They sat in the car in total silence as Kevin took a minute to readjust his seat, check the mirrors and fasten his seatbelt, maybe this was a bad idea he thought to himself as he looked at Nick who had his hands folded in front of him, looking ahead and sulking. When Kevin decided on going fishing there was no question in his mind, he wanted to invite Nick. They had barely spent any time together anymore, especially when he started dating Paris.
The way he separated himself from the guys and tried to meld into a more ‘it’ crowd only made Kevin worry more. That plus the late night partying, the constant tabloid reports, the fighting, the kissing in public. None of that was Nick.
He knew it sounded selfish but he was happy to hear about the breakup. While AJ seemed to think Paris was a good thing for Nick, Kevin knew better. He knew that Nick was a chameleon in every sense of the word. Trying his hardest to blend into any situation. That meant drinking even if he didn’t want to, hanging out with people he didn’t enjoy and always being in the spotlight to please his girlfriend. Nick was a ham, and of course he loved being the center of attention, everyone in show business does, but this newfound relationship escalated that fame to an uncomfortable level for him.
“I’m sorry for throwing my cigarette butt at you…” Kevin turned to Nick who still was sitting in his sulking position but now was making eye contact. The start of the cooling down process.
“It’s okay, I guess I deserved it.”
“Yeah you kind of did.”
“You know if you say something like that AFTER you apologize it makes the apology not valid anymore.”
Nick shook his head, “Sorry I didn’t know there was apology etiquette.”
“If you open my CD holder, you’ll find a box of band aids. You should grab one for your head.”
“Kevin! You are shittin’ me. You even have band aids in here?” Kevin laughed, “Always be prepared…that’s my motto. Go ahead take one out, I’ll put it on you if you’d like.”
Nick opened up the hidden compartment and grabbed the box, “Winnie the Pooh? Should I even ask?”
“Do you want me to put one on your head before we take off?”
“Kevin, I am NOT putting a Winnie the Pooh band aid on my head.”
“Okay suit yourself but don’t go bleeding all over my car.”
Kevin put the key in the ignition and smiled when he saw Nick grab a bandage out of the box, “Okay fine I’ll put on a stupid Winnie the Pooh band aid.”
“I knew you would.”
“Is it on right? Did I miss my cut?” Kevin glanced over and laughed, “Aw you look very cute Nick.”
“Shut the hell up.”
“It goes very well with your badass boots!”
“Are you done yet?”
“Not quite… seatbelt!”
“For the love of God, I was getting to it…” Nick said as he reached behind him and pulled his seatbelt to the front.
“Now I’m done.” Kevin said as he turned back onto the road.
“So you never answered my question Kevin, why do you have these…” He pointed to his head, “in your car?”
“Seems like you should be thanking me for being so prepared.”
“Some call it prepared, others call it anal.”
“You’re welcome.” Kevin said shaking his head.
“Okay, thank you…but Winnie the Pooh? And don’t say it’s Kristen’s idea.”
“If you must know they actually belong to Jackie. She bought them for Baylee.”
“Brian’s Mom?”
“Uh huh. She borrowed my car because it was bigger and theirs was in the shop. She left them here.”
“So you stole them from a baby?”
“Yes Nick I stole them from one baby to give to another one!”
“Too bad there wasn’t any Tigger ones in there. He’s cool.”
“Enough about band aids…does your head hurt?”
“Nope, well not too bad anyway.”
“Good.”
“Kevin can I ask you something?”
“You just did.”
“Huh?”
“When you said can I ask you something that was asking me something.”
“What? You’re giving me a headache.”
“Sorry, ask away.”
“Do you really think I run away from everything?”
Kevin shifted in his seat, feeling bad for saying that in the first place. That was always one if his biggest flaws, not thinking before he spoke, especially when he was mad.
“Sometimes you do Nick, not all the time though.”
“I don’t mean to, it’s just hard to deal with things sometimes you know?”
“Yeah, I know.”
“I don’t mean to make it seem like I run away from my problems.”
“Nick I was just angry okay? How long have you known me?”
“Long enough to know even though you don’t mean to say things, what you say you mean.” There was no arguing with that statement because Nick had pretty much hit the nail on the head.
“You’ve had a hard year kiddo, you’re dealing with it the best you can.” And wasn’t that the truth?
Nick had an abysmal year, between his parents volatile divorce, his dad’s sudden engagement to a woman almost as young as his step sister. His mom being arrested, his sister getting into trouble, Paris. There was a lot of crap going on in the 24 year old’s life.
Probably what had alarmed Kevin most was the fact that Nick never wanted to talk about any of it. When he was a child, he wouldn’t shut up about things, going to the boys for every little thing. They all knew that he took the little brother in the group role, very seriously.
After the hiatus, things changed. When they knew something was bothering him and they would ask, he’d just shrug them off, “It’s nothing…” He’d say before walking away and turning into his usual goofball self.
They were all able to see through it, but yet it was almost impossible to call him on it. How do you handle a situation like that? Do you say…come on Nick I know you’re upset because seriously if my album flopped and my family was falling apart I know I’D be a wreck. Exactly, not the easiest thing in the world to talk about, so no one did.
Besides Brian, it was probably Kevin who took the whole solo album the hardest, and not because Nick wanted to go solo at all. It was the first time he had ever made a huge decision all by himself, without asking for any guidance and THAT had hurt Kevin more than the actual solo deal did. It was like he had dismissed them all to do something just for himself. Everyone was mad and they had every right to be.
That was Nick though, and once he made them understand where he was coming from they felt better. When the album flopped, it hurt them all, even though no one would ever think it would. Even their own fans figured the rest of the boys would think it served him right for going on his own, but they wanted him to do well. The boys knew how important it was for him. They loved him.
“What are you thinking about?” Kevin sighed and looked over at his friend who was now taking the band aides and making a rope out of them.
“Don’t waste those.”
Nick stopped and put the three bandage chain down, “Sorry…so you looked like you were day dreaming, which is a little scary because you’re driving and all.”
“Nick has anyone ever told you that you are the WORST backseat driver ever!”
“No, but I have heard that I am the cutest Backdoor Boy.”
“You really like that nickname don’t you?”
“Yeah I’ve always gotten a kick out of that one.”
“I prefer the Backside Boys myself.”
“You know there are people that write about stuff like that.”
“Excuse me?”
“Our fans write about us all getting it on…supposedly. That’s the rumor anyway.”
Kevin shook his head, “And who told you this?”
“Some girl once… she said there are stories where we cuddle.”
“We cuddle?”
“Yup…and give ourselves cute little nicknames like Snoopy and Scooter pie.”
“Ooookay then…I think our fans need to get out more.”
Nick laughed, then turned his head excited towards his window, “Well I’ll be damned, is that water I see?”
“Wow we actually found it!” Kevin said turning onto the road which led to Guppy Lake.
“Don’t you mean that I found it?”
“No Nick, I meant WE found it.”
“Whatever you say…Snoopy.”
“Call me that again and I’ll kick your ass.”
“Yup they always write you as the mean one. I’m the sensitive one.”
“Shut up Nick!”
“Hey Kevin?”
“What?”
“Did you happen to bring a fishing pole for me?” Kevin bobbed up and down hitting his head on the steering wheel in frustration.
“Don’t you think you maybe should have asked me that BEFORE we left this morning?”
“I just thought of it.”
Kevin took the key out of the ignition and opened his door, “You’re lucky that I know what a forgetful ding dong you are so yes I brought you a fishing pole.”
“Forgetful ding dong?”
“Yes that’s what I said.” Now Nick was getting out of the car and stood beside Kevin as he opened the trunk and handed the fishing poles to his friend, the forgetful ding dong.
“And you know why I didn’t think of the whole fishing pole thing Kevin?”
Kevin ignored him as he quickened his pace and headed for the water.
“Because I don’t fish!”
Kevin turned towards Nick just long enough to shoot him the finger and then turned back towards the water.
“Oh that’s IT! You are so NOT my Snoopy anymore! I’m going for Howie he’s more my type!”
“Shut up Nick!”
“Jealous?”
Kevin turned back to Nick who was now running to keep up; tripping over his feet in the big bulky boots he was wearing and using the fishing poles as if they were skis. “God please keep me from drowning this child before the day is over…in your name I pray.”
Once Nick was next to Kevin he grabbed one of the fishing poles, “Okay ready to fish?”
“Yup, I guess.”
Kevin pat Nick on the back and together they walked down to the lake.
“I guess you can be my Snoopy again.”
“I swear I’m going to drown you!”
Happy Birthday Nick lol
