Mackenzie smiled a bit and remembered how four years ago, she had been just as excited as Jacquelyn was. She finished zipping up her stunning silver jumpsuit lined with neon plastic and tied her shoes before walking down the hall backstage to Nick’s dressing room. She knocked on the door.
“Mackenzie!” Nick yelled from behind the closed door. “Help me!”
Mackenzie slowly opened the door and could help but laugh a bit when she saw Nick. His microphone cord was tangled in one of the shoulder pads for the “Larger Than Life” opening and he was struggling, without much lucky, to undo it. “Don’t move,” she instructed, helping Nick free himself.
After a minute or so, Mackenzie had finally succeeded in untangling Nick. “Thanks Mac, you’re a lifesaver.”
Mackenzie smiled. “I know,” she said. “It would have been really funny if you had come on stage like that though.”
“Hahaha Mackenzie, very funny.”
“I came to wish you good luck,” Mackenzie said. “Looks like I stopped by just in time.”
“It the first show. You know how it goes.”
“Oh of course I do. I’m surprised you haven’t blown anything up yet.” Mackenzie was grinning teasingly.
“Don’t jinx it,” Nick warned.
Together, Nick and Mackenzie walked towards the stage entrance. They were on in ten minutes right after the supporting group, the Septuplets, were finished.
“They’re good,” Mackenzie said.
Nick nodded in agreement.
For the rest of the time the Septuplets were on stage, Mackenzie was thankful that today, she felt better than she had been. The medication and extra rest that she had gotten yesterday seemed to be helping. Finally, two minutes remained. Nick kissed Mackenzie good luck and walked down the main corridor to one of the stage enterances, a huge platform that was to lower on to the stage.
Meanwhile, Mackenzie met up with the other 19 dancers and listened while Fatima gave them an extremely short pep talk. “Let’s go out there and heat it up!” she yelled. Finally, the lights in the stadium dimmed, the opening cord to “Larger Than Life” started, and all at once, the dancers and the Backstreet Boys exploded on to the stage.
“That was damn good,” AJ said, as he towel himself off, can you believe the turnout?” he asked to no one in particular.
Kevin decided to answered him. “No kidding. I haven’t seen so many people at the Seattle show since the beginning,” he stated.
Rebecca, the tour manager, cut him short. “You guys did great,” she said. “Get your showers in right now. We’re leaving in 3 hours.”
“Why, why, why?” Nick whined to Mackenzie. “I wanna sleep.”
“I’m right there with you,” Mackenzie said noticing that she was yawning almost uncontrollably.
“You’re never tired after shows Mac,” Nick pointed out.
“I know,” she laughed as she yawned again. That show had taken a lot from her. “It’s crazy,” she said, trying to play up her lie.
“You know, I’m beginning to think that there is something seriously wrong with you,” Nick said.
Mackenzie didn’t know that Nick was joking. “Why do you say that?” she asked cautiously.
“I’m just kidding Mac…calm down. You're acting like I am question you for murder or something.”
“Sorry Nick, I’m just tired. I’m gonna go get some sleep. You gonna be awake for breakfast?”
“Probably not,” Nick said. “But I’ll eat anyway.”
“And how are you planning on doing that?” Mackenzie said laughing.
“I do it all the time…it’s just a matter of finding your mouth.”
Mackenzie looked over at Nick. “I think you need sleep worse than I do.”
“I wouldn’t argue there,” Nick agreed. Seconds later, the two of them reached Mackenzie’s hotel room. “I’ll meet you right back here in 2 hours, okay Mac?” Nick asked.
“Thanks sweetie,” Mackenzie said, kissing Nick before stepping into her hotel room and closing the door behind her. Once inside, Mackenzie sighed while she leaned against the door. An alarm went off from her watch signaling that it was time for another dose of chemotherapy medication. “Damnit,” she whispered. She walked into the small, Italian style bathroom of the hotel. She extracted a pill from the small bottle, swallowed it, and began to undress for a long, hot shower.
“Mackenzie!” Nick was yelling in the hall of the hotel. “C’mon, let me in. It’s time to go!”
“Just a second!” Mackenzie yelled back. She grabbed her shoes off the table and ran to the door, opened it, and then continued running around her hotel room.
“Man Mac, we’ve only been here since five and this is what your hotel room looks like? It looks like my hotel rooms.” Nick looked around at Mackenzie’s extremely usual messy room.
“I know, it’s crazy, huh?”
As Nick was looking around the room he couldn’t help but wonder what had gotten into Mackenzie. She had been acting weird for weeks now. “You ready to go?” he said, taking one of her gym bags.
Mackenzie grabbed her other gym bag. “Sure am,” she said softly. “Thank you Nick,” she said as she lightly kissed his cheek and shut the door behind them.
Chapter Seven
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