The Story of Us (Book 1 of "The Story of Us" Series) [Completed]

Chapter 1 - Hello, Goodbye

[September 1998]

Nick Carter stood next to one of his best friends and band mate AJ McLean on the red carpet. He never really liked red carpet events because they always made him nervous. People dressed up in clothes that cost thousands of dollars and especially the scantily clad dressed women who if he gave them a quick glance was surely going to give him a hard on.

Going on stage at the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards and performing while pitching a tent in his pants is not how Nick wanted to make his presence known.

He adjusted the reading glasses that he was wearing to look more sophisticated and looked over at Jennifer Love Hewitt as she walked the red carpet with Carson Daly and sighed.

"How the fuck did a geek like Carson Daly get that?" AJ hissed, leaning in closer to Nick.

"I'm just trying not to look, that's all," Nick muttered, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Don't want to get a happy Lil' Nicky, huh?" AJ snorted, walking over to Kevin, hanging all over him as Kevin did an interview with Entertainment Tonight.

"Asshole," Nick muttered, feeling someone bump into him.

"Hey, don't call me an asshole," he heard a girl say. He looked back seeing a blonde standing there with her arms crossed, glaring at him. "I got shoved into you."

"I... wasn't talking to you," Nick said, glaring at her. "I was talking about my friend." He looked her up and down, noticing the bra looking halter top she had on and the low-cut fluffy skirt that looked like it belonged on a Barbie doll. "Do I know you?"

"Harley Harper," she said, sticking out her hand to shake his.

"Yeah, I don't know who that is. Are you here as a date for someone? Are you old enough to date?" he asked as she glared at him. He noticed he offended her and then began wracking his brain trying to figure out if he had just made an ass out of himself. Was he supposed to know who she is?

"I'm almost 17 and my video's being played on TRL so they asked me to come," she said, rolling her eyes and smacking her gum. She was obnoxious. "I'm kind of a country singer, sort of."

"Sort of?" Nick asked as Kevin pulled on her arms, telling him to follow the group. "Either you're a country singer or not."

"Are you a pop singer, a R&B group member or just a guy in a cheesy boy band?" she asked as Nick opened his mouth in shock. "That's what I thought," she smiled, bouncing her way back to someone who was either her mother or manager.

"Oh, you met Harley Harper," Brian said, walking up to Nick. "She's cuter in person but I can't believe she has that top on."

"Should I know this chick? She said she had a video on TRL," Nick said as Brian laughed. "What?"

"She's kind of blowing up in country music right now and I think her label is pushing a pop presence," Brian said as they watched her make her way into the theater where the awards were being held. "She doesn't even have an album out yet. From what I heard, they released her first single as a test and it blew up so she still has to record the album."

"She's a smartass is what she is," Nick muttered, causing Brian to laugh as Kevin walked over to them.

"What the hell are ya'll doing?" Kevin asked, his thick Kentucky accent flared up along with temper. "Nick I was motioning for you to..."

"He was busy with a girl," Brian chimed in.

"Yeah and you have a girlfriend back home, don't you?" Kevin asked as Nick sighed, shrugging his shoulders. He refused to answer that question. He didn't like to think about it.

As he followed the other guys into the theater, he passed by Harley as she was giving an interview to MTV News.

"I've actually written most of the material on the album that's being recorded, but I'm always looking for new inspiration," he heard her say as he looked back over his shoulder, seeing her glance at him.

Harley Harper walked into one of the industry after parties for the Video Music Awards by herself. Her mother and manager, Patsy, had told her she could go by herself but only if she was back in their hotel room, upstairs, by 10. It was already 9:30.

Sure, she hated the fact that her mother was her manager and treated her like she was a teenager. Sure, she was almost seventeen years old, but she went to regular high school and had a career of her own taking off. She worked harder than anybody she knew. The least she could do was go to one party and meet a few people in the industry. That's how you made contacts were talking with different people.

And she was determined to get those contacts.

She knew what kind of career she wanted, whether her parents approved or not. She wanted a career like Shania Twain's, where she could have a country album and a pop album. She wanted to work with people at this party like Puff Daddy or No Doubt.

She wanted the kind of career that would lead her to these places and she didn't care what she had to do to get it.

As she pasted by a group of girls who looked as if they were younger than her, she made her way past the dance floor and saw a familiar face.

It was Nick, the Backstreet Boy that she had talked to earlier that that evening on the red carpet. She saw him noticing her and she immediately began looking elsewhere. She was a smartass to him before and he probably thought she was a bitch. That wasn't the kind of reputation she wanted to start her career off with.

As she walked past a few more people, she paused seeing Steven Tyler of Aerosmith talking with Fiona Apple. She stood there, basically staring at Steven because she was such a huge Aerosmith fan.

"Why don't you go up to him?" she heard someone whisper in her ear. She looked back, seeing Nick standing there with a glass, handing it to her. "It's Sprite."

"You didn't put a roofie in here or anything, did you?" she asked as Nick rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "Thanks and I'll stay away from the major rock stars tonight since a Backstreet Boy didn't know who I was."

"One of us did," Nick chuckled. "Brian knew who you were. I listen to a lot of rock and rap, so I'm not that into country."

"Sorry if I seemed like a bitch earlier," she said as he took a sip of his drink. "I was just nervous. It was my first red carpet and MTV at that and I ended up bumping into you, so don't take it personally."

"So you're seventeen?"

"Almost seventeen. I turn seventeen at the beginning of November.

"So you get tutored or did you take a test to get done with school?" Nick asked. "I got my diploma a few months ago from tutoring."

"Oh," she said, not knowing what to say. "Well, right now I still go to regular high school." She watched Nick as he almost spit out his drink all over his suit. "What's wrong with that?"

"Well if you're blowing up like Brian said you were, that won't last long," Nick laughed, watching her sigh.

"I hope not, because I hate it," she sighed. "The other kids don't understand that all I really want to do is sing and write music. I mean, I'm sure you probably went through the same thing."

"Kind of," he said, reaching over to sit his empty glass on a nearby table. Harley smiled as Shania Twain's "You're Still The One" blared over the speakers at the party. "You like this song?"

"Shania is my idol," she said as Nick nodded. "That's who I want to be like."

Looks like we've made it
Look how far we've come my baby
We mighta took the long way
We knew we'd get here someday

"Wanna dance then?" Nick asked before even thinking about the words that had come out of his mouth. Before he could even say anything else, Harley had taken his hand, leading him out to the dance floor. "Well, okay then, just take charge."

"That's how I am sometimes," she said as Nick placed his hands on her sides, only to realize he was touching her skin. He moved his hands down to her hips and she laughed, putting her hands on his shoulders. "What's wrong? Never danced with a girl before?"

"Yes, just, you know, you're kind of underage and you're half naked," he said as she snorted, wanting to laugh. "Well it's true. You have on a bra as a top basically, showing off your stomach..."

"Like Shania would do," she said, looking him in the eyes. "So what, I'm sixteen, almost seventeen, what's wrong with that?"

Nick shrugged, not saying anything. He didn't see anything wrong with it. In fact, he liked it. A lot. He thought she was cute. She talked with a tough girl attitude but with a twist of being a Southern Belle with it. Kind of like Scarlett O'Hara on steroids, if that made sense. He didn't know here she was from or what she sounded like singing, but he knew she intrigued the hell out of him.

He just stood there dancing with her, barley moving their feet to the music. He looked at her hair, noticing how the curls were losing their shape from the hot Southern California humidity. He looked at her small diamond earrings and the simple necklace she had. Then his eyes moved down to her breast. Before he knew it, his hands were back on her sides, touching her soft skin.

"Not sure your boyfriend would like his girlfriend dancing with someone during a slow song like this," Nick finally said as Harley shook her head slowly. "No boyfriend?"

"Guys at school think I'm stupid and weird for wanting what I want," she whispered. Nick noticed how tall she was. She was just a little shorter than him. She had to be at least 5'10, maybe 5'11 in the heels she was wearing. He looked down at her lips. They were still sparkly with what he was sure was freshly applied lip gloss.

"It's not stupid," Nick smiled. "If you keep going like you're going, and if you're good..."

"I'm good..."

"Well I haven't heard you yet, but if you are, then they'll regret it one day and I can say 'Hey, I met her when she was first starting out, all sweet and innocent'." Nick said, causing Harley to smile. He watched her as she leaned closer to him, pressing her cheek next to his.

"What makes you think I'm all sweet and innocent?" she whispered, moving her head back to look at him.

Nick swallowed and licked his lips wondering what the hell kind of thoughts were running through his mind at that point. She was sixteen years old. He was eighteen. Sure, if they were in high school, she would be barely a junior and he wouldn't even be in high school. Suddenly Nick wasn't sure what he was thinking.

He could hear Kevin screaming in his head, like an angel on his shoulder, "She's underage!"

Then there was AJ screaming in his head, like a devil on the other shoulder, "Hit that!"

"Harley!" They both snapped out of their gaze, looking over to see Harley's mother / manager standing off to the side. "It's time to go."

Harley wasn't sure what to say. She was embarrassed. Her mother had just come to snatch her away from her first real industry party. And Nick was nice. And cute. And had awesome lips. And eyes. And that smile.

"Harley, let's go," she heard Patsy say as she looked back at Nick, taking a step away from him.

"I have to go," she whispered as Nick nodded. "It was nice meeting you, Nick. I had fun talking with you."

"Nice meeting you too," Nick smiled, walking her as she started to walk away. "Good luck on your album!" He watched her as he looked back, mouthing the words 'thank you' to him.