CHAPTER TWENTY THREE "Kevin? Do you know who these people are?" Howie asked. "I think I've seen them somewhere before," he replied, his brow scrunched up in thought. Brian and Nick looked at each other and sighed. They knew their band mates were only joking around because they would be seeing them a lot more often when they go on tour. "Wait a minute here!" AJ exclaimed. "I just realized something!" All the guys exchanged glances. "Nick and Bri and Kev are all getting some and I'm still not getting any! What is up with this?" They all laughed at AJ. He was freaking out because he didn't want to be the only single Backstreet Boy; that would mean that no one would go to the clubs with him. "And this is our fault somehow because......?" Brian grinned at him. "We can't help it if we're smoother with the ladies than you are," Nick added. AJ's mouth dropped because he knew he was just really dissed. He had no idea what to say. "Alright guys. As fun as picking on AJ is, we have to get down to business here," Kevin said, picking up the leader figure once again. "Management wants us to decide some stuff for our upcoming tour and our new single..." The guys knew it was gonna be a long morning. *** Krista was in a such a good mood that she ended up getting up early. And since she felt ever-so-good, she went out for blueberry bagels for herself and Angela. She put the bagels on the table. "Is there a better best friend than me? No. I don't think so," she said to herself. No more than five minutes later, she decided that she couldn't take it anymore; she had to get Angela up so she could tell her everything. So she ran down the hall to Angela's room and peered in. Her best friend was curled up in a ball completely under the covers. "Awww! How cute!" she cooed. Without as much sound as possible, she crept over to Angela's bed. Pausing for a second, she decided how she was going to wake her up. But little to Krista's knowledge, Angela had already waken up; Krista forgot that she was a light sleeper. Angela tightened her grip on the blanket without Krista noticing. Krista tried to yank the blankets off of Angela and was shocked at how they stayed in place. "Damn you Angela!" she whined. She sat up, all smiles. "Thought you would have the last laugh, huh?" "Yeah, I kinda did. But I have a surprise for you. And I couldn't wait any longer for you to get your lazy butt out of bed. I'm dying to tell you about last night!" "Alright, alright. Give me a minute here," Angela said. A few minutes later, Angela wandered into the kitchen. She felt a smile grow on her face when her eyes landed on what her best friend had brought home. "What a nice surprise!" "Yeah, well, not everyone can be as good as I am," Krista bragged. "I believe you," Angela said reassuringly. "Sit down and pull up a bagel. It's story time." Krista went on to tell Angela everything that happened from the way she felt to what she thought to where she hopes this relationship goes. She felt like she was reliving the night all over again. "You two are clicking quite well. And I must say that I did a good job setting you two up," Angela said. "Hate to break it to you, but Brian did help." "He really didn't do anything. It was all my idea." Krista rolled her eyes at Angela. She really didn't feel like arguing with her. "Let me ask you a question." "Alright." "Do you still love him?" Krista asked, not knowing what to expect. CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR Angela went to go say no, but she stopped. "Do I?" she asked herself. "I, uh, I don't know," she managed to get out. "A-ha! We're getting somewhere," Krista thought. "So you just think you don't love him because you're mad at him right now?" "I never said that!" Angela came back quickly. "I'm just a little bit confused right now. That's all." "OK then. So you still have feelings for him?" "Well, I can't just turn them off!" Angela said, her voice rising. "Calm down. I'm just trying to figure this out." "Analyzing me are we?" "In a way." "What is that supposed to mean?" "Nothing Angela. Can't I help it if I just want to see you happy again?" Meanwhile... "Bri, it was great! I'm really starting to like her alot. She knows exactly what I like and I'm loving it," Nick was saying. "Yeah, I hear ya. I'm happy for you," Brian returned. "So how are you and Angela doing?" "We aren't. She still refuses to talk to me. But I have Krista telling me what's going on with her, behind her back. Which isn't exactly the best thing, but I need to know the right time to get her back. It's hard to explain." "I understand what you're saying though. It just might take some time. Girls take all that stuff so seriously," Nick pointed out. "How much longer am I gonna have to wait? It's been 4 days. 5 today. It feels like it's been 5 months!" "I don't know man, but when you really love someone that much, things like that really hurt." "Yeah, I guess you're right." Brian had a beep on his phone. "Nick, I've got another call. I'll see you later." "Alright, bye." Brian clicked over. "Hello?" "Hey." It was Krista. "I'm assuming that Angela is out?" "Yeah, of course. She went out to go get us a video for today. So I don't have long." "So, what's up?" Brian asked. Krista went on to explain this morning's conversation between her and Angela. "Not bad, not bad. We're finally getting somewhere," he said thoughtfully, after Krista was finished. "I really have to go because she's gonna be back like any minute. But I just wanna tell you one more thing." "What?" "If you're gonna try and win her back, you might as well do it now before she really does, and may I quote,' turn her feelings off,'" she advised. "Alright. Thanks." "Bye." Brian slowly put down the phone and began to come up with, what seemed to him, his last chance at winning Angela back. A few days later... "Are you getting her out of the house tonight or what?" Brian asked Krista on what was hopefully their last sneaky phone conversation. "No, I'm not. She's only in the shower right now getting ready to go out, but she's not getting out of the house tonight," she replied. "I'm not really in the mood for your remarks right now Krista," Brian snapped. "Alright, alright. Calm down." "Do you promise to bring her?" "Yes, Brian," she sighed. "I'll drop her off and then I'll leave. I promise." "OK good." "Well, good luck tonight." "Thanks, I'm gonna need it." "I know." "See you later." "Bye." Krista walked out of her room and knocked on the bathroom door. "You almost done?" she yelled through the door. "Yeah," Angela yelled back. "Give me 10 more minutes." "Hurry up! I still have to shower you know." "Alright!! Shut up already!" Krista just laughed and went to go watch some TV. A little while later, Angela came out of the bathroom and Krista went in. Angela had no idea that Brian had a surprise in store for her that night at the Koffee Korner. Krista only hoped that everything went as planned. Angela was still in her room when Krista was done getting ready. Krista walked in and saw her just sitting on her bed, deep in thought. "What are you thinking about?" Krista asked. "Nothing really. I'm just surprised that Brian hasn't tried anything," Angela replied. "I thought you didn't want to talk about him." "I don't but I was just making an observation." "So, does this mean a slight change of heart? You wanna get back with him perhaps?" Krista asked hopefully. "I think not. Let's go." "OK." The two girls left for the Koffee Korner shortly after that. Krista drove hoping that everything went as planned. She was gonna go in with Angela, but then she was going to leave her as soon as Brian put his plan into effect. He didn't want her there for some reason. She thought that he was better off doing this by himself. They finally reached their destination and went inside. "Why don't we sing Karaoke tonight?" Angela asked, seeing the sign advertising it. "Maybe later," Krista replied, trying to delay her best friend. They sat in a small booth in the back. Krista hoped that Brian did whatever he planned to do soon; she was starting to feel very uncomfortable. Angela had started to notice it. "Are you OK?" "Oh yeah. I'm just-" Krista was cut off by the lights on the Karaoke stage and the loss of Angela's attention. "Here goes nothing," she thought. She got up and started for the door. "Where are you going?" Angela wanted to know. "I have to go get my sweatshirt from the car. I'll be right back." And she left, leaving her best friend confused to watch the Karaoke stage. CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE Angela had no idea what to do. Her best friend had just walked out the door. "I guess I can just watch this guy perform until Krista gets back," she said to herself. She focused all her attention to the stage for the time being. Something didn't seem right to her though. She looked a little bit harder at the guy getting ready to sing. It was Brian!! "I've been set up," she thought angrily. "Krista won't be able to sit until she's 30 when I'm through with her!" Angela was just getting up to leave when she heard Brian say, "This goes out to my soul mate. You know who you are." This caught her attention and she slowly sat back down. Brian took a deep breath and started to sing: It’s not that I can’t live without you It's just that I don't even want to try Every night I dream about you Ever since the day we said good-bye If I wasn't such a fool Right now I'd be holding you There's nothing that I wouldn't do Baby if I only knew The words to say The road to take To find a way back to your heart What can I do To get to you And find a way back to your heart Brian closed eyes right before he started to sing again. He knew this next verse was going straight from his heart to hers. I don't know how it got so crazy But I'll do anything to set things right 'Cause your love is so amazing Baby you're the best thing in my life Let me prove my love is real And make you feel the way I feel I promise I would give the world If only you would tell me girl The words to say The road to take To find a way back to your heart What can I do To get to you And find a way back to your heart Angela found herself lost in Brian's voice. She smiled to herself every time Brian scrunched up his nose that little bit when he was really getting into the song. Give me one more chance, to give my love to you 'Cause no one on this earth loves you like I do Tell me The words to say The road to take To find a way back to your heart What can I do To get to you And find a way back to your heart I turn back time To make you mine And find a way back to your heart I beg and plead Fall to my knees To find a way back to your heart The words to say The road to take To find a way back to your heart What can I do To get to you And find a way back to your heart Angela could feel the tears well up in her eyes and slowly fall down her face as Brian finished singing. He got a decent amount of applause from the people sitting in the coffee house. He sighed with relief that no one had recognized him here and that he could make this moment right. He walked over to her hoping that these were good tears. Brian took her face into his hands and gently wiped away her tears. "Don't cry Princess." "Oh Brian, I am so sorry," she whispered. "Me too," he said. He leaned in and kissed her. She returned it with so much passion and hunger for more. But he pulled away. "Hold on," he said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the necklace that she had ripped off in rage at the club last week. She leaned over and let him put it back on her. Angela looked up and saw such love in Brian's eyes. "One more thing," he said. He reached into his other pocket, this time pulling out a small black box. He looked straight into her eyes and got down on one knee. CHAPTER TWENTY SIX Angela's eyes widened at the sight in front of her. "This is not happening!" she thought. Brian chuckled at the expression on her face. "Don't worry! I'm not going to ask you to marry me." She let out a sigh of relief. "At least not right now anyway," he added. She just laughed softly. "Angela, I just want to know that you'll always be my girl and that we'll always be together no matter what happens." He opened up the box to reveal a gold right that had a circle of small diamonds with both of their birthstones in the middle. He took her right hand and placed the ring on her ring finger. It fit perfectly. Brian looked up at her and saw that she had started to cry again. This was for all the hell that she had put him through and she was happy to know that he still loved her. Brian stood back up. "Why are you crying again?" he asked her softly. "Because I'm so happy that I have someone who will love me and put up with me no matter what," she replied. "Anything for you," he whispered at their lips touched. He could taste her tears, but didn't care. Brian knew that these were tears of happiness and love. "Let's go," she said after they broke apart. They left as a happy couple once again. That night... "Krista, if it wasn't for the fact that Brian and I are back together, I was really going to kill you," Angela was telling her. "You really have no idea how afraid I was," she replied. "So let me see that little ring of yours." Angela slipped it off her hand and handed it over. "Very nice, very nice," Krista said while inspecting it. "Hey! Did you know that there is an inscription on the inside?" "No. Let me see." Angela took it and looked on the inside, and sure enough, there was a small inscription. It read, 'Brian and Angela forever.' "Life doesn't get much better than this," she said as she fell back on her bed. "You're telling me. I'm falling for Nick harder and harder everyday. It's great," Krista said as she fell back on the bed as well. A couple of weeks later.... "Let's do something stupid tonight," Krista said to Nick. They were at his house trying to figure out what to do for the night. Brian and Angela didn't feel like going out, so they stayed at Angela's. "Like what?" he wondered. "Let's......go bowling!!!" Nick slowly looked at her and a grin grew on his face. "Alright." "Well, what are you waiting for? Let's go!" At Angela's... "Stop it," Angela screamed at Brian. They had gotten into a play fight after she found out that Kevin wrote the song that Brian had sang to her a couple weeks earlier. She teased him that Kevin had really made up with her and not him. And now they were running around the house, chasing each other. Brian had found a water gun and was squirting her with it. Angela was throwing anything and everything at him while trying to keep from getting wet. "Never," he yelled. "Not until you apologize about the song!" "No," she laughed. "I believe that I should call Kev and thank him!" "OK then." Brian squirted her right on the back. She grabbed a pillow and whacked him right in the face. Playfully, of course, and then ran down the hall. "I can play this game," he said down the hall. Angela tried hard not to laugh at her boyfriend. She could hear him going from room to room looking for her. "Angela," he said sweetly. "Come on out Princess." She giggled and got ready because she could hear him coming toward her room. She could see his feet right through the crack of the door. So she back up behind the door as far as she could and got her pillow ready. The second he stepped past the door, she leapt out at him, swinging the pillow. Much to her surprise, Brian caught it with her still attached. "Gotcha!" he laughed. "Why do I have such a bad feeling about this?" she wondered. "Oh, but you shouldn't," he said in a singsong voice. The next thing Angela knew was that Brian had swung her around onto the bed. She landed softly with him on top of her. "We can get rid of this," he said, tossing her pillow aside. "Well, now, look what that leaves me with." "Me?" "Actually I meant my watergun." Angela kicked him the little bit that Brian would allow her to. "Let's try this one more time. What does it leave you with?" she asked him. "You," he replied, right before he kissed her. Meanwhile... "Alright! Another strike!!" Krista screeched and danced around Nick. She was doing some serious butt-kicking. "I never bowl like this! It must be my lucky night." Well, I'm going to get a strike this time," Nick announced, taking his turn. He bowled both frames, only knocking down four pins. "I'm just letting you win," he said, trying to defend himself. "Yeah. Sure you are," she teased, picking up her ball. "I believe you." She went over to him and kissed him for reassurance before taking her turn. Krista went to go throw the ball, but she went with it. "Ow!" she whined. "What's wrong?" Nick asked, getting up to see what was wrong. "My thumb is stuck." "Here. Let me see." Nick examined her thumb for a minute. "How did you do this?" "I don't know," she whined some more. "I just want this stupid ball off." "Try twisting your thumb," Nick suggested. She tried, but had no success. "Alright. Ummmm.....Let me go get some ice and we'll try to get the swelling to go down." "OK," she said and sat down. "Why me?" she asked herself. "Angela will never let me live this down." Nick came back a couple minutes later with a cup of ice and some paper towels. He wrapped a couple of cubes in the paper towels and gave it to her. "Here. Hold this by your thumb for a few minutes." She took it and gave him a weak smile. "Don't worry. I'll get you out of this." He kissed her on the forehead. "He's being so sweet to me. I love this. Even if my thumb is stuck in this bowling ball; it's great," she thought. Krista took the ice off her thumb after it started to melt a little. She tried to pull it out, but, once again, had no success. "Nick, It's not coming out." "I don't know what else to do. The only thing I can think of is to take you to the hospital and see what they can do." "Alright," she sighed. "Let me go explain what happened to the people at the front desk and I'll go get the car." Nick gathered both his stuff and hers, and left. "This is going to be a long night," she thought. CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN Brian and Angela were being just a little bit naughty, but were enjoying themselves. They were so lost in the moment that they were in, that they didn't notice the phone ringing. It wasn't until Brian said something that Angela heard it. "Don't get it," he mumbled. "But it might be important." "Alright." She slid out from under him and he fell back on the bed a bit discouraged. "Hello?" "Angela, It's Nick." "What's wrong?" she asked, hearing it in his voice. "Well, I wanted to let you guys know that we're at the hospital." "Oh my God!! What happened? Are you guys OK?" "It's nothing serious," he said quickly. "Krista, well... she got her thumb stuck in a bowling ball." Angela tried really hard to keep from laughing, but couldn't do it. She burst into a fit of laughter at the thought of Krista sitting on a stretcher holding a bowling ball. "What's going on?" Brian wanted to know, still on the bed. "So are we supposed to come to the hospital or something?" she asked when she finally calmed down. "No. I just wanted to let you guys know. I'll call when I find out something else." "Alright. Bye." "Bye." "So what was that all about?" Brian asked as soon as Angela put down the phone. She explained the story to him and he too had a laughing fit. "That is too funny," he choked out through laughter. "I think she'll be just fine though. Now where were we?" Angela asked with a mischievous grin on her face. "I believe I can help you with that." At the hospital.... The doctor finally came into the room where Nick and Krista had been waiting for what seemed like forever to them. "Hi! I'm Dr. Robertson," she introduced herself. "And what have we got here?" "Well, as you can see, my thumb is attached to this bowling ball," Krista replied. "Alright. I can't say that I've ever had this before, but let me look at it." She glanced it over, not sure what to do. "Was it swollen before you started playing?" "No. As far as I know, it was fine," Krista answered. "OK. Were you wearing anything that could have gotten it stuck?" Krista's face got red and she covered her eyes with her free hand. "Yeah," she muttered. "My thumb ring." Nick rubbed her back. "These things happen. So what do we have to do to get her out of this?" he asked Dr. Robertson. "Well, I can try some sort of oil or maybe melted butter to try and slip the ring off." "You can try anything. I don't care. I just want this thing off." Dr. Robertson left to go find something to pry Krista's thumb loose. "You think she'll get it out soon?" Krista asked. "Yeah, I think so," Nick replied. She just sighed knowing that she would never hear the end of this. "I wonder what Brian and Angela are up to," she thought. "Nick," she said aloud. "Did Angela tell you what her and Brian were doing when you called?" "No," he said thoughtfully. "It was a short conversation." Just then, Dr. Robertson came back with some melted butter and a bottle of baby oil. "Which would you like to try first?" she asked. "Ummmm.....how about the baby oil?" "Alright." She opened the bottle and poured some down the thumb hole. "Ah!! That's cold!" Krista shrieked. Dr. Robertson laughed at her. "Try pulling it out." Krista tried pulling and wiggling it, but it refused to move. "No luck," she frowned. "Well, if the butter doesn't work, the only other thing I can really suggest is to cut it out." Krista looked up at Nick with a worried look on her face. He just gave her a reassuring smile and rubbed her neck. "Go for it," she said. Dr. Robertson proceeded to pour a little bit of the butter down the thumb hole. Krista could feel it ooze down the hole and onto her thumb. "Ugh," she thought. "This is so disgusting." "Let's hope this works," Dr. Robertson said. Krista tried again and felt it move a little. "Hey! It's moving!" "Pull a little bit harder," Nick said. "I can't. It hurts too much!" "I know you can." Nick took her hand and gave it a slight squeeze. With his strength and support, Krista pulled her thumb out. "Finally," she sighed. "Well, my thumb ring stayed inside. Looks as if this bowling ball isn't any good anymore." Dr. Robertson smiled at her. "Let me see your thumb." She took Krista's thumb and examined it for a minute. "Well, it's quite bruised. I'm going to wrap it and I want you to keep it like that for a couple of days. OK?" "Alright." "Krista," Nick said. "I'm gonna go call Angela and Brian to let them know that everything is OK. I'll be right back." He gently kissed her forehead and left. BACK NEXT |
| Once And Again |