Leighanne and Ashley walked aimlessly through the small mall near the venue. It was still a few hours until the show and they needed a break from backstage. Ashley was pushing Baylee through the store in his stroller, upon his request, as they stopped in the clothing department to look around.
“I still have no idea how to get him back.” Ashley said frustrated as she looked through a rack of shirts.
“Nick is the hardest person to trick.” Leighanne said holding up a shirt for Ashley’s approval. She nodded and Leighanne hooked it to the stroller as they continued to look around. “He always has a thousand tricks up his sleeve so finding something he’s not already planning is the hardest part.”
“I need to figure out a way to get his guard down, let him think he’s off the hook so that I can pounce.” She laughed.
“You need to trick him into thinking your jokes are really bad. Try the worst joke possible and let him catch you. This way he thinks you’re nothing to worry about. That’s when you can come back and really get him good.” Leighanne smirked. “I’m sure we can find something here that will work.”
“We need to go old school. Something really lame, like the snake in a can.” Ashley said trying to formulate a plot in her head as she walked over to a table laid out with shorts. “These are really cute.” She said holding up the short shorts.
“Focus.” Leighanne laughed. “We have to think of something. I’ve been dying to get back at Nick for years. You have to get him.”
“Is there anyone not plotting to get him back for some reason or another?” she laughed as she continued to look through the shorts finding a cute pair with Hello Kitty on them.
“He’s pretty much pranked everyone, so if you can get back at him it would be unbelievable.”
“Well I think I might have just thought of something amazing, but it may take some patience.” She smirked
“Patience?” Leighanne raised a brow in confusion.
“I would have to wait for the perfect place and time, but it would be so worth it.”
“I’m scared to even ask what’s going through your mind right now.” She laughed.
“Nick should be scared, not you.” She said with an evil laugh. “I’m gonna get him back so good.”
They finished at the store and paid for their few items before moving onto Spenser’s to buy something to work as they decoy joke. They grabbed some lunch and made it back to the venue just as sound check was coming to an end. Ashley was hesitant to pull her decoy joke right away, but Leighanne convinced her that the sooner she got his guard down the better.
They had settled on the jumping snake from a peanuts can and had already set it up on the snacks table in the boys dressing room, informing everyone not to touch it.
As they sat around the room talking and getting ready for the show Ashley knew she had to get the ball rolling if she wanted to get her plan into action.
“Come here Bay.” She whispered to him. He hopped off his fathers lap and ran over to her. “Want to be my special helper?”
“Yea.” Baylee nodded enthusiastically.
“See that can on the table? Go bring it to Nick and tell him it’s a present for him.”
“Ok!” Baylee said as he got it from the table and carried it over to Nick. “Nicky I got’s a present for you from Ashee.” He said handing Nick the can.
“Oh really? Let me see.” He said taking the can from Baylee’s hand, immediately knowing what it was. He shook he head laughing as he pulled it open and a paper spring snake jumped out at him.
“Ahh!” Baylee laughed as the snake jumped out. “We trick you!”
“Good one little man.” Nick laughed handing the can back to him as he ran to show it to the others. “That’s all you got?” Nick laughed tossing the snake at her. “I was pulling that joke when I was Bay’s age. You’re gonna have to try a little harder to get one over on me.”
“I guess I’m just not as good of a prankster as I thought I was.” She shrugged with a defeated look on her face. Inside her grin was a mile wide, knowing she had just lured him right into her trap.
“It’s all good.” He patted her shoulder in mock comfort. “You’re not the first one who’s tried and failed and I’m sure you won’t be the last.” He smirked as he walked out of the room.
“Did I do good job?” Baylee asked once Nick was gone.
“You did great.” She smiled and tousled his hair. “You’re a really good helper.”
“Thank you.” He smiled and walked away towards his father.
“Oh is he going to be in for a surprise when he sees what I’ve got up my sleeve.” She smirked.
“You’re still not gonna tell me your master plan?” Leighanne laughed.
“Nope. Believe me you’ll enjoy it though.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The next days the boys had their final show in the Tri-State area. No one was looking forward to getting back on the bus after that nights show. Ashley walked backstage with Leighanne as the boys finished their encore. They were complaining about the long ride to Toronto they had the next day when the lights backstage began to flicker followed by thunder crashing so loud they could feel the floor shaking.
Leighanne and Ashley jumped at the loud noise as the rain began to pour down loudly on the venue roof. A few people ran back inside to shield themselves from the rain as the thunder sounded again. They went over to the boys’ dressing room and knocked as Kevin came to the door. Just as it opened their tour manager came up behind them and followed the girls into the room.
“Hey guys, great show tonight.” He said taking a seat and checking his phone. “As you can hear this storm’s pretty bad. There’ve already been a few accidents on the highway and traffic is pretty backed up. There’s no sense in sitting on the highway burning fuel, so make your selves comfortable. We’ll most likely be here for at least another hour. There’s a locker room down the hall if any of you want to take a shower and the busses are unlocked if you’d rather wait there, but I suggest you stay here until the rain dies down. It’s pretty bad out there.”
He walked out of the room as they boys sighed loudly. It had been a long few days and they were all ready to just relax, but this storm would set them back in their travel schedule.
“I don’t know about you guys but I need a shower. “Nick said standing up and reaching for his duffle bag that had some extra clothes in it.
Ashley smirked to herself knowing now was the perfect time for her revenge. She grabbed something from her bag and stuffed it in her sweatshirt pocket. She waited a few minutes then quietly snuck out of the dressing room. She walked down the hallway and was just about to open the door to the showers when a voice startled her.
“What are you doing?”
“Howie, don’t sneak up on me like that.” She said as her heart slowed back down to its normal rate.
“Should I even ask why you’re sneaking into the locker room while Nick’s in there?’ he said with a smirk.
“It’s not what you think.” She said pulling him into a corner so she could further explain herself without being overheard. “I’m trying to get him back for scaring the crap out of me the other night.”
“You know it’s really hard to pull one over on Nick, I’m sure he’s expecting it.” Howie laughed.
“That’s the beauty of it. I already pulled a lame joke on him yesterday to get his guard down.” She smirked. “Now get everyone out here in five minutes, preferably with cameras. I promise it will be worth it.”
“You’re cute looks are deceiving, you really are evil.” He teased.
“I learned from the best.” She laughed as he walked off to gather everyone.
Ashley went back over to the door leading to the locker room and quietly jiggled the handle to make sure it was unlocked. She quickly poked her head in and could hear the water running. She slid through the door and snuck over to the bench where Nick had placed his clothes and a towel, snickering to herself as she gathered them in her arms. With her free hand she reached into her pocket and pulled out the item she had bought earlier with Leighanne and a note. She laughed to herself knowing in the long run he would probably kill her, but the look on every ones faces would be so worth it. She quickly made sure there were no other towels around and made her way to the door just as Nick was turning off the water.
Nick pulled back the shower curtain and looked around the empty locker room. He could have sworn he heard noises coming from the outside but shrugged it off as he stepped out of the shower and walked towards the bench where he had left his clothes. He looked around in confusion, as he couldn’t find them. He spotted a small piece of clothing and a note on the bench and picked it up.
Hope this one meets your standards.
I saw these and thought of you.
-Ashley
P.S- paybacks a bitch, isn’t it?’
“She is so dead.” He said to himself as he tossed the note to the side and picked up the small article of clothing from the bench. He studied them with a look of confusion and angst. They were yellow and pink booty shorts with Hello Kitty on them. “There has to be something else somewhere in here.”
He began opening up each locker praying to find something that he would wear. No luck, she had wiped out the entire place. He groaned in frustration as he looked at the shorts once more.
“There is no way in hell I’m wearing these.” He said as he walked towards the door and poked his head out. “Guys…” he called down the corridor.
“Something wrong?” Ashley smirked stepping out from her hiding place just a few feet away,
“You’re so gonna get it.”
“Whatever are you talking about?” she said innocently, smirk not leaving her face.
“Give me my clothes back.”
“Clothes?…ohh those.” She laughed. “Sorry! I must have misplaced them.” She shrugged. “Didn’t I leave you some in there?”
“Ash, come on this is cruel!” he pleaded with her.
“You chased me around a hotel room dressed as Michael Myers with a real knife.” She pointed out.
“Technically it was Kevin who chased you.” He reminded her.
“Yea, but it was all your idea. Now it’s my turn.” She smirked and started to walk away. “If you want your clothes you’re gonna have to come get them.” She grabbed the duffle bag from the floor and walked a little further down the hallway. As she got closer to the boys dressing room she opened the bag and began leaving a trail of items starting with the small stuff like socks and his undershirt.
“You are so evil!” he called out to her. He knew he had no choice. After all the pranks he had pulled everyone was on her side. He grabbed the shorts and slid them on. They were definitely way too tight but he knew if he could just run fast enough he could get his clothes and cover up. He took a deep breath knowing it was now or never. As he opened up the locker room door again a flash went off. Startled for a moment he looked to see Ashley taking off down the hall again with a camera. “You are so dead!”
Forgetting about his lack of clothing he took off after her down the hall.
“Help!” she screamed and ran behind Marcus who had come out to see what all the commotion was.
“What’s going on…whoa!” he said laughing as he looked at Nick’s attire. “I guess chicks underwear is better then none at all.” He joked.
“She stole my clothes.” He said rushing to pick them up off the ground and cover himself as people gathered laughing.
“Dude Nick.” AJ laughed. “Please put some clothes on before your scar us all for life.”
“You know you enjoy my sexy body.” He said shaking his butt before returning to the dressing room to change into his clothes.
Once he was out of sight Ashley came out of hiding, laughing. She hopped he wasn’t too mad at her but it was well worth it. She got him good. Everyone laughed as they went back to what they were doing before and Ashley stood outside the dressing room waiting for Nick to come out.
“Am I a worthy opponent now?” She smirked as he walked out the door.
“You’re lucky I’m a good sport or I might hate you right now.”
“You know you could never hate me.” She grinned.
“You are deleting that picture though.” He laughed taking the camera from her hand.
“I thought you might want it as a souvenir of the day you got punked.” She teased.
“A comedian too huh?” he laughed as he looked down at the picture. “Ok I must admit it was a good one, but I think my memories will be enough.” He said deleting the picture.
“So we’re all good?” she said hopefully.
“We’re good…but don’t think I won’t get you back.” He grinned.
“I think we should call a truce.” She laughed.
“Why afraid of what I’ll dish out?”
“Umm yea.” She chuckled.
“Fine.” He laughed. “We can have a truce. But I might just have to bring you on time to time in my little schemes.”
“As long as nothings being pulled on me I’ll help you whenever you want.” She laughed.
“Good to have you aboard. I have a feeling we’ll wreck a lot of havoc together. By the way, I think these belong to you.” He smirked throwing the shorts at her.
“I think these belong to the garbage now.” She laughed tossing them.
