Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2001 18:12:56 -0700 (PDT)
From: John D <zachstack@yahoo.com>
Subject: BSB Hearts Assunder Part 1

Part 1
Broken Hearts
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**Disclaimers: This is merely a work of fiction and
not to be taken too seriously.  THis story will be
rated PG-13 at the most and does not necessarily
reflect the sexual orientation of the parties
involved.  Enjoy.**
-------------------------------------------------------

The news struck him dead in his tracks.  He was
definitely speechless with the whole revelation.  He
had just recently ended his first and worst open
relationship and now he was pretty much loosing his
best friend.  Ever since the band came together, they
had both been drawn together like moths to a
flourescent lamp.  He had always felt at ease with
Brian.  Infact, it was Brian who pretty much got him
through the first stages of puberty!  Brian had
introduced him to a brand new world of happiness and
love.

All of that had fallen apart when she came along.
Leigh Ann, a lovely lady, took his best friend and his
very first lover away.  He had been devastated when
Brian first brought her into the fold.  But this was
taking it to a new level.  This...this fascade of
briliant smiles and loving congratulations was tearing
him up inside and this time there was no Brian to turn
to...

[flashback]

"Nick, I told you that this day would eventually come.
 You and I had a lot of fun together, but both of us
knew that we would eventually move on from our
childish sex games."  Brian cooed to him then when she
first showed up.  "Buck up now, man, it's not like you
to cry like this."  Then even the worst of news
couldn't stand its ground against one of Brian's sweet
heart-melting smiles.

[flashback ends]

But this time it was different.  This time Nick could
barely breathe when Brian had moved on to celebrate
with the other Backstreet Boys after first telling
Nick the "good" news.

"Hey Nick, we're headed up to the bar to celebrate,
you coming or what?"  Kevin's voice permeated the
crumbling walls of Nick Carter's all of a sudden
fragile world.

"I'll catch up!"  Nick called back shakily after a
deep breath.

"Alright, we'll see you in a bit then."  Nick heard
the door shut echoing over the happy voices of his
bandmates.  After a few moments of listening, making
sure that they had finally gone, Nick doubled over
overcomed with grief, racking sobs and agonized
wailing washed over his entire body, making even the
simplest of all things like breathing seem impossible.
 Nick hadn't cried this much since...since...

'Brandon!'  His eyes shot up immediately.

Brandon was his first ever best friend after Brian had
brought in Leigh Ann...

[flashback]

Nick had been hunched over at a nearby pub.  Despite
being one of the most saught after pop stars at this
time, Nick had been able to successfully leave his
private estate find solace at the bottom of a shot
glass at a nearby pub.   It had been way past midnight
when Nick showed up at the empty bar.  All that
remained had been a handful of tired couples and
lonely men and women drinking their sorrows away.

At that moment, Nick had found comfort in their
desperate pressence.

"Sorry kid.  Minors aren't allowed in here."  The
burly bar tender towered over him from the otherside
of the bar wiping glasses clean.  "I'm afraid you're
gonna have to leave..."

Nick, heart broken and torn, interupted the much
larger man by placing a wad of hundred dollar bills on
the counter.  "Don't you know who I am?"  Nick croaked
amidst suppresed sobs, desperately trying to keep
himself from breaking into sobs again.

"Nope, sorry kid.  You don't have enough money here to
get me shut down."  The bartender pushed the money
back to the obviously heart broken boy.  "Come on kid,
cheer up, here have some peanuts while I go to the
back real quick.  But I want you gone before I get
back, you here?"  The bartender whispered to the boy
seeing how much pain the latter was in before passing
Nick the bowl of peanuts and a small glass of ginger
ale.

Nick nodded his head sadly thinking. 'Yeah, of course
you don't.  Know one knows nor care about who I am.'

"Hey there."

"Go away."  Nick sobbed barely audible over his shaky
breathing.

"Aw come on, I saw what happened.  Louis ain't gonna
give you anything.  You're too young."

Wiping tears away from his eyes, Nick slowly turned to
the other man.

Much to his surprise, the voice hadn't belonged to a
man at all.  He sat staring past blurred vision at a
face of a young man who was barely even older than
Nick was himself.

"Here, drink this."  The other boy offered him a clear
waterbottle.  "It'll help a bit"

Nick, desperate to be left alone, acquiesed wearily
hoping that HE would go away if he did take a drink.

"What is that?!?"  Having never really had any thing
close to alcohol to drink before, Nick spouted like a
fountain spraying the liquid everywhere.

"Peppermint schnops."  The other beemed mischievously.
 "I'm Brandon, btw."

Nick turned to face the other boy, vision clearing a
bit.  "Nick."

"Hey Nick.  Well we better get out of here before Big
Louis comes back.  I already got a warning tonight."
Brandon chuckled softly.

Nick squinted trying to understand this person.  There
he sat obviously nowhere near 21, close cropped dark
hair, clear complexion, thin growing goatie, a bit
shorter than Nick, and laughing softly at a hidden
joke.

"Here he comes.  Come on let's go!"  Brandon hopped
off the bar stool and made for the door taking a
handful of peanuts with him.  "For the road!"  He
winked at Nick still smiling before bolting.

"W-wait up."  Nick decided to follow the other one
out.

Nick had to cover his eyes against the light posts of
the parking lot.

"Damn, boy.  You been crying a lot?"  Brandon came up
to Nick examining Nick's eyes closely like a 7 year
old would a butterfly in his grandmother's net.

"Yeah..." Nick whispered, pushing Brandon away weakly.

"What's wrong? Bullies beat ya up or what?"  Brandon
jokingly poked Nick while they wandered the parking
lot for a little bit.

"Leave me alone.  How old are you anyway?"  Nick
testily snapped at Brandon.

"22"  Brandon said softly and turned away.

"No, I mean really."  Nick stopped walking folding his
arms.  'Why should I even care?  It's not like he
cares about me anyway.'  Nick thought, but he stood
there waiting for a more truthful answer nevertheless.

"Okay, okay.  I'm only 18, satisfied?"  Brandon stuck
his tongue out at Nick before breaking into another
grin.  "You?"  Brandon reversed the question, sticking
his face very close to Nick's.

"22"  Nick said defensively, taken by surprised by the
question because he had been staring.

"Noo, I mean reeeally."  Brandon flashed a toothy grin
obviously mocking Nick.

"19. Happy."  Nick answered with false spite.
Concious and confused of the sudden warmth he was
feeling for this stranger.

"Really?  You're not lying are ya?"  Brandon tried to
get a closer look at Nick.  "Wow, you long 16!"
Brandon exclaimed after Nick shook his head no.  "Say
you look familiar?  You been on TV or something?"

Quickly trying to take advantage of the situation,
Nick decided to impress Brandon.  "Yup, actually I'm
with a band called The Backstreet Boys."  Now it was
his turn to grin, thinking that he had made a bigger
impression on Brandon.

"The Backstreet who?"  Brandon stood back raising an
eyebrow, "sorry never heard of it.  So where ya
headed?"  Brandon hopped onto the hood of Nick's chevy
blazer.

"Nowhere with you."  Nick answered stubbornly walking
over to the driver side.

"Okay, whatever you say, man."  Brandon withdrew with
his hands up next to him telling Nick he surrendered.

'Well that was easy.'  Nick thought as he got into the
car.

"So where you really going?"  Brandon plopped onto the
passenger seat buckling his seat belt.

"Don't you know when you're not wanted?"  Nick shot at
Brandon hoping that he would finally take the hint.

"I'm still here aren't I?"  Brandon smiled.

"Git out"  Nick said through gritted teeth leaning
towards Brandon.  'Why am I so angry?'  he thought.

Brandon leaned towards Nick's face again with a big
smile.  "Okay."  He responded before disappearing as
the passenger seat door opened.

"Wha..?"  Nick stared at the empty seat as the car
door shut.

"Wait!"  Nick called after Brandon.  Quickly, Nick
started his car and drove slowly next to Brandon and
opened his window.  "Wait, I'm sorry.  I didn't mean
that, I mean...You need a ride?"  Nick offered
finally.

"Nah, I was headed home anyways." Brandon grinned at
Nick.  "I was only cheerin ya up."  He added before
sprinting across the parking lot and into the dark.

Nick watched as Brandon disappeared into the night's
shadows.

Then he noticed the crumpled piece of paper on the
seat.  He carefully opened the little crumpled piece
of notebook paper.

'Hey, call me if ya ever get famous.'

The message read with a big smiley face next to it
attached along with a phone number...

[end of flashback]
*******************************************************
Part 1 Ends