We're in NY for the Boys' Disney concert special and Nick just told me last night that Caylei would be here the whole damn time, meaning I can't act the way I usually do around him. It's May 11, 1999 and we're prepping to head out to the interview pieces to it. Nick looks up and down the hall for Caylei. "Are you coming with me and Brian?" he asks after quickly kissing me.
"No, I'm gonna stick with AJ and Howie. I'd rather err on the side of caution," I tell him as I nervously shake my head.
He sighs heavily. "I'd really like it if you came with us, not the shopaholics. Please?" he pleads, sticking his bottom lip for emphasis to his pout.
"Ickers, I said no. I have to talk to them anyway. I'm going with them, end of discussion."
"But, pleeeeeeeaaaaaaasssssseeeeeee?" he quietly whines.
"Fini, done, over, complete, finito," I tell him, poking him in the chest with each word.
"What was that about?" Caylei asks as I turn on my heel and follow after AJ, looping my arm in his.
"Just something Jazz and I spoke about a few days ago that she says is done."
"Girl, he loves you and that's why you two just click & gravitate toward one another all the time," AJ points out to me as we look at hats.
I find a cheetah print cowboy styled one and put it on my head. "What about this one?"
"I'll get it for you."
"Why me though? It's kind of like torture that I subconsciously allow." I pose with the hat, pouting.
"He has loved you since that time you giggled on the phone with him," Howie informs me, holding a purple tiger print cowboy hat before placing it on his head and posing in a questioning way.
"I still don't get it."
"It's kind of like that baby blanket you still have," AJ tries to explain and I look at him like he's crazy. "You know, the one with the dragon and castle on it. Green plaid on the other side and the dragon has a patch on its ass," he continues, my face getting hotter with each detail.
"She still has one of hers?" Howie asks.
"I know the one. Yes, I do. It's from Kit, my older cousin." I roll my eyes and sigh laboriously, arguing with AJ is a job within itself.
"You're sixteen and still have it, maybe that's how he sees you-like a comfort thing," he expands on his idea, rotating his wrist.
I suck my teeth and begin glaring at him. "I refuse to be anyone's comfort object and I think it's more than that," I say, lacing it with enough finality for him to know to drop it for now. AJ's known Nick and I have been sleeping together and fooling around for the past six months, never telling another soul.
"Wanna talk later?" he asks, looking over the side of his shades at me and his brown eyes meet my turquoise ones.
I close my eyes and nod. "Please?" I request.
"After this thing is done. We board the plane and I'll have Nick switch seats with me." He gives me a side hug, comforting me as I hug him back and we hear the camera crew for the interview parts of the concert coming toward us.
I glance at my cell. "At 9:30 in the morning?" I inquire, looking at Howie.
He shrugs as he raises his eyebrows and gives me a weak smile. I roll my eyes. "They follow us till ten, film us until 11:30 and then go film Nick and Brian."
I shiver at the mention of Nick's name, causing Howie's face to contort in a befuddled manner. "Nick said something strange in the past couple days and she shivers when we say his name," AJ fibs as I shudder.
"When doesn't he say something strange?" Howie fires back.
~~~~~
After following us for half an hour, they begin taping and I walked behind the cameras (keeping my mouth shut). Once they were done, the crew thanked them and left as my cell phone plays 'I Will Be Right Here Waiting' by Richard Marx. "Oshai, hey," I greet, AJ's eyebrow flying up over his glasses.
"What are you doing?" he casually asks.
"Walking around NYC and shopping with AJ and Howie."
"Where exactly?" he asks calmly.
"This little shop on 31st St."
I feel someone tap my shoulder as I realize the call disconnected and I cooly turn around to face him. "Hey, Lynni," he greets, throwing his arms around me for a hug.
'Today is going to be a long ass day,' I think to myself, hugging him back. "Hey, JC."
"How are you holding up?"
"I'm good, tour is...interesting, to say the least," I say, recalling last night.
~~~~~
May 10, 1999 (Yesterday) *Flashback*
"Could you braid my hair?" Nick asks me.
"What do mean?" I ask, cuddling up to his side as I wake up.
"Not cornrows, but the other one. The way you did Aaron's when I got back from Europe," he explains.
"Box base braids."
"Please?" he requests, kissing me after.
"I suppose," I reply, rolling out of bed to stretch and search through my bag for the comb, elastics and hair gel.
"Thanks," he whispers, kissing the side of my neck.
"Not for the next few days, Ickers," I remind him.
"I know, but I wish those three could keep it to themselves."
"They don't believe in that and you know it."
"We're heading out," Kevin announces, motioning to Howie and Brian behind him in the hall. We had an entire floor to us and the crew due to security purposes and agreed that once we woke up we would open our doors a crack. I just opened ours because I know Nick had gotten up earlier and just let me cuddle him. We landed in NYC early this morning and Nick and I decided to get to bed, it seemed like a great idea due to complete exhaustion.
"Ok, uh, one quick question before you leave?"
"Was that it?"
I chuckle. "No. The question is: what is the plan for tomorrow?"
"I'm horseback riding for my Disney interview," Kevin says.
"AJ and I are shopping tomorrow for ours."
"Nick and I are playing basketball and then we have the concert after bowling."
"Tonight?"
"That's two," AJ teases, coming out of his room in jeans and a t-shirt. He hasn't put any shoes on yet.
I flip him off and smile. Howie shrugs. "Off tonight, just going to hang out or go out."
"Ok. Sounds good. I'm going to braid Icky's hair and we can meet up for dinner before going our own ways after?" I suggest, looking at each of them. They nod and agree before waving to me as they head for the elevator. I wave the three of them off with a hand on my hip and AJ heads back in his room, having giving me a warning glance. Nick pulls my hand off my hip, effectively spinning me around to face him and leading me back into the hotel room, kissing me along the way. He closes the door and I lean against it, having walked backward. I gently push him away, feeling like he needs to tell me something. "Nick, wait. Is there something you should be telling me?"
He gives me a blank look as he thinks. "Not that I can think of, why?" he states.
"I just thought you might've had something to let me in on."
He shakes his head, pressing his body against mine. We kiss for awhile and he pulls me to the bed, sitting on the floor in front of the foot of it. I begin braiding his hair and get everything set up, combing gel into his hair first. I complete the first one and he requests a kiss before I start the next one, doing this for the whole process. After the final one, he leans his head back and locks his eyes onto mine and reaches his hand up to the back of my neck to bring my lips to press against his before getting up to lay between my legs with his head on my chest. "Do we have time to do what we do best?" he asks and I feel him smile through my tank top.
Later On That Day...
Nick wakes me up and I glance at the clock on my cell. I see it says '1 New Text Message' and I open it to find out we have an hour to get to the restaurant the other four had agreed on. As I get out of the shower and get into my hotel room attached to Nick's, a persistent knock resounds at the door. "Ugh!" I grumble as I throw my clothes on the bed and stomp to the door in nothing but a big beach towel, flinging it open to come face to face with Oshai. I combat the urge/habit of rolling my eyes as he pushes me inside my room once he picks his jaw up from the floor. "Stop it, Oshai! Everyone on the tour has seen everything almost."
"Nick HAS seen every part of you," he argues, quickly mumbling something under his breath.
"Yeah, so?" I say, turning back to the clothes.
"Jeans, aqua dress shirt and sneakers or heels," he says, turning away so I can dress.
"What did you want?" I ask, pulling my clothes on.
"I wanted to see if you had plans tomorrow."
"Hanging with AJ and Howie."
"When do you think you will have time for me?"
"Call me after 7 and I'll spend part of the night with my brother," I promise, hugging him from behind.
His hands rest on my back for a few seconds before rubbing the lower part, pulling a sigh from me. "Promise?" he asks, turning around in the embrace to place his chin on my head and hug me properly.
"I promise."
"I'll call you around then."
I watch him leave and nearly crumble because he's the Gorilla Glue that holds me together. "Why's he here?" Nick inquires, pushing off the door jamb between our rooms.
"He's my brother."
~~~~~
I had a great time with the Boys, Aaron and Fatima during dinner and Josh had called just as we were saying goodbyes, I had told Nick on the way here. I went with him to this little café, leading to right now. "Oshannie, you need us to not turn away from you. You need us to help you hold yourself together."
"Oy vey! I'm fine and I appreciate your concern, but I'm almost grown."
He sighs, hanging his head as he turns his spoon in his hot chocolate and I push a marshmallow under with my spoon. "I know, but you have to realize that Lance and I know how you can get sometimes."
"Never question my methods of madness," I calmly defend.
"I don't do that, I only inquire sanity and what level of it you possess."
"When do you leave?" I bark.
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