“Hey bro, let’s go play b-ball or something,” Nick tries to take Brian’s mind off of what had happened this morning.
“I’m not in the mood,” Brian mutters, folding his arms.
“Well you gotta do SOMETHING. You can’t just sit here all day,” Nick exclaims. The two guys are sat in the hotel lobby where they’ve been ever since Jade and Ali had left. JC has disappeared to his room and the other Backstreet Boys went on their Grand Canyon trip after Brian had insisted they go. Nick had stayed to keep his friend company.
“I have to wait for Jade to get back,” Brian says and then sits up suddenly. “JC IS here? You don’t think he sneaked out after her?!” he looks panicked and Nick sighs.
“We woulda seen him.”
“There’s probably a back exit,” Brian says.
“Fine. I’ll go check on him,” Nick stands up. “You stay here.”
“Ok. Thanks,” Brian says and Nick heads off to the hotel desk to charm JC’s room number out of the girl. He succeeds and five minutes later is knocking in the door. JC opens it pretty quickly with a smile that fades when he realises it is Nick and not Jade.
“You’re still here then,” Nick says without a smile.
“Obviously,” JC folds his arms.
“You should leave. This is nothing to do with you.”
“I care about Jade,” JC states.
“Well she doesn’t care about you. She loves Brian. It is SO obvious when they’re together.”
“Really? Then why did she kiss me?”
“Maybe she’d been drinking.”
“Nup,” JC shakes his head. “I spent the whole night with her and neither of us drank anything stronger than coffee. She kissed me because she wanted to.”
“Well she doesn’t want you now.”
“I didn’t hear her tell me to leave. Did you?” JC raises an eyebrow.
“Because she’s confused!” Nick finally loses his self-restraint and yells. “If you really care you’d leave now. Don’t you see what this is doing to Brian?!”
“I’m sorry about that,” JC shrugs. “But it’s Jade I’m concerned about. And the only way I’ll leave here is if she asks me to or if she comes with me.”
“That’ll never happen!” Nick reddens.
“Don’t bet your life-savings,” JC says calmly and shuts the door.
“BASTARD!” Nick hits the door angrily and walks away. He’s calmed down a little by the time he gets to Brian. “Don’t worry. He’s still there and goin’ nowhere.”
“Thanks.”
“Why don’t we go sit in the bar and watch a little TV?” Nick suggests. “You can see the entrance from in there just as well.”
“Fine,” Brian sighs and they move into the bar. “Double whiskey,” he orders.
“Ya sure that’s advisable?” Nick gives him a look.
Before Brian can answer, their attention is captured by an MTV news article.
“Hot on the heels of the Britney Spears-Justin Timberlake break-up comes another revelation,” says the presenter as a picture of the Backstreet Boys flashes up on the screen. “Backstreet Boy Brian Littrell has split from his long-term girlfriend, writer Jade Greene. In a twist that you just couldn’t dream up, Greene has been cited as the reason for the NSync heartthrob’s bust-up with Britney. As our hot pictures show, the twosome have been spotted hugging in LA.” A succession of pictures of Justin and Jade laughing together and hugging flashes across the screen as the presenter keeps talking. “There’s no word yet from official sources but unofficially, the couple seem to be a hot new item.” The presenter moves on to another story and Nick stares at Brian in shock. Brian has paled and is now clutching a whiskey.
“I think it’s VERY advisable,” he mutters before downing it.
“It HAS to be over now,” Nick says quietly. “You and Jade.”
“Pictures lie.”
“I know but this whole thing with JC… How can you be with her knowing that she liked another guy that much? She didn’t even tell him to leave!”
“I know,” Brian sighs. “But I love her and I know we can work through it.”
“Ohhh fuuuuck,” Jade groans as we finish watching the MTV news report of her “dating” Justin. “This is JUST what I need right now.” She drops her head down on the table as people in the diner give her curious looks. I guess they recognised her from the TV report. I give them a quick smile and lay my hand on her arm.
“We should leave. People have recognised you.”
“As the slut that I am?!” she mutters, looking up.
“You’re not a slut Jade,” I tell her and stand up. “C’mon,” I grab her arm and she stands up.
“Where to?”
“The hotel?” I ask.
“No friggin’ way!”
“Ok, fine. You think of somewhere then,” we leave the diner and stand in the street for a minute.
“I don’t know this place!” she exclaims.
“Then let’s go back to the hotel. We can get to your room easily without anyone seeing us.”
“Fine,” she gives up and we catch a cab.
Twenty minutes later we’re walking into the hotel lobby. We head towards the elevators and I press the call button.
“JADE!”
We both turn around to see Brian and Nick coming towards us and Jade groans quietly.
“Guys,” I step forward and stop them before they reach Jade. “You really need to let Jade have a little time to herself.”
“But she’s not by herself. She’s with you!” Brian comments.
“Fine. Time away from YOU,” I correct. “She doesn’t want to talk to you Brian.”
“How can you be with her Ali?!” Nick asks angrily. “After what she’s done to Brian!”
“Jade is my friend,” I tell him firmly. “And Brian is just as much to blame as she is!!”
“BRIAN!” Jade yells and I turn around just in time to see Brian bundle her into the elevator and the door shuts.
“Fuck,” I exclaim and push the call button repeatedly. It’s too late and the display tells me the elevator has moved up a floor. “I don’t BELIEVE this! Doesn’t that guy understand the meaning of space?!” I rant while Nick smirks annoyingly at me. “You planned this! Start arguing with me so Brian could sneak by!”
“We didn’t but I really wish we had!” he smirks.