“Where are we tomorrow?” I asked Aaron as we got on the bus after a show.
“Minnesota.”
“Oh my gosh, really?”
“Yeah.”
“Anywhere near Hastings?”
“Yeah, right by it I think. I’m not too good in Geography.”
“My friend Nicole lives there! How long are we staying there?”
“Umm...we’re doing 2 shows there so probably about 2 or 3 days.”
“Cool!” I picked up the phone and dialed her number.
“Hello?”
“Hey Nikki it’s Lindsey.”
“Van Fleet?”
“Yeah.”
“Hi!!”
“Hey.”
“What’s up?”
“So, are you going to the Backstreet Boys concert?”
“Yes!! It’s tomorrow!!” she exclaimed.
“Wow! I wasn’t able to tickets for a concert when they come to Tampa or Orlando at the end of their tour.”
“Aww, I’m sorry.”
“Me too! Aaron Carter is gonna be there!” I glanced at Aaron and he was cracking up.
“He is soo cute!” I looked over at him and started laughing.
“I know he’s just too adorable.”
“I KNOW I AM!” Aaron shouted.
“Shh!” I covered the phone.
“What was that?” Nikki asked.
“What?”
“That yelling.”
“Oh, it was, uh, my sister.”
“She sounds like a little girl. She’s 17 right?”
I laughed hysterically when she said he sounded like a little girl. “Yeah she’s 17.”
“Ok, well I gotta get goin. I’ll talk to ya later.”
“Ok, bye.”
“See ya.”
I hung up the phone and Aaron asked, “Why didn’t you tell her where you are?”
“It’s gonna be a surprise!”
“Yeah, a BIG one.”
“I know! I’m tired, I’m gonna go to sleep. I’ll see ya on the morning,” I said and walked back to my bunk.
“Ok. Night.”
“Good night.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I woke up the next morning to the phone ringing. “Hello?”
“Hi Lins.”
“Hey Brian. What time is it?”
“9:30.”
“Ok. Whats up?”
“Well, I just got off the phone with Donna and she told me that we can bring people on tour with us now.”
“Really? What happened to the whole 3 month thing?”
“I dunno. She changed her mind I guess.”
“Cool! Didja call Mary?”
“Not yet. I thought I’d let ya know.”
“Thanks Bri.”
“Yep, see ya.”
“Bye.”
Brian hung up and called Mary’s house in Orlando. “Hey Mary.”
“Hi!”
“Guess what!”
“What?”
“You get to come on tour with us now.”
“Really?”
“Yep!”
“When should I come?”
“How about Wednesday. That will give ya 2 days to pack and stuff.”
“Oh no...”
Brian’s enthusiasm quickly faded, “What?”
“I have skating competitions all this week. I can come Monday though.”
“Ok. We’ll be in.....Cincinnati. Get a flight there and call me and tell me what time it arrives and I’ll pick ya up.”
“Ok. Love ya.”
“I love you too.”
“Bye.”
~*~*~THAT NIGHT~*~*~
“Aaron! You’re on!” someone backstage yelled. Aaron ran out onto the stage. He sang, “Ain’t That Cute?”, “Shake It,” and, “Surfin’ USA,” before I walked out on the stage.
Nikki saw me and gasped. “No.. that can’t be-”
“This is Lindsey and she’s gonna play for me in my last song, ‘One Bad Apple.’ Thanks for coming to the show. Have a great night.”
“Oh my god...” Nikki said in disbelief. When Aaron was finished with his song, she went to use the bathroom because she doesn’t like Innosesne. I walked back to my dressing room and called her mom’s cell phone. “Hello?” she answered.
“I thought you’d have your mom’s phone,” I laughed.
“Lindsey! Why didn’t you tell me?”
“How’d I do?”
“You did great!”
“Thank you.”
“This is so cool!”
“No kidding. Where are your seats?” She told me and I said, “Ok, stay there after the show and wait for me.”
“Ok.”
“You better go. The Backstreet Boys are gonna be on soon.”
“You’re right! See ya!”
“Bye.”
After the show, Nikki waited anxiously for me. “Nicole Ferrie. I’m looking for a Nicole Ferrie.” Nikki looked up and saw Nick onstage talking in a goofy voice. He stood talking into the microphone looking at all the empty seats. Even though he knew where she was, he kept calling for her, “If a Miss Nicole Ferrie is in the house, please yell, ‘Nick Carter is the hottest guy around.’”
Nikki couldn’t help but laugh. “Brian Littrell is the hottest guy in the world!” She yelled.
“Hey! That wasn’t very nice,” Nick whined as Nikki walked up to the stage. “You must be Nicole.”
“The one and only Miss Nicole Ferrie,” she mocked his voice.
“Lindsey’s waiting back here. Follow me.” she walked behind him as he led her to me.
“Hey!” I smiled to her.
“Hi!”
“How old are you?” Nick asked with a puzzled look on his face.
“15, why?”
“Where are you parents?”
“Is this how you treat all your number one fans?” she joked.
“Nick! She’s not a little kid,” I yelled at him.
“Sorry!” he said raising his hands up in air defensively.
“Sorry about him. I just found out I can bring people on tour. Wanna come?”
“Oh my gosh! Definitely.”
“How are you getting home?”
“My brother was forced to bring me.”
I laughed, “Oh. Go home and ask if you can come. Go to the Marriott later. That’s where we’re staying...room 522.”
“Ok. I’ll see ya later.”
“Ok, bye!”
~*~*~LATER AT THE HOTEL~*~*~
The 7 of us were all in my room watching, “Men In Black,” when there was a knock at the door. All of us were into the movie except Aaron so he got up and opened the door. ‘Oh my gosh! Aaron Carter! He is soo cute!’ Nikki thought to herself. “Hi!” she said out loud.
“Um, hi,” he said a little confused.
“Oh, sorry, I’m Lindsey’s friend, Nikki.”
He stared at her for a minute, ‘Wow, she’s hot.’
“AC! Who is it?” Kevin came to the door.
“Oh, uh...um...uh....oh yeah she’s Lindsey’s friend.”
“Hey! Come on in! We’re watching a movie,” Kevin said moving out of the way to let her in.
Nikki walked in and came over by Nick and me. “I’m allowed!”
“That’s great!” I shouted.
“Shhhh!!” Nick hushed me.
“Nick, you’re a little too obsessed with these alien movies,” I said.
He threw a chip at my face. “Shh!”
“Ok, ok! Sorry!”
Nikki walked over and sat on the bed next to Aaron and AJ. “She’s cute,” Nick whispered to me when the aliens were off the screen.
“Don’t get any ideas, Nicky!”
“Don’t worry, it looks like Aaron’s got a crush. He’s been staring at her since she walked in.”
I glanced at Aaron who hadn’t taken eyes off of Nikki, “Aww, that’s so cute!” When the movie finished, the eight of us sat around the room and talked.
“So how did you guys meet if you live halfway across the country from Lindsey?” Brian asked.
“Well, I used to live right next to her and she babysat me until I was like 11. That’s how we became good friends. Then, last year, my dad’s job got transferred to Minnesota.”
“Oh.”
“Brian, is Mary coming?” I asked a while later. “No. She has skating all week. She’s flyin in to Cincinnati next Monday.”
“Aww man. I miss her!” I said.
“Ugh, YOU miss her? How do ya think I feel?”
“Wait a sec...Mary...Hunter?” Nikki asked.
“Yeah, you remember her?” I asked surprised.
“Uh, sorta.”
“You know her?” Brian asked.
“Yeah. She used to go over to Lindsey’s house a lot. What I really remember about her is that she was totally in love with Justin Timberlake!”
I laughed. “You have GOT to be kidding me!” Brian said disgusted.
“She used to freak out whenever anyone said the name Justin!” I reminisced.
“Uhh, I don’t need to be hearing this!” Brian said.
“Sorry,” I laughed. “But now that she’s goin out with you, she likes ya more.”
“Thank you. That’s better!”
“Wait, wait, wait! Mary’s dating Brian?” Nikki asked.
“Yeah.”
“Great! My 2 favorite Backstreet Boys are taken by 2 of my friends,” she joked.
“Sorry,” they said.
“Kay,” she smiled.
“So, Nikki, how long are you staying?” Aaron asked trying to join in on the conversation.
“Well, as long as you guys let me I guess.”
“Cool,” Aaron tried not to be obvious he was excited, but Nick and I knew.
“What about school?” Kevin asked.
“My mom called someone who works for you guys and set me up to work with Aaron’s tutor.”
“Oh ok.”
~*~*~THE NEXT DAY AFTER THE SHOW~*~*~
Aaron, Nikki, and I were in the entertainment room of the bus, listening to Aaron’s Surfin’ USA CD. It was on the track, “Let The Music Heal Your Soul.” It’s a song with Aaron, the BSB, N Sync, the Moffats, and more guy artists.
“I didn’t know Britney Spears was in this song,” Nikki said halfway through the song.
“That’s me!!” Aaron shouted.
Nikki burst out laughing, “You sound like....a girl!” she said in between laughs.
“I do not!” he defended himself.
“Doesn’t he Lindsey?” they both turned to me. I didn’t want to admit it, so I just shrugged my shoulders.
“See!” Aaron said angrily.
“Ya know...now that I think of it, you kinda look like a girl too.”
“LINDSEY!” Aaron turned to me.
“What?”
“Make this bitch shut up!”
Nikki and I stared at him in disbelief, “Aaron!” I shouted. “Don’t talk like that!”
“Really! You’re just a little kid!” Nikki smirked.
“Nikki! That’s not what I meant!”
“Yeah,” Aaron stuck his tongue out at her.
“Both of you calm down and apologize.” Neither moved, “NOW!” I demanded.
Aaron ran out of the room and laid in his bunk. I looked at Nikki, shocked at how mean she had just been. She looked at me and walked out of the room too.
“Great..” I muttered.
Aaron sat in his bunk and thought about what a brat Nikki had just been. ‘What was wrong with her? She had been so nice before.’
~*~*~MEANWHILE~*~*~
Nikki walked into the kitchen are and pulled a bottle of water out of the mini refrigerator. ‘Stupid kid. Where does he get off calling me a bitch?’ she thought as she sat down at the table. I came in and sat across from her and stared at her.
“What?” she asked innocently. I didn’t answer and she got annoyed, “Lindsey! Why aren’t you answering me?”
“Well, I’m gonna choose my words carefully so that I don’t sound too mean like you did in there! What was that all about?”
“I was just telling the truth!”
“Nik! You know he’s younger and younger kids can get their feelings hurt easily. You can’t just walk around telling a 12 year old boy he looks and sounds like a girl! He’ll grow out of it soon.”
“I know...but what about him calling me a bitch?”
“I know he shouldn’t have done that, but you started it. I think you should apologize.”
“What? No way! I can’t believe you’re siding with a little kid over someone you’ve known forever!”
I raised my voice, “First of all, Aaron’s not a little kid. And I’m not siding with anyone! Both of you were wrong and one of you has to apologize and it would be really nice if it was you since you’re older.”
“No way! Forget it!” She violently pushed her chair back and walked back to her bunk. I let my head collapse onto the table.
“Kids,”I mumbled.