Fast forward to 2001

Emma

I saw Nick on the news constantly, he and his band, the BackStreet Boys were on their Black and Blue World Tour. But the last time I talked to him, which was three years ago, he was getting ready to release a new album and then go on another tour, which was extremely successful. There were always fan girls crowded outside his house, taking photos and shouting for him. I don’t see what their big deal with him was anyway! He was an idiot and a liar and I was stupid to fall for him.

I was now principal dancer at the New York Ballet after just focusing intensely on my dancing after I stopped talking to Nick. I was stupid to think he could ever love me anyway. It’s not like he thought of me anyway. I saw him magazines and newspapers with other girls and he seemed so happy and carefree. I didn’t need him. I had my dancing and that’s all I needed, although, my brothers thought differently.

I had moved back into the house with my brothers since my dancing got serious because I wasn’t earning a huge amount of money at first. I could probably move out again now, but I actually like living at home now, my brothers aren’t over protective anymore. Joseph was now twenty-eight and he was a successful business person, Aden was now twenty-six and an actor, Fraser was twenty-four and he was living in England playing Rugby, Xavier was twenty-two and he was a swimmer and Phil is twenty like me and he is a really good runner and actually a really good singer so my brothers actually do really well for themselves. Phil has a record deal with Jive Records, and he has written songs with Nick but Nick never comes over, cause Phil knows it would start World War 3. Phil and Xavier went to the 2000 Olympics for their sports. Xavier won a Silver Medal in the 50m Freestyle and Phil won a Gold Medal in the 100m Sprint and the 110m Hurdles.

I was sitting on the porch after a big day at work rehearsing for the next season of shows with a cup of tea beside me. The sun was setting in the horizon over the towering buildings of New York City. The month was August and the late summer nights were getting cooler. I saw a black Prowler make its way down the street and pull up in Nick’s drive way. Out of the car stepped an older, more attractive Nick. The dorky curtain haircut he had was gone, replaced by a more normal boys hairdo, spikey blond and perfect for his baby face. He looked over at the porch with a smile and he waved.

He was still a charmer I had to admit, as much as I hated him. I waved back, flashing a nervous smile. I was a different person to who I was back in 1998. I wasn’t the talkative teenager. I was quite shy and reserved now. Not the type Nick would go for.

Nick’s Point of View

As I got out of my car, I saw Emma for the first time in three years. She looked so different to the last time I had seen her. She had dyed her blonde hair dark brown and it was tied in a tight ballet bun. She was dressed in leggings and a black singlet. She wasn’t a teenager anymore. She had grown into a beautiful young woman. I was probably still the dorky boy-bander who shattered her heart. I guess I can only just try and get her back. She was gorgeous and if I remember rightly very loud and talkative.

I had just come home from a business meeting about the solo album I was getting ready to release in the next six months. I had been coming to and from New York. I hadn’t seen Emma in three years. She avoided me and I was writing music with her twin and she still avoided me.

I went inside and showered and changed from the suit I was in, into a pair of jeans and a black tee and I went over to see Em.

She was still sitting on the porch, watching the sunset. I sat down beside her.

“Hey Stranger.” I smiled.
“Hey, you’re looking good.”
“Thanks. So are you, you look gorgeous.”
“How’s the band coming along?”
“Yeah good, I think we’re about to go on a break for a while. Have some time off.”
“That’s awesome. I see you have a few girls on the go.”
“No, they’re nothing. Just friends.”
“Mmm.”
“What about you, have you got a man?”
“No, I don’t have time. I’m the principal ballerina now so I have no time for anything.”
“Wow, that’s amazing! I remember how much you wanted that and you got it. Well done.”
“Thanks.” She smiled shyly. She looked down at my arms, which were exposed. I had stopped self harming about two months ago but after about three and a half years of it, the scars were there. I wasn’t perfect.

She traced her finger lightly over the scars. She looked at me, with sorrow in her eyes.

“Why?” she asked quietly.

“I wanted to feel something.”
“What do you mean? You’re surrounded by girls who love you every day?” she asked.

“That’s not love, that’s lust and it’s superficial. I want to feel something. I want someone to love me for me. Not Nick Carter the Popstar but Nick Carter the sweetheart. I would treat a girl who loved me like that, like a princess.”
“There’s someone like that out there for you, I promise.”
“I know who it is, I just don’t think they’d go for me. They only know the me on the surface. They don’t know the real me. I thought they did, but they decided that they didn’t like me because of my fame.” I sighed.

“You mean me?”
I sighed again and nodded.

“Well I’m always one for second chances, just be honest with me. Tell me where I stand. I’m not a bad person, I’m just sensitive.”
“One minute you don’t want me, the next you do. How can I trust you won’t go all crazy on me again like last time?” I said aggressively.

“Nick, calm down. I just said, I’m not a bad person you just have to be honest with me.”
“I will be, I promise. Just to let you know, you’ll have to get used to my mates. They can be a bit crazy, especially Brian and AJ but you’ll learn to love them.”
“I guess it couldn’t hurt. But my schedule is pretty hectic with dance and I know how hectic your life is too and I don’t want to let you down if I am too busy.”
“Em, it’s fine. I totally understand. Trust me, things will get hectic for me too. But we’ll work this through one step at a time.”

Emma’s Point of View

I smiled and looked up at Nick. His eyes were so blue, like the ocean. His blonde hair was tossled and looked amazing. I know what you’re thinking, it didn’t take long for you to change your mind about him. Well he apologised and he was honest with me and I felt bad that he had harmed because of me. He was so gorgeous now not that he wasn’t before, but now he was even more attractive.

He put his arm around me as we watched the sun finally fall behind the horizon.

“Do you want to come around for a legendary home cooked meal by me?” he asked.
“That’d be great, but I have to go back to work in an hour.”
“What for?”
“Rehearsals, sadly. Maybe another night?”
“Well why don’t you come over when you finish rehearsals?”
“I won’t be home until about eleven o’clock.”
“I’m still awake then.”
“I’ll see how I’m feeling.”
“Have you got a cell phone?” he asked.

“Yeah I do.”

He grabbed a pen from his jean pocket and I gave him my hand and he wrote his cell phone number on my hand.

“Text me when you’re on your way home.”
“Alright.”

“I’ll let you go and get ready sweetheart. But have fun.”

“I’ll try. There’s only so many times I can do the same move.”
“I know how you feel.”

He kissed my forehead then got up to walk back to his place.

When he left, I went back inside, sort of in a dream. Phil was sitting on the couch, just watching a movie.

“Wow, so are you and Nick friends again?”
“You could say that.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, we like each other.”
“You haven’t talked for three years.”
“We sorted everything out.”
“Mmhm.”

Nick’s Point of View

Falling too hard and too fast for a girl. It’s one of my worst traits. But Emma was different, I knew it. I just had to wait until that night and see if she would come over.