Chp 9
"Does anyone else feel like we've been here one too many times?" remarked AJ as they all sat outside the room Brian was being checked out in.
"Tell me about it. Brian's heart surgery, Brian getting trampled, you getting your foot crushed, ankle sprained, and ligament torn, Kevin running into a tree and dislocating his shoulder, Kevin having his appendix removed, me getting dehydrated, and---" Nick cut himself short. "Anyway, I've been here more times than I would've liked."
"I hope he's ok," commented Elena her eyes overflowing with concern. "That was so scary!" AJ put his arm around her.
"Don't worry, I'm sure Rok's fine. He's been through worse."
Just then, Brian, much to their relief, walked out of the room with a bandage over his right eye, left arm in a cast, and his middle and ring fingers in a splint.
They each stood up and expressed their worry.
"You alright, Frick?"
Brian smiled. "Yeah, I just escaped with some cuts and bruises, a sprained wrist, and two broken fingers."
"Oh is that all?!"
"It could've been much worse. I was lucky. The x-rays didn't show any internal bleeding or anything like that, so I'm pretty much fine."
"Oh my God, I'm so glad you're ok! I can't believe they did this to you!" exclaimed Elena.
"It wasn't their fault. They didn't realize what they were doing. I'm just happy that they finally learned that wearing heels isn't going to make us fall madly in love with them."
"Are you going to be able to perform?" asked Kevin.
"Only sing. I can't do the dancing."
"I never realized how dangerous your jobs could be! I have a totally new level of respect for you guys. I don't think I'd be able to handle another incident like this one again."
"I'm sorry you had to see it."
"I'm sorry you had to experience it, Bri. Now I'm gonna be worrying about you guys day in and day out!"
"No need to. We're big boys. Besides, we've got excellent security."
"Brian, you ready to go?" asked Denise.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Alright. Does anyone know where we're headed off to next?"
"It's a sixteen hour drive to Portland," answered Dan.
"Thanks. We've got a long one ahead of us, boys. First we'll go back to the hotel, pack up our stuff, get some essentials, and then leave. Any questions?"
"Yeah, I have one," replied Elena smiling. "What's it like being one of the very few or sometimes only woman traveling with these guys?"
They all raised an eyebrow and looked at her funny.
"Hey, I've got to get started on my article!"
"It's pure hell!" They all agreed and laughed. "I'll give you a more detailed explanation on our way back. Let's go."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The next morning…
"Fruity Pebbles is my absolute favorite breakfast food. What about you?" Elena shoved a spoonful into her mouth and sighed contently as she looked across the table at Brian, who sunk his teeth into a green apple.
"Anything that's edible."
"You always start your day with a piece of fruit?"
"No. Usually I pile my plate high with waffles, sausages, and scrambled eggs. I'm just not that hungry this morning. I think it's the medication I'm taking for the pain. Ow, my fingers really REALLY hurt at this moment."
"Aww, poor baby."
"Hey, Bri, I just---oops, Elena, I forgot you were here." Kevin had just taken a shower and came out wearing nothing but a white towel. Blushing, he immediately did a U-turn back to the bathroom. He stuck his head out of the doorway sheepishly. "You're not going to put that in your article, are you?" He was turning redder by the minute.
Elena smirked. "You bet your sexy ass I am! The fans are going to LOVE this!"
"No! Elena, don't!" he whined.
"Aww come on, Kev. Be a sport! I'm supposed to capture your REAL lives."
"Elenaaaaa," he continued to groan.
"Keviiiin," she mocked him.
"I don't like you."
"Love you too, Boo."
Nick came dashing out of the back room, waving a pair of white drawers in the air and laughing. "I see London, I see France, I've got AJ's underpants! Ha-ha-haaa-haaaaaaaa!"
Elena couldn't contain her laughter and burst, spraying milk all over the table and on Brian. Brian jerked back and grimaced.
"Ewwwwww! Elena!"
"NIIIIIIIICK!" came an angry voice from the back of the bus. AJ stomped out in a robe looking mad. "Gimme back my briefs!"
"Uh uh! You come here and get them!" teased Nick.
"You little twerp!" Nick held it high above his own head making it almost impossible for AJ, who was jumping up trying to reach it, to snatch it back from him since the blonde was considerably taller than him. Elena looked on in amusement. "Come on! I'm swinging free here, man!"
"Say pretty please," he continued to taunt him. AJ was losing his patience fast.
"Aren't you a little too old to pull this shit?!"
"You're never too old to have a little fun!"
"If you don't give me back my drawers, I'm going to resort to drastic measures!"
"Go ahead! You think I'm afraid of you?"
"I'm warning you, Nick!"
"Na na na na naaaaaaaa! You can't reach your drawers cuz you're a little maaaan!"
"I'll show you who's a little man!" AJ swiftly gave him a kick in his nutsack. Not as hard as he could have, after all, he didn't want to sterilize him. Nevertheless, Nick fell to his knees with a shocked look on his face. AJ snatched his underwear from Nick's grasp and stormed back into the room, muttering obscenities. "Stupid dickhead."
Nick quickly recovered and Elena scooted over so he could sit next to her.
"You ok, Nick?" she asked suppressing laughter.
"Yeah, but I think he deflated one of my balls," he joked.
"Can I quote you on that?"
"Go right ahead."
"Nick, this isn't a good time to get on AJ's bad side. Don't ya know he's been PMSing this week?" remarked Brian.
"You've noticed too, huh. I don't know what's wrong with him, but I ain't letting him off the hook that easily. He's part of the group, therefore, he, as the rest of you, has the pleasure of getting annoyed by me."
Brian rolled his eyes in response. "Thanks for the privilege, Frick."
"Anytime, Frack."
"So what's on your agenda today, boys?"
"Well, first we gotta go on radio, then a photo shoot, then sound check, the concert, and then snuggle back into our bunks for another long road trip," explained Nick.
"Is there any time in between your busy schedule that you can possibly squeeze in a little itty-bitty minute for me?"
"For you, babe, we'll stop time."
"Aww, don't I feel special!"
"You should."
"Does anyone know if we're almost there?" AJ came out fully dressed in a black wife beater and baggy dark jeans. "I can't stand another minute on this bus with this immature buttwad!" he stated as he smacked Nick on the back of his head.
"Ow! Dude, you gave me brain damage!"
"What are you talking about? You were born with brain damage!"
"We've got another two hours, so just chill."
"Dammit, we should get our own friggin' plane. It would be so much less stressful."
"Why don't you?"
"Cuz it's not really necessary. Why should we when he could drive from state to state. Come on, it isn't that bad," reasoned Brian.
"It sure seems like it is. AJ's ready to kill someone!" joked Elena.
"Only Nick."
"You are NOT putting that in!" Kevin walked in pointing a finger at her and giving her a menacing look.
She smirked. "You can't stop me."
"Why do you have to be like that?!"
"Kev, there are a lot of worse things you should be worrying about then a stinkin' little article that states 'Kevin Richardson wanders around the tour bus in the buff in the presence of a journalist.' "
"Like what?"
"Like that lovely picture that's floating around the internet from the Quit Playing Games video shoot. Kevin, did you realize exactly how wet it was, how tight your pants were, and how HAPPY you looked?"
Kevin stared at her puzzled. The other guys snickered. "What?"
"Nevermind."
"No, come on, tell me!"
"If you don't already know, I ain't saying nothing!"
"What, is there a picture of me naked or something?"
"Not quite, but it sure doesn't leave much to the imagination! *lol* "
"What?"
"Kevin, dude, Peter popped up to say hi!" explained AJ. "WHAT were you thinking about?!"
The reality dawned on him. "Oh no. No way! Are you saying---"
"Yup. Keep your mind clean in the next video shoot. Alright, man?"
"Oh shit! I can't believe---that was SOOOOOO long ago!" His cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "And what exactly were you doing looking at not-so-nice pictures of us, Miss DiLorenzo, hmmm?"
"Staci brought it to my attention actually. She's got it saved in her hard drive. One of her favs, you know *wink wink* "
"Oh my Gawd, you just ruined my day!"
"Hehe, no worries, Kev. The others didn't escape either."
"What do you mean by that?" inquired Nick.
"Nothing. Anyway, can I interview you now that nothing important is occupying your precious time?"
"Ok, shoot."
"Wait. Let's go to the entertainment room. More comfy." They all followed her. She picked up her journal and pencil from the coffee table and hopped onto the couch. Nick, Kevin, and AJ sat with her, while Brian sprawled himself out on the carpeted floor. "Ok. Let me warn you, these aren't your average questions. I think everyone knows your favorite colors and soft drinks by now so…my first question is…what runs through your minds when you see those suggestive signs that the fans tend to hold up during the concerts? You know like Nick I Wanna Have Your Baby!!! "
"Nick, you sexy beast, you take this one."
"Uhhh, we're really flattered. It's nice to know you're loved, but at the same time, it's really weird cuz you don't even like know these people and they're lusting after you, know what I mean? It's scary sometimes, too."
She jotted down what he said verbatim. "Ok, and…have any of you ever tried on thong underwear?"
"What?! *lol* Are you serious?!" laughed Brian.
"I told you these weren't gonna be your average run of the mill questions!"
Everyone looked at AJ. He fidgeted uncomfortably on the couch. "Why you all looking at me for?!"
"Dude, you're the bravest of us all! If anyone's gonna wear a thong, it's you!"
"That's not true!"
"Spit it out, Bone!"
He turned bright red. "Umm, well…"
Everyone erupted into a fit of laughter.
"Hey shut up! I did it only once! ONCE!"
Elena wiped the tears streaming down her cheek and gasped. "Tell us more!"
"Well…it was a while ago. I was shopping and I entered this quaint little swimsuit store. They were just hanging there. I couldn't resist! After all, I'm the brave one! I snatched it off the rack, no one saw, and dashed into the dressing room! They were *turns a deeper shade of red* leopard print."
"Oh…my…I can't…breathe!" choked out Brian. At this point he was rolling around on the floor gasping for air.
"Go on!"
"I didn't like it, ok?! It felt weird! It felt like a permanent wedgie. Besides, I'm not a gigolo! I wouldn't want my butt cheeks flapping in the wind for all the world to see!"
"What butt cheeks?!" quipped Elena.
"Shut up!"
Denise came into the room drawn by her curiosity.
"What's all the hoopla about?"
" *lol* Did you know that AJ once tried on butt floss! Oh my Gawd!"
"What?!"
"Shut up, Nick! She doesn't need to know everything about my life!"
"No, you didn't!" She sat down next to him nearly in tears. AJ laid back with his arms crossed over his chest and scowled.
"You people suck! NEXT question please!"
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, ok hold on a minute, HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Ok, my next question is…who's the most limber?"
"Limber? Where are you pulling these questions from?! Your ass?!"
"Believe it or not, these are questions I've thought about myself."
"You have too much time on your hands!"
"Shut up and answer the question!"
"Kevin, you take this one."
"Ok, hmmm…" Kevin looked up at the ceiling and stroked his chin appearing like he was deep in thought. "I have to say…AJ."
"Why are you picking on me all of a sudden?!"
"It's true. You are. No one else can hump a stage quite the way you do. You have a great gift."
"Oh so you've tried?!"
"Actually yes. I'm sex deprived. It wasn't pretty. I got down on the floor and just kind of stayed there. I don't know how you do it, AJ, I couldn't move!"
Everyone burst out in laughter once again imagining Kevin just lying on the floor on his face.
"Besides, when he pisses me off, I tend to bend him in unnatural ways," he snickered.
"You guys…are killing…me!" Elena gasped. "Nick, you still getting picked on?"
Nick grimaced. "Yes. They're cruel."
"It's true," Brian proudly stated. "No matter how tall or how old he gets, he'll still be youngest and easiest to pick on. He still annoys us so that calls for revenge!"
"Brian gets picked on a lot too cuz he's so little!"
"I'm NOT little! Ya'll just big and clumsy!"
"Watch it! Kevin might sit on you!"
"Good things come in small packages! So there!"
"Good things also come in BIG packages! Right, Kevin? *wink wink* " Kevin turned bright red again.
"Shut up, Nick!"
"Yeah well…" Brian wasn't going to let them win on this one. "The bigger you are the harder you fall! If you're real tall you're gonna die sooner! I'm gonna outlive you all! Muahahahahaha!!!"
"You EVIL little munchkin!"
"AJ, any new tattoos we don't know of?"
"Yeah, he got one that says Kiss My Pretty Ass on his left butt cheek!" answered Brian trying to keep a straight face.
"No, I don't. He's lying."
"Is he? Come on, let's see! No, I'm just kidding!"
"No. I decided twelve was enough. I didn't want end up like those guys that have them on every inch of their body. They don't even need to wear clothes!"
"Thank you God! I was starting to worry about you! And speaking of worrying, AJ, have you quit smoking yet?"
"Yes, I have."
"Really? That's great!"
"Yeah, it's been two years since I lit my last cigarette."
"What caused you to realize that it wasn't doing you any good and how did you do it?"
"It was during this one rehearsal. We were practicing the dance to It's Gotta Be You and you know, it's really complicated and fast pace. You have to be really fit to do it. I wasn't a chain smoker, but I smoked enough. During the middle of the routine, I felt really dizzy and winded. And I kind of passed out. That sort of thing never happened to me before, so that's when I knew that it wasn't worth it. So with the help of my family and friends and fans, I kicked the habit."
"Congratulations. I was going to kick your ass myself if you didn't stop soon. Ok, next question…when was the last time you were totally wasted?"
"Last New Year's Eve," replied Brian. "That's all I remember."
" *lol* How about you, Kevin?"
"Umm, good question…hehe, I can hear the fans now, 'Oh my God! The Backstreet Boys drink! They got drunk!' " he squealed in his best impression of a female voice. " *lol* We never claimed to be perfect! I think it was last year. I think the same time as Brian because for some strange reason, I can't recollect ANYTHING from last New Year's Eve."
"Nick?"
"Hehe. It was last month at some club or other. I pissed behind a tree and suffered a major hangover the next morning. Kids, drinking is BAD, VERY BAD! Don't do it!"
"AJ?"
A grin formed on his face. "Last week."
Elena rolled her eyes "Why doesn't that surprise me?"
"It was at a party. I didn't drive nor would I have. I had these guys to smack me around and drag me home. That's all I'm telling you."
"Who do you think can go the highest, Chris from 'N Sync or Darren from Savage Garden?
Brian gave her a quizzical look. "And that's relevant to us because?"
"Cuz I just want to know!"
"I can sing the highest!" proclaimed Nick followed by an imitation of a soprano opera singer. Everyone covered their ears.
"Aaahhhh! Shut the hell up!" shouted AJ.
"To tell you the truth, I don't know!"
continued Brian. " They can both hit some pretty painful notes there! They should have a screeching contest!"
"That would be SO funny! I'd love to see that!"
"Yeah, I hear ya. Ummm, do you guys get your assess pinched a lot?"
"Not really. We don't have the privilege of getting our butts pinched cuz our bodyguards would kick you into next week if your hand started reaching for all of the no-no areas," explained Kevin.
"Yeah, well except Nick cuz there's so much of it to protect!" quipped Brian.
"Hey! Shut up, dipshit!"
"Oh my, I'm going to have to edit this! *lol* Now, I know you're going to hate me for this, but do any of you have girlfriends? I already know some your answers, but just for good measure…"
"Yes I do and I love her very much," stated Brian.
"Nope, but I got someone in mind," winked Kevin.
"Unfortunately, I haven't found the right person. Relationships never seem to work for me," pouted AJ.
"It's been too long since I had a girlfriend. Way too long," replied Nick.
"Yeah, little Nicky's been deprived. Just the other night, I caught him spanking his monkey in the hotel room!"
Everyone gaped at Nick and laughed their asses off. Nick gasped and punched Brian's arm.
"Oh my Gawd! You did NOT just say that! Brian! You're such a fuckin' liar! It's not true! He made that up!"
"Nicky Nicky Nicky!" Kevin said still guffawing. "You should be ashamed of yourself, you vulgar brute!"
"Hey! Shut up, man! He's lying! Oh my Gawd, Brian, you are SO fuckin' dead!"
"And what exactly were you doing in Nick's hotel room, Brian, hmmm?" inquired AJ raising an eyebrow. Brian looked at him incredulously.
"What are you implying?! Oh NOOOOOO! Get that idea out of your head this instant!!! I was just going to drop off---"
"Sure, Bri!"
"EWWWWW!!! Oh Gawd!!!!"
Nick put his arm around Brian and glared at everyone. "Yes, it's true! Our secrets out! Brian's my lover!" he said with a lisp. "He's sooooo sexy! He rocks my world! I know ya'll want him, but he's MINE!"
Brian pushed his arm off and scrambled away. "Get off me, man! You sicko! Don't EVER joke like that, alright!!!" Everyone was in tears and rolling on the ground. "You're such a idiot, I swear!"
"Oh…you guys are too much!" Elena chuckled. "I'm laughing so hard, I think I peed my pants! Anyway, now that we've had our fun, it's time for the serious questions…" Everyone groaned. "How did you come up with the title Time Again and how do you interpret the meaning of it?"
Nick answered. "Well it basically means…you see, people thought that we'd be like obsolete in a matter of like two years. We've always been compared to New Kids and stuff like that. But we'd always surprise them. Prove them wrong. We've proven ourselves worthy of their respect time and time again and that's where that comes from. As for how we interpret it, the CD kind of, I don't know, symbolizes our longevity. We've written most of the songs and I hope that proves once and for all that we're not just another 'boyband.' I mean, we've been around for over ten years now. How many 'boybands' you know do that? We're going to be here a long time. We're here to stay."
Elena nodded her head. "Well put, Nick. As you've mentioned before, you guys wrote most of the songs. When or how did you decide that you wanted to put out an album almost completely done by yourselves? How did you think the public would receive it and how come you didn't just take it all the way and write all the tracks yourself?"
"Damn, girl. That's a BIG question. Kev, we'll leave it up to you."
"Gee, thanks. Give me the hard questions! Ok. Well…after Millennium became the success that it was…most of its success came from the fact that it was co-produced by us and that some of the songs were written by us. The critics gave us just a tad bit of credibility and fans certainly loved it. We just thought that making an album ourselves would bring us up to another level…a much higher level. I think it has. It's our best one yet and yeah, I know we've said that about Millennium, but…don't think I'm getting egotistical here, but I definitely think that we're getting better and better every album. We hoped the public would enjoy it and respect it. I mean, looking at the sales records, I'd say we're doing pretty well. Thank God, we've gotten so far. Thank the fans for believing in us even when no one else did and as for the critics…screw them."
"Yeah, Kevin!" hooted AJ.
"As for why we didn't do it all by ourselves, we really liked You Light Up My Life and The Games You Play, both written by Max Martin, and thought them appropriate for the album. Who Do You Love is an old song that we performed on A Night Out, but it never made it on any of our other records, and we all really thought it was a beautiful song so we stuck it in here. It just HAD to go somewhere. And we knew we'd be coming out with another fresh batch of Backstreet so there you go."
"Uh huh. Umm…" Elena started to tremble slightly. "I…umm…don't know quite how to put this, but…" She licked her lips. "Is it hard, I know it must be hard, let me rephrase that…is it awkward…how did you get used to it being just the four of you? I mean, how do you handle being a quartet when you started out as a quintet?"
Brian took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "It was hard. It still is hard. Waking up and seeing the empty bunk beside your own, and doing photo shoots and interviews, and especially the concerts…it's really hard to face the fact that we did, like you said, started out as five guys and had great times and success as five guys, and then cruelly being cut down to four…it's just sometimes unbearable. I mean if it was that one of us had quit, well that would've been different cuz it would've been his choice, you know, but like that…that just shouldn't have been. That was just…there's no word to describe it. It feels like a void. An empty void in your heart and soul. You know what I'm talking about, Elena."
Elena looked sadly at the ground and nodded.
"We're not the same. We're never going to be the same. We're all like a piece of a puzzle. The picture just isn't whole with one piece missing. We're not complete. But everything rests in God's hands…there must have been a reason for it. There just HAD to be. Stuff like that doesn't just happen for no reason. He was one of the first. Nick, AJ, and Howie were the first to establish the group. We keep going because…that's what he would've wanted us to do."
Elena felt the tears threatening to leave her red-rimmed eyes. She looked around the room. Everyone seemed to be trying to hold back their emotions, but it wasn't working. Nick's eyes were glistening. Brian's voice cracked at the end of his morose speech. AJ had his head in his hands. Kevin was blankly looking out the window and sniffed. Denise quickly wiped away the single tear that trickled down her face before anyone saw. They were all trying to be strong for each other. Yet the sorrow was evident and the gloomy atmosphere was suffocatingly thick. Elena tried changing the subject, knowing that her previous question had reminded them of something that they would rather forget.
"U-u-umm *sniff* AJ, you co-wrote If You Knew What I Knew, your first single. It's very beautiful, by the way. Listening to the lyrics, I understand it tells about…basically this unattainable love. What exactly do you know that she doesn't that would bring you two together once again?"
AJ composed himself and put on a smile. "Thanks for the compliment. Actually, it's about me wanting this woman's love so bad and she doesn't realize it. She tells me it can't work out and just walks out of my life, leaving me all alone in my misery. She's always in my mind and I just can't let her go. I know that deep deep within, she really does love me cuz I can feel it, but she just doesn't see it yet. Her feelings haven't surfaced. Either that or she just doesn't want to believe it. Basically, I won't stop bugging her 'till she says yes to a date." He tried lightening up the mood a bit.
"You speak like it's really you and a real person. Is it? Does your song center around someone in particular? Or is it another one of your lame attempts to get Gwen Stefani to go out with you?"
"Well for your information, Ms. DiLorenzo, Gwen did go out on a date with me once. Unfortunately, it didn't work out."
"Whatever you say, McLean. Who is this chick, if you don't mind me asking?"
"She's…she was a friend I met out on the road. We became very close, but she had someone significant in her life at the time, so it couldn't go any further than friendship. But I knew she cared about me cuz I could feel it in my heart and the heart doesn't lie. Well, they got married and I just let it be. I left. It hurt too much. I haven't talked to her in years."
"Did she know about the song?"
"Nope. She didn't know about the song and she didn't know how much she meant to me. She never will."
Elena felt so bad for him. He just looked so vulnerable. She just wanted to reach out and give him a tight hug. "Awww, AJ, why didn't you tell her?"
"What would've been the point? She didn't want to be with me. I couldn't make her. She was happy with her life. Her life without me. I just had to face the fact that it wasn't meant to be. It's ok. I'm over her now."
"That's good. Next time someone disses you like that, you give me a call. I'll beat her up for you."
"Yeah, Bone. We'll jump her," added Nick putting his arm around his shoulders.
"Thanks, guys. I really appreciate that you got my back, but I could beat people up myself thank you very much."
"Yeah. Anyway, thanks guys. I really appreciate it."
"What, that's it?"
"For now. I'll badger the rest of it out of you later."
"What are we going to do for the next two hours?" asked Nick.
"We could watch a movie. How about it?" suggested Kevin.
"Sure. What movie?"
"City Of Angels sounds good to me!" yelled out Brian. Everyone, except AJ, nodded their heads in agreement. "City Of Angels it is!"
"Have fun watching your movie. Peace out." AJ stood up and started walking out of the room.
"AJ, where you going?"
"I feel like reading. C-ya later." He disappeared into his bunk.
Everyone looked at each other incredulously.
"When was the last time AJ opened a book?" inquired Brian astonished.
"High school?"
Chp 10
Chp 8
