A
Case Of Missing Identity
by Izzy
Part 2
"Hey Bri, wanna go down to the arcade with me?" He waited. Nothing. "Bri-an?"
Kevin glanced up from the TV when Nick's request gained only silence in return. He doubted Brian had even heard him, his tired gaze was fixed on the screen with a glazed over look. "He's in a trance," Kevin said amusedly, reaching over and squeezing the back of his cousin's neck gently. "Earth to B-Rok."
"Huh?" Brian looked at him.
"Wake up. Nicky wants to go to the arcade with you."
"He does?" Brian seemed to be trying to conjure up some energy. He stretched his arms high above his head, quickly dropping them back down with a laugh when Kevin took the opportunity to playfully grab at his stomach. "I'm awake, I'm awake ..."
"You wanna go?" Nick leaned over the back of the couch, arms dangling down as he gave Brian a hopeful look.
"Yeah, I'll go. I just gotta find my shoes ..."
"I'll get 'em," Nick offered, letting himself fall the rest of the way over the back of the couch. He disappeared toward the room they shared.
"Brian?"
"Mm?" He looked up.
"Is something bothering him?"
"The same thing that's bothering all of us I guess, Kev." Brian hesitated. "Well I guess not the same thing, I dunno."
"What do you mean by that?"
"I dunno. Like the other night something went up between him and AJ and he thought AJ hated him or something, I don't know," Brian repeated tiredly. He shrugged his shoulders slightly, not wanting to spill the whole thing. Kevin was frowning. "I thought maybe he was over that though."
Nick came in and saw the two of them talking lowly to one another. He frowned. "What're you talking about?"
They both looked at each other and he knew it was about him. That made him mad. He sent a glare in Brian's direction, but he didn't even respond. Nick let out a huff and threw Brian's sneakers at him, starting toward the door.
"I'll meet you down there."
"No you won't, hang on one sec," Brian said as he pulled on one sneaker and quickly grabbed the other. He shoved it on his foot and stood up without even tying the laces. Nick was leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed and his lower lip jutting out slightly. Brian almost laughed at him but figured that wouldn't go over well.
"Ready?"
"Mm-hmm."
The brief walk to the elevators was complete, utter silence. When they came to the end of the hall, Nick slammed the down button with the palm of his hand.
Brian frowned. "Easy there."
Nick didn't answer. The silver doors slid open and he slipped inside to press the button for the lobby before retreating into the corner to lean against the wall.
"Were you guys talking about me?"
"Ah, he speaks."
"Were you?" Nick sounded annoyed.
Brian raised an eyebrow. "We were talking about a lot of things."
"About me?" Nick repeated with a glare.
"Yeah we were talking about what a brat you're becoming," Brian answered with a frown. Nick opened his mouth and was about to answer but the elevator doors popped open. An elderly lady stepped on so he had to be quiet. Instead he let out a huff and settled for staring at the back of her permed white hair.
When they finally reached the lobby Brian was about to step out after the woman but he realized Nick wasn't moving from the corner. Great. He pushed the button to keep the doors open.
"Come on, Nick."
"I don't wanna go with you anymore," Nick answered with a hurt look on his face.
"That's too bad. Get out."
"No."
"Move, Carter."
"No, you're mean. And hurry up 'cause other people are waiting you know."
This time Brian was the one letting out a huff. He let go of the button he was holding and grabbed Nick by the arm, hauling him out of there and past the 'other people waiting'.
"You like making scenes, huh?"
"You're the one making a scene. Lemme go," Nick said, twisting in his grip. "Get the hell off me, Brian."
Brian pushed him into the nearest chair in the lobby. "Will you relax?" When the kid tried to get up he shook his head in warning.
Nick sat there and gave him a dirty look.
"What's the matter, huh?"
"What's the matter?" Nick repeated. "You were talking about me behind my back and you called me a brat."
Brian had to struggle to keep a straight face. And it wasn't even that it was funny, it was just that Nick was so serious. Nick's glare deepened and Brian let out a tired sigh. "I'm sorry, alright?"
"No you're not," came the irritated answer.
"You really are acting like a brat right now, you know that?"
Nick stood up only to get pushed back down hard into his seat.
"Sit still."
"If you don't lemme go I'll scream."
"Then I'll smack you," Brian said, squatting down so they were eye to eye. "Listen, alright? Yes, we were talking about you. Kevin was wondering what was up with you, that's all."
Nick shifted in his seat. "And?"
"And what?"
"And what did you tell him?"
"I told him I didn't know. How am I supposed to know when my best friend isn't talking to me and he doesn't even want to go to the arcade with me?" Brian dropped his head down as if he was crying.
"You're a freak," Nick said, pushing at his head. But he smiled.
"Yeah, I know." Brian looked up again. "But I'm being a serious freak right now, bro. I wanna know too."
"Know what?"
"What's bothering you. Tell me or I'm not letting you move."
"Right now? Right now you're bothering me," Nick said with a laugh. He moved as if he was going to get up but quickly settled back into his seat at Brian's warning look. "Nothing's bothering me, Brian, really."
"I'm serious."
"So am I."
Brian rocked back on his heels and watched his younger friend's face carefully. "Alright, I'll let you go this time." He dug through his pocket for a second and came up with a quarter, dropping it onto the kid's lap with a smile. "There's a quarter for your time."
"Gosh thanks."
"You're welcome," Brian said sincerely, pulling himself off the ground. "Now we have to be careful that nobody catches us down here."
-
"Hey, Kev ..."
"Howie, hey, what's up?"
"Not much." Howie shrugged as he dropped onto the other side of the couch tiredly. Time to vedge out. He watched the TV for a second but didn't recognize what was on. "What's this?"
"Some dumb movie." Kevin tossed the remote for him to flip. "Is AJ sleeping?"
"Not really."
"Pretending to?"
"That and watching TV."
"At the same time?" Kevin smiled slightly. "Interesting."
"Yeah it is." Howie shook his head. "I asked him if he wanted to talk about anything but all I got was a 'no thanks' in response."
"You know, I'm really starting to wonder how long this is going to last."
Howie frowned. "It's only been a couple days."
"I know, 'D. But does he seem to be remembering anything at all? Not really, right?"
Howie shrugged. "I guess not."
"I think it's going to take awhile. Unless there's a sudden boom, and he remembers everything."
Howie almost looked amused. Boom. "That's possible, isn't it?"
"I guess. I don't know any more than what they told us about it."
"At least he's not fighting us on everything."
"Don't jinx it," Kevin with a laugh. He glanced at the TV for a second and frowned at what he saw there. "Howard, what are you watching?"
Howie looked up with a surprised expression on his face, quickly flipping the channel. "Nothing ..."
-
"You know, we should really start putting our plan into action ..."
Brian looked up at Nick's absent comment.
"What?"
Nick was fixated on the game, his floppy blonde hair falling in his face as he pressed the buttons. "You know," he continued in the same distracted voice. "Our plan ..."
"Plan? No ... Plan for what?"
"You know ..." Nick fed the machine a couple more quarters.
"No," Brian repeated patiently. Obviously Nick's mind wasn't on conversation. "I don't."
"Hey, you wanna play me in this?"
"Sure. What plan?" Brian moved into the seat next to him, digging up two quarters of his own to give the game. He waited for an answer, hand hovering over the slot.
Nick glanced at him. "C'mon, go. Put it in."
"Plan, buddy."
"Oh. Our plan to fix AJ," Nick said. He made it sound like AJ was broken.
"Our plan to fix AJ," Brian repeated slowly. He pulled his hand back from the money slots and played with the quarters while he tried to think. They had a plan?
"Mm-hmm ..."
It hit him suddenly.
"Your crazy plan? Is that what you're talking about?"
Nick's brow furrowed. "It's not crazy."
"Frack, I hate to break it to you. It is crazy and no, we're not doing it, you're not doing it, no one's doing it."
"We have to do something ..."
"Yeah, you know what that is? Talk to him. Not slam him over the head with a baseball bat."
Nick immediately frowned. "We wouldn't do it like that."
"We wouldn't do it at all, alright? Get it out of your head."
"You said you'd think about it," Nick protested.
"And I have, little man. We're not gonna go and hit the poor kid over the head and hope that if he wakes up he'll be back to normal."
"But-"
"We've been through this twice. No."
Nick sat back with a huff, staring at the demo running across the arcade game's screen. He looked annoyed for a second and then he just looked sad.
"Nicky," Brian started.
"Put your quarters in."
"C'mon, man."
Nick turned to him and tried to take the quarters out of his hand but Brian closed up his fist. "Brian," he complained, trying to pry his fingers open. "Can we just play already?"
"In a minute. Why're you so intent on your plan?"
"Because." Nick pulled Brian's fisted hand toward his mouth as if he was going to bite him. Brian pulled away with a slight laugh.
"Because why?"
"He's gonna leave," Nick said finally. He gave up on getting to the quarters and leaned back in his chair, rocking his leg back and forth absently.
"AJ?"
"Yeah."
"Why would you say that?" Brian frowned. That was news to him.
"Because. He said so. Can we play now?"
Brian dropped the quarters into the slot, one by one. "I think you're just over worried."
"He said it."
"Sometimes people say things they don't mean." Brian swatted at his leg as the start screen to the game came on. "Like when I called you a brat."
Nick smiled slightly.
"I wouldn't hold him on it." Brian shifted in his seat and pressed a few buttons on the machine before grabbing on to the joystick. "Ready?"
"Yeah."
-
Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out.
Nothing.
Sleep wasn't coming easy. He couldn't keep his eyes open, but he couldn't keep them shut either. AJ leaned back on his elbows and stared at the ceiling in annoyance. Lights from the street outside played across its rough surface, flickering back and forth. He watched for a minute and then glanced over at Howie. Soundly sleeping.
With a huff he rolled out of bed, kneeling on the floor and fumbling through his bag for the pill bottle. His head was killing him. He came up with it and got to his feet, heading for the door and quietly easing it open before slipping through.
Feeling an irritating sense of deja vu, he made his way to the kitchen and froze in the doorway. He immediately wished he had just gotten water from the bathroom because somebody was already sitting in there.
The older one. He thought for a second. Kevin.
What was with these guys and hanging out in the kitchen in the middle of the night? He took a slight step backwards.
"Too late, already saw you."
AJ rolled his eyes but made his way into the room anyway, heading for the fridge. "Can't sleep either?"
Kevin shrugged, playing with his glass of water absently. "Just thinking."
"Yeah ..." AJ pulled out a can of Coke and shut the door to the fridge. Kevin raised an eyebrow.
"Oh that'll help you sleep, pal."
"Caffeine makes me sleepy," AJ said as he popped it open with a hiss.
Kevin chuckled. "You forget I know you."
AJ stared at him a minute. It was an easy thing to forget, seeing as he didn't know him in return. He just shrugged slightly.
"So how're you doing?" Kevin tried.
"Okay," came the answer, accompanied by another shrug. AJ dropped down into another chair at the table and started opening the pill bottle.
"Headache still?"
"Nah, I just like these pills a lot," AJ said sarcastically. He shook out one and then started to shut the bottle. He stopped and shook out another before twisting the cap back on. "I like 'em a lot."
Kevin watched him swallow the pills and frowned slightly, not making a comment.
"Can I ask you something?"
Kevin tried not to look surprised. "Go ahead."
"Well ..." AJ played with a napkin on the table. "Are all the interviews you go to as stupid and boring as the one today?"
"One interview and you've already come to that conclusion, huh?" Kevin had to laugh. "Pretty much. Not all."
"Cause I have to say that was pretty stupid. Maybe it was just the lady."
"Hey now."
"She was a typical ditz, man. Blonde ditz." AJ leaned his arms forward on the table, resting his head down. "Can I ask you another question?"
"Sure." Kevin was hoping the kid's openness would last.
"If I wanted to leave, what would happen?"
"Leave?" Kevin repeated.
"Yeah, would that be bad? Would you stop me?"
"We're not gonna stop you from doing what you want to do I guess, Aje." Yeah, it would be bad ... Kevin frowned. "Why, are you thinking about it?"
AJ shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know," he said tiredly. "If I can't remember anything, then ..." He trailed off. "I can't explain it. I don't know. But Nick said once I remembered stuff I wouldn't want to leave."
Kevin smiled slightly. Atta boy, Nicky. "I think he's right."
"Yeah and then he got all upset." AJ rolled his eyes.
"Yeah well, he looks up to you. You leaving would upset him a lot." It would upset all of them, but he didn't say that.
AJ just rolled his eyes again.
"Things'll come back to you."
"I guess. It's just weird right now." AJ shook his head. He had already talked too much. It was giving him more of a headache. He lifted his head from the table. "I'm gonna go to bed."
"Alright, kid. 'Night."
-
"Hey ..."
AJ looked up at Brian's voice and he smiled slightly, for just a second. "Hi."
Taking that as a sign that the kid wasn't going to attack if he came closer, Brian sank into the couch near him. "Whatcha listening to?"
"Your CD. Or I guess our CD." AJ rolled his eyes. "Howie and Kev were all of a sudden like 'Here, listen to this!'."
Brian laughed. They had been talking about trying to show him pictures or home movies or something, to try and get him to remember. Kevin had a home video collection bigger than Blockbuster, so if worse came to worse, a trip down memory lane would probably be in store.
"Yeah, so either they want to brainwash me or they think it's gonna make me remember."
"Does it sound familiar?"
AJ shrugged slightly, the headphones now hanging around his neck. "Kinda ... Like that's my voice and all, and I guess they kinda sound familiar, but it's weird."
Brian nodded slowly. He couldn't think of anything that would feel weirder.
"Very weird," AJ repeated softly. He started to look frustrated again.
"Hey buddy, it's alright. It'll come."
AJ sent him an annoyed look. He had been hearing that line just a bit too much lately.
"Sorry, I know we've been saying that a lot."
"Yeah."
"Well we're trying to do what we can, man. We don't really have a lot of experience with amnesia." Brian cracked a smile here.
"Psh, me neither." AJ leaned his head back and shut his eyes.
"Your head still hurt?"
"Uh huh." He pulled away as Brian's hand moved to touch his forehead. "I'm fine."
"You feel hot."
"I'm fine," he repeated. He pulled the headphones away from his neck and tossed the CD played onto Brian's lap. "Nice CD."
"You too."
AJ frowned.
"Listen, you sure you're okay?"
AJ only response was a glare, his brown eyes flashing.
"Alright, alright. Geez, kid."
AJ smiled, content that the questions stopped. He started to play with a fold in his baggy jeans absently. "Can we go somewhere?"
"Like where?"
"Is there a mall around here?"
Brian smiled. That sounded like AJ. "I'm sure there is, you wanna go?"
"Can I go by myself?"
"What, you don't wanna hang out with me?" Truth was he wasn't sure if they should let the kid off by himself. Last time that happened they were lucky he came back.
AJ was silent and Brian gave his leg a swat. "Fine," AJ muttered, trying to hide his smile. "But just me and you."
"What about Nick?"
"What about him," came the petulant answer. He was trying to be hard to deal with but Brian didn't let it faze him. He just gave him another swat and started to get up, dropping the CD player on the coffee table.
"I'll go get him."
AJ rolled his eyes. Oh boy.
"Nick?" Brian stuck his head their room, finding the younger boy sprawled out on the foot of one of the beds, watching TV. He looked half asleep. "We're going out, you wanna come?"
Nick looked up at him. 'We' obviously included AJ, since Howie and Kev were out somewhere and it was just the three of them left in the hotel. He shrugged. "Where?"
"Mall?"
Nick shrugged again.
"Come 'ere. You're going. Get shoes on." Brian wasn't about to leave the kid alone in the hotel to mope around all day. It would be good for the three of them to spend some time together anyway. "C'mon."
Nick obediently slid off the bed and turned off the TV, going to look for his shoes. "Brian?" he called.
"Yeah, pal." Brian paused in the doorway.
"Now could be our chance."
"Nicky, I think I already told you what I thought."
Nick concentrated on his sneaker.
"Nick?"
"Mm."
"Look at me?" Brian watched him, waiting for him to look up. "Forget it. No."
Nick silently finished tying his other sneaker and grabbed a baseball cap from his bag before getting to his feet. Brian caught his arm as he started to slide past him out the door.
"It's gonna be fine."
"Okay." Nick tried to pull away but was held.
"Look at me. It will be, bro. Alright?"
"I said okay."
Brian smacked him lightly as he released him. "I know you did."
-
"Do you like this?"
Nick and Brian looked at the hat that AJ was holding up and somehow kept straight faces. Shopping with this AJ was pretty much like shopping with the old AJ. Only this AJ seemed to actually think about their opinion.
Nick studied the orange-colored, fur-toting accessory and shook his head. "It looks like something Garfield coughed up."
Brian couldn't hold in his laugh as AJ held the hat at an arm's length, obviously looking at it from a new perspective.
"Aje?"
"Yes?" The hat was dropped back on the rack and a purple and green leopard cowboy hat with a shaggy rim was picked up.
"Are you picking out the most bizarre ones on purpose?"
AJ looked at Brian, expression giving nothing away. "What would make you say that?"
Nick and Brian exchanged a glance.
"Howie told me that I had really different taste, but that it was cool."
"I think Howie led you astray, boy." Brian grabbed the hat off his head and tossed it on the rack haphazardly. "You have very normal taste."
"Don't lie to him," Nick said.
"Yeah, don't lie to me."
Brian rolled his eyes. "Well you're not this weird."
"Yes, he is."
"Yes, I -" AJ cut himself off, glancing at Nick. "Hey now."
"C'mon," Brian started. "You can pick out hats in another store. I think this store is Drag Queens-R-Us."
A woman from across the hat department raised her head at the unfortunately loud statement and lifted an annoyed eyebrow. The hat she had in her hand was similar to the orange piece of fur AJ had had a second ago.
Nick started to laugh.
"Oh damn, Brian," AJ smiled.
"Oh c'mon. Let's go."
At a moment like that it was almost easy to forget what had happened and pretend things were back to normal. When they could just play around it was easy to act like nothing was missing. Even AJ was starting to feel more comfortable just being around these guys. They had become familiar all over again.
"Here."
AJ took the baseball cap that Brian was offering to him and made a face as he pulled it on backwards. He really didn't see the point of them wearing caps to 'disguise' themselves. It wasn't necessary. And it looked stupid.
Brian was looking at his watch. "You guys want to get some food?"
"Sure," Nick said, and they both looked toward AJ. But his mind was somewhere else.
"Aje? You hungry, man? We were thinking about getting some food."
AJ shrugged. He didn't really feel like eating, but he went along with it. "Okay ..."
They settled on a pizza place in the food court. Actually, Nick and Brian decided and AJ just sort of followed along.
"You're so quiet," Brian remarked as they grabbed a table. The recent silence was so weird. He set his food down and looked up to see AJ making another face. He didn't know if it was out of pain or because of his comment.
AJ just shrugged.
"You feeling okay?"
"I'm fine." AJ dropped into one of the chairs and concentrated on his slice of pizza. "Quit askin' so much, Brian."
Brian sat across from him and took a sip of his soda. Okay, no more questions. But he suddenly wasn't looking one hundred percent.
Nick had seen the change too. He glanced at Brian. "Are we going back after this?"
Brian just nodded and took a big bite of his slice.
"Do we have rehearsals tonight?"
Brian nodded again, chewing slowly.
"Do I go to that?"
Brian looked up at AJ's question, shrugging slightly. "I dunno, man. We'll have to talk about it I guess. Do you want to go?"
AJ just shrugged, staring at his untouched pizza slice.
"If you don't want to I'm sure we can say you're sick again."
"I'm gonna be 'sick' for a long time," AJ said in a slightly annoyed voice.
"Don't say that." Brian frowned. "Things will be fine soon."
AJ shook his head and started to stand. "I'm gonna go get napkins," he mumbled.
Nick looked up. "We already have-"
"Sh," Brian interrupted. "Just let him go."
Nick was frowning. "If he never remembers anything, then what?"
Brian was shaking his head. "He's going to though."
"Stop trying to make me feel better and just be honest." Nick made a face and played with the edge of his paper plate. "Okay, fine. Hypo whatever-"
"Hypothetically."
Nick ignored him. "Pretend that he doesn't remember anything. Does that mean it's over?"
"What's over?"
"Us. If he leaves, there's no more group."
"He's going to rem-"
"Pretend," Nick objected. "Please Brian, I wanna know."
"I can't be sure, pal. I don't know what's gonna happen, I have no idea." Brian looked at his paper plate. "And you're right, we don't know for sure if he's gonna remember. But the chances are high, so we've just got to stay positive."
Nick didn't answer. He had wanted Brian to be honest, but now that he had been he was beginning to wish he hadn't asked. He had only gotten his doubts even more doubtful.
"I think it's time we save AJ," Brian said suddenly.
Nick looked up in the direction of the counter that AJ had been at and saw his friend had gotten surrounded by three girls. Great. He rolled his eyes and pushed his chair back after Brian.
Poor AJ had no clue what to do with himself.
" - ... huh, AJ?"
"Hey," Brian interrupted right away. "Hate to interrupt, but we've got to get going."
One of the girls let out an excited squeal at the sight of the two of them coming but was quickly elbowed by her friend.
"We were just wondering if we could get your autographs?"
"Uh huh." Brian quickly grabbed a pen off the counter and scribbled his name on a napkin, passing it to Nick.
"One for each of us?" the girl pressed.
Brian tried not to roll his eyes and grabbed two more napkins, signing both of them and sliding them down to Nick. He moved closer to AJ, who was hesitating with the pen over the napkin.
"Do I have a special autograph?" he whispered softly.
Brian shook his head. "Just sign however, buddy. It's fine."
"McLean?" AJ asked.
Brian's stomach sank. "Yeah, buddy."
AJ quickly signed the name on the three napkins and handed them to the one girl, trying to smile. It was hard with his head suddenly starting to pound.
"AJ, you and your girlfriend are still broken up, aren't you?"
AJ stared at her blankly. He had no idea.
"That's not very nice," Nick interrupted, growing annoyed. "And it's none of your business."
Brian quickly caught each of his younger friends by an arm. "Nice to meet you girls, we really have to go. We're kind of running late."
"Oh alright, thanks ..."
"We're running late?" Nick asked as they quickly made their way out of the food court. "Where do we have to be?"
"Nowhere, I just wanted out of there. You alright, AJ?"
"No. Quit askin' ..."
-
"Hey guys, how's it going ..." Kevin cut off his greeting when he could see for himself that it wasn't going so hot.
"Um," was all Brian said as he shut the door behind him. Nick quickly retreated to his own room, but he and AJ just kind of stood there.
Kevin studied AJ carefully. "How you feeling there, AJ?"
AJ just shrugged. "Can I go to bed?"
Kevin frowned slightly but nodded. "Sure, man."
Brian was ready to disappear to his room himself when AJ left but Kevin quickly caught his arm.
"Come 'ere. Everything okay?"
"Fine ..." He let himself drop onto the couch next to his cousin and let out a tired sigh. "Everything's super."
"Convincing, Bri," Howie observed.
"What happened?"
"I don't know ... We were at the mall and it was going pretty much okay. But then we were at the food court and AJ went to go get napkins and these girls spotted him. He wasn't feeling great to begin with. I don't know what they said to him. We left after that."
Kevin and Howie were silent and Brian looked at them expectantly.
"What about between Nicky and him," Kevin said finally. "Are they talking?"
"Good question. Talking, yes. To each other?" Brian hesitated. "I'm not sure. I wasn't paying attention."
It was quiet.
"You guys aren't doing much talking," Brian noticed.
They didn't answer. He sighed louder and Kevin dropped a hand down on his head absently.
"What about tonight," Brian asked. "Do we have rehearsals tonight?"
"Yes."
"Can we all pretend to forget?"
"No."
"Then can we all pretend to be sick?"
"No." Kevin gave his head a push and pulled his hand away.
"What about AJ?"
"What about him."
"Damn, Kev," Brian complained.
"Well, either he doesn't come or he comes and watches. Because there's no way he's gonna learn a bunch of songs and dance routines in a matter of hours. Does that answer your question?"
Brian was quiet for a minute. "I'll stay here and watch him."
"Funny."
Brian started to get up from the couch.
"But he was acting okay today?"
"Mm," Brian said tiredly. "Until the girls."
"He remember anything?" Howie asked.
Brian shook his head as he left the room. "No, and he had to double-check his name before he signed an autograph."
Kevin exchanged a look with Howie.
"Great ..."
-
"You can just sit here and watch ... And we told everyone you're sick, but if anybody asks just say you are."
AJ nodded absently as he took a seat on the paneled floor, resting his back against the wall and sliding his legs out in front of him. "What should I have."
"Schizophrenia," Howie said.
AJ frowned at him.
"Just say you're sick," Kevin interrupted. "Nothing specific."
AJ gave another absent nod and leaned his head back against the wall. He had decided to come primarily out of curiosity but he was starting to regret it now. His head hurt and his back hurt and the bed back at the hotel seemed so much nicer than the hard wooden floor.
"You alright?"
AJ opened his eyes and saw Brian standing in front of him. He thought they had all gone off to do whatever it was they were doing.
"I'm okay."
"You sure, man? We could always get someone to take you back to the hotel."
AJ shook his head. He didn't want a hassle. "It's fine, I'm just gonna watch."
Brian nodded slightly, shifting his feet as he heard someone start the music across the room. "Well if you change your mind just tell someone and-"
"Brian!" a voice hollered.
He rolled his eyes. "- just tell somebody and they'll take you back."
"Thanks ..."
"Alright I gotta go. See you in a few."
AJ gave a slight nod and then let his head fall back against the wall again. He squeezed his eyes shut against the ache but opened them again when that didn't seem to make any sort of difference.
The music had gotten louder. He wasn't sure where the source of it was from, but he vaguely recognized the song and saw the guys in certain positions on the floor. He saw the empty spot too, where 'AJ' was supposed to be, and just frowned.
It was hard for him to pay attention because his head hurt, and even though he tried he soon he felt himself drifting off with his eyes open. He was hoping when he woke up it would be in a bed of some sort when a shadow fell over him.
"AJ?"
He raised his eyes up and found a woman standing in front of him, a concerned look on her face. He swallowed. She obviously knew him, which meant that he should know her.
"Hey," he got out, pasting a calm look on his face. What he hoped was a calm look.
"What's up, you skipping out on practice?"
He couldn't tell if she was serious or if she was joking. "I'm sick. Really sick."
"Really?" The concerned look on her face came back. "What's bothering you?"
" ... Everything." He played with the rim of his baseball cap anxiously. "My head ..." That wasn't a lie. "And my ..." He started up the fake coughing again. "I have a cough."
That made the lady frown.
"Everything hurts," he told her. He wanted to make her feel bad so that she would just leave him alone.
"That's not good ... Have you taken anything for it?"
AJ frowned. Instead of making her want to leave him alone he had inspired whatever mother-mode she had to come out. He started to shake his head and then stopped. He had been taking stuff. "Yeah."
"What've you taken?"
"I don't know ..."
"Tylenol?"
"Something like that ..." Except it was prescribed.
"When was the last time you took something?"
He just shrugged, squinting his eyes slightly. Her questions were giving him a migraine.
"I'll go look through my bag, I'm sure I have something ... Did you guys lay down the new tracks yet?"
AJ stared at her blankly, his brown eyes confused.
"AJ?"
"Yeah, yeah we did. Uh huh."
"How'd they turn out?"
He made a slight face, but she didn't notice. " ... Really good."
She smiled. "Great, great. I'll be right back, I'll go look and see if I have anything for you."
AJ nodded, waiting until she moved away from him and then quickly getting to his feet. The guys were standing around taking some sort of break or were in-between things, so he quickly went to them.
"Kev? Kevin?"
"Mm?" The older man put down his water bottle when he saw AJ. The kid looked sick. "You alright?"
"Kev, did we ... did you lay down the new tracks yet?"
"New tracks?" Kevin watched him carefully. "No, we just got them."
"We did?"
"Mm-hm."
AJ looked horrified. "You didn't do anything with 'em? Lay 'em down?"
Kevin smiled slightly in amusement, but it left his face quickly when he saw AJ was getting upset. "No ... What's the matter, Aje?"
"Who's that lady?"
"What lady ..."
"AJ?"
There. AJ spun around and there she was, she had joined them.
Kevin looked up. Ah, that lady. "Hey Donna," he greeted, placing his hands on AJ's shoulders reassuringly. "What's up?"
"Well I was in town and wanted to check on how you boys were doing," the woman answered. She held out something to AJ and it took Kevin a second to recognize it as some sort of Tylenol cold tablets. "I found these ..."
AJ took them from her slowly. "Thanks ..."
"How long has he been sick?"
"Couple days ... One of those head cold things."
"The rest of you better not get sick." It was the first time she suddenly didn't seem all nice. Donna pushed some of her dark hair behind her ear. "I heard you got done with some of the new tracks? They went well?"
Kevin just nodded, casually rubbing AJ's tense shoulders. "Couple more days in the studio and they should be done."
"Good, good. Well, I have a meeting, I just wanted to check up on everything."
"Everything's fine."
"Alright then. I should be giving you a call in a couple days. New schedules and everything."
Kevin nodded again so that she would leave. "One of our managers," he said as they watched her make her way out of the place.
"Oh."
"Did she suspect anything?" Brian moved closer once she was gone.
"I doubt it." Kevin held out his water bottle to AJ, who was looking down at the pills. "You wanna take those?"
AJ took the bottle.
"I think we're gonna have to put some time in the studio for those tracks," Howie commented, glancing at Kevin.
Kevin nodded, noticing the look that crossed AJ's face. He took the water bottle back and shook his head. "AJ, I would have told her we were almost done anyway."
"Oh."
"Why don't you sit against the mirror. We'll be done soon."
The four of them watched as their bandmate went and sat against the mirrored wall without a word.
"He's so quiet," Howie said.
"Maybe he's tired."
"He's probably just not feeling well."
"Hey, we could plan some sort of accident to happen in here," Nick said suddenly. It would really look like an accident. The three of them stared at him.
"No," Brian said firmly, but Howie and Kevin were frowning.
"Accident?"
"What are you talking about?"
Nick didn't like the looks he was getting. If Brian didn't like his idea to begin with, introducing it to Kevin and Howie during practice wouldn't be the best idea.
"Never mind."
-
"It's no big deal ..."
"I don't want to."
"All you have to do is put on what they want you to and smile."
"I don't want to smile."
Brian tried a different tactic. "You can do whatever you want when it's over."
"I don't want to do anything."
"Look, it won't be long," Howie said.
"I went to your interview and to your rehearsal. That's it, no more." AJ fell sideways on the couch and pulled one of the cushions over his head.
"C'monnn-"
"Go away," he mumbled.
Howie and Brian exchanged a look as Kevin stepped into the room and studied the scene before him.
"What's the problem?"
"He doesn't want to go."
"He has to go."
"No, I don't," came the argument from under the pillow. "I'm sick."
"You're not sick."
"Yes I am!" The objection was muffled.
Brian tried to pull the pillow off the kid's head.
"AJ, c'mon."
"I'm not even in your stupid group."
Kevin took in a deep breath. Why was he suddenly so defensive?
Stay calm ...
"AJ."
"You told me I could be sick."
"In the beginning, not now."
The pillow shifted slightly. "You didn't say that."
"C'mon, buddy. You don't have to do much even. We can't keep saying you're sick."
"But I am, it's not a lie."
The older man shook his head. "You're coming. Get up."
"I'm not. Go away."
"I swear to God, AJ." Kevin was losing patience.
"I have a headache." It was getting worse.
"Take some pills," Howie said.
AJ sat up slightly, a stubborn look on his face. "I'm. Not. Going." He lifted his chin and looked directly at Kevin when he said it.
"C'mon, AJ," Howie started before Kevin could say anything. He could tell the older man was getting annoyed. He didn't really blame him- they were all tired, and AJ's sudden lapse into being mad at them again wasn't exactly helping to keep anyone's patience fully charged. "It's not a big deal."
AJ didn't answer. He was beginning to get the feeling that even if he didn't agree he was going to lose.
"You told me you weren't gonna force me to do anything." He looked at Kevin again. "You lied."
"I didn't lie."
"Yes, you did."
"I did not. Listen, be a sport. One little photo shoot. That's it."
AJ sank sideways again. "That's not it, there'll be more. You'll make me do more ..." He let out a long sigh.
Kevin actually chuckled. "Stop trying to be pathetic."
"It's not funny," AJ mumbled, growing more annoyed. He wasn't going to win.
-
"Is there something wrong with AJ?"
Kevin glanced at the photographer who went by the name Toney and frowned slightly, glancing over to where AJ was getting solo shots. "Wrong with him?"
"He won't smile." The balding man shook his head, almost impatiently. "Did somebody die?"
An almost fond smile passed over Kevin's face. "He's just being stubborn. We got into this thing this morning ... Long story. We told him he didn't have to smile."
"Well tell him the joke's over."
"He's just in a mood." Kevin slowly tore himself away from the man. He wasn't about to get into it with him.
"Are these guys professionals?" Brian complained as he dropped down next to him on a couch. "We should've been out of here a long time ago."
"Hush ..."
"It's true. The person with me exposed her film to the light and had to go find more rolls."
"Serious?"
"Yeah and then she didn't even know how to put them in the camera so I had to help her."
Kevin rolled his eyes slightly and pushed at Brian's knee. "Now I know you're playing."
"I'm not," he objected. "Well, she knew how to put it in but it took her awhile."
There was a moment of silence as they both just sat there. They both felt like sleep.
Brian scanned the room tiredly. "AJ looks happy."
"Yeah, huh."
"I think the head thing's getting worse."
"Well it's taking longer than I thought."
Brian frowned. "Really?"
Kevin glanced at him. "Yeah ... Isn't that what you meant?"
"I meant the pain."
"Well that too."
"Maybe we should bring him back to the hospital. They said to if the headache got worse."
Kevin watched as the subject of their conversation finished up with his shots and started toward them. "Yeah, but he might just be playing us 'cause he doesn't want to do stuff."
"He wouldn't do that," Brian said.
"Well, I don't think it's that either but I'm just saying. And being under these lights won't help much."
Brian cut off his next words as AJ moved into earshot.
"Hey, Aje."
"Hi." AJ had noticed that the conversation cut off when he had approached. "What were you talkin' about?"
"You," Kevin replied, raising an eyebrow.
He expected some sort of response but the tired AJ didn't even make a comment. He just rolled his eyes and dropped down next to Kevin, laying his head against the armrest of the couch.
Brian watched him. "You doing okay?"
The answer was a shrug.
"Almost over," Kevin said, patting the younger man's leg. "Then you can sleep ..."
AJ didn't answer.
"If the photographer's weren't so challenged we'd be out of here already," Brian started again.
Kevin glanced at him.
"It's true ..."
"We done?" Nick appeared and seeing there was no available spot left for him on the couch dropped down on top of Kevin, who groaned good-naturedly.
"You're killing me, pal."
"You can take it," Nick answered, leaning into him. "I'm ready to go, you?"
"Been ready," Brian said.
"Where's Howie?"
"I think he went to get a drink," Nick said. "We can meet him in the hall. Yeah?" He glanced at AJ.
"He's sleeping," Brian said.
"Oh."
"We can go," Kevin said, starting to push the younger man off his lap. "They look done. Let me up, Nicky."
Brian gave AJ a nudge as Kevin went to go find Howie. "We can go."
AJ opened his eyes and sat up. "Finally ..." He paused. "Can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"Did I like this before?"
Brian shrugged with a small smile. "No?"
"That's what I figured."
-
"Do I have a girlfriend?"
Kevin raised his head at the words, a little surprised. It had been silent in the room except for the TV until that question. He had figured AJ had fallen asleep. "What?"
"A girlfriend," AJ repeated, flipping the couch pillow that was on his lap. "Do I have a girlfriend."
Kevin just shook his head slowly.
"No?" AJ flipped the pillow again, looking at the TV. "But I just had one right, I just broke up with one?"
Kevin knew by the phrasing of the question that it wasn't something the kid remembered, it was something he had heard. "What has you thinking that?"
"Because. The girl at the mall told me, she asked if I was still broken up. So it has to be recent, right?"
"What'd you tell her?"
"Nothing, Nick told her off."
A small smile crossed Kevin's face.
"So is it?" AJ repeated.
"Is it what?"
AJ flipped the pillow on his lap again. "Is it recent?"
Kevin shrugged. Well there was one thing they could be happy he didn't remember. At least the kid was making some sort of conversation instead of being mute. "You could say that."
AJ looked at him. "Tell me."
"Tell you what?"
AJ gave him an irritated look.
Kevin shook his head. "You're better off, hon. Alright? Ask me something else."
"What's her name."
Kevin didn't answer, he just picked up the controller for the TV and started flipping the channels.
"That's not fair, Kevin," AJ started, a hurt tone in his voice. "It's my business, it's not yours even, you should tell me. It's not my fault I don't remember ..."
Kevin glanced at him. He was so much more vulnerable. "Listen AJ, sometimes there's some things a guy wishes he could forget about."
"But that's not up to you to decide," AJ complained. The hurt was still in his voice. "Don't try and protect me or whatever it is you're trying to do, it ain't funny."
"I know it's not."
"Then tell me ..." AJ let out a huff, crossing his arms over his chest. Kevin wasn't answering and it made him annoyed. "How do I know what you say is true anyway."
"I'm not gonna lie to you," Kevin said, a little annoyed. "Understand?"
There was a long silence and he figured the kid was brooding.
"Kevin?"
"Yeah."
"I can get me a girlfriend real easy, huh?"
He chuckled slightly. "Depends."
"On what."
"Well you want a quality girlfriend?"
AJ shrugged. "Don't matter."
"Yes it does, kiddo. You can pick up some girl who just likes your name, but that's not quality."
"It can be."
"It's not."
"It can be," AJ repeated.
Kevin didn't answer him, he just kept flipping the channels. There was never anything on. He found a South Park episode and dropped the controller.
"Kev?"
"Mm?" He expected AJ to ask some other question and was surprised when there was only silence. He glanced over at the younger man. "What, Aje?"
AJ just shook his head.
"No, what? Ask." He was sort of enjoying the questions.
There was suddenly something different in the younger man's face. "Nothing, never mind..."
"You alright?"
"Fine." But the answer was strained and when Kevin looked at him again AJ had buried his face into the pillow. He frowned.
"What's the matter? Your head?"
There was a slight nod into the pillow.
"Why don't you go to bed."
"No," came the muffled response.
"When was the last time you took a pill?"
There muffled answer was inaudible.
"What?"
"There's none left," AJ said, lifting his head slightly.
"None?"
"I finished the bottle yesterday."
Kevin hesitated. "You got two bottles though, buddy, didn't you?"
"Oh yeah."
No wonder his head was killing him. "Where's the other one?"
"Bag," he mumbled.
Kevin pulled himself off the couch and headed toward the room that AJ's things were in. Howie was in there at the desk and he looked up when Kevin entered.
"What's up?"
"His head's bothering him," Kevin sat as he squatted in front of AJ's sloppily packed bag. Luckily enough it only took him a few seconds to uncover the pill bottle that was still fairly on top.
"Really?" Howie frowned. "Kev, you think we should get him checked out again?"
Kevin just shrugged. "I don't know, 'D, I really don't ..."
AJ was still in the same position when he came back with the pills and a glass of water. "Here."
"Thanks," AJ mumbled. He tried to ignore the little jackhammer man inside his brain. "I'm fine you know."
Kevin gently rubbed the back of the kid's head. "Yeah I can tell ... You feel warm, man."
"It's warm in here." AJ pulled away from his hand.
"No, it's not."
"Yeah it is. Maybe you're the sick one." AJ rubbed his face with the sleeve of his shirt. He did feel hot. Really hot. "Damn," he muttered. "I wanna go home. Do I have a home?"
"Yeah."
"With who?"
"Your mom."
"I wanna go there then."
Kevin leaned his head back into the couch and stared at the roughened ceiling. "You're just saying that because you're sick."
"I'm not sick. I'm saying it 'cause I don't wanna be here anymore."
"You're just saying that because you're sick."
"I'm not fucking sick. I don't wanna be here anymore."
"Alright. Watch your mouth."
"You told me the photo shoot was the last thing I had to do," AJ said. He played with a fold in his baggy jeans.
Kevin just stared at the ceiling.
"Kevin?"
"What."
"Wasn't it ... Or did you lie?"
"I didn't lie ... Look, why don't you call your mom and talk to her about whatever's bugging you." Denise could set him straight. But then she would pick up on the fact that AJ wasn't himself and want to know why she wasn't informed.
"Nothing's bugging me ..." Nothing he could explain. "I just don't wanna be here anymore."
"So you've said."
"So wasn't that the last thing I had to do?"
"I think you should go to bed now and talk to me in the morning, AJ, that's what I think."
AJ just looked at him.
"Alright? In the morning we'll decide what you'll do."
"You're gonna make me stay." AJ said it with a frown, but inside he wasn't sure what he wanted to do. Right now they were the only ones he felt he sort of knew.
"Why do you say that?"
AJ shrugged.
"Well I want you to. But I told you before, I'm not gonna make you do anything."
"You made me do the photo thing," AJ answered sarcastically.
Kevin looked amused. "Git to bed. Now."
"Whatever," AJ muttered, hiding his smile as he pulled himself off the couch. He wasn't going to sleep, he was going to figure out a plan for himself.
"Feel better, Jay."
"I'll try."
-
"Well that sucked."
"I know." Brian leaned into the elevator wall after pressing the number for their floor and sighed.
"That's the second time."
"I know. Sorry."
"We should have just stayed," Nick muttered.
"We couldn't have."
"Well they should let us after hours then. It's not fair." It was the second time that week that he and Brian had tried to go swimming only to be asked to leave by the manager because of the group of girls that had followed them. The hotel seemed to think a riot would start.
Brian shrugged slightly.
"We should just go after hours."
"We can't."
"I hate girls," Nick told him.
Brian couldn't help the amused look that crossed his face. "What?" he laughed.
"I do."
"Nicky, Nicky ..." Brian shook his head as the elevator reached their floor and let out a ding. The entertained look was still on his face as they stepped out onto the floor. "Oh, Nicky ..."
"Shut up, Brian."
Brian just laughed and took out the key as they came to the room.
"No luck?" Kevin asked as the two of them entered. Their swim trunks were still dry as dry could be, and from the way Nick plopped down next to him with a huff he knew what the case was.
"Nick's decided he hates girls," Brian announced as he dropped down on Kevin's other side.
Nick's mouth dropped open.
"Really? Uh oh." Kevin gave the youngest a look and then inched a little closer to Brian, leaving more space between himself and Nick.
"That's not true," Nick objected, glaring at Brian.
"That's what you said," Brian said with a shrug, not surprised when Nick reached over Kevin to try and slug him. He just laughed.
"Shut up, Brian."
"You said it ..." Brian saw Nick was really getting upset and stopped. "Man, I was just kidding."
"It's not funny."
"I'm sorry." He had to fight his smile.
Nick scowled and just hit him again.
Kevin pushed him back on his other side. "Alright, he's sorry... Stop beating on him."
"Nick's a little annoyed," Brian said.
"Is he?"
"Yeah ..."
"And why is Nick annoyed?"
"Well, you know how he is," Brian said with a shrug.
"Yeah ..."
Nick rolled his eyes. They could be retarded at times. "It's not like I'm here or anything, guys."
Kevin and Brian both just stared at him. He made a face back and got up from the couch. He would rather play a video game by himself then listen to them play the 'let's try and annoy Nick' game.
"Nick," Kevin started.
"Shut up, Kevin."
Kevin just chuckled.
-
He sat up slowly, listening to the soft snoring of Howie in the other bed.
The man was definitely asleep, so AJ tried to calm his stomach a little as he sat on the floor and pulled on sneakers in the dark. Everyone was asleep, nothing to worry about. He would just leave without waking anybody up.
No problem.
He didn't want to be stopped. He knew Kevin had said that they were going to talk in the morning, but he didn't want to stick around only for them to tell him that sorry, he had to stay. Because he didn't want to.
He repeated that to himself over and over as he pulled himself off the ground and headed for the door. He didn't know these guys, he didn't like them, and he didn't like the stupid things that they were making him do. He didn't.
He glanced back at the bag with his clothes that was lying in the shadowy corner, but he left it there. It didn't seem like his anyway. It would feel like stealing.
The main room was dark, but he didn't turn on the lights. He moved quietly toward the darkness where the door was, trying not to make a sound. This was it. He was going to make his own life for himself, once he figured everything out.
As soon as his shoe hit the tiled part of the floor in front to the door, he bumped into something and jumped, trying not to scream.
"AJ?"
His eyes were adjusting and he could make out Nick in the dim light. "What're you doing?" he demanded, slightly annoyed. The kid always picked the same night.
"What're you doing," Nick answered in the same tone.
"I asked you first, kid." He didn't get an answer. "Come on. Go to bed." He pointed into the dark, in the direction of the room Nick shared with Brian.
Nick ignored the command. "Are you leaving?"
AJ didn't answer.
"Are you leaving?" Nick repeated. He purposely raised his voice, knowing AJ was trying not to make a commotion.
"Go. To. Bed," AJ hissed firmly.
Nick studied him for a minute. Well, he didn't have any bags with him, so that would mean he wasn't leaving, right? He could have just been taking a walk or something.
"I'm going swimming," he told him, lowering his voice again.
For the first time, AJ noticed the knee length swim shorts the younger kid was wearing with his thin t-shirt. "Swimming?" he repeated.
"Yeah." Nick's face lit up with a grin. "Wanna come with?"
"You're not gonna go swimming, you're gonna go to bed."
"No, I'm not."
"Yes, you are."
"Then I'll go get Kevin."
"I'll tell on you," AJ warned.
"He won't care."
AJ raised an eyebrow at him.
Nick frowned. He wasn't going to win that one. "Are you leaving?" he asked again. When he didn't get an answer he reached for the door handle. "Fine, I don't care what you do."
AJ let out a breath, watching as Nick unlocked the deadbolt. "Why're you going swimming in the middle of the night, huh?"
"Cause I couldn't go before, that's why."
"Why don't you wait until the morning."
"Because the pool opens in the morning," Nick said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Other people will be there."
AJ didn't answer, he just stepped out into the hall when the door opened. "You got a key to get yourself back in?"
Nick's mouth opened for a second in surprise and then he disappeared back inside, returning a minute later with a smile and room key in hand.
AJ shut the door behind both of them as quietly as he could.
"Are you just going for a walk or something?" Nick asked, following AJ towards the elevators. The guy seemed to be in a rush.
"Something like that."
Nick pushed back some blonde hair out of his eyes as he hit the down button on the wall. "You wanna go swimming?"
AJ rolled his eyes. God. What did the kid want with him. "I'll walk you there."
The elevator dinged and the silver doors slid open. Nick shrugged as he stepped on. "Okay."
The ride down was silent. AJ because he was trying to decide what the heck he was going to do when he got out of the hotel. It was the middle of the night after all. And Nick was quiet because he saw AJ was distracted like that. He knew something was up.
But when they stepped off the elevator at the lobby, Nick's mind quickly switched to getting past the front desk without being seen. AJ didn't seem to care about that, but neither his slow walk past or Nick's quick dart were observed by the person sitting there.
The pool area reeked of chlorine. It was really quiet, the lapping of the water against the sides was the only sound. Nick stood at the edge and put his bare foot in. It was cold.
"You're just going for a walk, right?" He turned again to AJ to check again, but was caught off guard as he was pushed, enough to make him lose his balance and fall in before he had a chance to say a word more.
"Stay outta trouble," AJ said when the kid came to the surface sputtering and gasping for air. He was already heading toward the door.
"AJ!" Nick hollered, as loud as he could while still gasping for air. His voice echoed in the large enclosed room and he knew that anyone could hear him but he didn't care. "AJ!"
There was no answer.
"AJ!" Nick cried desperately, grabbing at the side of the pool and starting to pull himself up.
AJ felt bad when he heard him calling but he wasn't going to turn. When he opened the door to go back to the lobby though, a man in a suit was there to greet him on the other side.
The large man folded his arms across his chest. "Well, well, well ..."
"Shit," AJ mumbled. Security. There went his whole plan. And he would be stuck with part of the blame on the pool scheme probably too.
He felt someone wet bump into him from behind and grab his shirt.
"What do you think you're doing?" the security man started in a hard voice. "The pool closed at ten o'clock. See that sign over there?"
Nick pushed his wet hair out of his face, shaking slightly. He didn't know whether it was because he was cold or because he was scared of getting in trouble with this guy.
"Get out here," the man ordered, pulling the door the rest of the way open. They both stepped off the slippery tiles of the pool area and out into the carpeted hall.
And then they ran for their lives.
They stopped running when they reached one of the conference rooms, and Nick bent over, gasping for breath. AJ was doing the same thing, but when Nick straightened up and glanced at him he looked strange.
"You okay?"
AJ nodded, but the pain in his head felt like someone was drilling through the back of his head and little white dots were starting to mess up his vision. He felt all tingly.
"You hafta sit?" Nick was asking. He started to look around for a chair.
AJ shook his head, but the next thing he knew everything went black. Pitch black. He felt himself going backwards.
Nick turned in time to see his friend fall to the ground hard, head knocking against the floor. "AJ!" He quickly fell to his knees next to him, shaking him slightly. "Jay ..." His voice was shaking. "Jay, wake up. C'mon."
He didn't get an answer, so he hit him in the leg.
"It's not funny," Nick told him, voice hoarse. "You're not funny, wake up!"
There wasn't any response.
"AJ!" He felt tears coming to his eyes. It was all his fault again. And this time AJ was probably dead. He was a murderer. He wiped his face with his arm, but it was all wet anyway.
He quickly got to his feet, feeling really weak. He had to get the guys. They had passed an elevator right outside, and Nick ran to there.
The tears were really coming by the time he reached their room, blurring his vision. He pulled out the key, hand shaking as he slid it in. The green light popped on and he rushed inside, flipping on the light and running toward his room.
"Brian," he said quickly, rushing to his friend's bed. He was sound asleep on his side, hugging his pillow. Nick shook him roughly. "Brian!" He flipped on the light.
"Nick?" Brian blinked into the sudden light, his voice still slightly asleep. The clock read two-fifteen. "What are you doing?"
"AJ ... He- He's ... We were downstairs and he got all pale and fell and hit his head again and you have to come because, because-"
Brian was wide awake and out of bed. "Get Kev."
Nick ran to the other room, trying to wake Kevin the same way. "Kev, Kev ..."
"What, Nicky?" came the tired answer.
Nick repeated the same if not more mixed up sentence that he had to Brian. Kevin was quickly sitting up, rubbing his face and looking around for his shoes.
"Where's he."
"Down," Nick said, confused at the question. The tears were starting again.
Kevin looked at him clearly for the first time, reaching out and touching his shorts. The kid was dripping all over the carpet. "Why the hell are you wet?"
Nick just stared at him.
"Damn kid," Kevin muttered. He was quickly sliding on a pair of shoes when Brian flew into the room.
"Kev-"
"Wake Howie," he told his cousin. "And get Nick shoes. We'll meet you guys down there."
Brian disappeared again and Kevin started toward his bathroom, quickly grabbing a large towel and coming back out with it. He grabbed his cell phone off the table.
"Alright, calm down. Show me where."
Nick quickly rushed back out into the main room and toward the door, Kevin right behind him. When they got into the elevator, Kevin started rubbing the kid's head with the towel.
"Why are you wet?"
"Is AJ gonna die?"
"No."
"Will he wake up?"
The elevator dinged and Kevin dropped the towel on Nick's head. "Yes. What were you doing down here?"
"Do we hafta bring him to the hospital?"
"Yeah. C'mon."
-
Same waiting room. With the same poorly decorated walls and the same cracking and creaking plastic chairs that you weren't sure you wanted to put your entire weight on.
"Deja vu," Howie mumbled as he sat in one of the chairs. It creaked.
Kevin shook his head, trusting his weight on another chair. "This better be the last time I see this place."
Nick and Brian just sort of stood there for a minute.
"Sit, boys," Kevin said.
Nick slid in next to him and Brian sat on the old coffee table next to the pile of magazines. He was chewing on his nails. Kevin watched him for a minute and then glanced at Nick. The kid seemed to be in a sort of shock over the whole thing still. He still hadn't gotten out of him what had happened.
"Last time was my fault too," Nick mumbled suddenly.
"Neither time was your fault," Kevin said tiredly. "Alright? Just because you see something happen doesn't make it your fault."
Nick shook his head, silently disagreeing.
"I guess you got to do your plan after all," Brian spoke up. "Hitting him over the head."
"Hey," Kevin said sharply, sending his cousin a warning look.
Brian opened his mouth slightly. He hadn't meant it that way. He couldn't say what he meant at two in the morning.
"I didn't do it on purpose," Nick said softly.
"You didn't do it," Howie answered. The kid was shivering slightly. They had brought him down a sweatshirt to replace the wet t-shirt, but the shorts were wet and were going to stay that way for awhile.
"Hey Brian?" Kevin started. He was thinking the same thing as Howie. "There's a cafeteria down the hall a bit. You wanna go with Nicky and get something hot to drink?"
Brian nodded slightly.
"Here ..." Kevin pulled out some money and Brian got up to take it from him. "Go on, Nick."
There was silence for a few minutes after the two of them left.
Howie shifted in his seat and it creaked again. "What do you think happens when you get hit in the head twice?"
Kevin shook his head slightly. "I guess we're gonna find out."
-
By the time someone came to see them, Brian had fallen asleep on the coffee table and Nick was halfway there, the hot chocolates they had gotten forgotten. Kevin had had to gently take away Brian's since the kid had pretty much fallen asleep still holding it.
"McLean?"
"Yes?" Kevin quickly got to his feet when he saw the woman.
"You can go see him now. He's awake."
"He's awake?" Nick repeated, awake now at the nurse's words.
"Yes." She smiled slightly. "You can go ahead, they'll fill you in. Room 121."
The room turned out to be not far from when the first room had been, just a few doors down and across the hall. The four of them hesitated in the door for a second, not sure what they were going to find inside.
AJ turned his head at the sound. There was a nurse in the room with him, asking him different questions. "Hi," he said softly.
"Hey," Howie said, moving into the room. "How're you feeling?"
The younger man shrugged, quiet.
"He wants to get out of here," the nurse spoke up as she finished checking off a few things on her clipboard. "Let me just go check on a few things and we'll try and get you going."
There was some silence after she left.
"So who won?"
They all frowned slightly at AJ's words.
"What?" Kevin asked.
"We were playing football. Who won?" It was silent and AJ frowned as they all looked at him like it was the most wonderful thing he had ever said. "What ..."
"I won," Brian spoke up quickly, grinning.
Nick shook his head. "No, I did."
"No, I did," Brian repeated.
AJ looked at them both and shook his head, smiling slightly. He rolled his eyes. "Whatever, I probably won."
"Is that the last thing you remember?" Kevin asked.
AJ nodded slightly. "Why? Am I forgetting something?"
The four of them shook their heads at once.
"Nope, nothing at all."
THE END