It's funny how you can meet someone one minute, and be connecting with them so deeply a minute later.  For the past two hours, I had been pouring out my heart and soul to this girl that had been a stranger to me this morning.  I had told her all of my problems, my concerns, and about my life as a Backstreet Boy.  I had even cried in front of her.  Crying is something I've always been afraid of doing in front of other people.  I hardly ever cried in front of my family, or the rest of the guys… and here I was, crying my eyes out to this girl.  She seemed comfortable with me too.  She had basically saved my life.  If she hadn't of shown up, I probably would've jumped off that dock. 

"You think anyone notices that you're gone yet?" she asked, her eyes looking out over the water. 

"Brian probably knows.  I think he's noticed the way I've been acting lately.  How about you?"

"Sophia definitely knows something is going on.  I bet you she's been searching for me.  I guess we should be heading back, huh?" she mumbled, as if leaving was the last thing she wanted to do. 

"Nah, lets just stay a little while longer." 

She turned her head, now looking directly into my eyes, and smiled, "I'm glad you said that.  I wanna stay too."

Brian's View

"Alright, that's it, I'm calling the police," Sophia stated, whipping out her cell phone.

"No you're not," I shot back, grabbing her phone and shoving it in my back pocket.

"Why the hell not?  Colleen and Nick could be in real trouble here." 

"I thought I explained this to you before.  Nick is a Backstreet Boy.  That means if the police get involved, the media will also have to get involved.  And we do not need the whole world knowing about Nick's problem," I said, trying to get the point through to her. 

"Oh, Brian, you make so much sense!  So lets say Nick decided to kill himself… I guess I can see how that would be better for the BSB rather than Nick admitting he has a problem.  Hmmm… a dead Nick Carter, or a troubled Nick Carter… which one to pick?" she gazed up at me with a sarcastic smile.

"Just don't call the cops ok?" I pleaded, realizing that I didn't have the energy to go back and forth with this argument.

"Fine.  But lets keep looking.  I know Col is here somewhere."

I nodded in agreement as we continued walking up the beach, towards the dock. 

"Oh my God, is that them?!" she shouted, happily jumping up and down, pointing towards the end of the dock.

I peered up at it, seeing two people sitting down talking.

"Yep, that's them!" I laughed, noticing Nick's hands moving wildly as he talked to a girl who was obviously Colleen.

"Thank God!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around my neck. 

"Nick!" I screamed, waving my arms over my head.

He turned around, looking quite shocked that I'd found him, and gave a little wave. 

"Lets go get them, Sophia," I said, grabbing her hand and practically dragging her up the hill.

Colleen's View

"We've been found," Nick sighed, running his hands quickly through his blonde head of hair.

"Is it too late to run?" I laughed, noticing Sophia and who must've been Brian running up to us.

"You scared the shit out of me, Col!" Sophia screamed.  "Next time you  plan on running away, let me know first."

I ignored Sophia's comments, turning to look at Brian and Nick.  Brian had pulled Nick a few feet away from us, and they were now talking in hushed voices to each other. 

"Are you even listening to me, Colleen?"

"No…"

She turned to see what was keeping me so preoccupied. 

"Ohhh I get it.  You like that Nick guy don't you?" she asked, grinning at me.

"What? No way… he looks upset, doesn't he?"

"Yeah, kind of.  Brian wants to put him in some sort of class for some help.  I'm thinking you should do the same.  You were gonna try and kill yourself tonight, weren't you?"

I nodded slowly.  "Don't put me in a class," I snapped.  "I don't need help."

"Don't bother giving me that shit Colleen.  You need help, and if you're not going to get it yourself--I'll have to get it for you.  Sorry."

Nick walked over to me, interrupting Sophia's continuous chatter.  He pulled me by the arm over to the side.  Sophia gave me a quick glare for brushing her off, before heading over to where Nick had left Brian standing.

"He wants to put me in some program," he murmured.

"She wants to do the same with me."

"Well we live in the same town and everything, so I think we should go together.  We're involved with each other now, remember?  You said it yourself."

"Yeah, I'd like that," I smiled, giving him a quick hug.  We both looked so horrible.  It was as if all of our problems were showing on the outside, making us look beaten down.

"Look, Col, I'm really glad you stopped me tonight," he whispered.

"You stopped me too, Nick.  We saved each other."

Sophia's View

"Listen, we need to get them into some kinda program before they try this again," Brian said, keeping his voice low so Nick and Colleen wouldn't here us.

"I know.  I'll give you my number, and you can call me if you find some information on a good place to send them," she replied, searching her pockets for something to write with. 

"Sounds good."

"Dammit, I don't have a pen."

"Wait, I have a marker," I mumbled, pulling a black marker out of my pocket.  "Don't ask why I carry that around."

"Good enough."  She grabbed it from my hand and quickly scribbled down her number across the top of my arm.

"Oh shit, Brian," she giggled.

"What?"

"It's permanent marker!"

"Great," I groaned, sarcastically.  "And you just had to write all up my arm.  You couldn't keep it small and neat."

"Nope," she laughed.

I shook my head, and walked over to Colleen and Nick.

"Sorry to break this up, but we're going home," I interrupted.  "Bye Col, it was--uh, nice meeting you."

She ignored the interruption and gave Nick one last hug before I pulled him away.

"Keep Colleen at your house and I'll keep Nick at mine.  We can't let them out of our sight until they get help," I whispered in her ear.

"Sure thing Bri."

Nick and I headed to his car.  I would have to pick mine up tomorrow. 

"Oh, and Brian?" Sophia called after me.

I turned around to give her a questioning glance.

"Feel free to call me for other things too!" 

Colleen's View

"What was that about?" I asked.

"What?" she replied, trying to keep a smile off her face.

"The 'feel free to call me for other things too' thing.  What was that?  And you were accusing me of liking Nick, when you're the one who has a crush here," I teased.

"I don't like Brian… much," she laughed.  "Now come on, you're staying at my house for awhile." 

"You don't trust me?"

"Nope.  You're gonna be under strict watch until Brian finds some classes to send you and Nick for help."

"Whatever," I mumbled, walking away from her.

I hopped into my car, with Sophia taking over the steering wheel and forcing me into the passenger seat.  She began to tell me everything her and Brian had talked about.  I pretended to listen, but my thoughts were elsewhere.  I realized that I had no way of reaching Nick.  We didn't exchange phone numbers, e-mails, addresses.  He was the only person who could reach me when it came to my problems, and I think I was the only one who could reach him. 

"Oh, and I wrote my phone number down on his arm… with permanent marker!" she chuckled, finding it the funniest thing in the world.

"You did?" I asked, finally giving her my full attention.  "When is he gonna call you?"

"Don't know.  Soon, I hope."

I smiled to myself.  This was my way of getting in touch with Nick.  If Brian called Sophia, then she could get Nick's number for me. 

"Why are you smiling all the sudden, Col?"

"Oh… nothing," I sighed, turning to look out the window.