The BSB are in Knoxville, TN. "Mitzi this is Isabella, the contest winner. Bella this is my girlfriend Mitzi." says Nick.

"Hi." says a snooty Mtizi harshly looking over Isabella.

Isabella smiles and says, "Hi Mitzi."

"You two should go to your seats." states Nick.

During the show Isabella doesn't take her eyes off the stage. Every time she looks at Nick she feels Mitzi's eyes burning into her. At one point Nick even smiles at Isabella and she smiles back. Mitzi leans close to her and tells her, "Don't even think about it."

Isabella grins at her. "I wasn't thinking anything except what a great performance the guys are giving...especially Nick." She knows how that ticked Mitzi off and she relishes in it. "You're not going to hurt Nicky anymore you little witch. I'll stop you somehow."

Nick messes up a couple of dance steps and Mitzi criticizes him, "Look at that moron. My gosh doesn't he pay attention during rehearsal. He's such a loser."

Isabella has to bite her tongue not to say anything. She doesn't want to make things worse for Nick. She thinks, "You little wench. You claim to love him and you treat him this way. He deserves so much better."

Isabella is in her bunk on the bus. "Would you move someplace else?" asks Mitzi rudely.

"No, I've been here the whole time."

"I want the bunk above Nick."

"I'm sorry but no one told me I couldn't be here before I'm not moving for you now."

"Bella would you mind moving please?" asks Nick. "When you took that bunk I didn't think about Mitzi wanting it when she came."

"Well you know what Nick? Mitzi needs to be taught a lesson." She stares Mitzi down and tells her, "You can't always get what you want." She lays down and closes the curtain.

Mitzi starts to pull it open. Nick stops her. "I'll see if Howie will trade with me. You can have the bunk across from me then."

Howie does agree. "Why? Why does he let her control him? asks Isabella.

"I don't know. I wish he'd come to his senses soon." states Howie.

"He shouldn't have taken her back in the first place." says Isabella.

A couple weeks later the Boys have some shows in New York and New Jersey. Isabella spies Nick and Mitzi kissing and becomes nauseous. She steps off the bus for some fresh air. "I'm going to go insane." she tells the guys. "I cannot stand her."

"Izzy we don't like her either but there's nothing we can do but ignore her." says Kev.

"It's hard to ignore her when she makes sure that I see her and Nick together. He doesn't say a word to me unless she's involved in the conversation too." She laughs. "She's afraid of me because she thinks I'll be able to talk some sense into Nick. And I hope her fears are valid."

On the bus Mitzi turns the radio on and the volume up full blast making sure the others won't hear her. She yells at Nick, "You've got a thing for her, I know you do."

"What are you talking about?" asks Nick.

"Isabella. And she wants you."

"NO! I don't have a thing for her. I don't think she wants me either but so what if she does I'm with you."

She grabs his shirt collar and pulls him down so they're face to face. "And don't you forget it. You're mine." Then she shoves him back onto the sofa and leaves the room.

Isabella runs onto the bus. "Could you please turn that music down?" Nick just sits with his head in his hands. Isabella turns the radio down herself. She sits beside him and puts her arm around him. "Nick what's wrong?"

"Leave me alone." he whispers.

"Nick please..."

He looks up at her with bloodshot eyes. "Just leave me alone."

Mitzi comes back in the room after hearing Isabella's voice. She grabs Nick's hand and pulls him to his feet. "Come on, let's go for a walk."

"Let's get a guard." says Nick.

"No. Just the two of us." She gives him a baseball cap and pair of sunglasses and puts a cap and shades on herself.

Nick puts his cap and shades on. "Okay."

Isabella knows he doesn't want to go. She takes hold of his arm. "Nick you look sick. You should rest and save your energy for the show."

Nick feels Mitzi tighten her grip on his other hand. "I...I'm fine Bella."

Mitzi pulls him roughly nearly making him trip.

Isabella follows them off the bus. "Nick stop letting her do this." she says (Nick is out of earshot). She starts after them.

"Where are you going?" AJ asks her.

"For a walk."

"You're going to follow them aren't you?" She just looks at him.

"Isabella."

"I won't make a scene I promise." with that she heads after them.

She makes sure she stays back so they can't see her but she manages to see and hear everything. Mitzi says, "Listen Nick you pathetic boy." Nick is staring at his feet. "LOOK AT ME!" she yells. Nick jumps and looks into her eyes (they have their shades off). "A lot of girls want you but if they knew what a loser you are they wouldn't want you." Her words cut through Isabella like a knife, Isabella can only imagine what they're doing to Nick.

"None of them could do for you what I can, I'm the only one who would put up with you. You can't get any better than me and you know it." insists Mitzi. Even from a distance Isabella can see the tears in Nick's eyes. "Say something!" Mitzi commands him.

"Like what?" he ask trying to hold back the tears.

"Like yes Mitzi dear, of course you're right. I would be nothing without you." Nick just looks at her. She grabs his ear and jerks him down to face her. He yells in pain. "SAY IT!" she screams.

The tears spill from his eyes. "Yes Mitzi dear, of course you're right. I would be nothing without you."

She lets go of his ear. "Good boy." She kisses his cheek. "Let's head back."

"Okay." Nick says. He slides his sunglasses back on. The earpiece hurts him. He wences and touches his ear. It's bleeding! He looks at Mitzi who is a few feet ahead of him, he doesn't say anything just follows her back to the venue.

Isabella remained unseen by both. Once they're out of sight she comes out from behind the bushes. Tears fall down her cheeks. "Nick she is wrong. You can do better than her. Why do you let her do this to you?

That night before the show Nick is trying to figure out how bad his ear is hurt. Isabella comes in the room. "What's wrong?" she asks knowing the answer.

"The earpiece of my shades cut me. Would you look at it Nurse?"

She laughs at the name. "Sure. There are a few small cuts." she says upon inspection.

"I guess it's from putting them on and taking them off a couple of times." She wants him to admit the truth. "They look like puncture wounds, maybe made with fingernails."

Nick looks at her questioningly. "I can't explain it. It's just the way the shades were."

"Well it's not that bad. I'll clean it up."

She puts some peroxide on a cotton ball and places it on his ear. "OUCH! That hurts."

"Sorry!"

Mitzi enters the room. "What is going on?"

"I was just taking care of Nick." states Isabella.

"I can do that."

"Fine." says Isabella tossing the peroxide at her. It spills all over her EXPENSIVE hot pink tank top and dark-blue jeans. Although it was an accident Isabella is pleased by knowing that she has ruined the clothes.

"Oops." she says then leaves the room.

Mitzi's evil eyes stare through Nick. He holds his breath afraid of what she may do to him. She let's out an angered squeal, sits the bottle down, and stomps out to the bus to change clothes. Nick breathes a sigh of relief.

Isabella goes to talk to the guys. "She hurt him. I saw her, but he won't admit what happened."

"I really want to help Nick but what can we do if he won't help himself." says Howie.

"Maybe we can make him help himself." says Isabella.

"How?" ask Kevin.

"I don't know. I feel so helpless."

"Izzy can I ask you a question?" asks Brian.

"What?"

"Is it just Nick or is there something more making you this way?"

"Both." she answers. "The people that I love always seem to her hurt and I can't do anything about it. Most of the time, like in Nick's case, they hurt themselves. They let people run over top of them that's the same as actually harming oneself. And Nick is..." she catches herself. She promised Nick she wouldn't tell about the cuts.

"Nick is what?" asks AJ.

"He's like a lot of people I know." Tears form in her eyes. "I just want to do something to help him but I don't know what to do."

At the hotel Isabella has the room next to Nick and Mitzi, she hears Mitzi telling Nick, "Tomorrow I want you to buy me some new clothes to make up for the ones that witch ruined."

Nick who is sitting on the bed replies, "Isabella's a nice girl. She didn't do it on purpose."

Her voice raises as she points her finger in his face and says, "You're supposed to be on my side no one else's. Remember what I said to you earlier? You can't do any better than me so don't even try." Nick doesn't say anything. Mitzi slaps his face. Isabella jumps when she hears the slap.

"DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!" Mitzi screams.

"Yes." Nick whispers holding the side of his face.

Mitzi grabs his hair and jerks his head back. "I didn't hear you."

"Yes." he says louder with tears in his voice.

She shoves his head forward and smacks the back of it. "Pathetic loser."she mumbles.

Nick fights to hold back his tears. He stands and picks up one of his bags. "I'm going to go shower."

"Whatever." grunts Mitzi.

He goes into the bathroom and locks the door. He takes off his shirt. As tears fall down his cheeks he rummages through his shaving kit. Until that day he had tried to remain strong and not resort to hurting himself with the razor or food. He can't find the razor. "Where is it?" He thinks back to the night Isabella discovered his cuts and bruises. "Isabella." He shakes his head. He removes the rest of his clothes and climbs in the shower. As the water runs over him he sobs.

Back in Isabella's room she prays, "God please help him see the light before it's too late. Help me figure out a way to help him. It hurts so much to sit back and let her hurt him but I'm afraid if I confront her it'll make things worse for him. I love him so much and just want to take care of him. Help me be able to prove my intentions to him."

When Nick comes out of the bathroom he sees that Mitzi has ordered room service. "I got a couple of cheeseburgers."

"Thanks, I'm pretty hungry."

They eat in silence. Afterwards Mitzi says, "My turn to shower." She heads for the bathroom. Once she's out of the room Nick calls room service and orders more food. Mitzi comes out and sees what he's eaten. "No wonder you're getting fat." Nick doesn't say anything just runs to the bathroom, slams the door, and gags himself. Mitzi hears him throwing up and rolls her eyes. "He's pitiful." she says shaking her head.

>>>>>

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