By The Paperbag Princess and The Pumpkin Coach

Corresponding KTBPA Message Board Posts (Fictional!)

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I heard the thunder clap in the distance and the wind blew the blind away from my window only for it to clatter back against the screen. I sighed and switched positions again. Looking over at the clock on the table, I could see it was nearly 2am. Automatically I calculated the remaining time to sleep. Not long enough. It was no use sleeping.

I'd always hated thunderstorms and this one sounded like a big one. Rain pounded against the outside wall of the room and every few minutes, I could see flashes of lightening in the distance. I shuddered as I remembered lying in my bed as a child and hearing the waves crash on the rocky beach below my window, convinced that the winds would pick up our house on the point and carry it into the water. I know it was a silly child's imagination, but still… the memory was so real.

Squinting at the clock again, I reached over and turned on the bedside light. Most nights I was glad I got a room to myself on the road - one of the perks of being the only girl in the band - but tonight I didn't like being alone in a strange town and unfamiliar hotel.

I pulled myself out of bed and found my jeans where I'd left them lying over the chair beside the window. I stepped into them and pulled a sweater over my head. I reached into my pocket and found a couple dollar bills and some change. Hmm… and a mint from the restaurant downstairs. Random acts at 2am. I popped it into my mouth and headed down the hallway to find the vending machine.

I ran my fingers thought my hair as I walked down the hall, pulling it back into a ponytail at the nape of my neck. Didn't want to scare any small children wandering the hallways at 2 am with my 'medusa hair' as James called it. At least now that it was getting long enough to pull back, I could tame these curls a little bit.

The hallway was quiet. I could still hear the rain, but it was muffled by the rooms on either side of me. As I neared the end of the hallway, I could hear the familiar hum of the ice and soda machines from the alcove.

I fed a dollar into the machine and pressed on the buttons. Nothing. I tried another. No response. Damnit, I sighed, shifting my weight back and forth as I carefully pushed each of the buttons. There was nothing worse than broken vending machines at 2am when you can't sleep! Unfortunately, this was a constant in my life - post-gig insomnia and unreliable hotel vending rooms. Ain't rock and roll grand?

Determined not to be beaten by the stupid machine, I made my way down to the elevator and considered the floor numbers in front of me as the doors slid closed. Fun hotel fact #101: I was on the 10th floor and vending areas usually alternated between sides of the building… that would mean that the next vending area on this end would be on an even floor. Hmmm… small hotel, let's see the view from the good seats. I pushed the top button and waited for the elevator to stop.

The doors opened and I could hear movement in the hallway. Good, I wasn't the only insomniac in the place! I set out down the hallway and found the source of the noise as I rounded the corner. The door at the end of the hall was open and across from it looked like the vending machine room. A large man stood outside the open door. He stared at me with an annoyed look on his face, glancing down at his watch as I approached.

Great. Like I needed to be scrutinized at 2am after just pulling myself out of bed. Instinctively I ran my fingers through my hair again and secured my ponytail holder one more time. God, I must look a mess.

I could hear voices in the far room as I got closer… someone singing and playing guitar, maybe? I smiled at the man by the door as I fumbled in my pocket for another dollar. He didn't smile back, but leaned into the room, "We've got company, boys." I could hear a Texan drawl in his tone. The singing stopped and I shrugged at him and mumbled an apology.

What the hell was I apologizing for? They're the ones playing music at 2am and I'm just getting a soda. I turned to go into the vending room and he put his arm out to block me, "This is a private floor, ma'am. They aren't coming out, so get your drink and go."

"Who? This hotel doesn't have private floors. I just pushed the button and the elevator let me off here… " I spat back as I went under his arm to get into the room. Wow. This room as much better than the one on my floor! For starters, it was a room, not just a tiny alcove with a couple machines shoved in it.

There was a basket of fruit on the table and glasses - real glasses, not plastic cups encased in cellophane shrink-wrap - sitting next to it.

"Gee, this is how the other half is living," I grumbled under my breath.

"Completely glamorous! The envy of all of…" I turned to see a blond-haired boy in the doorway. He stopped and looked over to the security guard- because he must be a security guard, with those muscles and the buzz cut- and asked, "Frank, where are we again?"

Mr. Security sighed, "Raleigh. North Carolina."

"Ah!" The blond exclaimed like a light bulb had just went off above his head, "The envy of all of Raleigh! The Boys have FRUIT!"

He laughed at his own joke and I smiled. God, he was pretty and wide-awake for this time of night.

"Was that you singing?" I said as I motioned to the open door across the hall.

He gave me a funny look, then cocked his head to one side, "You don't know your boys apart? Wow… the other fans will be jealous that you're the one who made it past big Frankie here!" He lowered his voice, "He must be tired because he's usually pretty grumpy this time of night."

What the hell was he going on about? If this was Frank being nice, I was afraid to see him grumpy. And what boys should I know apart? "The soda machine on my floor is busted." I waved my bill at him for effect. Who the hell was this little boy?

He smiled playfully and pulled himself up onto the table next to the fruit basket. He peered over the side of the basket and took a bunch of grapes, throwing one up in the air a few feet and catching it in his mouth as it fell back down.

"Talented!" I laughed. There was something oddly charming about him. His blond hair was flopping in his eyes. God, they were blue, weren't they? He had kind eyes. But what the hell was he wearing? Were those knee socks and shorts? Damn, he had no fashion sense!

He flashed me an impish grin and I couldn't help but laugh. He caught another grape mid-air and then turned his attention back to me.

"Oh, the 'I'm just here by accident… is that your room' routine! That's original! Frank must think you're cute if he let you stay. Let me guess, you're a Kevin fan… or an AJ. Probably not Howie. Nah… you look smarter than that. And Brian… no, Brian's fans are usually pretty good about the wife and all."

I popped the top on my soda and took a drink as he rambled on. I gazed over at Mr. Security again and had to smile. We were in a hotel near the airport… even if it was a Ritz-Carlton. Gotta love the sliding scale hotels, even Rufus was staying in our hotel. So burly man is the security guard. But who is this cocky little boy in front of me? I tried to place his face, but couldn't. Obviously he was a musician… private floor, bodyguard, and prince of the universe attitude. He could give my Jeremy a run for his money.

I turned my attention back to him as he finished his sentence, "You can tell them all that you met a real live Backstreet Boy!"

I about choked on my soda as I laughed, "Oh my god… you're… shit! My nieces love you! Which one are you?"

"Oh, you're good, girlie," He looked me up and down and grinned slowly, "Very good. I'm Nick, as if you didn't know. Like I've never heard the 'my daughter' loves you thing before!" He announced with a wink.

I considered him, taking another sip of my soda. It was coming back to me now. James and I had been watching MTV earlier tonight in a vain effort to lull ourselves into sleep. Did I see one of their videos? "You're all of 12 or 14, right?" My eyes narrowed as he picked another bunch of grapes out of the basket, "Isn't it past your bedtime, little Nicky?"

Oh this was just too priceless! Wait until James and Darien hear that we were in the same hotel with the Backstreet Boys. I groaned out loud as I thought of the teasing I'd be getting in the morning. And all the little girls there would be for Jeremy to flirt with in the lobby. How did we miss this when we came back to the hotel tonight? Probably because I was yelling at Jeremy… again. God, why did I ever let him come back to the band?

Nick's voice brought me back from my thoughts of murdering Jeremy, "I'm 21! You really aren't a fan?"

"Do I look 10?" I smirked and turned around for him, ignoring the fact that I probably looked like hell at that very moment. Oh well, who was I trying to impress… an untalented teenager who'd be a has-been in another 6 months? I held up my soda can, "I just wanted a drink and couldn't sleep, sorry."

I could tell from the look on his face that this wasn't an everyday occurrence in his life - a woman who didn't know him on sight. What a strange life he must lead. Just then I noticed another semi-familiar face come into the room. This was definitely the weird hair one - he was covered in tattoos and had amusing facial hair. James had been expounding on his theory of boy band types earlier - there was always the really gorgeous one, the sweet shy one, the boring one, the weird hair one and the cute one. I think that Nick here was the cute one.

"AJ!" Nick started, "She doesn't know me!" He pointed at me, for effect, I guess. As if there was another woman standing in the middle of the room?

"Uh-huh, Nick, I think you need to lay off the magic grapes and pixie sticks, man."

I had to laugh as Nick scowled, "Very funny, Aje…"

Aje? AJ? Didn't 'NSync have a guy with initials, too? JC? CJ?

I smiled at AJ and nodded to the guitar he was holding, "Nice instrument, were you playing earlier? I heard you in the hallway."

He nodded, "I'm trying to, anyway. Just learning to play."

I couldn't help but smile, "Musicians without instruments… that's good."

Nick interjected, "We're singers! But we've got an awesome backing band. You should hear them… they really tear it up onstage!"

AJ caught my eye and he rolled his eyes a bit. Nick was so earnest that he was actually kind of endearing.

"So how do you write without using instruments… oh, wait… you don't write! You use real musicians for their talent and songwriting while you get to be rich and famous because you're cute."

Anger flashed on Nick's face. God, this was just too fun! I could actually see the hamster running around in circles in his head.

"No… this is hard work! We're a vocal group and we do a really grueling stage show. 90 minutes with dancers and costume changes."

"It's more like a production," AJ interjected. "Believe me, it's a lot of work! Regular rock bands just have to show up and play for 90 minutes. We have rehearsals on our days off, even."

"Regular rock bands just show up? What, they don't rehearse?" I quizzed, taking another drink and leaning against the table behind me.

"Not like we do!" Nick argued, "If one thing goes wrong, it can ruin the whole song."

"Can you hear the singing above the girls screaming?" I asked, only semi-seriously. I remembered seeing my first concert when I was a teenager. The band came onstage and just stood there for 10 minutes as we screamed our heads off. They would joke in interviews that they didn't have to worry about tuning their instruments because the fans wouldn't have noticed. They were probably right.

AJ laughed and conceded the point but Nick was ready to fight. I had a feeling he enjoyed being able to argue with someone. Hell, I didn't have anything to do for the next four hours. I pulled myself up onto the table behind me and took another drink from my soda can.

I wanted a drink, but the beer was back in my room, and I didn't have any cash on me for the vending machine. I knew if I left this room, she'd yawn again and disappear, and I didn't want that to happen.

It had been a long time since a woman didn't know me on sight. All right, people didn't know me all the time, when I was out, pretending that I had a normal life. But a woman wandering our hallway at 2am? They all knew us. They all knew what they were doing. I honestly believed that this one had no idea who I was.

I half wished she was a fan with an agenda, she was cute. Little, way shorter than me, with dark curly hair that fell everywhere, even now that she had most of it pulled back in a ponytail, but bits of it had escaped, framing her face. She had huge brown eyes that sparkled when she laughed, which AJ was making her do a lot.

Hell, if she was a fan, she was definitely an AJ. She was going head to head with him on music trivia, she was smart and funny. She kept rolling her eyes and calling us 'boys,' I wondered how old she was.

She had really cute freckles on her nose. Like she'd been out in the sun recently. How long had it been since I'd been in the sun enough to get a tan?

"Frank!"

He leaned into the room, just looking at me. I should probably let the man get some sleep. "Where are we tomorrow?"

"Dunno, little man." I hated it when he called me that. She smiled and I tried not to blush. I was practically as big as Frank was, I'm not 'little'. "We're leaving the hotel at noon. I think it's a travel day."

AJ nodded. "It's a travel day. Up to DC."

What was that? 10 hours on the damn bus? No sun again. "Thanks. Go to bed, dude. I'm cool."

He glanced at the girl, then back at me. I didn't even know her name. I should ask her what her name is. She looked at him and laughed, "Really, Frank. I'm not a groupie. I'm not going to attack them or anything."

He must have been exhausted, because he considered her for a minute, then nodded and left us alone. I was just about to ask her name when she looked at me. "Bodyguard? Is he with you every waking moment?"

AJ and I looked at one another and shrugged, "Basically."

She shook her head, "That must be fucking weird."

"Whatever. It's part of the job," I answered, and then AJ started with the fan stories, making her laugh. It was nearly 5am when she looked at her watch.

"Fuck!" She jumped off the table, wincing as she hit the ground. "I've got to be up way too soon." She held out her hand to AJ, and he shook it. "It was a pleasure." She gave her hand to me, and as I touched her, I could feel calluses. Guitar player? She had short nails, painted sparkly blue. Could be a guitar player. "Thank you for keeping me up all night, and giving me a great story for my nieces. Goodnight, boys."

AJ and I both watched her as she walked down the hall, waving to us as the elevator doors shut. "Nice girl," AJ noted, once she was out of earshot.

"What was her name?" I asked him.

He looked at me and laughed, "I have no fucking idea!"

"Damn, me neither. Cute, wasn't she?"

He smirked at me, jumping down off the table he'd been sitting on for the last few hours. "Should I tell Tiffani you said that?"

Standing up, I scowled at him. "Well, she was. I was just noticing." He teased me until I slammed my room door in his face.

Chapter One:
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