Alicia ran to Brian as soon as she reached their bus, and kissed him lustfully. Brian tightly wrapped his arms around her, finally glad that he could be holding her in his arms.
Alicia pulled away, and caught her breath. "You were so wonderful tonight Brian," she said, as she ran her hands through his wet hair.
"You looked so beautiful out there watching me the whole night. I'm glad you liked the show, its a shame you would have seen more of it if you would have looked away from me for a little while…" Brian joked, as he ran his hands up and down her back.
She laughed a little, and kissed him softly. "It was better just staring at you…" she smiled when she saw his blue eyes sparkle.
"I love you…" Brian said, taking her hand, and leading her onto their bus, where they would be heading back to their house in.
"I know, I love you too…" she leaned over, and kissed his cheek, as they climbed onto the bus.
*at the same time*
AJ and Nick were still backstage getting dressed, and packing their things to leave.
"AJ, what the hell am I suppose to do?" Nick sighed, as he threw one of his brushes into the bag.
"Nick, its your fault, you could have pushed her away, you didn't have to keep kissing her like that!" AJ said angrily as he pulled a sweat shirt on.
"AJ! Like I could help it!"
"You could have Nick. Now you have to deal with telling her about Mandy, especially after you were frenching her!"
Nick sighed, he knew he had to tell her, he just didn't want to. "When should I tell her?"
"Tonight…"
"WHAT!? Tonight? I was just kissing her a few hours ago!"
"Nick, it will hurt her less if you tell her now. Trust me, when me and Sarah were in that huge fight, I just told her how I was feeling. Thats what you have to do…."
Nick looked at AJ, and just nodded his head. He knew that AJ was right. He would tell her. Tonight.
*two hours later; Brian's house*
Karine leaned over, and whispered into Nick's ear, "lets go back to your house, and make love…" Nick swallowed hard at her words.
"Karine, we need to talk…" Nick grabbed her hand, and led her up the steps, and into one of the extra rooms in Brian's house.
She sat down on the bed, and stared expectantly at Nick.
"A lot has changed Karine. When we were in that fight awhile ago, it made me think a lot," Nick said.
Karine stared at him. "Nick, I love you…" she said.
Nick's heart broke again. How was he going to do this. Maybe he could just see them both, and neither of them had to ever know. He would just do it until he could decide who he wanted to be with. With that as his resolution, he opened his mouth to say something when the door to the room they were in slowly opened.
*at the same time*
Their was a knock at the front door, and Brian stood up to answer it. When he opened the door, he knew that Nick was in for it.
"Hey Brian! Is Nick here?" a very cheerful girl said.
"Hi Mandy. Yeah he is here. Why don't you come in, and you can meet some people…" Brian said, motioning for her to come into the living room.
When she entered, she saw two girls and AJ. Sarah was next to him on the couch, and Alicia slowly stood up.
"Hi, I'm Alicia! Who are you?" Alicia said as she walked over and shook hands with Mandy.
Mandy looked at Brian, and smiled. "They are the girls from that picture aren't they?" she asked him, and saw him put his arm around Alicia.
"Yep, this is my baby, Alicia and over there is Sarah…" Brian said, and Sarah smiled at waved.
"Wasn't there three girls? Wasn't her name Kasey or something?" Mandy asked.
"Karine…" AJ corrected for her.
"Oh yeah that was it!"
"I'm sorry, but not to sound rude, but who are you?" Sarah asked her.
"Oh Jesus, my manners. I'm sorry, I'm Mandy, Nick's girlfriend…" Sarah looked at Alicia and almost shit her pants.
"Your his girlfriend?" Alicia choked out.
"Yeah…" she said slowly.
Brian and AJ stared at each other. They should have told them.
"Anyways where is Nick, I need to talk to him…is he upstairs?" she asked as she made her way up the steps.
She opened the first door on her right.
*meanwhile*
Nick stared at Mandy when she entered the room. Karine looked up, and saw her also. Her long hair was hanging around her arms, and she was wearing some wind pants, and a tight tank top.
"Hi Karine…" Mandy said sweetly. Nick felt himself start to sweat.
"Hi, uh…who are you…." Karine asked standing up.
"I'm Mandy, Nick's girlfriend…" Karine felt her anger build up inside of her, and walked up to Nick, and smacked him as hard as she could across his face.
He didn't even turn his head, just excepted her slap. "Fuckin bastard…" she cursed, as she stared at him. Nick saw the tears running down her face, and she walked even closer to him.
When she was almost on top of him, she kneed him in the balls, and he fell strait to the floor. Mandy stared at her in shock, and watched as she walked out of the room.
Mandy bent down, and took Nick into her arms. He rested his head against her stomach, as she combed through his hair with her fingers.
Nick began to cry, part from the pain, and part from how much Karine hated him right now.
Mandy just kissed his head, and comforted him, wondering why Karine did that.
*five minutes later*
After Karine composed herself in the bathroom, she headed downstairs, and looked around at the four sitting in the living room.
Sarah and Alicia stared helplessly at her. A fresh set of tears began to stream down her face, and since he was the closest, AJ stood up, and took her into his arms.
She put her face in his neck, and cried. He softly stroked her back, and told her everything would be fine. AJ looked over at Brian, and just shook his head. It was time for Nick to grow up.
*the next day*
Nick turned over and looked at the clock. 9:30am. He yawned. Mandy had told him last night that it would be better if she went home until Karine, Alicia and Sarah left the house.
He was appreciative of her understanding, especially after he told her why Karine had smacked him.
He climbed out of bed, and went into the bathroom. Half hour later he emerged, and knew that he had to explain to Karine.
He walked across the hall to the room she was staying in, and tried the door, but it was locked. So he knocked.
"What?!" he heard a very bitchy Karine answer.
"Karine, I want to talk to you…" Nick said softly, then putting his ear to the door.
"Get the fuck out of my face!" she screamed at him.
"Karine, I want to explain…"
"Nick, get out of my face!"
"Karine, please just let me see you…"
Karine climbed out of bed, and went and opened the door. It tore her insides out when she saw Nick's blue eyes.
Nick so badly wanted to take her into his arms, and hold her body against his. Her eyes were red and swelled up and she seemed like she was trembling.
"I'm sorry," Nick said softly.
Karine just stared at him, and then took a step back, and slammed the door in his face.
"KARINE!" Nick screamed, and shoved the door open before she could lock it.
She stared at him almost in disbelief as a fresh set of tears streamed down her face.
"Can I please explain?" Nick asked.
"No, Nick. Its over, everything, our friendship, our relationship. I don't want to EVER see you again Nick! I can't believe that you went this low. Goodbye Nick…" and with that Nick walked out of her room, closing the door, but letting his body crumble to the floor in front of her door.
He faintly heard music start playing. After a few words he could tell she was listening to Show Me The Meaning…
*later that night*
Alicia had willed Karine to come out her room, and come join her and Brian.
"I think AJ and Sarah like each other again…" Brian said, looking at two girls.
"I know. We should set them up some how…" Alicia smiled.
"Yeah…" Karine said out of her mouth. She was thinking about the lines Nick sang, "Guilty roads through an endless love, there's no control, are you with me now? Your every wish will be done they tell me…."
"Kari, girl you have to get over Nick there are plenty of other guys that will want you…." Brian sighed.
"I know but I want Nick…" she replied sadly.
Just then Nick opened the door, and walked in and sat down next to Brian. He looked up at Karine, and saw that she was staring at the ground.
"Well, anyways, I have this idea how we can get AJ and Sarah together again. See like Bri, you and Nick can write a note and sign it from AJ and then we'll give it to Sarah and then we will write one from her, and you can give it to AJ. And we can have them meet at a night club or something, an then they can get back together, cuz it is so obvious that they still have a crush on each other…" Alicia informed everyone.
"Yeah, baby, thats a great idea," Brian said, and then kissed her lips softly.
Nick and Karine both looked at them when they kissed, and Nick looked at Karine. Still she wouldn't even look at him.
"Ok, well Alicia we better get started…we can tell them to meet tonight at 8:30 at Freddies," Karine said, then standing up, and grabbing a few pieces of paper off of the desk and a pen. Nick went over to where she was to get the same for him, and Brian and their arms brushed. She looked up at him, and caught his eye.
"Karine, please let me explain…" Nick whispered.
She shook her head no, and grabbed Alicia away from Brian, and took her into the other room.
*five minutes later*
"Brian, god she won't even look at me anymore!" Nick sighed.
"Well, Nick…I feel for you man, its just that she is probably taking this really rough right now. She loved you so much…" Brian replied.
"How do you know that she still loved me?"
"Alicia told me that last night Karine was crying like the whole night, and all she did was play our cd over and over. I mean do you still want to be with her, or do you want to be with Mandy?"
"God, Rok, I dunno. I mean when I first saw her, her blue eyes seemed to sparkle, and then how she has her hair longer again, and now that its blonde, she looks so good. I mean I am still really attracted to her, not just by her looks but her personality too…"
"You still love her?" Brian asked.
"Yeah, I mean I can't just stop loving her. But I dunno if I want her back as my girlfriend. You remember when I told you when we were fighting that I could picture myself marrying her?" Brian nodded his head, and Nick continued, "I can still picture it. I just can't picture myself marrying Mandy…"
"Well, Nick that is a decision that you are going to have to make, and no one can make it for you…"
