After sitting around in AJ’s massive kitchen for awhile, just talking and eating, AJ stood up and stretched. “You guys wanna hit the pool?” he asked through a yawn. “Or on second thought, maybe crash in a chaise lounge?”
“I could go for a swim,” Brian said with a nod. “How about y’all?” He looked from Howie to Kevin to Nick.
“I could definitely use a swim,” Howie said with an eager nod. Casting a dark look in Brian’s direction, he added, “I need to get this crap out of my hair.” He gingerly fingered his dark locks, which were crispy and sticky in spots from ding-dong cream. Brian only returned his glare with a cheeky grin.
“We shouldn’t swim yet though, fellas, we just ate,” pointed out Kevin. “Give it half an-“
“Oh, cripes, Kev, who cares?” AJ interrupted him in exasperation. “I’m gonna go change into my trunks – meet you guys outside in a few?”
“Yeah, sounds good.” The others rose from their chairs and started to disperse, all but Nick, who sat planted at the table
“You comin’, Frack?” Brian asked, glancing back at him with a hint of concern in his blue eyes.
Nick squirmed uncomfortably under his friend’s scrupulous gaze. “Uh, no, I don’t think I’m gonna swim,” he muttered.
“How come? Are you feeling okay?” Brian pressed, his brow furrowing.
Nick sighed. He knew he was not allowed to swim with the catheter in, even now when it was not in use. There was still the risk of infection, and that was the last thing he needed. But he hated having to tell Brian that and attract attention to himself in that fashion. “Yeah, I’m fine,” he answered hesitantly, “but, um... I’m not really supposed to swim... I-I’ve still got the catheter in.”
“Oh!” Brian’s face reddened. “I’m sorry, Nick. I-I forgot all about that.”
“Hey, no problem, dude,” shrugged Nick.
“Well, listen, we don’t have to go swimming now. We can do something else. I’ll go tell the g-“
“No, don’t!” Nick said quickly. “I don’t wanna be a pain in the ass. You guys go ahead and swim. I’ll come out and chill by the pool.”
Brian hesitated. “Are you sure? I don’t want you to be left out...”
“I won’t be,” said Nick, pasting a smile on his face. “I told you I’ll come out there with you. I just won’t swim.” He shrugged. “No biggie.”
Brian smiled. “Okay, cool. I’m gonna go change then. See ya outside.”
He went upstairs, and Nick slowly meandered into the sunroom, which had floor to ceiling windows on three sides and contained deck chairs and tables and a jacuzzi. He passed all of this and went on through the french doors that opened up onto a spacious patio in AJ’s sprawling backyard, which was enclosed by a tall fence.
The large, beautiful in-ground pool sparkled invitingly up at Nick, but he tried his best to ignore it and sank down onto a chaise lounge in the shade instead to wait for the guys. They came parading out a few minutes later in their swim trunks and flip-flops, beach towels slung haphazardly over their arms. All four of them were darkly tanned and in shape, their bodies trimmed and toned to near perfection. The way a Backstreet Boy was supposed to look.
Nick couldn’t help but feel a stab of jealousy as he watched them. His eyes panned from them down to himself, to his own body, and he made a face. He was the exact opposite of his Backstreet brothers... his skin pale, his body withered-looking, the muscles he had worked hard to build up and retain now weak and flaccid. Now that he had beaten cancer, he would have to start working out, getting back into shape. Just as no one wanted a fat Backstreet Boy (as he had been told by management back in about ’97 or ‘98, when he had started putting on weight), no one wanted a weak and sickly-looking one either.
Laps in the pool would do him some good, he thought as he watched the guys set down their towels, kick off their flip-flops, and approach the pool. But he would have to settle for sit-ups and weight-lifting instead. AJ was always trying to buff himself up, so he had plenty of gym equipment around the house. Nick figured he might as well take advantage of it during his stay there.
The shade did little to relieve the California heat, and Nick was green with envy as he observed the others. Kevin stood on the edge of the pool, testing the water with the tips of his toes. That was, until AJ screamed, “Get in, you pussy!” and gave him a mighty shove from behind, sending the older man hurtling forward into the pool. He landed with an ungraceful splat, sank below the surface, and splashed back up a moment later, flicking water out of his hair and eyes and roaring, “You’re gonna pay for that, McLean!”
But before he could get his payback, his cousin did it for him, shoving AJ into the pool as well. Laughing, AJ surfaced, only to be dunked under again by a triumphant Kevin. Brian ran around to the deep end – (“Don’t run by the pool, or we’re gonna end up sitting in the ER after you slip and crack your head open,” Kevin warned) – clambered onto the diving board, and, with a bellow of “Yes, Dad!”, did a cannon-ball into the water, sending an almighty tidal wave splashing up onto the cement patio.
Howie and Nick were now the only ones not in the water, and Howie, caring person that he was, turned to Nick with sympathy in his deep brown eyes. “You want me to hang out for awhile?” he asked, making a move to sit down in the chair beside Nick.
“Nah, D, it’s cool,” Nick replied. “Go jump in.”
Howie hesitated, but Nick squared his jaw and set his face with firm determination, urging his friend to join the others. And finally, Howie did, reluctantly jumping in and wading over to AJ, who immediately splashed him in the face, soaking him. Nick chuckled lightly, watching them play in the water and wishing he could be there with him. After awhile, he decided it wouldn’t hurt to put his feet in, so he kicked off his sandals, slid off the chaise lounge, and searched for a dry spot at the rim of the pool. Finally discovering a patch of cement that hadn’t yet been splashed with pool water, he sat down and slid his legs into the water, sighing blissfully at its coolness.
“Hey, Nickster!” AJ cried jovially and flicked the water, sending a light spray directly into Nick’s face.
“AJ!” Kevin immediately cried in horror as he witnessed this and roughly grabbed AJ’s wrist. “What are you doing? Didn’t you hear Brian; he’s not supposed to get wet!”
“Kev, chill,” Nick snorted, brushing drips of water from his cheeks. “It’s okay. I can get wet. I’m just not supposed to swim; you know, get in all the way. A few drips of pool water ain’t gonna hurt nothing though.”
“Oh.” Realizing he might have overreacted just a tad, Kevin blushed. “Right. Sorry, Kaos.”
“No prob, Kev,” Nick replied with grin and took to splashing the guys with his feet whenever they were in his vicinity. Somehow, knowing that they were wary to give him a good hard splash back made it quite fun. Still, he would endure all the splashing and dunking in the world if he could only get rid of the catheter, the medications, and everything else that reminded him of his disease.
Someday, he thought optimistically. Someday, after he’d been in remission for a while longer, they would call him cured, and he would never again have to deal with cancer or the burdens that came with it. And as he devilishly kicked water straight into a sputtering Howie’s face, he innocently believed it would be that easy.
***
