" No, it's fine. I'll eat anything." Denise replied.

" Just like Nick." AJ said looking at Nick.

" I do not eat everything!" Nick said with his mouth full.

AJ and Howie snickered at Nick's manners. " Nick, we have a guest. Why must you not show your manners? On top of that, our guest is a young lady. A beautiful young lady I must add." AJ remarked.

Denise giggled at AJ. Kevin had laughed so hard, he spilt his coke all over the table. " Look what you did Train!" Howie said.

" I know. I'll clean it up. AJ, where did you learn to talk like that? Man, you usually talk like some thug or something." Kevin said cleaning the table.

" I don't know. I just picked it up somewhere. What you mean by 'thug'?" AJ threw his arms in the air.

" Nevermind, forget I said anything."

" So, Denise, can you explain to us why you were in the park? I mean, you had to have some reason." Brian asked.

" Well, it was a day I'll never forget. My mom had slapped me when I respected my brother's wishes by stepping on his hand. I had already been grounded previously. She said she had been sick of me and my brother's fighting. So, like I said I stepped on my brother's hand cause he wanted me to. Then, I went into the kitchen and she slapped me. So, I ran out of the gate and I went to my friend's house to say goodbye. I took a plane far away from my home in Michigan. I came to New York because I knew a guy out here. Turns out that he had moved. So, I went to Central Park. I had been living there for a month now. I have your tour schedule with me. I have been keeping track of where you guys are. I knew you were in New York, I just didn't know where." Denise said.

" Oh my, I'm sorry. I know the other half of the story. Kev told us. Denise I want to help you get back home."

" No! I don't want to go back home. My mom hasn't done anything to look for me or anything. She don't care about me." Denise started to cry. " My mom and my brother's probably don't even live in the same house." Brian pulled Denise into a hug.

" Shhhhh. It's okay. I will respect your wishes."

" That's exactly what Kevin said earlier. Thank you."

" No problem. Tell you what. I'll let you live with Leigh and I. Is that okay? I mean, you have no place to live."

Denise looked up at Brian. " Do you really mean it? Me live with you?"

" Yeah." Brian smiled.

" Okay."

" At our next stop, I'll give you money to buy clothes and stuff you want. Okay?"

" Yeah. Thank you so much, Brian!"

" No problem."

Denise went and got on her bed. She still needed help from Brian. She thanked him and pulled out some napkins hand a pen.

Nick walked over to Denise's bunked and knocked on the wall. That was the closest they had to a door. Denise opened the curtain. " What ya writin'?" Nick asked. Denise shrugged. " Come on now. You have to know what you're writing about. Otherwise, you wouldn't be writing."

" Eh." Denise said.

" Are you shy? You don't want to talk to one of your favorite idols that every fan worships?" Denise looked at him, then back down at the napkin. " Why are you writing on a napkin anyway?"

" I have no paper."

" Oh. So, you do talk!"

" Eh."

" Is that your favorite word? So, how do you feel about moving in with Bri?"

" Yeah." Denise smiled.

" Why don't you talk much? Will you talk to me?"

" Yeah. I don't talk much because I'm, like you said, shy."

" I can see that." Nick laughed. " Are you okay?"

" Yeah."

" If you want, I can be your friend."

" Yeah, I guess. Do you know what time it is?"

Nick checked his watch. " 5:45. Why? You got to go somewhere?" Nick laughed.

" No. Can I borrow your phone?"

" Yeah, sure." Nick reached over to his bunk and pulled out his phone. " Here. Who are you gonna call?"

" Ghostbusters. Actually, I'm calling my best friend. I haven't talked to her in what seems like ages!"

" Where does she live?"

" Michigan."

" Oh, okay. I'll leave you alone."

" Thank you. Hey, Nicole!" Denise carried on with her conversation.

After half an hour, Denise gave Nick back his phone. She got up and walked around the bus. She looked out the window. They were on a highway heading south. Denise knew they were going to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Denise had family there. He aunt and uncle, cousins, and great-grandpa lived there. She was thinking about going to see them, she had their address, but wasn't sure if the Boys were up to going with her. So, she blew the idea off.

" Denise, what are you looking for? There's food in the fridge if you're hungry." AJ said.

" Nah, I'm not hungry."

" Did you know you have the same name as my mom? I find that weird."

" Yeah, I knew. When are we getting to Wilkes-Barre?"

" Later today. We're almost there. An hour or two. Are you okay? You look upset."

" I'm fine. Really. I just have family there."

" Do you wanna see them?"

" No! I don't want to see them."

" Okay. Well, if you change your mind, tell one of us. We'll listen. Okay?"

" Okay." Denise heard Brian practicing his singing. She walked over to Brian's bunk. " Hey." Denise said sitting down next to him.

" Hey." Brian said. Brian laughed. " You messed me up!"

" Sorry."

" No, it's okay! I really don't need the practice. I'm good at this."

" Yeah, I know."

Brian noticed that Denise seemed sad. " Hey, what's the matter?"

" Nothing."

" C'mon, you can tell me. I'll listen."

Denise started to cry. " I was right! I knew it all along!"

" What? What happened?"

" My family moved to Florida. My friend just told me." Brian got a strange face on him. " I called her on Nick's phone. She told me my family moved a few weeks ago. They gave her all my posters and CDs and all my other BSB stuff. They threw out my bedroom set. Everything. She said they didn't care."

Brian pulled Denise into a hug. " It's okay. Don't worry."

" No, it's not okay! I don't have a family! Can't you see? I have no family whatsoever! You have a family, Nick has a family, and Kevin, Howie, and AJ have a family! My friends have families! I have no family!"

" Calm down! Jeez, you're gonna have a nervous break down!" Brian rocked her back and forth as he would a baby. " Is there anything else?"

" No, not that I know of. Brian, I love you."

" I know, everyone says that."

" No, not like that." Brian looked at her.

" Denise, I'm married. You can't have me." Brian laughed.

Denise laughed a little. " No, I love you like a brother. I know we've known each other for about not even a day. I know it's weird. I just never had anyone that cared about me."

" Okay. I understand completely."

Denise sighed and fell asleep in Brian's arms. He laid her on his bed and got up. He covered her in the blankets and let her sleep. He went in the back of the bus and sat next to Nick.

" Hey Brian. What's the matter?" Nick asked.

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