After about fifteen minutes of waiting, Alisha finally heard a knock
on the door. She got up from her seat on the couch and opened the
door. Nick looked up from the ground at her and smiled. Alisha smiled
back.
"I'm surprised you wanted to see me so soon," Alisha told him. "I
thought you were mad at me."
"I was, but I'm not anymore," Nick said. "Can I come in?"
"Oh, sure," said Alisha. "I should've invited you in sooner."
Nick walked in and looked around the apartment. "It looks like you've
done well for yourself out here."
"I guess." Alisha closed the door and went back to the couch. "Go
ahead and have a seat."
Nick sat down on the opposite end of the couch Alisha was on. He was
still wearing the glasses he had worn on MTV Live. Alisha couldn't
help but notice how handsomely mature he looked in them.
"When did you get glasses?" she asked him. "I never knew you needed
them."
"I don't," Nick said. "These are just for appearances. Angie says I
look more mature with them on."
"You really do. Who's Angie?"
"Our wardrobe person for the tour."
"Oh." Alisha was silent for a moment. "I am so proud of you," she
said all of a sudden. "I'm proud of your success in making your dream
come true. Most teenagers wouldn't be able to handle the pressure you
have to endure. I know I wouldn't. I'd go crazy if I was doing what
you're doing."
"I don't know." Nick leaned back and looked at her. "It takes a lot of
patience to raise a child on your own. You've done a great job with
Nicky."
"Thanks. When he was first born, I was so scared I'd do something to
totally mess him up, but so far so good. Which reminds me...." Alisha
got up and walked into her room. A few minutes later, she came back
out with some video tapes.
"These are for you," she said, handing them to Nick. "I video taped
every major event that happened in Nicky's life so far. Well, I tried
to anyway."
Nick took the tapes and placed them by his side. "Thank you."
"I'm really sorry about what I did, Nick. I knew it was wrong for me
to keep Nicky away from you, but it was the only thing that seemed
logical to me at the time. I was even kind of hoping he would look
nothing like you, but, as you can see, it didn't turn out that way.
Then I felt like it was so I would always have a bigger reminder of
you and what we had together than if he didn't look like you that
much or at all."
"When I first saw him, I felt like the whole earth stopped moving,
like time stood still. I felt like I was looking at myself. Then I
saw you and I didn't know what I was feeling. It seemed like you got
more beautiful then the last time a saw you. You also got your figure
back, which I know is pretty hard for most women after they had a
baby. It was kind of hard for my mom after she had Aaron and Angel,
but she managed to do it."
"I didn't think I'd ever be able to fit into my regular jeans again.
The doctor was amazed at the size of Nicky when he was born. It made
more sense to them when I told him you were a lot taller than me."
Nick laughed. "I'm not that much taller than you."
"Yeah right. You're only six inches taller than me, that's all."
Alisha rolled her eyes in sarcasm.
"I'm seven inches taller now, but who's counting."
"Obviously you are."
"I have to have something to fall back on. You're the oldest one, the
more experienced one, the cuter one. My height is all I have."
"Oldest one, yes. But I don't know about being more experienced or
better-looking than you. I don't have hundreds of guys around the
world screaming my name."
Nick laughed. "You would if you started singing or modeling."
"I doubt that."
The two were quiet for a moment. Then Nick spoke.
"Can I see Nicky's room?"
Alisha looked at him. "Sure. Come on."
The two of them got up and Alisha lead the way to Nicky's room.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
"So how did your parents react when you told them about our
engagement?" AJ asked BJ. They were talking on the phone.
"Not so good," she said. "Not good at all. How about your mom?"
"Not good either," said AJ. "What did your parents say?"
"They said we were too young, we should wait another couple years
before making a big decision like that, if I marry you now, I'll be
cut off."
"Your dad would really do that to you?"
"I don't know and I don't care. I love you and I want to spend the
rest of my life with you. Who else would know better than we do on
when to get married?"
"Nobody but you and me."
"Exactly. What did your mom say?"
"Basically the same thing your parents did. My mom refuses to even
talk about the possibility of us getting married."
"So what are we going to do?"
"There's always Vegas."
"Your kidding, right?"
"No, really. I mean, I'll be done touring in a couple months, then we
could go to Vegas and get married. We could take VJ, Brian, Howie,
Nick, Kevin, and Alisha, if we find her soon, and hop a plane to
Vegas. Come on, BJ. Somehow, I don't think our parents are going to
give us their blessings anytime soon."
BJ listened everything AJ said. She knew he was right about their
parents. They weren't going to approve any time soon. And she really
didn't care if her father cut her off if she married AJ. I'm in
charge of my own life, damn it, she thought. I decide who I
want to marry and when. And if I have to marry AJ in Vegas, so be
it.
"All right," BJ agreed. "Let's do it."
"Okay." AJ felt relief flow through him. He hadn't been sure if BJ
would go for the idea or not. "Don't worry about anything. I'll set it
all up. Do you think you could find a suitable wedding dress in the
next two or three months?"
"Of course. If it's out there, I'll find it."
"Good. I'll see the next few days I have off and we'll start planning
a fairy tale wedding."
"Cool. Listen, I have to go. VJ is going out of her mind with worry.
She has been ever since Brian had his last check-up at the doctor.
She still trying to convince him to have the elective heart surgury."
"Well, tell her I think it's working. He's been looking at the
different doctors in the country."
"Alright, that should calm her down a bit. I'll see you whenever you
get home. I love you, AJ."
"I love you, too, BJ. Bye."
"Bye." They both hung up.
BJ sat back on the couch wondering if she had made the right decision.
Of course she loved AJ with all her heart, but it really meant a lot
to her that her family be there when she got married. But she knew
that wasn't going to happen and this was the only way she could be
with the man she loved.
AJ lay down on his bed, hands behind his head, thinking about what he
was planning to do. He just hoped their parents wouldn't be too angry
when they found out he and BJ got married anyway. Then he started
thinking about the life he was going to begin with BJ at his side
forever. The thought made him smile. We're doing the right
thing, he thought. It's the only way they'll see we're serious
about spending our lives together 'til death do us part. With that
last thought, he got up and went to go tell the others about what was
going on.