”I'm telling you, the management is trying to screw us up. Iīve talked with some people and they say that we got a very bad deal. We have to do something, like acting since Lou is keeping the most of the profit in his own pocket,” Kevin whispered to Brian as they sat talking in the backroom on the bus.
They were on their way to Quebec after a successful concert in Halifax and Nick laid in his bunk listening to the conversation. It was midnight and he was the only one that had gone to sleep. Lou and Johnny were up front and Donna sat with the other guys watching a video. Therefore, it was pretty safe to continue with the discussion for Brian and Kevin.
“Then what should we do?” Brian frowned and his cousin responded, “We have to take some actions. Get a lawyer that can look into the contract that we have. Iīll tell you one thing, Lou is making a fortune out of us and meanwhile we have to sleep in bunkbeds!”
Nick could tell Kevin was pretty upset over the whole deal and he feared that this was just the beginning of a very tough period. Even if he didnīt like the management and thought that they pushed them much too hard he still didnīt want to come into a conflict. He was much too worried that this would mean the end of the Backstreet Boys. After all Lou had “found” them and as he put it they needed him.
“A high school friend of mine is a very good lawyer and I could ask if he could look into this. You know, read our contracts and see if the management is blowing us off. This could mean big money.”
“Okay, that could be a idea. I have been thinking on the same things as you have. And I also think that they are pushing us much too hard. Look at Nick, he is always so tired and now they want me to delay my heart surgery until we have been to Europe. The doctors told me that they wanted it to be done as soon as possible.”
“I know and there's so much that we have to deal with. Besides if we got away with this, we could much more decide much more on the show. “
“Yes." Brian was silent for a moment before asking, “Should we tell the guys about this, you know our suspecions and plans?”
“No,” Kevin shook his head, “ o, AJ is much too close with Johnny and Iīm not sure that he sees this as a problem, besides if Johnny got suspecious he could easily get him to talk. Especially over a few drinks. I donīt think that we should tell Howie either. It would just upset him further.”
Nick pricked up his ears and his senses, waiting for what they had to say about him and he didnīt have to wait long before it came.
“We have to tell Nick,” Brian stated. Brian and Nick, Frick and Frack were very close to each other and they told each other everything. They had no secrets to hide from each other.
“Nick? No! He would definately talk with his big mouth.”
Well thank you Kevin, Nick thought, a bit pissed. He turned hard in his bunk, enough just to make them aware of that he had listened to their conversation. Adding to this he coughed loudly.
“Nick? Frack?” Brian called out, waiting to hear if his friend was sleeping or not. He wasnīt being so stupid that he let himself known in words and kept silent.
“You think he heard?” Kevin asked a bit worried.
“Donīt know. But Nick has pretty big ears and he has a habit of listening in on private conversations.”
Great to have such good friends, Nick pondered sarcastically as he heard the cousins talking. He decided that he would confront them some day. Now was much too late. With a yawn he close his eyes, but had trouble falling asleep. Much too worried over the conflicts that were rising inside the group.
“Happy New Year!” the crowd cheered and all of the guys and the band raised their glasses. Celebrating in the New Year. They had ended a concert in Montreal and now it was an afterparty at a private nightclub.
Everybody was a bit tipsy and Nick wasnīt too far behind from the others when it came to being drunk. Brian had objected to Nick's choice of liquid, but AJ had claimed that since it was New Years eve and that Nick would soon be 18 and that was legal age in some European countries. Brian had finally given in and Kevin who was suppose to be in charge for the young blonde was keeping a steady eye on him so he wouldnīt overdo it.
Donna and the rest of the management didnīt care if Nick drank, infact they were more drunk then the boys. Ever since the other night when Nick overheard Brian and Kevin talking he had kept to himself, not talking so much with them. Not to the management either, much too afraid that he would slip in what he said. When he had been asked why he was so down the past few days, Nick had just said that he was tired and that he longed for home. This was true. When the nights came he was desperatly homesick. It was worse now when it was a holiday.
Nick took another snack from the snackbar and shoved it into his mouth, rinsing it off with champagne. The expensive kind since Lou was buying for them. Kevin had muttered that they could afford such a thing but not proper bed arrangements. This had him very pissed.
“Salut,” Howie said as he together with AJ were cheering in all different languages. Nick was also hanging along and the more he drank he got the more cheerful he became. Soon he was chatting with everybody at the place, including rapping some made up song.
“We have to take Nick home. He'll make a fool of himself,” Kevin hissed when he saw Nick laughing hysterically with some unknown person.
“Relax buddy,” Johnny held his arm around Kevin's shoulder.” Nick can manage just fine. That boy..that boy can do much more than we think of him.” Johnny was very drunk and his speech was heavily slurred.
“Johnny, he is under age,” Brian informed him, not liking what he saw. Their manager should keep a eye on Nick instead of encourage him to drink more. But then it wasnīt Johnny or Lou or even Donna thaht would have to stay guard with him the whole night. Helping him when he was too sick to be alone. This was destined to him or Kevin and he didnīt like this at all. He was becoming more and more skeptical that the management could manage a group like this.
“That I know,”Johnny slurred, “but itīs New Years eve and we're suppose to have fun. Relax now. Cheers!” He raised his glass to his mouth. “This is good stuff. Looks like Lou has been putting on his spender trousers.”
Brian shuddered. He wondered silently what the press would think if they knew that their management was totally drunk off of their asses. Donna was nowhere to be seen and Brian didnīt know if he wanted to know where she was.
“There are limits,” Kevin muttered as he walked up to Nick who was entertaining both AJ and Howie with some strange impersonation of a cartoon character. They were laughing wildly at him and filling up his glass regulary. Intending on getting good olīNicky smashed out of his sockets. And they were on their way.
”Come on buddy, I think you've had enough,” Kevin said as he put his hand on the blonde's shoulder. Nick lightened up when he saw who was talking to him.
“Hey Kevy. Come and join us. This is fun!” Nick grinned widely. His eyes were hanging half mast and cheeks were blushed red from alcohol. Slurring, he mumbled while hanging his arm around the tall man's shoulder. “You know..you know I really..really like you.” Turning to the rest of the group he announced happily, “I love you guys. Youīre my brothers.” He raised his glass up in air, “Skal or Prost as they say in Europe.” Then he leaned onto the table, “ Howie..is really..really cle..eever.” Nick was having a hard time talking and it was clear that he had too many drinks.
AJ and Howie who were rather drunk laughed too, holding up their glass to Nick, “Well cheers buddy.” Their glass clanked as they celebrated once more.
Nick laughed, taking another mouthful before Kevin took the glass away, “Thatīs it.” He said and this had the young blonde a bit upset.
“Hey what are you doing? I was drinking that.” He tried to swipe back his glass.
“Not anymore. You've had enough,” Kevin sounded a bit irritated.
“That was mine. I was drinking that,” Nick pouted a bit sullen, but his face enlightened when he saw Brian approaching. ”My best bud!" He called out as he gave Brian a bearhug.
Being the calm person that the Kentuckian was he said, “Hey man, I'm going home now. You coming?”
Nick looked up, eyes red, “Nah dude. Hey you wanna have some?” Clumsily he patted the half full wine bottle and somehow managed to push it out so it fell, contents running over the table and down on AJīs and Howie's pants.
“What are you doing?” AJ screamed as he stood up when the wet liquid touched his pants.
“Ewww, Niiiiccckkkk!!” Howie was screaming loud, jumping up. Suddenly it wasnīt so funny with a drunk Nick. “Why do you have to be so clumsy?” Howie hurried towards the bathroom to look at the damage that had been done to his designer pants.
“You little fuck!” AJ screamed, “Look at this. Now Iīm fucking wet.” He motioned towards his wet pants. ”What am I going to do now?”
“Iīm sorry,” Nick stuttered, as he tried to wipe the pants off with a used napkin.
“Donīt,” AJ swatted his hand off his pants, looking crossed. "Youīll ruin it."
Then Nick started to giggle hysterically. “Looks like you peed yourself. Itīs freakin’ hilarious.” Hard looks was what he got from the boys for response.
Kevin sighed heavily, ” You definately have had enough now.” Nick didnīt agree with him.
“No.I wanna sit here.” He was stubborn sober and even more stubborn drunk. Not that Nick had been drinking or drunk on so many occassions in his life. In fact he had only been this drunk once and that was last year when AJ had got him to drink dark german beer, Lager. He was so bad off that Brian wanted him to go to the hospital. The day after Nick had blamed his sickness on eating bad food. Hangovers couldnīt be that bad. Could it?
“Yes come on. Time to go back to the hotel.” Brian took a steady grip on Nick who seemed to sway as he stood up.
“Whoaaaaa,” Nick tried to steady himself. He never thought the room could spin so bad. How much did he have to drink?
“You okay man?” Brian was guiding his friend who leaned heavily on him. All the color seemed to have drained from his face and he was sweating badly. Oh no Brian tought and he patted Nick softly on his cheek. “Earth to Nick..youīre doing alright?”
"I don't feel so good," Nick whimpered as he covered his hand on his mouth. "We have to get you outside." Kevin helped Brian getting their friend out in the cold winter air. Suddenly it wasnīt so fun with a drunk Nick anymore.
