Chapter 1

(Nick's point-of-view)

"Nick! Hey, Nick, you wanna' play Nintendo?" I heard Brian hollering from our hotel bathroom.

"Aw, shit!" I said to myself staring at the numerous supplies I had scattered over my bed. Man! This is not how I wanted to tell him..... Quickly I started throwing the blankets over my stash.

"Nick!" Brian repeated. He froze wide-eyed. "What in the world is all this stuff for?"

I looked around calmly. "What stuff?"

He rolled his eyes. "The stuff on the bed, Nicky! The heating pad, icepacks.....Make up? What the heck is going on?"

"Well, I had this idea......"

He lifted his hands in the air. "Wait....You had an idea?"

"Uh huh."

He chuckled. "This should be good."

How do you like that? My best friend is already doubting me. "Well, it's a really good idea!"

"I'll decide that after I hear your master plan."

I took a deep breath trying to contain my excitement. "We should play hookie!"

"What?"

"Ya' know skip out of practice!"

"Oh no! Absolutely not! We are in this group for a reason, Nick. That reason is to work not play."

Since when did Brian turn into Kevin? "But Brian....We've been working non-stop and we've been to Europe over and over but we've never had fun! It's a total waste!"

"Nick, you're seventeen you'll have plenty of time for fun."

"Not at the rate we're going. We never get a break."

I smiled I could tell from his body language he was weakening.

"What did you have in mind?"

"Fake sick!"

"Fake sick! Nick, that's lying and lying is...."

Oh, great here we go. Just my luck my best friend in the group is the one that never leaves his Bible and is religious-crazy. Am I going to get a lecture or a sermon? But coming for Brian....They're both the same thing.

"And that is why this is wrong!"

Wahoo! He finally finished his sermon. And I thought Kevin talked too much.....

He sat down beside me. "Why would you even think of this?"

"Because! I'm still a kid! Doesn't anyone realize that?"

He sighed staring at the ground. Ah ha! The guilt trip was working. He looked up. "What was your plan?"

"Okay....I was watching a 'Full House' repeat and DJ-"

"FULL HOUSE? Nick that is just a dumb tv show!"

"It isn't dumb!" I replied. Besides, that chick playing DJ was a hottie now. Why do they always have to show the old clips, anyway? "You see, Bri, DJ wanted Stacy Q's autograph!"

"Stacy Q? Nick, you're too young to remember her."

I said it was a repeat. Sheesh, didn't this guy ever pay attention? "Anyway, she faked sick and got her way."

"Yeah, until her father caught her."

"No, Joey caught her."

"Whatever, Nick, it's all the same thing. Caught is caught no questions asked."

"That's why we won't get caught!" I assured him.

"And just how do you know?"

"My plan duh!"

He sighed rubbing his brow. "I have a hard time trusting people should say 'duh'."

"You sound like my mother," I groaned.

"Then, she's a smart lady."

I pouted. "Would you please just listen to my idea? Please?"

I could tell by the look on his face he wasn't having it. Okay, I can pull out those old acting skills to get my way! Tears rimmed my eyes. "Brian, I'm only seventeen...And when you were that age you had friends and normal school! You got to see your brother everyday! I haven't seen Aaron in a year!"

His bottom lip quivered. My words had won him over. "Okay, I'll listen to your plan."

"All right! We use pre-set thermometers! Place heating packs on our faces and ice packs on our hands and feet! And use the make up to make us look pale and sickly!"

"You seem to have thought this all out."

"Yeah, DJ had a killer plan!" Memo to self: mentioning tv sitcoms get you nowhere with Brian.

"I don't care about the show, but I do think you deserve a break. But....I don't want to do this."

"Fine! I'll do it myself!"

Okay, maybe I was acting like a toddler. But like I said I'm still a kid.

"Oh, no!" Brian yelled. "I am not letting you romp around in a foreign country unattended!"

"I'll be fine!"

His brow creased. "I'll tell Kevin."

Okay, normally that would've worked. But like I said....I have a plan. "Go ahead. I'll just tell him you broke his frame he kept Kristin's picture in AND where you hid the evidence."

"You wouldn't!"

Who was he talking to? Of course, I would! "I will! And it's not very Christian-like not to admit it."

Ooooooh.....I deserve a pat on the back that line was awesome! Go me! Go me!

He fell back against the bed. "Fine! I'm in!"

"Great!" I exclaimed hugging him. "You won't regret this!"

He moaned. "Too late, I already do!"

"You're the best."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. So, where did you get all this stuff?"

"I found the heating pad and icepacks in the storage cabinet of the bus. I told Kevin you pulled a muscle."

"What? You little turd! You had me in this from the start!"

Of course, I did. As if he'd say 'no'. That picture frame was loved by Kevin....And Kevin is a big man. And it kind of goes unsaid that it's okay to pick on family. And man could Kevin pick on Brian.....

He sighed. "I'm not sure I wanna' know...But where did you get the make up?"

"Kristin."

"She was in on this?"

"Nah. I heard her saying she hated her old stuff and wanted to get some new because it was cracking or something girly like that. So, Kevin said he'd take her shopping his treat. I offered to throw it away for her realizing how pale she is it would be perfect!"

Brian shook his head. "Kevin voulnteered to go with her to get make up? His treat? That's unreal."

"Not really. Her cosmetic store was across from 'Victoria's Secret' in the mall. Make up wasn't the only thing he bought her!"

Kevin was no dummy. Kristin was one 'fly hunny' to quote AJ.

Brian covered his ears. "Too much information."

I gathered my supplies. "We better get started rehearsal is in a half hour and that is not where we wanna' be!"

"Okay, hand me the make up."

"You?"

"Yes, me. I'm in charge."

What? That's not fair! It was my plan! "But-"

"Do you want to go out or not? I refuse to leave you in charge."

I pushed the compact into his hand. "Fine! But you better make me look good!"

"I thought you wanted to look sick not good!" he laughed.

Oh, great, Brian's cheesy humor. But if it gets me out of practice.....Cheese is my favorite food!

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