Chapter 9

Monday - October 7, 2002

"hello?" Kris answered my cell phone as she drove us home after my appointment. "hang on, she was sleeping. let me check. Kate? hon it's Nick. you awake?" she asked me gently

"yeah" I muttered, turning around carefully and taking the cell phone from her "hi"

"hey. how was the appointment" he asked

"okay" I muttered

"you dont sound okay. what'd the doctor say?" he asked

"I have to have grafting done for 4 of the scars. she says the others will fade in time, but the 4 she wants to do are too deep to heal on their own."

"shit" he muttered "when?"

"I have to talk to my boss tomorrow but I'll probably go back down early next week. Dr. Varas has next Tuesday available so I made an appointment for then"

"you sound drained."

I nodded then realized he couldn't see me "yeah. it wasn't fun and they gave me some painkillers that knock me out" I said, yawning

"I'll let you go. I just wanted to see how it went. call me later in the week?" he asked

I smiled "yeah. I will. talk to you later"

"tell Kris to take care of you, k?" he asked

I laughed "she'll mother me, dont worry" I said

"good. bye hon"

"bye" I said then hit end on my phone "he says to make sure you take care of me"

Kris just laughed "like I dont already?" she teased me "he's really a sweet guy Kate. I have to admit I wasn't sure at all what I'd actually think about him. but damn. he's got to be one of the most down to earth people I have ever met."

I nodded my agreement "amazing, huh? I was so afraid that he'd be an ass. I mean, how unlikely is it that all the fame and shit wouldn't go to his head? but I really dont think it has. yeah, I'm sure he's not perfect by any means but he's just so ... normal"

Kris nodded "exactly. I cant even count the number of times he thanked us for treating him just like anyone else. I think he really liked that we would tease him and shit" I nodded, yawning and Kris laughed "go back to sleep. we'll be home soon"

"thanks" I muttered, already half asleep.

*************

"Kate, we're home" Kris said to me, gently shaking my arm

I slowly woke up and realized that we're in our driveway. "Jesus. I'm friggen exhausted" I muttered, unbuckling my seat belt

"it's the pills hon. go ahead and go up to bed. I'll get the bags"

"you sure?" I asked, starting to really feel bad. poor girl had to drive home without any conversation from me and now she's gonna get all the bags.

"go" she said, pointing towards the house

I smiled at her "thank you" I said gratefully, heading towards the garage.

"Katie, Kris. hi!" our neighbor Debbie said, coming out of her garage.

I turned and smiled at her "hey Deb" I said to her

"how'd the doctors go?" she asked me, carrying a large box with her

"ok. they pretty much didnt tell me anything I didnt suspect. what's that?"

"I have no idea. it was delivered today for you. the UPS guy asked me to hold it for you" she said, handing me the box

"Jesus. it's heavy as shit" I said, struggling to get a hold of it

"want me to get it" Kris asked, coming up to me with all our shit

"yeah right Kris" I laughed at her "I got it"

Debbie just laughed at us "I'll let you go. you both must be exhausted. call me tomorrow and we'll get together for dinner sometime this week" she said

"sounds good. night girl"

"night" she said to us then went back towards her house as we walked into ours

"what is that?" Kris asked me

"I have no idea" I muttered, looking at the mailing label "it's for me though" I laid it down on the floor then went to get a knife to open it as Kris put our suitcases by the stairs then came into the living room with me. I carefully cut open the box then took out what's inside, my eyes widening when I saw the dolphin painting I had seen in Miami. I immediately turned to glare at Kris "Kristine." was all I said.

"I never told him what you were looking at! I swear!" she said, looking as shocked as I am to see the painting in the box.

"then how the hell did he do this?" I said, more to myself then to her. if she had told Nick what I was looking at in the store, she would tell me. or rather, the blush on her face would tell me. but she truly looks as surprised as I do. "I'm gonna kill him" I muttered, reaching for my cell phone

Kris laughed "tell him I say I'm impressed" she said, shaking her head as she lugged our bags upstairs to our rooms.

"hey" Nick said with a chuckle when he answered the phone

"I dont know weather to kill you or hug you" was all I said to him

"I'll take the hug" he said with a chuckle "I take it you're home and got my present?"

"how the hell did you do it? Kris swears she never told you what I was looking at" I said

"she didnt. honest. last night when I told you I was going to my room to call Aaron? I didnt call him, I called the store and asked the lady if she remembered what you were looking at. she said she remembered you because she knew you were with me and she's a fan. all I had to do was promise her an autograph and she helped me. works like a charm every time" he said and I can just picture him sitting there with a smirk on his face.

"oh please! damn it Nick. I didnt want you to buy this for me! I dont need it!" I said

"I know. but you wanted it. you weren't gonna buy if for yourself so I bought it for you. it's the right one, isn't it?" he asked

"yes. it's the right one" I said, looking at the painting and letting my eyes take in everything about it. Jesus. it's beautiful "thank you"

"you're welcome. did it make you feel a little better at least?" he asked sweetly

I smiled "yeah. it did. you dont have to buy me things Nick. I'll still be your friend" I teased him, hoping he'll hear the seriousness in my voice below my teasing.

"I know. and that's what I like most about you. I just .... I could tell you really wanted whatever you saw in that store, so I wanted to get it for you."

"thank you" I said again

"you already said that" he teased me

I just laughed "Kris said to tell you she's impressed. she doesn't know yet how you pulled it off, but she's impressed" I said

Nick laughed "see? I can even impress the non-fans" he said

I rolled my eyes at him "your cockiness is showing Carter. you're starting to really act like your nickname of pop star"

"whatever Kate. whatever" he said with a laugh. all I could do was yawn and he laughed again "go up to bed girl. I'll talk to you later in the week. I have a bunch promo stuff to do for my album this week but I'll have my cell phone on"

"k. have fun" I said

"yeah, right. get some sleep"

"I will, dont worry. night"

"night Katie" he said then we hung up.

Chapter 10

Tuesday - October 15, 2002

"here's another one" Kris said to me as she sat next to my hospital bed, reading me posts on the messages boards to try to keep my mind off the pain of having the grafting done (the doctor assured me it was a 'simple' surgery. I think she lied!) "who's Katie? is Nick dating her?" she read off the laptop and I groaned. Kris just laughed reading the threads. "'no, he's not dating her. she's the girl that pulled him out of the bus last month when he had his accident. I met her last week in Miami. she was hanging out with Nick, but honestly they just seemed like friends.' that's gotta be one of the girls that was at Bay Shore last week"

"must be" I muttered.

"nice of her to mention me at all!" Kris said with a laugh. just then there was a knock on my door and we both looked towards it, seeing a bunch of flowers then Nick

"hey" he said with a grin

"hey" I said, shocked to see him. he didnt tell me he was gonna come here! I felt the sheet move up on my back and I smiled at Kris, glad she knows me well enough to know that I dont want Nick to see my bandages, never mind my half naked body. she just gave me a small nod and smiled back at me

"you up to a visitor?" he asked me

"sure" I said, moving on my stomach to try to get comfortable "those are gorgeous" I looked at the flowers as he put them next to me and I could immediately smell them.

"the lady at the flower shop assured me you'd like them" he said with a grin "how'd it go today?"

"not too bad" I said as Kris stood up.

"here, sit down Nick" she said

"nah. I'm good" he said

"sit. you dont want to be on your leg too much" she said to him sternly.

he just looked at her then sat down with a laugh "guess you weren't kidding when you said she likes to 'mother'" he said to me and I laughed.

"you can both go to hell" Kris said, trying to glare at us

I just rolled my eyes at her as Nick laughed "you look like you're in a lot of pain. didnt they give you anything?"

"I'm fine. it's almost time for more pills" I said to him

he just nodded, looking like he's not sure weather or not to believe me "how long you gonna be out of work?" he asked

"until at least the first of November. that's my follow up appointment with Dr. Varas. thank God I work for a friend of mine and she's so damn worried about me she'll give me all the time off I need right about now" I said with a grin. Jeanne has already called Kris on her cell phone at least 5 times just today!

"cool. think you'd be able to move around better by the 29th?" Nick asked

"why?" I asked him

"wanna come to New York with me?" he asked with a smirk

"New York?" Kris and I both asked at the same time

he just nodded "I'm gonna be on MTV cause it's the day my album is coming out"

"what's that got to do with me?" I asked

"I want you to come with me and go on MTV. I want everyone to see you" he said. Kris and I both just looked at him like he had grown another head. he wants me to go on MTV? is he fucken tapped?! "MTV's been great about letting me go on there all the time when I was trying to find you. now that I've found you I thought it'd be cool to bring you with me on the 29th. let everyone see you and all"

"uh, no" was all I said

"Katie, come on. at least think about it" Nick whined while Kris laughed

"what the hell is there to think about? I'm not going on TV Nick. that's your job, not mine" I said

Nick sighed and looked at Kris, asking her with his eyes for help

"it'd be cool Kate. at least think about it when you're not so drugged up" Kris said as Nick smiled at her

"no! Jesus people. I'm not going on TV!" I all but yelled

"ok, ok. dont get upset. how about just coming to New York with me then?" Nick asked

I just rolled my eyes at him and Kris shook her head, taking over for me since she can see I am quickly losing my patience "how long you gonna be up there for?" she asked Nick

he shrugged "I think I leave here Monday and I fly back on Wednesday. we'd be staying at the Waldorf. in a suite" Nick said to me, trying to get me to say yes.

"oooh! the same suite! that'll get the message boards going!" Kris said with a laugh. Nick immediately blushed and if I could move I would have hit her. "people are already asking if you two are dating. a couple days in New York together will really get them going!"

"shut up" I all but spat at her

"shit." Nick said, standing up "see? this is what I fucken hate. Christ, I cant even be friends with a woman without everyone assuming I'm dating her and in love. Jesus. no wonder I dont have any real friends".

I just looked up at him, hating to see that he really looks upset. I glanced over at Kris and she shrugged at me, mouthing sorry. I know without a doubt she was just teasing him and never meant to hurt him or upset him. "Nick" I said

"fuck it. it dont matter. it was a stupid idea anyways" he muttered

before Kris or I could say anything to him one of the nurses came into the room "time to change your bandages Kate" she said to me with a smile.

oh goody. "ok" I said to her

"I'll go grab a soda or something. I dont think I want to see this" Nick muttered

Kris laughed "good choice. can you get me a Sprite?" she asked him

"yeah. Kate, you need anything?" he asked me

"I'm good" I said to him

"k. I'll be back" he said then left to go down to the cafeteria.

the nurse carefully changed my bandages (showing Kris how to do them since she'll have to do them for me when we go home tomorrow) and within a couple minutes she was done and gone

"you need to go with him" Kris said to me as soon as we were alone

"huh?" I asked her confused, moving around to try to find my comfortable position again

"with Nick to New York. you need to go with him"

"what?!" I asked, stunned

"listen to me. dont go on MTV if you really dont want to. I'm not too sure I'd want to do that either. but go with him to New York. prove to him that he does have real friends. go up there and just have a fun two days in the city with him."

I just looked at her for a second "you think?" I asked her

she nodded "I really do. you two are certainly friends. you've only known him a little over a week, but I'd still say you're definitely friends. hell, I'd even consider him a friend. I just ..... I think it'd mean a lot to him Kate."

before I could say anything to her Nick was poking his head in the door "all done?" he asked

"yep. come on in" Kris said to him with a grin "thanks" she said, taking her Sprite from him "I'll even let ya buy it for me"

Nick looked at her and laughed, shaking his head at her "thanks" he teased her

"anytime pop star" she teased him

"you'll be back from New York in time for me to make my appointment with Dr. Varas on the 1st?" I asked him

Nick looked over at me, a confused look on his face "yeah. I fly back on the 30th" he said

I sighed and glanced at Kris. she just glared at me, telling me with her eyes to go with him "fine. as long as the doctor says I can go, I'll go with you. but I'm not going on TV!"

"yeah? you'll go?" Nick asked excitedly, looking down at me with a grin on his face

I had to smile at him. he truly is so easy to please. "someone's gotta prove to you that you have real friends" I said to him

his grin turned into the full 'Carter Smile' and his eyes lit up "thanks Kate" he said to me

I just nodded "thank Kris. she convinced me to go" I muttered

Nick looked at Kris for a second then shocked the hell out of her by throwing his arms around her and giving her a loud kiss on the cheek "thanks!" he said.

Kris just laughed "I fully expect a trip to New York one of these days Carter" she said to him.

"come with us!" he said

Kris shook her head "I have to work. besides, I was only teasing you" she said

"I'll take you to New York Kris. promise" he said to her "once my tour is over and I've got some free time the three of us will go up there and party"

"you've got yourself a deal" Kris said to him as they both sat back down. "let's read what the boards are saying about you. see what you've been up to" Kris teased him, getting out the laptop again.

Nick groaned "come on. do we have to?" he all but whined

"uh, yeah" Kris said with a laugh.

Nick looked over at me with a pleading look and all I could do was laugh "nothing I can do to stop her right now hon. sorry" I said to him.

"hey, here's one! apparently you're in LA this week. hmm.. I'm impressed that you can be in two places at once" Kris teased Nick, laughing as he just shook his head at her.

Chapter 11

Tuesday - October 29, 2002

"you about ready Kate?" Nick called to me, coming into the bedroom part of the suite as I stood in the middle of the room trying to decide what to wear. I jumped when I heard his voice, clutching the towel around my chest. it didn't hit me that he could see my scars until I heard his small gasp. I just stood there for a full minute, not saying anything to him and not able to move. I'd love to just run into the bathroom and pretend he cant see me, but I dont think that's gonna work. "Jesus" he muttered.

I could hear him walking towards me and I stiffened, not wanting to turn around and face him. "Nick dont. please. just leave and let me get dressed" I mumbled

"they look like they hurt. why are they so damn red?" he asked me.

I bit my bottom lip, wanting to suddenly burst into tears. I dont need to see him to know that he's staring at the scars. Jesus, why the hell didnt I just lock the damn door! "I haven't been putting my cream on" I muttered

"why the hell not!" he all but yelled at me

I took a deep breath and turned to look at him, seeing an almost angry look on his face "I cant reach them Nick. I'll just .........."

"where the fuck is the cream?" he asked me, cutting me off "did you at least bring it?"

I just nodded "in my make-up bag" I muttered at him.

Nick just shook his head at me then went into the bathroom, coming out a minute later with a prescription bottle in his hands "this it?" he asked me and I just nodded. "turn around"

what! oh hell no! "huh?" I asked him

"turn. around. how much of this do I put on you?" he asked me

no, this is not happening. he's not going to put the fucken cream on me and touch those disgusting scars! argh! I cant even stand to look at them. hell, I still have no idea how Kris can stand to touch them! (guess maybe that's why she's in the medical field and I'm not) "Nick, they're fine" I mumbled, wanting to be anywhere but here right now.

Nick took a deep breath, glaring down at me "yeah, they're fine. that's why they're all red and hurt. Jesus Christ Kate. you think I cant handle putting some fucking cream on you? what the hell is your problem with this?"

"Jesus Nick, look at them! they're fucking disgusting! I dont want to touch them! why the hell should I expect you to!" I yelled at him, embarrassed and upset by this point.

he looked down at me, the expression on his face softening when he saw how upset I am by this "because you're my friend. let me help you with this Katie. you said yourself you cant reach the scars to put the cream on them. let me do it for you" he said gently. I just looked up at him for a second then slowly turned around, letting my back face him. "you're gonna have to move the towel down more hon"

great. and this just gets better. I paused for a second then loosened the towel, letting it move down my back until I thought it was clear of the scars "that good?" I asked him

"yeah. I can get them all now." he said "let me know if I hurt you. I'm not sure how much pressure to use"

"not too much. just lightly rub some on. rub it in a little, but leave it so that it's still white" I said, hating every second of this.

"k. I'm gonna put some on the first one" he said then I felt his hand on my back. I jumped and he pulled his hand back "shit! I'm sorry!"

I shook my head at him "it was just cold. it wasn't you" I said to him truthfully

"k" he muttered then I felt his hand on my back again. it took maybe 5 minutes but he finally pulled away from me "I think I got them all. go check the mirror and make sure I did it right"

I nodded and went into the bathroom, checking out the cream on my back "it looks perfect. thanks" I mumbled, embarrassed

"how many times a day do you need the cream?" he asked, coming into the bathroom with me to wash his hands

"I'll be fine until we get home" I muttered

Nick just glared at me through the mirror "dont make me call Kris" he warned

I sighed "three times a day" I admitted to him, knowing he will call Kris then I'll catch hell from her when I get home

"just let me know when you need more" he said "can you be ready in like 5 minutes? we're gonna be late"

I just nodded at him "I'm not going on air, right?" I said to him

he nodded, finally grinning at me "I told you I wouldn't make you. I just want you to see the studio and all. it was cool as shit to me the first time I saw it"

I nodded and Nick left the room so I could get dressed.

**********


"so Nick. you're new album came out today. I gotta tell ya, I was surprised. a lot more rock then I would have thought" Damien (the VJ at MTV) said to Nick as I watched from the side of the stage. Nick is right, this is totally cool!

"yeah. I wanted to show that I like music other than just pop. I wanted to do something totally different then what I recorded with the Boys" Nick said

Damien nodded "so, speaking of the Boys. broken up or no?"

Nick shook his head "no. we're just taking a break and all doing our own things right now"

Damien nodded "that's good to hear. now, before we play your video, I hear you found the person that pulled you out of the bus last month when you had your accident"

Nick glanced over at me real quick and I just stared at him. "yeah. finally found her" was all Nick said

"she's here with you today, isn't she?"

"uh" was all Nick said

"let's bring her out here. Katie's her name, right? Katie, come on out hon and let everyone see you" Damien said, smiling over at me

that bastard. I was standing right next to Nick when he told Damien that I wanted no part of being on TV with them. I just stood there frozen for a second then I felt someone push me towards the stage. oh, like that helped the back! guess they’re all assholes here. I slowly walked over to Nick, refusing to look out at the people in the crowd as they cheered.

Nick stood up and turned to look at me 'I'm sorry' he mouthed to me

"I know" I said quietly, fighting not to glare at Damien

"here Katie. sit on this stool next to Nick. I'll just stand" Damien said, holding out his stool for me. I fought to smile at him then sat down. "so tell me, what's it like being a hero?" he asked me

I took a deep breath and I saw Nick physically cringe as soon as Damien said 'hero' "I'm not really a hero. I just did what needed to be done" I said

"I dont know if I could have done it. did you know it was Nick when you climbed in the bus?"

"no. I knew it was a tour bus, but I had no idea who was in back, if anyone. I didnt find out it was Nick until Bob told me" I said, really hating this.

Damien nodded "so you knew it was Nick before you went to find him?" he asked

I sighed. how the does Nick do this all the time "yeah"

"is that why you risked your life? cause you knew it was Nick Carter back there?"

I saw Nick tense up and I glanced over at him, seeing that he is quickly getting aggravated. I quickly shook my head at him then looked back at Damien "no. I would have helped whoever it was. it could have been just some Joe from the streets and I would have tried to help"

Damien nodded. one look at him and I can tell he's not believing a word I'm saying. he thinks I climbed in that bus just cause it was Nick "I understand you were burnt pretty badly when the bus caught fire. you must have some scars" he said and I just numbly nodded

"come on man" Nick muttered to Damien, glaring at him

"how'd your back get burnt and Nick didnt?" Damien asked, ignoring Nick's glare

I shrugged "my back was closer to the fire then he was" I said

"you must have had to cover him somehow for him to not get any burning"

"my face was burnt a little. I remember the heat being massive. I've never felt anything like that before. not even from the pyros on stage" Nick said, trying his best to get Damien off my back.

the producer signaled Damien from off stage and he slightly nodded at her "ok. we need to go to break then we'll be back with Nick Carter and his new video. stay tuned!"

the crowd cheered and as soon as we were off air Nick jumped up "I told you she didnt want to be on air" he said to Damien.

"dude. I couldn't pass it up. I'm sorry but she was here. I had to bring her out. she's your hero man. people want to see her" Damien said

"Nick. it's okay" I said, noticing the crowd staring at all of us "it's over and it's fine"

"that was bullshit Katie and you know it" Nick mumbled, glaring at Damien. "you ever pull that shit again and I'll never come on this show when you're hosting again"

"ok man. I'm sorry. the producer was screaming in my ear to get Katie out here" Damien said

"then make sure you tell her what I said about not coming back on here. I mean it man" Nick said

"I know. it's cool. she doesn't have to be on air when we come back" Damien said

"damn right she doesn't" Nick muttered to him

"we're on in 30 seconds. if she wants off, she needs to get off now" Damien said

Nick turned and looked at me "go" was all he said. I nodded then quickly got off the stage.

"welcome back everyone! this is Damien sitting here with Nick Carter! so Nick, you ready to show you're first video from your first solo CD?"

Nick flashed the crowd a smile then grinned at Damien "you know it man. I've been waiting a long time for this"

"cool. okay everyone. this is it. Nick Carter's new video. it's called Help Me" the crowd screamed and they went to the video while I just took everything in, not too sure MTV is all it's cracked up to be anymore.

Chapter 12

"cant I just go back to the hotel and watch a movie?" I asked Nick as the limo pulled up to the club.

"no" he said with a grin "come on Kate. you'll have fun. I promise"

"Nick, I'm not gonna know anyone. I dont want to do this"

"I want you here Katie. please. for me?" he asked, giving me his 'puppy dog eyes'

I sighed and nodded "fine. but you owe me" I muttered, looking out at all the fans lining the streets. Jesus. he never once mentioned anything about going to his album release party!

"thanks hon!" he said as Ron (his bodyguard) opened the door for us "just stay with Ron until I do my thing then we'll hang out. it wont take me very long. ok?"

"yeah. ok" I said. not like I have much of a choice, do I? I followed Nick out of the limo then stood off to the side as he smiled for all the fans and the millions of cameras flashing everywhere.

*************

I made my way to the bathroom, really wishing I had just gone back to the hotel when I wanted to. Jesus. this night has been brutal. besides the fact that I dont even know anyone, Nick has been so busy 'working the crowd' that I haven't even been able to get near him, never mind talk to him at all. while I know this is his job and he needs to do it, I cant help but be a little pissed off that he dragged me here to begin with. there is no reason why I couldn't have stayed at the hotel. I went into a stall once if was free, glad to have 2 minutes alone (even if it is by hiding in a bathroom stall!) I heard the door to the bathroom open and sighed. so much for my time alone. at least they cant see me, so I dont have to act all nice and shit.

"Nick looks good, huh? he's still limping and all, but he said the cast should be coming off soon" I heard a woman say

"yeah. that's good. did you see the girl that pulled him out? she's here ya know" another woman said.

I just sat there, listening to them. I have no idea who they are, but apparently they know me. or at least of me.

the first woman scoffed "yeah, I saw her. I was asking Nick about her. I asked her why she was here and he just kind of shrugged. so then I asked him if he was dating her and he said 'not'" she said with a laugh "so then I asked him again why she was here and he just kind of shrugged and said he felt like he owed it to her to bring her. he doesn't even like her but she did save his life" my heart stopped and I just sat there - stunned.

"really? he seemed pretty defensive of her when they were on MTV today"

"he said that was all an act. I guess she was a real bitch about going on MTV so he and Damien came up with a plan to make it look like it was all Damien's idea to bring her out on stage and all. just yet another naive woman in the life of Nick Carter" she said with a laugh

"poor thing. she probably thinks she's got a good chance of getting in Nick's pants too!"

"yeah right! aint no one but me getting in that man's pants tonight!" the first woman said with a laugh then I heard loud music as the door opened then shut.

I just sat there, stunned for a second then I slowly stood up, zipping my jeans then going out to wash my hands. I just stood at the sinks for a minute, not even sure what to think anymore. fuck it. I'm going back to the hotel. from what I hear, Nick's gonna be busy later anyways. as soon as I went out of the bathroom I all but bumped into Ron

"hey hon. Nick was looking for you. he wants to know if you'll take a couple pictures with him. the press found out you're here and now they wont leave him alone about it" Ron said with a grin

I just shook my head no "I'm heading back to the hotel"

"alone? I dont think that's a good idea hon" Ron said to me

I sighed "I think I'm perfectly capable of getting a cab to take me back Ron" I all but spat at him.

"what do you want me to tell Nick?"

I just looked at him for a second "you can tell him to go to hell" I said then turned and walked away from him before he could ask anymore questions.

when I got back to the hotel I immediately headed for the bar. probably not the smartest thing to do, but fuck it. I suddenly feel like getting totally drunk. I stayed down there for a few hours, ignoring my cell phone every time it rang and I saw Nick's number show up on the display. fuck him. I'm sure I have at least a couple more hours before I have to see him. hell, I probably wont see him until morning at the earliest. good. I paid my tab then stumbled up to the room, trying to see the numbers on my cell phone enough to call Kris. finally I got the numbers punched and I heard the phone ringing.

"hello?" she finally answered, sounding sleepy

"did I wake you?" I asked her, fighting with the key to the room. Jesus. they could make this a little bit easier for a drunk person to get into their room! I finally got the light to turn green and let myself into the room

"it's okay. how's New York?" she asked me "you having fun?"

"Nick Carter is an asshole and I never want to see him again once I get home" I said to her as I kicked off my boots, letting them hit the wall. good. maybe he'll have to pay for the mark I left.

"huh? what happened" Kris asked, stunned

I threw myself on the couch, all the alcohol hitting me at once "he doesn't even like me Krissy. he just brought me here because he felt that he owed it to me cause I saved his life" I mumbled, my throat tightening as I felt the tears forming

"what?! hon, that's not true! what the hell happened?" Kris asked me, suddenly sounding very much awake "where's Nick? is he there with you?"

I tried to scoff, but I think it came out more like a sob "no. I left him at the party. told Ron to tell him to go to hell then I jumped in a cab back to the hotel"

"Ron? who the hell is Ron?" she asked, confused

"Nick's bodyguard" I mumbled "this is why I didnt want to meet him. he got me to like him. got me to really think of him as a friend. then I find out he doesn't even like me."

"Katie, you're not making any sense. what brought all this on?" she asked me, trying to get to the bottom of everything.

"did you see MTV today?" I asked her suddenly

she sighed, knowing me well enough to know that when I get drunk like this, it's easier to just let me talk about whatever I want then try to piece it all together to make sense. "yeah. Nick was pissed that Damien got you up there. I thought he was gonna kill him!"

"ha. it was all a fucken act. Nick was pissed that I was 'being a bitch' about going on MTV with him so he and Damien came up with that plan to get me out there and make Nick out to be the good guy"

"what! he told you that!" Kris said, stunned

"of course not! he's not gonna admit to being an asshole Kris! think of what that would do to his pop star reputation!" I yelled

she sighed again "hon. you're not making much sense. if Nick didnt tell you this how do you know?" she asked

"I just do. this has been the day from hell and I just want to come home" I whined to her, really wanting nothing more than to be home in Ft. Lauderdale pretending that I had never met Nick Carter

"I know hon. how much have you had to drink?"

"not enough" I said, eyeing the mini-bar. I should drink everything in there and make Nick pay for it. not like he'd notice a couple hundred dollars worth of booze. maybe I can trash the room? he'd have to notice that!

"you're not trashing the room." Kris said to me

"huh?" I asked her, shocked

she laughed "you said that out loud kid. I dont know what happened hon, but I really think you should talk to Nick."

"no. I'm never talking to him again" I said, stubbornly

she sighed "ok. dont talk to him. it's gonna be a long plane ride home" she said

"I dont care. let him talk to the stewardess" I muttered

I could just picture Kris shaking her head at me "fine. why dont you go to bed and try to sleep off all the booze? maybe when you see Nick in the morning you'll want to talk to him"

"I wont" I said

"just go to bed Kate. you're drunker than you need to be. especially with the medicine you're on. just get in bed and sleep it off"

"fine. I'm sorry I woke you" I said, feeling bad now. I know she has to get up early in the morning for work and I shouldn't have called her. I just really needed to talk to her

"it's fine hon. you know that. I'll see you tomorrow, ok?"

"yeah. thanks Kris"

"your welcome. night"

"night" I said and we hung up. I stood up (a bit too fast since the room spun!) and stumbled into the bedroom, crawling into bed with all my clothes on and passing out almost as soon as my head hit the pillow.

Chapter 13

Wednesday - October 30, 2002

"Katie? come on hon. let me in" Nick called through the locked bedroom door. I slowly woke up, hearing the banging on the door and Nick calling me. Jesus. cant he just shut up for 2 minutes? my head is pounding and I'm not so sure that I'm not still drunk. I slowly sat up in bed and quickly came to the conclusion that I am indeed still a bit drunk. I sat on the edge of the bed for a second, trying to get the room to quit spinning. I heard Nick sigh then he was quiet. after a few seconds I heard him talking to someone. "hey, she still wont talk to me ..... I dont know what I did! that's what I've been trying to figure out! Ron said she just came out of the bathroom last night and said she was coming back to the hotel. when he asked her what he should tell me she just said to tell me to go to hell. ...... not that I know of. I was so damn busy kissing everyone's ass I hardly saw her. wait, do you think that's it? I didnt spend anytime with her? .... yeah, I know. she doesn't seem the type to get all bent out of shape over that. hell, she was pushing me towards the Jive people when we first got there telling me to 'mingle'...... I dont know what to do Kris. help me"

my eyes widened when I realized who he was talking to. I'm pissed at him and he calls my best friend to figure out why? oh hell no! I jumped up off the bed (immediately regretting that move as the room spun) and stood still for a second, letting the queasiness in my stomach pass before I marched over to the door and unlocked it, throwing it open and glaring at Nick.

"Kate" he said, jumping back as the door flew open then looking at me with an almost scared look on his face.

"give me the phone" was all I said to him, holding out my hand for his cell phone. Nick just silently handed me the phone "what the hell! did he call you?" I asked Kris

"stop yelling. and no, he didnt call me. I called him" Kris said

"what!" I screeched.

"I told you to stop yelling. I called him last night trying to figure out what the hell was going on. he's as confused as I am hon. talk to him"

"no" I said, stubbornly

she sighed "dont be a bitch, ok? at least tell him what you heard and let him try to explain it. you're a good judge of character Kate. if he's lying you'll know it"

"I'm not a bitch" I mumbled to her

she died laughing "that's all you're gonna say? did you not hear the rest of what I just said to you".

"I heard you" I muttered

she just laughed again "good. then hang up the phone and talk to him. just give him a chance hon. he's been nothing but sweet and kind since we met him. Christ, can you even believe I'm defending a Backstreet Boy?"

I had to laugh at that. poor Kris. "thank you" I said to her, meaning it with all my heart "I dont know how you put up with me"

"me either hon. talk to him and I'll see you guys when you get home. have a good flight back"

"thanks. see you this afternoon" I said to her then I flipped Nick's phone shut, refusing to look up at him

"wanna tell me what I did to piss you off so much?" Nick asked me quietly after a couple minutes of us just standing there

I finally looked up at him, seeing confusion in his eyes. I sighed and slowly nodded "can I have some coffee first?" I asked

"I already ordered it for ya. Kris said you were pretty drunk last night when you called her" he said, going over to the cart and pouring me a cup of coffee. he fixed it the way I like it then came back over to me "want anything to eat?"

"God no" I groaned. Jesus, the thought of food is enough to make me want to throw up right about now. I took the coffee cup from him and went over to the couch to sit down "are we really friends or do you just feel like you owe me cause I pulled you out of the bus"

Nick just stared at me for a full minute, too shocked I think to even say anything at first "what?" he finally asked me

I just kind of shrugged at him, not sure how to say all this without sounding like a complete idiot. or worse yet like some crazed fan that wants to be his friend. "you dont owe me anything Nick. if you dont ..... I just ......" I sighed, hating the fact that I must sound like a blubbering idiot right now "you just dont owe me anything, ok?" I said, standing up and heading back towards the room.

Nick gently grabbed my arm as I walked past him, not letting me leave "what the hell brought all this on?" he asked me. I just shrugged, not looking at him "Katie, come on. tell me what happened"

I sighed "there were two girls in the bathroom talking about us" I muttered

Nick sighed "what'd they say" he asked, suddenly sounding tired. or maybe he's just aggravated. I'm not sure anymore.

"they were just talking and one of them asked the other if she had seen me. or rather 'the girl that pulled him out'. then she went on to say that she asked you about me and why I was here with you. she said you told her that you felt like you owed it to me to bring me. then she said that you said you didnt even like me, but I did save your life" Nick just stood there, staring at me not saying anything so I continued. "then the other girl mentioned MTV and the first girl said it was all an act. that I was a 'real bitch' about going on MTV with you so you and Damien had came up with a plan to get me on TV and make it look like it was all Damien's idea"

Nick just looked down at me, his expression blank "was that all of it?" he asked me. I nodded. there's really no need for him to know about the girls saying I probably just wanted to get into his pants and she'd be the only one getting into his pants last night. "so you heard two strangers talking about me and just decided to believe them without even asking me about it"

I just stared at him. wait a minute! he's mad at me! uh, hello! "why else would they say it if it weren't true!" I said to him. Nick just raised his eyebrows at me "they didnt even know I was in the bathroom Nick!"

"you sure about that?"

"yes. I was in the stall before they even came in the bathroom. I never even saw them, I just heard them"

Nick just shook his head "I'll find out who they were and find out what's going on" he muttered "you should have talked to me Kate, instead of stomping off and never even giving me a chance to explain. and people wonder why I dont like to really become friends with fans. all you guys ever do is believe everything you read on the internet or what you hear about me without giving me a chance to be myself." he kind of shrugged at me then went into the bedroom without saying anything else, shutting the door behind him.

I just stared after him, letting what he just said sink in. Jesus, what if he's right? what if those women were just talking shit and I did exactly what he just basically accused me of? assuming the worst of him because of something I overheard. I finished my coffee then went back to the couch, curling myself up into a small ball and willing sleep to come again. maybe then I can get rid of this hangover and figure out how to make things right with Nick.

************

"her name is Leah and she's Damien's girlfriend" Nick said to me about two hours later, coming out of the bedroom and over to the couch - standing in front of me

I looked away from the TV and looked up at him "huh?"

"the bitch in the bathroom last night. she knew it was you in the stall. her and her friend watched you go in then followed you. Damien was pissed about how everything went down on TRL. then when I threatened to never be on the show when he was hosting again he got even more pissed. I guess he told his girlfriend about it and they came up with a plan to have you 'overhear' her talking to her friend about how I dont like you and all." he said, just looking down at me.

I just sat there for second. "I'm sorry" I said softly, not sure what else to say right now

"yeah. it's fine" he muttered "we have to leave for the airport soon. you should probably start getting ready"

"Nick, wait" I said, standing up

he turned around and glared at me "why? what, you can hear something totally untrue about me and get pissed off but I can get pissed that you fucken believed it!"

"“just think about it for a second Nick! why would I not believe it! Christ, you mean to tell me that if I didnt drag your ass out of that fucking bus we would even be friends!" I yelled back, getting mad again. fine, I was wrong to believe them last night. but Christ, he needs to see that it was completely believable!

"how the hell should I know?"

"exactly!" I yelled. Nick just stood there, glaring at me. I took a deep breath and tried to calm down "ok, I'm sorry. I was wrong to believe them. but you have to at least be able to see why I would!"

"no" was all he said

"no?" I asked

"I dont see why you would believe them. did it never once dawn on you to maybe talk to me about it?" he asked

"I was mad! Jesus!" I said, aggravated. Nick looked down at me then all of a sudden smirked, shaking his head "what?!"

"we sound like a fucken old married couple" he said with a laugh. I looked at him for a second then I had to laugh "ok, I guess I can see why it would be believable. but it's not true Katie. I'm not hanging out with you cause you helped me. I'm hanging out with you cause I like it"

I smiled at him "well good." I said

Nick just rolled his eyes at me, laughing "we good now?"

"for now" I teased him

"whatever. go get ready. we gotta leave soon" he said with a chuckle and I went into the room to shower and pack.

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