, the two had started dating. Or as close to dating as they could get, with one in Florida and the other in Texas. Melissa visited Brent in Tampa whenever possible, which wasn�t very often. She hadn�t seen him in person since March, and was dying for another opportunity to present itself. And low and behold, it just had.

�Brent�s coming? This is going to be so exciting!� Melissa gushed. �The three of us haven�t been all together in God knows how long.�

�I know. I�m really excited about it. Plus, you�re going to love the videos we�re shooting. There�s this one, I don�t want to give it away, but it�s going to be great. Think Michael Jackson �Thriller� great.�

�Are you going to be in wet t-shirts on a basketball court again?� Melissa teased. She�d been bugging Nick endlessly ever since he�d sent her a copy of the �Quit Playing Games� video.

�Oh, just shut up, Lissie.� Nick cleared his throat. �I have to call Brent now. But my mom will arrange all your flight info, and get back to on it, okay?�

�Sounds good, Nickers. Thanks for inviting me.�

�No prob, Liss.� He paused for a moment. �Oh my God! I forgot to tell you the best part!�

�What�s that, Nickers?� Melissa asked, smiling at the possibilities.

�You�re finally going to meet Mandy! She�s going to be there, too!�

Melissa�s smile soon faded.

Okay, so maybe the vacation wasn�t picture-perfect. A dull ache of dread formed at the bottom of Melissa�s tummy whenever she thought about meeting the infamous Mandy. Melissa tried to repress those feelings. She kept telling herself that she shouldn�t judge Mandy until they met in person. But the more Melissa kept telling herself that, the more intense her feelings of dread became.

�Is that little Swiss Meliss I see there?� A voice interrupted Melissa�s thoughts. She turned in the direction it was coming from. A skinny figure, a white Adidas baseball cap and loads of gold jewelry. It could only be one person.

�AJ!� Melissa ran to the Boy and threw her arms around his tiny body. He too hugged back with the same intensity. For the short time after Nick had joined the band and before Melissa had left for Texas, she and AJ had become great friends. AJ was everything Melissa wanted to be: talented, wild & crazy, but deep down inside an unbelievably loyal friend. Plus, her mother was horrified with AJ�s crazy antics, which only made Melissa love him more.

As the two pulled apart from their hug, Melissa tugged on one of the big gold hoops that hung from AJ�s ear. �What�s this you�re wearing, J? Nick never mentioned anything about you guys making a pirate video.�

�Har de har har�� AJ replied sarcastically as he rolled his eyes. But after taking a moment to think, �A pirate video, huh? That�s not such a bad idea. In fact, it�d kinda work for one of our new songs, �If You Want It To Be Good Girl.� Hmm. I�m going to have to talk with the other guys about that.�

A look of dread crossed Melissa�s face. �You knew I was kidding, right J? You can�t possibly want to dress up as pirates in a music video, could you? I mean, I thought �Quit Playing Games� was low, but dressing up as pirates? No, no, no.�

�Chill out,� AJ reassured Melissa. �I knew you were kidding. I just wanted to push your buttons after what you said about my earrings. I LIKE my earrings. Besides, look what you�re wearing. You look like you stepped out of Dazed and Confused.�

Indeed, Melissa did look like she�d stepped out of the summer of the summer of 1976. It was her favorite latest fashion trend. She wore a vintage t-shirt, short cut-off jeans, knee-high tube socks with athletic stripes around the top and white Jack Purcells.

�I think I look cute,� Melissa pouted.

�Just teasing. I think you look good too,� AJ commented. �Shit, I just can�t find anything to insult you on.�

�What can I say?� Melissa raised her arms into the air and spun around. �I�m perfect!�

AJ halted her mid-spin, when her back faced him. �That�s for sure. Girl, when did you grow such a nice ass?�

Melissa blushed. AJ was always such a flirt. �Remember, J, I�m not legal yet. The last thing you need is for those European tabloids to catch wind of you being involved with a minor.�

AJ reached out and tapped his fist on Melissa�s forehead. �For such a smart girl, I can�t figure out how you become best friends with an idiot like Carter.�

�Where is that favorite idiot of mine?� Melissa looked around herself. �I just arrived on a cab from the airport, and no one around here has bothered to help me out.�

�Sorry about that,� AJ apologized. �This video we�re filming is absolutely insane. It should be a two-week shoot. We�re doing it in three days. Everyone around here is really stressed out.�

�Sounds intense. Are you sure its going to be worth all this trouble?�

AJ nodded his head vigorously. �You�re going to be amazed. We came up for the treatment ourselves, and I think it�s going to be pretty cool?�

�You came up with the concept yourselves? All five of you?� Melissa asked. AJ nodded again. I�m not sure how much faith I have in a video that Nick helped come up with. It�s probably about video games or something. �So what song is it for?�

�Backstreet�s Back.� AJ answered. �You heard it yet?�

Melissa shook her head. �Nick hasn�t let me listen to anything off the new album yet.�

�Nick! That�s right. You wanted to see that little bugger. He�s in make-up now. Why don�t you follow me?�

Melissa was glad to follow AJ. There was no way she�d find her way around the chaotic set without a guide. So clutching her rolling luggage by their handles, Melissa trotted along after AJ, taking in all the sights.

�So what�s up with you guys and airport hangers?� Melissa asked AJ, while motioning to the location around them. The video was being filmed in an empty airport hanger.

AJ shrugged. �Lou used to work in the airplane business, so he has connections, I guess.�

�How are things with Lou?� Melissa asked warily. Though she�d originally been entranced by Lou and his money, that feeling had faded over the years. From what she�d been told by Nick about the band�s management situation, Melissa had the gut feeling that the Boys were being screwed. And if there was one thing that bothered Melissa Baras, it was when people messed with Nick.

AJ looked around to see if anyone from management was in hearing- range. Deeming it safe, he answered Melissa�s question. �Lou and the record company don�t think this latest video is a good investment. Too risky. They�re making us pay for it ourselves- and its going to be the most expensive video we�ve made to date.�

�How much?� Melissa asked.

AJ shrugged. �I don�t know for sure. Kevin�s taking care of that. But over a million, easy.�

�Ouch.� Was Melissa�s only response.

Their silence gave Melissa her first opportunity to look around the set. All over the airport hanger, scenes were being built. And without knowing anything about the video�s concept, it all seemed a bit peculiar.

�AJ, what is this video about?� Melissa asked, as she skeptically eyed a moose head lying nearby on the ground.

�Well-� AJ began. He launched into a long-winded explanation of the Boys monster-filled video. ��and then in the end, we find out its all a dream- or is it?�

�How perfectly clich�d.� Melissa remarked.

�So what do you think?� AJ asked curiously.

�Sounds like it could be cool,� Melissa said with a shrug of her shoulders. �But you left out one very important part of the story.�

�And what�s that?� Asked AJ.

�Which monsters are all of you guys going to be?�

�Oh!� AJ realized his mistake. �Well, I�m going to be the Phantom of the Opera.�

�Cool,� Melissa approved. She loved musical theater as much as AJ.

�Brian�s going to be a �pimp werewolf�.� Melissa raised an eyebrow skeptically at AJ. Brother Brian, a pimp? Nah, can�t see that one working. �No, trust me. I�ve seen Rok in make-up. He looks good.�

�O-kay.� Melissa said, although she still didn�t believe AJ.

�Kevin is Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and D�s a Dracula.�

�He looks like one.� Melissa remarked.

�I know. Everyone thought so. That�s why we assigned the role to him.� AJ paused, as he pushed open a door labeled �Make-Up/Wardrobe.� �And Nick is-� But there was no need to say anything further. Because right in front of Melissa�s very own eyes stood her best friend, Nick Carter. Being wrapped up in spandex bandages.

Melissa couldn�t help it. She burst into laughter. Nick looked so utterly ridiculous in his mummy get-up. How could anyone possible maintain a straight face around him.

The noise caught the attention of everyone in the room. They all turned to glare at Melissa. Except for Nick. The trademark Carter grin appeared on his face.

�You�re finally here, Lissie-Liss! Come give me a big hug!� He held his hands out to his friend invitingly.

But Melissa couldn�t stop laughing. She shook her head profusely. �Oh no. I�m not getting near you, not with that make-up on, anyway. You�d get pancake all over me.�

�Why are you laughing at me?� Nick pouted sarcastically. He knew as well as she did, he was a pretty comical sight.

�Because you, Nickolas Gene Carter, look like a complete and total moron!�

�He does not!� Said a female voice. Its owner pushed her way past Melissa, into the room. She neared Nick, wrapping one of her arms around his waist, and placing the other on her hip. She towered over Melissa by at least six inches. She was tan and fresh-faced, with long blonde hair and a willowy body. Under the taller girl�s glare, Melissa felt short and frumpy.

�Nick looks amazing. He�s going to be the best thing in this video. And I don�t appreciate you talking to him like that.�

Nick gulped. �Melissa, meet Mandy.�

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