During the car ride to the theme
park, A.J.'s hand kept 'accidentally' brushing against Bianca's hand. When she
looked at him, all he could say is "It's just that these Honda's are so
damn small." She laughed at his excuse and, slyly moving a little closer
to him, replying "Yeah, I know what you mean."
In the front seat, Kevin and
Brianna were quiet. Brianna didn't know what to say to him. Two weeks ago, she
was a nobody from North Carolina, and now she had two Backstreet Boys riding
around in her car. That was a little hard to comprehend, but the hardest thing
to grasp so far was the fact that Bianca was a major-label singer now. She was
going for-real on tour with the five finest guys in America.
"So.." Kevin spoke for
the first time since being in the car.
"Yeah?"
"Are you two living down
here now?" he asked looking over at Brianna.
"Kinda. We're in a hotel for
the moment. We decided that we weren't going to make any major decisions
concerning that until we were sure about where Bean's audition would take
her."
"What are you going to do
now that she was signed to Jive."
"Now, we have to start
thinking about what we're gonna do." she replied.
"Personally, I would love it
if we would just pack up and move down here," Bianca replied staring at
the road ahead. "Hotel rooms get so damn expensive after a while."
They could see the gates of
Disney World looming ahead and all conversation about living arrangements were
ceased.
A.J. was worse than a little kid
looking out the windows and talking about all the things he was going to do
once he got inside. Bianca was just as enthused as he was. After all, she had
never been there and she was excited. And the fact that A.J. was going to be
her expert escort didn't disappoint her.
****5 Minutes Later****
As they all crowded around the
entrance to the park, Kevin stepped to the front of the line. "Can I see
Mitch, please?"
"Sure," the girl
running the ticket booth replied. In shades, and a big Kentucky floppy hat,
Kevin was hardly recognizable. He had grabbed them off the van before getting
into Brianna's car.
Just then a tall, older guy came
to the window. He looked to be in about his mid-30's and he had a very friendly
face. "Can I help you?"
"Mitch, hi. It's
Kevin," he said pulling down his shades. "What's been going on?"
"Not much, Kev. I haven't
seen you in a while. Been busy touring the world?"
"Kinda," Kevin
answered. "Listen, we've got these lady friends, new recruits from Jive,
and we wanna hook 'em up for a day. You know, show them a good time. The girls
have never been here and it would make them really happy." He put his arms
around Brianna's waist and pulled her closer. "Favor for an old
friend?"
"Sure thing," Mitch
answered. "Come on through." With the push of a button, the bar
raised and the group was allowed to walk into the park.
"Thanks, Mitch. I really
appreciate it." Kevin told the man.
"Don't think anything of it.
Just have a good time." With that said, he looked over at Brianna, winked
at Kevin and disappeared back into the booth.
"So what are we gonna ride
first?" Brain asked looking eagerly in the direction of Space Mountain.
"Let's just start at Space
Mountain," Brianna said, noticing Brian's eager expression. She had her own
excitement in mind, also. Her stomach fluttered at the thought of flying
through the dark depths of 'outer space' with Kevin behind her.
Bianca, on the other hand, didn't
know what to think. A.J. really made her feel good and she liked him, God knows
she did, but his boldness threw her off. She wasn't used to a guy being so
blunt with her and she didn't know how to react. She never knew what to expect
and that scared her.
Nick stood behind the four new
buddies taking in the situation. 'Okay, so Brianna and Kevin just automatically
hit it off. They're tight. And A.J. is shamelessly throwing himself at Bianca
and she's obviously enjoying it. And no matter how much I hate it, I can't do a
damn thing about it.' Nick sighed loudly. Bianca didn't seem to notice Nicks
discomfort as A.J. put his arms tightly around her shoulders.
"After Space Mountain we'll
strike out on our own," Howie told Nick, sensing his friends exasperation.
"Me, you, and Brian will leave the four 'lovebirds' alone."
Howie's sarcastic comment was met
by sharp looks from Kevin and Bianca. No matter how much Bianca liked A.J., she
just couldn't jump into something she was unsure of. And Kevin, even though he
had only just met her, felt strongly for Brianna and didn't want to scare her off
by moving too fast.
****5 Minutes Later****
After waiting patiently in line
for five minutes, the seven eager friends were finally allowed to board the
ride.
"Yeah! It's about time! I
couldn't have waited any longer!" Brian exclaimed sounding like a little
kid let loose in a candy store.
"Brian, we only had to wait
for five minutes," A.J. said laughing and looking back at the three behind
him. He noticed he was getting a hateful glare from Nick. "What's the
matter, man," A.J. asked with a grin. "Your 'condition' acting up
again?"
Nick's face turned red as he
started to answer loudly. "You know what, A.J.? Just shut up and leave me
alone. You know that I don't feel well. I'm gonna go find a bench and just sit
there for a while. Have fun. Brian, Howie, y'all can find me when the ride is
over," he said walking off.
'I've had enough of him,' he
thought sighing. He hadn't wanted to act so immature, but he was just so tired
of always getting picked on by the other guys, especially A.J. and in front of
pretty girls, too. Just because he was the youngest boy of the five, it didn't
mean he wasn't grown. A.J. needed to realize that he wasn't the same little boy
he was when he joined the group.
"You know, I kinda feel
sorry for Nick," Bianca said as she and A.J. climbed into the ride.
"He seems to be so down."
"Don't feel sorry for him.
He just wants attention," A.J. replied, laughing.
"Yeah, but still..."
Bianca ventured on, "this is supposed to be the happiest place on earth
and I hate that he's sulking around feeling so icky."
Just then the ride lurched
forward, the lights dimmed, and the riders began their ascent into the sky.
Bianca took in all the stars as they flew by her at warp speed in the dark. As
she looked ahead she could barely make out the outlines of Kevin and Brianna in
the car ahead of them.
****At The Same Time****
Brianna leaned back in her seat
as the ride started to gather speed. She glanced around and then turned to look
at Kevin in the seat behind her. She found him gazing up at the simulated sky
above them almost like he was dreaming. The pale green light reflected off his
chiseled features and illuminated his handsome face.
'He's so close,' Brianna thought
longingly. 'All I have to do is reach out my hand and...' As if reading her
thoughts, he looked at her and caught her staring back at him. She tried to
look away, but couldn't seem to tear her eyes away from his hypnotic gaze.
Kevin leaned closer to her,
licking his lips. 'This is it!' Brianna thought excitedly as he continued to
lean closer. Reaching out and gently gliding his thumb over her lips, he
whispered softly in her ear. He could feel his heart pounding.
"You are so beautiful,"
he told her in his deep voice as his hand pulled her head closer to his. Their
lips met softly as she reached out to take his other free hand. Their fingers
intertwined in the dark as their kiss became more passionate. Kevin's tongue
slipped slowly into Brianna's mouth, rubbing over her lips before circling her
tongue. As he started to pull away, Brianna began to close her mouth. Kevin's
tongue raked ever-so- gently against her teeth on the way out.
As they pulled away to look at
each other the ride began to lose speed. When it came to a complete stop, Kevin
and Brianna dropped hands and unfastened their seat belts.
Kevin jumped off the ride onto
the platform. As he stood there watching Brianna unhook her seat belt, he
thought about what had just happened. He started to reach down and help her get
unlatched but he was afraid she'd take it the wrong way. He was also afraid
that he had made a foolish, impulsive mistake.
'What if she was too shocked to
do anything?' he thought nervously. 'But she seemed to return my feelings. 'It
was her who took my hand.' She looked up and smiled at him and Kevin felt his
heart begin to race all over again when he looked into her big brown eyes.
He didn't think he had ever seen
someone so beautiful. As he stood staring at Brianna, he tried to take in all
of her beauty. He looked once again into her eyes. 'Those are the prettiest
brown eyes I have ever seen,' he thought losing himself in them. Her thick
brown hair fell in layers that framed her oval face. Throughout the layers were
golden streaks that highlighted her dark features. Her fair skin was smooth and
flawless. As he looked at her lips he recollected their passionate kiss. He
stood remembering the sweetness of her lips. They were soft and tasted of fruit
gloss, which he could still taste on his own. He watched as the tall, slender
girl finally unfastened her seat belt.
She seemed strong and
independent. Kevin found that to be one of Brianna's sexiest characteristics.
His thoughts were broken as she slowly began to lift herself off the ride.
As she climbed onto the platform
beside Kevin, Brianna couldn't suppress smiling when their eyes met.
"Where to next?" she asked him as they started to walk away.
"That's up to you,"
Kevin answered sexily, still questioning how he should act. But when Brianna
reached down, lacing her fingers into his and pulling him close, every doubt he
had in his head about her not returning his feelings disappeared.
****10 Minutes Later****
"I think we should go find
Nick," Bianca said looking around. "He needs some cheering up."
"Aw, Bean, he'll be fine.
You don't need to worry about him. He's being a baby. I'm telling you he's just
trying to get attention," A.J. said taking Bianca's hand.
"No, that's not fair,"
she said pulling her hand away from his. "I don't like the fact that you
don't care about his feelings. The only one you seem to care about is
A.J."
"It's not that," A.J.
answered looking hurt by her words. "It's just...we're together almost
every minute of every day, and there's only so much you can take of one person.
I love him like a brother, but sometimes we just get on each others
nerves."
Bianca felt sorry for her
outburst now. She had never really thought about having to spend that much time
with anyone.
"I'm sorry...I've never
really had to be around the same people for that amount of time. I should have
listened to you before being
such a bitch, but I just don't
like the fact that Nick is sitting somewhere being so miserable," she
apologized.
"All is forgiven," answered
A.J. with an exaggerated bow. He picked up her hand once again, this time
kissing the top. "Now, can we go on with our day? After all, this is the
happiest place on earth."
With a giggle from Bianca, they
walked off in search of their next ride.
****At The Same Time****
Howie and Brian got off the ride
and glanced around for Kevin, Brianna, A.J., and Bianca. Instead they spotted
Nick sitting on the bench he had set off to find before the ride.
"Gee, the other four
disappeared pretty fast," Howie said forgetting about what was really the
matter with Nick.
"Well, they don't matter
anyway," Brian interrupted while secretly elbowing Howie in the side.
"They just formed a clique. We can have our own fun. Anyway, I saw some
really cute girls and a couple of them were checking you out man," he told
Nick trying to bring him reassurance.
"Stop trying to make me feel
better. You know it's not gonna work. I am sick and tired of A.J.'s smart ass
comments. He's just trying to impress Bianca anyway," Nick said getting
up. "What does he see in her guys? She's not his type at all."
"Well, what do you think
Nick? Is she more your type?" Howie asked sarcastically.
"Yeah," Nick replied
seriously. "Actually she is."
"Are you sure you're not
just jealous because she didn't notice you first?"
"I am not jealous,
especially not of A.J. I just know that things aren't gonna work out between
them."
With that, Brian decided he would
bring himself into the conversation.
"Nick, man, you don't know
if it will or not. I'm on your side, you know that, but you can't say you know
that it won't work out between them. That's like-"
Brain was interrupted by that
sweetly familiar voice.
"Hi guys," Bianca said
looking at Nick with a smile.
"Hey, Bianca," Brian
and Howie replied in unison.
"Hey," Nick mumbled.
"So, are you feeling any
better? I hated to think that we were off having fun while you were here
feeling terrible," she said
genuinely.
"I'm fine. Never been
better," he answered sarcastically. "So, where's 'Prince
Charming'?"
"Excuse me?" Bianca
asked with a confused laugh.
"A.J." Nick said as if
to explain.
"Oh," she giggled.
"He went to get us something to drink."
"What a-"
"Well, don't worry, here he
comes now," Brian interrupted Nick before he could say anything else.
"What a great guy,"
Nick replied with no enthusiasm and a glare at A.J.
"Hey all," A.J. greeted
everyone as he slipped his arm around Bianca's shoulders. "I didn't know
what you wanted Bean, so I just got you a Pepsi."
"That's fine. I'll drink
anything."
"Don't get any ideas
A.J.," Nick said seriously.
Bianca looked at Nick puzzled.
'Why would he say something like that?' she wondered still staring at him.
Before she could ask out loud,
A.J. took her hand and led her away. "We'll be back later," he called
over his shoulder.
"See what I mean?" A.J.
asked her. "He's fine. He just wants to get to me, and as long as I ignore
him he can't do that. It drives him up the wall."
A.J. didn't want to admit that he
knew the real reason for Nick's strange actions. 'Nick likes her, but I do,
too,' he thought as they walked around the park hand in hand. 'I'll be damned
if he's gonna get her attention now.'
He squeezed her hand as they
walked. Looking up at him and smiling she squeezed his hand back. With that one
squeeze of her fingers, A.J. knew she liked him, too.
****Two Hours Later****
"Hey guys," Kevin
greeted the other four guys and Bianca as he and Brianna came walking up. "Is
everyone about ready to go?"
"Yep."
"Uh huh"
"Sure."
"Alright then. Where to
next? We still have a few business matters to discuss with you Bianca," he
replied looking at her.
"Okay. That's fine,"
she said leaning on A.J. "What kind of 'business matters', and where can
we go to discuss them?"
"Hey, I have an idea,"
Brianna said enthusiastically. "Why don't we go to the mall? I've been
dying to go shopping since we've been down here, but I haven't had the chance.
While y'all walk around you can talk the rest of us can shop. Just because you
have to talk about business stuff doesn't mean you have to be sitting down
somewhere."
"That sounds fine,"
Kevin said wrapping his arms around her waist from behind her.
"Brianna, I think you and I
are going to be great friends. I love to shop. You can help me pick some new
clothes," Howie said with a friendly smile.
"That sounds good. While
Kevin is talking to Bean, you and I can go shop," she said smiling back.
"So, it's agreed, we're
going shopping," Kevin said looking at everyone.
"Well, how do we need to
ride?" Bianca asked.
"Why don't y'all ride in the
van with us?" Kevin asked.
"Well, I would, but I'd
rather drive my car and follow the van to keep from having to come all the way
out here to get it," she answered him. Brianna also didn't want to seem
clingy.
"Well, since I know y'all
will be talking business, I'm gonna ride with Brianna," A.J. said looking
to her for approval.
"That's cool. Now I don't
have to talk to myself," she said grinning.