Chapter
8
AJ reached up with a nervous hand and knocked on Nick’s door.
Howie watched as he danced from foot to foot. He placed a reassuring hand on
his shoulder. AJ looked at him quickly.
“Just go with the game plan.” He told him. “We’re looking for a
good time.”
AJ nodded and waited until Nick slowly opened the door. AJ and
Howie plastered fake smiles on their faces and pushed past Nick into his room.
Nick watched them in disbelief.
“Hey buddy!” AJ yelled walking in. “Want to go clubbing? Me and
Howie are itching to go and Brian and Kevin are being old.”
“Oh, so the fag didn’t send you?” Nick hissed, his voice lowering
and his eyes getting dark. “He made Kevin call me.”
Howie frowned. “Nick,” He whispered. “Don’t tell me you are
thinking that way? What did Brian ever do to you to deserve that?”
Nick growled and walked away from them.
“He fell in love with me!” Nick shouted at them. “He became
everything I hate and he knew I hated those things!”
AJ’s rage took over and he stood up swiftly. Quickly advancing on
Nick, he was only able to control his fists.
“He never became what you hated!” He screamed. “He always
was that way. He has been since he was sixteen fucking years old! He dated
women to save our reputations and married Leigh because he was afraid he was
falling for you! And I can see why he was afraid of it. You’re just a cowardice
little ass.”
Nick’s eyes were wide as he let the new information sink in. At
first Howie thought AJ’s little outburst had worked. That it had made its way
into Nick’s thick skull. But suddenly the darkness fell back over Nick’s eyes
and he stood against AJ.
“Then he should have never told me!” Nick yelled back. “He would
have spared me the pain of seeing the best friendship I have ever be destroyed!
But I can’t take it back because I refuse to be friends with a fag! No matter
who they are! I won’t take it back AJ, and I refuse to let anybody tell me that
I’m being pigheaded about it! I’m just being me! And if you or he or anybody
else can’t take it, well then too-“
Nick was cut off by the sound of a loud gunshot. It sounded like
it had come from right down the hall. Howie was the first to reach the door. He
looked down the hall and saw a crowd forming down the end of the hall. He ran
towards it, and AJ and Nick were right behind him.
“Those guys just shot him!” He heard a woman’s voice scream. “They
beat him up and then pulled out a gun and shot him!”
The woman was in hysterics. With a sudden burst of adrenaline
which was fed by pure fear, the three of them pushed their way through the
gawking crowd. The sight they were met with was one of pure horror.
Brian laid crumpled on the floor. His body was battered and
bruised. There was blood everywhere. On the floor, on the soda machines, and
all over Brian. Howie felt bile rise up in his throat as he dropped to his
knees.
“Brian.” He rasped. “Oh God, no. Help. Quick, Help! Someone call
an ambulance!”
“It’s on its way.” A man answered from the crowd.
AJ was blinded by his rage. He couldn’t believe that his friend
lay dying before him. Looking around he spotted to men being held against their
will. He closed the distance between him and them in a few quick strides.
“Are these the people who did it?” He asked one of them men holding them. “Are these the
scumbags I’m looking for?”
“Yeah!” One of them spat. “I’m the man who pulled the trigger! And
I’d do it again just to see the fear in that queer’s eyes!”
AJ’s eyes narrowed. He knew his temper was his worst trait and he
usually tried to keep it under control. But know he didn’t give a damn if he
seemed like the angriest person on earth.
“What’s your names?” He asked quietly.
“I’m Steve.” The other man answered with the
same lack of remorse. “And he’s Matt. And we are the ones that beat up your
little faggy friend.”
“Well guess what.” AJ hissed in their ears. “You are now going to
rot in jail will some sex deprived man will turn you into his ‘little faggy
friend’.”
Matt and Steve’s eyes grew wide. Now they seemed afraid. But he
knew there was no remorse. There never would be. Only the fear that they would
become the one thing they tried so hard to destroy.
AJ walked away and returned to Howie’s side. He glanced around for
some sign of Nick, but found none. The boy had left leaving trace or reason
why. AJ shook his head sadly. Maybe someday he would come around.
Suddenly another form pushed its way through the crowd. AJ meet
the distraught eyes of Kevin. Upon seeing his cousin, his eyes widened and
immediately began to water.
“Wh-what the hell happened?” He asked kneeling down next to Brian.
“What did they do to him?”
“He was shot.” Howie answered calmly. “Help is coming, but it
needs to get here quicker.”
The three boys lapsed into silence, as they waited for help to
arrive. The minutes seemed to tick by, an eternity passing before the crowd
parted for the EMTs. The boys sat back in silence and watched as they loaded up
Brain and headed out. Kevin was chosen to ride in the ambulance with him. AJ
and Howie agreed to meet him there as soon as they could.
Without Nick.
***
