I woke up screaming at the pair of eyes staring at me.

I quickly realized they belonged to the Nick poster a la Black and Blue. He really was beautiful.

I looked at the clock, 8:07am. The challenge starts in less than an hour.

As I got out of bed I saw Candy already applying one of her five coats of makeup. She looked like she was going to vomit, she seemed so nervous. Megan was busy scrambling like a mad woman around in the bathroom trying to get ready. And Aspen was still sleeping.

I dragged myself to the dorm-style bathrooms across the hall and stepped into the shower. As the hot water hit my body I wondered what the challenge was going to be.

I hoped it wasn’t athletic. Other than tennis and dance, I had zero coordination. But what I lacked in athleticism, I made up for in strategy and pure stubbornness. I hate losing with a passion, which is why I am in this mess now.

Hopefully, Nick and I click well enough for me to make it to the fifth round and I can jet out of here and collect my five hundred dollars. Hello, new shoes.

I noticed most of the girls looked like strippers, there were a couple that seemed normal. I didn’t stand out but I didn’t look like a belonged either.

I was cute. That’s what I had been told me whole life. Or pretty and sometimes beautiful. Never sexy. I felt inadequate in that field while in this house.

I turned off the water and grabbed my towel that had been hanging over the stall door. I was not about to show off my non-plastic body to these people.

I went to my room and put on the requested outfit of “cute yoga attire” for the challenge.

I towel dried my hair and decided to wear it in it’s natural waves. Who knew what we were going to do anyway. I might as well, not waste my time primping. I knew Candy would be doing enough for both of us.

I applied some make up and looked at the clock. 8:45. I looked at Aspen just now rolling out of bed. She thankfully brushed her teeth and then threw on clothes.

I wondered if she was naturally rough around the edges or was purposely like that to separate herself from Miley.

“Aspen, what do you do for a living?”

“I’m in a rock band. It’s my dream, but it doesn’t pay a lot.”

“Have you ever thought of doing impersonating for Miley?” I had a family friend that was a Tom Cruise impersonator. He made a ton of money and just had to keep up with Tom’s look.

“I’ve thought of it, but I can’t stand kids. I once did a guest appearance at the gentleman’s club my friend owns. The guys went crazy for that one.” Aspen laughed.

Oh God.

Megan ran out of the bathroom, screaming, “I’m finally ready!” She had a checklist title “To Do: Day One” in her hand. Just as she did the intercom came on and Carson announced, “Ladies, please report to the backyard now. Thank you!”

We walked outside to the large lawn. There were boxes covered with large towels that had each of our names on them.

As I walked to my box I saw Candy walk up next to me with a bikini on.

I mouthed “What the hell?” to her.

She just shrugged her shoulders and laughed as she went to her box. Then I remembered her luggage fiasco.

Carson and Nick were standing to the side of a makeshift beach, complete with an umbrella and two beach chairs.

Nick looked adorable in his neon yellow shirt and blue swim shorts. I felt like I needed a sunglasses to look at his outfit though. Carson looked like he had a giant stick shoved up his ass. Seriously, what was his problem?

Nick smiled and started speaking, “After today’s challenge, I’ll get a chance to meet and talk to everyone so don’t worry. But the winner receives the first solo date with me.” He paused as we all screamed and clapped.

“I like a girl that likes to have fun and doesn’t take life too serious. But she also has to be a little competitive. In front of each one of you is a block covered with a towel. Ladies, please remove your towels.”

We all removed our towels, the backyard was full of gasps and a couple of screams. Most of the girls knew what the ice block in front of them meant. I did not. Thank goodness the challenge wasn’t “Know-every-little-detail-of-Nick-Carter”. I would have lost.

Nick smiled and his eyes twinkled like a mischievous little boy, “If you’ve watched Nick’s Corner then you remember the bet I made with the rest of the Backstreet Boys on how long they could hold their head in a tub of ice water. This is the same except you have to sit on the block. The last one left wins.” And with that he sat down in on of the beach chairs and Carson started a timer.

“On your mark. Get set. Go!” He sat down in the chair next to Nick and the girl sat down on their blocks. I was thrilled. No really, I’m not being sarcastic this time. My sorority in college had had a field day to raise money for domestic violence and I just so happened to win the ice block challenge with six hours and forty-seven minutes. This was going to be a piece of cake. Round one, won.

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Five hours later, I looked around. Aspen had given up two hours into the challenge. Megan was still sitting on her block but she looked as if she needed a paramedic soon. Her hands were shaking uncontrollably and she was an unhealthy shade of grey.

Candy on the other hand was perfectly content on her block sitting Indian-style doing some kind of weird chant.

There were five other girls still on their blocks. Four of the girls looked like they were barely hanging on.

Amy, a striking woman with long dark brown hair was almost as content as Candy. This wasn’t college anymore.

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Eight hours and what felt like a 3rd degree burn later, I accepted defeat.

I was in a ton of pain. I couldn’t feel my legs anymore except for the intense on fire-feeling my ass had.

The two contestants left, Candy and Amy looked like they could run a half marathon in the Arctic naked. They were sitting right next to one another staring the other down. They started whispering but no one could hear from the makeshift beach what they were discussing.

They both started to move to get up but Amy stayed down.

“What the hell? I thought we were both going to stand up together and try to get a double date?” Candy was shrieking at the top of her lungs while Amy just laughed.

“This is win a date with Nick Carter, not win a best friend. Sorry.” Amy just continued laughing and shrugged.

Carson announced the winner and released the girls to go get changed for dinner. They were going to have a speed date-type dinner with Nick before he went with Amy on their solo.

As they walked inside Candy was still screaming, “That’s so unfair, she was the one that came up with the plan. I could have sat their all night. I had found my chi.”

“Karma’s a bitch,” and that was all Aspen said as we went to go shower.

I was beginning to like her roommates, at least they were entertainment. Expect Megan, that girl still freaked me out.

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One hour later, I was sitting at my little round table in my favorite pink Michael Kors dress complete with my brown Manolo wedges.

I watched Nick rotate around the room, twenty minutes per table. He seemed to do the same thing at each table. Cocky smile, laugh, repeat.

He sauntered over to my table and just looked at me for a second before finally sitting down.

“Emily, right?” He asked as he took my hand and kissed it. If he wasn’t so cute I would have vomited all over his nicely tailored shirt. He was so cute though. His eyes sparkled and his smile made my stomach fill up with billions of butterflies. Snap out of it.

“Did the producers tell you to do that?”

“Oh burn. Actually, I remembered your name myself.”

“But the producers told you to kiss my hand?” I asked.

“Guilty, so why don’t you tell me about yourself instead of questioning all my moves.” Then he smiled the first genuine smile I’ve seen the whole time. That was absolutely beautiful.

“Well, Mr. Demanding. I live in South Beach and own a small real estate company. I’m a Scorpio, my favorite color is teal and I’m allergic to hay. Your turn?”

“I’m an Aquarius. I bounce around between Tampa, Nashville and LA. My favorite color is actually blue. I’m a singer and I’m not allergic to anything.”

So cute. Focus.

“So is that all I need to know about you?” This wasn’t going so bad. He was a lot funnier than I thought.

“I’m in a band, I’m not sure if you’ve heard of the Backstreet Boys?”

“Never heard of it. Are you one of those struggling musicians?” I looked at him and smirked.

He laughed a little and then continued, “Maybe I am, are you trying to crush my dreams?”

“Just promise me you’ll introduce me to the Jonas Brothers? Maybe you’ll be as good as them one day.”

Nick chocked on his water. I was so funny.

“You are interesting.” As he said that the bell rang for the round to be over.

He just got up, smiled at me and walked away.

I couldn’t let him turn me into a puddle of liquid love-sickness.

This was not going to be easy.