Nick Carter stared at the oldest band mate, eyes glazed, nodding his head every now and then. While Kevin lectured him, Nick was thinking about how to beat the last level of his video game which he played into the hours of the morning. He thought about how many times he had been killed off the night before and giggled.
“Nickolas Gene Carter! Are you even listening to me?” Kevin yelled. It was loud.
“Wha?”
“That’s it. I’ve had enough! Nick, you’re impossible!”
Nick rolled his eyes in exasperation. As far as Nick could remember, this was a reoccurring conversation that had been going on for years. “Oh come on, Kevin, we go through this every single time.”
“Yeah, and you still haven’t learned.” Kevin’s nostril’s flared as his face flashed red. He was really getting worked up.
“Geez, just accept that this is who I am.”
“No, Nick, this isn’t who you are. You can show up on time. You can clean up after yourself. You can think before you speak. You just need a little—never mind.” He stopped when his cousin, Brian, placed a hand upon the tall man’s shoulder.
Kevin grunted as he walked past everyone, bumping his shoulder into Nick. “Let’s just get to work now that everybody is here.” He said as he took his position in fron of the mirror.
They performed their dance moves flawlessly. After years of doing the routine, the boys had plenty of practice. Worked up from the dances, they took a ten minute water break.
Howie received a phone call and wandered to a remote part of the studio. AJ and Nick quickly escaped to sneak a few smokes outside. Remaining inside were the Kentucky natives, chatting over family affairs. After a few minutes of updates, the conversation quickly shifted to Nick.
“I really hate him sometimes, Brian. And I don’t feel bad for saying it because I love him to death! So, it’s okay for me to dislike him because I’ll always love him no matter what.”
“That…doesn’t really make any sense. How can you hate someone and love them at the same time? Hate is a pretty strong word, as mama used to say...”
Kevin narrowed his eyes and shot a scowling glance to his smaller cousin that said "you know what I mean". Brian tensed up and cocked his head back in defense.
“I mean, yeah, I understand.”
Outside, Nick finished his second cigarette. He threw the butt on the ground, grinding it down with his foot.
“I’m going to head inside, man.” He told his tattooed band mate as he blew his last drag out. AJ took a drag from his cigarette and nodded his head. Nick took off to return to the studio.
As he walked through the door, he faintly heard his name coming from what sounded like Kevin. As he got closer to the room, he heard his best friend and eldest brother’s voices loud and clear. He leaned against the wall that separated Nick from the cousins, concentrating on eavesdropping.
Inside the room Kevin let out a sigh of annoyance. “He needs to face up to responsibility. I mean, even the littlest things, Brian, he can’t do! Sometimes I wonder if he can do them. After years of telling him to do something, I question if he's smart enough. You know?” He made a punching motion in the air, letting his hands swing back down to his sides.
“I understand, Kevin, but it’s been over ten years now. I think if you’re nagging him would have worked, it would’ve been a lot sooner.”
“I know. It’s just he makes me so mad. And then I begin to hate him…”
“Yeah, that’s Nick! He knows just how to push everyone’s buttons,”
Nick slowly turned the corner of the studio wall, revealing his presence to the two men. His face tight with a vicious glare, he crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned against the other side of the wall that was covered with mirrors. Kevin and Brian watched their reflections in the mirrors ahead of them, observing their helpless expressions.
Nick finally spoke, his voice low and spiteful. “You guys are unbelievable, talking behind my back like a pair of high school gossip queens! That’s fucked up! Some brothers you are!” Nick threw his hands into the air and spun back around. “I’m outta here!”
Before either man could object, he was gone. As they stood in silence, they could hear the squeal of Nick’s tires and the hazy sound of AJ’s voice calling after him.
“Oh shit.” Kevin buried his face into his hand.
Howie returned to the guys just as AJ was walking back into the studio himself.
“What happened?” AJ and Howie both asked in unison. It was apparent that Brian and Kevin were upset by their demeanor. Brian pouted while looking up to Kevin. He felt horribly guilty. He knew it wasn’t fun to hear someone talk about him behind his back. And the fact that two of Nick’s best friends were the ones doing the talking only made Brian feel worse.
“Nick overheard us talking about him and his lack of responsibility.”
AJ rolled his eyes. “That’s it? That's why he stormed off? What a baby!” He shook his head as he chuckled. AJ, each guy in fact, was used to Nick’s little temper tantrums. They were frequent enough to be expected. In fact, it was the norm.
Kevin dug the toe of his boot into the smooth wooden floor. “I have a feeling that this time he’s really pissed.”
