"NICKY!"

I blinked my eyes several times to try and get them into focus. What the heck was AJ doing staring at me and why the hell was he smacking me in the face? Sometimes he can be such an asshole! Wait....what is he doing in my bedroom?! "Nick....."

Yeah, I think we already established that.....

"Are you okay?"

Instead of AJ staring down at me while I laid on the floor.....Why am I on the floor? Hey, wait, since when did my bedroom have kitchen cabinets? Why is Brian, AJ, Howie and Kevin in my bedroom?

"Nick....Nick?"

Okay slapping me in the face once got my attention AJ! I covered my face with my hands to get him to stop.

"Knock it off!"

"You were spacing out, I didn't think you were awake."

"His eyes were open AJ."

Thank God for Captian Obvious Howie D!

"Yeah but I've seen people die with their eyes open."

Great thought! I'm not dead yet...thanks Bone.

"How about we help Nick sit up."

How about we leave Nick alone Brian? God what the heck is it with that guy anyway?

"Did you hit your head when you fell?"

"What?"

"Did you hit your head when you fell?"

What the heck is Kevin talking about? Is he that queer by hanging out in my bedroom?

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"He really doesn't seem to be with us," AJ whispered as he held an open hand above my head, poised to slap me again.

This time I had enough! I sat up, glaring at AJ. "Don't you slap me again! Why are y'all in my bedroom?"

Talk about an uncomfortable silence! It was almost like I had announced that I slept with a close relative of each of the guys by the way they stared at me.

"Nick, this isn't your bedroom," Kevin said as he literally stuck his face in my face.

"Yeah I knew that," I lied, looking around.

"Then where do you think you are again?"

"The same place," I answered.

"Thats a pretty convenient answer," AJ grunted.

"S-h-h-h," Brian shushed as he glared at AJ.

Whew, thanks for getting him off my back Brian.

"Let him tell us."

I take that back.....

"I want to go to bed, can y'all just leave me alone? My head hurts," I complained. It was the truth, I was tired and I was getting a huge fricken headache. Must be because I fainted, right?

"He probably got that from fainting."

Thanks Kevin...see....I'm not so dumb after all.

Before I realized it, Kevin was leading me back toward the bunks on the bus.....when did we get on a bus? I have a bus in my bedroom?

"Here you go little man..."

Geeze! I hate when he calls me that sometimes!

I think I got a hug after Kevin pulled the covers over my chest. That was kinda cool, it made me feel safe and kinda important for some reason.

"Nick, just call me if you need something, don't try and get out of bed without telling anyone anymore," Kevin said to me in a stern voice. "I just don't want to see you get more hurt than what you already are. Try and get some rest, you need it."

Before I could argue, he pulled the curtains shut and I could hear the distinctive sounds of his cowboy boots evenly walk away from the sleeping area. I guess I better take his advice and try and get some rest. Where ever we were I'm sure it wasn't going to be a short trip before we got to where we were suppose to be going to.

As soon as I opened my eyes I panicked. This was so not like my bedroom carpet at home! Where the heck am I? I better get up before someone finds me and starts to worry.....

"Lay still Nicky!"

Crap!

"Wait until Kevin gets here," Howie said to me in an earie calm voice.

I brushed someone's hand off my arm. "I'm fine."

"Nick you fainted...that's not fine," AJ rasped.

Okay they were starting to piss me off. Can't a guy get up when he wants to? Ignoring the hand that was put back on my arm, I sat up......not a good move I'm guessin' when my stomach felt like it was doing flip-flops. I quickly laid back down again.

"So you're gonna listen to what we're telling you now?"

God AJ could be such a pain in my ass.....a challenge had been issued so ignoring my better judgement, I sat back up again and dragged my pathetic body into a standing position, pushing their hands away from me. "Just let me go, okay? I'm fine and I wanna go back to bed."

You know how you feel like someone is staring at your back? I definately could tell after I stood up and placed a hand on the wall for support. Something was totally messed up when I quickly discovered that I actually needed to keep my hand on the wall or I would fall into it. Since when has my balance been screwed up? Just as I started to feel myself pitch away from the safety of the wall, I felt AJ's bony arms wrap around me.

"Easy there little bro, I gotcha."

What the heck was happening with me?

"Lets take you over to the couch......"

The couch? I didn't want to go to the couch I think I wanted to go lay back down in bed. My mind was trying to tell my feet to go the other way but for some reason it was being slightly obedient and following where AJ was guiding me. Before I realized it, I found myself sitting on the soft couch, slumped over to one side. The next thing I knew, Kevin was literally sprinting towards me, panic etched in his face with Brian close behind.

"What the hell is going on?"

Before I could open my mouth to tell my side of the story, Howie was talking.

"Nicky was walking down the hall toward us and then when we were just commenting about how he didn't look right to us---"

"He fainted," AJ interrupted with a scowl on his face directed toward Howie.

"I was trying to tell Kevin that but----"

"He doesn't need fricken details just get to the damn point D!" AJ hissed.

Kevin held a hand up to quiet AJ as he looked at me but I kinda felt like he was looking through me. All the guys were staring at me! Geeze why were they looking at me like that? I don't remember fainting either! Why was AJ making up stuff?

"I'm fine," I squeaked. Okay, I squeaked!? My voice has been doing some weird shit but I thought my voice changed for good two years ago.

"Are you feeling sick to your stomach?"

Kevin had a habit of analyzing everything before making a final decision. I guess I should be used to it by now but I hated it with a passion!

"I said I was fine!" Whoa! That was probably the first time I growled at the guy. I think I musta hurt his feelings because he blinked his eyes kinda fast.....maybe he was gonna cry? "I'm sorry....I didn't mean to sound mean. I'm fine."

"Do you know where you are?" Kevin asked as he studied my face.

Okay this was starting to get old and fast!. "I just want to lay down, I've got a huge headache. Can you ask me that stuff in the morning?"

I couldn't help but notice the weird look Kevin gave me, in fact, everyone was giving me a weird look.

"Morning? Nick it's almost lunch time," Kevin informed me.

"Yeah well I meant to say later.....geeze just let me lay down and go to sleep." I leaned over and laid back on the couch to prove my point, putting a throw pillow over my head for emphasis. I wanted to sink into that couch and become invisible! I hated when Kevin asked me questions I could answer to his satisfaction! It was quiet for a few seconds so I was hoping that he got the hint that I wanted to be left alone.

"Nick do you know where you are?"

Okay maybe he didn't get the hint......."I'm on a couch." Geeze what a stupid question!

"No I mean where are you.....as in place?"

I lifted a corner of the pillow up so I could look at Kevin's face. "I thought a couch was a place.....at least that was what Mrs. Hazelman said." With that said, I laid the pillow back on my face. Just as the pillow went down, it came back up again.

"Who?"

"Mrs. Hazelman....."

"Who the hell is Mrs. Hazelman?" Kevin demanded.

"My third grade English teacher," I hissed grabbing the pillow away from Kevin's hands.

"What happened with Lou back there?"

Thank god Brian was getting sick of Kevin picking on me! At least he was trying to get Kevin's attention away from Mrs. Hazelman! Now she would be someone that would definately freak Kevin out with those ugly cat eye glasses she wore and her gray hair that she always wore in a tight bun ontop of her head. I don't think she had much hair because that was a tiny looking bun....that is what those girls called that wasn't it? A bun...funny name for hair...a bun...why not a muffin? or better yet a waffle.....too funny...an Eggo on her head! We could of called her Eggo head!

"Nick, Brian asked you a question!"

Ooops, spaced out again! "Huh? Wait a minute, Brian had just asked Kevin about Lou...aren't you gonna answer him?"

"That was answered like about five minutes ago," AJ rasped.

"So what happened with Lou? What did I miss?"

"Everything," Howie said.

I dragged a hand over one side of my face. "I wanna go to sleep, okay? Why don't you ask me stuff when I get up?"

"Why are you avoiding questions? It's just a simple question," Brian said.

"Will you leave me alone after I answer you?"

"Depends," Brian said with a smile.

I moaned....great that means probably not in my dictionary. "Okay what did you ask me?"

"Do you know where you are?"

Stupid, dumb question. I stared my best friend in the eyes. "Are you serious?"

"Yup. Dead serious."

"Sitting on a couch."

"No, Carter, not that easy," AJ rasped.

I rolled my eyes....shit that hurt my head! "Okay sitting on a couch in a bus."

"How about place besides the bus," Kevin quizzed.

I stared at the old man and then looked out the window behind him at the blur of passing scenery. Okay this was a hard question to answer. "How the heck am I suppose to know that one? I mean we are going down the road and besides, we don't know where we are from one night to the next." I knew I had them there! They had to let me go now!

Kevin and Brian exchanged glances. Must be they agreed with me! I started to get up from the couch and both guys pushed me back down.

"No Nick, where as in country..." Kevin said sternly.

I swallowed hard as I stared up at Kevin. "Country?"

"Are we in the states or a country?" Brian added.

I closed my eyes before I tilted my head back. "We're in a country and don't ask me where cause I don't know," I admitted. The only reason why I knew it wasn't in the states was because I noticed a road sign that I knew wasn't from the states when I looked out the window. "Can I go back to bed now?"

Again Brian and Kevin exchanged glances. This time I think it looked like worried looks.....I didn't really care right now, I just wanted to go to sleep. I felt so tired right now that I could sleep forever if they'd let me. I was surprised when Kevin held out his arm for me to grab.

"C'mon little man, lets get you back to bed."

Whew.....Kev could be really cool sometimes. Did I ever mention how much I love that guy?