Chapter Three: Stuffing Everywhere
I had to room with AJ that night, what a thrill. I think he was feeling bad about teasing me so much because he left the light on in the bathroom. Of course he shut the door, one can only expect so much from AJ, but I could see the crack of light against the floor, and it made all the difference.
I think it’s more of an orientation thing than a fear of the dark. After so many hotels, so many strange places, there are times I wake up and have no idea where I’m at. Once this happened at home, I didn’t recognize my own bedroom for a few minutes! That’s when the need for a night-light began.
I still had my headache so I went right to bed. I wanted until AJ left to meet Kevin and Howie for one of their all-nighters before I pulled Bookie out of the trunk and shoved him under the covers at the foot of my bed.
Frankly I was bit disturbed by my sudden need for this bear. Really it wasn’t the bear, I didn’t sleep with it (this was the first night I had hidden it in my bed, but I was rooming with AJ and a luggage search was not out of the question) but I had an uncontrollable urge to know where it was at all times. Whenever I wasn’t sure where he was I got a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach, not about the bear, about Angel.
Two hours after I drifted off AJ was back. If I weren’t so blond I would have smelled trouble. WHEN does AJ come back before the crack of dawn? Never. So what does this mean?
“Well, well, well. Nicky, what do we have here?”
Let’s see, it’s AJ so my three guesses would be: 1) A stripper. 2) A stripper in animal print. 3) A stripper in animal print who just happened to own her own tattoo pallor.
“If it isn’t a cute ‘ittie ‘bittie ‘bear!” AJ talking
baby talk to a stripper is nauseating.
“Hey Bookie, wanna sleep with ‘ole AJ tonight?”
BOOKIE? Bookie-Bear? UNHAND him you pervert!
“AJ! That’s my sisters bear!”
“And YOU had him in your BED. NICK, I’m telling your mom!” AJ was drunk as a skunk.
“Give him back Aje.”
“NOPE! Bookie and I are getting to be good friends, and he told me he wants a WOMAN Nick. Something YOU would know nothing about.”
“Give me that bear.” I hate to yell in a whisper, but if Kevin got wind of this I would have double the trouble tomorrow.
“He wants a FEMALE bear, Nick. You know what? I’m gonna get him one.”
“Aje?” Things were getting out of hand.
“Come on Bookie, let’s go back to the bar and find you a lady.”
“Aje, I don’t think you need to go back to the bar, why don’t you stay here?”
“NOPE. The bear needs help. Almost as much as you do. I KNOW!”
“Come on Aje, let’s just get some sleep. The bear can stay with you tonight.” Until you pass out, you moron. Then he goes back in my trunk.
“Bookie and I will go find YOU a lady! Or better yet, NOT a lady!” AJ cracked up, fell to the floor, and lost his grip on Bookie. “BOOKIE! COME BACK! Nick needs our help!”
“SHUT up AJ!” I grabbed his arm, intending to help him to bed, while taking the bear in my other hand, intending on hiding him. I had the definite plan to call my sister in the morning, assure myself she was OK, and then ship the damn thing home.
“Nick, you need our help. You don’t want to die a virgin, do you?”
“I’m not going to die a virgin AJ.”
“You might.”
“Thanks for that vote of confidence.” My self-esteem is all bloated now. “Come on, let’s get you to bed.”
I shoved his cover back, which was rather difficult while holding both AJ and the bear, and pushed him down on his bed. I headed towards the bathroom to get AJ a glass of water and a wet washcloth. Before I got two feet I felt a tug on the bear’s leg.
“Are you going to sleep with that bear?”
“No, AJ. I’m not going to sleep with the bear. I don’t sleep with the bear.”
“You don’t sleep with anyone.”
“Fine. I don’t sleep with anyone. I’m a total wasteland when it comes to women.”
“That’s my point Nick!”
“FINE. You can just take care of yourself! Goodnight.” I headed in the other direction. Unfortunately Bookie didn’t. Well, not all of him.
RRRRIIIIIIPPPP! Oh, the horror! Bookie guts EVERYwhere! Stuffing flew up as high as the ceiling fan, which as luck would have it was on. Bookie guts were on the TV, behind the beds, hanging from the edge of pictures, covering the floor, and most of AJ’s face. I was left standing holding a single Bookie
leg.
“Aahhh. Poor Bookie. He never got laid.” AJ likes to point out the important stuff. Or stuffing, as the case may be.
“AJ! You.... you...” I wasn’t mad. I was cold. Suddenly and totally cold. Some people say parents have a sixth sense when their child is in trouble. At that moment I knew something had happened to Angel.
“Nick, the same thing could happen to you. Imagine, someone finding your virginal stuffing all over a room some morning. We have to do something.” Never rooming with AJ again would be tops on my list. “Nick?”
I was too busy pawing through my bag. Where the hell was my phone card?
“Nick? You aren’t going to give old AJ the cold shoulder, are you?”
There it was! What time was it? Let’s see, here it’s .... so at home .... damn. It’s only 4 AM there.
“NICK! It was only a stuffed bear! I can’t believe you are still such a baby.”
“And I can’t believe you are such a worthless drunk.” Perhaps that was not the correct thing to say. As a matter of fact all evidence pointed to this conclusion. The look on AJ’s face, the way he slowly (and I mean slowly) drew himself up from the bed. The way he removed his jacket. The dumb way I stood there
contemplating waking my family up instead of running for my life.
“What did you say?” AJ always double checks the insult before determining the punishment.
“Leave me alone AJ. I need to call home.”
“Oh. I see. Little Nicky needs to call him mommie, is that it?” Not exactly, but something in his tone warned me not to interrupt. Attention all passengers, please make note of all exits in case of emergency. One should never waist time looking for an escape route. “Little Nicky going to tattle on AJ?”
“I need ...”
“Going to tell you mommie I hurt your little bear?”
“I need to talk to Angel.”
“Really? Almost 17 year old Nicky is going to tattle to his baby sister about AJ’s treatment of his bear?” I think it was the baby talk tone that pushed me over the edge. Luckily for me I had put on a few inches and pounds over the past year. Not enough to save my life, but enough to leave AJ’s initials in blood for the authorities to discover. Clues mean everything.
“Little Nicky...” Well. That was it. I lost it, completely, totally. I launched myself at him, taking him by surprise. And what do you know, AJ drunk doesn’t fight nearly as well as AJ tipsy or sober. I got in more than a few good punches, though to be truthful he got in his fair share. Funny how Kevin had slept through all the yelling but let someone throw one punch and look out!
Bang bang bang!
“Nick! AJ! What the hell is going on in there?” We were too busy to answer, but that wasn’t really a problem. Kevin had taken it upon himself to get pass keys to any room I was sleeping in. He said it was necessary because I was a minor. In reality it was because of what I had done, or almost done, the year before when things were so bad between us. Kevin, like Brian, still suffered from residual guilt. “What ...”
For a moment Kevin was speechless. I’m not sure what he thought, I mean bear guts don’t resemble human ones, do they? He finally broke out of his coma and pulled us apart. I am proud to say AJ was sporting a bloody nose and a lovely bruise on his jaw. I had a black-eye. Two of them if you want to be
technical. One would barely bruise, the other was a real shiner.
“What are you doing? What are you thinking? Look at yourselves! Just look! We have a show day after tomorrow and you...” Kevin stopped for a split second. “You’re drunk.” He pushed AJ back on his bed. “What started this?”
“He was sleeping with that damn bear!”
“He was ... never mind. I can’t believe this! AJ, clean this mess up.”
“What? I ...”
“Shut up Aje, I mean it. I have a very good notion of how all this started. Clean this crap up and I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Nick,” Kevin steered me into the hall . “...you come with me.”
“Kevin, I need to call ...”
“Hush. You can tell me everything tomorrow.” He opened his door and shoved me in. “Get in bed, the other bed. You can sleep here tonight.”
“Kevin, I didn’t start it! I ...”
“Hush Nick, I mean it. I have no idea what’s going on between you and AJ but it’s getting out of hand.” He caught the look on my face, ran his hand through his hair and sighed. “You both look like crap, we have a show to do .... Nick you are too old for this. You are too old to get in a fight and mess things up.” He held up his hand as I started to protest. “I know. AJ started it. He always does, right?”
I had no comeback for that, none that Kevin wouldn’t consider tattling.
“Even if he did that’s no excuse. You are too old for this shit. AJ is too old, I”M too old. I’m tired of cleaning up shit AJ starts and shit you over-react to. Get in bed, NOW.”
“I need to call home.” I’ll give Kevin credit. He made it to ten before he spoke.
“It’s the middle of the night there. You can call in the morning.”
“Kevin..”
“GET IN BED. I mean it Nick, so help me. I’m tired and I’m not in the mood.” He slammed the bathroom door behind him. “You better be in that bed when I get out or you’ll have a split lip to go with those eyes.” I wasn’t scared, Kevin would never hit me in the face, or even hit me. He had spanked me the year before, but that was another story.
I crawled under the covers. There was no use, Kevin was not in the mood to listen. And I guess I had over-reacted. I always let AJ get to me.
I looked at my hand and realized I was still clutching my phone card. One quick call and I would ...
“Don’t even think about it.” Get my butt beat. “In the morning.” Kevin flicked off the light.
I sat quietly in the dark, thinking about what had happened. What was going on between us? AJ and I fought, sure, but not like this. And yea he teased me, but never to this degree. And why was he obsessed about my sex life? Maybe he hadn’t forgiven me for April, though he claimed he had.
“Your head better hit that pillow.” It did, quickly.
“I ...”
“Sleep Nick. I mean it.”
“Angel.” If I could only get one word out I had better make it count.
“What?”
“I think Angel is in trouble. I think something has happened to her.” Kevin flicked on the light and leaned on one elbow.
“What makes you say that.”
“AJ tore her bear.” See, that makes perfect sense. Now let me explain my version of how colored TV works.
“All of this was over that bear?” I have always heard of that saying about someone’s eyes popping out, but I had never been in a situation where I thought it would actually occur. “That stupid bear?” Kevin slumped down on his bed. “Nick, Angel is fine. You can call in the morning and not scare the pants off your family. And it was just a bear.”
“But.”
“Go to sleep Nick. It’s too damn late for me to be cleaning up blood.” I see. Yes sir.
I rolled over, my back to Kevin. I knew I wouldn’t be able to, but I also knew I had better do a damn good imitation of sleeping. I’d call tomorrow, and chances are Kevin was right. Angle was fine, it was just a stupid stuffed bear, and I was a big baby. The last part had not been spoken, but over the years I had learned to read between the Kevin lines.