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“So, you guys wanna go and get something to eat?” Howie asked all of us. We were finally done putting down at least two tracks, compromising with Jive that we would take this record slow.

I nodded, “I wouldn’t mind that.” we both looked over towards AJ and Nick, waiting for their response.

“Count me in.” Nick finally replied with a shrug.

AJ was all that was left. He was busy shoving his belongings into his duffel bag. He finally looked up at the three of us, “Are we going to McDonalds?” was all that he asked us.

We all smiled and laughed, glad that a little of the old AJ was shining through. “Well, now that you mentioned it, McDonalds doesn’t sound like a bad idea.”

~*~*~*~

“Is that what you really wanted Nick?” I asked, observing the double cheeseburger Mighty Kids meal that he ordered himself.

Nick looked up at us as he continued to unwrap his burger. “If this wasn’t what I really wanted, I wouldn’t have ordered it.” he replied sarcastically. Once his burger was unwrapped, he reached back into his bag to pull out the packaged toy.
“I miss getting these things… when I was a kid, I remember that my mom would always take out my Happy Meal toy before she handed the bag to me. She wouldn’t give me the toy until I ate my food.”

Howie chuckled, “I remember my mother having a fetish for the beanie baby toys they would put in the meals. She’d always tell us to make sure that whenever we went to McDonalds, to order the Happy Meal just to get the blessed beanie baby. It was a collector’s item back then and John would always purposely open the package just to irritate her.”

“Remember those furby toys they used to give out too?” Nick asked, pointing his French fry at us as he talked. “And the tamagotchi toys? Man, those were the days…”

I sat there and smiled at them as I continued to eat my filet-o-fish burger. I glanced over at AJ, who had remained silent throughout the evening. He was picking at his sandwich, shoving his French fries into the top part of the bun.

“When I was a kid, I would pretend that the burger and fries were a birthday cake and candles. I’d always take my French fries, shove them into my sandwich and hand it over to Harold while singing Happy Birthday.” I suddenly blurted.

I caught his attention because now he was looking up at me just as he was about to shove another fry into his sandwich. A slow grin crept up on his face, “I used to always do that too…” he quietly replied. “But, I’d always sing Happy Birthday to my mother.”

We all fell silent once again, going back to finishing off our meals. Howie was the first one to finish his, and he just sat there watching us. “Well,” he said as he gathered his rubbish onto his tray. “Anyone up for desert?”

“Can you get me a vanilla ice cream cone?” Nick asked, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

Howie nodded, “Okay, Rok and Jay, you guys want anything?”

“What are you getting?” I asked him.

“A McFlurry.”

I looked over at the large menu that was above the ordering counter. “Um… I’ll take an apple pie…” I looked over at AJ, who was discarding his half eaten burger and fries. “You want anything Jay?”

AJ glanced up at me and shook his head, “I’m good.”

As soon as Howie turned to leave, I took a French fry and threw it at Nick, which hit his cheek.

“What the hell was that for?” he asked me as he picked up the fry I threw at him and ate it.

I simply chuckled, “First you order a Mighty Kids meal, now you’re ordering a vanilla ice cream cone? How old are you again Nick?”

“What’s wrong with me ordering what ever the hell I want?”

“I find something HIGHLY wrong with a man in his late 20’s, early 30’s ordering a kids meal and an ice cream cone. I mean, that’s like going to a restaurant and asking for a kid’s menu.”

“What do you mean ‘that’s like’? I do that sometimes, especially when it’s just me and Aa…” he stopped mid-sentence, and I know why. Both AJ and I looked at him as the smile fell from his face. “Especially when it was just me and Aaron…” he finished off solemnly.

“Here we go…” Howie said as he came back with our desert order. “Ice cream cone for you,” he handed Nick his Ice cream cone, “your apple pie,” he handed me my warm pie in a pocket, “and my McFlurry.”

Without saying another word, we began to eat the desert Howie purchased for us. All of a sudden, I heard Nick’s voice voice break the silence, “I try to go on like I never knew you, I’m awake but my world is half asleep... I pray for this heart to be unbroken,”

The three of turned to look around, wondering where our song was coming from. All of a sudden it got louder and we turned towards AJ, who was holding his cell phone and grinning sheepishly.

“You have our song as your ringtone?” Nick asked him.

AJ shrugged as he flipped his phone open, “Why not? I set all my private calls under this ringtone.” he told them as he ignored the call and flipped his phone close.

“You don’t answer private calls?” Howie questioned.

AJ shook his head, “Nope. Can’t stand it when people call me from blocked numbers.” he placed his cell phone down on the table. It began to ring once more, but yet again he just ignored it.

“What do you have us set under?” Nick asked.

AJ gave him a puzzled look, “What do I have you guys set under?”

“Yeah, like our ringtones… do the four of us have the same ringtone or different ones?”

“Well, if you insist on knowing, I have you under ‘Pretty Fly For A White Guy’.”

“You think I’m pretty fly for a white guy?”

“No, who said I thought you were pretty fly for a white guy? The first verse of the song is your ringtone.”

His cell phone started to ring again, and he ignored it yet again.

“I think you should answer that.” Howie told AJ. “Could be an urgent call, they keep calling back.”

“Then they should unblock their number.”

Yet, his phone kept ringing and ringing, the caller seemed relentless to stop. Sighing heavily, AJ finally picked up his phone. “Hello?” he gruffly answered.

The three of us fell silent, waiting for AJ to reply to whoever it was that was calling him.

“Hello?” he repeated. “Heeelllooo?!?”

He waited for a while longer and then finally hung his phone up. “And that,” he said to us as he shoved his cell phone back into his pocket. “is why I don’t not bother with private calls.”

The three of us went back to finishing off our desert. Nick finished off his ice cream cone and rose from his seat, “You done?” he asked me as he gathered all our trash onto his tray.

I nodded as I finished off the last bite of my apple pie. I handed him my rubbish and he took it to dispense it in the trash. I looked over towards the entrance and noticed two male police officers standing by the door. They were looking around, but then their eyes locked on our group. I broke my stare away from them, but noticed that they were now making their way over towards us.

“Excuse me,” one of the officer’s addressed us. Nick came back to the table and sat down. “We’re looking for a Mr. Nickolas Gene Carter.”

None of us said a thing, we were all silently wondering why they wanted Nick.

“That would be me.” Nick finally spoke up.

One of the officers approached Nick while I caught the other one pulling out a pair of handcuffs from the corner of my eye. “What’s going on?” I blurted out, drawing the rest of their attention towards the officer who was holding out a pair of handcuffs.

“You have the right to remain silent,” the officer near Nick read his rights as the other officer approached Nick and placed the handcuffs around his wrists. “anything you say or do may be used against you in the court of law. You have the right to attorney or one will be appointed to you.”

“What the hell did I do?” Nick bellowed, catching the attention of the other McDonald’s customers.

As one of the officers began dragging Nick away from us, we all snapped up from our seats.

“What’s going on?” AJ questioned. “Where are you guys taking him?”

“We’re taking him in,” the officer replied. “you guys are more than welcomed to follow if you guys want to know more.”

“No.” Howie snapped, taking both AJ and I aback. “We demand to know what’s going on right now. We are fully aware of the rights and all, but with all due respect sir you guys cannot detain him unless he is aware of what he is being detained for.”

“Sir, Nickolas Gene Carter is being charged for first degree murder.”