Nick and I lay on the dusky beach together watching the stars in the sky. It was September and the air was still warm from the summer's day which had just passed.

"Look at that pattern of stars, it looks like a heart," Nick said, pointing to a pretty constellation high up in the sky.

"It's beautiful," I said, smiling.

"Just like you are," Nick complimented, giving me his cute smile.

"Yeah right," I muttered, blushing. "You know, what we're looking at isn't what's up in space now. The light takes so long to reach us that we're actually looking at space in the past,".

"The past," Nick said quietly, taking my hand. "You know it's a year ago since...".

I turned and looked at his face in the dimming light. "I know," I whispered.

A year had passed since the miracle which we could not explain. The day when we had both waken up and found our worlds changed. It had been freaky, but not in a bad way. My life had been so much better since that day and so had Nick's.

"Wow, a year," Nick whispered with a far away look in his eyes. "It's gone by pretty quickly,".

"It has," I agreed.

We lay on the warm sand in silence thinking about the past year. Nick and I had become very close and we spent every day together. He lived near me so every day we would hang out together, just us two. Sometimes we would chill at his house and play his Playstation, other times we would go to my place and sketch together. But usually we went to the beach, that very beach, and talked. Nick was great company and I knew he liked being with me too. I was the only person in the whole world who knew about his 'previous life' so that had formed a special bond between us.

"I'm still glad it happened," Nick told me. "But I can't help missing it sometimes. The singing, travelling over the world to interesting places, the guys...".

I looked at his face and saw tears in his eyes. "I can imagine...". I felt sorry for him, he looked pretty sad about it. I didn't know what to say.

"...But like I said, I'm glad it happened. After all, if I was still the famous Nick, I would never have known you,". He smiled at me then kissed the tip of my nose.

I gave him a hug, almost crying myself. "Nick you're so sweet,".

We went back to looking at the sky. "The moon's so bright," Nick noted. "And full,".

"I wish I'd brought my charcoals and chalks to capture the scene," I said, eying the shining moon which sat in the darkening sky above. "Maybe it will still be so bright and full tomorrow so I can draw it then,".

"I was gonna draw something like that for my Sky and Space project. What else could I do for it?" Nick asked.

"Hmmm," I thought out loud. "I don't know. Well I'm planning on making a huge clay figure of the sun breaking out from behind a cloud for one of my pieces,".

"Well you're good at clay, but I'm gonna do a drawing, I know that much," Nick told me. We were still in the same art class and we often talked about our artwork together, sharing ideas.

I glanced at my watch. "Gosh is that the time?" I exclaimed. "Nick, I've gotta get back now, there's a TV show I want to see,".

"OK," Nick said looking disappointed, getting up and brushing sand from his pants. "I'll walk you home,".

We strolled back along the deserted coastal path, Nick singing to me as we walked hand-in-hand. I loved it when he sang to me, and I knew he still loved to sing, as music was still very much in his heart.

We reached my gate and Nick looked pleadingly into my eyes. "Let me stay at your house for a little while," he whimpered, looking sad.

"Sure," I said, walking up the path and unlocking the front door. "What's up?" I asked him. Something was the matter, I could tell. I hated seeing him look upset, it made me feel sad too.

"Nothing," he said quietly as we went inside.

"Anybody in?" I called, flicking on the light as we walked into the house.

Silence. No answer.

"My parents were going out 'til late and I guess my brother made himself scarce," I said, walking into the living room and flicking on the TV.

We cuddled up on the couch and watched the comedy show I had wanted to see. It was pretty funny and Nick managed to cheer up. I rested my arm on his shoulder and snuggled up close to him.

"Luce, I have to do my report on the art gallery trip for tomorrow, I haven't started yet," Nick confessed to me after the show finished.

"I've typed it up, you can have a copy of mine to help you write it if that helps," I told him.

"Thanks," he said gratefully. "You're an angel Luce!".

"No probs, sweetie," I said with a shrug. We went up to my room and I printed off a copy of the report for him.

"Thanks, you know you're always better at the written stuff, Luce. I suck at that!".

"No you don't!" I told him. "Anyways you're better than me at other things, like drawing,".

Nick sat himself on my bed and read over the report as I flicked on the radio. It was playing the latest BSB song, The One.

When Nick realized who was singing, he put the papers down and sighed. His frown returned and he put his head in his hands.

I immediately sat beside him and gave him a hug. "What's wrong Nick? Is it the group- you miss them?".

He nodded. "Yeah. I mainly forgot about them at first but now it's a year...". He paused and looked at me. "I've started thinking about them again, especially Brian...". He looked like he was about to cry.

I continued to hug him. I didn't realize he was so sad about it. He hadn't said anything about them recently.

"If you want to talk about it, I'm hear to listen," I said, stroking his hair. After all, I was the only person in the world who understood what had happened to him. I wanted to help...

I looked into Luciana's eyes. I had to tell her how I felt. I knew she'd help me, say something to cheer me up. I could always count on Luce.

"I miss them. I wish there was a way in which I could see them again," I said, blinking away the tears.

"You really miss them, don't you honey," Luciana said, realizing that was the reason I had been sad that evening.

"Yeah," I admitted. I hadn't given them much thought in the past year as I had been so wrapped up in my 'normal life'. But recently I had started to miss them, especially Brian. We had been such close friends. I wondered if he remembered me at all, or if he didn't know I even existed.

"Do you think they remember you at all?" Luciana asked, almost as if she had read my thoughts.

"I don't think so," I said sadly. "I mean, no-one else but you knows about my famous life, and if they did I'm sure they would have tried to contact me,".

Luciana put a supporting arm around me. "Don't be sad," she said. "I mean, remember all the good times you guys had, you still have the memories,. That's what really counts,".

I nodded. "I guess so...".

"I'll get us tickets for their concert when they come back to Florida. Then we'll be able to see them, that's something isn't it,".

"I'd like that," I said. "I mean, going back to a show. Seeing them again,".

"Tickets go on sale next week so I'll book us a pair of tickets," Luciana said kindly.

"Thanks," I said, yawning. "Gosh I still have this report to do tonight, and it's getting late,".

"Copy mine, Mr Garr will never know," Luciana offered.

I didn't like cheating but the offer was tempting. "OK," I said cautiously. "Thanks,".

"I'll print you a copy in a different font so it looks different," Luciana said as she went over to her computer and opened the document.

She printed me a copy and handed it to me. "Thanks sweetheart," I said, taking it from her with a smile. "What would I do without you?!".

"No problem," she said, then kissed me softly.

It was pretty late so I told Luce that I had to go home. Luciana walked me to the front gate and we kissed goodbye. "Meet you at the end of the street in the morning like usual," I said before walking off down the dark road towards my house, which was a five minute walk.

My mind was still on the group as I walked back. I couldn't help feeling kind of sad, despite it being a year since the event happened. "If only I could see the guys again," I said to the starry sky above.

But over all, I was still glad I had my normal life. I had no pressures of fame. I had my education at college and new friends there. My family were happier and I saw them all the time. I was healthier and happier. And I had Luciana.

I smiled thinking of her. I loved her. I had never felt that way about someone before.

I knew she had been a fan before me arriving, but she didn't act like one. Some fans had only liked me in the first place because of my fame, my money, the glamor of it all, that kind of stuff. But I no longer had any fame or much money. I was the real me and Luciana loved me for that. For the real reasons. She was the best girlfriend I had ever had. We got on so well and had lots in common, I thought that destiny had brought us together. I couldn't imagine being without her.

I arrived home to my mother standing at the door. "Welcome home, honey," she said with a welcoming smile. "Brian just called,".

My heart jumped at the name but then I realized that she had meant the Brian I was friends with at college, not Brian from the band.

"I'll call him back now," I promised.

I went up to my room drew the curtains. I then sat on the end of my bed and picked up my phone, then dialled Brian's number.

"Yo Nick, wanna shoot a few hoops tomorrow afternoon?" he asked me upon answering.

"Sure," I answered. That sounded cool. Bri and I often played a spot of basketball when we had a break from classes. "So what's up?".

"Nothing much," he said. "I went to the movies with Danny and James this evening, we were gonna ask you but...".

"...I was going to the beach with Luciana," I finished, smiling as I said her name.

"Right. We realized that we couldn't tear you away from lover girl for an evening! So anyways, I'll meet you at the gym after your art class tomorrow?".

"Yup, see ya then," I said. "Later, Bri,".

We hung up and I got my bag packed for college the next day. As I picked up my sketchbook it fell open to a page where I had drawn a sunset over the ocean.

It reminded me of the night I had drawn it. Luciana and I had spent hours on the beach one evening back in May while I captured the setting on paper. After that, we had taken a moonlit stroll from one end of the beach-the quiet end- to the other-the popular end- to where a beach party for my friend's birthday was taking place. We had danced in the moonlight and we had both had a wonderful, memorable time. I could still remember her kissing me goodnight under the stars.

With each page of the sketchbook I turned, another memory came to mind. Almost every drawing I had drawn with Luce by my side. I could remember every individual time, I could even tell which shadings she had added herself to help me.

As I got to the back of the book, I came to my private sketchings. Some of them were of Luciana. I adored drawing her; sometimes she had posed for me to draw, other times I had sat at home missing her so I had drawn her from memory. I always managed to capture her bright sunny smile, her beautiful expressive face and her happy sparkling eyes.

Still dreaming of Luciana, I undressed and lay down on my bed. I was exhausted and planned to go to bed straight away.

As I drifted off into my sleep, I thought ahead to the next day. I would meet Luce to walk to college together, or if I was tired I would drive us there. We would have a couple of hours of art, then I would meet Brian to play some basketball. And then in the afternoon I would have a class, then I'd be free to go. Maybe I'd get some studying done, or perhaps Luciana and I would do something, maybe make the most of the sunshine and go out somewhere.

I looked forwards to the future but I couldn't help still think of the past. My days of being famous which nobody knew had happened.

"How can I see them again, find out if they remember me?" I asked aloud although no-one could hear my question.

I lay away pondering over my question, not knowing the answer. I decided to talk about it with Luce. After all, she was the only person who could somehow help. I just didn't want to never see them again, never talk to them again. I had to at least find out if they knew about me.

"I hope they do remember me," I whispered as I fell into a confused sleep.

>>>>>

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