CHAPTER TWO

"Okay guys, let's show those fans what were made of!"  

Everyone cheered as the guys made their entrance.  The show was spectacular.  The special effects were awesome and boys were hitting their moves perfectly.  Everything was going just as planned.  Until "More Than That"  came on.  The song was going great,
 

I can see that you've been crying
You can't hide it with a lie
What's the use in you denying
That what you have is wrong
I heard him promise you forever
But forever's come and gone
Baby, he would say whatever
It takes to keep you blind
To the truth between the lines, oh...
I will love you more than that
I won't say the words
Then take them back
Don't give loneliness a chance
Baby listen to me when I say
I will love you more than that


but then Nick¹s part came on,

Baby, you deserve much better
What's the use in holding on?

Nick was smiling and waving at the fans, but then he stopped singing. He looked into the audience.  There she was.  The girl with the red eyes.  They were a blazing red.  He could not look away.  She was staring deep in to his eyes.  

'Come to me...'  She thought.  'Come here so I can have your blood!'

Brian went up to Nick and nudged him.  He broke eye contact with the girl.  The boys just went in to the chorus, even with the weird feeling in the arena.  For the rest of the concert, Nick tried to find the girl, but she was lost in the audience.  

After the show just before the bows,  Brian announced the seats of the fans that they would meet after the show.  "And the winners are..."  He picked a seat number from a hat, "Section 101, Row BB, Seat 6."  There was silence.  All of a sudden a huge scream erupted from the back of the arena.  

"Okay, the next winner is,"  He picked a second number.  "Section 99, Row GH, Seat 9."  

Another scream came from the left side of the arena.  "Okay, and the last winner is,"  He picked out another number.  "Section 103, Row CS, Seat 4."  No scream came.  There was silence.  "Okay, well, we look forward to seeing those fans, and goodnight to all!!"  With a final explosion,  the boys vanished from stage.
   

"Man, what a show!"  Said A.J  collapsing on the couch in Kevin¹s dressing room.  

"Yeah."  Said Nick quietly.  Sitting on any empty chair.

"Nick, man, Frack, WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU OUT THERE?" shouted Brian.  

Nick didn't say anything, he just stared at the floor.  

"Did you forget the words or something?"

At that moment there was a knock on the door.  

"We'll talk about this later."  Said Kevin seriously.  

Howie went to the door and opened it.  "Hi!"  he said happily.  Two of the three girls were purple faced.  They looked like they were going to explode.  "What's the matter?"  Asked Howie in a concerned voice.

  "I.. c...c...can't...believe...you...Howie...oh my god!"  One of the girls said as she started to cry and hugged Howie.  She was weeping so hard that she was turning from purple to red.  

The other purple-faced-fan was looking at Brian in a embarrassed way.  Brian grinned and the girl grinned.  Brian went up to her and hugged her and she almost fainted.  The other girl looked excited, but not as much as the other two.  

A.J glanced at her then looked away, then stared at her.  He pulled Nick over to him and whispered in his ear, "It's your Mick D's girlfriend."

  
"What?"  asked Nick.  He was confused.  Then all of a sudden he realized with a shock what A.J was talking about.  He looked at the girl; sure enough there was the-red-eyed-McDonald's-girl.  

The girl smiled at them and walked over to them.  "Hi, I'm Janet!"  Said the girl.  She looked at Nick in the eyes for a second and then turned back to A.J.

 
"So," said A.J, "You work at the McDonald's near here, don't you?"

Janet looked at him, shocked.  "Yeah," she said in amazement, "how did you know?"

"I just did," A.J grinned evilly.  "Did you have a guy order a double quarter pounder with cheese value meal, large coke, large fries and an ice tea but," he spun around and pointed his fingers at Janet.  "No lemon?"  

Janet looked as if she were going to pass out.  "Gosh, yeah!  How did you know?"

"Well, only because, well, I was that guy."  He smiled as Janet's jaw dropped open.

"You... were...him?"  

A.J nodded.  

"Wow, I served a Backstreet Boy, did I do well?"  

A.J pretended to be thinking really hard.  "I guess, but you need to ask the manager about changing the uniforms, man!  Talk about ugly!"

Janet laughed.  

"Who was with you?"  She asked.  "Cause I remember a guy ordering the same thing..."

"I was him."  Said Nick, watching Janet¹s face carefully.  

She smiled.  "Cool, so I served two Backstreet Boys, WOW!!"

"Do you wear contacts?"  Said Nick all of a sudden.  

Janet looked surprised.  "Uh, what do you mean?"

"I mean do you wear contacts?"  Nick sounded annoyed.  "Do you have different colors?  Like blue, green, or maybe even red?"  Nick watched Janet's eyes very carefully.  

She looked back at him.  Then it happened again.  Her eyes were changing.  They were no longer brown, they were turning orange, then a shade of dark red became visible.  Janet looked away.

  
"So," said A.J, completely confused as to what was going on.  "Could I have your number?"  

The girl smiled.  "Sure."  She scribbled a number on a piece of paper and gave it to A.J.  He tucked it in to his pocket.

  
"Thanks."  He said, bowing.

"No problem."  Janet took one last look at Nick then, hurried out of the room.  The other fans were having trouble getting out, so security came out and "escorted" them out.  When finally all the fans were gone, Kevin shut the door.

"Now, Nick, tell us what happened."  

Nick took a deep breath and told them about what he saw, at the McDonald's, in the audience and just now.  When he was done, the guys were silent.  

Then Brian chimed in.  "So, do you want a scarf for Christmas?"  

Nick looked confused.  "Why would I want a scarf?"  

The guys started to laugh.  Brian grinned.

"To protect your neck from the mean vampire."  

Nick felt a jolt of fear go up his spine.  "Vampire?"  He asked. "Hell yeah," Brian was trying not to laugh.  "'Vampire's eyes turn red when the make eye contact with their next victim'.  And I quote from this book," he held up his book that he was reading.  The front cover read, "The Mark of the Vampire!"