Day five was a nice, bright and sunny day. A wonderful day to accomplish lots of things that needed to get done before the family came home in two days.
Lena was in her tent still, having had been up most of the night once more – not that anyone had fully caught on yet. Though, she was beginning to think that Ed was getting a little suspicious just by his early morning comments. He’d come by to check on things, then him and Johnny would head on over to their site, where they were rebuilding the family’s shelter that had burned down. It was routine now, and as much as she loved the man, she was starting to wish he’d quit asking her so many questions. It was hard to come up with lies when she was too tired to think.
“Beds are almost done, beds are almost done,” she chanted to herself quietly. “Oh, the beds are almost done…”
“Talking to yourself again, are you?” Brian commented, as he entered her tent with Nick. The two of them had been helping her out with the beds, while A.J. and Howie helped out wherever they were needed on the site.
“Maybe,” Lena smirked, stifling a yawn. “But I was sure I was singing that in my head. Guess not.”
He watched as she shrugged, before turning the one machine on, to engrave more song titles into the bedposts leading up to a canopy. He saw her start to move the post, but also noticed she wasn’t wearing her goggles.
“Hey, Kiddo, you need your goggles!” He told her, over the noise of the machine.
“Oh, right,” Lena replied, yanking them down over her eyes. Her hard hat was still on her head, as she’d never taken it off to begin with. “Thanks.”
Brian and Nick both eyed one another, having a feeling something wasn’t adding up. They could tell by the way she kept yawning, and how she seemed to be a little out of it.
Nick finally went and turned the machine off. “Hey, why don’t you let us work on these? “You can work on the wallpaper and fabrics. Those have to get done soon, don’t they?”
“Oh, right,” Lena nodded, backing away from the machine and sliding her work gloves off. “Knew I was forgetting something.”
“You alright, Kiddo?” Brian questioned.
“Hmm…? Yeah, I’m fine,” Lena yawned, as she sat on the one stool to look over her plans for the wallpaper. “You think I should add a few more lyrics to the wallpaper? Or just leave them as is?”
“How many different lyrics do you have on the wallpaper now?” Nick asked, coming to peer over her shoulder. “Hey, that’s an N’SYNC song!”
“What? Where?” Lena demanded, suddenly becoming more alert. “There’s no way I put an N’SYNC song in there!”
“Right there!” Nick insisted pointing to the one set of lyrics. “You’re all I ever wanted. You’re all I ever needed, yeah. So tell me what to do now, when I want you back.”
“Damn it all!” Lena exclaimed, slamming a fist down on the table angrily. “As if I screwed that up!”
“Relax,” Brian told her. “You can still change it. It’s not like you sent this off to have it printed yet or anything. Though, you should probably do that at some point today, otherwise it won’t get done.”
Lena cursed silently under her breath, as she erased the N’SYNC lyric that had managed to escape her. “Well, give me an idea as to what to replace it with, Nick. God, do I have to do everything?”
“I’m not going to help you if you keep snapping at me,” Nick replied. “I don’t take that crap off my siblings, and I’m not going to take it off an eleven-year-old.”
“Oh, fuck you,” Lena snapped, rolling her eyes in annoyance.
“Hey now!” Brian exclaimed. “There’s no need for that kind of language!”
“You’re not my boss,” Lena answered smartly.
“I may not be, but I can easily go get Paulie and tell him you’re getting mouthy. I’m sure he’ll do something about it,” Brian stated. Ty had told them that Paul was in charge of Lena while he was away and to report any problems to him.
“No! No, don’t tell Paulie, please!” Lena pleaded, her eyes suddenly filling with tears. “I’m sorry. I’m just having a rough morning.”
“Seems you had a rough night too,” Nick commented as she stifled yet another yawn. “When was the last time you slept?”
“I slept just fine,” Lena lied. “So back off, alright?”
Brian moved towards the door of the tent causing Lena to spring off her stool and grab hold of his arm. “Please Brian! Don’t get Paulie. I promise I will try and be nicer.”
“Then start telling us the truth,” Brian said. “I have a seven-year-old. I know when I’m being lied too. I’m not stupid and neither is Nick.”
“I haven’t slept much, alright?” Lena sighed heavily, as her stomach growled in protest. “I wanted to get this stuff done, and I can’t do that if I’m sleeping!”
“Or eating?” Nick countered. “When was the last time you ate?”
Lena looked sheepish then. “I don’t remember,” she admitted quietly. “Please, please don’t tell Paulie! I don’t want him to go grab my attitude adjuster! I just wanted to finish this room for Carla and Joanna! I just wanted to do a good job, as team leader! Please!”
“Kiddo, you have to eat,” Nick told her. “I’m going to go grab some food and you’d better eat it.”
“I will, I promise,” Lena assured him. “I don’t think I can go much longer without anyway.”
“You shouldn’t have gone this long without in the first place, Lena,” Brian scolded. “It’s not healthy and very dangerous! What if you’d passed out while using one of the power tools! You could’ve chopped something off!”
“I’m sorry,” Lena apologized softly, her tears starting to fall against her will. “I just wanted things go to perfect.”
Brian shook his head. “You’re going to eat the food Nick gets you, then you’re going to lie down and get some rest.”
“But I have to finish my room! I’ve got to get the wallpaper sent off, and the fabrics picked out and the bedposts done!” Lena protested. “I can’t do that while asleep!”
“And you can’t very well do a decent job while falling asleep either, now can you?” Brian argued. “You either take the nap as suggested or I will go get Paulie, Lena. I’m not going to stand by and let you hurt yourself.”
“I can’t sleep on the bus though,” Lena pointed out. “Because Paulie will figure it out for sure then.”
“Then you can lie somewhere in here,” Brian answered. “So long as you can sleep to the sound of power tools.”
“I think right now I could sleep through a foghorn,” Lena answered honestly, yawning loudly.
Brian shook his head. “I get the feeling you’re extremely glad Ty isn’t here right now.”
“You’ve no idea,” Lena told him. “I hate disappointing him. I feel like such an idiot.”
“You know he’s going to have to be told, right?” Brian said firmly. “I’m not going to keep secrets from him. If he asks me, I will tell him; same with Paulie. I’m not going to cover for you, and neither is Nick.”
“I know,” Lena sighed heavily. “I just wish there was a way to avoid that evil attitude adjuster.”
“Eat first, then we’ll discuss things,” Nick told her, as he entered the tent once more. “And here, I got you a ham and cheese sub.”
“Thanks,” Lena whispered, taking it from him gratefully. “I’m sorry.”
Both Brian and Nick shook their heads, as they carried on a silent conversation with one another through eye contact. They knew something had been up, but hadn’t figured she’d have been depriving herself of such essentials.
Soon enough, Lena was done and lay fast asleep on the one bed she’d built. They’d found some pillows lying around the tent and she was currently lying atop them snoring softly. Her face was tear-stained, but that was mostly from being over-tired and the scolding Brian and Nick had both given her for being so reckless.
Once she was asleep the two Boys went about finishing up her projects for her. Brian continued to work on the bedposts, while Nick went about putting the finishing touches on her wallpaper design.
“I’m going to go find out whom I’m supposed to give this too,” Nick informed his best friend. “I hope they manage to get this wallpaper done in time, as I can tell Lena put a great deal of thought into it. She just got a bit caught up in other things too.”
“I’m sure if you ask Paulie, he can help you out,” Brian suggested. “Though, if he asks where Lena is, well, she’s busy right now and is not to be disturbed.”
“I’ll just tell him we’ve something secretive going on, and not to worry, since she’s got adult supervision,” Nick replied, as he headed for the tent opening.
“Coming from you Frack, I doubt he’d find that very re-assuring,” Brian laughed, ducking as Nick threw a wad of paper at him.
Nick shook his head, as he sent off in search of Paul, and whomever he was supposed to give this wallpaper design too.
“Hey Nick,” Paul smiled, spotting the younger man. “How’re things going? Lena’s not giving you guys too much trouble, is she?”
“Nah, she’s fine,” Nick assured him. “We’re working on a secret project, so we’re hoping to not be disturbed any.”
“Then what brings you out here?” Paul asked curiously, eyeing him.
“Lena asked me to give her wallpaper design to the right people, but she never said who the right people were,” Nick answered smoothly, shrugging slightly. “Seems she forgot to do that yesterday.”
Paul groaned. “Figures the Kid would forget to do something,” he said, taking the design from Nick. “I’ll give it to the right people and see that it gets done. Other than the wallpaper, how’re the other designs coming along?”
“Everything should be done in two days,” Nick smiled. “No need to worry. She’s got us helping her out now.”
“I’m just glad she finally let someone into that tent of hers,” Paul admitted. “I was getting a bit worried about her. Ed mentioned briefly in passing this morning that she was looking a bit exhausted.”
“We’ll look out for her,” Nick guaranteed. “Trust me. Brian’s a father himself, so he knows all about those kinds of worries.”
“Alright,” Paul nodded. “Well, I’d best get this off to the right people.”
“And I’d best get back into that tent before Frick and Lena skin me alive,” Nick laughed, turning to go back to Lena’s designated tent. “Later Paulie!”
“Later,” Paul waved, as he headed off to get Lena’s wallpaper design under way.
~~~~~
Later that day, Lena awoke from her nap, wincing as she sat up on the pillows she’d been lying on. She had hoped beyond all hope that she’d only dreamed Brian and Nick had caught her in her lies, but to no avail. She stood, stretching and yawning loudly, as she glanced around the tent only to find it empty. Where had Brian and Nick gone? They’d promised to work on her projects while she’d slept!
“God, I am so tired,” Lena grumbled to herself, as she eyed the bedposts that lie on the one workbench. “Wow! They finished most these! How long was I asleep?”
“Quite awhile,” Brian answered, as he entered the tent. “It’s past dinner, and Nick’s gone to grab us all some food. I was just coming in here to wake you.”
“Oh, thank-you,” Lena smiled gratefully, as she went over and hugged her favourite Backstreet Boy. “You guys did an amazing job on those bedposts. Thank-you for all your help. I never would’ve finished them on time, though I like to keep telling Paulie otherwise.”
Brian chuckled as he returned her hug. “We said we’d work on things while you slept. What’d you think we’d do? Just sit around singing or something?”
“You guys singing is a good thing,” Lena giggled. “There’s practically nothing I enjoy more.”
Brian ruffled her hair. “You’re a good kid, Lena. Don’t let anyone ever tell you otherwise, alright?”
“Oh, I won’t,” Lena smirked. “Believe me. I strongly object to anyone telling me otherwise.”
“Dinner’s here!” Nick exclaimed as he came into the tent carrying two trays of food. “Pizza night, so it seems. I love pizza!”
“Me too!” Lena grinned, running over to help him with the trays. “Pizza is the greatest food ever invented!”
Brian and Nick both laughed, as they nodded their agreement, each taking a seat on one of the stools inside the tent. Lena chose to sit on the pillows that still lie upon the one bed, as the pillows were much more comfortable than the stools.
“Oh! I just got a brilliant idea!” Lena chirped around a mouthful of pizza. She swallowed her mouthful, then continued. “What if we held a benefit concert and raised some money for the family? For like, bills and the shelter and stuff. Though, I think Johnny said CVS or someone was donating money for the shelter.”
“Let me guess, you want us to sing,” Brian smirked, his eyes twinkling.
Lena smiled coyly. “Why of course not! Why would you ever assume such a thing?”
“Because we can draw in huge crowds and fans will pay crazy amounts of money just to see us,” Nick commented, as he took another bite of his pizza. “Besides, I’m sure the girls would love to tell everyone we performed in their front yard.”
Lena giggled. “Well, I’d love to be able to say that too – only, that’s never going to happen.”
“Never say never,” Brian winked, causing the young girl to smile again. “You never know where we may pop up.”
“When would we hold this concert though?” Nick asked. “Before or after the family comes home?”
“Um…What if we held it before they come home?” Lena suggested. “So this way they can’t protest to the money being raised for them. And so they’ll have more time to enjoy their new house when they get home. You can still sing for them and stuff if you’d like – if you’re still here on day seven.”
“Do you really think we’re going to go anywhere, Kiddo?” Brian asked. “They’d have to drag us away kicking and screaming.”
“Literally,” Nick smirked, winking at Lena, causing her to giggle some more. “I’m sure Howie and A.J. would agree too. We want very much to meet the Matherson’s in person.”
“Sweet!” Lena exclaimed. “Well, I better go run this by Paulie and the producer and everyone. Otherwise there’s no sense in getting excited over anything.”
She went to leave the tent, only to pause and look back at them. “Um…. could we maybe plan an opening act too?”
“Sure, who do you have in mind?” Brian asked.
“You have to swear to keep this a secret,” Lena pleaded.
“We’re good at those, as you know,” Nick reminded her. “So, spill.”
“I’d like to sing a little something I wrote,” Lena admitted. “Just – I’ve never sung for anyone before and am so nervous about doing so…but I wrote this song specifically for the Matherson’s.”
“Sure, we can do that,” Brian nodded, as did Nick. “We’ll even help you out if you’d like.”
“No, that’s okay,” Lena said softly. “I’ve got to figure this one out on my own. I just wish Ty could be here for it, that’s all. Speaking of which, remind me to call him later and give him an earful for not calling me today. He promised to call.”
“Sure thing,” Nick laughed. “Now, go on and plan your concert. We’ll inform Howie and A.J. of it, but keep your little secret.”
“Thank-you,” Lena told them sincerely. “For everything. You guys really are the greatest! Howie and A.J. too, though I haven’t seen very much of them.”
“No problemo,” both Boys replied, unable to do anything other than smile at her. They really did like the kid – even if she did tend to get a little mouthy at times.
