�This is where they rehearse?� Said a skeptical Melissa, raising an eyebrow. Arms crossed in front of her chest, she stared ahead disapprovingly at an abandoned airport hanger.

Brent elbowed Melissa in the side. �You can be such a snob sometimes!�

�You�ve got to be kidding me!� Melissa objected. �Why in the world would you call me a snob?�

�Because you are one!� Brent argued back.

�I am not a snob!� Melissa defended herself. �Am I, BJ?�

While waiting for a response, both Melissa and Brent turned their attention to their younger companion. BJ, feeling two pairs of eyes bore into her, fidgeted nervously with the hem of her shirt. �Well��

�Oh, lord. Y�all think I�m a snob!� Melissa half-exclaimed, half-shrieked. Her left hand flew to her mouth, and she began to bite her middle fingernail. Shocked by her friends opinions, Melissa began to pace back and forth.

Feeling guilty, BJ quickly stated, �It isn�t necessarily a bad thing.�

�Right,� Brent agreed. He walked up to Melissa and placed his hands on her shoulders, bringing the shocked Texan to a halt. �You were raised in a rich Southern family. Its your nature.�

Melissa wasn�t sure whether to be honored or offended. But Brent then wiggled his nose, a goofy trademark Melissa couldn�t resist. She giggled, and pulled her friend into a hug. �Okay, I�m a snob. I can deal with that.�

�That�s more like it,� Brent said, pulling away from Melissa.

�But for reals,� Melissa began, as she flipped a braid over her shoulder. �Why on Earth do they practice in an airport hanger?�

�I don�t know,� Brent said with a shrug of his shoulders. Again, he and Melissa turned their attention to the girl with all the answers.

�The guy who formed the band owns an airplane company or something,� answered BJ to the best of her knowledge.

�Weird.� Melissa commented. After a moment of contemplation, she shrugged nonchalantly. �Oh well. Pretty soon, the casting people from Mickey Mouse Club will call Nickers. Then he can quit this little singing group and move onto bigger and better things.�

�Whatever,� said Brent. At the same moment, his stomach growled. Loudly. BJ and Melissa had no choice but to laugh.

Melissa reached out and patted Brent on the tummy. �A little hungry, I take it.�

�I�m a growing boy,� Brent defended himself. �Come on- let�s go inside and get Nick. I�m ready to eat dinner.�

�Obviously,� Melissa rolled her eyes. She wasn�t gratified with a response. Brent and BJ had already taken off towards the airplane hanger- running. �Hey! Wait for me!�

�Come on, Meliss!� Brent yelled out over his shoulder. �Last one inside is a rotten egg!�

Hating to lose, Melissa pushed herself. She ran as fast as she could. Easily, Melissa pushed past BJ, who�d always been a little on the slow side. As for Brent, Melissa was neck-and-neck in competition. Though a year younger, Brent had recently past Melissa and Nick�s height in a recent growth spurt. Those extra few inches provided Brent with the oomph he needed. In the last leg, he pulled ahead of Melissa.

Panting loudly, Brent stopped to catch his breath. Knees bent, he leaned over to rest his hands on his thighs. Meanwhile, the Drama Queen collapsed onto the floor. Hand on her heart, she launched into a protest campaign.

�No fair!� She exclaimed loudly, between pants. �You cheated!�

�Did not!� Exclaimed Brent. He pulled himself upright. Hands crossed in front of his chest, he towered over Melissa�s body.

�Did too! You and BJ got a head start!�

�Excuse me,� a voice interrupted. �But who are you?�

Melissa scrambled to her feet. She found herself staring into the eyes of a large, balding man. Think fast, she told herself. �I�uh�we�re here to pick up Nick Carter, sir.�

�Oh! You�re Nicky�s friends!� He realized. The man reached out and ruffled BJ�s hair. �And you�re his little sister, right? I remember you. What�s your name, sweetheart?�

�It�s BJ.�

�That�s right. BJ.� The man smiled. He turned to Melissa. �And who are you- Nicky�s girlfriend?�

Why do adults always tease kids about having boyfriends or girlfriends? Melissa thought, fighting the urge to roll her eyes. Her New Year�s resolution was to mind her manners, especially around adults. So instead, she politely said, �No, sir. Nick�s my best friend. My name is Melissa.�

�Well, Nick�s a fool not to ask you out a pretty young lady like you.� Lou responded. He then moved onto the next in line. �And who are you, young man?�

�I�m Brent, Nick�s other best friend. Who are you?� He asked in the bluntness only a child can get away with.

�My name is Lou Pearlman. But the guys call me Big Poppa. It was my idea to put this group together.�

Brent obviously wasn�t impressed. �Well, is Nick done yet? Because it�s an hour�s drive back to Tampa, and I�m about to die of hunger.�

Lou chuckled. �Well, the guys are just about finished with their rehearsals. Would you like to come and watch?�

Melissa knew Brent would have some smart-ass response. So before he could say �no�, she spoke up. �I�d love to, Mr. Pearlman.�

�Alright, then. Follow me. But keep your voices down. This old warehouse has a tendency to echo just awfully.�

Nick and his band mates were grouped together in one corner. Nick was the youngest amongst the other four brunettes. In front of the boys was another adult. A vocal coach, Melissa guessed. She watched as the man conducted the boys in a rendition of the National Anthem.

�They�re really good, doncha think?� Brent whispered.

�They�re better then good. This is what I imagine angels sound like.� Melissa observed. She was completely dumbstruck. She�d never considered Nick�s group to be anything but a time filler until The Mickey Mouse Club started filming. But hearing them rehearse blew Melissa away, shedding a completely different light on the situation. They sounded amazing.

�I told you so,� BJ replied smartly.

The group�s harmony ended with the song. Collectively, Lou, Brent, Melissa and BJ burst into applause. The boys had been so engrossed in their singing, they had failed to realize the audience they�d drawn.

�Hey guys,� Nick greeted his friends. �Did you like it?�

�Loved it,� Melissa said enthusiastically. Brent and BJ nodded their heads in agreement.

�Introduce us, Nick.� Said one of the guys. He had short brown curls and sincere brown eyes. Looks Latin- like me, Melissa observed. And even though he looks twenty-something, he�s really short. Only a couple of inches taller then me.

�Um�these are my best friends- Brent and Melissa. You�ve already met my little sister, BJ.� Nick explained. �And this is Howie, Sam, Charles and Alex.�

�AJ,� corrected the skinny teenager. �I�m going by AJ now, remember?�

�Sorry,� Nick muttered.

�I recognize you, Howie and AJ, from some of the auditions I�ve gone on with Nick.� Melissa said.

�I remember you, too�� Said Howie. He winked at Melissa. �Who could forget hair like that?�

�Yeah,� AJ agreed. He reached out and tugged one of Melissa�s braids. �You look like the Swiss Miss chocolate girl.�

�I don�t hear that often,� Melissa admitted with a laugh. �I normally get Pipi Longstocking.�

�Swiss Meliss�I like that,� said Brent. Changing subjects, �Are you done here, Nick? I want to go home and eat.�

�Actually,� Lou butted in. �I was thinking�if you don�t have any plans, I�d love it if I could take all of you out to dinner.�

�My mom is waiting outside in the car.� BJ informed Lou. �We have to hurry up and get home, because Leslie and the twins are at the babysitter�s.�

�Well,� Lou paused a moment to think. �Why don�t you run outside and send your mom home? I�ll drive you all home after dinner.�

�Are you sure?� Nick asked skeptically.

�All the way to Tampa?� Melissa chimed in.

�Yes, all the way to Tampa.� Lou said, smiling. �You boys had a great rehearsal today. You deserve a reward.

�Sounds good to me,� Nick nodded his head. �BJ- run outside and tell mom what�s going on.�

Ever the obedient little sister, BJ headed off towards the door. Meanwhile, Lou turned to the rest of the boys in the group. �What about the rest of you? Who wants dinner- on me, of course.�

�Count me in,� AJ said instantly. As skinny as the boy was, he would never turn down a free meal.

Sam shook his head. �Not me. I�m exhausted. All I want to do is go home and take a shower.�

�I�m out too,� said Charles. �I�m taking my girlfriend to the movies. Thanks for the offer though.�

�No problem,� Lou replied. Sam and Charles began to gather up their belongings, both eager to get home. But AJ, Nick, Melissa and Brent all turned their attention to the last remaining member of the group. Lou spoke up, �What about you Howie?�

Howie shrugged. �Sure. Why not? I didn�t have anything planned for tonight.�

Breathlessly, BJ ran back into the nearly-empty warehouse. �Mom said to say �thank you� to Lou, and for all of us to have fun. She also said she�d call Brent and Melissa�s parents, and tell them what�s going on.�

�Sounds like we�re set then,� Lou approved. �Now we just have to figure out where to eat. There�s a brand-new five-star steak place downtown that I�d love to try out. Sound good to anyone else?�

�Perfect,� Melissa agreed. After growing up in Texas, the girl couldn�t get enough red meat. �But do you have a car big enough for all seven of us?�

�Absolutely,� said Lou. �There is a limo waiting out back.�

The group buzzed with excitement. Collectively, they followed Lout outside, chattering in anticipation. Melissa pulled Nick aside. In a hushed voice, she said, �A limo?�

�He�s a big spender,� was the only explanation Nick could offer.

�I�ll say.� Melissa agreed. �You know, Nickers, this group of yours is turning out to be pretty cool.�

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