"Do you guys remember when we were in Hawaii and I was trying to teach this little squirt" AJ ruffled Aaron’s hair roughly, "to surf on his stomach? Man that was some tough times." He grinned at the memory.
Running his hand through his hair to fix it, Aaron responded with a wide smile, "Yeah you were telling me how to use my arms and then go with the flow. Man that was soo funny." He started to tell the story with dramatic gestures and the guys listening with smiles on their faces.
"Dude, you almost drowned, " Nick remembered with not much enjoyment as the rest of them.
"Did not," Aaron commented a bit annoyed over that his big brother had to bring up that "little unnessesary" comment.
"Did too."
"Did not."
"Did too."
"Stop it," Kevin was the first to break off the two brothers from fighting. "You act like kids.”
"That is beacuse they are kids," AJ commented, the smartass that he could be.
Aaron was on the verge of saying something naughty back when he suddenly stopped himself, "Ok, Ok I surrender." He held up his hands in the air in a defeated gesture.
Nick responded only with a short "Ha!" The Ha could have been translated, "I told you that didn't I little brat," but Nick refrained from commenting on it.
"Well if the waves hadnīt been so high I wouldnt have gone under water." Aaron still felt an urge to explain the situation.
"Correction.... if you hadnīt been so stubborn and had listened to what I said, mainly that you shouldnt get out so far, it wouldnīt have happened." Nick added, the big brother that he was.
"Whatever," Aaron shrugged leaving the story for now. He felt that he was loosing and like his older brother he could be rather competitive.
"Hey do you guys remember when we had that photoshoot with those angry parrots?" Brian said with a grin. "You know, the ones that screamed?"
"Are you kidding? How can we forget?" Kevin said with a shiver. "They were so loud, yelling into my ear so loud I thought that I would go deaf."
Howie looked at the guys then he said with a sigh, "Well at least you werenīt the one that got bit!"
Brian grinned and the rest of them chuckled, "Yeah thatīs right D' that red one bit you so hard your finger swelled up into one gigantic balloon!" The guys started to laugh at the memory, all but Howie, who looked a little crossed that they were having so much fun at his expense. He pouted sullenly like he was remembering his battle with the hated bird.
"And then you screamed man, you screamed so high that I thought my head would explode." Kevin winced.
"Yeah you even outvoiced the parrots."
"It was a girlish scream," Nick added with a hint of laughter in his eyes. The guys laughed even harder.
"Yeah it sure scared the crap out of all of us," Brian smiled, patting his friend on the back with a comforting gesture and Howie couldnt help but grin too.
"It wasnīt all it scared the shit out off, " AJ shook his head with laughter, "man I never thought that bird poop could be so gross. It flew all over the place."
"I know, " Howie was silent for a short while before he added with a certain disgust, "in my hair too." This had the guys rolling with laughter. With a frown on his forehead Howie, had uncounsiously ran his hand in his hair as if the memory was much too vivid for him. When the guys refused to give him pity he continued, "it took forever to get that poop out of my head."
"That parrot was one dead bird if D' had his hands on it." AJ smíled.
"Yup it can laugh itself lucky that it flew away instead." Nick said with a grin, "Howie Dorough, the birds best friend." That was as far from the truth that it could possibly be.
"Maaaan I wish I could have been there," Aaron whined loudly as he watched the guys with admiration in his eyes. They had always been his idols.
"You were probably with Mom somewhere, " Nick said grinning at his little brother, "taking a nap!"
"Awww thatīs not faiiirrrr," Aaron whined even louder when he received a gentle slap from his brother.
"Quit whining!"
It was like old times. They were seated around the kitchen table bringing up memories, lauging and telling jokes. Aaron was listening, feeling very special since the guys turned their attention to him and he had played a big part in all of their lives since he was on tour in Nick’s shadow, following his brother everywhere. Not that Nick minded since he loved the little squirt to death. And Nick was everything for him and to the guys he became their mascot. Pet mascot.
"We had some wild stuff going on at that time, " AJ commented like he wished he could go back to those years.
"Yeah even if there were some hard times too," Kevin added, the realistic person that he was. They all looked at their older brother with a sigh and there was silence for a while. It was like they all dreamed back to the years of 94-97, before they were becoming really famous. Kev had been right, it had been hard work, but there were lots of fun too.
Brian was the one to first break the silence, "Do you guys remember when Aaron hid in a suitcase when he was suppose to go home?"
They all nodded and soon the story was in full work.
"Yup, it was lucky that Mom started to look for you," Nick commented, "not to mention that the bellboy dropped the suitcase on the floor." He smiled as Aaron looked at him, "and you fell out together with tons of dirty socks and underwear." That had them all laughing. It had been hilarious.
"You think THAT was funny?" Aaron added a bit annoyed over suddenly becoming the laughing object, "You have NOOO idea how much that hurt my butt." More laughter.
"Well Ace, you sorta got discovered," Nick patted his little brother on the shoulder, "you know that stunt was kind of crazy, donīt pull it again."
Aaron grinned not saying anything.
"Like he could do that these days," Brian added, "Look how tall you’ve become." There was laughter in the older man’s eyes as he uttered the comment. But no one paid attention to his michevious grin.
"Dude you sound like an old man," AJ sneered suddenly, "lighten up will ya."
The men looked at AJ. It was a totally unexpected comment for the situation and Howie felt the need to say something to lighten up the mood again. It was not like Bone to act like that. He wondered silently what was eating him. "I’ll never forget the bellboy’s face when Aaron fell out," he chuckled lightly, "he must have thought that we had kidnapped you or something."
Even if there was a slight laugh, it didn’t work to lighten up the mood and everybody was growing silent again. Turning back to their own moody selves like they had been all time since they come to stay with their sick friend. It was like the seriousness of the situation had caught up with them and no matter how hard they tried, the laughter wasnīt there anymore."
"Anyway Kiddo," Kevin said standing up grabbing the plates after they had eaten sandwiches and drank sodas, "it could have gone really bad if you hadnīt rolled out."
Nick had been silent for a while, "Bro, there is something I have always wanted to ask you." The other guys looked at him.
"Shoot."
"How the he..heck did you pull that stunt off?" there was admiration in Nick’s voice. “I mean how could you close that suitcase?"
Aaron laughed, "Secret."
"Aww come on AC!" Nick said with a giggle, "I really wanna know.
"Sorry Bro, that is a well guarded secret. No can do!" He looked at Brian who smiled too. Noticing this, Nick made a michevious grin and his eyes danced with laughter, "Ok," he said, "then I will be forced to..tooo...tickle you tooo death!" He made a move and Aaron started to giggle at the mere thought of Nick tickling him. He braced himself to accept the torture, but Nick did no such thing. Instead he sighed loudly, "Thatīs alright buddy..some things you should keep to yourself."
There became a silence in the room. The joking moment was gone.
Yawning loudly, as he quickly covering his hand over his mouth, he said tiredly, "Sorry guys but itīs getting kind of late and Iīm a bit wiped out. That anesthesia and those painkillers are taking the edge out of everything." He sounded appologetical. "I think Iīll turn in early tonight. I hope you guys have nothing against it." Not waiting for a response he stood up, pushing the chair aside.
"No, actually that sounds like a good idea," Brian said, "you know I think we’re all beat and should go to bed." He sounded a bit pathetic.
"Whatever."
"You need any help Nicky?" Howie asked, reaching out to help his sick friend like he had done so many times since they came down to Florida. When Nick wavered slightly he reached out his arm to steady him but Nick slapped it away when his eyes met Aaron’s for a second. Aaron’s eyes were filled with fright and tears. Something sad washed over Nick’s expression, but he said nothing about it. "Nah I think I can handle it." He smiled reassuringly to Aaron who instantly looked away. That hurt.
With painful moves and hunched posture, Nick walked from the room like an old man. The other guys watched at him as he left the room. "G'night guys, night AC," Nick said, his back against them as he left the room like a blind man. It was clear that their friend was feeling worse than he let on but he had done his best to keep his posture up.
"Goodnight," they all said with Brian adding, "You know, wake me up if there is something you need or something, ok?"
But Nick had already left the room to go upstairs and a silence pierced the room and the happiness and laughter that had been so present minutes ago was gone. Replaced with a fog of sadness. A fog of reality.
"You alright kid?" AJ asked Aaron who hadn’t looked up from the table yet. He was quiet and his face was drawn like he was in deep thoughts. Not moving a non understandable mumble was heard, "Mpfff."
"Kiddo?"
This time a bit louder, "Mmmm..I guess so."
"Thatīs my man," AJ smiled, giving the teen a hug. Nick’s brother was his brother too and he had practically grown up with the kid. Aaron accepted the hug, if yet a bit stiff, but AJ kept holding him. Not letting go of his embrace. Soon the tears started to break free and the blonde started to cry against AJīs shirt. Without a word AJ let him.
When all that were left were sobs, AJ moved the young teen with his hands, gently, asking, "Dude I really gotta know something."
"O..ok," Aaron’s voice broke.
"Brian didnīt have anything to do with you getting stuffed into that suitcase, did he?"
Upon hearing those words Aaron stopped crying and looked up, the same michevious laughter glittering in his eyes like his older brother had when he was up to some prank. "Nooo what make you think that?"
"Oh I dont know." AJ turned his head towards Brian who stood by the sink. Aaron glanced over at their mutual friend and as their eyes met, AJ could see Brian trying to look serious, but failing miserably. His eyes danced with laughter.
Shaking his head, AJ commented with laughter bubbling under the cool surface, "Man I didn’t think so either." Then he broke out into a large grin.
