I walked up the path to the Carter's house and knocked on the door. It was a couple of months later and I was at Nick's house not only to see him, but to rehearse. We and some friends had started up a band recently and we were having a practice that day.
Nick himself answered the door. He smiled when he saw me and gave me a hug. "Hi baby, you're early!".
"I know," I admitted as I walked into the house with him. "But I couldn't wait to see you,".
Nick smiled, I knew he was pleased to see me. "Come into the backyard," he said. "It's pretty warm out today,". Even though it was November, it was still quite mild outside.
I sat myself down on a chair outside next to Nick and turned to him. "So have you written any songs?" I asked him.
He shook his head. "No, I was totally stuck for ideas. I'll have another try tonight,".
"I've written a few," I told him, pointing to the notebook in my hand.
"Hi Luce!".
I turned around and saw Aaron bouncing around with a big smile on his face.
"Hey!" I said to him. "Has Nick asked you to join his band too?".
"He won't let me," Aaron sulked. "Said I'm too young,".
"Nick you're such a meanie!" I said, winking at him. "Now Aaron, maybe you can help us out by singing a bit of backing vocals,".
He grinned. "Cool!".
Soon the rest of the band came over and we started practising a few songs. "I was talking to some of the teachers at college and they say that we can play at the Christmas dance next month," Brian told us as he tuned his guitar.
Nick smiled. "Cool, I can't wait! We better get practising,".
I took my place at the drum kit and Nick set up a microphone to sing. My friend Roz was excellent at piano so she took the role as keyboard player, Nick's best friend Brian was lead guitarist and another friend of ours called Danny was our bass player.
"OK, that'll do for today," Nick said after a couple of hours.
Brian, Danny and Roz left, leaving me and Nick alone in his living room. "I'm pleased we managed to get booked for the Christmas dance," Nick said. "Then I can sing in front of an audience again,".
"Yeah, I'm looking forwards to it too," I told him. "Hey what about the BSB concert next week? You still want to go?".
He nodded enthusiastically. "Of course I do! I can't wait to see them again,".
"Yeah, I'm looking forwards to it too,".
We went upstairs to play some Nintendo. "Hi Luce!" Leslie said as we passed her room. "Can you two help me with my art homework? Please?".
I glanced at Nick and he smiled. "Sure!" I told her. We went into her room and she showed us her book.
"I have to draw a 3D object using lots of tone," she told us, pointing to a drawing she had done of a vase. "But I was hoping you could shade it some more to make it look better,".
"Sure," Nick said, reaching for her pencil tin.
"Thanks!"Leslie exclaimed, giving us both a hug before running downstairs, leaving us alone in her room.
While Nick shaded in the drawing, I saw humming along to the radio.
"Oh I love this song!" I said with a smile as the Britney song 'Lucky' came on.
"Hmmm," Nick responded, concentrating on the drawing.
"Early morning, she wakes up, knock knock knock on the door," I sung along. "It's time for make-up, perfect smile, it's you they're all waiting for. They go 'Isn't she lovely, this Hollywood girl?'...".
Nick stopped drawing and sat up to listen.
"And they say... she's so lucky, she's a star, but she cry, cry, cries in her lonely heart thinking, if there's nothing missing in my life, then why do these tears come at night?".
"That song is so true," Nick said thoughtfully. "I mean, being a star is hard,". He smiled. "I'm starting to realize just how lucky I am now I'm not famous. I'm no longer lonely...".
"...Now you have me," I finished, hugging him. "I think everyone's better off because you're not famous. You're much happier, you have no pressures of money and fame, your family seem happier and you've made some good friendships,".
"Yeah, now if I can talk to the band and make sure they remember me I'll be complete," he said, running a hand through his hair.
"I'll make sure you meet them," I promised. "We'll go and look for them after the show next week,".
"Thankyou," he said gratefully.
We were interrupted by his sister returning with a can of soda. "Stop making out in my room!" she laughed, sitting next to us on the bed.
"We weren't making out at all!" Nick argued with a grin. "Here Les, is this OK?". He handed her back the drawing.
A smile spread across her face. "That's fine, thanks a lot!".
"No problem," I told her. "Now Nick, how about a game of Mario Kart?".
"Yeah and some other old games too maybe," he said as we went into his room. "I went to the new store at the mall last weekend and got some really cool old games that are pretty rare!".
I looked at his new games. "Cool!" I exclaimed. "Oh wow, you managed to get Duck Shoot! I haven't seen that in years!".
We spent the next hour playing old games. "Bring them over to my house tomorrow and we'll play the others," I suggested as I got ready to leave as I had to get home for dinner.
"Sure," he said, bouncing down the stairs behind me.
"Try and write some songs tonight!" I called out as I walked down the path.
"I'll try!" Nick laughed, waving me off.
I smiled to myself for the whole journey home. Nick had seemed so much happier that day. I had been really worried about him recently when he had started to miss his old life, but now I could see his life improving. I was so pleased for him, he was finally getting what he wanted.
"I never wanna hear you say, I want it that way!".
"That was an amazing show," Luciana breathed as the guys left the stage after an excellent show.
I nodded. "Yeah, it was cool,". It had been an energetic, entertaining show but it seemed weird that I wasn't up there. And it had seemed strange when the others had sung my old lines.
"Isn't it weird how no girls are screaming at you?!" Luciana joked.
"Ha ha! Yeah, but I'm not complaining!" I said, looking around at the thousands of girls making their way out of the arena. Not one of them paid any attention to me, well, except my Luce of course.
"Where now?" Luciana asked me with a quizzical look. "Do you think you know what hotel they'll be at?".
I shrugged. "I think I can remember a couple of hotels we stayed in before when performing in Tampa," I said, racking my brains for the names of those hotels.
"Let's go, come on!" she said, taking my hand. We had been sitting ten rows back from the front which gave us a pretty good view of the stage but we had been too far back for the guys to spot me.
We filed out of the arena in the huge crowds, slowly making our way to my car.
Finally we reached my car. "Pass me the road map," I said to Luciana as she slid in the passenger side next to me.
She pulled the road map from under her seat. "Here," she said, passing it to me.
I flicked on the light and looked up the hotels I could remember. "OK, I know where to go now," I told her with a nervous smile. "Here goes!".
We drove to the first hotel but didn't have any luck. "I think it's more likely the next hotel," I told Luce, still holding her hand.
The next hotel had no fans outside which made me wonder if the guys really were there. "I don't think..." I trailed off disappointedly.
"No wait!" Luce said suddenly as we stood on the main steps. "Look inside, there's one of the band's security team members!".
I looked in and nodded. "So it is!" I exclaimed excitedly. "Come on, let's sneak in and follow him,".
We slipped inside quickly, hoping not to be stopped by hotel staff. The security guy was walking down a corridor so we followed at a distance. "He's gone in the restaurant and bar room," Luciana whispered. "Let's go in!".
As we went in, I saw AJ and Kevin sitting having a drink across the room. I gasped. "They're here!" I said to Luciana quietly.
"Let's go over, see if they recognise you from the 'dream'," she said, leading me over.
Just as we were nearing them, another of the security guys approached us and put a hand on Luciana's shoulder. "You can't disturb them," he said sternly, thinking she was a fan wanting an autograph or something.
"What?" I asked. "Disturb who?". I pretended not to know what he meant.
He laughed, still blocking our way. "You know what I mean!".
By now, AJ and Kevin had noticed us. They were whispering to each other and staring at me. "Hey, let them over," AJ called to security guy.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
AJ nodded. "Yeah, let them over. They're old friends that we know,".
I smiled as the security guy let us through. "Thanks," I said gratefully to AJ.
AJ glanced at Kevin. "It is him!" Kevin said in disbelief. "I'm getting the others,". He got up and rushed out of the room.
AJ turned to me. "Nick?" he said, looking at me, a smile spreading across his face. "You're the guy from the weird dreams we had, Kevin recognised you too,".
I nodded, sitting on a chair next to him, Luce at my side. "Yeah,".
"I don't get it," he said, looking confused. "I mean, it's as if we know you, yet we only just met,".
I sighed and told him about the wishes. "I know it sounds totally unbelievable but I swear that's what happened," I said, shaking a little with nerves.
"It kinda makes sense now," AJ said. "Last September you say you 'left'? That's the time of the dreams. Look, the other guys are coming now,".
Brian, Howie and Kevin sat down and they all glanced at each other, looking shocked.
"It is the guy from the dreams!" Howie exclaimed. "Oh my God!".
"So you remember Nick?" Luciana asked them.
Nick told them all about the wishes. "You may think I'm crazy but that's what happened," he said to them.
"I don't think you're crazy," Brian spoke up. "Thanks for coming to see us, we're really pleased you came,".
"I'm glad I did too," I replied. "I missed you guys,".
Brian smiled. "Hey, you and...".
"Luciana," she told him.
"...Luciana can come to the Christmas party I'm holding at my house in a few weeks time, what's your number?".
I smiled, delighted at the offer. "Thanks!" I exclaimed. "I'll write it down for you,". I wrote my phone number down and handed it to Brian.
He put the piece of paper in his pocket. "I'll call you about it soon,".
"I'm looking forwards to it," I said, turning to Luce and giving her a big grin.
The six of us sat around talking for a couple of hours until it go to closing time in the restaurant.
"It was great to talk to you but we gotta get to bed!" Kevin said as we stood up to leave.
Luciana yawned. "Yeah, I'm dying to get into bed too!" she said with a laugh.
"It was a pleasure to talk to you tonight Nick," Brian said to me as we made our way down the hotel corridor. "I'll call you soon, or you call me!".
"Sure, I look forwards to it," I told him. "Bye!".
"See ya,".
Luce and I walked into the street and to my car. "Wow!" I said as we climbed into the car to drive back home. "I feel great now I've spoken to them again,".
Luciana turned to me and smiled. "I can tell by just looking at you how happy you are,".
"Everything is fine now," I told her. "I've got my new band, new friends, college education, happier family, better health, and I don't have any pressures of fame, money and all that... you know what I mean?".
"Yeah," she said, understanding what I meant.
"Plus now I've got my friendship with the guys back. And best of all I've got you,".
"Oh Nick..." she said, flattered.
"You see, I'm finally happy with everything in my life," I told her. "I'm lucky,". I smiled happily. "I'm so lucky,".
The End
.