I wake up in a hotel room. I stretch and look around. I laugh at what I see-JC asleep on the other bed, Lynn with her head on her arms while sitting on the table, Andi out cold at the foot of JC's bed, Justin and Joey between the two beds, Chris at the foot of my bed, and Lance between the other side of the bed and the wall. I look for my bags and find them next to the bathroom door. I sit still for a minute before standing on the bed, walking off the edge of the bed, making sure to not fall on Chris to get to my bags. I find a note on it that makes smile. 'We thought you might be up before us so we put your gym bag by the bathroom door. You woke up for all of less than minute at the airport & we have proof from when you fell asleep on the plane. Take your shower before we get up. -Chris, Joey, JC, Justin, Lance, Lynn & Andi'. I go in my bag, grab my shower stuff, jeans, a football jersey (Justin's gonna smile about it-Tennessee Titans), a thermal shirt, a tank top, socks and underclothes. I go in the bathroom, strip, wash up in the shower and got dressed. I open the bathroom door and started brushing my teeth. I hear someone moving and shuffle toward the bathroom door. I look in the mirror and see Lance leaning on the door frame, causing me to quickly look down to hide the fact that I'm blushing. "Morning, Jazz."

I smile at him as I look at him in the mirror. He's wearing pj pants and no shirt, he looks good. "Mornin, James." He crosses his arms over his chest and watches me swish mouthwash in my mouth while I rinse my toothbrush. My cell rings as I spit the mouthwash out. "Could you please bring me my cell?"

"Here." He puts my cell next to my mouthwash and points to the room as I answer it.

"Thanks." I pick up. "Hello?"

"Hello, beautiful."
"Hey, Nick."

"We didn't talk yesterday."

"I got wrapped up in the studio."

"I know how that can be."

"We were there for 13 or 14 hours and it only felt like 3. Then we had to fly from Stockholm to Dublin and I just got done taking a shower and brushing my teeth. No, I'm not naked." I step over Chris onto the bed and lay across the center of the bed with my head hanging off as I continue to talk to Nick.

"So what are you doing today?"

"I dunno. James just got in the shower and he is the one that takes care of that."

"I have today and tomorrow off."
"Sweetness."
"Do you want to spend it together?"

"I have to speak with my keeper." I hear someone knock on the door to the hotel. "Who's at the door at this hour?"

"I have no idea. Maybe you should get up and check."

I stand on the bed, jump on the foot of JC's bed, and jump off it, landing by the door. I have my hand on the doorknob, Think for a second and dismiss it. "Nah, he wouldn't dare."

"What?"

I open the door and realize that I'm looking at a guy's chest. He's wearing a black Nike jersey with the number 80 on it, blue jeans, white sneakers with blue designs, and he has a silver chain around his right wrist. "Are you gonna look at my face?" I slowly look up and realize it's Nick, I quickly pop my head back in the room.

I see Lance. "James, hand me a key card, please? I'm gonna have Derek come with me. I'm going out for a bit."
He hands me a key card and looks at me funny. "Thanks." I shut the door and Derek's coming outta his room. "D!" I run up and hug him. "Hey, could you come with us and just make sure we don't get mobbed?"

"Baby J Girl, is that Nick Carter?"

"Yeah, and it's exactly why I need you to come with me. Please?" I pretend to pout and give the big puppy dog eyes.

"You told one of the guys?"

"Told Pez. He knows I'm going out."

"Alright, just let me grab my cell phone and key card. We'll go."

"Thanks, Derek!" He grabs his cell and key card and we leave as fast as we can, before any of the others can wake up.

"Why are you in such a rush to get out of there?" Derek asks me after we get almost a block away from the hotel.

I realize Nick let himself fall into step with me. I turn around and face Derek, making the three of us stop dead in our tracks. "Last thing I need is Daddy C freaking the fuck out cuz Nicky's here to see me. I didn't know that he knew where I was or that he was coming to see me."

Nick looks at me, smiles bashfully, and hooks his hands behind his head. "You told me you'd be in Dublin today when I talked to you a couple days ago."

I look at him and think back. "We've talk about everything from having siblings to music to jetlag to school to friends, just everything. How the hell can you remember that one little detail?"

"I wrote down most of what you told me. Things like your birthday, your mom's name, even the music you like." He smiles at me.

"Ok, cool kid, name 3 solo artists that I could listen to all day long and never get tired of?"

"Lenny Kravitz, Mariah Carey and Tim McGraw. Your favorite color is anything blue. Your football team of choice is the Dolphins because of Marino. You love the Nightmare On Elm Street and Child's Play movies. Your favorite cartoon is a toss up between Looney Tunes and Rugrats. Your favorite TV shows, which you haven't missed an episode of are Power Rangers and Sonic. You'd rather be working on a car, playing football, dancing, hanging out with your friends, or talking to me. You prefer jeans and sweats to skirts and dresses. You have the most beautiful eyes and freckles. You think your hips are too big, your feet are too small and that you're always going to have to prove yourself for one reason or another. You really don't like your height. Most of all, you don't understand why I even like you."

"Is that off the top of your head?" I'm surprised.

He nods, smiling. "Yeah. I love the sound of your voice." He gently grabs my hand, tugging me so I walk with him. "Your voice is soothing and melodic. Your eyes remind me of my favorite place-the ocean with blue skies. I love how your hips are, the freckles really make your eyes stand out, and how your hair smells."

"Why do you like my hips?"

He stands in front of me and puts his hands on my hips. "I love them because my hands can tell yours from anyone else's. I can stand behind you," he turns me around so my back is against his body, "and your body fits mine in all the ways I've asked for a girl's body to. Your hips are perfect and beautiful."

I let my head fall back so it rests near his shoulder. I look at at him, unsure of why it just feels so right. "But we don't even really know each other." I turn around to face him.

He just smiles. "You just have to trust your heart sometimes."

I shake my head and let it drop to his chest, looking down. "I can't do that."
"Why not?"

"I don't wanna feel the pain of a broken heart. I wanna know he's the one, that he won't hurt me, that I'm not someone he can just use and abuse, that I deserve trust and love and respect, that I actually mean something, that I truly matter, that he loves me, that he does care for me, cares about me, and that he doesn't only want me, but needs me in his life."

Nick curls a finger and placing the middle knuckle under my chin, makes me look him in the eye. He puts his forehead on mine so his hat covers our faces. "Jazz, I know. You said all that before. I need you in my life. I care for and about you. I like you for who you are. You matter to me. You deserve trust, respect and love from everyone in your life. You have so much meaning  that I have a hard time trying to pick one. You matter to me more than you'll ever know. I won't knowingly hurt you. I won't abuse or use you. There's just something about you that makes me want to be near you, talk to you, and want you." He's still looking in my eyes. "I don't know why, but you're guarded and scared. If you need time, I'll wait. I'd love to be your first for something. I'd even love to be the first guy you run to and breakdown crying about anything." I take a deep breath and sigh, turning away from him as I drop my arms to my sides. Nick grabs my hand, interlocking our fingers. "Let's walk to this place I know near here. We can sit and talk. Or are you hungry?"

"Can we get something to go?"

He chuckles softly. "We can." He rubs his thumb on the back of my hand, brings my hand to his mouth and softly kisses the heel of my palm by my wrist, looking into my eyes. "We're just a block away from this little cafe that has some good stuffed waffles." He smiles, nodding.

"Ok."

"Jazz, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."
"Dont get mad, but what do you have to be afraid of that keeps you from letting yourself open up to me?"

"I'm afraid of being hurt, having my heart broken, having the guy tell me he doesn't love me, having him walk away, and afraid to tell him everything about me."

"I don't think that I could walk away from you with a cold heart, I'll always love you in some sense of the word, I'll try not to break your heart, I'll try my hardest not to hurt you, and knowing everything about you should make the bond between real friends and a good guy for you much stronger."

"What do you expect to happen between us?"
"Friendship, trust, confidence, love, laughter, memories."

"You don't expect there to be a relationship or anything like that?"

"Not at all. I don't even expect a kiss. A hug, I do expect today. I don't know what to expect. Howie told me to be myself, Kevin said to be honest, Brian said to tell you what I'm thinking, and AJ told me to impress you."

"Is AJ more concerned with getting laid?"
Nick laughs. "He pretty much is. But I don't wanna be him. I wanna be myself. I want to let you in my life. You're two of my sisters' best friend, my little brother's taping victim, my mom tells me not to scare you away, my dad loves you, my grandma says you're a sweet girl and my grandpa says if I let you get away, he's never gonna let me forget it. Most of my cousins love you. My best friend, Brent, says if I don't get you, he's gonna try."

"I've met bits and pieces of your family. I haven't met Brent other than in passing. I try to spend every weekend at your family's house."

"My mom tells me that you baby sit Sunday through Thursday nights and that you save your money. My dad says you maintain A- averages in everyone of your classes and you took two weeks' worth of work with you out here."

"Yeah, but none of it is due until the end of the month."
"How'd you manage that?"

"I'm ahead in all my classes."

"Didn't you start a month ago?"

"Yeah."

We stop in front of this little bistro cafe. "What fruit do you want inside?"

"Strawberries please."

"So that means in four weeks' time, you've done six weeks worth of work?"

"That's right."

Nick and I walk up to the counter. I look at Derek and he shrugs. Nick faces Derek. "Hungry, man?"
"A little bit."

"What fruit inside?"

"Peaches."

I smile, trying not to laugh and Nick wraps his arm around my shoulders, pulling me close to him. "Can I please have 3 dishes of stuffed waffles?"

The waitress looks at Nick. I speak up, annoyed. "Miss, excuse me."

She looks at me. "I'm sorry. He looks familiar."
"I bet he does. Could we please have 3 stuffed waffles?"

"Sure. What fruit would you like in them?"

"Peaches for the big guy, strawberries for me, and-"

Nick smiles. "I'll have bananas in mine."

"They'll be done in about 15 minutes." She tells us the cost and I pay for it.

"I would've paid."
"Nick, stop."

He puts his hands up like he's surrendering. "So, why is it you wanted to get out of the hotel before anybody else saw me?"

"JC would've blown a gasket, Andi would've kicked your ass, Justin, Chris and Joey would've pranked you and Lance, I have NO clue what he'd do."

"Who do you call 'Daddy C'?"

"JC."

"So he's kinda like Kevin." Nick nods. "What's it like bunking with them?"

I roll my eyes and shake my head. "Let's not go there."

"That bad?"

"I am sometimes and I don't wanna talk about that. Right, D?"

I look at Derek and see his eyes go wide. "If you don't tell him, you know he's gonna find out."

I sigh. "Ok, D. I'll tell you when we get to this place you're talking about."

"It's a ten minute walk from here." Nick smiles and rubs my arm. "Can I ask you something? You don't have to answer if you don't wanna."

"Ask."

"Would you, in a few years maybe, be able to see us together?"

"I live day to day."

He smiles and kisses my forehead. "Thanks for being honest."

The waitress hands Nick the bag and we leave. My mind is reeling as I think about Nick, James, my fears and weighing the options concerning my heart. Just before we get to the top of this beautiful hill over looking a beautiful cove, my cell phone rings. "Hello?"

"Where are you?"

I close my eyes and sigh. "I'm safe and Derek is with me."

"Lance said he heard you talking to someone right outside the hotel room door, a guy."

"Don't fucking worry about it. I'm sure Derek can handle anything that may put me in danger. Right, D?"

"That's right, Baby J Girl."

I hear JC sigh. "YOU'RE MY RESPONSIBILITY! You don't get it, do you? If anything happens to you out here, I'M to fucking blame!!!"

"JOSHUA! I'm nowhere near anything that tempts me to do something like last night."

"SAMANTHA MARILYN CHARPENTIER!!! GET BACK HERE NOW!!"
"WHO IN THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?"

He is silent for a minute, probably shocked I reacted the way I did. "I thought that, but, I just..." JC sighs. I can imagine him pinching the bridge of his nose or running his thumb and finger over his eyebrows, frustrated. "I guess I'm just trying to say that I'm worried and I'm your guardian while you're here to see us."

"Josh, you're technically right here with me and you KNOW that Derek would tell you if I did anything out of line. I may be 14, but keep in mind that I've been taking care of alot on my own since I was 9." Nick looks at me like 'what do you mean?' I wave him off, planning on telling him when I get off the phone with JC.

"I know. It just scared me to death to hear from Lance that you took off, didn't tell me, and with a guy."

"JC, Derek is with me and I will gladly tell you who I'm with when I get back and he drops me off."

"Are you in a car?"

"No, we're on foot."

"How far are you from the hotel?"

"Less than five blocks."

"Jazz, how far are you from the hotel?"

"About 3 1/2 blocks."

He sighs on his end of the line. "Do you know when you're coming back?"

"No, I don't, Daddy C."

"I just dont want you getting hurt or doing anything stupid, like last night."

"I'm not always gonna do shit like that."

"I don't know, Jazz. I mean you have your moments of weakness and yout stronger times. You're just not very good at balancing it."
"I know. I have mostly good days and I just really need everyone to understand that I need help finding that balance. I don't need to be controlled, but guided. I push buttons to see my limits. I've figured out my boundaries with you now." Nick, Derek and I sit against a rockface on the 'beach' part, looking out over the water.

"Have you eaten?"

"I'm about to."

"I guess I can let you go, just so you can eat."

"Thanks. We'll talk later?"

"Like you wouldn't believe." He hangs up.

I tell Nick about the night before and he hugs me with one arm. I grab my stuffed waffles and look at them. "Try em, Jazzabee."

"Did you just call me 'Jazzabee?"

"Yes, now try them."

I look at my waffles and smile as I cut them open. I take a bite and subconsciously let out a low moan. Derek has one comment about that-"I don't want to hear that sound pass your lips for any reason but food until you're sixteen."

I turn beet red and playfully swat him. "Derek!"

Nick leans across me, smiling at Derek. I have a strange feeling he's about to be facetious. "Would you be mad if I popped it when she's fifteen?"

"Depends on the circumstances."

I'm not only mortified, but shocked by the discussion they're having about me while I'm sitting right between them. "Nick! Derek!"

They smile at each other and continue eating. A few minutes pass before Nick starts to ask me questions, wanting to get to know me better. "So, if you could bring back one male celebrity from the dead, who and why?"

Without missing a beat, he gets his answer. "Brandon Lee."

"Why?"

"Beautiful mind, beautiful body, and let him live a long life."

"I know that, but why would you want him to live again and in your life?"

"Learn self defense and learn wisdom. Spend time learning his mind."

I finally realize Nick has a bookbag next to him and that we're sitting on a blanket. Nick smiles. "I always come prepared for a cold day in places like this. I planned this part out. This part and then I got stumped."

I realize how cold it is and keep eating as I shiver, trying not to bitch. I also notice Nick's wearing a Starter jacket (Dolphins of course). "JC-1, me-zip."

Derek smiles. "Rushed out so fast, you forgot your jacket." He chuckles and I lightly elbow him in the side.

"Sh-sh-shut up, D."

Nick hands me his coat and pulls another one from his bag. "Like I said I come prepared. Wear it, it's warm." I look at it for a second and put it on. I watch him put the other Starter jacket on (Orlando Magic), smiling at me after he sits back. "Warmer?" He laughs.

"Yes, thank you. Did you think I'd do something like that?"

"I though it might be a possibility. I understand the whole-" Heis cell rings, looks at it, rolls his eyes and looks at me. "Excuse me." He answers it. "Hello? I'm fine, Kevin. I'm in, uh, Ireland." He pulls the phone away from his ear and winces as I hear a deep voice scream 'what'. "Kevin, I'll be back there by tomorrow, around 2. Don't involve Fatima. I will be back by 2. My flight leaves here at 9, I land in London by noon and the travel time by cab is about half an hour. I have today to spend here with a friend. Well, um, what gave that away? I cleared it with Johnny last night before I booked the tickets. Yes. No. Why? Fine." Nick holds his cell out to me, smiling gently. "Kevin wants to talk to you."

I take it, covering the mic. "Why?"

"To make sure it's you."

I start to shiver again and Nick puts his very warm hands on my cheeks as I put the phone to my ear. "Hello?"

"Who are you?"

"Jazzy. You are?"
"Kevin. Nick usually tells me where he's going. Wait, aren't you in Orlando?"

"Actually, I'm on vacation with some friends, traveling for the next 9 days."

"What friends? *NSYNC?" I hear him trying not to laugh at his little joke.

"Believe it or not, yes."

"Right. Let me talk to a member of their security staff."

"Derek, he doesn't believe me." I hand him the phone and cuddle up to Nick for warmth.

Derek takes it and starts talking with Kevin. "Yes, I am. Call Johnny and ask him about my position. Ask him about Baby J Girl while you're at it. I will and tell my cousin I said hi. That's right, he's my cousin. Believe it. Bye." He hangs up and hands it back to Nick.

He puts it in his jacket pocket. "Warm?"

"Yeah, thanks. I should be used to this weather! Ugh." I hang my head, just a little frustrated.

"You've been in Orlando for a month. It rubs off pretty quick. At least you wore jeans," he gently points out.

"Along with 3 freaking shirts. I'm usually more warm blooded than this." I shake my head. "Is London colder?"
"No, it's as cold as it is here. I have to leave in the morning. Do you know your next stop on this crazy trip of yours?"

I look at him and laugh. "Of course not. I'm told day to day plans." I take another bite of the cream cheese and strawberry filled waffles, loving the texture and enjoying the flavor. "I'd have to call James to find out and I just wanna avoid him as much as I can."

"Why's that?"

"Last night-"

"Night before last, Baby J Girl," Derek corrects me.

"Like he said," I say pointing to Derek. "The guys, Andi and the security staff took me out to a club. It was my first time and I snuck sips of the older guys' drinks, got pretty wasted and pretty wile. I was gring James and letting Justin grind on me, kissing me. By the time we left, I was so drunk that poor D here, had to help me walk from the club. We got about halfway to the bus before he asked Josh if I was the one he had to look out for. I got in hot water and my guess is that he's still fuming and worried. Probably scared outta his mind. I know he's just being protective of me because he's my guardian out here and that he cares."

Nick looks at me, obviously surprised. "Wow. I won't tell anyone. Not my business or place to do that."

"You never said what female celebrity you'd bring back from the dead or why."

"Marilyn Monroe, to reteach the world how to love their bodies as they are."

"Wasn't she like a size 12?"

"Depending on who made it, I think she was between a 10 and a 14."

"I would love to learn how to make all my clothes look good on me from her."
"You look beautiful, no matter what you wear."
I scratch the back of my head. "You really think so?"

"Yeah, I do. It's the truth. I bet I can get a few locals to agree."

I shake my head. "I believe you."

Derek whispers in my ear, "Do you always believe strangers if they're cute boys?"

I whip my head to look at him. "Derek! No, I don't. My friends just happen to mainly be cute guys."

 Derek laughs as I try to take the last bite of my waffle and realize I'm full, I can't eat it. "You want the last bite, Nick?"

"You sure?" He smiles at me and I smile back, nodding. "Please?" I feed it to him, teasing him at first. When I finally let it pass his lips, he smiles and hugs me until he swallows. "Thanks, Jazz."

"For what?" I'm sitting next to him, my head on the edge of his chest to keep warm.

"For spending time with me, not caring about what I am, for treating me like I'm normal."

I look up at him. "You are normal, my friend and I like the time we have to spend getting to know each other."

He nods and looks across the cove, rubbing my arm. "I love your take on me."
I shrug. "It's the truth, Nicky. I don't even listen to the music you make, not by choice."
He laughs. "What do you listen to?"

"Usher, Aaliyah, 112, Bon Jovi, real music. Not the bubblegum bullshit."

"Me either. I make it, but I don't like the music I make."
"Then why make it?"
"It's what Lou and Johnny said to make. We just do what we're told and get paid. JC and the rest of them have to do the same thing too."
I make a face and shake my head. "Can I get your opinion on something?"
"Sure."
"What do you think we're gonna be like if we do get together?"

I'm watching his facial expression go from laughing to thinking. "If we do start seeing each other, I hope we're happy, laughing, being true to each other. Faithful to one another is a huge thing. Honest, ourselves, independent but always happy to spend time together. Supportive and understanding. It's what I want and wish for." He looks at me with a sense of peace in his eyes.
"Me, too."

We sit there, absorbing and understanding that we want the same thing from a relationship, looking across the cove. Nick rubs my arm after a little while. "Let's go somewhere warm."
I smile, get up and help him pack the blanket into the bag. "Somewhere that has Mountain Dew?"

"I think I know a place that has that soda." He swings the bag onto his shoulder and takes my hand, guiding me to the street. "The cove is beautiful during the summer."
"I bet. Warm place?"

He turns, pulling me closer to his body, and we walk side by side to a small restaurant and sit in a middle booth. I slide in one side, Nick sits next to me and Derek sits across from us. Nick whispers in my ear and I laugh. I tell Nick a secret and he smiles as the waitress comes up. We order two Mountain Dews and a Pepsi. We go back to whispering in each other's ears with Derek watching us. "Should I be concerned about you two whispering?"
I look at Derek. "Not unless you're related to Nick and going on ten at the end of the year." Derek smiles and nods.

We go back to whispering and laughing, becoming so entranced that we don't know our sodas were brought over. The waitress comes back over and asks what we'd like to eat. It's been about an hour since we ate. Nick and I decline, but Derek being his bottomless pit self orders some corn beef and cabbage. Nick looks at him like it's gross. "What is that?"
I smile and whisper in his ear. "It's good. My mom and I make it and it's soo good," I tell him as I pull away from him.

"Really?"
"I'll make it for you." I take a sip of my drink and smile. "What's it like to be a singer?"
"Crazy. Always recording, rehearsing, performing, doing interviews, photo shoots, appearances and signing autographs. Video shoots can be fun sometimes."
"Sounds kinda all work and close to no fun."
"It can be."
"What do you know that I haven't read about dolphins?"

He goes from blah to happy and very animated after I asked about dolphins, both of us smiling. He talks very fast and uses his hands to accentuate quite a bit of what he says. He uses some experiences as examples, telling stories and we laugh about most of the things he says. After a few minutes he starts talking about his family. I tell him things that I've talked about with his parents and siblings, how I've tickled Aaron every time he's annoyed me, and what's been going on at his house in the past month. "Your brother can be so annoying sometimes."

"Trust me, I know," he tells me, widening his eyes in a comical way. "I've only known him and Angel since they were conceived. How's BJ been?"
"She's good. I think she might have a boyfriend or crush."
"Really?"

"I'm not sure, so don't quote me."
"What about Leslie?"
"Les is doing great. She's been telling me about how the work is easier since I showed her how I study. Her teachers have been writing positive notes to your parents for the past month and her grades are getting better."

"That's awesome! I'm proud of her. I knew she could do it. What about Aaron and Angel?"
"I help Aaron study over the phone and Angel's grades are still in the A/B range. Aaron's grades have gotten better. Not as much as Leslie's, but he should have a B in everything by the end of the year. I have to call them tonight."

"How far did they drop?"
"They were at low C's when they got their report cards. Bobbie's grades were the same as Angel's. Leslie has gone from low C's to high Bs and low As. Aaron just needs more one on one attention and more patience than your sisters. He needs five times more encouragement than they do and I know he has a short attention span."

"Thanks for helping AC, Jazz. Thanks for being there for them. I think you deserve a vacation this summer. I have to talk to Johnny, my mom and your mom first."
"What about the other guys in the group?"

He rolls his eyes. "Them too. My mom and Aaron will be with us on this tour. It's a promotional tour in the US."

"I think my mom will wanna meet the five of you and the security staff before deciding." We continue talking about the tour for the next couple hours, order some mac and cheese and continue to talk as we eat our lunch. He starts to tell jokes, making sure my mouth is empty.
"I really don't wanna go back to London tomorrow."
"Why?"

"I'm having too much fun with you."
"I'm sorry to tell you, but ya gotta go do your thing."
"It's gonna suck when I go back."

"We only have 9 days before we go home. It might be a day or two after that before we hang out again. It's not gonna suck as bad as you think. We can call and text each other. We can still talk between tomorrow morning and the next time we can hang out."
I lean back against the wall with one leg bent on the seat, sitting sideways and watch Nick smile. "I know you're right, but I know I'm gonna miss you."
"Distance makes the heart fonder. I'll miss you but we'll make it."
He smirks. "I might just go crazy by then."

I can't help but laugh after hearing him say that. When I can stop laughing, I manage to tell Nick, "You've been crazy since you were given Aaron as a brother and having three sisters!"
We talk about the guys in his group vs the guys in *NSYNC, laughing at the pranks Justin and Nick pull on everyone, Andi, me, Nick and somehow we get back to the topic of the tour coming up in June. "It goes from June till December. That's the only downfall to it. I have a song I want to do, but I have to record and write it first."

"I could help with writing it."
"I don't know how to write it down, how to word it."
"Maybe try writing it like a letter to that person."

He thinks for a minute, grabs a notebook and pencil from his bag, writes something down in a frenzy and pushes the notebook to me. "Read it. That's what I wanna do for the homecoming concert in Orlando in December. I want you there to hear it."
I take the notebook and read it. "I'll be there anyway. When do tickets go on sale?"
"Why?"
"Moral support. I support my friends."

He smiles the biggest smile I have ever seen. "Thanks. They go on sale in August. I'll talk to Johnny about it."
We spend another hour at the little shop before we head back to the hotel. I know JC is going to freak out, chew me out and let me know what I can and can't do while I'm here. I get back in my hotel room and find out that Andi got homesick. She went back home to her dad, she missed him so much. She is actually the best person to confide in and I trust her more than JC, but I don't want to burden her with my demons. I hug Nick as we get near my room. I open the door and nobody's even there. I start on my homework, laying books and notebooks on the bed.