Ch. 16
Nick pulled off his shirt and threw it over his shoulder. He stepped into his house; he heard loud laughter coming from the family room and watched his mother and girlfriend from the hallway. They were looking through photo albums.
"In this one he was protesting diapers." Candice cracked up.
"Hey," Nick whined walking over to the couch.
Ignoring her son, Jane went on, "and this is one from when he was swimming and lost his shorts."
"Don't show her that," Nick protested.
"No, no Nick this is so funny!" Candice fell off the couch laughing.
"Mom!" Nick whined.
"Oh Nick grow up," Jane laughed.
"But Mom!"
"Fine Nick I'll stop laughing." Candice sat up.
"Act your age!"
"Me?" Candice acted offended. "I'm not whining like a two year old!"
"Oh you've gotta see the videos of his dancing!" Jane declared.
"Aww Mum!"
"Oh I wanna see these," Candice stood up and put her arm around Nick, "but first I think Nick and I should talk."
Jane smiled sweetly. "Of course and I have to call some people for Aaron you know his new album should be out soon."
Nick rolled his eyes, "every day Aaron this Aaron that, it makes me sick!" Nick moaned pulling Candice out of the house.
"What's wrong?"
"I just wanted to try and get away from the business a little bit, you know try and be normal but no.." Nick sat on the porch swing.
"I'm sorry," Candice sat next to him and put her arm around him. "You were such a cute baby."
"Didn't scare ya too much eh?"
"Naw..you were a cutie!"
"So what are we doing for New Years, the big 2-0-0-0."
"Um..We will be here of course," she smiled. "We could always watch MTV," Nick teased.
"Oh, yeah I heard a new video was premiering it's um...from some backstage boys," she laughed.
"What else could we do?" He asked wrapping his arms around her waist.
"Umm talk to your family, call mine, and plan the next year."
"We're touring again and working on our new album, I'll be so busy," Nick sighed resting his head on her shoulder.
"I have school..I have to go-So have you thought about moving here?"
"Yeah and I just dun wanna..I mean you know what's happened the past few months..It wouldn't be good."
"True, I'm moving back to Missouri...I think that's for the best."
"What about your acting? I could get you hooked up girl!"
"No," she protested. "I don't want you to help me in any way shape or form..Ever! I want to do this myself."
"That's cool," Nick grinned.
"I think I'll just stick with small theater..Maybe..even go to Broadway, but that means moving again...I hate moving so much," she ran her hand through her hair.
"So what else are you gonna do?"
"Journalism," she grinned.
"Oh that's great..a journalist dating a backstreet boy one who," pauses to count, " is two months older."
"A headline in the making," she declared.
"It's ok..I can at least keep you out of the public eye for three years."
"Oh that's all better..Whatcha gonna say I'm still dating Mandy?"
"I could...or I could, now this is only if you want to be threatened and spat at, I could announce it on Jenny Jones tomorrow if you like."
"You're such a sweetheart," Candice rolled her eyes.
"Hey guys?" Angel interrupted.
"Hey girl," Nick picked her up.
"Mum said dinner is ready," she giggled.
"Thanks Angel," Nick sat her down and grabbed her hand. "Let's go ladies," he took Candice's hand as well.
"Hello?"
"Is Nick home?"
"Yeah, may I ask who this," Candice asked politely.
"This is Mandy," Nick walked up behind Candice and listened.
"It's great to actually talk to you, I'm Candice."
"Oh hi-I'm sorry. It's great to talk to you too."
"It's cool-here's Nick," Candice smiled handing Nick the phone.
"Hey Mand."
"Happy New Year Nick!"
"Ready to tour with us?"
"Yes, I'm so happy thanks lots!"
"It's nothing whelp talk to you when I get back," Nick smiled.
"Bye," Mandy hung up. Nick hung up the phone then walked upstairs to find Candice. She was sitting on his bed with her labtop.
"Whatcha doin," he asked sitting down next to her.
"This is my webpage," she turned the computer to show him.
"Bsb?" Nick flashed her a half smile.
"I made it for you," Candice shut the labtop.
"Aww..you love them," Nick gushed reading her site.
"No, they are so mean to me," she pouted.
"You baby," Nick kissed her lips.
"You don't like it?" She took her labtop away from him and sat it on the floor.
He smiled, "it's great but a backstreet boy's site, I mean you're 20 not 9."
"I know but it's something to do and I get to hear what all your fans think about you and stuff and no one has to know how old I am or anything they all think I'm 14 or 15."
"You little liar," Nick laughed.
"So with only 5 hours til the new millennium what do you, Nick Carter, think it will be like?" Candice held up a brush as a microphone.
"Um..I think boy bands will rule the world and we will drive space cars around and ...no wait wasn't that a movie?" Candice laughed.
"I don't think it will be that different," Candice shrugged.
"Oh you're no fun. I got you a present," Nick smiled walking out into the hall.
"You shouldn't have Nick really-don't." She stood up, Nick walked in with a little puppy around a month old.
"Oh Nick it's so cute," she hugged him and the dog. "I also got you something," she pulled out a black velvet box from under his bed.
"What is it," Nick asked with wide eyes.
"Open it," she urged anxiously. Nick slowly open the small box and pulled out a gold necklace with a circle locket on it.
"It's great," Nick faked a smile not sure what it was exactly.
"It's a locket with pictures of each of us, you and I, when we were babies. Your mom helped me find a similar picture of you and me. I have one exactly like it see," she showed him her necklace.
"It's great, thanks, I love it." Nick kissed her.
Later that night Nick examined the necklace more closely, after all the of the new year partying was over. He saw an inscription in it, We're a miracle, he read aloud. Nick held it tight in his hand and closed his eyes. In the next room Candice fumbled with the necklace. Hopefully this year will be better, she thought drifting off to sleep.
"Nick, Nick," a sweet voice repeated shaking him lightly. Nick slowly opened his eyes and yawned. "Are you up?"
"What to you think," he pulled his sister into his bed tickling her.
"Stop Nick," she gasped for air in between giggles.
"Who sent you?" Nick stopped tickling her and sat up.
"Mum, she said you had to get your lazy butt up," Angel smiled sweetly.
"I'm getting up, go tell her that I'm up and getting ready and oh go wake up Candice," Nick added as she headed for the door.
"She's already up," Angel walked out the door.
Nick stood up and walked into the hall, Aaron was in his room playing video games and Candice's door was shut. He walked down the hall to her door and cracked it open a little.
"I know yeah, I'm gonna tell him soon. I dunno probably today-I have to. I know he would never have seen it coming I didn't either, nobody could have."
Nick listened in on her conversation a little longer then knocked on her door.
"You up," he asked pushing the door open.
"Love you gotta go bye," she said quickly slamming the phone down. "Hey Nick."
"Busy?" He asked sitting next to her on her bed.
"No, not really. Sup lazy butt," she asked crossing her legs.
"Who was that," Nick asked making a weird face.
"Oh that was..Nick I have something to tell you," she closed her eyes and bit her top lip.
"Tell me," Nick frowned taking her hand.
"Nick I'm going back to Missouri," she sighed, "today."
"Wh-why?"
"My dad, he's sick-really sick," Candice whispered. Nick sighed glad that all he had gone through with this girl wasn't a total loss.
© A Candi Idea