Prologue

©Sweet Kisses™

~*~

Millions of cardboard boxes filled with everything from magazines to old figurines surrounded Nick, A.J and Howie in Nick's bedroom. The time had finally come for Nick to move, and as he looked around his bedroom that had held so many memories, a wave of sadness and nostalgia washed over him. All his furniture, all his childhood toys, all his memories had been packed up in a matter of days. He looked around him again, knowing full well that this would be his last chance at a sad bon voyage.

He sighed. "Well, guys, I think that's everything."

Howie patted him on the shoulder, seeing the gloomy expression on Nick's face. "Hey, don't be upset. Just think of all the happy times and the good things that have happened while you've been here. Don't think about saying goodbye. Think about saying hello to a new and better life."

A.J chuckled and stood up. "You're not one for telling it like it is, are you?"

Howie shrugged. "What can I say?"

A.J scanned all the filled boxes around his feet and sighed. "You know, one day we're going to have to cart all these boxes out of here."

Nick shook his head. "My life, a mission."

Howie leaned down and picked up a box. "No time like the present, boys," he ordered and walked over to the door. "Get moving!"

Nick gave him a salute when Howie shut the door. "We never listen to him anyway, so why does he bother?" he joked.

A.J laughed and flicked a few strands of his dark hair out of his eyes. "I hate moving. Packing up I don't mind. It's just the whole 'moving the furniture and boxes out' process that gets me. So glad I haven't had to move as much as you."

"Yeah, the story of my life."

Both men stood there in the bedroom, with the floor covered in boxes, staring around themselves. Nick secretly didn't want to go. He loved this house, it was like his baby, his prized possession. He loved everything about it. The stairs. The pool. The deck. He even loved the yard. But, as A.J had pointed out, he'd had too many brushes with psychotic fan stalkers that had somehow found out where he lived. And now he was forced to move.

Again.

"Well, I guess we should get all this junk out of here, huh?" A.J said at last.

Nick nodded. "Yeah," he said softly. He took a deep breath and picked up a box. "Meet you outside?"

"Sure," A.J replied and watched Nick walk out the door.

He felt bad for Nick, having to move so many times. That was really no way to live. But it was the life he had, and he just had to deal with it. Still, he felt bad. Leaning down to pick up a box that was mostly filled with books, he began walking over to the door. A black book that was balancing on the top slid off onto the floor. Putting the box down, he saw that this wasn't a usual book that Nick would have. Flipping through the pages quickly, it was filled with Nick's scribble, and A.J came to the realisation.

Nick's diary.

Shutting the door, A.J sat down and began to read...

~**~