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Howie felt a beam of warmth come over him, he opened his eyes slowly to protect them from what he knew the heat was coming from. He sat up slowly with a stretch, he looked out the open window in the Richardson living room. "Morning already?" his voice was scratchy and deeper than usual. He looked around the room looking to see if anyone else feel asleep in the living room the evening before.

"What time is it?" He asked himself before looking down at his watch. The gold wrist watch read 9:34 am. He stretched his arms up straight into the air as he moaned. He stood up off the couch, scratched his head making his brown curly hair stick out more. He made his way to the kitchen as his bare feet hit the cold tile floor he jumped a little "Whoo, cold floor, cold floor." He laughed at himself. He walked up to the counter that had the coffee maker resting "Coffee, need coffee, wonderful, wonderful caffeine."

"Howie are you talking to yourself?" Alex stumbled into the kitchen.

"No, I was talking to the coffee machine." Howie placed the new filter in the top of the machine before pouring a scoop of coffee grounds.

"Oh yeah that's better. Talking to machines is a sure sign of someone needing friends." Alex chuckled.

"Yeah, I think your right. I need new friends."

"HEY! What's that supposed to mean?" Alex got defensive.

"You need coffee." Howie chuckled as he walked out of the kitchen.

"I need food is what I need." Alex said to himself while rubbing his belly.

Howie knocked softly on Mina's bedroom door before entering. He found her curled up under a big baby blue with pale yellow speck comforter, sound asleep. "Mina?"

She didn't budge, "Mina? You up?"

"NO." she grunted.

"Well, then why you talkin back?" he chuckled that sweet laugh that always made her smile.

"HOWWIIEEE, I'm tired leave me ALONE." She whined.

"Hey, if you want to spend the day with me you better get your butt out of bed soon." He switched on her stereo before leaving the room.

"UGH, that's not far." She threw the blanket off her, "He knows damn well I can't sleep with the radio on." She huffed as she went to turn off the stereo but stopped.

"Backstreet Boy tickets go on Sale today at 10 am! Hurry up before their sold out!!" The DJ announced.

Mina screamed with excitement "OhMyGod!! I HAVE TO SEE THEM!!" Mina ran out the bedroom.

"What the hell are you screaming about?" Kevin grumbled as he came half way out of his bedroom.

"Backstreet Boys! They're doing a concert in Orlando soon! The tickets went on sale today! Kevin I have to go!!!" Mina bounced all over.

"Mina, why do you like that boy band crap?!" Kevin yawned.

"It's not crap. So can I have some mula to go buy a ticket?" she still bounced with a huge smile.

"Why you asking me?" Kevin scratched his head full of chaotic hair.

"Because you are the ATM, Now fork it over.. HEY HOWIE!!" Mina ran to the living room acting like a child forgetting the money for the time being.

"What is going on with your sister?" Kristi asked as she walked up behind Kevin, wrapping her arms around him from behind.

"She's been taken over by boy band syndrome. Please stay far away from her just in case it's contagious." Kevin went back into his bedroom pulling Kristi back in as well.

"HOWIE!!!" Mina pounced on Howie who was chillin' on the couch.

"What has gotten into you?" Howie laughed.

"BSB! I have to see them!! Will you go with me to buy tickets today? Please, please, please, pleeeaasssee?"

"That's what you want to do today? You pick the day I promised to spend with you to go buy concert tickets for a boy band?" He looked at her with a scrunched up forehead.

"STOP CALLING THEM THAT! And yes." She smiled.

"I'll go with you Mina." Alex said as he walked in eating a bowl of cereal.

"Um, that's nice AJ, But, Howie promised to spend the day with me. You know like just him and I."

Alex frowned, "That's cool."

Howie looked back and forth from Mina and Alex feeling a little uncomfortable, "Yeah, Mina, I'll go with you. But, please don't make me have fun. Cause I hate that group."

"Howie they're not going to be selling their tickets at the ticket counter. Don't worry, I won't make you go to the actual concert. You will not see the Backstreet Boys I promise." She rolled her eyes.

"Okay I'll go." Howie smiled.

"GREAT!!" Mina jumped off the couch and ran to get ready almost falling on her face.

"That girl is in desperate need of help. I've come to realize she is way too crazy." Howie chuckled.

"Nah, she's perfect." Alex smiled.

"Hey AJ, if you want to go with I could use the back up." Howie smiled.

"Nah, she doesn't want me there. Y'all have fun." Alex walked back into the kitchen sulking.

Howie got up and made his way to the restroom to get ready for his day with Mina. As he rounded the corner he saw Mina looking good like always wearing a pair of red jean shorts and black tank top, pounding on Kevin's door "Come on Kev! I need money! PLEASE!!? Kev, Open Up!"

Howie just shook his head and continued for the bathroom. As Howie shut the bathroom door Kevin opened his Bedroom door, "HERE!!" Kevin slapped two hundred dollars in Mina's hand and was in the process of shutting the door as she squealed, "THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!" she grabbed her brother around the neck and placed kisses all over his face

"Girl, get out of here." He laughed.

"Have fun today Mina!" Kristi yelled from inside the bedroom.

"Hey girl, when did you get here?" Mina walked passed Kevin and welcomed herself into his room. He just sighed while throwing his hands up in the air.

"Late last night. So, what have you been up to? Anything I should know about?" Kristi smiled as Mina sat on the end of the bed.

"Driving us all insane." Kevin cracked as he crawled back into bed next to his girlfriend.

"Well, that's nothing new. So, I hear you got a thing for the new guy." Kristi smiled.

"What? Who said?" Mina scowled at Kevin.

"Was it a secret?" Kevin smirked.

Mina rolled her eyes "I wouldn't say I have a thing for him. I just.. I'm trying to get to know him that's all." Mina wasn't fooling anyone.

"Oh, Okay. Well, have fun with that. Cause, he's a hottie." Kristi laughed.

"HEY!" Kevin acted hurt.

"I'll leave you two alone. Thanks for the money Kev." She skipped out of the room.

Howie finally got changed and was good to go wearing a pair of faded work jeans that he knew looked good on him and a plain black t-shirt, "You ready?" he asked as Mina met him in the hall.

"I'm ready. Let's get going. I hope there's still some good seats for sale." The two walked out the back door, and down the drive way to Howie's car. Mina made herself comfortable and popped in her Backstreet Boys CD, as it started Howie protested "Oh, Hell no." and hit eject.

"You’re such a party pooper." she pouted with the bottom lip.

"How can you go and listen to Limp Bizket, Papa Roach, Aerosmith, great rock and roll and then throw in the Backstreet Boys? That is some messed up love of music." Howie chuckled.

"Howie if you truly love music you find ALL music good in some form or another. Okay you LOVE cars right?"

"Yeah."

"You don't love just one car. You love all cars."

"Not all, Pinto's gave cars a bad name." he laughed.

"Oh you know what I'm saying, stop that." she laughed with him.

"So, what are we doing after you get your tickets?"

"I have no idea." She shrugged.

Howie pulled into the TD Waterhouse Arena Parking lot and Mina's jaw dropped "Ohmygoodness. I didn't think there would be this many people here."

"This should be interesting." Howie sighed as the two of them started walking towards the long, long line of fans. "Oh God, this could take hours. Hours with a bunch of hormonal boy band lovers. I think I have just discovered Hell."

"Howie, don't be such a downer. This could be fun, we can make fun of all the overly obsessed teenie boppers." She wrapped her arms around his left arm while leaning her head on his shoulder as they walked.

"That could be entertaining." He couldn't help but smile.

The two got to the end of the line that was moving very slowly, more like barely moving. Mina was a little nervous about not getting a ticket "What if were standing here in the hot sun for hours and once we get up to that window they say 'Sorry, were sold out'?"

"Don't think like that, Mina if you want to see these lose... Guys I'll make sure you get tickets." Howie said in all seriousness, trying his best to not disrespect her music taste.

"Aww, Howie." She tickled his side and made him break out into that sweet laughter she loves to hear.

"Stop, stop.." He pushed her away playfully.

The girls in front and behind Mina and Howie watched them with smiles as the two goofed off. Howie rested his arm across Mina's shoulders and just chuckled "God, I missed this. Where did you go Mina?"

"What?" she chuckled.

"Nothin', Nevermind."

"Wait, what are you talkin' about?" She moved to look at him eye to eye.

"Well, it feels like the Mina I know was gone for a while there. But, I see she's coming back. That's all." Howie shrugged.

"You think I haven't been myself?" She paused looking down then back up, "Maybe you're right. Things have changed a lot lately. Everything has just been spinning out of control and I must confess I haven't been taking it well."

"Yeah, well, I think you've been handling it better than I would." Howie rested his arm across her shoulders again.

Mina sighed, "I don't know Howie, I think you're a much stronger person than anyone I've ever met. I mean, you deal with some heavy things on a daily basis yet you’re the sweetest guy I know."

"I think you’re bias. Besides, I don't think anyone has it easy.. Damn, check her out." Howie removed his arm from Mina's shoulders and tilted his sunglasses down to see this cute tall, skinny blond in line ahead of them.

Mina rolled her eyes, "And to think you thought this could be a miserable experience."

"Mmm, not anymore. She's hot."

"Down, boy, Down." Mina laughed.

"Hey, do you know what time it is?" The girl in front of Howie and Mina asked.

Howie looked at his watch, "10:24"

"Thanks, God, I can't believe how many people are here. Can you?" She asked.

"I know I wasn't expecting this." Mina smiled.

"So, how long have you been a fan?" The other girl asked.

"A few years." Mina answered while Howie just googly eyed the blond a foot away.

"That's cool. We've been fans from the beginning. We've seen them 8 times. How about you?"

"Never seen them in concert before. This will be my first." Mina smiled trying not to show annoyance.

"Oh how exciting for you."

"And my girl is gonna get awesome seats too." Howie butted in.

"Oh yeah, how?" They asked.

"I don't know and I don't care, but, I'll be damn sure to make this worth while." Howie smiled over at Mina. She just smiled back.

"Aw, how sweet. So you like BSB too? Or you just here to support your girlfriend?" The oldest girl asked.

"Not a fan nor her boyfriend. She's too much trouble." Howie laughed as Mina pushed him.

"I am not." she laughed.

"See, trouble." He smirked.

"I take it your brother and sister." The girls chuckled.

"Nope, just best friends. So, you girls sisters?" Howie asked.

"Yeah, BSB is the only thing we have in common." The oldest laughed.

"That's cool." Mina smiled.

RING, RING, RING

Mina was silently thanking the Gods for the interruption, "Excuse me." She said as she flipped her phone open. "This is Mina."

"Hey girl, you get your tickets yet?" Kevin asked.

"No, were standing in line that should take just about an eternity to get through. Why?"

"Well, we were gonna head up to Daytona. Just seeing if y'all wanted to go."

"Why you going to Daytona?" Mina asked confused.

"Nick wanted to have me check some things out and then we thought we'd chill out at the beach." Kevin explained.

"Um, well, Yeah, I want to go but I want these tickets too. Can you guys come here and then we go from here?" She hoped, while Howie was looking on wondering what she was talking about.

"Shit, Mina, you think the world revolves around you?"

"Did I say that? I just asked a simple question Kevin for crying out loud. If you don't want to wait then just fucking go and forget you asked." Mina let her anger show. People looking at her which pissed her off more.

Kevin sighed loudly, "Fine, Mina, We'll wait an hour. If you don't have your tickets yet were going without you. But, I'm not showing up there for another half hour. I don't want to be surrounded by 12 year olds."

"Whatever Kevin." Mina clicked the phone still agitated.

"What's going on?" Howie asked.

"Well, Nick wants Kevin to go to Daytona to check things out. What things I don't know and that makes me nervous. He was asking if we wanted to go. Of course we want to go right? It's Daytona."

"Right." Howie answered simply.

"But when I asked for him to wait for us he got his Kevin attitude and well.."

"The Richardson tempers start pumpin'?" Howie smiled.

She looked at him not amused "Yeah, basically."

"So, they going without us I take it?"

"No, well maybe. Kevin will come hang with us in a half hour if we can't get tickets in the next hour he's going without us." Mina rolled her eyes.

Howie rested his hand on her back as he moved it back and forth in a calming motion. She leaned on him, Howie knew there was more to this then she was letting on and he knew better than to push her to open up when she wasn't willing. But, Howie was definitely curious of what could be going on.

***

Three loud tweaked out sport cars pulled up into the Arena parking lot. Kevin and Kristi in one car as Alex and Brian came in Brian’s Dark blue Nissan Skyline with yellow flames running across the bottom that turn into baby blue, While Nick pulled up in his Red Toyota Supra alone. All roaring their engines letting everyone know they have arrived. Mina and Howie saw them pulling in. Howie smiled and Mina just rolled her eyes, "The Family has arrived."

"Oh Mina cheer up. You’re half way to the window and I've just been saved from this hell." Howie chuckled.

"Oh stop acting like you’re having a bad time. You've been flirting with girls for the last hour. If anyone is in hell it's me." She playfully pushed him.

Kristi decked out in her black crop top and short cut off jean shorts with fringe hanging was following Kevin who was sporting his usual white tank undershirt and baggy jeans, Nick looking extra hot in more ways then one he was wearing a tight sleeveless black t-shirt and tight dirty faded jeans. Alex looking more together in his wardrobe then usual was wearing what looked like brand new baggy jeans and a red sleeveless shirt. Brian finishing up the pack looks like the most comfortable of them all wearing baggy tan cargo shorts that stopped past his knees and baggy black t-shirt with white lettering that read 'By the time you read this, You've already read it.' All strutted up the long line of fans looking for Mina or Howie. "YO! Mina! Where you at!!?" Kevin hollered.

Mina whistled and Kevin spotted her. All five walked up to her looking like bad asses like always. Parent's getting nervous, teenage girls getting the thrill of bad boys near and boyfriends getting protective. All along Mina just prayed her family would behave and not cause a scene.