Alas, my story has gotten this far. Thanks to Nifty for hosting this story. This is a really cool site. I love the frequent updates. I'm sorry I haven't had much time to send emails to commend all the great authors out there. It has been quite a month for me. Still, I have been reading and the stories are just as wonderful as in the past!!!!
Disclaimer: I do not know the Backtreet Boys and do not know their orientation. This is pure fiction and anyone under the legal age should not read further.
I didn't hesitate to grab the first limo that waited for us at the hotel. We were going back home to Florida, and to be truthful, I felt like I was walking on glass. I couldn't sleep at all after that curt little interaction with little Nick! I would kiss the ground all the way to the airport if I didn't have to see those sad blue eyes of his.
So I jumped on the first limo. To my dismay, Brian had already stationed himself in the limo. Could this day be any worse?
"Hi." Brian's voice was sheer dullness.
"Well, an enthusiastic hi to you too!" I countered defiantly.
How dreadful. This was almost as bad as sharing a ride with Nick to the airport. I was about to melt from the painful tension when AJ jumped into the limo and slid right next to Brian. "Thank G-d I made it!" AJ's voice boomed in the limo. I rolled my eyes.
"Exquisite timing, Aje," I greeted dryly.
"Well Mr. Suave, thank you." With that, he laid back against the seat and slept. This will be a long ride. I daintily stepped into the limo as our chauffeur closed the door.
"The other two are still packing, but we'll get you to the airport first, okay?" The words rung in my ears.
"Okay." All three of us sounded like three monkeys reciting a poem. We all sounded dry.
I took one last glance at Nick's hotel room and sighed. Let Howie keep him company.
Ten minutes until boarding. I was so busy throwing wary stares at Brian that I didn't know how fast the time was passing by. And then, some girls recognized us. Could my life be any more confusing? Me and Brian hid behind an obese New Yorkian. Not too clever because the girls were still at our heels. Finally, at the last minute, we rushed into the plane.
I thought I saw Howie's head in one of the seats as I passed down te first class isle. So Nick and Howie made it. Quickly, I grabbed AJ and pulled him into one of our rows. I did NOT want to sit with Brian.
Then I quickly closed my eyes, pretending to sleep. Wherever Nick was on that plane, he'd hopefully just keep to himself and not make me feel any worse than I did that morning. It didn't take long before the airplane took off. At that moment, I heard Brian's freaky voice.
"Hey, where's Nick?"
I immediately opened my eyes trying to register what he just said. "What did you just say?" I croaked.
Brian simply ignored me and continued to scan the first class seats in horror. I had to admit, my heart was palpitating wildly. I quickly scanned the area. True to Brian's words, Nick was not there.
"Howie? He . . . he came with you, right?" My eyes dug holes into Howie's body. Howie's eyes widened as if guilty of a mortal sin.
"No! They said that he would take the next limo. I don't know what happened after that."
All right, Kev. Suave. Breathe. I thought hard. I grabbed the phone in my seat and immediately dialed the number to our management. Stupid! How could this have happened? Did Nick miss the plane? I could kill that boy, making me worried like this. How dare he?
I waited and waited until management answered. No one there. What the f--- is going on? Maybe Nick missed our plane and would catch the next. Or maybe Nick didn't want to come back with us. Or maybe Nick committed suicide in the bathroom. Stop it!!!!!! I pulled on my hair, digging my fingers into my scalp for a reality check. No! Nick was not that fragile.
Michael! Maybe Michael knew what was going on. Problem was, I didn't have his cell phone number, or did I? I quickly scrambled through my wallet for phone numbers. I usually kept all my ex's number. I mean, I'm not all that heartless throwing them away. I sifted through my wallet wildly. I swear, anyone would think I was insane. Finally, my weary eyes rested on a messily scribbled number. I sighed. Michael's number! I quickly dialed.
"Hello?" Michael's disgusting voice answered.
"It's Kevin." Even I thought my own voice was harsh.
"What's up?" How can he be so clueless?
"Nick's up. That's what. Listen, are you still at the hotel?" I pressed. Let him be. Let him be. Let him be.
"No. I'm not. We're at the hospital." Michael's words simply put an end to my jealousy. Suddenly, my hands trembled.
"Hospital?" I squeaked mildly, like a little mouse, about to be fresh fodder for a cat.
"We found Nick in his hotel room unconscious. We . . . " Michael was about to say more, I swore it, but someone had grabbed his cell phone from his hand. I heard some jerking movements and then, a new voice shouted through the phone.
"Hi, Kevin? This is Peter." Peter was the guy in charge of our day to day routine. You know--food, hotel, transportation. That kind of stuff. At this moment, I wished that Michael just knocked him off the phone and continued where he left off. Obviously, Peter was not going to spill anything. "Listen, Nick's okay. He'll be on the next flight out and will join you guys down in Florida. Don't worry Kevin. Nothing's wrong. You guys go ahead with the practicing. All right?"
My mind thought of something coherent to say. Nick became unconscious. Was it the leukemia? What was going on? Did he try to hurt himself. Damn that Peter! Did he think I could settle down for the rest of the flight knowing that? I felt like jumping off the plane at this moment. Nick . . .
Peter was cunning. He might not let Michael keep that phone. Damn him! Why are they keeping this from us? We're all that Nick got at this moment. How could he separate us like this?
"Okay," I answered Peter. Why was I being so cowardly? Shout at him. Scream at him to let Nick on the phone and confirm that he's okay. Don't hang up. Don't back off. But I didn't do any of that. I pressed the end button and the phone went dead. I tried to look calm. I tried to look relaxed. But I knew that I must have looked like a mute insane man at that moment. I stared at the phone. No more witty words from my mouth. No more crude, clever thoughts from my mind. I felt . . . empty.
We made it to Orlando. I barely had two ounces of energy left in me. Thinking about Nick just drained all the life out of me. I didn't know why. My mind kept on wandering back to that boy. I was going crazy. I knew it!
Why didn't Michael try to call me back? He, of all people, should know my state of mind. And right now, it's in disarray. I was suffering a mental breakdown . . . times a hundred.
As soon as the plane landed, I jumped off my seat. I knew that I didn't look too coherent, especially to the other Boys, but at that moment, I just didn't care. I ran out like a madman to the first limo and quickly jumped in. Of course, I dragged all the other guys by their collars so that we could quickly get to the complex that we rented for our stay in Florida. I desperately had to call Michael or Peter. I had to know what happened to Nick before I bit all my fingernails off!
Eternity passed by before we got to our designated place and before I thought to do anything else, I ran out of the limo like a flaming fireball and jumped right into my room. I dialed Nick's cell phone number. Of course, I knew that Nick wouldn't be the one to pick it up.
"Hello?" To my surprise, it was Michael! How? Why? Wasn't Peter supposed to be in charge?
"What the hell are you doing on the phone?" I screamed. I was 100% raging lunatic.
"And I thought you'd be begging me for info on Nick's condition," Michael answered wryly.
I paused. Something about his voice didn't sound right. "I'd rather eat shit."
Michael laughed. "Now that doesn't sound too appealing."
"Just shut up and tell me what's going on!" I grumbled.
I could see him smirking. Bastard. "How can I shut up and tell you what's going on?" Smartass.
"All right, fine. Don't tell me then. I'll just call Peter!" I truly lost all wit. I couldn't believe how I was succumbing to his manipulative wickedness.
"Go ahead. Try calling him. But Kevvy? You might run into problems. You see, Peter . . . is dead!" Michael's voice was so calm, yet sinister.
I could have sworn my heart stopped beating then. "Dead?" I asked weakly. That was when I heard a groaning noise from Michael. He was breathing pretty heavily and there was also the sound of kissing, like he was french kissing somebody.
"Mmmmmmm. Delicious. Nick's lips always tasted sooooo good," Michael said in between the french kissing.
I felt the dread washing over every inch of my now petrified body. Now, more than ever, I felt so helpless.
"Sexy. Sensual. F---ing erotic." Michael's voice was like listening to a very bad singer. I wanted to choke on his words, but I didn't.
"Murder and molestation are very serious crimes." My voice was serious and honest for the first time in years. I didn't know how I sounded so virtuous. I just did.
"Molestation?" Michael laughed. "You don't get it, do you, Kevvy? Nick is unconscious, butt-naked, in bed . . . with me. Kev, I'm not molesting him. I'm downright f---ing him."
"You horny bastard. You think that by doing this, you will get me to regret dumping you? Well, I'm happier than ever that I dumped you when I had the chance!"
Michael laughed. "Good theory, but you missed the target by a whole mile. You see, Kevvy. The point is not to make you regret. The point is to prevent you from attaining something you've always wanted but too damn afraid to claim, you coward."
I felt my cheeks flush from his choice of words.
Michael continued. "I'm gonna kill him, you know that. But before I do, I'm gonna have him sexually. Did you hear that? I'm gonna f--- your lover over and over and over until he's completely used. Then I'm gonna strangle the life out of him."
My hand bucked as I dropped the cell phone. Stupid me! Why did I show my weakness? Now I couldn't pick up that phone. My fear would be too conspicuous. He would know that he had nailed me to the cross and that would only encourage him to further carry out his plan.
Nick . . . How did we ever get to this point? I knew the answer. It was me. I was the one that drove the dagger home. I was Michael's target, not Nick, but Nick suffered because of me. I had created a psychopath out of an ancient lover. But he was a smart psychopath. He knew the deepest pockets of my heart even when I didn't know myself. He took advantage of Nick.
My mind reeled from this sudden cataclysm of events. I coun't reach Nick now. We were thousands of miles apart, physically and emotionally. It would be too late to step on that plane, or would it be? The thought of Michael strangling Nick's already fragile body was eating me from inside out. The sight of that beautiful, supple body under my fingertips being tortured by someone as nauseating as Michael made me sick.
Just one moment of indecision . . . and this was how it turned out to be. How come I didn't see it coming? How come I had let Michael play this game for so long without even questioning his motives?
Because of Nick.
Because my heart was blinded by an unconscious love for Nick that I was too fearful to acknowledge. I was drowning in a puddle full of doubts and confusion while Michael simply strolled along and captured my lover's body and soul. Could there be anyone more useless than I?
I used all the powers in me to slow down my breathing and cleanse my mind. I was not going to let this tragedy carry on. For Nick. I'm not going to let him die like that. Michael's not going to take him from me. Or has he already done that? As I sit here thinking now, has he already taken Nick's innocent life?
I glanced at my cell phone and immediately grasped it in my hand. I held the ear piece to my ears and listened intently.
"So you've recovered from the initial trauma?" Michael snorted.
"Name your price."
"There is nothing you can offer me that is of value right now. Not even your body, Kev. Because what I want is what I have right now . . . and that's your lover's body."
"You don't care about the consequences?" I knew I was being down right predictable, but at this moment, I could care less. Whatever kept him on the phone. I suddenly heard the door open and Brian's labored footsteps entering the door.
"What silly question is that? What consequences wouldn't be worth an erotic, sensual night with a blond sexual deity?" Michael snorted a few more times.
"Why put Nick through this? He has never hurt you." By now, Brian was standing beside me, his body clenched and tight as if he knew what were going on. My eyes gave it away.
"How do you know he hasn't? He had. In fact, he hurt me every time you look at him. He hurt me every time he held your attention. And he hurt me every time he ignored me." Michael's voice turned deadly sinister.
"What?" I croaked.
"I don't give a shit about you anymore, you bastard. I've found Nick. And just when I thought that I could love again, it turns out that he's in love with you. You! Of all people! You don't deserve his love. You've played other men like toys. How could he be so blind to think that you would give him the love he needed. I could give him a hundred times the love that you give him! But you, in your selfish little world, refuse to relinquish him. You hold him like a puppet, playing his strings without any compassion. Yet he gives you his love? Don't you think that it's time to quit? Haven't you gotten tired of this game, Kevin? You've hurt everyone else out there. Why do you want to let this continue and hurt even your closest friends? Why don't you just call it quits?" Michael's voice was full of fury.
He sounded like a crazy lunatic. But what he probably didn't know was that the tears were falling freely now. They were my tears. And they were tears of the realization that his words had stung deep within my heart. Memories of my past became ever so vivid. I was hurt. But I did my share of hurting.
And through it all, I never felt redeemed. Was it truly time to quit?
"Let him go. He is innocent of all our faults."
"It's too late, Kevin. You already secured his love. He will never fall for me now. And if his love does not belong to me, then it shall not belong to anyone . . . ever."
Michael hung up before I got another word in. Brian grabbed the phone from me and screamed wildly, begging for Nick's life. But it was all in vain. He began to cry hysterically.
But it wouldn't help. I knew Michael. He did what he said. He did it without remorse. He did it without regret. And when he said that he would kill Nick, I knew that it was more than a statement. In a few hours, it would be a fact.
There it is. Well this was kind of a dark chapter. I just felt so depressed lately I thought I'd match this chapter to my mood.
So does this sound like a place I could end on? Or do you guys want another chapter to soothe your tortured souls?