“The Firm is gonna eat us alive,” Kevin was
muttering as he unloaded his bags from the baggage claim.
“Who
freakin’ cares about them? Nick’s my only concern,” Brian was putting his
small bag on his shoulders and rushing to catch up with AJ, who was already at
the car rental booth.
“Come
on hurry up! You pack like a damn girl Kevin!” Howie grabbed some of Kevin’s
bags carrying them along with his own.
“They’re
not all my bags, some are Nick’s,” Kevin snapped, “I tried to make it look like
we all packed up and left. Not Nick ran away and we’re chasing after him.
I don’t want this in the news…”
Howie
stared at him, not knowing if he should be sickened, or feel relieved for
someone to be thinking about their careers. “Come on,” he ran in front of
Kevin.
AJ
was nervously lighting a cigarette and quickly lifted his single bag when he
saw Howie and Kevin making their way over, “Do we even know where to look?”
“Apparently,
Mandy and Brent are trying to stick with him,” Brian said sounding jittery, “We’re
trying to meet up with the girls.”
“BJ
and Leslie,” Howie nodded, “Why’s Leslie coming?”
Brian
shrugged, “She’s his sister, why shouldn’t she come?”
Howie
decided not to ask anything else. Brian was getting snappish. That
was never a good thing.
“I
think I see them,” AJ nodded to two teenage girls making their way towards
them. One tall and blond, the other was shorter with brown hair. The
blond waved.
The
airport was sparsely populated, but the Boys still wore their hats to conceal
their faces. BJ and Leslie Carter approached, “How much do you know about
my brother?” BJ was direct. No greetings or any formalities were
exchanged. Her face was hard.
“Uh,”
Howie was taken aback by her coldness, “We know he’s hurting himself…”
“Cocaine,
speed, smokes the rocks when he can get the chance,” BJ spoke in a monotone,
“He loves the prescription stuff too.”
Brian
nodded, “Yeah, we confronted him tonight. That’s why he ran.”
“Tonight,”
BJ nodded cynically, “Lets get to the car, I’m gonna call Amanda and figure out
where they are.” She walked ahead of them with Leslie close at her side.
“I
think they’re pissed off at us,” AJ said puffing on his cigarette.
“Nah,
ya think?” Howie said flatly taking AJ’s cigarette out of his mouth and
dropping it in a nearby trashcan made just for unwanted cigarettes.
Kevin
coasted the rented 99’ Taurus near the back of the club. The last thing
they needed was for someone to see them. Though he was pretty sure
they had seen Nick. BJ was out of the car first; followed by her sister.
AJ held their arms, “You girls walk in the middle of us, ok? This
is a rough place.” AJ knew the club vaguely. Bar fights broke out
almost every night. The one time AJ had come the police had barged in and
nearly arrested everyone on the scene. He didn’t need that type of
publicity. There were enough rumors about him already.
“Brent!
Mandy!” BJ called almost as soon as they entered the club. Leslie had to go
back to the car. She wasn’t near old enough to enter the club. She
had pouted but took the keys and went to lock herself in the car and lay low
until they returned, with Nick.
A
young man and a young woman turned to face them, both dark haired, “BJ,” the
girl spoke. They hugged briefly. Glares and quick greetings were
shot to the Boys, who knew they deserved it. Everyone seemed to be angry
with them about Nick.
“Where
is he?” AJ asked.
“Over
there,” Mandy nodded to the far side of the club to the dance floor, “We can’t
get him off. But as long as we can see him, it’s ok.”
BJ
nodded, and tried to weave her way over, but Brent caught her arm, “Not alone
girl.” He accompanied her. Too many oddly dressed strangers crowded the
place, and Brent was afraid to lose the blond girl amongst them.
Brian
wanted so badly to follow, but Mandy caught his arm, “It wouldn’t be a good
idea now.”
They
saw BJ and Brent now standing in front of Nick who was with some Goth girl in
black with jet- black hair and a collar. They seemed to be arguing.
BJ was yelling, and Nick was yelling. Someone came to break it up,
and Nick shoved him, thus causing a brawl. There was screaming and
yelling. There was a sea of broken glass around the dance floor as
bottles were broken over tables, chairs, heads… Brian, Kevin, AJ, and
Howie fought their way into the altercation, careful to avoid glass and
needles. Brent was dragging Nick away. Kevin quickly caught hold of
BJ and lifted her as he ran.
Mandy
was outside she had found the car, and Leslie. Brent lowered Nick to the
ground. He had stopped thrashing around so much, “God BJ, why’d you have
to come?”
“To
keep you from killing yourself you idiot!” BJ screamed with tears in her eyes,
“You promised you’d stop!”
“It
got too hard!” Nick yelled back. He paled and lowered his head to his
knees, “Oh God…”
“What?
What’s wrong now?” BJ immediately lost her anger and concern flooded her
as she knelt by her brother.
“I…
I…”
AJ
got down beside him too, “Nick, what all did you take tonight?”
Nick
squinted, “Boner? ‘Zat you? How’d you get here?”
“Nicky,
what did you take?” AJ repeated louder, he shook Nick a bit.
“What
did I take?”
“Yes.
What did you take?” AJ repeated, “You have to tell me.”
Nick’s
eyes looked glassy, he reached in his pocket and handed AJ a bottle.
“Prozac,”
AJ frowned, “Nick you took Prozac?”
“Whatever’s
in there….” Nick mumbled trying to close his eyes.
“Uh-uh,
wake up,” AJ slapped his face, “Did you drink or take anything else, Nick?
Nick!”
“Y…Yes…”
Nick’s teeth chattered, “I had a drink… but it made me feel so good.”
AJ
looked up to see the frightened faces of the others, “We have to get him to a
doctor. I don’t know how much he took or what he drank, but it might kill him
if we don’t hurry.”