I sat in Nick's living room a few days later. His family had accepted me with open arms. I was thrilled. Nick never did tell me what he and his dad talked about. But I guess it was none of my business.

Nick came in and joined me; he pulled me closer to him and began kissing my neck. "No Nicky, I'm not feeling well." I kissed his cheek and lay on his chest.

He felt my forehead and kissed my shoulder. "You're not warm."

"I know, it's just an upset stomach."

He wrapped his arms around me without saying another word. I let myself fall asleep in his gentle arms.

A few more days passed, since Jewel's stomachache. It seemed she just got worse until she could hardly get out of bed. I sat on the edge of the bed Sunday morning. "Jewel what hurts the most?" I asked her brushing some hair away from her pretty face.

"My back, and my stomach and Nick..." She trailed off.

"What is it" I asked,

"I think I'm going to be sick." She jumped from the bed and ran to the bathroom. I followed her and held her hair while she threw up. Now that had to be love, because I wanted to throw up myself after seeing and hearing that. I helped her back to the bed when she was finished.

"Jewel why don't we go see a doctor."

She nodded. "I will, I'll ask your mom or your sister to drive me, but you go, or your going to be late."

I nodded remembering the whole Backstreet date thing; I had to go out shopping and dinner with a fan. It was going to be all of us, but not all could make it, just Howie and me. The girl did not mind. I smiled and kissed the tip of her nose. "Get some rest, I'll call my sister to take you."

I walked downstairs and called my parent's house. Aaron picked up. "Hey AC, put mom or BJ on, please."

I could hear some shuffling. "Okay mom was the closest so here she is." I laughed at my lazy brother.

"Hello?" I heard my mother's polite voice.

"Mom would you mind coming over and taking Jewel to the doctors?"

"Is she all right."

I smiled at how concerned she was. "She has had some back aches and a stomach ache and she has been throwing up every once in a while."

I heard my mother sigh. "Sure."

I hung up with her a few minutes later and returned upstairs to say goodbye. But as I entered the room I smiled. Jewel was fast asleep.

I opened my eyes to Nick's mom and little brother. "How are you feeling honey?" Jane asked.

"Sick." I groaned.

Aaron backed away, "You don't look that great,"

I smiled. "I know" Slowly I climbed out of bed with Aaron and Jane's help. I was dressed as good as I was going to get a pair of sweat pants and a tank top. I pulled my hair into a sloppy bun and applied some Chap Stick to my dry lips.

"Ready honey?" Jane asked wrapping an arm around my waist.

"Yeah." I followed sleepily to their car and climbed in the front seat.

"If you have to throw up, please make sure your head is all the way out of the car." Aaron pleaded.

I don't think I have anything else to throw up. I sat thinking about how long Nick and I had spent together. Almost three weeks, It would be three weeks tomorrow. I smiled happily, and then next weekend would be four weeks and the week I go home to pack and move in with him. Before I knew it we were at a small doctors office. I walked in and got an appointment in ten minutes because I was in an emergency state and I was also out of state. Jane brushed some of my bangs away from my eyes.

"Want me to come in with you?" She whispered.

"No thank you."

She smiled and hugged me. I looked over at Aaron reading a dirt bike magazine. I smiled and then I heard my name called from a plump nurse. "I'll be here when you're done."

I smiled at Jane and followed the nurse to a small room in the back. I waited in there by myself for a few minutes when a pretty female doctor walked in.

She smiled. "Hello I'm Doctor Dockins, but please call me Shelly."

I smiled and laid back.

"Okay so Your name is Jewel Mclean, and I understand your having a bad back, a stomach ache and occasional vomiting."

I nodded, she lifted my tank top enough to expose my stomach, and she felt around and listened to my stomach and my heart. Seeing if anything was caught or something.

"When was the last time you had sex?"

I sat up "Excuse me?" I asked shocked.

She laughed. "I know you heard me, I need to ask this question."

I lay back down and took a breath, "Almost three weeks ago, why?"

She pulled my shirt back down and help me sit back up. She smiled. "Congratulations."

I sat near a dressing room with Howie; this date with the Backstreet Boys thing was going so slow. All I wanted to do was go home and hold Jewel.

"Well what do you think." A perky red head asked. This perky sixteen year old, red head was Ginger Manchester, the girl Howie and I had to put up with through another half an hour of shopping and another hour and a half of dinner. I sighed and looked at the knee length pink dress with a big bubble on the front.

"Great" I said without any emotion. All I could think about was Jewel and how sick she had been these past couple of weeks.

I thought about giving her a call but that would mean I'd have to pass Doug. Doug was the manager of this whole thing, he would be very angry knowing I was checking up on my girlfriend. I would have to think up an excuse.

I leaned over to Howie. "I'm going to call Jewel and check up on her okay?"

Howie turned to me confused. "If Doug asked, I called my mom to check up on my sick sister."

Howie nodded and returned to reading a Spanish magazine and listening to the tone deaf humming Ginger in the changing room.

I picked up my cell and dialed my phone number. "Hello?" I could tell Jewel was crying, "Jewel what is it? Are you okay?"

I heard her let out a sob, "No, When can you come home."

I panicked. "I'll try to come home right now." I said my voice shaking.

"Please Nicky." She cried.

"I'll try, just relax. I'll see you soon."

I tried to stay calm as I returned to Howie. "Howie, something is really wrong with Jewel, she is home crying hysterically. I have to go."

Howie stood up. "You're leaving me with Bimbo, I mean Ginger?"

I nodded. "Please, I owe you. Tell them I had to take my sister to the hospital."

I rushed out waving goodbye to Howie and Ginger who had just emerged from the dressing room.

I drove home a little bit over the speed limit. I was shaking as I drove, afraid of what I would find when I got home. I had a right to be scared as I entered my home. I could hear Jewel crying softly somewhere in the house. I couldn't place where though. "Jewel?" I called. I followed the sound of her crying into the kitchen.

I gasped at what I saw. "Jewel!" I kneeled beside her on the ground.

She sat up, "Nicky," She wrapped her arms around my neck, She was lying in a pile of broken glass.

"What happened?" I asked.

"I... I was trying to... to put away some gla... glasses and I dropped them, But when I tried to pick them up my hands got cut up and so did my legs. And... and."

"Quiet now." I tried to calm her as I looked at the palms of her hands. I could tell she hadn't tried to kill herself because there were no cuts on her wrists. "It's okay" I whispered picking her up from the shattered glass. I took her to my bedroom and lied her down. I went to the bathroom and got some Band-Aids and pieces of cloth to wrap her hands in. "Why are you so upset?" I whispered.

She began to cry harder. "Just hold me." She pleaded.

I did as she asked. Letting my question just wonder through my mind as I fell asleep next to her.

I lay sniffling next to Nick's sleeping body. I listened to his breathing and slowly climbed out from under him. I went downstairs and picked up one of his photo albums. I flipped through the pictures and looked at his perfect life, his sisters, his brother, his parent's grandparents and the rest of his family. Some were of his close friends, including the band members and I guessed some of their families. I let a few tears slip down my face, all of this I was about to ruin. It was all going to be destroyed by one sentence.

I picked up another photo album, this one was full of different landscape places some with smiling fans in it. I thought about it all, and how it was going to be ruined.

I looked at my watch and didn't realize I had been sitting up stairs for about three hours and downstairs for about three. It was almost midnight. I looked through the channels and watched pointless television shows until it got around eight in the morning. Nick was still sleeping. Finally I decided to get up and get a shower, I'd go grocery shopping. We needed a few things anyway.

I walked silently through the store just listening to the wheels of the cart creaking. I picked up a few boxes of cereal and moving along. I would have to get home before Nick, I had to tell him this morning. I had to let him know and we could take it from there. I picked up a few more things and took my cart to the cashier.

I woke up at 8:15, I looked around for Jewel and instead I found a tiny note. Nick, Went to store be back in about an hour or two. Jewel. I sighed she must have just left, I thought. I walked into my kitchen, the glass still lying broken on the floor. I took a broom and quickly swept it up. Then I walked into my living room.

"Clarissa!" I said as I seen the longhaired brunette.

Clarissa was sitting on my couch crying. "Oh Nick, I'm sorry." I looked at her with pity. Slowly I walked to her and sat next to her. The feelings I use to have were still there. Only because she was the first one I ever loved.

"John Luke left when he found out, please don't be mad." She pleaded.

I gave her a questioning look. "At what?"

"Nicky, I'm pregnant with your baby, I still love you. Can't we be together? To raise this baby together."

I was taken over by her green eyes for yet another time. I tried to look away but I couldn't. She put her soft hand on my face. I loved Jewel I kept reminding myself.

"You still love me?" I whispered.

She nodded and smiled then she kissed me. I didn't pull away even though I wanted to. She pulled me down on top of her and kept on kissing me.

I heard the door open but I didn't look up until I heard something shatter on the floor. I looked up at Jewel who looked horrified. "Jewel, it's not what you think..." I said getting up.

"It's not what I think? I think it's exactly what I think. And I'm leaving." I looked at the girl on the couch smiling pleasantly. I picked up the bags I dropped and took them to the kitchen. Nick followed me.

"Jewel please," He pleaded.

I turned around, With a glass jar of pizza sauce. "Goodbye Nick." I began to throw any jar in the bag I had. They shattered with their contents all over the white tile and some on the white rug.Tamatos were plastered on the wall, sauces were dripping off the window cill onto the floor. I walked over some blobs of glass and juices and walked upstairs. I picked up my suitcase and walked out the door.

"Jewel how are you even going to get anywhere." Nick asked standing at the doorway. His face was streaked with tears, I wanted to cry myself but I didn't want him to see it. Quickly I thumbed down the next car to pass me.

I turned to Nick and looked into his blue eyes. "Good bye Nicky."

And I climbed into the car.

>>>>>

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