~Toured Out~

“Seriously AJ, you’re wearin’ on my nerves,” Nick snapped as he stuffed the white towel into his duffel.

AJ put his hands up into the air. “Okay man, just take it easy, okay? Don’t get all riled.”

Nick stormed off towards the exits to the awaiting shuttle van to take him back to the hotel where they were staying. As he cautiously opened the stage door, he slammed it shut quickly when he heard the screams coming from the parking lot.

“Shit,” Nick sighed as he leaned against the door. “Where’s Jay at?”

Setting the bag down onto the floor, Nick walked off in search of his bodyguard before he tried to venture out to the van.

“You’re such an wuss,” AJ teased when he noticed that Nick was too scared to walk the short distance from the building to the van.

“Sorry, but I really don’t feel in the mood to be torn apart and have my hair pulled,” Nick spat. When he rounded the corner, he nearly ran into Jay. “Good, I need to get to the van and there’s a little bit of a block out there that I need help getting through.

Jay nodded, indicating he heard Nick. As they neared the door, AJ quickly stepped behind Nick.

“Oh, so I’m the wuss?”

“I just figured I’d tag along since Jay was already here,” AJ defended.

AJ and Nick followed Jay closely. He had created a path and the screaming girls quickly parted for Jay only to circle back and reach out and touch Nick. and AJ. A panicked Nick pused Jay hard in the middle of his back. Jay stepped up his pace and all three of them barely made it to the shuttle van, unscathed.

Slowly shaking his head as the bus drove off, Nick settled back into his seat and leafed through a comic book that was laying on the seat next to him.

Seven years he had been with the group. Each time was just as wild as the last one.

As the van pulled into the circle drive to the hotel, Nick reached for his gear. He looked out the window and let out a deep sigh as he discovered a cluster of girls standing near the front entrance.

“Shit, how do they find us all the damn time?” Nick asked outloud.

“They love me so the desire to be near me is too strong,” AJ joked.

“Yeah, okay AJ, dream all you want,” Nick replied as he slung the bag over his shoulder.

~*~*~*~


Nick and AJ made their way past the crowd of girls, signing a few autographs on the way, and, thanks to Jay, were able to leave and get inot the hotel. The three men approached the registration desk.

“I need my room key,” Nick asked as soon as the woman behind the desk acknowledged them standing there.

“Are you already registered?” She smiled at them, but Nick could tell it was a pasted on smile.

“We have reservations, this is the first that we’ve been in here today,” AJ replied, the irritation was noticeable in his voice.

“I see, names please?”

“I’m Nick Dunn and this is John Alexander,” Nick replied as he watched her key the names into the computer. Nick always used the last name of his favorite player on the Tampa Bay football team as his alias when checking into a hotel. AJ’s was John, short for Johnny and then his first name added as the last name.

“Jay Martin, with the security detail,” Jay added.

The woman clicked in a few keys on her computer and then had three forms printed out. She handed a card to each and smiling, told them to enjoy their stay.

Nick glanced down at the card that had a photo of the hotel chain on the front.

Room number 838.

“What room you in AJ?” Nick asked as they stepped into the elevator.

AJ looked down at his card. “842.”

The elevator stopped on the sixth floor, letting Jay out.

“Call me if you need me, I’m in 620,” Jay stated as he left.

“How the hell did that happen? Security is usually on the floor below us, I don’t think I really like that set up,” AJ mumbled.

“It’s gonna be okay AJ,” Nick reassured AJ as well as himself. The elevator jerked to a stop on the eighth floor.

Nick narrowed his eyes as he looked down the end of the hall. He saw what looked like three girls standing there. “Shit, hey, I’ll catch ya later,” he said quickly as he grabbed at his bag and dashed for the room. It took him three tries until he finally got the cared into the slot that opened the door.

Once inside the room, he pushed the door shut and bolted it.

“Being a little paranoid Nicky?”

Nick whirled around and found Brian laying on a bed watching television.

Throwing his bag on the bed next to Brian, he stared at the TV. “How the hell did you get here before me and why the hell are you in my room?”

Brian continued to watch the program. “There was a mix up by the hotel, something about over booking so I said I would share a room with you, I figured you wouldn’t mind. You don’t mind, do you?”

“Oh.... no,” Nick sighed. “I was just looking forward to doing my own little thing, making calls and stuff, I guess there wasn’t much of a choice in this anyways.”

“Just pretend I’m not here,” Brian suggested.

Nick nodded. “Yeah... right.”

~*~*~*~


AJ slid into his hotel room and plunked his bag down onto his bed. Walking over to the window, he drew the drapes shut and took the phone off the hook. Walking into the bathroom, he turned the faucet on to draw a bath. The temperature of the water was left as hot as he could stand it.

He was a little angry to see that the room wasn’t stocked to his specifications, but not angry enough to call the front desk. He decided to blow it off this time.

As he was getting undressed for his bath, AJ looked at his watch before setting it down on the counter.

“Four fifteen,” he mumbled as he placed it down. He knew that meant he would have a little time to sak, call room service and be ready to leave for the show. He was so tired he wished that they didn’t have a tour stop tonight.

Slowly, he eased his body into the scalding hot water and placed a hot washcloth over his face.

The sound of someone pounding on the door startled AJ and he jumped. He realized that he must have fallen asleep when he noticed that the water had become ice cold.

“Ah shit,” AJ stated as he jumped out of the tub and wrapped a white towel around his waist.

Walking up to the door, AJ looked out the peep hole. “Who is it?”

“It’s Mitch, you okay in there, no one could get ahold of you on the phone.”

“Yeah, I’m fine, what time is it?”

“Five thirty. Cal and Mike said they were gonna be ordering room service, you want something added on?”

“I guess the usual room service burger will do me,” AJ replied.

AJ walked back into the bathroom and quickly washed his face and put on his black Adidas running gear and white Nike tennis shoes. Grabbing his room card, he sighed as he turned the lights out.

This was going to be a long night.

~*~*~*~


“Get the hell out of my way, fat ass,” AJ sputtered to Nick as he tried to move over towards a corner of the room in the tight quarters they were situated in.

Nick’s response to AJ’s suggestion was leaning back and pinning him with his body between the wall.

“Guys, would you knock it off!” Kevin yelled in a disgusted tone.

“Hey! I’m on the phone, be quiet,” Howie yelled as he cupped his hand over the receiver.

“Judas Kev, who died and made you lord and master?” Nick mumbled as he let AJ go. He walked over to his duffelbag and started throwing clothes out. “Okay, where the hell is my walkman?”

“I didn’t take it, airhead, you probably left it on the bus,” AJ sneered.

“Where the hell is Brian, anyways?” Nick asked to no one in particular.

“I think he was in the bathroom last I knew,” Kevin replied.

AJ looked at his watch. “How much more time do you think we have?”

“Oh, um, I think another hour, hour and a half,” Kevin stated, looking at his watch.

“Just peachy,” Nick remarked. “Where the hell is my gameboy?”

“Shut up, would ya,” AJ replied.

Nick finally found his gameboy and went over to the farthest corner of the room and slumped down in a chair and began playing a game. The noise from the auditorium was muffled, but all of the guys in the small room could hear the music that was coming from the opening act.

Brian entered the room, his duffelbag slung over his shoulder. He took in the surroundings of the room: Howie on his cell phone, Kevin reading a novel, Nick in a corner playing a gameboy game and AJ reading a comic.

“Well, isn’t this a cozy family?” Brian remarked as he dropped the bag onto the floor.

No one spoke a word, the silence was interrupted by the noise from the gameboy.

“Or not,” Brian stated.

He walked over towards the clothing rack that had his name on it. Brian selected the wardrobe for the first act in the show and took his shirt off. “Don’t you think y’all should be getting ready?”

Nick shook his head no. “Not me, those things are hot and sweaty. I’m gonna wait until the very last minute.”

“Yeah, how can you wear that hot thing for so damn long?” AJ questioned. “I mean, black and blue leather under those hot lights, someone in design had their head up their ass when they drew that one up.”

Brian just shook his head as he listened to Nick and AJ complain about the costume. He already determined by the “air” in the room that this was not going to be a good concert tonight.
~*~*~*~




“Fifteen minutes, guys,” one of the managers yelled into the cramped dressing room. Reluctantly, AJ and Nick grabbed their gear and started preparing to get dressed for the show.

“You’re invading my space,” AJ growled at Nick.

“I was here first, ass,” Nick shot back.

“Guys, wouldja please just shut up!” Kevin ordered, barely looking up from the Stephen King novel he was reading.

“I’m pretty thankful this venue wasn’t able to have preshow passes,” AJ mumbled as he put a leg into his leather pants.

“Yo, AJ, your mom’s at the door,” Howie yelled across the room.

“Oh mommas boy, is she here to zip your pants up?” Nick taunted AJ.

AJ snapped when Nick started teasing him. He quickly rushed towards him and pinned him against the wall.

“KNOCK IT OFF, BOTH OF YOU!!” Brian yelled.

Brian’s yelling got both of their attention. AJ let go of Nick’s shirt and turned away and walked over towards his mother who instantly soothed her son. Nick retreated back to his corner, scooping up the game boy and started to play a game.

“I swear, you two should be put in separate dressing rooms before you kill each other,” Brian muttered.

“Bite me,” Nick hissed.

“Nick, you’re always provoking my baby,” Denise McCLain pointed out as she held AJ’s hand. “You need to be nicer to him, after all he is the lead singer of the group.”

Nick rolled his eyes and was about to respond to her when he caught a look from Brian and decided it was best not to say anything more.

“Time to go guys,” a stagehand called out as he opened the dressing room door.

Quietly, they gathered in the hallway, each placing a hand in the center and bowing their heads. They were joined by their security guards and other members of their entourage and was led in prayer, this time by Brian.

“Heavenly Father, please guide our hearts, minds and souls. Use us as instruments to reach out to others and touch their lives. We ask that we have a safe concert and that everyone is covered by your loving hands so no harm will come. Amen.”

After the prayer, the guys followed the stage hand down a narrow path to the back of the stage setup. As they were taking their mark, AJ brushed past Nick harder than necessary, knocking him down to the ground.

“What the hell was that for?” Nick yelled as he was rubbing his butt, his voice was over the sound of the preshow.

“That was for the nasty remark you made about my mom,” AJ replied. “And this, this is from me,” AJ yelled as he shoved Nick in the back.

“I swear I’ve never seen the likes of this before! You two act like five year olds!”

Nick and AJ sat on the couch and flinched every so often as Kevin’s voice boomed, directing all of his comments at the two of them. The concert was a near disaster according to him and he was making every effort to make the two of them feel guilty about it.

“Oh come on Kev, it really wasn’t that bad,” AJ protested.

The glare that Kevin shot at AJ easily could have cut him in two and buried him six feet under.

“You know the saddest part of all of this? Those kids out there really look up to you guys and you pretty much let them down. I’m disappointed in both of you. Go ahead and grab your gear so we can go.”

Both men watched Kevin turn on and storm off. Brian walked past and looked at the two of them, one eyebrow raised.

“WHAT?” Nick yelled out. “JUDAS! NOT YOU TOO BRI! WHAT THE HELL!”

Nick jumped off the couch and smacked AJ hard in the shoulder. “This is all because of you dumbass.”

Rubbing his left shoulder, AJ got up off the couch and walked past Nick towards the door. Nick set his jaw as he watched AJ walk out of the room, he wanted to make some type of nasty remark towards him but opted to keep his mouth shut for a change. He walked over towards the corner, grabbing his gear and tossing it over his shoulder and then trudged towards the exit.

The dull humming of the bus engine seemed to add to the tension in the air as Nick boarded the bus and brushed past AJ laying across a seat, hat pulled over his face.

“Move your feet you asshole,” Nick shouted at AJ. “I can’t get through if your damn feet are hanging out in the aisle. Don’t you have a bunk you could lay in and make everyone’s lives a little happier?”

“Fuck you,” was the blunt reply.

“Fine, be that way then,” Nick said through gritted teeth as he pushed his way through AJ’s legs.

~*~*~*~*~


The bus jerked to a sudden stop, causing Nick to bump his head on the wall in his bunk. He heard someone call out the words, ‘next stop’ and he quietly moaned as he summonded up the strength to climb out of his bunk and get to the hotel room.

“Hey Nicky, did you sleep well?” Brian asked as Nick emerged from his bunk.

Tired, Nick could only manage a slight nod but then added, “Once I didn’t have to look at AJ’s face, it was a very pleasant night,” when AJ came into view.

Brian sighed loudly. “Would you guys please give it a rest? What the heck is y’all’s problem anyway? This has been going on since Ft. Lauderdale and I don’t even see it stopping until we make the circle back to Tampa and disbanding.”

Nick shrugged his shoulders. “He’s just been getting on my nerves lately, I guess.”

“Well, the two of you better start making amends because it’s starting to show up during the shows and there are so many kids that look up to both of you that if they knew how you guys were behaving, it would break their little hearts.”

“Well, I’m making an effort, you should talk to that tattoed ass over there,” Nick replied.

“Don’t make me come over there and have to shut you up!” AJ replied, the glare in his eyes gave a warning look.

“I give up,” Brian groaned.

~*~*~*~*~


“Okay, so how many more stops until we’re done with this mess?” Kevin asked Brian as he entered the hotel room they were sharing.

“I think three, I’m not too sure,” was the reply.

“Well, where are we right now?”

Brian shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know, heck, I don’t even have a clue as to what day this is either. I guess we’d have to ask one of the roadies or something to figure it out.”

Kevin opened up the drawer to the desk in the room. Pulling out the stationery pad, he glanced at the name on the tablet. “Sheraton Hotels, Lexington Kentucky.”

Brian stared as the pad hit the table and then slid off the side onto the floor.

“How messed up are we? Hell, we’re in our own fricken home town and we don’t know it!?”

“It was dark when we pulled in,” Brian offered.

“It’s AJ and Nick’s fault, they have us so damned stressed out, neither one of us can think straight!”

“Well, at least they have their own rooms tonight so they can calm down. I think the togetherness has gotten to them,” Brian stated.

“Togetherness my ass! You know just as well as I that those two have been at each others throats since the group was formed,” Kevin spat.

“Let’s just get some shut eye, things should be cooled off in the morning.”

Kevin nodded in agreement and called dibs on the bathroom first. Brian smiled and said it didn’t matter, he had to call Leighanne before he went to bed anyway.

~*~*~*~*~


Nick layed across the bed in his hotel room, typing out emails on his laptop keyboard. None of his friends were online tonight and that added to his loneliness. A sudden knock on the door tore him away from his thoughts.

“Nick, it’s me, AJ, let me in,” came the voice from the other side of the door.

Nick narrowed his eyes at the door. “Why should I let you in?”

“Come on Nick, I want to make amends, bury the hatchet,” AJ begged.

Reluctantly, Nick dragged his body off the bed and opened the door. Instead of finding a dressed-down AJ, he discovered that he was dressed like he was ready to go out on the town.

“Get dressed Nicky, we’re gonna go clubbing,” AJ said in a hoarse voice.

“Clubbing? Are you crazy? It’s after midnight and besides, Brian and Kevin would kill us.”

“They told us to start getting along, right?”

“Yes.”

“Be good friends again?”

“Yup.”

“Then what better way than to share some drinks and stories?”

Nick folded his arms across his chest. “I dunno AJ, this probably wouldn’t be a very good idea.”

“Good idea hell, god Nick, you’re 21 and that makes you legal and an adult so what’s the problem?”

“Good point, give me a sec to get dressed,” Nick replied as he grabbed a pair of jeans and a tee shirt and started switching his boxers and tee shirt for street clothes. “Hey, what about Howie? He usually likes to go clubbing too.”

“He decided to be an old man tonight and said something about feeling sick with a cold. Come on, you about done?”

Grabbing his hotel card and a ball cap, Nick headed for the door.

“Alright man, the chariot awaits us,” AJ sang out happily.

Nick stopped quickly causing AJ to run into his heels. “Whoa, wait, what about security?”

“Screw security, you yourself told me it was after midnight. It’s going to be fun, we don’t need them tagging along and messing it up for us, do we?”

“No, I guess not,” Nick agreed.

~*~*~*~


“So-o-o-o-o bay bee, wha’s yur name?” Nick slurred.

AJ sat back in the booth, laughing uncontrollably. “Judas Nick, we’ve only been here for an hour and you’re already wasted. Dude, you make for a cheap evening.”

Nick smiled at AJ and clumsily grabbed his drink and finished it off. “I’s glad y’all wanted to do this.”

“Me too, it was a damn good ice breaker,” AJ replied with a grin as he watched Nick finish his own drink and then the one in front of him. “Whoa, maybe you should slow it down.”

“Slow down? I’m jus warming up,” Nick replied as he tagged down the waitress and signaled for two more drinks.

AJ was beginning to slowly realize that Nick was getting himself into trouble. “Seriously Nick, you need to back it off some.”

The waitress came to the table and set down two mixed drinks in front of Nick.

“Tanks honey,” Nick mumbled. He unsteadily grabbed a glass, the contents spilling over the sides. Half of the drink wound up on his shirt, a small portion in his mouth. Nick wobbily looked over towards AJ.

“Nick, you’re scaring me here,” AJ pleaded. His worst fears were suddenly realized when Nick’s eyes rolled into the back of his head, his hand falling down on the table, the glass shattered, cutting his hand.

“Oh shit!” AJ sputtered as he quickly grabbed a napkin and placed it on the wound. Blood soaked the napkin quickly, making AJ realize that the cut was worse than he could have hoped for. He quickly started slapping Nick’s face. “Buddy... Nick, buddy, come on! Dude, you gotta wake up so we can walk outta here!”

The despiration in AJ’s voice was evident to the people around them. He quickly cleared his throat and begged off that Nick was exhausted from the tour as he grabbed an arm and started to pull him from the booth. The challenge came for AJ when he attempted to stand Nick up and throw an arm around his shoulder. He urgently whispered into Nick’s ear. “Come on, help me, man, we gotta get you to a hospital or something for your hand.”

As if the desperate sound in his voice caused it, Nick somehow managed to half help AJ walk towards the door, all the while his head was bobbing up and down, the blood from his cut leaving droplets on the floor.

~*~*~*~*~


“AJ! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU AND NICK DO LAST NIGHT?” Kevin yelled from the other side of the hotel room door.

AJ barely lifted his head off the pillow. The clock read 7:22am, he and Nick had only been back since 5:45am. “Shit.”

Kevin started pounding on the door. “OPEN THIS DOOR NOW!”

Part Two