Nick stares at his TV screen and flips through the channels finally coming to a stop on channel 171 and turning off the TV with a sigh. He gets up from his leather couch with another sigh and walks out of his den and into the hallway. The only sound in the house is the clomp clomp clomp of his shoes hitting the newly shined hard wood floors. He passes door after door walking down the hall and then turns to the right walking up a flight of steps to the second floor.
Clomp. Clomp. Clomp. The sound of hundred-dollar Dr.Marten’s hitting new hard wood floors. Clomp. Clomp. Clomp. Door after door is passed on this second hallway until he comes to the end of the hall and pushes a set of double wooden doors and enters the master bedroom.
A large white bed is in the center of an all white room that is filled with darkness. Nick walks over to the far wall and pushes open two double glass doors that open up onto a balcony over looking his property. Nick opens them and comes face to face with a hooded figure dressed in all black that slowly looks up at him.
Two sets of eyes meet each other and one smirks slyly at the other. “Boo.”
The year is 2010 and it is three years after the Backstreet Boys have broken up after multiply disagreements within the group. Nick had gone on to pursue a solo career, which lasted a short time, and then he gave it up and started a small company of his own, Casualties of Society records. After landing a few new acts Casualties expand in what seemed like over night into a multi million-dollar company with Nick as president. Group after group, artist after artist would audition for Nick on a daily basis, but only one or two would make it on to the next stage under his label.
Of course all this notoriety had only resulted in Nick’s ago growing and it seemed to continue to grow with every passing day. He rarely, if ever, talked to his old group mates and on rare occasions his family.
When the Backstreet Boys died, so did the old Nick Carter, which leads us up to this night. The night of November 8, 2010.
Nick stares at the figure for a short period of time before slamming the glass doors shut on it and running from the room back down the hallway, back down the stairs falling down the last four, back down the first hallway and out the front door of his house into his garage. Nick runs to the closest car, which happened to be a new 2010 Lexus convertible, and jumps in the drivers side fumbling with the keys.
“Don’t you just hate it how in the movies the bad guy no matter how slow he walks always catches up to the person running away?” a voice says from beside him.
Nick turns his head slowly and stares at the dark shape sitting next to him and lets out a long scream.
“What the hell is wrong with you boy?” the figure asks swiping the hood from his head and staring at Nick.
“AJ?” Nick says still backed up against the door.
The figure only smirks at Nick in reply.
But there he was AJ McLean sitting next to him in the passengers side of the Lexus dressed in black pants, black boots, a black hooded sweatshirt and a long black coat over it all. He looked like an angel straight out of Dogma. He had all his earrings in and his hair was dyed jet black. There was something seriously wrong with the situation though. It was AJ, but at the same time it wasn’t. He was too young looking AJ had to be around thirty-two years old by now, but this AJ didn’t look a day over twenty three at the most.
“AJ?” Nick says again.
The figure shrugs in reply, “Whatever you call me is fine.”
“But you’re AJ.”
“Am I? How would you know? Do you even know if AJ McLean is alive at this moment now? Do you know where he lives? Do you know his children’s names?”
“What the hell are you doing in my house? And who the hell are you?”
“Do you really wanna know?” AJ asks locking eyes with him.
“Yes.”
“I’m the ghost of Christmas past Nicky boy,” he says and smiles broadly.
“Let me get this straight,” Nick says walking around his kitchen as AJ sits perched on a counter top stuffing grapes into his mouth, “You’re AJ.”
AJ nods then shakes his head no.
“What’s that mean?”
“Yes and no.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“Yes, I’m a “form” of AJ, but I’m not really AJ.”
“Okkk, and you’re the ghost of Christmas past?”
AJ nods.
“It’s not even freakin Christmas yet!”
“You’re point being?”
“What the hell are you doing here?”
“To teach you a lesson Nicky boy. Listen this isn’t some kind of Charles Dickens shit. This is us dealing with your problems. Christmas was just put in there, so you can see how wonderful Mr. Scrooge became afterward. Yay, Christmas free food for every one, bullllllshitttt.”
“Who is us?”
AJ points upwards.
“God?”
“Couldddd be. Well anyway lets get to work,” AJ says hopping off the counter top and rubbing his hands together.
Nick stares at him.
“I’m already behind schedule,” AJ sighs and raises a hand then snaps his fingers.
Nick looks around at the familiar seen of a tour bus as AJ appears next to him and sits on a table.
“Where the hell are we?”
“Don’t you recognize this place?”
“It’s a bus wow.”
“Damn you are a pain in the ass now. This is the Millennium tour bus. You know only your highest selling album ever.”
“I know what you’re talking about.”
AJ makes a face at him as the door to the bus opens and Brian bounds on carrying one of his dogs. Nick stares at Brian as he makes his way to the back of the bus and lets on a scream. AJ looks toward the back as Tyke comes running out and starts barking at the back. Brian comes running back towards the front covered in shaving cream and feathers wiping his eyes free at the same time.
“I swear I’m gonna get you back so bad you little shit,” Brian says towards the back of the bus.
“Yeah I wanna see you try it,” a voice says and Nick looks back to see himself walking to the front of the bus, “Cause I am and always will be Nick the great.”
“You are so full of yourself,” AJ says and walks into the bus followed by Kevin and Howie.
Nick stares at all of them and then looks back over at AJ who is shaking his head and has his hand over his face.
“What the hell was I thinking,” AJ mumbles, “It looks like a dog pissed on my head.”
Nick looks back at the group of all too familiar faces and watched as AJ and Kevin start to pull feathers off of Brian.
“I hate you so much right now,” Brian smiles at Nick before wiping shaving cream off his face and hitting Nick on the side of the head with it.
“That went into my ear you idiot,” Nick yells.
“You deserve it,” Brian laughs.
“So how’s Brian been doing?” AJ looks at Nick.
“Huh?” Nick asks as he walks closer to Brian and waves a hand through him, “Weird.”
“How’s Brian? He was you’re best friend wasn’t he?”
Nick looks at him, “He’s doing fine I guess.”
“You sure about that?”
“Yeah.”
“When was the last time you talked to him?”
“I dunno.”
“A year and three months ago,” AJ corrects and shakes his head, “Even less for the others. You haven’t talked to Kevin in two years. Whatever happened to being family? Actually whatever happened to family for you in general?”
Nick stares at him.
“These are the good memories right? Shows, albums, laughs. Enjoy your time with me. Present is gonna screw you over and future is even worse. You’re brain better wake up.”
“What are trying to show me? How horrible of a person I became?”
“Yes and no.”
“Then what?”
“Can’t tell you that you have to learn that yourself,” AJ says and snaps his fingers.
Nick looks around a gray meeting room as the five members of the Backstreet Boys sit around a table facing each other. AJ is standing in a corner motioning for him to get closer to the table.
“What the hell is your problem?” AJ asks Kevin.
“My problem? It’s not my problem it’s our problem. We are getting seriously fucked in this contract.”
“We can’t get out of it,” Howie says.
“Well maybe if we didn’t go to this label in the first place we wouldn’t be in this situation right now,” Nick says glaring at Kevin.
Kevin stares at him, “What the hell does that mean?”
“What do you think it means?”
“Guys calm down,” Brian says.
“You know what Nick you are becoming a serious pain in the ass lately,” Kevin says.
“Me? Maybe if you didn’t boss us all around as much as you do I wouldn’t be.”
“Boss you around? You deserve it because you are taking stupid risks with your money and your health. I’m sorry for taking an interest in your well being.”
“Maybe you should just back the fuck off then!”
“Maybe I will,” Kevin says.
“Fine go right ahead,” Nick says.
Brian looks from one of them to the other.
“Alright then I QUIT,” Kevin yells standing up and storming out of the room.
“Oh Mr. Big Hot Shot quits. Right you’ll be back,” Nick says.
Nick stares at himself then at the faces of the other three members in the room.
“Oh God no. Oh God no,” it was Brian’s voice, but Brian wasn’t saying anything, “Don’t let this happen. Don’t let this happen. This can’t happen to us. What did we do wrong?”
Nick looks over at Howie.
“No. No. No. No. Damnit. No. Not now. Not now,” Howie’s voice says inside Nick’s head.
“This can’t happen to us. Not us,” AJ’s voice fills his head, “Not us.”
“It only gets worse,” AJ says from the side of the room with his sweatshirt hood over his head once again, “It only gets worse,” he says again and raises a hand and snaps his fingers.
Nick looks around an office room and out the door at some cubicles.
“AJ? AJ where the hell are you?”
“This isn’t his job,” a voice says from the corner of the wall behind him.
Nick turns around to see a figure dressed in the same attire as AJ, but shorter.
“Howie?”
“Present.”
“Where the hell am I?”
Howie spreads his hands out in front of him, “Wait and see.”
“This is what I think,” a familiar voice says from down the hall as it comes closer to the room, “I think that death can’t be prevented. I think people die because they are meant to die or they are “saved from death” because that is meant to happen. I don’t think you can stop death,” the voice says as a figure walks into the room.
It was AJ.
“I think you’re full of shit. How do you explain me then?” a voice says and Nick steps back as Brian walks into the room.
“You’re…you’re on of those unexplained events that happens,” AJ says, “You talk to Kev lately.”
“Yeah. You’re coming over on Sunday right for dinner with Ann and the kids right?”
“Yeah, she’s looking forward to not cooking for once cause I burn toast and am useless in that area.”
“Good, Howie is coming too and Kev probably.”
“You talk to Nick.”
“I called him,” Brian says and sighs, “As usual I got a recording. I can never get a hold of him. You ever wonder why he doesn’t call us?”
“Because he’s a shit head whose full of himself,” AJ says and Nick stares at him, “He doesn’t care about us Brian when will you admit that?”
“He’s still my best friend AJ.”
“He doesn’t care about us Brian. He gave up. It’s as simple as that. He didn’t come to my wedding. I invited him to be an usher and he didn’t come. Not even a fucking card. I invited to my kids Baptisms and nothing. He gave up on us Bri.”
Howie walks up next to Nick and looks up at him.
“I had meetings,” Nick says still staring at Brian and AJ.
“Right of course,” Howie says as Nick walks around to the desk in the room and looks at the pictures on it.
It was AJ’s office. He had a picture of his wife Ann form their wedding day and pictures of his two kids Blaire and Jezebel. There was a picture of his kids on their front yard playing with a white German shepherd and one of him holding both his kids up with Ann by his side. And of course there was a picture of his mom next to his wedding picture. Blaire had to be around two now and Jezebel was one.
“Picture perfect,” Howie says and Nick looks up at him, “Brian has some too you know. Two little girls, twins Sarah and Kate. You met them. They’re six now and Leigh Ann’s going to have another baby soon. It’s gonna be a boy.”
Nick looks over at Brian who is still talking to AJ about something, “They work together?”
“Started a business together. They’re doing pretty good on their own, not as good as you of course. We still have two more stops to make,” Howie says.
“Wait…”
Howie shakes his head no and snaps his fingers.
“Boo,” a small boy says from behind a tree as Nick jumps back and the boy runs past him.
“Get back here Seth,” a voice says from behind him and Nick turns to see Kevin jogging slowly up to the small boy and picking him up.
“Well he cut his hair at least,” Nick says staring at Kevin.
“That’s all you notice?” Howie stares at him.
Nick looks back over at Kevin and looks him up and down. He had a brace on his right knee and was limping as he jogged.
“What’s wrong with him?”
“He’s got a bad knee. It gave out on him a year ago of course you wouldn’t know that would you. He’s been through two surgeries already.”
“That’s the least of his problems though.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Kevin’s thirty nine Nick. He’s only getting older too. His father died of it and he’s on surveillance now because of that.”
“Kevin has cancer?”
Howie nods, “He doesn’t know it yet. No one does.”
Nick stares as Kevin picks up his son and spins him around.
“Oh God,” Nick mutters, “What about you?”
“Me?” Howie asks, “I’m doing ok. I got a nice house and a fiancé now. My business is doing great and we’re opening up another club in New York City this week. I called you for the opening, but your secretary said you had a board meeting in California.”
“How bad is future?”
“Bad.”
“Is it Kevin?”
“No.”
“Brian?”
“No.”
“Who?”
“You’ll see,” Howie looks up at him and snaps his fingers.
Nick looks around his den and stares at his TV in front of him. He looks over to his left and sees a figure dressed similarly to AJ and Howie sitting in a leather chair with a black sweatshirt hood over his head. He holds up the TV remote and turns on the TV,
“Kevin?” Nick looks at him.
He shakes his head no and points as the TV screen fills with an MTV news update. A young man’s face fills the screen and Nick smirks.
“I guess Kurt Loder isn’t around anymore huh?”
The figure points to the screen again.
~This is an MTV News breaking story. AJ McLean from the pop group the Backstreet Boys has died from apparent alcohol poisoning today at 10:15 pm. His body was found lying on his living room couch with a blood alcohol percentage well over the legal limit. He leaves behind a wife and three children. Our prayers are with his family at this time. ~
Nick stares at the screen as the channel changes to VH1 behind the music.
~And yet another crushing blow came to the Backstreet Boys years after their breakup when member Kevin Richardson died on September 23, 2023 losing his battle with cancer after years of going in and out of the hospital. The eldest Boy did his last appearance to the other patients in the hospital a month earlier with two other members of the once biggest group in the world. ~
Nick looks over at the figure again as he switches the channel to E to the E True Hollywood story of the Backstreet Boys.
~With only three remaining members left of the once biggest pop act in the world Howie Dorough decided he had been through enough and on the night of January 7,2019 he ended all the pain once and for all. At 8:17 pm Howie Dorough went out into his backyard with a small handgun and fired one shot into his head ending the show for good. ~
Nick stares at the screen and over at the figure, “He said he was ok. He said he was doing fine. He said AJ had the perfect fucking family.”
The figure looks at him and shakes his head switching the channel to a local station as the news comes on.
“Oh God no,” Nick mutters.
~Brian Littrell one of the two remaining members of the Backstreet Boys is dead today after suffering from a massive heart attack at the age of fifty two. Brian leaves behind a wife, four children and nine grandchildren. The family has yet to comment on his funeral arrangements. ~
“What about me?” Nick looks at the figure.
“You?” it say, “You’re fine. You die at the age of ninety eight.”
“Why the hell do I live so long?”
“What does it matter Nick? You’re fine. That’s what you cared about right? Yourself?”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“That’s what you cared about right Nick,” the figure asks and stares at Nick.
Nick stares at the person and backs up with wide eyes. Nick was staring at one thing that scarred him more then anything. He was looking eye to eye at himself.
“Have fun Nick,” he says and snaps his fingers.
“Doorbell!” AJ yells sitting down on Brian’s floor with his son Blaire.
“I got it. I got it,” Brian says running over to the door and opening it, “Oh boy,” he mutters.
“Who is it?” Kev asks.
“Come in,” Brian says and walks into the house as Nick follows in behind him.
AJ, Kevin and Howie stop to stare at him.
“Well look who finally came back,” AJ says, “What happened your business get sick of your attitude?”
“I’m sorry,” Nick looks at him and AJ stares back at Nick.
“What?”
“I’m sorry to all you guys. I mean it. I’ve been an ass.”
“Bigger then an ass,” AJ adds.
“Ok bigger, but I’m sorry.”
Brian nods and smiles at Nick, “It’s good to have you back.”
“Thanks,” Nick smiles at Brian. He could always rely on Brian, “Guys?”
“It’s a start,” AJ says as Kevin and Howie nod in agreement.
“A start is good,” Nick says, “It’s just fine.”
