UNEXPECTED RETURN
The fellas agreed to let me wait to get checked until the break. We'd be heading home to the US on the 18th of March and it was already the 2nd. They agreed that it would be better to see someone I could return to again if I needed to, and the flight was a little long from Los Angeles to Melbourne for a doctor's appointment. Victoria and I had devised the idea of putting off the appointment in hopes that the guys would forget about it altogether.
The next couple shows - in fact all our Australian dates - I worked extra hard to stay focused, and for the most part I think I succeeded. The worried looks the guys had been giving me had softened and Victoria accompanied me on the stage to keep my dance moves in line. I felt like I was being coached by a personal choreographer throughout the entire show, and it was exactly what I needed.
When we arrived in Auckland, New Zealand, I was exhausted from all the exertion we'd been putting into the shows.
Auckland was like a tropical paradise. It was gorgeous. Victoria and I spent some wonderful hours on a secluded beach outside the hotel, our toes being licked by the water as we rolled about on the sad, our mouths searching each other, and our hands running along every curve of our bodies. It smelled like flowers and salt all around us, and our bodies were covered in sand in no time. We sank into the water to rid the grains from our bodies and our bodies came together even there, floating in the water like buoys. It was one of the sexiest afternoons I'd ever experienced.
When I got on stage that night, I think I must've been glowing from it, because nobody had any complaints at all about the performance. I even managed to focus on the fans and see individual faces instead of a colorful blur, as I had been seeing for weeks.
The problem didn't start until we were at the after party... and then, well... the weirdest thing ever happened...
Howie, Brian and I were the only ones to go. AJ stayed back at the hotel because he was exhausted. The three of us got to the club in the limousine to find the fans had already bombarded the place and it was already rocking away. We entered in as the guests of honor, and the fans started screaming at the sight of us. We were led to a raised VIP platform, where waitresses buzzed by to offer us drinks and food while Howie texted Leigh and Brian made silly faces at a cluster of girls directly behind him.
I was trying to figure out how to get Victoria there.
I was standing off to one side, envisioning her and wondering where she was, when I suddenly felt a squeeze on my ass. I turned around, expecting to see Vicky, but instead was greeted by...
"Melly?"
Howie looked up from his texting as the word tumbled out of my mouth. His eyes growing wide like saucers. He tugged Brian's shirt sleeve and pointed at me. Brian choked.
"Nick!" Melly wrapped her arms around me.
I blinked in shock. Sure, if we were in the U.S., I could almost see this happening, but in Auckland, New Zealand? "What the --- how..."
She hugged me sweetly, her hazel eyes gazing up into mine. "I thought about what you said," she explained, "About it being a mistake to leave..." Melly's eyes welled up.
"I..."
"What's going on?"
I looked to my side, my eyes popped wide. Victoria had chosen this moment to appear. She looked at Melly, who was looking at me in confusion at my panicked expression into what she thought was empty air.
I could feel the guys eyes on me.
"I..." I literally had no fucking clue what to say, who to say it to, or what the crap to do. I could feel my heart racing, my blood pumping through my veins.
"Nick?" Melly asked, eyes pleading.
"Why is she here?" Victoria demanded, her voice sharp.
"Nick?" Melly touched my chin.
"Get your hands off him, whore!" cried Victoria eyes wide. She looked at me, "Get her hands off of you!" she demanded, motioning for me to swat Melly away.
"Melly, I --" I started, but Victoria reached for my face and yanked me away from Melly. I stumbled awkwardly backwards and crashed through the barricade on the edge of the raised platform, knocking over a table with some full shot glasses sitting on it, and fell into the crowd of girls that filled the club, Victoria falling with me, her eyes deep scarlet red.
"Oh my God," screamed Melly.
I only vaguely saw Brian and Howie stand up, frightened looks on their faces, before I hit the floor and the fans converged over me and Victoria. Pure pandemonium broke out. Victoria was complaining in a loud, throaty voice that I was certain everyone could hear, whether they could see her or not. My head hit the cement floor. Fans were screaming in fear, surprise and excitement all around me. Melly was sobbing in shock, Brian was yelling "Security!" while Howie himself jumped the barricade and started shoving between the girls.
"I told you," Victoria snarled in my face as Howie was digging his way through the girls, "She is no good for you."
"I didn't invite her here!" I snapped into Victoria's face. A fan looked surprised as she jostled to get closer to me. I ignored her. "I didn't tell Melly to come here!"
"But she's here," Victoria wailed. "I don't want you being with her, I don't want you anywhere near her." Her eyes were redder than blood, her voice sharp and raspy with anger.
"I don't want to be," I snapped, "I only wanna be around YOU."
Howie suddenly grabbed hold of the girl directly beyond Victoria and pulled her back. Victoria vanished as Howie knelt down over me, his eyes wide with shock and his forehead drenched with sweat. Beyond, I could hear security guards pulling fans out of the way. "Are you okay?" Howe asked, paranoia swarming in his voice. I nodded weakly. Suddenly Marcus and Drew were both leaning over me as well, their eyes flaring, ready to ward off more fans, should the occasion arise. I suddenly realized I was flat on my back in the center of a nearly perfect half circle of fans who were staring at me.
I felt ridiculous.
I looked up at Howie. "I wanna go home," I said.
Howie sighed, "Me, too."
Bad Romance by Pengi
