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Bella sat in her own tour bus with a million different emotions flowing through her body. She was excited and blessed for the opportunity of being on tour and people hearing her music. She was nervous to perform in front of thousands but ready to take on the world. She was however not ready to take on Nick, or his brothers.

Glancing at her watch, she saw she had only a half hour ride to their first venue in Nevada. For her first sound check, well for the tour at least and her first chance of having to run into Nick. She tried to concentrate on the book she was reading to calm her down but she had her mind on seeing him.

The ride was much shorter than she would have liked and the moment the bus as parked she was ushered out and everything happened fast. Her manager was there talking a thousand words per minute, the venue was obviously empty compared to what it would be later that evening. Workers were all around, setting up the piro-tech and setting up the lighting and sound.

"Okay so you'll just do the first and last song, this show is a little smaller than the next. But we can run through them a couple of times. You were able to go through it all back in LA correct?" Julie, my manager asked.

"Yes. Hey are the Backstreet Boys here yet?"

"No, they'll do their sound check later on. You probably wont see until the show. I'll be staying for today but then I have to get back to LA after. You'll do great, you're a natural! Now, up on stage!" She smiled and pushed me to the stage. There were wires everywhere and a microphone and guitar were on a stool. Bella put the microphone into the stand and placed the guitar strap around her neck.

~*~*~*~*~The Show~*~*~*~*~

Bella paced back and forth backstage, stomach in knots and palms sweaty. "Breathe Belle, just breathe," she told herself. Her eyes were glued to the floor, afraid to get a glance out in the large audience. She didn't seem to notice A.J. when she had turned the other way to pace and ran into him.

"Oomph!" She nearly fell backwards but A.J. grasped her shoulders.

"Easy there," he steadied her and then let go.

"Sorry," she said and then looked up into A.J.'s brown eyes. "Hey," she said shyly, biting her bottom lip.

"Hi Bella, I was wondering when we'd run into each other. Didn't think we'd actually run into each other though," he smiled. "How are you?"

"Uh, well, good?" She never was good at lying, and it had been a long time since she saw A.J. Not only that but since joining the tour, although it was the first day, she felt extremely alone.

"Liar. Look, you'll be great. I know it. Just take a few breaths and pretend as though you're performing for no one but yourself."

"Thanks. Good luck to you and well, the others." She managed to pull a half smile.

"Thanks oh and Bella for the record, I don't hate you."

"I didn't-"

"Yes, you did. I gotta run but I will catch up with you after the show, alright?" A.J. pulled her in for a brief hug.

"Bella you're on!" One of the stage assistance yelled to me and once again my heart began to race. Bella closed her eyes, sucked in a deep breath and then let it out slowly before running out onto the stage. She got in the middle, microphone in her hand and began.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah...there's all these cracks, crack of sunlight, a crack in the mirror, on your lips. It's the moment of sunset Friday, when our conversations twist.

"It's the fifth day of ice on a new tattoo but the ice should be on our heads. We only spun the wheel to catch ourselves, so we weren't left for death.

"And I was never looking for approval from anyone but you. And though this journey is over, I'll go back if you ask me to. I'm not dead, just floating, right between the ink of your tattoo. In the belly of the beast we turned into.

"I'm not scared of changing right beyond the cigarette and the devilish smile, you're my crack of sunlight. You can do the math a thousand ways, but you can't erase the facts. That others come and others go, but you always come back.

"I'm a winter flower underground, always thirsty for summer rain and just like the change of seasons, I know you'll be back again.

"I'm not not dead just floating, underneath the ink of my tattoo, I've tried to hide my scars from you. I'm not scared just changing. Right beyond the cigarette and the devilish smile. You're my crack of sunlight, oh. I'm not dead just yet. I'm not dead, I'm just floating. Doesn't matter where I'm going, I'll find you. I'm not scared at all.

"Underneath the cuts and bruises finally gained what no one loses, I'll find you. I will find you. I'm not dead just floating. I'm not scared just changing. You're my crack of sunlight, yeahhh." (I'm Not Dead-Pink)

As soon as Bella began singing her lyrics, it all felt natural. Just as the time Nick had her come perform during one of their shows. Despite the audience being mostly girls, screams and dancing took among the crowd.

"She sounds good," A.J. said casually leaning against the wall by Nick; found himself watching from backstage. When A.J. broke his thoughts, Nick stood up straighter and away from the stage. "Are you really going to try to avoid her for this tour Nick?" He asked keeping is eyes out on the stage.

"I hear she wrote all the songs she's singing." Nick answered back.

"Yeah. She's improved big time."

"She's lost weight." Nick said glancing back out on the stage. Bella was wearing a pair of lose fitted jeans. There was a hole in the right knee and her feet sported a pair of simple black heels. She wore a black v-neck tank top. Very simple but that was Bella. Her long dark hair were in loose curls that bounced up and down as she moved around.

"She looks hot," A.J. said smiling and ignored the glare Nick shot him.

"I'm going to go get my headset on," Nick told A.J walking away.

"This is going to be an interesting tour," A.J. chuckled to himself taking one last glance out on the stage.