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They drove up AJ's driveway. Nick turned the music off and smiled at Ashley. "That wasn't that bad was it?"
"Not after you turned it down so I couldn't hear it all that well." She replied.
Nick sighed. "Well, here we are." He turned the car off.
They walked inside together.
"Nicky!" AJ yelled.
"Nick!" Brian came running over.
"This is my Ashley Smith,”” Nick said introducing her. "This is Brian,”” he whispered to Lee.
"Hello,”” she smiled.
"I'm so glad to meet you,”” Brian said, "Nick talks about you all the time."
Lee blushed.
"I don't really talk about you all the time,”” Nick said, "I'm just talking to you most of the time."
Brian laughed, "that's okay. It's good to talk. Lot's of couples don't do that AJ."
AJ walked over there at that moment. "What?" He asked. "I heard my name."
"That's AJ. He's the wired one." Nick whispered to Lee.
"We were just saying that you and Amanda don't talk much." Brian laughed.
"Then what are we -- oh! I get you!" AJ exclaimed catching on.
They all laughed.
"This is Ashley,”” Nick introduced.
"Ashley Smith huh?" AJ asked. "Pretty common name."
"You're telling me!" Lee muttered.
"That's how I met her actually,”” Nick told AJ.
"I'm confused. What does the name Ashley Smith being common have to do with you meeting her?" AJ asked bemused.
"You remember at the meet and greet a while back a girl named Ashley Smith gave me her phone number." Nick explained.
"Yea. I remember. She was the really hot one!" AJ exclaimed. "Don't tell my girlfriend I said that."
"Don't tell me what?" Amanda asked over hearing part of the conversation.
"Nothing honey!" AJ called back.
Amanda sighed and shook her head.
"Well anyway,”” Nick went on,”” I dialed the wrong number and wound up talking to her and that's how we met!"
"What about the hot Ashley Smith?" AJ asked. "Not that you're not hot she was just..."
"I know her." Lee replied sourly.
"Wow! Are you friends?"
"They're enemies. Now she has to meet everybody else." Nick said pulling Ashley away.
"What ever happened to the first Ashley Smith?" AJ asked as he stood with his girlfriend, Nick and Ashley.
"I still call her every once in a while." Nick replied.
"Uh oh! Ashley did you hear that? He's calling your enemy!"
"I know." Lee replied.
"Aren't you going to do anything about it?" AJ asked.
"Why should I?"
"Because he's yours - not hers."
"He's not hers,”” Lee laughed. "She can't stay with one guy for more than a couple of weeks!"
"So, soon she'll stop being interested in me?" Nick asked.
"Yes, but she'll pretend she's interested in you. You're a Back Street Boy,”” Lee rolled her eyes.
"What'd that mean?" Nick asked.
"What?" Lee exclaimed confused.
"The rolling your eyes thingy." Nick said.
"Oh nothing,”” she rolled her eyes.
"You're doing that on purpose!" He exclaimed.
She did it again.
"You're trying to make me mad."
"No." She frowned innocently.
"You're trying to get me back." He exclaimed. "Not for the music?"
"Oh, it was defiantly the music." She smiled.
"What'd you do, make her listen to *nsync or something?" Amanda asked.
"No." Nick replied. "Hay which is worse BSB or *nsuck?"
"In looks or music?" Lee asked
"Music." AJ replied.
"About the same."
"Looks." Nick said.
"Defiantly the BSB. I'm sorry, but those *nsync guys are just ugly."
"Anyway, I was wondering if you could give me that hot Ashley Smith's phone number." AJ smiled asking Nick.
Amanda rolled her eyes.
"Oh, no!" AJ scolded. "Don't you start that too!"
"I don't thin you oughta be telling me what to do considering you just asked for another girl's phone number." Amanda rolled her eyes.
"I'm just joking. You know that." He smiled at her.
She rolled her eyes then laughed good-naturedly.
"Aren't they so mean to each other?" Nick asked laughing.
"Not as mean as you were to mea in the car." Lee replied crossing her arms.
"I won't do it again."
"Promise?"
"Yes."
"Oh! That reminds me! I told Britney that they next we see each other her and Aaron could tag along."
"You did?" He asked disappointed.
"I think he wants to be alone, ““ AJ laughed.
Nick rolled his eyes.
"He didn't deny it!" Amanda laughed.
"Can't we take them somewhere and let them be alone so we can be alone."
"I don't want my poor little innocent step-sister alone with your brother."
"Oh. Gee. Thanks. Insult the family then. I might just play *nsuck for you on the way home."
"You have an *nsync CD?" AJ asked
"No! I was just joking!"
"Good, because you promised."
"I hope you're not late,”” Nick said as they ran out to the car.
"It's not like they'll kill me if I am." She replied. "The worst they can do is say I can't talk to you on the phone or see you for a couple of weeks."
"That would be pretty awful. That would be punishing me too, for not making you leave until 11:30."
"Yes. If I get in trouble you should too."
"But I'm too old and live by myself. I don't need to get in trouble any more."
"Oh, you'll get in trouble plenty more in your life time." She laughed. "You'll get in trouble with your wife, your kids, your grand-kids. You know, all those people younger than you."
"I don't think me getting in trouble is very funny." Nick scolded.
"It is to me." Ashley laughed.
"I think I ought to get back at you for that one. I'll get in trouble with you - for calling Ashley Smith."
"Don't even think about it."
"I will think about what-ever I want to, thank you very much."
"Not if I say you can't."
"Why can't I?"
"You're suppose to be thinking about me all the time." She said pathetically.
"Get a life!"
"I have a life. I think I oughta get a better guy. One who will dream about me."
"Why don't you just come sleep with me. Then I won't have to dream about you!"
"I don't want to sleep with you!" She said sticking her nose up into the air.
"Ashley Smith would sleep with me. I think I'll invite her over."
"Oh please don't. If you do all I'll hear about until the end of the year is her saying 'I slept with Nick Carter. Doesn't every other guy in town want to sleep with me now that I've slept with someone famous?' and all the guys would be telling her to go fine a girl that likes the BSB to sleep with because they're gay. The BSB that is.
"She wouldn't really would she?"
"Not quite like that, but that would be what she meant."
"Oh, one of those things were a girl says one thing and means another."
"Yea." Lee replied. "You're not sleepy are you?"
"No why?"
"I just don't want you falling asleep on the road."
"If we turned on some of my music...."
"No!"
Nick just laughed.
Nick pulled into her driveway. He stopped the car. She started to get out. "Lee! Don't I get a good-night kiss?"
"Uh, no, not.... now.... I can't,”” she stammered.
"Why?" He asked confused.
"I'll explain later. Bye." She said getting out.
She tiptoed into the house. She was almost in her room when she heard her mother say her name. "Ashley Smith! It's almost 2 o'clock. Why are you late?"
She could tell her mother had been trying to wait up for her, but had fallen asleep on the couch. She did that frequently. "I'm sorry, Mom, we left the party later than we meant to. I'm sorry Mom. I really am. I had no clue it was so late."
"You were late last time you saw that boy. I don't think he's a good influence on you."
"Mom! It won't happen again. I promise."
"Don't promise, Ashley. I don't like to see broken promises."
"You're the one who breaks promises." Lee muttered.
"I've told you never to mention that to me again like that." Her mother said sternly. "Now go to your room."
"I'm only saying the truth,”” Lee said as she walked into her room and closed the door. "Divorce is the worst kind of broken promise."