***************************************************************************** Author's Notes: Phew, not so long sending this one in, was I? Well, sorry if I was, it's hard to keep track of time when you have serious homework issues to deal with. Anyway, I had a few more responses to my last chapter than to previous ones, so please keep sending me those comments. Anyone who felt the slightest bit of excitement that I've updated again, and hasn't sent me an e-mail yet, please send me one just to let me know you're reading. Come on, it will take you two minutes, but it will give me a whole hour's worth of smiles. Now isn't that convincing?!!!!
Standard disclaimer: You know the drill. Too young? Don't read. Too homophobic? Don't read. Too repressed? Don't read. Think this is real? Seek help. Like The Backstreet Boys? Read on. Start to believe they're actually gay? Well, just don't start stalking them. Then I guess we'll all be okay. *****************************************************************************
"So make the best of this test and don't ask why. It's not a question but a lesson learned in time" - Time of Your Life, Green Day
********* Chapter 5 *********
"AJ!" Brian burst into their shared hotel room. AJ stirred, groaning.
"What now?" He asked. "We're not meant to be up yet, are we?"
"Kevin, Howie and Nick are all missing." Brian exclaimed. AJ sighed heavily.
"I'm sure they're not. Did you check the conference room? Their bedrooms? The toilet?"
"Yes, I've checked everywhere." Brian walked over to the bed and whipped the covers off AJ. "They're nowhere."
"Brian!" AJ shouted. "Can I at least have a chance to warm up?"
"We've gotta go and look for them." Brian ignored him totally, and paced round the hotel room, in a distracted manner. "We've got an interview this afternoon.
And I for one am not covering for them if they're out having a good time."
"You are so paranoid." AJ told him. "Who cares if they've gone out? It's only because you can't bear for Nick and Kevin to go anywhere without you."
"That's bullshit." Brian told him. "I'm over that relationship. I can't help it if Kevin keeps rubbing it in my face."
"Sure you can't." AJ sat up slowly. "But that doesn't mean you can't get on with your life. So what if Nick chose Kevin over you? It probably wasn't very good judgement on his behalf, but he must have done it for a reason. The sooner you accept that, the better."
"Hang on a second." Brian held his hand up, shaking his head. "How the hell did we get on to this? I was just worried about where my three friends are, and we're suddenly talking about my relationship with Nick."
"Like I said, you refuse to drop it." AJ shrugged. Brian groaned, exasperated. AJ swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up, yawning. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to have a shower before we send out the sniffer dogs. Is that okay with you?"
"Whatever." Brian shrugged. "It's probably not even important. Who am I to stand in the way of true love?" He muttered bitterly. AJ rolled his eyes, already annoyed with Brian's melodramatic actions.
"Hey, you woke me up, now you're gonna help me look. And I doubt they're off discussing the finer points of love with Howie in tow, do you?" AJ informed him. Brian smiled half-heartedly.
"Hurry up then. I'm gonna go get ready too." He told him. He left AJ muttering something about love-triangles, and the uselessness of it all, and stepped out into the corridor, deciding to use the shower in Nick and Kevin's room. Up ahead of him, he saw a familiar figure.
"Nick!" He shouted. Nick had been just about to go into his room, and looked round in surprise.
"Hey." Nick exclaimed, his voice nowhere near as joyful as Brian's. Brian ran up to him, pulling him into a tight hug, aware that he shouldn't be enjoying it so much.
"I was really worried about you. Where have you been?"
"Out." Nick stated simply.
"With Kevin and Howie?" Brian asked. Nick pulled away, confused.
"No. Aren't they here?" He asked worriedly. Brian shook his head.
"They've been missing all night by the looks of things. I thought you'd be with them."
"I wasn't." Nick opened the door to his room and walked in, Brian closely following behind.
"So where do you think they've gone?" Brian asked. Something unsettling was beginning to form in his mind, and it occurred to him that the oldest members of the band could be in some kind of trouble.
"I don't know." Nick shook his head, but Brian saw an unreadable emotion pass through his friend's blue eyes. Not quite fear, but something else. Something darker.
"Nick, something's up isn't it?" He asked. "Why have you been sneaking out every night since we got here? Is there someone else? Someone other than Kevin?"
"Like I'd tell you." Nick muttered, then looked up, regretting the words immediately. Brian stared at him, hurt.
"What happened to the time we told each other everything?" He asked sadly. "Before we got together, when we were best friends? What happened to that?"
"I don't know." Nick answered, his voice never rising above a whisper.
"Sometimes I wish we never got together, because I value your friendship so much more than some awkward fumblings under the cover." Brian told him truthfully. Nick sighed.
"I'd love to tell you where I've been going, who I've been meeting, but I know you won't believe me, Brian."
"How do you know unless you tell me?"
"Because I can barely believe it myself." Nick sat down on the bed. Brian gazed into Nick's eyes, filled with unbearable sadness, and wondered what on earth could have happened to his friend.
"Tell me. I know you'll never lie to me, Nick. I'll believe whatever you say." He tried to reassure him. Nick sighed.
"I've been meeting someone." He nodded. "And I've fallen in love with him.
Fallen deeper than anyone's ever fallen before." He cast his eyes up to the ceiling before carrying on. "But this guy, he's a killer. Not intentionally, not through choice. He kills because he has to. He's a vampire. He kills for blood."
"Shit." Brian exclaimed, after an extremely long pause. "You're sure?"
"I knew you wouldn't believe me." Nick stood up. "How can you believe it unless you see it for yourself?"
"Nick, I believe you." Brian caught him before he ran out of the room, holding him fast in his arms. "I can see that you really believe it. Who am I to question it?"
"I went to him last night and told him I wanted to be with him. He rejected me, told me he could never love me." Nick sobbed.
"Nick, there's nobody on this earth that isn't capable of loving you." Brian told him. "I should know." Nick stared up at him, shocked by his last sentence. "I never stopped." Brian finally exclaimed. He lent forward, and softly kissed him on his lips. He could feel Nick's body shaking against him, and he knew that this was the wrong time, the wrong place, the wrong everything. But he couldn't help himself; he never could around Nick.
"Don't." Nick whispered, but he made no move to pull away. Brian became more insistent, pressing against him harder.
"We never quite got that far, did we?" Brian asked, and Nick realised what he meant.
"Just as well." He exclaimed. "The only reason Louis, this vampire, couldn't kill me was because I was a virgin."
"But he's out of your life now, right?" Brian asked, and he began kissing him again, guiding him back to the bed.
"Stop." Nick told him. He pushed him off lightly, and sat up. "We can't. I still love Kevin."
"You seem to love a lot of people, Nick." Brian retorted angrily. "You told me you loved me once. Or was that just a lie?"
"No." Nick shook his head. "I did love you once. But I couldn't carry on."
"Why not?" Brian asked.
"Because of what you were telling the others. That I slept with you, even though we never got further than kissing. And then you started to get possessive. You'd barely let me talk to Kevin. AJ and Howie might make fun of Kevin being too possessive over me, but he has nothing on you."
"I'm sorry." Brian whispered. "I didn't realise. I mean, I did, but I couldn't bear the thought of losing you. When we got together I thought all my dreams had come true. They had, really. And then I started to notice the way Kevin would look at you. Not just with lust, but with love as well. I got scared and I made a mistake. I just didn't want to lose the best thing I had in my life, not for anyone."
"Well you lost me anyway." Nick told him sadly. There was a moment between the two where no words were needed. They looked helplessly into each other's eyes, both shining with tears. AJ chose that moment to burst noisily into the room.
"Hey Nicky, you're safe!" He exclaimed. "Where are Kev and Howie?"
"Don't know." Nick looked away from Brian, his tears gone. "They're not with me."
"AJ, there's something you need to know." Brian told him. He looked at Nick, who nodded, allowing him to go ahead.
"Let me guess; Nick's actually straight, and in love with Britney Spears?" AJ grinned. Brian sighed.
"Will you just listen for once in your life?" He hissed, a little too harshly. AJ raised his eyebrows and sat down on the chair opposite the bed.
" 'kay" He answered quietly. "Carry on."
"Okay." Brian sighed. "Um, well, it's about where Nick's been going to these last few nights." He looked across to Nick for help.
"What Brian's trying to say is I've met someone." Nick told AJ. "And this guy happens to be a vampire."
"Uh-huh." AJ answered after a long pause. "Now, why don't you try telling me the truth?"
"It is the truth, AJ." Brian told him. "I've believed in vampires ever since I was old enough to learn about them. When Nick told me what he's just told you, it wasn't a discovery, it was confirmation."
"But vampires?" AJ screwed his face up in confusion. "Vampires?" He repeated. "You can't possibly have a sensible relationship with a vampire. There'd be that whole 'is he or isn't he gonna bite me mid-kiss?' stigma."
"It's true." Nick rolled his eyes. "I've been seeing a vampire. Last night, he told me he didn't want to see me anymore. Therefore, our relationship is over. Not that we ever really had one. So I'm just gonna put him behind me, and get on with my life."
"And does Kevin know about this guy?" AJ asked disbelievingly.
"Yup, and he was okay with it. Not exactly happy, but he knew it was never gonna be a long term thing."
"I don't believe that for a second." Brian commented. "I mean, would Kevin really let his boyfriend go out and meet a vampire? Would anyone, for that matter?"
"He trusts me." Nick shrugged. "But he knew he wouldn't be able to stop me."
"No, something is very wrong here." Brian shook his head. "Let me guess, you told Kevin about this the night before last?"
"He followed me." Nick nodded. "I had to tell him."
"So he's seen this guy, Louis, and you've told him you've been seeing him? What's the first thing Kevin is gonna do?" Brian stared at their questioning faces, before opening his eyes wide for emphasis. "Go after the guy, of course. Taking along Howie, just in case he really is a vampire."
"That's bullshit." AJ sighed. "One day, your imagination is gonna get you into serious trouble."
"It could have happened though." Brian looked to Nick, who was shaking his head in disbelief.
"Kevin wouldn't of gone after him. He's not stupid."
"He's desperately in love with you, Nick. He's trying to prove himself to you. And that would explain why Louis rejected you later on. A feeling of guilt, perhaps?"
"No. That's way too elaborate. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to have a shower." Nick stood up and walked into the bathroom.
"It's not inconceivable." Brian told AJ. "You know it isn't."
"Well, if I can believe that vampires exist, I suppose I can believe anything." AJ shrugged. "But Bri, if what you're saying is true, that means that Kevin and Howie could be dead."
"Look, let's just be rational about this. I'm going to call a friend who I'm positive will be able to tell me a bit more about what we could be dealing with. Then we'll panic." Brian told him.
"Fine." AJ shook his head. "I think I'm going to lie down. My whole world's expanding in front of my eyes, and I don't think I like it very much." He wondered aimlessly out of the room. Brian laughed in spite of himself, before picking up the phone and getting an outside line. His hands visibly trembled as he dialled the memorised number. He wasn't sure he'd like the contents of this phone call.
"Hello?" The familiar voice spoke on the other end of the line. There was a slight pause before Brian spoke.
"Hey, Mark, it's me." He exclaimed. Mark was one of Brian's very few exes that Brian had bothered to keep in contact with. He was a really sweet guy, but Brian had had to finish the relationship for the same reason he'd finished all his relationships; his infatuation with Nick.
"Brian!" Mark laughed. "I haven't heard from you for ages."
"Yeah, I'm sorry." Brian apologised. "I should have kept in better contact with you. But I really need your advice now."
"Oooh, sounds serious."
"You could say that." Brian exhaled. Mark would understand the predicament. He'd studied the supernatural for many years, and he'd specialised in vampires. It had been one of the things that had attracted Brian to him; Mark's devotion and utter sincerity to the topic.
"Well I'll try to help."
"Okay." Brian tried to find the right words to say, but ended up saying exactly what came into his head. "Someone very close to me is involved with, what he strongly believes, to be a vampire. He's fallen in love with him, and this vampire has rejected him. That's all I really know, but I'm worried about my friend. I think he's involved too far to walk away now."
There was a long pause before Mark finally spoke. "Okay, Brian, the most important thing to do right now is protect yourself, your friend, and anyone else who may be involved." He instructed him. "If you have any doubts about this, however unlikely it may seem, you have to forget about them now. Your friend, who I'm assuming is Nick, is in great danger if nobody believes him."
"I do believe him." Brian told him. "But how do I protect him?"
"Crucifixes are the most common, and most accessible form of protection. Although a vampire may still approach you if you're holding one, not many will risk the horrific burn to the skin as a result of one."
"Gotcha." Brian nodded.
"Failing that, you may need to use more serious methods. Holy water, when thrown over the vampire, will scald him near to the point of death. To kill a vampire, either use a silver bullet to the heart, or the traditional method of a stake through the heart."
"Anything else?"
"I wouldn't recommend any other method. Burning is too dangerous."
"Is there anything else you can tell me?"
"I could tell you a lot, but it's important now that you prepare. As common myth states, vampires will only rise at night. A lot of the myths are true, Brian. Make sure you follow them."
"Okay." Brian sighed. "I better go then. Thanks for your help."
"One more thing, Bri." Mark added. "Have you seen The Lost Boys?"
"Yeah." Brian answered. "It's a good film."
"Remember the rule in it? If you kill the head vampire, all vampires he created will revert back to their former life?"
"Yeah, I remember."
"That applies. But there's no rule to say that the vampires he created can't revert back if they've already killed someone. As long as they haven't created a vampire themselves, they'll turn back."
"You think that's going to apply to this situation?" Brian asked worriedly.
"I wouldn't put anything past a member of the undead." Mark laughed wryly. "Just bear it in mind, okay?"
"Thanks." Brian smiled. "I feel better."
"Make sure you call more often, you hear? Tell me how it works out."
"I promise. I'll talk to you soon." Brian hung the phone up, not willing to talk anymore. He felt slightly better. If this vampire tried to hurt Nick, Brian would be ready to protect him. Naturally, Nick would feel indebted to Brian. Maybe there could still be a chance for their broken down relationship. After all, something good had to come out of the situation, didn't it?