Chapter Two-Hundred-Fifty-Eight
“I want to go be with Josh and Brian,” Chris announced, suddenly walking up to Brooke and Doctor Johnson – Peyton had run back to Brooke’s apartment to get ready for her night with Brandon. Brooke raised her eyebrow.
“I know you’re anxious hon, but they’re going to be back on Friday…are you sure you can’t wait that long?” Chris shook his head.
“Please? I want to go.” Brooke looked at Doctor Johnson then, wondering what they should do.
“Isn’t Denise meeting them in NYC tomorrow morning?” He questioned, and Brooke nodded.
“Yes, but I don’t know if she’s already left or not…I would imagine she would be leaving pretty soon if she wants to get there by tomorrow.”
“Call her. Ask her if she’s already left yet or not and I’ll run him up to his room and help him pack his things. It’s understandable that he would want to go.”
“Kay,” Brooke replied, and she pulled her cell phone from her pocket and dialed Denise’s number before placing it to her ear. It rang a couple of times before she answered.
“Hello?”
“Hey Denise, it’s me.”
“Hey Brooke, how’s it going?”
“Pretty good…I was just wondering if you’ve left yet or not.”
“Not yet, I just got done watching the concert on television and I am in the process of packing. I’ll be leaving in ten minutes.”
“Awesome…what would you say if I offered you a traveling partner?”
“Why? Are you missing Alex so much that you just can’t wait till Friday?” Denise questioned, and Brooke could hear the amused smile in her voice. Brooke laughed.
“Well, I do miss him very much but he made me promise that I wouldn’t fly out there though I’ve threatened to numerous times since he left. But no, I’m not talking about me. I was actually wondering if you could take Chris with you?”
“Absolutely,” Denise replied, as she understands just exactly what it is that made Chris suddenly have a change of heart. She has seen the concert after all. Brooke looked at Doctor Johnson and nodded and he lifted Chris up, playfully turning him upside down while holding him by his ankles and Chris let out a yelp before erupting with laughter as his favorite doctor carried him out of the Cafeteria.
“Okay, how do you want to go about this then?” Brooke asked.
“I’ll pick him up. It’s on the way to the airport and everything. Just have him ready when I get there.”
“Okay, thanks Denise this is very great of you” Brooke replied sincerely. “I have a feeling he was going to be excruciatingly impatient for the next three days if we didn’t send him to NYC straight away.”
“No problem honey,” Denise laughed. Brooke suddenly heard her other line beep.
“I’ve gotta go Denise. I think Brian is on the other line trying to reach me.”
“Okay, I’ll see you soon then.”
“Bye,” Brooke replied and she clicked onto the other line.
“Hello?”
“Hey Brookie…so how did he take it?” Brian questioned. Brooke smiled a little.
“Well…it’s hard to tell,” she answered mysteriously.
“What do you mean it’s hard to tell? What kind of reaction did he make?”
“He ran out sobbing. Dr J is up there trying to get him out of his room, but so far he’s not making much progress. So we don’t know if it’s good tears, or bad…” Brooke lied easily.
“Oh…” Brian replied, sounding disappointed.
“I think he just needs sometime to cool down…and you know, mull things over in his head for a little bit and then he’ll come out when he is ready. It was a pretty amazing surprise.”
“Yeah?” Brian asked hopefully.
“Mhm. I think it was more of shock then upset.”
“Okay…well you’ll call me the second he opens his door?”
“Absolutely.”
“Thanks hon.”
“No problem,” Brooke smiled, even though he can’t see her.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Brian talked to Brooke for awhile, and then hung up and looked at everybody, who was sitting backstage waiting for him to announce the update on Chris.
“Well? Did he like the surprise?” Josh asked anxiously. Brian knelt down then so he was at Josh’s height.
“Well…I think we shocked him.”
“But…did he like it?”
“I don’t know buddy, he ran up into his room crying. He won’t open his door for anyone.” Josh rolled his eyes playfully.
“I’m sure he just needs time to think things over…that’s typical Chris for you. He needs time to process things.” Brian reached out and rubbed Josh’s arm gently.
“Well, I hope so.”
“Don’t worry, I’m sure he liked it…I can feel it.”
“Well I’m glad that you’re taking this news so well. I was really worried you were going to be hurt.”
“If Chris were truly upset, Id feel it. Ever since we got into that huge fight…my heart ached the whole time…and I felt empty. But for the first time ever, I feel really good.” Just then, AJ’s cell phone rang. He pulled it from his pocket, looked at the caller ID and he saw that it read ‘mom’ on it. He flipped it open and placed it to his ear then.
“Hi momma,” he greeted affectionately, and he got up and walked across the room so no one could hear him being a total momma’s boy.
“Hey Alex, I saw the show. I just called to tell you, you did amazing.”
“Thanks…but how are you watching the show, when you’re supposed to be on your way to meeting us in NYC?” he asked in a playful accusing tone.
“I just finished packing and I’m on my way to the orphanage now – I just have to make a stop first.”
“Oh yeah?” AJ asked curiously.
“Yeah. Brooke called and arranged for me to pick up Chris and he’s flying to NYC with me. He couldn’t wait until Friday.”
“Ohhh…really?” AJ asked, looking over at Brian and Josh smiling, suddenly catching onto his girlfriend’s scheme and he laughed. Nice baby he thought. It’s about time someone surprises Brian after all of his surprises.
“Yeah, why?” Denise asked, curious on what he finds so amusing.
“Brian just got off the phone with Brookie, and she told him that Chris was upset and had fled from the room sobbing after the concert. I just caught onto her little scheme is all.” Denise laughed too.
“You two really are perfect for each other,” she insisted. “That is definitely something my Alex would do.”
“You think so momma? You really think that we’re perfect for each other?” AJ asked, as her opinion matters to him more then she thinks.
“Mhm, I do. The moment you introduced me…and the way you looked at her as you did, I thought…that’s the woman my son is going to grow old with. It didn’t surprise me when you two finally started dating. I’m happy for you Alex” she told him, as she knows from the tone in his voice that he was seeking her approval. AJ grinned; feeling relieved that she thinks so.
“Anyway, what is your sister doing? I want to talk to her before I arrive at the Orphanage and have to hang up.” AJ rolled his eyes playfully.
“I’ll see what I can do. It’s not gonna be easy pulling her out of that make out session that she is in with Nick over there.”
“Don’t go tellin’ Mom I’m making out!” Ashley scolded suddenly, throwing Bella’s empty bottle at him and hitting him in the shoulder with it. “Especially if it’s a lie.”
“Well, that’s what you’re doing 95 percent of the time.”
“At least that’s all I’m doing with him unlike some people I know who just had—“
“--OKAY, OKAY, here is the phone!” AJ interrupted, thrusting his cell phone in Ashley’s hand. She grinned at him triumphantly before putting the phone to her ear.
“Hiii Momma Denise,” She spoke innocently and Nick just laughed in amusement. Everybody sat around backstage waiting on their tour bus to come back for them, as Jerald, Riley, Wiley, Kori, Scott, and Harry had taken Spencer and Dakota to get ice cream because they were bored. Elenore wanted to stay with Kevin, so Jerald got her order and promised he would bring it back for her, as well as the rest of the kids. As they were sitting there waiting, Lou came backstage looking none too pleased.
“Ohhh look who finally decided to show his face,” AJ immediately started, suddenly remembering that he swore to chew Lou out the moment he showed up again. “I would like a word with you Lou, now.” He ordered, indicating toward the auditorium.
“Don’t you dare give me orders, I am your manager.” Lou demanded icily.
“Yeah, well, I’m sure you came out here to bitch at someone, so let that someone be me. By all means, please bitch at me. I am all for a bitching session with my favorite manager.”
“AJ…”
“Not now Kevin,” AJ snapped, and he grabbed hold of Lou’s arm and yanked him into the empty auditorium. When they were standing down by the sound booth, AJ let go and Lou glared at him viciously.
“WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?” He roared.
“NO. WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, BULLYING MY BABY SISTER?!”
“I DON’T know what you are talking about!”
“To tell you don’t!” AJ snapped. “The last time Nick and I saw her before dealing with the fans she was happy! She was just fine!” he began explaining. “And then we came inside and found that she was not in the same condition that we had left her in! She was near tears, and she was shaking like a leaf and was all fragile on us all of the sudden. Now, if you don’t know what I am talking about, then how about you tell me how she got that way? Why don’t you tell me why Marcus and she herself told us that YOU were bullying her?”
“She is LYING to you. She is trying to turn you all against me so that she has you under her control so that she can USE you.”
“No, YOU are lying to US. YOU are trying to turn US against HER because YOU view her as a threat to this FUCKED up image that you want us all to have!” AJ informed poking Lou n the chest with his finger everytime he emphasized on a word. “Well GUESS what Lou, we’re NOT your puppets! We’re HUMAN beings who deserve to have girlfriends when we please, who DESERVE to have kids if we please, DRESS how we want, and live the lives the way WE want to live them! You have NO say in it what so ever! If we want to bring our kids out onstage with us to ANY event that we do, we WILL. And you are just going to stand by and WATCH it happen! Because if you so much as come near ANY of those kids, OR my sister again, consider yourself FIRED.”
“You can’t fire me, I’m your manager! You have contracts!”
“That’s right, you’re our MANAGER. You control tour dates and events NOT our personal lives! You leave that to our MOTHERS. Otherwise, we will see you in court!”
“Court huh? Are you willing to take it that far McLean?”
“If you so much as LOOK at my sister again, I just MIGHT.”
“Oh fine. Sue me for harassment…but you will only be playing with fire. I know Nick has been dating that girl long before your mother adopted her! I can turn the tables on you all pretty quick here.”
“Where’s the proof?” AJ asked calmly. He waited for Lou to reply, and when he didn’t AJ shrugged. “There isn’t any. You aren’t going to get very far with that lawsuit. Anybody you ask will tell you they were dating the moment after my mother signed those papers. So screw up Lou go on ahead. None of us will be too unhappy if we lose you as our manager,” he replied, and with that he turned around and walked back toward the stage. When he walked backstage, Kevin was standing there glaring at him.
“Who would we use for our manager if we sued him, Alexander James?” AJ shrugged.
“My mom?”
“Your mom?” Kevin asked, double checking to make sure he heard him right.
“Yes, my mom.”
“Alex…she’s been very supportive of us from the very beginning…and has even helped us out a lot. But she couldn’t be our manager…” Howie explained.
“Why not? She’s helped Lou out numerous of times, she knows what the job consists of – she has the experience. I really think she could do it if she wanted to.”
“If she wanted to. The question is…would she?” Brian asked.
“Like Howie said…she’s been very supportive of us from the beginning. I think she would in a heartbeat if we needed a new manager.”
“And if you ask me…I think you could really use one,” Ashley spoke up softly, as she stood with the group leaning back against Nick who has his arms wrapped around her from behind. AJ can tell she had heard the whole thing between him and Lou and is back to being somewhat fragile again. AJ reached out and gently cupped her cheek in his hand lovingly.
“You just tell me the second he bothers you…and I mean the very second he does and I will work on it sweetheart.”
“Kay,” Ashley replied softly, and Nick kissed her forehead softly as he hugged her close to him protectively. Just then, Jerald walked in and everybody looked at him.
“What’d we miss?” he asked curiously.
“Not much, just AJ threatening Lou with a lawsuit,” Kevin answered, as if that was no big deal at all.
“Oh,” Jerald replied, he too acting as if it were no big deal at all. “Ice cream for the whole lot of you on the bus,” he added.
“YAAAAAAAY ICE CREAM!” Elenore cheered, and she ran over to Jerald and he chuckled and picked her up and swung her around.
“YAAAY Ice cream!” he agreed, and she giggled as he carried her outside. AJ picked up Laila then and followed suit and after making sure he had Ryan, Howie did as well causing everybody else to follow. They got on the bus and headed back to the hotel where they had to pack their things and head to NYC.
Author's Chapter Notes:
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