As the tour went on things seemed to get worse and worse. Nick hated watching things unwravel to the point where he overheard Kevin and Howie saying this would be their last tour. Feeling stressed, Nick went and bought a bunch of Jack, keeping to his room that night and listening to Nirvana. Brian was on the balcony talking to his girlfriend again as they did every night, Nick found himself turning up the volume twice to drown out the kissy noises. It was bad enough he was single, he didn't need to hear them having phone sex too.

"Gag me." Nick muttered, swigging from the bottle again. It burned his throat but he didn't care, all he could think about was how his life was so fucked up it led to this.

Nick thought about a lot while he drank, especially about Chloe, a girl he'd been seeing. They met at some coffee shop in California, he hardly remembered the name of the place. Nick didn't even know why he thought of her at all, but he did. He took his black book from his backpack and flipped through.....but there was no Chloe there. Only numbers of numerous other booty calls and girls who were an easy lay when he came to town. When Nick drank, he always wanted to apologize for things he did, but he couldn't this time.

Brian came into the room shortly after Nick put his little black book away, looking at the empty liquor bottles. He turned off the stereo and shook his head at Nick.

"Would you mind lowering the decibels for one night? The hotel staff already complained about the noise in this room."

"Okay Kevin." Nick rolled his eyes, draining the remnants of the bottle. He moved onto another glass, mixing it with Coke.

"Nick what is wrong with you? You usually aren't like this. Where's that kid who played Mario Kart all night with me?"

Brian looked at him, but all Nick did was let out a huge belch and take a bite of pizza.

"He grew up....he grew up a long time ago and nobody cared to notice." Nick replied, licking his lips.


Brian sat down on the bed across from him, sighing as well. He hated how things had gotten between the two of them, but in a twisted way Nick was right. Nick wasn't that kid anymore but he had changed.....the light was gone from his eyes just like the other guys.

Nick stayed up until he finished eating, before crying himself to sleep. Brian didn't bother with him anymore that night, he knew it was a lost cause.



"Where is everyone? We were supposed to meet down here a half hour ago." Howie asked in the hotel lobby, which was pretty barren for mid morning.

"Hey, I made it. Are you the only one down here?" Kevin asked. Howie sipped at his coffee, he sometimes thought he and Kevin were the only ones who still gave a damn. Even Brian had stopped showing up to things on time which was unusual.

AJ walked into the lobby from the street, smelling like smoke and Jack Daniels....wobbling as he passed his two older bandmates with a girl at his arm who was equally if not more drunk than he was.

"Sup fellas? I'm taking....um..."

He stopped to think of the girl's name.

"Where the hell were you all night, AJ? We are checking out in an hour." Howie asked. Kevin felt his blood pressure going up already and had walked away for a moment before coming back.

"Stephanie." the girl said, annoyed.

"Sorry babe." AJ chuckled.

"You didn't tell me you were leaving town today." Stephanie snapped before slapping AJ and walking out. AJ went to follow her but Kevin stopped him.

"You're wasted at ten thirty in the morning..." he said with more astonishment than disappointment.

"It was one hell of a party. You sure the three of you weren't there?" AJ slurred. Kevin and Howie managed to get him up to Nick's room, to Nick's protest. He was also hungover, pizza boxes littered the floor around his bed.

Kevin also noticed the TV was gone.

"Where the fuck is the TV?" Nick said, scratching his head. Howie was busily trying to wake up AJ, passed out on the bed and all Kevin could do was scream.

"Yo, calm down Kev. It's too early to be yelling like that, dawg." Nick exclaimed. Kevin grabbed his shirt, about to hit him for suggesting it.

"You are both fucking drunk and it isn't even noon! Where is Brian?" Kevin yelled as he dropped Nick.


Brian smiled, happy to hear Leighanne's voice that morning.

"Just wanted to say good morning, I'll call you tonight baby." he said just when Kevin came out onto the patio.

"Where the fuck have you been? AJ is drunk and we all need to check out in an hour.....is that a damn TV in the pool?"

Kevin stopped mid yell and blinked....sure enough at the bottom of the pool was a television set. Brian couldn't hold it in anymore, he started giggling and Kevin joined in, the two of them walking back into the room.

"That's it....you've done it Nick. Kevin has lost his mind." Howie exclaimed.


After sobering up AJ by running his head under the water, paying damages to the hotel, and being thrown out then banned....the boys were back on the bus again.

"You have to admit that will make a fun story in ten years." Brian said. Kevin just nodded and took an aspirin....it was gonna be a long week. He could feel it already.