Chapter Nine ~ Friendships and Relationships

   Paul pulled Nicole to the side as she walked passed him to go into the studio.  "Nicole, can I talk to you for a sec?"
    "What's up?" Nicole said as sweetly as she could to a man that was terrifying her with his forwardness.  "Ash, I'll meet you inside," she waved at her brother to continue on without her.
    "I want to apologize for the way I've been acting.  You've got to know that your a very attractive young girl, and I let my hormones get the best of me.  I should never have acted the way I did with you and I'm deeply sorry.  I hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me."
    "Paul, honestly, you scared me last night.  It was my first night in a house with 8 guys, 7 of whom were complete and still are strangers to me.  Ashley already told me before I got here that you have a girlfriend, Carrah I believe."
    "Yeah," Paul said looking down at his feet ashamed for frightening an innocent girl and perhaps hurting his relationship with his girlfriend.
    "Why would you risk losing someone that you must care about for one night of fun?"
    "I don't know.  I wasn't thinking.  To be quite honest with you, I haven't been thinking since I got here.  All that I was worried about were the beautiful girls that were going to be throwing themselves all over my and the other guys."
    "Look, what I think you need to do is phone Carrah and talk to her.  You don't have to tell her everything and I promise that I won't say a word.  Just talk to her.  Invite her to come visit you for a while or something, but please Paul don't throw yourself at me because I'm sorry, but as good looking as you are I'm simply just not interested."
    "Thanks sweetheart.  Does this mean we can begin working on a friendship?"
    "Of course Paul.  Friends?" Nicole held out her hand for Paul to shake.
    "Friends," he agreed as he took her hand and led her into the studio where the rest of the guys had already started vocal warm ups.
    "You alright, Sis?" Ashley mouthed at his sister as he saw her take a seat on the floor at the front of the room next to Erik.
    Nicole nodded her head yes and turned to say hello to Erik who had a sad look on his face.  "Is something the matter, Erik?"
    "Nah," he forced a smile to his face.  "I was just lost in a daydream."
    "Look, I know you know nothing about me other then I'm Ashley's twin sister, but if you ever need someone to talk to other then "the guys" I'd be willing to listen," Nicole politely offered.
    "Thanks, sweetheart, I may just take you up on that offer later on," he smiled as MG started talking.
    "Alright guys first off who is the beautiful young lady at the front of the room?  Which one of you takes credit for having such good taste in women?" he smiled.
    "I wish I did," Jacob thought to himself.
    "Me," Trevor spoke up.  "Nah, not really, she's Ashley Parker Angel's twin sister."
    "It's nice to meet you Ashley Parker Angel's twin sister, but that could get to be a tongue twister do you have a proper name?" MG laughed.
    "Yes, I'm Nicole," she smiled sweetly.  "And you are?"
    "I'm Mark Goff, the groups vocal instructor.  I must say you are one amazing young girl you got all eight of these boys out of bed and to the studio with time to spare.  You just might have to stay here," he joked not knowing that Ashley hadn't planned on letting his sister leave.  In fact no one except Ashley knew this just yet.
    "Ok, Ashley, Trevor, Ikaika, and Mike I want all of you to the front now.  Your gonna be out first group to try out this new song," he explained passing each boy a piece of paper.
    Jacob went and took a seat beside Nicole hoping to apologize for the incident that happened earlier on at the house.  He handed her the paper which she politely asked to look at and continued to talk.  "Look, Nikki, I'm really sorry about this morning.  I kind of forgot that you were staying at the house, and I'm so used to running around in my boxers that the thought never dawned on me to put on a pair of pants."
    "Don't worry about it," Nicole continued to stare at the paper emberassed to admit that she had liked what she had seen.  "You just kind of surprised me is all.  How about we just put it behind us and move on?"
    "Sounds good to me," Jacob breathed a sigh of relief glad to know that his chances with Nicole had not been ruined by his stupidity.
    The boys went through two hours of vocal training before MG told them to break for an hour, and then meet Tyjuan.  Trevor made his way to Rachel's office so that he could talk to her about the sleeping arrangements.
    "Rach, can I speak with you?  It won't take long.  It just has to do with the sleeping arrangements."
     "NO, you are not staying in the same room as Nicole!"
    "Although, that would be nice," Trevor snickered.  "All I really wanted was an actual room to sleep in."
    "Huh?" Rach looked confused.
    "Well, it seems that you left me out of your little sleeping arrangements plan.  We didn't notice until you had already gone last night.  I stayed with Jacob and them, but that room is just not big enough for four guys and all their things."
    "I agree with ya, I just don't understand how we could forget you, Erik."
    "Erik?  Um, Rach, I'm Trevor," he corrected sensing that her mind was elsewhere.
    "Sorry, Trevor, well, I'm not sure what to do about the situation."
    There was a light knock at the door and it opened slowly to reveal Erik standing there a saddened look on his face.  "Can I talk to you Rachel?"
    "Uh, I was just leaving," Trevor excused himself.  "Rach, you can get back to me with new arrangements whenever you get a chance to think about it, and until then I'll stay in the crowded room."
    "Rachel, why didn't you want me in your car on the ride here?" Erik came right out and asked the question that had been bothering him all morning.
    "Erik, it's not that I didn't want you, it's just that..."
    "Just that what?  I poured my feelings out to you the other night.  I kissed you and I thought that there was something there between us, and then this morning you act like nothing happened."
    "Erik, believe me I have just as strong of feelings for you as you say you have for me.  I don't want to jeapordize your chance of making the band.  I don't want people to think that because your seeing me you will automatically be accepted as a member of O-Town because thats not the way things work around here."
    "Rachel, we all know that if we want to be part of this group we ahve to work hard.  If I were to get involved in a serious relationship with you, I wouldn't stop working hard.  Actually, I'd push myself ten times harder so that I would definately make the group and I wouldn't have to leave you to go back home," Erik explained.
    "Erik, I like you a lot!  I have liked you since the first day I layed eyes on you, but please for the sake of your dreams and reputation with the other guys, please lets just take this relationship a little bit slower."
    "Relationship?  So, that means that as long as I agree to take it slower, you'll agree to be my girlfriend?"
    "Yes, that's what it means," Rachel smiled. 
    "Woohoo, I got myself a pretty girl," Erik hollered as he gave Rach a quick kiss on the cheek and went to join the others for lunch.  "Where are Nicole and Ashley?" he asked as he sat down at the picnic table. 
    "They went around the side to talk," Jacob said.  "I'll go get them.  Don't want them to miss lunch."
    Jacob started around the side of the building in search of the two missing people, but was stopped by Ashley's voice which sounded angered and upset.  "Nikki, don't lie to me, how bad did he hurt you?" Ashley put his hands on his sisters trembling shoulders.
    Jacob stopped where he was and flattened himself up against the wall, not knowing exactly where to go or what to do.

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