Chapter 10
Kevin, AJ and Howie watched as ambulance and rescue men brought out victim after victim on stretchers. Kevin leaned over the barrier that stopped them from getting too close too the hotel wreckage and scanned for anybody that would be able to tell them what was going on.
"They should have brought them out by now." He said to nobody in particular. "I can't believe they haven't brought them out."
"I'm going to try and find out what's going on." Peter, their manager, stated. He ducked under the barrier and walked over to two policemen who were talking solemnly.
"What do you think they're saying?" AJ asked, as he watched the three men talk without hearing them.
"Who knows? I mean, they probably don't even know what's going on. The town must be in ruins." Howie answered miserably.
"Yeah, well I hope they get a move on and get Nick out before that whole thing collapses." Kevin sighed.
"And Brian." Howie told him. "Nick and Brian." He challenged Kevin with a stare. Kevin just raised his eyebrows slightly, and looked mutely back at the latest person to be brought out on a stretcher. Suddenly, his eyes widened as he saw a flash of blonde hair on the stretcher behind. AJ and Howie both noticed as well, and they all ducked under the barrier and ran over. Nick had been brought out first, followed by Brian.
"Nicky." Kevin ran up to him. He was unconscious, a trail of blood staining his blonde hair.
"What's wrong with him?" He asked the paramedics. "Is he dead?"
"Not dead, no, but he is drifting in and out of consciousness, indicating serious concussion."
"Well get him to a hospital then."
"I'm afraid that's out of the question. A lot of damage was done to the four in the area, and if we were to drive him to the next available one we could be looking at an hour's journey. That's without delaying for obstructions."
"So what are you going to do?" Kevin's voice rose. "Leave him?"
"No, but he isn't a priority case right now. There are others in a far worse condition."
"What's going on?" Peter walked over. He stared down at Nick, and swallowed.
"They don't think he's a priority case." Kevin glared at the paramedic.
"Look, I've got five hundred dollars on me, and I'm willing to pay you a lot more, if you make him a priority case." Peter pulled his wallet out of his pocket.
"I'm sorry." The paramedic indicated for his partner to lower Nick to the floor, before turning to Peter. "That would go against every practical and ethical code I've ever been taught. We'll get to Nick as soon as possible." They hurried over to a young girl, unconscious, and drenched in blood down her left side. Peter looked over to Howie and AJ, who were talking to a dazed Brian.
"How is he?"
"He's okay. The paramedics said he'd be fine."
"Well, that's something." Peter sighed. He looked at Kevin who was knelt down beside Nick, gently stroking his hair out of his face.
"He'll be okay, Kevin."
"Will he?"
"He's a fighter."
"Everyone always says that about anyone."
"But you know he is." Peter rested his hand on Kevin's shoulder. "He won't give up that easily." Kevin felt Peter's hand grip tighter as Nick's eyes fluttered open.
"Nick." Kevin exclaimed. "It's okay, everything's gonna be okay."
"Brian." Nick murmured. "I want Brian." Kevin angrily wiped some tears away from his eyes.
"Brian isn't here right now. It's okay, I'm here."
"I want Brian." Nick's voice grew more insistent. Suddenly, Kevin felt someone push him aside. He looked across to see Brian crouching where Kevin just was.
"It's okay, Nicky. I'm here, Brian's here."
"You'll scare him if he sees that blood." Kevin angrily indicated to the blood on Brian's cheek. Brian ignored him.
"Bri, it wasn't a dream was it?" Nick asked.
"Of course not, Nicky. I still love you." Brian told him. Kevin got up, startled. He hadn't just heard that, had he? Oh God, no.
"I love you too." Nick's eyes closed. Brian pulled Nick towards him.
"Don't you close your eyes again. I don't want to see that anymore." Brian told him, as Kevin walked away, stunned. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and he shook it off.
"Kev, they love each other. You're going to have to accept it eventually." AJ told him. Kevin kept on walking as AJ struggled to keep up.
"I never have to accept it, you hear me?" Kevin spat out. "As long as I'm still living, as long as I'm still breathing, I will refuse to accept it."
"Your life will always be a lie." AJ tried desperately to convince him.
"It always was a lie." Kevin answered, the bitterness engulfing his mouth. He walked faster, as AJ's pleas became quieter. He was no longer listening to them. The words were falling on deaf ears.
"Thanks for coming Brian. I didn't know who else to call." Nick's mother, Jan ushered Bran into the house. "He won't talk to any of us, but he's been suffering some serious nightmares."
"I was worried about him." Brian sighed. "You called have called me sooner, you know?" It had been two weeks since the earthquake, and in that time the boys had flown home and given three weeks rest from the schedule. There had been objections to what seemed like such a short amount of time, but deep down they all knew that they really couldn't have any longer than that. The new album needed to be recorded, they had received a massive amount of publicity due to the earthquake, and as a result their fan base in America was rising.
"I'm sorry." Jan smiled tiredly. "I know I can always rely on you. I just thought that I might be able to help him this time."
"You help him every time." Brian told her, before pulling the woman into an affectionate hug. "He thinks the world of you."
"That makes two of us then." Jan exclaimed. "He's in his room. Are you ready to see him?"
"Of course." Brian nodded. He walked slowly up the stairs and knocked on the door quietly before opening it and peering his head round. Nick was laying stomach down on the bed, reading a magazine. Conscious that someone was looking at him, he turned around.
"Hi." Brian said softly. "Can I come in?"
"Yeah, of course." Nick sat up. Brian shut the door quietly, and sat down on the bed next to him.
"I'm sorry I haven't been in contact. I was waiting really. I didn't know what your situation was like at the moment."
"I suppose mum told you about the nightmares?"
"Yeah, she's worried about you."
"I know." Nick lowered his head, his blonde hair falling into his eyes. "I'm trying to act normally now, but it still scares me when I close my eyes and think about it."
"It was a terrible experience Nicky." Brian brushed the hair away, revealing a three-inch scar along his hairline. "I should know. I was there."
"I wouldn't have made it if it wasn't for you, you know?"
"Yeah you would."
"I wouldn't have." Nick insisted. "When you held me in your arms, it was the most perfect moment of my life."
"Mine too." Brian whispered, remembering the closeness, the intimacy.
"So you still feel the same?"
"Nicky, I'm in love with you. That's not something that goes away. At least, not with me it isn't."
"Me either." Nick whispered. He shut his eyes, and Brian knew what was about to come. Shutting his eyes, he lent forward and kissed him softly. It was the first kiss they had ever shared, and it felt so right, so pure. Brian knew that he shouldn't spoil the moment, but the burning desire of having this beautiful boy in his arms became too much, and he pressed against Nick, forcing him to lie down. Nick didn't respond until Brian's hands started roaming. He felt Nick try to pull away, and he backed off straight away.
"I'm sorry." Brian apologised. "I know you want your first time to be special, so do I."
"Brian, there's something I have to tell you." Nick sighed, and Brian noticed with alarm that his face was full of pain. He pulled away completely, and they resumed sitting.
"What is it Nicky?" Brian asked. Nick bit his lip, but the tears still came.
"I wanted you to be my first so much." Nick sobbed. "But I never thought that you would like me enough. That night you phoned me up, and we argued, I was so mad I didn't know what to do."
"What are you getting at, Nick?" A sick feeling was starting to rise in his stomach. He knew right away that Nick was going to tell him he wasn't a virgin anymore, but there was something else, something deeper, darker and thoroughly more disturbing.
"I ran out of the house, walked for miles in the pouring rain. I realised I was near Kevin's, and because I was so cold, and miserable, and he had been such a good friend to me, I went in. He told me that he loved me in a way you never could, and we ended up sleeping together." Nick looked over to Brian, who had stood up, the sick feeling intensifying.
"You slept with him?"
"Brian, I wasn't thinking straight. I just wanted someone who loved me. And he told me he did."
"And that I didn't?"
"Yeah." Nick answered with confusion.
"And this happened the night we argued? The night before we flew out to California?"
"Yes." Nick shook his head. "Brian, I know I did the wrong thing, but please don't interrogate me like this."
"No, it's not that." Brian shook his head, as he faced him. "Well it is, but something's not right."
"What do you mean?"
"When we were doing the European tour, I told Kevin I was in love with you. He told me, quite adamantly, that you were homophobic, that you would never love me back. He said to forget about you." Brian stared in confusion at Nick, whose eyes grew wide with realisation.
"I told him that I loved you on that tour too. He told me exactly the same thing. You didn't like gays, and you wouldn't love me back. Only, he also told me that he loved me."
"What the fuck has he been doing to us?" Brian whispered. Nick stared blankly at him.
"Why would he tell a lie like that? He knew how unhappy I was, he knew that, and he carried on lying to me, carried on lying to you."
"And then he slept with you." Brian exclaimed, and it suddenly made perfect sense. "Then he slept with you, and carried on lying. That godamn son of a bitch lied the whole way through it all."
"But why?" Nick asked. Deep down he knew, but he couldn't comprehend it.
"Why do you think, Nick?" Brian spat out bitterly. "So he could get some from you."
"No." Nick shook his head. "He wouldn't of."
"If he's capable of keeping two people desperately in love with each other apart, he's sure as hell capable of sleeping with one of those people." Brian stated honestly. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket.
"What are you doing?" Nick asked.
"I'm gonna sort this out once and for all." Brian answered, as he dialled a number.
"You're phoning him?"
"Yup." Brian nodded as he waited for Kevin to pick up. "And afterwards I'm phoning AJ and Howie. We're all gonna meet up. I'm going to teach him that he can't do this to an innocent boy."
"Not Howie and AJ too." Nick begged him. "You'll humiliate him."
"That's the plan, Nicky." Brian told him. "That's the plan." He heard Kevin pick up on the other end, and with a sickly sweet voice told him to meet him at his house in half an hour. After he had hung up he dialled AJ's number.
"Please Brian. Don't do this." Nick shook his head. "Please."
"It's gonna be okay, Nick. I promise. Kevin's just gonna learn a few home truths." Brian informed him. Of course, he didn't mention to Nick that right now, given the chance, he could kill Kevin. Although it scared him to think that, he knew it was the truth. Brian was sick of being mild-mannered. This time he was out for revenge.
Wow, Brian is pretty damn mad, huh? Oh well, we'll just have to wait until next time to see just what he does. Stay tuned, otherwise you ain't never gonna know!