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Here's another chapter. I hope you enjoy :)

9

"Who was that D?" Howie ignored AJ's question, in his mind, the man's harsh words lived. If he was standing, that voice would have made his knees buckle. It sounded like the same voice that had threatened him earlier.

"Howie! Please answer one of us, is everything okay bro?" Howie looked over at Brian and wasn't sure whether to nod or shake his head. Does he tell them what he just heard? Or does he drop it? Which would be more helpful to them, which would keep them out of it completely?

"Yeah everything's fine" He placed the phone on the bed next to him, "So are we agreed that we drop this then?" He looked over to each boy as they reluctantly shook their heads, his eyes lingering the longest on Nick who refused to nod in agreement. "Nick?"

"Oh okay fine. You are NO fun Howard!"

"Good, thanks guys and I'm really sorry for getting you all in trouble tonight"

"Yeah you suck by the way" A smiling Brian said. Howie tried his best to plaster a smile on his face but if it was something he was never very good at it was definitely lying. He wore his emotions on his sleeve. That is why it was always so easy for all of them to pick on him.

"You're lying to us aren't you?" Howie wasn't surprised by AJ's accusation. If anyone could read him it was AJ; closely followed by Kevin who thankfully wasn't there to be witness to any of this.

"AJ, just drop it okay?" That got Nick's attention peaked once again, "Oh my God, who was it on the phone Howie? Was it my look a like?"

"I don't know who it was but we just need to drop it okay?"

"Howie seriously man...if the shit's gonna hit the fan we need to know about it"

"Look J, I'm not sure if shit is going to be hitting the fan but I will tell you the more we talk about it the worse it gets okay?"

"How?"

Howie just wanted to run out of the room screaming in frustration. Why wouldn't these kids understand him? This wasn't a game. He was threatened. Blatantly threatened, and in some way that could mean they were all in danger now. because of something he refused to let drop in the first place.

"Enough discussion about this!" The other three boys pulled back when Howie screamed that. He felt bad that he made them wince, but he had to do something.

"Okay fine man...you don't have to jump down our throats" And with that AJ walked out of the room and the conversation was finally dropped.

Not in Howie's mind though, he kept running through all the information he had received over the last few days. He couldn't help but think that it all had something to do with the Inquisitor. That or even worse Jive.

He wasn't going to allow himself to think much more about it. Hopefully in time like everything else in his life, this would go away. So, he hung out with the guys, ordered a pizza and talked about nonsignificant things like sports, sex and fame. Happily the strip club wasn't mentioned at all.
~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Early the next morning Howie found himself out on the balcony, sitting there and watching the sun gradually make it's way through the clouds. He didn't get much sleep. He found that every time he closed his eyes, thoughts of what the other Nick said would run through his mind. "Once they find out it's too late" Then the phone call, did that mean they found out? Was it too late.

"What are you doing out here?" The sound of AJ's voice made Howie jump almost dropping the bottled water he was drinking down onto the lower balcony. "God AJ you scared the holy hell out of me"

"Sorry man...why are you so jumpy?"

"No reason, I just thought you would all be asleep"

"Howie, what is going on? Do you think it's something we should talk to the police about?"

It was weird hearing AJ ask such a responsible question. But one look at the boy you could tell how worried he was about his friend. "I don't know J, maybe if things get weirder which I hope they won't"

AJ took a seat next to him and pulled out a cigarette. "Why are you smoking? You know that stuff is bad for you right?"

After taking a puff of his cigarette he slowly blew the smoke out then let out a satisfied sigh, "Eh...everything is nowadays"

Yawning and rubbing his face he decided to stretch to remove the last chance of sleep from his tired body. Jumping once again when his cellphone began to ring. The way he looked at it with both eyes bulging confirmed what AJ had been thinking. That there was more to this story then Howie was letting on to.

"Aren't you gonna answer it?" AJ watched his friend just listen to it ring, "I mean it could be important"

"Not this early in the morning"

"This early in the morning is when I would think something was wrong"

The phone stopped temporarily allowing Howie to breath. AJ picking up on how relieved his friend seemed shot him another suspicious look. "D?.."

"AJ I know what you're going to say but I'm asking you to drop it. Okay?"

"But..."

"No AJ, not this time. Just drop it. It's nothing" The finality in the man's voice made AJ realize that that was the end of discussion right there.

Feeling defeated AJ stood up and pat his friend on the shoulder. "If you need me"

"I know"

Nodding, AJ threw his cigarette down on the patio floor and stepped on it before heading back into the hotel room leaving Howie alone with his thoughts.

Howie must have sat on that uncomfortable patio chair for at least two hours after AJ left him. Just slowly sipping on his water and trying to reassure himself that none of this was real. Just his overactive imagination, until the phone rang again. He jumped and by instinct reached over and answered it, before AJ woke up again.

"Hello?"

There was static, sounding like whoever was calling him was under a bridge or driving through a tunnel. Cell phone. It had to be.

"Howie"

He kind of recognized the voice but couldn't put a face to it.

"Speaking"

"Because of you....I am dead" Then a click.

Stunned, Howie dropped his phone to the floor barely able to breath. Putting his head between his knees he whispered to himself to calm down. Calm down and call for help. His cellphone rang again making him let out a small gasp this time.

"Look whoever this is...you're not funny so stop it!"

"This isn't funny Howard and if you know what's good for you and your friends I wouldn't be calling the police...by the way better be up nice an early, all hell is about to break lose" With that the man hung up the phone. Not Howie though, he held it to his ear, listening to first the dial tone then a busy signal. Too afraid to move...