SATURDAY:
"THEY CAN'T DO THIS." BRENDA PROCLAIMS, WHIRLING AROUND TO FACE NICK. THE OTHER GUYS HAD GONE DOWNTOWN TO TAKE CARE OF SOME BUSINESS BEFORE THEY TOURED PICKED UP AND HEADED TO THE NEXT TOWN. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS IS WHERE BRIAN SAID THEY'D BE TOURING TO NEXT.
"CHICAGO?" LAURA HAD ASKED SHRILLY. "I'M GOING SHOPPING THEN OR I'LL FREEZE UP THERE." SO, BOTH HER AND DIANA WERE AT THE MALL. ESTHER WASN'T IN THE MOOD TO DO MUCH OF ANYTHING BESIDES STAY IN BED, DEPRESSED. (THEN AGAIN, WHO COULD BLAME HER. IF THINGS CONTINUED ON THE COURSE THEY WERE NOW, ESTHER WOULD BE LEAVING IN 4 DAYS.)
NICK HAD WOKEN UP FEELING A BIT WOOZY, AND HAD DECIDED
IT WOULD BE BETTER FOR HIM IF HE WERE TO STAY AT THE BUS. SO BRENDA, UNINANIMOUSLY VOTED IN BY THE OTHERS TO PLAY FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE THAT MORNING, PROCEEDED TO CARE FOR THE SICK AND CONSOLE THE DEPRESSED.
"IT'S NOT LIKE WE HAVE MUCH SAY IN THE SITUATION." NICK EXPLAINS GROGGILY, RUBBING THE SLEEP FROM HIS EYES. "J AND DONNA DIDN'T GIVE US MUCH CHOICE." HE SIGHS AND LAYS HIS HEAD ON THE KITCHEN TABLE.
"I THINK WE SHOULD JUSTIFY THE SITUATION TO THEM." BRENDA SAYS WITH CONFIDENCE. "CAN'T THEY GIVE HER ANOTHER CHANCE?"
"I'M AFRAID NOT." NICK MUMBLES. HE SLOWLY SITS UP AND LOOKS AT BRENDA. "NO ONE EVER SAID THIS BUSINESS WAS EASY. ONE WRONG MOVE AND YOU'RE OUT."
"IT'S NOT FAIR." BRENDA WHIMPERS, THE STRESS FROM THE PAST WEEK FINALLY CATCHING UP WITH HER. TEARS ROLL DOWN HER CHEEKS AS SHE SOFTLY ASKS, "WHY ARE THINGS THE WAY THEY ARE?" SHE THROWS HER ARMS UP TO EMPHASIZE HER POINT.
"DEADLINES TO MEET, PHOTO SHOOTS TO CARRY OUT, INTERVIEWS TO BE DONE, COSTUMES TO BE MADE, COLD-HEARTED MANAGERS TO CONDEMN, PAPPARAZZI TO AVOID, CRUSHED FRIENDS TO CONSOLE, BROKEN HEARTS TO MEND, SICK BLONDES TO NURSE TO HEALTH!!!!" SHE CRIES, HER VOICE CRACKING. "LIFE'S SO UNFAIR! WHY IS IT SO HARD?!" SHE SHRIEKS, COMPLETELY LOSING IT AND POUNDING THE CABINET WITH HER FISTS, OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
"WHY?! I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY! WHY?! WHY?! WHY?! WHY?!!!" SHE SCREAMS, CRUMPLING TO THE FLOOR, HER BODY JERKING WITH EACH SOB.
FOR A MOMENT, NICK WATCHES HER IN SILENCE FROM HIS SEAT AT THE TABLE. AND, BEING THE GOOD-HEARTED GENTLEMAN THAT HE IS, HE SAYS THE FIRST WORDS OF COMFORT THAT COME TO HIS MIND.
"HEY, YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE CONNECTION CORD TO MY PLAY STATION AROUND HERE LATELY, HAVE YOU?"
"I DUNNO B-ROK. IT'S RISKY." HOWIE WARNS AS HIM AND BRIAN WALK ACROSS THE PARKING LOT TOWARDS THE BUS.
"HOWIE MAN, I'M NOT LETTING THIS THING SLIDE WIHTOUT A FIGHT." BRIAN SAYS. HE STOPS DRIBBLING THE BASKETBALL HE HAS AND HOLDS IT TIGHTLY IN HIS HANDS. "EVERY MUSIC GROUPS HAS IT'S BOUTS. I JUST DON'T SEE HOW THIS ONE CAUSED SO MUCH TROUBLE."
"YOU HEARD J," HOWIE POINTS OUT, "HE WAS EXTREMELY UPSET WITH THE RELATIONSHIP THAT HAD FORMED BETWEEN YOU AND ESTHER." HE SHAKES HIS HEAD AND ADDS, "YOU'RE LUCKY HE HASN'T FOUND OUT ABOUT DIANA."
"HE REALLY DOESN'T HAVE A SAY ABOUT MY PERSONAL LIFE." BRIAN GROWLS, LOOKING DOWN AT THE BALL HE STILL CLUTCHES IN HIS HANDS. "I JUST FEEL THAT IF I DON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE SITUATION, I WON'T BE ABLE TO LIVE WITH MYSELF." HE STOPS AND LOOKS AT HOWIE. "IT'S MY LIFE. AND IT'S TOTALLY UNFAIR THAT ESTHER HAS TO SUFFER FOR SOMETHING THAT IS JUST AS MUCH MY FAULT AS IT IS HERS."
"BUT B-ROK," HOWIE CONTINUES. "TO LEAVE THE BAND WITH ESTHER, NONE OF US KNOWING WHERE EITHER OF YOU ARE...." HE SHAKES HIS HEAD. "I KNOW YOU LIKE ESTHER. SHE'S A REALLY NICE PERSON; I LIKE HER TOO. BUT, IS SHE WORTH SACRIFICING YOUR CAREER, NOT TO MENTION, THE OVERALL EXISTENCE OF THE BACKSTREET BOYS?" HOWIE PUTS THE SITUATION INTO PERSPECTIVE.
"HOWIE?" BRIAN SIGHS, STEPPING ON TO THE BUS. "TO ME, SHE'S WORTH ANY SACRIFICE."
"NO, NO, NO." LAURA COMMANDS, STEPPING IN BETWEEN A.J. AND KEVIN. "YOU GUYS HAVE IT ALL WRONG. THE MOVE IS LIKE THIS." SHE DEMONSTRATES WHILE THE GUYS WATCH WITH INTEREST. WHEN SHE FINISHES, THEY ALL APPLAUD. "NOW, YOU ALL TRY IT."
SHE STEPS OUT OF THEIR WAY WHILE BRIAN, KEVIN, HOWIE AND A.J TRY TO LEARN A NEW CHOREOGRAPHED STEP FOR THEIR PREFORMANCE IN CHICAGO. TRY AS THEY MIGHT, THEY CAN'T SEEM TO CATCH ON. NICK GLUMILY LOOKS ON HALF-DEAD FROM THE SOFA.
ASSUMING DEFEAT, BRIAN YELLS, "FREE-STYLE!" AND THEY ALL START DOING THEIR OWN THING. A.J. STARTS IMPERSONATING MICHAEL JACKSON, KEVIN MORPHS INTO THE DISCO INFERNA KING, HOWIE STARTS PLAYING AN INVISIBLE AIR GUITAR AND BRIAN ATTEMPTS TO DO A BACKFLIP. THING IS, THERE ISN'T ENOUGH ROOM FOR BRIAN TO FOLLOW THROUGH TO THE FLOOR. THE GIRLS AND NICK WATCH AS THE ENTIRE DRAMA UNFOLDS IN FRONT OF THEM.
BRIAN SLIPS ON NICK'S SCUBA GEAR, IN THE PROCESS, KICKING A.J. IN THE SIDE. A.J. PROMPTLY RAMS INTO KEVIN, WHO IS SENT SPRAWLING INTO HOWIE BEFORE FALLING INTO THE LUGGAGE PILE. AN SPINNING HOWIE WHIRLS AROUND OUT OF CONTROL, BEFORE CRASHING THROUGH THE WOODEN DOOR OF THE BEDROOM AND RUNNING INTO THE WALL ON THE OTHER SIDE. EVERYONE LOOKS IN HORROR AT THE HUMAN-SHAPED HOLE THAT HAS TAKEN SHAPE IN THE DOOR. HOWIE LAYS SPRAWLED OUT ON THE INSIDE, IN A BIT OF A DAZE.
KEVIN GROANS FROM THE LUGGAGE PILE, "J IS GOING TO FLIP WHEN HE SEES THAT."
"WELL, CAN'T YOU JUST FIX IT?" LAURA ASKS, A GLIMMER OF HOPE SHINING IN HER EYES.
"OH, YEAH," BRIAN REPLIES SARCASTICALLY, TRYING TO PULL HIMSELF UP FROM THE FLOOR. "LIKE, WE CAN JUST TAPE IT BACK TOGETHER."
"I CAN HEAR HIM ALREADY." BRENDA SIGHS, LAUNCHING INTO AN IMPERSONATION. "WHAT HAPPENED IN HERE, FELLAS?! IT LOOKS LIKE A PACK OF ANIMALS RAN LOOSE IN HERE!"
"WHAT ARE WE GONNA TELL HIM THEN?" LAURA ASKS WHILE SNAPPING LITTLE LOOSE PIECES OF WOOD FROM THE HOLE.
"AW, BLAME IT ON HOWIE." A.J. SHRUGS OFF, AS HE BEGINS TO PICK UP THE WOOD SPLINTERS FROM THE FLOOR. THE REST OF THE GROUP QUICKLY AGREES.
"OK ESTHER, DO YOU GET WHAT I'M SAYING?" BRIAN ASKS, HOLDING ESTHER'S HAND IN HIS. HE LOOKS DEEPLY INTO HER WARM BROWN EYES.
"WELL, YES," SHE ANSWERS HESITANTLY, "BUT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WHAT HOWIE SAID WAS RIGHT. AM I REALLY WORTH ENDANGERING THE EXISTENCE OF THE BACKSTREET BOYS?"
"AND, LIKE I TOLD HOWIE," BRIAN REPLIES, KISSING ESTHER ON THE CHEEK. "YOU'RE WORTH ANY SACRIFICE." HE TENDERLY BRUSHES SOME OF ESTHER'S HAIR OUT OF HER FACE WITH HIS FINGERS. "NOW, GET SOME SLEEP." SLOWLY, HE GETS UP FROM ESTHER'S BED AND LEAVES THE ROOM. ESTHER SIGHS, A SMILE ON HER FACE, AS SHE PULLS THE SHEETS AROUND HER NECK AND DOZES OFF.
