8 Years Later….

Nick and Melody are still best friends. They've gone through fights, but always managed to make it through. Nick was now 21 and Melody was 22. Since Melody was out of school she traveled with Nick and the Backstreet Boys.

"Nick you ass!" she yelled.

"What?"

"Did you just throw this water balloon at me?" she asked hitting him upside his head.

"No!" Brian started to laugh.

"Oh so you're the one who did this eh?"

"You're gonna pay!" Melody got out her make up. " Hey Nick grab him for me please?" He knew what she was going to do.

"Thanks hon."

"No prob." Brian saw all that make up sitting there before him.

"No Mel.. come on I didn't mean to really I didn't." he pleaded.

"You think you're going to get off that easy? Yea right!" she laughed.

"No!!!" Brian yelled. The rest of the guys ran in and looked to see what was going on. They all sat there and watched in amusement.

"This isn't funny!" Brian exclaimed.

"Sure it is. That's the price you pay for throwing a water balloon at me. You're just lucky it wasn't a whole pail of water… like what Nick did to me way back when."

"Now why did you have to bring that up?" Nick said going to the chair and sitting down.

"Because it was even funnier than this." She was finally done with Brian.

"Don’t let him move!" She ran into her bunk and got out her camera and photo album. flash!

"Oh hell no! You did not just take a picture of me."

"Oh you better believe it." She smiled.

"You better be watching your back missy!" Brian said as he tried to get all the junk off of his face.

"Ha! What are you going to do to me? I'll end up doing this to you." She said showing the picture of Nick in a dress with make up and everything. Brian started to laugh.

"Mel" Nick whined.

"What?" she said making a whiney voice back.

"Why did you have to go and do that for?"

"Because I am showing Brian what is going to happen if he does that again." she smiled. Nick growled and walked away. Meanwhile Nick went into his bunk and pouted. His cell rang.

"Hello?"

"Hey Nick it's Mandah."

"Why are you calling me?" he asked. He still felt sad from when they broke up over 2 years ago.

"I wanna be friends." Mandah said. Nick was confused. Two years she hadn't called him or wanted anything to do with him.

"Why didn't you call anytime before?"

"I didn't have time."

"What for 2 years?" Nick said. He was kind of angry. He didn’t know how to act or what to say at that point.

"Yea.." Nick thought about what she had done to him, but he realized that he had to move on.

"I am going to accept what ever you are trying to do alright? But if you EVER hurt me again I will personally hurt you myself." Nick would never do that. He was hoping maybe it would scare her and she wouldn't use him like she did before.

"Okay.. it's a deal." Nick and Mandah caught up from when they last left off 2 years ago.

"Nick!" Melody yelled.

"Coming."

"She's still there?" Mandah asked. Melody and Mandah never got along. She kept telling Nick that she was cheating using him for his money and to get a record deal and what not, but he didn't want to face the facts.

"You think I am going to leave my best friend behind? Yea right!" Nick said as he got out of his bunk.

"Oh.." Mandah was kind of hoping she wouldn't be there. She always hated the fact that Nick spent so much time with her when they were together.

"What?"

"Get off the damn cell phone and help me get dressed. Remember Andy?"

"Okay okay." Nick walked back to his bunk

"I'll call you later okay. Sorry about this." Nick said apologizing.

"Okay bye bye." Nick put his phone on the charger and walked back into the bathroom.

"Now why did you need help?" Nick asked as he picked out his favorite thing.

"Because I know you can help me that's why." She said looking into the mirror.

"Oh okay." Nick stood there and watched her get dressed. She didn't mind. They have been friends for song long that she didn't even care anymore. He wondered if she still had feelings for him from way back when they were in high school. He knew he still did.

"What do you think?" Nick didn’t answer.

"Nick!"

"Huh?"

"What am I going to do with you?" she laughed.

"I dunno? Shoot me?"

"Sounds like an idea to me." he joked. Nick just smirked.

"Anyway so what do you think?"

"Beautiful as always." Nick smiled.

"Thanks!" Melody smiled back. She went back to the mirror and did her hair and make up.

"Who was that on the phone anyway?" Melody asked.

"Mandah." Melody stopped what she was doing and looked at Nick.

"I already know what you are thinking."

"Yea I am sure you are. What did she want?"

"She wanted to be friends again." Melody's heart dropped. She remembered when him and Mandah first went out and left her behind.

"Why?"

"I don't know. She didn’t give me a reason."

"Well did you ask her why so long you dumbass?"

"Yes. And she said he was "supposedly" busy."

"For two fucking years?" Melody yelled.

"That’s what she said."

"What do you mean that’s what she said?" Melody was having a hard time figuring it out.

"I am dead serious that’s what she said." Nick said pacing around the room.

"GRRR!!!!" Melody shouted.

"Now now don't be mad." Nick said patting her on the back.

"Nick shut up! Tell me what you said?"

"I accepted it. Although I told her if she ever hurt me again I would personally hunt her down and kick her ass!" Melody became mad "He's going to end up walking out of my life again and he still doesn't have a clue that I still have liked him for all of these years." she thought.

"Melody are you going to say something? or stand there stupidless?" Melody still didn’t say anything. She finished getting ready outside and waited outside for Andy to come.

"Nick I just want to be alone okay? Is that too much to ask?"

"Yes… I know you are upset. Can we talk about this later?" Nick asked.

"Sure." Nick gave her a hug good-bye and a kiss on the cheek when Andy soon arrived. Nick walked back into the bus, He went into his bunk and felt bad about leaving Melody behind for Mandah so many years ago.

~ 3 Hours Later ~

The concert was over and Melody was finally back, but was asleep in her bunk.

"Nick cheer up buddy!" Brian said patting him on the back.

"How can I when I feel so bad Brian?"

"U don’t know weren't you going to talk to her about it tonight?" he asked.

"Yea.. but she's asleep and we all know how bad she is if she doesn't get any sleep." Nick laughed.

"Yea we ALL know that from experience don’t we?"

"Totally." Nick and the guys trailed off to bed. As Nick was trying to fall asleep his cell phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hey Nick it's me."

"Why are you calling me so late for?"

"You never called me back."

"I had a show to do tonight. I forgot to call. Sorry."

"It's okay Nick I understand."

"That’s good."

"So how has everything been with you and the guys?" she asked.

"Good. Touring like hell for this new album." Nick laughed.

"I bet you guys always have."

"Yea sure have."

"Hey Nick want you go and do something tomorrow?" she asked.

"Sure why not."

"Okay good" They sat and talked for another hour or so.

"Hey Mandah I gotta go. I am getting tired alright? See ya tomorrow!"

"Okies. Bye bye." Nick hung up the phone and fell asleep.

~ Next Morning ~

Melody woke up with a note on her pillow. She opened it and read it.

Melody, Hey! I am going out with Mandah, but please don't think I am leaving you. I love you TOO much to do that. Anyway, we will talk when I get back sometime okay? Love you… Love, Nicky

Melody was still kind of pissed off at Nick for yesterday, but she soon forgave him. She walked out into the dining area of the bus.

"Good morning sunshine." Brian laughed.

"Haha very funny DORK!"

"I am surprised you haven't asked where Nick was."

"The dumbass left me a note saying he went out with Mandah. He actually thought for once." she laughed.

"Isn't that the truth." They laughed. Melody sat down. She didn’t want to eat. She wasn't feeling to good. She still had the gut feeling that Nick was going to leave her once again. Even though he said not to think it she still was.

"Why don’t you go out with Andy?" Howie suggested.

"We broke up last night. That’s why he wanted to in the first place. He thinks me and Nick are in love" she smiled.

"You and Nicky in love? that's a stupid thing to think."

"Howie dear. I still like Nicky. I always have way back when he kissed me and we've just been closer since. I don’t have the slightest clue if he does, but I know I do." Melody explained it to Howie.

"I didn’t know about that. Why did he do it?"

"Well what happened was my parents always fought back then and then I went over to his house to help him baby-sit Aaron and Angel and he just did it out of the blue and also he said he liked me, but he didn’t want to ruin anything between us." Melody was almost out of breathe.

"Man that really sucks dear. I feel sorry for you myself." Howie got up and have her a warm hug and walked off.

< a href="https://www.angelfire.com/boybands/backstreettreasurery/Fanfiction/Carter/Dontleave3.html">Chapter 3