[ - ]
Table of Contents [Report This]
Printer Chapter or Story Microsoft Word Chapter or Story
- Text Size +
“What time is it?” Howie asked.

AJ looked at his watch and answered, “Four.”

“How much longer do we have to be here?” Howie asked.

A woman then walked into the room.

“Tony Donetti?” she asked.

“That’s me!” Howie exclaimed.

The woman nodded, and Howie got up.

“See you guys later,” Howie told us, “Good luck, Nick and AJ.”

Nick nodded.

“See ya Donetti,” AJ said as Howie left.

“How long do you think we’ll be here?” Nick asked AJ.

“I’m not sure,” AJ answered.

Nick nodded and leaned his head back on the wall. I’m not sure how long we sat there, it seemed like ages. We asked AJ what time it was almost a hundred times. The woman walked in again for like the millionth time.

“Nick Carter?” she asked.

“That’s me!” Nick told her.

The woman nodded. Nick kissed me, seeming to say goodbye.

“I’ll be back,” Nick told me.

I nodded.

“Good luck AJ,” Nick told him.

AJ nodded his head. Nick then left the room. I sat quiet for almost an eternity.

“What’s eatin’ ya, Darla?” AJ asked.

“Nothing,” I answered.

“No, what’s wrong?” AJ asked.

“Do you think Nick will do good?” I asked AJ.

“Knowing Nick,” AJ answered, “He’ll be the first person they decide to put in the band. He’ll blow the rest of us outta the water.”

“Are you sure?” I asked.

“You know Nick better than me,” AJ answered, “You tell me.”

“He made it on to “Star Search,’” I told AJ.

“See, only talented people make it,” AJ replied, “Nick should do real good.”

“Are you sure?” I asked.

“Will it make you feel better if I ask the people here if they’ve been on “Star Search?’” AJ asked.

I nodded my head and AJ got up.

“Can I ask y’all a question?” AJ asked the boys in the room.

A chorus of “Oks” came up.

“Have any of you ever been on “Star Search?’” AJ asked.

Only a handful of boys answered “yes” or nodded their heads. As AJ sat down, I overheard a mother tell her son that AJ just wanted to make himself feel good before the audition.

“See?” AJ asked.

“Ok, I guess,” I replied.

I got up and went over to the mother.

“Excuse me?” I asked her.

“Yes?” the mother asked.

“My friend wasn’t trying to make himself feel good before his audition,” I told her, “I just thought I’d let you know that.”

“Then why was he asking,” the mother asked, “That can break boys’ dreams, you know.”

“He was trying to reassure me,” I answered.

“You can’t possibly be trying out,” the woman told me, “You’re a girl.”

“I know,” I answered.

“Then why was he reassuring you?” the mother asked.

“My boyfriend’s in there,” I told her, “He really deserves this.”

“Not as much as my son,” the mother replied haughtily.

I walked away kicking my feet. People in the entertainment business can be so cruel.

Five minutes later Nick returned to me with a grin on his face.

“How’d it go?” I asked.

“Really well,” Nick told me.

Nick gave me a kiss on the cheek. The mother I had talked to earlier walked over.

“Excuse me?” she asked, tapping Nick on the shoulder.

“Yeah?” Nick asked.

“Are you this girl’s boyfriend?” she asked.

“Yeah,” Nick answered.

“You’re really short,” she told him, “How old are you.”

“I’m 13,” Nick answered, “But I don’t know what my height has to do with it.”

“The audition is 15 to 22,” the mother told him.

“I know,” Nick answered.

“You shouldn’t be here,” the mother told him, “What did you do, lie about your age?”

“No, I was invited to audition,” Nick answered.

“You’re below the age range, why did they let you come?” the mother asked.

“Because I can sing really well, Marianne told them,” Nick answered.

“Who?” the mother asked.

“My vocal coach,” Nick answered.

“If you were below the range, why did your coach talk to them?” the mother asked.

“Because I can sing,” Nick told her.

“Anybody can sing,” she replied.

“Yeah, but Nick sings well,” I told her, “In fact, he’s better than well, he great!”

This woman aggravated me, and not only Nick, but AJ as well, could tell. AJ got up out of his seat.

“Calm down girl,” AJ told me.

I shook my head.

“Ok,” Nick asked, “I’ll prove to you that I can sing. What do you want me to do?”

“Sing the song you prepared for this audition,” the mother answered.

“I prepared several,” Nick told her.

“Sing the one you performed,” the mother told him.

Nick nodded his head and drew in a breath.

“How much?” he asked.

“As much as you want,” the mother answered.

Nick nodded his head and went to his chair. He grabbed his CD player and speakers out of his jacket pocket. He grabbed his “Escape” album and put it in his player; finding “Open Arms” and pausing it.

“When do you want me to start?” Nick asked.

“Whenever,” the mother answered.

Nick took a breath and handed me his player. He nodded his head and I pressed play. Nick waited for the intro to finish, then he sang. I listened to his voice and Steve Perry’s. They matched exactly, and I knew Nick was really singing. When the song finished, I stopped it. Nick had gotten every note perfect, and I knew then that he would have a good chance at this new boy group, a better chance than most. Some of the boys had crowded around, listening to their competition.

“He’s not 13, he has to be in his 20’s,” one of the boys said.

The mother looked at Nick for a minute.

“I don’t believe you did that,” she told Nick.

“I did,” Nick told her.

“I want you to sing again,” the mother told him.

“Ok,” Nick answered turning his CD player back to “Open Arms.”

“Except,” the mother started, “I pick the song and you sing it a cappella.”

“I can do that,” Nick told her.

“Sing The Temptation’s “My Girl,’” she told Nick.

“AJ?” Nick asked.

“Yeah Nicky?” AJ asked.

“You gonna back me up?” Nick asked.

“Yeah,” AJ answered.

Nick took a breath and snapped his fingers a couple of times.

“When do you want me to start?” Nick asked.

“When you’re ready,” the mother told him.

Nick nodded.

“Can I sing a few chords first?” Nick asked.

“If you must,” the mother answered.

Nick sang a few chords to re-tune his voice.

“Ok, you ready AJ?” Nick asked.

AJ nodded. The boys both started out on the a cappella notes, then Nick sang the words. A lot of the boys who came over were taken aback by Nick’s voice. They thought the same thing I had thought when I first heard him sing, ‘How can a boy so small and young have such a powerful voice?’ When Nick finished one of the boys turned to him.

“How old are you?” he asked, although everyone had heard that he was only 13.

“I’m 13,” Nick answered.

“How come you sound like that,” another boy asked, “I’m 16 and I don’t even sound like that.”

“I use my diaphragm,” Nick answered and pushed the place where it was.

The boy nodded.

Nick then turned to the mother and asked, “Can I go now?”

“You may go,” the mother told him.

“Thank you,” Nick said as put on his jacket, then grabbed my hand.

I waved goodbye to the boys as I put on my jacket and followed Nick.

“That was great!” I told Nick.

“I didn’t like her,” Nick told me as we walked to the payphones.

I nodded my head as Nick dialed his mom’s number. It was now around six thirty and I didn’t know about Nick, but I wanted to go home. As soon as Nick finished calling his mom, we sat on the curb and waited for her to come. Nick put Boyz II Men in his player as he changed the speakers to headphones. Nick gave me one of the headphones so that I could listen with him. We sat in the dark with the rain drizzling on us, warm in our jackets. I sat my hand on the curb. Nick put his hand on top of mine and cupped it. I leaned my head on Nick’s shoulder and listened to the music take over the sound of the world.