Chapter Ten

    The next few months went by fast. Isabella went to New York City with Christal, Jenna and Sarah. They met up with another friend of theirs, Susan, who took a bus in from near where she lives.  A portion of the day was spent up by the George Washington Bridge at the Jeffrey’s Hook Lighthouse.

    Mid-May the U.S. leg of the NKOTBSB tour was announced and Isabella made plans to go with Christal, Kendall (Christal’s cousin), Jenna and Sarah, as well as her friend Noelle from Maryland and her friend Courtney, but she didn’t buy the tickets. Leighanne helped her snag some front row seats.

    Isabella’s time was pretty much spent between her Monday through Friday job as a bus aide during May and June. In July, Isabella only worked at the lighthouse, but she worked there from Tuesdays through Saturdays.

    The concert was on Saturday, July 21st and it worked out great since all of her friends met at the lighthouse. Those that never climbed it went up. After that, they drove their cars to Bally’s parking garage and checked into their rooms.  They freshened up and Isabella decided to change her clothes.

“Do the guys know you’ll be at the show?” Courtney asked.

“I don’t think so. Leighanne knows though. She got the tickets for us.”

“You didn’t swear her to secrecy?” Noelle joked.

“No, I didn’t have to. She told me that she wouldn’t tell anyone. I take her word and trust her.”

“Do they know you finally taught yourself the guitar?” Kendall asked as she, Christal and the girls came in.

“They knew I wanted to. I haven’t told them about my progress.”

“So, they don’t know about your YouTube account?” Christal joked.

“Nope.”

    After getting ready, the group headed down to the Boardwalk Hall and stood in line. After their bags were checked and their cameras given the “okay” they were let in.  As soon as they found their front row seats, Jenna and Sarah went with Kendall to the merchandise stand. Noelle and Courtney also went leaving Isabella and Christal to watch their seats and belongings.

“Will they perform the song, you think?”

“Don’t know. Maybe. I know they chose to perform it at select shows in Europe, like Manchester, England. My friend Amaya told me.”

“And since you wrote it, the chances of them singing it here are?”

“I am assuming highly likely.” Isabella answered with a smile.

    Thirty minutes later, the girls came back.

“The place was mobbed!” Noelle commented as she sat down. “Here. I got you a picture, a keychain and a decal” She said to Isabella as she handed her a bag.

“Thanks, but you didn’t have to.”

“You’re paying for the room.” Courtney replied as she also handed Isabella a bag. “I got you a program. Noelle said you might like it.”

“Thanks Courtney.” Isabella replied half shocked as Leighanne snuck near them. “Hey Leighanne.”

“Hey gals. How are you?”

“Good.” Christal replied.

    Sarah and Jenna were excited to see her and gave her a hug.

“Are they going to sing Bella’s song?” Jenna asked.

“Yes, I believe so.” Leighanne answered the five-year-old. “I just wanted to see if you gals arrived. I gotta get back before Brian suspect something.” She added and then left.

“That answers my question.” Christal joked.

    The opening acts, Guinevere and Ariana Grande, came out and performed. Sarah was excited that Ariana was there since she knew her from the Nickelodeon show, Victorious. Then, NKOTBSB came out a little while after Ariana got off stage. After they performed a song, the members of the New Kids On The Block left the stage and the guys started with “Larger Than Life” and then sang “As Long As You Love Me.”  During this, AJ finally noticed that Isabella (and everyone else) were seated in the front row.

“Oh crap! I’m dead.”

“What?” Noelle asked.

“AJ spotted me. I’m doomed.”

    After they were done singing, they chose to slow it down a little more and AJ chose to speak first.

“The next song we’re going to perform was actually written by a fan, now a friend <he turned to glance at Isabella> of ours. If any of you are a part of our fan club, you may recognize this.” The music started and AJ quickly stopped it. “Wait, it doesn’t feel right.” AJ stated as he looked at Jenna.

“AJ, what are you doing?” Brian asked then realized Isabella and the girls were there.

    AJ walked over to her and had the security guard bring the five year old on stage. At first she hesitated, but Isabella and Christal encouraged her to go up.

“Do you remember your line?” He asked her in a whisper off mic.

“Uh-huh.” Jenna said nervously as she looked at the audience. “You want me to say it now?” She quickly asked him causing him and Brian, who was now next to AJ, to laugh.

“Wait a sec, AJ,” Nick started as he talked into his microphone. “If you’re gonna bring her up, I think we should also get Isabella up here too.” He added with a grin as he looked over at Isabella.

“And now I’m six feet under.” Isabella commented causing the girls to laugh. “Maybe front row wasn’t a good idea.” She added.

    The security guard, who had now been directed to help Isabella up, went over to her and she reluctantly agreed to go. If not for herself, to be up there with Jenna. She waved hi to the guys and knelt down beside her.

“He wants me to say my line,” Jenna started, “In front of all these people.”

“I kinda figured. Scared?”

“Uh-huh.”

    Isabella smiled. She would be nervous too.

“Just say it clear, loud and he same way you recorded it. Look at AJ while saying it if you have to.” Isabella instructed. “Can you do that?”

“Yes.” She said with a smile.

    AJ grinned. He had a stage hand bring out a stool for Jenna and he picked her up to put her on it. He angled the stool so she could see the two huge screens on the back wall.

“Ready?” He asked her off mic.

“Yes.” She replied with a smile.

    He cued the band again and the guys took their places. He asked her the question when the time came and she answered the exact way she was supposed to. As they sang, the two screens alternated pictures of Leslie with her family and of Jessica and her family. The first picture was of Jessica and Jenna.

“Holy!” Isabella commented, completely unaware that they had done this.

“I’m up there.<pause> That’s me and mommy.” Jenna said after she saw the first picture of her and her mom.

“Why, yes...yes it is.” Isabella replied as she looked at Christal whose mouth was pretty much to the floor. “I had no idea.” She mouthed to her friend.

“Can I hug them?” Jenna asked Isabella as they sung.

“Later, when they’re done.”

“Okay. Who are the other pictures of?”

    Isabella hesitated trying to find the right words.

“Those are pictures of Nick’s sister, Leslie. She also unexpectedly passed away leaving behind a daughter, Alyssa. She’s now one and a half years old.”

“Oh. When did she go up to heaven?”

    Isabella smiled at the question. Jenna knew what it meant and is okay herself now, more or less.

“Back in January, near the end of the month.”

    Once they were finished, Jenna rushed off the stool, practically knocking it over, over to Nick. Once he realized she was by his side, he squatted down to be eye lever with her.

“Yes, Miss Jenna?” He asked talking into his microphone. She didn’t say anything at first, but she did give him a hug and squeezed him hard. When he went to stand up, she was still hanging onto him so he picked her up. “What was that for?” He asked her without the microphone to his mouth.

“Sorry to hear about Leslie. She was pretty.” She answered quietly and with a smile.

“Thank you.”

    Isabella walked over to the guys since she was summoned by Brian.

“What did you guys think?” Howie asked the crowd. They cheered. That was written by Isabella here and it was about Miss Jenna’s mom.”

“It may be our next single.” AJ hinted with a grin.

    Isabella rolled her eyes. Nick put Jenna down and she grabbed Isabella’s hand and got off the stage with the security guard’s help. They guys sang one more up tempo song before they got off the stage and the NKOTB came out.

“That was embarrassing.” Isabella commented after they took their seat.

“I thought it was nice.” Kendall said as she showed Isabella some of the pictures she took with her camera and Isabella’s as well.

“That’s a nice one.” Isabella commented as she looked at a picture of Jenna and AJ. “That one too.” She added after seeing a picture of Nick holding Jenna.

    The show went on and, luckily for Isabella, there were no more embarrassing moments for her the rest of the night.

    After the show, the guard stopped the girls from leaving and Leighanne came out soon after to get them.

“Come on, ladies.” Leighanne greeted.

    Surprised, but not completely, the group of seven followed her backstage and were greeted by everybody (Ariana Grande, Guinevere, NKOTB and the Backstreet Boys). Official introductions were made and Sarah was in her glory. She talked to Ariana, got a few pictures and her autograph as well.

“What did you ladies think?” Howie asked them.

    Kendall, Courtney and Noelle all agreed it was great. They hung out backstage for a little while before Courtney decided to go back up to the room with the girls and Kendall joined them.  Courtney and Noelle also decided to go to bed after a few necessary pictures were taken.

“What about you?” Nick asked Isabella as he sat down next to her.

“Haven’t decided yet.” She replied. “I’m beat from the week.”

“And from the lighthouse today?”

“No, not really. I didn’t climb today. Robert was up there.” She answered. “My legs still hurt from Thursday and yesterday. I had to rush up there to close up both days and I was the morning climber. I don’t think I could get up.”

    Nick laughed and smiled as she yawned.

“Maybe you should go and catch up to the girls. You are beat.” AJ commented.

    Isabella reluctantly agreed with them and said her goodbyes to everyone and walked fast to catch up to Noelle and Courtney. She would have run but her legs wouldn’t let her.

“I thought for sure Nick would have invited you to stay with him tonight.” Noelle joked knowing about the whole “stalker” story from April.

“Ha. Ha. Very funny.” Isabella replied unamused.

    The three made it to their room and called it a night. Noelle and Courtney fell asleep almost instantaneously, but Isabella was restless and she couldn’t relax enough to go to sleep.

    The next morning, after checking out, they brought their luggage into their cars. Christal, Kendall and the girls said their goodbyes and headed back up to Monmouth County, where they were from.  Courtney and Noelle stayed with Isabella and they walked around for a couple of hours and played in some casinos before they themselves decided to drive home to Maryland.  Isabella didn’t really want to go home, but she did want to sleep in her own bed. She eventually walked back to her car in the Bally’s parking garage and drove the hour home. As she was walking into the garage, her neighbor invited her into the pool and she gladly accepted. After saying hello to her mom and dad, she changed into her bathing suit and jumped in.

    The next four weeks flew by and Isabella was back on her Saturday only shift at the lighthouse and her Monday through Friday job as the bus aide for students with disabilities.

    Although she kept in touch with the guys, they had their own busy lives to contend with. Christal and Isabella decided to take a mini weekend up to Boston Columbus Day Weekend for Christal’s birthday. The girls each had a four day weekend in their school schedule so it worked out great for them, as well as for Isabella who also had a four day weekend in her work schedule.   She also got the Saturday off from the lighthouse.

=Thursday=

“So, what’s the plan? Who’d driving first?”

“I will. I’ll drive from Jersey up to the Yankee Candle Factory, including the little surprise side trip.” Isabella answered.

“That’s fine. What time did you want to leave?”

“Well, the park doesn’t open until eight. The lighthouse doesn’t open until nine-thirty. We could leave here around six.”

“Sounds good. At least it’s not like our road trip to North Carolina. We left at like two in the morning.” Christal joked.

    At four-thirty the next morning, Isabella and Christal got up and got ready. After waking the girls, quickly changing them and grabbing a small bite to eat, the left Christal’s apartment fifteen minutes ahead of schedule. They piled into Christal’s semi-new (bought in March) Ford Focus. The girls were instructed to go back to sleep after Sarah handed her mom her glasses. Christal and Sarah fell asleep quickly, but Jenna couldn’t.

“Can you play the song?” She asked Isabella.

    Isabella smiled. She knew and found out that recently Jenna sometimes used it as a lullaby to help her get to sleep. She scrolled through her iPhone and found the song and hit play. Within about a minute, Jenna had fallen back to sleep and Isabella let out a small laugh.