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The crisp morning silence of another morning was interrupted by two large silver tour busses pulling into a hotel parking lot in Charlotte, North Carolina. For most people it was too early to be out but for these people it was an everyday routine. The two busses stopped next to each other in matching parking spots. Out of the first bus came a tall guy with a baseball cap covering his ear length blond hair. Behind him a shorter guy with dirty blond hair wearing an oversized blue sweatshirt walked off. The next to jump down off the steps was a guy about the same height as the second one with black hair wearing a white wife beater, which showed off his tattooed arms. Next one off the bus was as tall as the first guy his black hair was matted against his forehead from his pillow and the last guy to get off was the shortest his curly brown hair was down and his white T-shirt was tucked in the front of his jeans but untucked in the back, these five guys made up the huge pop group Backstreet Boys.

 After them came a few family members and friends who toured with them. The blond girl who walked off the first bus walked over to the second bus and waited as everyone on that bus who were back up dancers and other people who helped with the tour got off. The last girl to get off was the youngest of the backup dancers and she also helped with wardrobe, she was nineteen year old Krystal Osborne and the girl from the first bus was seventeen year old BJ Carter.

 Krystal sighed as she swung her bag over her shoulder and the two girls fell into stride “I’ll say it once more you are so lucky to be on that bus.”

 BJ shook her head “It’s the same as your bus.”

 “My bus doesn’t have your brother.” Krystal said as they walked into the hotel.

 “Why don’t you just ask him out already.” BJ said looking at her friend, they were talking about BJ’s older brother Nick Carter.

 “I can’t ask him out.” Krystal said.

 The younger girl sighed “Why not?”

 “What if he said no?” She asked.

 “What if he said yes?” BJ said as the guy in the oversized blue sweater came walking up to them, BJ smiled “Hi Brian.”

Brian Littrell smiled back “Hi guys.” He handed BJ a card that looked like a credit card “You two are in room 128.”

 “Thanks.” Krystal said.

 Before Brian turned around he looked right at Krystal “Practice this after noon.”

 “Where?” She asked.

 “Just meet us down here around twelve.” He said then turned and rejoined the other guys.

 “Come on let’s go find our room.” BJ said. The two girls walked to the elevator and BJ pressed the button “I love being on tour with the guys.” The two girls walked into their room, which had two beds, two bureaus and a bathroom.

 “Can I have the bed near the window?” Krystal asked.

 “Sure.” BJ said putting her bag on the other bed “Are you hungry?”

 Krystal put her bag on her bed “Yeah I am.”

 BJ smiled “Let’s go get something down in the hotel’s restaurant.”

 “Ok.” She said. As they walked into the hall they bumped into Nick and Brian.

 “Where ya going?” Nick asked.

 “To get something to eat.” BJ replied.

 Brian looked at her “So are we. What a coincidence.”

 “Yeah coincidence.” BJ said.

 “Well since you’re going to get something to eat why don’t you guys join us.” Krystal said pushing back her brown
hair.

 They thought for a minute.

 “Sure.” Nick said smiling at Krystal.

 Krystal didn’t seem to notice his smile since she was looking at the closed elevator doors, which they’d reached unknowingly.

 When they got to the hotel restaurant they saw that it was empty except for a few early birds. They walked to the closest table, they all sat down and a waitress came over and gave them menus.

 Brian looked over the menu “Hmm what am I in the mood for?”

 “I’ll eat anything.” Nick said.

 “We can see that.” BJ joked.

 “Oh I love your wit.” Nick said dryly glaring at his sister.

 Krystal snickered.

 Nick looked at her as she hid her face with the menu “Do you think that’s funny?”

 “No.” she said the menu still in front of her face.

 BJ who was sitting next to her looked over and noticed Krystal’s face was a slight shade of crimson “Calm down.” She whispered.

 She took a deep breath then put the menu down and smiled “I’ll just have some toast.

 Nick glanced at her from behind his menu till the waitress came and took their orders.
 

 “This sucks!” Nick exclaimed as him and Brian reached their room, they had just finished eating and were now going
to get some sleep before they had to rehearse.

 Brian looked at his friend as he closed the door “What sucks?”

 “Everything.” Nick said falling back on his bed “I mean I wanna tell Krystal that I like her but I can’t.”

 “Why can’t you?” Brian asked running a hand through his dirty blond hair.

 Nick looked up at the white stucco ceiling “I don’t know I’m just afraid I guess.”

 “Afraid of what?” Brian asked.

 He sat up “Afraid she doesn’t like me.”

 Brian smiled “I don’t think you have to worry about that Nick.”

 “Why you think she likes me?” Nick asked.

 He put his hand to his chin “Well hmm let me think.”

 “But you could be wrong.” Nick said.

 Brian shook his head “Well then I don’t know what to tell ya.”

 Nick laid back down “If only I knew for sure.”
 

 A few hours later the five Backstreet boys, BJ, Krystal, their other dancers and their choreographer Fatima met in the
lobby and headed to the arena the concert was being held that night.

 BJ and Krystal sat in the front row and waited for the rehearsal to start.

 “I wish Nick liked me.” Krsytal said watching him talk to AJ on the stage.

 BJ was starting to get annoyed “Just ask him out dammit.”

 “I can’t.” she said.

 “You are driving me crazy!” BJ said looking up on the stage to where Nick was now talking to Brian.

 Fatima walked to the edge of the stage and looked down at Krystal “Girl get up here.”

 She looked up at Fatima “Oh sorry coming.” She stood up and walked onto the stage with BJ right behind her.

 As the backup dancers started rehearsing BJ heard someone calling her name.

 “Hey Beej.” She turned to see Brian at the edge of the stage calling her; the boys would rehearse after the dancers.

 She walked over to him “Yeah.”

 “I need to talk to ya.” He said taking her hand and walking her to the boy’s dressing room, which was empty.

 BJ sat down “Ok now what do ya wanna talk to me about?”

 “Nick and Krystal.” He replied leaning against the back of a chair.

 “What about them?” She asked.

 “Does Krystal like Nick?” Brian asked.

 She nodded then looked up “Does Nick like Krystal?”

 Brian nodded “Yup. He’s…”

 “Too afraid to ask her out?” BJ asked.

 He nodded again “How’d you know?”

 “She’s afraid too.” BJ said, “If she knew he liked her she might not be as afraid.”

 Brian nodded “Same with Nick.” He sat down across from her “The weird thing is that Nick has never been afraid to
ask a girl out before.”

 BJ looked into his blue eyes “Maybe he likes her more then the other girls he’s ever dated.”

 “Maybe.” Brian said.

 “We need to figure out a way to get those two together.” BJ said, “I mean we can’t just go and tell them that the
other one likes them that would be too..”

 “Up front.” Brian finished her sentence.
 

 Later that night as the concert was going on BJ stood backstage waiting to put her and Brian’s plan into action. She
watched Krystal who was in her opinion the best dancer out of all the dancers. BJ knew that Krystal’s favorite part of
the whole concert was during Larger than Life when Nick picked her up and threw her into the arms of one of the guy
dancers.

 When the show was over Krystal came running up to BJ, she was out of breath and excited.

 “Let’s go.” Krystal said, the two girls went into the female dancers dressing room “So what were you and Brian talking
about earlier?”

 BJ shook her head “Nothing. Oh I was wondering do you wanna ride on our bus tonight?”

 Krystal stared at her “Are you serious?”

 BJ nodded “Yeah.”

 She grabbed BJ’s shoulders and shook her “Why didn’t you ask me before?”

 “I don’t know.” BJ shrugged. They climbed onto the BSB bus where Nick and Brian were already watching TV in the
back.

 “Hey BJ, Krystal.” Brian said.

 “Krystal’s gonna be joining us on the bus tonight.” BJ told them.
 Brian stood up and walked up to the girls then looked at the bunks “Hmm let’s see you can sleep in this bunk next to BJ’s.”

 She smiled “Thanks Bri.” She put her bag on the bunk then her and BJ joined the two guys.

 “So what are ya watching?” BJ asked sitting across from Brian.

 Nick looked away from the screen “A scary movie.”

 “I love scary movies.” Krystal said running a hand through her brown hair “What movie?”

 Nick pressed the play button on the remote “The best scary movie ever.” He looked at Krystal and BJ “Halloween.”

 “That’s not that scary.” BJ said as AJ and Kevin joined them.

 Brian stood up grabbed Krystal’s arm and pulled her up “Sit next to me and Nick so Kev and AJ can sit there.”

 Krystal did what he said and sat in between him and Nick. They were all into the movie when someone ran in with a
plastic scream knife and AJ’s scream mask. Krystal and BJ screamed. Krystal grabbed Nick’s arm.

 The person started laughing and pulled off the mask, it was Howie.

 “Howie you are such an idiot!” BJ shouted jumping off the couch and hitting him on the shoulder.

 “You guys should have seen your faces.” He said laughing.

 AJ stood up and grabbed the mask and fake knife from him “Hey dude these are mine.”

 Howie smoothed out his hair “Oh I’m so sorry.”

 “Yeah you should be.” He said sitting back down on the couch.

 Krystal yawned “I think I’m gonna get to bed.” She stood up and stretched.

 “Probably from all that dancing.” Nick said as BJ got up and joined her.

 “Yeah probably.” She said, “Come on Beej.” The two girls left the back room closing the door behind them “Hey whose bunk is across from mine?”

 BJ pretended to have to think about it “Nick’s.”

 Krystal’s eyes widened “Really?”

 She nodded “Yeah.” The two girls changed then climbed into their bunks.

 “BJ?” Krystal said to her friend in the next bunk.

 BJ leaned out of the bunk so she could see Krystal “Yeah.”

 “Did you ask me if I wanted to stay on the bus tonight so I could be near Nick?” she asked.

 BJ smiled “Maybe, maybe not.”

 “Well I’m glad you did.” She said staring up at the ceiling of the bunk as Nick came walking out.

 “What are ya girls talking about?” he asked.

 “Nothing.” Krystal said as he climbed into his bunk, which was across from hers. She looked over at him as he laid
down and got comfortable.

 “Night girls.” He said closing the curtain on his bunk.

 “Good night Nicky.” BJ said.

 “Night.” Krystal said.
 

 The next morning Krystal awoke to BJ looking into her bunk.

 “Why are you staring at me like that?” She asked rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

 “Cause I felt like it.” BJ replied smiling.

 “Move.” Krystal said pushing her out of the way then jumping down from the bunk “Are we getting off?”

 BJ shook her head “Nope. We still have about an hour to go.”

 “Oh.” She said as they walked over to the little kitchen part of the bus where Brian was sitting talking on his cell phone.

 “Yeah eight tonight….under Carter.” He looked up when he realized he wasn’t alone anymore “I’ll call you back.” He turned off the phone “Hey girls.” He glared at BJ quickly.

 She gave him a look that said sorry.

 Krystal noticed both looks and confusion creep across her face “What’s up with you guys?”

 “Nothing.” Brian said.

 “Who were you on the phone with?” Krystal asked sitting down across from him.

 “No one.” He replied.

 Krystal knew he was lying, if there was one thing she knew it was when people lied to her “You were making plans for Nick with no one?”

 BJ sat next to her “So what do ya wanna do when we get to the hotel?” she asked quickly changing the subject.

 “I don’t know.” She said then looked at Brian “I’m not done interrogating you.”

 “How about we go shopping.” BJ suggested.

 “Sure.” Krystal said “I’m gonna go get dressed.” She looked at Brian and BJ then walked to her bunk.
 

 An hour later the girls were walking around the mall with two of the Backstreet Boys’ bodyguards following close behind.

 “What were you and Brian talking about before?” Krystal asked as they walked into a store.

 “Nothing.” BJ said looking at a short black dress “Why don’t you try this on.”

 Krystal was confused “Why?”

 “Because I think it would look good on you.” BJ said.

 “Oh really.” She said taking the dress “I know you and Brian are up to something and for now I’ll go along with it.”

 “Me and Brian aren’t up to anything.” She said.

 “BJ I know you’re lying I can just tell.” Krystal said going into the dressing room.  After they paid for the dress they
went into a Payless.

 “Why are we going in here?” Krystal asked.

 “Cause you need shoes to go with your new dress.” BJ said.

 “Uh huh.” Krystal said.
 

 “Brian why are we at a tuxedo store?” Nick asked, After they’d arrived at the hotel Nick and Brian got a cab and headed to the mall.

 Now Brian was looking for something for Nick to wear that night for his dinner date with Krystal, which he knew nothing about.

 “Just looking around.” Brian replied.

 Nick started walking out of the store “Well we’ve looked now let’s go.”

 Brian followed him and as they left the store he looked around for a store “Let’s go into Sears.”

 “Ok if you say so.” Nick said following him.

 They started looking at khakis and sweaters, when they left the store Nick had bought a pair of dark brown khakis and a black long sleeved shirt.

 “So ya wanna go to the movies or to a club tonight since we don’t have a show?” Nick asked.

 Brian pretended to think for a minute “No thanks. I’m kinda tired actually.”

 “Then why didn’t you stay at the hotel and take a nap instead of pushing me to come to the mall with you?” he
asked.

 “Because I wasn’t tired then.” Brian replied.

 “Angel and Aaron give my mom that same answer when she asks them stuff.” Nick told him as they walked through
the mall.

 “Hungry?” Brian asked as they reached the food court.

 “Yeah I guess.” Nick said as they found an empty table.
 

 Back at the hotel BJ was trying to get Krystal to put on the dress so she’d be ready when Brian and Nick got back.

 “I already tried it on at the mall.” Krystal said sitting down on her bed.

 BJ thought quickly “Well don’t you wanna see how the shoes look with the dress?”

 Krystal sighed, she knew BJ wouldn’t let up until she did what she wanted her to “Fine if I have to.” She took the
bags and went into the bathroom leaving the door open a little “Why do I have to do this now?” she asked from the
bathroom.

 BJ walked over and leaned against the wall next to the door “Because you won’t have time tonight.”

 Krystal stuck her head out the door “Why not?”

 “Well isn’t there a show tonight?” BJ asked.

 “No not tonight. Tomorrow night.” She said coming out of the bathroom “There are you happy now?”

 BJ examined the dress and shoes and how it looked on Krystal “Yeah. But…”

 “No but.” Krystal said.

 She grabbed her hand and pulled her back in the bathroom “We have to do your hair.”

 “What? Why?” Krystal asked looking up at her friend who had just pushed her down on the edge of the bathtub.

 “Let’s just pretend that you’re going out the dinner or something ok?” BJ said, “Now keep your head still.”

 Krystal rolled her eyes as there was a knock on the door.

 BJ looked at her watch “Shoot.” She walked to the bathroom door “Just brush your hair out.”

 “Where are you going?” She asked.

 “Just trust me ok.” BJ said leaving the room and walking to the door. She pulled it open; standing there was Brian and Nick, who was dressed in his new outfit.

 “You’re here.” Brian said “Tell Nick that this looks good.”

 BJ examined her brother’s outfit as Krystal came out of the bathroom “Looks good.”

 “Why are you guys here?” Krystal asked.

 Nick’s eyes widened when he saw her “Wow!” he said then clamped his hand over his mouth.

 Brian assumed he hadn’t meant to say that outloud.

 Krystal smiled “You don’t look bad yourself.”

 He let his hand fall to his side “Looks like we’re both dressed up with no where to go.”

 She nodded “Yeah I guess so.”

 “Why don’t you guys go out to dinner or something.” BJ said.

 “Wouldn’t we have to make…”

 “Reservations?” Brian asked, “Done.”

 Nick looked at Brian as if he had ten heads “What are you talking about?”

 “Done. Reservations are made already.” He replied.

 “What how?” Nick asked.

 “That’s what you were doing this morning wasn’t it?” Krystal asked looking at Brian.

 He looked up at the ceiling then at Krystal “Maybe.”

 “You and BJ are gonna drive me crazy answering every question I ask with maybe.” She said.

 “So you gonna go or not?” BJ asked.

 “What restaurant?” Nick asked.

 Brian told him the name of the restaurant what time the reservations were for and that a limo was waiting for them
downstairs.

 Nick looked at Krystal “Krystal would you be my date for this evening? Because it would be real lonely eating alone.”

 She didn’t even have to think before she said yes.

 “Great.” Nick said putting out his arm “Lets go.”

 “One minute.” She said, “BJ come with me.” The two girls went into the bathroom.

 “Why are you making him wait?” BJ asked.

 “I need makeup.” She said grabbing her makeup bag from next to the sink “And I wanted to say thanks.”

 “For what?”

 “For setting this up.” She replied “I never would have gotten up the courage to do this myself.”

 BJ smiled “What are friends for? Now hurry up and don’t keep my brother waiting.”

 A second later both girls walked out of the bathroom.

 “Ok ready.” Krystal said.

 “Then lets go.” Nick said holding out his arm again.

 Krystal took it “Bye guys.”
 

 After dinner they came back to the hotel but instead of going upstairs to their rooms they went out to the pool which was empty. The fence around the pool was covered with clear Christmas lights, which lit the area and gave it a romantic feel.

 “I’m actually glad that they tricked us like that.” Nick said as they sat down on a bench.

 Krystal smiled “Me too. I had a nice time.”

 “Brian did good.” Nick said, “We had the best table.”

 “I’m surprised no one came over and asked for your autograph.” She said, “I mean last time we all went out to dinner
together you guys got asked like twelve times.”

 “Maybe it was cause I wasn’t with the other guys.” Nick said, “Maybe it’s because I was with a beautiful girl.”

 “You think I’m beautiful?” She asked looking up at him.

 “Yeah.” He said “I’ve actually liked you since you and my sister became friends.”

 She looked into his blue eyes “I’ve liked you ever since that first day I was at your house.”

 They sat looking into each other’s eyes for a few minutes until soft music started flowing out into the pool area.

 “Where’s that coming from?” Krystal asked looking around.

 Nick was also looking around he smiled when he spotted BJ and Brian in the doorway to the pool area “Dance with
me?”

 Krystal looked shocked.

 “And you can’t say that you don’t dance cause that would be a lie.” He said as Mariah Carey’s “Thank God I Found
You.” Started playing.

 She smiled “I’d love to dance with you.”

 Nick placed his hands around her waist and she put hers around his neck.

 “I love this song.” She said as they moved in a slow back and forth motion.

“Me too.” He said “But there’s something I like even more.”

 She looked up at him “What’s that?”

 He smiled “You.”

 “Really?” she asked.

 Nick nodded “Yeah.”

 “You know what this reminds me of.” Krystal said.

 “What?” he asked.

 “The last scene from…”

 “She’s All That?” he asked finishing her sentence.

 She smiled “Yeah how’d you know?”

 “I just knew you were gonna say that.” He said “But there’s only one thing that would make this just like that.”

She couldn’t figure out what he was talking about “What?”

 “This.” He bent his head down and placed his lips on hers.

 After about a minute Nick ended the kiss.

 “Oh that.” She said smiling as the song ended “Why don’t we go inside we can do something tomorrow before the
show.”

 Nick nodded “Sounds good to me.” He slipped his fingers through hers and squeezed her hand “Come on.”

 The each went to their own rooms and slept peacefully dreaming about where their new relationship could take them.

¤ THE END ¤
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