While everyone pulled out of the parking lot, Chloe's mind was racing with the new evidence
Stacie had just brought forth. What was up with her mom? Chloe knew she always tried to control Stacie in overbearing ways, but Stacie was in college. And she was just home for summer break, which really wasn't that long and really, she didn't HAVE to be there. When they got back to the hotel Kevin said he was gonna talk to Nick and Chloe should talk to Stacie. Stacie went in with Chloe and sat down. "What's up?" she asked. Chloe looked at her.
"Well, I was just wondering if maybe there was anything that I could do to help ya out. I mean do you want me to talk to your mom?"
"Well, ya know I mean, I don't understand why she's still doing this. I mean GOD! I am 19 years old! I'm a sophomore in college! She can't keep doing this to me!" Stacie fell down with her head on the table and cried. Chloe put her hand on her back and gave her a hug. Stacie lifted her head up with puffy eyes, "Chlo, I want you to be the first one to
hear my plan, and you tell me if it's a good plan or not. I've been thinking about this seriously and even though they haven't been here very long and even though it seems like we haven't had
time to get to know each other..." she paused. Chloe didn't know what she was about to say but she knew once Stacie made up her mind about something she was gonna stick to it. "Chloe I'm
gonna ask Nick to marry me." Chloe blinked.
"Wha-what? You're gonna huh? You wanna marry Nick?" Chloe was dumbfounded.
"YES! I do, I want to spend the next 80 years with Nick in my life and by my side. I couldn't think of living without him. We've been through more in the last week and 2 days than most couples have in months! There's gonna already be a lot of speculation and publicity about the whole Russian guy thing and people are gonna know we're together regardless of whether or not we go public now or 6 months from now." Stacie stated her case with such passion that Chloe almost had tears in her eyes. She knew exactly how Stacie felt towards Nick and she knew that she would ask Nick. Whether or not they'd get married tomorrow or in a year or even 3 years she knew Stacie would stay with Nick. She told Stacie she'd support her and they walked back into the living room. They walked in and sat on the
couch. Brian and A.J had found some movie on TV and they jumped in watching that. A little while later Nick and Kevin came out of the other room. Stacie took his hand and said they needed to talk. Kevin had a big smile on his face and as soon as they walked out of the room he whispered to Chloe, "Nick's gonna ask Stace to marry him!" Chloe face fell and turned pale.
Then she smiled and said, "Oh my gosh, she was gonna ask him to marry her!" Kevin laughed and Brian and AJ thought they were nuts. They composed themselves and watched the movie.
As the movie ended Nick and Stacie came bounding into the room, laughing. "Hey guys! Where's Howie?!?!" Nick said hugging Stace. They called Howie into the room. And as soon as he got there Nick said he had an announcement. Everyone sat down and looked up. Nick began.
"Now, I know that we've only been here about a week and a half but, I've come to a major decision, I've been thinking a lot about my future, the groups future, and just my life. Well, I came to a decision when I was lying awake last night. I decided that since I've been through so much already and since I've fallen in love with every detail about this lovely woman standing next to me, I've asked Stacie to marry me and she said yes." He said smiling. Kevin and Chloe of course already knew so it wasn't a surprise but Brian, AJ and Howie all sat there for a moment and then smiled.
"Are we gonna be your groomsmen?" Brian asked getting up to hug the soon-to-be Carters. The rest of the night was spent having a ball congratulating people and calling up Nick's parents to tell them he had someone he wanted them to meet. The whole group had a big party. They told stories, watched movies, did Karaoke (which of course the guys were better at) and just basically had a BIG happy party time.
The next morning when Chloe woke up she realized she was still at the hotel. She looked around
and noticed everybody was spread out about the living room. Nick and Stacie were in a chair, Howie was on the table (?), A.J and Brian were both laying somewhere on the floor, and she and
Kevin were on the couch. She thought it'd be a good idea to get breakfast since from somewhere in the back of her mind she remembered the guys had to leave today. Today being Wednesday she
knew there was no point in calling home at this hour because her parents wouldn't be there. She got up and found the hotel breakfast menu. After taking a brief look at it she decided going and picking something up would be a heck of a lot easier. She left the hotel and when she got in the lobby she passed by the newspapers. She took one look at the front page and almost died. There was a picture of the Russian guy, and right next to him was a picture of Nick and Stacie kissing.
"Oh my GOD!" Chloe picked up the paper, and forgetting about breakfast ran up to the room
again. She ran in the door and woke everyone up. "Nick! Get up! You're on the front page!" Nick moaned but everybody else woke up to see what was going on.
"What's wrong?" Asked Brian
rolling over.
"Oh nothing really. We just have a slight problem with the evil Russian guy." Chloe said dropping the paper on the table. Kevin groggily walked over to the paper and read it. For the first time in his life, without excusing himself first Kevin blurted out a bad word. "OH XXXX!" he suddenly looked up and put his hand over his mouth, "Oh I didn't mean to, but this is bad." He passed the paper to Nick who was now awake. Nick looked at it and went pale.
"What man? Read it out loud." Howie said.
"Last Monday evening, after their sold out show, Backstreet
Boy Nick Carter and his girlfriend Stacie Redson, were at a local
waterpark when they were approached by Vladimir Rhutvianan a
Russian porno-movie director. He recognized Nick from the covers
of the teen magazines and asked if he and his girlfriend would
mind coming to his home. They followed him there under the
impression that he was going to be introduced to a young fan.
They went to his home and upon arrival the director lured them
upstairs and once there proceeded to tie them to the bed. The
director was in the process of filming a street flick, with real
live raw human sex. The young couple did not particularly want to
cooperate and when the rest of the group showed up at the house
the man fled the scene. After extensive search efforts and a day
passing, the man was captured in a local restaurant the group was
also attending. Authorities say they have recovered large
amounts of evidence against the man and also many other cases of
Rhutvianan doing this to other couples and even children.
Vladimir insists that he's innocent and that the couple is
framing him. Whatever the case, the young couple is definitely
seeking counseling and with this shocking report the youngest,
and perhaps most popular Backstreet Boy, is lost to scandal and
young love."
Nick finished with a big sigh.
"Oh My gosh. We have to leave now." A.J said, going to begin packing his bags.
"Yea, I saw photographers in the lobby begging for information about y'alls room number." Chloe said. She didn't know how she and Stacie were going to get home. Stacie sat in Nick's lap in tears. The article hadn't done a very good job at all of the account of what happened and now with the
added knowledge that half the world was gonna know about them within 3 hours wasn't comforting either. Everyone started packing and then wondering what was gonna happen when they tried to leave.
They worked out how they were gonna leave, in disguise, and then their next problem was
getting to the bus and successfully leaving. The girls' campus was about a two and a half-day trip. Once there they would be able to stay pretty much out of sight and it was very secure. No
one could get in if the campus police hadn't been told they were expected. The girls put on hats and sunglasses and left the hotel to go to their houses and pack up what they'd brought. Stacie
was done first and came over to help Chloe. They loaded up and went back to the hotel. Then with the key Kevin gave them they got their stuff stowed on the bus and went back up to the room.
Chapter 11
Chapter 9
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