“Ooh! Nothin’ but net!”

Ben chased his rebound and grabbed the basketball, looking up to the voice…it couldn’t be.

“Nick! What the hell are you doing here?”

“I had about 48 hours with nothin’ so I flew home to see you.”

He stopped dribbling and held the ball under his arm, looking at Nick like he’d just grown a third head. “You came home just to see me!?”

“Yeah…why’s that such a shock?” Nick helped himself inside the fenced yard and knocked the ball out from under Ben’s arm, making a quick lay-up shot.

“Hey! Aw, man…not nice.” Ben darted under the basket and they played a fierce pick-up game with no written rules, no more words and lots and lots of missed shots. No winner either. Except for each other.

As Ben hopped over the fence from what felt like his ten thousandth trip over to retrieve the ball, he tossed it to Nick and bent over, out of breath and out of energy. “I’m done.”

“Good…me too. You’re getting better and better, buddy.”

“I got papers for the rec teams this week…think I could do it?”

“Oh yeah…you want me to sign you up?”

“I didn’t mean that. Mom might be able to swing it now…I just wanna play.”

“Well, if not, let me know. We’ll get you in.” Nick sat down on the picnic table, forgetting how wobbly it was, and laughed as he almost fell right back off. “Damn…I forgot this thing attacked.”

“We haven’t used it since my birthday, I don’t think…”

Gaining his balance, Nick cut to the reason for his visit. “So, uh…what does everyone have planned for tomorrow?”

“Nothing that I know of…why?”

“Well, I thought we could all get together, you guys dress up…I can help with make up and stuff and I arranged for a photographer to take some pictures.”

“Are you serious, man?”

“Yeah…I hate that I won’t be here Thursday and I wanna see you guys having fun with the stuff. We’ll get Rosalie and Miss Romero here too.”

“Oh cool…she told me you sent them a box.”

“Yup. You think everyone will be up for it?”

“Oh yeah…Liz practically lives in that damned dress anymore.”

“I figured…no pirate girl for her, huh?”

“Nope, some other girl at the center took it already.”

“Good…that’s what I wanted. Share the fun. You wanna come to the house tonight?”

“Yeah…gives me something to do.” Nick hopped down and slung his arm around Ben.

“Things still crappy with Erin?”

“She’s with Steve. Totally. I lost her.”

“For now…maybe she’ll come back around.”

Ben shrugged, truly not interested in thinking about it anymore.

“Can you promise me one thing, Nick?”

“I can try.”

“No mention of girls tonight at all…”

“Deal. No women. Just you, me, stupid movies and uh…”

“Pizza.”

“Okay, Liz, come here. Let’s put some eye shadow on you, sweetie.”

Liz picked up her skirt and skipped over to Solana, batting her eye lashes in anticipation of her firstreal make up application. “Make me pretty, Miss Romero.”

“You’re already pretty…I’ll just make your eyes pop out more…”

“Pop out!?”

“Well, not pop…just come here, you goofball.”

Liz closed her eyes and giggled as the make up brush hit her eyelids. “Kitty did my nails too, didya see?”

“Yes, I did…they match your dress perfectly.” Making quick use of the make up brush since Liz had the squirmies, she pulled back to check her work. “Okay, look at me.”

Liz pulled back and smiled, making Solana return one of her own. Pretty little thing when she was cleaned up. All these kids were. Well, except for Ben. Today, he was just gruesome.

“Open your mouth a bit…” Nick mimicked the look he needed from Ben and swiped the barf green colored make up on his face. Yeah, he hated wearing make up, but he’d done it enough, he knew how to apply it. Besides…monster make up was entirely different from blush and eye liner.

“You think I’ll scare Amy?”

“Oooh…hadn’t thought about that. Why don’t we get her in here so she can watch you change.”

“Yeah…KITTY!!”

“JE-sus, man! My ears! I can get up and find her, you know…damn.” Nick wiggled his finger in his ear and bonked Ben on the nose as he got up to find the girls.

Perfect timing, because just as he stood up, a speeding ladybug named Amy came plowing through the room…followed by her bug catcher named Kitty. “Amy Lee…get BACK here now!”

Nick hunched down and growled, making her squeal and try to go the other way. But she fell instead, tumbling into a red and black heap.

Nick scooped her up before she could even think of crying. “Come on…I want you to watch something. Ben’s gonna turn green!”

Amy’s eyes got big as Nick put her on her brother’s lap. “Here, give me your hand, Amy.” Ben took her hand and put it up to where Nick had started applying make up. “See? It’s Ben, huh?”

“Yep.”

“Keep watching.” And she did…without moving…as Nick applied the green goo to Ben’s face, adding a scar for effect. Then he worked on his neck and finally his hands.

“Who’s under there, Amy?” Nick dumped the sponge of make up into the tray and looked at his work. Damn, he was good.

“Ben!”

“That’s right…you ready to get your picture taken?”

She said nothing, but held up her arms to Nick, curling up into him as he pulled her in.

“She looks just like a real lady bug all curled up to you like that.”

“She’s my Amy bug, aren’t you, girl? Let’s go find everyone else and get this party started.”

“I didn’t know you were dressing up too…” Nick’s heart was in his throat as Lani and Rosalie walked in the room with Liz and Jack trailing behind.

“Well, Rosalie wanted me to…so…” Lani twirled around, making her large skirt poof out in a perfect colorful tent. Her hair was pulled up into a tight bun and she had tons of make up on…as did Rosalie.

“You look great!” He slipped his arm around her waist and grabbed an arm, doing a few tango steps. “Flamenco’s tango too, yes?”

“Yes…we do it all, baby.”

“Looky my castanet’s, Nick!” Saved by the Rosalie. She started dancing around, clicking her fingers together in a perfect rhythm.

“Oooh…those are cool.” He couldn’t take his eyes off of Solana though, thrilled she’d taken this little gift and ran with it. “You decided against being a princess, huh?”

“Yeah, Liz is princess. I’m a dancer!” She danced off, bumping hips with Liz and running from Spiderman Jack who was more interested in pretending to catch people in his “web” than anything else.

“I think we need to get started here…they’re gonna be out of control in no time.”

“One more thing, Mr. Carter. You’re still in street clothes.” Solana pulled on Nick’s shirt and shook her head. “That will never do.”

“Oh-ho no…I’m not dressing up. This is for you guys.”

“If it’s for us, you play along. Come on, little big man. I have an outfit we picked out just for you.”

She dragged Nick back to the room where she had dressed and unzipped a garment bag. “Here we go. You can be a teenie bopper.”

“What!?”

“See…we have a little blonde wig for you…long hair and all. A barely there shirt…balloons for boobies, a mini skirt…glitter gel for your skin and of course, a Sharpie so you can write, ‘I love Nick’ all over yourself.”

“Dear God…” He couldn’t say anything else. A drag teenie bopper. She had to be kidding.

“I’ll do your make up…let me know when you’re ready.” Without another word, she left him alone, closing the door and failing miserably at stifling her giggles while Ben and his brother waited outside.

He stared at the stuff one more time and pulled out the wig, plunking it haphazardly on his head and puffing a strand of blond hair out of his face as he looked into the full length mirror. “I am NOT doing this!”

“Yes you are…get dressed, mister. I’m coming back in 5 minutes, so you’d better be ready!”

“Want me to blow up your boobies?”

“Ben, get the hell out of here…I’ll blow up my own boobs, thank you very much.”

One more look in the mirror and he had to give in. Dammit. The kids would love this, and…it was pretty funny. What the hell? He blew up his balloons and figured out the straps of his shirt, stuffing the boobs inside. And then he had to laugh. This was pathetic. The mini skirt barely covered his butt, especially if he reached up to mess with his hair…or falling boobs. For better or worse, he was ready for Solana’s finishing touches.

He peeked out of the door and growled, realizing everyone was in the other room…he’d have to walk in looking like this. All eyes on him. God, what he wouldn’t do to take back that drunken night. This was the worst punishment ever.

Cat calls. Whistles. Whoops. Hollers. Camera flashes. And a shriek from Amy until Kitty convinced her that it was really Nick underneath all of the fake hair.

“Oooh…you’re one sexy mama. Let’s put some make up on you, sweetie. Nick will want you for sure.”

He said nothing as Solana pushed him on a chair and loaded his eyes and cheeks and lips with color. “Gotta be bold so he’ll see you and want you, you know?”

“Yeah, make sure you write his name all over, so he’ll know which girl to yank outta the front row.”

“I’m getting there…patience, patience.” Solana looked down at her make up tray and started laughing, catching a special touch out of the corner of her eye.

“What now?”

“How in the hell do you have nipples!?”

“Oh…see…” He lowered his shirt to show her the balloons. Put the ties in front…cuz yanno…that Nick Carter makes all the girls’ nipples hard.”

“Of course he does…silly girl. Close your eyes…you need more powder blue here.”

“You’re so gonna pay for this, you know that don’t you?”

“Yup. I think I can take it.”

If he could only think of a pay back fitting for this humiliation…because honestly. He was having a blast.

Solana finished, and took one more look at her masterpiece and shook her head.

“What now?”

“Your tatts are killing the femininity of it all.”

“Sorry, girlfriend. I didn’t come prepared today.”

“Mmm…it’ll do. Are we ready? This skirt is hot.”

“Your skirt is hot!? How ‘bout a wig and plastic boobs???”

“Whine, whine…” She looked around for the photographer who had been waiting patiently, laughing along with them at Nick’s transformation. “I think we’re good to go!”

“Excellent. Okay, up here by the backdrop…Nick in the middle and everyone gather around.”

They all cooperated, putting taller ones in back, babies in arms and on laps and before they knew it, it was time to say…

“Wait! Wait!”

“What now, Nikki?”

“My tits are fallin’…hang on.” He hiked up his boobs and readjusted his straps, sticking his tongue out at Solana for making him have fun in spite of himself. “Okay, now.”

“Everybody say…”

“Justin’s Timber’s…”

“LANI!”