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"And where the hell do you think you’re going?" Bruce demanded, grabbing Nicks collar
and jerking him back like he was a small kid.

A startled Nick responded, "To the bathroom.”

"No way. You’re already late and we have to get going to the radio interview, so get your
ass moving!" Nick had Bruce really irritated and there was no way that he was going to let
the young blonde out of his sight again.

"Don´t treat me like a fucking kid," Nick hissed through clenched teeth. He hated it when
someone was treating him much younger than he was. He realized that he´d always been
the baby and had to endure the rough comments about it through the years, but these days
he was starting to get tired of the"youngest in the band-mark" on his head. He was an
adult for crying out loud.

"Then stop acting like one,” Kevin interjected.

"Where did you get your fuckin’ attitude from?” Nick asked sourly. He felt like he was
going to blow any second now, the scramble eggs threatening to come back up without
warning.

"Come on, Nick. Don´t be so stubborn." It was Howie that had joined the conversation.

"Stubborn!!! Me??? What the fuck? I was just going to the bathroom when…"

Nobody was listening at Nick as Bruce ignored the young blonde and started to outline
the procedures for the next event.

"You know the drill, follow your body guards, keep inline and don´t stop at any fans for
anything! Get into the bus, wave, smile and then we´re off. There is about hundred or so
fans waiting outside so expect a riot. Okay people let’s go!”

The boys lined up with the bodyguards, Nick desperately wanting to get out of the
situation."Allright," he mumbled, " do not blame me if I hurl all over the bus!"

"What did you say, Kaos?" AJ asked, peering over the tops of his glasses.

"Nothing," Nick muttered while trying to keep in step after Kevin and his body guard.

Once the boys came outside they were met with hundreds of fans, waving, cheering and
screaming. Some girls were almost hysteric and crying. When Nick stuck out his head the
air was filled with a high pitched sound of "NIIIIIIIIIICCCCCCCCCKKKKKKK,
Weeeee LOOOOOOVEEEEYYYYYYOOOOUUUUUUUU!” Wincing, Nick
covered his ears and ran toward the bus. It really hurt his head hearing the screams. ‘Shit,’
he wondered to himself, ‘why did they have to scream so loud?’

Inside the bus, Nick sank down at a seat, relieved to have lived through the crowd.
Generally he liked it when the fans were screaming and cheering. He loved the attention,
but today he just wanted peace and quiet.He had no strength to look out at the girls and to
their disappointment shut his drape and leaned back, trying to hopefully sleep away his
discomfort.

"That was close," Brian sighed, while smiling and waving to the cheering fans. He had
never liked big crowds and was known for taking a short cut when it came to the fans and
avoiding certain confrontations outside a hotel.

Brian was always polite and very loving when he met the fans, but he had never like the
hysteria that followed and being a shy person in public he hated it when they would
sometimes cling onto him, nearly ripping off his clothes in the process. He had a bad
experience once and he never forgot it.

Leighanne was back at the hotel and she and Liza, oneof the dancers, were going shopping
for something to wear at the banquet. Brian was glad that she didn´t have to endure this
part of the fame.

Looking at his best friend, he saw that Nick had leaned back in his seat, eyes closed. He
didn´t look well at all, and Brian could swear that it looked like his neck was a bit swollen,
but then he decided that he could be imagining things too.

"Hey man," he nudged Nicks sleeve, "Are you alright?"

Not opening his eyes, Nick mumbled a short "No",indicating that he was in no mood of
talking.


"Okay..let me know if you need something,” Brian said lightly as he took the seat next to
Nick and leaned his headrest back to get comfortable.

"Yeah a toilet would be just fine," Nick mumbled, rubbing his stomach, feeling the
uneasiness creep up one more time.

"Maybe you need diapers, Carter," AJ was making a joke and Kevin and Howie laughed at
it, as always they were making fun at Nick’s own expense.

A slight smirk formed on his face, more of a sarcastic one. Nick wasn´t so bad at making
fun and jokes about the other band members either and picking on Howie was one of his
most favorite activities, which he practiced regulary.But today he was in no mood
what-so-ever to either talk or move and all his strength was used to try and sit upright,
keeping his stomach in check.

"A barf bag would be better,” he grimaced, feeling the bile rise in his throat.

Jay, his body guard noticed his charges predictment. "Nick, are you feeling car sick? Will
you be alright?” He glanced at Nick, with genuine concern since the young man had a
greenish cast to his face.

"Yeah..leave me alone," Nick mumbled turning to his side " I´m just tired", he lied.

Neither Jay or Brian looked too conviced and they looked worridly at each other, shaking
heads.

The ride was quiet and uneventful and all the boys were either taking naps or watching the
busy Tokyo drive past the bus window. Kevin, who was always carrying his video camera,
was filming the street life, to show his wife when he came back.

The bus turned into a street and suddenly stopped, the guide indicating that they had
reached their destination.

Nick, who had fallen asleep woke up from the sudden stop. As he stretched his joints he
took in his surroundings. As he took a glimpse behind the drape, he discovered that
hundreds of people had gathered by the bus. " Oh, shit!, he shouted, getting Jay’s
attention.


" Are you ok?" the body guard asked at once, glancing over the young blonde.

"Yeah... wow there are so many fans!" he responded, pointing at the crowd. Some fans
most have discovered Nick and they shouted,or more likely screamed from hysteria,
pointing at the window.

Nick smiled palely, feeling his headache return with an venegance. But he felt much better,
his stomach had stopped churning and he didn´t feel like blowing chunks anymore.
Hopefully it was just a short 24 hour bug and he would be up and feeling good in no time.

Sleep had done him good, and all that was left was the aching feeling in his head as well as
the stuffed upfeeling in his throat. He was thinking that he must have slept in a strange
position since his neck was all stiff. Rubbing against it he discovered something wierd. It
felt it was swollen outside as well as inside.

The thoughts were interrupted by Brian who stood in the aisle , "Frack, it´s time to go."

" Okay.. I´m up," Nick replied as he tried to stand up, but his legs felt all wobbly like
overcooked pasta, and he sank back into his seat.

"What´s the matter?" Brian frowned.

"Nothing..I just stood up too fast, head rush." Getting another concerned look from Brian
he shrugged, "Chill out, man. I said I was fine." With those words Nick inched himself
down the aisle, preparing to meet his fans.

Once again they were met with hundreds of fans, mostly teenage girls, screaming in
hysteria, wanting to catch a moment with the popstars.This time the boys stopped to give
out hugs and sign autographs, making the fans cheer out of joy. They were very
professional about the whole deal and even Nick gave out hugs so much that his back
ached. Back and neck.

His bodyguard was pushing his young charge ahead so that Nick wouldn´t get trapped in
the arms of some fan. He was very grateful for the safety that this bigman had provided
during the years.

Jay was a close friend to Nick, even if there was a rather high age difference between
them. Jay had been like a second father to the young man, since he had spent much more
time with the big man than he had ever done with his real dad, Bob. Beside Brian, Jay, was
the other person that knew Nick by heart. This came from the endless talks during long
bus rides and waiting at airports. The two friends very special to each other, not just
professionally but also as friends.



"Ok," Bruce was waving with his hand, "Now Mr. Yakumishi will meet us and then we will
go to the lounge to have lunch. The radio interview starts at 1:30 pm and I will see no one
late. And I repeat NO ONE!!!"

Everybody looked at Nick as these words were emphazised. "Hey man..I can take a hint,"
Nick sulked, looking down at his feet.

Brian, feeling obligated to defend his friend stated, "That´s not fair, Nick was about to
puke and..."

"Nick is always about to throw up!” Bruce interrupted, as a short japanese man, dressed in
a formal suit came up to them.

"I am not!," Nick started. “Okay, nobody’s listen to me as usual,” Nick mumbled to
himself. He looked helplessly over at AJ who seemed to be looking at him. “AJ, I’m not, I
just don´t feel so hot right now."

"Shut up, dumbass, I´m listening" AJ growled, not the slightest interested displayed in
what Nick had to say.

Shrugging, Nick went quiet again. Nobody was listening to him. He might as well be dead
for all they cared. But if he said or did something that had them in for a bad rap with the
press.. then they talked to him, or more likely shouted, he mused.

Life was so unfair.


The boys were showed into a big lounge and everybody was seated while waiting to be
served. Normally Nick would be hungry, indulging all the food there is. Stuffing himself
with all the Japanese delicasies but today he was not at all interested in eating. He had no
appetite what so ever and thinking about eating the sushi made him want to worship the
porcelin god.

His stomach had just calm down from it´s flip flops and now here he was up to another
battle with food. When will this torture ever stop? He sighed heavily. Nicholas Gene
Carter was well known for eating... everything, almost, having a big appetite. He only
skipped a meal if he was sick. He ate more so when he was depressed.

If Nick had paid attention to his own thoughts he would have picked up that something
was terribly wrong with this picture.