She looked over her mother's gravestone and wondered why. Why had that fanatical woman killed the only person who had ever believed in her. Her mother was Selena, the most beautiful and talented Hispanic female singer to come out in her time. Gina shook her head, trying to forget all the awful memories she had of when she had hidden in that hotel room and heard all that went on between her mother and Yolanda, a crazed fanatic who had pretended to be her mother's friend.
She had been only twelve years old when her mother had been killed. A senseless act of violence for no reason at all. She remembered what her mother had told her about her life and how hard it had been those first ten years. It had been horrible for her after her dad lost the house and they moved into her uncle's house. Her mom had eventually hit it big and Gina really looked up to her mom, even now. Gina dreamed of hitting it big all over the world, in all the Latin countries and everywhere else from United States to Australia.
Gina sighed. The tears had left her a long time ago. All she hoped for now was to make her mom proud of her. She was determined to do so, no matter what it took. No matter how strenuous the work, no matter how many failures, she would never give up. Her mother never had, and neither would she.
Gina left the cemetery, and went to a record label office, Jive was the name. She would record any type of material they wanted, but she would sing some of her mother's songs and like her mother, she would sing in both English and Spanish. She would try and make her mom proud. She pulled up in the parking lot, took a deep breath and got out of her car.
Nick looked up as he saw a girl enter the studio. The other guys looked at her also, and they saw the executive talking with her. She was gorgeous. Long black hair, dark eyes. Golden skin. He wondered where she had come from that she had come in here so suddenly.
The executive came in, smiling broadly. The girl was with him, looking curiously around her.
"You guys, this is Gina Quintanilla. She's Selena’s daughter and wants to record some today, or at least do a voice test. She wants to be like her mother, singing in both English and Spanish.
"Hey guys. You're the Backstreet Boys, right? I'm sorry about intruding on your work if-"
"No, it's okay." Howie said, looking sympathetically at her.
"Why are you looking at me that way?" Gina asked, surprised that she was getting a look like that from a famous musician.
"I'm so sorry about your mother, that's all." Howie replied, looking at her. "You look so much like her."
Tears suddenly sprang to Gina's eyes. She hadn't cried about her mom in four years, and she thought she was over it now, but obviously not.
"Thank you very much. I actually haven't cried about her death in years. But I thought it then when I was twelve years old when I buried my mom and I still think so now that it was a huge waste. But hey, enough with that. You guys wanna do a duet?" she asked, wiping the tears away.
Nick was stunned. Selena's daughter? If she had even a fraction of her mother's talent, she'd be an overnight international superstar.
All the guys' faces lit up at the mention of a duet. They hadn't done one with anybody since the Shania Twain gig. This girl was bound to have a glorious voice and the prospect of doing a duet was irresistible.
Nick spoke up for them all. "Sure! I personally would love to!" he said.
Gina looked at him and smiled. Nick blushed, and she put a hand on his shoulder.
"It's okay, I won't bite you. I'm no legend like my mother was, and if I ever get to be that successful, I'll be damned thankful."
"That's a cool attitude." AJ observed. "This business is really all-consuming, though."
Gina nodded. "I don't pretend not to know that. I grew up basically on Big Bertha, the tour bus with my mom, dad and all the family. The tours were constant, but she never faltered. It was always hard, and we never really settled down. But no matter what, through good times and bad, we always had each other. That's all that counted."
"That must have been really hard, growing up on a tour bus. That's even more experience in the business than Nick has, and he was auditioning as young as six."
"Not really. You auditioned as young as six? Wow! I was writing songs at the time, and singing them on the bus, but I only went onstage a few times with my mom, and it was scary."
"Well, if you go onstage and you're not nervous, something's wrong." Nick said, looking seriously at Gina. She nodded.
"I am nervous just about this voice test, but this will change my life forever, no matter what is decided here today."
"Ok well then, let's get cracking!" the executive said excitedly, putting the headphones over Gina's ears and letting have free rein of the recording mic.
"Kay, I'm gonna sing ‘I Turn To You’ by Christina Aguilera." The executive nodded. Gina began to sing, and everyone was left standing open-mouthed staring at her with incredulity. Her voice was ten times what her mother's had been.
“When I'm lost in the rain
In your eyes I know I'll find the light
To light my way
And when I'm scared
And losing ground
When my world is going crazy
You can turn it all around
And when I'm down you're there
Pushing me to the top
You're always there giving me all you've got
For a shield from the storm
For a friend, for a love
to keep me safe and warm
I turn to you
For the strength to be strong
For the will to carry on
For everything you do
For everything that's true
I turn to you
When I lose the will to win
I just reach for you
And I can reach the sky again
I can do anything
'Cause your love is so amazing
'Cause your love inspires me
And when I need a friend
You're always on my side
Giving me faith
That gets me through the night
For a shield from the storm
For a friend, for a love
To keep me safe and warm
I turn to you
For the strength to be strong
For the will to carry on
For everything you do
For everything that's true
I turn to you
For the arms to be my shelter
Through all the rain
For truth that will never change
For someone to lean on
For a heart I can rely on through anything
For that one who I can run to...
For a shield from the storm
For a friend, for a love
To keep me safe and warm
I turn to you
For the strength to be strong
For the will to carry on
For everything you do
For everything that's true
I turn to you
For a shield from the storm
For a friend, for a love
To keep me safe and warm
I turn to you
For the strength to be strong
For the will to carry on
For everything you do
For everything that's true
I turn to you
I turn to you…”
"There! How was it?" Gina asked cautiously, looking around at the astounded faces of the Backstreet boys and the executives.
"You're in! No questions asked! You are perfect!" the executive exclaimed, rushing to shake Gina's hand. Gina calmly thanked him, then smiled broadly.
"BSB is having a summer tour. Since you get along well with the guys, you'll be their opening act."
"Are you kidding me? Wow!" Gina exclaimed happily. "I have to go call my dad and my grandpa. They'll never believe this!"