"Ok, A.J, you can do it, it's not very hard," whispered A.J to himself, as he got closer to HER... 'her' was the most beautfiul girl A.J had ever seen... well, at least in his opinion, he knew the others would argue that... but seriously, he thought, she had the most amazing long brown hair, and her eyes, which from where he was standing he could see were a very deep blue... he definitely had to meet her... now. The thing is, he'd never been so nervous next to any girl...

"Hi..." he said, after he approached 'her'. She turned to look at him, then smiled and said cheerfully, "Hello, can I help you?"

"Uh, yeah, I-" his mind searched for any good line he had heard on tv, then he said, "Um, I was wondering, um, haven't we met before?"

"Uh, I don't think so," she said with a smile, shaking her head. "Although you do kind of look familiar... you're that guy from the backstreet boys, no?"

"Yeah," he said, smiling proudly.

"Wait, now I know, you're that crazy dude, with the ton of girlfriends or something, the rebel of the group... A.S Mclean or something?"

"Uh, actually, it's A.J..." he answered slowly, trying to swallow what she'd just said.

"I know," she said with a smile. "I was just kidding, trying to show you that not everyone might know who you are so don't act so full of yourself."

"Oh, right," he said, with a smile of relief. Then he realized what she said, "But I'm not like that!" he protested.

"Oh yeah, you are..." she said, still smiling. "Don't tell me you didn't come here trying to impress me with being a backstreet boy, to get my attention, huh?"

"Now who's acting full of themself?" said A.J with a grin.

The girl blushed, then laughed and said, "Ok, you got me there, now we're both even."

"No, not really, I still don't know what your name is," he asked flirtatiously.

"Oh, yeah, that's part of the whole thing, huh? OK, my name is Annie," she said. "You know, I just met your friend this morning, isn't that weird, also a BSB."

"Who?" he asked curiously.

"Kevin Richardson, I think...yeah, it was," she said.

"Oh, yeah, he's always here, comes all the time nowadays, I hear he's in love with one of the nurses... oh well, I can't blame him can I, it's kinda hard not to..." he said the last part a little more softly, so he wasn't sure if she heard him.

Annie smiled, then said, "Look, I've got a few hours free right now, so how about if we go get something to drink, and maybe talk a bit more?"

A.J felt his heart beat as he couldn't believe how much easier she'd made it for him. "Yeah, sure," he said, trying not to sound too excited. "Let's go."

*************

"Wow, he did it!" laughed Nicole.

"Yeah, apparently, he did. I don't know how, A.J's got this charm, I guess."

"Oh well, you do, too," said Coli, sensing envy in Nick's voice. "It's part of what makes you attractive. I mean, why do you think you've got such a huge number of fans at your feet practically, huh?"

"Oh because of that? Man, I always thought it was because of my good looks," he said, smiling innocently.

"Oh well, excuse me 'Mr. Egotistical-is-my-middle-name'... anyway, you've got nothing to worry about because you've got a lot in your favor that makes you cute..." then she whispered, "And I'm not gonna mention your cute ass either...wow.."

Nick got really red, and Nikki started laughing. Then Nick started laughing, too, and said, "Ok, you got me there, maybe you've convinced me a little tooo much, but still I appreciate your way of lifting up my mood, that was stupid of me. Anyway, you know what I feel like doing right now?"

"What, getting a new mirror?" she said with a smile.

"No... kissing you..." and with that he placed his lips on hers, kissing her furiously.

Chapter 22

Lauren looked down at the floor, and then lifted up her eyes to meet Kevin's. "What?" she said coldly.

Kevin sighed, then said, "First of all, I'm sorry if I made you upset, but well I was speaking to Annie about you only because I care... I hope you realize that." He looked at her for any sort of reply, and when she didn't say anything, he started getting nervous. Clearing his voice again, he said, "Look, my words might not mean anything to you, and I'm sorry but I couldn't help falling in love with you, ok..."

He stopped because just then Lauren put her arms around him, feeling really surprised. She hugged him without a word, then drew back to say, "You don't have to be sorry for that because... I think I am, too..."

Kevin started to smile, then pulling her to him, he kissed her softly, then passionately as she put her hands around his neck. They kissed each other, unaware of anything going on around them, only of their love for each other...

Rye couldn't help the flow of soft tears, she didn't know why they came out, she guessed it was a mixture of everything she was feeling at the moment.

Brian smiled and raised one finger to wipe away one tear that was making its way slowly down her face, and said, "Why are you crying?"

They had been sitting down there for the past few minutes, just talking, occasionaly kissing, which was what they had been doing the past few minutes before she felt the tears.

"I don't know," she said, suddenly embarrased, and wiping them away quickly. "I guess I can't believe I've got such a great person such as you, with me, to love me..." Liar, she thought to herself, looking down. She knew the reason she was crying was only partly that, but it was also the fact that she was worried, so worried that anything bad could happen to Brian. She wanted him to get better, but after all those heart attacks, she wasn't sure about his chances...

Brian smiled again and said in a macho voice, "Oh you girlies cry for nothin'... I'm just kidding, I'm glad you feel that way, because I do, too..." then his face sort of clouded, and his smile disappeared.

"What's wrong?" asked Rye.

"Nah, nothing, I guess..." he said, still staring off somewhere.

"Brian, please..."

He sighed, then said, "Ok, I guess it's just that I'm... scared... scared to die..."

"Brian, you're NOT going to die!" said Rye, horrified that he'd say that.

"Why, you never know?" he said indignantly, looking at her. "For all we know, anything could happen in that surgery or before, and then i'm gone..."

"Brian, come on, I realize you're scared, and I share your fear because I know surgery isn't the greatest thing, trust me I know..."

"Why?" asked Brian curiously. "Have you had surgery before?"

"Yeah, but it was different. I had back surgery, a few years ago... it was the worst thing I had to go through but still, 'now it's done and over with'..." she smiled, then getting serious again, she said, "I had to miss out about a month of school, and trust me, it wasn't any fun..."

"I'm sorry," he said. "I know I shouldn't think negatively about all this..."

"Promise me you'll have hope all the time, and you know you're getting better..."

"I promise," he smiled. "Besides, I think I already made that promise to you before.." he said, pulling back the rose from under his pillow, the rose that she'd sent him... "Remember I told you it would give me hope to live? Well, I know I just turned back on my words minutes ago but trust me, I'll change my attitude towards all this."

"Ok, just please don't be scared or anything, I'm with you, right now, and forever..." she said softly, leaning over to kiss him, then to hug him, as she felt that she had to cling to him, not to lose him...

A.J couldn't believe he was back at the hospital, that very next day. He grinned to himself as he remembered how just yesterday he had been grumbling about going back to this place. He still didn't like it very much but hey, anything for true love, he thought with a huge grin, walking with a dozen roses in his hands, ready to surprise Annie...

"And then we kissed..." said Lauren with a sigh, to Annie who was standing right next to her.

"Really? That's so romantic! You guys work fast," she teased.

"Oh shut up," said Lauren laughing. "So tell me about this A.J guy, how's he?"

"Well, I've gotta admit, I'm definitely partial to that guy... he's so funny, so sexy..." said Annie.

"So you like him?"

"Yeah, I like him, but I don't think I'd ever go out with him," she said bluntly.

"What? Why? That's crazy! He obviously likes you too so what's the problem here?"

"Well, you see, he's nice to fool around with but I don't know, I just don't get the impression that he's a good guy, sticks to one girl and stuff. At least that is the reputation he's got apparently."

"Annie, no, you are so wrong! You can't listen to that crap, I can ask Kevin for you but anyway, from what I heard, he's got it really bad for you, and you'll just break his heart that way."

"YEAH, well sorry Lauren but I need romance in my life, not some guy crushing on me. He wouldn't really be worth my time."

Just then, both girls heard something drop to the ground. They both turned to see that A.J was standing there, just a few feet away from them.

"A.J!" said Annie. "How-how long have you been standing there?"

"I- long enough... if you girls will excuse me, I've got something to do..." and with that he turned to leave, and on the ground was a cheerful red bouquet of roses, which he had just apparently dropped.

Annie slowly moved to pick them up, and found a card. She read it, and tears welled in her eyes as she brought one rose to her. "Oh God..." she whispered...

A.J kicked at the rock that was by his foot, scaring away the birds around him. "Yeah, just leave..." he mumbled to himself. "And what are you looking at?" he said to a dog who had just come to bother him where he was sitting, on that bench by the empty park.

The dog just kept on looking at him, gave one small bark, then looked away, at the bushes. Then A.J noticed another dog coming by, totally ignoring this mutt by him, who was so obviously wagging his tail, trying to get her attention. A.J laughed, then reached out to pat the dog's head and said, "Buddy, you and I are gonna be the best of friends..."

The dog just looked at him, and then A.J said, "I mean, we both understand what it's like to be rejected by women. Like, just today, when I thought that I was in love, I had to have my heart broken into what, a million pieces? Hey mutt are you listening? Man, I'm going crazy, talking to a dog about my problems..."

The dog just continued to look at him, then obviously bored, he ran to the other dog, who followed him. A.J watched them leave together as he felt a lump in his throat. "Well," he thought out loud. "Isn't that pathetic, even a dog has better luck in love than I do..." and with that he kicked the ground hard, and turned to walk away, with his hands in his pockets.

"Poor A.J," said Nicole after Nick had told her what had happened. He had only heard part of it from Lauren and part of it from A.J himself, who just didn't seem the same lately.

"The poor guy's heart is broken..." said Nick shaking his head. The two of them were having dinner out that night, at one of the fanciest restaurants in town.

"Anyway," Nick said smiling, "Let's try to enjoy this romantic dinner right now, shall we? Great- OW!" yelled Nick in pain as someone pushed him from behind.

"Wow, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to push you but the other person pushed me first and then-" said a voice behind Nick. He turned around to see who it was and turned red, then mumbled, "No, problem, just forget it..." and he turned back to Nicole, hoping that girl would leave and not say anything.

"Oh, wow, it's Nicky, isn't it?" she squeeled, then gave him a big hug. "What are you doing here?"

"Uh, well, I WAS enjoying dinner..." he mumbled.

Nicole looked from both of them, really confused. She cleared her throat, to remind them that she was there. The girl turned to look at her, gave her a 200-watt smile, obviously fake all the way, and said, "Hi, and you are?"

"Nicole Malloy," she said, giving her the same 200-watt smile back, "Nick's, or should I say Nicky's girlfriend... And I'm sorry but I didn't catch who you were?"

"Oh wow, you're his girlfriend, I didn't know that. My name is Kimberly, well just Kim. I'm-"

"She's my EX-girlfriend," said Nick, interrupting her very quickly, looking at Nicole.

Nicole didn't say anything, she just stared at her plate silently. Lots of thoughts were going into her mind at once, yet she didn't know why she was feeling like this. She quickly excused herself by mumbling something about having to go to the ladies' room.

Nick stared after her as she walked away, then gave a long sigh, and put both hands over his face.

"Well, do you mind if I just pull up a chair and sit with you guys?" said Kim, pulling up the chair, anyway, without waiting for an answer, next to Nick.

He started to feel a little uncomfortable, and said aloud, "I wonder if Nicole's ok, I think I should go check on her..." and trying to stand up from his chair.

He was stopped by Kim, who reached out for his arm and murmured, "She'll be alright, come on, you're not going to run off and leave me all alone, now are you..."

With a silent gulp, Nick sat back down, with Nicole still on his mind.

At the restroom, Nicole looked at the mirror, and wondered what had made her run off like that. I guess it was because the whole thing got me by surprise, she thought... it's no big deal that his ex was there, it was just that she had seen how nervous Nick became, how quickly he spoke... could it mean that he still had feelings for this half witted girl? Nicole did think the girl had a serious problem with her IQ... and if she says 'oh wow' once more, thought Nicole again, I'm gonna throw something at her...

Then images of the Nick she knew came to her mind, the Nick who was so funny, and romantic when he wanted to be. His sweetness and tenderness was another side of him, too, one that she loved a lot. She shook her head with a smile as she relaxed, knowing that Nick would never hurt her...

Nick and Kim were sitting through an awkward silence, neither of them knowing what to say. Finally, Nick, not able to stand the silence or the waiting any longer, said, "I'm going to find Nicole, and we're leaving. I'm sorry for being rude but Kim, there really isn't much for us to say to each other right now or ever, it's over between us so don't ruin my relationship with Nicole, someone I really love."

Kim looked at him with a shocked expression. "Wait!" she said urgently.

Before giving Nick a chance to say anything else, she pulled him into a kiss...

"Hey, I'm back-" said a voice that sounded so far away, but then stopped suddenly. It was Nicole.

Nick pulled away in surprise, wiping his mouth with his sleeve, as if that would take away the hurt he could see in her eyes at the moment.

Her eyes blurring with tears, Nicole grabbed her purse and ran out of the restaurant, leaving a miserable Nick behind, who was too scared to call out, to run after her... he couldn't believe what he'd just let happen, it was all his fault, he thought...

"Well, that was quite rude of her," piped up a voice behind him, and with sudden rage, Nick turned to Kim, who was sitting there with an innocent smile.

"You-" he said, pointing at her, feeling a lump in his throat, "Just stay away from me!" he said, then turned to leave, too, unable to take away that image from his head, the hurt he could see in her eyes...