REMEMBER to send feedback to the author, Jackie

» CHAPTER FIFTEEN «

"We have a press conference in one minute!" Brian exclaimed.

"I hope A.J. can make it this time," Howie said.

"I’m right here," A.J. said, walking through the door. He was ghostly white. The guys’ expressions turned from worry to shock.

"We gotta get out there now," Kevin said, breaking the silence. The guys walked out and took their seats.

"This question is for A.J. Where have you been?" a female reporter asked.

"No comment," A.J. said quietly. He looked like a wreck. His hair was messy, he hadn’t shaved, and his clothes were wrinkled.

"What’s next on the agenda for you guys?" a male reporter called out.

"Well, we’re gonna put on all the shows we postponed now that A.J.’s back, then we got back to the recording studio," Kevin answered.

"Thank you all for coming, but we have to cut this short," Brian said. "There will be no more questions."

~ Back At The Hotel ~

 "A.J., maybe the press will accept it when you say ‘no comment’, but I sure won’t. What happened to you?" Kevin asked.

"I don’t want to talk about it," A.J. said. "Besides, you’ll probably tell the other guys."

"No I won’t. That’s why I waited until I was alone with you before I asked," Kevin said.

"Why do you care anyway?"

"I care plenty and besides, I feel I owe you one," Kevin said.

"Owe me what?"

"Because when I first joined this group and none of you knew me. You were my first friend. You made me feel welcome," Kevin continued.

"Yeah, until Brian came. Then you dissed me."

"I never stopped being your friend," Kevin said. "And yes, Brian is my cousin, but he isn’t my friend. I asked him to join this group and he decided he’d rather hang out with Nick than me. I can’t control it, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t love him."

"You don’t know what it’s like to lose someone you love."

"Yes I do. I lost my father."

"But that was a different kind of love."

"What are you talking about?"

"Just forget it," A.J. said with tears in his eyes as he left, slamming the door behind him.

Mary had repeatedly tried to call Nick, but there was no answer. She kept it up for another five minutes, but there was still no answer. Finally, she gave up.

A.J. went into his apartment and retrieved his gun. He then made himself a drink and sat in his easy chair. A.J. held the gun in his hand and thought about his life. He had nothing left. All the people he loved seemed to die, and he just wanted to end it all. But he knew he owed it to Julie and Stacey to at least wait until after the funeral. He finished his drink, put the gun in the drawer, and headed over to the hotel.

Rebecca packed up all of her stuff. She had to leave. She had just come from the doctor and he told her she only had a one-percent change of getting pregnant and that if she really wanted a child she should look into adoption. Rebecca had tried getting pregnant, she had tried adoption, and failed at both of them. Now all hopes of having a baby were lost.

¤ Chapter 16 ¤
REMEMBER to send feedback to the author, Jackie