Date: Thu, 21 Jun 2001 00:40:12 From: Jeff Langdon Subject: Westlife Romance - Chapter 52 Westlife Romance - Part 52 "Derek abruptly left the tour last night," Ned explained. "We called Dublin as soon as we found out but they said that there's no way that we could find a replacement before the show tomorrow." "So what are we going to do?" Shane asked. "Can you lads manage with one person short?" "Well, Derek was responsible for quite a few aspects of the show, so it will be nearly impossible to put the show on with one person short." "Damn!" Mark said to no one in particular. "So what are we going to do?" "Well, we did manage to get someone to fill in for the show. But this will only be a short-term solution. We checked with this person and we should be able to manage for at least a few shows. That will give the people in Dublin time to find a replacement." Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, happy that the show will continue on as planned. They just hoped that this replacement stage hand knew what he was doing. As everyone went back to their rooms to prepare for the photo shoot, Kian was still trying to absorb the fact that Derek was gone. "Is he really gone? Is he finally out of my life?" Kian asked himself. He really hope so, because he really couldn't take Derek and his abuse much longer. He just knew he would go insane if it went on much longer. Bryan's mind was also working fast as he walked back to his room. "Why did Kian react so strangely when Ned said that Derek was gone?" he wondered. "Perhaps there's something going on between them?" Five minutes later, the lads began to file out of their rooms to meet in the lobby. As usual, Shane was the first to arrive. Mark soon joined his band mate in the lobby. It was another few minutes before Bryan appeared. "Where's Nix?" Shane asked. "You didn't lock him in the bathroom or something, did you?" he joked. "He's doing his hair," Bryan answered with a grin. "He wants to look good for his man!" "Oh puh-leez," Mark said with mock annoyance. "I don't need to hear any of this..." Meanwhile, upstairs... Nicky walked towards the lift just as Kian emerged from his room. The two lads walked down the corridor in silence, each immersed in their own thoughts. "Was it you?" Kian finally asked. "Huh?" Nicky asked, shaken out of his own thoughts. "What do you mean?" "Derek, I mean..." Kian continued. "You got him to leave, didn't you?" "Does it matter, Kian?" Nicky answered. "The important thing is that he can't hurt you anymore." Even though Nicky didn't answer the question, Kian knew it was Nicky who had somehow freed him from Derek's grip. He was touched and without knowing it, his eyes began to fill with tears. Finally, he leaned towards Nicky and gave him a loving kiss. "Thank you, Nicky...for everything that you've done for me..." * * * * * * * * * The ride to the studio was characterized by silence. No one talked much. Kian was still thinking about his life now that Derek was gone. He really hoped that he could get his life back on track. Meanwhile, Nicky had many thoughts swirling in his head. He was very disturbed about the kiss that Kian gave him in the corridor. It wasn't that he still harboured any anger towards his band mate; what bothered him was that he enjoyed the kiss. He enjoyed having Kian so close to him. "This can't be right," he told himself. "I can't feel for Kian...I have Bryan now..." He was confused and thinking about the whole thing made Nicky's head hurt. Finally, he gave up and decided to push it to the back of his head. The photo shoot went smoother than expected and progress was quick. During the break, the lads grabbed some juice from the cafeteria and just sat around enjoying the down time. As they talked, a tall girl walked into the studio, looking somewhat lost. She walked around the studio, looking around but appearing not to find what she was looking for. Finally, Mark decided to help the poor girl out. "Can I help you with something?" Mark asked politely. "Yeah, actually," the girl answered with a smile. "I'm looking for Studio 4A." "Well, you've found the right place," Mark answered. "Anyone in particular you're looking for?" "I'm actually looking for someone by the name of Ned," she answered. "I'm the stage crew replacement." Mark's mouth opened but no words came out. "You...you're the new stage hand?" "Yep...and you are?" she asked, oblivious to who she was talking to. "Uhh...you're the new stage hand," Mark repeated. "But...but...but you're a girl..." ...to be continued....