The crowd goes ballistic as the band begins playing a song that sounds very much like “Larger Than Life”. AJ’s famous laughter is heard over the speakers before he comes running across the stage. He pauses for a few seconds in the center to look around, and then he starts running like crazy up and down the front, waving, shaking everyone’s hand and blowing kisses to the people all the way in the back. He’s wearing a metallic blue pair of wrap around sunglasses which perfectly match his bright blue sneakers. Over his wide-legged jeans, he has on a puffy, blue vest which he rips open to reveal a black Mickey Mouse tee shirt underneath. Finally, AJ has completed his outfit with a tall, blue and white striped top hat which stands at least a foot and a half off his head. “HELLOOO Orlandooo!! WASSAP?!!!” He yells as the people continue to scream, and he loves every moment of it! AJ goes right up to the TV camera and yells, “WASSAP peoples?!!” before running back to the center of the stage and spinning around in circles a few times. Then, falling to his knees and facing the crowd he yells “What up Walt Dizney World?! AJ slamin’ funkin’ jamin’ McLean is in the house!! How ya’ll doin?” The crowd screams back at him, and he smiles at their appreciation. Standing up, he walks back and forth along the stage, slowly catching his breath so he can start the show. “Whew! Thank you, thank you everyone! Kevie, baby what a wonderful intro, I love ya!” He makes a peace sign to Kevin, who’s sitting in the front row. “Yes, thank ya one and all. Let me tell you, this is gonna be one heck-of-a day! We have got six, count ‘em, six super-ultra talented acts here, ten wonderful judges, twenty-million or so viewers here and at home… PLUS, we’re gonna have the one and only Heart ‘n’ Soul here for your listening pleasures!” The sound of hundreds of girls yelling at once drowns him out momentarily. “Hold it ladies, just hold on! Of course, there is also I, AJ McLean, as your esteemed host for the day! Yeah!” The girls yell some more. He then walks over to the right end of the stage and sits down on the end with his legs dangling over the side. “So, ladies and gentlemen, without further ado let us bring on the first act. They’re members of a youth ministry group in SAN FRANSISCO California, I wanna hear everyone now, please welcome…” As AJ introduced them, Brian paced back and forth in a room underneath the stage. “Don’t be nervous Mr. Littrell.” One boy comforted him. “We’ll all be up there singing with you! Just calm down and listen to the other kids sing first!” Brian smiled at him; and so the show began!
About an hour later, four out of the six groups had performed. Now, it was time for Brian’s class. As AJ announced their school and hometown, the children quietly walked up onto the stage and took their places on two chorus risers located just behind a small seat and a microphone. Brian followed them, carrying his guitar and several sheets of music. He sat down in front of the microphone, tuned his guitar and adjusted his papers all without a single word. Finally, he looked up to face the crowd, smiled and said “Hi. My name is Brian and these are my fifth graders.” He strummed his guitar softly as he spoke. “Well, when I was growing up, I always used to wonder about the future…especially the new millennium. Ya know, would it really be different? Would I survive? Are we all gonna get to be astronauts? (he laughs). But, sometimes I thought it was no big deal. Now don’t get me wrong, I think that’s all cool too, but ya see, I think it’s not just about blasting off into the future. It’s about learning from the past. Where we come from, and what makes us who we are. Well let me tell you, after twenty-something years on this Earth, I found that there are some very special people who have that job. And this song that we’re gonna sing now I wrote just for them.” Brian looks down to his guitar and begins playing the opening chords to “The Perfect Fan”. He starts to sing the lyrics:
It takes a lot to know what is love It’s not the big things, but the little things That can mean enough…
The children echo his voice, and come in for the chorus. At the end of the song, the crowd goes wild and give Brian and the children a standing ovation. Even the band members were cheering, Nick especially. Kevin ran up to the stage and applauded right in front of where Brian was standing. Brian just simply waved back and the kids all took a bow. AJ walked right up to him and shook his hand “That was really marvelous! Just wonderful! Wasn’t it peoples?!” He patted Brian on the back and applauded for him. The crowd continued to cheer as the fifth graders exited the stage and next group came on. It was a third grade Girl Scout Troupe from Orlando, and Howie’s niece, Jessica, was one of the members. Howie could hear AJ announcing them from the room beneath the stage. He had been talking to someone on a cel-phone, but he abruptly ended the conversation and hurried upstairs to see the performance. On the way, he ran into Brian who was coming downstairs to relax. “Oh man! I’m sorry!” Howie stopped short and turned to see if Brian was alright. “Oh my gosh! It’s you again!” Brian laughed and shook his hand. “Hey, not for nothing Mr. Dorough, but we gotta stop meeting this way!” “I know I know!” Howie replied. “By the way, you guys were great! Did you really write that yourself?” “Yup, every word!” “Wow, you have some real talent Brian! Well, I gotta go…Jess is on right now! It was nice running into you again!” “Thank you Mr. Dorough! Good Luck!” “Thanks!” Howie called to him as he ran up the stairs “And please, call me Howie!” Brian nodded to himself and looked over his right shoulder at the children. They were crowed around a small monitor that showed everything that was going on above them onstage. He opened up his guitar case and began organizing the papers that were in it when suddenly he heard a whisper from behind. “Pssst! Mr. Littrell! Over here!” a voice called to him in a hushed voice. Brian turned around but saw no one near him at all. Suddenly, a hand reached out of the shadows and grabbed Brian by the shoulder. “AAAA..!!” Brian started to scream, but a hand covered his mouth. Seconds later, the hand let go and Nick Carter jumped out from behind Brian. He was shocked, but too surprised to scream again. “Hey there!” Nick smiled widely. “You’re Brian Littrell right? Oh man, that performance was so awesome that I had to come right down here and tell you! Man, I mean I just loved it!! I didn’t mean to scare you though, Mr. Littrell! Did I scare you a bit?” “Just…a…bit!” Brian clutched his hand to his chest and looked at Nick as if he thought he was insane. “Um, can ask what your name is young man?” “Nick Carter sir!” Nick said proudly. “Oh. Ok…NICK. Just a little, teensy helpful hint for the future, hmmm? The next time you wanna impress someone and show them a little appreciation, how bout not scaring them half to death, huh?” “Hehe…oops! Sorry about that Mr. Littrell! I just got a bit carried away I guess. But I really wanted to come down here and tell you how talented I think you are and that I really admire musicians who can write and play their own stuff.” “Well, thanks Nick. I heard you on the drums before and you sound like you got some talent of your own.” “Hellz yeah!! And I can sing too! (starts to sing) So now I come to you with open arms, so believe what I say… See?” “Wow, that’s really great Nick. I think that you would really have a chance to get a recording deal with a company like Sunspot. I’ll tell my cousin Kevin Richardson to give you a call.” “Mr. Richardson’s your cousin?!! No way! He’s my boss! This is way beyond awesome! Thanks Mr. Littrell!” “No problem. And Nick, you can call me Brian, ok?” “Alright BRIAN!” Nick laughed and slapped him on the shoulder. Just then, AJ’s was heard announcing that the judges were ready to make their decsions, and that Heart ‘n’ Soul would be playing in the meantime. “Uh oh!” Nick exclaimed. “That’s my cue! Catch ya later Brian!” “Bye!” Brian saluted to him and shook his head as Nick raced upstairs. He then packed the last of his things into the guitar case and called the children to come with him onstage.
When they got there, they saw that all of the other acts had lined themselves up along the back and sides of the stage. AJ was in the middle, revving the crowd up for the much-awaited performance. Minutes went by, and there was no sign of the group. The fans were becoming impatient, and they began stomping their feet and chanting “Heart ‘n’ Soul!” While AJ was trying to calm them down, Kevin ran up onto the stage with a cel-phone in his hand. He whispered something to AJ, who nodded and gave him the microphone. “Uh, excuse me!! Attention everyone! There seems to be a slight problem here. Due to circumstances beyond our control, and a really bad case of the flu, Heart ‘n’ Soul is unable to appear here this afternoon.” The crowd responded with much booing and harsh throwing of stuffed animals and other objects. Kevin and AJ both ducked and ran towards the back of the stage. Brian crawled over to where they were. “Yo, Kev! Let me go out there! Maybe I can try and calm them down!” “Do you think you can B?” “Well I can give it my best shot! Ya know that new we started writing? I think I should try that one! The only thing is, I need some back up. Will you two help me?” “No problem,” Kevin replied “but do you think it’ll work?” “Well, it’s worth a shot! So are ya in?” “Definately!” Kevin answered. “Me too man!” AJ nodded. “Jus give me the words and I will sing!!” The three of them raced back to where Brian had left his case, and he handed a copy of the music to each of them. Then using his guitar as a shield, Brian walked up to the front of the stage, grabbed the microphone and began speaking. “Um, hello? Hello? Is this thing on?!” Brian tried several times to quiet the crowd, but they did not cease their chanting until AJ took the mic and yelled “EVERYBODY SHUT UP!” the noise died, and soon the entire park was silent. AJ nodded to Brian who then took the microphone once again and looked out at the crowd. “Hello again, ladies and gentlemen. Ya’ll remember me right? Hehe, well I hear that there’s been a little change in plans as far as the entertainment, right?” There was no response, and Brian shifted uneasily from side to side as he started getting nervous about the whole ordeal. “Well, uh, it’s a good thing that I brought my guitar then, ‘cause I do know how to play more than one song and maybe I can help ya’ll out a bit here. Um, I got a couple of friends here along with me, and they’re gonna sing along too.” Brian then picks up his guitar, and sitting down on the seat, he begins to play the first few notes. “This is a brand-new one that I wrote, it’s not quite finished yet, but I think you’ll like it. In fact, my cousin Kevin helped me a little on it and we call it ‘I Want It That Way’.” He began by playing the opening chords on the guitar, and then sings the opening lyrics.
You are my fire, my one desire Believe when I say, And I want it that way…
By the second verse, Nick had really gotten into the song, and was banging out the beat on his drums. Kevin and AJ sang backup, and then came in on the first chorus. Back on the sidelines of the stage, Brian’s students had already started clapping along with the song that they had heard since it was first written. It was then that Howie decided that this was his big chance to get in on the action, as well as help out his new friend. “I’ll be right back!” He told his niece and rushed over to the three guys on center stage. By the second chorus, all five of the guys were singing, including Nick who was belting out the “Tell Me Whys” louder than any of them.
When the song was over, the crowd let out such a roar that it might have been heard around the world. All of the children standing towards the back of the stage rushed forward and surrounded the boys. Everyone cheered for about five or six minutes straight, until Brian finally got them to calm themselves. “Why thank you!” He said playfully in a girlie voice. He turned around and put his arms around the three other guys, giving each one a big hug. Nick came running up behind him and jumped up onto Brian’s back. They both laughed it off as if they had been friends for years. The crowd had started cheering again, only to be silenced by one of the concert’s judges. He was a tall, thin man with dark hair and round glasses. “Ok, now if everyone will just hush for a moment! Please! Be quiet! Thank you! Now, for the moment that we have all been waiting for! The Board of Judges would like to announce that the winners of the U.S. ‘Voices and Visions of a New Millennium’ Contest are….Miss Linda McGovern’s sixth grade class from Highdale Elementary in Connecticut!” The children began jumping up and down, congratulating one another, when the judge interrupted them. “However, there IS one more thing that the Board of Judges would like to say.” He cleared his throat and blushed as he turned to the guys with his hand extended. “Mr. Littrell, you and your four handsome friends seem to have exceptional talent! On behalf of the executives of Walt Disney World and Sunspot Records, we would like to invite the five of you to join the children on their international tour!” “A Millennium Tour?!” Nick exclaimed. “Imagine that!” “Wow! Uncle Howie!! You’ll be super-famous!” Jessica ran over to her uncle and jumped up into his arms. “Yeah kiddo! It would be like a dream come true!” Kevin shook his head and laughed. “Well, I don’t know. I don’t’ think so.” “Oh come on Kev!” Brian pleaded. “This is my big break! Who knows? Maybe you’ve actually got some talent too!” “But Brian, think of all my responsibilities! And yours too!” “Not to worry! We’ll take care of it! I promise! This is the chance of a lifetime! So who’s with me?” “I am!” chorused Nick and Howie. “Well then, count me in.” Kevin said with a smile. The four high-fived and hugged again before Brian realized that they were missing one crucial person. “Guys, have any of you seen AJ?” They all shrugged and looked around only to find him sitting on the edge of the stage with a pencil and paper. He was busy writing and mumbling to himself. “AJ, what are you doing?” Nick asked. AJ tapped the end of the pencil on his chin and said thoughtfully “So which name do you all like better? The McLean Five? AJ’s Boys? Or how about AJ and the Dudes?”
Everyone started laughing at once as AJ scribbled some more names down on his paper. If one thing was certain that day, it was that this was definitely a happy beginning.
Travel Through the TwyLyte Zone
