Chapter
13
“I just don’t think it’s funny Nick!” Kevin
was angry and trying unsuccessfully to hide it. “We practiced and
practiced that routine, I don’t understand how you could mess it up like it was
your first time doing it.”
Nick was laughing and was also trying
very unsuccessfully to hide it, “Sorry Kevy. So I tripped, God, you act
like I committed arson.” He giggled and took another sip of water.
“Nick, can you ever take anything
seriously?” Kevin paced around the backstage area. Howie, Brian, and
AJ, watched on in amusement.
“Yes I can, but right now, I think
you’re overreacting,” Nick said, “I tripped myself, not you.”
“It’s the fact that you don’t seem to
care!” Kevin was no longer hiding his anger.
“I care. I messed up, oops.
Sorry about that I’ll work harder next time. Can’t take back what
happened on stage now, can I?” Nick stood and stretched, “Besides it’s not like
fans cared anyhow, they liked it!”
“But Nick, that’s not what I’m getting
at. If you’d just pay more attention in practice, and stop goofing
around, you wouldn’t mess up so much,” Kevin was calming down. He kneeled
to be at eye level with Nick who was lounging in a plastic chair.
“Is everything ok with you Nick?”
Nick looked up at Kevin in surprise,
“Cause I tripped Kev?”
“You know what, never mind,” Kevin
said closing his eyes and backing away from Nick, “Guys, do we have any
plans for tonight?”
“Actually no,” Howie said still
sneaking curious glances at Nick who was fidgeting, “Anybody have any ideas?
Nick?”
Nick was busying himself drumming his
fingers on his leg.
“Nick?” Howie asked closing his eyes
and trying not to sigh out loud. God… he could not be a… a … but he sure
wasn’t doing anything to make Howie think any differently.
“What?” Nick looked up from
his…’music’.
“What did you want to do tonight?”
Howie repeated.
Nick bit his lip and looked to be
thinking, “Nothing. I just wanna chill tonight, ya know? We always go out, why
not stay here for once.”
“Yeah,” Brian nodded, “sounds good to
me. We can get in some video game practice, huh Frack?”
Howie didn’t miss Nick’s quick flicker
of annoyance before his expression smoothed over, “Sure, why not?” Howie rubbed
his hands together, and caught AJ looking at him. Leave me alone AJ,
Howie thought angrily, “Well Howie, how about we go out tonight?”
Howie could have spit on AJ, but he
didn’t want anyone to know about his annoyance with AJ, “Sure, why not.”
Howie accepted through gritted teeth.
Brian and Kevin glanced at them curiously,
but Howie shrugged it off. “Come on guys, we better get in the van so we
can get back to the hotel.”
“Now do you see what I’m saying
Howie?” AJ asked in the back of the van. He and Howie were being taken to
one of the nightclubs in town.
“No, I don’t know what you are talking
about AJ,” Howie growled moving as far away from AJ as he could get.
“The tone of your voice and the way
you’re moving away from me let me know you know exactly what I’m talking about.
And that you believe me Howie!” AJ was desperately trying to get
Howie to turn around and look at his face.
“So what if I do?” Howie’s shaky voice
broke through the dark, and AJ stared at him, “If you do then it’s time we
confront him about it D. We gotta turn around and tell the others.
He needs help Howie.”
“But what if it’s not true AJ, what if
he’s not on drugs?” Howie said, “He’ll hate us for real this time for accusing
him of something like that.”
He got silence from AJ, and he finally
turned around to face him. AJ looked serious, and it was apparent to
Howie that there was no doubt in his mind about Nick’s problem, “I almost
broke him down D. He was gonna tell me that one time after practice.
He needs help and he knows it.”
Howie sighed loudly, “Lars, turn back.
We decided not to go to the club.”
“I tell you he’s not…”
“Brian, Nick does not have an eating
disorder! Guys don’t get those!” Kevin rolled his eyes and tried to get
back to his book. His cousin had barged into his room a little after
midnight with his crazy notion about Nick being anorexic. Nick of all
people! Girls are anorexic, and bulimic, not guys, at least not the
straight ones.
“He’s not eating Kev. I think he
may only take in about 200 calories a day, total!” Brian was on a rampage,
“He’s fading away Kev! I bet he weighs, what? Two pounds! And
you don’t hang around him all day Kevy; he gets really snappish sometimes ya
know. And that day we all went to breakfast, and we convinced Nick to get
more food. You know what he did after that? He threw up,” Brian was
furious at the fact that his cousin seemed to be ignoring him. “Kev, what
can I say to make you believe me? I know… Kevin, he went to bed
right after the show. He’s been blowing off all of my challenges to play
games so he can go to bed early. Does that sound like Nick to you?”
Brian was standing in front of Kevin now.
“Brian, he’s growing up. Maybe
video games don’t interest him as much as they used to,” Kevin said not even looking
up from his book this time.
“Or because he doesn’t have enough
energy to play! And you wanna know why he doesn’t have enough energy,
Kev? Cause he’s not eating anything!” Brian snatched Kevin’s book away,
and Kevin looked up at Brian with annoyance that was quick to fade.
Brian’s face was panicked and drawn with worry. “I almost lost him
once Kev from not paying enough attention to him. I’m not gonna take that
chance again. I really think he’s hurting himself Kev. I’m not
imagining it, I’ve been watching him Kev. He’s different.”
Kevin sighed, “Yes I have noticed
that.”
“And all those times he flubs up on
stage, and can’t concentrate…” Brian was just rattling things off, counting on
his fingers, “Kev, we gotta do something. First we gotta tell Howie and
AJ, then we’ll… we have to go to Nick. Let him know that we’re with
him, we’ll always be behind him, and try to get him help.”
There was knocking at the door.
Brian jumped to open it, “Howie, AJ…”
“We got something to tell you guys,
please don’t kill us, and please let us get all the way through this with no
interruptions,” Howie spoke urgently, pushing his way past Brian and into
the room. AJ followed not looking any less grave.
“What? What happened?” Kevin’s face
paled. Something serious was going on…
“It’s about Nicky.”
Brian looked pointedly at Kevin, like
see I told ya so.
“AJ and I have good reason to believe
he’s doing drugs.”
“WHAT?”
***
