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Nicky why do you have to leave” Taya asked her best friend while he packed his bags.
“Tay Tay for the hundredth time, I have to leave so I can start the next chapter in my life,” Nick tried to reason.
“Since when do you act all grown up Nicky? The last month you’ve been acting weird.”
“Have not. Look I have to finish packing and then Mom is taking me over for dress rehearsal. I’ll meet you in our spot tonight.”
“But Nicky I don’t want to lose you; you’ve been my best friend since we were two.”
“Don’t be silly, you’ll never lose me. Now I have to finish packing and don’t you have to get to diving practice?”
“See you tonight at eight?”
“Be there or be square,” Nick kept his eyes on his packing.
“Bye Nicky,” Taya walked out of the room, already feeling saddened knowing that her best friend would be going away for months at a time.
*~*~*~Seven Years Later~*~*~*
I'm so tired of being here
Suppressed by all my childish fears
And if you have to leave
I wish that you would just leave
'Cause your presence still lingers here
And it won't leave me alone
These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase –Evanescence ‘My Immortal’“It feels weird being back home in Florida,” Nick told his best friend Brian.
“Yeah but we’re here only for a month. It’s going to be a great break. We have a concert at Disney, some promotion to the new record, it will be great Nick.”
“I’m glad we rented this beach house, I couldn’t be in a hotel room for that long. Man there’s nothing on T.V. want to go down to the beach? We only have two days off really before we have to start running around like crazy.”
“Yeah, let’s get our suits on. Call A.J. and Howie, they’re at the market.”
“Alright.” The guys got ready and within fifteen minutes they headed down to the beach.
“I forget how much I do miss this place,” Brian told Nick setting his things down in the beach. The beach was pretty crowded but they weren’t worried about being recognized.
“I was thinking about moving back here from California actually,” Nick looked out into the ocean. “I mean I moved for the hot spots but there’s something so peaceful about here.”
“You should do it and you’ll be closer to me,” Brian grinned.
“HEYY HEYY,” A.J.’s voice broke the two. “Man does it feel good to be here and getting started with the NEW BSB HOLLA!”
“What is he on?” Nick asked Howie.
“About ten Red Bulls, let’s get in that water, it’s like 95 degrees today.” He took his shirt off and the guys followed and went into the water. The guys messed around in the water and started dunking each other under.
“Man this under toe is strong today,” Howie tried to swim against the current. As if right on cue, they heard Nick’s cry and he was pulled under water.
“Nick don’t swim against it, swim with it towards the shore!” Brian yelled trying to get after his best friend. Nick’s body got tired and he felt himself being pulled into the depth of the ocean. Just as everything began to go black his memory took him back to the past.
*~*~*Eleven Years Ago*~*~*
“Taya, where are you? I know I’m late I’m sorry we got held back later than thought,” Nick looked at his Spiderman watch, it was almost nine. “Tay Tay? I called your house before I came and you weren’t there,” he walked through the woods to the creek at which they played. As he reached the log that the crossed over the river he saw Taya’s bracelet that he had given her for her birthday on the ground. He picked it up and began feeling sick to his stomach. He looked over the water’s edge and saw a shoe stuck in between some rocks.
“TAYA!” he yelled as he ran through the woods that followed the streams path. He didn’t know what to do but keep running to see if he could find her. After running what seemed like eternity, Nick turned around and ran over to Taya’s house, which was closer than his to the river.

Present~*~*~
“TAYA!” Nick yelled sitting up.
“Whoa easy there Nick, you’re in the hospital just lay down.” Brian had his hand on Nick’s shoulder.
“What happened?” Nick looked around the room.
“You were pulled under by the under tow; hit your head on a rock or something and were knocked out. A.J. and I managed to get you thankfully.” Nick brought his hand up to his head where it hurt. “Just a slight concussion, you’ll be alright.” Nick nodded his head and closed his eyes.
“Nick, you were yelling her name in your sleep…it’s been a while since you’ve had those nightmares.” Brian knew all about Taya and how Nick blamed himself for her death. He even tried to quit the Backstreet Boys before even really becoming the Backstreet Boys. Nick turned his face away from Brian’s.
“Hey look who is awake!” A.J. said walking into the room. “Good, we can get out of here. I’ll tell the nurse you’re awake.” A.J. exited the room and Brian laughed. When Nick didn’t even acknowledge Nick he became worried for his friend. A nurse came in took some stats and told Nick to fill out release papers at the front desk.
“Hi, Nick Carter for release papers please.” Nick asked the nurse at the desk.
“Right here Mr. Carter, glad to see you’re doing well. Please sign here, there and right here on the lines,” she pointed to the places and handed Nick a pen.
“I’ll go get the car Nick,”Brian told Nick and Howie went with him.
“Alright,” Nick looked up as Brian was walking away and his eyes went right to a woman with blonde hair with some amber strands in it and emerald green eyes. The nurse met Nick’s eyes and immediately turned away.
“You always have woman radar Nick,”A.J. laughed.
“She looked familiar,” Nick shrugged his shoulders and finished signing the papers.
“You probably already banged her, come on let’s get you home,” A.J. patted Nick’s back and Nick tried to find the familiar looking nurse.
Back at the beach house the guys were lying around relaxing and Nick had gone into his room to take a nap before they started watching movies. He opened his suit case and took out a small box. In the box held a picture of him and Taya and her bracelet he found. He also took out a newspaper clipping.
Tampa, Fl.
Eleven year old, Taya Heart’s body still hasn’t been found after three weeks of searching the Bay River in Tampa Florida. Investigator’s are closing out and calling it an accidental death. Best friend Nickolas Carter, found Heart’s bracelet and shoe at their play spot at river. Carter’s Mother, Jane Carter says the two used to play there all the time together and were supposed to meet each other at eight pm, Wednesday. Memorial service will be held Saturday at eleven am at St. Mary’s Church.
Nick’s eyes closed and a tear slid down his cheek. “If only he had been there at eight,” he whispered to himself and he heard a knock on the door. “Come in,” he said softly.
“Hey man just checking in on you; doctor says not to let you sleep for more than an hour at a time.” Brian sat on the bed and saw what Nick was looking at. He knew Nick brought that box wherever he went.
“I felt her today Bri,” he said holding the bracelet in his hands.
“That’s good; she was probably with you today, looking over you when you almost drowned. I believe it.”
“I saw a woman that would’ve looked like her today in the hospital.”
“Nick you’re in your home town where the two of you grew up. It’s bound to bring back memories, and what happened in the ocean, I’m sure stirred things up for you. But you can’t keep blaming yourself anymore man. It’s been seven years, besides you can’t keep girlfriends with this if you haven’t noticed.”
“The eyes though, they stuck out.” Brian felt for his friend and didn’t know what to do for him. They tried to do a therapist and it worked for awhile. Nick hadn’t talked about Taya in about three years to him but he knew he thought of her every day.
“She’s gone Nick. Come on let’s get some food in you,” he watched Nick put the items in a small blue box and set them next to his bed.

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
And I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have
All of me

You used to captivate me
By your resonating light
Now I'm bound by the life you left behind
Your face it haunts
My once pleasant dreams
Your voice it chased away
All the sanity in me

These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase- Evanescence ‘My Immortal’