“You two think you are pretty damn clever don’t you?” Trent was yelling at A.J. and me as the van made its’ way back to the hotel. “It isn’t enough that you have to bug the shit out of me when we are doing business but now you have to bug the shit out of me while I’m trying to eat my dinner too?”
Pushing on my right eye, with a bag of ice from the restaurant I could feel the tears start as Trent continued yelling at us.
“You know what we’re going to do?” Trent asked, poking me in the arm. “We’re going to take you both back to the hotel and haul your asses up to your rooms. And neither one of you is going to come out until I say it is okay.”
“What, we’re grounded?” A.J. jabbed an elbow in my side as if to say get a load of this guy. “This is ridiculous. You’re not our Mom Trent.” A.J. started to stand up reaching for the door to the van as it coasted to a slow stop at the curb.
“I’m the closest thing you have to it on this tour you little shit.” Trent shouted as A.J. slid open the door and stepped out walking in the direction of the hotel.
“What about you big mouth, don’t you have anything to say?” Trent snapped as I stood up tossing the bag of ice to him and shaking my head no.
“Then get up to your room.” He yelled, pointing in the direction of the hotel like I was five.
* * *
Making my way through the lobby, Trent following close on my heels, I was tempted to ask him if he was going to change my diapers before putting me to bed. But I bit my tongue and headed straight for the elevators, ignoring the giggles and whispers of a few fans who had staked out the lobby of the hotel hoping for a quick glimpse or hello from one of us when we returned from dinner.
Once at the elevators we met up with A.J. who was wildly hammering the up button a nasty scowl on his face.
“Damn thing is broken.” He snapped glaring at me as Trent slapped his hand out of the way pushing the button harder.
“You have a shoe print on your forehead.” I mumbled pointing at A.J.’s forehead where there was a dirt outline from the bottom of my shoe.
“What?”
“Your forehead, where I kicked you. There’s an outline of my shoe.” Turning around he walked to the large oval mirror on the wall, leaning into it and inspecting his forehead.
As hard as I tried not to I felt my lips twitching up in a smile as A.J. licked his hand and tried to rub the shoe print off of his forehead.
“You think it’s funny Nick.” He said, glancing at my reflection in the mirror.
“I’m not laughing?” I cupped my hand over my mouth as he turned to face me; the dirt on his forehead now smeared with spit. “But I think you might have missed a spot.”
“Okay you two we’re taking the stairs.” Trent shoved my right shoulder pointing a finger at A.J. “Follow me.”
Both of us fell into line behind him marching like soldiers as A.J. called out “Hut one, hut two…hut one…hut two.” I could tell that Trent wanted to pound our asses but instead he chose to ignore us as we marched back through the lobby in the direction of the stairs, fans smiling and waving as a few flashbulbs went off in our faces.
* * *
“After you Carter.” Trent pushed open the door.
“Where’s my dog?” I asked looking inside of the empty room.
“He’s staying in Howie’s room tonight.”
“Nighty-night Nick.” A.J. called out walking down the hall towards his room.
“Where do you think you’re going Mclean?” Trent folded his arms across his chest a smile on his face.
A.J. stopped, turning around. “To my room.”
“You’re room is right here.”
“I’m not staying with Nick. Kev and I traded rooms because I’m sick.”
“Well you don’t look sick to me so,” Trent spread his arm out towards the open door to my room. “After you my friend. And if either of you two hot shots need me I’ll be right outside your door.”
Jamming his hands in his pockets A.J. shot Trent his best pissed off face, the one where he arched his right eyebrow narrowing his left eyes into a menacing slit, before following me into the room Trent slamming the door behind us.
* * *
“This is lame.” Pulling off his shoes A.J. threw them one by one across the room at the wall before throwing himself face down on the bed. “What’s he going to do sit out there all night and guard us?” Pushing himself up on one elbow A.J. motioned to the door. “Go and see if he’s still out there.”
“You go and see if he’s out there.” Sitting on the other bed I grabbed for the remote just as A.J. reached out and snatched it off of the nightstand.
“C’mon Nick you’re closer to the door.”
“No.”
“Please.”
“No.”
“You suck Carter.” Rolling onto his back A.J. stared at the ceiling. “I gotta figure out a way to get out of here. Brian and I have some business to take care of tonight.” I could feel my stomach harden into a big uncomfortable knot at the sound of the word “business.”
“You know this is all your fault Nick. If you would have just kept your big mouth shut everything would have been just fine.”
Then the phone began to ring.
As A.J. reached for the phone I snatched the remote from him flipping the on the t.v. and looking for something remotely interesting in the sea of news and politics.
“Yeah……uh-huh…….no…….I’m sorry……okay…..okay……okay…..bye.” Setting the phone back in its’ cradle A.J. smiled.
“What?” I asked shooting the remote at the t.v. and coming upon a cooking show where they were marinating something that looked like shoe.
“Nothing.” A.J. shook his head. “Nothing at all.”
* * *
Sitting up with a start I looked around the room trying to figure out where the hell I was. It happened sometimes, especially when we were going at such a whirlwind pace. I would wake up thinking I was tucked in my bed at home in Florida with Aaron sleeping in the bunk above me his snores rattling the wall. It would take me a minute to realize that I was in some non-descript hotel room and it would take me even longer to figure out what part of the world that hotel room was located.
“Where are we again?” I hissed into the darkness. “Hey….A.J. where are we again?” Squinting into the darkness I could make out a lump beneath the sheets in the bed across from me.
Picking up my pillow I slung it across the room, making direct contact with the lump that did not move.
“A.J.?” Throwing back the covers I padded over to the other bed jumping onto the lump with a loud “A-HA.”
There was nothing there, nothing but A.J.’s pillow tucked neatly beneath the top sheet to make it appear as though he was sleeping soundly beside me.
* * *
Poking my head out the door I was greeted by Trent slumped down in a hotel chair outside of our door, arms folded across his chest, his head lolled off to the side he twitched every so often before sinking back into a deep sleep.
Walking back into the darkness of the room I poked around inside of the closet coming up with what I hoped were a pair of matching shoes and a baseball cap. Then quietly I opened the door and made my way passed the sleeping Trent who was mumbling something about somebody named Ann and how much he loved her eyes.
* * *
Making my way down the hall I stopped in front of Howie’s room rapping twice on the door. It took almost five minutes before the door finally opened Kevin poking his head out his eyes squinted up with sleep his hair shooting in five thousand different directions.
“What.”
“Who’s in there with you?” I asked glancing down the hall at Trent who was still sleeping soundly.
“Howie.”
“And?”
“Your dog.”
“And?”
“What are you my Mom?” Kevin started to shut the door but I wedged my shoe in between the doorjamb and the door stopping him.
“And?” I asked again.
“And Marta you little shit.” Ahhhh Marta, the blonde girl from the other night.
“Well, where’s Bri?”
“He got the single room. We flipped a coin after you two idiots got yourself grounded and he ended up with the single room.” Dragging a hand through his hair Kevin turned looking back into the room with a smile. “Yeah Baby I’ll be right back.” He whispered into the darkness.
All I could think as I pulled my foot out of the door and walked away was how lucky Howie was that he was a sound sleeper.
* * *
Continuing down the hall to Brian’s room I knocked quickly three times on the door, paused, and then began knocking again. I could hear some shuffling on the other side of the door before it opened just wide enough for Brian to stick his face out.
“Yes.”
“Let me in.”
“What’s the password.”
“Bri I’m serious let me in.” A.J.’s face popped in the door above Brian’s head.
“We’ll let you in if you swear you won’t threaten to tell on us again.” Shifting my weight from foot to foot I looked down the hall at Trent and sighed.
“You got five seconds to decide.” Brian began the countdown. “Five….four…..three…..two…..-“
“Fine, I swear I won’t threaten to tell on you again if you just let me in.” Both of them smiled at me as Brian slowly pulled the door and A.J. reached out grabbing me by the shirt and dragging me inside.
* * *
“Okay Rok have you got the directions.”
“Yup, right here in my pocket.” Brian patted the hip pocket of his black sweatpants as they walked back into the hotel room me following closely on their heels.
“What about flashlights?”
“Oh shit, I’m glad you said something. I think I left them in the suitcase.” Turning Brian walked to the closet neither one saying a word to me.
“Here Jay, check and make sure it works.” Brian tossed A.J. a black mag lite, which I promptly snatched out of mid air.
“Do you guys even know I’m here?”
“Huh?” A.J. walked over to me grabbing the flashlight out of my hands.
“Sure we know you’re here Nick.” Brian went over to the bed, tucking his mag lite in the zippered pocket of his backpack before tugging on the same curly red wig I had seen him wearing this morning on his way to meet Devin.
“Well okay then.” I replied with confidence nodding my head at both of them. “So what’s the plan?” Slapping my hands together I walked over to A.J.’s backpack tossing my hat to the bed and pulling out the long shaggy blonde wig, plopping it sideways on my head.
“The plan,” Brian pulled the wig off of my head and tossed it to A.J. “Is that you are going to get your beauty sleep while Jay and I take care of some important business.”
Turning down the sheet on his bed A.J. patted the pillow. “C’mon Nicky I’ll tuck you in, and if you’re really good I’ll read you a story before we go.”