Girls screamed as the Boys got off the tourbus and made their way inside their hotel in Lexington.
"Nick! Sign this for me!" one girl cried, thrusting a pen and poster at him.
The guys hurried on inside, Brian and Howie stopping to sign autographs. Sarah took Nick's hand and dragged him inside quickly, while smirking at the fan who wanted her poster signed.
"I could have signed it, it wouldn't have taken long," Nick said to Sarah once inside the hotel lobby.
"We had to get away from the quickly before they hurt me," Sarah said. "After what you said on TV on the VMAs night, they all hate me,".
Nick shuddered at the mention of the VMAs night, remembering what he had done. "I guess so... but they might not know it's you. Not many fans must know what you look like,".
"Want a bet?!" Sarah exclaimed. "I went on the internet last month and found a whole bunch of hate sites about me. There were plenty of pictures of me there too,". She pouted. "Maybe I shouldn't be on tour- I could go home and wait for you to finish the tour...".
"No," Nick said butting in. "I would be too lonely without you! You're staying on the road with me, and if the fans do anything then I'll take some kind of action,".
Sarah smiled, she hoped he'd say something like that. She had no intention of stepping out of the spotlight and going home- she needed publicity. "Aww Nick you're so sweet! You know, I'd miss you too,". Miss your money more like, she thought secretly.
Nick and Sarah unpacked in their hotel room then watched some TV. But Nick wasn't really concentrating on the show.
I love having her back, he thought, stroking Sarah's hair. I love her even more now, she said she's sorry and she loves me. It's great getting back into dating.
Sarah wasn't really watching the show either. But her thoughts were different to Nick's. He believes it all, what a dumbass! I didn't think gaining his trust again would be this easy. But getting everybody else to accept me will be harder, I'll have to think of something... Sarah tried to think how to make Brian and Leighanne believe she'd changed. Not that she really had though, Sarah was just as scheming and phony as before, maybe more now. Only, Nick didn't realize.
There was knock at the door. Nick went and opened it to see Kevin. "They need you for something, I think it's about costumes," he told Nick.
"I gotta go baby, see you soon," Nick said to Sarah before heading off to where he was needed.
Kevin still stood in the doorway, looking over at Sarah. He was not fooled by her act. "How did you manage to fool him again?" he asked her. "He was better off without you,".
Sarah shrugged. "But I have changed!" she lied. "Won't any of you believe me?".
"You haven't changed," Kevin said, rolling his eyes.
"I know I stole from him before and hurt him and the fans but not anymore!" she argued.
Brian and Leighanne were passing and heard the conversation. "Um no Sarah, yesterday I saw you take money from his jacket pocket without asking, plus I saw you glaring at those fans," Brian added.
"And I saw you slap him last week," Leighanne said.
"That was playfully!" Sarah said. "I know y'all hate me..." she didn't know what to say- they would be hard to fool.
"Come on guys let's go, she isn't worth our time," Brian said, leading Kevin and Leighanne away.
"She has the nerve to carry on treating him like shit after all that happened!" Kevin said after he had closed the door.
"I hope it doesn't last..." Leighanne said. "...But if they did split up again Nick would only get like he did before...".
"Poor Nick, I don't know what's worse," Kevin said. "Being all alone and depressed, or being lied to and treated badly by Sarah,".
"What can we do about it?" Brian said. "They've been back only a matter of weeks and they seem as strong as ever. I don't think anything we say will change Nick's mind about her, she's really brainwashed him,".
"It's almost like she put a spell on him," Leighanne said sadly.
"Let's just leave them too it and hope he'll see sense," Kevin suggested. "I hope he does, sooner rather than later,".
But by the time the last night of the tour came around a couple of weeks later, Nick and Sarah were still together.
The guys were in the tour bus going back to the hotel. The next morning they would all go their separate ways for their break. "Going back to Lexington?" Howie asked Brian and Leighanne.
"Yeah, we're spending Christmas there," Brian said. "And some of the time we'll be in Georgia too,".
Nick's cell phone rang and he answered it. "Yes?".
"Nicky baby how are you?" his mom's voice said.
"Hi, I'm fine," he said awkwardly. He hadn't spoken to his family in several weeks, since they had last visited him on tour which was before he had taken Sarah back.
"We can't wait to see you, we all miss you," Jane said. "Aaron especially. When will you be home?".
Nick paused, he didn't know himself. "Um...".
Sarah shot him a quizzical look. "Who is it?" she whispered.
"My mother," Nick whispered. "They want me to come home,".
"You can't go home to them, we need to be alone to get back into proper dating. Tell her you're staying in Florida,".
Nick did as he told her. "I'm not coming home, I'm going back to Florida,".
"Why?" his mom asked, surprised.
"Me and Sarah have to be together to get back into our dating," he said.
"Sarah? But you and her parted ways because she...".
"She's changed. She is really sorry and we decided to get back together. I'll be spending Christmas with her,". Nick would have liked to have seen his parents for the seasonal period but Sarah had to come first.
"But...".
Sarah took the phone from him and hung up. "Your parents are against me, they won't listen," Sarah said. She had hung up to make it look like Nick didn't want to talk to his family- she didn't want them interfering.
"But they will miss me," Nick said.
"Not they won't," Sarah told him. "You think your family want you back cos they miss you? They want you back because they want some money off you. They want expensive Christmas presents,". Sarah doubted that was true, in fact, that was what she herself wanted from Nick. "I can't believe your family still sponge money from you. Your mother pushed you into music at a young age, pushed you into the group at twelve, all to get money from you,".
Nick thought about what Sarah had said. He believed it, thinking it was true, when really Sarah had made it up to make push Nick away from his family. "You're right," he said. "I'd rather spend Christmas with you anyways,".
Sarah smiled, delighted that she had fooled him yet again. "Don't worry- they may not love you but I do,".
Brian had heard everything and decided to call Nick's mom to apologise. He walked to the back of the bus and dialled the Carter's number. He told Mrs carter what had happened.
"Sarah's fooling him again, but we're trying to make him see sense," Brian said. "I think them spending Christmas alone together will do him good, as he'll be with her all the time and she's bound to slip up and show her true colors. He'll realize soon,".
"I hope you're right," Jane answered. "But why did he take her back in the first place?".
"He was lonely and depressed. She said she'd changed and he thought having her back would be better than being lonely. He was in a terrible state without her...".
"I'll call him again soon and try and talk some sense into him," Jane said. "Thanks for calling me, I really appreciate it Brian,".
"No problem, well have a happy Christmas, goodbye!".
Back at the front of the bus, Nick and Sarah were still talking about his family. "Don't you want to do your own thing now?" Sarah asked. "Make your own decisions? For years your family and management have controlled your every action, every word, your appearance. I say do what you want to do. Don't listen to your greedy family, spend your money on yourself...". And me, she added silently. She hoped the tales she was spinning would push Nick even further away from his family. She wanted him, his attention and his money all to herself.
"You know baby," Nick said. "What you've said makes sense. I wish I'd realized it sooner. I'm gonna make my own decisions in future,".
Brian glanced at Leighanne, they had heard Nick say this. "Don't listen to her!" he protested to Nick. "Honestly Frack, can't you see what she's doing?".
Nick glared at his friend. "Keep out of this!" he warned threateningly. "Sarah's changed since the summer and you won't give her a chance! I'm glad we're on our break now cos I won't have to see you every day!".
"You'll realize one day," Brian said sadly. "Come on Leigh, let's sit somewhere else,". The got up and moved.
"They're other people trying to control you, tell you what to do. You're almost twenty!" Sarah said to Nick. "Don't listen to them,". She was worried that Nick would realize that Bri and Leigh were making sense, and leave her.
"Don't worry! I know they have a thing against you but I don't listen to them. I love you Sarah and nothing will make me change my mind,".
Sarah let out a sigh of relief. That was what she wanted to hear. "Good cos I love you too," she lied.
"I can't wait for us to get home to begin living tog ether again," Nick added with a grin.
"Me too," Sarah said. "Just think- two months alone together!".