"Mand-Mandah?" Nick stammered feeling sick.
"Nicky," she grinned.
Candice lifted her head up; some of the screaming had died down, but not enough, her head still ached.
"Ouch," she sat up; the ally spun.
"Candice," a nearby voice called; a figure walked closer.
"Aj?" Candice squinted.
"Are you ok," he asked kneeling down next to her.
"I-I think so," she hugged him.
"What happened?"
"Aj, I've done something horrible," her eyes filled with tears.
"How did you get here?" Nick asked climbing out of his bunk.
"Well, you don't have to sneak in when you work on the inside," she smiled evilly.
"Why are you here?" Nick pulled away from her. The bus door flew open, one of Nick's body guards walks in. "Oh good Andy, take her away."
"I can't do that Nick."
"What?"
"Nick, it's time you met Andrew, my uncle." Mandah put her arm around the bodyguard and grinned.
Nick gagged suddenly feeling trapped.
"So what should we do with him Mand?"
"Um.. I dunno Andrew I do like him still, but that girl that is using him has got to go. I saw her hugging Aj in the alley."
"Yes, ma'am." Andy saluted.
"No," Nick cried.
"Oh yeah Nicky you love her," Mandah gave a sly smile. "Don't worry to much Nick, I wouldn't hurt her, I mean she is human right? Wrong, she is an evil dog, who is just using you for your fame!"
"No," Nick cried again, he couldn't say anything else. He didn't know what to think about all this. Maybe Mandah is right, he thought shaking his head. No, No she's wrong; she's just jealous that's all.
"Look at me I'm Candi and I'm so prefect," Amanda mocked her doing a little dance.
Nick starred at her in disbelieve, "Why are you acting like this Mandy?"
"No!" She screamed, "how could you dump me for that five foot nothing tramp?"
"Mandy I didn't dump you, you dumped me. Then you asked me back out and I said yes, finally I got sick and ended it I thought you knew that. Even if she hadn't moved here I wouldn't be with you anymore, I'm sorry."
"Nicky," she walked closer to him. "For some reason I just can't buy that, but you know what I'll give you another chance K?"
"No, I don't want any more chances with you, I give up," Nick watched the door praying for someone to come in and stop this madness. The good guy always wins right?
"I've done something horrible," she repeated.
"No-Shh you did nothing," Aj cooed hugging her.
"Yes, I did. I screwed it all up Aj, I screwed Nick and me up," she sobbed. "I know he thinks I'm just some crazy loon and so does everyone, I just know it!"
"No, he doesn't and neither does anyone else," Aj rubbed her arm. "Listen to me ok? When I found Him he was curled up into a ball in his bunk crying his eyes out, but don't tell him I told you cause he would kill me."
"Really?"
"Yes," Aj smiled widely.
"I have to talk to him," she slowly stood up with some help from Aj. "Thanks," she whispered leaning on him.
"You're welcome."
"Not just thanks for helping me up but thanks for being there for me and for Nick, and thanks for being a great friend, too." Candice kissed his cheek and they started back for the tour bus.
"Hey Nick," Brian and Kevin burst onto the bus.
"Thanks guys," Nick breathed a sigh of relieve.
"Take her away," Brian smiled talking to another bodyguard.
"Thanks guys, she's really jealous she just needs time to cool down. I'm gonna go find Candice." Nick walked out the door. "Candice?"
"Here," she whispered rubbing her elbow. He sat next to her on the bumper of the bus.
"You ok?"
"I'm ok. We're not gonna make it are we?"
"I don't know," he sighed. "But if we do it'll be a miracle."
"Yup," she whispered resting her head on his shoulder. They sat there like that for a while then left for the next show on the tour.
"It feels so great to be home," Nick collapsed on his bed.
"I know touring is so tiring," Candice laughed lying down next to him.
"You're such a dork!"
"Me?" Candice asked innocently. "No I'm not!"
"Sure," Nick grabbed a playstation controller.
"Let's go loser," She grinned grabbing the other controller. "You're so dead Carter."
"Maybe we should just be friends again," Nick watched her face fall.
"Yeah I guess that would be the best."
"I'm gonna go practice see you in 30." Nick blew her a kiss and ran off.
"Boo!" Aj screamed walking up behind her.
"Ohmigosh Aj you scared the crap out of me!" She slapped him on the back. "Nick and I broke up. Again."
"I'm sorry," he hugged her.
"I know it's for the best..or at least I hope."
"It's ok if you know it's right."
"But why does it hurt so bad then?"
"Just give it time, what you're feeling is heartbreak, it's normal."
"What if Nick doesn't want to give it time?"
"He does, trust me."
"I sure hope so," Candice sighed holding Aj tighter.
"Let's go we don't want to miss the bus," Aj pulled her up and they walked onto the bus.
"You Ok?" Nick starred at her, waving his hand in front of her face.
"Oh yeah," she snapped out of her daze. She was happy that they had remanded friends but inside she hurt extremely bad. "Nick?" He put her controller up.
"Yeah?"
"I've gotta ask you this," she chewed in her top lip. "Nick I love you, I never wanted to, or thought I would. But I do and I know because it just hurts so bad!" She closed her eyes when she finished not wanting to look at him any longer; he squeezed her hand lightly.
"I still love you too," he whispered in her ear causing her eyes to pop open.
"Still?" She choked out.
"I've never stopped," he smiled.
"Nick I gotta go," she stood up quickly and ran out of his room and out the front door to her house.
"Shit," Nick jumped up and ran after her. He figured she wouldn't go to her house but he tried there first anyway. She wasn't there but Aj was.
"Lookin for Candi?" He asked shoving some chips into his mouth.
"Yeah..kinda."
"She went out," he chewed. "Said something about needing to get away. What did you do now Nicky?"
"Dude she just confuses me so bad, she tells me all this stuff about love and I don't have a clue what she means..I don't think I really love her." Nick flung his hands up in the air. "We are almost..No, we are complete opposites!"
Aj sighed watching his friend, "maybe that's why you belong together." Nick glared at him.
"I just want something normal."
Aj laughed, "Nick are you that dumb?" Nick stood up still glaring at him. "Ok no, wait I'm sorry Nick, but I mean really..You've lived like this for almost seven years now. This is what you've wanted and you want normal..ha." Aj continued to laugh.
"Well, yes Aj I do. Maybe it's something I want, no I need it! I need to have something normal, anything."
Aj stood up and put his sunglasses on, "Nick you know what-I think Candice is the closest to normal you will get. Think about it, she doesn't want your money cause she has just as much or even more and she doesn't want fame..Yet. Plus she learned everything about you from you and not from some damn magazine or some website. So tell me what is normal to you." Aj walked out of the kitchen leaving Nick there to think about what he had just said hoping it had an effect on him, any effect. Nick finally realized he had found the normal he longed for, but maybe just maybe it wasn't want he really wanted. Nick decided he should sleep on it and try to find Candice the next day so he went to his house and fell asleep immediately.
"Thanks for letting me crash here guys."
"You're welcome," Kevin smiled.
"Yeah we don't mind at all," his girlfriend smiled. "So why aren't you at your house, that is if you don't mind me asking."
"No, it's fine...it's just that Nick and I aren't really on talking terms right now and I don't want to see him," Candice frowned.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Kristin hugged her.
"I think I'm gonna go to bed I'm really tired, thanks again..I'll see you guys in the morning." Candice smiled and walked up the stairway to the guestroom.
"I feel sorry for the poor thing, this happens every time." Kristin curled up in Kevin's lap.
"Something is different about this one, I just know it you can just tell." Kristin bit her lip as she stared up at Kevin, "but again we should stay out of this."
"Probably," Kristin rolled her eyes.
"You have reached my house, if you dialed a number wrong and you don't know who I am just hang up now if you actually want to talk to Me..haha...just leave your name and number and you know what you wanna say I hope.." The beep rang in Nick's ears.
"Yeah it's just me, Nick..again. I was just wondering where you were. It's been three days and I, leaving for my mum and dad's today and I wanted to take you but I've lost you just please call me." Nick hung up the phone wanting to dial the number again and leave yet another message but he decided against it and started packing.
She walked into the dark and listen to the soft sobs and walked toward them with a cup of tea. She pulled the covers away and stared down at the figure curled up in a ball crying.
"Shh," Kristin comforted the figure.
"Kristin?" Candice sat up wiping her eyes.
"Yes, honey?"
"I know what to do now," Candice stood up. "Kristin I've got a plan but I need your help."
"Ok I'm here for you," Kristin smiled.
"Ok so here's what we are gonna do.." Candice told Kristin her plan and Kristin giggled.
"So you're really gonna do that?" Kevin scratched his head.
"Yeah," Kristin grinned. "She loves him Kev, and I know he loves her. I've talked to Aj and he said Nick went to California, he should be back soon."
Candice pulled into her driveway and glanced over at his dark house and frowned. She hoped that he'd be home but he wasn't. She slowly made her way to her room and saw her answering machine light blinking. She listened to the six messages from Nick and laughed. The last message Nick had changed some way, his voice sounded cold. She decided to go over to his house and check up on the pugs. As she opened the door not one dog greeted her she walked up to his room and screamed.
© A Candi Idea