Chapter Five
"Only 5:30am…"
Chloe was wide awake, and talking aloud to herself. The sun was just rising, its warm rays shining through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the hotel room. It was Saturday morning, the day of her audition. She’d been lying awake in her bed for the past 45 minutes, nerves coursing through her. She couldn’t even close her eyes anymore, and so she lay still, occasionally reciting the time aloud to the silent room.
"5:31am…"
"Huh? Clo, what are you doing up already?"
Chloe turned her head to see Shanna staring at her through half - open, blue eyes in the other bed. Her curly blonde hair was in disarray about her face, and her mouth was turned up in a faint smile. "Oh, sorry, Shan," she whispered. "I can’t sleep."
Shanna grinned wider and sat up in her bed. Crossing her legs in the jersey knit sheets, she put her chin down on her palms and let out a loud sigh. "Pre-Backstreet jitters?" she teased.
Chloe bit her lip and sat up in her own bed. "I can’t believe I’m going to meet them in a few hours," she squeaked. "I mean, I have these guys posted up on my walls, and I’m actually going to see them today!"
"Girl, you know I’ll be there to catch you if you faint!"
Chloe grabbed a pillow and threw it across the room at her friend.
"Don’t jinx me!" she warned. "This day has to go perfect!" She jumped out of her bed, even more awake than ever now. "5:33am…damnit, why is this clock going so slow?"
"It’s THAT early?" Shanna demanded incredulously. "OK, I’m going back to bed! I want my beauty sleep to meet my Bri-babe!"
Chloe watched enviously as her friend curled back up in her bed and fell asleep almost immediately. She wanted more than anything to be able to do the same, but her thoughts were keeping her awake. There was so much pressure on her today. Pressure to give a good audition, pressure to make a lasting impression on the Backstreet Boys. More importantly, however, there was the pressure to meet Nick. Chloe knew she should be placing more value on being given the opportunity to be in a music video, but she couldn’t do it. There was an unheeding urge in her heart to make Nick fall in love with her, make everything like it had been two years before. "I’m looking for you, baby," she said aloud,
praying that somehow her baby could hear her. "I’m going to find you today."
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"Go right through that door, turn left, go up the elevator to the fourth floor. Walk to the end of the hallway, it’s studio #407 on the right hand side. There will be a secretary there to let you in."
Chloe took a deep breath. "Thank you," she replied quietly, her hands shaking uncontrollably. She threw one last pleading look at the LA Theme Studio’s security guard who’d just given her the directions to her auditioning room and tried to take a step forward. Shanna was behind her, holding her shoulders supportively. "Omigod," she whimpered, staring at the huge glass double doors in front of her. "I can’t do this Shan, I can’t." She tried to turn back, but Shanna blocked her escape.
"Clo, calm down, sweetie," Shanna commanded, her voice reassuring but stern. You’re going to go up there, and you’re going to audition to be in the video for If I Don’t Have You, and you’re going to kick ass, and you’re going to meet the Backstreet Boys. OK?"
Chloe was gasping for breath, and could feel her face starting to burn. "I can’t," she repeated. "What if he’s not the same, Shan? What if he thinks I’m a loser?"
Shanna shook her head persuasively. "Don’t worry about that right now. Just let it leave your mind. Concentrate on the audition." She turned Chloe back around by the shoulders to face the doors. "I’m coming with you, remember."Chloe nodded as her lips began to tremble. "What if…"
"No," Shanna interrupted. "Come on, let’s go, before I lose my nerve too." She grinned, and pushed Chloe through the doors. Chloe checked her watch. "10:23am…" she whimpered, as her feet moved unwillingly along the carpeted floor of the LA Theme Studio. "37 minutes left."
Shanna laughed. "Loosen up, chicky," she advised. "It’s OK, really. Just try and think of them as normal people, and you’ll be fine." She turned Chloe’s shoulders to the left and walked the two of them down the hallway towards the elevator.
"But they’re NOT normal people!" Chloe insisted, knowing she was whining. "It’s NICK CARTER. It’s my baby…"
Shanna pushed the ‘up’ button outside the elevator and leaned back against the wall. "True," she said slowly. "But he’s not the same Nick, Clo. You have to accept that if you’re going to get through this with the least bit of dignity. Just pretend he’s some hot guy on the street. Hell, the Boys might not even be here."
Chloe considered this, realizing that she’d never actually been told that the Backstreet Boys would be here today. "Maybe…" she agreed, hoping deep down that they would be there. She was scared out of her mind, but she couldn’t turn back now. The elevator door slid open, and Chris was standing there, lounged leisurely against the back wall. He straightened up when he saw Chloe and Shanna standing there. "Hey!" he exclaimed, surprised. "I thought I’d missed you!! Went all the way up to 407 and y’all weren’t there. I just came to wish you good luck."
Chloe stopped dead in her tracks, and Shanna had to push her into the elevator. There was a moment of silence before Chloe spoke. "Wow, you’re here!" she said finally, feeling a bit more relaxed. Chris had come, what a sweetheart! "Thanks, I don’t know what to say!"
Chris grinned as the elevator door closed behind them and began its ascent to the fourth floor. "Course I came!" he replied. "I was supposed to drive you here this morning too, but by the time I got to your room, you’d already left."
Chloe blushed. Shanna and her had taken the city bus to the studio, wanting to explore the city themselves. They were, after all, going to be living there someday, and had to learn their way around sometime.
"Sorry," she said softly. "We took the bus."
"Uh huh," Shanna chimed in, grinning. "Almost got lost, but we made it!" She laughed and went back to checking her appearance in the elevator’s mirrored walls. Chloe bowed her head and closed her eyes for a split second. Here she
was, in an elevator with Chris, going to meet the Backstreet Boys. She glanced at her hands, which had stopped trembling so violently. Her watch read 10:27am. She took a deep breath as the elevator stopped on the fourth floor, and Shanna turned to face her. "Ready?" she asked, her voice tense.
Chloe shook her head, but managed to giggle. "As ready as I’ll ever be," she said. She looked back at Chris, expecting him to exit the elevator with them. "Let’s go."
Chris shrugged and shook his head. "They wouldn’t let me in the audition room a few minutes ago," he answered regretfully. "I’ll be here at the end though, to pick y’all up, OK?" He jumped forward as the elevator doors began to close and kissed Chloe swiftly on the cheek.
"Good luck," he whispered, a southern accent coming through in his voice again. "I know you’ll do great." With that, the elevator slid closed and Chris disappeared.
Chloe stood motionless for a moment, staring at the elevator doors. She raised her hand to her cheek where Chris’s lips had touched, and a slight smile appeared on her face. She had stopped shaking completely, and had become ironically calm.
"He likes you, he likes you," Shanna chanted, breaking the silence. "He wants you bad, Clo." She was laughing lightly.
Chloe, biting her lip, turned slowly on her heel. She breathed in deep and ignored her friend’s comments. "Which way now?"Shanna spun around and pointed down a long hallway. A sign next to it read ‘Rooms 400 – 420.’ Chloe started out in front of Shanna this time, feeling confident. Her mind was racing with thoughts of Chris and Nick mixed together. There was more confusion than nervousness inside her now and as she strode down the hallway, she passed right by #407.
"Woah, slow down, Clo!" Shanna called from behind her. "407’s right here!"
Chloe spun around to see Shanna a few doors away. She giggled at her mistake. "Not paying attention," she confessed, jogging back to her friend’s side. There was an instinctive pause outside Room 407. Chloe stared in silence at the oversized oak door with brass doorknobs. There was a
slight commotion wafting from just inside the door, and Chloe could hear the bustle of a group of teenage girls talking amongst themselves. She turned to look at Shanna, who was staring blankly at the door. Her knees started to feel weak again, and she forced herself to think of Chris to calm herself down. She smiled almost immediately and felt a wave of calm sweep through her. On impulse, she reached to open the door. "Let’s go, Shan."
Entering the studio, Chloe was almost knocked out by the wall of perfume that greeted her. Twenty or so girls were seated in a circular group of chairs, babbling excitedly, fixing their makeup, and looking up periodically toward a large door behind them, as though they were expecting one of the Backstreet Boys to walk through any minute. Chloe
stood frozen in the open doorway, doubtfully glancing at her appearance in the mirrored walls. Her hair was swept up in a loose ponytail with casual wisps curling around her face. She was wearing a green tank top and a pair of straight legged white pants, carrying a white shoulder bag. Her face glowed with natural makeup, and a sheer gloss gleamed on her lips. She looked very professional, unlike all the other girls in the room. Chloe’s eyes took in these girls’ outrageous appearances, making her feel extremely self conscious. They were decked out in brightly colored tops, skin revealing shorts and chunky jewelry. Chloe
cringed, knowing how out of place she looked. Glancing over at Shanna, she saw that her friends felt equally alienated from these LA locals. Relief came when Chloe spotted the secretary’s desk to her right. With quick steps, she approached the counter. "Hi," she said tentatively, shifting her shoulder bag awkwardly. The secretary glanced up at her and smiled warmly. "Hello there," she greeted Chloe. "Are you here for the music video audition?"
Chloe swallowed hard and nodded. "Yes, I’m Chloe Woodward."
The secretary nodded and glanced down at a pile of papers in front of her. Crossing Chloe’s name off a piece of paper, she pointed towards the door that the other girls were looking at. "Go right through there and turn right," she directed. Chloe threw the secretary a confused expression. "But what about all these other girls?"
The secretary laughed and shook her head. "Oh no," she assured Chloe. "These girls aren’t here for the audition. They’re just here waiting for the Backstreet Boys to come out!"
Chloe’s mouth dropped open in relief. "Seriously?!" she asked, her confidence rising. Now she didn’t have to compete against these girls!"Yes, m’am," the secretary answered. She nodded towards Shanna.
"Your friend will have to wait here as well, while you’re auditioning, but you’re welcome to come and get her when you’re done."
Chloe nodded her understanding. "OK, thanks." She looked over at Shanna, who had already taken a seat amongst the girls and was discussing the Boys’ latest TV appearance. "Bye, Shanna. Wish me luck!"Shanna glanced at her friend and gave Chloe a thumbs-up sign. "Good luck," she said. "Don’t forget to come get me after, I wanna meet my Bri-babe!"
Chloe laughed and nodded. "You bet." With one last glance to the secretary, she pushed open the large door behind her and made her way through.
There was a long hallway in front of her, and a door to her
right. The sign on the door read ‘If I Don’t Have You Music Video Audition. Authorized Only.’ Chloe took a deep breath and turned the knob. The door opened easily to an extremely large room. A large mock circular runway was set up in the far left corner, a tap dancing stage in the right. Once again, all the walls were mirrored. A group of about fifteen girls were clustered directly to Chloe’s left. They were all silent, and turned to face Chloe when they heard the door open. Chloe almost giggled at their general appearance. White, ashen faces and wide eyes stared at her with a mixture of excitement and anticipation, all
decked out in caked on makeup and platform shoes. "Hi," she said hesitantly, smiling.
The girls breathed a mass "hello" and went silent again. The room was a blanket of tension and anticipation, and Chloe felt herself relating to how these girls must be feeling. She moved forward and joined the girls in the group, and all of them stood motionless, occasionally pivoting to check out their appearance in the mirrored walls. Chloe bit her lip nervously, and checked her watch. 10:45. Fifteen minutes until the audition was to start. "Are we just supposed to wait here?" she asked finally, unable to stand the silence.
One of the girls nodded. "Uh huh," she said. "Howie just came in and wished us luck."
Chloe’s jaw dropped in amazement. "Howie? Backstreet Boy Howie?"
She suddenly understood why none of the girls had been talking when she came in. The same girl nodded again and pointed to yet another door to her right. "He came right through that door and said that they need five girls for the video, one for each of them, and that he wished they could each have 5 girls, cause we’re all so beautiful." She stopped and broke out in a smile, remembering the moment.
Chloe couldn’t speak for the life of her. Her mouth was open but nothing came out. She felt her hands begin to shake again.
The girl laughed. "I know how you feel," she said, sounding a bit more relaxed. "I just about died!"
Suddenly, the door that Howie had come through opened again and a tall man entered the studio. He was wearing a black turtleneck and jeans, and dark sunglasses. Chloe smiled, thinking how it seemed that every male in LA wore dark sunglasses. He strode toward the group of girls, stopped, and clapped his hands. "Good morning, ladies," he greeted them in a deep voice. "The audition will start in 15 minutes, and I am your instructor. My name is Rene. I have the next few minutes to teach you the dance combination that you will perform for the director of the music video, Nigel Dick, and the dance choreographer, Fatima Robinson. You will perform this combination, and will be graded, according to skill. The top five graded will then appear in the video with the Backstreet Boys. Do all of you understand?"
Chloe’s brain was racing, trying to keep up with Rene’s quick words. A dance combination was an awful lot to expect in 15 minutes, but Chloe had taken dance in the past, so she had been through it before. Still, there was a lot of pressure to do well. She glanced around at all the other girls, who seemed to be panicking.
"Do all of you understand?" Rene repeated, more forcefully.
"Ladies, we don’t have a lot of time, I would like to get started."
Chloe nodded her head silently along with the other girls,
feeling her nerves starting to build.
"Alright," Rene continued, satisfied. "Please take off your shoes, and leave your purses on the floor." He counted the fifteen girls, and said, "line up in rows of five in front of me and we’ll get started."
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"Faster! Harder! Keep going, don’t stop!"
Chloe, out of breath, twirled mercilessly around the room, oblivious to Rene’s encouraging comments. Her spine ached from holding it so straight, and her head throbbed with dizziness. The dance combination was only a minute and a half long, but she’d been doing it for the past 15 minutes non-stop, and it was starting to take its toll on her
co-ordination. She nearly collapsed a few seconds before the finish. Breathless and wary, she threw her hands up above her head and dropped to one knee, her toes turned out precisely. Thrusting her head back, she ended her combination, her heart pounding with exhaustion and
adrenaline. The high energy tune of Baby One More Time by Britney Spears faded out slowly, Chloe’s cue to stand up and curtsy ballet-style. Slowly, she rose up straight, directly turned to the approving faces of Nigel Dick and Fatima Robinson. They were smiling and nodding, and
clapping politely.Chloe curtsied, holding in her excitement, and glided quickly to the side of the studio where all the other girls stood in a cluster. She’d been the last one to audition, it was time for Nigel and Fatima to make their decision. One of the girls smiled at her reassuringly. "You were really good," she whispered. "I bet you get picked."
Chloe crossed her fingers. "I hope so," she whispered back.
"Ladies, take your positions," came Rene’s voice from behind the girls.
Quickly and obediently, the group rushed to form their rows of five, taking first ballet position with their feet.
"Nigel and Fatima have made their decision," Rene boomed. He turned to Fatima. "Would you like to read out your choices?"
Fatima laughed and stepped forward. "Put all the pressure on me, why don’t you," she teased. She glanced around at the hopeful faces of the girls and smiled. "Y’all were really good," she started. "Unfortunately, we could only pick five, because there are only five Boys." She paused
for dramatic effect. Finally, she took a deep breath. "With no further ado…we’ve chosen the following five girls."
Chloe felt her surroundings begin to spin and her knees go weak. Please, please, please let me be picked, she prayed silently. Please give me this.
"…Bailey Reid, Madison Tuckson, Claire McArthur, Chloe Woodward, and Denver Royal."
Chloe went into shock. The Backstreet Boys themselves could have walked into the room, and Chloe wouldn’t have moved from her position, frozen in first position on the wooden floor of studio #407. She was going to be in a music video with her all time favorite group, and she couldn’t move.
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"Hey, I’m Brian."
"Hi Brian, I’m AJ."
"I’m Howie D."
"Hey girls, I’m Kev."
"Wassup, I’m Nick."
"You’re a dork."
"Shaddap Frick, you’re…you’re…stupid!"
Chloe stood in the doorway of a large room, watching the Backstreet Boys introduce themselves to her and the other four girls who’d been chosen for the video. She was in a dream state, and didn’t even respond for the first few minutes. Her eyes were glued to Nick, who was lounged
across a leather couch not ten feet away from her. He hadn’t noticed her yet, he’d only introduced himself. He was dressed in loose fitting khakis and a blue button-up tee shirt that Chloe recognized to be the same one he’d worn in the video for All I Have To Give. He’d cut his hair short, but it was still falling a bit over his forehead. Chloe felt her heart melt as she watched him turn slowly to face her. It was almost in slow motion. The room went silent…Nick shifted from his position…his knee slid slowly off the edge of the couch…his hair fell into his eyes…he smiled…their eyes met. Chloe stared straight into the eyes of Nick Carter for a split second…and passed out.
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"I think she’s alright. I dunno, are her eyes opening?"
"Give her mouth-to-mouth!"
"Shut up Frick, or I’ll hurt you!"
"C’mon, you know you want to."
"Shut UP!"
Chloe, her mind hazy, struggled to open her eyes. Whatever she was lying on was cold and uncomfortable, and she wanted to stand up. It seemed as though her limbs were tied to the floor, though, and she couldn’t move. Familiar voices were arguing around her, but she couldn’t tell who they belonged to. She tried to speak, but her mouth felt dry and swollen.
"She’s waking up!"
"Are you sure?"
"Look at her, Frack, her eyes are opening."
A groan escaped Chloe’s lips as her eyes blinked open. Two figures were hovered above her head, but they were fuzzy. She squinted, trying to place them.
"Morning, sleepyhead."
"Her name’s Chloe, Frick."
"I know that, but she looks so sleepy and…pretty."
Chloe’s head spun with dizziness as she tried to lift it. "Omigod…" she whispered.
"Morning, sleepyhead," Nick Carter repeated.
"Hey there, Chloe," Brian Littrell chimed in.
Chloe’s eyes opened wide with mortification. "Omigod…" She let her head drop back down, and it began to throb immediately. She heard a gasp escape Nick’s lips.
"Don’t go hitting your head again!" he warned. "You did that hard enough the first time!"
Chloe eyelids trembled as she stared up at Nick Carter. She could feel his hand on her forehead, the coolness of it contrasting the heat radiating through the rest of her body. Slowly, she managed to sit up. Her head swayed and throbbed with pain. Nick was sitting cross-legged by her side. Brian was standing behind him, leaning down over Chloe.
"Omigod," she whispered again. "Oh..my…God."
Nick laughed. "Sweetie, do you say anything else?"
Chloe nearly choked on her words. She felt her face turn red. "Why am I on the floor?"
Nick laughed once more. "You fainted," he informed her playfully. "I caught you before you gave yourself a concussion."
Chloe dropped her head into her hands. "I cannot believe I did that."
Nick wiggled his eyebrows. "Don’t worry about it," he said, leaning forward to brush Chloe’s hair out of her eyes. "It’s not everyday I get to play Superman. I rather enjoyed it."
Chloe’s face burned bright red as she looked around the room. Nick, Brian, and herself were the only ones in the room. "Where is everyone?"
"The audition ended a half hour ago," Nick told her, laughing yet again. "All the other girls went home, and the other guys are in the other room eating donuts. Bonehead and I wanted to stay here with you."
"Hey!" Brian cut in, offended by his new nickname. "It was my idea for you to…"
"Shhh, don’t say it!" Nick interrupted.
Chloe found herself smiling through her humiliation. "What?" she asked.
Nick turned to look at her again. "Well…"
"Tell her, tell her!" Brian chanted.
Nick blushed. "Well, since I saved you and all…" He paused.
Chloe felt her heart melt at how adorable he looked right then. Hair falling into his eyes, a big smile, cheeks turning red. "What?" she repeated, prompting.
Nick took a deep breath. "Well, the video shoot doesn’t start until Monday," he said slowly. "So I was wondering if you’d be interested in…" He paused again.
Brian burst out laughing. "He wants to take you out for the day tomorrow!" he butted in.
Chloe’s jaw dropped and she turned to face Nick. He’d put his head down and was glaring up at Brian. "I wanted to say it!" he whined.
"Nick…" Chloe started.
Nick turned to face her. He wasn’t even a foot away from her face.
"Yeah?"
"I’d love to go out with you tomorrow."
