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AJ & Kevin
A/N: WARNING: Extreme fluffiness and angst and soap opera-ness bull! Yep, this story has taken a plunge lol I had written this chapter ages ago and had wanted to change it around so it wasn’t so unbelievably corny but I’m sticking with it because I wrote it and I’m not going to erase it after all the hand cramps I got from it. There’s also the issue of me finishing my thesis and if I rewrite this whole chapter, then I’m taking time away from my thesis. And if I do rewrite the whole chapter I won’t be meeting my once a week deadline and if I stop meeting that deadline, I might get lazy. So here’s the most embarrassing chapter ever written by anyone ever. Lol. Please don’t judge me too harshly. Also this is a crazy long chapter. Enjoy.

Chapter Twenty-Two: Thank God for Maria

The drive to the movie rental store was only five minutes, but it felt like so much longer. Nick and I sat in silence. I opened and closed my mouth several times during the trip, wanting to say something but not knowing what. The only thing that punctuated the silence was the vibrations coming from my phone in my pocket. As soon as I entered the parking lot of the movie rental store and parked, I switched off the phone impatiently – it was only my mum.

Nick was out of the car and walking into the store before I had a chance to unbuckle my seatbelt. I went in after him. As I walked into the movie rental store, I was hit with a full blast of the aircon. Why was it that all these video rental joints turn up the airconditioning to max? Did they think the videos would melt or something?

I found Nick in the action aisle. He had a copy of Die Hard in his hands. I snorted.

“You’d think you know the words off by heart now,” I said playfully.

He put the video back down on the shelf and continued down the aisle.

“I was just joking Nick,” I said, quickly picking the video back up. Holy shit! When did this kid get so sensitive? Oh yeah, that’s right. Always.

“That’s okay,” he said. “I have it at ho-“

He stopped suddenly, his face red. He was about to say ‘home’. My mind flashed back to Brian and Howie’s heated discussion. I was starting to get the impression there was more to the ‘selling my house’ story than I knew.

“Ok then,” I said, putting the video back down and following him. “Well, you can pick any two videos you want anyway. They have a special – four for ten bucks.”

“Cool,” he said and then slunk off to the drama section – probably a metaphor for his life.

I spent the rest of my time there listening to the music on the radio over the loudspeaker and picking my two movies: Full Metal Jacket and Titanic. We met up again at the check out counter where we stood in a line behind a couple of teenage girls, waiting for the bald headed man serving to pick up his pace.

“What’d you get?” I asked, peering at the two videos clutched in his hands.

He showed them to me.

“Caddyshack,” I chuckled at that one and then I read the title of the other video. “Requiem for a Dream?” The fuck? That choice freaked me the hell out! No way was I gonna let Nick – down in the dumps, just took Angel Dust Nick – watch a drug filled, sanity questioning movie like that! “Oh shit a brick!” I exclaimed, making the two teenage girls in front of us step slightly away from us. “I forgot. Brian wanted me to rent that new X-men movie,” he didn’t, I just had to figure out a way to get that crazy ass movie away from Nick. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it was a good movie. But still, crazy ass.

I snatched the video out of his hand and before he could object and hurried off to put it away. As I started to search for this new X-men movie, the radio playing over the speaker started playing As Long As You Love Me. A smile formed on my lips and I began to sing along with it. Finding the video, I made my way back to the line to find that Nick was no longer there. And neither was the guy who was at the checkout.

“What the hell?” I blurted.

The two teenage girls turned to glare at me. “Your idiot friend just stole a movie,” one of the girls said.

“What?” I didn’t even bother waiting for an answer, I ran out of the store.

I looked for the car, expecting to see Nick standing there, but he wasn’t. I turned my head left and right and finally spotted him standing on the sidewalk, being yelled at by that bald guy. I ran up to them.

“What’s going on?” I asked, alarmed. I could guess though. Nick had the incriminating video in his hand and the guy was having a full blown spaz attack.

“This guy tried to steal one of my videos!” the guy screamed. “He’s a thief! A thief! I want you to come back to the store so I can call the cops!”

I looked at Nick for his reaction. His mouth was half open and his face was pale. His brow was furrowed and his lip was quivering. Fuck, what the hell happened?

“No, it was just a mistake,” I said quickly, prying the video from Nick’s hands. “Look, he just forgot he had it, really.”

“How do you just forget that you’re holding something?” the guy spat.

“Look,” I said earnestly. “It was an accident, I swear.” I turned to Nick. “Right Nick?” I prodded.

Nick simply nodded.

I pushed the video into the guy’s hands. “I’m really sorry,” I said. “Honest to God, it was a mistake.”

The guy looked like he was about to blow a gasket.

“If I see you in my store again...”

“You’ll never see our faces near here again,” I promised sincerely. Like I wanted to even come back to this place. Fuck, he’d probably have my face and Nick’s plastered all over the freaking joint.

The guy only humphed and strode away. I turned back to Nick and put on a grin despite the fact that I was very, very nervous.

“If you like Caddyshack that much, I’ll buy it for you,” I joked. When all he did was stare open-mouthed at me, I became serious. “What was that about Kaos?” I asked, using the old nickname.

Nick just shook his head and kneaded his eyes with the heel of his palms.

“AJ...” he groaned.

There was laughter coming from behind us and I turned to look as the two teenage girls that were standing in line ahead of us exit the movie rental store. Nick looked at them and gulped, looking uncomfortable.

“Do you wanna talk in the car?” I asked, fully expecting him to say no.

“I’m sorry J,” he said.

“No need to be sorry dude,” I said, putting my hand on his back and steering him towards the car. “It was just an accident.” I knew that it was an accident. Nick would never steal. Besides my marijuana that is.

When we were back in the car, I turned to face him again. He stared straight ahead.

“Nick, what happened man?” I asked. “You don’t steal.”

He perched his elbow on the side of the door and held onto his head as if he were in pain.

“I think I’m going crazy, J,” he said. He sounded so distressed and thinking about what has happened to him over the past couple of days, I couldn’t blame him.

“You’re not going crazy,” I said. “It was just an accident.” I paused and watched as he closed his eyes, his frown deepening. “Why don’t you tell me what happened?”

He took in a deep breath. “They...they were playing As Long As You Love Me on the radio,” I nodded and he continued. “And those two girls in front of us in line? They started talking shit.”

I sighed. “Nick, you know not to listen to rubbish,” I said, just imagining what they were saying.

Nick shook his head and looked at me. There were tears in his eyes but they had not fallen. Thank God.

“They were saying stuff like ‘Who even cares about the Backstreet Boys anymore?’ and ‘Isn’t one of them dead or something?’”

I briefly wondered if they thought I was the one that was dead.

“And ‘They’re all forty, how are they even relevant anymore?’”

“Nick,” I sighed again. “Not everyone is gonna be a fan,” I said. “You know this.”

“But I just thought...I just didn’t think my career would be over at twenty-three,” he choked, turning back to the front.

I wanted so much to tell him his career wasn’t over yet and that we might be making another album in the future. But if Kevin decided against it, then what?

“So, you had a little freak out and you ran out of there with the video still in your hand,” I summarised. “How does that make you crazy?”

“Because...” that was definitely a crack in his voice. “Because why am I feeling like this?” he turned to me again, his eyes begging. “Why do I care? It was just a silly little thing, and I went all PMS. I don’t understand it. Do you think the drugs did something to my brain?”

I would have laughed if this whole situation didn’t make me feel so sad.

“No Nick,” I said honestly. “The drugs didn’t do anything to your brain. You didn’t take enough for it to do any permanent damage and it should be out of your system by now.”

“Then what’s wrong with me?” at that question, I felt the guilt creep back inside me. If I had gone over to his house anytime in the past year or two he wouldn’t be having these ridiculous thoughts.

“There’s nothing wrong with you, Nick,” I said, feeling my eyes become wet. “Everything’s just been happening at once,” he looked at me suspiciously so I quickly said, “Howie mentioned you have some personal issues, but he didn’t say anything I hadn’t already figured out,” at that he relaxed so I continued. “So everything has just happened all at once and you’re feeling it.” I paused and then said, “You’re feeling too much. But that’s okay. All you need to do is take a step back and talk to us. We’re here for you.”

A single tear slipped down Nick’s face and he swiped at it impatiently. “I should have come to see you,” he said quietly.

“I should have come to see you too,” I acknowledged. “I was scared. I knew you were having all these parties and I didn’t want to get...tempted.”

He looked up at me in surprise. Evidently he hadn’t thought that was an option.

“But I still should have come around,” I continued. “Five blocks, right?”

“I’m sorry, J,” he had more tears coming down his face now. “I didn’t think about th-“

“That’s okay Nick,” I said honestly.

“I really wanted to go over to see you,” Nick said. “But it felt like you didn’t want to see me anymore.”

I shook my head fervently. “Nick, you, Kevin, Brian and Howie are my brothers,” I said firmly. “You’re my baby bro, bro, and I will always want you and the other guys in my life.”

“But you and Howie...”

I knew he would bring that up.

“I’ll explain tonight,” I said simply.

“Tonight?” he asked.

“We’re all going out for dinner tonight in,” I looked down at radio clock in the car and almost gasped. “An hour. Shit. We better get moving.”

I turned the key in the ignition and the car came to life.

“No one told me we were eating out tonight,” Nick said, wiping his face, visibly calmer than he was when we got into the car.

“I’m telling you now, kid,” I said, pulling out of the parking lot.

There was a silence again, not an awkward silence, but still a silence.

“You know I would never turn you away,” I said sincerely, glancing over at him. “Never. I’ll always be here for you,” to make the point I gripped his shoulder with one hand while the other stayed on the steering wheel. “What else are big brothers for?”

Xxx

I had the best dream! It involved Kristin in some slinky red underwear, chocolate, whipped cream and a king sized bed. I woke up to the sound of kissing noises. It took me a while to figure out the kissing noises were coming from my mouth. I got too invested in the dream, which my drenched-in-drool pillow can attest to. Needless to say I was more than a little disappointed to wake to an empty bed and a bedroom that looked like AJ might be using it for a torture chamber. What the frick, J? The wardrobe had freaking spikes on it. I’m not entirely sure if that thing by the wall was meant to be a desk or the rack. And on the bedside table, there was freaking gargoyle lamp just staring at me. The kind of girls AJ must be having sex with...

I picked up my watch from the bedside table where I had placed it before going to sleep. It was six-thirty. Shit. I had to be ready in a half hour for dinner. I did not want to be late. I got out of bed, searched through my luggage for some fresh underwear and a nice outfit and headed for the shower. I started to undress the moment I stepped inside the ensuite. I was stinky and I was sweaty. I had literally not showered in two days. I was disgusting.

I stepped in the shower and let the water pour over me. I closed my eyes and tried to revisit my dream but the details were now sketchy and I’d put the water on too cold. Instead, I turned my mind to something less fun: the group. Did I really want to go back and do another album? No, not really. Kristin and I have been talking about kids. She wants to wait – her career and everything – but I was already in my thirties and I didn’t want to wait too long. What if she decides she wants a baby when I’m on the other side of the world?

Having kids is something I’ve always really wanted, probably not as much as Brian, but still, who doesn’t want kids? And I think I’ve had pretty good practice with AJ and Nick. But Kristin keeps reminding me that kids aren’t just fun and games and all I’d have to do is scream once in a while. And that it will be nothing like what it was with AJ and Nick. She once said that this time I would have real responsibility. She didn’t say that again when I told her how much I resented her saying that. I took responsibility of AJ and Nick, more than I should have. Given, AJ grew up much faster than Nick did and AJ did have his mum with him the entire time he was underage. But Nick was definitely a handful. Those damn hormones when he was going through puberty. He would always take it out on me for some reason. He would always joke around with Howie and have fun with Brian, but when it came to me, it was like we were constantly at war. Except when something big happened and then suddenly I was the go to guy. Howie, Brian and I all had legal guardianship of Nick, but it was me that took the responsibility. Every time.

I stepped out of the shower and dried myself off. Apparently the water was on too cold because I sneezed. I hope I wasn’t getting sick.

Great. Sick, shower, Nick. Perfect combination to trigger that memory.

Xxx

10 June, 1996

Did someone just turn on the light?

“Kevin, wake up.”

Someone was shaking me. Who in their right mind would be shaking me awake after the long ass day we’ve had? And do not tell me that it’s already seven because I’m a hundred percent sure I just went to bed.

“Kevin, wake up!”

The shaking became more vigorous and the voice louder. I cracked open an eye and looked up at the blurry face of my cousin. I was gonna kill him.

“G’way,” I mumbled. Okay, so I would kill him when I have more energy and not half asleep.

“Kevin!” Brian sounded frantic and that made me open both eyes now. “Something’s wrong with Nick and I have no freaking clue what to do.”

I sat up and squinted my eyes in the light.

“What’s wrong with him?” I asked, half expecting this to be another prank.

“He won’t stop shaking and he feels really hot,” Brian said, stepping away from the bed to give me room. “He’s completely out of it.”

“Brian, is this another one of your jokes?”

“Kevin!” Brian looked panicked – this was not a joke. “He went to bed early because he didn’t feel well last night, remember?”

I did remember. He went to bed as soon as we walked through the door after a magazine shoot. Howie wanted to go and explore the streets of Austria a little more, but Nick flat out refused, which I found odd.

“Okay,” I said, nodding. “It’s probably just a fever. You should just let him sweat it out, Bri.”

Brian shook his head. “No, this is worse,” he said. “I know what a normal fever looks like Kev and this is not it.”

I furrowed my brow. Sometimes Brian had a penchant for the dramatics.

“Fine, show me,” I sighed.

I got out of bed, wearing only my boxers, and followed Brian out of my room and down the hall to the one that Brian shared with Nick.

We walked into Brian and Nick’s room and almost instantly I was hit with the smell of sickness.

“Did he vomit?” I asked Brian, switching on the light to the room.

“He must have done it when I came to get you,” Brian said, hurrying to Nick’s side.

Nick was lying in bed, his eyes squeezed shut and whole body shaking violently. He didn’t appear to be cold though, because his blankets, covered in vomit, were coming off the bed.

“Nick?” I leaned over him and put my hand on his forehead. I instantly retrieved it. He was burning something serious.

“C...c...ol...d,” it escaped his lips, barely audible.

In that moment I knew Brian wasn’t exaggerating. This was not a normal fever.

“Brian,” I was wide awake now. “Grab some clean sheets and blankets and put it over him.”

Brian ran over to the wardrobe and pulled out a set of clean sheets and a blanket. I pulled the old vomity ones from Nick’s bed and put the new ones on him.

“Brian, do we have a thermometer?” I asked, putting my hand on Nick’s forehead again as he began to fight with the sheets.

“Howie has one,” Brian said, getting my drift and leaving the room.

I left Nick and went into the bathroom the two guys shared. I found a washcloth, wet it and hurried back to Nick. The new sheets and blanket I had put on him were now falling off the bed like the old ones were. I picked them up and placed them back on him. I then sat beside him and placed the washcloth on his forehead just as Brian ran back in with Howie hot on his tail.

“I’ve got a thermometer,” Howie said quickly and giving it to me.

I took it and turned to Nick. “Nick, open your mouth,” I said softly, patting his hair which was drenched in sweat and water.

Nick, whether unwilling to or unable to, kept his mouth shut but I could hear his teeth clanging against each other. He was freezing.

“Nick,” I said more loudly. “Open your mouth!”

Nick opened his eyes and it was clear to me that he had absolutely no idea what was going on. He looked up at me, shaking uncontrollably and not exactly seeing me.

“Nick,” I said again, taking the washcloth off his face – alarmed to find that the cloth was no longer wet – and pulling him up into a sitting position. It took all my strength to do that. The kid had grown so much in the past six months – he was nearly as tall as me! And not only that, but his shaking was making it hard for me to coordinate his body.

“K...K...Kev...vin,” he looked as if he was becoming aware.

“Yeah, Nick,” I said. “Open your mouth for me okay, little man?”

“C...c...cold,” he repeated.

“I know, just open your mouth,” I was surprised when he did. He never does what I tell him to do. Small steps I guess.

I put the thermometer in his mouth and ignored the fact that his teeth were now clattering against the plastic stick in his mouth.

“What the hell?” AJ walked in, rubbing at his eyes. “What’s going on?”

The thermometer beeped and I took it out of Nick’s mouth and lowered him back on the bed. I looked at the temperature and nearly fainted.

“Shit!” I actually screamed it. “He’s got a 106 temperature!”

“What!?”

“Oh my God, we have to call an ambulance!”

“Kevin, what do we do?!”

I had no freaking clue!

“Kevin!”

I was completely frozen. A 106 degree temperature was dangerous. Way dangerous! So many things could go wrong.

“Call an ambulance!” I shouted and AJ ran out of the room.

I sat with Nick and held his hand, not knowing what else to do. Brian stood beside us, his face flushed and scared looking. Howie went to sit by Nick’s other side. AJ ran back into the room, brandishing a phone in his hand like it was a gun. He gave it to me.

“Hello?”

“Hello, sir, can you tell me what is going on?” the lady on the phone had a strong Austrian accent, but her English was perfect. Thank God.

“My friend,” I said quickly. “He has a fever of 106 fahrenheit.”

“Okay, sir, I have dispatched an ambulance to your location,” she sounded calm. How could she sound calm? “But I need you to bring his temperature down.”

I shook my head, feeling frantic. “I tried,” I said. “I put a washcloth on his face. It came off dry!”

“He’s too hot for that,” the lady said. “That’s not going to be enough to bring the temperature down. You need to get him in a bath.”

I stood up instantly. She had just given me a task and I was going to do it. I ran into the bathroom again and looked inside.

“We don’t have a bathtub,” I said, frustrated. “Just a shower.”

“That’s okay,” she said. “That will work. Now listen to me very carefully,” I pressed the phone against my ear, not wanting to miss anything. “Take off his clothes – except his underwear – and put the water on warm. Not cold! Warm. Then, make up a clean bed for him, lots of blankets. After that, I need you to take his temperature again. Have you got that?”

“Yes,” I said shaking, feeling my heart pound. “How long does he stay in the shower for?”

“Five minutes should be enough and the ambulance should be there by then,” she said. “Sir, what is your name?”

“Kevin,” I said quickly, slightly annoyed that she was making nice now.

“Okay, Kevin,” she said slowly. “Listen to me because this is important. Your friend’s temperature needs to go down. It is very high and it can cause brain damage.”

I froze, my breath taken from my lungs.

“Kevin,” she brought me back. “Don’t hang up. I’ll be waiting here for you when you need me.”

“Okay,” I said quickly, hurrying back into the bedroom. “I’m going to do it now.”

I placed the phone on the bedside table and swallowed my fear. I had no time for fear now.

“Howie, help me with Nick in the bathroom,” I snapped. “Brian and AJ, I need you to redo his bed. Lots of sheets and blankets. Make sure he’ll be warm.”

There was nodding from all around and I grabbed Nick up in my arms and shuffled into the bathroom as fast as I could. He clung onto me but he was totally unaware of what was happening. I preferred it that way. I sat him down on the toilet and held him upright so that he wouldn’t fall off.

“Howie, help me take off his clothes,” I said quickly, unbuttoning Nick’s pyjama top.

“What did she say?” Howie asked urgently as he started to work on Nick’s pants.

“She said we need to get his temperature down because it might cause brain damage,” I said, not bothering to look at Howie for a reaction. I had no time for emotions. If I did, I wouldn’t do what needed to be done.

“Brain damage?” Howie yelped.

I had gotten Nick’s shirt off but he had a singlet underneath.

“I need your help with the singlet,” I said to Howie matter of factly.

He was still working on the pants. He had gotten them to Nick’s knees and was struggling.

“Howie, hurry up!”

“Nearly there,” Howie said and in just a few seconds – too many seconds if you ask me – Nick’s pants were off.

“Wha...’ya d...d...do...ing?”

Nick’s head was lolling to the side but he now was apparently more aware of what was going on.

“Lift up your arms for me, Nick,” I said, grabbing at his singlet and trying to pull it over his head. There was no use. He was too weak. Howie grabbed at Nick’s arms and lifted them above his head. I was able to take the singlet off completely.

“Wha...’ya d...d...do...ing?” Nick asked again, sounding slightly more panicked. He was just in his underwear after all.

“You just need to have a shower, that’s all,” I said softly and then I looked at Howie and said, “Put the shower on. Warm.”

He nodded and started to fiddle with the faucets on the shower.

“I...I d...don’t wan...want a sh...shower,” Nick’s eyes had opened now and he was aware that he was partly naked. He looked completely horrified but too weak to do anything about it.

“It’s ready,” Howie informed.

I took Nick by the arms and made him stand. I didn’t know how this was gonna work. He couldn’t stand up by himself, he was holding on to me – or more appropriately, I was holding him up, he had no strength whatsoever. How was he supposed to stand in a shower without falling and breaking his neck? He couldn’t sit – there wasn’t enough room in there.

“Howie, help me,” I said and Howie came and took Nick’s other arm.

“What now?” Howie asked as we stood in front of the shower, the curtain pulled back and the water flowing down.

“We get him in,” I said.

I started to edge Nick closer to the foot of the shower.

“No!” he started to struggle against us. “No! Please Kevin! No! I don’t want it!”

I tried to ignore him and I pushed him forward, Howie following my lead.

“There’s no way he can stand in there by himself,” Howie said, holding Nick back before I had a chance to get him in.

“What do you suggest?!” I screamed, so much for no emotions.

Howie looked about to cry. “I don’t know!” he screamed back.

I looked at Nick, wearing near nothing. His head had dropped to my shoulder, more relaxed now that he thought he’d gotten out of it, but still shaking really bad.

I looked down at him with next to no clothes on and then I looked down at myself with next to no clothes on.

“Have you got him?” I asked Howie, unsure that I what I was about to do would be viewed as innocent but knowing that I had no other option.

“Yeah,” Howie said.

I let go of Nick and stepped into the shower. Howie had gotten the temperature right. It wasn’t hot and it wasn’t cold – it was perfect.

I turned to look at Howie and Nick, my hair dripping. I went to pull it out of the way and then reached for Nick’s arm.

The moment Nick felt the water touch his arm, he began to struggle again.

“No!” he shouted. “I don’t want to Kevin!”

Howie helped me pull him into the shower. He never stopped struggling, but I wrapped my hands around his waist and held him firmly. Howie, to his credit, grabbed Nick’s flailing arms and in the process got soaked himself.

“NO!” Nick shouted, his breathing heavy and his whole body shaking. “NO! NO! Let me go! It’s cold! It’s too cold!”

Howie had the worst look on his face, like he had killed someone or something. I’m sure my face looked identical.

Nick struggled against Howie, pulling his hands back and forward, but Howie never let go.

“It’s okay Nicky,” he said soothingly. “We’re gonna make you better.”

“No! Let me go! Please! I’m sorry! Let me go!”

After a while, Nick stopped struggling and lay his head against my chest. It was becoming harder to keep him up. We were both so wet and I was having a hard time keeping my grip. In the end, the five minutes couldn’t have come any sooner. Howie helped me take Nick out of the shower and sit him back on the toilet.

We hadn’t noticed, but Brian and AJ had returned sometime in that five minutes and stood watching us.

“AJ, grab the thermometer,” I said, helping Howie to dry Nick’s hair. “Brian, grab some clean pyjamas for Nick.”

AJ and Brian left the room again. I knelt in front of Nick, leaving a big pool of water underneath me on the tiles. I felt his skin and was pleased with what I felt.

“How do you feel, little man?” I asked.

He opened his eyes and it looked to me like the fever had left them.

“Better,” he said, still shivering, though less violently.

AJ came back in with the thermometer. He handed it to me.

“Nick, open your mouth okay?” I said.

He did it and I put the thermometer in. I continued to help Howie dry him off. Brian came back with a new pair of PJs and a new set of underwear.

“What about his undies?” Howie asked uncomfortably.

I looked down at his underwear. They were drenched.

“I’m not touching it,” I said quickly, feeling a lot calmer now that I was sure Nick would be fine. I looked over at Brian.

“No freaking way,” he said.

“Nicky?” Howie reached over and gently patted Nick’s face. “Can you change by yourself?”

Nick looked up but his answer was cut off by the beeping of the thermometer. I quickly took it out of his mouth and looked at the temperature. I nearly cried.

“It’s 99 degrees,” I said. “Thank God!”

I stood up and hurried out, remembering.

“Hello?” I spoke into the phone, tears now in my eyes.

“Kevin?” the lady answered quickly. “How did it go?”

“He’s temperature is 99,” I said, taking a deep breath. Then I laughed, the tears leaving my eyes.

“Good,” the lady said, her voice still as calm as before, but with a lift to it.

“Thank you so...so much,” I said, wiping the tears away from my eyes. “I don’t know how to thank you.”

“Just doing my job,” she said. “Besides, you were the one that did the work. You saved your friend’s life today.”

I walked back over to the bathroom and stood in the doorway as the other guys began to argue over who was gonna take dress Nick, the sound of sirens making their way to me from outside.

“What’s your name?” I asked the lady.

“Maria,” she said.

“Thank you Maria,” I smiled, seeing Nick stand up – with Howie’s help –, snatch the clean pair of undies weakly from Brian’s hand and wrap a towel around his middle.

“You are very welcome,” she said, before hanging up.

I watched as Howie held the towel while Brian held Nick up so he could change underwear. I laughed when Nick pathetically flung the undies at AJ.

Thank God for Maria.

Xxx

A/N: If you’re reading this, this means that you braved the horrible chapter and you might be considering sticking with this story. Yay you! If you’re reading this because it’s much more exciting (and less embarrassing) then what happened in that chapter, then thanks for sticking around this long lol Please feel free to take the piss out of me LOL

Thanks to those who reviewed last chapter, namely Mare, libragurl, KimberlyCan, KeepThisSecret and PaulaKTBPA. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have posted this chapter so you only have yourselves to blame LOL I’m joking of course! Thanks so much for the encouragement guys! Means a lot!