"Whats up AJ?" Nick asked. AJ slummed himself into the chair beside Nick, in the back of Nicks house.
"Have you heard about Karine and I?" AJ asked, looking stupidly up at Nick.
"Yup.. know the feeling.." Nick replied "want a beer?"
"Sure... gimme what you got.." AJ replied. Nick went inside and got two beers from his fridge, tossing one to AJ when he got outside.
"Man Nick... how did this ever backfire on us?" AJ asked.
"On us? I think you mean on you, Bro.." Nick corrected him.
"What? you were at the club that night also, Bro.."
"Yeah but I wasnt flirting with the girl, you were" Nick said. He took a swig from the beer.
"Go talk to Karine.." Nick said.
"She wont talk to me.."
"Oh..."
"you having any luck with Tara?" AJ asked.
"Kind of.. She had her sonogram two weeks ago.. she told me she loved me" Nick said.
"Thats good.. Im glad for you Bro.."
"Thanks, I just want her back here with me tho.. you know?"
"Yeah I know.." AJ replied. He took a drink from his beer.
The doorbell rang from the front gate of Nicks house. He got out of his chair and walked around the house to the front, to see who was there.
"Leigh Anne... what are you doing here?" He asked strangely.
"Im looking for Brian, is he here?" She asked.
"No.. Hes not home right now.." Nick replied.
"Oh, is Tara here? can I talk to her?" She asked.
Nick frowned.
"No, shes not here.." he replied. He opened up the gate and let Leigh Anne in.
"Thanks.. where is she?" She asked.
"Shes at Justins house.."
"Justins? what happened? She didnt go back to him did she?"
"No, its not what you think, theyr only friends. She kind of broke up with me, on wrong reasons, thinking I did something when I didnt.." Nick said. He didnt want to get into details.
"Im soo sorry, Nick" Leigh Anne said. She gave him a hug.
"AJ's here?" SHe said, pointing at AJ's car.
"Yeah, hes out back. Come join us, we're the.. depressed loners club. You can be our new member" Nick joked. He led Leigh Anne to the back yard of the house.
"Hello Leigh A!" AJ greeted her "havent seen you in... oh geesh.. a long time? whats it been, half a year?"
"seven months" Leigh Anne replied. She sat down in one of the empty pool chairs.
"What are you doing here?" AJ asked.
"I came to talk to Brian.."
"What for?"
"Because... I want him back" Leigh Anne replied. Nick glanced over at AJ, who stared right back at him. Nick took another swig from his beer.
"Well.. one thing is for sure.. the three of us are rejected asses" AJ said. Nick laughed.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Leigh Anne asked.
"it means that Karine wont come back to me, Tara wont come back to Nick, and Brian will not come back to you" AJ replied.
"Why wouldnt he?"
"Hes seeing someone else now.. has been for awhile.. Im sure you'll run into her sometime soon if your back for good. Her name is Laura, shes really nice" AJ replied "Pretty fine lookin too!".
Leigh Anne grabbed AJ's beer and took a sip, then looked in the opposite direction towards the canal.
"Do me a favor.. don't tell Brian Im in town.. I'm going to surprise him.." Leigh Anne said.
August 10, 2001. Three weeks after Tara's sonogram:
"Come on Tara... just one date... please?? It'll be fun!" Justin proposed. Tara was laying on the couch, and sighed.
"I promise you one full night of fun! You wont even think about all your troubles" Justin offered. He looked at Tara and smiled.
"please?" he begged. Tara looked up into his eyes.
"Alright.. on one condition.." Tara said.
"Sure! anything!" Justin said excitedly.
"Its not a date date... its just.. a date of two friends" Tara said. Justins expression turned grim, but he still smiled anyways.
"Deal!" he replied. He smiled at Tara. "You wont regret this.. Tara"
"I hope not.." Tara said quietly to herself.
"Im going into town for a couple hours, get some stuff ready for our 'friend date'. I'll be back in a few hours alright? If you need me, just call the pager.." Justin said.
"Sure" Tara replied. Justin left the room. Tara picked up the remote and turned on the TV to MTV for some music videos.
Yet another day for Nick, Brian and AJ, on the search for some evidence of Nicks faithfulness to prove to Tara that he did not cheat on her.
In mid conversation about break ups around the food lounge table, AJ brought up Staceys name.
"Stacey... isnt that the girl that was at the club that night?" Nick asked.
"Yeah, shes the one I was dancing with.." AJ replied "Wait a second.. do you think she'd know Kelly?"
"I dont know.. its a shot to try..." Nick said "and I dont know about you guys, but Im willing to try it.."
"Well.. lets go then.." Brian said. He took a last gulp from his drink and threw it in the garbage. The three men got up and left the food court, following AJ to his car.
The three men walked past the entrance of Planet Hollywood up to the customer desk.
"Hello, how can I help you?" The woman at the counter asked.
"Hey, I was wondering if we could find a Stacey... oh whats her last name.. Stacey Horowitz" AJ said.
"Stacey is on break right now, can I take a message for her?"
"Its really important and imperitive that we see her in person, would you mind getting her for us?" Nick spoke.
The woman saw the look in Nicks eye and agreed to go get Stacey. A few moments later, she came around the corner with the woman.
"AJ... Nick.. what are you guys doing here?"
"We came to talk to you for a few minutes, mind ocming outside with us?" AJ asked. Stacey smiled and walked past the three men to the parking lot outside.
"How can I help you boys?" She asked flirtaciously.
"Stace.. the night at that club when we first met... Nick was dancing with that one girl, do you remember her?" AJ asked.
Stacey looked over at Nick and nodded her head yes.
"Are you friends with her? it is very important that we find her.." AJ begged.
"Yeah.. I know Kelly.. we hangout every once in awhile.." Stacey replied.
"Can you please tell us where we can find her? we really have to talk to her" Nick interrupted.
"Uhm, she lives in downtown Orlando.. she works in MGM studios. We're supposed to go out tonight, but I remember her saying shes going shopping right now.." Stacey said.
"Do you know what mall she would be going to?" AJ asked. He knew Orlando well since he lived there.
"Uhm, Sawgrass Mills I believe" Stacey said "thats the one she usually goes to"
"Thanks soo much, Stace.. this means alot to me" AJ said. Stacey smiled at him. "Anytime... listen, I have to get back to work.. call me" Stacey said. AJ nodded his head and ran to his car with Brian and Nick.
Nick, Brian and AJ canvassed the Sawgrass Mills mall, walking into every store to try to find Kelly.
"Man... my legs are starting to hurt... can we take a rest for a few moments?" Brian asked. He was starting to get really tired.
"Bri.. we got to find her.." Nick said.
"Frack, I know your anxious to find her, but... we cant find her if we're falling dead!" Brian said. Nick huffed and agreed to take a rest for a drink.
The three of them went up to an A&W and bought three cokes.
"We have to find her.." Nick said, sipping at the plastic cup.
"We will frack, dont worry" Brian assured.
Brian led the three of them into the food court.
"Oh my God..." Brian said, stopping dead in his tracks "Frack... get back behind that bush.." Brian said. He pushed AJ and Nick back behind some of the fake plastic trees and bushes, moving some leaves out of the way for Nick to see.
"Oh My God..." Nick said, looking through the bushes. There was Kelly, sitting at a table infront of the McDonalds stand. Justin Timberlake was sitting with her.
"Boys.. I think we have our jackpot.." Brian said. "AJ, get the recorder ready"
AJ grabbed the recorder from his pocket and crawled along the floor to get closer to Kelly and Justin.
A few people looked at AJ, Nick and Brian strangely, since they were crawling around the floor, but the three men didnt care. They were on a mission.
"How are things going between Tara and you?" Kelly asked. Justin took a bite out of his burger.
"Great, she finally agreed to go on a date with me. As friends, she says. She'll realize soon that Im the one for her" Justin replied.
"Is she still in love with Nick?"
"Of course, but, I'll change her mind on that. I did it once before, I can do it again" Justin replied. He took a sip from his Coke.
"Thanks again for helping me get her back.." Justin said. Behind the bushes, Nick's mouth dropped open, AJ and Brian covered his mouth incase he was going to shout something.
"No problem, I didnt mind. Anything for you, Justin.." Kelly said flirtingly. "Nicks kinda cute anyways"
"Tara really believes that you slept with him"
Kelly laughed and took Justins hand into hers. "Theres only one person I want to be with".
Justin let go of her hand. "Kelly, you know we're only friends now.."
"I know" Kelly replied.
"What really happened that night at the club? Did you do everything I told you to?"
"Yeah, I gave him some drinks, danced provocatively, led him outside... kissed him, just like you told me to do"
"That was like, three months ago eh?" Justin said "time flys by so fast"
"Yeah, I know. A few weeks ago, Stacey, the girl who came with me to the club, met back up with AJ in some restaurant, broke him and Karine up"
"seriously? oh well... too bad for him" Justin replied. Nick and Brian held their hand over AJ's mouth, incase AJ would shout something.
The three guys stayed behind the bushes for a little while longer, recording some more of the conversation between Justin and Kelly.
"Well Boys.. lets go to Orlando... time for me to get Tara back.. the way that it should be" Nick said, eager to go get Tara back.
"Wait a second, Bro.. I got a better idea..." AJ said. He always had good schemes.
"What is it?" Nick asked. AJ grinned, and whispered into Nicks ear.
"I like it... I like it...very much... " Nick replied with a big grin. "Come on boys, lets prepare for tonight" Nick said, running off to the car.