“I just don’t think it’s funny Nick!” Kevin
was angry and trying unsuccessfully to hide it. “We practiced and
practiced that routine, I don’t understand how you could mess it up like it was
your first time doing it.”
Nick
was laughing and was also trying very unsuccessfully to hide it, “Sorry Kevy.
So I tripped, God, you act like I committed arson.” He giggled and took
another sip of water.
“Nick,
can you ever take anything seriously?” Kevin paced around the backstage area.
Howie, Brian, and AJ, watched on in amusement.
“Yes
I can, but right now, I think you’re overreacting,” Nick said, “I tripped
myself, not you.”
“It’s
the fact that you don’t seem to care!” Kevin was no longer hiding his anger.
“I
care. I messed up, oops. Sorry about that I’ll work harder next
time. Can’t take back what happened on stage now, can I?” Nick stood and
stretched, “Besides it’s not like fans cared anyhow, they liked it!”
“But
Nick, that’s not what I’m getting at. If you’d just pay more attention in
practice, and stop goofing around, you wouldn’t mess up so much,” Kevin was
calming down. He kneeled to be at eye level with Nick who was lounging in
a plastic chair.
“Is
everything ok with you Nick?”
Nick
looked up at Kevin in surprise, “Cause I tripped Kev?”
“You
know what, never mind,” Kevin said closing his eyes and backing away from Nick,
“Guys, do we have any plans for tonight?”
“Actually
no,” Howie said still sneaking curious glances at Nick who was fidgeting,
“Anybody have any ideas? Nick?”
Nick
was busying himself drumming his fingers on his leg.
“Nick?”
Howie asked closing his eyes and trying not to sigh out loud. God… he could
not be a… a … but he sure wasn’t doing anything to make Howie think any
differently.
“What?”
Nick looked up from his…’music’.
“What
did you want to do tonight?” Howie repeated.
Nick
bit his lip and looked to be thinking, “Nothing. I just wanna chill tonight, ya
know? We always go out, why not stay here for once.”
“Yeah,”
Brian nodded, “sounds good to me. We can get in some video game practice,
huh Frack?”
Howie
didn’t miss Nick’s quick flicker of annoyance before his expression smoothed
over, “Sure, why not?” Howie rubbed his hands together, and caught AJ looking
at him. Leave me alone AJ, Howie thought angrily, “Well Howie, how about
we go out tonight?”
Howie
could have spit on AJ, but he didn’t want anyone to know about his annoyance
with AJ, “Sure, why not.” Howie accepted through gritted teeth.
Brian
and Kevin glanced at them curiously, but Howie shrugged it off. “Come on
guys, we better get in the van so we can get back to the hotel.”
“Now
do you see what I’m saying Howie?” AJ asked in the back of the van. He
and Howie were being taken to one of the nightclubs in town.
“No,
I don’t know what you are talking about AJ,” Howie growled moving as far away
from AJ as he could get.
“The
tone of your voice and the way you’re moving away from me let me know you know
exactly what I’m talking about. And that you believe me Howie!” AJ
was desperately trying to get Howie to turn around and look at his face.
“So
what if I do?” Howie’s shaky voice broke through the dark, and AJ stared at
him, “If you do then it’s time we confront him about it D. We gotta turn
around and tell the others. He needs help Howie.”
“But
what if it’s not true AJ, what if he’s not on drugs?” Howie said, “He’ll hate
us for real this time for accusing him of something like that.”
He
got silence from AJ, and he finally turned around to face him. AJ looked
serious, and it was apparent to Howie that there was no doubt in his mind about
Nick’s problem, “I almost broke him down D. He was gonna tell me
that one time after practice. He needs help and he knows it.”
Howie
sighed loudly, “Lars, turn back. We decided not to go to the club.”
“I
tell you he’s not…”
“Brian,
Nick does not have an eating disorder! Guys don’t get those!” Kevin rolled his
eyes and tried to get back to his book. His cousin had barged into
his room a little after midnight with his crazy notion about Nick being
anorexic. Nick of all people! Girls are anorexic, and bulimic, not
guys, at least not the straight ones.
“He’s
not eating Kev. I think he may only take in about 200 calories a day,
total!” Brian was on a rampage, “He’s fading away Kev! I bet he weighs,
what? Two pounds! And you don’t hang around him all day Kevy; he
gets really snappish sometimes ya know. And that day we all went to
breakfast, and we convinced Nick to get more food. You know what he did
after that? He threw up,” Brian was furious at the fact that his cousin
seemed to be ignoring him. “Kev, what can I say to make you believe me?
I know… Kevin, he went to bed right after the show. He’s been
blowing off all of my challenges to play games so he can go to bed early.
Does that sound like Nick to you?” Brian was standing in front of
Kevin now.
“Brian,
he’s growing up. Maybe video games don’t interest him as much as they
used to,” Kevin said not even looking up from his book this time.
“Or
because he doesn’t have enough energy to play! And you wanna know why he
doesn’t have enough energy, Kev? Cause he’s not eating anything!” Brian
snatched Kevin’s book away, and Kevin looked up at Brian with annoyance that
was quick to fade. Brian’s face was panicked and drawn with worry.
“I almost lost him once Kev from not paying enough attention to him.
I’m not gonna take that chance again. I really think he’s hurting
himself Kev. I’m not imagining it, I’ve been watching him Kev. He’s
different.”
Kevin
sighed, “Yes I have noticed that.”
“And
all those times he flubs up on stage, and can’t concentrate…” Brian was just
rattling things off, counting on his fingers, “Kev, we gotta do something.
First we gotta tell Howie and AJ, then we’ll… we have to go to Nick.
Let him know that we’re with him, we’ll always be behind him, and try to
get him help.”
There
was knocking at the door. Brian jumped to open it, “Howie, AJ…”
“We
got something to tell you guys, please don’t kill us, and please let us get all
the way through this with no interruptions,” Howie spoke urgently, pushing his
way past Brian and into the room. AJ followed not looking any less
grave.
“What?
What happened?” Kevin’s face paled. Something serious was going on…
“It’s
about Nicky.”
Brian
looked pointedly at Kevin, like see I told ya so.
“AJ
and I have good reason to believe he’s doing drugs.”
“WHAT?”