I looked over at one of my best friends, Kristi. "OK, we are at a BSB concert, again."

"Yeah, but this time we have FRONT ROW SEATS!!!" she exclaimed. A couple of people looked over at us like we were crazy, but we just giggled.

Suddenly, a large "AHH!!!" could be heard, and me and Kristi looked at each other very amused and smiled.

People began to get out of line and go see what it was that was causing all the screaming. We'd been to enough concerts to know it was just a camara guy telling people to "yell for that camara!"

We laughed as we got to the front of the line.

*						*
		*						*

The lights went out and the volume turned up.. WAY up. "AHH!!!" everyone, including us, screamed.

Suddenly, the flashing lights and colored strobe lights turned off and everything was dark.

Then, the guys themselves jumped out of the trap doors and onto the stage. I couldn't hear anything because it was so loud. "I love you Brian!!!" I screamed with a couple of other girls around where I was.

I fiddled around in my pocket without looking away from the stage. "Found 'em!" I said, lifting up my backstage passes.

The girls gave me a natsy look, and I stuffed them back in my pocket. It was childish, but I couldn't resist. I stuck my tounge out at them.

I looked around the large area that the backstage thing was supposed to be at. It was surrounded on three sides by trees. Lights were strung up on the trees in two crooked rows. It was surrounded by a large iron fence behind the trees, and then behind the fence was another couple of rows of trees.

Nick and Howie hadn't come out yet, but AJ, Brian and Kevin had. AJ had all but two girls crowded around him. Brian was standing off about five feet away from me watching AJ making sure he was ok. Kevin looked like he was hiding. He was standing really close to the trees and leaning against a ceramic column.

I looked over at Kristi. We were the only two girls not attacking AJ. She was waiting for Nick to come out before she started attacking anybody. I was just standing there laughing silently at AJ, thinking to myself, "Glad that's not me!"

I really really wanted to go talk to Brian. I looked over at him. I walked over toward him and when he saw me he greeted me with a big smile.

"Hi!" he said.

"Hi! I'm Mandi!" I said, shaking his hand.

I handed him my autograph book and while he signed it, we talked about the concert.

"What did you think?" he asked.

"It was great! I really loved the entrance!" I said.

"OK, I sound really bubbly," I thought

He smiled. "Thanks. Actually I..." he trailed off and laughed. I turned to see what he was laughing at and saw AJ finally trying to get away and come over where Brian and Kevin were.

I giggled.

"I'll be right back," he said, going over to help AJ.

"OK," I said to myself. I walked over to Kristi.

"He's not out YET!" she complained.

I laughed.

I decided to go and talk to Kevin.

I was about ten feet from him and he still hadn't noticed me when Brian came up and said, "OK, that was exausting!" I laughed. "OK, I'd rather talk to Brian anyway," I thought.

We talked for a little while. Suddenly Nick came up and started talking nonstop to Brian and I couldn't help a small giggle.

"That's the Nick I've heard about!" I thought.

Brian put his hand in front of Nicks face, and Nick shut up. "First off, you talk too fast. Secondly, I'm talking to someone right now."

Brian made a hand gester toward me.

"Oh! Sorry!" Nick said.

I laughed. Just then, a guy said, "OK, time is up. Everybody leave!"

Everyone started leaving and I yelled out to Kristi to meet me at the car.

I was walking out when someone grebbed my arm.

I turned around and saw Nick. "Hey.." I said.

"Hey, who is your friend?"

I smiled. "That's Kristi."

"Oh," he said. He reached in his pocket and pulled out two yellow passes attatched to yellow string.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Mandi," I said.

"Spell it."

"M-a-n-d-i," I said. "And Kristi is K-r-i-s-t-i."

"OK," he said. "Here." He handed me the passes.

"Come here at eight o'clock, ok?"

"Yeah," I said.

When I got outside Kristi wanted to know what had taken so long. "You'll see.." I said with a smile.

"Surprise!"

When we got to the place we were going, we showed our passes to the guard at the gate.

"Yes, Mr. Carter is expecting you!" he said.

"Mr. CARTER? As in NICK Carter? Expecting US? WHY?" Kristi exclaimed.

Me and the guard laughed. When we got to the room where we were supposed to be, Nick jumped up.

"Oh my God!" he said, putting his hand over his heart. "You scared the CRAP out of me!"

I laughed along with the other guys. Then I noticed a girl sitting in AJ's lap and a couple of other girls standing around the room. They all looked friendly. I smiled at them. Nick smiled at Kristi. "Hi!"

"Hi.." she said uncertainly.

I giggled with some of the other girls. "Hey Mandi!" Brian said, walking up. I realized he hadn't been in here when I'd come in. "Hey..." he said to Kristi.

"Kristi!" she said as if she'd just gotten her speech back.

I giggled. He smiled.

"Kristi." Nick smiled, taking her arm. Brian took mine. The room was huge, no joke. There were about five couches and three sofas, and four recliners.

"This," Nick said, waving his hand toward a pretty girl sitting on a couch with another girl, "Is Melissa, Brian's bestest friend in the whole," he made a little hand motion, "world."

"Hi," I said with an amused smile. Kristi nodded.

"And this is Kathleen, my best friend!" he said.

Brian laughed. "And this," he said, making a hand gestor toward Nick "is the world famous Nick Carter when he's either trying to impress someone," he gave Kristi an 'I-wonder-who' look, "or is way to high up on the caffeine! I think right now it's both."

I laughed. Kristi just gave Brain this 'Who? Me?' look. He smiled at her.

"This is Valerie, AJ's best friend, Becky, Kevin's best friend, and Kristin, D's best friend." Nick said as we got to another couch.

We walked over to one of the chairs where AJ and his girlfriend were sitting. "This is the world famous AJ, tattoos earrings and all, and his not so world famous girlfriend, Alex." Brian said.

I smiled, shaking Alex's hand. AJ jumped up, almost throwing Alex on the floor. "Hiya, Mandi!" he exclaimed, throwing his arm around me.

I giggled again. "Hi!" I said.

"Hi Kristi!" he said, letting go of me and attacking Kristi. Kristi looked like she was gonna freak. Nick pulled her away and started walking toward another couch, and Brian lead me slowly over there.

"This," Nick said, "is Kevin. Duh. He can't get a girlfriend for nothing. Just kidding. And this is Howie-we, the one of us that get all the girls!"

He gave a lopsided smile at his joke. Brian rolled his eyes. Kristi buried her head in her hands and shook her head.

"What?" Nick said.

"Hey, Mandi. Kristi." Kevin said.

"He looks high," I thought.

Howie smiled up at us warmly. "Hello!" he said in a cheerful voice.

I smiled. "Hey," I said shyly.

"And," Nick said, leading us over somewhere else, "This is Jennifer and this is Missy. They have MAJOR crushes on Kev and D, but they won't admit it."

Brian shook his head and sat down on the couch in front of the girls. "Sit down," he told me and Kristi.

"And this," Nick pointed to Kristi, "Is the lovely Kristi. And this," he pointed at me," Is the lovely Mandi, Brian's newest crush!"

Brian hit him with a pillow. "And this," Nick said, throwing the pillow at Brian, "Is the MOST world famous Brian Littrell of the Backstreet Boys, when HE is trying to impress a girl," he looked at me, "and not wanting her to know it."

"Words"

AJ came into the tour bus bouncing Alex up and down on his bony back. "Word game, word game! I wanna play the WORD GAME!" he exclaimed, throwing Alex on the couch. Nick and Kristi jumped up when she hit. Brian, Kevin and me laughed.

"Where's Howie?" AJ asked, sitting down, humming the "word game" tune.

"He took Missy out!" Nick exclaimed. "About time too!"

Kristi rolled her eyes. Jennifer, sitting happily beside Kevin, smiled. "They are so cute together!"

"Word game, word game! I wanna play the WORD GAME!" AJ sang, or rather screamed.

"Yeah.." Nick said. He gave me the evil grin I'd seen so many times before. I had the feeling he knew something I didn't.

"I'll start! OK, Kristi!" AJ said. "Peace."

"Love!" Kristi said.

"Love." he said.

"Umm.. peace?" she asked.

Nick elbowed her in the side. "Oh! Nick!" she laughed. "Duh!" I rolled my eyes.

"OK, Nick!" AJ said.

"Natural." she said.

"Natural?" I asked.

"Natural blonde!" she giggled.

"OK... AJ?"

"Crazy!" she laughed. "OK, my turn! Umm.. Nick!"

"Duh!" I whispered to Brian. He nodded.

"Mandi.." Nick was saying.

"Huh?" I asked.

"She said Brian." he said to me. I gave him an evil look.

"I did not! I said green!" she laughed.

"Oh.." he said, smiling at me. "OK," Nick said. "My turn.. Mandi!"

"Great.." I said.

"Be right back.." Brian said, walking outside.

"OK, Mandi.. music."

"Pop." I said automatically.

"Rock.." Jennifer sang.

"Umm.. yeah.." Nick said, giving her a weird look. "OK, Hanson."

"Hair!" I exclaimed.

Everyone laughed. "*N SYNC."

"Justin.." I said looking around. Everyone smiled.

"Justin?" Kristi exclaimed. "He's my favorite too!" Nick gave her a weird look.

"He's not my favorite!" I exclaimed.

"Oh, yeah! You like, used to know him, or something like that." she said sarcastically.

I gave her a mean look. "We were thirteen, and YES, I knew him." I said angrily.

"Backstreet Boys.." Nick said quickly.

"Bri..." I started, but stopped myself. "You suck!" I told him. "That's not fair!" He laughed. I guess Brian is sitting around out there listening and laughing his butt off at me, I thought. "I'm leaving," I said, standing up. When I got outside, Brian was standing there. Well, he's not laughing, I thought.

"Hey.." he said.

"Hey."

"Are you leaving?" he asked.

"Yeah, I have to work tomorrow." I said.

"Oh.. Listen, I was wondering. There is something.. something I have to say. OK? But if you want to know, you have to promise me something. OK?"

"Promise you what?" I asked.

"That as soon as I say it or whatever, you'll turn around and walk away, not say anything and never say anything about it to me or anyone else.. OK?"

"OK.." I said, confused.

"OK, here goes. Last night I had this dream, and you were in it. And I kissed you. Don't leave yet, I'm not done." he said. I noticed that he had moved closer and was standing under a streetlight about a foot from me. He stared at me. "I can't believe I'm doing this.. I was.. umm.. wondering what it wouldbeliketokissyou." With that he leaned down and kissed me. I figured I'd faint, but I didn't. When he pulled away, I didn't think I could stand, much less walk.

"OK.." I whispered, more to myself than to him. I looked up at him. He looked like he really wanted me to leave. I turned around and did the best I could to 'walk' back to my car.

"You weren't supposed to say anything.." he called after me.

"Justin"

I looked around my work office. My friend Kayla was sitting at her desk writing something. Her boyfriend Zac was playing a Game Boy sitting on the couch on the right side of the room. '"Where is Jamie?" I asked suddenly.

"Jamie?" Kayla looked up.

"And Tina. And Stephanie too!" I exclaimed, realizing three of my workers weren't in this morning.

"Here we are!" Tina called in a singsong voice walking in.

It'd been three weeks since I'd met the Backstreet Boys and me nor Kristi had said anything to our best friends. Kristi worked for Trans Con, which benefited her, so she got to spend a lot of time with the Boys, especially Nick. Me, Stephanie, Tina, Jamie and Kayla worked for RCA, which we were about to meet with *N SYNC. I was very excited, being that one of them had been a good friend of mine when I was about 13.

"Mandi!" Justin called his best friend.

"Yeah?" I said, walking out of my room.

"I'm leaving."

"Aww! Justin, why you wanna go and leave me here with a bunch of wackos?"

Justin laughed. "I'm sorry, but you can watch me everyday on TV! If I get that MMC thing, anyway."

"Sure you'll get it!" I insisted.

"Yeah! M-I-C-K-E-Y..."

"NO!!!" I shouted. "NOT that song again!"

"Sorry.." he laughed.

"Justin!" Justin's mom called him from the living room.

"You are really leaving aren't you?" I asked. I couldn't believe he was gonna leave me alone.

"Yeah." Justin said, taking a deep breath. I swallowed. "Justin..."

"Justin Timberlake!" Lynn screamed.

"I'm coming!" he said, walking down the hall and out the door.

"Bye." I called after him.

He is gonna freak when he finds out I've been working behind the scenes for him all these years! I thought happily.

"RCA Records, Mandi Wright speaking. Would you like me to connect you to the front desk?" I said when I picked up the phone.

"No, that's ok. I think I'll talk to you," Brian's voice said from the other line.

I laughed. "Not like you had a choice!"

"Oh... getting all demanding over there in that little office with a bunch of people, huh?"

"Yeah.." I said.

Kayla and Zac walked in the room. "Hey, did you need something?" I asked him.

"Yeah.. What are you doing tonight?"

"Depends on why you want to know."

"Cause Nick and Kristi are going to the movies and they want us to come but they are too.. er.. 'busy' to ask you."

"Are you going?"

"If you are!" he said.

"OK, but I have to go. Bye!"

"Bye!"

I hung up the phone. "Who was that?" Kayla asked.

"Bria... Nobody." I said.

"Brian? Brian who?" Zac asked.

"Nobody!" I insisted.

"Brian Nobody? Do I know him?" Kayla gave him a weird look. "Maybe you should go home and get some sleep."

"For Real!" I said.

"You.." she said, pointing at me, "*N SYNC interview, NOW!"

"Ma'am, yes ma'am!" I said happily.

"Justin is gonna freak!" she said as we joined the others out in the hall.

"I know, I can't wait!" I said. "But the interview isn't for another two hours, why are we going now?"

"We aren't, I just needed to get away from Zac 'The Ape Man'!"

I laughed, "I know the feeling!"

About thirty minutes later I was standing in the main hall when someone put their hands over my eyes.

"Guess who!" Justin said.

"Umm.. Mickey Mouse?" I asked.

"Nope, guess again!" he laughed.

"Santa Clause?" I tried again.

He pulled his hands away and put them on his hips. "Don't you know the Santa Clause isn't real?" he asked.

I pretended to cry. "I'm telling my mommy!"

We both broke up in laughter and hugged. "I got the part!" Justin exclaimed.

"That's great!" I said.

"I came to tell you that I probably won't be coming back, but I'll keep in touch, ok?"

"OK." I said.

"Guess who!" a deep voice said.

"Mickey Mouse?" I asked.

I heard five giggles. "Nope, close though!" the voice said.

I felt excitement shoot through my body. "Santa Clause?" Five guys burst out laughing and I turned around. "Justin!" I exclaimed.

"Hey Mandi!" he said happily. I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek. "I thought you were gonna keep in touch!" I said.

"Sorry.." he said, kissing me back. I pulled away and looked at him. "Why Justin Timberlake, I believe you've died your hair! Again!" I exclaimed.

He smiled. "And so have you! Many colors!"

I wrinkled my nose at him. "And what is wrong with my hair?"

"Nothing! Nothing!" he laughed.

"Except the fact that it's strawberry with green and purple stripes in it." Stephanie said, walking up behind us.

"Manders, it is time to come back here and help." I stuck my tongue out at her.

"You work here?" Justin asked.

"Yep! How does it feel to know that your old best friend helped this happen to you?" I asked, pointing to a sign that some girl outside was holding up that said 'I Love You Justin!'

He smiled. "So I can blame the craziness on you?" "Nope!" I said as Stephanie pulled me backwards into the newsroom.

I skipped happily out of the newsroom and up to one of the guys.

"Umm.." I said, realizing I wasn't sure which one it was.

He smiled. "Lance."

"Sorry. Do you know where Justin went?"

Lance opened his mouth, but someone interrupted him. "And who, might I ask, is Justin?" Brian said, wrapping his arms around me.

Lance looked up. "Hey Brian.." he said uncertainly.

"Lance, my man! What's up?" Brian said, smiling warmly, shaking Lance's hand.

"Nothing much, ya know. The usual." Lance said, smiling once again.

"You two know each other?" Brian said, looking down at me.

"Yeah.." I said. "We just met."

"Ya know, I was just about to ask you guys the same question." Lance said.

"How'd you guys meet?" he asked.

"Justin, remember? Oh, wait. You weren't in there. My bad. I've known Justin since I was born, almost."

"Really? I though he was from Memphis. And you are from Mississippi. How's that?"

"I have family in Memphis." I said.

"Oh. So, when is your interview over?"

I looked at my watch. "About three hours."

"OK. So, I'll see you around nine, then?" he asked, smiling happily.

"Yep! See ya then!" I said as he walked away.

"You are dating Brian?" Lance asked when Brian walked out the door.

"Dating Brian? Me?" I asked.

Lance nodded his head. "Yeah. It seems like you are."

"Well, dating? I dunno... We only met about three weeks ago." I said.

"Met who?" Justin asked, walking up with Stephanie beside him.

"Bria.." I said, then noticed Stephanie beside him.

"Oh, don't worry. I saw him standing there with his arms around you. I think its cute.. but why didn't you tell me?" Stephanie asked me.

"He didn't say I could." I said.

"Who?" Justin asked.

"Brian!" Me, Stephanie and Lance said.

"Brian? Brian who?"

"Brian Nobody!" Zac said, walking past us.

"Brian Nobody?" Justin asked.

Me and Stephanie broke up in hysterics, along with Chris, JC, Joey, Kayla and Tina, who were standing off to the side."Brian Littrell!" I said.

"Brian? Like from the Backstreet Boys?" he asked.

"Yeah.. I'm pretty sure." I laughed.

"You are dating Brian?!?" he exclaimed.

"Well... If you wanna call it that." I said shrugging.

"On another subject, what are you doing tonight?" Justin said, putting his arm on my shoulders.

"Dang boy! Are you on steroids? You are only nineteen and your right arm weighs ninety pounds!" I exclaimed.

He laughed, pulling his arm down. "I'm not on steroids!" I giggled.

"Well, back on the subject, I'm going out with Brian, Nick and Kristi tonight."

"You ARE dating him!" Justin screamed.

"Shhhh! Be quiet you idiot!" Stephanie said.

"Huh?" Justin asked, looking over at her.

"OK, I think he needs to go get some sleep before he hurts himself.." Joey said, taking Justin's arm and leading him out the door.

I laughed. "Mandi! Do you have your questions? Mine are copied on the back and I can't find them! Can I make a copy from yours?" Jamie asked, running up behind me.

"Yeah! They are in the car, let me go get them!" I said, walking towards the door. When I walked outside, I was attacked by millions of girls, asking me questions and pulling my hair and kicking me.

"Do you know Justin?"

"Are you going with Lance?"

"Are you and Brian married?"

"Is Justin nice?"

"Are you Justin's mom?"

"I'm not freaking Justin's mom! That's impossible! He's twenty days older than me!" I exclaimed, running as fast as I could. About four people followed me, which was surprising.

"Can you get us backstage or into the interview?" One girl asked.

"I'm sorry, my boss wouldn't let me do that. I would if I could. Sorry." I said, reaching into my purse and grabbing my keys.

"You aren't going with any of the guys, are you?" another one asked.

"Nope! As far as I know, they're single. But then again, I just met them. Except for Justin of course." I said.

"Justin isn't single?" another one asked.

"I don't know. I meant I didn't just meet him. He has been my best friend since we were itty-bitty!" I said, opening my car door.

"Are you going with Brian?" The other one asked. I stopped what I was doing and stood, looking her directly in the face.

"I met Brian at a concert about three weeks ago. We aren't boyfriend and girlfriend or whatever you call it. We are friends."

"But he said you were going out to the movies tonight!" the girl protested.

"He did? He's dumb sometimes. But, we are going with Nick and another girl."

"Nick and his girlfriend?"

"Yes, Nick and his girlfriend. Her name is Kristi." I said, grabbing my papers and running.

"What is your name?" the girls screamed.

"Mandi!" I answered, running inside the door.