“Kevin did you steal my green shirt again,” Nick Carter yelled out frantically, searching for his beloved green shirt.
     Kevin Richardson, part of the infamous group the Backstreet Boys, rolled his eyes. “No I think you wore that thing already.”
     Brian Littrell, AJ Mclean, and Howie Dorough all laughed at Kevin’s eye rolling. They all knew from past experiences how Nick gets when he can’t find his lucky green shirt.
     “Lexi, do you know where I put my green shirt,” Nick whined at her. Lexi was a pet name Nick called Alexandra, or Alex, Williams. Alex was a 23 year old, curly brown hair, blue-green eyes girl. All the guys loved her and treated her like their kid sister, especially Brian. Those two were really tight.
     “Top bunk first one from the door Nicky,” Alex shouted back at him while typing on the computer.
     “I love you Lexi, thank you so much!”
     “With you guys, I have to know where everything is or else you’d drive Leigh nuts,” she muttered under her breath, referring to LeighAnne Wallace, Brian’s current girlfriend.
     “I heard that,” AJ shouted from the front of the bus.
     “I’m betting ten bucks Nicky boy told you that I said that.”
     The other four guys all crammed into the same room that Alex was in, typing away on the keyboard. She turned around noticing all five guys watching her.
     “You mind?”
     Brian eyed the computer. “You chat an awful lot on there. Somebody we should be knowing about?”
     “Nobody out of the ordinary Bri just Cori.” She smiled at the sight of the guys. Sometimes they could be so over protective of her.
     “You know, you never told us if Cori was a guy or a girl,” Howie pointed out.
     Alex rolled her eyes. “Yeah and if Cori was a guy, I’d wanna go screw him. A lot of people mistake me for a guy. What’s the big deal?”
     “You know we just care,” Kevin gently explained. “We all feel like your brothers, so we have to take care of you. We don’t want a man trying to hurt you.”
     “Right now, the only men in my life are you guys. All you gotta do is fight over which one of you gets me for the day.”
     Nick started to bicker with Howie over who gets Alex for the day. Soon, all the guys were fighting over her. Alex laughed at them and smiled when she saw LeighAnne walk in through the door. She always thought Leigh was perfect for Bri and couldn’t be happier for the both of them. Deep down, she truly hoped LeighAnne wasn’t in this for the money. It would devastate Brian.
     “Hey baby,” Brian said when he saw LeighAnne walk in. He walked up to her and took her in his arms. “I missed you.”
     “You just saw me and you miss me already? Aww I love you so much Bri,” LeighAnne cooed at him.
     Alex made a face and went back to talking to Cori. She shook her head trying to block out, Bri’s baby talk, and the other guy’s bickering. Welcome to another day in the life of the Backstreet Boys, she thought.

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    Corinne Davis, a 22 year old, red hair, green eyes girl from upstate New York, laughed at what her friend Alex was typing about her five male friends whom she traveled with. From what Alex told her, they were like older brothers, even though a couple were younger then her.

    SomberSky: Are they at it again?
    Crystaline: Cori, what do you think? I got the same talk again.
    SomberSky: The oh well, we just care about you and all talk? Lol those guys are suck dorks.
    Crystaline: You have no idea. :o)
    SomberSky: I wish I could meet them….hell, I wish I could meet you too.
    Crystaline: Hey what if you could meet us? We will be over in New York for a few days. Why don’t we make plans to hang out and harass the guys or something? Lol

    Cori stared at the screen. The one thing I truly wished for could come true, but could I gather enough courage to do it, she reflected to herself. But how could I pass up a chance of a lifetime to meet possibly five hot and sexy guys, plus my friend who has become more like a sister to me? She ran her fingers through her hair.

    SomberSky: Sounds good to me! When can we meet?

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    Alex screamed causing all the guys and LeighAnne to jump. “Oh my god I can’t believe it. Oh shit..”
     “Lexi, what’s wrong.” Brian asked her. “Something the matter?”
     “NO something is wonderful!” She ran around hugging all the guys. “Cori lives in New York and while we are there next week, we have plans to meet in person!”
     “Whoa now wait a minute,” Kevin said. “We don’t know if this is a guy or a girl. This could be some kind of ax murderer.”
     “Come on this is Cori we are talking about. Harmless Cori. Cori I tell about you guys too and we go on and on about. What can be so harmful?”
     “Kevin’s right,” AJ agreed. “Alex, this could be a male rapist trying to harm you. You have no idea about who this person is.”
     Alex hid a grin. The guys assumed Cori was a guy, but in reality, Cori is a girl. She hid this from them because she didn’t want to get harassed with trying to hook them up with her. Even though they may be overprotective, she could be too as well.
     “Okay if it makes you feel any better, a couple of you can tag along when Cori and I first meet so you can see for yourselves? Sound good?”
     “I’ll go,” AJ offered. “I wanna get a good look at this Cori guy to see how much of a rapist he might be.”
     “Bri, you should go with Alex too,” LeighAnne spoke up. “You are her best friend and all. You should also be the one checking out this Cori person.”
     Everyone nodded. Alex bounded back over to the computer to give Cori a date and time as to when they should meet. Everyone soon disappeared except LeighAnne, who was still in the room after Alex finished up talking to Cori.
     “Leigh, can I tell you something,” Alex asked after she shut down the computer.
     “Sure go ahead. I’m all ears.”
     “Well, you see, Cori, is not what the guys are thinking of.”
     LeighAnne looked confused. “What do you mean?”
     “I’ve never told them much about Cori and well they think from lack of information that Cori is a male rapist. I can understand this, but if they knew the truth, they wouldn’t think that. See, Cori is a female and I hardly think she’ll rape me unless she’s bisexual or lesbian.”
     LeighAnne laughed. “You’ve never told them Cori’s female? Oh Lord Bri and AJ are in for a surprise on Thursday when they meet her.”
     “I didn’t want Nick or someone trying to get me to hook them up with her. See, Cori doesn’t know they are the Backstreet Boys. She’s a huge fan, and I didn’t want her to like me because I know them, or think I’m lying to her.”
     “So Cori’s also going to be surprised when she sees AJ and Brian meeting her as well.” LeighAnne shook her head. “Girl, you will have some serious explaining to do.”
     “I’m very aware of that. I just don’t know how I will explain that to both of the parties my reasons for hiding these things.”
 LeighAnne looked thoughtful for a moment. “How come you don’t want Nick or someone asking about her like that?”
     “Well, you know how they get very over protective of me right? I’m the same way with them. I don’t want them to fall in love with someone they don’t know.”
     “Very true. It’s probably better they don’t know until Thursday when they meet then.”
     Alex frowned. “Bri’s going to kill me though for hiding Cori’s sexuality from him. I mean he’ll be angry that I let them all assume Cori was a man.”
     “He can’t kill you all that much. I mean they never really asked and pressed the issue too much about her history. Usually, they wouldn’t bother you all that much about it am I right?”
     “No they really don’t…Hmm I suppose I can mention that before Brian tries to maim me or anything like that.”
     “He wouldn’t maim his pretty best friend,” LeighAnne said laughing.
     “Hey so what are you girls gossiping about,” Brian asked as he stepped into the room.
     “Cori,” Alex said with a grin.
     “Not that guy again!” He groaned as he sat down next to LeighAnne. “I knew it Alex. I knew you’d have the hots for this guy.”
     Alex and LeighAnne busted out laughing. Brian looked at the two like they were totally nuts and shook his head.
     “You two are the weirdest…”

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     Cori sighed as she went through her things. “God what am I going to wear?” She started tearing her room apart looking for something she could possibly wear for Thursday. After she found nothing, she went over to the phone and picked it up. She began dialing Alex’s cell phone to see if she could help her at all with something to wear.
     “Hello,” a male voiced answered after a couple of rings.
     “Um, is Alex there?”
     “Hold on.” After a couple moments of shuffling, Cori finally heard Alex pick up.
     “Hello?”
     “Hey Al it’s me Cori.”
     “Hey!” After a moment of more shuffling, Alex came back on the line. “Sorry I didn’t want the guys harassing me.”
     “They don’t even know do they?”
     “Uh..no.”
     “Alexandra! When do you plan on telling them?”
     “When you meet them?”
     Cori shook her head smiling. Alex can be such a little bad girl from time to time. “My my such a bad girl you are.”
     “You know it!”
     “Girl you gotta help me in finding something to wear for Thursday!”
     Cori glared as Alex laughed over the phone. “Have you been through all your clothes yet?”
     “Yes,” Cori whined. “Please help me.”
     “You sound like Nicky in trying to find his lucky shirt. Poor kid was going to have a seizure if he didn’t find it soon.”
     “Poor kid?! How old is he for you to be saying that?”
     “Younger then me!”
     Cori rolled her eyes and laughed. “You dork! So anyway, what should I wear?”
     “A spring-type dress. I have a couple bodyguards coming with me to meet you so you might wanna wear something to shock the hell outta them.”
     “I think me being a female will shock them enough ya know.”
     “Too true my friend.”
     Cori started going through the clothes again. “Fuck finally! I found something perfect!”
     Alex laughed over the phone. “Glad I could help at least.”
     “Trust me your little speech on shocking the guys worked. I found something to ensure that I am a woman.”
    “I think there are some things on a woman that ensures you to be a woman.”
    Cori laughed. “Very funny. Ugh I better let you go! This is going to cost me quite a bit of money. So I will finally meet you Thursday ok?”
    “Okay can’t wait to finally meet this mystery girl I’ve been talking to! Love you.”
    “Love you too. Later.”
    Cori hung up the phone and placed the dress on a nearby hanger. “God what a mess!” She started to pick a few things up as her phone started to ring again.
    “Hello,” asked Cori while she started shoving things in her closet.
    “Is this the shoving clothes back into the closet portion of the day,” Alex teased her.
    “Alex is that you?”
    “Who else would it be?”
    “Someone else trying to call in?”
    “Touchy touchy.”
    “Just a little stressed out.”
    “Ok I’ll let you go. Love you bye!”
    Cori hung up the phone and laid down on her bed with a sigh.

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    Alex hung up the phone with a grin and walked back to the front of the bus, noticing all the guys were there and staring at her. "What do I have a pimple on my nose or something?”
    “You were on the phone an awful long time,” Howie observed.
    “Yes I realize that. I had a very nice chat though.” Alex sat down in between Brian and Kevin.
    “With who,” Kevin asked turning to face her.
    “My non existent boyfriend who you guys so love to harass and when I probably end up getting one, the poor boy will be scarred for life.” She grinned to show she was kidding.
    Brian poked Alex in the side. “I sill don’t buy that. Really who were you on the phone with?”
    “A friend…”
    “Cori?”
    “No…”
    “It really couldn’t have,” Nick pointed out. “I heard a girl’s voice and Cori is certainly not a girl.”
    Alex got up and looked at all the guys. “Has it ever occurred to you that….”
    “That what Lexi,” Brian gently pressed her.
    “Oh never mind. Just was doing some wishing aloud.”
    “You sure something isn’t wrong?”
    Alex smiled. “I’m fine. Just a little worn out.”
    “Talking to Cori will do that to you. You do know that right?”
    “What ever am I going to do with you guys?”
    “Love us,” AJ asked his eyes brightened.
    “I do already.”
    Eventually, all the guys left again leaving Alex to her thoughts. Can I really pull this off? Could I really not get killed by the two people I love and that I have deceived the most? Could I really be able to pull this off? Alex was so wrapped in her thoughts that she didn’t hear Leigh come back in.
    “Still thinking about Thursday and how everything will work out,” LeighAnne softly asked her, causing her to jump upon hearing Leigh’s voice.
    “Fuck you scared me. Yeah I was thinking about Thursday.” She turned to face LeighAnne. “Cori called earlier. That’s why I was in the bathroom. I didn’t want the guys to hear. We were talking about what she should wear for our meeting to you know shock the guys and all when they first meet her.”
    LeighAnne laughed. “I doubt her clothing will affect them much. I think the mere fact she is a woman not a man will shock those two poor men enough.”
    Alex laughed with her. “I think the mere fact that AJ and Brian are a part of the BSB will shock Cori enough too!”
    “Too bad you won’t have a camera to take a picture of their reactions.”
    Alex quieted down for a moment. “Too bad you can’t come with me either. I’m sure you’d love her the moment you first saw her.”
    “There will be plenty of time for me to meet her you do know that right?”
    Alex smacked her hand against her forehead. “Duh of course! Maybe since they will meet, we can get her backstage passes so then you really could meet her or something!”
    “Whoa calm down! You’re getting ahead of yourself and you’ve not even met her yet.”
    “ I know! Ugh, I’m just so excited! The next two days won’t go by fast enough!”
    “You look tired.”
    Alex looked down for a moment. “Actually I kind of am tired.”
    “Get some sleep then okay? For me please.”
    “Since when did you start becoming a motherly type of person?”
    LeighAnne laughed. “With these guys, you have to become one.”
    “I heard that,” AJ exclaimed as he and the other four guys walked back in.
    “You always seem to hear these things,” Alex muttered underneath her breath.
    Brian softly ran his fingers through Alex’s curly brown hair. “I thought I heard you mention you were tired hon?”
    Alex laid her head down on Brian’s shoulder. “Yes I am pretty tired. What time is it?”
    “Too late,” Kevin murmured quietly. “I think we all should go to bed.”
    “Just because Alex does, doesn’t mean we all have to,” Nick whined.
    Alex softly laughed at Nick’s protesting as she closed her eyes. Kevin nodded at her as if he was trying to prove a point to Nick that they should all get some sleep.
    “Hey Nicky, we all have to get up early tomorrow anyway,” AJ started explaining. “We have a concert to practice for and we need to get to the venue, set up, and…” He trailed off yawning.
    “Yeah I suppose you are right,” Nick said as he yawned. “Damn those are contagious.”
    Brian gently picked up Alex and carried her over to her bunk. He gently laid her down safely inside and put some blankets over her to keep her warm. He smiled watching her for a moment as she slept in her bunk fast asleep.
    “Night sweetie,” he said as he gently pushed away a stray hair. “Sweet dreams.”