***In The Back Of The Bus***
"Alex, I need to talk to you." Andrea said standing up and grabbing A.J.'s hand.
"Bout what Andi?" A.J. said not wanting to get up.
"I just need to talk to you, so get up please!" Andrea said getting a little frustrated with him.
"Ok." He said and quickly stood up.
"A.J., have fun 'talking'" Nick said jokingly. But A.J. ignored him and followed Andrea up to the front of the bus.
"Alex I want to know what that whole mess about you being drunk and getting a gun was about!?!" Andrea said turning to face him.
"I just made a mistake Andi! I am sorry!"
"Think about it A.J.! What if you had shot yourself!" her voice shaky and tears running down her cheeks. "Why did you do that A.J.? Why would you want to??"
A.J. wrapped his arms around her and said "Andi I thought I lost you. I am nothing without you! I didn't know what I was gonna do without you."
"But if you had shot yourself we'd never be together again. You didn't even think about it!!" she said pulling away from A.J.
"I know! I should have thought about what I was doing! But I didn't! I was scared ok! I had no idea what was going to happen next."
"I think it would be best if maybe you got some help. I can't marry you until you do." She said and took the ring he had given her off her finger and put it in his hand. "I don't want that to happen ever again…If you had died that night I don't know what I would have done because it would have been my fault." Then she turned to walk to toward the back of the bus.
"No! It wasn't your fault Andi!!" A.J. said grabbing her arm. "Please, I'll get some help. I'll do anything just don't leave me please!" now pleading with her.
"No! That scares me ok! And thinking I caused anything like it, hurts. One of my friends got drunk once and they got a hold of a gun too, except they…" she stopped sobbing too much to finish what she was saying.
***In The Back Of The Bus***
"Ok At The next rest stop I'm going back on our bus! I am tired!" Nikki said looking at her watch.
"Oh c'mon Nikki! Please stay with me! You wouldn't leave me here alone would you?" Nick said pulling Nikki a little closer to him and looking into her brown eyes.
"Ah, Nick you know I wouldn't leave you here alone sweetie!" Nikki said with a sly smile.
"Good that means your staying right?" he said with a triumphant smile.
"No, I said I'd never leave you alone. But if I leave you won't be alone! Brian will be here and Kevin and Howie and A.J. and maybe Natalie and Nina and Jessica and Andrea." She said smiling at Nick. She loved teasing him.
"Ok Fine, you can get off at the next stop. And hey maybe I can hang out with Kelly! Ya know that'd be fun!" he said trying to get Nikki to stay.
"Ok Fine." She said and stood up.
"Nikki wait! I was kidding!!" he said reaching his hand out for hers.
"I know you were Kidding!" she said still smiling.
"Then why are you leaving?" he said now trying to look like he was pouting.
"I am just getting a drink." She said laughing.
"You knew I would think you were mad at me!" Nick said still pouting.
"I know, that's why I did it! You look so cute when you think I'm mad at you. I couldn't resist." She said smiling at him.
"Sure! I'd love to!" she said with a bright smile. "Um you'll have to excuse me, I need to go use the restroom." She said then stood up and walked to the back of the bus where the bathroom was and walked in. She closed the door behind her and pulled her cell phone out from her pocket.
"Hello?" a person said on the other end.
"Hey Val, I am so gonna get a date with Nick!" Kelly said into the phone.
"How? I heard he has a girlfriend. And Do you think you could hook me up with one of the guys?"
"He does have a girlfriend but I have the prefect plan. And I think A.J. and his girlfriend have been having some problems lately. It wouldn't be too hard to break them up."
***In The Back Of BSB's Bus***
"Brian, can I talk to you for a second?" Andrea said as she walked over to him.
"Sure." He said and moved over so there was enough room for Andrea to sit next to him. Nina was over talking with Nick and Nikki, so Brian was by himself.
"Well, it's about A.J. I need to know what happened the night he got drunk."
"Ok, Then I'll tell you exactly what happened. Well let's start with the hospital. He had Nick drive him there because he wasn't about to ride in the slow bus. I went with them. A.J. was real jumpy. When we got there he literally jumped out of the car and ran in. I don't know what happened after that. When we got in A.J. was standing outside of your room until they told him to go sit down in the waiting room. He didn't want to go but he did. He refused to sit when we got there though. He was pacing the whole time. After a while everyone got there and the doctor came out and A.J. Ran over to see how you were. When they said one person at a time could go see you and only family he looked worried that he might not be counted as family. He obviously was and he went and saw you. It wasn't too long before he came back looking very very pale and discouraged. I saw tears in his eyes and he was trying to act like nothing was wrong but we all knew something was wrong when he said that he wanted to wait on the bus. Nick drove Me, A.J. and Nina back to the bus. On the way there he started crying but didn't want anyone to see him. You know A.J. doesn't ever cry over hardly anything. Well we got to the bus and Nick, Nina, and me went in and A.J. said he would come in a second. So we let him thinking he just needed time to think. Well he didn't come so we went outside and he wasn't there. After a while we went down town and looked all over. We didn't find him until we got to this park. He was sitting on the edge of a steep drop off. Nick and me weren't sure if it was him but when we figured it out, Nick saw the gun. A.J. also had a bottle of liquor and was too drunk to stand. He did end up getting up and facing us. That's when we were trying to talk him down and he started waving the gun around and said, "Ya know maybe A.J. doesn't want to go back to the bus. Ya know maybe I don't ever want to go anywhere again!" and that was when he aimed the gun at his head. I tackled him and Nick grabbed the gun from him and thats what happened." Brian said sighing in relief that he was done with that long story.
"Oh, Brian could you do me a favor?" she said, still in shock from hearing the whole story.
"Sure, What do ya need?" he said smiling and hoping she wasn't gonna ask about something that would be long like the A.J. story again.
"Make sure A.J. gets some help." she said looking at the ground.
"Well Andrea you can do that. I mean you two are getting married and you'll be with him everyday." He said a little confused.
"No, we aren't." she said solemnly
"You aren't? aren't getting married? Or aren't going to see each other everyday?" he asked still confused.
"Both...but, You'll have to excuse me and forget about what I just said." She said and stood up.
"Ok, See ya Andrea." He said as she left the small room. She walked to the bunks She leaned down and looked in A.J.'s bunk. He wasn't there, so she went to the front of the bus and found him sitting at a table on his phone. He didn't see her because his back was turned to her. She walked up behind him and leaned down and kissed his cheek. He turned around and she saw the tears in his eyes and water on his face from crying.
"I'm gonna have to let you go mom. I'll call you back later." A.J. said into his phone.
"Ok, Better not forget you said that Alex! And See ya soon." Denise said and then hung up the phone. A.J. put his phone down and looked up at Andrea.
"I thought you said that we couldn't be together until I got some help." A.J. said confused but happy.
"I know I did." She said sitting on his lap.
"And?? What happened?" he said still confused but happier.
"And I decided you made a mistake. A simple mistake that will never happen again because I'll be here for you." She said and gave him a kiss. "I'm never letting you out of my sight again young man!" They both smiled.
"That's just fine with Me Andi." He said and smiled again.
***In The Back Of The Bus***
"So Nina do you think your going to get off at the next rest stop or are you gonna stay with Brian?" Nick asked and looked down at Nikki who was sleeping his arms. He smiled. She looked so sweet, and innocent.
"Um I don't know. I might go on the other bus to get some sleep." Nina said not sure of what she was going to do.
"Ah Nina! You gotta stay with me please!" Brian said and wrapped his arms around Nina.
"Ok, I guess That means I'm staying." Nina said smiling at Brian.
***In The Front Of The Bus***
"A.J. did you hear that Marcus turned himself in?" Andrea said looking up at A.J.
"Good, He was the one that shot you."
"Oh, I wonder..." she started but was interupted by a phone ringing. They both pulled out their cell phones to check whose it was.
"It's mine." A.J. stated then turned on his phone. "Hello?"
"Hey, this is A.J. right?" the voice said on the other end. Clearly a female voice.
"Oh! Yeah, Kayla your going to have to call back some other time. I am busy right now." A.J. said into the phone.
"Oh, ok your girlfriend is there right?" she said sounding a little annoyed.
"Yeah Right, Exactly. Well Thanks and Bye." He said and hung up his phone. While Andrea wondered who had just called while A.J. just sat grinning.
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