Chapter 45

“Where the hell is Nick at?” asked AJ as he stood there, propped up against the outside of the bus as Kevin and Brian walked up.

“He’s not here yet?” asked Brian.

“Not yet.” Said Howie as he looked away to see their road manager getting on one of the crew buses when they saw a car pull up, “There he is..”

“Who’s with him?” asked AJ.

“Samantha and Megan.” Said Kevin as he looked at AJ and AJ looked at him.

“They’re coming too?” asked AJ as Kevin nodded his head.

“Yep, staying on the bus with me and Nicky.” Said Howie as he walked over to greet them.

“Oh boy this is gonna cause some rumors let me tell ya what…” whispered AJ as Samantha walked over to him.

“Hey guys.” Said Samantha as she hugged Brian.

“Oh hell girl, come here and give me a hug.” Said AJ as he hugged her and gave Kevin a weird look as Nick walked up carrying some of their things with Howie holding Megan.

“Sam, you’re almost glowing.” Said Kevin as they hugged.

“Yeah I’m excited.” Said Samantha as they started to laugh.

“Alright, well let’s go ahead and get on our buses because it’s about time to kick it.” Said Kevin.

“Alright, go on the bus and I’ll get the rest of our stuff..” said Nick as Samantha waved at Kevin, Brian and AJ as her and Howie walked on to the bus and Nick went to get the rest of their things.

“This is gonna be so out of whack.” Said AJ.

“It’s going to cause problems.” Said Kevin.

“Guys, leave it alone. She’s only Nick’s friend, nothing else. He wants to help out a friend and I’m personally glad that he is because she doesn’t need to be with that asshole that she was with. Leave it alone.” Said Brian as he walked off to go get on their bus as Kevin looked over at AJ.

“He’s right man. Come on.” Said AJ as he walked to get on the bus as Kevin looked at Nick coming back on the bus holding Megan’s things.

“Nick.. I hope you know what you’re getting yourself into.” Said Kevin as Nick rolled his eyes.

“Dude nothing alright… I’m not getting myself into nothing.” Said Nick as he walked on the bus as the door shut and Kevin stood there and looked around.

“Let’s hope so.” Said Kevin as he went to go get on his, Brian and AJ’s bus.

“Alright, I got the stuff.” Said Nick as he brought it to the back of the bus to see Howie and Samantha sitting there on the little loveseat.

“So where are we all going to sleep?” asked Samantha.

“Well mostly we’ll sleep in hotel rooms.” Said Howie, “We’ll just sleep on here when we have to be somewhere the next day and we don’t fly there, but when we do, you can have the bed here and me and Nick can take a bunk.”

“Oh like before?” asked Samantha.

“Yeah.” Said Nick as he smiled, “This is gonna be cool.”

“I hope so.” Said Samantha, “She needs a bottle.. I’m gonna go fix her one.. Nick hold her while I go do that..” as she picked up Megan’s diaper bag, taking her bottle out and walked into the little kitchnette, and shutting the door to the back of the bus.

“She seems more cheerful than she was the other day.” Said Howie.

“Yeah..” said Nick as he smiled, “You know D… I don’t think I could have planned this any better.”

“You mean her coming out on tour with us?” asked Howie.

“Yeah I think it’s all going to work out for the best.” Said Nick as he smiled and looked at Megan.

“What do you mean in the end?” asked Howie as Nick smiled even more and Samantha walked back in with a bottle.

“Here we go baby.” Said Samantha as she took Megan from Nick as Howie looked over at Samantha and then back at Nick, confused.

After arriving in Ft. Lauderdale later that day, the guys made their to the arena so that they could check out the final stage set up and rehearse a little, doing interviews and other things while Samantha stayed at the hotel in her and Megan’s room.

She just sat there, not knowing what to do. Time they arrived there, they checked into the hotel and the guys were gone. That was hours ago. Samantha watched TV a little while Megan was sleep. When she woke up, she’d give her a bottle, and then played with her a little before she finally fell back asleep. Then Samantha was bored again.

“Damn..” Samantha thought as she laid there, sitting up on the single queen size bed in the fancy hotel room that was equipped with a little kitchenette and a full size bathroom, “I wonder when the guys are coming back…..”

She got up off of the bed, looking over at Megan who was asleep on the bed, laying on her stomach. She walked over to her backpack, pulling out a stack of pictures and a pair of little sissors. She walked back over to the bed, sitting down lightly so that she wouldn’t wake up Megan and she took a look at the first picture, which was of her, her best friend Megan and Jake back when they were in 11th grade.

“Son of a bitch..” Samantha thought as she took the scissors, cutting Jake out of the picture, “That’s a hundred percent better…” as she reached for another picture.

Samantha kept cutting Jake out of all of the pictures. She didn’t care, she just wanted him out of her life and out of her memories. Even though it was going to be hard, she knew she could do it this time. She knew she had to. Her and Nick’s friendship was relying on it and it was more important than the love/hate relationship that her and Jake had.

She kept cutting and crying at the time same time, not realizing someone was knocking on the door.

“Hold on.” Said Samantha as she tried to wipe the tears away, holding the scissors in her hand. She walked over and looked out the peephole to see Nick standing there, “I’m opening up.” As she opened the door and he looked at her.

“What took so long, are you okay?” asked Nick as he looked at the scissors in her hand, “What are you doing?” as he looked over on the bed to see the pictures, “Sam you okay?”

“Cutting him out of my life for good.” Said Samantha as Nick looked over at her, “I’m doing it…. I promised you and he’s out of my life for good. It’s just… every time I look at Megan I think of him… but I’m cutting him out and that’s what I was doing.”

“You okay?” asked Nick as Samantha nodded her head no a little.

“No…” said Samantha as they started to hug, “I’ve fucked up my life.”

“No you haven’t.” said Nick as he hugged her, trying to get her to stop crying.

“Yeah I have… my first mistake was going out with Jake, I told him no time and time again since like 9th grade and I finally gave in and just it ruined everything I had planned. I would be a sophomore now if I hadn’t went out with him.” Said Samantha, “Look at me, I don’t have a job. My parents deserted me, I left Jake because he doesn’t love us enough to not abuse us. I’m here following you around when I should be off on my own somewhere.”

“Don’t start this damn.. we haven’t even had the first date here yet man.” Said Nick laughing, “And from the looks of it.. we won’t.”

“Why?” asked Samantha.

“A hurricane…” said Nick as they stopped hugging and he brushed her long bangs out of her eyes, “Heading this way. It’s gonna basically fuck everything up.”

“Oh.. I’m sorry.” Said Samantha.

“Yeah, it’ll be okay, just post-pone it, that’s all.” Said Nick as she looked up at him, “You gonna be okay here?” as he wiped a tear away from her cheek.

“Yeah… you better go on over to your room before someone says something.” Said Samantha.

“I can stay over here, it doesn’t matter if you want me to. I can stay over here if you want me too.” Said Nick as Samantha just stared at him for a minute, “Sam? Hello… Sa… man.. tha…”

“Huh?” asked Samantha.

“You gonna be okay over here alone, want me to stay?” asked Nick as Samantha shook her head yes a little and then no.

“Yes? No? What?” asked Nick.

“If you want to, it would be cool…just I got so lonely here just sitting here at the hotel today. It was cool when Megan was awake but when she was asleep, I was bored out of my mind.” Said Samantha.

“Alright.. well maybe you can come to the arena with us tomorrow if they don’t cancel the show with the hurricane and all.” Said Nick as Samantha smiled.

“Okay.” Said Samantha.

“Alright.. I’ll go get a few things and be right back.” Said Nick as he smiled and walked out, shutting the door.

“Score one for Nick baby…” Nick thought to himself as he started to walk down to his room, “By the end of the tour, she’s gonna realize what’s right in front of her…”