Chapter 12: A Long Days' End
Patrick and Kevin looked up to see JC and Mike along with
Brian and Nick returning from the refreshment stand with twelve
soda for the guys. Kevin grabbed two and gave one to Patrick
and the rest were passed out to the rest of the guys.
Kevin, Nick and Brian all sat down on the bench with Patrick.
"So Patrick", Kevin asked, "How long are you
visiting Orlando?"
"I just got here yesterday, and I'll be here til next
Monday.", Patrick responded.
"Awesome!", Kevin said, "You and Mike wouldn't
be interested in going to one of our concerts would ya? We
start our tour here in Orlando on Sunday night. We can get
tickets!"
"Wow! Really!?!", Patrick said, "That'd be
so much fun to see you in concert now that I know you all."
Kevin grinned as JC and Justin walked over to the bench,
"No problem....we'll get you into our concert so you
can see how a real band lights it up!"
JC and Justin rolled their eyes and laughed at the good natured
ribbing.
"Hey Patrick. We wanted to see how you were feeling...did
you wanna head out yet?", Justin asked worriedly.
"I am doing OK.", Patrick said, "Tho I will
sleep like a log tonite. This has been a really long day!"
"Hey! Before you leave, let me get Justin's number so
we can all keep in touch when you're down here and get together
before our tour starts and hang out some more.", Kevin
smiled.
Kevin and Justin walked off to the refreshment area in search
of some paper and pencils to exchange numbers as JC sat down
beside Patrick.
"You really are amazing!", JC said suddenly, "Who
would have ever thought the Backstreet Boys and NSYNC would
be hanging out together and having a blast!?!"
"I always thought you should.", Patrick said with
a grin. "You really only share two common traits with
each other. One that you are all males and two is that you
sing and dance well. Your music, despite being labeled as
"pop", is completely different from each other.
You take different approaches to the way you sing and arrange
the music and it all shows up in the end product."
JC, shocked at the depth of this critique, smiled and shook
his head at Patrick.
Nick came up from behind Patrick and pulled him into a crushing
hug.
"Thank you!", Nick said as he hugged Patrick. "Brian
really talked to me. He apologized for making me feel used
and told me he wanted to be his boyfriend. It's all because
of you, Patrick. Thank you!"
Patrick blushed, then smiled at Nick and Brian who had come
up behind him.
"I didn't do anything except help get you guys to talk
to each other. Remember that. If you think something is going
wrong...talk to each other. Don't try to guess what someone
is feeling.", Patrick said quickly to the two boys.
Brian walked over to Patrick and gave him a hug, whispering
in his ear, "Thank you. Thank you for making me realize
what I had before he left me."
Kevin and Justin returned, phone numbers in hand, and the
guys walked back to their cars and headed home.
The next few days flew by for Patrick and Mike as the guys
from both groups constantly took them shopping, out for lunch,
to see their recording studios, for dinner, etc., and Patrick
was happier than he ever remembered.
Patrick asked Lynn for permission to have a dinner party
at her house on Saturday for all the guys as a way of thanking
everyone for letting he and Mike visit. Lynn was excited at
the idea of the little party and quickly agreed.
Patrick, Mike and Lynn went shopping for the food that would
be needed and Patrick shocked Lynn and Mike by telling them
that he would do all the cooking himself. Patrick bought 6
pork picnics and 8 bags of charcoal along with the ingredients
for cole slaw, hush puppies, fried chicken, greens, butter
beans and boxes of pudding and bananas for banana pudding.
Lynn and Mike looked shocked as he put all these ingredients
into Lance's UT and turned and smiled.
"I am gonna cook a feast, North Carolina style, that
these boys will never forget!", Patrick grinned.
Patrick stopped by the Home Depot and got the last few things
he would need to make a real barbecue pit and then they all
headed home. Patrick spent that afternoon with Mike setting
up the pit and the outdoor deep fryers that they were gonna
use for the hush puppies and the fried chicken. Justin and
Lynn got Patrick to relent a little, having him post what
ingredients went into what so that they could make the sides
up a day early and save time.
Saturday morning came and Patrick woke up at 10 am. He went
out to the pit and lined the bottom of the pit with tins of
wet hickory and proceeded to get the charcoal ready. He then
went inside and grabbed all six of the pork picnics and set
them on the grill above the grey charcoal and smoking wood.
The day progressed and the food began to smoke a heavenly
scent as it cooked. Around 3 pm, the Backstreet Boys arrived
and the guys began to play basketball and swim in the pool.
Patrick began to pull the pork shoulders out of the pit,
one by one, and take them into the house, de-boning them and
chopping them down into delicious barbecue. He then got Justin
and Lance to set the sides out on the table and set the places
for dinner. Patrick finished with the pork just as Mike finished
frying the last of the fried chicken and hush puppies. Mike
walked over to the table laden with the heavy platters of
chicken, as JC and Patrick put the hush puppies into a few
smaller bowls around the table. Everyone sat down at the table
and looked to Patrick to say the blessing.
"Lord", Patrick said, "let us give thanks
today for this bountiful feast that you have given us."
"And thank you for the time that you have given us these
last few days with Patrick and Mike. We have all really grown
attached to you both. You're our good friends now.",
Brian added.
"Amen!", the guys replied and dug in to the food.
After dinner and dessert, Patrick was ordered to take a nap
while the guys cleaned up and put away the leftovers. Patrick
laid down on the bed and fell asleep immediately.
Two hours later, Patrick woke up to the sound of light snoring
beside him. Turning over he smiled as he saw Lance and Justin
sleeping in each others arms beside him.
Patrick got off the bed slowly and walked into the bathroom,
stripping off his clothes and taking a nice cool shower. After
toweling off and dressing, Patrick walked quietly back into
the bedroom and smiled as Justin curled up his face in Lance's
neck. He walked out of the room and down to the living room
where Kevin and Chris and Howie sat watching television and
talking. The guys turned around as Patrick walked over to
the sofa and sat down.
"Hey sleepy head!", Chris grinned, "How was
your nap?"
"It was good. Justin woke me up snoring though.",
Patrick grinned. "He and Lance are all asleep."
Chris giggled, "Aww....how sweet! My teeth hurt already!"
"So its just us "old guys" still awake, huh?",
Patrick grinned.
"Yep...we outlasted all those young whippersnappers!",
Howie grinned.
"Mike and JC fell asleep about a half hour ago...we
sent them up to bed. Brian and Nick are passed out here somewhere,
and Joey and AJ decided to go out to a club together.",
Kevin smiled.
"Aren't you upset that JC spends so much time with your
boyfriend?", Howie asked suddenly.
"No", Patrick said, "I want Mike to be happy,
you see. I am not gonna be alive too much longer and I want
him to have someone to love after I go. JC is my Godsend.
Mike really likes him and JC likes Mike. I can die happy knowing
that JC and the guys will be there for Mike after I am gone."
Kevin blinked a few times, valiantly trying not to tear up
and then responded, "That's really good of him. We're
all gonna be there for Mike too! You and Mike have really
grown on us. We're glad you guys are gonna come see our concert."
"I am honored that you invited us.", Patrick said
as he took Kevin's hand and squeezed. "Let's go for a
walk and look at the stars. I don't think I will be seeing
another North Carolina summer and I think I wanna lay down
and look at the stars like I did when I was a kid."
Kevin and Howie smiled and nodded and the three got up and
walked outside into the yard. After walking and talking for
a while, they reached a clearing and Patrick, Kevin and Howie
sat down and laid back on the carpet of grass.
"You know...", Patrick said quietly after a few
minutes, "I never realized how beautiful the stars look...til
now."
Kevin agreed quietly, and Howie sighed then sniffed a little.
"You all right, Howie?", Patrick said as he grabbed
his hand.
"How...How can you do it?", Howie said in a quiet
sob, "I cry when I think about my sister's death...but
you...you're living it now. How can you live, knowing that
this might be the last time you sit under the stars like this?"
"Ahhh.....", Patrick said very softly, "Good
question. Before I met the guys and you, I saw my death as
this impending and overpowering force that could come and
get me anytime. At that time all I wanted to do was make it
to my sister's wedding, see her happy married, then come home
and let it win. Then I met the guys...and I realized that...everything
now has a meaning and a purpose. I met you all for the same
reason, and, although I don't know what it is, I know that
there is a hand of fate involved in us all getting together.
I have to say though, and don't tell Mike or anyone, that
the idea of a world without me in it....scares me. Maybe I
am totally self-absorbed, but I'd like to think that sometimes...you
know...that I make a difference to the people around me....that
I'll be missed."
Silence, broken only by the stifled sobs of Patrick and the
singers, overcame the group as they looked up at the stars
and contemplated Patrick's words.
Kevin was the first to speak, "Patrick...I've only known
you for a week, but I think you make all the difference in
the world...to all of us. I know Nick wouldn't be happy if
he hadn't crossed paths with you, you got Brian to come around
to him. I know you had your hand in Lance and Justin's getting
together, and you said yourself that you were pleased that
JC and Mike have grown to care for one another. I used to
think I was the grown-up...the responsible, mature one around
here.....but now after knowing you, I see I have a long way
to go. I'll miss talking to you...I'll regret us not meeting
earlier, so that I could have gotten to know you better. You'll
be missed....and you're not self-absorbed at all. Promise
me, when you get sick, you'll let me know. I wanna be there
with you...to make sure you don't face it alone, you know?"
Howie also agreed. "You let US know...we'll be there.
We'll be there with you man."
Patrick nodded and looked back up at the stars one more time.
He then got back up and gave a hand up to Kevin, then linked
arms with them as they walked back to the house.
"Thanks you guys", Patrick said, "I had wanted
to say that out loud for so long, and never could do it."
"Anytime", Howie said as he wrapped his arm around
Patrick's shoulder, "If you wanna talk, just talk to
us. We're here for you."
The four walked back to the house and retired to bed.
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