[[ Friends Forever ]]

I got up later that day and found that Nick was still there. He was sound asleep, so I let him be. Harmony's loud voice drifted back to my bunk. " Nikki? Are you up? We've got a show in three hours, " she yelled. I groaned and got up. " Yeah, yeah, yeah, " I muttered, gently shaking Nick. " Nick... wake up. We've got to get ready, " I said. He looked at me sleepily. " What time is it? " he asked. I looked at my watch.

" Four thirty, " I replied. He got up and steadied himself, then followed me out to the front of the bus.

" Nikki! " Harmony's yelling was driving me nuts. The whole time I was in the shower, all I heard was her yelling at me to get up. " I'm up! " I shouted from the bathroom. " Oh, okay. Sorry! " she called back.

" Yeah, you better be, " I mumbled under my breath, getting my toothbrush out. There was a knock on the door. " What? " I called. " Nikki? I'm gonna go get ready, " Nick's voice drifted through the door. " Okay, " I said through a mouthful of toothpaste.

A few minutes later, I was done in the bathroom. " There ya go, Harmony, " I said, opening the door and shutting off the light. " It's about time! You don't have to hog the bathroom all day! " she complained.

" If I want to hog the bathroom, I will! " I shot back. " Stuff it! " Harmony commanded. " Don't tell me what to do! " I yelled. " I'll tell you what to do if I want! " she shouted. " Damn it! Shut up! I don't have to listen to you! " I screeched. Then I spun on my heel and took off, bounding down the three steps at the door and landing flat on my rear end on the pavement.

" Ow! " I howled. Charisma and Amanda came running up to me, with Kevin on their heels. " What's wrong? " they all asked. " I fell, " I mumbled. " Are you okay? " Amanda asked. I nodded. " Somebody help me up, " I said, reaching up. Charisma pulled me up and I dusted myself off. " What's all the commotion? " Nick asked, wandering up. " She tripped and fell on the steps, " Charisma said. " Are you alright? " Nick asked, coming up and hugging me. " Yeah, I'm fine. Just pissed off at Harmony. What a little brat! " I said.

" Uh-oh... what happened this time? " Charisma asked. We all laughed. Harmony was a bit bossy, and one of us was always in some little squabble with her. They were usually resolved within a couple hours, and we were best friends again. " She thinks she's the queen of the world, " I said. " What's new? " Amanda asked. We all laughed again.

By ten minutes to showtime, Harmony and I were not speaking to each other. " Are you guys gonna be mad at each other all night? " Howie asked me right before we were going onstage. " If that's what happens, then yeah, " I said. I looked around, wondering where she was. I spotted Amanda talking to AJ, and Charisma chatting with Brian. Harmony was nowhere to be found. But I didn't care.

" Where's Harmony? " Charisma asked frantically when the announcer was about to introduce us.

" I don't know. Don't care, either, " I muttered. " Nikki, you can't stay pissed at her forever, " Charisma said.

" Want to make a bet? " I asked. She just shook her head and sighed. " Never mind. Just help me find her, " she said.

We never did find her before showtime. " Okay, everyone, Amanda sounds the most like her. Amanda, you sing Harmony's parts, okay? " I asked. Amanda nodded, and we all ran out onstage. I half expected Harmony to just show up in the middle of the show, but she didn't. When we were done, we went backstage and there she was. " Harmony! Where were you? " Charisma demanded. " I see you guys can handle it without me, " Harmony said coldly.

" Don't even start that, Harmony. You know better, " Amanda said. " I'm serious. I should just go home. I heard you guys talking about me earlier. Maybe I am bossy. Maybe you all are better off without me here, " she said. " No! You've got to stay. You're a part of this, too, Harmony, " Charisma said. Harmony shook her head. " You guys don't really want me here. You're just saying this because you know you should. I can see right through it. I'm not blind, " Harmony said. I wasn't speaking to her, so I never said a word throughout the whole thing.

When the guys' show was over, I went up to Kevin. " Kev, can you talk to Harmony? I'm mad at her, but I don't want her to leave the group. I just don't want to talk to her right now, " I said. Kevin nodded.

" Sure. Where is she? " he asked. " She's right over there, " I said, pointing. " Okay. I'll go talk to her now, " he said. " Thanks a bunch, Kev. It means a lot to me, " I said. He smiled. " No problem, " he said, then headed over to Harmony.

I watched them talk, and to my relief, as far as I could tell, he didn't say anything to her about me. After a while, Harmony nodded and turned to leave. Kevin came back over to me. " She says she's just mad and that she's not going to leave the group, " he said. " Okay, good. Thanks a ton, Kevin. I mean it, " I said.

" You're welcome. I like helping out, " he said.

I told Amanda and Charisma what Kevin had told me, and then went to find Nick. He was sitting by himself looking out the window in the lounge. " Hey, Nick, " I said, going in and sitting down beside him.

" Oh, hey, Nikki, " he said absently. " What's wrong? " I asked. " I miss my family, " he said. " I miss mine, too. Well, what's left of it, " I said. " What do you mean? " he asked. " All I've got now is my mom and little brother, " I said.

" Did your parents get a divorce? " Nick asked. I nodded. " Yeah, and my dad got custody of my other brother and my sister. I haven't seen my dad in about eight years, and my brother and sister only get to visit on Christmas and Easter, and sometimes for a couple weeks in the summer, " I explained. " Oh... you're okay with it by now, right? " he asked.

I nodded. " Yeah... well, most of the time. Sometimes I realize how much I miss LeAnn and Justin, and I start crying. But usually I'm fine with it. The trouble is, now that I'm on tour like this, when LeAnn and Justin are staying with my mom, I won't be there to see them. They're supposed to come to visit mom in a couple months, and I'll still be on the road. I won't see them for a long time, " I said, starting to cry.

Nick put his arms around me. " I think we can come up with a way for you to see them, " he said. I looked up at him and sniffed back my tears. " How? " I asked. " You'll see. Where do they live? " he asked.

" In Detroit, Michigan, " I replied. " Okay, " Nick said. Then he hugged me tightly to him as I started to cry again.

Nick helped me to the bus a little while later, since I was still crying and was in no shape to walk by myself. " What's wrong? " Amanda asked when she saw me. " She'll be okay. She's crying because she misses her family, " Nick said. " Oh... she told you about LeAnn and Justin, didn't she? " Amanda asked. Nick nodded. " Never fails. She can't keep from crying when she thinks about them. She never gets to see them anymore, " Amanda said.

" I know. She told me everything, " Nick said. " Even about her dad's sickness? " Amanda asked, knowing I never told anyone about it. " Sickness? No, she didn't say anything about a sickness, " Nick said.

" Oh... I never brought that up, then, " Amanda said. " Is her dad going to be okay? " Nick asked. Amanda shrugged. " They don't know. He's okay for now, but I don't know why they gave him custody of those two kids. He won't be up to it too much longer, " Amanda said.

" What's wrong with him? " Nick asked. " I can't say, because Nikki will get mad at me, " Amanda said, nodding at me. I'd sat down on the couch and by now I was fast asleep. But when I heard my name, I woke up. " I'll what? " I asked groggily. " Nothing, " Amanda said. " What were you talking about? I don't like people talking about me behind my back, " I said. " I just said you'd get mad at me, " she replied.

" Why would I get mad at you? " I asked. " If I told Nick about your dad, " Amanda said, letting it slip out. " What about him? " I asked. " About... you know, " she said. She came over to me and leaned over.

" About the cancer, " she whispered. " Oh... I wouldn't have been mad if you told him. I would've told him by the time this night is over, " I said. Amanda shrugged. " Okay... well it's getting late. I'm going to bed, " she said. " Okay. Goodnight, " I said. " 'Night, " she said. " 'Night, Amanda, " Nick said. " G'night, Nick, " she said, then turned to go to her bunk.

" Why didn't you tell me about your dad? " Nick asked me, sitting down beside me. " I was going to, but I was too upset, " I said. " Is he going to be okay? " he asked. I shugged. " I don't know. They said they can expect him to live at least another two years, but they can't be sure about anything more than that, " I said. " I'm sorry, Nikki. Is there anything I can do? " he asked. I nodded. " What? " he asked. " Be there for me when I need someone to talk to, " I said.

" I promise I will. No matter what, I'll be there for you, " he said. I smiled through my tears that were falling again. " Thanks, " I whispered. He hugged me tightly, and we sat there on the couch for a long time not saying a word.

That night when I went to bed, I thought about LeAnn and Justin. Was there a way for me to see them? I didn't know. Nick seemed pretty sure of himself when he'd said that earlier. But was it possible? I decided to call them the next day. LeAnn probably wouldn't be home, knowing her. She'd just turned fifteen and more than likely, she'd be off with her friends. Justin was fourteen, and was pretty social. He wasn't home much either.

I woke up the next morning around ten. " Well... it's probably eleven there, since it's one time zone away, " I mumbled to myself. " What are you talking about? " Amanda asked from the bunk above mine.

" Oh. I was just going to call LeAnn and Justin and I was trying to think of what time it is there, " I said.

" Almost eleven, " Amanda replied. I picked up my cell phone and dialed their number.

" Hello? " a girl's voice answered. " LeAnn? " I asked. " Yes... who is this? " she asked. " It's Nikki, " I said. " Nikki! Hey, sistah! " she said. I laughed. " Hey! What are you up to? " I asked. " Nothing much. I got up a few hours ago, and I just got out of the shower, " she replied. " I just woke up like five minutes ago, " I said with a laugh.

" Dang! It's almost eleven o'clock! " she exclaimed. " It's only ten here, " I said. " Still! " LeAnn laughed. " I was up until like one o'clock, I've got an excuse, " I said with a giggle. " Why were you up till one? Isn't your show usually over at like eleven? " LeAnn asked. " Yeah, but I was talking to Nick, " I said.

" Ooh... getting your groove thing on! " LeAnn teased. " Well... actually, not really. I was talking to him about you and Justin, " I said.

" What about us? " LeAnn asked. " Just that I missed you guys and wanted to see you, but I won't be home when you guys are there next time, since you're spending Christmas with dad this year, " I said.

" Oh... man, I wish you could come visit, " she said. " Me, too. Nick's like, ' Well, we can arrange for you to see them, ' but I have no idea how, " I said. " He's probably got something up his sleeve. Don't you think he's just adorable? " LeAnn asked, giggling.

" Yeah... he's really sweet, too, " I said. " You guys should go out, " LeAnn said. " Well... " I trailed off, then laughed. " What's so funny? " LeAnn asked. " That's old news, " I said. " What do you mean? You two already are? " she asked. I laughed. " Well... yeah, " I said. " Whoa! I'm slow! " LeAnn exclaimed.

We both laughed. " Just a little... so, what's up with you? " I asked. " Nothing much. I'm going to the mall later today, and we're going on a week-long break at school for some kind of violence protest thing, " she said.

" You're lucky... you get a whole week off, " I said, laughing. " What do you mean I'm lucky? You're the lucky one! You've got the job of your dreams, the man of your dreams, and everything else you could possibly want! " she exclaimed. " I guess, " I said absently. " What do you mean, ' I guess '? " she asked.

" Never mind. You're right, I do, " I said.

LeAnn and I got off the phone a little while later and I got off the bus to go to the McDonalds across the street. After jamming my feet into my shoes, I bounded off the bus, only to literally run into AJ. " Oh! Hey, AJ! " I said. " Hey, Nikki. You know where Amanda is? " he asked. " Umm... I think she's still in her bunk. Go on in, see if you can find her. She's in there somewhere, " I said. " Okay, thanks, " AJ said, climbing on board the bus and going inside.

I turned to go, and smacked right into Nick. " Damn! I'm getting good at running into people! " I exclaimed. " Huh? " Nick asked, confused. I laughed. " When I got off the bus, I didn't see AJ and I ran right into him. And then I just ran into you, " I said. " Oh... okay, " Nick said slowly, looking at me funny. I laughed. " Never mind. Want to run across the street with me to McDonalds real quick? " I asked. He nodded.

" Sure. "

When I got back on the bus half an hour later, someone's phone was ringing. " Whose phone is that? " I yelled. " Yours! " Charisma answered. " Answer it for me! " I called. There was a pause. " It's Nick! " she yelled. I bounded back and took the phone from her. " Hello? " I asked. " Hey. What's up? " he asked.

" Nothing much. I was getting ready to go find out what I'm supposed to wear tonight, " I said.

" We don't have a show tonight. It's tomorrow, " Nick said. " It is? " I asked. " Yeah, " he replied.

" And when was someone planning on telling me this? " I asked. " I don't know. I thought Amanda was going to tell you, " he said. " Never mind. Hey, can I call you back? There's another call coming in on this phone, " I said. " Okay, talk to you later, " Nick said. " Bye. "

I hung up and the phone rang again. " Hello? " I answered it. " Hi... Nikki? " I heard my mom's voice. " Yeah... what's up, mom? " I asked. " It's your father, " she said. " What about him? " I asked. " I don't know if you knew, but he was in the hospital, " she said. " No, I didn't know. Why was he in the hospital? " I asked.

" His heart started acting up, " she said. " Are you serious? " I asked. " Yes... but let me finish. The hospital called me a little while ago... he went into surgery this morning, but they don't expect him to make it much longer, " she said.

" What? No! " I cried. Tears started rolling down my face. " I didn't want to believe it, either. But, Nikki, you've got to pray for him. Pray for him, and maybe he'll make it. His heart is very weak, and it'll take a miracle for him to make it. And I want you to know that even though your father and I divorced, I still love him. I will always love him, but it wasn't meant to be, " mom said. I could hear the tears in her voice.

I choked back my tears. " No! He can't die! " I screamed. " Nikki! Calm down! Listen to me! Pray for him, and maybe he'll make it. But it won't do any good to sit there crying, " mom said. " Nooooooo... " I wailed. For someone who's seventeen years old, I sure was acting like I was two. Charisma heard my howling and ran back to my bunk. " What's wrong? " she asked frantically. I shook my head and looked away. She took the phone from me.

" Hello? " she said. Then she listened. " Oh, my... Mrs. Fowler, can I let you go? I need to go find someone, " she said. " Okay... yes, I'll be sure to do that... okay, bye, " she said. She turned the phone off, and then hugged me. " I'm so rry, Nikki... I'm so sorry, " she said. I sniffled. " It... can't... happen, " I muttered, between sniffs.

Charisma left a couple minutes later to go find the others. When Nick found out, he rushed onto the bus and back to my bunk to find me. " Nikki... Nikki, are you okay? Charisma told me about your dad, " he said, picking me up and hugging me tightly. " He's going... to be... okay, " I said defiantly, between gulps of air. " Yes, he'll be okay, " Nick whispered, stroking my hair gently.

I wouldn't leave the bus for several hours afterward. No matter how hard anyone tried, I wouldn't budge. Nick pleaded with me, trying to get me to get up and go get some lunch with him. He sat there with me the entire time. Amanda begged me to get up and at least eat something. But until almost seven that night, I would not move from my bunk. Finally, hunger overcame my troubles, and I got up to get something to eat.

Nick had fallen asleep where he was sitting beside me, so I left him there. He woke up while I was getting something to eat, and rushed out into the tiny kitchen. " Nikki... you finally got up, " he said, smiling a little. " Yeah... I was hungry, " I said. " I knew you'd eat something sooner or later. I was getting worried, though, " he said. " Thanks, " I whispered. " For what? " he asked. " For worrying. It makes me feel like people actually care, " I said.

" I care... I care a lot, Nikki. More than you realize, " Nick said, hugging me. " It's a good feeling, " I whispered, leaning my head on his chest. We stood there holding onto each other for a while, then I pulled away. " What's wrong? " Nick asked. " What's going to happen to LeAnn and Justin? " I asked. " They're going to stay with your dad, like always, " he said. " Nick, he's not going to make it. His heart's too weak, " I said.

" He'll make it, Nikki. And if by some chance he doesn't, LeAnn and Justin will go to your mom, " Nick said. " That's too much of a burden on her, " I said. Nick looked at me, but didn't say anything. Then his gaze shifted to the floor. " Do you think they'd be able to handle life on the road? " I asked suddenly. Nick looked back up at me. " I don't know. How old are they? Are they mature kids? " he asked. " Yeah... LeAnn's fifteen, and Justin's fourteen, " I said.

" They might. If they're anything like you, I'm sure they're great, " he said. I blushed. " Well... mom always told me LeAnn and I are so much alike that we could be twins, " I said. " Then I know for sure she's a real sweetheart, " Nick said, smiling at me. " I think... wait, they can't stay with us. I'm not old enough to be a legal guardian, " I said. " Aren't you eighteen? " he asked. I shook my head. " Not for three months, " I said.

" Harmony's eighteen, " Nick said. " No! Harmony will not be in charge of my brother and sister! No way! " I snapped angrily.

Nick looked at me in surprise, then looked down. " Oh, man. Nick, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound like a bitch. I'm just mad at Harmony. There's no way in the world that I'll let her be in charge of LeAnn and Justin, " I said. " It's okay. You could let them stay with your mom until you're old enough, " he suggested.

" I don't want her to have to deal with three kids, " I said. I thought for a bit. " Hey... let's stop talking about this and wait until we hear more news about your dad, " Nick said.