“We’ll stop, we promise,” they stated in unison.
“What’s with you two arguing all the time lately any ways?” Nick questioned. “I thought you were best buds and all.”
“Nick, that’s when we were young and dumb,” Stevie shot back. “Now we gotta fend for ourselves, not each other; we can’t be so dependent on one another.”
Lenore stood there looking quite hurt. “Is that how you really feel? She asked quietly. “You don’t like it when I tag along, do you?”
“Lenore, it used to be cute, but now it’s getting rather annoying,” Stevie riposted. “Ya know how many girls say they’d love to go out with me, but won’t, knowing for a fact that you’ll wanna tag along?”
“I wouldn’t tag along,” Lenore insisted. “I’d just ask ya for details when ya got home.”
“Yeah, I’m sure,” he responded. “How come you never go out with other guys?”
“Why should I, they’re all creeps,” she lied. “I don’t like any of then anyhow, so why should I even bother?”
“Don’t lie I know ya like a couple guys from school; it says so in ya diary,” he replicated. “Why don’t ya ever go out with them? Why don’t ya hang with your friends either?”
“Ya want the truth?” Lenore queried sullenly. “If ya do, I’ll give ya the truth.”
“I want the truth,” Stevie answered. “Now.”
“The truth is, they know I like them, but they won’t go out with me,” she replied. “Katie, Kerrie, and Erika are my only friends and they’re always busy.”
“Why won’t the guys go out with you?” A.J. interrogated. “Why do ya only have three friends?”
“The guys are afraid of Stevie and the rest of ya; they think I’m easy too,” she rejoined. “I only have three friends, because they’re the only ones you like me for me, and not because my older brother, cousin, and their friends are Backstreet Boys!”
“Why do they all think you’re easy?” Howie questioned. “Where would they get an idea like that?”
“Stevie’s ex-girlfriend,” Lenore riposted. “She figures I’m the reason they broke up, and decided to ruin my rep. Thing is, she can’t ruin it that much, ‘cause I’m related to two of the Backstreet Boys, which is probably the only reason half the people at school still talk to me.”
Kevin said, “That’s not right, can’t ya do anything about it?”
“Ya don’t think I’ve tried?” Lenore responded. “Ya know how many people threaten to beat me up unless I get them an autograph?”
“Ya never told me that,” Stevie riposted. “Why didn’t ya tell me? I would have kicked their butts all the way to Tim-buck-two.”
“That’s why they never carry out the threat,” Lenore giggled. “I told them that my big brother would whoop their butts so bad that their grandchildren’s grandchildren would be able to feel their pain.”
“Stevie laughed, “They actually believed you? They really think I’d kick their butts that bad?”
“Who says they’re afraid of you?” Lenore asked. “I never said which big brother, now did I?”
“Ya mean they think that one of us would kick their butts?” Nick smiled, indicating him and the other Boys. “Man, are you ever good to have then believing that.”
“I know; they’re too stupid to figure out that a Backstreet Boy would never hurt their fans,” Lenore stated, then she queried softly, “Any ways, Stevie, do ya really hate me following ya around all the time?”
“Yes!” Stevie replicated. “You’re really starting to annoy me.”
“Fine, then I won’t follow ya around anymore,” Lenore retorted, very offended. “In fact I won’t even hang with ya when ya want me too; I won’t talk to ya anymore either!” With that she stormed off in search of someone who’d appreciate her. She could hear Brian and them calling her back, but she ignored them and kept on walking. She couldn’t believe that after all these years, Stevie really hated having her tag along. She finally found a quiet corner where she could have some privacy. Lenore sat down on the floor and started to cry; she couldn’t believe that he hated having her hang with him, after they’d been hanging together her whole life. “Maybe that’s why he hates it,” she thought to herself. “Maybe I’ve been with him to long and really do need to get a life, so that he can get on with his.” Lenore sat there for about two hours before she decided she’d better go find the guys and apologize for disappearing like that. She knew that they were probably worried that something bad had happened to her. No matter where she looked she couldn’t seem to find them anywhere, which started to scare her, for she knew they’d never leave without her unless they had a very good reason.
