"Can I talk to Kayla please." Nick said tentatively into the receiver.

    "Yeah just a second." The girl on the other end said.  Nick drummed his fingers impatiently on the table.

    "Hello." Nick smiled just hearing her voice.

    "Hi Kayla, it's Nick."

    "Nick?  What are you doing calling me on a Saturday night? Did I forget something?" She said worriedly.

    "No, you didn't forget anything.  I was uh, just wondering if maybe you wanted to do something tonight?"  Oh god maybe I was out of line calling her at home, what am I doing?

    "I kind of already have plans." She said sheepishly.

    "Oh, okay then, well see you Monday."

    "Wait, Nick!" She yelled before he could hang up.  "Why don't you come out with us,"

    "No, that's okay."

    "Oh come on, It'll be fun." She said like she had been the one to call him.

    "I don't want to be a third wheel."

    "Nick, there's like ten of us, it won't be an intrusion. I'll come pick you up and whenever you want to go we'll leave."

    "Well what are you doing?"

    "We're going to a cheesy karaoke bar.  C'mon, I'm the DD, I need someone to be sober with. "

    "You sing?" All Nick heard was laughter on the other end.

    "Um, no.  Not at all, but it's fun to watch other people suck at it.  I'll be at your house in fifteen minutes... be ready." She said sternly, hanging up the phone before he could say no.  Nick trekked up to his room and hunted around the disarray of clothing, cd's and magazines in his room for a ball cap, finally finding a faded Nike cap and smelling it before putting it on his head pulling it down low over his eyes.  He wore the cap despite the fact he didn't feel like he'd be recognized, a reckless feeling to have but he didn't seem to care tonight, for the first time in a long long time he had plans.  He'd been such a recluse from the world for the past half a year, people probably wouldn't believe it was him anyway.  He heard Kayla's car horn and quickly checked himself out in the mirror, semi satisfied that he didn't look horrible, before darting off to meet her.  It had taken four hours of boredom, nothing on TV, and a severe lack of anything to do to prompt him to call Kayla, she did say she was his friend, why not? He had thought.  Now sitting in her car driving o some club, he didn't know if he should have done it, he was abnormally nervous.

    "So if you don't sing, why are you going to a karaoke bar?"

    "Well it's not really a karaoke bar, it's a dance club, but Saturday nights they have Kareoke on the third floor.  And
watching other people make fools out of themselves is fun." she shrugged.  "You gonna sing?"

    "I doubt it.  I really doubt it."  Nick said, and Kayla shrugged her okay.  "Are you sure you wanna go to this club tonight?  I mean we could just hang out at my place or something."

Nick didn't really want to be around people, he just wanted to hang out with Kayla, she made him feel normal.  He didn't feel like the Backstreet Boy, he didn't feel like the guy who had his heart ripped out and he didn't feel like a type-cast of anything.  He was just himself.

    "I'm the DD remember, I have to go."  She replied, glancing over at him. "And you're not getting out of this, so don't even try, you're my savior tonight."

    "Why am I your savior?"

    "Because, you don't know my friends.   When you're the only sober one in the bunch they are a handful, it's like running a daycare of really big, drunk, and annoying kids."

    "So what makes you think I'll stay sober?" He asked slyly.  "I could turn into another one of those people you have to take care of."

    "Well I guess I'm just hoping you'll take pity on me and keep me company." Nick had no intentions of getting drunk, he had gone through that phase, and he didn't do too well with hangovers.  "Besides, you don't know anyone but me, so you're forced to keep me company; sober or drunk."

    "Oh I am am I?"  Kayla nodded assertively. Nick just shook his head, knowing she was right.  They pulled into the packed parking lot and drove around to find a space.  In all the time Nick had lived in this city, she continued to bring him to places he had never been, like all these places were underground secret hideaways that no one knew about or talked about.  Finally she parallel parked in a spot that just barely fit the car and they got out.

    "I don't know Kayla,"  Nick said as the got closer.  "This isn't really my scene.  Maybe I'll just grab a cab back home."

    "No way Nick." She said, pushing him to the doors.  "Have a little fun for once."  Nick was reluctantly forced into the club and before he had even noticed she had paid his way in.  A stamp was pounded on top of his hand as Nick looked around, still being guided forward by Kayla.  The first floor was quiet, slow mellow rock music played on a jukebox and people played pool or just sat at the bar talking, halfway up the stairs to the next floor was where the pumping sound of bass hit their ears and a haze of smoke filled the air and their lungs.  Dozens of people were crowded in the middle of the room dancing, drinking and seemingly having a good time.  Nick looked at Kayla with surprise as she grabbed ahold of his hand tightly, pulling him along with her.

    "It's so I don't lose you." She yelled over the music, when she saw the look on his face, pulling him through the throngs of people that stood on the outskirts of the room.  Kayla waved to a group of guys and girls as she pulled Nick up the stairs, they sat at a table near the small stage where a man with a cheesy mustache attempted to match the dance motions of Axl Rose in a semi-decent version of 'Patience'.  Kayla and Nick sat down, and she introduced her friends to "her boss" then reintroducing him as Nick when she saw the annoyance plastered across his face.  Nick tired to get comfortable and joined the crowd as they started whistling along with the man on stage.
 

    "This isn't so bad is it." Kayla said a short while after they had been there, leaning in close to him so he could hear her.

    "Not yet." He said, handing the waitress who brought them their drinks a twenty dollar bill, passing Kayla her Pepsi.

    "Thanks." She muttered.  "Oh and I was just kidding, if you feel the need to get sloshed, I'm not holding you back." Nick shook his head, he'd have a couple of beers to relax a little bit, but that's all.

    "This might sound like a bad pick-up line, but do you guys come here a lot?"

    "Every once in awhile, the girls love to get up and sing and the guys love to look at the girls."

    "And what do you love to do?" He asked as they watched the next person climb up on-stage and sing.

    "Here?  or in general?"

    "Both."

    "Well here I love to dance, drink upon occasion, and just hang out with people.  In general I love to do a lot of things, it's a big world." She said with a smirk.

    "Such a smart ass." He said rhetorically with a shake of his head.

    "I happen to think it's an endearing quality." She laughed as one of her friends grabbed her by the hand.

    "Kay, come to the bathroom with me." She said pulling her from her seat.  Kayla shot Nick a look that told him she'd be right back and left.   Nick sat back in his chair and listened to the vocal stylings of one of the girls Nick had just been introduced to, her name escaping him.   So far he had been having a good time, he always had a good time when he and Kayla just sat and talked, her clever quips and bitchy remarks always seemed to surprise him, no matter how many times she did it.  But what had captured his attention the most tonight were her eyes, dark and brown, almost black and always sparkling with laughter or wittiness.    Nick found it hard to not stare into them with a deep seeded intensity, like he was trying to see what was on the other side.

    "Ready to sing yet?" Kayla asked when she returned.

    "Funny." He said as she slid into her seat again.  "Besides....I couldn't compete with that." Nick gestured towards the stage where two rather large men sang in horrible harmony to a Hank Williams Jr. song, complete with choreographed moves and back up singers, all Kayla could do was laugh.

    "We should hire them for our next tour." Nick said seriously leaning back in his chair in ponderance, cracking up as Kayla burst out laughing again.

    "Wardrobe too....complete with the flannel shirts and plumbers crack."  She laughed.

    "Definitely." He agreed.
 

        Nick and Kayla laughed long and hard for most of the night, and mainly at Kayla's friends, who now. after a few hours at the club and despite their best intentions, were too drunk to even speak the words  of Michael Jackson's "The way you make me feel", much less sing them, although they had the moves down pat.  Nick and Kayla had been the only two in the group to avoid the stage, and Kayla, who normally would be up there by now, slaughtering a song with the rest of them had she been drinking,  stayed at the table for Nick's sake.  Part of her wished he's go up and sing some old Billy Joel tune and impress the people here with a little talent, or wail to a nsync song just for the sheer humor of it.   But another part was glad he stayed at the table with her, she didn't think he wanted to be out as "the singing guy", she didn't know if he wanted to be out at all.  But she desperately wanted him to have a good time, I think he needs it, she thought looking over at his semi-amused face as he watched the stage.  Kayla's friends laughed their way back to the table, Nick giving them a round of applause as they sat down.  But slowly, one by one they left the table again, going to the bar, the bathroom or downstairs to the dance floor, until once again it was just Nick and Kayla at the table.  He leaned back in his chair, nursing the same beer he had been drinking an hour ago and watching the next act up on stage, there was an awkward silence between them, they were comfortable talking to each other but neither of them had anything to say.

    "We should dance." Kayla decided suddenly, grabbing Nick's hand, pulling him from the table before he could even respond.

    "Kay....I don't..." he barely muttered as they walked down the stairs.  She wasn't going to hear it.  "Kayla..." he pleaded
again as he was drug into the middle of the throngs of people that were dancing.  Kayla wasn't going to let him sit and
watch everyone else have fun, she longed to see a genuine smile on his face, not a 'pose for the camera, you're going to
be in a magazine' grin.    She didn't think he'd be up for the dancing, but once they were out on the floor  he stayed,
slowly and hesitantly beginning to get into the music, but sticking close to her.  They stayed out on the floor, dancing
for almost an hour straight.  Sweat beaded off both their foreheads as they laughed and talked into each others ears,
commenting on the people around them and making fun of each other and the slight movements they'd make to the
music when they didn't think anyone was looking.  As the night neared it's end, the music slowed down and without even asking they moved into each others space and began a slow rhythmic spin in each others arms.  The calm melody was a welcome relief to the high paced dance music and gave them both a chance to rest a little.  The stickiness of being
pressed together was uncomfortable, she could feel her shirt clinging to her skin where Nick's hands were, but they stayed out on the dance floor regardless, like if they left for even a moment they both knew the fun would end and one if not both of them would want to go home.   Kayla shivered slightly as Nick's breath blew a cool breeze across the skin on her neck, her eyes closing with the next wisp of cooling air and her grasp around his neck tightening slightly.

As that song ended and another began, Nick pulled back from her, his hands slid from her back to her hips and Kayla
opened her eyes to look at him.  She smiled wide when she saw the smile on his face, a happy smile, the smile she had
been waiting all night to see, the perfect compliment to the laughter she had heard all night.  Nick quickly and without any warning at all kissed her hard and awkwardly on the lips, taking Kayla completely off guard.

    "Where did that come from." She said, pushing him away from her.  "Nick what are you doing?"

Nick stood before her, the smile vanishing from his face and eyes, the gloomy look returning.  "I'm sorry." he muttered, "I was just having a good time with you, and....forget it, it didn't mean anything."

    "Really Nick, why did you kiss me?" She asked, still holding onto his arm so he couldn't leave.

    "I told you, I'm having fun tonight."

    "So?"

    "So, I didn't think about her at all." he said quickly, but she caught what he said, even in all the noise of the music and
people.

    "What did you say?"

    "Nothing, I just said I was having fun." Nick eyes shifted from hers.  He didn't really know why he had kissed her, but it hadn't felt right anyway, he got caught up in a weird moment of possible happiness, happiness that was occurring without Jenna or the thought of her.  But now he felt guilty, because with the proclamation that he didn't think about her, she was all that was on his mind.

    "Nick, don't think that just because you're having fun with me and forgetting about Jenna for a little while that you're over her.  You know you aren't, I know you aren't and kissing me isn't going to change that."

    "Why do you sound like such a mother all the time?" He said.

    "I don't sound like a mother, I sound like a shrink." She said with a confident grin.

    "Yeah, you're right. You do." he said, as the flowed back into dancing.  "and I'm sorry."

    "No you aren't." She said sternly  "and you're a bad kisser." Kayla laughed loud and very hard when a look of appallment came over Nick's face.  Kayla laughed even more when her comment rendered him speechless, but little did he know that the kiss he had given her was running through her head, creating new questions in her mind and making her stomach do flips, regardless of what she had said to him.

Chapter 4

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