Angelique smiled anxiously on the way to the hotel to depart for the Backstreet Boys tour and meet the boys they were to spend up to a year with on a tourbus. "I can't believe that we've finally got a tour to open for!" she exclaimed happily, pale green eyes shining bright. "And I'm glad we get to meet them finally! After we've heard so much!" she added estatically.
Three of the four other girls in the limo smiled at her. Scarlett, however, did not. "Who are we touring for again? The Backstreet Boys? Who are they? And why couldn't we have met them BEFORE we get on a tourbus with them for 8 months?" she asked sourly. Normally, she'd be excited over such a huge event, but things were very bad with her and Devin, her boyfriend.
Scarlett's entire body ached and resonated with pain. He had beat her up pretty badly the day before when he found out that she'd be away from him for nearly a year with a bunch of guys. He always kept the bruises under her clothes so no one else could see them and the emotional scars were getting deeper every day.
"Well Scarlett, we're going to find out who the Backstreet Boys are right now," C.C. explained to her cousin, smiling through gritted teeth at Scarlett. Her baby cousin could have such a bad attitude sometimes, especially today it seemed.
Scarlett just rolled her bright hazel eyes in response and flipped her tangled mane of red hair over her shoulder impatiently. No one knew what was going on with Devin and at the moment she wished that they did so they could understand her mood.
Angelique didn't let that get her down. "Man, I hope they're cute!" she exclaimed, giggling and trying to imagine their faces. "Of course, one or two of them has to be, right?"
Briana, usually the quiet one who sat back and looked on, spoke up. "Well, with 5 of them in the group, at least a few of them should be cute, right?" she asked softly. "Are you okay Scarlett?" she added to the end.
Scarlett slightly nodded at her and dropped her dull hazel eyes to the floor of the limo again, her thoughts drifting off to Devin and how much she hurt.
Ebony smoothed her hair down and said, "Well, I, for one, hope that they like to party and that they're hot."
Everyone laughed at her remark, even Scarlett. "Finally, she cracks a smile!" Ebony teased her. Scarlett made a face at her and went back to thinking about Devin again.
"Scarlett, what's your problem?" C.C. asked her. "All you've done for the past 30 minutes is sulk when we're on our way to making it big!"
"I don't have a problem," Scarlett snapped temperamentally, trying to hide her true feelings. Her usually bright eyes were brimming with tears. C.C. went to snap back at her, but Angelique intervened.
"Look, you guys, everyone's a little nervous about meeting the guys. Let's just chill out and not make it worse," she said, looking at C.C. and Scarlett expectantly. Scarlett hid her face behind a tangled mass of hair, and C.C. calmed down, smiling tensely at Angel.
The rest of the limo ride was silent. They pulled up in front of a huge hotel called the Ritz and the driver opened their doors. "Here you are, misses," he said politely.
"Thanks," C.C. said rather roughly. She was still furious with her cousin for the horrible attitude she had. If Scarlett keeps up her behavior, the Backstreet Boys might not even want us on tour. she thought.
After they left the bellboys and their driver to load their luggage onto the tourbus, they walked up to the hotel and prepared to meet the guys that they'd be spending the next 8 months to a year with.
Angelique could hardly contain her excitement. This was what she had always dreamed of. And finally, her dreams might come true. She shook a little with nervous energy.
C.C. put her hand on Angelique's arm and said, "Angel, calm down. This isn't that huge a deal. We're just meeting a few guys that are mostly our age." Angel looked at her like she was crazy.
"Yeah it is! We could make it big this way C.C.!!" Angelique exclaimed. "If Scarlett doesn't ruin it with her bad-ass attitude," C.C. growled.
"She wouldn't do that!" Angel defended her best friend. "You sure about that?" C.C. demanded, glancing at her cousin. Scarlett was glaring fiercely at the doors of the Ritz in front of them.
Scarlett listened to her cousin and her best friend argue about her. Her scowl got deeper each moment that passed. God I hate this. I don't even wanna be here! They don't even know what I'm going through! If they knew, they wouldn't be so mad! she thought to herself.
Briana and Ebony walked side-by-side, taking in the scenery. A doorman opened the door for the group as they passed into the Ritz.
Meanwhile, out by the tourbus, the Backstreet Boys rushed around, trying to get all their stuff on the bus.
"So what have you guys heard about them?" Howie asked curiously while loading a couple bags into the underneath of the bus. AJ grinned mischeiveously and said, "I heard there's 5 of them!"
AJ was suddenly hit in the head with a pillow from Kevin. "You sure gotta serious one-track mind, don'tcha J?" he demanded, grinning. AJ scowled at him and didn't say anything. "Well, don't think you'll be getting lucky on the bus!" Kevin continued. "That I will not tolerate!" AJ made another face and said, "Yes, Daddy Kevvy!" Now it was Kev's turn to scowl and walk away haughtily.
Nick rushed up the steps of the bus with a huge bag of clothes, very distracted and hurried. "Nick! Those are supposed to go under the bus!" AJ called. Nick, of course, didn't respond.
In the lobby of the Ritz, their manager rushed up to the girls. "Oh my God! We're running late! We have to go!" Annette babbled in one breath. The girls looked at her like she was crazy.
"What?!" C.C. demanded. "We haven't even met them yet!" Annette just waved her off impatiently and said, "Come on, talk and walk! You can meet them on the bus! Plenty of time on the bus to talk!" The girls followed her angrily. Scarlett's dark mood deepened even more.
