Saturday evening Nick, Katie, Brittny, Danielle, and Cheryl boarded a plane to Orlando.
Everyone tried to get as much sleep as possible, because Unique had a six hour dance rehearsal an hour and a half after their plane landed, and the Backstreet Boys had one in the same dance studio next to them.
Everyone had made plans to meet up outside the studio as soon as they're rehearsal was over, then decide on what to go together that night.
When the airplane landed on Sunday morning at Orlando International Airport, Nick and Katie kissed eachother goodbye, as Nick got in one car, and the girls got in another.
By now it was four in the afternoon. Danielle, Katie, and Brittny were on the floor stretching out after they're tiring rehearsal.
"What did ya'll want to do tonight?" Katie asked, rolling her neck from side to side.
"I don't care just as long as I get to be with my man!" Brittny said excitedly.
Katie laughed. "Me, too. And we get to see Diane and Holly again tonight."
Diane and Holly were members of Unique's backup band, as well as Kevin and Howie's girlfriends.
"You guys, I don't think I want to go." Danielle said.
"What?" Brittny asked. "You have to come."
Danielle shook her head. "I don't think I'm up for something that involves AJ just yet."
Katie rolled her eyes. "You can't avoid him forever."
"I know, but. .. I can't see him tonight." she said.
Just then the door burst open.
"Brian!" Brittny squealed. She jumped up, and ran over to him, throwing her arms around him.
"Hey babe." he hugged her tightly as they're lips met.
"The first time I see you in a week and we're both all sweaty from dancing. Yuck." she said.
By that time, Nick, Kevin, and Howie has entered the room.
Katie jumped up and greeted Nick with a kiss.
Danielle, who was still sitting on the floor, sighed with relief. For some reason or another, AJ wasn't there. That meant she wouldn't have to talk to him.
"B-rock, man, you left your-" AJ's voice came loudly from the door, but stopped abruptly.
Danielle looked up.
AJ was standing in the doorway, starring directly at her.
"Gymbag." he concluded softly, his gaze not wavering.
Everyone was starring at them, wondering what would happen next.
Danielle stood up slowly, her eyes still locked with AJ's.
"I'll see you guys later." she said quietly to Katie and Brittny, breaking her gaze with AJ.
"You sure?" Katie asked.
Danielle nodded. "Yeah."
"Bye." Brittny said, pulling away from Brian.
Danielle gave her a short smile, though you could see pain in her eyes, and brushed passed AJ out the door, not even looking at him.
"Man!" AJ groaned as soon as she was out of ear shot. "She HATES me."
"Actually," Katie said. "It's exactly the opposite."
"Then why is she acting like this?"
"Man, she caught you in the act of kissing Brittny." Kevin said.
Brian flinched at the thought.
"This is how she handles things." Brittny explained.
"Yeah, Bone, give her time to cool off." Howie said.
"How would you have felt if it was the other way around and you had caught her with Brian?" asked Nick.
"I woulda killed Brian." AJ said simply.
"So do I have the right to kill you?" Brian asked.
AJ sighed. "I don't know. It wouldn't make much difference to me anyways. Y'all go ahead and have a good time tonight. I'm going home."
"See ya." Brian said.
"I hope you feel better." Katie said.
AJ shrugged and left the room.
When he stepped out of the building, he saw Danielle standing on the sidewalk, talking on her cell phone, her gym bag lying on the ground next to her.
"Alright, bye." he heard her say as she pressed the off button on her phone. She stuffed it in her gym bag.
Then she collapsed on the curb, her head in her hands, and her body raked with sobs.
AJ couldn't stand to see her in so much pain.
"Danielle?" he asked softly, walking towards her.
She looked up at him as he sat down next to her on the curb. Her face was streaked with fresh tears, and she starred at him saying nothing.
"Do you need a ride?" he asked.
She shook her head, no.
He wished she would speak. That he could hear her voice again.
"Are you sure? I have my car."
"I'm sure," she said through clenched teeth. "I called my mother and she's coming to pick me up."
"Oh, does she live near by?"
"What do you care?"
He wanted to hear her talk, but these were not the type of words he wanted to hear from her mouth.
"I care a lot."
"Ha! You coulda had me fooled!"
"Danielle. . . "
"Just leave me alone!"
AJ stood up. "Please don't act like this."
Danielle jumped up. "How the hell do you want me to act?!"
"I don't-I don't know."
"Then don't tell me how to act! You don't know what I'm going through right now! You don't know how I feel, so just DON'T!"
"I would know if you would just tell me!"
"I can't."
"Talk to me!"
"Go away! Go away and LEAVE ME ALONE!"
AJ starred into her eyes that were filled with so much hurt and resentment he couldn't begin to explain. And he knew that it would take him a long time to earn all her trust back. A long time and a lot of persistence.
"Is that what you really want?"
She didn't answer for a moment, still starring at him. "Yes. That's what I want."
They stood for another moment, staring at eachother until AJ finally turned, and walked away.