September was a busy month for the boys, trying to get back into the school life and the way life used to be before the Backstreet Boys.
AJ was doing well in school, and was passing all of his classes with awesome marks. In his spare time, he'd help Karine and her band, Mystery.
Nick was doing well in school also, had a few friends and his best friend which was Tara. Nick tried to date this one girl named Mandy, but it never worked out because he found out that she was completely opposite of him, and completely fake. Nick didnt like fake girls, and that totally unattracted him from her. Deep down, Nick liked Tara, although he never admitted it to himself, or to her, because he believed that she liked Joe.
"That is soo cool how you met up with AJ!" Tara said to Karine, as Karine walked sat down on Tara's couch.
"Yeah i know, and same with you and Nick! Im soo sorry that I havent talked to you in a month.. I have been soo busy with school!" Karine said.
"Hey, I understand. Grade 13 is pretty hectic itself!" Tara said, laughing.
"So whats up with YOU and NICK?" Karine said, moving onto more serious subjects.
"Oh Karine.. its soo confusing!" Tara said.
"Confusing, why?" Karine asked.
"Well, we're JUST friends. I dont think he likes me anyways, I mean, I try to show him I like him, but I dont think he picks up on it. And also, I dont want to say it right out to him, cuz I dont want him to think I only like him for being Nick Carter, Backstreet Boy! He doesnt like me, if he did, he wouldnt have started to date that Mandy girl.." Tara said.
"whos Mandy?" Karine asked.
"Shes this girl from school.. but they broke up cuz Shes totally fake.. well, thats what Nick told me. He tells me these things cuz he says Im his best friend. There again, shows that he only likes me as a friend" Tara said.
"oh... well why dont you just get it over with, and show him that you do like him?" Karine suggested.
"I dont want to scare him away, incase he doesnt feel the same way." Tara said.
"Ask him to the Halloween Dance!" Karine said.
"No.. I dont think so. He wouldnt go with me anyways!! He only likes me as a friend. Joe, on the other hand, likes me. I know hes going to ask me.. I'll probably just end up going with him. The dance is next week" Tara said.
"Do you like Joe at all?" Karine asked.
"As a friend.. thats all" Tara said. "Hows things with AJ?"
"Oh, their good. He calls me about three or four nights a week, and we hang out sometimes on the weekends. He always takes me out for lunch and supper at McDonalds! I might start to get sick from eating there!" Karine joked.
"Thats sweet of him to do!"
"Yeah hes a sweet guy. Hes also been helping Mystery out with our music too" Karine added.
"Hey.. I always knew you guys would make it big sometime.. and with AJ's help.. you'll be the best!" Tara said.
The phone started to ring at Taras house. Tara reached over and grabbed the cordless.
"hello?" Tara said.
"Hey Tara! Its me, BJ!"
"Hey!! Whats up?"
"Nothing much, I was wondering if you wanted to hang out this afternoon"
"Sure! What time?"
"Hows 3 sound? You can stay for supper if You'd like also!" BJ said.
"sounds great! I'll be over at 3!" Tara said, and then she hung up the phone.
"Whos that?" Karine asked.
"BJ! She invited me over to hang out.. and for supper!" Tara said happily.
"Talk to Nick!!!" Karine said. Tara knew what Karine was referring to.
"Karine.. I would, but I cant. Im not going to do anything, until he says something first or makes the first move!" Tara said. Half an hour later, Karine left to go back to her dorm to go work on a project, and Tara got ready to go to the Carters. As Tara opened the door, Joe was standing there about to knock.
"Hey Joe" Tara said, shutting the door behind her and locking it.
"Where are you going?" Joe asked curiously.
"BJ's! We're having a girl afternoon" Tara said.
"Oh, okay.. I'll make this quick then. I was wondering, would you like to go to the Halloween Dance with me? and then maybe go to a Party afterwards?" Joe asked. Tara looked at him, thinking of an answer. She didnt like Joe in that way, but she felt bad and accepted his offer.
"sure" Tara said. As soon as she accepted, she thought of Nick, the man who her heart really belonged to.
"Listen, I really gotta go.. Call me!" Tara said, and then she hopped into her car and drove off.
Karine reached her dormroom and flopped down on the bed. She cracked her books open, looking at the pages blankly. Five minutes later, a knock was at her door.
"come in!" Karine said, flipping a page.
AJ walked into Karines room, holding onto a flower.
"I was just in the neighbourhood, so I thought Id drop by.." AJ said. AJ gave Karine the flower.
"How sweet!! Thanks" Karine said, giving AJ a hug.
"what are you doing?" He asked.
"Trying to do our theory homework, and not concentrating!" Karine said, throwing the book to the side of the little couch.
"Well, lets go do something fun!" AJ said, pulling Karine up off the couch.
"what do you have in mind, Alex?" Karine said.
"Hmm.. i dont know.. maybe, a game of pool? And maybe later tonight we can go to a club!" AJ said.
"Sounds good to me!" Karine said. Karine grabbed her backpack and walked out the door with AJ.
BJ opened the door and let Tara come in.
"Did you bring your bathingsuit?" BJ asked.
"yeah, just incase!" Tara said.
"Oh good! Wanna go swimming?" BJ asked "its real hot outside"
"Sounds great!!" Tara and BJ changed into their bathingsuits.
Nick was inside the house with Brian, who had came over for a visit.
"So whats up with you, buddy?" Brian asked, while watching Nick look out the window "Hey, what you looking at?"
Brian looked out the window and saw BJ and Tara.
"Wow! Who's that girl?" Brian said, looking at the brown haired girl in the pool.
"Thats Tara" Nick said sighing.
"AND WHO is Tara?" Brian asked, grinning at Nick.
"Shes my friend, and BJ's also" Nick said.
"Yeah right, JUST a friend with a sigh like that?" Brian asked.
"She doesnt like me like that, we're best friends" Nick said.
"I thought I was your best friend Frack!" Brian said.
"You are! But she is mine, at school" Nick said.
"How do you know she doesnt like you?" Brian asked.
"Im guessing. I think she likes this one guy named Joe" He said.
"But you like her?" Brian asked.
"We're friends" Nick said, and that was all he could say. Brian could tell by the look in Nicks eyes, as he watched Tara, that he felt something more than friendship.
BJ and Tara came into the house an hour later, with their hair damp and bodies dry.
The girls changed into their clothes and came back down the stairs, intime for supper. Brian was invited to stay for the evening also. Tara sat beside BJ, Angel and Lesley, across the table from Nick, Brian and Aaron. Mr and Mrs Carter sat at the ends of the tables.
"Brian, how have you been?" Mr Carter asked.
"I've been doing pretty good, Im happy with my new job, altho I do admit, I miss the band" Brian said "But, time goes on, and whats meant to be is meant to be". Brian looked over at Nick, then looked over at Tara.
"Are you still living in Florida?" Jane asked.
"Yes, down near Disney World actually" Brian said. "I bought a patch of land, and built a house for myself, its very private" Brian said.
"That sounds really nice, Brian" Mr Carter spoke.
"How are things with you, Tara?" Jane asked.
"Alright I guess, I Have been busy with school, and hanging out with my friends. Im also in the middle of trying to figure out what to be for Halloween!" Tara announced.
"Have any ideas?"
"Well, yeah. I was thinking about being a spice girl, cuz I dont like them" Tara said, laughing. Nick, Aaron and Brian let out a laugh. "Baby spice, since everyone says I look cute. I hate that!" Tara said. "EVERYONE calls me cute, its soo annoying!" Tara said.
"Oh i know what you mean, people say that about me too" BJ said.
"Do you have any plans for Halloween?" Robert asked BJ.
"Yeah, we're going to the Halloween dance" BJ said.
"Oh, speaking of that... Joe's coming with us.."Tara said. Nick looked over at Tara and went silent, and then looked at Brian.
"Oh thats nice! is he the new boy you're seeing?" Jane asked.
"I dont know.. we're not together.." Tara said.
"Mom, so uhm, this is a good supper" Nick said, trying to change the subject. He didnt want to hear anymore about Joe.
"oh, thanks son" Jane said strangely.
AJ won the game of pool, then drove Karine back to her room to let her change so they could go to the club. Karine wanted to wear something unique and awesome looking, something that would fit perfectly for a club. Karine came out of the bathroom wearing a short black skirt with a yellow colored baby tanktop.
AJ and Karine headed out to the Club Mickey, which was a club in Walt Disney World that was open only during the nighttime.
"Come on!" AJ said, leading Karine out to the middle of the dancefloor, mixing into the crowd of the young adults partying it up.
"So is this what you do during the nights? come to clubs all the time?" Karine asked over the loud music.
"Yeah, its alot of fun.. and a great way to meet people!" AJ said. The song in the club finished, then started to play a mixed dance rendition of EVERYBODY BACKSTREETS BACK. AJ stood there on the floor for a moment, motionless, surprised to hear his song.
Without thinking, AJ started to do the dance to Everybody, since it had been in his nature to do it all the time for the past year or two.
Karine joined in on the dance, because she knew how to do it also. Soon, most of the people in the club formed a circle around Karine and AJ, and watched them do the Backstreet Dance.
After the club, AJ brought Karine back to her dormroom.
"I had a fun time tonight, thanks for bringing me out" Karine said.
"it was my pleasure!!" AJ said, grinning.
"Have a good sleep, I'll see you tomorrow" AJ said, and then he walked away.
Karine shut her door and got ready for bed. AJ walked down the hall, and caught up with his friend Jason.
"AJ!!!! buddy!!!" Jason came towards AJ.
"Whats up man?" AJ asked.
"just partying... with my friend" Jason said, then pulled out a bag of stuff from his pocket. AJ looked at the bag and didnt say anything.
"ever tried it?" Jason asked.
"no" AJ said.
"You should man.. it'll really put you in a good mood" Jason said.
"Here, I have lots... "Jason put a bit into a separate bag, and handed it to AJ. AJ slowly took the bag and looked at it, then quickly put it in his jacket pocket so no one would see.