All 5 Backstreet Boys were swimming in the pool, enjoying the evening breeze and the smell of barbecue in the air. They dived, laughed, made small talk, and gossiped. They didn't have a break for a long time, and when the Carters invited them over, they had the time of their lives.
Nick Carter had not a care in the world when he swam and dived in the pool. His mind had been stressed, but just being able to feel the freshness of the summer breeze blowing in his face had made him lose all his worries and troubles for one moment. Life was not too bad for him, he supposed, even after everything the Soothsayer had warned him about. But still, he wasn't yet 18, he remembered nervously.
He had been blessed with so much love and fame. Even though Cartasia had dominated the world, they were not barbarians and had allowed trades and businesses to flourish. That's why the Backstreet Boys was able to hit it big.
Still, he couldn't help but feel the emptiness and worry inside of him. He tried to shrug off the feeling every now and then, convincing himself that in the end, everything would be all right. He had no reason to be depressed or worried. Maybe what the Soothsayer said was false. Maybe he was too young and didn't understand what she said.
Suddenly, he heard the laughter around him. Everyone around him was enjoying themselves. Pushing his thoughts aside, he began to swim towards the others when he felt a sudden overwhelming, foreboding shock run through his body. He was under water at the time so he tried to get to the surface to get some fresh air, but he felt the weight of his arms too much for him to bear and he slowly sunk.
"Hey, look, Nick's trying see how long he can stay in the water again," AJ laughed noticing that Nick had been under water for about a minute now. The others, however, looked worried. Kevin swam over to Nick, concerned. Brian and Howie just held their breath hoping that it was only another of Nick's jokes.
When he reached Nick, Kevin dived under and grabbed Nick's arms. They were limp. Kevin's heart pounded. With one great effort, he pulled Nick up. Nick was unconscious. His eyes were closed shut and his face was slightly pale. The others swam over to help, Brian being the most nervous. "SOMEBODY get him some towels. . . and some warm blankets. . . Does anyone know CPR? . . . Brian began to yell hysterically.
"Calm down, man," Howie cried out pacing about while AJ began to cry for help. Kevin tried pounding Nick's stomach hoping the water would come out when suddenly, Nick's eyes fluttered, and he coughed out some water. He felt dizzy and woozy, but otherwise okay.
"What happened Nick? You scared the hell out of me!" Brian demanded. "Man Nick, you should have seen your face. Boy was it pale," Howie added. "Yeah, like a torn rag," AJ remarked after finding out that his friend was okay.
"I don't know. I just suddenly felt a shock going through me and then it was as if I were paralyzed or something," Nick didn't know how to explain. "But now I'm feeling better." 'Geez, what was that feeling. Something is wrong. Something doesn't feel right' Nick thought to himself.
After a while, Nick got back on his feet and the guys continued their party. They forbade Nick to go into the water again that night. All their girlfriends and family were inside the Carter house, enjoying the food. The guys didn't want to alarm the others so when Crystal, AJ's girlfriend, came out to ask what AJ was hollering about, they just waved it off saying that it was a joke. Angered by their lack of maturity, Crystal went back in the home. AJ was too relieved that he got away with lying that he didn't notice as his girlfriend flashed Nick a strange look before she went back into the house.
"Hey AJ, we can feel the electric sparks of your LUVV from way over here," Brian said teasingly as AJ wiped the dazed expression off his face. AJ jumped into the water and began splashing Brian. "Come on, let's have a competition. Who can dunk the other's head in the water for the longest time?" With that AJ swam like a raging storm at Brian. "Oh no, not again," Howie and Kevin rolled their eyes.
Nick just smiled. He gazed at them with a little envy in his heart. Why couldn't I be just as carefree as them? He thought sadly. He already knew the answer to that question-and it wasn't just because of the Soothsayer's disturbing words either. The real reason was that all the other guys had real girlfriends, girlfriends who love them for who they are, but he will always remain a sexual fantasy in the eyes of his fans. Perhaps he caught the fancy of many more girls than the other boys, but his fans only wanted one thing from him, he found out time and time again-his body.
Many loved Brian for his heavenly voice,
AJ for his friendly attitude, Howie for his modesty, and Kevin
for his composure. And Nick, for what?
For his face? His image? He once again felt that emptiness inside.
Rumors spread about him going out with a different girl every
night, and people criticized him for his looseness with girls,
but how could they judge him so? He was still trying to find that
one girl who would look past the image to read his thoughts, forgive
his faults, and embrace his values.
Apparently, his managers didn't mind the image of him being a bad boy. They thought it made him look cool. And he was tired of explaining to the world that he was not as superficial as he seemed. I'll just have to let it go, Nick decided. The others were getting cold by now. They decided to join the party inside. Everyone was having a smashing time. The music was on, playing one of their favorites, "All I Have to Give."
But after spending a few minutes in the house, he felt as if he were suffocating, and so he decided to take a stroll down his neighborhood. No one noticed. It was a beautiful, cool night, albeit a little humid for his skin. The gentle winds blew against his face, brushing his locks of golden hair aside. The night was so calm, so beautiful, and Nick felt an overwhelming relief. He felt free. He took in a deep breath. Yes, life was beautiful. This was just the way he felt before the Soothsayer had shocked him with her words.
Nick didn't realize it, but a pair of aqua eyes were following him from inside his home. It was Crystal, AJ's girlfriend. Or so everybody thought. She knew AJ from when she was really young, and so she was like his best friend, but after they shared their first kiss, she became his official girlfriend. It was more of an experimental thing for her, since she didn't really know what love was all about. She always thought that it was a "love at first sight" thing, but in time, she found that the idea of "sudden love" was a hoax. There was no such thing.
Instead, she found herself gradually being mesmerized with a guy who was 2 years younger than her and who constantly put up a fight with her. She often fought with Nick on many subjects and NEVER once apologized. She was too proud. She fought because she hated his lifestyle. She hated the way he catered to the girls during his tour. She hated the way he smiled flirtatiously at his fans. She hated how he always thought of her as being AJ's girl. She hated how he never saw her in a different light, always acting "appropriately" with her so that AJ knew that he was not fooling around with his friend's girl.
And she knew why he fought with her all the time too. Because she called him a 'prick'. She often insulted him in front of the others, calling him names and referring to him as a mindless jerk who was obsessed with girls. The other guys just thought that she was into religion or something because she always referred to Nick as being "not pure" or "dark and unethical." "It's just a difference in values," AJ once tried to explain her hostility towards Nick.
She couldn't help it. She always asked herself why she was letting Nick get to her, but when she gazed at him through the window and saw his melancholic face, so alone and pensive. she felt sorry for him. It was a side of him she had never seen and was now very curious about. 'Maybe now would be a good time to get to know him more,' she thought to herself. 'Who knows, maybe we might get to become . . . closer.'
She stepped back and got ready to go downstairs when something caught her eye. About 100 feet away from Nick, 4 or 5 human forms were hiding behind a bush. Quickly, they came out of their hiding place and headed Nick's way. Nick's back was facing them so he did not notice as the forms closed in on him. She tried to scream for Nick to flee, but she was too far for him to hear her. And soon enough, she began choking on her own sobs. She watched helplessly as the men forced a piece of cloth on Nick's nose and mouth. Nick suddenly became limp. The men carried his unconscious body back to a truck hidden behind the bush and sped off.
By the time the other Backstreet members and their families and friends rushed to Crystal's side, it had been too late. Nick had already been kidnapped and driven off to God knows where. What could they possibly want from him? Money?
Nick's family panicked. He never had any enemies did he? "Nooooo," Brian yelled. "Besides us, he never gets into an argument with anyone else."
"Who would want to do this to poor Nicky?" Howie cried worriedly. "We should have never kept our eyes off of him," Kevin cried regretfully.