Flashback….

“Nicky! Nicky! Waits up!” A small voiced called after the tall blond it was following. “Waits fer me!”

The tall blond turned and motioned for the little blond boy to come to him. “C’mon Aaron! You’re bein’ slow!”

Aaron frowned. “Yer to fast!” He whined.

“If yah can’t keep up, I’ma leave you behind,.” Nick threatened, though he wouldn’t really. He always looked forward to playing with his baby brother.

“Buts Nicky! You promised!” Aaron wailed loudly.

Nick rolled his eyes and went back for his little brother. He had promised to take the small boy to the pond to chase tadpoles. “Alright, alright. Don’t cry, Aaron.”

“I nots cryin’!” Aaron argued. “I makes you comes back.”

Nick smiled, shaking his head, as Aaron’s face lit up. “Yeah, yeah. And I fell for it – again.”

Aaron giggled, and hopped onto his big brother’s back, when offered a piggy back ride. “Faster Nicky! Go faster!”

Nick laughed and ran off with Aaron hanging onto his back, the two of them perfectly happy at that very moment.

They soon reached the pond and Aaron squirmed down off Nick’s back. “Lookie Nicky!” He cried, pointing to the swimming tadpoles. “They’re there! They knew we’s comin’ to play!”

Nick laughed a bit. “Yep. They sure did, Aaron.”

“C’n we goes in now?” Aaron asked, ready to pounce on the unsuspecting tadpoles.

“You gotta take your shoes an’ socks off, silly,” Nick grinned, slipping his off, then helping his brother get his off as well. “Now, yah can jump on in.”

Aaron squealed delightedly, as he jumped into the not-so-deep pond, his older brother right behind him.

End of Flashback…. ~~~~~

Thirteen-year-old Aaron Charles Carter was watching his brother, Nickolas Gene Carter, rehearse for the show he had that night. Aaron was the opening act, and had already finished his rehearsal, as well as his schoolwork, so he was free to watch. He'd been thinking back about the time Nick had taken him to the pond when he was four. He waited until his brother was just about done before a break, and decided to act quickly before his opportunity flew by.

“Whoa!” Nick yelled out, as he was pounced on by a short blond boy.

“Gotcha Nick!” Aaron laughed, as his brother regained his balance.

Nick laughed with him. “You gotta be careful about pouncing, Air-Boy. If I’d fallen, you would’ve went down too.”

“So? I’d land on you,” Aaron pointed out. “You’d break my fall.”

“Just couldn’t wait, could you?” Kevin asked, shaking his head, an amused smile upon his face. He was only amused, as he’d known it would happen – everyone had, except maybe Nick – nobody ever knew with him.

“Nope!” Aaron grinned up at Kevin. “Nick had to be tackled before it was too late!”

Kevin shook his head once more. “Just don’t be late after the break. We only have fifteen minutes, Nick.”

“I know, I know,” Nick sighed. “C’mon Aaron. We’ll grab us a snack.”

“How come y’all get to rehearse longer?” Aaron wanted to know. “Mine aren’t this long, unless I mess up.”

“Because we’re older and we sing more than you,” Nick replied, as he walked them out of the room they were in. Aaron was still on his back, so he got the privilege of doing al the walking.

“That’s not fair!” Aaron complained. “I c’n sing just as many! I got albums out too, yanno!”

“I know, Air-Boy,” Nick said, putting money into a nearby vending machine and getting himself some M&M’s. “But management wants you to be our opening act again for now. They said you aren’t mature enough to handle one of your own.”

“It was a stupid prank!” Aaron growled. “All I did was have silly string come down on everybody!”

“A prank that caused someone to have an allergic reaction,” Nick reminded him, getting his brother a Hershey’s cookies ‘n’ cream chocolate bar.

“How was I to know somebody was allergic to it?” Aaron demanded. “Hmm?”

“Aaron, just forget about it, okay? Mom and Dad said they wanted you with us again anyway,” Nick told him. “So, there’s no use in arguing about it. What they say goes, since they help manage you and all.”

“But it’s stupid!” Aaron whined, taking his chocolate bar from his brother. “All I wanna do is sing an’ dance for everybody!”

“I know, Buddy,” Nick said. “And you will; soon as they’re able to get your tour under way. They had to fight off law suits, yanno.”

Aaron grumbled, as he opened his chocolate bar – only to have it ripped out of his hands by his mother. “Mom! I was gonna eat that!”

“I know,” Jane replied. “Which is why I had to grab it. You know you’re on a no sweets diet!”

Aaron scowled. “Not by choice,” he muttered.

Jane frowned and practically yanked the young teenager off his brother’s back and to the floor. “You can go out to the bus and stay there for now. I’ll come get you when it’s time for you interview.”

“What?!?!?! You’re gonna ground me over a chocolate bar?” Aaron yelled.

“No. Over your superior attitude,” Jane answered. “Now, get going.”

“But I didn’t even buy the chocolate bar! Nick did!” Aaron protested.

“Nickolas wouldn’t buy you sweets, unless you talked him into it,” Jane said. “Nick’s too smart for that though, so obviously you bought it.”

“Nick! Tell her I didn’t do it!” Aaron cried.

“I bought it, Mom,” Nick piped up.

“Well, don’t do it again, Nickolas.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” Nick said, looking a bit confused.

“Aaron! I sad go out to the bus! Now!”

“What’re yah yellin’ at me for? I didn’t even do anything!”

“Git!” Jane yelled, moving forward to smack him.

Aaron immediately turned and ran off for his bus. It wasn’t fair at all, that his brother could eat junk and he couldn’t even have a measly candy bar. It also wasn’t fair that he hadn’t even done anything wrong, and yet he was being punished. Nick was the one who bought the candy, yet he only got scolded. It so wasn’t fair!

Aaron climbed up onto his bus, and closed the doors behind him angrily. “Stupid mother….” He muttered. “I didn’t even do anything! She’s always gotta pick on me! Well, excuse me for not bein’ Nick!”

He loved his big brother, he truly did. But Nick always got the time and attention, and everybody loved him more. Nick was perfect because he made the most money and didn’t cause them any trouble – well, least not as much as he used to. Nick was all about pleasing people, while Aaron just wanted to have fun, make music, and be a kid – which wasn’t the greatest combo, and he was very quickly learning that.

He flopped down onto the couch in the back and flipped the television on. “Maybe something good’s on,” he grumbled, smiling a bit when he found the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. “Man! I can’t believe this show’s still on! Awesome!”

He settled back and watched cartoons and other T.V. shows, until he spotted his mother coming to get him for his interview. He quickly flicked the T.V. off, and ran for the kitchen, where he’d smartly placed handwritten lines that he knew he was expected to write. In all honesty, he hadn’t written them today – they were a bit old, but they still worked – lucky for him.