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1998

I shoot my younger cousin a warning glare as he creeps up behind a very fast asleep Nick, who lays miraculously spread across the small dining table, his head on the table’s surface, mouth wide open and drooling all over the place. It looks like he only took two seconds to fall asleep, which, as far as I know him, is probably exactly what happened. He’s completely unaware of the looming threat behind him and I shake my head slowly, frowning at Brian as he gives me a challenging look and then dives his hands with a disturbing accuracy and speed between Nick’s shoulder blades, with the evil, wide grin I’ve seen more than a thousand times when he’s out to get you, just because he’s bored.

The effect is instant. The 18-year old shoots up as if someone poured a bucket of ice-cold water over his head, which is surely what it feels like when Brian digs his fingers underneath your shoulder blades. I know this because he once dared to do it to me when I wasn’t watching.

I can safely state that he learned from that experience.

Let’s just say I wasn’t nice.

But I never managed to keep him from playing his torture on others and as I try my best to look as disapproving as I possibly can look, I watch as Nick turns around in just a fraction of a second, grabbing behind him at where Brian once stood. My cousin clearly had already seen this coming and has instead appeared right next to me, so fast, I didn’t even see it happen.

“Wasn’t me,” he states, holding up his hands in defence as he almost unnoticeably nods his head my way.

That little shit!

Luckily for me, Nick isn’t fooled for a second. He may be young, but he is in no way stupid or inexperienced. He knows that usually, when something’s out to hurt him, it’s Brian.

“Fuck you!” he yells, his face, that was already resembling much of a tomato, turns even more red at Brian’s blatant lie. I flinch slightly at his choice of language, but decide, for this occasion, not to scold him for it. “Imma screw you up!” He threatens, which is exactly what my cousin has been waiting for. Without a warning, he brushes by me, expertly weaving himself through the ultimately messy bunk section of our tour bus.

Nick immediately begins his pursuit, already grinning as the game of catching his tormenter plays with his well-developed sense of humour.

Feeling a little sorry for the teenager, I watch as he tries to keep up with his opponent. I know we are both aware of the fact that he will never actually catch Brian, cause although he’s five years younger than my cousin, Brian is much faster and more agile than most people I’ve met. Which is probably why he has the nerve to pull stunts like these, knowing he can get away with anything if he just runs fast enough.

I catch Nick’s glance for a second and immediately know that he’s begging for me to choose sides, not knowing I’ve already done so. I see Brian all but sprinting through the sleeping section again, jumping skilfully over the garbage and abandoned piles of clothing as he comes my way, obviously enjoying the fact that his chaser is lagging further and further behind. The simple plan forms in my head and it’s my turn to smile in evil as Brian runs by, looking back at his younger friend, not expecting anything to happen now that he’s out of the messy bunk section, and I quickly stick out my leg, sending him crashing to the bus’ floor immediately.

Satisfied, I look up and see Howie nodding amusedly at the scene. I’m not sure, cause he’s rather far away, but I think I see him giving me a thumbs up as he watches Brian sprawled on the floor. AJ clearly has seen it happen as well. Everyone can hear his roaring laughter fill the bus’ confined area.

Brian has just enough time to roll unto his back and give me a stunned expression, before Nick gets a hold of him. A terrified scream, which I consider very un-manly escapes my cousin’s lips as he gets dragged back by the youngest singer in our group. Brian may be fast as hell, but Nick is bigger, and stronger than his skinny frame suggests.

“No, no!” he yells, “Kevin, please have mercy!” he begs.

I only raise my eyebrows as I innocently hold up my hands, shaking my head, “Hey, wasn’t me,” I comment, watching in victory as Brian’s eyes grow wide with understanding in the fact that no, Kevin is not going to save his ass.

I turn my back towards the scene, walking away nonchalantly under the cries of, “No, no, Nick! Not the hair! Don’t mess with the hair, man!”


2014
I shoot the youngest of our group a warning glare as he creeps up behind a very fast asleep Brian, who lays miraculously spread across the small dining table, his head on the table’s surface, mouth wide open and drooling all over the place. An instant déjà vu of something similar that happened years and years ago springs into my mind. I know the comical scene that unfolded then will not appear again though, as there is clearly too much tension in the air for a good outcome of what Nick is about to do.

Especially Brian took it into offence that management announced that due to some desperate budget cutting, we were forced to ride a bus with just us five, no strings, wife or kids attached. I mean, we all had shit-fits for a little while, but it seemed like Brian just kept on going on and on. It shouldn’t surprise me, cause my cousin has never been on really good terms with management in particular. So taking that and the last couple of months into account, I’m more than a little worried about his behaviour.

Because it resembles mine a little too much right before I… well, right before I left the group.

It seems like he’s taken over my role of late 2005 lately, and all you have to do is snap your fingers for him to go off like a bomb. He’d get mad at anything and anyone, yelling in a scratchy and breaking voice that is mostly the source of his frustration.

He’s just like me, and I know Nick is gonna regret his actions immediately after doing it, just like Brian regretted his when he dug his fingers in my back.

I also know that there’s nothing that can hold Nick back when he set his mind upon something and I watch apprehensively as the blonde takes a deep breath, and slams his palms against Brian’s spine. It’s not exactly the same manoeuvre as my cousin’s chosen tactic of torture used to be, but it has nearly the same effect as Brian shoots upright in a fraction of a second, screaming bloody murder.

I don’t think Nick’s thoughts had gotten anywhere beyond this point, cause, considering Brian is still much faster than him, he has no time at all to get away before Brian flails his arms backwards and catches Nick by his neck.

“You think you’re funny?” he hisses angrily.

Nick visibly shrinks back in Brian’s unfaltering grasp, “Ow! I er…” he stumbles clumsily over his words, and I resignedly shake my head at him, my mouth forming the words I told you so, while Brian strengthens his grip on his neck. Then all of a sudden, Nick seems to have found a satisfying answer as he looks my cousin in the eyes and calmly announces, “I thought it was high time to get back at you for that.”

There’s a small moment of pure silence between the two and I notice Howie and AJ watching in tense anticipation as well as we fear for the outcome of this ordeal.

To my surprise, and obviously to Nick’s as well, Brian loosens his grip on the younger man. A wide grin spreads across his face as he removes his hands from Nick’s neck and drawls, “Ya know, I have never gotten back at you for this either.”

With no warning, he reaches up and grabs a handful of Nick´s already messy hair, messing it up further and pulling at it with strength in the process.

“No, no, stop it!” Nick yells, but his laughter betrays his amusement as he too, is reminded by the scene unfolding so many years ago, “Not the hair, don’t mess with the hair, man!”

Incredulously, I scoff, watching the playful wrestle between the two, wondering if maybe, just maybe, there’s still a glimmer of hope that things will turn back to how they have been.