1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 2021 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 Epilogue Author's Note and Thank you's

Chapter 33

"Let me hear it Brian." Max Martin spoke to Brian, who was standing in the recording booth with headphones on, sporting his black hat with "Frick" written on it. Max adjusted the track settings on the deck in front of him before playing it again. Nick was sat intently beside Max Martin and AJ. He was engrossed in the song unlike any other song they had recorded for the album. This was in fact the last one to be recorded, but that wasn't why it meant so much to him. The title he had scribbled down and circled on a piece of paper weeks ago had meant nothing to him-the song, now fully formed, was feeding his healing heart. Baylee was clapping his hands at his Daddy in the booth which made Leighanne giggle. Three weeks after Heather and Baylee, Nick was doing much better than he had ever expected. Heather's fifteen minutes of fame, really did only last for fifteen minutes, as Nick had issued a statement through his spokesperson on the subject. His fans had evidently agreed with him, more than they agreed with Heather-she was now in the category of her half-sister Paris, a manipulative, lost individual, to which the fans had no pity. Nick had no pity. He somehow, however, found some way in himself to forgive her for what she did. He forgave her privately in the silence of his bedroom where he lay resting the night before, wanting to start a fresh and not dwell in the past. The past was over now-and his future looked much brighter.
"Close your eyes… make a wish… that this could last forever…" Brian began into the microphone. The melody of Brian's voice and the lyrics made Nick smile and feel satisfied. He sang it so well, so perfectly, just how Nick imagined it.
"…If only you could stay, with me now. So tell me what it is, that keeps us from each other now. Yeah, it's coming to get me-you're under my skin…" The song broke powerfully into the chorus that Nick nodded his head to in time with the music. He mouthed the words as Brian continued to sing them.
"No, I can't let you go, you're a part of me now, caught by the taste of your kiss…And I don't wanna know the reason why I, can't stay forever like this. Now I'm climbing the walls, `cause I miss, you…" Nick saw in this song, all of his experiences bundled together and organised into an easily-relatable song, which he knew his fans were going to love. They could in someway now see the real him, even if they didn't know it.
    After informally saying goodbye to his Doctors, Nick thanked them each, and donated to the hospital in which his life was saved by them. His music was now not only his job and his passion; it was his own therapy, similar to when recording for his solo album. He told himself that he must forward a copy of the new album to each of his doctors for them to listen to. Nick felt refreshed and reborn as he listened to Brian from behind the glass as if there was no other sound in the world.
"…Take my hand, take my life-just don't take forever. And let me feel your pain, kept inside….there's gotta be a way, you and I together now…yeah it's coming to get me, you're under my skin…" Nick looked at Max and smiled through that part, as he had helped Max with that bit. Max nodded at him and patted his shoulder grinning at Nick, before concentrating once again on what was being recorded. Together, Paris and Heather tried to take everything away from him, and even though his anxiety attacks had worn him down, they could never take this away from him-the rush and pleasure he felt when making music. His music sped through his very soul, which was now peaceful and quiet, just as it should be, Nick thought-no longer afraid of possible anxiety attacks. Nick had not had one, since he collapsed onto Brian's flooring and in his bathroom three weeks ago. He was happy and healthy and training with the guys to get prepared for their lengthy world tour, which he was looking forward to.
    Brian patiently waited to return to his singing, his hands on his headphones listening to the other guys sing in-between the chorus'.
"It's an illusion, how can I feel this way?-If I can't have you. It's an illusion; nothing is real this way-if I can't have you…" The chorus came powerfully back in and Nick could feel Brian's energy and passion run through his veins, bleed into his heart, and rush out and into his lungs before then filtering out into the world through his breath and voice as he sang along to himself. He was breathing in and accepting all of his troubles that had crippled him in the last few months, reflecting over all the tantrums and fuss and stress and selfishness he had been disgusted at himself over. It was here, listening to the ending chorus of "Climbing the Walls" that Nick truly forgave himself, for all that had happened to him. "No, I can't let you go, you're a part of me now, caught by the taste of your kiss…And I don't wanna know, the reason why I, can't stay forever like this…Now I'm climbing the walls `cause I miss, you…"