Two Weeks Later; September 10 2001

Nick’s Point of View

After two weeks of dating Emma, things seemed to be going smoothly. I had taken her to movies, out to dinner, to concerts and she had even come to an awards show with me- the Grammy’s. I was now in Los Angeles for a concert for a day and would be back the next day. She had been spending a lot of time with Amanda, Leighanne, Leigh and Kirstin when the guys and I weren’t in New York. But on the 10th September I got a strange phone call from Emma.

I was in soundcheck with the boys, getting ready for the concert. I had my phone in the pocket of my jeans. I excused myself and went off to the side of the stage to answer it.

I looked at the screen: Em :)

Hey baby, what’s up?

Oh sorry, are you busy Nicky?

Oh I’m just at sound check. Are you okay? You sound like you’ve been crying.

It’s nothing, really.

No, what happened?

I’m sorry I disturbed you Nick. Go back and do soundcheck.

Emma, don’t do this.

It’s just about work. Don’t worry.

Look, I’ll catch the first flight back to New York after the concert okay?

No, Nick don’t do that. Just enjoy a night in LA

Emma, I’ll see you at five in the morning okay? The concert should be finished by ten. It’s an early one.

Oh… fine. See you in the morning.

You can go and sleep at mine if you want. The key is under the pot plant out the back.

Thanks Nicky. Sorry again.

It’s okay but we’ll talk about it when I get home okay?

Okay. Bye Nicky.

Go over and see Amanda. Leighanne is in Atlanta at the moment.

I have already spoken to Amanda. Anyway I’ll see you when you get home sweetie. Be safe.

Alright love. See you soon.

I hung up and sighed. Emma was not very good at opening up about things, I think I had struck a chord when I mentioned her dance partner David and inviting him over. She completely changed the subject and told me not to mention him. I went back out onto the stage. Brian looked at me with a puzzled look.

“Emma” I mouthed.

He nodded.

When we went backstage to have dinner and get ready for the concert, Brian pulled me aside.

“What’s wrong? You look worried.”
“It’s Emma, something happened at her work. She was crying when she was talking to me. She wouldn’t tell me what was wrong. So if you guys don’t mind I’m going to catch a plane home after the show.”
“Yeah of course. We don’t mind at all. I was going to go to Atlanta anyway. Listen Nick, with Emma, I think she has a bit of a hidden past.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well Leighanne told me she has a bit of a secret but she couldn’t tell me what.”
“Oh. Well she hasn’t told me anything” I sighed sadly.

“She’ll tell you in her own time. Don’t force it.”

The concert went off without a hitch and at the end of the concert, I went back to the hotel got my suitcase and caught a cab to the airport and booked a seat on the next flight to New York.

I spent a majority of the flight typing on my laptop, organising things for the end of the tour and the start of my solo album recording. As we started decending into New York, the sun was coming up over the buildings and all looked peaceful. Little did the rest of the world know, three hours later, tragedy would strike and the world would change forever.

I caught a cab back to my house and unlocked the door and walked in quietly. I went into my room and saw Emma’s tiny figure snuggled under the doona. I went into my wardrobe and changed into a pair of grey boxers and a white wifebeater and got under the covers and gently put my arm around Emma who stirred a little.

She opened her eyes and smiled, “What time is it?”
“Six am beautiful. Go back to sleep.”
“I love you Nick.”

Woah, did she just say she loved me? Then again,  I heard a rumour that you should never listen to someone when they talk about emotions when they have just woken up or just had sex.

“I love you too muffin.” I replied kissing her cheek. She fell back to sleep as a gently stroked her cheek. Her cheek was hot from tears from the night before and her eyes were red.

I eventually dozed off, exhausted from being on the plane. I was woken at eight o’clock by a loud crashing sound in the distance. I shot up and looked out the window and I could see clouds of smoke rising into the sky. I had no idea what had happened. I flicked on the TV that I had in my room onto CNN and saw images of the World Trade Centre and a plane crashing into it. Then I heard another loud crash… What was happening? The human caused apocalypse?

I got a text from Brian, Watch CNN dude! Leighanne was meant to be on the first plane!!

She’s not though was she?!
No thank God.

Emma started to wake up and she sat up and saw the images on the screen.

“What happened?” she asked.

“Two planes just crashed into the World Trade Centre.”
“Are we safe in New York?” she asked in a panic.

“Relax baby. We’ll be fine. We’re not in a high rise and we’re in the suburbs. We just can’t go anywhere today alright?”
“Alright.”
“Listen do you want to tell me what the matter was last night?”
“Something more important just happened Nick.”
“Emma, please don’t start putting off telling me things. Please let me in.”

“I quit the ballet yesterday.”

“What? Why?” I asked.

“Okay promise you won’t freak out or go all psycho overprotective boyfriend on me?”
“It depends?”

“Okay well when I first met you three years ago, I was in a relationship with one of the guys I was dancing with at my Ballet studio and we had been friends since we were three. Anyway we had been dating for two years and things were getting rocky. We were invited to a party for the Ballet company so we decided to let loose a little and have a bit to drink. Well he raped me, I tried to let people know at the party but he covered my screams and he told me if I ever told anyone he’d end my dance career. I told Leighanne, Kirstin, Amanda and Leigh the other day and I couldn’t live with the fact I had told anyone so I quit the Ballet because David, the guy who raped me, is the principal male dancer.” She sobbed. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you until now. The girls were the first people I ever told.”
“Naw Baby, it’s fine I promise. Look we’ll get though this. Is that why you went off at me that day?”
“No, the whole thing with David happened about two weeks after.”
“Oh.”

“But Nick, you can’t tell anyone.”
“But baby, you have to get this douche arrested. What if he does this to someone else? I promise I will do everything in my power to protect you.”
“But I don’t want to put you in an awkward position.”
“It’s honestly fine baby girl. I promise we’ll take this relationship slow okay? I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Thank you sweetheart. You are the sweetest male to ever walk this earth. You know that?” she smiled before she kissed my lips softly.

“Well I try.” I smiled.

Later that day, more and more bad news kept coming. Reports of hundreds of deaths flashed on the TV screen. Another hijacking was reported… at the one place that is in charge of security… the Pentagon. America just didn’t feel safe anymore.

A call flashed on my mobile, it was from our management company.

Hello Nick speaking

Nick, it’s JR. Listen, Andrew, your drummer was caught in the Twin Towers.

What? What the fuck was he doing there?

We don’t know man.

Thanks for telling me. Have you told the others?

Yeah, listen man we’ll have a meeting in a few days about it all okay?

Alright. Did Brian tell you about Leighanne?

How she was meant to be on the plane? Yes.

I think everything is about to change man.

Yeah, I know right. Listen, just stay at home for the next few days okay?

Yeah will do. Thanks for letting me know about Andy man.

No problem bro. Catch you later

I hung up the phone and buried my face in my hands. Andy and I had just become close in the past twelve months since the release of Black and Blue and he had taught me so much more about the drums. I just let the tears come. Emma came over to me from where she was laying on the bed and she cradled me in her arms.

“Shh baby. Shhh.” She said quietly into my ear. “Everything will work out, I promise you.”

“A..Andrew was in the tower at the time. We don’t know why. Everything is turning to crap, AJ needs a break, Brian and Leighanne want to start a family, Howie wants a break and so does Kevin. I want to keep doing this but everything is just falling to shit.”

“Shhh Nicky, shhh. I promise you, I will be here. Nothing is going to fall to shit if I can help it. We’ll get through this together okay?” she said calmly

“I love you Emma. I know we’ve only been dating two weeks but I really love you and we click and I’ve never found that with a girl before. Regardless of all the shit we have going on.” I sobbed then kissed her cheek.

“I love you too sweetheart and I’m sorry for hurting you three years ago. I’m sorry for making you harm it’s all my fault.”
“It’s not just your fault. I was  stupid and going through a phase. I promise it wasn’t all your fault. We have each other now. That’s all that matters.” I sighed.

I don’t know how long she cradled me for, but it was the most secure feeling in the world. I hadn’t felt like this in years. I was one of the luckiest boys in the universe.

Later that night, there was a knock on the front door. I was still only in my boxers so I put a pair of track pants on and went down to see who it was. It was Phil, his face was red and it looked like he had been crying.

“Hey Phil, come in man.”

“Is Emma here?”
“Yeah she is, EM!” I called out.

Emma came down the stairs to see Phil standing there.

“Philly, what’s wrong?”
“It’s Joey.”

“Crap, I completely forgot he worked in the towers.”
“He was on the actual plane.” Phil said, the tears starting again.

Their eldest brother Joseph was a businessman and a very successful one. He worked in the World Trade Center but he also travelled all around America. What bad luck that the one day he wasn’t actually working in the tower, he was on the plane that crashed into the tower.

Emma suddenly clung to me, in tears.

I don’t know how long the three of us stood there in tears. Emma had to go home to be with Xavier and Phil for the night. In the middle of the night, I got a text from her at about midnight.

Can you please come over? I need you here.

Sure baby, I’ll be there in five minutes. I love you

Thank you! I love you too xx

I quickly had a shower and changed into a pair of track pants and a wife beater and put on a bit of cologne and went over to Emma’s. I walked inside and the house was so quiet. Emma walked out of her room, dressed in just an oversized t-shirt which I presumed was Joseph or Phil’s. I gave her a huge hug and I kissed her forehead.

She led me into her room and I smiled. Her room was so cute, pink and full of ballet memorabilia. There was a photo of her and her brothers and her parents on her bedside table. She put her head on the pillow and I laid next to her and spooned her and took in her scent. Lavender and vanilla.

“Why is life so cruel Nicky?”
“I don’t know baby, but remember what you said to me earlier? We’ll get through this together. I promise you! I really do. Even if everything does fall apart, we have each other.”

“You really are perfect, you know that?” she replied.

“I’m not perfect, trust me. I just want to make you happy.”

We didn’t sleep at all that night, we just cuddled and laid there in each others company. No funny business, we were just comforting each other. I knew in a few days we'd have to sort out the whole issue of Emma and her dancing and Emma's brother and Andy the drummer, but that'd all come in due time.