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It was hot as hell in the business offices over at the Jive headquarters. Howie pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped the beads of sweat that had gathered on his forehead. With millions of dollars handed around from sleaze to sleaze you would think that they could afford a decent air conditioning system. Millions of dollars that they weaseled countless artists as well as his own band out of. "Gee I wonder how many air conditioners you could buy with the money that was owed to us" He grinned just wanting to say that out loud to somebody. It never failed, Howie was always wittiest when no one was around.

He hated even coming to this place. At first Kevin was going to deal with them, but he was called out of town at the last minute leaving Howie to hold the bag. That's okay though, Howie thought, at least I can see Jessica.

Just as the thought, crossed his mind, Jessica, one of the receptionists crossed his path. She smiled at him and he winked at her. They had that kind of flirty, we know this is going to go nowhere but let's have fun, type of relationships.

"Hey darling"

"Hi, Howie. Long time no see" She shifted the pile of manilla envelopes she had in her hands uncomfortably looking past Howie at the clock, "Usually Kevin graces us with his appearance"

"Not today, today I am all yours"

She laughed, "Awesome! Today is my lucky day, well I better get going, these need to be in Mr. Fink's hands by noon or I'm dead"

"Okay see ya around"

"I'll be waiting with baited breath"

Mr. Fink, talk about an appropriate name for a guy. This guy was a fink in every sense of the word. He was also the one that they always had to fight with about everything. In fact that's who Howie was on his way to see. He bit his bottom lip. Dang, if only he thought about that a little sooner, he could have walked down with Jessica. Ah well.

He started down the hall, towards the corridor which led to Fink's office when something caught his eye. A guy opening up one of the windows of an empty office just to his right.
He found himself staring at the guy. He looked like he could be Nick's twin. But maybe a little older. He was dressed in a bright blue tee shirt and black pants. The guy caught Howie's glance and shyly smiled at him, in which Howie waved.

The he walked on not thinking anything of it.
~*~*~*~*~

Those meetings always gave him a headache. And after spending an hour with Fink, that is what was happening now, A super huge headache. He walked out, flustered and decided he would ask Jessica if she perhaps had any aspirin he could have. Maybe he would do that corny joke AJ told him, I'll borrow it only if I can kiss you and give them back. He never fully got that one, because the thought of swallowing another person's half digested pills was...His thought was interrupted by the sound of light sobbing. He immediately turned his attention back to the office that he had passed earlier. He looked in and saw no one.

Convinced it was just his imagination, he moved a little farther down the hall but once again stopped at the sound of someone crying. This time it was unmistakable and definitely coming from that empty room. He back tracked and walked into the small office. The lights were off but the sun burst through the room because there were no blinds.

"Hello?" He whispered, almost hoping no one would answer. The room was small, small enough for him to tell if someone was in there, which he saw not a soul. The crying remained though. Louder and stronger. He felt the little hairs on the back of his neck stand up now. This was getting creepy.

"Hello? Are you in here?"

"Go away" He finally heard, and to his relief smiled when he noticed it came from under the desk. Good thing, he was just about to go out and call a ghost buster.

"I just want to make sure you're alright. Is there anything I can do?"

"No, now please just go away" The voice belonged to a man.

Howie stopped and stared at the desk for a minute, wondering if he should just do as requested and leave, but that just wasn't his character, so he walked around the desk where he once again found the blonde who looked identical to Nick, wiping his nose with the sleeve of his shirt.

"I said go away"This time, he seemed a bit mad. Howie squatted down next to the guy who couldn't have been more then 20, "I'm sorry, but I just wanted to make sure you were okay.

"I'm grand, thanks for asking, now If you don't mind I have to get back to work" He climbed out from under the desk and stood up. He was even the same height as Nick. The resemblance was almost uncanny. "Excuse me, are you related to Nick Carter?" Now the guy seemed really annoyed, "Who?" He adjusted his tee shirt and tucked it back into his pants.

"Nick Carter...well, it's nothing you just look like someone I know that's all"

"Oh, well... no never heard of him"

"So, why where you crying?" Howie instantly regretted his question as soon as the words escaped his lips. It was none of his business.

"I've just had a bad day, okay?"

"Yeah, sure man...well, Hope your day gets better then" Howie felt like such a dweeb. What was he? A member of the Mickey Mouse Club? Golly Gee whiz, I hope your day gets better.

The man laughed, "It's only going to get worse from here. Trust me" Now the sad and annoyed expression that the kid was carrying went to a look of desperation.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm far from okay, but I'll live, at least I hope" He let out a nervous laugh.

"Cool man" The conversation ended when the young blonde smiled, placed on a pair of headphones and walked out of the room, leaving Howie alone and baffled.

As he walked down the hot hallways of Jive he saw the kid one more time talking to Jessica, well more like arguing with Jessica. He was going to go stop and say goodbye but he decided not too. He walked past them, smiled and heard a few distinct words.

"My friggin life is over Jess!"

"Did they see you?"

"They know everything"

Howie's heartbeat quickened. This was less then a friendly conversation they were having. He decided to keep walking right out of there and back to his air conditioned car.
By the time he got back to his hotel room, the whole incident was forgotten. The boy, the crying, the arguing all just a distant fuzzy memory.

Until the next day....