Harper O'Brien stood in the foyer of the house she shared with her two best friends and hollered at the top of her lungs. "Crestian! Catie! We need to get going now!" She tossed her long red hair over her shoulder and stomped her foot.

"I'm coming!" Crestian called. She bounded down the stairs carrying one last suitcase and her huge Coach purse.

"Where's Catie?" Harper sighed. She twirled her keys around her finger.

"She's coming." Cress said and carried her suitcase outside. "You need to relax!"

"I want to! That's why we need to get going!" Harper sat on the bottom step and waited very impatiently. It was the spring of 2000 and the three girls were getting ready to embark on the adventure of a lifetime. They had saved their money and were heading to Orlando for Spring Break. Harper's Dad had surprised them with tickets to a huge concert at Disney at the end of the week.

"I'm almost ready!" Catie called from upstairs.

"If you don't hurry up, I'm gonna leave you and you're not gonna get to see Brian Littrell!" Harper threatened.

"Bite your tongue!" Catie exclaimed and stumbled down the stairs, her arms full of bags and suitcases.

"Do you need all this?" Harper sighed as she took some things from her friend.

"Of course. We're going to see the Backstreet Boys. Who knows what I might need?" Catie rolled her eyes at Harper and walked outside. "What's her problem?"

"She's just anxious to get our vacation started." Cress shrugged. "You know how she is."

"I know." Catie shoved her stuff in the trunk of Harper's Mustang convertible and jumped in the back seat.

"I would have opened the door for you." Cress shook her head.

"I know. It's more fun this way." They both watched Harper lock the house and check it twice. "It's locked, Harp! Let's go already!"

"Really?" Harper settled huge white sunglasses over her eyes and threw Catie's bags in the back seat next to her. "Are we finally ready?"

"Yeah, of course. I don't know what's taking you so long." Cress shrugged and shook her head. Harper grumbled under her breath and started the car. These friends of hers. Jeesh.

"How fast are you going, Harper?" Catie asked as she pulled her long brown hair away from her face. She leaned into the front seat and peered at the speedometer.

"I'm going 80." She pushed Catie's face back with the palm of her hand. "It's ok."

"Can we listen to a CD or something?" Cress asked. "The radio stations are getting fuzzy."

"Sure." Harper nodded. "They're all in that case behind the passenger seat."

"I've got it." Catie announced.

"Great." Cress sighed. "Now we're gonna have to listen to the Backstreet Boys."

"You like them too. Don't even deny it." Harper laughed.

"We're 20, Harp. It's probably time we outgrow the boy bands."

"I'll never outgrow Brian." Cat swooned. She handed a CD to Harper and waited for the music to start. She began singing every word, dancing around in the backseat.

"Do you see what I mean?" Cress rolled her eyes and tried to ignore Catie. Harper sang along with the music and concentrated on the road as she drove. She loved being with her best friends. They had known each other all their lives, before they were born actually since their mother's had met in a Lamaze class and remained friends still. Harper didn't have a single childhood memory that didn't have Catie or Cress in it. She glanced in her rear view and did a double take when she saw a red Viper behind her. That wasn't a car you saw every day.

"Check out that car, Cress." Harper nudged her friend. Cress turned in her seat and tried to see around Catie's dancing form.

"Move, Catie!" She shoved her friend and saw the car. "That is nice!"

"What is it?" Catie looked around and frowned when she saw the car. "They're going really fast. I hope they're ready for a speeding ticket."

"Here it comes." Harper said, looking over when the car slowed down in the lane next to them. It went their speed which gave her the opportunity to check out the driver. He had blond hair and looked really familiar, which she knew wasn't possible because no one she knew drove a car like that. A guy covered in tattoos was in the passenger seat and an attractive blond was in the back seat. The three guys all waved and zoomed off.

"Did you guys see what I saw?" Cress asked. She was trying really hard to keep the excitement out of her voice.

"They looked familiar." Harper said, her eyes back on the road.

"That's because they were the freaking Backstreet Boys!" Catie exclaimed as she jumped around in the backseat. "I would know Brian anywhere! Speed up, Harp! Catch them!"

"Do it, Harp. That was AJ. You know he's my favorite!" Finally the fan girl was coming out in Crestian. Harper wrinkled her brow and pressed on the gas. They approached the other car.

"His plates say Frack!" Catie laughed. She held her blowing hair back and waited while Harper got in the other lane and passed the boys. She puckered up and blew Brian a kiss. Her eyes grew wide when he laughed and pretended to catch it in midair. He pressed it to his lips and Catie turned in her seat to watch them when Harper got in front of them.

"That really is Nick Carter!" Harper exclaimed. "Oh my freaking God! I could eat him up!" All the girls looked when the boys passed them again. AJ waved with two fingers and Brian blew Catie a kiss this time. Nick didn't look over, he just pressed the gas and flew around the car.

"We have to catch them!" Catie said when they were out of sight. "I have to meet him."

"We need gas, girls." Harper sighed.

"What? It can't wait?" Cress leaned over and stared at the gas gauge. It was dangerously close to the E. "Damn you, gas gauge!"

"They have to get gas too. I'm sure we're both going to the same place." Harper rationalized.

"Or... that could be them up there with that cop." Catie pointed out the flashing lights in the distance. They were all quiet as they passed the Viper on the side of the road. There was an exit right past them and Harper turned off and into a Shell station. Harper began pumping the gas while Catie and Cress went to the bathroom. Harper washed her windows while she waited for the gas to pump. She didn't notice when the Viper pulled up to a pump.

"Damn, Frack! Why do you always have to speed?" Harper heard from behind her. She slowly turned around and about died when she saw her three favorite members of the Backstreet Boys getting out of the car. She finished pumping her gas while she listened to them argue.

"Fuck off, Bone. You're the one who wanted me to speed." Nick said.

"Let it go, guys. We got out of the ticket. That's all that matters." Brian began getting gas.

"Nick, isn't that?" Harper heard one of the guys whisper as she walked into the station.
"It is." Nick agreed, nodding his head in time with Harper's shaking ass.

"Well, go and talk to her!" AJ shoved him in the back.

"I can't!"

"Bro, you almost got a reckless driving ticket for her. Man up and talk to her." Brian shook his head. Sometimes, Nick was like a preteen he was so shy.

"I almost got a ticket so you could blow kisses to the other girl." Nick slanted his eyes at Brian and jumped out of the way when Brian tried to shove him.

"Just go talk to her." AJ said. Nick sighed and walked inside. He stood in line behind Harper and watched as she bent over in her short khaki shorts and signed her credit card slip. She took the receipt from the cashier and shoved it in her back pocket. Whirling around, she came face to face with Nick. Both stood still and stared at each other for a moment, before Harper said, "Excuse me," and went back outside. She laughed when she saw Brian and AJ having a war with the squeegees.

"You're dead, Frick!" AJ exclaimed and chased Brian around the gas pumps, winging water at him the whole way. Nick walked over to his car, mentally kicking himself in the ass for not speaking to the girl. He finished pumping his gas and looked up when he heard a shriek.

"I'm so sorry!" Brian was saying to the girl, who now had a soaking wet tank top on. He was using his own shirt to blot at the girl's shirt. She stopped him with a hand to his wrist when his movements went too high.

"It's fine, really. I'll just change." Harper said with a smile on her face.

"I was really aiming for AJ. I'm sorry again." Brian sheepishly smiled at her.

"Not a big deal." She laughed and opened her trunk. She rooted around and pulled out another tank top, orange this time. She ran into Nick at the door of the gas station. He stared at her with his hand on the handle. "Hi." She said to him.

"Hi." He stared down at her. After a few awkward moments of silence, he spoke again. "How are you?"

"I'm wet." She said with a chuckle. "You think I could get inside so I can change?"

"Oh. Yeah. Of course." Nick opened the door and followed her into the gas station. She was stopped by her two friends.

"What happened to you?" Catie asked, her arms full of snacks.

"Are you alright?" Cress asked, sodas in the crook of her arm.

"I'm fine. Just wet. As for what happened to me, ask him. His friends did it." Harper pointed at Nick and disappeared in the bathroom. Catie and Cress turned to him and Nick's face turned bright red.

"What did your friends do to her?" Catie asked, a finger pointing in his direction. Nick's tongue felt like it was swollen to the roof of his mouth. He could barely handle one girl at a time, let alone two.

"They did it!" He exclaimed and pointed to where Brian and AJ were standing outside. The girls quickly paid for their snacks and rushed outside.

"What did you two do to our friend?" Catie asked them. Both guys looked at the girls and then looked at each other and broke into grins.

"Hello there." Brian said in a pronounced southern drawl. He was bare chested after being soaked by AJ and held a dry UK shirt in his hand. Catie tried her best to look at his face, but couldn't get past his chest. Brian laughed and reached out a finger and tipped her face up. "I'm up here, little girl."

"Sorry." She stammered, her face bright red.

"Catie, really?" Cress rolled her eyes. "Our friend? Why is she soaking wet?"

"She was in the crossfire. Simply a casualty of an epic war." AJ laughed, the offending squeegee still in his hand. He held his free hand out to her. "I'm AJ, by the way."

"I know who you are." Cress smiled and shook his hand. "I'm Crestian, but everyone calls me Cress."

"So, you're a fan?" AJ asked, holding onto her hand.

"Not as much as those two." Cress nodded her head to where Catie was still stammering to Brian. "I'm more of a fan of you. Not so much the music."

"A fan of me." AJ rubbed his goatee and grinned lasciviously at her. Cress just laughed and walked away. AJ put the squeegee up and chased after her. A few feet away, Brian was trying to get Catie to tell him her name. She was starstruck and still trying to find the words to say to him.

"I love you." She finally mumbled and then shook her head quickly. "I didn't mean that. Well, I do mean it but not in that way. I love you as a Backstreet Boy. I'm not in love with you. Ha!" She finished with a loud laugh and looked away, her face on fire.

"Okay, now that we have that out of the way." Brian chuckled and pulled his shirt on. "What's your name?"

"Catie. Cathryn. Catie." She said in a rush, her head shaking as if to clear itself.

"Well, hi Catie Cathryn Catie. It's nice to meet you." He took her hand and put it in his and shook it. Catie's knees buckled when he touched her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good. Great actually. I just never thought I'd really meet you. And touch you. Ha!" There was that horrible laugh again. Cress heard it and rushed over.

"Catie, you okay?" Cress asked. She elbowed her friend and whispered, "Get it together!" to her before turning to Brian. "You'll have to excuse my friend. You're her favorite celebrity and she's been dying to meet you."

"It's okay." Brian nodded. "I get this all the time."

"Yeah, from the moms." AJ laughed.

"Shut up, Bone." Brian was indignant. "I can't help it if the moms like me."

"I like you." Catie spoke up and then did that horrible laugh again. In the gas station, Harper was coming out of the bathroom. She had pulled her long red hair up and was holding her wet shirt. Nick had been loitering and pretending to look at things so he could run into her again. She stopped when she saw him.

"Excuse me." She said and walked around him.

"Hey! Wait a minute!" Nick realized he was letting her slip through his fingers.

"You want to talk now?" Harper asked, her head tilted to the side.

"I'm sorry. I'm really shy." His face was turning an awful shade of red. Harper decided to take pity on him.

"Nick Carter is too shy to talk to a girl?" She laughed. "I don't believe it."

"Please believe it. It's the truth." Nick followed her when she began walking away.

"You're a superstar. I find it hard to believe that you don't talk to girls. I'm sure you meet girls everywhere." Harper turned before she walked outside and looked at him. His face was still red and there was a vein in his neck popping out. He looked terrified.

"That's different. It's easier when I'm working. I know what they want to hear then." Nick mumbled.

"Well, good luck with the shy thing. I'm sure you'll work it out eventually." Harper couldn't help but feel like he was playing her. She walked out of the store and called to Catie and Cress. They quickly waved goodbye to AJ and Brian and jumped in the car. Harper sped away from the gas station and got back on the interstate. She listened to her friends talk about AJ and Brian and felt cheated because Nick had been such a douche.