February 16, 2010

[Flashback]
[Scarlett]
[February 14, 1999]

 

I sat in a New York City hotel room, staring at the assignment on my laptop from my online college course. But I was bored. It was so boring. I wasn't cut out for this school stuff.

Nick was on top of the world, finishing up work on the Backstreet Boys next album and Piper was finishing up homeschooling but was off auditioning for different movie and television roles. She was here now, under my supervision, trying out for a movie that was casting.

And I was busy with my online courses and hating my life and it was probably the suckiest Valentine's Day ever. I stood up from my hotel bed and walked out of the suite. It was a big suite, and Piper and I were sharing one bedroom while Nick was in the other bedroom and he was still asleep, or so I thought.

"Hey," he said, sitting at the small dining table, eating room service. "I didn't know you were up."

"I got up and helped Piper with her audition that she had at eight this morning," I said as I crossed my arms over my chest. "When are you guys going to the studio?"

"Soon," he said, eyeing me. "What's wrong with you?"

"I hate my life!" I shouted, almost making Nick jump a little. "Sorry. I'm just... I'm frustrated. I'm doing nothing that I want to do. I don't want to go to college for business. You know what I want to do..."

"Scarlett, I told you, go to Nashville," he said as I sighed. "Go. I'll help you. Forget what your family wants. It's about what you want." I just stood there as he stood up and walked over to me. "Hey... I'm living my dream. Piper's living hers, or is on the verge and it's time for you to live yours. Stop worrying about me. Stop worrying about Piper."

"I don't know the first thing to do if I went to Nashville..." I said, my voice trailing off.

"All of those songs you've written, that I hear you play sometime on the keyboard or your guitar, take them to some publishing companies," he nodded. "You can do it. You have a voice, too. You could get a record deal."

I was about to say something when the main door to the suite opened and Piper walked in and screamed at the top of her lungs, causing both Nick and I to jump.

"I just got offered a role on a television show!" she screamed, causing both Nick and I to smile. "But it films in Los Angeles!"

"Looks like you're moving to L.A. and you're moving to Nashville," Nick said as he looked at us.

[/Scarlett]
[/Flashback]

[Nick]

I keep looking at Twitter because I think I'm paranoid that some dumbass fan is going to start talking crap about me and Scarlett. I keep checking, but haven't seen anything yet. Yesterday Scarlett took my phone away from me while we were in the studio so I could focus.

But since Piper was going to be here, we decided against going in the studio, just so that we weren't working when she was here. We'd gotten two songs recorded yesterday, two that we had wrote on Valentine's Day. We had written another one, but I refused to record it until Scarlett said that she'd sing on it with me.

And she was adamant that she wasn't.

"She should be here soon," Scarlett said, walking out of the bathroom after taking a shower. "Her flight landed an hour ago."

"She had to go through customs and all that shit," I said as I watched her try to slip jeans on. "Plus luggage and you know Piper doesn't pack as light as me." "Come here," I said as she fastened her jeans and I grabbed her arm, pulling her over to me. "When we have a day off again, after Piper leaves... we're recording that song together."

"No, we're not," she said, patted her hand on the side of my face and walked over to put a black sweater on. "You can record it alone. I'll do background, but that's it."

"Duet," I said. She shook her head and was about to say something when there was a knock at the door. Scarlett totally forgot about me as she rushed over to the door, opening it to see Piper standing outside.

They squealed, hugging one another tightly until I finally stood up, throwing my hands in the air. "What am I? Garbage?"

"No, I'll hug you, too," Piper said, walking over and hugging me tightly.

"Did the asshat not come?" I asked as Piper backed away and glared at me.

"No, he wanted to, but he decided not to," she said, looking around the room. "You guys have a mess in here." I looked around, seeing clothes and trash thrown everywhere. "Have you even left the room any?"

"Yesterday we did to work," Scarlett spoke up, walking over to hug Piper again. "Forget your movie. Stay here with us."

"I'm here for a few days," Piper said, looking over at me and suddenly I felt like something was off with her. I wasn't sure what it was, but it seemed different. It wasn't anything to do with us either. "I'm starving though. You think we can go out and get something to eat? I don't care where. The plane food sucked and I didn't have time in between flights."

"Yeah, let me get my boots on and I'll be ready," Scarlett said as I kept staring at Piper.

"What?" she asked, noticing what I was doing.

"Somethings different about you," I said as she rolled her eyes and punched me in the arm. Okay, maybe things weren't that different.

[/Nick]

[Piper]

A few months ago I wouldn't of questioned Nick giving me weird looks. It was the norm, you know, what two people casually fucking behind peoples back shared when they thought know what was looking, but now?

Now it was creepy as hell.

"Is your boyfriend ok?" I whispered to Scarlett as we walked in front of Nick, our arms linked together. It was hella cold, so I was grateful to try and steal some of Scarlett's body heat.

"Yea, why?" She whispered back, making us both turn to look at Nick, who was playing with his cell as he walked.

"You didn't see him giving me weird looks over the table at dinner? Or was I imagining it?"

Scarlett sighed. "I did notice, but I think he's convinced himself something isn't right with Dylan, and he's almost trying to find that out by watching you."

"It's weird."

Scarlett nodded. "So, everything is ok with you both?"

I nodded, not wanting to disclose the random things that had happened recently. Not that it meant anything, things were fine now. "It's great!" I smiled at her, making her smile back.

"I'll make sure Creepy McCreeperson stops with the weird shit then."

I chuckled. "Thanks. So, how's song writing going?"

Scarlett started telling me about the songs, and the small amount of time they'd been in the studio when Nick grabbed us and made us stop.

"Piper, you seen this?"

I frowned, seeing Nick holding out his cell. I took it, and glanced at the screen seeing a tweet from Dylan. I didn't even know he'd had a twitter account. All it said was this he missed his girl. "What about it?"

"You guys gone public?"

I handed him his phone back. "Not yet. I mean, theres paparazzi pictures out there, but no, we haven't said anything. Why?"

Nick mumbled something, walking around us and carrying on forward, leaving me and Scarlett to look at each other.

"I'll talk to him." She assured me before letting go of my arm and walking after Nick.

I knew what Nick was up to, and Scarlett was right, he was looking for something wrong. And the funny thing was, Nick was always right when he had a bad feeling about someone.

Only, Dylan wasn't like that. We just didn't know him properly yet.

[/Piper]

[Scarlett]

"Nick," I said, almost running until I caught up with him. "Don't make me run in these boots. Stop," I said, looking back to see Piper taking a seat on a bench and looking at her cell phone. "Hey, stop."

"Why won't she listen to me?" Nick asked as he turned around to look at me. "There's something off with that guy. You know it, too."

"Doesn't matter what we think. Piper's not dumb," I whispered harshly. "Futhermore, something is off with you right now. Are you concerned or jealous?"

"Oh seriously, you askin' me if I'm jealous?"

"You act like a jealous ex."

"I'm not... I'm not jealous at all... they haven't gone public and he's tweeting that when there's pics of them out there?" Nick asked. "He's begging for attention, especially since we already saw that one photographer and it's gonna be out that she's over here and not back in California."

"So you're being protective?" I asked as he nodded. "You never acted this protective when you knew I was with someone."

"That's because I've only known you to be with one person and he wasn't a creep."

"Well I think I'm with a creep now," I hissed as Nick glared at me. "She's not a kid anymore. She can take care of herself."

"I know she's not a kid."

"Yeah, you would know."

"What the hell?" Nick asked as he looked around. "Let's not do this out here.... I'm just looking out for her. You said she loved the guy and she barely knows him... I don't trust him. She's acting kind of different and it's just weird."

"You're the one acting weird, Nick," I said as I started to walk away.

"Where you goin'?"

"Out with Piper to hang out!" I yelled back at him. "Let me know when you get the stick out of your ass!" I called out as I looked forward to see Piper staring at me. "Come on, let's go to that shopping center. I feel like shopping."

"Something sexy for Nick?" Piper asked as I snorted.

"Not until he gets over himself."

"Scarlett, I'm not worried about Nick and his intuitions... he just doesn't know Dylan. He thinks he can read people and he's protective." I didn't say anything as we kept walking and she linked her arm with mine again. "He's not jealous. I heard the word jealous."

"Could of fooled me."

"When he found out you were messing around with Ryan, he was that way," Piper said as I looked over at her. I didn't know that. "He had a background check ran on him. He obviously came up clean. It's just him. I'm not mad at him. He's just being creepy Nick."

"He did that?"

"Yes."

"Let's just go get drunk," I whispered as Piper cracked up laughing.

[/Scarlett]

[Piper]

Shopping had turned into sitting in a bar, drinking back cocktails and talking about everything other than our boyfriends. It had been fun, laughing over past memories, and singing along to the cheesy euro pop songs that the bar seemed to be playing.

It was great, not having to be anyone but us... Piper and Scarlett... friends since forever.

"SO!" Scarlett stood up, a little bit of her cocktail spilling over the side of the glass as she pointed at me with the same hand holding the glass. "Lets play a game!"

I snorted, shaking my head at her. "Scarlett..."

"No, just listen!" She pulled her hand back, sipping the drink through the straw. "Lets play a game of who's the best.... AJ!"

"Who's the best AJ?" I frowned, as Scarlett slammed her glass down on the bar and nearly fell over her stool trying to get around it.

"LADIES!"

I turned around, seeing AJ walking over with his arms wide, and a guy walking behind him carrying some drinks. I rolled my eyes, seeing that AJ must of been off the wagon again, but then realised how much of a hypocrite I was sat there drunk.

Scarlett walked - or should I say stumbled - her way over to AJ and hugged him, and it amused me. I knew sober Scarlett wouldn't of done that, not with how their past is.

"I thought I heard Miss Marsh was in town!" He hugged Scarlett before walking over to me and hugging me. I hugged him back, and watched as he waved the bar tender over and ordered a whole bunch of drinks before sitting down between us. "So, afternoon drinks ladies?"

"Nick's an ass, so yea!" Scarlett held up her drink before putting the straw in her mouth. I knew she didn't believe that for one second, but the alcohol was talking now.

"He's not. She's drunk." I stated, making AJ look at me.

"And you're not?" He looked amused.

"I might be, but I don't talk out of my ass when drunk."

"HEY!"

I shook my head, laughing before picking my glass up again. "So, how's things Alexander?"

He groaned. "Just peachy Piper Marsh."

I looked at him with narrow eyes before nodding at his drink. "Yea... looks it."

He gave me a look that just dared me to say anything else, but instead Scarlett chose that moment to fall off her stall and land on her ass in the middle of the bar, and before we knew it we were escorted outside for being too drunk.

Nick was going to think I did this to her. And then he'd flip because Scar was hanging off AJ laughing obnoxiously as we walked into the hotel.

[/Piper]

[Scarlett]

"You need to go to your suite," Piper said as I shook my head and moved away from her and AJ. "Scarlett..."

"I don't want to," I said, looking over to see the hotel bar. "I'm thirsty, I'll be back soon," I said as I made my way over to the hotel bar and walked over to sit down on a stool, telling the guy I wanted something fruity to drink, but he wasn't understanding me. "FRUIT-TY..."

I looked over to see AJ and Piper standing outside the bar and before I knew it, Piper was walking into the bar and up to where I was. Then AJ came in right behind her.

"Why's she drunk?" AJ asked as I saw him tell the bartender to stop making the drink. "You don't need it."

"I'm not the one drinking and an alcoholic," I said as AJ rolled his eyes. "I hardly ever drink and when I want to, you people won't let me." I looked over at Piper, seeing her typing something on her phone. "Are you texting Dyyyylaaaaan...."

"No," she said as my ears perked up, hearing something come over the speakers in the bar. "Oh God.."

"THIS IS MY JAM!" I yelled, hearing Shania Twain's "Man I Feel Like A Woman" playing. I climbed up on the bar, almost slipping as I stood on the bar, looking down at AJ and Piper. "Come on Piper."

"That's okay, I'm good," she said as I started singing along to Shania, trying to dance but keeping my balance but everything was kind of blurry.

Then I saw a blonde fuzzy looking person in the doorway of the bar.

"What the hell?" I heard Nick asked as he tried to grab my hand and I started walking over to the other side of the bar. "What did you guys do to her?"

"I found her like this," I heard AJ say when I felt someone grab my legs and the next thing I knew, I was being flung over someone's shoulder.

Then I felt everything start to come up from moving too fast and it all came back up.

[/Scarlett]

[Nick]

"I can't believe she threw up all over my ass!" I was stood in the middle of the suite, yanking off my now ruined jeans. Just the smell was making me feel sick.

"Well, you did throw an extremely drunk woman over your shoulder." Piper walked in, taking my jeans off me and shaking her head. "Jesus, I know I was drinking too, but she seriously must of snuck drinks whenever I wasn't looking." Piper looked at me. "Want me to try clean these?"

I sighed, throwing myself on the couch. "No. Throw them out. Where is she?"

"Passed out on the bed. I left her the trash can and a glass of water, but its probably best you check on her in a few."

I frowned. "Why can't you?"

Piper laughed. "Nick, she did this cos you pissed her off. I think it's only fair you look after her."

I pouted, looking away from her before realizing I was sat in a tshirt and my underpants. "I'll be right back..." I muttered, standing up and walking across the suite and into the bedroom. Piper hadn't lied when she said Scarlett was passed out. She was laying on her side, snoring loudly. I don't think I'd ever heard her snore before.

I watched her a moment before grabbing some sweats and pulling them on before walking back out to join Piper. "So, how come you didn't get wasted?"

She was flipping through some swedish magazine. "Well, I'm not mad at my boyfriend..."

I sat beside her, kicking my feet up on the coffee table. "She was real mad, huh?"

"She thinks you're jealous of Dylan."

I snorted. "I am not jealous of him!"

Piper gave me a look. "So, what is your problem, then? Nick... I like him, alot!"

"Hmm." I mumbled, not looking at her. I wasn't jealous at all, I just didn't like him.

"Nick, let me ask you something?"

I glanced at Piper as she turned to face me. "What?"

"After we stopped hooking up, you were ok with that, right?"

I frowned. "What? Of course I am! I'm with Scarlett now, and I'm so glad that things went the way they did. No offense, but I needed this, I need Scarlett. I'm not jealous, Piper. But I also have no regrets."

"Me either. I'm glad we had each others back when we needed each other, and I am glad that we still care for each other and I appreciate that you are looking out for me, but... don't." She gave me a small smile. "You need to focus on you and Scarlett. That girl is so madly in love with you... it's sickening!" We both chuckled. "But I'm ok. Really." And she gave me a smile that I knew was the truth, that she was ok.

"But if he..."

"Nick, you'll be the first person I call."

I smiled at her, reaching over and taking her hand, squeezing it softly. "I can still hug you, right?"

Piper snorted, leaning over and wrapping her arm around my waist. "I hope so. Despite what's happened you are still my best friend."

I smiled, wrapping my arm around her shoulder and kissing the top of her head. The peace and quiet only lasted a few minutes before the sound of someone vomiting broke the silence. Piper looked up at me before patting my stomach.

"Go make your girlfriend better. I'm gonna go nap. Jet lag and all that." She laughed at the look on my face before leaving the suite.

She was right. Scarlett was who I needed to be focused on now, and I knew Piper could take care of herself.

[/Nick]

[Scarlett]

"I want to die," I muttered, laying on my back and staring at the ceiling. "Why did Piper let me get drunk... and AJ..."

"I think you snuck drinks around Piper," Nick said as he grabbed my hands and pulled me up so that I was sitting up in bed. I knew I looked like shit. My hair was a mess. My make up was smeared and I needed to shower. "She's gone to her room to rest... and don't drink around AJ."

"Nick..."

"We all know he's slipping and you don't need to be around that," he said as I stared at him. "I know how AJ is drunk. I know how you are and you don't need to drink that hard again. Tipsy once in a while like at New Year's is fine... not like this. After everything, you can't do this again."

"But I..."

"I don't want her. I want you.... I know that's what you're afraid of and that's never gonna happen, baby, I just want you," he said as I stared at him. "That's it. I'm not jealous of that guy... I'm just concerned about her and I know you are, too. Probably more than me if that's possible. I just show it differently."

"Promise?" I asked as he nodded.

"I promise... You're the one I want to be with... I think you're the one I should have been with all along, but she's our best friend. I care about her. I don't want anything bad to happen to her..."

"Just trust her... she's never loved anybody before, just let her handle this," I said as he smiled. "I'd kiss you but my breath smells like vomit."

"I'm sorry for being creepy."

"You're always creepy, Nick," I whispered as he cracked a bigger smile and reached to hand me the glass of water beside the bed.

"You can kiss me tomorrow," he said as I laid back down in the bed and he tossed a blanket over me.

I can never drink again. Ever.

[/Scarlett]