Chapter 1

-Joe’s POV-

“Jay, have you seen my sunglasses?” I asked walking into the living area on the bus. She didn’t respond so I looked up from the buttons on my shirt to see her in what looked like a very uncomfortable position on the couch. Her long legs laid across the couch and her body fell over the arm to her sketch pad on the floor. She had her iPod in and I could hear the faint sounds of Chris Brown ‘With You’ coming from the ear buds. Every once and a while she would sing along with the song and push her falling blonde hair out of her face. I sat myself down beside her sketch pad. She looked up at me and smiled, tugging the ear buds out of her ears

“Hey” she said pressing pause on her iPod.

“You look awfully uncomfortable” I said

“Well, I’m kind of hoping the laws of gravity will pull some creativity out of me”

“We can always take you to a park and let you hang upside down from the monkey bars”

“Not funny Joe… I’m in a slump and I can’t get up off the couch” she said pouting. I chuckled and kissed her on the cheek

“Alright let’s get you up” I said standing up and walking in front of her. I helped her up and off the couch before bending down and grabbing her sketch pad.

“Thank you” she said sweetly. I looked at what was on the open page on her pad

“What are you talking about being a slump? This is awesome” I said

“Meh, it’s… average” she said shrugging

“Whatever Jay… have you seen my sunglasses”

“Check Kevin’s bunk”

“Why would they be in Kevin’s bunk?” I asked as I made my way back there

“I don’t know; they’re your glasses” she said. I looked on Kevin’s bunk and sure enough there they were

“You are amazing” I said slipping them on my face

“While we’re on the topic of glasses, when are we going to be in New York again?”

“Uh, next week I think”

“Cool”

“Why?”

“I need to see my optometrist… I think I need a stronger prescription” she said taking her glasses off her face

“I like it when you wear glasses”

“I do too, but they get kind of annoying sometimes”

“I know what you mean… you should wear Kevin’s in the mean time, he has a tiny head and a strong prescription”

“I have a tiny head?” Kevin said crossing his arms and glaring at me. Jay just laughed as her cell phone started to ring

-Jay’s POV-

“Hello?” I said into my phone

“Jay my darling” Fran said

“How are you today my dear?” I asked sitting down on the couch

“I am excellent… I was wondering how you would feel about accompanying me to Australia the week after next for a shoot... with Donatello Versace”

“Oh my god Fran, that’s amazing, of course I want to go”

“I thought so”

“I’m so excited Fran”

“I figured you would be… um, one more thing where is the spring 2006 file?”

“You can’t live without me… it should be in the filing cabinet that has spring, summer, fall and winter 2006 in it, it’s clearly marked, 2006 has the yellow inserts in the cabinet”

“Merci beaucoup, I’ll talk to you later”

“Bye Fran” I said hanging up.

”Love to go where?” Joe asked sitting down beside me

“Um, eavesdrop much?” I said jokingly

“I call it monitoring those I love”

“I call it annoying”

“Let’s bring it back in Jay, where are you going?”

“Australia the week after next” I said as I braced myself for the outburst of song. Sure enough Joe started belting out the chorus to ‘Australia’.

“Who mentioned Australia?” Nick groaned coming into the room. His clothes were wrinkled and his hair was lumped to one side; he had obviously come from a nap.

“I’m sorry” I said

“You knew that would happen… why Jay? Why would say it?”

“Because he asked me where I was going in two weeks”

“You’re going to Australia?”

“Yeah, with Fran”

“Lucky”

“That’s right, be jealous” I said. I went to my bunk to call my mom and ran into Joe on my way back through the bus. He wrapped his arms around my shoulders and pulled me into a tight hug

“Joe, I have to talk to your dad” I said

“Shh, let’s just be together right now” he said rocking back and forth. I smiled and rolled my eyes as I put my arms around his torso. We stayed there for a few minutes before I pulled back a bit and looked at Joe

“I need to talk to your dad” I said. He shook his head

“I’m not done yet” he said

“Joe, I love you, but I have things to do” I said pecking his lips. He let out a long sigh and dropped arms

“Alright, leave” he said dramatically

“Okay” I said in a peppy tone. I walked to the living area in the bus

“Hey Kev, where’s your dad?” I asked Kevin who was watching TV

“In the venue” he said

“I’m gonna go find him”

“Alone?”

“I’ll be fine”

“Okay, just call if you get attacked”

“Will do” I said getting off the bus. I went into the building and started searching for Paul. When I saw him I stopped dead in my tracks, Paul was talking to the Backstreet Boys. Now, I’m not a current fan of the Backstreet Boys, but I mean when you see your first celebrity crushes standing in front of you, you kind of freak.

“Are you allowed to be back here?” Howie asked me. Paul turned around and saw me

“That’s Jay, she’s with us” Paul said

“Hi, I’m Brian” he said sticking out his hand. Brian was always my favourite

“I’m Jay” I said shaking his hand and squealing on the inside

“Is there something you needed Jay?” Paul asked breaking me away from my awe

“Oh, yeah, uh, I was just letting you know I’m leaving the tour early”

“Can I ask why?”

“Fran’s taking me to Australia for a shoot”

“Australia? What do you do?” Nick Carter asked me

“Um, I’m a designer”

“You look pretty young” Brian said

“You look pretty” Nick said. I giggled stupidly

“Why don’t you go get the boys Jay” Paul said shooting a warning glare at the boys. I nodded and quickly turned back down the hall only to trip over a wire and fall flat on my face. I looked up and could faintly see the outlines of Joe, Kevin and Nick were standing in front of me; my glasses had fallen off from the fall

“Everyone’s looking at me aren’t they?” I said.

“Yep” Kevin said

“You okay Jay?” Joe asked putting out his hands and helping me up. I stumbled forward a little and took a step to brace myself and heard something crack

“I really need a new pair of glasses now” I said bending down and picking up the now two pieces of my glasses.

“Oh man Jay that sucks” Nick said

“And I lost a contact when we were in Maryland, which means I am blind in one eye until we get to New York”

“Kevin’s or mine?” Joe asked

“What?”

“Whose glasses do you want: Kevin’s or mine?”

“Oh, uh, Kevin’s if that’s okay, yours are too weak”

“I’ll go get them for you” Joe said turning quickly and running down the hall.

“Is it okay I borrow your glasses Kev?”I asked a blurry curly haired figure. I heard Nick laugh and then I was turned to another slightly taller curly haired figure

“Yes its fine, I think you need them” Kevin said chuckling. A few minutes later Joe came back with Kevin’s glasses.

“Thanks babe” I said slipping them on my face

“No problem” Joe said slinging an arm around my shoulders

“So, how hot do they make me look?” I asked Nick

“So hot, I mean I’m thinking about offing Joe to have you for myself” he said monotonously.

“Thank god, I’d much rather have you than him anyway” I said grinning

“Pshh, yeah right” Joe said pulling me into a hug. I loved his hugs more than anything.

“Like I would ever give you up” I said wrapping my arms around him. He kissed my forehead and started rocking back and forth.

“Jay, I have an emergency!” John Taylor yelled

“What can I do for you JT?” I asked him

“Well you see, I was warming up and I dropped my pick and I bent down to get it…”

“Enough said. Now, take your pants off for me”

“Betcha that’s not the first time you’ve said that eh Jay?” he said winking

“John, if you’re not out of your pants and quiet in the next thirty seconds I’ll make you go on without fixing them” I said putting my hands on my hips. John laughed and went back into the room he came from. A minute later the door opened a crack and a large pair of pants was thrown into the hallway. Luckily the tear was right on the seam so it was a really easy fix.

“You’re a machine” Joe said as I fixed the pants in no time at all. I gave them back to John when they were finished

“If you don’t want your pants to rip just ask me to get you bigger pants” I said

“All my other pants are bigger… these ones are just my favourite” he said

“I can see if I can take them out a little bit”

“And alter the magic that is these pants?” he said wide eyed

“Never mind, but if you tear them again you’re fixing them yourself” I said pointedly

“Yes ma’am” he said and disappeared behind the door again

“Jay, your surprise is here” Paul said to me as he came into the room

“What surprise?” I asked confused

“Hey baby” my mom said walking into the room

“Mom!” I yelled jumping into her arms.

“I missed you blue jay” she said

“What are you doing here?”

“Well, interior design conference and I was getting lonely at home… there’s someone else who wants to see you” she said smiling as Calvin ran around from behind her

“It’s my baby” I said picking the dog up

“He missed you”

“Oh I missed you my little guy! Look how big you’re getting; you’re a big puppy now! Yes you are, yes you are” I said in my baby voice to the puppy. He excitedly licked my face so I put him down and wiped my face off.

“Did you get new glasses?” my mom asked me

“No, I literally JUST broke mine, these are Kevin’s”

“I was going to say they’re a little more masculine than I would have thought you’d get”

“I can not wait to get a new pair… I’m thinking Burberry”

“And I’m thinking how are you going to pay for designer glasses?”

“Don’t worry Patty; I’ve got the money honey”

“How do you put up with her?” my mother asked Joe. Joe just laughed and shrugged

“Thanks mom, I feel the love” I said sarcastically

“I’m kidding darling… but I have to go now” she said with a smile I recognized

“You have a date tonight” I said

“What would make you say that?”

“Oh please, you were grinning like a six year old that just got a pony… now who is he?”

“A guy I met at the conference today”

“An interior designer? You want to date an interior designer?”

“He’s a carpenter thank you very much… and he’s so cute”

“Well, I hope things work out for you… I love you and I want to hear all about it”

“Of course… I love you too” my mom said giving me a hug and picking up Calvin before heading out the door. It made me kind of sad that I hardly saw my mother now, we were always so close.

“You miss her don’t you?” Joe said when I turned around to face him.

“It’s just kind of weird because we used to do everything together and now we can hardly find a minute to do anything” I said shrugging

“I have to go on now, but you’ll spend time with me after the show right?” he asked

“As I enjoy doing every night”

“Mmm, I love you” he said kissing me quickly

“Love you too” I said as he ran into another room where his brothers were. I grabbed my sketch pad and a pencil and curled up into a couch backstage to wait for the guys to finish.