It seemed like Kevin had been gone for hours when he had left to talk to Lou but as soon as he came back into the hotel room, Howie announced the exact time.

"Judging by the fact that you've only been gone ten minutes, I'm guessing that your meeting with Lou didn't go well?"

"Or hopefully dickhead wasn't there," AJ added with a hopeful smile.

Kevin sat on the edge of my bed, running his hands through his hair. "Dickhead was there."

"And?" Brian asked the question we all were waiting on the answer of.

Leaning his elbows on his knees, Kevin blew out a big breath of air. "Evidently Lou figures as long as Nick is awake and talking he can do a show."

Howie's mouth dropped open. "You have got to be kidding."

"I wish I was."

"There's no way in hell Kaos can do this!"

I finally got sick of being the center of attention - especially since I was still in the room with them! "I think I can do this. Why couldn't I?"

"Lou said we just plan on having Nick not participating in the dances and just basically stay planted on a stool on stage."

Brian looked at Kevin with an eyebrow raised in question. "There is no way Nick could sit still for an hour and a half."

"It's just a fat lip and a bloody nose," I defended.

"You have a concussion!"

I quickly placed my hands over my ears. "Y'all don't have to yell, that hurts my head."

AJ started pacing the room. "I really don't understand why he wouldn't even let us do the show without Nick. I'm sure the fans would understand."

"You know Pearlman," Kevin sighed. "He wants the whole package."

"Isn't there some way we can get Nick out of this? Call his parents maybe?" Howie questioned.

My head jerked up, causing a sudden wave of dizziness as I looked up at Howie. "Don't call them!"

Kevin turned to face me. "Nick we probably have to, it may be your only chance."

Shit! Don't cry now! "N-no, you don't understand. My parents don't need to be bothered about me. My mom will get mad and then she'll call Lou and then Lou will get mad at me. It will only cause more problems." I could see that Kevin wasn't considering my plea so I did the next best thing and grabbed him by the arm and let him see the tears in my eyes. "Please Kevin!"

"I don't want to make more trouble for you, you're serious about this Nick?"

"Dead serious."

Sighing loudly, Kevin stood up. "Well then, we all better get ready then because we need to be in the lobby in fifteen minutes. I just want to remind you guys to cover for Nick during the show. No exceptions."

"I think I can pull my own Kev," I protested. Kevin only stared back at me before he repeated, "No exceptions."

I totally felt like nothing but problems for the group since the last part of the tour and I just knew that they were beginning to not like me. I could tell by the looks that AJ was giving me and then some of the roadies were making comments behind my back when they didn't think I could hear them but I know what they're saying!

"Yo Nicky...."

Shit.....spaced out again! "You know that is annoying!" I scowled at AJ as I pushed his hand away from the front of my face.

"I was only trying to get your attention kid, they're getting ready to get us mic'd up for the show."

Geeze, I hate it when people call me kid! "Would you stop calling me kid? I'm only two years younger than you."

AJ flashed a stupid grin at me. "And I was more sexually active then than what you'll ever plan on being in your lifetime."

"What the hell does that have to do with anything?" I asked as I tried to put some distance between me and him. I couldn't wait for this show to be over and it hadn't started yet! After getting hooked up, we took our places onstage and waited quietly as the music started. The fog machines were pumping out fog so thick I had a hard time seeing Howie standing beside me.

The stage lights came up and the pyrotechnics added more smoke to the already foggy stage. Instead of stepping to the right, I stepped to the left and my foot got tangled up in a pile of electrical cords that were laying on the stage. I fell face first to the floor, knocking the wind out of my body. I tried to quickly untangle myself and get up next to Howie before anyone noticed what had happened. I didn't want one of the guys to see that I had done another one of my graceful entrances! They would be riding me for the next two years!

The music stopped suddenly and I was still laying on the floor! Shit now everyone probably saw me!

"You okay?"

I didn't even want to look up. I heard Kevin's voice over the roar of the crowd and saw someone's hands work on the tangle of orange and black electrical cords that were wrapped around my ankles.

'Yeah I'm fine."

Tommy from the band came up to help. "I guess we just take it from the beginning since the entrance has been blown."

"Yeah guess so," Kevin replied, holding a hand out to me to help me onto my feet.

Great not only was I a total fuckup for the group, I blew the entrance and now the band is never gonna let me forget. Oh God, how I wish this was over!