It all started back at Christmas 1999. School was out and I was looking around town for gifts I could buy my family and friends for Christmas. It was a typical Florida winter's day and I was wearing my new gray fleece to keep myself warm. I'd got it for my sixteenth birthday the previous month after seeing my favorite guy Nick Carter from the Backstreet Boys wearing one in the Sears commercials back in the summer.

I was thinking about Nick when I walked into the clothes store to try and find a gift for my good friend Harmony. Even though I lived only a mile or two away from him, I had never seen Nick about in town. I'd only moved to the Tampa area from Europe a few months before and all that time, Nick had been touring the country. But the tour had finished now and whenever I went out I kept my eyes open in case he was about.

I stopped momentarily by a mirror to check myself. I tucked a strand of golden brown hair into my ponytail and licked my cold lips. I'm not very vain, in fact I'm not very bothered about fashion but I do try and make an effort to look nice.

I couldn't see anything in the store that Harmony would like as I made my way along the street into the mall. There were tons more shops in there plus the video games store that I needed to go to. I had saved a little present money for myself to buy a new PlayStation game that had recently came out. Video games are a huge love of mine!

As I entered the mall I was hit by the warmth of the heating inside and the noise of the crowded shopping scene. Music poured from shop doorways and I could smell donuts which made my stomach growl.

Tell me why, I can't be there where you are, there's something missing in my heart...

Hey, BSB were playing in one of the shops! I smiled to myself as I went towards the direction of the music. It was Show Me The Meaning Of Being Lonely, one of my favorite tracks from the record breaking CD Millennium. For us BSB fans, the Millennium had begun back in May, but for the rest of the world, millennium fever was at its peak as in under a month it would be the year 2000.

Like the song said, I felt almost as if there really was something missing in my heart. I had never been in love and I wasn't very close with my family. I had moved to Florida from Europe because of my mother. She was the co-owner of a huge company and she needed to be in the States for buisness. We all had to do what she said, she's a very demanding woman. I had only a year of schooling left so I was having my own tutor at home until I was ready to do my exams in the following spring or summer. I had left behind many good friends but since moving to the Tampa area I had met Harmony who lived next door, a very sweet friendly girl who would play video games with me all the time.

The music was playing in a shoe store so I stepped inside and browsed about, humming along to my boys. I saw a cute little pair of silver glittery high-healed shoes that would go great with a sparkly party dress but I hadn't been invited to any parties that Christmas. Or new year, which was a shame as it was the biggest new year of my lifetime- the year 2000. I was hoping an invitation would come up, but I was not that disappointed as I don't like parties that much, I can't dance so I feel like I'm making a fool out of myself.

When BSB ended an N Sync song came on and I left. I didn't have the money for shoes anyways. I jumped on the elevator and went up to the highest level where the video game store was. I was hoping they'd have the game I was after in.

When I got up there I rushed in the store and ran straight to the Playstation shelf. On the way I accidentally ran into a guy and his shopping bags fell from his hands.

"Hey!" he cried, looking from his sprawled out shopping to my embarrassed face.

I went red and bend down to pick it up. "I'm sooooo sorry, I really am! I'm just so clumsy... I'm sorry!". I pushed his goods into the bags and handed them to him with a weak smile.

The guy smiled back. "Don't worry, I know it was an accident!".

"I hope nothing's broken... if anything is I can pay you for it!".

"No, it's OK!". He turned and left the shop.

I felt like a stupid fool. I'm so clumsy, that kind of thing often happens. Red faced, I carried on over to the Playstation games. There was another guy at the shelf but I was too busy looking for my game to really check him out. "Oh damn, it's not here!" I cried out loud. Perhaps the store had ran out already in the Christmas rush.

A salesgirl was passing and heard me. "What game were you after?" she asked me.

"Pizza Tycoon- The Ultimate Challenge," I told her. "I read that it would be out today in stores all over the US,".

The woman concentrated then clicked her fingers. "Ah-ha, that's the one that got delayed! Yes, we were expecting that in today but there was some kind of delay so they told us next week at the earliest the game would be in,".

I nodded. "Can I make a reservation? Then I'll come by next week and see if you have it. I have the old version on PC format and I loved it, this one sounds even better!".

The guy by the shelf was listening, I glanced quickly at him. He was tall, over six foot and wore a cap pulled down covering most of his face and dark shades. When he saw me look over he quickly turned away. Strange...

"Yes," the salesgirl replied. "You can make a reservation now, I'll get you a form,". She went over to the counter and looked around for a form.

I took a look along the shelf and eyed the other games. "Final Fantasy VII, oh I love that," I said to myself, picking up the case for the game which was a favorite of mine. I smiled as I set it back on the shelf and stepped back, nearly treading on the guy's foot.

"Ooops, clumsy me again, sorry!" I said, facing the guy. he must have thought I was a right klutz, after that and the shopping bags episode earlier which he must have seen.

The guy smiled weakly. "It's OK.." he had a strange voice, it didn't sound very real, it was almost like he was putting on a weird voice or something... He seemed really familiar...

Playstation. That's one of my favorite words. Maybe that's because I play it so much, and might I add I'm pretty good at it too! After the long tour all around the US and Canada, I was finally home, back in Florida with my four cute pug dogs and comfy beach house. I was planning on going to LA for Christmas to be with my family but at the time I was living in Florida. With my girlfriend Mary-Anne. We'd met during the tour over in North Carolina and we'd instantly clicked. Not long before I'd broken up with a long term girlfriend so I was kinda down, but Mary-Anne cheered me up and we'd been inseparable since. She was such a sweet girl. At seventeen she was two years younger than me but it didn't show. She was mature and sensible, yet so fun to be with and crazy sometimes. And she loved Playstation, now that's a plus point!

Mary-Anne was back at our house painting, as she's an artist, and I was out doing my Christmas shopping. I was hoping to finish it that day as the mall gets so crowded in December and I didn't want to get recognized. I had tried to disguised myself, as I was wearing some dark shades AJ had given me to cover my famous blue eyes and I was wearing a cap pulled down over my face with my blond hair hidden underneath. I was confident that I would not be recognized!

I had found a couple of glittery collars for my pugs and I got some pieces of china for my mom and a cool fishing hat I knew my dad might like, but I couldn't see anything my sisters and Mary-Anne would want. Anyways, I didn't want to go in girl shops in case I got seen and started a chase around the mall!

I left my sisters and Mary-Anne's presents for the moment and went into the video games store to get Aaron a game and maybe get one for myself. As you know, I love video games!

I went inside and went up to the Nintendo games. One caught my eye, it was a pretty old game I already had, but I remembered my brother saying he wanted it too but he couldn't see it anywhere. I'd buy him that!

I paid for it immediately then went over to the Playstation games.

"Hey!".

I turned around and saw a guy and a girl near the entrance; it looked like she had bumped into him as his shopping was spread all over the floor. The girl looked highly embarrassed. I could here her apologizing although I couldn't make out the exact words. She was picking up the guy's stuff and putting them back in his bags, how sweet of her.

The guy didn't seem to mind that much and left the store with his shopping. The girl walked across the room towards where I was standing. As she got closer I saw her more clearly. She was pretty tall and looked about seventeen years old. She definitely didn't strike me as gorgeous but she wasn't ugly either. Plain and normal, I guess and she was dressed very casually. She had a weak smile on her face and still looked embarrassed. Poor thing. As she got to the shelf she quickly scanned them, not really noticing I was there.

I was about to leave but this girl kind of interested me so I thought I'd stick around for a bit.

The girl frowned. "Oh damn, it's not here!" she cried.

A salesgirl came up and asked the girl what game she was after.

"Pizza Tycoon- The Ultimate Challenge," she replied. "I read that it would be out today in stores all over the US,".

The salesgirl said it would be in next week so the girl asked to make a reservation.

I glanced at the girl and looked her up and down. She was quite an interesting character...

"Yes," the salesgirl replied. "You can make a reservation now, I'll get you a form,". She went over to the counter and looked around for a form.

The girl looked at the shelves. "Final Fantasy VII, oh I love that," she smiled out loud. As she stepped back, she nearly trod on my foot.

"Ooops, clumsy me again, sorry!" she said, facing me properly.

I tried to smile. "It's OK.." I said putting on an accent so she didn't recognize my voice.

"I take it you like Playstation too..?" she said to me.

I nodded. "Yeah, I love it,". I liked this girl, even though I had my girlfriend. She seemed very open and friendly.

"Oh I play it too often! I know my ideal Playstation partner, Nick from the BSB! He's famous for loving the video games and I hear he's good at it too! If I was his friend, and I'd love to be, we'd play against each other all the time, I don't know who'd win though, I mean, I'm pretty good for a girl!".

I got a bit scared. What if the girl realized it was me and started screaming the store down?! I didn't know what to say, I was a bit embarrassed I guess... "Um, yeah, I hear he's good... you like him then..?".

She nodded. "I totally love those Backstreet's. They are sooooo talented and gorgeous too! I'd love to be Nick's friend, we seem to have a lot in common and we could play each other at Playstation and Nintendo! If I ever met him I wouldn't go crazy and scream and stuff, I'd talk to him about video games or music... you're about his age, do you know him? I know he lives near here...".

I let out a sigh. I'd better let her know who I was! "Um, you'll be shocked... what's your name?".

She looked puzzled. "Lila," she answered.

"Well, Lila," I replied, "Don't react too noticeably as I want to keep low key while I'm here..." I lowered his shades. "You know who I am, right?".

She looked really shocked when she looked into my eyes. "Oh my... and I said all that stuff about you... oh I feel like a fool!".

I laughed. "It's OK! Anyways, tell me about this Playstation game you are ordering,". It sounded really cool and I was thinking of getting it myself.

"It's when you own a pizza restaurant and you have to run it by hiring staff and buying ingredients... but you can also get into the underworld and do dealings... it's really cool you should try it. And I know you like pizza!".

The salesgirl returned at that moment with a form on her clipboard. Lila filled out the form and asked if she could pay. Then the salesgirl left, leaving us alone again.

"Can I ask you a favor..." I asked "...Since you are a big fan..." I gave her a big smile.

"Of course! Anything! Oh, but you'll owe me a game of Rally Cars, cos I know I'll win!".

"Don't bet on it, Anyways, I don't like coming to the mall when it's crowded at Christmastime like this... and I really like the sound of that Pizza game... so do you think you could order another one for me then when you get it next week, drop it at my house..?".

"Yes, I can do that! Just give me your address and tell me what sort of time... oh don't worry, I won't tell anyone your address. I can keep quiet. Anyways, I only really have one friend here, as I only moved here a few months ago and I don't go to school,".

"Thanks, I'm really grateful. I just don't want to be recognized when I go out... I took a big risk coming here today to do my Christmas shopping, I'm doing it all today so I don't have to come again,".

"And who were you buying a present for in here... Aaron?".

I nodded. "Yeah, he loves video games too so I got him one I think he hasn't got. You know, I haven't seen my little bro in months, since the end of August when I surprised him in Canada. I'm looking forwards to seeing him and the rest of the family over Christmas,".

"Awww, it must be terrible having to go so long without seeing your family.."

"Yeah, but it's all worth it in the end, seeing how successful I am with the band. It's a sacrifice I've made which has paid off,".

We went over to the counter and Lila paid, after I gave her the money.

We walked out of the shop. "I'd better let you get back to your shopping," she said to me. "But it was great chatting. Remember, you owe me a game of Rally Car!".

"Yeah, OK! Oh, my address! I nearly forgot!". I told Lila where I lived. By now I thought I could trust her, plus she was doing me a huge favor.

"OK, I'll call round when I get it," she said. "See you then!".

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