�Hey.� He smiled. �Hey there.� She coughed. �Um, is that offer still, valid? Could I come with you guys on tour and take pictures and stuff?� He was silent a minute, before answering. �Nicole. Is that what you really want?� She sighed. �It�s what I really want. I need to get away. This is exactly what I need. But, if you don�t want me to come, then it�s fine.� He shook his head. �No, Nicole. I want more than anything for you to come. But I want you to want to be here.� She grinned. �My flight leaves in an hour.� He smiled. �I�ll be at the airport waiting.�
�You�d better. I�ll see ya.� She hung up and resumed packing, when she heard a cough. She whirled around to see Naomi leaning against the wall. �Going on a little trip, sister dear?� Nicole sighed. �I�m not letting you or anyone else hold me back. I�m going and you can run and tell mom all you want. I do not care.� Naomi snickered. �How pathetic. My sister running off to be with a guy who barely even notices she exists.� Nicole glared at her. �Excuse me? Do you talk to him? Do you? I don�t think so.�
Naomi smiled. �I don�t have to. The magazines tell all. I�m so sure his girlfriend�s really gonna appreciate you hangin� around.� She smiled evilly. �Have a nice trip Nicole.� She walked out, leaving Nicole confused and angry at the same time. �No way. He would�ve told her if he had a girlfriend.� She thought. �Wouldn�t he?� She stormed off into her sister�s room and grabbed a nearby magazine off the ground and flipped through it, and came across him and a brown haired girl. She shook her head and threw the magazine on the bed and stalked out. She climbed into bed and curled up, trying not to cry herself to sleep.
~The next day~
Naomi peered in her sister�s room and saw her curled up asleep in a little ball and she snickered. Her sister was so gullible. Actually believing that the picture was a RECENT photo. She grinned evilly. She would never know it was from 2 years ago�
Nicole woke up, groggily and sat up and rubbed her eyes. She saw the clock read 10:30 and she sighed. Her mother came bustling in. �C�mon Nicole. Time to get to practice.� Nicole looked surprised. �So Alex, never did tell her?� She nodded. �Ok, mom.� She went, showered, and got dressed. She heard the phone ringing and she grabbed it. �Hello?�
�Nicole! Where are you?! You�re flight came in 2 hours ago!�
She frowned. �I changed my mind. I don�t want to come with you guys.� He sounded confused. �Nicole, what? I- I don�t understand�� She snickered. �You wouldn�t. Trust me. I�ve gotta go. I�ve got practice. Don�t call me again. Just leave me alone, and go back to your girlfriend.� She slammed the phone down, and grabbed her skates and head out.
JC set his phone down, confused. �What the� I don�t have a girlfriend� why would she say that? If I did, I would�ve told her straight off�� Justin saw his friend deep in thought, and he tapped his shoulder. �Hey, man, you alright? You look kinda spacey.� JC sighed. �She told me to not call her again and to go back to my girlfriend� I don�t get it, J�� Justin sighed.
�Maybe she was misinformed. You know that there�s lots of people who would do anything to keep her from quitting. You said her mom�s not big on her dating, and her sister�s a stuck-up brat� maybe they had something to do with it. Or that Brandon guy�� JC shook his head. �No way. She talks about him 24/7. He wouldn�t do that to her. He�s like an older brother to her.� Justin frowned. �Well, how bout Adriana?� JC shook his head once again. �Nope. I�ve talked to her a couple times and she�s Nicole�s �protector�. She wouldn�t do something like that either.� Justin nodded. �Ok, well. We have 3 days off� maybe you should head down to Boston and set things straight with her�� He trailed off, noticing JC was already getting his bags ready. Justin just smiled and walked into Joey and Lance�s room to tell them JC was making a short trip.
Alex walked into the arena to find Nicole sitting on the bench staring off into space. He didn�t miss the depressed look on her face and the sadness her eyes held as he walked over to her. He decided not to mention what happened the previous night and just get started. �Ready to practice?� She nodded and skated out onto the ice, for another grueling day of work.
~A few hours later~
�Could I please take about an hour break?� she asked Alex, who was reading the paper. He nodded, barely acknowledging her. She took off her skates and pulled on her Timberlands and walked down to Anderson Lake. She pulled her jacket tighter and slowly walked along the snowy trails thinking to herself. She stopped suddenly and slowly turned around. She sighed to herself and kept walking. �Great, now I�ve become paranoid.�
He knew he must seem like some kind of stalker, but he had to at least talk to her. He jogged up behind her and touched her shoulder, and she jumped and was about to scream until he covered her mouth. �Shhh. Nicole. It�s me.� She pulled away and glared at him. �Ok. Number 1, why are you following me, and two what are you doing here?� He sighed, and motioned for her to sit at the nearby bench. She shook her head and crossed her arms. He knew this was gonna be harder than he thought and he wasn�t sure as to where to start. �Nicole, who told you I had a girlfriend?� She looked away, avoiding his gaze. �I saw a picture. In a magazine.� He sighed and spoke softly. �Nic, I promise you. I do not have a girlfriend. I don�t know what magazine you were reading, but it�s wrong. Yeah, I did, but it�s been at least a year��
He touched her cheek and turned her head to look at him. �Why won�t you believe me?� She sighed, as she was forced to look into his blue eyes, that held such compassion. �I don�t know� I guess� I should�ve talked to you about it.� He nodded. �You should have. But it�s too late for that now. I�m here to bring you back with me. Whadaya say?� She bit her lip and smiled. �Alright.� He grinned. �Ok, then. Tomorrow we leave, that ok?� She nodded. �Yeah, tomorrow�s fine.� He grinned and took her hand in his. �Let�s go get you packed.� She smiled and walked with him down the trail to her house.
They walked inside, up to her room, and she pulled out her bag and threw some stuff in it, while he looked around. �You guys are really close, aren�t you?� She looked over at him. �Hmm?� He pointed to the picture of her and Brandon. �Oh! Yea, he�s like the brother I never had, but always wanted.� He smiled. �Can I see that magazine?� She nodded. �It�s in my sister�s room on her floor.�
As he went to look she finished packing and he came back with an upset look on his face. �What?� she asked, confused. He held up the picture. �This it?� She nodded. �Why�d you take it out?� He shook his head. �No, Nicole. It wasn�t attached. Your sister must�ve stuck it in there to LOOK like I had a girlfriend.� Nicole�s mouth dropped open. �Oh, god. JC, I am so sorry� I�� He shook his head and hugged her. �No. Don�t be sorry. It�s fine.� She sighed. �I mean, it wasn�t like it was a big deal, but I couldn�t just go with you guys, I�d be in the way�� He forced a smile. �No, no you wouldn�t. Let�s just go now, ok?� She nodded.
�She isn�t going anywhere.�
Seven