"Wow, would you look at that?!" exclaimed Faren, leaning over the side of the boat, gazing at the harbor, "I can't believe we are gonna spend a whole day here!"

The ship was nearing the harbor in Freeport, and a whole group of people were crowded around the edge, admiring the view. "This place looks gorgeous!" added Howie, craning his neck to see down the coast. The Backstreet Boys and Lauren, Gray, Faren and Bailey had spent the whole day together, swimming, tanning and talking about what they wanted to do when they got to Freeport.

"Attention," a voice said over the loud speaker, "this is your captain speaking. In just a few minutes we will be docking at Freeport harbor. We are scheduled to stay here until this time tomorrow, so please enjoy your stay. Thank you."

"I'm so excited!" exclaimed Nick, jumping up and down, clinging to the rail. Lauren laughed, and turned to Brian, who was standing next to her and said, "Nick seems to get really excited over things, doesn't he?!"

"Yeah," answered Brian, laughing, "he's like a little kid when it comes to this sort of stuff....then again he's only 17, so he's entitled.....by the way, how old are you?" Lauren looked out onto the pier and said, "Well, I'm 18...just graduated high school last month." Brian nodded, and Lauren continued, "it's kinda weird to think that I'm older than Nick....I don't know, but he seems older in the sense that he's seen so much of the world, and experienced so much more than the oldest people have. Does it ever get to be too much? The constant traveling, I mean?"

Brian shrugged and said, "Well, at first it was incredibly hectic, but that was mainly just because we weren't used to it...but after a few months it got a lot easier...being away from family, having to go through constant time zones and stuff..."

"BRIAN!" Nick interrupted, grabbing his arm, "stop talking about all that boring stuff! The boat just docked......let's go!!"

With that, Nick bounded through the mob of people to try to be the first one off the boat. "Uh, Gray?" said Lauren, tapping him on the shoulder. He turned around, and she continued, "I think you better go along with Nick to keep him out of trouble!"

Brian laughed along with AJ who was within earshot, as Gray nodded, and tried to catch up with the excited Nick. Brian turned back to Lauren and said, "So, what do you wanna do? We could go exploring....whatever €floats your boat'!"

"Since when are we going anywhere?!" asked Lauren, with a teasing smile. Brian scrunched up his face and held out his arm. Lauren took it, as he led her off the boat. "I just can't believe this..." commented Lauren, gazing around at everything around her, "this place is absolutely beautiful!" Brian nodded, as they walked the streets of the town, looking at all it had to offer, with AJ, Kevin and Howie close behind.

"Hey, where are Bailey and Faren?" asked Lauren, as they stopped outside one of the many little shops. "I think they went a different direction....hey, what about AJ, Kevin and Howie?" Brian exclaimed, turning around and realizing they were nowhere to be seen. "They're probably all together, and somehow lost us," reasoned Lauren. She was then somewhat distracted by a flash of light that caught her eye. She picked up a delicate bracelet off one of the many display shelves.

"Wow," she muttered under her breath, lightly running her fingers over the small jewels. "This here bracelet is one of Freeport's finest," explained the man behind the counter. "Really?" asked Lauren, totally intrigued with its beauty, "Brian! Come here!"

He looked up from the postcards he was shuffling through, and came over. "What?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "Look at this!" she exclaimed, holding the bracelet up to him, "isn't this gorgeous?"

Brian nodded, and suddenly an idea popped into his head. The man continued: "See, normally this bracelet is 45 American dollars....but for you and your girlfriend, I say 20." Lauren blushed and looked at the ground, and Brian said, "Oh, she's not....I mean, we're not....um, we aren't.....oh never mind......I'll buy it!"

"Brian!" she hissed, as he handed the bracelet to the man, "what are you doing?!" Brian just smiled to himself, as he reached into his pocket and pulled out exact change. Before Lauren could even react, the bracelet was paid for, and it was in Brian's hands again.

Lauren had a confused look on her face, as Brian led her out of the shop. All she managed to say was, "Brian, I....." but at that moment, he said, "I want you to have this." Lauren's mouth dropped open in shock, as he reached for her hand and clasped it on her wrist. "Brian, I can't accept this.....it...it's too nice!"

"Why not?" he asked, smiling, "just think of it as a graduation present or something!" Lauren tried to stutter something out, but all of what she was trying to say didn't make sense. All she was able to say was, "Thank you so much!" She leaned over and hugged him, and then admired the bracelet. He took her by the arm again as they walked more through the town.

"So, are you up for dinner?" asked Brian, glancing at an outdoor restaurant down the road. "What, first a bracelet, then dinner?! Wow!" Lauren exclaimed, teasingly. Brian shrugged, as he reached over to a plant and plucked off a perfect-shaped flower. "For you," he said, handing it to her.

Lauren smiled, as she put it behind her ear. "Thanks, Bri!" she said, as he led her to the restaurant. It was already closer to 8 in the evening, but the air was still warm. They were seated at a table, as they watched the world go by. All of a sudden, they heard a familiar voice, and Lauren raised an eyebrow confusedly at Brian. He looked about as confused as she did. Just then, both their heads turned to see Nick go running by, calling out things to Gray who was desperately trying to catch up to him. "Nick, slow down!!" Gray called, as they whizzed by.

Lauren just laughed, as they passed. "Nick is one funny boy!" she exclaimed, shaking her head, "it's gonna take a while for him to come down after this vacation!"

"Tell me about it!" Brian replied, "he's my best friend, but he's so hyper! We try not to feed him too much caffeine, but he still sometimes gets out of control! Well at least he has Gray with him." Lauren nodded, as she took a sip of her water, "Yeah, he and Gray have similar personalities, so it should be okay."

The two continued to talk, until it grew late. "Wanna go?" asked Brian, standing up. Lauren nodded, as they left the restaurant.

"So, you having a good night so far?" asked Brian, as they strolled along the beach. The moon was out and it was shimmering along the clear blue water. "Yeah, it's been wonderful, thanks!" Lauren exclaimed. She loved the feeling of sand beneath her feet.

"Can I ask you a question?" asked Brian carefully. Lauren nodded, and he continued, "You, Faren, Bailey and Gray....you guys are all friends? From school?" Lauren nodded again, then said, "Why?"

"I don't know," he replied, "for some reason, when I first met you, I thought that you and Gray...well, were involved.'" Lauren burst out laughing! "You thought me and Gray were together?!" she exclaimed, catching her breath, "that's hilarious!"

Brian gave a confused look, and Lauren continued, "It's just that, honestly it's a miracle that I've gone this long staying with him! You should see us at school....we fight constantly and we are always pretty much mad at each other. Of course it's usually stupid stuff, but all I'm saying is don't get near us both when we're having an argument...it could get dangerous! And, there's also the fact that he kinda has a girlfriend!"

"He does? What do you mean kinda'?" asked Brian. "Well, he was going out with this girl, Nathalie, before we graduated...me and her, we're friends, ya know, but this summer she's traveling in Europe, and then she's going to Harvard, so I'm not sure if they are gonna stay together or whatever," said Lauren.

"Oh," nodded Brian, but then said, looking even more confused, "You guys don't seem like you always fight!"

"Well, okay, we don't ALWAYS fight," she answered, "but sometimes it's not pretty...we've actually been pretty good so far....no fights or anything!"

Brian laughed, and said, "Oh, okay I get it," but then looked a little more serious for a second, "but is there anyone that you are, um.....you know, going out with?"

Lauren shook her head and said, "No, unfortunately there's no one right now....how about for you? I mean, the girls must come a runnin', with you being a Backstreet Boy and all!" Brian smiled, but then said, "Naw...most of the girls that scream and try to grab my clothing are under the age of 13!"

"But there must be some that are older," reasoned Lauren, all of a sudden wondering why she was urging him to tell about his love life. "Yeah, there are fans that are older, I just don't know if I could ever date one of those girls...they seem nice and all, but they're a little crazy-like!" She giggled, then asked, "So does that mean you're single, or what?"

"Yeah, I'm about as single as they come!" he exclaimed, making a face. All of a sudden, Lauren felt a shiver go through her body, as she felt goosebumps on her bare arms (she was wearing a tank top still). "Are you cold?" he asked.

"I guess so," she answered, "I wasn't cold until just this minute....weird, huh?" Brian untied the sweatshirt that was around his waist, and offered it to her with a shy smile. "Thanks Bri!" she exclaimed, pulling it over her head. She could smell his cologne on the shirt, mixed with something that seemed very "Brian". Whatever it was gave her more goosebumps.

Brian looked at his watch as they approached the boat that was docked at the harbor. "So..." he said, fidgeting with his watch, as the two walked up the plank and stood by the entrance. Before Lauren could say anything, Nick appeared with Gray behind him. "Hey guys!" Nick announced, bounding up the plank toward them, "What's going on here?"

"Nothing," said both Lauren and Brian at the same time, looking down. Lauren felt that same shiver go down her spine despite the sweatshirt. "Sure, sure!" exclaimed Nick, putting both his arms around them, and ruffling Brian's hair, "anyway, I'm going to sleep now....I'm exhausted! You coming, Bri?"

"Sure buddy," he answered, rubbing his eyes. "Okay, well goodnight Lauren!" Nick said, kissing Lauren on the cheek, "see y'all tomorrow!" He walked off, and Lauren was just about to go her separate way, when she felt a hand on her arm. She spun around, and came face to face with Brian. "I had a good time tonight," he said softly. "Me too," agreed Lauren, smiling through the darkness.

"Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow......" he said, when Nick's voice boomed from the end of the deck interrupting him, "Hey Brian! Let's go man!" Brian turned back to Lauren, gave her a quick peck on the cheek, then walked off to join Nick.

Lauren stood there, almost dumbfounded. The look on her face must have been worth a thousand words, because Gray walked over to her from where he was standing and said, "Have a fun night?!"

"Oh, shut up Gray!" Lauren exclaimed, snapping out of her daze, as she walked to the elevator. "Wait up!" he called after her. They made there way down to their room, but Lauren still hadn't said a word. "All I asked was if you had a good night! Why is that such a big deal?" asked Gray, holding back a laugh.

Lauren still didn't say anything, but her main distraction wasn't the fact that Gray was being an ass. The thing that was making her think was what had just happened with Brian. "Lauren? Lauren, are you here?!" asked Gray waving a hand in front of her face. Lauren smacked it away, as she sat down on her bed, "I'm here! What the hell, Gray?! What are you doing??!"

"You seem to be in another world after your little rendez-vous with Brian," he laughed, "what happened?" Lauren looked at him disgustedly and said, "Nothing happened! We just spent the afternoon together...that's all! Why would you think something happened, you sick little bastard!"

"Well," said Gray, smirking, "the look on your face after he left kinda gave me that impression! Oh, and by the way, whose sweatshirt is that?"

Lauren made a face at him and said, "None of your business! Anyway, I'm going to sleep now....good night!" Gray laughed and said, "Okay, okay.....good night."

She got ready and soon snuggled into her bed. Gray turned out the lights about 5 minutes later, and was breathing heavily in about 2. Lauren giggled to herself, at the fact that Gray had chased Nick around the whole island....but then stopped suddenly when she thought of Brian. What's wrong with me?' she asked herself. She then felt her bracelet on her wrist, and smiled. I'm just glad that I'm having such a good time on this trip,' she reasoned with herself, that's it.'

"Is she awake?" asked Faren, peeking into Lauren and Gray's room, "can I come in?" Gray nodded, but said, "Naw, she's still asleep....I think she had a pretty wild night with Brian last night!"

"Oh, fuck you!" exclaimed Lauren, from under her blanket, "I heard that, Gray!" Gray laughed, along with Faren, who threw a pillow toward Lauren's head. "Okay, I'm awake...." she mumbled, as she dragged herself out of bed and into the bathroom. 10 minutes later, she was ready to go to breakfast.

"Where's Bailey?" she asked, as she, Faren and Gray made their way to the main dining room. "She went ahead to get a table," said Gray, turning to check out two girls who walked by. Faren shook her head, but Lauren exclaimed, "Gray!! Don't you have any common sense?! Remember a person by the name of Nathalie? You two are still together, ya know?!"

"I know that!" he exclaimed, "Plus, I don't think you are one to tell me what to do, Mrs. €Spend-All-Night-With-Brian'!" Lauren shot him a dirty glance, as they reached the table and sat down. "Hey everyone," said Bailey, "Have a good night, Lauren?"

"Okay! That's it! I'm telling everyone now that NOTHING happened between me and Brian last night! Aren't two people allowed to have dinner together without everyone thinking something sexual happened?!" She answered, throwing up her hands.

"Who's doing sexual stuff?" asked Nick, walking up behind Lauren and sitting down in the seat beside her. Gray burst out laughing, and Bailey and Faren hid behind their giggles. "Oh, nothing!" Lauren said guiltily, "just some, um, people that I know."

"Sure Lauren, whatever you say!" Nick laughed, as AJ joined the group at the table, along with Kevin, Howie and Brian. "Hey guys!" exclaimed Howie, "How is everyone?" Faren giggled again, and Lauren kicked her under the table...hard! "OW!" exclaimed Howie, leaning over and rubbing his leg, "who did that?!"

"Sorry Howie," Lauren apologized through gritted teeth, "that was directed at someone else!" Faren continued to laugh, until AJ said, "Okay, well whatever you crazy people are laughing at, I don't care, I'm ordering breakfast!"

Food was ordered, and the conversation was kept up. "So, buddy, how was your night last night? I forgot to ask!" whispered Nick to Brian, who was sitting next to him. "It was fine," answered Brian, playing with the food on his plate, "why do you ask?"

"Well, it just seems like you and Lauren are becoming pretty close," said Nick, raising his eyebrows and winking. "Dude, shut up!" Brian hissed, slapping him on the arm, "do you want her to hear that?!" Nick giggled, and continued to eat. "Man, what's your problem anyway?" Nick said a bit more loudly, with a mouthful of food, "you've been on edge since yesterday!"

"Frack, just shut up!" he hissed again, elbowing him in the ribs. Nick shrugged and chewed. "So, I'm up for some serious beach-going today.....anyone wanna join me?" asked Kevin, taking a sip of his water. "Totally," agreed Bailey, as everyone else nodded along with her. "We leave at like 4, so I think we should make the best of it," added Howie.

Plans were made to meet at the entrance to the boat at a quarter after 11, as breakfast was finished, and everyone went their separate ways. "Hey, Laur!" exclaimed Bailey all of a sudden, as they were walking back to their rooms, "what's that on your wrist?"

"What?" asked Lauren, pretending to be oblivious to what she was talking about. "That beautiful bracelet on your wrist," she said, grabbing her arm, "it's gorgeous! Where'd you get it?" Lauren shrugged and said, "Oh, I got it in one of the little shops on the island....yeah, I really like it!"

"Did a certain somebody buy it for you?" asked Faren in a teasing voice. "I don't know what you're talking about," Lauren commented, batting her eyelashes, "by the way...where's Gray?" she asked, totally changing the subject. "He's probably with Nick," replied Faren, "they have become pretty good friends!"

Lauren nodded, glad that the subject had changed. "Whassup ladies?" the girls heard a voice say behind them. They all three spun around and saw Nick talking to a group of four girls. Lauren's mouth dropped open, as she expected to see Gray standing there. "That was Nick?!" asked Faren incredulously, her eyes almost popping out of her head.

"That HAD to be Gray...." Bailey trailed off, but stopped when she realized Gray was nowhere to be seen. "Oh my God!" Lauren exclaimed, "Gray is turning Nick into a monster!!"

"I've gotta get out of here before I kill myself!" Faren cried, turning around and walking back to her room with Bailey close behind. €Well,' thought Lauren to herself, €I guess I better go get myself ready to go to the beach!'

At a quarter after 11, Lauren wandered over to the boat entrance, finding only Brian and AJ standing there. "Hey guys!" she said, walking over to them, "where's everyone else?" AJ shrugged, but Brian said, "Kevin and Howie are still getting ready, Nick is God knows where picking up women, and Gray, I think is on his way with Bailey and Faren."

Lauren nodded, smiling. "So, how was you guys' night last night?" AJ asked, looking over the rim of his sunglasses, smirking. "It was fun," said Brian cooly, sneaking a smile at Lauren, "we had a good time, right?" She agreed, "Yeah, I had a great time!"

By that time, the others had shown up, and were making their way down to the beach. "Where's the next place we're going?" asked Nick excitedly. "Nicky, we haven't even left Freeport yet, and already you're worried about the next place?" asked Kevin with a laugh. Nick nodded enthusiastically, almost running down the beach. "I think next we're going to Nassau," commented Howie, spreading out his towel.

Once everyone was settled, Nick suddenly jumped up and said, "I'm going in the ocean....anyone coming?" When no one volunteered, Nick walked over to Lauren's towel and grabbed her hand. "Nick!" she exclaimed, sitting up surprisedly, "what are you doing?"

"You're coming with me!" he answered, as he pulled her up from her towel and toward the ocean. "Nick, it's probably freezing!" she whined, but 6'1 Nick was a lot stronger than she was, and was able to pull her all the way to the ocean's edge. Nick bounded right in, but Lauren was hesitant to even put her foot in! "Come on Lauren!" he called, already waist deep in the water. She took a deep breath, and walked in. "AHHH!" she cried, as the cold water shocked her skin, but soon became used to it. She waded out to where Nick was standing, and stood against the waves. "I can't believe you dragged me out here!" she muttered.

"Oh, don't be a party pooper," Nick said, "besides, aren't you having fun?" Lauren hid a smile, but then said, "Yeah, okay....I am!" Nick laughed, and splashed her. "Don't push it Carter!" she warned, laughing. "Can I ask you a question?" asked Nick, totally out of the blue. "Sure," she replied, feeling the warm sun in contrast to the cold water.

"What exactly happened last night?" he asked, squinting his eyes in her direction. "Huh?" she replied, faking a laugh, "I don't know what you're talking about, Nick!" Nick took a deep breath, then said, "Laur, what happened between you and Brian last night?"

"Between me and Brian?" asked Lauren, averting her eyes from Nick's glance, "nothing happened between me and him last night!" Nick looked at her skeptically, then said, "Absolutely nothing? Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure!" Lauren laughed, as another wave crashed over her body, "why do you ask?" Nick shrugged, then said, "I dunno....I just felt some tension between you two last night when we go back to the boat...plus, Brian's been acting really weird since then! But you're definitely telling me the truth? Cuz you know you can trust me, right?"

"I'm honestly telling you the truth, Nick. Nothing happened between me and Brian....I swear," she added. Nick pouted and gave her a puppy-dog look. "Promise?" he asked with a pathetic look on his face, holding out a pinky. "Promise!" she exclaimed, hooking her pinky around his. "Okay, well I believe you," he said, "but I think he really likes you!"

"Brian? Likes me? I don't think so!" said Lauren incredulously, with amusement in her voice, "he doesn't like me anymore than a friend...trust me." Nick shrugged again, and said, "I'm not sure about that Lauren....I'm his best friend and I usually can tell when he likes a girl...I think this may be one of those times!"

"Nick, you are seriously confused!" she announced, her teeth chattering from the cold of the ocean. "Well anyway, I think we better get out of here...your teeth are chattering and your lips are blue!" Nick exclaimed, giggling. The two began to wade their way back to the shore. "You guys have fun?!" asked Faren, laughing at how cold Lauren looked. "Actually, it was pretty fun...you all should go in!" Lauren informed, wrapping herself in her towel. "You look so cold!" commented Brian, giggling, "you can sit on my towel if you want," he offered, scooting over a bit.

"Thanks, Bri," said Lauren, plopping herself on his towel. "So, I'm surprised you didn't kill Nick for dragging you into the water!" Brian laughed, gesturing to him. Nick was sitting square in the sand, which had covered his body from being wet, and was looking for something in the sand. "What is that boy doing?!" Lauren asked Brian, looking confused.

"I bet you ten bucks that he's looking for a sand crab to put on Kevin....he does the same thing whenever we go to the beach...he knows Kevin hates it, but he still does it! That's Nick for ya!" Brian said with a laugh. Lauren giggled as well, as Nick dug out a small crab and dropped it on Kevin's stomach. Kevin jumped up surprisedly and went straight for Nick. "Nick!!" he cried, running after Nick down the beach.

The crew just laughed, as Kevin chased Nick up and down. "It wasn't me!!" Nick cried, laughing as he ran. "I'll beat you, you little bastard!" Kevin called back. Lauren giggled as she watched the whole scene. They stayed at the beach until about 3:30, when the boat was scheduled to leave Freeport. "Attention everyone, this is your captain," a voice said over the speaker, "the ship is due to leave in approximately 15 minutes, thank you."

Lauren went to her room to shower and change, but Gray was nowhere to be seen. €Oh well,' she thought, as she stood in the shower, €he's probably off somewhere trying to charm the women!'

After she was finished getting dressed, she decided to visit Nick and Brian in their room which they shared. She had nothing else better to do, and knew that Bailey and Faren were still showering and stuff. She got to their room, and knocked. "Come in!" called Brian's voice from inside right away, and Lauren opened the door. To her surprise, Nick was standing right in the middle of the two beds, in nothing but a pair of boxers! Brian was sitting on his bed, laughing hysterically!

Lauren started giggling, as Nick stood there, red from embarrassment. "Dude, why'd you do that?!" he exclaimed to Brian, who was laughing so hard he was crying! He couldn't manage to say anything through his laughter, so Nick just stood there practically naked. "Don't worry Nick," Lauren assured, still laughing, "those are some pretty cute boxers!" She gestured to his Joe Boxers with yellow smiley faces on them.

"Oh, Brian, you'll pay for this!" he mumbled, reaching for his pants, "this is almost as bad as the time when the guys threw me out of my dressing room in my boxers in front of all the fans in Europe!" This memory seemed to make Brian laugh even harder, and Lauren said, "No way! They didn't do that!"

"Oh, we did!" laughed Brian, wiping away a tear, "it was the funniest moment by far....anyway, he deserved it!" Lauren continued to giggle, and Nick said, "Okay, okay...laughing at Nick time is over....Brian, you better sleep with one eye open!"

Brian's laughing died down, and Nick continued to get dressed. "Man, I wish there was a mini-bar or something in this room," mused Brian, "I am SO thirsty!"

"I think there's a little store around the corner," replied Nick, "why don't you go get a Coke or something?" Brian said, "Good idea, little buddy....I'll be right back!" as he headed for the door. "Oh, and can you pick me up a Nestea while you're there?" Nick added. Brian groaned, but nodded and shut the door behind him.

Lauren looked around the room at the absolute MESS that the two boys had left behind! Her eyes scanned across the piles of clothes and hats that were strewn all over the floor. Then, her eyes fell upon Nick, who was sitting on the bed with a smirk on his face. "What?" she asked suspiciously, "why are you looking at me like that?"

"I know something you don't know!" he exclaimed, grinning widely like a little child, "and I'm not gonna tell you!" Lauren raised her eyebrows, then replied, "I'm not falling for that one, Nick! I know that you're playing mind games with me!" And with that, she whipped a pillow at his head. "Okay fine....don't believe me, but you'll be sorry!" Nick teased, with that same look on his face. Lauren shot him an annoyed glance at the same moment that Brian reappeared with a can of Coke and a bottle of Nestea. He threw it to Nick, and popped open his own can. "Yo, B-rok," Nick said, running his hands through his hair, "what time is it?"

Brian looked at his watch, then said, "It's almost six-thirty...why?" Nick asked, "Well what time are we meeting everyone upstairs for dinner?"

"Around seven or so," answered Brian, still not really following where Nick was going with this. "So, do you two wanna go for a walk or something on the top deck? I mean, since we have time to spare and all...." Nick trailed off. "Sure," agreed Lauren, and Brian nodded. So, the three made their way up to the top level.

"Damn," said Brian, glancing up at the sky, "just a while ago it was so beautiful out, and now look at all those clouds!" Nick glanced up as well and said, "Yeah...it looks like a storm's coming in or something...can't you feel that wind?" Brian nodded, but Lauren just fidgeted nervously. "What's wrong?" Brian asked, looking worriedly at Lauren. "Nothing!" she replied, faking a smile, "I'm okay...just a little cold."

"Hey everyone...we have arrived!" announced Nick, walking into the dining room heading toward the table where Faren, Bailey, Gray, Kevin, AJ and Howie were already sitting. Faren began clapping, then made a face to make sure Nick knew she was making fun of him! "Just sit down Nick, before you hurt yourself!" laughed AJ, smacking him lightly upside the head.

Lauren took a seat beside Faren and AJ, and soon dinner was underway. Conversation was being made, and food was being eaten. All of a sudden, Lauren heard a low rumbling. "Did anyone just hear that?!" she asked, looking up from her dinner at eight pairs of eyes who had just been interrupted from conversation. "Hear what?" asked Howie, looking around.

"Oh, never mind...I must be hearing things I guess," mused Lauren, going back to her dinner. Her body tensed up, and her grip on her fork became so tight, that her knuckles turned almost completely white. Nobody noticed, however, because they were still engaged in chat. Lauren finished her dinner without saying a word, as she half listened to Nick and everyone talking, and half concentrated on making sure she didn't have a nervous breakdown.

"What's wrong Lauren?" whispered AJ as he leaned over, "you've been so quiet all night...what's up?" She took a sip of her drink, then said with another fake smile, "I'm fine, don't worry....I just thought of something..that's it!"

AJ shrugged, and continued to eat. They all did just that, until Lauren heard the noise again. Her head jerked up, but once again, no one acted like they had heard anything. €Am I going insane?!' she thought to herself.

At around 8:30 or so, dinner was finished and the group headed outside to the deck. The moment they got there, Lauren knew something wasn't right. The sky was abnormally dark for 8:30, and there was a brisk wind. Her body froze, and she stopped walking. "Shit," exclaimed AJ, taking off his sunglasses, "if I didn't know better, I'd say there was a storm coming in or something!"

At those words, there was a rumble of thunder: the same noise Lauren had heard inside the restaurant. "I think you're right Bone," agreed Brian, looking out into the horizon at the storm clouds. No one had noticed yet that Lauren was standing there, unable to move. She stood there until Brian glanced her way, walked over to her and said, "Laur! What's wrong?!"

All of a sudden, she felt sick to her stomach, but was able to say, "It's okay...I'm okay....the thunder just caught me by surprise, that's all." Brian looked at her skeptically, but just then, there was a bright flash, and the thunder cracked loudly. This caused Lauren to jump, and she grabbed onto Brian's hand tightly. "I think we better all go back to our rooms," advised Kevin, "I don't think it's too smart to stay up here when there's lightning and all that stuff."

They all headed back down to their floor, but Lauren was still having a hard time moving and talking. "You're not okay, are you?" asked Brian nervously, looking at Lauren who was still grasping onto his hand for dear life. She tried to tell him that she was okay, but the only thing she could manage was a "no."

Brian and Nick followed Gray and Lauren back to their room. By the time they got there, rain was already starting to fall in sheets. Gray, who was the last one in the room, shut the door and said, "Lauren, are you okay? You don't look so good!"

For once, Lauren was able to shake her head no. "I'm not okay....I think I have a problem," she said, her voice shaky. Nick, Brian and Gray eye's were all on her, and they looked confused. "What's the problem?" asked Nick worriedly, "does it have to do with the storm?"

She nodded, finally able to let go of Brian's hand. "You're scared of thunderstorms?" asked Gray incredulously. "No, I'm not usually," explained Lauren, "when you're inside a house they aren't so bad, but there's just something about being on a boat with a severe thunderstorm going on....I don't know, it just makes me really nervous! I guess I've seen to many movies or something!"

The three nodded, and Gray said, "Yeah, like that one movie €Airplane'". Lauren, Brian and Nick all turned to look at him, Brian burst out laughing and Nick gave him a look that said huh?!? "I'm not even gonna touch that one!" Lauren laughed, rubbing her temples, her body relaxing a bit.

Just then, lightening flashed again from outside and that same crack of thunder boomed throughout the room. "Guys, I'm really not liking this," Lauren said, her voice quavering. She got up to look out the little porthole of a window, and saw the waves crashing up against the side of the boat.

"Um, Laur, maybe it's not such a good idea if you look out the window," Brian said, taking her by the arm and pulling her back onto the bed, "you're shaking!"

"I know I am....I'm just a wee bit scared, don't worry, I'll be okay," she answered, her eyes darting around the room. "You're not gonna puke, are you?!" asked Nick, looking freaked out. "No, Nicky, don't worry," she said, laughing a bit, "I just need to relax and not think of it."

"Okay, well what do you wanna do?" asked Gray, "I knew they should have put a TV in here....didn't I say that?! I said that the minute I set foot in this room! Maybe they should take advice from me!" Nick laughed, and threw a pillow at him. "Okay," Gray agreed, "maybe not, but I still think we need something to do...I know! Let's play Truth or Dare!"

"Truth or Dare?"asked Lauren skeptically, "don't you think we're a little old for that?" Gray answered, "No way! It never loses it's touch!"

"But Gray, there's three of you guys and only one of me! You're ganging up on me!" Lauren exclaimed. Gray smiled and raised his eyebrows a couple of times. "Oh, man, you're sick!" she cried, as she pounced forward and began beating him. "Are they always this feisty?" asked Nick, laughing. "From what Lauren's said, they fight constantly!" Brian answered, trying not to get wacked in the face with the pillow that Lauren was trying to smother Gray with! "Hey, hey, hey! Break it up you two!" called Nick, trying to separate the fighting, "we aren't playing Truth or Dare....don't worry!"

"Good!" said Lauren, smiling triumphantly. "Man, you are a PSYCHO!" exclaimed Gray, laughing. Lauren shot him a dirty glance, and Brian tried to change the subject. "Okay, well how about we sing a song or something?"

"What song?" asked Nick, but at that moment, there was another flash, and the boat tipped suddenly to one side, so abruptly that Gray fell off the bed. "Holy shit!" cried Lauren, grabbing for the nearest thing to hold onto, which happened to be Nick at the moment. She clutched onto his arm for dear life, while Nick tried to keep himself steady on the bed. "Dude, I'm not liking this," whispered Nick to Brian, so Lauren couldn't hear the fear in his voice.

"Neither am I, little buddy," replied Brian, "I'm getting really bad vibes from this...I'm not liking this one bit."

"What's going on?!" exclaimed Lauren, clinging onto Nick's arm, "why did we just tip?!"

"It's okay," reassured Brian, as Gray picked himself off the floor, "the waves must have just pushed us a little bit." Nick nodded, agreeing with Brian in uncertainty. Lauren's eyes were filled with fear, as Nick tried to ease his arm out of her tight grip. "How about that song?" asked Gray, trying to get her mind of the storm.

"Okay, what do you wanna sing?" asked Nick. "I've got a good one," replied Brian, smiling mischievously, "Even in my heart, I see, you're not being true to me, deep within my soul I feel, nothing's like it used to be, sometimes I wish I could turn back time, impossible as it may seem, but I wish I could, so bad, baby, you better......"

"Quit playing games with my heart," chimed in Nick, singing, "before you tear us apart..." Lauren, who had been watching Brian sing, interrupted, "Hey! I know that song! You guys sing that, huh?!"

"Yup!" answered Brian proudly, stopping the song for the time being. "Hey, no fair, I don't know the words," complained Gray, pretending to be upset. "I think we should let them sing, Gray," replied Lauren, giggling a little, "because I've heard you sing....and it's not a pretty sight!"

"Hey!" he exclaimed, indignantly, "I can sing! I sing a wicked verse of Step by Step' by The New Kids on The Block'!"

"Oh no," muttered Lauren, knowing what was coming up next. "Step by step, ooh baby, gotta get to you, girl! Step by step, ooh baby, really want you in my world!" Gray belted out in his best voice possible. Nick burst out laughing and Brian tried to hold in his laughter. "Gray, you suck!" giggled Lauren, "I'd MUCH rather listen to Nick and Brian! You absolutely suck!!"

"Okay, you really pushed it this time!" exclaimed Gray, "you are DEAD!" With that, he began to beat up on her again, this time, both of them falling on the ground in the process. "You weren't kidding when you said these two fought a lot!" laughed Nick. Brian nodded, and tried to break them up, unsuccessfully. "I am the best goddamn singer there is!" yelled Gray, trying to pin her hands down. "You wish!" cried Lauren in response.

All of a sudden, a voice sounded through the room, which stopped the fighting immediately. "This is your captain speaking," the voice said, "as you can see, we are experiencing some bad weather outside, so we ask that everyone stay in doors, preferably in their rooms. We will keep you updated on further events...thank you."

Lauren abruptly sat up and went to the window. "Oh shit!" she exclaimed, stepping back, "it is damn scary out there!" With those exact words, the boat tipped again to the side, causing Lauren to lose her balance and fall onto Brian. "Sorry!" she apologized, trying to get up unsuccessfully, as she was shaking again.

"You aren't doing so well, are ya?" asked Brian worriedly. "No, I don't know what it is...I'm just so scared of this damn storm! Especially being on this boat.....are we ever going to be able to get out? Are you guys gonna ever be able to get back to your room?" Lauren asked.

"I'm not sure," answered Nick, "not if this storm doesn't let up! We may have to have a big sleep over!" Lauren just sat there, shaking. "What time is it?" she asked. "It's almost eleven," answered Gray, "I wonder where the others are now? Do ya think they made it back to their rooms?"

"I'm sure they did," replied Brian, "I can't believe it's already almost eleven!" Thunder rolled off in the distance, and a shiver ran through Lauren's spine. "I'm exhausted!" announced Nick, as he put his head down on a pillow and closed his eyes. "Hey!" cried Gray, "if you're gonna sleep here, you sleep on the floor! I get the bed!"

"No fair!" exclaimed Nick, sitting up, "we'll fing for it!" Gray answered, "No way buddy, you get the floor..this is MY bed!"

"Why don't you sleep together?" said Lauren, giggling, trying to forget the storm. Both Gray and Nick sent her disgusted glances, as Brian giggled along with her. "But really, I think there are some extra blankets and pillows in the closet," Brian said, getting up and looking. He came back with two blankets and pillows. "Here Nick, you can sleep on the floor....it's only fair!"

"Shit," muttered Nick, as he tried to arrange himself a bed on the floor, "this sucks!" Gray answered, "Well, live with it! I'm going to sleep!" and within 2 minutes, he was already in bed. Nick's eyes were closed as he was nestled in his makeshift bed, but Lauren and Brian were still awake. "You okay?" he asked, glancing at Lauren. The two of them were sitting on her bed, Brian leaning up against the headboard and Lauren sitting at his feet.

She managed a half smile, and shrugged. "Here, come here," he offered, holding out his arms. Lauren crawled over and cuddled in his arms beside him. "You're still shaking!" he exclaimed in a loud whisper, as not to wake the sleeping boys. "Yeah....I'll be okay," she replied, snuggling deeper into his embrace.

"Are you tired?" he asked. "I don't know," she answered, "I'm kinda shaken up, but maybe I'll be able to fall asleep.....Brian?"

"Yeah?" he answered. "Can you sing to me?" She asked, looking up at him and smiling. "Sure," he said, "I have a good one...." Lauren nodded, as she closed her eyes and made herself comfortable in the crook of his arm.

"If I could right the wrongs that made you cry, girl would you promise not to say goodbye, Cause I'm holding on, with a love so strong, and I can't take the day without you by my side, girl if I could change, if I could change your mind, maybe you can help me wipe these tears from my eyes, girl don't stop the sun from shining down on me, cause I can't take another day without your smile, and if you take away the loving arms that surround me then I might break down and cry just like a child," Brian sang the words to the song softly.

He looked down at Lauren and saw her asleep peacefully in his arms. She looks so peaceful,' he thought, I could watch her all night.' But then he yawned, being careful not to move a muscle as to wake her. Soon, Brian too was asleep, and the two slept in that position all night.