Chapter 23

"Alright!" the bus driver said as we pulled up to the arena, "get off my damn bus, you slobs!"

We all laughed gathering our stuff.

"Are we practicing?" Ashley asked taking her bag off of her bunk.

"Yep, after the guys do the sound check" I said walking off of the bus.

"Hi Honey" Denise smiled

"Hi Denise" I smiled weakly, "did you hear?"

"Hear what?" she asked walking with me to the backstage

"AJ and I broke up"

"What!" she said almost choking, "What the hell is wrong with my son?"

"I dunno, we were just arguing, then he goes, 'Then we should be together anymore'"

"Oh, honny, I'll talk to him"

"No, don't, if he wants me back, he'll come to me. Maybe he's right"

"Alright" she sighed, " I think you guys will get back together."

"I hope, Ok, I gotta get ready, see ya later" I said walking off. I walked past the guys' dressing room and saw AJ laying there with his arm over his eyes. I walked to the next door and went in.

"good, you're here" Fatima exclaimed, "big change of plans!"

"What?" I asked sitting next to Kristian

"Ok, Nicole is back there pucking her brains out so we're short a dancer. This is gonig to mess up when you guys get off the stage so we're taking the jumpsuit outfits out of larger than life and we're going back to the slit skirts and black nylons with bloomers. You guys are wearing the black dock martins and the band-ade tops." She said quickly while pulling stuff out, "Shit, I need the other rack from the boy's dressing room. Erin and Kristian since you're by the door, run down to their room and ask them for the rack with the opening outfits."

"Ok" we said getting up. We walked next door.

"I'm confused, how are we supposed to do the larger than life dance in those outfits?" Kristian asked opening the door.

"Yah I know, cause in those outfits, we're half naked and then we have to change into those other outfits for show me the meaning..and that's like a 50 second thing" I said as we walked in.

"Hey ladies" Nick said taking a bite of a sandwhich.

"Hey" we smiled as AJ sat up.

"Fatima sent us in here for the opening clothes"

"All the clothes are against the wall" Kevin said looking up fromt eh football game that was on the TV.

"Thanks" I said walking around him

"Guess what?" Kristian said sitting between Nick and Brian

"What?"

"Nicole's pregnant"

"What!" they all exclaimed

"Kris, where'd you hear that?" I asked

"Well, if you were on our bus more often, you'd see her get up at the crack of damn and puke."

"Does tima know?"Brian asked

"Nope, she thinks she's just sick"

"does she have a boyfriend?"I asked

"Nope, hey Nicky, are you still bangin her?"

"No, but somebody else in here did"

"Who?" I asked looking through the clothes for mine.

"Can't tell"

"You don't even know!" I laughed

"I swear!"

"Whatever Nicky" We said taking the rack out.

"Do you think that's true?" Kristian asked walking with me

"I dunno, he acted like he was telling the truth. I wonder who it was?"

"Well it was one of the guys. AJ was with you, so it probab;y wasn't him. I know it wasn't Kevin and Brian. Nick said it wasn't him. Then there's Howie....well enough said"

"Do you think it was Aj?" I asked walking in the room.

She didn't say anything for a minute, "Ummm, honny, I don't know. But all the signs point to him"

"I'm gonna ask her" I said

~*~ one hour before the conert~*~

"Tima, I'm fine" Nicole whinned as Fatima tried to change some of the formation as the dancers and Backstreet Boys stood on the stage.

"It would be a lot easier to let her dance." Fatima muttered looking at us all."Ok, Nicole, if you feel sick just get off the stage and everyone else just work around it."

"K" we nodded

"Alright, they're about to open the doors so go backstage" She said walking off. We all went back to our dressing rooms.

"Nicole" I asked

"Yea?" She said sitting next to me.

"Did you, ummm, sleep with AJ?"

"n-no" she said looking away, "What would make you think that?"

"You did didn't you?"

"If I tell you, please don't be mad at me. It really wasn't my whole fault"

"What happened?"

"We were just chillin, and he kissed me. Then we got into it and it just happened."

"He's the one who kissed you?" I asked standing up with tears in my eyes

"Yea" she nodded

"Ok" I said walking away. I burst out into tears. I walked next door to their dressing room and knocked.

"Yea?" someone called

"It's Erin" I cried

Nick opened the door, "Whoa, what's wrong?"

"AJ, I have to talk to you" I said from the door way.

"Uhh, ok" he said standing up. He followed me out into the hallway, "Let me start first."

"Fine" I said looking away

"Honny, I'm sorry I broke it off, there's just some stuff going on, and I thought that it would be best to break up, but I do need you"

"I don't give a fuck if you need me!" I said as more tears fell, "You cheated on me!"

"What? what are you talking about?"

"Oh, don't bull shit me! Nicole told me! and now she's fuckin pregnant with your baby!"

"But--well..I mean I..."

"Fuck you! I hate you and I NEVER want to talk to you again!!" I screamed

"Baby..."

"No! Don't ever talk to me again. Actually you know what! Don't even LOOK at me again!"

"At least let me explain!"

"Explain what AJ? That I don't satisfy you so you have to go sleep with anyone who will open her legs? And then you didn't even have enough respect for me to use a condom!"

He didn't say anything. I looked at him one last time before walking away. I went and sat on a couch in the lobby. I stared at the wall while letting the tears pour out of my eyes.

"Excuse me?" A small voice said.

I looked up and saw the little girl from the hotel. "Yes?" I asked wiping away my tears.

"Why are you crying?" she asked sitting next to me.

"It's nothing" I said fixing my costume. "How'd you get backstage?" I asked standing up.

"My mommy works here"

"Oh" I nodded, "did you want to meet the boys?"

"Oh, yes!"

"Come on sweetie" I smiled. I walked to their door and peeked in. They all looked at me, "There's a little girl outside who wants to meet you guys."

"ok" they said as I closed the door, "ok hun, go sit over there, they'll be out soon" I walked back to the dressing room. I sat on the couch between Swoop and Kristian.

"You ok?" she said

"No" I said shaking my head.