CHAPTER 12 -
The two best friends woke up the next morning when Kevin walked in their room screaming happily.
"Wake up!" - he yelled and stopped immediately seeing the way they were sleeping.
Brian and Nick began to move as they heard that scream.
"Aw, look at you guys! Its so cute!" - Kevin mocked a mellow voice as the two friends rubbed their eyes and got off each other's embrace.
"Whats cute?" - Nick asked in an extremely hoarse voice.
"You and my cousin, you guys were sleeping hugging each other!" - Kevin laughed.
Brian opened his eyes and smiled at Nick.
"Thank you..." - he whispered and Nick smiled.
"What?" - Kevin asked staring at them.
"Oh, Brian felt bad again last night and I took care of him."
"Why didn't you call me?"
"I said he didn't need to." -Brian said. - "I didn't want to bother Nick either, but..."
"You didn't bother me. Lets not get into this again." - Nick smiled and turned to face Kevin again. - "So, got any news? Will we be leaving this hole any soon?"
"Yeah, thats exactly what I wanted to say! We are leaving right now, you two take your stuff, I finally found a phone and management is gonna send a car to drive to the right place."
"Oh, yes!" - Brian exclaimed in union with Nick.
"Oh, by the way, as soon as we get out of here your cousin is seeing a doctor, Kevin." - Nick said.
Brian frowned.
"He is been aching in fever for two nights out of nowhere! I think he'd better go."
"Sure, Nick. I'll provide that, hear Brian? The first thing we'll do before going on with the tour is having a check up done on you."
"Okay, okay..." - Brian shook his head and they laughed.
"Now, what are we waiting? Lets get the hell out of this place!" - Nick yelled standing up and soon being followed by Brian.
Well, sweet life... here they were going again.
Brian did do his check up and a this serious problem was diagnosticed in his heart. That same thing he had as a child, but now there wasn't any other way. The boy would have to go through surgery.
His fellows got devastated when they heard these news. Brian talked to his family as well. They all got together and decided to interrupt the tour so that they could go back to their country, where Brian would have his family by his side while going through his heart surgery. Leighanne would also be there. Brian wanted to be with his people, but he also wanted the boys, his best friends to be there with him. They called the tour off for some months to make it possible for Brian to recover.
They took the first plane back to the US, Kentucky. There Brian went to the hospital and booked his surgery to be performed in two days. During this time he stayed most of the time with his family, and Leighanne also flew from Atlanta to be there with him.
Right now the lovers were alone in the living room of Brian's house. Leighanne was sat beside him, their hands together.
"Oh, sweetie, I'm so scared!" - she exclaimed. - "I don't wanna lose you, I-I can't..." - tears rolled down her face and Brian wiped them away.
'No, you can't die. You are the key to my dreams!' - she was thinking inside. - 'I can't miss this chance, its not fair! Not fair I got all the way to be with you and someone takes you away! No, I wanna marry you, I want to be rich and famous, you can't die, my love... Sure, besides, I really like you... Never someone treated me so good like you, Brian... All those men I had to sleep with to get my career... No one really cared about me the way you do. And I make you happy, don't I? So happy! See? We are meant to be, you can't die!!'
Tears were still rolling down her cheeks when Brian talked.
"Please don't cry, beautiful... Everything is gonna be all right. I want you to be there with me when I wake up. I want to hold your hand, to feel your presence."
Leighanne smiled.
"And I will be there, I will Brian, because I love you!"
He kissed her softly. Brian opened his mouth but the words took a little more than he planned to come out.
"I love you too."
Not to far Nick was in his apartment with Mandah, that was now calling herself Mandy.
"I don't know, I'm really worried..." - Nick was looking at the floor, his long blond hair falling on his face, his hand trying to keep them in place.
Mandy placed her hand on his knee and said softly.
"Nick, don't be like this... Everything is going to be fine. Brian will have the best doctors taking care of him. He is gonna survive, I'm sure."
"But heart surgery is dead serious, Mandy!"
"I know, I know. But listen, baby... Your friend is gonna be fine. Brian is gonna be ok, he is tough. And I'm sure Leighanne is giving him strength right now."
"Yes..." - Nick agreed a little unsure.
"C'mon, Nicky! I missed you so much! I'm really sad it had to be like this, but I'm glad you came home earlier. Ya know, I was talking with Bob about my career. After you talked to him everything got easier! I think I'm actually gonna make it, honey! YAY!" - Mandy jumped slightly.
Nick smiled at her.
"This way we'll both be singers." - she said. - "And spend more time together!"
"Oh, God, I'm so happy!"
Nick pulled his girl into a hug. He really loved Mandy. She was everything he ever looked for in a girl. Or at least she was right now. Little by little she had been turning into a very possessive person, sometimes they would even have arguments coz of his fans. But Nick thought it would all go away, they loved each other and sooner or later Mandy would understand his relationship with the fans.
Mandy kissed his neck and Nick whispered softly...
"I love you baby..."
"I love you too, Nick!"
They were in the living room of Kevin's house, saying their byes to him before he went to the hospital, taken by his cousin. Brian had already talked to his parents, and they would all meet him at the hospital when he woke up from the surgery. He knew it would all be fine... But still he was a bit scared.
Together in the room there were Howie, AJ, Nick, Mandy, Leighanne and Kevin, of course.
"Good luck, brother." - Howie said hugging him and slapping his back slightly. He fought hard but a couple of tears ran down his cheeks.
"Thank you, Howie..." - Brian said back.
Howie smiled and left the room. It was AJ's turn.
"Luck, man! We love you!" - they hugged and both man sighed at the same time.
"I love you guys too, you'll always be my family." - Brian said. This time he was the one not able to keep his tears.
AJ also smiled and left.
"Bye, Brian... I'm sure everything is gonna be fine." - Mandy said hugging her friend.
"Thanks girl. And take care of Nick, ok?"
She grinned.
"Sure. I will." - she glanced at her boyfriend and Nick made a sign with his head for her to wait outside with the others.
Nick approached Brian and they hugged, this time the hug was tight, passionate, due to two best friends. Kevin saw this hug had been different from the others. Nick and Brian were really like brothers, they were connected, Kevin thought.
Frick and Frack held each other for some minutes.
"You take care, ok? I want you here for my 18th birthday next week!" - Nick grinned still hugging him.
"I will be, Frack." - Brian ran his hand through his hair. - "I'll be here for your birthday. And I'll push your face into the cake just like I did last year."
Both of them laughed and pulled away.
"Take care." - Nick said and touched Brian face quickly.
"I will." - Brian answered never breaking the stare.
Nick looked at the door but he just couldn't move towards it. Instead he got back to his place and watched when Leighanne and Brian hugged.
"I'll go with you and Kevin, sweetie. Don't worry, I know things will work out. They just have to." - Leighanne smiled and they kissed softly.
Nick swallowed hard at the scene. He had no idea why this shiver ran up and down his body. He didn't like seeing her kissing Brian. It was like she was stealing a part of him. Nick had to remind himself that she was his girlfriend to finally calm down.
Leighanne pulled away, both people smiling at each other.
"I'll be waiting outside." - Leighanne slowly let go of Brian's hand and walked out of the room.
It was only Kevin, Nick and Brian there.
"Hey, cousin... let's go?" - Kevin asked.
Brian was staring at Nick and turned to face Kevin.
"Oh, Kevin, I'm going. Just give me some minutes with Nick, ok?"
He looked at them.
"Sure. I'll be outside with Leighanne waiting for you. But don't take too long Brian, you know we have to be there soon."
"Yes, I know. Thanks."
Kevin went away and it was all silent. Brian and Nick didn't make a move, they only stared at each other. Nick felt his heart racing, racing in a way it never did before. Was he afraid of losing his best friend? Was it just this...?
"Nick... come here."
Nick did what he said and both men sat on the couch.
Brian's hands found their way to Nick's face and without saying a word their lips pressed together. What was meant to be only a sweet and soft kiss immediately turned into a passionate one. In less than one minute they were actually making out on the couch, and Brian felt it was Nick who began to deepen the kiss. But again he didn't stop him. He didn't want to. But the sudden thought that someone could walk in on them made the guys pull apart and break the kiss.
"Please be all right." - Nick rustled.
"I will, Nick. Don't worry..."
When Kevin walked in they had their foreheads touched to each other's.
"Hey, lets go cuz?"
Brian and Nick pulled away. They weren't smiling, but the stare they were sharing was deep. Very deep and... intense. Something had changed but right now it couldn't be important.
So, did you like it? Please e-mail me so that I can update faster! :o)
Lionessy@hotmail.com