Chapter 1 Disney World and Dylan

Now two year’s gone and nothing was won (like my reference to The Call?), and Nick and the Backstreet Boys found themselves becoming busier and more popular. That was the time of Backstreet Boys Backstreet’s Back and our graduation.

Oh I was nervous standing up in front of all the families at graduation. My best friends and I were a part of the high school choir ever since freshman year and our director loved our voices so much that we each got either a solo or duet at the graduation ceremony. I had gotten solos and duets before and I was never really nervous, but my knees were quaking for this small solo that blended into a duet with Nick. What was wrong with me? I always performed in front of crowds whether it was at a dance competition with Kasey, a school concert with the choir or performing in either the school or community plays. To this day I can’t figure out why I was so nervous.    

Nick had made it just in time for the graduation ceremony. He was on tour with the Boys but was able to schedule the tour around graduation. He lined up in his cap and gown just as our class was about to walk on stage.

I remember him looking at me and swiping his hand across his forehead in a signal that said, “I made it just in time!” I just smiled and shook my head at him.

Before we were handed our diplomas, the choir sang our last song together, For Good. Crystal started off the song then Daniel took over. The rest of the choir joined in for the chorus, afterward was Chris’s time to shine which blended into a quick harmonization with Michelle then she took over. Again the entire choir sang the chorus then split into the four part harmony for the bridge. To finish off the song I sang my heart out for my final high school solo. Nick came in on perfect time and harmonized beautifully with me. He took my hand in his and I grabbed Chris’s who was standing on the other side of me. Soon all the hands of the seniors in the choir were linked as we sang the final lyrics of For Good. The audience, our choir director, other teachers and all the seniors standing in front of the choir were all tearing. That song touched us all and we had mixed feelings of our senior year ending. Our class was pretty close and we were all pretty much going our separate ways. We were going to miss each other dearly.   

As we dried the tears from our eyes, our principle handed out the diplomas. All of our names were called and our families shouted with pride and joy. After the last name was called we took our final picture as the class of 1998. The picture was snapped then when we were given the all clear all of us graduates threw our caps toward the cloudless sky. We had one more adventure together as a class and that was the final senior trip to Disney World.

I have to say for being a bunch of 18 year olds Disney was one of the best trips I have ever been on. I had gone numerous times before but never alone with my friends. They dragged me onto all of the rides knowing that I’m not one for any type of ride. We even went on the Dumbo ride in the rain. Could you imagine three 18 year old girls in Mickey Mouse ponchos being the only ones on the Dumbo ride in the rain? The boys wouldn’t go with us, party poopers.

Disney was a blast and Nick made it even better by giving Crystal, Michelle and I a small surprise.

“Ok close your eyes and hold out your hands, all three of you.”

Michelle, Crystal and I looked at each other then back at Nick.

“Trust me, this is a good surprise. Just close your eyes and hold out your hands. Don’t open your eyes until I tell you too.”

I looked at my girl friends one last time then was the first to do as Nick said. He placed an envelope into each of our up turned palms.

“Ok now open your eyes.”

Michelle looked down at the envelope in her hand and in typical sarcastic Michelle manner said to Nick, “Gee they’re envelopes! This is the best surprise ever! Thanks so much Nick!” Nick went red in the face and the rest of us laughed.

“No Michelle why don’t you open the envelope?” Nick said slowly back to her.

Crystal was the first to rip open her envelope and scream over what was inside of it, “Oh my gosh Nick these are tickets to your show tonight!”

“And backstage passes! No way Nick!” I exclaimed when I emptied the contents of my envelope onto the table top.

“Yes way. I am inviting the tree of you and three of your guests to our show tonight. Then afterward you will meet the rest of the Boys. You guys coming?”

“Hell yeah! It’s about time you got us tickets!” Michelle lightly slapped Nick’s arm.

“Dude why didn’t you get us tickets?” Chris spoke for him and Dan.

“I didn’t know if you would come or not.”

“Man it’s you we’re talking about. We want to support you too,” Dan replied.  

“Oh ok well I’ll remember that for next time.”

“You know what… why don’t you two go with Mich and Tally?” I suggested to Dan and Chris.

“What if I wanted to go with you Kalie?” Chris pouted.

“Awe Chris. Well I was just saying that because hopefully Dylan will go with me.”

Nick rolled his eyes at the name of my boyfriend.

“Nick I know you don’t like him but he and I have been dating since February, don’t you expect me to ask him to go with me?”

“I guess but I really don’t want him there.”

“Well I do Nick. He’s my boyfriend.”

“I wish he wasn’t.”

I let out an annoyed sigh because I knew what was coming. Nick hated Dylan. He never really said exactly why he hated Dylan but they both didn’t like each other. I was annoyed because I have heard this same speech over and over again ever since Dylan gave me a promise ring on our 3 month anniversary. I could recite it to myself and in my sleep if I wanted to.

“I know you don’t like him.”

“Don’t like him? Kay I despise him! He’s not right for you at all. He’s stalkerish, a complete busybody, he’s controlling and he doesn’t trust anybody even you his own girlfriend! I have a bad feeling about him Kay and you know me and my feelings about people. I don’t trust him and I don’t think you should either, promise ring or not.”

“Nick can’t you see I’m happy with him? He actually loves me Kaos and I love him. And he’s coming to the show with me tonight so could you just be civil? Please? For me?” I flashed him my small, pleading smile.

He rolled his eyes again, closed them, shook his head then looked at me, “Fine. I’ll be civil but if he starts to be an ass around me backstage, mark my words I’m kicking him out myself. You’re lucky you’re cute when you flash that smile Kayl.”

“I know I try. And thank you so much for the tickets and backstage passes Nick. You’re the best. You don’t know how long Tally, Mich and I have been wanting to go to one of your concerts.”

“It’s no problem. I hope you guys will like the show.”

“I have a feeling we’ll love it Kaos,” Crystal said as she hugged him.

“Besides we’ve learned all the songs just so we could sing along to all of them,” Michelle commented.

“Dan and I learned them too,” Chris said. “We kind of had no choice thanks to the girls.”

“Alright guys I have to go practice for tomorrow night. I’ll see you in the morning at breakfast. Night guys, love yas.”

“Love ya too Kaos,” I hugged my best friend and whispered in his ear, “I’ll talk to Dylan and I’ll tell him to be civil too, especially since he’ll be meeting the rest of the Boys.”

“Thanks Kayl.”

“No problem Kaos.”    

Nick went off to practice and the rest of us went our separate ways. I had to find Dylan so we could go out to dinner at The Living Seas restaurant.

“So do you have any plans for tomorrow night honey?” I asked.

“No why?”

“Nick gave me and the rest of my group tickets to his show tomorrow night and backstage passes. And I was wondering if you would like to go with me.”

“Kalie.”

“Don’t Kalie me. Nick has been my best friend since we were both in diapers and I haven’t been able to go to a single show yet. This is my only chance to go because I don’t have money to buy my own tickets. And if you’re not coming with me I’ll go by myself.”

“I don’t want you going by yourself,” he said defiantly.

“Why not? Michelle, Crystal, Dan and Chris will be there too. I won’t be totally alone.”

“I still don’t want you to go by yourself. Are you sure you want to go to this stupid concert?”

“Don’t call it stupid.”

“You don’t even like the Backstreet Boys.”

“Don’t say that because it’s not true. I am a fan of Backstreet and not just because Nick is in it. They are all really good singers and they sing awesome songs. So are you coming with me or not?”

“Ok, ok I’ll go. But I won’t be happy about it.”

“Oh come on just try to have a little bit of fun. I’m not asking you to become a fan over night but just give BSB a try.”

He sighed and I just shook my head. Dylan could be so difficult at times but then at others he could be really sweet and fun loving and all around a good boyfriend. I could see myself being with him for a long time and the promise ring he slipped on my finger 2 months ago really helped with that vision. It got frustrating at times though because Nick and Dylan fought constantly and that really pissed me off because I thought Nick would be happy for me because a guy actually loved me for who I was and not just my body that I got from ball room dancing since I was little. I also thought Dylan wouldn’t be jealous of Nick and would understand that the only thing between Nick and I was just friendship.

“Alright, alight I’ll go with you. Just stop pleading I hate it when you do that. What time is it?”

“8 pm. Then we can stay as long as we want too after the show because of our passes.”

“I’m not going to stay for long.”

“Well you know what I’ll stay and you can go back to the hotel what do you want me to say? I finally get a chance to meet the Backstreet Boys and I’m not going to miss it. Nick has told me a lot about them and I really want to meet them.”

“Whatever. Let’s just go back to the hotel. I’m tired and we have the entire Animal Kingdom to go see tomorrow.”

Dylan paid the check then we walked hand in hand back to the hotel.  

“Night Kalie.”

“Good night Dylan. I’ll see you at breakfast tomorrow.” I took one last look at my boyfriend before I kissed him good night. I took in his dirty blonde hair and light green eyes. I smiled when he flashed his cute little boyish smile on his adorable baby face. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he put his hands on my waist. Dylan wasn’t very muscular but still he had a good body that he was confident about. That was another thing I loved about Dylan, besides his sweetness, was his confidence and his singing voice.  

He kissed me good night and watched me enter my room that I shared with Michelle and Crystal.

“So,” Michelle started, “is Dylan coming with us to the concert tomorrow night?”

I sighed, “He’s coming but he’s not all that happy about it.”  

“Gee I wonder why?” Crystal commented sarcastically.

“Please don’t start Tally. I’ve already heard it way too many times before from Nick. You two were there for most of them you should know. And I did tell Dylan that I could find someone else who really wanted to go but he didn’t want me going alone.”

“But you won’t be alone. You’ll be with us and the guys,” Crystal answered.

“I told him that. But you know Dylan.”

“Yeah, over protective, non trusting Dylan,” Michelle said in a near whisper.

I heard her and threw my hands in the air out of frustration.

“I’m tired of hearing this from all of you! Can’t you see I’m happy with him? Wouldn’t that be enough for you guys to be somewhat happy for me?”

My best friends stayed quiet. I went in the bathroom to take a shower and they were still quiet by the time I got out. Thankfully the next morning before breakfast my girls apologized and we spent the day with each other like nothing happened.