Chapter Twenty – Four - Young and Wild

”You had a drinking problem?” Caraline asked as Bryan nodded his head, “You never even really drunk before,”

”Yeah well, I was I started college and there were all of these parties and I got pressured into things,” Bryan said as he looked down, “My dad forced me and it helped me out,”

”You started drinking because we broke up?” Caraline asked as Bryan shrugged his shoulders.

”That was part of the reason and just, you know, I wanted to try a new life or something. You were off living your life and then I found out that you were dating that Chris guy and then I heard that he was staying over at your place –“

”How did you hear that?”

”I have ears,” Bryan said as Caraline laughed, “And just, it happened but it’s over now. I’m happy with my life. I just graduated with a degree in business and I have no idea what I’m doing with my life,” he said as she laughed again, “It’s really good hearing you laugh again,”

”I’m sorry that you went to rehab,” Caraline said as she walked up closer to him and started to hug him, “I didn’t realize us breaking up would ever effect you that bad,”

”I don’t even remember why we broke up,” Bryan said as Caraline heard someone clear their throat. She moved her away from Bryan, turning her head a little to see Nick standing there with his hands in his pockets, looking at them.

”I thought you went to get something to eat?” Nick asked as he gave Bryan a evil stare and then looked back at Caraline.

”I did and I ran into a – uh old friend,” Caraline said as Nick walked over. Him and Bryan shook hands as Nick looked back at Caraline, “Bryan this is Nick, Nick this is Brian,”

”You know, you look just like a Backstreet Boy,” Bryan said as he started to laugh, looking over at Caraline who ran her fingers threw her hair and looked away, “Oh,” he said looking back at Nick, “Nevermind,”

”Bryan, as in your –“ Nick started to say as Caraline nodded her head at him, “Oh didn’t realize we were going to have a reunion day,”

”Well I just ran into him,” Caraline said as she looked at Nick, “Go tell Tim I’ll be back in a few minutes,”

”It’s okay I’ll wait,” Nick said as he crossed his arms across his chest, looking at them.

”Nick, go tell Tim that I will be there in a few minutes,” Caraline said as Nick stared at her, before turning around and walking back through the hallway, “Sorry,”

”Something I should know?”

”I’m sort of been seeing him a little,”

”Oh, a famous boyfriend,” Bryan said as he pressed his lips together and smiled, “So you work for Tim now?”

”Sort of, helping him out on this tour and all. Then I’ve been hanging around Nick the past few days too, but Faith is like my main boss,” Caraline said as she smiled, “But I better get back down there,”

”Yeah, you better,” Bryan said as he smiled, “I guess I’ll see you around then some huh?”

”Yeah,” Caraline said as she smiled, giving him a little wave as she started to walked backwards, looking at him as she started walking back through the hallway slowly.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

”Mother FUCKER!” Nick yelled as he walked back into the dressing room, slamming the door behind him to see Tim sitting there looking at the newspaper, “Do you know who is here?”

”Someone you don’t like?” Tim asked as he stood up, throwing the paper on the chair.

”Bryan, her ex boyfriend. You know her first love and all of that horse shit. Yeah he’s here. I walk down there and I fucking see them hugging and then she pushes me back down here telling me she’ll be back in a minute,” Nick said as he ran his fingers through his hair, almost pulling at it.

”Calm down,” Tim said as he crossed his arms and shook his head, “She hasn’t seen him since she broke up with him. I’m sure she wanted to talk to him,”

”I don’t care. If I saw one of my ex-girlfriends I damn sure wouldn’t stop and chit chat with them,” Nick muttered as he sat down in a chair, leaning his head back.

”Well to be honest, you probably didn’t have feelings for them like she did Bryan,” Tim said as Nick looked up at him and Caraline walked back in, “You’re back!”

”Yeah I am, sorry I grabbed a bag a chips and ran into Bryan,” Caraline said as she looked over at Nick, “I forgot his uncle owned stock or some crap in this arena and he’s been working here some,”

”How covenant,” Nick muttered as Caraline rolled her eyes at him and looked at Tim who smiled at her, “Just so covenant that he has to work when he knows that you will be here,”

”Nick, get over it, or get out,” Caraline said as she walked over to the clothes rack and started to look through the shirts. Tim put his finger up to his lips, telling Nick to be quiet and walked up to look through the shirts with her. Nick put his hands over his face, wanting to pull his face off.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Well the very first time her mother met me
Her green eyed girl had been a mother to be for 2 weeks
I was out of a job and she was in school
Life was fast and the world was cruel
And we were young and wild
We decided not to have a child
So we did what we did and we tried to forget

”Caraline,” Faith said that night as Caraline stood backstage, watching Tim out on stage performing “Red Ragtop”. She looked up at her and noticed that she was crying and then tapped her on the shoulder, “Caraline?”

”Yeah?” Caraline asked as she wiped her tears away and looked back at Faith, smiling slightly.

”You okay?” Faith asked as Caraline shrugged her shoulders, “Where’s Nick?”

”He went back to the hotel when Tim went on stage,” Caraline said as she looked past Faith to see Bryan standing there watching Tim on a monitor, “He’s been bitchy acting ever since he saw me talking to Bryan,”

”Yeah I talked to him little bit ago,” Faith said as Caraline looked back out at Tim singing, “Are you okay?”

”Not really but I don’t wanna talk about it,” Caraline said as she smiled, “I think I’m gonna go back to the hotel,”

”Come here,” Faith said as she wrapped her arms around her and began to her hug her. Caraline began to hug her back, and looked over to see Bryan looking at her, “It’ll be okay,”

”I know. I’ll see you later,” Caraline said as she smiled and started to walk down the hallway slowly. She looked up to see Bryan watching her and walked past him until she heard him say her name.

”Caraline,” Bryan said as he ran up to her and she turned around, looking at him, “You leaving the concert already?”

”Yeah, I’m tired. I’m gonna go back to the hotel,” Caraline said as she smiled a little, “I’m sorry Nick was acting so mean today –“

”It’s understandable. He probably thinks of me as the evil ex or something,”

”You’re not evil. You never hurt me,”

”I know,”

”Yeah,” Caraline said as she blinked her eyes and looked around, before looking back at him, “I’m leaving. I’ll see you later,” she said as she started to walk off and he ran back up to her, “What?”

”Incase I don’t see you tomorrow, I wanted to give you my cell phone number and all so that we won’t loose touch again,” Bryan said as he handed her a small slip of paper, “It was nice seeing you again,”

”You too,” Caraline said as she smiled and turned around, walking down the hallway, slipping the paper into her pocket. She started walking down the hallway, crossing her arms and tried to look away so that she wouldn’t cry but it was useless.

The tears came anyway.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Nick layed there on the bed with his back against the headboard, flipping channels on the TV. He had tried writing, but it didn’t work. He had already taken a shower and it didn’t make him feel any better. He had called his brother but he was being a dumbass and didn’t want to talk seriously. So what did he do instead?

Watch cartoons.

The only problem was they had already went off and all that was on now was porn and he really wasn’t in the ‘porn mood’. So he left it on the Home Shopping Network and stared at the TV until he heard someone come through the door. He looked over, seeing the door open and Caraline walked through, giving him a little smile.

”Concert over?” Nick asked as Caraline nodded her head no as she put her bag down in a chair and walked over, kicking her shoes off, “You left early?”

”Yeah,” Caraline said as she smiled, unzipping her jeans and pulled them off. Nick watched her as she climbed up on the bed, wrapping her arms around the pillow, burying her face into it.

”You okay?” Nick asked as he turned around a little, looking at her.

”Fine,” Caraline mumbled into the pillow as Nick pulled on her hair a little, lifting her head up, seeing that she was crying, “I’m fine,”

”Why are you crying?” Nick asked as she buried her face back into her pillow, “Is it because of that Bryan guy? Do I have to go kick his ass?”

”No,” Caraline said as she lifted her head up, looking at him, “Just don’t go near him, okay?”

”You are acting all hella weird,” Nick said as he looked at her, “Every since I came in and saw you hugging him, you’ve been acting weird,”

”I’m not acting weird,” Caraline said as she sat up on her knees, pushing her hair behind her ears.

”Well you’re not acting like you were last night,”

”I’m so sorry I’m not in the ‘Lets see how many different places we can have sex’ mood,”

”I didn’t mean that,” Nick said as Caraline stood up off of the bed, pulling the cover back and climbed under it, with her back towards Nick, “Caraline, I didn’t mean it like that,”

”I know,”

”I don’t think you do,”

”I do, now I’m going to sleep,” Caraline whispered as Nick looked down at her. He closed his eyes, sighing and leaned back up against the backboard, looking at the TV. He knew something was bothering her. He didn’t know if it was him, or seeing that Bryan guy, or if it was something else.

He was going to find out though.