Slinging the green backpack over his shoulder, Nick trudged down the hall of the airport terminal towards the guys, ball cap cocked to one side, bangs halfway into his blue eyes.

“Well, well well,” AJ clucked as he looked at his watch, “look who made it ontime this morning.”

“Don’t start, okay,” Nick mumbled. He felt bad enough about oversleeping yesterday and missing the meeting, he didn’t need it to be brought up again. Unfortunately, it wasn’t going to be dropped.

“What did Lou say to you yesterday?” Kevin pressed.

“None of your goddamn business!” Nick snapped, slumping into the first available seat trying to avoid the stares of the guys.

“Just leave Nick alone, okay?” Howie intervened. “I’m sure he’ll talk when he’s ready to.

Nick rolled his eyes. ‘Oh thank you Howie for acting so innocent.’ He shifted in his chair, trying to get comfortable as well as trying to catch a catnap. He didn’t sleep very well last night and 4:30 a.m. alarm came too soon for him. The sudden smell of cologne clued Nick that AJ had taken the seat next to him.

“So what did fatass Lou say to you yesterday?”

Nick turned his back away from AJ, pretending he didn’t hear him.

“N-i-i-i-i-c-c-c-k-k-k-e-e-e”

Nick groaned and turned to face AJ. “Bone, can’t you just leave me the hell alone? I’m tired and I don’t feel good.”

“Oh gawd, here we go with the Nick doesn’t feel good comment again. Ya know Carter, it’s getting really old, seriously!”

“I don’t feel good, why does everyone pick on me?” Nick whined.

“Because it’s the same old crap all the time, ‘I don’t feel good,’ god, it’s getting a little old,” AJ spat.

”AJ, leave Nick alone, alright?”

Nick sighed when he heard Brian reprimanding AJ. “Thanks Brian.”

AJ remained silent for a few moments until the others became engrossed in their own conversations. “So why don’t you feel good? What’s wrong?”

Nick sighed. “You know how I am about airplanes and just knowing we’re going to be stuck in the air for hours doesn’t set well with me and I woke up kinda late and I forgot to take my meds for airsickness.”

A smile spread across AJ’s face. “I’ve got something that will cure your motion sickness.”

Nick eyed AJ suspiciously. “You do?”

“Yep,” he replied, patting the front of his shirt pocket. “Dr. McLean’s medicinal drink.” A sly grin crept onto his face as he revealed a small bottle of whiskey.

“Where did you get that?”

“Hey, don’t get us busted here, keep your voice down,” AJ reprimanded in a sharp whisper. “It’s airplane booze.”

Turning in his seat to face AJ, Nick narrowed his eyes at his older band brother. “Yeah, so, how did you get it?”

Slapping a hand on Nick’s thigh, AJ chuckled. “My boy, you need to learn the laws of the air.”

“Come again?”

“Up in the air there’s no drinking age law, comprende? So it’s yours for the asking, well, of course paying too, but hell, I just ask for whiskey and waters and the management thinks I’m drinking ginger ale. I’ve got it all figured out.”

“But what about your breath, don’t they smell it on you?”

“They know better than to get that close to me, jeeze Nick, you really are slow.”

Nick folded his arms across his chest defensively. “Am not.”

“So, do you want a bottle or not?”

Licking his lips as he thought about the whiskey, he mentally debated if it was such a good idea. He was already in hot water with Johnny and Lou, but knowing those two, they would expect them to be performers at every place the plane landed until they reached Frankfort. “I don’t want to take your stash AJ.”

“I have more than one bottle, dumbass,” AJ replied in a low voice.

“Okay.”

Instead of handing the bottle over to Nick, AJ suddenly stood up, stretching his arms. “Um, me and Kaos are going to the bathroom--”

“We are?” Nick piped up, his face a mask of confusion but quickly recovered when AJ lowered his sunglasses and tossed a glare in Nick’s direction. “Oh, yeah, me and Bone gotta use the john.”

“Going to the restroom in a group now?” Kevin remarked as he watched the two head off.

Brian grinned as he watched AJ grab Nick’s arm and pull him close. “It’s kinda odd, but cool in a way too though.”

Kevin didn’t take his eyes away from the two young men. “Cool? In what way would you think that?”

“Well, I guess it’s just that Nick and AJ are usually at each other’s throats fighting. Maybe this will be the trip that the two of them finally get along.”

“One could only hope,” Howie smiled and nodded in agreement.

Once in the bathroom, AJ pulled Nick quickly into a stall.

“God, people are gonna think we’re gay or something Bone, what the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

“Do you want this or not!?” AJ hissed.

“Yeah.”

“Well if you think you’re man enough to handle this, take it,” AJ challenged.

Nick eagerly took the bottle and unscrewed the black lid, breaking the seal. He slowly put the bottle to his lips and took a small sip of the honey colored liquor. Witnessing this, AJ rolled his eyes.

“Oh my god, I thought you said you were a man,” he breathed. “Watch me.”

AJ uncapped his own bottle of whiskey and placed it to his lips, tossing the bottle back and drinking the contents down in three swallows. “That’s how you do it. Now try doing it right this time or we’ll be in here all damn day.”

An elderly man was standing at the sink washing his hands, listening to their conversation from the closed bathroom stall. He was thinking the thoughts that Nick was afraid people would think and shook his head. “Sick and wrong,” he whispered to himself as he shaked the excess water from his hands.

Being challenged, Nick poured the contents down his throat and gulped the liquid quickly. As soon as he finished, his eyes watered and he started coughing. AJ slapped him on the back. “Easy does it boy.”

After a few moments of coughing and gasping for air, Nick managed to ask, “Okay when will this make me feel better?”

“Drink two more of these and you will be relaxed by the time we take off, guaranteed.”

Following AJ’s advice, Nick quickly downed the drinks, sputtering and coughing between both. “I’m starting to feel a little relaxed already.”

AJ grinned. “See, told ya so, let’s go before someone catches us in here, stick with me and I’ll take care of you during the flight.”

“What’s taking those two so long? They’re ready to board the plane!” Johnny grumbled as he glared around the room, looking for Nick and AJ.

“There they are,” Brian pointed, relief washing over him when he saw the two walking towards the waiting area. He knew by the tone of Johnny’s voice that he would be seeking explanations and punishments if they missed their flight. He grabbed Nick’s backpack and held it out. “Here, let’s get moving, Johnny’s on a warpath this morning.

“Already?” AJ rasped. “That dude needs to stop worrying so damn much, he’s gonna give himself an ulcer.”

Brian grinned, “If he doesn’t have one by now.” He followed Nick and AJ towards the tunnel leading to the plane when a puzzled look crossed his face. “AJ?”

“Yessum?”

Brian reached out and grabbed the younger man by the arm, pulling him back. “Do I smell alcohol on your breath?” he asked quietly.

Cocking a smile, AJ shrugged his shoulders. “And what if you do?”

“You know what they’ve told us before---”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’ve heard it all. Don’t worry it’s just a little preflight drink to settle my nerves, no big deal,” AJ defended.

“I’m just tellin---”

“God Brian, seriously, who made you lord and master of us?” AJ spat. “Oh, and you might as well plan on being with Kev or D cause me and Kaos are riding together this flight.”

Brian’s first thought was to feel hurt about Nick not wanting to travel with him, they always sat together on trips but he immediately dismissed his feelings when he realized that the two were finally getting along for once. “Okay.”

“Nick, calm it down a notch, okay?” AJ hissed into his friend’s ear. AJ was starting to regret introducing Nick to the onflight bottles of whiskey and Seven-up. One of the first comments Nick had made to him after tasting the drink was that it was the best thing he had ever drank next to cherry flavored Kool-aid.

“Why? I’m cool,” Nick slurred, splashing his drink on his shirt.

AJ reached out to quickly steady the drink as Nick set it down - half on the tray, half off. His gold chain bracelet clanked noisily on the glass.

”Hey there’s that pretty babe with the big boobies,” Nick grinned as the flight attendant passed by. ”Can I have your number? I’ll give you mine if you give me yours!”

AJ gestured towards Nick with a nod of his head. “Can he have a bag of potato chips or something?”

“I’m not supposed to eat,” Nick whispered loudly into AJ’s ear.

AJ patted Nick on the arm. “I know, but it’s okay this time,” he reassured.

”I have to pee, let me up asshole,” Nick slurred in a loud voice as he fumbled with his seatbelt.

AJ pressed his hand into Nick’s arm. “You can’t right now, we have to stay in our seats.”

“But I have to pee now!” Nick whined.

”Nick! Nick!”

Turning towards the voice, Nick was met with Kevin’s icy green eyed stare. He mouthed the words sit down. Nick grinned and waved at his older bandmate. “Waz up bro?”

Again, Kevin mouthed sit down!

“What did you say? I didn’t hear you bro,” Nick slurred. The flight attendant announced that the pilot said they had cleared the turbulence and it was okay to move about in the plane’s cabin. Kevin wasted no time in unbuckling his seatbelt and strode over to the young blonde. He quickly grabbed Nick by the arm.

”Ouch! What the fuck are you doing?” Nick gasped, trying to jerk his arm away.

“Come with me,” Kevin replied in a harsh whisper. He could feel the color rise into his cheeks, stained from the embarrassing situation Nick had put him into. As he led Nick towards the back of the plane, he kept his eyes lowered to the floor, not wishing to see the faces of the other travelers. Once they reached the galley, he spun his young charge around to face him.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing? Shit, what have you been drinking?” Kevin asked as he waved his hand in front of his nose.

”Whiskey,” Nick replied, locking his bloodshot eyes with Kevin’s clear emerald eyes. The glare and the sudden furrowing of his eyebrows caused Nick to add, “it’s for medicinal purposes.”

“Medicinal my ass,” Kevin growled. “You are going to sit with me the rest of this flight. You’re a disgrace to the group and you should be damned thankful that Lou and Johnny are in first class and they haven’t seen the shape you’ve gotten yourself into.”

Nick’s expression soured. “I can do what I want to do.”

“Like hell you can. I’m responsible for you and you will listen to me, got it?”

Tears started welling up in the young boys eyes. “You hate me, don’t you?”

Kevin sighed. “I don’t hate you.”

“Y-you want me out of the group, don’t you?”

Kevin raked a hand through his hair. “I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t have to say it, I can tell. All of you hate me!”

Kevin’s eyes darted toward the front of the airplane quickly as he requested Nick to keep his voice down. Nick immediately burst into tears in response.

“You think I’m a big fat loser too don’t you?”

“What? No, I don’t think that Nick,” Kevin reassured.

“Lou thinks I’m a fat loser so does Johnny.”

“Nick, calm down, okay, s-h-h-h-h, it’s going to be okay, you’ve been drinking, you’re going to be fine,” Kevin soothed. “No one thinks you’re a loser.” Wrapping an arm around the young man’s shoulders, Kevin hugged Nick and then told him he was going to take him back to his seat.

“I gotta pee first,” Nick annouced as they passed the restroom door.

Kevin sighed as he opened the door. “I’ll be standing out here waiting okay.”

Nick sniffled. “Okay. I love you Kev.”

“I love you too Nick, now go to the bathroom.”

Kevin shook his head as Nick banged the door closed behind him. After a few moments the sounds of Nick shouting behind the door, cut through the air.

“Whoa big fella! Easy there!”

Several people turned in their seats to gaze upon an embarrassed Kevin Richardson, standing next to the restroom doors. He lowered his head and told Nick to keep quiet in a sharp whisper. Quickly grabbing his young band brother by the arm, Kevin told Brian that Nick was switching seats with him for the rest of the flight.

Almost on cue, the flight attendant brought back two bags of potato chips and handed them to Nick. He greedily tore open the first bag, shoving handful after handful of chips in his mouth. Kevin bowed his head and furiously massaged his temples. There was still five hours left in the ten hour flight.

The worst was yet to come.