Send Feedback
"This is a special edition of MTV Live. Today, we have the Backstreet Boys!" All the fans yelled. "All right, enough already." We quieted down. "Well, since we can't keep these fans contained any longer, let's bring 'em out. Here they are, the BACKSTREET BOYS!" We jumped to our feet, screaming and yelling. I went along with it, even though I felt like the oldest fan there. After about a thirty seconds of constant screaming, we quieted down. The five of them were sitting on wooden stools to the right of Carson. They were on a diagonal so that we all could see them.
"Hey, wuzup, Carson," AJ said.
"Hey, how you guys doing?"
"Pretty good," Kevin answered. "We're on a break right now, so we're just kickin' back, relaxin'."
"So you're here today to introduce your new video, 'The One,' right?"
"That's right," said Nick. "And sing a little bit too."
"Cool. Now when did you guys find the time to film the video to 'The One'?"
"It's actually a clip video, mainly of footage from our last tour. Since the fans picked the song, we thought we'd pay tribute to them by letting them remember the tour. So now we've got all summer to relax, before we go into the studio in the fall to record our next album," Brian told Carson.
"Alright, well, we've gotta take a break, but when we return, the world premiere of 'The One' and more with the Backstreet Boys." All us fans started yelling and screaming again.
When the director told us that we were clear, Carson asked the Boys, "So what are you guys gonna do next?"
"We'd actually like to sing," said Howie.
"Okay." Carson looked at them. "It's your show."
A couple of minutes went by. Some of the fans had gotten autographs; others had just gotten hugs. I remained in my seat, not moving. I didn't want anyone to know that I knew the Boys. The director came on and told everyone to get back in their spots. He then told us to start screaming. He counted down from five on his fingers and then pointed to Carson.
Carson let us scream for a moment before saying anything. "We're back with the Backstreet Boys and their fans." He looked at us. "Alright, shush." We shut up. He then turned back to the Boys. "Now I know you guys have been on vacation, taking a break from singing and all, but could you sing us your new single?"
Kevin stood up. "Actually, we'd like to do one of our older songs."
"Okay."
"And we'd like to have one of our fans come up here," Brian said. That started the screaming and the hand waving and the jumping. Brian looked and finally spotted me sitting down amongst a group of jumping, screaming fans. He pointed to me. I lowered my head and pointed at myself and he nodded. He turned his hand over and arched his index finger in, telling me to come over to him. It reminded me of Dirty Dancing. Slowly I stood up and walked over to him. I felt the energy in the room as Brian took my hand.
While he was doing this, Nick was putting one of the stools out in the middle of the floor. Brian led me to the stool and told me to sit down, which I did.
"So which song are you guys gonna do for us?" Carson asked.
"'I'll Never Break Your Heart'. It's a special request from Brian," Howie said. They started singing the song to me acapella. I knew why they were doing it. Brian was trying to prove a point again. I started to cry from the second that Brian opened his mouth to sing. Almost as if he was trying to be cute, Brian took a tissue and blotted my tears on the line "I'll never make you cry." I laughed through my tears and started swaying back and forth to the song. When Brian hit his high note on the word "see," I placed my hand over my heart. That note always made me feel weak.
The song ended with the guys singing the chorus a cappella. Brian turned to me and said, "I know this may upset a whole lot of fans, and I'm sorry, but, Becca, would you be my girl?" He presented me with his class ring. I looked at him. Everyone was holding their breath waiting for my answer.
"I'll have to think about it," I said softly.
"I knew you would," he whispered in my ear and then kissed me on the cheek in front of all of those people. I blushed bright red.
Carson wiped his eyes and said, "And I thought the last time they performed that song was the most heartfelt. I was wrong. We'll be right back with the premier of 'The One'." The show went to commercial.
As soon as we were off the air, things started going crazy. I was crying and Brian was still holding his ring. He put it in my hand and closed my fingers over it. He took the tissue in his hand and started dabbing my eyes again. "Don't cry," he told me.
All around us, the crew was running around looking for stuff and rearranging the set. Make up and hair people were readjusting everyone, making sure they looked natural. Some fans were crying others were hugging each other. In the middle of it all was Brian and I. "They're gonna wanna know how we met. What am I gonna tell them?"
"Tell them the truth."
"That you came out to see me?"
"Well, that you called my mother and you got a hold of me there."
"Okay."
A production assistant came up to us. "Could you two get into position? We're about ready to go back on the air."
"Sure thing," Brian said. He took my arm and led me back to where the Boys were sitting. Things had been rearranged so that the Brian and I were in front and the other four were behind us. Someone attached a microphone to Brian's sweatshirt that I was wearing. Right before the show went back on the air, Brian leaned over to me. "May I hold your hand?" he asked.
I nodded. In my left hand, I clutched a tissue because a few tears were still trickling down my cheeks. My right hand held tight to Brian's high school ring. Brian placed his left hand over my right hand and squeezed it gently. I looked into his gorgeous baby blue eyes and smiled. He returned the smile.
The fans started screaming, the cameras stared rolling and we were back on the air.
"Well, we're back and if you're just joining us, you just missed the most tearful, heartfelt rendition of 'I'll Never Break Your Heart' that I have ever seen. It was even better than the last time," Carson said into the cameras. "And this is the person behind it all. Becca, welcome to the show."
"Thanks, Carson," I said.
"So how did you meet the Boys?"
"Well, Brian's mom donates money to the university I attend. One time, when I called her about a donation, I got Brian on the phone. We started talking and eventually decided to meet."
"Were you a fan before you met Brian?"
"I was, and still am a fan."
"So, do you wanna introduce their new video?"
I looked at Brian. He squeezed my hand and nodded his head. "Okay." I brushed a few stray tears away, sat up straight, looked directly into the camera and said, "Here it is. The world premiere of the Backstreet Boys' new video 'The One'."
During the three-minute break while the viewers at home saw the video and it was playing on the monitors in the studio, Carson stepped over to Brian and asked, "That wasn't an engagement ring, was it?"
"No. It was my high school ring. If I ever propose marriage, I'll do it better than that."
"How? What could top that?"
"I'll let you know when I find out," Brian said.
Carson went back to sitting on his stool just before the cameras started rolling again. "Welcome back. I just found out that Brian did not just propose, you can all relax. Brian's just got a girlfriend."
"Well, not yet," Brian said. "She hasn't given me an answer."
"She hasn't? Well, what's your answer, Becca?" Carson asked me.
"I told him I'd have to think about it. It's a difficult decision. With him living in Florida and me living in California, I'm not sure it's worth it."
"Awwwww," came the response from Carson and the crowd.
I looked at Brian. His blue eyes told me all I needed to know. He understood that and he was willing to wait it out until I found my answer. "Well, we have a little time left, you guys wanna do anything else?"
"Well, we think we should do one more song," AJ said.
"And what song would this be?" Carson asked.
"'I Want it That Way'," Nick said, "for our fans."
The Boys got up and started singing. I hung back with Carson and watched. In between the first chorus and the second verse, the camera focused on Carson. "Well, I guess that's it for Live with the Backstreet Boys. Don't forget to vote for your favorite videos on MTV dot com or call us tomorrow at one eight hundred dial MTV. I'll see you tomorrow. This is Carson Daly with the BSB. See ya!" The Boys kept singing even after the cameras stopped rolling. When they finished the song, Brian came over and offered a hand to me. He led me out of the studio and into the green room with the rest of the guys.
Soon we were back in the limo heading to the airport. Shortly we were on the jet heading back to Sacramento. Brian and I sat next to each other, while the rest of the guys hung in the back.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out his class ring; I had slid it in my pocket when we had walked to the green room after the show. It was a silver ring from Herff-Jones. It had a round sapphire with the words Tates Creek High School written around it. On one side it said "Brian" and had a classic drama design. On the other side was the year he graduated, 1994, and the school mascot, the Commodores.
"Brian, you shouldn't have done this," I told him.
"Why not?"
"Well, now the whole world knows. I'm not sure if I'm ready for that."
He looked at me. "I'm sorry," he said, sticking out his bottom lip in the cutest little pout I had ever seen.
"Can I ask you a favor?"
"Anything," he said.
"Would you come over to my apartment tomorrow?"
"Sure." He yawned. I leaned my head on his shoulder and we slowly drifted off to sleep.
Continue Reading | Previous Part
Back to "I'll Never Break Your Heart" home page