Finally, the guys had yet another interview and Leigh had promised Brian she'd call both their parents and update them in their lives.

That was fine with both of us, as Kate and I wanted to get online -- alone.

I clicked on Internet Explorer and when the program came up, I wrote the http address. It was barely seconds later that the main page of our school came up. I clicked here and there when our profiles came up.

I turned around and looked at Kate.

She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. I could tell she was as nervous as I was. It was three weeks after our finals and it was for certain that our grades were out by now. They had probably been given around a couple of days ago, but neither of us had remembered it to wonder if we were gonna fly over there or not; because if we didn't received them in person, we couldn't present a complain for them, if we had any. Still, something told me that the answer would have been a negative, but I didn't really want to think about that.

The point was that the grades were now online allowing us to check them out from the comfort of our hotel suite.

"Ready?"

I nodded at her question. We would have to see them eventually. No better time like the present.

I clicked on hers first, the grades of the whole semester coming up. I heard her let out a long sigh just as I saw the numbers. She had passed all her finals and with a very good grade, if I must say so myself. She was going to have a respectable average for the next semester. Something around 89 if I wasn't mistaken.

It was time to see my own and I dreaded. I sighed softly as I clicked. I closed my eyes just as the distinctive sound of the mouse was heard.

"Don't say anything," I told Kate.

"What?" I could feel her eyes on me. "Come on Matt. Look at it already."

After a moment, I did as requested. I let out a long breath, filling my lungs complaining for the lack of oxygen. I had passed them all. Oh, thank God. I had needed quite a bit in Biology -- I had never really liked that subject. I looked at the numbers and did quick math. Just a little over 90. Nothing bad for eighteen-year old. I felt rather proud of myself.

"I think it's time to celebrate Matty," she walked over to the side of the bed, just by the phone, picking up the list for Room Service. She sat down with a big plop, the receiver in hand. "What about some ice-cream?"

I grinned widely. "Who am I to say no to ice-cream?"

And so, we ordered.

*****

As was usual by now, Nick and Kate were playing Nintendo on the floor, Howie was speaking on the phone, Alex listening to music, Brian and Leigh were cozy on the love seat and I was resting my head on Kevin's lap on the couch.

I sighed softly. Kevin was running his fingers through my hair and it was so calming. Everything had run smoothly today and so, they still had about fifteen minutes before the concert. Usually, I wouldn't believe fifteen minutes to be so much, but in the last three and something weeks, I had come to realize that it was, in fact, quite sometime.

AJ stood up from his seat and walked over to the food table. He picked up a couple of M&Ms. "I'm heading out for a smoke."

I blinked a couple of times as I watched AJ leave the room. I looked up at Kevin, who was rather engrossed in one of his many papers. "AJ smokes?"

Kevin nodded absently, not taking his eyes from his papers. "Yeah."

"And he leaves to smoke?"

Kevin shrugged. "We don't really mind, but I think he likes smoking outside more."

I nodded at him, even though I knew Kevin hadn't probably seen it. I stood up from his lapin one movement, feeling my head spin for a second. And as fast as it came, it was gone. I blinked, my head seeming to readjust. I run my fingers through my disheveled hair, trying to give it some shape. "I'm going to the bathroom."

I saw Kevin nodding as I walked over to the door. Kate lifted her eyes enough to wonder silently about my destination. I jerked my head towards the door and she caught my meaning.

I walked out, my pass secured in my pocket because I certainly didn't want to encounter a security guy who didn't believe I was with the band. When I left the bathroom, instead of taking the hallway that would take me to the dressing room, I looked around.

I had never been really fond of exploring the venues. It wasn't much help, as they were always different in every city we arrived at. However, this time I did feel like exploring. I walked down the hallway on the right, trying to imagine where it would lead me.

It took me a couple of minutes before reaching a clearing and, to my surprise, the parking lot. I remembered the guys would usually play basket there as I saw the couple of hoops, however today they hadn't had time.

I squinted my eyes a little bit. It was getting darker and the lights were out. I could barely see a thing. I forced my eyes just a notch, my temples starting to hurt out of nowhere. My fingers reach out at its own volition to my right temple, massaging slowly. I saw a figure standing to the side -- the only reason I did see him was because I could see the light from the cigarette.

I walked over there and the closer I got, the easier it was to see Alex.

"Hey there," I said.

Alex turned around, looking funny at me. "What are you doing here?"

I didn't know how to take the question, I couldn't tell if he was angry by the intrusion or not. I shrugged. "I went to the bathroom and got walking. I ended up here."

AJ nodded after a while. We stood side by side in silence. I didn't know what to say. When I had first met the guys, I hadn't really become best friends with Alex. It was like, out of the group, the one that was most difficult for me to talk to would always be AJ. I didn't know why, and I would always remember his opposition to my relationship with Kevin.

Before thinking further about it, I extended my hand. "Can I have a smoke?"

Frowning slightly, he turned around, looking at my inquiringly.

"What?" I asked back.

"You smoke?"

I shrugged at his question. "It's not much of a habit of mine, but yeah, I do every now and then. Now, can I?"

AJ handed me the ciggie. I took it in my hands and took a smoke. I smiled at the feeling. Red Marlboro. It had been months since I last had one.

"I hadn't pictured you as a smoker."

I chuckled, taking another puff. "I'm not really much of a smoker, actually. I have one every once in a while, whenever I'm in the mood." I turned around, looking at him. "So does Kate."

"Kate?" Alex chuckled slightly, taking another cigarette from his pack and lighting it. "I wouldn't have thought that of her."

"I'm gonna return this one, you know?" I said, lifting my hand as I indicated the one I held.

Alex shook his head, taking a puff of his own cigarette by now. "Don't worry. It's not that. I just wanted another one."

I nodded. Apparently, Alex was much of a smoker than I would ever be. I took another smoke, the butt coming close to an end. "I'm not much of a Marlboro guy."

"Which one do you smoke?"

"Kate's got a very weird fixation with More."

AJ's puzzled look told me he didn't recognize the cigarettes.

"Brown, rather long ones." I ended the butt, throwing it to the floor and putting it off with my foot.

He nodded at my description. "Yeah. I've seen them a couple of times. They're light."

"Yeah. Not much nicotine, but they taste good anyway." I stared at Alex's lighter. He kept moving it around and around in his fingers. I had seen him do that before. Usually with papers, but still. "Can I look at it?"

Alex took a glanced at his Zippo, then handed it to me.

It was an extraordinary piece, and heavy -- which I realized when I had it in my hand. Kate's wasn't that heavy. I looked at the bottom of it. There was printed an A. Golden A. That was a lot for a Zippo. "It's beautiful."

"Should be, cost me a fortune."

AJ chuckled at his own statement and I followed him. "Kate's got one. Silver one. B, if I'm not mistaken." I said as I handed it back to him.

AJ nodded. "Yeah, silver ones are great too. I got this one... four years ago. We were in that stage when you've got money for the first time and you wanna spend it. I got this along with some other stuff."

"You're passed that stage?"

Taking another smoke, finishing it, he threw it on the ground. "Well, sometimes."

I just had to laugh at that one. "That's good to know."

We didn't say anything for a couple of minutes. AJ lit another cigarette, smoking it slowly. "I never did got to tell you I was sorry about what happened."

I wanted to interrupt him, but he lifted him hand, asking me not to say anything. I extended my hand, requesting for a cigarette. I didn't know why, but I wanted one all of a sudden.

Alex handed me one as he spoke. "I'm not sure how much Kevin told you," Alex lit the Zippo as I leaned over to light my own. "But I was very harsh with Kevin about it."

I nodded. I had thought so. Kevin never did give me all the details, but somehow he needn't to.

"I'm really sorry," Alex said, taking a puff. "It's got nothing to do with you as a person -- or with Kevin for that matter. I was just..." He took a long smoke, letting it out very slowly into the cooling air of the early night. "I think it all got me by surprise. Kevin told us he was gay, then that he was dating you and I couldn't believe this had all happened in front of my noses and I hadn't even see it." He shrugged. "I thought it was a bad idea. I kept thinking about all the reasons why it shouldn't happen."

I couldn't go against Alex in that one. I had done the same thing.

AJ continued, "When I should have been thinking about why it should happen. Kevin was so thrilled about it. When you two broke up, he was heart broken. I'm sure you were too." I nodded at AJ, as he seemed to be waiting for my confirmation. "I think that just made me realize that he really loved you. And then," he smiled softly, "when he came back on tour, he was always happy. He was always looking forward talking to you. He was the happiest I've seen him in months and that's great." He turned to look at me. "You did that Matt. You did it and that makes me see I've got no reasons not to like you, but a million to."

I smiled at his sincerity. I hadn't seen much of the things Alex had just mentioned, and for that I was grateful. "Thanks. I'm glad we can talk. I didn't want to have an enmity with any of you guys. Kevin thinks the highest of all of you and the least I want is to be able to hang out with you." I sighed slowly. "I was afraid it had to do with me."

Alex just looked down and didn't say anything. I wouldn't have asked him to. I had always believed it did have something to do with me, even if it was only in the beginning.

AJ was almost at the end of his last cigarette and I was about to ask something when my cell phone rang. I recognized the tone immediately -- assigning tones was useful. "Damn," I muttered.

Alex turned around and looked at me. "What's wrong?"

"That's Kate."

I had barely finished the sentence as I was taking the phone out of my pants' left pocket when his rang as well.

He took his phone from his pants -- I hadn't known those pants actually had pockets -- and looked at it. "Shit, it's Kevin." Alex answered as he looked at his watch. It was late. "Before you say anything, I'm on my way."

I did the same. "Kate, I'm going. Don't worry, will ya?" She took it and I hung up.

AJ looked at me and we both walked back towards the dressing room. "Yeah, Matt's with me." He said, looking right at me, a small smile on his lips.

So Kevin was going frantic about it, huh?

"No, I haven't kidnapped him. He came willingly." Suddenly, Alex laughed and it took me a minute to understand the double meaning. "No, it wasn't like it sounded. How? Because I know, alright. I would have noticed. Kevin, you idiot, I'm not deflowering your boy." He gave me a devious grin and I just laughed. "That's entirely your job."

I laughed right out and something told me Kevin probably heard me.

"See? He's save and sound and on his way to your arms." With that, Alex cut the connection. He chuckled. "That man is crazy when it comes down to you. He, somehow, thought I was hitting on you."

I chuckled at that.

"Yeah, my sentiments exactly," he said regarding my laughter. "You're not my time. And I do have a girlfriend whose actually coming to see me, you know?"

We couldn't say anything else as we reached the dressing room -- laughing. Kevin opened the door and stared at both of us. Kate was behind him and Alex and I just looked at each other. It didn't take five seconds for us to burst out laughing. It was just that hilarious.

We entered the dressing room, AJ going right to the closet to put on his vest.

"It's late, you know? Where the hell were you?"

I wasn't sure if the question was for me or for Alex and to tell the truth, I never did got to find out because Alex answered for the both of us. "Before you go all paternal and crazy on us, we were just on the parking lot having a cigarette and unless the laws changed in the last couple of minutes I was out, this is a free country and I can very easily do that."

"Not when we only have two minutes out!"

I attributed myself as eluded of the conversation as only Kevin and Alex were talking to each other right now, so I took a couple of side steps to get away from the action and bumped onto Brian who just gave me a small smile. That was enough to let me know this wasn't the first time something like this had happened. I totally believed him.

"Oh, you talk like an old lady." Alex turned around, took one long glance at Kevin up and down and chuckled. "Well, you are an old lady."

Before Kevin could say something, and I'm sure Kevin had a great come back because he was looking like a fiery about to attack, there was a knock on the door. "One minute!," was heard.

Howie intervened and I'm sure the guys were counting on one of them doing just that. "We better get going."

Kevin sighed, nodding as he did so. "Yeah." He walked over and gave me a small kiss.

"Don't get all worked up over nothing," I said softly. I didn't want him to be angry at Alex for something we both did. "We just got caught up on talking and lost track of time."

Kevin seemed to think about it for a while before giving me a small smile and nodding. "It's okay. I'm not mad."

Maybe not now, but seconds before it looked like he would get on a fight with Alex. I didn't push my good luck and just gave him another kiss.

The guys walked out of the dressing room, Alex following me. "Don't take it personal. He's like that all the time," he whispered on my ear as I reached the hallway. I turned around and he winked at me. So maybe he was right. He laughed and I joined him. "Kevin is an old lady."

Lucky for both of us, Kevin was a couple of feet before us, talking to CJ.

It was barely a minute later that the guys were already out to do their show. The three of had decided to stay in for this one as well.

*****

The guys had left rather early. They had an interview and then a bunch of things I didn't really remember. What had surprised me, and Kate on the way, was that they had asked if Leigh could be present.

Kate and I just had looked at each other when Leigh said she was going too. Kevin had looked at me and had the decency to be embarrassed. Apparently, he hadn't wanted to tell me about this.

"Actually," Howie had said, "it's not really that odd. We've had interviews with Leigh and Amanda present before." He had shrugged. "Sometimes they want the girls with us referring to some questions and photo shoot."

I had understood perfectly fine. I had just been surprised Kevin hadn't said something earlier. He said he forgot when he kissed me goodbye. I gave him that -- this once.

And so, it was Kate and I alone once again. Which was more than fine by me, because I had something to show her. The minute the six of them were out the door, I grabbed her wrist and pulled her to the bedroom. I kneed in front of my laptop which was on the floor at the minute and lifted the screen.

"Matt, did you finally loose it? Because if that's the case, then I can finally use that discount I had on the loony bin."

I turned around and glared at her. "I haven't lost it darling. You'll just have to keep waiting to send me away."

She shrugged. "I can wait."

I looked at it. "Finally it's done."

"What's done."

I unplugged the cable from the socket and lifted the laptop, placing it on the bed. I sat crossed legged and Kate followed my acts, sitting with her legs hanging from the side of the same.

I grinned madly as she stared at the screen. "What exactly am I looking at?"

"Ye of little imagination." I didn't see her glare as I focused on the computer. I have to accept that the only thing up was Napster, but that should have clued her in. However, as it hadn't, I looked at the file I was about to click in. It was named BSBOrlC.DAT. 58MB and something more. It had taken me close to five hours to finally have it down. I had pulled an all nighter. I had downloaded the last two items last night. This and the one before this.

I went to the My Files icon and clicked on it. I could recognize which one was the first even with my eyes blindfolded. It was amazing all the stuff you could find on the net.

And so, I clicked.

The screen came to live.

And Kate stared.

And I grinned.

"Those are the guys!" She practically screamed.

I just nodded. "Yep. In all their glory." And it was true. It had taken me sometime, but I had found an special the guys had done for TV. Apparently, it had aired on Fox Kids some time ago. Not that Kate or I would know anything, back then, the guys didn't exist for us. But now they did. And I gotten a hold of the concert on the internet.

"Oh my god," Kate whispered as she saw Nicky talking to the camera.

"I think the love and attention is great." Nick said to the camera and I smiled while Kate drooled. "We give everything that we have achieved in our career we have to them."

Next was my darling Kevin. I didn't really hear what he said. I just looked at him in his blue outfit and smiled softly.

The guys continued and we just sat there, watching. They even showed the rants. I just had to laugh. I was able to see Leigh holding Brian from the back, her arms around him as she clapped. I didn't say anything.

They started the show with "That's the way I like it." Kate and I didn't say anything. We couldn't. we just sat there watching a younger version of the guys we knew. We were hooked.

We finished the first item and both Kate and I just looked at each other. We waited a second, getting our bearing together before screaming to the top of our lungs. We chuckled when we finished. We had lost it.

"Oh my freaking god!"

I had to accept I totally shared Kate's words.

"Which song was that?"

I tried to remembered the chorus. "Hey Mr. DJ." I said after a minute.

Kate just laughed again. She was hyper, I could tell. Then again, so was I. Sure, we had seen the guys in concert. Hell, we've been in the concert. But this was different. This was just the five of them entertaining us. And it was amazing.

"Do the next. Play the next!"

I chuckled. "Anxious, aren't you?"

She glared at me. "We're loosing time!"

I clicked on the next item as I laughed.

*****

We finished the next item and we just had to have a break to get our bearing together.

We had both screamed so loud, it wasn't possible. I just wanted to die when I saw Kevin singing solo, going from one side to the room to the other, jumping and dancing. It was so great. He looked so young, so agile. Gosh, so hot at the same time. That song... I totally had to find it in Napster. I had to have it. Something told me that it had to be in one of the guys' old CDs. I had them all, of course, Kate had forced me to get them. But I hadn't really heard them to the end. Guess this meant I should better get my Discman and get ready for some serious listening.

"Was that even real?" Kate said, such a surprised look on her face I would have laughed right out if I wasn't sure I had a similar one in mine as well.

I nodded, a frowned on my face. I loved the guys on concert. But seeing a totally different one for the first time totally got my attention. Their solos, the acappella. Kevin's dancing. I had seen Kevin doing a very similar small dance once during "I want it that way" but now I saw it under different eyes. At the moment, I felt rather similar to when I had first seen the concert. It was an amazing feeling.

Kate was just like me.

"That was one hell of a concert, don't you think?"

"Yeah," I was out of breath and I didn't really know why.

"How did you get it?"

I was a little embarrassed about it and I blushed bright red.

"Tell me Matthew."

I shrugged. "I was surfing the net one day. Just going back and forth. Not really knowing what to do. There wasn't any new stuff to read, so I just got looking. I got curious about the guys once again and got into some pages." I should have stopped there, but I also knew that Kate wouldn't let me leave it at that. "There was a comment there about a TV show they had done, so I got looking. I found it a couple of hours later." I shrugged again. "This is it."

"Oh my," Kate said, a grin on her lips.

"Don't tell the guys. I'd never hear the end of it!"

Kate didn't say anything and I knew she'd tell. I had always known she'd tell.

"What was that other song?" Kate said after a minute. She scratched her left eyebrow and I knew she really wanted to remember the name. "That one. The pretty one."

"There's been a bunch we can name the pretty one."

"The one they sang acappella, that one." She started humming and I could recognize the song she was talking about. However, I didn't really remember the name.

She kept humming the chorus, looking at me like I should know.

"Let me think!" I said after a minute of trying to think about it with her getting on the way. "Something about being, or having." I kept thinking. "Ta ta ta you..." I shrugged. "Can't remember it."

"Agh!" she groaned as she went over to the living room, picking up her backpack. She rummaged through it until she came with her CD case. She opened it and looked until she found the very first CD the guys had made. She went through the songs. She really wanted to know the name.

Picking up that CD and the second one, she walked back into the room. I was just smiling at her. "Just to be close to you, that's it, right?"

I thought about it for a second. "Ta ta ta, closer to you, ta ta ta." I chuckled. "That's as much lyrics as I remember, so, yeah, it might be."

"It is. We'll listen to this one after we finish with the video, what ya say?"

Kate frowning slightly as she got the second CD and started reading the names of the songs slowly. "Hey! Here's Mr. DJ." She paused, "After that CD, this one. "

I nodded as I turned around, going through the names of the files I had. "Next one up, darling?"

She nodded enthusiastically. "Hit it!"

I chuckled, clicking the name and the screen morphed. I just watched. And so did Kate.

*****

By the time we finished the whole video -- five parts -- we were about to die, and kinda sore throat too. It had been... amazing. Just the five of them, singing, dancing, playing the instruments. It was breathtaking.

"Oh my," Kate said for the tenth time in the last hour and a half. "Oh my."

I only nodded. "Oh my, alright. That was..."

"Great," she finished for me. "I wanna see them play again."

I chuckled. When we had seen the guys take the instruments from their musicians, we were ready to die. I swear to god. We had screamed so loud, I was wondering if the rest of the floor had heard us. Kevin had played the keyboards and I had bit back my scream. So did Kate, when she saw Nick playing the drums. Those boys were amazing. And suddenly, I felt like I was running out of adjectives.

We were also able to recognize some of the steps from this tour. Oh, and we were much more attentive when it came down to names. I was still drooling from All I can give. Those dark suits, the singing and the steps I had seen on the concert. But still. It sounded stunning. Oh, the hat routine. I could kept going on and on about every single thing -- and I felt like doing just that.

"They played in Quit playing games, right?"

I nodded.

She grinned at me. "Hat routine?"

So, we were in the pop quiz session, weren't we? "All I have to give." That one was easy, I had been thinking about that song, anyway.

"Acappella?" I questioned back.

"Just to the be close to you." She thought about it for a moment. "Nick singing alone?"

"I should be asking you that one, don't you think?" I grinned. "It depends, I think. He sang that one... something about a party or partying."

"Lets have a party," she said, indignant I didn't remember the name.

"Yeah, well, that one I think."

"We gotta learn the lyrics."

I groaned. There were so many songs. I hadn't even learned the ones on the Millennium concert. "Don't you think you're asking a little bit too much?"

"Fans know more about the guys than we do, don't you think that's plain down wrong?"

Well, I had to give her that one. I sighed. "All right. Give me a minute," I said, turning around my computer a little, getting my cable and hooking it up on the socket. "Let me surf for the lyrics, alright?"

She nodded happily. "You're the greatest."

"Just thank your lucky star you've got such a nice friend like me."

"Yeah, right."

I didn't say anything as I got online and searched for a good lyrics page. She was right. The least we could do was know the lyrics to the boys' songs. It was gonna take me at least twice the time it would under normal circumstances. I had to remember I only had one good hand to type.

*****

When the guys got back to the hotel, just on time for lunch, Kate and I were singing every song that came to our minds to the top of our lungs.

Kevin kissed me softly and I just started to chuckle.

"What's so funny?" Alex asked.

Kate and I just looked at each other and break on singing. "If I don't have you, to hold onto." Rather off key, if you ask me.

Howie frowned as he looked at us. "Why are you singing that?"

Kate changed song, as requested -- maybe not requested, but I think that question was enough for little Kate. "If you want it to be good girl, then get yourself a bad boy."

I think that verse did the trick, because Nick blushed bright red.

"I would have thought you liked that song." Nick glared right at me and I just grinned. "Oh, Nicky, it's a nice song."

Nick shook his head. "It's been ages since I last sung it."

"Not to us," Kate whispered so low only I got to hear her. That got us laughing again.

Leigh chuckled along, Brian lifting an eyebrow in a question manner. She just shrugged. Apparently, she thought our laughter was contagious. That was good.

"Guys," Brian said slowly as he looked at us. "I think they've lost it."

We just kept on laughing. Only then did I realize we were in the middle of one of our fits of laughter. That wasn't good.

Kevin walked over me and tilted his head to the side. That just kept me on going. He frowned, his nose wrinkling, and it reminded me of one of the scenes of the video. His nose had wrinkled just like right now. "Poppet?"

I just kept on laughing. I took deep breaths, trying to calm down. We were finally able about thirty second later. But we did it.

"What was that?" Brian asked, still lost.

Kate and I just shrugged. We had promised not to say anything at the end. We were sure that was the best. It would look rather childish to say we had been watching videos of the five. The things we had to do for our image -- not that we had one.

"How was the interview?" I asked all of a sudden. Better get their attention away from us. Good technique, too, I had seen it in X-Files a couple of times.

"It was great," Alex said, putting on his hat. I wanted to chuckle. It was a leopard printed had. It was so... flashy. Which actually fitted with his mustard tight pants. Good look, if you tell me. Only AJ could pull it off. "They usually push some unwanted questions," he continued, "but this time they didn't. It was rather nice."

"We should get going," Kevin said as he placed his arm around my shoulders, "it's getting late."

We all nodded and headed out. Brian opened the door and we all followed. We had barely reached the hallway when Kate turned around, a glitter in her eyes. "Red pants," she whispered.