Chapter 2

Nick had gone through a lot of changes in the past two years, both professionally and personally. After the Millennium tour, the guys did take those few months off, which was the hardest time in Nick’s life. He couldn’t bare to sell the house in Daytona, so he bought a new one in Orlando and never looked back. That house reminded him of Samantha. Hell, everything at that time did.

That summer and early fall, Brian and Kevin both got married. Nick didn’t really know how to handle that. They were also high profile celebrities now, always being followed, and having almost no private life at all. That too freaked Nick out. His brother and sisters were all grown up too, and he felt like he had missed it. His house didn’t feel like home, and neither did his parents. The last time he felt at home was…..well he didn’t want to think of that.

They were all growing up, and growing apart, and it took Nick a very long time before he was used to it. He had gone through a lot that summer, realizing that everything that his life had been, was now changing. The guys, his family, and most importantly himself. And that had affected Nick more than he thought it would.

Getting to work on their new album was like therapy for Nick. Not only did it take his mind off of all of his personal heartaches, it gave him a new sense of himself. Once Nick was able to accept the changes in his life, he started feeling better. He was able to re-connect with his family, and the new album allowed the guys to re-bond.

Nick hadn’t really dated since he had the falling out with Samantha. It took him a long time to get over how she hurt him, and even when AJ or Howie tried to set him up with somebody, he would just end up comparing her to Samantha. She had been his first true love, and it took him nearly a year to get over it.

There had been thoughts of the fans not staying around, since the guys had become a little older, and the issue of Kevin and Brian being married now. But once the album was released, those thoughts vanished. They were just as big, if not bigger than ever, as they had grown a huge international audience, especially in Latin American countries and in Africa, which they had kind of ignored before.

In November of 2000, the guys released their fourth album “Black & Blue.” Although they were expecting it to do a little better than it did, they took the disappointment in stride, realizing that they were already at the highest peak in their careers, and there probably wasn’t much more they could do. Besides, what other group could tour the entire planet in 100 hours?

The guys were planning on touring for almost the entire year of 2001. But once the Black and Blue tour started, it ended up being different from every other tour that they had done. Somehow, in some unexplainable way, the summer that the guys spent apart that year between albums made them all men. When they came back together, it was a different feeling. They felt at ease with each other and with what they were doing. Seeing that they were still bonded was exactly what Nick needed.

The first few months of 2001 started off with a bang for the BSB. They sang at the Superbowl, and were very successful with the huge tour they had come up with. Nick turned 21, and for the first time in a long time, he, Howie, and AJ were all single. They spent many a nights out partying. Kevin and Brian thought they were insane, but didn’t say anything. That was another thing that had changed, the guys had a respect for each other. No longer did Kevin bark out orders. Everyone had calmed down. Everything seemed to go along smoothly now, all of them were happy. They actually enjoyed being on tour for once. They were in control of their careers these days, and were a lot less stressed. Everyone seemed to have a new outlook.

The better half of 2001 was spent on the road, in between tours of the US, Latin America and then the US again. The fellas would get a few weeks break in between, and Nick took that opportunity to bond with his family, which he had kind of slacked on previously. He knew he wouldn’t let that ever happen again.

Aaron and Leslie were trying to make it in the business now, and Nick was very supportive. So whenever he wasn’t on tour, he would just chill and hang out with them, or just relax at home.

During their break in early September, the guys made the video for their last single off of Black and Blue, “The Answer to Our Lives.” During the video shoot, Nick met an extra on the set named Amber, who was an up and coming model for Calvin Klein. Although she never made it in the actual video, there was an instant spark between them, and while he was home on break for those few weeks, they began dating.

When he started dating Amber, it was the first time that he hadn’t really thought about Samantha, like he had done with all of other girls before her. He was glad to finally be over her. The two weeks he spent with her were the best he’d had in a long, long time. But before he knew it, he and the guys had to go to Australia for the tour, which was going to finish out the rest of that month. Finally, his love life was looking up like the rest of his life had been for the past year, and Nick was more that ready for it.

“Nick man! You ready to go or what?” AJ yelled from the limo that was waiting outside Nick’s house to take them to the airport.

“Coming!” Nick yelled back , as he looked from AJ back at Amber. She was leaning against her car, her and Nick saying ther goodbyes.

“Well I guess I’d better go,” Nick said, “Before he does something weird and embarrasses me.”

Amber laughed in response. “Okay, well have a safe trip,” she said.

“I’ll call you as soon as we’re there, damn that’s almost two days,” Nick said, smiling.

“Bye,” Amber said, as she leaned in to give him a kiss.

“Nicky! We are late!” Howie yelled.

“Ugh, Damn,” Nick said, “Lemme go.”

“Nicky?” Amber said, giggling.

“Don’t ask,” Nick said, as he gave her a deep kiss. “Bye,” he said, picking up his bags and going to the limo.

Amber waved as they drove away.

“Nicky’s got a chickie, Nicky’s got a chickie,” AJ sing-songed in the limo on the way to the airport.

“Shut up Bone,” Nick said, as he was smiling.

“Oh Nick, by the way, Clive from Jive called me yesterday,” Howie said.

“For what?” Nick asked.

“Well, he just wanted to let us know that they ended up using “Rain” for a new Renee Zellweger movie,” Howie explained.

“I thought that song was on the god damn backburner. Like permanently,” Nick snapped.

“I know, but it isn’t going to be released as a single or anything,” Howie said.

“Don’t they like, have to ask the fucking writer before they can put a song on a soundtrack?!” Nick yelled.

“You know Jive Nick, they never as our fucking permission for anything,” AJ replied.

“Uhhhh, bastards. I don’t want to talk about this, that song is the last thing I wanna think about. Things are going too good to bring up old shit,” Nick said, as he looked out the window.

“Nicky’s got a chickie,” AJ peeped out, as Nick looked over at him. Then Nick, Howie, and AJ all busted out laughing.