[ - ]
Table of Contents [Report This]
Printer Chapter or Story Microsoft Word Chapter or Story
- Text Size +
Chapter Sixty - February 6 - Taipei, Taiwan - Taipei International Convention Center

"We don't have to do this."

"No, I think it's a nice change from the blogs."

"I'm an excellent writer."

Liv looked up and laughed. "Nick, you wrote a whole post about your diarrhea."

I smiled. "Your point?"

Liv turned around and nibbled on a fry. She looked tired. For someone who fell asleep way before I did, I had no idea why she looked so tired...except that she wasn't used to being a world traveller.

I walked over and picked up the camera.

"You know, I can just walk around and get footage. We'll call it a Nick's Corner rather than a 'Behind the Scenes' segment."

Liv pulled her hair back into a sloppy ponytail.

"Well..."

"C'mon, I'll just bug the guys in the dressing room before the show."

"And that would be different from any other day because?"

I laughed. "Shut up."

Liv stuck out her tongue. I leaned towards her with my fingers poised as pinchers. The tongue flew back in.

"You wouldn't dare," she said.

"No, I wouldn't. I can think of other uses for that tongue."

She punched me in the shoulder. Hard.

"Go cause chaos somewhere else," she chided.

I tossed the little mini cam from hand to hand. "Will do. Take care of my babies."

Liv smiled. "Always."

I walked off thinking about all the possible things I could do to make Kev mad. He was probably the easiest target.

"I don't like that look, Nick."

I stopped and turned on the camera. Angel was heading down the hall with Noah in her arms. He broke into a huge smile.

"DADA!"

I was going to say something extremely witty about her waddling like a duck, but Noah saying dada completely threw me off.

"Alright, buddy! High five!"

I held out my hand and he gave it a big slap. I turned the camera on me.

"Just so you know, you guys are witness to the first time he said dada. You can start sending him fan letters now."

"Nick..."

I turned the camera back to Angel.

"Where are you headed?" I asked.

"I'm taking this guy off to see his mama before the show. Where are you headed?"

"To the dressing room."

"With a camera?"

I just laughed.

"See ya, sis!"

I paused the camera and continued down the hall. The door to the dressing room was slightly ajar.

"Shelby, I've got to get dressed for the show," I heard AJ say.

"But, it's not fair. I'd be really good!"

"Honey, I know, but..."

"Why does all the boys get to do it and I don't?"

I pushed the door open and walked in. AJ was standing there with his change of clothes draped over his shoulder. Shelby was looking up at him stubbornly.

"What does she want to do?" I asked.

Bri was slouched in a beanbag chair playing Wii. I had a feeling that he stole my console from the hotel room. He smiled.

"She wants to introduce us tonight."

"I won't throw things like Mason did!" Shelby whined.

"Well, why can't she?" I asked.

Kevin and Howie looked at me like I had lost my mind. Shelby turned to me, smiled, and then turned back to AJ.

"See, Bob says I can! Please, please, pleassssse?"

AJ sighed. I had a feeling that he just wanted to change into his pants.

"Okay."

Shelby did a couple fist pumps and ran towards the door.

"MOMMY, HE SAID YES! HE SAID YES!!!"

I smiled.

"See how easy that way?"

"I hope she calls you Bob," Kevin said.

"What's with the camera?"

Before I answered, I turned the camera on. I panned the room. A psychologist would probably love to see our dressing room. Howie and Kevin's side was neat and organized. AJ's and my side was the disaster area. Brian waffled between the two sides even though deep down I know he's a slob.

"Ladies and gents, boys and girls, welcome to Nick's Corner 2013."

Howie looked around. "We don't have an ice bucket do we?"

"I'm not going to do that again."

I saw AJ hide his M&M's. No doubt he didn't want me to get another shot of him digging under the couch if he dropped one.

"What would you guys like to say to the fans?"

I turned to Bri. He paused Mario Kart and flipped around on the beanbag chair. He waved and batted his eyes.

"Hi."

"Original. Really original."

I panned over to Kevin. "Kev?"

"Well..." he trailed off. Kev puts a lot of thought into his answers. I heard AJ snore.

"Before I run out of tape?"

"That recorder doesn't use tape," Kevin said. He smiled. "I just want to thank all of the fans for welcoming me back."

"Well put," I said. I panned over to Howie. He was on his cellphone. I skipped over to AJ.

"What say you, bro?"

AJ smirked. "I say I got to be gettin' into my outfit and I can't do that with the camera on."

I turned the camera on myself. I widened my eyes to the point of poppage.

"Or can he?"

"NICK!"

I paused the camera and laughed. Bri crawled off the beanbag.

The beanbag.

"HEY! I have an idea!"

The other guys just continued to pull their clothes out.

I looked around. Kev and How had the couch on their side of the room. In the far corner was a small trampoline that AJ used to warm up his legs and strengthen his knee before the show.

Couch. Beanbag. Trampoline.

"NO ONE GET DRESSED!"

Everyone stopped. I smiled. "I know of a fun way to warm up before the show."

"I already stretched," Kev said. Howie snapped his phone shut.

"So did I."

I shook my head. "No, this is going to be good."

----------------------------

"What is the object of this again?"

"We judge on technical ability. Which means you better make that trampoline jump count."

"I'm not doing it."

"Howie, you are the biggest stick in the mud. Do it for your son. Do it for your unborn child."

"I want to be around to see my unborn child, thank you."

I looked at AJ, Kev, and Brian. They all looked amused.

"You guys in?"

"I'm in," Bri said. He yanked his leg back and stretched.

"What does the winner get?" Kev asked. If there was one thing we had in common, it was our competitive spirit.

"I don't know..." I trailed off. Kev seemed to see where my mind was headed.

"No cornrows."

I snickered. "Fine, then no burning jerseys."

"We have our next photoshoot in Scotland," Howie said. "I'm thinking the winner should dress up in full attire."

"That would be hilarious," AJ said.

I thought back. I think at one point in time I had told Liv I would look good in a kilt.

It's funny how some random things suddenly come up again later.

"I don't think Howie should be able to suggest anything," I argued. "Since he's not participating."

"I would usually agree, but it's a really good idea," Brian said.

"Sounds good. No one has to grow their hair or burn anything," Kevin said.

"I'd look sexy in a kilt. Not that I'm going to lose," AJ said.

Howie took the camera from me.

"I'll do my part," he added. I rolled my eyes. Howie turned on the camera.

"Welcome to the first ever Backstreet dressing room Olympics," he said. "I'm Howie D. and I will be your commentator for the evening. Each of the guys will get two attempts. They will be judged on style, grace, and overall ridiculous-ness. Loser has to wear a kilt in one of our upcoming photo shoots. First up is B-Rok."

We set it up so that you stood on the couch, jumped on the trampoline, and landed on the soft beanbag. What you did in the air and the height of the jump was going to determine the awesomeness of the performance.

Bri did one of those 'diving' poses as he tested the couch. He got his game face on which looked a little to me like he was constipated.

"On your mark, get set...go!" Howie said.

Bri flew off the couch. He hit the trampoline, did a sloppy somersault and ended up sliding into the beanbag. He stood up and bowed.

"Not bad, but could be better," Howie said. "Kev, you're up."

Kev did a much better job. He always thinks things through. He actually backflipped off the couch. Even I was impressed.

Next was AJ. I'm pretty sure he is trying to purposely wear a kilt. He slipped off the beanbag on landing and smashed into the wall.

Of course, the wall he smashed into is the one adjacent to the family room. Before it was my turn, Liv and Molly were standing in the doorway.

"What's going on?"

"Backstreet Olympics," I said.

"One...two....go!" Howie said.

I tried not to be distracted. I eyed the trampoline. This was my moment to shine. I did a pretty impressive karate leap into the air. My feet hit the trampoline and I was airborne again.

And then out of nowhere came the pillow. I grunted and flipped over, landing hard on my back.

"THAT WAS AWESOME!"

"Do you think it hurt?"

Brian's face swam above mine. "I was just trying to add to your technical points, man."

After that things kind of got out of control. We all went into sabotage mode. Finally Liv grabbed the camera from Howie and made him do a leap. Kev tackled him midair and they accidentally landed on our food table.

"And that," I said, crouching down in front of the camera lens. "Is what I call a draw folks. I think you'll be seeing all of us in kilts sometime soon. That does it for this episode of Nick's Corner!"

Liv shut off the camera. She was trying so hard not to smile, but it was impossible.

"You're insane...and I love you."

"I don't think you're allowed to love your boss," I teased. Liv laughed.

"You didn't care about it the first time around," she shot back.

"Aren't you glad?"

Liv's eyes softened. "I sure am."

The girls disappeared and the guys and I did a crappy cleanup job and then got into our outfits.

For as much as the guys doubted Shelby, she did a really good job introducing us. I think the audience loved her. She came out wearing huge sunglasses, rainboots. To top it all off, she yelled through a huge megaphone.

It took a lot for the five of us to stop laughing before we had to jump out onstage.

I think she's got herself a permanent job.