�Yes it has,� Aaron agreed.
�So what�s next? It�s just me and you.�
�Yeah. I don�t know what�s next.�
�Neither do I. What time is it?�
�4:30, which gives us an hour to do something before we have to meet DJ and Nick at the Tower of Terror.�
�Right.� They continued walking through the park. �I�ve been thinking.�
�About what?�
�This whole dinner thing tonight.�
�What about it?�
�Well I don�t think I�m going to join.� Aaron looked at her.
�Why not?�
�Firstly, we juts met yesterday and I kind of think that it�s too soon to meet your family.�
�Alright.�
�Then secondly, Nick obviously didn�t ask DJ to join you and I don�t want to leave her by herself if I did decide to go. It wouldn�t be fair to her.�
�I understand.�
�She was nice enough to bring me here and I can�t just ditch her because a hot guy asked me to have dinner with him and his family. It wouldn�t be too friendly.�
�Again I understand.�
�I�m glad you do.�
�Nick gets really nervous around girls.�
�Right. He doesn�t seem to be having any problems with Deej.� Aaron just shrugged.
�He�s just weird.�
�Him and DJ are practically one and the same so it must not have been that difficult for him to get things started with her.�
�I guess not.� They walked a little farther. �I�m glad we got things started.�
�Same here.�
�My family�s going to like you, I know they will. We like the same people.�
�Um�what about Mandah?�
�Besides her. She was a mistake in Nick�s life.�
�Of course she was.�
�I have this feeling DJ�s not going to be a mistake.�
�Of course not, she�s a great girl. The greatest friend anyone can have.�
�You�re just saying that, because she�s your friend and want to make her look good.�
�Oh yes all the time.� She rolled her eyes. �I ain�t just saying that. She is a great girl. She brought me here to meet you.� MyKenna smiled then kissed him. �I�m thankful to her for that.�
�I�m thankful to.�
�You�re a pretty romantic guy for 14.�
�I learn from the best�not my brother either.�
�Of course not, that'd be Howie Dorough.�
�Exactly and Brian, he�s pretty romantic also.� MyKenna nodded. �He knows how to romance Leighanne.�
�I�m sure he does and I don�t want to know how he does it either. Not the kind of thing I�m into.�
�Me either.�
�That�s great.�
�Nick on the other hand��
�I don�t want to know.�
�I�m just joking. To be honest he really ain�t into that whole �getting intimate with a girl� issue. He gets pretty embarrassed.�
�I�m sure DJ will cure him of that.� They laughed. �I just have this feeling she will.�
�Hopefully she will since he is 22.� MyKenna nodded again. �What do you want to do after school?�
�I don�t know. Perhaps a record exec.�
�That�s cool, but it�s hard work though.�
�I know and I�m prepared for that.�
�That�s good. You can work with me.�
�Maybe.�
�I�m serious. You can come work for JIVE.� MyKenna shook her head.
�I still got sometime to think about what I want to spend the rest of my life doing. You got it all figured out what you want to do.�
�Singing and performing is great, but I want to do other things. I am only 14 and can�t have my whole life revolving around music. Nick feels the same way.� She nodded. �I�d like to finish school in school, but that probably won�t happen anytime soon. Did ya know Nick got his diploma in a hotel room?�
�DJ mentioned something about it.�
�He doesn�t regret getting into the business though, although he missed out on a lot of things. He loves what he�s doing, just like me.�
�I hope so.�
They walked around the park for a little bit and enjoyed each others company. They went on some rides and went into the stores. They walked out of the one store and Aaron looked at MyKenna. He saw the excitement in her eyes and smiled. Even if it didn�t last between them, considering they were still young, he�d remember this moment and the look in MyKenna�s eyes. She was starting to have a special place in his heart and he was happy with that. He wanted it to last and would have to get Nickolas� advice. He made a face. On second thought, he wouldn�t ask Nickolas, he�d ask Brian or Kevin or even his mom. He continued looking at MyKenna, as she smiled then looked at her watch.
�What time is it?�
�5:55.� Aaron nodded then they looked at each other. �Shit.�
�We�re 25 minutes late; Nick�s going to flip out on us.� He grabbed her hand. �Come on.� They started running through the crowd with everyone watching them.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Dakota and Nickolas stood at the Tower of Terror and waited for MyKenna and Aaron. Nickolas paced back and forth impatiently, as Dakota just watched him. She couldn�t believe how impatient he was. Nickolas walked by her and she grabbed his hand. He stopped and looked at her, as she smiled. He couldn�t help but smile in return at how beautiful she was when she smiled. He took her other hand and pulled her near him while looking into her eyes.
�Being impatient ain�t going to get them here any faster,� Dakota said.
�Well, if they aren�t here by 6:00 they can find their own way back,� Nickolas said, as Dakota
looked at her watch. �Mom said about 7:30.�
�Well they got a minute.�
�And Aaron knows what time mom said.
�He�s young and forgetful.�
�Yeah, but what about MyKenna?�
�Well she�s with Aaron so she�ll be forgetful just like him.�
�Of course, that�s my luck.� He took her in an embrace. �I�m sorry about this morning.�
�I know.�
�I sometimes speak before I think and that�s what I did.�
�It�s all right so don�t worry about it. I�m over it.�
�Are ya sure?�
�Yeah.�
�Alright.�
�Nick?�
�Hmm?�
�Um�I was just wondering if, um�if we�re, you and I��
�Well I was hoping you�d be my girlfriend unless you�re uncomfortable with the situation. I am Backstreet Boy and on the road a lot.� She looked at him and smiled.
�I�m sure we can work something out.�
�I think we can. If we�re really serious about wanting it to work.� She nodded. �Same here.� He leaned down and kissed her. �So I was wondering if you would like to join us all for dinner. That way you ain�t alone since MyKenna�s joining us.�
�I guess so, if ya want me to.�
�I wouldn�t be asking if I didn�t.�
�Alright then.� There was thunder in the distance.
�They better soon get here.�
�Calm down, they�ll be here.�
�I hope so. I hate like hell to leave them here all alone while we go back down to Tampa.�
�It�ll be there loss.� She smiled. �Maybe at first they�d be pissed at us, but then they�ll get over it, because they�d realize that they got to be alone together.� Nickolas nodded. �Ain�t it funny how kids always rush into things? They think it�s not going to be there in, like, a week.�
�I know, but you were a kid once.�
�I never rushed into anything.� She grinned. �You probably did though.� Nickolas shrugged.
�The only thing I ever really wanted was to sing.�
�And you are.�
�And I�m glad, because I love what I�m doing.�
�That�s good, but don�t ya wish for more?�
�Yeah, my music is my life right now.� Dakota nodded. �I wouldn�t trade it for anything in the world. I am waiting for a very well deserved break though.�
�Really?�
�Yes; I�d love to just take my boat out and go out for as long as I could. I don�t care how long it takes to get to and from. I�d just go and do it.�
�Alone?�
�No, because then I�d get lonely. I�d take someone with me.�
�Male or female?�
�Probably female.�
�Why?�
�So I definitely don�t get lonely.�
�Uh huh.� They looked at each other and smiled. �What would you use her for?�
�Things.�
�Like what?�
�To clean my boat.� He smiled and Dakota rolled her eyes. �I�m serious.�
�I�m sure you are.�
�I am.�
�Yeah right.�
�Fine don�t believe me.�
�I don�t cause you�re a guy.�
�So that makes me as bad as other guys?� Dakota just nodded. �Thank you.�
�You�re welcome.� She smiled and he kissed her.
�Ok,� Aaron said. �Enough of that.� Dakota and Nickolas looked.
�Whatever,� Nickolas said. �Glad you could join us. What time is it?�
�After six,� MyKenna said.
�And I said what time?� Nickolas asked.
�5:30,� Aaron mumbled.
�What time?�
�5:30.�
�Exactly,� Nickolas said. �Mom�s going to be pissed so let�s go.�
�Yeah, yeah,� Aaron said, as they started walking.
�Call her and tell her why we�re going to be late.�
�Why? She�ll understand.�
�She does tend to worry if we don�t call.�
�Fine.� Aaron got out his cell phone and started dialing numbers.
�He�s been like this since 5:30,� Dakota stated. �There was no way in calming him down any. He was just going off.�
�I wasn�t that bad,� Nickolas said. �Was I?� Dakota looked at him. �Ok, maybe a little I was.�
�Yeah,� Dakota said sarcastically, as they continued walking for about 5 minutes in silence, while Aaron talked on the phone.
Aaron turned off the phone and said, �Mom said it�s all right, because she just got back and needs to make a couple phone calls first.�
�You�re lucky,� Nickolas said.
�Why me?� Aaron asked.
�Because you�re the one that was late,� Nickolas said.
�Sorry,� Aaron said.
�Nick, calm down,� Dakota said, as the rain started to come down.
�That�s always great,� Nickolas said and the other three shook their heads.
�You�re not sugar, Nicky,� Dakota said. �So ya ain�t going to melt.� He looked at her.
�No, but you are. You�re made of sugar.� Dakota just gave him a weird look and he kissed her. �I swear you are.� MyKenna and Aaron started laughing and Dakota just shook her head again.
CHAPTER 11