"Hey, come ON!!! If we are going to get there on time we have to go NOW!!!" Tabitha yelled. She was at Brian’s house, trying to get both Brian and Nick in gear so that they could go meet Meg and Jess at the airport. Meg’s father’s business plans fell through but the two girls were still allowed to come down and visit Tabitha for a few weeks.
"We’re coming!" Nick ran down the stairs, stopped in front of the door, where Tabitha was standing, gave her a quick kiss on the forehead, and ran to find his shoes.
"Carter, if you think that’s going to get you out of anything, you have another thing coming. Let’s go!" She walked over to the bottom of the stairs. "BRAIN THOMAS GET YOUR LAZY BUTT DOWN HERE!!!" Nick laughed at how loud she could be when she really wanted to.
"OK, OK my lazy butt is down here. Are we leaving?" Brian said, running down stairs.
"Don’t be such a smart ass. Come on, lets go!" Nick finished tying his shoes and grabbed his jacket. The three of them walked out of the house and into the morning Orlando sun. "You know, Rok, you and Meg would get along real well."
"Oh shut up and drive." They were in Tabitha’s rental car, a midnight blue Ford Mustang, soft top and leather seats.
Tabitha had talked to Brian about the whole her passing out incident. They were cool.
About ten minutes passed while Tabitha drove and Nick messed around with the radio. He finally found a station that her liked. "I think it is probably a good thing that we didn’t tell AJ that we were going to pick the girls up until we were sure that he had previous engagements with Amanda." Nick said.
"Yeah, no kidding. I just hope that he doesn’t do anything stupid."
"Well, considering who it is we are talking about…………." Nick said.
"You know he has a point." Brian said, looking over Tabitha’s shoulder from the back seat.
"Yeah, I know. You know that you to are lucky that we got out the door when we did. I told the girls that we would be at the gate when they got here."
A few more minutes went by without anyone talking Then ‘One Sweet Day’ by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men came on the radio.
"Sorry
I never told you
All I wanted to say
And now it too late to hold you
Because you’ve flown away,
So far away
Never have I imagined
Living without your smile
Feeling, knowing you hear me
It keeps me alive
Alive
And I know your shining down on me from heaven
Like so many friends we’ve lost along the way
And I know eventually we’ll be together
One sweet day
Darlin I never showed you
Assumed you’d always be there
I, I took you for granted, for granted
But I always cared
And I miss the love we shared
And I know your shining down on me form heaven
Like so many friends we’ve lost along the way
And I know eventually we’ll be together
One sweet day
Al though the sun will never shine the same
I’ll always look to brighter days
Lord I know
When I lay me down to sleep
You will always listen as I pray
And I know your shining down on me from heaven
Like so many friends we’ve lost along the way
And I know eventually we’ll be together
One sweet day……"
Tabitha sang the song. It reminded her so much of her father. It described exactly how she felt. She had tears running randomly down her cheeks. But Nick and Brian were too in awe of her voice to notice. That is until she parked the car in the parking lot of the airport and turned to Nick.
"Oh, Tabs! I know it’s hard." Nick said wiping away her tears. He pulled her into a hug and when she had collected herself, they got out of the car and headed towards the building where she was suppose to meet her friends
********************************************
"Hey, Jess, Meg! Over here!" Tabitha called. Her friends heard the sound of her voice and walked towards her. When they got there, they were greeted by Tabitha, and two guys. Both of whom the girl recognised without any trouble.
"Hey, girl! How’s it going?" Jess said, hugging her friend.
"I’m doing good, well considering the situation." She gave a sideways glance to the guys.
"I saw that Tabs!" Nick said.
"Hey, do you think you are going to get away with not giving me a hug?" Tabitha asked Meg, ignoring Nick and his hollow threats.
"No! Come here!" The two girls hugged. Jess joined in after a minute.
"Group hug!" Brian announced and joined the girls. Nick rolled his eyes and joined in too.
"Oh, by the way," Tabitha started after they all broke apart. "These guys are Nick and Brian. Guys, these are my best friends, Jessica and Megan. Now, lets go!"
"She’s a little bossy today, isn’t she?" Brian commented.
"Brian Thomas, I heard that!"
"And that’s the second time I’ve heard my first and middle name in the same sentence today!"
They all laughed and started towards the baggage claim, talking all the way. Tabitha didn’t really notice when Nick slipped his hand into hers (He’s real smooth, ain’t he?) But Megan and Jessica did. They both looked at Brian.
‘Are they going out?’ Megan mouthed to him. He just shrugged and smiled. Jessica walked over to Tabitha and Nick.
"You’ve got some explaining to do later, Missy!" She whispered to her friend, causing her to laugh.
"What’s so funny?" Nick asked, whispering in her ear as Jessica walked away. He watched Brian help the two girls gather their luggage.
"Nothing. I’ll tell you later." He nodded his agreement and kissed her on the cheek.
"OK, now you have some explaining to do, Buddy!" Megan said, laughing. By this time, with Brian’s help, the two girls had managed to gather all their bags.
"Well, lets go pick up your car and get out of this place!" Brian said with much enthusiasm.
"What? You can’t stand to be seen in public with us Frick?" Tabitha asked, jokingly.
"No, it’s not that. But that girl over there has been sending you some nasty looks for about ten minutes." Tabitha turned around in the direction that Brian indicated. Sure enough there was a girl standing there, glaring in her direction.
As soon as Tabitha turned around completely, so the girl could see her face, the girl stopped glaring. She had recognised her from the video. Tabitha saw this and smiled. She turned back to the others.
"I don’t think she’ll be doing that again. Come on! Let’s go!"
The group went and picked up the car that the girls had rented and decided that Tabitha was going to go with the girls in their car and Brian was going to drive Tabitha’s car back. Nick was going with Brian. They agreed to go to the Porters, where they could drop off all the bags and pick up Kelly. They would all then go to Brian’s house and hang out. They were thinking of going out that night, to show Jessica and Megan around the city, so fondly referred to by the locals as O - Town.
************************************
In the car with the girls…………
"WE ARE NOT GOING OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Tabitha exclaimed, after so much interigation she thought her head was going to explode.
"OK, OK! I think we get the point!" Jessica said with a smirk. "So let me get this straight……" She looked at Meg, who was sitting shot gun, while she was driving. "……… you aren’t going out?"
"AHHHHHHHH! You two are hopeless!" Tabitha threw herself against the back seat, while her two friends laughed at her frustration.
*******************************
In the car with Nick and Brian…………………..
"So, are you going out?" Brian asked Nick for the fifth time.
"NO!!!"
"Brian laughed. "OK just checking. So…….are yo-"
Nick cut him off. "If you say it again, Bri, I swear you will become known as the one armed Backstreet Boy."
"Nick, I think you used that one before."
"Yeah, and as I recall, it worked."
"Well, we’re off the subject. So do you want to go out with her?"
"Well, yeah I guess. I mean she sweet and nice and a ton of fun to hang out with."
"Yeah? And?"
"And what?"
"Man, you are both clueless and stupid. Oh never mind."
*****************************
Back with the girls………..
"So, if he asked you outm would you say yes?" Megan asked, not wanting to give Tabitha a chance to get off the subject.
"Yeah, probably."
"Oh, OK." The questions stopped. ‘Thank God!’ Tabitha thought.
*************************
When they got to Tabitha’s house………..
Nick, did Brian give you the third degree?" Ttabitha asked.
"Yeah, you get the same from the girls?"
"Yeah" Just then Kelly saw Nick and Brian.
"Nicky! Bwrian!" She ran at them. Then she saw Megan and Jessica. She stopped running towards the guys and ran towards the two girls.
"MEGGIE!!! JESSIE!!!" She hugged them around their knees while the two girls laughed.
The guys watched. "Gee, she knows how to make a guys feel loved!" Nick said just loud enough for Kelly to hear.
Kelly turned around when she heard this. She ran over to Nick. "I stillw lovbed you Nicky!"
"Hey! What about me?" Brian asked witth puppy dog eyes.
"I lovbed you too, Bri-bri!" He picked her up and hugged her.
"Aww, isn’t that just the cutest thing you’ve ever seen?" Jessica said.
"Groop hug!" Kelly yelled.
"Kel, you have officially been spending too much time around Brian!" Tabitha said laughing.
"I don’t tare! He’s my Bri-bri! But he’s your Nicky!" She pointed to Nick as she said it. Nick and Tabitha just stared at the little girl.
"Way to go Kelly! It’s about time some one brought that to their attention." Brian said, giving the little girl a kiss on the cheek
Not that it changed anything, at least not yet.