Chapter 3
"Ring!!! Ring!!!" AJ woke up, fuzzily searching for the phone, but the
answering machine beat him to it.
"Yo, this is AJ! I am no longer reachable at this number. If you would like
to reach me, my new number is, well, I ain't tellin' ya. If you can't reach
me by any other way, aw, that's gonna suck. See ya. Bye. BEEP!"
"AJ! Get your ass over here! Something's wrong with Brian. We're having a meeting now, while he's out. Howie's on his way over, and so is Nick."
It
was Kevin, as usual. Just barely one week after the start of their break,
and he was bossing around already. But, considering all things, Kevin *was*
a little more considerate this time. After all, AJ knew how panicked Kevin
could get when his cousin had a problem, especially after his surgery.
"Yo man! It's only like ten in the morning! You could have called at a
later time, right?"
"No! You're gonna be late if I didn't call you now, so get your ass here
before I send someone down. And I promise you won't like it if I have to
send someone down."
"Yeah, yeah. I know. Juz let me shower first, will ya?"
AJ put down the phone and stretched. He wondered what the problem could
be. Hopefully it wasn't a health-related problem. They'd had enough of such
problems on Brian's side already. But if it wasn't, it had to be serious,
coz Brian was usually the steadiest of the group. Oh, well, he'd find out
as soon as he got there. He showered and dressed, then the phone rang
again. The answering machine got it first again. It was his mum. "AJ, I
want you to pick up your cousin, who's coming on the four o'clock
flight. Remember, or else." He could almost hear the evil grin she had on
her face. He chuckled.
"Ha.. unlucky soul.. coming here at this
time.. better leave a note for Max then.. don't wanna get chopped up
again." AJ muttered to himself. He scribbled on a piece of paper and stuck
it on the fridge, telling his mom and his cousin where he went, just in
case the meeting dragged on too long. Then, jumping into his car, he drove
off.
A moment later, a taxi drove into his driveway, and a lady stepped out.
***********************************************************************
Brian wandered down the streets, watching aimlessly as the cars sped by
him. He had watched all the movies there were, and now it was five in the
evening already. He turned into another club and sat himself down on the
counter.
"One bourbon please." The bartender put it down in front of him
curiously, but Brian pulled down his cap and the bartender shrugged. He
hunched over his drink, nursing it, wathcin the crowd at the dance
floor. He knew that Kevin had most probably called the rest of the Boys for
a meeting about his 'problem'. He wasn't all that stupid. But he didn't
really have a problem, did he? He'd just consumed a few drinks, not that
many.
"No, you *just* drank three whole bottles of gin between yesterday
and today." A small voice in the back of his head tole him. He ignored it
and finshed his drink, ordering another one.
***********************************************************************
Kevin turned to the rest of the Boys, sighed, and said, "Look, it's really
serious okay? I've counted. He drank something like 12 to 13 bottles of
alcohol just through this week. I think there's something really heavy
bothering him. Any of you know what it is?"
Howie shrugged. Nick didn't respond. AJ looked at Nick, and shrugged too.
"Oh come on, I'm sure one of you knows? Howie? AJ? Nick?" Kevin became more
and more agitated, and almost came close to blowing his top. Howie noticed
it and moved quickly to calm him down. After a while, Kevin said heavily,
"Nick, you're his best friend, you *should* know. Nick?"
AJ nudged Nick, and he came out of his reverie.
"Huh?"
Kevin sighed. He wasn't getting anywhere. AJ and Howie were genuinely
concerned, but Nick, well, he just wasn't there. And Nick had been his most
important link to Brian. But that had been before Nick had started seeing
his girl, Mandy. Now Nick seemed to have lost touch with Brian, as Brian
shut himself off, 'to make space for Mandy' as he put it. But it was
obvious that no one except Nick bought that crap. And Nick wasn't helping
either, by shutting himself off to everyone, but Brian especially and just
letting their friendship wilt like that. Sometimes, though, he'd catch them
looking at each other when they thought no on was watching, especially the
other party.
They had argued through most of the afternoon and now it was approaching
evening. They all decided to wait for Brian to return home after ther
meeting ended unsuccessfully, with a very mad Kevin shouting at them, and
Howie trying to calm him down. It had been ages since the last time Kevin
had lost his temper like that. AJ looked very troubled, but when Howie
asked him about it, he shrugged it off. Nick was lost in another reverie,
and Howie had to carry on being Howie.
***********************************************************************
Meanwhile, at AJ's house, the lady finally marched into the house, after
she had been forced to call a locksmith to unlock the door. She was greeted
by three dogs who bounded up enthusiastically to her. She fondled their
ears happily, then walked into the kitchen in search of some food, turning
on the lights as it was already dark.
"That dratted Alexander. Where is he?
I've given him the benefit of the doubt that he'd be out till five, but he
should be home by now!"
Looking at the note on the fridge, she muttered to
herself, "Ooookay.. as usual, he's too busy for poor ole me. Oh well, I'll
just have to move my stuff up myself then."
After she did that, she wandered around the house, finally ending up in the
den, watching television, after she had cleared up the disgusting
'bachelor's mess' there.
***********************************************************************
She woke up to the sound of the door unlocking. "Finally he has decided to
come home!" she thought. Looking at the clock, she realised that it was one
in the morning and she came out of the den, ready to give AJ a
scolding.
She was surprised to see a strange man on the doorstep of her
cousin's house, staggering in. She hid in the den, watching him come in and
fumble about for the switch. When he hit it, the light flooded the hall, and
she saw a pair of bleary blue eyes, a crown of dirty blonde hair, and a
whiskey bottle.
Something clicked into place. He was the one of her
cousin's boyband members, wasn't he? The shortie? What was he doing here?
Just then, the man crashed into the kitchen and she came out of the
den. Crash! Tinkle, tinkle. What was that sound? She rushed in and found
the man on the floor with broken glass pieces around him. There was blood
too, in his palm, but thankfully no sign of any glass in it. He seemed too
much in a daze to know what he was doing. She immediately cleaned up the
broken glass pieces, and wiped up the area to pick up any miniscule pieces
of glass left over. Then she got out the first aid kit and proceeded to
treat his hand, finally wrapping it up. Meanwhile, he had gone to
sleep. After she had put away the first aid kit, she surveyed him, and,
quietly chuckling to herself, half-carried, half-dragged him into the
den where at least the floor was carpeted, gave him a pillow and a blanket,
then went up to the guest room herself.
***********************************************************************
The next morning, Brian woke up to a familiar cottony feeling in his mouth
and a tremendous hangover. He looked at his watch. 12 o'clock! The guys must
be worried like hell! He sat up immediately and his headache got
worse. Just then, he spotted an aspirin bottle on the table, lunged for it,
and popping the top off, took three. As he waited for them to take effect,
he tried to make sense of where he was. Okay, he was at AJ's house, that
much he remembered. But wait a minute, AJ was never tidy! Then, he caught
sight of the note on the table, which had been under the aspirin bottle.
"Hi! What's your name?
I'm Maxine and I'm Alex's cousin.
You came in last
night and made a mess.
The evidence is in your hand."
Brian then noticed the bandage around his hand. He read on.
"You sure are heavy, so I couldn't carry you up the stairs.
Hope the aspirin
works.
There's breakfast in the kitchen.
Come in when you're properly
awake.
If I'm not there, then you'll have to get something for yourself.
Love, Maxine."
Brian walked stiffly to the kitchen and saw a woman. "Hi?" he managed to
say.
Maxine started, then smiled as she saw Brian. She picked up the papers she
had spread over the countertop to make space for Brian.
"Oh, hi. I didn't
notice you come in. So I guess you saw the note and decided to eat
something. Here, have some bread first. Would you like eggs and bacon, or
some ham or something?"
Brian shook his head.
"Oh. Alright then. And I
still don't know your name yet."
"Brian. Nice to meet you." he said as he munched on the bread.
She smiled and sat down, looking through some papers.
They sat in comfortable silence until Brian finished his bread. "So, erm,
Maxine, what brings you here?"
"Oh, I'm supposed to attend a scientist's conference here, and so Aunt
Denise invited me to stay here instead of in a hotel..." she rambled on,
while Brian relaxed under the influence of her soothing voice.
"What about
you?" He started.
"Oh, eh, I was just out, drinking, then I decided to crash with AJ, since
his house was the nearest, plus I still have his keys with me."
"Okay." she returned to her work.
"Look, you said you're scientist right? How much alcohol is too much? Is 15
bottles too many for a week?"
"You mean you've been drinking that many? Are you mad or something?"
No, just troubled about my sexuality said a tiny voice in Brian's mind.
"Not really, just asking."
"Well, Brian, honestly, yes, you're liable to get liver damage from
drinking that much liquor. In fact, almost anybody could tell you that," she said absently as she shuffled, through some papers. Then she looked
up.
"Wait a minute... did I just hear you say that you drank 15 bottles of
alcohol in a week?"
"Er, yeah you did."
"And, so, accordingly, you have a reason?"
"I have a...erm...problem."
"Oh. Well. Drinking's not going to solve it, you know."
"Yeah."
"Do you want me to call Alex and tell him you're here?"
"Who?"
"Alex? You know, one of your band members?"
"Oh, AJ. Just wasn't used to people calling him that." Brian grinned
sheepishly. "Erm, thanks, but no thanks. I think I'll just rest here a
while before going back. Oh, after I'm gone, you could call them to say I'm
okay, and that I've been here."
Like that'll stop them from worrying, he
thought. Kevin would probably be mad and worried, pacing up and down. AJ
would be trying not to show any signs of worry, but not succeeding
anyway. Howie would just look out the window, looking for any signs of
him. Nick? He didn't know. Usually the one they were worried about *would*
be Nickers. He put his head down on the counter, watching Maxine do her
work, gradually falling asleep again.
When Brian woke up, his hangover and Maxine were gone, and in her place was
another note. It seemed to Brian that Maxine was always leaving notes, at
least to him, and he laughed slightly at that.
"Had to buy some groceries.
Don't know what Alex survives on.
Called
already, but said you'd left.
Lock the door after you're gone.
Love,
Maxine."
Brian picked up the note, crumpled it, and went out the door, carefully
locking it after him. He hailed a cab, pulling his cap over his eyes which
were ringed with dark eye rings. He'd have to thank Maxine for looking
after him, especially since she didn't know him except as one of AJ's band
members. But that would have to wait for later.
"Where to, mister?"
"Just drive. I'll pay. I don't wanna talk."
"Whatever you say, mister."
Chapter 4
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