Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the LATEST show on earth! Hey y'all! I am SO sorry that it took this long to get this particular installment out. It's not that I don't love you, but I just didn't have the time. I just moved again recently and coupled with starting my senior year of college, I've been stretched a bit thin lately. Anyway, I have to thank Clive and Rachel for their kind words and encouragement and Neto for his enthusiasm. I'd also like to thank the lovely Mystery for her incessant hounding about this chapter 13. She's turned out to be a fount of good ideas and comments.
And last, but certainly not least, I'd like to give thanks to my editor Justin, without whose efforts I would feel completely lost. Now, on to the legal shit that no one really gives a damn about.
Disclaimer:
Do Not Read This If:
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You are too young to be doing so in your area
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It is illegal to do so where you live
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You are offended by homosexual situations and/or material
Now that that's out of the way, please continue on and enjoy chapter 13 of my story!
D-Evolution
Chapter 13: Neurotic Ramblings and Penitence
**Doug and Howie's Room (morning)
I was having the greatest dream when something managed to pull me from the grips of sleep. I woke up, rubbing my eyes, wondering why in the hell I was awake. I got my answer when I felt my bladder pushing very uncomfortably against everything else that was around it. Groaning softly, I gently extricated myself from my bedmates and quietly made my way to the bathroom. After doing my business and washing up, I heard some loud yelling outside of the room. Recognizing the voice as AJ's, I quickly ran into the hall to see what the hell was going on.
As I left my room, I looked up to see Chris, crying on the hall floor. Joey was there and he was gently rocking him while making soothing noises. When I went to kneel down beside them, AJ again screamed and I decided that I needed to be in there with him. Quickly, I rushed into their room and was shocked at what I saw. AJ was curled up in a ball in the middle of the bed, sobbing hysterically. I could hear him gasping for air as I felt my heart break. Quietly, I got on the bed and pulled him into a hug. At first, he wildly jerked away until he recognized who it was. When he did, he grabbed me and held on for dear life as he continued to sob into my neck. Rubbing his back, I kept whispering to him, trying to calm him down.
"Shh. It's okay Alex. Calm down. Everything's gonna be alright." I cut off when I noticed the other guys standing in the doorway. Howie came over to us, but before he managed to reach us, AJ looked into my eyes.
"You can't tell them, Doug. Promise me that you won't tell them what's been going on." Remembering Alex's desire to make his own choices, I reluctantly nodded my head in agreement. I would let him tell the rest of the guys when he felt that the time was right. All of the guys proceeded to offer their support and I transferred the crying singer into Howie's arms. Getting up, I ran into a VERY worried Kevin.
"Doug, what in the hell happened? AJ is crying in here and Chris is doing the same in the hall. What is going on?"
"Sorry, Kev, but AJ asked me not to tell you. I'm not exactly sure what happened this morning, but I do have a pretty good idea. Alex has told me some things in confidence and I won't betray him like that. You're just gonna have to accept that until he's willing and ready to talk."
"Okay. I don't like it, but I don't want to make things worse by forcing an explanation out of him. AJ has found a good friend in you. I'm glad that you're here with us to help him."
What we were unaware of was that, after coaxing Chris out of the hall and into Joey's room, the rest of N*Sync had had a very similar conversation. Except in this case, NO ONE had any concept of what happened.
"C'mon, Chris. Tell us what happened, man! We're really worried about you right now and we can't help until you let us in on what's going on," Lance pleaded with his band mate, but Chris wouldn't tell them anything. Seeing that his friend wasn't going to reveal anything to the group, Joey asked them all to leave so that he could make Chris get some sleep. After a bit of arguing, he managed to shove the others out of his hotel room. Turning around, he looked at the empty shell that was his best friend. With saddened eyes, he picked up the near-comatose singer and carried him into his bedroom. Laying him down gently, he covered him with the blankets before bending down to kiss his forehead.
Starting to choke up, Joey decided to leave and let Chris get some rest. But before he left, he softly whispered, "When you wake up, I hope that you'll trust me enough to tell me." Quietly closing the door, he went to join the rest of us in the hall.
**AJ's Room
Eventually, we were able to calm Alex down. Knowing what I knew, I asked the guys to give us a minute alone. Agreeing, they all piled out of the room, but as they were leaving, Howie turned back to me.
"You do what you can for him, okay? If there is anyone here who can do something to help, it's you. After you're finished talking meet us out in the hall."
Nodding my head, I agreed. He closed the door softly as he exited, leaving Alex and I by ourselves. Sitting down next to him, I rubbed his back and started to talk with him.
"What happened last night, Alex? You were so happy that you were going to get to spend some time alone with Chris." I asked, not knowing exactly what had transpired between the two.
AJ was quiet for a moment before he looked up at me. The look in his eyes was terrifying to me. They looked empty and dead. I could feel my breath catch as I looked into my friend's eyes and couldn't find him there. Something extremely serious had gone down.
"He doesn't want me, Doug. Last night was so incredible for me. He made love to me and I was the happiest that I have ever been in my life. It was amazing. I have never felt anything like that before and now it's gone..." He started to quietly sob again as I held him. I was a bit confused at this point.
"What do you mean 'and now it's gone'. Did he do something to you this morning?"
Nodding his head sullenly, he answered, "Everything was fine when I woke up this morning. He was cuddled up against me and I knew that I was in love. When he started to wake up, though, he began rubbing my body. He didn't know who I was."
"What do you mean he didn't know who you were? Oh...OH!" I said, finally getting it.
"Uh-huh. When he reached a certain part of my body, he woke up and looked at me with horror in his eyes. He practically threw himself out of the bed to get away once he realized it was me he was in bed with. As he was backing out of the room, he kept mumbling 'I'm sorry' over and over again." He paused here for a deep breath and then he broke, "WHAT IN THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ME? WHY CAN'T I FIND SOMEONE TO LOVE? AM I THAT HORRIBLE AND UNWANTED?"
"NO, of course you're not! You are an amazing person and the guy that has you in his life is gonna be one lucky bastard. Don't you EVER talk about yourself like that again!"
"But I care about him so much and he doesn't want me!"
"Maybe this is all some big misunderstanding, " I suggested in an attempt to placate him, "Look, let me go talk to Chris and see what's going on." I wasn't prepared for the vehemence of his response as he quickly stood up and grabbed me tightly by the shoulders.
"NO! You promised me that you wouldn't talk about this with the guys and that includes Chris! Promise me, Doug, that you won't do it!"
"But, Alex, I..."
"Promise me damn it! Promise me that you won't say one god damn word about this to anyone!" By the end he was practically begging me and there was no way that I was going to upset him more.
"Alright. I promise. BUT, you have to promise me that if you ever need to, you'll come talk to me. Don't even give it a second thought. I don't care when or where I am, you talk to me. Do we have a deal?"
"Yes," he answered just as he threw himself into my arms, "Thank you so much, man. You have no idea what this means to me."
"I think that I do, Alex. Now, let's get you back to bed so that you can get some rest. You really look like you could use some." I led him over to the bed and as he started to get in, there was a soft knock at the door. Slowly, it opened to reveal the sleepy face of my son, still clad in his pajamas, looking very sad.
"Is something wrong with AJ, daddy? I heard a bunch of loud voices and AJ crying. Is he gonna be alright?"
"Yeah, little man, why don't you go on back to bed and I'll wake you up when I'm finished talking some stuff over with the others." He nodded and was about to leave the room when AJ sat up in the bed.
"Doug, do you mind if he stays in here with me? I mean, we both have to sleep and I don't really feel like doing that alone right now."
He was pleading with me and I knew what I was going to do. But it wasn't just up to me. Looking over at my son to see him shaking his head 'yes', I agreed. Quickly, AJ pulled the covers back and Richie jumped in with him. He snuggled up to AJ's chest while Alex lay back to try and get some sleep. Smiling slightly, I whispered a 'sleep well' to them both while walking out of the room. Just as I was closing the door, I managed to catch the voice of my son...
"Don't worry. I'm gonna make it all better." It was enough to wring my heart.
**In the Hall
I stepped outside of the room at the same time Joey came out of his to see the others all looking at me. When they noticed the look on my face, I could see their worry and fear multiply.
"Can we take this into our room? I don't think anyone needs to see this." I asked them imploringly.
Looking around at one another, they all said 'yeah' and we all started toward our destination. As I was walking, Howie came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. Giving me a squeeze, he let go and took my hand and we followed the others to our room. When all nine of us got inside, I closed the door and locked it. I then pulled Howie with me toward the love seat, while the others found places to sit. When they were settled, everyone looked to me and I couldn't help but sigh.
"How is he, Doug?" came from Brian and Nick.
"Well, right now he's sleeping, but he isn't good," I answered and then turned to the N*Sync guys. "What about Chris? How's he holding up?"
I noticed that Joey looked stricken at the question as JC told me, "The same as AJ pretty much. Only he wouldn't talk to anyone. He just sat there staring off at nothing." I groaned inwardly at the news and couldn't help but think that my thought of it being a misunderstanding was probably close to the truth. However, I had made a promise to Alex and I would be damned if I was going to break my word. The guys didn't make that very easy, though. Lance was the one who started in on me.
"Alright, Doug, we all know that you know what's going on here. Tell us what happened." Everyone voiced their agreement as I forcefully shook my head 'no', but that didn't stop them. They all, with the exceptions of Howie and Kevin, kept trying to get the information out of me. I was about to explode when Kevin did it for me.
"Guys...GUYS! SHUT UP! He promised AJ that he wouldn't say anything and we have to respect that. This matter is between him and Chris and until they say it's okay, we are not gonna hear anything. So I want you all to quit hounding Doug and just accept that that is how it's gonna be. Now, anyone who doesn't let up is gonna have to deal with me and I can tell you right now that you're not going to win. Do I make myself clear?!" He looked around at everyone until they each gave him an affirmative response. I mouthed a 'thank you' to him when he looked my way and he inclined his head slightly to show that he understood. After that, everyone decided to go to their own rooms and think on the situation. As they were leaving, I snagged Joey's arm and put my mouth next to his ear.
"See if you can get Chris to talk to you. I know you're his best friend and if anyone can get through to him, I have a feeling it'll be you. Be there for him because I think he's really gonna need it."
Turning to look at me, he said that he would and thanked me for caring enough to suggest it. I finally let him go and made my way over to my boyfriend, feeling in need of a little comfort. He held me in his arms and gently rocked us back and forth. I felt all of the tension of this morning drain from me and melted into his embrace. We sat there, just being with each other, until Kevin eventually called us to say that it was time for rehearsals. Telling him we'd be there soon, we headed to the bathroom to take a shower, both of us knowing that this was going to be a very uncomfortable day.
**Joey's Room
Joey entered his room to the sound of crying. Shutting the door, he ran into the bedroom to find Chris in the throws of a nightmare. Crying, he kept repeating 'I'm so sorry' and 'I didn't mean to' over and over again. Moving over to the bed, he started shaking his friend.
"C'mon, Chris, you're having a bad dream! Wake up, man!" Eventually, the shaking and pleading woke Chris up and he shot up into a sitting position. Frantically scanning the room, his eyes finally came to rest on the scared face of Joey. Immediately, he seized him like a lifeline and wouldn't let go.
"It's okay, it's okay. It's only me. You were just having a bad dream. There's nothing to worry about," Joe soothed the hysterical man. And, for the first time since that morning, Chris responded.
"No...it's not gonna be okay! I did somethin' really bad, Joe. I don't know if it's ever gonna be okay again!" Deciding that it was time to intervene, Joey grabbed Chris' chin and forced him to look into his eyes. The pain there was almost unbearable for him and the only thing he wanted at that very moment was to take it away.
"Alright, Chris, calm down. I need you to tell me what happened. I'm sure it's not as bad as you think."
Chris looked up at him in horror, "Yes it is, Joe! Yes, it is!" Then, his mental and emotional states caused him to blurt out something that he never wanted anyone to EVER know about.
"Joe, I slept with AJ last night."
Joey sat there stunned for a moment after that piece of information was revealed. His thoughts were in a daze until he heard Chris ask, "You hate me now, don't you?" Snapping himself out of his thoughts, he looked down at the fearful expression of his friend.
"Please, Joe, please...don't turn away from me. Please don't hate me." And then Chris cringed as Joey came at him, thinking he was about to beat the shit out of him. But he didn't. Joey grabbed Chris in his arms and hugged him for all that he was worth. Quietly telling him that he was gonna have to try harder than that to get rid of him, Joe comforted his friend.
"So is this why you've been like this all day?"
"That's part of it, but not all. AJ and I were both drunk last night and I don't remember much..." he broke down again here. "God, Joe, I think I took advantage of him last night!" He couldn't go on after that. He just sobbed uncontrollably into his friend's wife-beater.
"Chris, I'm sure that that's not what happened. You would never do something like that. Look, I'm going to go over and talk to Doug, he knows what's going on. I think we can get this all figured out." At the mention of my name, Chris started to shake his head.
"You can't! I don't want them to know...I can't face AJ knowing what I did and that's what's going to end up happening! You can't tell anyone, Joe. Okay? Please tell me that you won't say a thing to anyone about what I just told you." Joey had never denied him an important request and he wasn't about to do so now.
"Alright. I give you my word that I won't say anything. But how are you going to take it being around the BSB tonight? Do you think that you can handle it?"
"I don't know, but I'm going to try. The least I can do for him is not fuck up his concert."
Joey was about to say something else when the phone rang. He picked it up and after listening for a bit, thanked Kevin and told him that Chris would be there. Hanging up, he turned around.
"Well, that was Kevin. We need to hurry up and get ready for rehearsals. There gonna have lunch there waiting for us at the venue."
"Okay. Ummm...can I use your shower and borrow some clothes. I can't go back in there right now."
"Sure, bud. Take anything that you need."
**AJ's Room
After I left, the two tried to fall back to sleep. But, as every minute passed, the pain in AJ's heart grew. The tears had started again and he couldn't stop them. Silently, they poured down his cheeks. Pulling Richie closer to his chest, he tried to find some comfort from the hell that his life had become. Richie, seeing the torment that he was in, hugged him back as tightly as he could in an attempt to ease his pain. He had grown to care for AJ in the short time that he'd known him. He had seen how much Alex meant to me and that had endeared the singer to my son. Richie didn't like to see anyone in pain and so he started to talk with his bedmate.
"What's wrong, AJ? Why are you so sad now?" he asked with the innocence that only the very young possess. It did AJ's heart good to know that the little boy cared about his pain, but that still couldn't conquer the grief that he felt in the very center of his being. He started to cry harder.
"I love him so much, Richie," he managed to choke out, "Why can't he love me back?" And my son, who was unaware of what had happened that day, was a bit confused.
"Who do you like, AJ?"
"It's Chris...I love...Chris," he stuttered out, his breathing coming in short gasps, "But he doesn't...he doesn't love...me back."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, he ran away from me this morning and I don't know what I did wrong."
At that, an idea struck Richie, "What if you didn't do nothin' wrong? What if you did it all right?"
"But if I did everything right, why did he leave me like that?" AJ couldn't believe how much this little child was trying to help him and how working through all that had happened was making him feel just the tiniest bit better.
"Maybe he's fright...frighte...uhh...scared."
"What d'ya mean, why would he be scared?" He was beginning to think that the little guy might just know what he's talking about.
"Well, daddy had a boyfriend once who nobody knew liked boys. They snucked around a lot 'cause he wanted to keep it a secret. He left one day 'cause he said it was too hard to keep doin' it. Daddy was like you are now for a while. He was so sad all the time and cried a lot, just like you. Maybe Chris is scared 'cause he likes boys and nobody knows." Richie seemed so proud of himself for this that AJ couldn't help but laugh. My son had managed to make him forget his troubles for a bit and for that, AJ was truly thankful.
"So, you really think that that might be the reason?" AJ questioned with hope.
"Yup. Why wouldn't he like you? You are a very nice man...oh, and I like your pretty drawings, they're really cool!" AJ chuckled at the complements and also found himself blushing. He started to give Richie a hug when the phone by the bed started to ring. Rolling over, he grabbed it from the cradle.
"Hello...Hey, Kev...I'm doin' much better, thanks...Is it time already?...Okay, I'll get ready...Uh-huh, talk to ya in a bit...Bye." After he'd hung up the phone, he turned to the boy on the other side of the bed.
"Alright, little man, time for me to get up and get ready for rehearsal."
"What's a rehearsal?"
"A rehearsal is where we practice so that we don't mess up during the concert. And you'd better head over to your room since you need to get ready so you can go too."
"I get to go? You're really gonna take me!" Richie asked in excitement.
"Yeah! So get your skinny little behind over to your room and get ready. Okay?"
"Okay!" He was bouncing off the walls now. As he turned to leave, AJ called out to him. Turning around, he found himself swept up in a hug and started to giggle fiercely. AJ put all of his gratitude into that hug, plus a few words.
"Thanks for helping me out, PJ."
Richie just looked confused, "Why'd you call me PJ?"
"'Cause you were wearin' your pj's when you helped me out. So, that's what I'm gonna start calling you. Is that okay?" he asked.
Richie thought about it for a second and then, deciding that he liked having a special name, he told Alex that he liked it.
"Okay then, PJ, you run over and get ready and I'll see you in a bit." With that, he ruffled Richie's hair as he stepped into the hall, giggling all the way.
**In the Hall
Now, Richie, being a child, and having done so well with AJ, decided that he was going to get him and Chris together so that they'd be happy like his daddy and Howie were. So, since he didn't know what room Chris was in, he went down the hall and put his ear to every door until he heard the voice that he remembered as Chris'. Knocking on the door, he waited with barely restrained excitement (at the thought of Chris and AJ being happy) for someone to open the door for him.
**Joey's Room
Joey was just about to get into the shower, when he heard a knock at the door. Confused, he went to check whom it was only to find that there was no one there. Preparing to shut the door, he was stopped short by a tug on his sweats. Looking down, he was surprised to find Richie standing there with a big grin on his face.
"Hey, guy, what can I do for you?" he queried with a smile.
"Hi, I'm Richie. Can I talk to Chris?"
Joey thought a bit about what to say before he gave him his answer. "Well, I don't know. He's kinda upset right now, so I don't know if it's a good time." Hearing this, Richie's smile only got wider.
"I know. That's why I wanna talk to him. I wanna make him not be upset anymore."
Joey considered this. On the one hand, Chris might not want to talk to him. But, on the other, it might just help to get his mind off of all this.
Deciding that anything that Richie could do to help was worthwhile, he told him that it was all right to come in. Leading him into the bedroom where Chris was putting his shoes on, he explained what was going on.
"Hey, Chris. Richie here wanted to come by and cheer you up. Is that okay?"
Smiling at the grin on my child's face, Chris answered, "Yeah, that's cool.
You go on and take your shower before Lance starts beatin' down the door because we're late again."
"Alright, see you in a few," and giving them a mock-stern look he finished with, "Now you boys behave yourselves." This made all of them laugh.
After Joe went into the bathroom and Chris had finished putting his shoes on, he asked Richie what was up. Richie's grin surfaced again.
"I gotta surprise for you. Do you want it?"
Chris was intrigued and said, "Sure, why not? What is it?"
Seeing that Chris was receptive, he got up on the bed and whispered into his ear.
"AJ really likes you!" When he heard that, the smile quickly vanished from Chris' face and his voice wavered when he could speak again.
"No, he doesn't. I did something really bad to him. Who told you that he liked me?" he asked because he couldn't picture anyone doing that after what happened that morning.
"AJ did, a few minutes ago. But he's sad 'cause he doesn't know why you ran away. He didn't want you to do that."
When Chris was able to fully process the meaning of those words, his eyes started to water. "Did he really say that? He wanted me to stay?" he asked the little boy.
"Uh-huh. He said that he really likes you. I told him you were scared 'cause you like boys and no one knows and that made him feel better."
Startled by this information, Chris got defensive, "Who said I like guys? Whoever did is wrong." And Richie, not the least bit perturbed by the response, told him something that crushed his internal walls like paper.
"I know 'cause you look at him like my daddy looks at Howie." Such a simple statement, yet it made something happen that Chris had never allowed before concerning this part of him. For the first time in his life, he wasn't able to lie to himself. And, suddenly, everything made sense. He was attracted to AJ and, apparently, his feelings were returned.
Seeing the emotions play across Chris' face, Richie was afraid that he'd made him mad. But, when he saw a small smile appear on the singer's lips, he knew what needed to be done.
"Chris?"
"Yeah, what is it?"
"Will you come see AJ with me?"
"Uhhh, I guess so, but what if he's still mad at me?"
Laughing a bit, he responded, "AJ's not mad, he's just sad and you comin' back will make him happy. I know it!"
Witnessing the boy's certainty gave Chris confidence. Brushing away his doubts for the time being, he decided that, at the very least, he could go and apologize for what had happened that morning. Hearing that AJ was upset because he had left destroyed all thoughts that he had taken advantage of him. He decided that he had to make this right.
"Okay, I'll go with you. Ya talked me into it!"
The two quickly left the room and traversed the hall to AJ's. Steeling himself, Chris knocked on the door. He was a little nervous when he heard AJ yell that he was coming, but told himself to suck it up and do what he knew he had to. With one final smile at the boy who was trying so hard to make the two of them happy, he waited for the door to open.
**AJ's Room
After Kevin had called and Richie went to get ready, AJ quickly jumped into the shower. He had found new hope in Richie's words that he and Chris might be able to work things out. After he was finished washing up, he got out of the stall and proceeded to get himself ready. Just as he was putting the finishing touches to his hair, he heard a knock at the door.
"Coming!" he yelled thinking that it was Kevin stopping by to make sure that he was getting ready. He quickly finished his hair and went to get the door. When he finally did open the door, surprise didn't even come close to what he was feeling.
Richie was the first to break the silence, "Hey, AJ! Chris wanted to come and talk to ya. Isn't that great?!" he asked with glee.
Stunned, AJ managed to utter, "Yeah, it is," weakly. Opening his door to let Chris in, he told Richie that they needed to talk and that he needed to go and get ready. Ever excitable, Richie said 'okay' and dashed over to my and Howie's room, leaving the two nervous men alone. There was silence for a bit until Chris decided to break it.
"AJ, I wanted to tell you how sorry I am that I ran out on you this morning," he said while looking steadfastly down at his feet.
"Chris, I never wanted an apology. I just want to know why you did it."
Taking a deep breath, Chris plowed ahead. "I've never acted on my feelings toward guys. And I didn't think that anyone would want me to anyway. I mean, I know that everyone loves JC, Justin and the others, but I also know that I can't compare in the looks department. I'm not the most attractive guy to people," he finished dejectedly.
"I think you're beautiful," AJ quickly whispered.
"What?" Chris was shocked, no one had ever told him that before.
"I said that I think you're beautiful," AJ repeated shyly, "I've thought so for a long time."
"Really?" Excitement could be heard in Chris' voice, "You're not just saying that to make me feel better?"
"No, I really mean it."
"I was so afraid when I woke up this morning that I had taken advantage of you while you were drunk. That's why I kept telling you that I was sorry. I was so afraid that I had hurt you."
When Alex saw that Chris was about to start crying, he knew that he had to do something. Pulling Chris into his arms, AJ squeezed him tightly.
"I have wanted last night to happen for a very long time, Chris. You made me feel happier than I've ever been before. I hope that I made you feel the same?"
"...Yeah...you did," he admitted as he shyly looked into the other man's eyes. Before either of them knew it, their lips met and in that moment, all that had happened that morning was forgotten. The only things that were on their minds were each other. After a few minutes, they separated and Chris gazed into AJ's eyes as he spoke.
"Alex, will you...will you be my boyfriend," he asked timidly, fearing rejection.
He needn't have worried. When AJ heard those words, his entire body lit up as he nodded his head vigorously up and down. His reaction was more than Chris had hoped for and right then, he knew that this was right. Their lips came together again as they fell onto the bed, only paying attention to each other. In fact, they were so occupied that they never heard the knock at the door, or the sound of it opening.
**Doug and Howie's Room
I looked up as Richie entered the room with a smile.
"Hey, you! We need to get ready so the guys can go practice. You don't have time for a bath, so just get dressed." Richie quickly went over to his bag and got his clothes. I helped him get ready and soon, all three of us were done.
"Howie?"
"Yeah, babe?"
"I'm gonna go over and check on Alex. I'll be back in a minute." He nodded his head and I gave him a kiss. Looking over at Richie, I noticed that he had the biggest smile on his face and wondered why. Shrugging it off for now, I kissed my son on the forehead and made my way over to Alex's room. When I got there, I knocked on the door. I waited for a minute, but he didn't answer. I tried the knob and found it to be unlocked. Slowly opening the door, I softly called AJ's name and again got no response. Feeling a little worried, I opened the door all the way and was not prepared for what I saw. The loud gasp which escaped my lips wasn't noticed by the two occupants, but it was noticed by everyone else. They were all at the doorway with me in seconds, wondering what was wrong. When they all saw me staring into the room they followed my gaze. Apparently, I wasn't the only one who was surprised because everyone let out shocked sounds of their own. However, shock soon turned to pleased smiles as they all witnessed the picture before them. Shortly, I decided that we'd invaded their privacy enough and quietly shut the door. We all turned our smiles toward one another, pleased at what had happened. Then, something struck me as odd. When we'd all seen AJ and Chris together, Richie was there...and he was the only one who didn't seem surprised. Instantly suspicious, I turned my eyes to my son, only to find him looking back at me with a mixture of happiness and pride. Kneeling down, I ended up eye to eye with him.
"Richie, did you have anything to do with this?" I asked him as everyone suddenly turned to focus their attention on the two of us.
"Yeah," he told me with barely concealed excitement, which made us all smile.
"Well then, little man, I think you and the rest of us are going to have a talk," I said with a grin. "Hey, Kev!"
"Yeah, what is it?"
"Do you think that you could postpone the rehearsal for an hour? I really want to find out what happened and I think that we should give AJ and Chris a little time to themselves."
Everyone voiced their agreement and looked to Kevin expectantly. Glancing at all of us, Kevin couldn't suppress a chuckle.
"Yeah, I think we can do that. And you're right, those two deserve some time together."
I can tell you right now, with absolute certainty, that none of us could have agreed more.
Well everyone, how did you like chapter 13? Was it worth the wait? Hopefully, now that everything has settled down around here, I can start putting more of my time into writing this story. So, be on the lookout for the next installment and, as always, thanks for reading! I'll catch y'all later!
Questions/Comments?
E-mail me at ardcypher5@hotmail.com
Thanks again,
Druid