~Chapter 5~

"Hello Case." Marcus said walking into my room and shutting the door. This was the first time since I had met him that we'd be in the same room together alone. It scared me, I thought about what this man could possibly do to me. I thought what my father would do to him if he did anything to me...... prolly nothing, he'd prolly say it was my fault and that I deserved what I got. I thought about what Nick would do to him if he did anything to me and that made me laugh.
"I'm sorry, but I don't know you well enough for you to call me Case." I replied looking up from my desk. I hated it when people called me Case when they knew nothing about me. I only let people I knew well and liked call me that.
"I will call you want I want to call you, you understand me." Marcus replied. He was getting angry and I knew not to push him any further than I already had, he obvesily had a low tolerance level.
"Well, when I actually get comfortable around you, I'll let you call me Case, till then it's Casey, got it." I wasn't gonna back down from this, I was going to be strong and let whatever happened happen. I was a strong willed person, so I figured I should show him now.
"Yeah whatever." He said sitting down on my bed, "anyway, just wanted to let you know that we have dinner plans for tomorrow night."
"I can't, I've already made plans, sorry." I had made plans with Nick to go to the movies, or at least try too.
"Well cancel them, we have plans now." Marcus replied standing up.
"Sorry can't do that." I said.
"Too bad, you are."
"You listen here Marcus Colby, I will not take this from you, if I have made plans then I am going to do them. You will not and I repeat will not boss me around."
"So you wanna bring your father into this, that can be arranged." Marcus smiled, "Keith!" he called.
I hate this boy, he's so annoying and rude. "Yes son." My dad replied walking into the room. He was already calling him son? Too bad it ain't happenin'.
"Case has something to tell you." Marcus said with a smirk on his face.
"Yes." My father replied looking at me with a stern look about his face.
"Well, it seems here Marcus has made us plans without consulting me. I have already made plans for tomorrow night and they can't be broken." I said looking at my father. Marcus was impressed, he didn't think I was going to tell my father and to be perfectly honest, I didn't think I was going to either. I had this will in myself now and I wasn't going to back out of anything without a fight.
"Cancel them." My dad said.
"But daddy," I pleaded, I had no other option than to lie to him, I really needed to see Nick, "it's for the wedding."
"In that case," My father said looking at his watch, "go ahead with them and ya'll can have dinner another time."
"But Keith, I was really looking forward to a night out with Casey." Marcus whined. He was spoiled and was used to getting his way. He knew exactly how to play his cards, and he had a pretty good hand dealt to him, but I knew mine was better.
"Sorry son, but it's for the wedding." My dad said walking out into the hall with Marcus following him. That was it, I had won the battle!! And I knew that was one of the many more yet to come!

"Mel, you comin'?" I asked jumping out of my chair.
"Yeah I guess." Mel sighed putting her books down on the table.
"Well c'mon." I said grabbing my coat and running out the door.
Melody followed me out the door laughing, I didn't know exactly why she was laughing though, but I had somewhat of an idea. I thought maybe it was because I was so happy. I was going to see Nick in 20 min. we were meeting him up at the warehouse where he was shooting his video. I was glad to see him again and to see him shoot the video, my sister had agreed to come along.
"Why are you laughing?" I asked climbing in the passenger's seat of Melody's 801 1 BMW. Even though I was the oldest and should always drive Mel and I had agreed that when she got her license then we would switch off every week. I had driven last week so it was her turn. I didn't mind it, meant I got to relax while someone else drove me places.
"You, you're so giddy." She laughed turning the radio on.
"I can't help it." I said squirming in the seat.
"I wouldn't be able to either." She said pulling out of the driveway.
"Thanks for comin Mel." I replied.
"No problem, it's an honor." She laughed, "I mean it's not like I get to go out with my sister everyday."
"I know what cha mean." About 15 min. later we pulled in the parking lot of the warehouse. I saw Nick, Brian, and AJ outside laughing and playing around. When Mel and I walked up beside them they stopped laughing and just stood there.
"Hi I'm Mel." She said extending her hand. My sister has always been the first to introduce herself. She wasn't shy like me and waited for the other person to introduce themselves first. I never had to introduce her to my friends because she always beat me to it, she told me the day that I beat her to an introduction then she'll gimme tickets to a concert. So of course I always tried and always failed.
"Hi Brian." Brian replied shaking her hand.
"And AJ." AJ said looking my sister up and down.
"Ya know AJ, it would help if you kept your eyes in you sockets, you might need them later on in life." I laughed.
"Ha ha." AJ. said grabbing me and hugging me. "You're just jealous that I don't do it to you...."
"Oh yeah that's it." I replied sarcastically.
"AJ, I believe the first day you saw her you did the same exact thing but your tongue was hanging out as well." Brian said patting AJ on the back.
"Oh yeah well then you're just jealous that I don't do it to you ...... anymore."
I was really worried, Nick had just stood there not saying anything or laughing. He stood in the same spot expressionless, it was scaring me. I walked up to him, "Hey Nicky." I said rubbing his hair.
"Hey Case." Nick replied snapping out of his little trance I suppose you could call it. "How are you?"
"Good, and you?" I said feeling his head to see if he was feeling ok.
"Pretty good." He said grabbing my hand before I could feel his head and leading me inside the warehouse.
"What's wrong Nick?" I asked when we sat down in the chairs.
"Huh? Nothing." He replied running his hands through his hair.
"Something's wrong, are you feeling ok?" I said placing my hand on his forehead, "you look kinda pale."
"I'm fine really." Nick smiled. "I gotta talk to you about something when we are shooting the video, it's not bad news or anything like that, but it kinda is."
"Ok." I said shrugging my shoulders, "Tonight Kentucky's playin'."
"Yeah so I hear from Brian and Kevin." Nick laughed, "I'm guessing you're gonna watch." he said rolling his eyes.
"Yepperz!" I chirped, "It's gonna be a great game, I can already tell you that." I replied, "You watchin' it?" I asked grabbing a bottle of water off the table.
"Yeah I guess I am, wanna come over to the hotel and watch it with us?"
"Actually, I dunno what I'm doing tonight so I'll letcha know later." I said, "but before we leave here for sure. Ok?!?"
"Yeah that's great." Nick laughed.
"He Nick, c'mon we're starting," Brian called slapping his back, "lets go slow Joe."
"I'll be there in a sec." Nick laughed, "talk to ya later." he said standing up. He leaned over and gave me a quick kiss on the lips.
"Later Nicky." I replied as he walked off. Melody came walking up looking at Nick as he left.
"Hey wussup?" She asked chewing some bread.
"Nothing." I replied turning my attention to her, "so whaddya wanna do for the rest of the day?"
"Nick please pay attention over here." Fatima yelled for the third time.
"Huh?" Nick asked snapping outta his trance, "whad ya say?"
"I said come back to earth and join us." Fatima replied, "take 5 guys." she instructed when she saw the look of confusion on Nick's face.
"Nick c'mon man, lets go get you some water." Brian said walking to Nick and patting his back.
"No, he's gonna stay here and talk to me." Fatima replied.
"Ok, ok, you don't have to give me that look. I'm not like Nick, I actually understand when you say that." He laughed.
"Leave." Fatima ordered pushing him away, "Nick what's wrong?"
"Huh?" Nick asked gazing at her and then back to the ground.
"I asked what was wrong with you? Why aren't you talking up a storm, playing pranks, oh I know it's that time of the month huh?"
"Huh?" Nick said, "Oh yeah." he nodded.
"Nick, I just said it was your time of the month." Fatima said waving her hands in his face.
"I heard ya, I'm sorry, I'll try to pay attention. Sorry." Nick said leaning the rail.
"Nick, what's wrong with you? You are so out of it." Fatima said putting her hand on his back. "Are you feeling sick? You look kinda pale."
"No, I'm fine." Nick said as Fatima put her hand on his forehead.
"You don't have a temperature, what's wrong? You're scaring me."
"I'm fine, can we just get this over with?" Nick asked grabbing his water bottle and walking off. "Yeah sure." Fatima whispered, "Ok guys lets get back to work."
"Aww man." Came the groans from everyone.
"Yeah yeah, I love you too." Fatima said walking to the center of the set, "Lets take it from the top."
"Action." The director yelled.
"That was so much fun." I laughed, Mel and I had just come back from outside where we got into I wrestling match and then played some basketball. Of course I beat her in the basketball game and she had beat me in the wrestling match, which I didn't mind just as long as I kept my title at basketball. "Wanna play some video games?"
"Yeah sure." Melody laughed grabbing a bottle of water off the table, "what do you wanna play?"
"Well I'm sure Nick has his Game Boy around here somewhere," I said digging through the bag he had brought, "then you can watch me." I laughed.
"No, I wanna play." She whined.
"Too bad so sad." I said, "A ha!" I pulled the Game Boy out and raised it in the air, "lets go."
"Go where?" Mel asked collapsing in the nearest chair.
"Over there, we can watch them shoot, that's what we came here for right?" I said jogging over to where the guys were shooting their video. I had never really heard their music so I sat there and listened for a lil' while. They had a really good sound and harmonized really good together. Melody came over and sat on the floor beside me bouncing her head and playing some kind of game she had found lying around. I noticed Nick wasn't himself, he seemed kinda outta it, he kept getting yelled at by the director to get with the program.
"Hey Mel, I'm gonna go to the restroom, be right back." I said handing her the Game Boy. She grabbed it from my hand and popped up into my seat which made me laugh. I went to the bathroom and saw some girl intently staring at me as I walked by. On the way back I made sure to 'bump' into her.
"Watch where you're going sweet cheeks." She said pushing me off her.
"Sorry." I said, "you know you don't hafta be so rude about it."
"You're the one who bumped into me." She said.
"You were the one who was staring at me when I came by like I was some kinda physco." I said.
"That's cause you prolly are." She replied getting up in my face. I didn't wanna start a fight. I hated to watch other people fight and I couldn't stand arguing so I just walked off. The whole time this girl was yelling at me to come back and fight, she was calling me chicken and talking about how fat I was and all this other crap.
"What's so funny sis?" Mel asked when I came back.
"Some chick over there, she has no self control." I laughed grabbing the Game Boy out of her hands and pushing her off my chair.
"Hey I wadn't done with that game yet." She whined trying to grab it from me.
"Well too bad sissy." I said pressing the start button and started playing Mario Brothers. I was at Level 1-4 when Fatima walked over to me.
"Are you Casey Alexander?" She asked.
"Yeah, and you are?" I asked nicely while pausing my game.
"Fatima, I'm the guy's choreographer. Ummm, one of the girls got hurt and I, well actually the guys, were wondering if you could fill in for her so we can get this shot over with."
"Sure." I chirped. This was so cool, I was gonna be in a music video. On national TV prolly and this girl was acting like I was gonna turn down this offer. She lead me over to the director and introduced me.
"Welcome aboard Casey." He smiled. "All you have to do is sit in that chair over there and look pretty."
"I think I can manage that." I laughed. Fatima lead me over to the make-up chair and they put some 'little' touches on my make up. When I was done with that we got to shooting. I had to sit in this huge chair with Brian and just smile.
"Hey Case." Brian said hugging me.
"Hey Bri." I replied walking over to where him, AJ, and Nick were. "Hey AJ."
"Hey babe." AJ said getting up out of the chair, "I believe this is for you my lady." he said in an English accent.
I laughed as AJ and Brian took my arms and sat me down in the chair. "Thank you gentlemen, you may go now. Go clean or something." I said in my best English accent.
They both bowed as I laughed. "What's wrong with him?" I asked looking over at Nick who was staring at the ceiling.
"We don't know, he won't talk to anyone." AJ said. Nick looked horrible, he was really pale and he had a depressed look on his face. I was really worried about him, he looked like death.
"Ok guys, positions." The director yelled. "Well that's our cue." AJ said walking over to Nick, "Come on Nick, we're over here." he said tugging on his arm. Nick didn't move a muscle, he didn't even look at AJ.
"NICK!!!" AJ yelled waving his hand in his face. Nick looked at AJ stood up and walked over to his spot.
"Don't worry about him Case." Brian replied, "he'll get over whatever it is soon." he said hugging me.
"Yeah I know, I'm just really worried about him." I said trying to smile.
"I know we all are." Brian said. "Lets just get this over with so we can go home." He sighed sitting down next to me.
"Ok." I said.
********************************************** Chapter 6
TOC
Home
**********************************************

Email: unctommy23@aol.com