Chapter Two
"You guys realize we have nothing to do for 5 and a half hours?" AJ McLean jubilantly asked his band mates and friends Howie Dorough, Kevin Richardson, Nick Carter, and Brian Littrell.
Howie, Kevin, Nick and Brian looked at each other and grinned. Their manager had just called with the good news that their radio interview had been rescheduled until the next day. Hence, they had nothing they were required to do until 3:30, when they had to show up at the arena for their sound check.
"Okay. So what do we do for those 5 and a half hours?" Howie asked.
"I say we go sight-" Kevin started.
"NO!" Nick, Brian, Howie and AJ yelled in unison. They looked at each other and cracked up.
"Okay, okay" Kevin said laughing. "So y'all don't want to go sightseeing. Nothing new there. You've been saying that for, what? Seven years now?"
"Yep" Nick admitted proudly. At 20, he was the youngest in the group.
"So back to my question. What are we gonna do?" Howie asked.
"I say we go play some-" Brian started out.
"Basketball!" everyone finished for him as they jumped up. They left AJ's room and piled into the hallway, waiting for Brian to go get his basketball from his room. They proceeded down into the hotel lobby, where they asked directions for the nearest park. The star-struck receptionist drew a map out for them and got their autographs. With the map in hand, they left the lobby and went out to their rental Jeep. Kevin got behind the wheel, giving Howie the directions and the front passenger seat. Turning the radio up loud to a pop/rock station, Kevin drove out of the hotel parking lot.
They arrived at the park and parked in the parking lot. Scrambling out, laughing, they ran towards the empty basketball court.
"Me and Brian against you three" Nick challenged.
"You're on, little brother" Kevin smirked. With that, the game began. All of the Boys were skilled basketball players, though, admittedly, Brian and Nick were the better two out of the five. So three against two really was a fair game. Even still, Brian and Nick were winning at 37-32 when they stopped to take their "half time" break.
Nick and Brian collapsed onto the grass and drank their bottled water while AJ, Howie, and Kevin sprawled on the benches and drank their water. Brian lazily leaned back on his elbows and watched the traffic on the sidewalk. Brian noticed a runner in dodging people and weaving a path as she made her way past them.
"Hey, guys" he spoke up.
"Yeah, Rok?" AJ asked, using Brian's nickname.
"Wasn't that girl running around the park when we got here?" Brian asked, pointing to the now distant figure wearing blue jean cutoffs and a baby blue tank top.
Howie squinted at the figure, which was actually halfway across the park by now. "I think you're right, Rok. I think she ran by just as we got out of the Jeep," he said decisively.
"You think she's been running the whole time we've been on the court?" Nick curiously asked.
"Looks that way. Wonder if she's training for something?" Kevin idly wondered aloud.
They watched her as she ran around the park towards them. They got up and on the court as she neared them. Just as she reached the edge of the basketball court, though no on was in her way, she stumbled and fell.