The next day, the guys and Isabel were all up early. The guys had two interviews, an autograph signing, then a concert, and then they would be leaving for Sweden. Isabel had to practically drag herself out of bed and into the van that would take them all to the place where the interviews and autograph signing was to take place. Nick's hair was back to normal, and no one suspected a thing. Isabel smiled slightly at the thought of the night before..she had actually kissed Nick! But..it wasn't like a real, boyfriend/girlfriend kiss..he was just helping her out, right?
She pondered this until they reached a large building. She had never seen so many people at one place in her entire life! Hundreds of people lined up out front, hoping to get a glimpse of the boys, with signs, banners, pictures, and anything else you could think of. The van plunged through the crowd and into a small parking garage. They piled out and the noise was excrutiating. "God..think they're loud enough!?," Isabel exclaimed.
"No, they could be a little louder.," Brian joked.
She laughed and then yawned. "You tired?," Kevin asked.
"Yeah..I was umm..up late last night."
"Ohh..hop on my back."
"Huh?"
"Hop on my back."
"Ooo! Free ride!," She exclaimed hopping on his back.
The guys laughed and then they walked into the building. Isabel got off Kevin's back and followed them into a room where an interviewer and translator were waiting. She took a seat in the back of the room and listened as the guys did their interview. She was unconsciously watching Nick..she couldn't help it! She loved the way he joked with Brian and the other guys, the way he would talk with his hands when answering a question, hell she loved the way his hair looked! She shook her head to clear her thoughts and pulled out a magazine and started to flip through. The only time she really looked up was when the first interviewer left, the guys did a collective sigh of relief, and the second interviewer came in. Then, the guys were ushered downstairs and were seated behind a table with pens and pictures for the autograph signing. Isabel was standing with Q and one of the other bodyguards, Dave. The girls in line kept squealing and talking to one another. 'I can't believe they're all here to see them! I mean..come on...these are the guys that have food fights with the band bus! These are the guys that have burping contests with one another! There's nothing that special about them..well..I guess there is..they do sing well..and they're pretty cute..eww..I can't believe I just said Kevin was cute. I mean, he's..he's..Kevin!,' She thought laughing to herself.
Right before the signing ended, Q took Isabel back to the van to wait for the guys. Then, he left to go help. Isabel climbed inside and went to the very back seat and reached for her backpack. She also pulled Nick's with hers and when she reached down to pull them apart, something fell out. She reached down and picked it up, it was a peice of paper with his scratching he liked to call writing on it. She skimmed over it..the poem was very well-written. 'I didn't know he wrote poetry..this is so..beautiful. But, who's it about? Not me..is it..oh please..why would he write about me? Hello...maybe..no, it couldn't be about me..,' she thought before shoving it back in his backpack and throwing it down on the floor as she saw the guys coming.
The guys loaded into the van and they took off to the venue where the concert would be. Then, they went inside and did a soundcheck and rehearsal. Isabel was taking pictures of them rehearsing, thinking that she could sell those pictures to a magazine to prove the BSB weren't as perfect as everyone thought. She laughed to herself as she thought that, she wouldn't really do that..it was just a funny thought. "Hey Isabel! What are you laughing about?," Nick said hopping off the stage.
"Nothing...whats it to you?"
"Nothin..just wondering. You hungry?"
"Umm..not really.."
"K..I'm goin' with Brian and Q to get something..you sure?"
She nodded, "Yeah..go on."
"K..see ya!," He said before jogging off.
She sat down and put her camera away. Just then, her phone rang. She groaned inwardly but answered, "Hello?"
"Miss me?," The throaty voice asked.
"Not especially..where ya been?"
"Busy."
"Ohhhh..well, I gotta go."
"No you don't!," The caller growled.
Isabel thought she heard an echo..but everyone was gone. Was the caller in the venue? She got up and started to walk around. "Well..I do have some important business to tend to Mr. caller.."
"Thats too bad, isn't it?"
She could hear someone talking around the corner from her. She peeked around and saw someone's back to her, but whoever it was, was on the phone. She leaned back around the corner. "I guess it is. Why don't you go ahead and fillet me or something? This whole calling thing is gettin' old real quick.."
"I like scaring you and blondie.."
She peeked around again, the guy looked suspciously like....AJ? She took a step forward. "So..you still scared little girl?"
She turned off her phone and put her hands on her hips. "Not really AJ.," She said.
AJ jumped about ten feet in the air and turned around. "Uhh..Isabel..what are you umm..doing, out here?"
"I knew I heard an echo when the 'caller' yelled at me. So I followed it.."
"What..caller?," He asked trying to be smooth.
She grinned, "Well..let's find out."
She pressed *69 and AJ's phone rang. He smiled sheepishly, "It was just a joke Isabel."
"Yeah, well for awhile it was sorta freaky! Was it just you?"
He looked at the ground, "No..everyone 'cept Nick was in on it."
"Why'd you do it?"
"We just wanted to get Nick back for some of the crap he's done to us..and...you for being so hard to deal with sometimes..sorry.."
"Its okay..it was a very cool thing though..," She said smiling.
"You're not mad?"
"Not really. You might as well tell the others that I know.."
"What about--"
"Nick? Tell him too.."
He nodded, "K...I guess I'll go umm..back to my dressing room..or something.."
"See ya AJ.."
AJ walked off. Isabel sighed and walked back to where her stuff was.
Later that night, the guys were out on stage. Isabel was perched on a chair watching the guys. It was hard to believe they still had any energy left with all the dancing and stuff they did. She sighed and stood up, she decided she'd go sit in the dressing room for awhile. She went in there and sat down on the couch. Then, she glanced at her watch, only 2 more days till her 18th birthday. She hated her birthday, you're supposed to spend your birthday with family..well, what if you didn't have a family? What were you supposed to do then? She had no idea. Kevin and the guys were great but it wasn't the same as her parents being there. She flipped on the cd player and Silverchair's "Open Fire" song was on. She layed on the couch and closed her eyes.
It was Isabel's 10th birthday. They had it at their house and all her friend's were over and were going to spend the night. She looked around the table at all her friend's happy faces, then her eyes laid on her parents. Her dad was smiling and taking pictures of everyone and the cake and everything. Then, there was her mom. She pretended to look happy with a fake smile but her eyes told the whole story. She looked so sad and lonesome. Isabel was confused, why would her mother be so unhappy? She had everything, a great family, lots of friends, everything. Maybe it was because her husband was gone 24/7 at work or whereever he went. Her mom looked happy only when she was with Isabel, playing house with her and playing Barbie's with her....
But..she was so unhappy...
Isabel woke up with a start and looked around frantically. That image of her 10th birthday party was so vivid. The room was empty though..the cd player was off and everything was silent. She ran her hands through her hair and didn't notice she was crying till she felt a tear drop fall on her hand. She wiped the tears away and stood up and went into the bathroom. She got a glass of water and tried to avoid the mirror..but her mind got the best of her. She looked up and saw a girl who she wasn't. Her hair was messed up, her face was red from crying and her eyes looked so far away. Suddenly, she was sick of herself. She threw the glass at the mirror and watched as it shattered.
The guys burst into the room noisily, filled with adrenaline from the concert. They all heard the glass shatterring and ran to the bathroom. Isabel was standing in front of what was left of the mirror in midst of all the glass and stuff, crying. Kevin took a step forward, "Isabel?"
"Don't..come..near..me.," She forced out holding up her hand.
Kevin took a step back and looked at the guys worriedly. "Isabel..your hand is bleeding..," Brian said gently.
"Don't care."
"Isabel.."
"I DON'T CARE!!," She screamed.
The guys all jumped at her outburst. They couldn't figure out what happened to her. Isabel stepped over the glass and sat down in the corner with her arms wrapped around her knees. "Leave me alone.," She said quietly.
"Isabel..come on.," AJ said holding out his hand.
"No..leave me alone.," She said a little more forcefully.
She was losing it..thats all the guys could think of. "Howie..go get security..," Kevin whispered.
Nick took a step forward and hoped she wouldn't yell at him. By now, she was rocking back and forth, repeating 'Leave me alone' over and over more to herself than anything. Her bleeding arm was seeping through her jeans, but she didn't care anymore. Nick took a careful step towards her and stooped down beside her. "Isabel? What happened?," He said soothingly.
"I had a dream."
"About?"
"Nothing.."
"Isabel..let me help you."
"No."
"Isabel..."
"Leave me alone!," She growled moving closer to the wall.
Nick took a step back and looked at the guys. He motioned for them to leave. After they left, Nick got up and closed the door. Isabel was rocking back and forth again. Nick sighed and reached down and picked her up. "LEAVE ME ALONE!," She screeched.
He shook his head and set her up on the sink without saying a word. He opened the broken medicine cabinet and brought out some gauze, cotton balls, and bactine. He then proceded to fix her arm up. She winced in pain but was otherwise quiet. After he was done, he noticed she was crying silently. "Oh Isabel..what is wrong?"
She shook her head. "What happened in your dream? Tell me whats wrong..I won't tell the others..'
"Promise?"
"I promise.."
"I had a dream..it was my 10th birthday or something..I remember looking at my parents and my dad was really happy and everything..then, I looked at my mom...she looked so lonely and sad and really unhappy. I couldn't figure out why..then I woke up and..I..I thought maybe they were here. But..then I realized they weren't and came in here to rinse my face off. I..I..didn't want to look in the..mirror..but I did..and then I broke it.."
"Why didn't you want to look in the mirror?"
"I didn't want to look at..what I am."
"What are you?"
"I..I'm not the same person I was three years ago.."
"Everyone changes.."
"No! I don't like the way I am! I want to be the girl that does her homework, graduates at the top of her class, etc! I want to be the perfect person! But I'm not! I screwed up too many times..look at me..I'm so screwed up.," She said before covering her face and crying again.
Nick's forehead creased in worry, he had no clue why she was acting like this now. He pulled her hands away from her face, "Isabel..you're perfect.."
"No, I'm not..I'm ugly, I'm stupid, and..and...I hate the way I am.."
"You're not ugly or stupid. And, I think you've made progress since you came to live with Kevin...you've opened up alot to us.."
"I am too!"
"Isabel..you're not ugly. You're beautiful..I see guys look at you all the time..what caused all this Isabel?"
She shrugged, "I don't know.."
He sighed and ran and hand through his hair, "You're scaring me Isabel.."
"I'm scaring myself..and that scares me more than anything.."
"Isabel..is this maybe because your birthday's in two days?"
She nodded, "Yeah..I get sorta kinda like this every year.."
"Why?"
"On your birthday..your family is supposed to be there..mine's not.."
"You have us.."
"You guys are great and everything..but its still not the same.."
"Thats because you won't let us. You put up a front Isabel and I think this is the first time anyone has seen you this vulnerable."
She nodded, "I know."
"Isabel..you can get through this..I know you can.."
"I know.."
"Okay..just..pull yourself through this. Become the smartaleck we've all come to love. Let us be your family..because then, you get alot more presents on holidays and stuff.."
She smiled, "I guess so.."
"You okay now?"
She nodded, "I think so.."
"Good.."
"I don't want to go out there.."
"How come?"
"They all think I'm crazy.."
"No they don't. They're just worried.."
She nodded, "Okay.."
He opened the door and walked out, with her behind him. The guys all looked up worriedly as they walked in. "She's okay now..," Nick said.
Isabel nodded, "I..I'm sorry..about the mirror..and stuff.."
"Its okay Isabel..as long as you're okay.," Kevin said before hugging her.
"Awwww, how cute! GROUP HUG!," Brian announced before pouncing on them.
Nick, Howie, and AJ all laughed before joining in.
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