"Come on Nicky, you've got that spare room and all. Couldn't you use the company? Plus someone to help you keep that pigsty reasonably tidy? And it's only for a few months" AJ reasoned, putting on a puppy dog expression. "Please?"
"Insulting my house is not exactly the way to get into my good books AJ" Nick pointed out with a sulky expression.
"Alright, sorry Nick. Your house is the best thing I've seen since Buckingham Palace, it's everyone's dream come true" AJ said in exasperation.
"I can tell you don't mean it you know. There's no need to be sarcastic" Nick retorted childishly.
"Come on Nick act your age for once! Please" AJ pleaded.
"No, AJ come on be reasonable. She's a complete stranger, who knows she could be some crazed lunatic and I'll be sharing my house with her. Besides I'm kinda enjoying living on my own" Nick replied, trying to avoid the pleading looks AJ and not to mention Brian was giving him.
"I am begging you Nick" he said getting down on his knees. "My mother, you remember my mother don't you? She helped you out that time you were almost arrested at the airport cause you beeped and they thought you were smuggling semi-automatic weapons?"
"It was my belt AJ" Nick countered with an indignant expression.
"Who cares? All that matters is that she came to your rescue when none of us would come back for you cause we thought we'd be seen as accomplices."
"Yeah I do. And now I think about it where were you when I needed help?" Nick pointed out.
"That's irrelevant. Just keep remembering my mom. Well she is gonna kick my butt all the way to Mexico if I don't find this girl a place to live and soon."
"So go talk to a real estate agent Bone. My house is not an option. This is just way too weird" Nick replied trying not to look at AJ on his knees.
"Look Nick, she's a really nice girl, she was kinda quiet the last time I saw her, but she's not obsessed with you or anything. I don't think she even knows I can sing let alone in BSB" AJ added, hoping beyond belief to convince Nick to take this girl in.
Nick paused slightly, before shaking his head even more. "Mom will never go for it."
"How old are you?" AJ said witheringly. "Plus in case you didn't remember, your mother is on the other side of the country. She'll never know."
"Jeez Bone" Brian cut in. "Real good influence you are. I'd hate to see what your kids are gonna turn out like. Imagine a herd of girl-crazy, nymphomaniacs who have the worst pick up lines in history, and to top it all off they look like you!"
Everyone shuddered with the thought, before AJ turned and gave Brian an annoyed look. "Thanks ever so much for your help Bri. I really appreciate it."
"Just voicing my opinion" Brian remarked with a smile.
"So back to my old buddy, old pal here" AJ said as he turned his attention back to Nick. "So can you do it? Please, please, please."
"AJ you know I'd do just about anything to help you out, but this is just not gonna happen" Nick declared, trying to look firm and serious about his decision. He knew since he was the youngest they still thought they could push him around, and it was something Nick was still trying really hard to outgrow.
"Nick..." AJ began.
"Uh-uh. No way, no how, not ever."
**************
"How the hell did you talk me into this?" Nick whined as he stood in the airport lounge, underneath a baseball cap, trying to look inconspicuous but still trying to look out for his new house guest.
"My powers of persuasion, they can get me just about anything you know" AJ said with a grin. He was looking down at the piece of paper his mother had given him, trying to see if they were at the correct gate. He was trying to conjure up some image of Natalie, but all he kept seeing were glasses and braces from when she had been 13 years old and a regular guest in his house.
"So what does this girl look like?" Nick asked, breaking AJ's thoughts.
"Uhhh" AJ said, realising he better not mention the braces or the glasses and the fact he had no idea what she looked like.
"Well?" Nick continued to look around the arrival gates, but had no idea what he was looking for. "AJ?"
"She..um..has brown hair and she's sorta tall..in a way" AJ replied, giving the vaguest description he could think of.
"Along with like a hundred other girls here" Nick said in exasperation.
AJ nodded meekly, and tried to find some girl that might resemble what Natalie looked like, but all he was automatically looking for was a 13 year old girl, when she must've been 18 or 19 already.
"AJ!!" A voice called from across the waiting area. AJ looked over to see a figure waving at him, and he hesitantly waved back.
The person walked over to him and after a few moments of disbelief, he realised he was looking at Natalie. "Natalie?"
"Um yeah" she said with a laugh. "You look so different from when I last saw you" she commented, taking in AJ's bright red hair and the many tattoos decorating his forearm.
"So do you" AJ grinned, realising the 13 year old girl he once knew, no longer resembled the girl standing in front of him. Natalie had outgrown her glasses, and now had a perfect row of post-braces teeth. She had blondey, browney hair down to her shoulders, with soft hazel eyes and a beautiful face. She had grown alot, almost reaching Nick's shoulders but not quite making it. AJ momentarily kicked himself, realising she was living with Nick and not him.
Nick cleared his throat in the background, bringing AJ back to reality. "Oh Nat, this is the guy you're staying with, Nick."
"Hi" she said extending a hand to meet Nick's outstretched one. "Nice to finally meet you."
"Same here" Nick smiled. "So how was your flight?"
"Pretty good actually. I slept most of the way, so I missed all the gross food they had, which was good. I read up on Florida in this pamphlet I got, so I now feel like a walking tour guide cause I've got so many stupid facts in my head. Other than that it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be" Natalie answered, never ceasing to give her infectious smile, which was causing Nick and AJ to grin back at her as well.
"So you must be tired. We'll get you to Nick's so you can put your stuff down and relax a bit" AJ said, already leading the way to the baggage claim.
"Sure" Natalie agreed, already following AJ, with Nick trailing not far behind.
Nick watched Natalie walk away dressed in jeans and a white spaghetti strapped shirt, trying to hold back his smile, with not much success.
**************
"Jeez Nick, you could've cleaned just a little" AJ spoke up as soon as he set foot into the house. It had Nick's personality stamped all over it. His video game console was hooked up, with a box full of games scattered all across the living room floor, and even a few which could be seen in the minimal view of the kitchen counter. There was a basket of laundry on the dining table next to an opened pizza box with leftovers from what must've been lunch that day, and a ton of car magazines piled high alongside the mess already on it.
Nick blushed a little, realising he actually hadn't cleaned on purpose because it had been a form of protest to get back at AJ for calling both Jane and Denise to make him feel guilty about not taking Natalie in. He glanced over at Natalie's startled expression and instantly wished he'd tidied up a little. "Uh sorry, no time I got caught up in a game and couldn't stop."
"Glad we have our priorities straight" AJ muttered quietly to himself.
"You're just like my little brother, he adores those things" Natalie said, waving a hand in the direction of Nick's Nintendo console.
Nick didn't know how to take being compared to someone's little brother so he just smiled. "Well they are addictive."
"Uh-huh, anyway Nick wehre's Nat going to stay?" AJ said, rolling his eyes at Nick's cheesy response.
"The room at the end of the hallway" Nick replied pointing in the direction of the spare room. They all made their way towards where Nick was pointing with AJ dragging Natalie's suitcase.
"Wow I love this view" Natalie exclaimed, as she noticed the two glass French doors opening out onto the shared balcony which adjoined Nick's room.
"Cool huh? Just jump down and you're on the beach" Nick said.
"It's beautiful" Natalie added, as she inspected the beach and the crashing waves before her.
"Yeah it is huh" AJ and Nick both said, before looking at each other and back at Natalie in surprise.
"So Nick, where'd you score all the girly furniture?" AJ asked noticing there was already furniture in the once empty room.
"Oh mom put it into storage before they left, so she told me to take it out and use it."
"Why? Where did they go?" Natalie asked after hearing Nick's resoponse.
"Oh my whole family moved to LA a few months ago, but I decided to stay here cause it was easier for the band and stuff" Nick answered, missing his family almost instantly after he mentioned them.
"That must be hard" Natalie said sympathetically. "Don't worry I know exactly how you feel. I've been gone for a total of a plane ride but I'm beginning to miss my family already."
Nick gave her a warm smile which Natalie quickly returned, beginning to realise that Natalie moving in mightn't be so bad after all.
Chapter Three
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