"Look, Alana, chill." I told her. My cousin Alana is a very forthcoming person, and she’s very assertive. In the US she’d be known as spunky, but over here in UK, she’s known as mouthy. You see, I was born in London, but when I was three, me and my father moved to the US. My mother died a couple of months before that, and my dad wanted us to have a fresh start. Anyway, Alana, my dad’s sister’s little brat, was giving me a guided tour of London while I was back in the country.
"This country bites, you’re so lucky living in America." She grumbled as we headed toward the underground exit.
"America isn’t as brilliant as you’d think."
"Well I guess you’d know, you’ve seen enough of it."
"Yeah." For the last few months, me and my sister have been touring the country with a band. This was our first break, so we decided to visit some of our family back in England. My younger sister, Bethanie, is a professional dancer and our dad and her mom (who got together and eventually married a few years after we’d moved to the US, and obviously had Bethanie) have assigned me as her guardian. As Bethanie is only sixteen, she needs an adult with her at all times - and I’m eighteen. Our dad works from home, he’s a writer, and her mom, Carrie, is a high school teacher, so neither of them can go on tour with Bethanie.
"How is Bethanie, by the way?" Alana is the same age as Bethanie, and kinda jealous of her. Bethanie’s been so busy since we arrived, that she hasn’t spoken to Alana yet. The pair never did get on.
"She’s good. Kinda tired out, but good."
"I can’t believe they actually hired her." She was talking about the band who chose Bethanie as one of their dancers.
"She’s very talented, you should see her perform. She’s great." Alana just rolled her eyes, and we finally came into contact once more with the outside world.
"Welcome to Camden." Alana had taken me to Camden Town, a funky little place with tons and tons of street markets and cool shops. It wasn’t quite Alana’s scene, but she’d been instructed by her mom to take me there as she knew I’d love it.
"So, are you gonna come and see Bethanie on the tour? You could come backstage and everything."
"When is it?"
"Sometime this June, I think." It was currently early April, and the band had come over to the UK to promote their new single. Bethanie and I had been invited along, as we (at least I) originated from the UK.
"I’ll think about it. Remind me why you’re in the UK again."
"Hold on a minute…do you even know which band we’ve been touring with?"
"No, no-one told me."
"Oh my gosh, really? You’re gonna go so ballistic when you find out!"
"Why, are they any good?"
"Just a bit! Have you ever heard of the Backstreet Boys?" Alana suddenly stopped dead and turned to face me with wide eyes.
"You’re totally kidding me."
"Nope. Backstreet Boys are over here at the minute promoting I Want It That Way, so me and Beth got invited along. Cool huh?" Alana couldn’t say anything, she was completely dumb-struck. "Do you like them?"
"What?! Of course I do! They’re my favourite band in the whole entire world! So I can go meet them?!"
"Yeah. You can have front row as well. Beth and I were given four tickets between us for each UK concert, for our family or whoever else. So we have effectively 24 tickets. If any of your mates wanna come along they can. It’s just that Bethanie and I are the only people on the tour from UK, so BSB can afford to give us four tickets for each UK venue. It’s really generous of them. They also said that our guests could come backstage afterward."
"I am totally going outta my mind! My snotty little American cousin is a Backstreet Boys’ dancer!!"
"Hey, watch what you say about Beth or I’ll un-invite you."
"Okay, okay, sorry. So, tell me all about their girlfriends!"
"Hardly, Alana, it’s not exactly stuff we’re allowed to just talk about with anyone."
"I’m not ‘just anyone’, I’m your bloody cousin! C’mon, Jess, spill!" Oh yeah, I forgot. My name’s Jesse.
"No way, Alana."
"At least, does Nick have a girlfriend?"
"Yes, he does."
"Who is it?!"
"Shut up or I’m abandoning you."
"I know London better than you, remember!"
"I also happen to have all the money, remember."
Alana’s mom had given me the money for the tube fare. Alana wasn’t allowed to have any spending money as she’d just come back from an Easter break in Paris.
"So, what’s Nick’s girlfriend like? I bet she’s a right bitch."
"Watch what you say, Alana, you’ll get to meet her after the concert you go to."
"I don’t wanna meet her, she’s gonna be all protective and mushy over Nick."
"How the hell do you know?" Alana just glared at me and stalked off back into the underground station. She had her own ticket, so she’d survive.
Alana lives in the outskirts of London, but Bethanie and I were staying actually in London, in the same hotel as Backstreet Boys.
I strolled off, admiring all the clothes and shoes etc. In the end, I bought myself a couple of kinda hippy tops (with an oceanic theme) and some blue classic Doctor Marten boots, and bought Bethanie some jeans that were made of many different types of denim all stitched together to make them. I also got each of the Backstreet Boys a present. I got AJ a really cool hat - it’s one of the huge velvet ones with a Union Jack on the front. I got Brian two studs for his ears - little basketballs! I got Howie a cookbook (he likes to try his hand at cooking when he’s at home), and it was entitled, ‘Typical English Dishes’. I knew he’d like it as most of his cookbooks are for Mexican and Italian dishes. I got Kevin a Manchester United shirt (but that was obviously not from Camden), with ‘Backstreet’ as the name on the back, and the number was 99. That was just chosen to represent the year I got it for him! And, finally, what did I get Nick? I got him a Henna tattoo kit. That’s ‘cos ever since he got his shark tat done on his left shoulder, he’s wanted to get another one. But he hasn’t had any time to go to another tattoo parlour. Henna tattoos last for around 5 weeks, so it was perfect.
That afternoon, I arrived back at the hotel in time to catch the boys before they made another TV appearance, this time on Top Of The Pops. They were going to perform I Want It That Way twice in front of a live audience. One performance would be shown when they first entered the charts, and the other one at a later date.
"Hey, Jesse!" Brian grinned at me and gave me a high-five.
"Heya." We were in the lobby of the up-market London hotel. It was the sort of hotel that didn’t allow fans inside, if you see what I mean.
"What did ya buy?" AJ asked me.
"Oh, you’ll love the pressies I got you guys."
"Wow, you got us gifts?" Howie asked.
"Yeah, sure, you wanna see?"
"Yeah!" They all cried. They all loved the gifts, and I was really pleased.
"Jess, you’re gonna have to help me with the tattoo set, you know." Nick told me. You can’t really do Henna tattoos on yourself unless you want them on your legs or feet!
"Sure, and if there’s enough ink left, you can do one on me."
That was pretty much all I said to them, as they then had to hurry outside to the private car waiting out front, that was gonna take them to the TOTP studios. I headed up to my hotel room and had a quick shower. Then I went next door to see my little sister.
"Bethanie, are you about?"
"Yeah, hey Jess!" Bethanie opened her door and let me in. We both have American accents, although we both say some things the English way, because our dad has never lost his accent. Things like trainers instead of sneakers, and crisps instead of potato chips. Stuff like that.
"I got you a present." I told her once I was sitting on the couch.
"Really? You didn’t have to do that!" Bethanie is one of the sweetest people in the world. We get along really well, we’ve always been close. I’m so proud of her for becoming such a talented dancer, and she’s really grateful to me for looking after her.
"Sure I did. Here you go." I handed her the jeans, and she grinned as soon as she saw them.
"Wow! They’re so awesome! Thank you so much, Jesse!" "Anytime honey." We gave each other a big hug.
We stayed in the country for another couple of days before the Backstreet Boys had to leave and visit the rest of Europe.
While they did this, Bethanie and I headed back to our home, in Tampa Florida. It’s lucky that we live so near to the ‘BSB Head Quarters’ because at least during rehearsal time, we can pretty much live at home, travelling back and forth to wherever they’re holding the rehearsals.
Actually, the boys asked us to go with them to the rest of Europe, but we were only at home for one week over the Christmas period, and we needed to spend some time with our family.
I forgot to tell you - my dad and Bethanie’s mom had another baby together. He’s a lot younger than us, though, as he’s only seven. The Backstreet Boys love him and think he’s really adorable, but Nick especially because…our little brother is called Nicholas. It’s a different spelling to Nick’s name, but it’s still ‘Nick’ for short. Nick junior loves showing off to all his friends about how ‘my big sisters tour with the Backstreet Boys’. Aw, bless! I’m gonna be nineteen this November, a couple of months before Nick turns twenty. Bethanie is gonna be seventeen next week! Her birthday is April 14th, and she’s really excited because then she’s ‘nearly an adult’. But she told me that if she’s still touring with the Backstreet Boys when she’s eighteen, she’ll ask me to accompany her anyway. How sweet is that?! Nicholas is gonna be eight in January - another thing Nick finds ‘spooky’! But Nicholas’s birthday is on January 17th, eight days after AJ’s birthday, and eleven days before Nick’s!
Later that month, I spoke to Alana - we were just about to start touring again, first stop Belgium. I asked her which date she was gonna see, and she told me that she wanted the other three tickets - because her friends are ‘really big fans too, y’know’. I sent her the tickets, and made sure she received them.
"Okay, guys, have a good one!" I told them. We all (dancers and myself too) sang ‘Hard Work’ and said a prayer, and then it was show time!
I watched Bethanie from the front row, just as I always did. I had a permanent seat in the front row, as did Angela, the mother of another dancer, Crystal. Crystal and Bethanie are really good friends, and they’re both really talented. Crystal has only just turned seventeen, the same as Bethanie. It’s quite strange that the Backstreet Boys picked two dancers who’re so young, but they take real good care of them and don’t work them too hard!
My front row seat was next to Alana’s, and she introduced me to her friends.
"Jesse, these are my friends: Joey, Alice, and Hannah." "Nice to meet you." I shook hands with them all. They were all dressed up really over-the-top, as they were all wearing tight mini-skirts and boob tubes! It was funny, I thought ‘big fans’ like them would be wearing BSB t-shirts and stuff.
"So, Jess, any girlfriend goss to report?" "You’re not getting a word outta me, and that’s final." They all groaned, and ignored me the rest of the time! Angela turned to me then.
"Who are they?"
"Oh, mine and Bethanie’s brat of a cousin and her little friends."
"Oh, I see." Angela is a very pleasant middle-aged woman. "What were they hassling you about?"
"They want to know everything about the BSB girlfriends." A little smile formed on Angela’s lips.
"Haven’t you told them?" I smiled back.
"Nope."
The concert went really well, the boys and Bethanie and Crystal and all the others were really good. Afterward, Angela and I led Alana and Co. backstage to meet the guys.
"Okay guys, this is Alana, Alice, Joey, and Hannah." The Backstreet Boys gave each of them a little hug and a kiss on the cheek.
"Where are their girlfriends?" Alana whispered to me. I gestured toward a room near to where we were standing.
"AJ’s girlfriend Amanda is in there, as is Brian’s girlfriend Leighanne. They’re both really nice." "What about Nick’s girlfriend though?!" Alana forgot to whisper that, and the Backstreet Boys all heard her. "What was that about my girlfriend?" Nick asked defensively.
"I just wondered where she is, that’s all. I’m sorry…" But she was interrupted by Nick.
"Huh? What do you mean, you’re wondering where she is?" Nick was looking very confused. "She’s right there." Nick gestured with his hand and Alana looked over to where he was pointing.
"That’s not her!" Alana cried.
"I think I’d know my own girlfriend." Nick told her, rolling his eyes and shaking his head.
"But…but…" Alana could hardly speak.
"Oh man, no-one told her!" Nick finally realised why Alana didn’t understand. He walked over to where he’d been pointing and stood next to his girlfriend. He slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her into a gentle kiss. He and his girlfriend grinned at Alana and her friends. "I can’t believe you didn’t tell her!" Nick laughed, giving his girlfriend a hug.
"I knew she’d ask me too many questions."
"Hey you guys!" Bethanie walked over to where we were all standing, and she’d changed out of her stage outfit.
"Why didn’t you tell your cousin who I was dating?!" Nick asked Bethanie with a grin.
"We thought it’d be more of a ‘surprise’ this way." Bethanie stood beside Nick and his girlfriend and turned to them. "Don’t ya think, Jess?"
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