AJ pulled up into the parking lot of the building where Nat had her last lecture for the day. He got out and sat on the hood of his car, waiting impatiently for her to come out. As soon as he spotted her tall figure in the crowd he called out to her loudly. "Natalie!"
Natalie turned and smiled when she spotted AJ. She ran over to him and let AJ crush her in one of their usual hugs. "Hi AJ, what are you doing here?"
"I heard what happened, just coming to see if my little Natty's alright" AJ smiled, looking into Natalie's eyes for an answer. "So are you?"
"Don't get me started on that topic or you won't shut me up" Natalie replied. "However of you must know I'm fine. I don't know about Nick but I'm doing okay."
"Yeah I saw the shiner you gave him. Very impressive" AJ laughed.
"I know I saw it the other day and I can't believe I did it myself. I feel kinda sorry for him, but that's as far as the sympathy goes. I'm still pissed."
"Understandable, he was out of line. But he was just trying to be a friend and look out for you."
"Friends like that I do not need" Natalie commented. "Besides you're reasonably normal."
"That's me. Nick's like that though. With three sisters, Nick's used to looking out for the girls in his life, especially with guys. Ask Sarah about the screaming match on 97, Nick couldn't walk for three hours."
"Why what did she...oh...ouch" Natalie said with a small giggle. "He seesm to leave Sarah's life alone now."
"She's got him trained. He knows what will happen if he tries to meddle in her life and overstep the helpful advice mark."
"Well I wish he'd leave me alone, I can handle things on my own."
"Yeah and he sure learned that the hard way" AJ laughed. "So enough about Nick, I also had something to aske you."
"Aha! I knew you had an ulterior motive" Natalie exclaimed.
"Yeah but you'll love me for it."
"Doubt it, but anyway" Natalie teased.
"Fine if you don't want to come with me to this awards banquet we've got to attend I'll completely understand" AJ teased.
"Oh..um.." Natalie hesitated.
"I know Nick's gonna be there but you guys will probably have it settled before then so please come" AJ pleaded.
"I don't know."
"Come on Nat, as a favour to me? Please, please, pretty please with a cherry on top."
Natalie eventually backed down. "Since you brought the cherry into it..."
"You'll come?"
"Sure" Natalie grinned, but at the back of her mind were still the uneasy feelings towards Nick, which she doubted they could clear up in time.
**************
Nick finished up getting ready for the performance they had that night. He grabbed his backpack from the side of his bed and decided he'd try to apologise one more time. Natalie was flipping through a magazine with clearly a 'do not disturb' expression but Nick decided he had nothing left to lose. She was already mad at him anyway.
"Nat?"
Natalie looked up briefly before looking back down, pretending to be deeply interested in the magazine she was reading. Nick frowned to himself, but knew he deserved the way she was reacting to him.
"Just hear me out please."
Natalie put her magazine down. "What?"
"I know that no matter what I say it won't make up for what I said and how I acted but I really need you to try and listen."
"Fine, I'm listening."
"I'm sorry."
"You're sorry" Natalie commented. "And what do you want me to say to that?"
"It's cool Nick, you're forgiven and I won't hate you till my dying days" Nick suggested hopefully.
Natalie raised her eyebrow at him. "I don't hate you, I'm just so pissed at you it's not funny."
"So is there a friendship in our near future?"
"I don't know Nick" Natalie sighed. "You were such an insensitive little jerk. You're not my favourite person at the moment."
Nick felt comforted at her frankness. At least she was talking to him. "So do you think you might forgive me?"
"I don't know. I still want to know what got into you. You were being such an asshole, you made me cry which is something supposed friends aren't meant to do."
"I know and I feel really, really bad. I was just trying to protect you."
"From what?!" Natalie exclaimed in annoyance. "I told you I had things under control, but you just kept at it."
"Rob. I don't like him" Nick admitted.
"Why? He's a nice guy. You don't even know him."
"I don't like him you deserve more than him" Nick remarked honestly.
Natalie took a deep breath, resisting the urge to lose her temper again. "Go, before I really blow up at you again."
Nick looked at her, knowing she was mad at him all over again. "Alright, well AJ wanted me to give this to you. I might see you later then." He dropped the backstage pass and ticket beside Natalie.
"Thanks but not likely. To be honest, I don't really want to be near you at the moment. Goodbye Nick."
"Fine act like a brat then" Nick muttered.
"Very mature, just go" Natalie said, her voice rising slightly.
"With pleasure" Nick glared before stomping out of the house.
**************
"You are a dead man" Howie commented as soon as he caught sight of Nick's black and blue cheek. "Angie is gonna flip as soon as she realises she has to cover that up."
"Leave me alone D."
"Actually Nick it does look pretty bad" Kevin added seriously. "Maybe you better go and see Ange now."
"Maybe I'll just go out like this" Nick snapped.
"I'm just trying to help" Kevin remarked defensively.
"Thanks but no thanks. I don't need anyone's help" Nick retorted. "If Angie wants me, she can find me."
**************
Natalie looked at the passes Nick had left on the table. She sat for awhile debating whether to go or not. Not having any other plans for the night, she decidedly grabbed her jacket and drove to the concert venue hoping that nothing else could go wrong for her that day.
**************
"BSB what time is it?"
Everyone backstage gave an equally enthusiastic response except for Nick who was still wondering how he was going to get things back to normal at home. Cassie gave him a goodluck kiss on the cheek before he left to grab his headset and join the other guys. Cassie had been pretty forgiving, however Nick couldn't pinpoint it but something was missing in their relationship. He knew it wasn't the same as it used to be.
"I'll see you later Cass."
"Goodluck out there" Cassie grinned.
Nick smiled before positioning himself backstage and getting ready to put on another show he didn't really feel like doing. Taking a deep breath, Nick psyched himself up and waited for the comforting sound of thousands of screaming fans.
**************
An overly excited girl next to Natalie was almost at the point of hyperventilation that Natalie felt compelled to turn to her and tell her to breathe. After calming the girl down she felt another fan's placard behind her, hit her on the head, that she was having second thoughts about staying for the whole show. Another girl next to her screamed when she caught a glimpse of the backstage pass around her neck that she protectively grabbed for it before it disappeared in all the excitement.
"Everyone take a chill pill" Natalie muttered.
"Oh my God is that Nick!"
Natalie looked up on stage and saw a figure walking around, but even in the dim lighting sje'd know anywhere Nick's tall figure. The guy on stage was definitely not Nick but she didn't want to spoil the girls' fun around her that she joined in the screaming as well.
**************
It was almost halfway into the show when Nick was bouncing around the stage singing his heart out to 'Let's have a party'. He was dancing towards the edge of the stage, clapping his hands and trying to get the audience involved. When it came time for him to do his usual trip down to the floor to sing to the fans he began to feel a little light headed, but continued anyway dismissing it as a minor lapse in his concentration.
Nick looked out into the audience,seeing the sea of signs and clapping fans. He took a step towards the small platform that had been put up for the show but suddenly lost his footing on a cable he hadn't noticed. All he could hear were the last few strains of the chorus before everything blacked out.
**************
Natalie had been enjoying the show from her position out in the audience that she almost forgot how mad she was at the person who was singing a verse in 'Let's have a party'. Nick seemed to be getting into the song that when he fell everything began to play in slow motion.
Natalie gasped as her heart almost leapt up inot her throat when she saw Nick lose his balance, trip then fall onto the hard concrete floor. The rest of the guys took awhile to notice that Nick wasn't with them anymore. Brian was the first to notice the screaming near the front and immediately rushed over to the side noticing Nick wasn't moving. Natalie pushed through the crowds, her heart racing fast as she noticed more and more people coming out to the front. She came to the side entrance near the stage where a tall, burly guard stopped her from going through.
"I'm sorry miss you can't go through here."
"Let me through" Natalie yelled as she tried to move her way through the security. "I've gotta get to Nick" she pleaded with her eyes starting to brim over with tears.
"I'm sorry, you can't. Don't worry he'll be fine though."
Natalie realised he probably thought she was a fan trying to get closer to the guys, and watched desperately as Nick was carried away. She looked down, suddenly remembering she had a backstage pass around her neck. "Here I've got this."
The guard looked down at her and the pass she was holding up to his face . "Fine, go through."
Natalie ran backstage, panting as she tried to find where they had taken Nick. Tears were well and truly falling down her face when she ran into Denise who was frantically looking around for something as well.
"Denise" Natalie called.
"Nat!"
"Where...where is he?" She hiccupped, wiping away the tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Oh baby it's okay" Denise soothed as she comforted Natalie. "He's gonna be fine."
"I...I saw him fall. I didn't know what happened..I..I was so mean to him before" Natalie cried sobbing onto Denise's shoulder.
"Natalie honey, he's gonna be alright. I was just gonna call Jane now, but the paramedics are looking at him, and they seem to think he'll bounce back. Nick's not gonna give up that easily."
"Can I see him?"
"Yeah sure, come on he's out back."
Chapter Twenty-Two
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