Five year-old Crystal Anne Marshal sat with her two best friends, Joshua Payton, 6, and Jason Richards, 5, playing with their trucks and her barbies while their mothers, who were also best friends, sat in the kitchen talking. That's how Crystal, Josh and Jason had become close friends, because their mothers had known each other since high school and were best friends.
"Have you seen what that ridiculous Plain Jane wore today to go grocery shopping?" Amanda Marshal, 25, said.
"What?" Emilia Payton, 27, responded eagerly.
"Well, she was wearing the ugliest, and the most hideous plain black dress that went down to her ankles, and buttoned high up on her neck. The only things visible on her was her head, her hands and her feet!" Amanda cried. Since Amanda, Emilia, and Nancy Richards, 26, were huge fashion freaks.
"God, I can't believe that woman. No wonder her husband cheats on her! She looks like she stepped out of the 1700s!" Nancy commented.
"Yeah," Amanda and Emilia said in unison.
Jason snickered when he heard their mothers gossiping. All he knew that if their mothers didn't like Jane Carter, then they shouldn't like any of their children, Nick Carter included.
"Jay, why are our mommies talking about Mrs. Carter that way?" Crystal asked innocently.
"Because she doesn't know how to dress!" Josh cried, laughing. "And we should never ever talk to the geek Nick."
"Yeah!" Jason agreed.
Crystal just picked up her barbie doll, not really understanding what was going on, but what she did understand was to stay away from the Carter family.
5 years later...
Jason, Crystal and Josh were walking home from school when they came across 10 year-old Nick Carter at one corner.
Nick's blond hair shone in the light, and his big blue eyes were magnified by his glasses.
Jason and Josh started to snicker.
"Hey Geek Nick!" they said in unison. Crystal just watched. She saw Nick look her way, and start to blush. He lowered his head. He wasn't very popular in school. In fact, he had no friends at all. Everyone thought he was a geek.
Nick tried to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall.
"Come on, guys! Let's go home," Crystal said, grabbing one of Josh's hands and one of Jason's. She started dragging them. "Come on! We're gonna be late for the show!" she said. She knew they had plenty of time before their favorite TV show came on. Since Crystal lived in betweeen Josh and Jason, they had decided to meet in her house to watch it.
"Okay, Crys...Later, Geek Nick!" Jason said, and he and Josh burst into laughter. They started to walk away. Crystal looked back, and was terribly saddened when she saw crystalline tears running down Nick's rosy cheeks.
Poor Nick...I'm sorry I can't be your friend. The guys would never forgive me...she thought as she turned back towards Jason and Josh.
Nick ran across the street and ran to his house, not daring turning his head in the trio's direction so they wouldn't see his tears. He ran into his house, and flew up the stairs and into his room, locking the door swiftly before dropping his bookbag, and flinging himself on the bed. Right then, his body started racking with sobs of anguish. He had nobody. Nobody at all. Not even the girl he loved liked him back.
Oh Crystal, I wish I could be like Jason or Josh. Then I'd get to be with you all the time...
After all the tears had run dry, he slowly drifted into a deep slumber.
"Nick! Wake up! Dinner's ready!" Jane said through Nick's door, knocking loudly.
Nick groggily opened his eyes, and looked at the clock. Geez, he had slept for two hours. He heard his mom's footsteps fade away down the stairs before he slowly stood up, and let himself out of his room. He walked towards the bathroom, and washed his face and brushed his teeth. Then, he walked downstairs, and into the dining room. His siblings were all seated already, and so were his parents.
"Dammit, boy, why do you always have to be late to the damned dinner table! One more time we have to wait for you to eat and I'm going to smash in your head!" Bob Carter bellowed. Nick bowed his head.
"Yes,sir." Nick sat down, and gingerly started to nibble at the food on his plate. He didn't have much appetite.
Everything in my life is worthless. My family hates me, and everyone in school hates me. Why am I alive anyway? Nick thought, putting another bite of of cold mashed potatoes into his mouth.
Chapter 2
Back To Index
Back To Fanfiction
Back To Main Page