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(Quick author's note: I just wanted to take the time to thank Maegan, Alyssa, Julilly, Surabhi and Maddi for the positive feedback on this story. You guys are the reason for the next chapter so this one is for you!)
7

When they got back to The Four Seasons, the place seemed much more calm. The three fans that had been there waiting for his brother had finally gone, leaving the lobby quiet and peaceful. He looked completely out of place. Men sat in the huge chairs wearing suits and talking on cell phones or reading copies of Business Weekly while sipping an overpriced coffee.

If he looked out of place it was nothing compared to Melinda, decked out in her plaid red and black mini skirt and nose ring. Needless to say, people were staring.

"I don't think this is such a great idea"

"Oh stop being a wus Mike" She said as she pulled him along like a scared child following his Mom.

"What if he doesn't want to talk to me?"

"He'll want to talk to you"

"What if he doesn't?" And that was a good question. What if the kid had no desire to revisit his past? Mike was pretty sure if that was the case, he would be utterly devastated.

"He will want to see you, now shut up and let me think" She pushed him on to one of the big plush couches to more stares and now smiles. Mike felt his cheeks flush with embarrassment.

Melinda paced in front of him trying to think of how on Earth she could get Mike up to see his brother. Finally after about three minutes of pacing, she plopped down beside him in disgust. "I got nothing!" She said swinging her high topped sneakered feet back and forth.

"See? Maybe this was a stupid idea Melinda. I mean, there are just so many negatives to this"

"Maybe you're right Mike. I just wanted to help. I mean it's your brother for God sakes"

"I know" Suddenly he found himself very angry at his Mother once again. If she had only kept in touch, or tried to find him, maybe he would have had a chance to grow up in this life. The life of a pop star. Instead, of resigning himself to the fact that he had to go back to his small hole in the wall apartment where his macaroni and cheese waited for him.

"Life's not fair"

She looked over to her friend and saw how lost he seemed. She placed a consoling arm around him. Mike pulled back because of the unnatural gesture. "Life does suck doesn't it?"

Mike nodded and smiled at her.

"Maybe if we sit here long enough, he'll come back down here" She looked down at the book that Mike had made sure to bring with him on his journey back to the hotel. He held it like a security blanket. Maybe if he held it tight enough he could squeeze his Mother right out of there.

She grabbed the book from his hands and began flipping through the pages, "Looks like she remarried" She said pointing to a picture of the only man his brother knew of as father. "Funny how they look alike" She turned page after page, skirting over the words and occasionally laughing and making comments like, "This woman writes like an 8th grader" Followed by a swift, "No offense"

Then she finally stopped on a page where Jane, thinking of calling her Mom was almost offensive to him, was standing there holding a paintbrush in her hands. A small crooked smirk appearing on her face. "You look like her you know" She kept allowing her glances to pass between the book and Mike.

"I know" He said staring in silence at the elevators as they opened and closed for everyone except his brother.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"God! Do we have to do another one?"

"Yes, Nick, it's no big deal. Why do you have such a problem with them? They just love the hell out of you"

"I know Kevin, but I hate television appearances. I always look fat and sound dumb"

"No, you don't and no you don't again. Relax, it goes with the job buddy"

"Don't worry Nick, Kev won't let you make a fool out of yourself" Howie said patting my arm, he was lying though, because when it came to doing these stupid interviews I always managed to say something utterly ridiculous. They always tried their best to make me talk too, even when I hung out in the back. Management insisted.

"I thought we had the day off"

"Well, we don't anymore so suck it up and stop whining"

"I'm not whining"

"Yes you are and we did have most of the day off, you got to play some basketball"

"Yeah but I also had a stupid book signing with my stupid Mother"

"Nick that's not nice" Leave it to Brian to cut in when I started to pick on my Mom, even though I am positive he agreed with me.

"I said stop whining Nickolas" Kevin said walking past me in the middle of buttoning his shirt and giving me a light kick on the butt as he did it.

"Ow! And I'm not whining!" I insisted brushing through my wet head of hair. I was looking forward to a night of goofing around up here, playing games and hanging out with the older guys, just being a kid and having fun, but no... stupid Lou and his stupid business head decided for us to do an interview and performance for some silly little talk show which I can't even tell you the name of because I don't think I have ever even seen it.

I grumbled looking through my bags, trying to find just the perfect thing to wear. I really wasn't in the mood to be 'on' tonight. I had my fill of it actually. Now I wanted to be 'off' for awhile. I started fumbling with the zipper of my duffel bag which held most of my underwear and socks. The zipper was stuck and no matter how hard I pulled I couldn't get the thing to open. Finally at my breaking point I threw it across the room, accidentally hitting AJ in the back.

"What the fuck was that for?" He said turning around and staring at me with fierce eyes.

"Sorry, I didn't meant to hit you, I was just frustrated"

"So you throw the bag across the room? Nice thinking Nick" Kevin was shaking his head at me. I hated when he did that.

"I don't want to go Kev, I have a headache and I just want to relax. Can you get me out of it?"

Now he shook his head some more then turned back in my direction, holding the bag in his hands.

"You get like this whenever your parents leave you know that?"

"What? This has nothing to do with them" It had everything to do with them. "I am just tired"

"Nicky, the interview will take all of about ten minutes tops, then we will come back and relax. Okay?"

"But I don't feel good" Kevin gave me the small smirk. The one saying 'please, I'm a pro at reading you by now.' I only answered his smirk with a frown, He handed the duffel bag to me "Do you need me to open that for you or you wanna just fling at random people until it opens by itself?"

"Good one Kev!" AJ cheered from across the room. I promptly gave him the middle finger in return. Brian seeing my sour mood sat down beside me and placed a loving arm on my back, "What's up turkey butt?"

"I don't feel good and I want to stay here"

"And?.." He made one of his silly puppy dog please tell me more type faces which made me laugh, "You are an idiot"

"I know what you are but what am I?" He said in his Jim Carrey voice.

"An idiot!"

"I know what you are but what am I?"

"An idiot" We were kind of pushing each other as we joked around until Kevin came and stopped our fun, "Enough you too. Nick get dressed already" Kevin winked at his cousin as if he had managed to get me out of my bad mood. But he didn't, believe me my mood had taken a turn for the awful. Maybe Kevin was right, maybe it was my parents. I mean first she totes me all over the place with her as she sells her book, about me! Then she runs off to Paris without even bothering to say goodbye. Sometimes I felt more like a business venture then a son.

"Guys you have ten minutes" Keith said peering his head into the room. Of course everyone was finished getting dressed and all ready to go except for me. I was still in my boxers and tee shirt, moping on the bed.

"Everyone out I want to talk to Nick alone for a minute" Kevin said pushing Brian out of the way, "See ya downstairs doofo burger"

"I know what you are but what am I?"

Then they finally all left, leaving me with Kevin. He sat down on the bed next to me "What's wrong Nick?"

"Nothing, like I said I am tired and don't feel good and just want to relax"

"We are all tired, there's more to it then that. Seriously is it your Mom?" I shrugged. He nodded, "I'm sorry kiddo, she loves you in her own way, I think sometimes she just gets too caught up in things"

"She didn't even say goodbye" He hugged me, "I know"

"It's just that she can be so..Sometimes I don't even think she cares Kev" Was that a tear I felt shimmy down my cheek? No way, not while I was in my boxers and tee was I going to cry on anyone's shoulder.

"She cares Nick, she cares" He said deciding it was best to just sit by my side and not putt me into a hug. I bet it was the underwear thing. "I'll tell you what, I'll make up some kind of excuse for you for tonight" My head shot up like I was electrocuted or something, "You mean it?"

"Yeah, you look a little flushed" He said bringing his hand to my forehead, "I'll see what I can do" Then he winked at me. "But just in case, better finished getting dressed" He stood up and left the room. When he was gone, I lost it. I started to cry, why the heck did I let my Mother get to me like that?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*
Melinda shook her head in disgust as she finally closed the tell all book, "This woman is something else, no.."

"Offense, I know I know and I agree with you" Mike let out a sigh and looked down at his watch. This was a waste of time. He couldn't believe that he was not only wasting his time but now Melinda's as well. He was never one to open up about things to anyone, his Father told him to talk about his problems was a sign of weakness, so why he had opened up to this girl he had known for less than a week still baffled him.

"Maybe we should just.." Melinda suddenly jumped out of her seat and pointed to the elevator which had opened to reveal a gaggle of Backstreet Boys. "It's show time" She said, before Mike could even pull himself together to confront the potential situation, Melinda was heading right for them.

He sat and watched as she sweet talked her way past the two bodyguards watching the three guys, none of which were Nick, and then she casually made her way over to the three and chatted with them. She was still holding Jane's book in her hands and raised it for them to sign, nonchalantly looking over at Mike as she did it. He kept his eyes on them the whole time hoping to see his brother walk by next. His heart started racing just thinking about it.

The elevator door opened again this time carrying another bodyguard, the same one that prevented him from talking to Nick earlier, and the other guy, Kevin maybe? Still no sign of Nick. Melinda walked over to Kevin and talked to him and handed the book over to him to sign, when she looked over at Mike this time, she had a devilish smirk on her face.

After a few minutes they all made there way out of the lobby and Melinda walked happily back over the couch and sat down beside her friend, "There, that will make Ariana happy don't you think? I bet she'll even hug me for it" She said sounding slightly disgusted. That brought a smile to Mike's face. "You know it would do you some good, maybe her happy, sunny disposition would rub off on you then"

"Pfft..not likely, anyway I have good news for you, well I guess good news"

"Okay..what is it?"

"Your brother is right upstairs, they are going to an interview or something but he is sick so he's staying here"

"And it's good news because?"

"God do I have to spell everything out for you?"

"What are you happy he's sick?" She shook her head and shoved him a little, "No, but I bet he will come down here. Kevin..." When she saw the smile form on Mike's face about how quickly she had said his name, she felt the need to clarify, "At least I think that's what his name was...Anyway he said that Nick would most likely be coming down to get some snacks"

"Oh, nice of him to tip off the fans to my brothers whereabouts"

"I'm just irresistible I think" She smiled and winked.

"So? I guess we wait?"

"Sounds like a plan, by the way you owe me a dinner for all of this Alexander"

"Sure thing" He said grabbing her and kissing her on the cheek. She giggled. Mike's gaze once again went to that elevator hoping his brother would get hungry soon...