Just then, there was a knock on the door.
“Come in,” I said quickly.
“Hey,” Nick came in, with Brian behind him.
“Hi, what’s up?” I asked.
“Long ride up North to Charlotte. Didn’t want you all to have to be alone for all of it,” Nick said.
Carmen smiled, knowing what Nick was up to.
“Great show,” she said. I guess she knew there was no hope to talk to Kevin tonight, so it wouldn’t hurt to talk to him a little.
“Thanks,” Nick smiled, sitting down on the couch.
Carmen opened the fridge and pulled out a Coke. “Anyone want anything?”
She threw me a bottle of water before I even answered. “You know me so well,” I laughed.
“How much of the show did you get to see?” Brian asked me, as Nick began asking Carmen questions about herself.
“Most of it. I think I caught all of it but the first half hour or so. It was a really good show. It’ll be perfect once you guys have done the show a few times live. The fans were going crazy- they loved it! My favorite part, though, had to be when Nick messed up during the Everybody dance.”
Nick interrupted his conversation long enough to mention that it could happen to anyone.
“Nick, you should’ve just looked at anyone in the audience- everyone else seems to remember, even if you don't!,” I laughed and turned to Brian. “Oh, and thank you for the rose and the note. Roses are my favorite! What would you have done if I’d frozen up on the stage or something?” I asked, blushing slightly and thinking about the note. Why did I always get this way around him?
“I knew you wouldn’t,” Brian smiled, his blue eyes sparkling.
Nick had followed Carmen to the other room of the bus. She was going to make sure all of her stuff was packed.
“So, did Nick drag you with him so he could try to hit on Carmen one last time?” I lowered my voice so they couldn’t hear me.
Brian grinned. “Yeah, he doesn’t have much of a poker face, does he? But I was more than happy to distract you for him.”
I blushed again. “So is that what you’re doing? Distracting me?”
“That depends. Are you distracted?” he gazed into my eyes. Was he starting to lean closer?
And closer.
But, just then, the bus lurched to a sudden stop. I started to fall, but Brian, who had already been leaning on the rail by the door, grabbed my arm and kept me upright.
I looked at him. A second ago, had he almost...?
“Ouch,” I heard Carmen cry. They were in the doorway. Nick had fallen on her leg.
“Sorry,” he helped her up.
She grimaced, but quickly smiled. “It’s okay."
“Geez, Carter, first the Everybody dance, now you can’t even stand upright?” Brian joked.
Carmen caught my eyes meaningfully and raised her eyebrows. Brian was still holding my arm.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The next day was really depressing.
“It’s going to be so boring without you,” I told Carmen. “That tour bus is going to be so empty.”
Carmen laughed. “No, it won’t. I can think of a certain boy-next-door... well, more like boy-next-tour bus.... who will probably be in there a lot.”
I started to say something, but she beat me to it.
“No, don’t start. You two were up half the night talking.”
“So were you and Nick...” I reasoned.
“And he’s interested in me, isn’t he? He asked me if I’d have any free time to come back out while they were on tour so we could go out.”
“Really? What did you say?”
Carmen shrugged. “Had to decline. He’s not the tall, dark, and handsome brooding Backstreet Boy I’ve been going after. I told him that he was very nice, but a little too eager for my taste. But I also said I’d probably end up seeing him again before the tour was over with, so we could hang out or something.”
“You told him that he was too eager? Aww, how’d he take it?”
“We’re getting off the subject! What if Brian said something like that to you? What would you say?” Carmen said, picking up her bag.
“I...” why deny it any further. “Do you really think he likes me?”
“Wow, you are so dense sometimes, have I told you that lately? Besides, you sound like a middle schooler!”
I smiled.
“You need to act like you’re interested in him or he’s never going to admit it,” she advised. “Oh, here’s my cab. I’ll try and see you as soon as possible!”
“Bye,” I gave her a hug. “I’ll miss you.”
“And I’ll miss Kevin,” she said. We laughed.
The next morning, Nick invited me to his tour bus. Our show in Charlotte was that night. I was surprised he wanted to talk to me, seeing as how Carmen had gone home.
But she was, of course, the topic of conversation.
“So, do you know when Carmen’s going to come back and see you during the tour?” Nick asked.
“I have no idea. It depends on how her job’s going and when she wants to take time off, I suppose,” I shrugged, sitting on the couch in his massive bus.
A Nintendo 64 was hooked up to the TV and some games were lying everywhere on the floor.
“Hmm... well, what kind of guy does she usually go for?” Nick asked.
I shrugged. “Tall, dark, and handsome, to quote her directly. Are you really that upset over her? You don’t even know her that well. Or is it just because you aren’t used to being rejected by girls? So this is more about your ego.”
“So I haven’t known her long? Haven’t you ever met anyone and just clicked?”
I thought of Brian, but quickly put him out of my mind. “Yeah. Is that how you feel about Carmen?”
Nick nodded. “Although I guess my ego was a little bruised, too,” he laughed. “Want something to eat? I need to get lunch early so I can go through a sound check and everything later.”
I started to answer, when Brian walked in. “Say no more, Carter,” he was holding a pizza. “So this is where you went off to,” he added to me.
“Hmm... I’ll have to remember this. Apparently having August around attracts pizza delivery men,” Nick laughed, scrounging around for some paper plates. He flipped on the radio.
A song that I hadn’t heard came on and Brian and Nick both exchanged glances. “What?” I asked.
“Is that Sandra?” Nick asked incredulously.
“It sure sounds like it... I didn’t think she’d record anything so soon,” Brian said. “I was kind of hoping we’d heard the last from her.”
Chapter Ten
Chapter Twelve
Dreaming of Destiny
Frick's Fairytales