Larger Than Life (Backstreet's Back sequel)

Chapter 19

"Thanks for waiting for me to get out of the hospital before you did this," Nick was saying as he threw another object into the bonfire. The Boys all sat around a moderately sized bonfire on the Jersey shores watching stars.

"Couldn't have done it without ya, baby bro," Howie said hugging his knees to his chest and inching closer to the fire.

It had been a week before everything with the police had been cleared, and Nick was released from the hospital. All the fan craze had died down as the mass media coverage about all the missing children returning swept the city. The Backstreet Boys being in town was long forgotten, making it safe for the Boys to venture out again.

"Hey Howie, pass me another amulet," AJ called. Howie tossed one of the various assortment of amulets from a cardboard box to AJ. AJ tossed it into the fire and cheered when it popped.

The Boys had all agreed that Chiros's things had seen too much daylight. They all voted on getting rid of the damned creepy things.

"Ok, here's the last of it, and Brian and Nick, we saved this one for you guys,' Kevin uncovered the last article. It was Chiros's book, the one that had started the whole mess in the first place. Kevin laid it infront of Nick and Brian and backed away. Nick and Brian both glared at the filthy thing and looked at one another with wicked grins, "You get the front and I get the back!"

They tore open the book and began ripping out handfuls of pages and tossing them into the fire. They watched as the the yellowed pages curled and disintegrated in the heart of the flames.

"Why are you guys tearing it up instead of throwing the whole thing in?" AJ questioned Frick and Frack as they went on about their task of ripping out pages.

"We want to make sure everything gets burned!" Brian said, "Nothing's gonna get past us this time!"

A gust of wind blew the embers around causing them all the shut their eyes and bat at the smoldering bits.

"That's everything," Nick said dusting his hands off, "Lets get back to Robert's so we can finish packing up and get home! I am so sick of New Jersey it's not even funny!"

Everyone, for once, agreed with Nick. They doused the fire, gathered their mess, and hustled each other toward the rental car.

Robert was on the phone when they crashed into the house, he looked very intent on his conversation. The Boys milled around in the kitchen looking through the refrigerator and cabinets.

"You guys want a pizza?" Kevin asked after shutting the refrigerator door.

"Sure," the others agreed.

There was a small click as Robert hung up the wall phone. He kept his head down for a while and he was scratching the back of his neck.

"I want pepperoni and mushrooms," Nick supplied.

"So guys, have you been thinking about what we should do for our next video?" Kevin asked.

"Huh? Well, no Kev, we've been kind of busy!" AJ snorted.

Kevin smirked a little and looked at Nick who looked dreamy, "Um... I think I know what Kevin's getting at."

"Kevin was getting at something?" Brian questioned with half a cookie in his mouth,

"Well, the last time we were demon-napped we got a really cool video out of it right? Well this time, why not get the same thing? I mean it was out of my own imagination, and it was really cool, " Nick was speaking very animatedly.

"Nick, what the heck song would we use to do a video like that?" Howie demanded making a face.

"D, man you said that the last time! 'Everybody' was a hit! Why can't... 'Larger Than Life' be one too?" Nick was leaning on his elbows on the kitchen table.

"'Larger Than Life?'" AJ asked, "Why that song?"

"I dunno, I guess because that is what that experience was," Nick shrugged.

Howie rolled his eyes and groaned, "I think it's dumb, but you guys are gonna talk me into this, I know it. But for right now, save me the headache. Aren't we supposed to be ordering a pizza?"

"That's right! I'll call!" Nick jumped up knocking over a chair and dashed over to the phone where Robert was still standing. He stopped short when he reached Robert and caught the look on his face.

"What's up Rob?" he asked hesitantly.

Robert looked up at him, and then around the room at the rest of the Boys, "Ummn... Don't know how exactly I should say this..."

"Say what?" AJ jumped on top of the counter and Kevin gave him a stern look. AJ stuck his tongue out at him, "What is it?"

"Well, Mother just called..."

"Mrs. Carolyn?" Brian asked tapping his fingers on the counter.

"Yes, and apparently... um... there were some pieces missing from the exhibit..."

Howie spit the water he had been drinking clear across the room, "What?"

"When she shipped the exhibit here, some part of it didn't get packed.. And well, now they are... Missing."

The room was silent as everyone let that new information sink in.

Everybody cursed at once!

"Does this mean more airplanes?" Nick whined.

"Yes it mean more airplanes!" Everybody snapped.

"Man, I hate trilogies!" Nick groaned, pouting and folding his arms over his chest. He had actually lost appetite for real this time.

The End...... ( or is it?)