“You’ll never know how happy I am to be sitting here with you right now,” Nick gushed.

Manda giggled in reply. “Nicky, all you ever have to do is call me, and arrange for the flight ticket and I’ll be there. No matter where you are, just remember you can send me a ticket and I’d be more than happy to come. Were the guys pissed?”

“Whaddya think?”

“That would be a yes, I guess. Screw ‘em, they’re just jealous of you,” Manda assured.

“I suppose.”

“You don’t sound very convincing there.”

As he picked up the restaurant menu, Nick shrugged his shoulders.

“What’s bugging you?”

Not bothering to pull the menu away from his face, Nick mumbled “nothing.”

Manda rolled her eyes and reached across the table and pulled the menu down. “Spill it Mr. Carter.”

Nick could feel the color rising into his cheeks. “It’s really nothing I want to talk about.”

“I see you blushing, you realize I’m not giving up until you tell me!”

As if the menu was a protective shield, Nick put the menu back up to read. “Management is on my back again.”

“Oh sweetie, what about now?” Manda’s asked dully.

“The usual stuff they pick on about me.”

Manda stared at the back of the laminated menu in front of Nick’s face, waiting for him to continue on about his delimma with management. After a few moments, she again pulled the menu down and peered over the top. ”Well?”

Nick sighed, feeling his face turning red again. “It’s the same ole shit about my weight.”

“Aww, Nicky--”

Nick cut Manda off. “It’s okay, I have to do what they ask me.” Before she could reply, he tossed the menu onto the table and eased his body from the booth. “Order me a chef salad, ranch dressing on the side, I’ll be back right back.”

Manda’s expression darkened as she watched Nick walk away from their booth towards the restroom. She knew in her heart that management was right about Nick’s weight, but she disagreed with them constantly badgering him about it. She liked him a little heavier and deep down she felt that Nick was happier when he could eat and wasn’t denied his pleasure.

“Are you ready to order?” the waitress chirped as she stood next to the booth.

“Yes,” Manda grinned as she picked up the menu. She gestured to where Nick had been sitting. “He’ll have a double cheeseburger, extra cheese, fries, deep fried mushrooms and a double chocolate milkshake. I’ll have a BLT and an iced tea with lemon.”

The waitressed picked up the menus and nearly walked into Nick when she turned around to leave.

Sitting at the table, making idle conversation, the waitress soon returned with the order. Manda smiled mischievously as she watched Nick’s reaction to the order placed in front of him.

“Enjoy your food,” she smiled as she laid the bill face down on the table.

A scowl crossed Nick’s face as he leaned forward. “I ordered a salad.”

“I know and you can’t let those guys get to you.”

Nick looked dismayed. “I can’t eat this.”

“Yes you can and you will for me,” Manda replied, batting her best puppy dog eyes at him. “You will if you love me and you’ll eat everything on your plate.”

Eyeing the platter in front of him Nick sighed. “Okay, but just this once, and then I’m sticking to that diet.”

“We’ll see.”

Manda placed a comforting hand on Nick’s back as they exited the car. “What’s wrong Nicky?”

Sweat was forming on the young man’s forehead as he walked stooped over. “I don’t feel good,” Nick moaned.

“Awww, pooh bear,” Manda soothed, moving her hand in small circles on Nick’s back.

Nick suddenly burped loudly.

“Okay, that was gross,” Manda shrieked.

“I’m sorry, I can’t help it, besides you made me eat all of that.” He stopped for a moment and placed a protective hand on his stomach. “Arrrgh!”

“Well since you aren’t going to be much fun tonight, I’m just going to get into my car and head back to my apartment. You go on and be with your mommy, maybe she can take care of you,” Manda whined.

As Nick turned to kiss her goodbye, another burp escaped his lips followed by a moan and a quick apology.

“I’ll take a raincheck on a goodbye kiss, you’re repulsive tonight,” Manda snapped. “God, just think if Tiger Beat got ahold of Nick Carter in his worst form. Bet those teenies would be impressed.”

Normally Nick would be offended by Manda’s comments but his stomach hurt so much accompanied with the heartburn, made his only focus his bed and laying down.

Nick’s quest for relief was short lived when he was met at the door by his brother, a grin on his face and a PS2 game clutched in his hands.

“Hey bro, you ready for me to kick your butt?”

“Um... yeah, lemme go to the can first,” Nick mumbled.

Aaron cocked his head to one side. “The can? Oh that’s classic Nick.”

As Nick walked down the hall, he burped loudly, the sound echoing in the long hall.

”Who did that?” Jane Carter called out from the kitchen.

“Wasn’t me,” Aaron piped up.

”Nickolas Gene Carter!”

Jane entered the living room, a platter of freshly baked brownies in her hand. “I swear he’s lost his manners traveling with a bunch of guys on the road.”

Aaron quickly snatched a brownie off the plate as his mother set it down. “That will never happen to me!”

“What won’t happen to you?” Nick asked as he entered the living room.

“Losing my manners, burping and farting--”

”Aaron!” Jane warned.

“Well, it’s true, that’s all Nick does when he’s around me. He farts--”

“Aaron, that’s enough!”

“Well it’s true... I guess,” Aaron stopped his comments when he caught his mother’s stern face.

“I’ll bring out some milk for you two, eat up the brownies,” Jane called out as she left the room.

Nick felt a little better after making himself throw up in the bathroom. At first, it was something that he tried with little success but now sometimes it worked for him, but he only threw up when he became too umcomfortablly full, which was the case after that huge meal Manda insisted he eat.

“Aren’t you gonna eat some brownies? Ma’s been stressing out all day about your brownies,” Aaron commented as he picked another brownie from the plate.

Nick shrugged his shoulders. The brownies did look good and they were his favorite. “I just ate, maybe later.”

“Mom’s gonna be pissed.”

“She’ll get over it.”

“Are you ready for me to whip your butt?” Aaron asked as he set up the controllers and opened up a Nascar game.

“I’m gonna have fun kicking your ass,” Nick grinned.

Aaron’s eyes grew wide in mock horror. “I’m tellin’ mom you swore!”

Nick lept off the couch and pinned his brother on the floor, taking pleasure in his little play screams. “You wouldn’t dare tell on me!”

Aaron’s screams became muffled in the carpet.

“You won’t tell,” Nick persisted as he started to sit on his younger brother.

“You kids better take it easy,” Jane called out from the kitchen when she heard the commotion from the other room.

“We’re okay,” Nick replied. “Aren’t we AC?”

“Ugh,” Aaron gasped. “I’m tellin’ ma.”

“If you live long enough!” Nick countered, placing his butt ontop of Aaron’s leg, farting on it.

“OH GAWD.....MOM!!!”